《A VIP as Soon as You Log In》 Prologue: ID information Loaded

Prologue: ID information Loaded

Trantor: McTavish Editor: Araeh Mankind was terribly defeated. It was awful and so natural as if it was supposed to be like that from the start. The dimensional invaders were strong, many, vicious, and cruel. The first gate opened in Merva, the home of mankind. For the first time in 500 years after the Great World War, they faced just a disaster and downfall. Merva¡¯s remaining humans crawled into the underground bunkers, just waiting in silence for the death toe to them. To them, the word hope was uneptable, profane, and humiliating. ng! ng! ng! Despite that, why is he knocking on the ground? In a world where no hope is left, why does he try to create something new? One of thest cksmiths on the Merva, though he was puzzled by it himself, held his hammer without ever stopping his hand. ng! ng! ng! Five years ago, when he was 50 years old, he was lucky to escape the moving monsters under themand of the invaders and enter an underground bunker with a lot of preserved food. There was a cksmith in the bunker and nothing else to do except to wait for death while forgetting about the food. When I made a weapon, I knew there were no warriors to hold them and fight against the invaders. It was a method of escaping the eventual death. ¡°With this, it isplete.¡± For the second time today, I made an unworkable piece. Even when I was just living with a long sword that I owed to myself. [Sucess in making a masterpiece that will remain in history! Achieved the conditions for connecting to Hero Universe.] [Wee, New User! Please name your ID!] A miracle came to him that he could not dare to call it hope. ¡°This¡­?¡± The cksmith was astonished when he saw the words written in the translucent window in front of him. I heard it faintly. Those who are capable of blowing fire from their hands or wearing swords as their weapons are capable of contacting a mysterious system that the general public cannot see. But it appeared to him without an ability? How so? When I thought about it, a new text was recorded in the window as if it has read my thoughts. Hero Universe is a system at the top of the Gaia system! Martial arts, magic, other superpowers, and production, it¡¯s a space-ssmunity where ess is only given to those with the greatest potential in the universe in the field! ¡°I am the best in the universe? I¡¯m trapped in this unsightly ce while forging and making a sword ¡­?¡± Yes. You are the hope of a new cksmith in the universe. It is a blessing in the universe to have a cksmith who deals with spiritual power like you, as countless other worlds forget about the art of the soul and cling to artifacts that utilize magic. The cksmith could not understand anything about Lee¡¯s identity. Spirituality? He was just knocking on a lump because he had nothing else to do. [Spirit power is the power to understand the source of the soul and deal with it. It is by no means the power given by anyone. You deserve to be proud. So, go ahead and create an ID.] ¡°Oh, ID.¡± Do you want to id ¡®Aidirani¡¯? ¡°No! Now, wait a minute. Who are you? So¡­ would ID mean something like an identification card? ¡° [I am the system message of Hero Universe. You can also call me an Administrator. You can think of ID as a name to represent you in the Hero Universe.] ¡°Huh, it represents me. Few people have survived in this world.¡± The world he lives in is just a speck of dust in a myriad of universes. The Hero Universe has heroes of all its choice in the myriad universes. The situation was so chaotic I still couldn¡¯t understand anything. Finally, I wondered if I was going crazy and hallucinating. Moreover, even if this phenomenon is real, it would not have any effect on the future of mankind that was scheduled to be destroyed. But, nevertheless. ¡°Anvil¡­ Anvil is good.¡± [Do you want to use the ID ¡°Anvil¡±?] ¡°Yes.¡± If nothing changes, so what. The cksmith had been fleeing since the start and the new ¡°Hero Universe¡± in front of him was exactly what he wanted. Anvil, Wee to the Hero Universe. In the midst of numerous interactions with heroes, I hope your soul shines more brightly. You¡¯ll get 100HP (Hero Point) as your first login bonus! Collect more HP and buy information and goods throughmunity activities! ¡°I am also pleased.¡± [10HP as a bonus to you who is kind to the Administrator! You¡¯ve had some social life!] ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha.¡± The cksmith found a new refuge and the refuge weed him with open arms. The cksmith was immersed in a refuge that would make him forget the reality of hell for a moment. Twenty yearster, the cksmith became a celebrity in the Hero Universe. @@@ ¨C Janus: Anvil Grandpa, Anvil Grandpa. ¨C Anvil: What¡¯s going on? The cksmith, ¡°Anvil¡± was whispering to a friend who hade to know him through the Hero Universe. Whispering was a messaging feature that allowed you to send and receive messages with people registered as friends in the Hero Universe. ¨C Anvil: So, what kind of sword do you want? ¨C Janus: Tell me if you can make it. ¨C Anvil: I¡¯m taking a rest for now, so I won¡¯t be making it right away. ¨C Janus: Shinsal sword. Any kind is fine, but if you¡¯re a king, you use a long sword. [1] ¨C Anvil: go away. When I first connected to Hero Universe 20 years ago. I registered a weapon on the bulletin board, one of Hero Universe¡¯s systems, and a lot of people were interested in his weapons. The system was right about his talents. ¨C Janus: Don¡¯t do that and make one. How do I make something which I can¡¯t make? I told him to go away. When he arrived there, he sold the weapon without any hesitation, and in return, he was able to acquire HP. This was surprisingly amazing. The food in the bunker would have onlysted for two to three years but if you had HP then you could buy groceries that others put on the billboard. So, he was able to survive in the bunker much longer than he thought. ¨C Janus: I have the method. Do you think I¡¯m going to let you go without you making one? It¡¯s just like swimming in the ground and making a sword out of the dirt. Not only that. Countless heroes of the world who were curious about Anvil, who could create weapons with spiritual power. They wanted to talk with him and wanted to be friends. Anvil, of course, did not refuse them. ¨C Janus: I¡¯ll send you the ingredients! If you make it, the rewards will be really astounding! ¨C Anvil: I have an overflowing amount of money. ¨C Janus: I know that! Please! ¨C Anvil: I can¡¯t guarantee I can make it. ¨C Janus: Wow, thank you Anvil! I love you! I really love you! ¨C Anvil: Wait quietly. ¨C Janus: Okay! I¡¯ll just sit here until the sword is done! ¨C Anvil: ¡­ Still, eat your food. Actually, this was not the first time. In the beginning, there were not many metallurgical materials in the underground bunker, and the quality was not so good. Other members of Hero Universe who grasped his situation at once, sent materials from other worlds, and asked him to build the weapons they wanted. Using the materials of the other worlds to create something waspletely new, extremely stimting, and fun for Anvil. He did not refuse the requests, and those who were satisfied with the finished products gave him arge amount of remuneration (HP) which he did not ask for. It was his first request to make a weapon that could kill God anyway. Is this fate, too? In the end, you¡¯ll get a hugemission. [Janus sent a gift. Do you want to check?] ¨C Anvil: Oh, thank you as always. [10HP bonus from the Administrator who is impressed by your kind and friendly words.] ¡°You¡¯re kind every time.¡± His rtionship with the Administrator, who only revealed his presence in the message every time, was very good. Now, it wasn¡¯t for the 10 HP. Anvil wasn¡¯t respectful to the Administrator in the first ce. He was just grateful to the Administrator who led me to Hero Universe. ¡°Huh. It¡¯s the ingredients of a new sword, and it¡¯s full of things I haven¡¯t seen in my life. Janus, what is he really doing?¡± [Janus is a man who has the talent to y in the Hero universe. He was lead to the Hero Universe because his world became uninhabited.] The Administrator replied to Anvil¡¯s words. Even so, the mentions about Janus on the board increase every day, each one like a bluff more ridiculous than thest. He ripped through a typhoon, prevented a volcano from erupting and killed a dragon or bear¡­.., [It¡¯s all true.] ¡°Huh, I want to see his face once.¡± [You can if you increase your membership level. It¡¯s clear you will be a VIP with this delivery. You are the only one who will reach that membership level in 20 years.] ¡°¡­ Glory.¡± It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s active on the Trading board and earns a lot of HP but he wasn¡¯t very happy being a VIP. Maybe¡­ Surely I will die before I be a VIP. In fact, he was feeling death slowly approached him these days. He had a feeling he wouldn¡¯tst long. [You can purchase the elixir sold on the bulletin board. You will be young again. As long as you invest all of the collected HP, you can live for as long as you want.] ¡°Thank you for your concern, Administrator. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to live like that.¡± [¡­] The Administrator was silent. Probably reading the Anvil¡¯s feelings. ¡­ Ok. Although the escape was longer than he expected, Anvil had no intention of escaping from his impending death. Now he was exhausted. [Aren¡¯t you enjoying Hero Universe?] After a moment of silence, such a message came to his eyes again. Anvil shook his head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fun. It¡¯s so much fun. I¡¯m going to forget that I¡¯m living in a destroyed world. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a problem.¡± [¡­] If he did not feel responsible for this abandoned world then it will be a lie. If his talent had bloomed a little earlier, he would have had no regrets. He felt guilty when he made a mistake. Even if he used the elixir and got his youth back then moved to another world with the power of Hero Universe. His life would be enjoyable but at the same time, it would be an unforgivable escape for Anvil. It was enough. He wanted to stay with this world. [If thats what you want then I will respect you.] ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± [10HP bonus from the Administrator who is impressed by your gentleness and moved to tears.] ¡°Hahahaha, you always give me a bonus.¡± But as the Anvil smiled and he whispers flew from his youngest friend headed to him. -Eunah¡¯s: Grandpa, Grandpa. -Anvil: Yes? What¡¯s going on, Eunah. -Eunah: Actually, I am now 7 years old! The first genius in history to have ess to the Hero Universe and recognized for his genius at a young age of only five. His talent is certainly brilliant, but the child is so young that everyone treats her carefully. ¨C Anvil: What is it? My Eunah is already seven years old. Then this grandpa should give a wonderful gift. ¨C Eunah: Really? Really? Will you make something? ¨C Anvil: Sure, of course. She may be a child living in another world with her family. The only thing that Anvil knows about her is the gender and the name which he assumes to be real. However, when Anvil was talking with this child, his little daughter, who left a long time ago, couldn¡¯t be remembered. ¨C Eunah¡¯s: I¡¯m very excited, I must boast that my grandfather made it to my friends! ¨C Anvil: You can¡¯t talk about Hero Universe, you know? ¨C Eunah: Wroong! I¡¯m going to say my favorite piece in the world has been created! ¨C Anvil: Huh, what a girl. The Anvil was pouring out great affection on the child without his knowledge, and the child also loved and followed Anvil. One of the most disappointing things about this world is probably that he will be unable to see this child again. ¡®Naughty, she¡¯s not your daughter.¡¯ Shortly thereafter, Anvil took over. I¡¯m willing to ept death and am going to embrace it. But it worked out rather well. Let¡¯s make a birthday present for Eunah. Give your whole heart and let yourself go. That would be right. ¡°Where is it? Yes, I can take it apart.¡± After checking Janus¡¯s recipe, Anvil removed the glittering yellow gemstone from his sack of ingredients and even purchased additional things from the trading board. ¨C Anvil: Wait a minute, Eunah. ¨C Eunah: I¡¯ll be a good girl! ¨C Anvil: Oh, good. That¡¯s how Anvil set off. There were two works: Janus¡¯ Sword and Eunah¡¯s hairpin. ¨C Janus: Grandpa! Quickly! ¨C Anvil: Noisy, didn¡¯t I tell you to wait quietly? Oh, and there are some gems that you gave me, so I took them and used them for something else. ¨C Janus: What!? It¡¯s not actually a gem but it¡¯s really precious, but who¡¯ll you give it to? The process of working was not boring at all. As always, when he¡¯s pounding the iron on the Anvil, his friends who havee to know him through the Hero Universe have been whispering. ¨C Anvil: I¡¯ll give it to Eunah. ¨C Janus: Ah, Eunah ¡­ Do you need anything else? ¨C Anvil: That¡¯s enough. He was half-naked, regrly knocking down the iron, breathing with it. He didn¡¯t care about anything else except to respond to the whispers he received. ¨C Halo: Anvil is inspired? ¨C Halo. It¡¯s been a long time. ¨C Halo: Request, is it possible? I need shackles to hold a giant. ¨C Anvil: I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m holding onto something now. ¨C Halo: ¡­Then I¡¯ll ask you next time. I need inspiration. Perhaps this will be thest task, and it¡¯s hard to listen to another friend¡¯s request. Anvil was sorry, but he didn¡¯t wish to tell the story of his own death. It was unpleasant to tell a friend about his death. ¨C Tsukuyo: Anvil, I heard that you¡¯re not too far away from the VIP status. It¡¯s been a thousand years since I¡¯ve had a day off. I want to see you a little sooner. ¨C Why do you want to see this the old man¡¯s face? ¨C Tsukuyo: Your soul is so bright and brilliant, who dares to call you old! ¨C Anvil: Huh, such a peculiar one. Looking back, I have made a lot of bonds in the past 20 years. Among them, there were pleasant rtionships, a somewhat unpleasant rtionship, and a strange rtionship that was difficult to exin. But all of them remained as pleasant memories to Anvil. I just hope they don¡¯t get too sad when I disappear. ¨C Eunah: Grandpa, Grandpa it¡¯s my birthday today! I¡¯ve been a really good kid for a while! I¡¯ve been a really, really good kid! ¨C Anvil: Oh, I don¡¯t know but at the end of the day, I would have made all of your gifts. ¨C Eunah: Wow! I love you, Grandpa! ¨C Anvil: I love you; I love you a lot. I¡¯ll send you a present now. How much time has passed¡­ Thank heavens, the work was done before it was toote¡­ The sword was made of a ck metal with a yellow gem immbedded in the hilt. The hairpin was beautifully finished with a yellow gem in the center of a silver cross. It was an achievement that could be called the masterpiece of his life. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Then send the gift. Uh-huh!!¡± After a sessful work, The Anvil sent two items as gifts to the owners. Strangely, exactly at that time, all the power that remained in his body was lost. No, it would be a more urate expression to say his body had endured until the work was finished. You, do you think so? ¡°Administrator¡­ Will you be with me until thest minute? Thank you.¡± [¡­10HP, bonus.] What would HP mean when he was dead, but Anvilughed at it. His mind became a little more rxed. ¡°In the meantime, I enjoyed it. Thank you.¡± [The same is true for me.] The time hase. His whole body was exhausted, and his eyes closed. Feeling theck of consciousness, Anvil still looked at the message left by the Administrator. At thest moment, a new message seemed to rise, but he could not read it. [VIP level. My room function opens, login bonus function opens. ID information is engraved on the soul.] [We look forward to the day we will meet again in a new ce.] @@@ Eighteen yearster, the world is different from Merva. Kang Shin-hyuk, a freshman at the Superhuman Training School in South Korea, that 17-year-old boy, essed Hero Universe. [Checking ID. Existing ID exists. Connecting to the Hero Universe with ID [Anvil]. VIP members are weed to reconnect!] [You are logged in from another world! Get 10,000HP as a login bonus for another world! First achievement, 10,000 HP added!] [Loading ID information. Be prepared to be shocked!] ¡°¡­ I beg your pardon? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! ¡± It was the resurrection of the ID Anvil. Trantor and Editor Notes: and let there be a new novel also this took me like 2 ¨C 3 hours to trante all this ~ McTavish [1] This may be a reference to the Japanese shinai i think. Chapter 1: There An Old Man Inside Me – 1

Chapter 1: There An Old Man Inside Me ¨C 1

Trantor: Mctavish Editor : MagicFishCat and Asada Kang Shin-Hyuk was an orphan. He was one of the countless children who have lost their parents to monsters and were taken to orphanages after the catastrophe of the Third Gate Cataclysm. Like the many other children who lost their parents to the monsters, Kang Shin-hyuk cursed the monsters. He wanted to tear them apart with his hands. Maybe that¡¯s why he was happier than anyone else when he woke up at the age of 12 as a man of power. [Kang Shin-hyuk ¨C G-Rank] [Trait] [The Serpent without its Pearl][A-] Instead of dealing with mana, you can quickly and easily master all kinds of martial arts. Strengthen the effect of self-mastered martial arts. [Physical ability] Strength ¨C F Agility ¨C F Health ¨C F [Special ability] -None [Skill] Eighteen Techniques (A) ¨C F [1] However, the moment heid eyes on his status window (which the adults called the Gaia system), his mind went nk. The reason was because of his Trait. ¡°It¡¯s an A-Ranked trait, so if you just look at the rank, then it¡¯s a top trait. Your special skill is also A-Rank as well.¡± ¡°Quickly master all kinds of martial arts. If martial arts includes weapon arts, does it apply to guns as well? Although we¡¯ll have to see the speed of training¡­but still.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the penalty too fatal? Having a Trait without being able to handle mana, this is ¡­¡± ¡°You could be a skilled mercenary¡­but still, a mercenary¡­¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve been a top superhuman. It¡¯s a pity, you¡¯re like a dragon that has lost its pearl.¡± The Fake Gold. It was an expression used by all those who came to know about his trait. Kang Shin-Hyuk understood it. He knew how important mana was to those who fight monsters. Mana or magic power. The mysterious energy that appeared with the gate throughout the world. Everyone with strong abilities had strong magical powers, and monsters were also stronger the more mana they possessed. Artifacts with special powers could also be only activated with mana, and the price of the mana stones found inside the special monsters increased with the amount of mana they possessed as well. ¡®The world after the opening of the gate is dominated by mana.¡¯ That statement was indeed right. Mana is the power to rule the world. And ironically, Kang Shin-Hyuk realized this when he awakened his Trait. You can¡¯t deal with mana. You can¡¯t be the hero of the world. * * * Five yearster, Kang Shin-Hyuk turned 17. There were many other options, but he chose to go to a Supernatural Training Academy. Of course, there were countless restrictions on him because of his body that couldn¡¯t handle mana, but his trait helped him to quickly master all martial arts and enter the world¡¯s best Supernatural Training Academy despite having those fatal limitations. In other words, that was it. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s Kang Shin-Hyuk.¡± ¡°That guy failed the beginner mana mid-term exams.¡± ¡°Can he advance like that?¡± ¡°I wish I get him in the next spar training. I also nearly failed¡­¡± ¡°You know, even if you beat him, you probably won¡¯t get many points.¡± At the end of the ss, he could hear the voices of the people around him while quietly walking down the school corridor. Kang Shin-Hyuk clicked his tongue quietly. Even if he couldn¡¯t handle the magic, he was confident that he could always win no matter how many times he fought. However, he had to endure it as it is not good to cause amotion. ¡°Because I always get all the hate.¡± Korea¡¯s supernatural training institution, the Shinyoung Academy. Boasting a whopping 60% international student rate, Shinyoung was one of the world¡¯s top three elite institutions among super-power facilities and everyone from students to faculty members possessed a strong pride. The pride of being responsible for the future of this generation. However, there was a student in Shinyoung who couldn¡¯t even deal with Mana. A phenomenon where, as a superhuman with a Trait, he couldn¡¯t control mana. There were even those who considered Kang Shin-Hyuk to be a hindrance just by being in the same room as them. He was initially able to get through the year with his superb writing and martial arts skills for a while but he didn¡¯t know when he would get kicked out for a minor ident. With the amount of effort he put into entering, he couldn¡¯t afford to be kicked out now. ¡°It¡¯s a ce where free dormitories, free food, and free training facilities are given, and no school fees are required. There¡¯s even a ¡®dignity-maintenance fee¡¯ where you get free pocket money.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk tried extremely hard to enter Shinyoung, one of Korea¡¯s best and the world¡¯s top five super-institutes. There was not even a satisfactory training environment for an orphan, but he tried. He really tried. Passing the entrance exam gave him the opportunity to train in the best environment for three years. He had no time to waste on those who talked behind his back. ¡®Suck up everything I can in the school. Take advantage of everything. I have to seed as a Trait user..¡¯ The body could be trained even without mana. Of course, there were limits, but whining was better left for when he reached those limits. As he clenched his fist, pledging to himself, a palm quietly rose over his shoulder. A voice that seemed to suck up the tense atmosphere flew in. ¡°Hey, Shin-Hyuk-ah, let¡¯s go y!¡± ¡°¡­Baek In Ha.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk looked back and sighed. The name of the boy who crept up so quickly that even his trained eye couldn¡¯t notice, Baek In-Ha. He was also a freshman, like him. Unlike Kang Shin-Hyuk, he possessed a high level of mana, and his S-Rank Trait was also a monster among other S-Rank monsters. Even among the freshmen of the year at Shinyoung, which was renowned for gathering monsters with excellent potential, he was still considered a once-in-a-hundred-years genius. ¡°Nothing good wille from ying with me.¡± ¡°Wow, so edgy! It was just like a line from a novel. Hey, say it again. I¡¯ll record it this time.¡± ¡°This little bastard¡­¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk sighed as he watched the appearance of Baek In Ha who turned on the recording function of the popr ¡°Stick¡±, a high-performance portable terminal simr to a smartphone that was given to all students of Shinyoung. He was in the same ss as him, and he was also the first person who approached him during a sparring session. Kang Shin-Hyuk had been hitting it off with him, and when he tried to distance himself after finding out his Trait, he had stubbornly kept approaching him. ¡®You¡¯re ignoring a real genius¡¯ or whatever; his Trait was the only good thing about him. Apart from that, he was just an asshole to him. However ¡­ he was thankful that he got to know him. He would get picked on less just by staying next to him, and his school life would also be a lot smoother. ¡®I hate that I¡¯m only calcting benefits like this.¡¯ Even though he knew that it was good to stay close to Baek In-Ha, the reason he acted like this was of this kind of guilt unconsciously appearing in his mind. ¡°Why do you keep trying to y with me and chase off the other guys that want to hang out with you?¡± ¡°I told you, I fell in love with your skills. Kyahh! You ace everything whether it¡¯s with a sword, a spear or even a mace!¡± ¡°But I have no mana. You know what people call me? Trash Can. It even sounds so¡­trash.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t something happen when your Trait grow more? Besides, isn¡¯t it natural to have fallen for a guy who works hard rather than people just recklessly believing in his abilities? Ah, and.¡± This is actually important, he said and continued while pushing his face closer to him. ¡°Your face is really good. You know, to hook up with a girl, you have to be close to a good-looking guy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk looked at his face at those words. Although he didn¡¯t think his face was bad, it had been a while since he had been told that. It was because everyone had only looked at his Trait since entering Shinyoung. ¡°You¡¯re convinced, signor? So, let¡¯s y! Let¡¯s hook up with some gorgeous and wonderful noonas and enjoy the night together!¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, stop talking that way first.¡± He would¡¯ve been a great guy if not for his embarrassing personality. Kang Shin-Hyuk sighed and followed him while telling himself to stop after 2 hours to make space for training. However, the ce where he dragged him to was not a nightlife bar but a shopping street full of battle equipment shops, consumable shops, restaurants and taverns¡­aka the Seoul superhuman shopping center. A ce that required a Superhuman Academy Student ID to enter. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to flirt with college students or social worker noonas?¡± ¡°No, that was a joke and it¡¯s your birthday today. I was thinking of buying you a birthday present.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Baek In Ha spoke like it was nothing, but Kang Shin-Hyuk was slightly moved by his words. Birthday, Who has cared about his birthday? It¡¯s early May, so it¡¯s only been two months since he got to know him! ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll buy you what you want. Shall we go over there? ¡± ¡°Are you crazy? That¡¯s the brand. I¡¯m done. Bye.¡± There are grades for superhuman weapons. The shop which In Ha was pointing to was the brand known to the entire world, the superhuman-use weapon brand [Mystic]. Aside from the rare natural products that can be obtained beyond the gate, the ce where only the luxury goods of the highest grade are sold! ¡°It¡¯s not as expensive as you think it to be. And with your ability, I have to at least buy you this much.¡± ¡°Say that again, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± He had heard the gossip. Talent and looks, the boy who had everything, Baek In Ha, his family was also loaded. At school, he had just been eating the same meals and the same clothes, so he had just heard of it recently, but it didn¡¯t seem to be unfounded. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s really not a big deal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one that¡¯s bothered. Go there, to that shop.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk lead the bewildered Beak In Ha to a shabby shop at the entrance to a nearby alleyway. There was a sign calling it a second-hand shop, so it was much cheaper than the Mystic. ¡°Second-hand!?¡± ¡°I know that superhuman weapons are expensive, even used ones. I¡¯m not receiving anything more expensive than that.¡± ¡°But the guy who is going to make it big shouldn¡¯t start cheap¡­¡± ¡°Give me something more expensiveter. I can do with that for now.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk led In Ha, who sounded like some big conglomerate¡¯s sessor and forced him to enter a second-hand store. Baek In Ha grumbled till the end but gave in in the end at Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s endless nagging. @ @ @ It was a coincidence that he found a sword covered all in ck. ¡°Over there¡¯s 1.5 million won per piece.¡± The shopkeeper said bluntly without any intention to move from the counter. Kang Shin-Hyuk heard his words and stared at the sword again. The ebony ck sword was mixed randomly with other weapons in arge container, which meant that they were the weapons that even the second-hand shop was eager to get rid of. ¡°There are a lot of things to do, so even if youinter, you can¡¯t get a refund. It¡¯s useless to use the school¡¯s name, so remember that.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, We won¡¯t do that.¡± The owner¡¯s gaze was fixed on Shinyoung¡¯s emblem on the left shoulder of the uniform jacket worn by Kang Shin-Hyuk. Maybe the shopkeeper had been bullied by a senior using Shinyoung¡¯s name in the past. If so, then it was understandable that he was irritated at them. Meanwhile, Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s gaze was still focused on the ck sword. ¡®Now that I think about it, I have a lot of money.¡¯ How long had it gone without being properly managed? Not only was the ck depletely exposed, but there were also fine cracks. Moreover, there was arge hole in the guard-piece. It seemed that the original ornament went missing. ¡®It¡¯s definitely a failed product. No matter how well you manage it, you may not be able to use it many times. Though it¡¯s strange that there¡¯s no rust. ¡® But why was he so attracted to this sword? He wanted to hold this sword. If he wiped the dust and changed the de of the sword, it seemed like it would shine brilliantly again. He impulsively reached out to the sword. The shopkeeper then added without faltering, ¡°If you touch it, you buy it. No refunds.¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s being so fussy~ Shin-Hyuk, you go with what you want, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± 1.5 million won. Although he was quite embarrassed at such an expensive gift, it wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t pay off through the ¡®dignity-maintenance fee. A day wille when he would get to pay off Baek In Ha. Baek In Ha approached the shopkeeper proudly showed his card. When the shopkeeper saw the Sakaman card, he flinched briefly, before politely epting the card. ¡°W-we can ept refunds. But that sword is really damaged so we don¡¯t know when it¡¯ll break¡­¡± ¡°Shin-Hyuk, are you okay with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± As expected, money and power were great. The owner of the store became so polite! Kang Shin-Hyuk took the sword, thanking Baek In Ha for letting him feel this sense of superiority. At that very moment, a stream of violent pain ran down Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s whole body. ¡®Kek!?¡¯ He tried to remove his hand from the sword straight away, but just before that, an image entered Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s head then into his mind. The image of the man hammering on a lone piece of iron in a destroyed world that had no more life, where hope was nonexistent. ¡®Cramped workshop¡­ An old man? He¡¯s pounding the iron. For a long time, extremely long¡­¡¯ He had never seen this man before, but he felt a deep sense of sympathy and empathy towards the lonely figure. Then he was even more surprised at that fact. Why, what is this man to him, that the feelings conveyed by this man are so vivid to him? ¡°Shin-Hyuk? What is it? Is there too much damage?¡± ¡°No, hey just wait a moment¡­¡± Confused by the sudden rush of images, he tried to back off with his sword, but his body was acting the opposite way of his will. He held the sword tightly as if he would never let it go till his death. As if he had recovered a treasure that had been lost for a long time. ¨C Confirmed attempt to connect to the Hero Universe. It was that moment that a message appeared on his retina. A message that feels a little different from the message of the Gaia system which anyone who awakens an ability can ess. Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s jaws dropped at the phenomenon that had never been seen before. What surprised him, even more, was that he was confident that he had missed it somewhere in his heart. -Checking your identity. An existing ID exists. Connecting to the Hero Universe with the ID [Anvil]. VIP guests are wee to reconnect! ¡°Hero Universe? Anvil¡­?¡± The messages continued. Kang Shin-Hyuk thought out loud but of course, no one was there to answer his questions. -You¡¯ve logged in from a different world! Earn 10,000 HP as other world login bonuses! This is a first- time achievement, 10,000 HP will be added! It¡¯s because of his mood that the in sentences in his mind seemed so full of emotion¡­ -Loading ID information. Be prepared as it may be shocking! ¡°¡­ Come again? Euaaaaaaaaaaaaack!¡± ¡°What is it, Shin-Hyuk!? Shin-Hyuk! Hey man! Shin-Hyuk!¡± The shock, skewering his brain struck Kang Shin-Hyuk before he even read the messages. The record of a world he knew nothing about, the memory of a man who had been left alone in the world and knocked on the iron, was flooded to him. It was a much more terrible pain than when he first awakened his Trait. Kang Shin-Hyuk struggled with the fragments of sharp memories that repeatedly assaulted his brain, trying to resist with his tough mentality, but finally, when the name ¡°Eunah¡± came to his mind, he finally let go of his consciousness. -I¡¯m honored to see you again, dear member. Of course, he couldn¡¯t read the Administrator¡¯s message in front of him. Trantor and Editor Notes: [1] This is a Korean martial arts. I couldn¡¯t find any english articles on it but here¡¯s a japanese wiki page that you¡¯ll need to google trante if you¡¯re curious about the martial arts. I didn¡¯t put the Korean one because the japanese one makes more sense on MTL. ~Magifishcat Chapter 2: There An Old Man Inside Me – 2

Chapter 2: There An Old Man Inside Me ¨C 2

Trantor: Mctavish Editor : MagicFishCat and Asada -Eunah: What does Eunah have to do to meet her grandpa? -Anvil: If Eun-ah is a good girl, I wille and see you. -Eunah: Really? You will meet me, Grandpa is way better than Mom and Dad! My mom and dad always bully me; they don¡¯t let me y with dolls or let me see movies! -Anvil: Oh my, looks like Grandpa will have to teach a lesson to those kids! Then we¡¯re going to y with the dolls and watch movies together. -Eunah: Really? -Anvil: Yes, really. -Eunah¡¯s: I love you so much! I¡¯m going to be a good kid every day, so you have toe to see me quickly! There were countless memories in his head. All were memories of different times, but the ce and people remained unchanged. Kang Shin-Hyuk became a cksmith who was all alone in the perished world. He was pounding the lump of metal without any rest. He was constantly quenching metal, exchanging messages with a child who didn¡¯t know his face or voice. -Wee VIP [Anvil]. All your ID information has loaded, but the difference in ability isrge so it will take a while to fully synchronize. The HP that you have earned is locked, and it will be unlocked as the synchronization rate increases. -Though you are a VIP, the assimtion rate is too low, so it is not possible to properly utilize membership rights. Limited activation of the Login Bonus Feature. VIP benefits, 500HP as a login bonus of the day! Increase your assimtion rate to enhance your login bonus and unlock the My Room function! How much time had passed since he had fainted after receiving the strange message from the Hero Universe? It was only after the sky was dotted with the peaceful shine of the distant stars, that Kang Shin-Hyuk managed to slowly regain consciousness. He was in his room. Baek In Ha seemed to have carried him to his room. He thanked him in his mind. ¡°Hey, uh¡­ why does my head hurt so much?¡± His head was spinning from dizziness. He felt simr to the morning when he drank with the orphanage kids after the Shinyoung results were announced. He was currently in a situation where he didn¡¯t even know himself and what he was living for. However, there was a certain thing left in his head and that was the memory of a young girl named [Eunah]. No, there was one more thing. He was a cksmith and had made a birthday present for her in the past. ¡°What former life¡­ Is it like that?¡± He himself couldn¡¯t believe it but the memory felt too fresh and real for it to be a simple dream. That strange sense of unity was hard to ept in a different sense. An old, shabby cksmith who hid underground and quietly waited for his death in a world where there was no one left to lean on. And the miracle that came to him¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t remember any more. The memories are too random and chaotic.¡¯ He also seemed to have heard something simr to synchronization and VIP when he was unconscious. There was a need to check. ¡®The Gaia System¡¯s log function should work¡­¡¯ he thought. But when he activated the log function, he became even paler. ¨C The Synchronization operation is in progress. Current sync rate 0.3%¡­ 1301 days 17 hours 32 minutes, 55 seconds 18¡­ ¨C Special abilities and Spirit Power are unlocked. -Under the influence of Spirit Power, your existing Trait [The Serpent without its Pearl] has evolved into [Awakened Fledgling Dragon](A -)! All stats grow drastically! ¡°No, what is it talking about?¡± The talk about VIP and Synchronization was probably rted to this Hero Universe. Say he ignored those parts for now, what would he do in the future? Trait evolution? Metallurgy? Moreover, special ability!? Wasn¡¯t that only for the use of magic?! ¡°No. Calm down, calm down Kang Shin-Hyuk. This entire thing could be a trap. Maybe it¡¯s a terrible nightmare or hallucination since I wanted mana so much. Let¡¯s check calmly. Okay, calm down.¡± Every person who awakens a trait encountered the Gaia system and gained the right to check his or her abilities. Yes, that was the status window. He was able to see his objective abilities in real-time just as he could see the abilities of the characters in the game. So the moment he said ¡®Status window¡¯, a translucent window appeared in front of him. [Kang Shin-Hyuk ¨C E+ Rank ¡ú D- Rank] [1] [Trait] Awakened Fledgling Dragon (A- ¡ú A+) ¨C Instead of dealing with mana, you can easily and quickly master all kinds of martial arts. It greatly amplifies the effect of self-mastered martial arts and enhances the performance of the weapons in hand. [Physical Ability] Strength ¨C E+ ¡ú D Agility ¨C D ¡ú C- Health ¨C E ¡ú D- [Special Ability] Spirit Power ¨C F (Unlocked) [Skills] Eighteen Techniques (A) ¡ú Fanged Dragon Dance (S-) Metallurgy ¨C F ¡°Haa¡­¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk sighed helplessly as he looked at his status window. His state window couldn¡¯t be false. His status has changed greatly since the morning training. His stats that he had tried to recklessly grow had all grown significantly, and his previous rank of E+ had grown to D. Skipping The D- Rank entirely bing a pure D Rank. Butpared to other changes in this arrangement, it was nothing worth being surprised about¡­ Originally, his trait, the Serpent without its Pearl, was that of A-Rank. However, it had be the Awakened Fledgling Dragon and became an A+ Rank, it grew by two stages at once. Of course, the inability to deal with mana was still a major limitation, but he was now able to greatly amplify the effectiveness of his martial arts and enhance the performance of a weapon he held. If it was this much, then he could be a respectable superhuman even without any mana. ¡°Even the special ability is S-ss now¡­ I got a negative mark, but still, I have my foot in the S-grade ss.¡± There were remarkable changes to his talent of training with weapons and his Eighteen Techniques had changed to a higher rank Fanged Dragon Dance. Evolving to a higher rank meant his proficiency would rise by one level, and he was still strong without much proficiency. An S-Rank was even more special. Since it was almost exclusive to Rankers or the Ranker Reserve force. He almost couldn¡¯t believe it, so he pinched his cheek and it hurt like hell. It was not a dream. He also felt that his strength and stamina had really grown. ¡®But what¡¯s even more amazing than that.¡¯ [Special ability] Spirit Power ¨C F (Open) It was a special ability. It was a special ability which he never heard about, called Spirit Power. No, there had been one before. Spirit Power was what superhumans used to call mana. No special abilities other than mana had been known at that time. At least for the general superhumans, including him. Mana was the power to strengthen all things and must only be used by the superhumans who faced monsters. Kang Shin-Hyuk was treated as trash because he had no magic. However, there was now another power in ce of mana! ¡°I need to be calm¡­ No, I can¡¯t ept the situation just like that.¡± There had to be only one or two surprises like this but since massive changes full of multiple surprises had suddenly arrived in his life, he just couldn¡¯t calm down. His head felt like exploding. But he found out that everything had happened because of something called the Hero Universe. What had been the prologue to all this? Yes, it was the ck sword from the second-hand store¡­ ¡°Ha ha.¡± He nced at his right hand holding the sword. Heughed at himself for holding it so tightly as if he never nned to let it go. I only realizedter on that he could barely release his hand from the sword andy it down. ¡°Just what is this sword?¡­¡± -This is the sword that you made in your past life. At that moment, a message appeared in front of him. It wasn¡¯t the stiff, emotionless message of the Gaia system but a message that radiated with familiar human warmth. Inside the fragmented memories in his head, Kang Shin-Hyuk managed to recall the source of the message. ¡°Administrator¡­?¡± -That¡¯s the answer! 10HP as a bonus to our dear member who has just remembered the Administrator! ¡°The bonuses are still as generous as ever¡­ ah.¡± His eyes snapped open as he swallowed back the words which he had unwittingly uttered. Words that he couldn¡¯t make sense of. Then as if it had guessed his feelings, another message followed right after -No need to be confused. It¡¯s your memory. More exactly, it is the memory of your past life. ¡°That sort of thing¡­ is real?¡± -You¡¯re going through it now. ¡°Maybe this sword forcibly instilled other people¡¯s memories and experiences in me¡­¡± -We were able to load memories of your previous life because the souls matched. The evidence is that even with arge amount of information injected in you, no rejection urred at all. And more than anything. -You may feel yourself. The fact that you are ¡°Anvil¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk sighed. Because deep inside, he was already nodding to the Administrator. ID [Anvil]. A man who hid alone in a destroyed world and hammered on the iron till the moment he died. Although there were only fragmented memories lefts, the Administrator¡¯s words were not wrong. He had already epted that Anvil was the same as him deep in his mind. He was curious about it himself, but it felt so¡­right that Anvil was him, he didn¡¯t even think about resisting the thought. ¡°Yes, I can.¡± -As the synchronization progresses, the more you will assimte with Anvil, the more you may feel confused. Kang Shin-Hyuk listened and re-examined the message. There were 1,300 days left until the synchronization waspleted. The moment he saw it, his fear of the changes that woulde in the future, and his desire to quickly reim what had been lost, soared up like a dragon. It was a strange feeling. Kang Shin-Hyuk shook his head as if trying to shake off his doubts and changed the subject. ¡°Then, What¡¯s Spirit Power?¡± -That is the power that your past life dealt with. Of course, you can also deal with it since you¡¯re the same soul. It was just that the process was sped up because you managed to reim your memories by connecting to the Hero Universe. ¡°What about my Trait and General rank?¡± -The influence of the Spirit Power. It is the power to touch the origin of all things and evolve it. When you awakened your spirit power, the first thing it evolved was your origin. ¡°¡­Uh, that¡¯s simr to mana.¡± -Yes. Spirit Power is a force that is different from mana and belongs to the higher dimension. If mana is a force that acts from the outside to activate the inside, then Spirit Power is a force that activates the outside from the inside. ¡°Is it because of that that I can¡¯t control mana?¡± -That¡¯s just a penalty of your Talent. Some people can deal with both mana and spirit power. He thought that there was a special reason why he still couldn¡¯t control mana after his awakening, but in the end, it was just his Talent. He was let down a bit. But his joy was notpletely gone. Spirit Power. A higher form of energy simr to mana. What that meant was simple. It meant that Kang Shin-Hyuk was not a trash can now. He could grow, be stronger. Forge his own path, ¡°Spirit Power¡­¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk clenched his fist, muttering the name of his new power. Then he faintly felt something. He didn¡¯t know how to control it yet, but he could clearly feel the energy inside him. ¡°Administrator-nim.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk, after clearing his mind, calmly asked the Administrator. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but there was one thing that was the most urgent right now. ¡°What should I do to properly grow and control my spirit power?¡± -That¡¯s something you have to find out yourself. The Administrator replied immediately. -Because you were a cksmith spirit user. As a result, the topic reverted back to his origins butpared to the first time, he was able to ept it with a calm mind. ¡°I got it.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk replied with a sigh. He was determined to face himself in his previous life. ¡°Then let¡¯s try to find out what this Metallurgy Skill is.¡± Trantor and Editor Notes: [1] this means that his rank is D-Rank, not between E+ and D or anything like that ~Magifishcat. Chapter 3: There An Old Man Inside Me – 3

Chapter 3: There An Old Man Inside Me ¨C 3

Trantor: McTavish Editor: MagicFishCat Although he said Metallurgy, it was midnight right now. There weren¡¯t any cksmiths whom he knew and he wouldn¡¯t be able to get an appointment with one at this hour. [1] However, he could try a task that fell under metallurgy, and that was sharpening the sword. ¡°Baek In-ha this bastard, he has some sense.¡± Arge envelope stood at an angle in one corner of his room, in which there was arge whetstone along with all kinds of medicine, including headache medicine. Maybe he had ripped it off the second-hand weapon store from before. [2] Kang Shin-hyuk, who had been caressing the whetstone with his fingers, was surprised to find himself thinking that the whetstone was good enough sharpen his new sword. Perhaps this was also the effect of his past memories of the war. A bitter smile came out. Maybe to a bystander, it would look like a beginner was using a veteran¡¯s jokes. ¡°But¡­ is this really a Godyer sword?¡± -That¡¯s right. Thest sword you made in your past life, the Godyer Sword. ¡°But it looks so in¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shot back, saying that he didn¡¯t believe the administrator¡¯s words. The Godyer Sword. Yes, in his messy mind, he remembered making the sword. The memories just before Anvil¡¯s death remained vivid. Yes, he had made it for a man named Janus. He had also removed some of the materials and made it into a small gift to give to a child named Eunah. But in his memories, the de wasn¡¯t this worn or cracked. -As a result of falling through a storm of time and space as well as crossing through numerous dimensions, even the Dragon Heart, the core of the sword, was lost. However, since it has returned to the owner¡¯s hand, maybe it will be able to regain it¡¯s original strength someday by reforging it with your Spirit Power. ¡°A storm of time and space¡­ So, I have to forge it again.¡± His skill level of Metallurgy was only F-Rank. It was only natural considering that he had never held a hammer before in his life. But to reforge the sword, which had the words ¡®Godyer¡¯ in its name, would such a day evere? -You don¡¯t have to worry. The soul remembers the technique, so if you start training in Metallurgy, your synchronization will elerate and it won¡¯t take long until you recover your past life¡¯s state. Your ability to deal with spirit power should also grow together. ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Now his priority of action was to develop his new strength, Spirit Power. He had no strong desire to increase the assimtion rate or to restore the memories of the past life. He just thought that he couldn¡¯t turn away from it. The administrator continued exining as if he had read his mind. Also, it could be just his current mood, but the administrator sounded as if he was tempting him. -That¡¯s not all. Once fully synced, you¡¯ll be able to restore your Hero Universe membership status, upgrade your login bonus and reim the massive amount of HP you have stored at the same time. HP is amodity that can be obtained through outreach and heroic activities in the Hero Universe, so it will have a massive impact on your growth¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­I¡¯m sorry, I want to forget about the hero universe right now.¡± -I understand. Of course, he had some memories of my previous life, so he roughly knew how amazing the Hero Universe was. But right now, he was too confused to even evaluate himself, so he couldn¡¯t properly think about anything else. In particr, themunity he stayed in during the life that he didn¡¯t know about, to rush straight into this topic was like jumping into fire with a bomb for his mind. ¡°So, I want to start by being able to sense myself to some extent. Connecting to the exterior cane after.¡± -10HP Bonus for member who is realizing the essence of spirit power! ¡°Is that so?¡± Laughing at the administrator¡¯s message, Kang Shin Hyuk started the work to grasp himself, which is sharpening the de. Although he never learnt how to properly sharpen a de, he didn¡¯t have the thought of learning how to. Because he already knew the way in his instincts. Heid a piece of towel on the floor, then set the whetstone down and whetted it with water. Sitting on his knees in front of the whetstone, he raised the Godyer Sword that had lost its edge. [4] ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hoo.¡± Why was he trembling at this little stone? Taking deep breaths, he held the de and set it an angle on a whetstone. There were no errors in his posture even though it was his first time. The movement that had been carved into the soul, after being repeated for many years came out naturally. In the blink of an eye, Kang Shin Hyuk was not a student at Shinyoung, but a cksmith. The transition was so natural that even heughed. Shiing. Shiing. Shiing. Slowly without rushing, with precise movements, making sure there are no faults. He began to sharpen the de of the sword. At first, he felt a little awkward, but after mindlessly sharpening a few times, the awkwardness disappeared without a trace. ¡®Focus on the sword.¡¯ Sharpening the sword is conversing with the sword. That mindset was naturally instilled in his mind as he continued to grind on the whetstone. That was also probably a memory from his past life. But it still belonged to him. At this moment, the feeling of difort about the memories of the previous life disappeared a tiny bit. Shiing. Shiing. Shiing. Without stopping, he continued to sharpen his de. The repetition of such simple movements was infinitelyfortable. The sudden memories about his past life, his difort about his new Special Ability, the Hero Universe, disappeared as he sharpened the de. His mind calmed down. The other unnecessary thoughts disappeared, and only one sword remained with him in the world. It resembled the figure of a lone cksmith who hammered on a lump of metal in a destroyed world. -Halo : Anvil¡­? Anvil, right? At that moment, a message appeared and hindered his concentration. Kang Shin-hyuk cocked his head. What¡¯s this? His body wiped the whetstone and poured water again but suddenly realized while trying to interpret this phenomenon. Among the members of Hero Universe, there was a function to share messages. ¡®Let¡¯s ignore it for now.¡¯ But, unfortunately, it was just the beginning. -Eunah: Grandpa!? -Eunah: It¡¯s Grandpa! Grandpa, Grandpa! -Tsukuyo: Anvil, I¡¯m greatly saddened by the fact that you have neglected your wife. But your wife, after finding out that you¡¯re alive and well, has shaken off all my sorrow and hate, so please calm your anger and reply. -Eunah : Grandpa! Where is Grandpa!? Are you well? Are you alive? Please answer me, Grandpa! -Janus: Anvil old maaaaaan! I thought you were really deaaaaaad! Janus: Oh, please make me a godyer sword again! I lost it. Make it red again! Anvil old maaaaaan! -Eunah: Grandpa, right? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? Please, Grandpa. Please give me an answer ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! -Mirang: What a surprise. Are you alive? No, wait ¡­ Is it reincarnation? What a sess you¡¯ve had to connect to Hero Universe in both of your life! No, did you¡­ hmm, is it too unlikely? Please answer as soon as possible. I¡¯ll wait. -Super Ultra Gctic Fist No.1 Best-nim: Wow, it¡¯s been a long time old man! How can you not make my gloves and go under for 18 years! -Eunah: Heuk, Grandpaa¡­¡­Answer me¡­¡­ ¡°Ah really!¡± In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk stood up screaming. He couldn¡¯t work at all. In particr, this girl, Eunah, was very burdensome! ¡°Administrator, please do something about this!¡± -You can use the whisper blocking function and the offline camouge function. If such things existed, then he should¡¯ve told them first! Kang Shin-hyuk immediately activated the two functions. The manager did what he asked, adding a word. -It was processed. However, if you are thinking about future hero universe activities, it is a good idea to read the messages slowly and answer them one by one. The rtionship you have made will be a great power. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I know. I just thought it would be ruder for me to respond to them without thinking.¡± Truthfully, he didn¡¯t want to connect to the Hero Universe until the synchronization waspleted, but now that this happened, he felt like he had to face the Hero Universe, and the people from Anvil¡¯s past properly. Honestly, it was a burden. Rtionships that he built up but didn¡¯t know! He couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he thought of all the exining he would have to go through about himself. Kang Shin-Hyuk turned his eyes to the sword thaty in front of his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s just keep sharpening.¡± -As expected, your personality didn¡¯t change. ¡°That¡¯s an insult.¡± -10HP bonus! ¡°What do you mean? Excuse me? What does that mean?¡± After blocking the whispers, he created an environment where he could concentrate. The current condition of the Godyer Sword was so messed up that he had to not only sharpen the de but also shake off the dirt embedded between the chips and dents. And so, after one hour of work, his sword resembled a proper sword somewhat. -Woo Woo How quietly he was sharpening his sword? At one point, the sword vibrated. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hands stopped. Was he mistaken? No, he wasn¡¯t. In addition to the sword vibrating, he was able to detect the distinct will contained within it. dness, longing, joy, sadness. Suchplex emotions were flowing from the sword. Kang Shin-hyuk shivered and realized instinctively. Perhaps this was spirit power. The Spirit Power inherent in him stimted the Spirit Power in the sword, intertwining their origins into one. Kang Shin-hyuk felt as if he couldmunicate to the sword with just his will, just like how it mesmerized him in the weapon store. He chose to go along with his instincts. ¡®Did I make you?¡¯ -Woo-woong The moment Kang Shin-hyuk carefully asked a question while sharpening his de, the sword glowed as if it were positive. It was definitely a spirit power. The anxiety and faint light shook his heart. He wanted to help this sword. At that moment, the light that naturally escaped from his body permeated into his sword. The sword seemed to be happy again and made a slight cry. After seeing it, Shin Hyuk Kang lost hisposure very briefly, but he soon realized that his spirit power was absorbed by the sword. ¡®Indeed, it is true. Is this the power to deal with it.¡¯ He felt pure joy in his heart. Was it because he figured out a way to control spirit power, a higher form of mana? No, that wasn¡¯t the reason. Of course, that was also a good thing, but now he was just happy to be able to help his sword struggle and regain all its strength. It was strange though the past him wouldn¡¯t be able to understand. Shiing. Shiing Shiing. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to sharpen and talk to the sword. The sword didn¡¯t respond as if it was out of energy, but he could still feel that the sword was feeling joy. At this moment, he was convinced that they weremunicating from their origins. Then. -The Godyer Sword¡¯s power is restored very slightly by spirit power. The sword emitted a dazzling light as the message of the Gaia system appeared in his mind. It has recovered its lost origin power very slightly and regained some of its former authority! -The Godyer Sword regains power equal to D-Rank. -Metallurgy grows to F+ Rank. -Spirit Power grows to F+ Rank. -Unlock a portion of the sword¡¯s memories. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Eh?¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk, who was sharpened the de stopped his hands, as a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu came over him. The flood of memory again hit Kang Shin-hyuk. This time it was a memory of another person. Author¡¯s Notes: - - - - - - - - The main character this time¡­from a lot of different meanings I made a teenager the motif. Also, to talk about the overall theme of this work, it would have to be ¡®destiny¡¯. If you¡¯re looking for a story about a boy forging his own path while encountering karma from his past life, then this is for you. - - - - - - - - Some of you might be discussing about a harem from now on, but although many female character will appear, I¡¯m nning to add just as many male characters as well! And just because a female character appears, doesn¡¯t mean she will be a heroine! Maybe about half of them will be, but it¡¯s not decided yet! - - - - - - - - I can¡¯t talk about the other series¡­but just to say something, it¡¯s still a long way to go until the other one is finished. I didn¡¯t start a new series because it¡¯s nearing the end! - - - - - - - - Then I will return at 9:40 tomorrow morning![TL: Not us, the author.] Trantor and Editor Notes: [1] Although I¡¯m not a master of metallurgy, the Metallurgy mentioned here is more on the cksmithing side, but bit more than just cksmithing to be called cksmithing. [4] Whetstone need to be wet with water before sharpening for those who didn¡¯t know. The schedule for now is 3~4/week. It is subject to change especially with the coronavirus going on, so keep that in mind! This is what happenedst week, but it was nothing serious. ~Magicfishcat Damn forgot the author notes in the previous chapters. ~ Magicfishcat Chapter 4: There An Old Man Inside Me – 4

Chapter 4: There An Old Man Inside Me ¨C 4

Trantors: McTavish, MagicFishCat Editor: Sotheno -VIP benefits, 500HP as a login bonus of the day! On the third day, you¡¯ll get a special sign-in bonus, so look forward to it! After the onught of surprises yesterday, Kang Shin-Hyuk was so tired in the morning that he couldn¡¯t even train in the morning, and sleepily walked to school. As soon as the morning roll call was over, Baek In-Haughed as he looked down at the figure slumped on desk. ¡°Is little Shin-Hyuk okay now?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Uh¡­ Yeah. Are you the one who brought me to my room? Thank you.¡± ¡°Was that sword really okay? No curse or anything like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that; it¡¯s my Trait. Something happened with the sword because of that.¡± ¡°Oh oh.¡± Baek In-Ha¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Is your Trait growing or something like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something simr, I¡¯ll exinter. Anyway, thank you very much. I¡¯ll definitely pay you back for this.¡± ¡°But the more I think about it, the more I wonder, did the 1.5 million won second-hand sword have some sort of ability that stimted your Trait? Or is it because your Trait affects weapons in general?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°Hmm really¡­ but you know¡­ There¡¯s more important news than that. You actually lost out a lot yesterday.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Baek In-Ha pulled a chair from the desk in front and sat down. The chair originally had a separate owner, but he couldn¡¯tin outright to Baek InHa, so he had to find another friend to sit with. ¡°Look at this. I found it while carrying you back.¡± ¡°Huh? ¡­What.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk was astonished to see the figures in the photo, which appear to have been taken by Baek In-Ha himself. He gestured not to make a loud noise, but he was too surprised to stop himself in time¡­ ¡°This¡­ This is that.¡± ¡°The Thunder Empress and the Alchemist.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± There were two people captured in the photo, and they were both breathtakingly beautiful women. With striking golden eyes and beautiful ck hair, the Thunder Empress Shin Eun-Ah. Crimson hair and fiery eyes, and a mole on herzy smile all excluding a self-indulgent charm with her morous body, the Alchemist ire Boyle. Both of them were eye-catching beauties, but more importantly, they were ridiculous figures of the current generation who ranked among the top 500 on the international rankings. ¡°Why are they going to the superhumanmercial street?¡± ¡°I have some information that I have obtained from a reliable source.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a really suspicious intro.¡± ¡°In fact, there¡¯s something they¡¯re looking for in a store. It seems to be some sort of hidden weapon, so they appeared yesterday for that reason. So¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to appear there again today, is that right?¡± ¡°Our little Shin-Hyuk is going toe right? We¡¯re going to go hunting for sexy noonas, right?¡± Baek Inha faced Kang Shin-Hyuk with a face full of anticipation. I even bought him a birthday present. He won¡¯t reject me! However, Kang Shin-Hyuk responded politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Ah,e one!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to y for a while.¡± ¡°The midterms are already over, so why!?¡± ¡°For the time being, I have to hold onto the sword you¡¯ve given me.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Beak In-ha¡¯s expression crumbled at Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s serious voice. However, what could he do, when it was because his gift was too liked. He had dug his own grave. ¡°So find another handsome guy and try your hunting together. I¡¯ll watch you dete in the distance.¡± ¡°Did you just say dete?¡± ¡°I need to sleep for a bit.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk then rammed his head on his desk after kicking out Baek In-Ha. Of course, he was also interest in the high rankers who visited Seoul¡¯smercial street yesterday, but there was currently something more important than that. ¡®Spirit power, Godyer Sword, Hero Universe ¡­ and the sword dance.¡¯ Last night, the moment he seeded drawing the power of his sword with spirit power, Kang Shin-Hyuk was once again forcefully pulled into another memory. It was the memory of an unrecognizable human shadow, endlessly dancing under the moon¡¯s shadow, whilst beautifully wielding a sword. It was just a memory, but the short but crystal-clear dance refused to leave his mind. ¡®It was advanced to the point where I couldn¡¯t even understand it¡­¡¯ It was a memory that could not be shaken out of his head. Just thinking about the possibility of recreating that sword dance made his body shake with excitement. He knew very well, since he also possessed a rtively advanced sword dance. The fact that the sword dance in the memory was in a realm that was out of his reach. However, the memory was so real, that justprehending a little part of the dance helped him immensely. If he could just see more, then it just might be possible to fully recreate the dance. ¡®Touching the sword¡¯s origin with your spirit and epting everything in the sword, also means epting everything that the sword has experienced. Spirit power is such a ridiculous ability. Now I just feel stupid for trying topare it with mana¡­¡± Spirit power. That was the strength that had allowed for him to move through frustration in the past. After sharpening the Godyer¡¯s de and stimting his spirit, he realised that there were countless other ways to use spirit power. That what happened yesterday was only a small part of what spirit power was capable of. He wanted to delve deeper into spirit power to the point where it was almost unbearable. Just like how the memories within the Godyer Sword were awakened, could he also awaken something buried deep within him? ¡­But the opportunity came to him sooner thanter, in a way that Kang Shin-Hyuk never would¡¯ve imagined. ¡°Today, we will conduct student-to-student duels. You will only use training weapons, but you could be seriously injured if you aren¡¯t careful. Keep your mind straight. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡±Yep!¡±¡± ss 3 [Weapon Training 2]. As one the basic subjects in the Shinyoung Knight Department, it was a necessary and dangerous subject that covered mastery with weapons and even realbat with monsters. ¡°Then, first is¡­ Do Woo-Jin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Dowoojin, an outstanding student in the C-ss boasting manaparable to Baek In-ha. His status window has not been disclosed to others so although they couldn¡¯t be sure, there was a rumour that his mana reached C+ Rank. C+ Rank was higher than the some of the superhumans who had already graduated and was currently active in the field. ¡°Then, Kang Shin-Hyuk,e out.¡± ¡°¡­Yep.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk responded calmly to the call of the teacher in charge, Gong Jun-Pyo, and walked out. In fact, he expected to some extent that his name would be called. That¡¯s because this teacher didn¡¯t like Kang Shin-Hyuk so much. In fact, most of the people in Shinyoung didn¡¯t like Kang Shin-Hyuk. It was because they felt that the value of Shinyoung was diminished if a manaless person was one of its students. However, among them, Gong Jun-Pyo¡¯s hate towards him was particrly strong. He always tried to trample him whenever a chance arose, and a dueling session where he could just pair him an outstanding student and watch him be trampled was a very good chance. ¡°Do Woo-jin, what weapon?¡± ¡°I will use a one-handed sword and shield.¡± ¡°Kang Shin-Hyuk.¡± ¡°Sword¡­ No, I¡¯d like a spear.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk almost unconsciously answered sword as he recalled the sword dance thoroughly engraved on his mind, however, he soon changed his answer. The sword dance¡¯s power was not yet reproducible in his hands. He couldn¡¯t even strengthen his body with mana, so having a close-quarters match with Dowoojin, who has C+ Rank mana, was a pointless effort. ¡®No, wait a minute¡­ Isn¡¯t it not like that anymore?¡¯ Only after his hands were gripping a spear did he have this thought. Didn¡¯t he awaken the new power of spirit yesterday? Although it was different from mana, he was convinced that it was a power that didn¡¯t lose to mana. He gained that conviction after yesterday night¡¯s ordeal. ¡®I haven¡¯t tried it yet, but ¡­¡¯ Yesterday, he figured out how to breath spirit power into other objects while sharpening the sword. Although he never tried to strengthen himself with spirit power, it didn¡¯t seem that impossible. He even had the thought that it would be easier than touching the origin of another object. He might be able to win. In the first ce, Do Woo-jin wasn¡¯t even a worthy opponent in terms of their techniques. But now that his physical abilities had risen, now that his martial art skills grew dramatically, now that he had gained a new ability called spirit power¡­! ¡°Both of you go inside the duelling arena. The fight continues until either side surrenders or is stunned. Just make sure you know that if you surrender too quickly, I¡¯ll have no choice but to deduct your score.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He felt strands of ill will pointed towards him as he replied. Kang Shin-Hyuk ended up bursting intoughter as he watched Gong Joon-Pyo and Do-jin quickly exchange gazes. They really hate him that much, it was really a mystery as to what he did that made the duo hate him with all their might. ¡°And this guy is somehow a teacher¡­ it hurts my eyes just by watching their unsightly figures.¡± Behind him, his only ally, Baek In-ha, was mumbling something with an eerie expression, but as there was no way to prevent an official ss duel from happening, he could only grit his teeth and watch the duel. ¡®What a good guy.¡¯ Kang Shin-Hyuk bid Baek In-ha farewell, who was outraged for him and entered the specially-crafted sparring arena. The state-of-the-art facilities developed from the peak of magic engineering would absorb all the impact produced from the duel. ¡°I¡¯ll warn you in advance. You should surrender. I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± Dowoojin, armed with a one-handed sword and shield, dered coldly. He had more pride in Shinyoung than anyone else, so consequently, his hate for the ¡®Ipetent¡¯ Kang Shin-Hyuk was also greater than anyone else. In response, Kang Shin-Hyuk raised his spear and smiled widely, not backing down. ¡°Hmm? You¡¯ve never went easy on me so far, are you perhaps talking to someone else?¡± ¡°Impudent. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be able to beat anyone in Shinyoung without any mana. ¡°Wow, your speech so far has been a real gem among gems. Kind of like a vicious chub? ¡± ¡°Watch your mouth¡­!¡± But those kinds of expression will run dry really fast. Does he make them up on the spot? He wasn¡¯t certain about this match. Even if he had awakened spirit power, his rank was only F+ Rank and the opponent was estimated to be C+ Rank. ¡®But I have no choice but to try.¡¯ However, thanks the long session of sharpening the night before, his heart was serene without ripples even before the duel. Maybe it was the influence of a faint memory of his past life? It was like before the rush of hot blood in battle, an old man¡¯s rxed touch approached him, and calmed his rough breath. Kang Shin-Hyuk gripped his spear, breathed in deeply, then carefully awakened the spirit power that had been sleeping inside him. He looked upon himself, not the spear, and focused on the himself. At that moment, the teacher eximed, ¡°Duel start!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± As soon as the teacher¡¯s signal dropped, Do Woo-jin rushed in. His body was wrapped in a brilliant blue light, as if proving that his whole body was overflowing with power. Fast. Overwhelmingly fast. He was rushing in to crush him with all of his power, regardless of whether Kang Shin-Hyuk could handle mana or not. However, it wasn¡¯t a bluff to say that he possessed C+ Rank mana. No matter how strong Shin-Hyuk was in martial arts, there was no way Kang Shin-Hyuk could react to a speed beyond human recognition. This would¡¯ve been the case, if it was yesterday. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°He avoided it!?¡± Do Woo-Jin, who missed him by a hair¡¯s breadth, turned his head and spat out in dismay. Meanwhile Kang Shin-Hyuk, who avoided his rush without much difficulty by only moving one step, was also amazed. ¡®I could see it. I could react!¡¯ Despite the fact that it was only the first attempt, he had seeded. He had seeded in controlling spirit power, stimting the origin, and temporarily awakening his flesh! Physical performance was amplified explosively in an instant, and it became possible to read the enemy¡¯s movements as well as avoid them quickly. Only. ¡®Crazy, the speed my spirit power decreases at also exploded!¡¯ His spirit power was still F+ Rank, with its quantity and quality still on the level of a toddler! What¡¯s more, unlike the time when he was calmly controlling his spirit power by slowly sharpening his swordst night, this time, he was ignorantly pouring it into his body without any knowledge on how to control spirit power efficiently! ¡®It¡¯s dangerous, I have to finish this quickly!¡¯ Kang Shin-Hyuk, who knew he would not be able to hold on for more than a few seconds, went straight to the next step. It was of course, to attack. Only a short time had passed since Do Woo-jin froze in surprise after Kang Shin-Hyuk dodged his attack. If he didn¡¯t take advantage of the gaps that were revealed now, the battle would again instantly shift in Do Woo-jin¡¯s favor. ¡®Help me!¡¯ Kang Shin-Hyuk, who could not be satisfied with only strengthening his body, squeezed out thest drop of spirit power in his body and focused all of the divine energy on the training spear in his hands. In an instant, the image of the spear was engraved on his mind. The spirit power that flowed into the spear had sensed the origin of the spear and was strengthening it. Only. ¡®It¡¯s a lot different from the Godyer Sword. It is easy to understand the source¡­ but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much power to amplify. The will of the weapon itself is too weak.¡¯ Compared to the Godying Sword, which currently resided in his own origin, the origin of the spear was too weak, but it was definitely not a failure. The training spear, with a weak enough will for one to almost believe that it didn¡¯t exist, had started to vibrate as it resonated with Kang Sin-Hyuk¡¯s own will. ¡®Good, now I ask of you¡­¡¯ The tiny amount of spirit that still remained in his body was concentrated in the spear, and wave of exhaustion came crashing down upon him. He endured it and took a quick step forward. The target was Do Woo-jin¡¯s stupidly hard abs! ¡°Hup!¡± The spear was thrown forward in a straight line. Within it, contained the might of the S- Rank martial art with a proficiency of C-Rank, the Fanged Dragon Dance. However, the moment Kang Shin-Hyukunched an attack; he realized something new. His new S-Rank skill, had a distinctively different feel than the martial arts he was already ustomed to, the Eighteen Techniques (A). ¡®It¡¯ has a same motions, but contains more power in the move. As expected, skills are decided by ranks!¡¯ Furthermore, as soon as he struck, he wanted the spear to shine a faint light, and a faint picture was engraved there ording to his wish. A picture of a squirming little dragon! Kang Shin-Hyuk did not realize it himself, but this was the power of his Trait, Awakened Fledgling Dragon. This is the first time that the power of Trait which strengthens the power of weapons in his hands was manifested. -Bang! ¡°Kuk!¡± The training spears tip squarelynded on Do Woo-jin¡¯s stomach. With his body unbnced after his charge, Do Woo-jin couldn¡¯t withstand the impact and bounced off like a cartoon character, spewing blood from his mouth, and crashed into the opposite wall of the arena. He then fainted and didn¡¯t move from his spot. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Why did Do Woo-jin suddenly fly off?¡± ¡°Kang Shin-Hyuk won? For real?¡± Only a few seconds. That was the length of the duel from start to finish. Most of the jaws of those watching ended up dropping to the ground in shock. ¡°What, did he use magic? Did he have a double awakening?¡± ¡°Do Woo-jin definitely rushed in, but he also went flying off by himself as well?¡± ¡°What, that¡¯s crazy! Why did Do Woo-jin lose! ¡± ¡°I knew Kang Shin-Hyuk was good at martial arts, but still, winning against Do Woo-jin?¡± ¡°Do you think Do Woo-jin was anemic?¡± The exchange was so fast that no one knew what happened. Except for a few students, the rest were confused to the point where they almost believed that Do Woo-jin had fallen over by himself. Kang Shin-Hyuk lightly ignored the downpour of questionsing from his ssmates and calmly looked at Gong Jun-Pyo. He was hoping for the announcement of the results, but Gong Joon-Pyo instead narrowed his eyes and asked him. ¡°¡­Did you use auxiliary magic or any artifacts Kang Shin-Hyuk?¡± ¡°If I had done that, the rm in the arena would¡¯ve been set off. I didn¡¯t use them.¡± Gong Jun-Pyo, who grasped both the movements of Do Woo-jin and Kang Shin-Hyuk, was also unable to believe the results. He could understand why Gong Jun-Pyo was suspicious of the results of the duel, but to ask him these kind of questions¡­ Kang Shin-Hyuk could only smile bitterly. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible for you to beat Do Woo-Jin without any magic.¡± ¡°Then did you make a duel while you were convinced that it was an unfair match? But fortunately, my talents and skills have improved recently, so I¡¯ve been able to win. You know how I got into Shinyoung.¡± He didn¡¯t lie. It was true that his Trait had evolved, as well as his skills. However, although spirit power was added to the equation, there was no need to tell this person. It would be different if he was able to sense spirit power, but it seemed as though he hadn¡¯t, so that was even more of a reason to keep his spirit power hidden. ¡°I won. Fair and square.¡± Kang Shin-Hyuk calmly received the intense gaze of Gong Jun-Pyo. There was no reason to be not calm. Because without his permission, other people had no way of reading his status window. Eventually, Gong Jun-Pyo nodded. Even if he wanted to nitpick, he couldn¡¯t. He knew best that Kang Shin-Hyuk had won fairly. ¡°¡­Yes. You won.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m exhausted right now, so can I go to the infirmary?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. That must have been tiring. Do whatever you want.¡± Gong Joon-Pyo, who realized that he would not be able to properly conduct other duels with Kang Shin-Hyuk here, did not reject his request. No, it was probably because he was shaking from head to toe. Kang Shin-Hyuk returned the training spear to its original spot and exited the arena. He ignored his ssmates who were still ndering him, and after gesturing to Baek In-Ha, who was looking at him worriedly, stumbled out of Gym No.1. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, so hungry¡­¡± He then grabbed his rumbling stomach and headed straight to the bathroom. He needed the help of the Administrator. Author¡¯s Notes: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ah, the name of the Thunder Empress..!? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Who might¡¯ve given him the sword dance? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In this world, mana and spirit power are different types of energies. No one would react particrly strongly to both terms, but what about the Hero Universe!? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The chapter lengths are really rocketing. I guess it¡¯s because I really want to share this story with you guys that it¡¯s rocketing¡­ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you want anything in the story, like an element, or a weapon, or anything like that, then send me a message! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Then I will return at 9:40pm tomorrow! Trantor and Editor Notes: Hi, sorry for not updating for a while, I¡¯m the trantor of VIP, andst week I took a week break because I was too busy irl, but then towards the end of the week, I caught the flu! That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t upload for a while after that an as Toika said, the chapter lengths are going crazy. Keep in mind, I¡¯m still not fully recovered so expect unstable updates! ~Magicfishcat Chapter 5: There An Old Man Inside Me – 5

Chapter 5: There An Old Man Inside Me ¨C 5

Trantor: McTavish, MagicFishCat Editor: Sotheno -Growl¡­ Thunder rumbled inside his stomach. And not just that, his mouth was as dry as a raisin, and a splitting headache was running rampant inside his skull. It felt like the skin on his body was shriveling up. It terrible sense of hunger that he had never felt while growing up in the orphanage. ¡°This is¡­ Why is this doing this? Administrator, a little exnation¡­ please¡­ ¡° Kang Shin-Hyuk threw himself in an empty cubicle, then huddled on top of the toilet, muttering like a madman. Fortunately, the Administrator answered right away. [This is due to the exhaustion of both stamina and spirit power in a short period of time. There is a need to consume nutritious food full of rich spirit power to recover your stamina and spirit power.] ¡°I-I see¡­ ¡° [Hero Universe¡¯s trading board sells arge quantity of energy-rich emergency food. The 20,000 HP other world sign-in bonus can be used without worry, so I rmend that you use it to make a purchase.] Again, the Hero Universe. Kang Shin-hyuk, who wanted to avoid the unfamiliar world for the time being, instinctively made a frown. ¡°I can just eat Earth food, can¡¯t I?¡± -Earth¡¯s food, of course, contains some spirit power, but they only contain a small amount, and they¡¯re also not very pure. You will reach your physical limits before absorbing enough spiritual power. Also, if you eat foods with ample spirit power, your spiritual power will grow faster. The Administrator was probably talking about the permanent growth of spirit power. However, there was no time to discuss calmly about the efficiency of such a method. He was going crazy with hunger, so it didn¡¯t take long to make his decision. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t die from hunger just to save his HP, which he didn¡¯t even know how to use. So he hurriedly connected to the Hero Universe. No one would¡¯ve expected his decisions yesterday would lead to this situation. [A rmended item is Item #141,787, Eiren Jelly on the trading board. It has the highest spirit power to nutrient ratio and its pure spirit enables quicker spirit power regeneration, as well as its growth. However, the seller is notified of the buyer¡¯s ID.] ¡°Okay, please just buy it ¡­¡± Sooner orter, the Hero Universe had to be challenged again. And if he were to operate there, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore those who had been his friends in his past life. This wasn¡¯t the time to nitpick over the temperature of the water. After all, this was the first time in his life where death by starvation was a serious possibility. [VIP benefits! Commission fees are exempt! 10% discount due to bulk purchases. Would you like to buy 200 Eiren Jellies for 18,000HP?] ¡°Just do it!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could not use the HP originally possessed by Anvil¡¯s ID, but he was able to purchase the goods with the ¡®another world bonus¡¯ obtained from essing the Hero Universe on Earth. Of course, most of the HP he had gotten had just been blown away! [Completed the purchase of 200 Eiren Jellies. You will receive one Eiren Jelly directly. The remaining 199 Eiren Jelly has been sent to the shop inventory. The Shop Inventory is a spatial inventory that allows you to keep items purchased from the Hero Universe¡¯s trading board, and you can take goods out from it whenever you want.] The messages appeared one after another in session, however, his blurred vision from severe hunger meant that he couldn¡¯t spare the attention to read them. However, the sudden appearance of a small stick-shaped object in his hands made him wake up from surprise. ¡°Heuk.¡± Even unwrapping the packaging was painful. He hastily ripped up the packaging, then took a huge bite of out of the purple jelly that revealed itself. But as soon as the purple jelly entered his mouth, the fresh aroma of grapes spilled into his mouth, and the pain mysteriously evaporated away. Kang Shin-hyuk widened his eyes to the limit as he returned to thend of the living. He could see a faint plume of smoke rising from the cross-section of the mysterious jelly. ¡°This, what¡­¡± [Eiren Jelly is a great emergency food that contains an abundance ofpressed spirit and nutrients. Not only does it contain all the calories you need per day, but it alsopletely refills your spirit power and stores the excess amount in your body forter use. In addition, the taste is excellent.] ¡°Whoa, crazy. Thanks for the rmendation!¡± [10HP bonus for a wonderful member who never forgets to express his gratitude even in a hurry!] Kang Shin-hyuk originally didn¡¯t like jelly very much. But this was an exception. He felt as if he was biting into a freshly picked plum. He then devoured the remaining amount in a sh and savored the aftertaste. He was still not as full as his well-trained body required more energy than the average person, but at least his hunger waspletely sated. The crisis of his life was over. He sincerely thought so. ¡°The Hero Universe really is amazing¡­¡± [Of course. If you also actively push your synchronization, you can acquire top-tier items iparable to this jelly. A more direct approach can be taken once you unlock your My Room function as well.] It was only one jelly, but it contained an absurd miracle within its small form. A single portion could replenish an enormous amount of calories, restore spirit power, and also be very filling. If there was a version for mana, the entire world would¡¯ve been turned upside down. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, finally rxing after the crisis, looked through the logs and realized that he had purchased 200 Eiren Jellies instead of one. Thanks to that, a 10% discount was applied, but ¡­ ¡°Why did you rmend mass purchases?¡± [Of course. Your current spirit power is very small. In the future, you¡¯ll be in a simr situation whenever you use your spiritual power, so it¡¯s essential to have lots of Eiren Jelly at hand.] ¡°Kng.¡± He couldn¡¯t refute that reasoning. This didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t use this power in the future, but rather, if he were to train intensely with spirit power, then Eiren Jelly was ¡°essential¡± in the words of the Administrator. [Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, the more you consume quality food, the faster your spirit power can grow. By the time you¡¯ve consumed all 200 jellies, you¡¯ll be able to gain a D-Rank¡¯s power without any difficulty.] ¡°D-Rank¡­!¡± He didn¡¯t know exactly how powerful D-Rank spirit power was. This was because, in the 1st Grade Knights Department, there weren¡¯t many who had reached D-Rank in mana. It was a rank which even a top institute like Shinyoung couldn¡¯t dismiss easily. And just as he experienced before, Kang Shin-hyuk had instantly overpowered Do-Woo-jin, who possessed a C+ Rank mana, with his pitiful F+ Rank spirit power. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how powerful he would be if his spirit power was raised to D-Rank. [Only.] But the moment Kang Shin-hyuk was about to burst into excited fanfare, the Administrator emphasized another point with an overly bright message. [Continuous exhaustion of spirit power will have a negative effect on your growth. Your current weak body will be in danger after exhausting your spirit power 10 times per day, and there should also be an ample gap between them] ¡®Then you¡¯re telling me to eat these jellies over the course of 20 days.¡¯ [You will reach a point where just one jelly won¡¯t be enough to fully replenish your spirit. I estimate that it¡¯ll take around a fortnight for you to consume all the jellies.] The excited Kang Shin-hyuk calmed down at the Administrator¡¯s words after realizing that the growth rate of spirit power would slow down the higher its rank was. But after thinking about it calmly, the fact that he could grow his spirit power to D-Rank in 2 weeks was still plenty amazing. ¡®It¡¯s an opportunity. No rushing, let¡¯s take it nice and slow. ¡® It took some time topletely calm down. However, when he imagined sharpening the de of the Godyer Sword, his mind wondrously started to calm down little by little. His budding cksmithing skills were supporting his adolescent mind little by little. [Excellent. You¡¯vepletely calmed down.] ¡°Thank you.¡± [Now, are you ready to talk to your friends in the Hero Universe?] ¡°¡­ ¡° That¡¯s right. He had fully consolidated his abilities, nned his growth, and made up his mind to explore the Hero Universe more. Then the next step would be, of course, a response to his past friends who were beautifully ignored yesterday. However, Anvil¡¯s friends¡¯ list that the Administrator had so kindly brought over was sorge that his will deted at the sight of it. Frankly, he was afraid. [First of all, it would be better to send a reply to the friends who contacted you yesterday.] ¡°Yes, that would be better, right¡­?¡± Halo, Eunah, Janus, Tsukuyo, Mirang, Super Ultra Gctic Fist, and so on. It looked like a spy was possibly mixed among them, but it was definite that they were his past friends. ¡°Especially, this person named Eunah¡­ Um, I think she had a deep rtionship with my past life.¡± [Probably.] The Administrator casually affirmed. Also, in the 100+ messages, he received yesterday in that short time, more than half were from Eunah. Moreover, she had also appeared in Anvil¡¯s memories. ¡°Once they find out that I¡¯m not Anvil¡­ They would be very disappointed.¡± [You are right. It was just a reincarnation.] ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s still different¡­¡± [Yes.] The Administrator answered honestly. [If we judged based on the feelingsmunicated with Eunah-nim, it wouldn¡¯t be exactly the same.] ¡°Exactly.¡± [Nevertheless, you are Anvil. Surely Eunah-nim will be very happy. Moreover¡­] ¡°Moreover?¡± [¡­I think it¡¯s better to realize this for yourself.] It was only a day since he met him, but the Administrator who always coolly answered his questions evaded the answer. Kang Shin-hyuk was worried about the Administrator¡¯s words, but he believed he would find out soon as he was about to talk to Eunah anyway. ¡°Please release¡­ the message function¡­¡± [Unblocking messages.] Was it because he had blocked all messages for the day, an overflow of notifications like yesterday didn¡¯t happen this time? But if he would just repeat yesterday¡¯s incidents if he dilly-dallied here. Kang Shin-hyuk firmly prepared himself and wrote a message to send to the person named Eunah. -Anvil: This is Anvil. It may sound very oundish, but I was reborn in another world. The memories of my past life aren¡¯tplete, so I only have hazy memories of you. I¡¯m really sorry. Even for him, it looked like such a cheap message, but he couldn¡¯t think of a good message in a short amount of time. He could imagine the Administrator¡¯s pitiful gaze towards him, but he still tightly shut his eyes and sent the message anyway. The reply came quickly. -Eunah: Grandpa! -Anvil: So I¡¯m not grandpa. The person you know is my past life. I¡¯m now a 17-year-old man, and I only acquired my past life¡¯s memories after connecting to the Hero Universe. -Eunah: Then you¡¯llpletely remember one day!? -Anvil: That¡¯s¡­ Instead of writing a reply, he checked with the Administrator, who affirmed without hesitation. Kang Shin-hyuk replied again. -Anvil: Yes, but I don¡¯t know how long it will take. What¡¯s more, even if I recover all my memories, I¡¯m still a different person from my past life¡­ -Eunah: The soul is the same, right? You¡¯re getting your memories back, right? Then you¡¯re grandpa! -Anvil: Excuse-no, that¡¯s not what I mean- -Eunah: Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!Grandpa! I missed you! I missed you so much! Kang Shin-Hyuk fearfully raised his head. ¡°Hey, I think this person is a bit¡­¡± [I agree. 10HP bonus will be given to you who are in the same mind as your Administrator.] The Administrator, who he thought would defend Eunah, surprisingly agreed with him and gave him 10 HP. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to block the messages from Eunah at that point, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t ignore someone who regarded his past self as someone so important in their life. And more than anything, if this crazy girl was also a member of the Hero Universe, it meant that she wielded an abilityparable to his spirit power. He couldn¡¯t treat her lightly. He replied carefully.f -Anvil: I¡¯m very sorry anyway. My memory is still very messy and unclear, so I don¡¯t know how to talk with Eunah-nim. Can you understand what I mean? -Eunah: I understand! Then when will you call me Eunah again? I don¡¯t think she understands what I mean¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk pondered for a long time on how to answer her but eventually decided to reply. -Anvil: Can we start as friends first? On that day, Kang Shin-hyuk missed the entire afternoon sses greeting his past friends of Hero Universe while squatting on a toilet. It was the moment when the inexperienced veteran returned to the Hero Universe. Author¡¯s Notes: - - - - - - - - The Shop Inventory cannot store anything that wasn¡¯t bought from the Shop. I¡¯m telling you in advance in case someone is curious. - - - - - - - - This is the end of the first chapter! From the next chapter, we¡¯ll explore more about his friends in the Hero Universe, the properties of spirit power, alchemy etc. So the next chapter¡¯s themes will be meeting and growth. - - - - - - - - From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯ll see you at 9:20pm! Trantor and Editor Notes: And onto chapter 2 ~ McTavish Chapter 6: The Equation of Growth-1

Chapter 6: The Equation of Growth-1

Join our discord to gettest updates about the novel Trantors: Meg Editor: Sotheno Thest lecture had already begun when Kang Shin-hyuk left the bathroom. He quickly went to the staffroom and requested permission for early sick leave. As if they have heard about his ¡®barbarism¡¯ during his training period, the teachers looked at him with suspicious eyes, but the permission was granted with ease. [Baek In-ha]: ¡°You are sure there¡¯s no problem, right?¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°It¡¯s just that my muscles are a bit tangled after moving around too abruptly. It¡¯ll get better if I take a break.¡± [Bake In-ha]: Well, I guess you¡¯d know best about your own conditions. But I gotta say, you were really cool earlier. I¡¯m pretty sure the bald dude and I were the only witnesses. Throwing your spear with perfect timing while dodging all the attacks with concise movements¡­ Kya! As expected of my best friend.¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: Anyway, since I got my permission for early leave, you should just hang out with yourself today. After he walked out of the staffroom and texted Baek In-ha, Kang Shin-hyuk began walking back to his dorm room. For your information: ¡°the bald dude¡± was referring to the supervising teacher of session 2 of the martial arts techniques training, Gong Joon-Pyo. There was a saying that even one could hate a human, one must not hair a bald head. Yet, Baek In-ha had been so harsh. -Tsukuyo: The Anvil that I once loved is already gone. That is my final conclusion. So I¡¯ll cut to the chase; I want you to delete his ID. -Mirang: An inheritance of the memories and knowledge gained from your time in Hero Universe, very interesting. I¡¯ve never heard of such a case because I¡¯ve never died before. How¡¯s your new life going, Anvil? -Halo: How is that world?..... Is it very dangerous? ¡°Ah¡­.. There is no end to this. No end.¡± In fact, at this very minute, he was receiving whispers from countless friends, Eunah among them. If there was Eunah, a person who rather frighteningly epts all aspects of him, there was also someone who could note to terms with the existence of a revival system, as well as an adventurous type who was inspired by Anvil¡¯s revival to explore the Hero Universe. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for today.¡± He sent a message to his friends exining how he was tired by having just regained his memories and subsequently blocked all of them. By circling the message around to his friends, he extinguished the fire that needed immediate attention. There were still a couple of problems remaining, but none of them were serious enough to deter him from participating in hismunity activities. Even though he eagerly wanted to learn more about the Hero Universe, he wanted to focus on a single issue more than anything. ¡°Spirit Power.¡± He tightly clenched his fists while thinking back to his training earlier. He could still feel the exhration he felt after beating down Do Woo-jin. Even though trait [Awakened Fledgling Dragon] and skill [Fanged Dragon Dance] were already useful enough, the most surprising change was the physical enhancement of his body. Awaken the hidden strength of the weapon, and extract away your hidden potential. With that alone, you could unveil infinite possibilities! ¡°I instantly became stronger. If I grow my spirit power, I can grow even stronger!¡± He was now able to defeat those who wielded mana. The same people who thought little of him and looked down on him! For someone like Kang Shin-hyuk, who spent his entire life suppressing himself, the experience he had today was equivalent to an upheaval that turned his life upside down. At this point, it would be difficult to suppress his excitement. [Please don¡¯t exhaust yourself.] ¡°I know. Thank you for worrying about me.¡± After hearing the Administrator¡¯s message, Kang Shin-hyuk tried to rx. He countlessly murmured to himself that nothing goodes from acting hastily andforted his ever-growing impatience. And before he knew it, he arrived at his dormitory. [What will you do about metallurgy?] ¡°Of course, I would have to train myself. But physical training is also important. I first want topletely master what I learned today and then think about the next step. I want to try the sword dance as soon as possible as well.¡± He had instinctively learned from today¡¯s battle with Do Woo-jin that the spirit power wielded by cksmiths is a bit different from the spirit power wielded by warriors. As the Administrator advised him, while it is important to pursue what you used to be, you must not let go of the current you. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go to the training room.¡± The male dormitory of knight majors contained arge training facility of enormous scale. While the individual training facilities are avable as long as you sign up for them every day, since Kang shin-hyuk was diligently training each morning and signing up ahead of time, he was practically living at the training facility. ¡°Actually¨Clet¡¯s get changed and bring the Godyer sword.¡± As he learned during today¡¯s sparring session while infusing spirit power into his training-purpose long spear. If the weapon¡¯s level is low and its origin is insignificant, the effect of spirit power will also be diminished. While that may change if his abilities are enhanced, now wasn¡¯t the time to figure that out. In order to effectively train his spirit power, it would be most effective to use the Godyer sword, the weapon with the greatest hidden strength, despite his level being a mere D-rank. ¡°You¡¯re early, student Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Bolten. I went on sick leave since I wasn¡¯t feeling well after the sparring session.¡± ¡°Hm, All right. Since you aren¡¯t the type to skip sses.¡± As he changed tofortable clothes in his room and brought the Godyer sword with him, Kang Shin-hyuk bumped into the housemaster and bowed his head politely. Since the housemaster of Shinyoung academy was responsible for resolving conflicts happening between students, the selected person was often incredibly strong. This was especially the case for Emil Bolten, the British housemaster of the knight majors¡¯ male dormitory ¨Cthergest dorm of the academy¨C who, during his prime days, was a superhuman who ranked within the top 300. Putting that aside, because his looks are that of a good-looking middle-aged Westerner, I always felt something is out of ce seeing him speak Korean fluently. Though I would have to eventually get used to that now that I¡¯m attending Shinyoung. ¡°Hm? That sword¡­ Do you mind if I take a look at it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± On top of his superhuman ranking, Emil Bolten was famous for possessing a supernatural prowess of martial arts. Since Bolten was one of the few people who treated Kang Shin-hyuk on equal terms with others despite his deficiency in mana, Kang Shin-hyuk dly handed over his sword to him. ¡°Wow.¡± Emil Bolten let out an exmation after carefully studying the sword. ¡°It certainly is not an artifact containing any special type of capacity, but it certainly was crafted by a skillful cksmith using quality materials. And if my guess is correct¡­ Did student Kang Shin-hyuk sharpen the edge himself? ¡°Yes. I¡¯m still clumsy, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re clumsy at all.¡± Bolten was noticeably impressed as he was feeling the sword¡¯s deftly sharpened edge on his hands. ¡°This is the work of a hand that understands weapons deeply well. People who have gone through serious training are surely different.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°A good weapon has gone into the hands of the right person. I look forward to seeing your development.¡± Emil Bolten politely handed back his sword and waved him goodbye. Kang Shin-hyuk headed to the training room while trying to refrain from feeling full of himself for receiving praise by Emil Bolten, a figure revered by most of the students wielding some type of a weapon. But then suddenly, a thought came to his mind. ¡°Wait, so even someone as strong as Emil Bolten can¡¯t recognize the true worth of this sword?¡± [The true form of the Godyer sword will make its appearance when the user¡¯s spirit power is released. Those who are not able to properly wield their spirit power will not be able to properly recognize the Godyer sword.] ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± After walking while murmuring ¡°spirit power¡± to himself, he arrived at the training facility without noticing. He entered the individual training room he had reserved for himself and satfortably at the center. ¡°First, let me try to raise my physical stats.¡± Although he gained a rather unseemly appearance for rapidly consuming mana, its temporary explosiveness required no mentioning. To avoid showing such an indecent look, he had to grow adept at enhancing his physical stats through spiritual power. ¡°Still, I have to do better than how I did in my sparring match with Do Woo-jin.¡± Back then, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have any spare time to think things over. He was so thoroughly captured by his thought to dodge Doo Woo-jin¡¯s mana-powered attack that he forcefully extracted half of his spirit power to enhance his physical abilities. Kang Shin-hyuk well understood that that is not the right way to go. ¡°Slowly, and calmly. Let me also take out an Eiren Jelly¡­¡± With the help of the Administrator, he opened his inventory and brought one of the 199 Eiren Jellies into the real world. He ced the wrapped jelly besides him so he can reach it at any time, and quietly closed his eyes. He then focused on his origin. ¡°Spirit power is the power to help understand one¡¯s own origin. The power to help you perceive every aspect of yourself.¡± He learned from his sparring match with Do Woo-jin. The essence of spirit powery in setting up a deep connection with the wielder and understanding it. The physical enhancement was merely a by-product rather than the primary goal. Perhaps as the aftermath of training with various kinds of objects, he was luckily able to perceive that fact from the very beginning. Which prevented an endless array of possible trial-and-error developments and instead led him straight to the right path. It was the overwhelming advantage of possessing memories from a past life. ¡°To be able to see myself as I am. To merely affirm and nothing else¡­let¡¯s start by first discovering myself.¡± Of course, it was not easy. Meditation was an unfamiliar task for someone who normally enjoyed physical training. After a long time had passed, however, he was able to concentrate on his inner self so intently that hepletely blocked out the squawking of crowsing from the training room¡¯s window. It was at that moment: ¡°Ah.¡± The part of himself that waspletely hidden in darkness up until that moment was finally emitting some light while he was consuming spirit power. During his sparring match with Do Woo-jin, the situation was so urgent that he ended up pouring his spirit power into enhancing his physical body, but he was now able to observe his ego without going overboard. ¡°¡­¡­I found it.¡± His inner self was like a dark, narrow cave. It was as if he was seeing the exact manifestation of the unstable heart within him that was the product of constantly ignoring the contemptible stares from others and enduring it all by himself. But at the center of it, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to find something that was faintly emitting light in its solitude. Weak, but a firmly determined ego of himself. ¡°HaHa. That looks really shabbypared to the Godyer sword.¡± He couldn¡¯t help butugh at his faint ego that was shaking in all directions. It was weak. Too weak. It felt different from when he was looking at his status. It was as if he was standing face-to-face with the true form of the concept of nakedness. But more than embarrassed, he was satisfied. When you acknowledge the insignificance of yourself, all that¡¯s left to do is to move forward. As he thought that, the faint light surprisingly grew in brightness in response to him...... At least that¡¯s what he felt. [Synchronization is slightly elerating. Assimtion rate is 0.4%.] [Your spirit power has been upgraded to an E- Rank.] A message popped up in front of him. Not only has his synchronization elerated, but his spirit power has entered an E- Rank as well! The sudden brightening of his ego was probably due to that change. At that very moment, he felt that he had made a distinct step forward. [Eat your jelly!] ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Since he had been in such an enlightened state of mind he hadn¡¯t noticed that his spirit power had plummeted. Kang Shin-hyuk thanked the administrator¡¯s timely message and swallowed the jelly. As he was engrossed in the unwavering, marvelous scent and taste of the jelly no matter how many times he had eaten it, he felt his spirit power steadily increasing. Kang Shin-hyuk: ¡°Having upgraded to E- Rank, I can now feel my spirit power more directly.¡± [Congrattions.] Ordinarily, one had to devote a superhuman-level of concentration to extract and wield spiritual power, but even at the lowest level, the upgrade to an E rank allowed him to feel and extract his spirit power more naturally than before. Surely he will be able to wield spirit power even more naturally as he grows further and further. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a bright smile as he physically felt his growth in his body. ¡°All right, what¡¯s next.¡± After he confirmed the recovery of his spirit power, he gripped the sword and stood. He felt a little nervous. After all, he was about to witness the sword dance through Godyer sword once again. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t faint this time.¡± He was afraid of a headache, but could no longer hold back. He tightly clenched his teeth and released his spiritual power with the hand firmly gripping the sword. Kang Shin-hyuk intended to more deeply understand and connect to the Godyer sword by gently infusing his spirit power. Although the task was not easy since the Godyer sword wasn¡¯t in the same league as a training-purpose long spear. He remembered back to the moments of sharpening its edge and the sword opened its heart to him in response. Just like before, the sword dancepletely took control of his mind. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­Ah ah.¡± There was no sound. No change. Only a shadow performing a sword dance with the Godyer sword gripped in its hand was present in a world covered in white. Just watching its movements gave him a headache and his body broke out in cold sweat. He felt nauseous, but he endured it all. ¡°Whooo, Whoooooo¡­¡­.¡± Tightly clenching his teeth to sustain the headache that was on the verge of knocking him out, he slowly moved his body. He began to dance very, very slowly in rhythm to the image that was flowing out of the Godyer sword. ¡°Whook, Whoo, Whoooo¡­.¡± The spirit power released from Kang Shin-hyukpletely filled the Godyer sword. In response, the Godyer sword emitted a stream of light by faintly vibrating. But no one could describe his movements as beautiful, even as empty words. Unable to obtain knowledge that was beyond his scope, he could not infuse significant meaning in his movements and the tip of the sword began to mellow. It was at that moment. [Due to your trait Awakened Fledgling Dragon(A+), you will now be able to more easily ept sword techniques of superhuman territory.] Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait, ¡®Awakened Fledgling Dragon¡¯, was a trait that allowed him to rapidly learn all kinds of martial arts techniques. Although the difficulty of those martial arts was on a different level from those found on earth, the sword dance infused in the Godyer sword was also part of the trait¡¯s eligible targets! ¡°Knggggggg.¡± But the consequence of carving that knowledge into his body had to be endured by his mind. Because he was absorbing martial arts techniques that were unmatched to his current level. If he went too overboard, there was a possibility of his mind copsing, so he paused the process of understanding the martial arts techniques on the verge of leaving permanent damages on his brain. As if to shake off the headache, he frantically continued his sword dance. At a certain moment, a mark resembling a worm crawling upwards to the tip appeared on the Godyer sword, but he was so absorbed in the sword dance that it went unnoticed. ¡°Huk, Huk!¡± How much longer did itst? A message appeared in front of Kan Shin-hyuk as he sensed his spiritual power diminish andpletely cut off his connection with the Godyer sword. [Skill Fanged Dragon Dance(S-)¡¯s level has been upgraded to a C+ Rank.] The result was splendid, the skill ¡®Fanged Dragon Dance¡¯ had leveled up, it had previously been at C Rank, but now it had been upgraded to C+ Rank! For your information, ¡®Fanged Dragon Dance¡¯ was an S- rank skill that evolved from ¡®Eighteen Techniques¡¯, a skill Kang Shin-hyuk previously had. The S- rank referred to the skill¡¯s rarity and its hidden strength, while the C+ referred to the skill¡¯s current proficiency level. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHH¡± After hepletely stopped his movements, Kang Shin-hyuk used his free hand to grasp his head as if to tear it apart. He had never felt such an extent of pain before while learning martial arts through his trait. But that also proved that the sword dance, infused in the Godyer sword was that exceptional. Despite having only gained a glimpse of it, his understanding of the martial arts allowed him to naturally know its greatness. But it hurt! His head felt so entangled that it seemed as if it were going to explode! ¡°I can¡¯t do any more of this.¡± He felt that to resume understanding of sword dance, he first had topletely master the understanding he already attained. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively came to that conclusion. He even felt that by sessfully using this opportunity at hand, he might be able to upgrade Fanged Dragon Dance one level further. [Dear member, if you¡¯re under pain due to a headache, I want to make a suggestion.] ¡°Is there an effective headache pill listed on the trade board or something?¡± [The suggestion is to sharpen the sword¡¯s edge with a whetstone.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t know how to respond to the administrator¡¯s rather odd message, but after realizing that any attempt to continue training that day would be in vain, he nodded his head. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll sharpen the edge, then.¡± [A 10HP bonus to our dear member for humbly epting the administrator¡¯s suggestion!] He returned to his room and began sharpening the Godyer sword¡¯s edge as instructed. Now rxed, he was now able to objectively review himself during the day and learn from his mistakes, while having improved on his ability to wield spiritual power. The warrior who was excited by his new power had now be a cksmith again. The days where the current life and the past life would ovep harmoniously still seemed far into the future. Trantor and Editor Notes: Chapter 7: The Equation of Growth-2

Chapter 7: The Equation of Growth-2

Join our discord to gettest updates about the novel Trantors: Meg Editor: Sotheno The sun shone brightly, the breeze was cool. On top of that, there was no gate urrence in that morning, so she could leisurely enjoy her tea time. She felt happy. Actually¡­ Even if there was an overcast sky without wind, and an S ss gate appeared where she¡¯d have to be dispatched, she would still be happy. ¡°Hm, Hmmm¡­.¡± A genius, who was distinguished among the superhumans across the world. One that appeared once every few hundred years, and the pride of all young Korean superhumans who stood at rank 317 in the Worlds Superhuman Ranking. Renowned not just in Korea, but across the whole world, the Thunder Empress Shin Eunah felt cheerful for the entire day. People who heard her humminging out of her office were surprised. ¡°Did something good happen to our Thunder Empress¡± ¡°She never scolded me today.¡± ¡°She¡¯s had that smile on her face earlier. My heart almost dropped as I passed her during lunchtime seeing how beautiful it was.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her looks in front of her. She hates it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± Shin Eunah had the world¡¯s attention from a young age for possessing an SS rank trait [Conqueror of Thunder]. Of course, her beauty resembling that of a bisque stone contributed to her poprity, butpared to her gleaming talent, it was a trivial factor. Since she was a child, Shin Eunah received the best education to match the expectations of having parents who were among the top 10,000 in the World Superhuman Ranking. When she graduated from elementary school, her skill levels were to the extent that she could easily ce within top 1,000 in the World Superhuman Ranking. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the gate forecast for the evening?¡± She asked while tossing away the report which she barely read. The secretary replied while withholding her sigh. ¡°No case of irregrs. All 8 gates of C Rank or above have been acquired sessfully.¡± ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a problem then. I¡¯ll get going.¡± ¡°Will you be spending time today with the Alchemistdy again?¡± ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡± Anybody informed on issues surrounding superhumans knew that the Thunder Empress was friends with the American High Ranker (rank 479) Alchemist ire Boyle. But no one knew where that friendship had been formed. Although they were simr in age, their areas of activity werepletely different. ¡°No, sorry, it¡¯s nothing. I was just wondering if there¡¯s a scouting intention behind that person¡¯s approach to you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing! Have a great day, then!¡± Just as Shin Eunah was about to respond with a slight frown on her face, her secretary, whose mind had now bepletely frozen, spat out her words like a rapid-firing gun and quickly ran out of the office. Shin Eunah stared at the door for a few seconds with a weirded-out expression, but then stood up after emitting a short sigh. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to eat you alive or anything¡­¡± Dark clouds were temporarily cast in her mind which had been fully bright during the day. But she was able to shake it off easily as that sort of thing was amon urrence. She no longer cared about what people who didn¡¯t matter to her thought about her. Sometimes there were thoughts that made her depressed and often made her cry, but now she waspletely unaffected. Because Grandpa was back. Because he spoke to her once again. ¡°He¡¯s a fraud. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± As they met at the Superhuman Market after work, ire Boyle pouted her lips as if she wasn¡¯t satisfied with something. Her red hair, which was stylishly tied down, bounced around in various directions as if to express her feelings. ¡°Do you really believe resurrection is possible? There hasn¡¯t been a single case like it in the Hero Universe which is overflowing with absolute geniuses.¡± ¡°If souls exist, resurrection should definitely be possible...... And grandpa is a genius. An unmatched genius who built all those artifacts in a world consisting of nothing.¡± Though nobody else knew about this, the Thunder Empress and the Alchemist shared onemon thing. That was their membership in a secretmunity in the Hero Universe. ire Boyle entered the Hero Universe when she awakened her skills in high school and met Shin Eunah there. They quickly became close after learning of the coincidence that they shared their homeworld, and with the freedom gained in adulthood, they have been maintaining a solid friendship by asionally meeting up, disregarding the boundaries between their countries. ¡°You¡¯re being scammed. It¡¯s just a new user with the same ID.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be it. Grandpa exined it all. Also even though he¡¯s lost his memories, his personality was the same. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize grandpa.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t know that. So? If he¡¯s connected to the Hero Universe, has he awakened a certain skill?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him that. But since it¡¯s grandpa it would probably just be another artifact crafting skill like before.¡± Shin Eunah spoke with a bright smile while fiddling with her hairpin in her bangs. For someone who¡¯d never smile in her life emitting such an innocent smile¡­¡­ If someone were to see her, they¡¯d mistake her for a girl who¡¯s in love. ire Boyle let out a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s just a scammer no matter how I think about it. Like I said before, why don¡¯t you just get a boyfriend if you have time to care about some old man? You know that I¡¯ll have to return to New York after thismission is finished. Should we enjoy the nightlife of Seoul before then, hmmm?¡± ¡°I hate ces like that.¡± ¡°Just why? There¡¯s even a superhuman-exclusive club, why won¡¯t you wanna go?¡± Superhuman-exclusive club. Just as the words imply, it¡¯s a club where only superhumans can enter. A VIP establishment for superhumans that could only be located inat a city like Seoul, a world center of superhumans ever since gates started appearing. Shin Eunah responded to her friend, who was eager to take her to the club, without hesitation. ¡°I promised grandpa to stay as a good girl.¡± ¡°That geezer again! Kng, forget about it. Let¡¯s just quickly wrap up Janus¡¯mission. Finding that¡­ Godyer sword or something.¡± Having realized once again that the conversation would note to a resolution with an issue surrounding ¡°grandpa,¡± ire Boyle shifted the topic while letting out a deep sigh. But unfortunately, the matter here was also rted to ¡°grandpa.¡± ¡°I definitely felt it around here, but the presence is gone today.¡± ¡°Did someone take it already?¡± The girls were in an alley that was quite secluded in the Superhuman Market. Having epted amission from Janus, a strong associate of theirs in the Hero Universe, they were looking for his Aegean sword that was said to have fallen on earth. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Because its presence is tightly sealed, if it can¡¯t be detected by grandpa¡¯s hairpin, you won¡¯t be able to find it.¡± ¡°Looking at its picture and how it¡¯spletely covered in ck down to the sword¡¯s edge, the sword seemed to contain some sort of meaning behind it...... Ah, let¡¯s try there. It looks like a store that contains lots of weapons with a meaning behind.¡± Shin Eunah, who was constantly fiddling with her hairpin, turned towards where her friend was pointing at. It was a small pawnshop located at the mouth of the alley. As it was a ce that took security deposits and loans from superhumans, there was an eerie feeling surrounding it. ¡°All right, let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°Okay. Mmm, I hope Janus gives us plenty of HP as promised after we find it. There¡¯s this cocktail ingredient that I¡¯ve really wanted to buy, and each root costs over 3 million! Can you believe it? 3 freakin million!¡± ¡°Yeah, Yeah.¡± ¡°But what does Janus do to have that much HP? What the hell is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bit entric but incredibly strong. I heard he¡¯s among the top 3 in Hero Universe.¡± ¡°Holy crap...... What the hell is up with Anvil then, making a weapon for such a superstar?¡± ¡°Our grandpa.¡± ¡°Yeah, Yeah.¡± Even though Shin Eunah was heading towards the pawnshop while talking to her friend, her thoughts were somewhere else. She wanted to quickly finish themission and talk to grandpa again as soon as possible. Grandpa would be so surprised if he knew what I¡¯m currently looking for...... She let out an innocentugh while thinking that. Countless people who peeped at her experienced difficulty in breathing, but she waspletely unaware of that fact. [Janus]: ¡°I¡¯m literally gonna go insane. Anvil geezer, do you really not remember me?¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°I do...... actually faintly remember having a conversation with you.¡± Meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk¨CShin; Eunah¡¯s ¡°grandpa¡±¨Cwas speaking to Janus with the Godyer sword gripped in a hand, which the girls were desperately looking for. Given the size of the message log with Janus, he seemed to have been the closest friend of Anvil just after ¡°Eunah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sent him a message in the evening as well, but Janus didn¡¯t reply untilte at night. [Janus]: ¡°I told you, stop using honorifics with meeee!¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°Ah, uhm...... Sorry. I¡¯ll take it easy.¡± [Janus]: ¡°Whoo. So you¡¯re telling me the Godyer sword is in your hands right now?¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°Yes sir¨CI mean yes. It¡¯s all thanks to this that I was able to reconnect to the Hero Universe. But it has significantly weakened. Currently it¡¯s at D rank by the Gaia system¡¯s standards. [Janus]: ¡°D rank is less than garbage...... Sigh, I don¡¯t even need to look at it to know the Dragon Heart is missing. Am I right?¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°So the Dragon Heart was originally embedded......¡± A D rank weapon is a standard weapon in modern monster hunting. A new product would easily surpass 20 million, and even a used product can be sold at 10 million as long as it has been managed carefully. And he¡¯s expressing that as garbage. No, I already recognized the fact when he mentioned a legendary treasure like the Dragon Heart as if it was no big deal, but he was undeniably an inexplicably strong person. [Janus]: ¡°Forget about it, I don¡¯t even know how to repair a dying sword, so you can have it. Instead, make me a new Godyer sword. There are still a couple left that I need to kill. It¡¯d be nice if it¡¯s fire-friendly. [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°I¡¯m really sorry but my metallurgy level has been reset as well, so......¡± [Janus]: ¡°For real¨Cthen just quickly restore it. You¡¯re still doing a job involving knocking on metals, aren¡¯t you?¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°Actually I¡¯m not yet.¡± [Janus]: ¡°Yet?¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°No, not yet.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed while making that response. It was as if everyone rted to the Hero Universe, including the Administrator itself, was expecting him to perform metallurgy. Even though there was no way that the same results would be produced by the current him picking up a hammer....... ¡°I¡¯d have to do it anyway, though.¡± To train his spirit power. To increase his assimtion rate and receive the whole of Hero Universe¡¯s VIP benefits. ...... No, those weren¡¯t the only reasons. They were of course included, but separate from the ¡°necessity¡± seen in those reasons, there was an image of that pursued metallurgy purely for the sake of it. ¡°I want to knock on metals. I could not shake off this impulse ever since I saw the back of that lonely man.¡± Ever since he received the memories from a past life, and perhaps even more so since sharpening the Godyer¡¯s sword, he could not help his urge but to uncontrobly want to grab a hammer. Perhaps the reason he prioritized martials training that day out of all days was an attempt to resist that incredible urge. [Kang Shin-hyuk] ¡°But I will do it now.¡± Having realized his spiritual power, observed his ego and confronted the Godyer sword, he was finally ready. Not that it was possible to dy in the first ce. He didn¡¯t want to dy, nor was there a reason to. [Janus]: Yes, of course you will. Anyways if you¡¯re going to make me another Godyer sword, I¡¯ll bring whatever ingredients are necessary. So I¡¯ll leave it all to you, geezer.¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk]: ¡°All right, thanks.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head after finishing the conversation with Janus. Now firmly determined on what to do, his eyes brightly radiating light like stars. ¡°I¡¯ll thoroughly search for ways to train cksmithing. [A bonus of 100HP from a deeply moved administrator!] ¡°Wait, why now?!¡± Trantor and Editor Notes: Chapter 8: The Equation of Growth-3

Chapter 8: The Equation of Growth-3

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno The next day at dawn, Kang Shin-hyuk was greeted with a rather special message when he woke up early. [For today¡¯s login bonus, you will receive a growth rate buff! For two days, the growth rate of your status and skills will increase by 30%!] ¡°There was something like this, too?¡± He knew of course that VIP had the benefit of receiving login bonuses. But until yesterday, he had only received an additional 500HP as a bonus, while the reward he received today was unbelievable inparison! He felt a mysterious power wrapping around his entire body. Yesterday, he had been told that the third day would be different, but to think it would be this special! To think his status and skills would grow faster¨Csuch an effect couldn¡¯t happen even from a super rare potion found inside a gate. [The login bonus for a VIP member is special in the Hero Universe. It can provide abilities and effects that are beyondprehension, you will receive whatever you need most depending on your situation. If you improve your assimtion rate, you will receive login bonuses of a wider variety.] ¡°You should have told me earlier!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood up, heading for the training facility. He was finally taking a break after intensely training both his Martial Arts and Spirit Power for two hours. ¡°Come to think of it, the added growth rate should apply to metallurgy as well. All right, I¡¯ll definitely grab a hammer today!¡± So he wouldn¡¯t waste the growth buff, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t just doze off for the day. After taking a shower and eating breakfast with Eiren Jelly as dessert, he left the dormitory, heading to the Wyvern Hall located beside Shinyoung¡¯s gymnasium of knight majors. ¡°It¡¯s my first time here, and it¡¯s..... Super big. An ordinary school could easily fit in here.¡± The Wyvern Hall was a facility that provided appropriate amenities for the students¡¯ individual activities and self-development programs. To put it simply, it was a building that contained various student clubs including the student government and volunteer groups. Since a student club at a prestigious school like Shinyoung possessed a lot of power, a student could climb a few levels higher in authority simply by being epted to a renowned student club. Among the renowned clubs, three¨Cthe Student Government, the Wyvern Knights and the Shinyoung Magic Academy¨Cpossessed an overwhelming degree of authority. Simply put, if you were a member of these clubs, you had nothing to worry about for your future. ¡°I have no interest in any of them, though.¡± The student government was responsible for several important events like the student festival, annual school trip, and exchange meeting with a sibling school. Because the positions were usually monopolized by the students who came from renowned families, ordinary students couldn¡¯t dream of joining the organization. A bloody warzone where rich students with authority, wealth, as well as physical power try to bite each other off to obtain their seats in the organization. Baek In-ha criticized them for smelling like a pile of blood-soaked rags, but Kang Shin-hyuk could estimate his wealth just by that one audacious statement. ¡°The Wyvern Knights club is a group of the knight majors¡¯ top elites and the Shinyoung Magic Academy is the equivalent for the magic majors. If I were to join either of them, it would certainly be the Wyvern Knights club......¡± Not only would someone without mana like Kang Shin-hyuk be rejected by a bunch of students who were drunk with privilege, but now Kang Shin-hyuk himself opposed the idea of being a part of them. Though he had paid a little respect for them when he had first arrived. That wasn¡¯t the case anymore, because he clearly understood what he had to do to grow stronger. ¡°Metallurgy. Isn¡¯t there a student club where I can practice metallurgy?¡± He smacked his lips and skimmed through the various pamphlets ced at the entrance of the Wyvern Hall. He hadn¡¯t thought much when he had decided to train his metallurgy, but calmly thinking about metallurgy he realized it wasn¡¯t something he could just train in a dormitory. ¡°Not that I can just go and hire a cksmith in downtown either.¡± It was a mystery if there was a workshop nearby that had the right materials and conditions he could use. It was also an issue if he was going to constantly be going in and out of the school; though, most importantly, hecked money. Although he had plenty of HP, not only was it unable to be converted into gold, but it couldn¡¯t even be used freely due to member restrictions. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to the conclusion of joining a student club......¡± Shinyoung Academy, an organization that was willing to use any amount of money to nurture each student as an elite. As part of thatmitment, they poured countless resources into establishing and maintaining various types of student clubs, but...... ¡°Tseup.¡± The problem was that no matter how much he looked, he couldn¡¯t find any club that was rted to metallurgy. But that was to be expected. Even if someone had awakened a trait rted to metallurgy, that person would have attended an academy other than Shinyoung. A significant number of clubs were merely ces intended for socializing with fancy names. The majority of knight majors¡¯ clubs were under the physical activity category (a pretext for sparring sessions), and the majority of magic majors were under the category of culture (a pretext for magical research). asionally there were a couple of clubs run by people who wished to pursue their respective subjects for their own sake to temporarily escape the harsh academic environment at Shinyoung, but unsurprisingly none of them dealt with metallurgy. ¡°Then the only remaining solution is......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought of onest solution: to establish a new student club. As proven by the hundred-or-so existing student clubs, one did not requireplicated qualifications to make a new club. But still, there were three essential conditions that had to be fulfilled: prospective members, high grades, andstly a supervising teacher. Three conditions which Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t fulfill at the present moment ¡°My grades for the entrance exam were already at the bottom due to the written exam...... The midterm was no different. Do I have no choice but to ask for Baek In-ha¡¯s help?¡± Everything could be resolved if Baek In-ha were toe for help. Who in their right mind would object to a student club being founded by a student possessing an S rank trait of all people? Countless students would flock toward the club in hopes of joining. He had excellent scores in his written exams, and he could probably amass about a dozen interested teachers. However, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t feel like it, there was a limit to what one could ask from a friend. ¡°But if there is no other way, I have no choice but to ask for his help. Tseup, I keep owing him more and more.¡± ¡°Move out of the way.¡± ¡°Heu-uh!¡± Surprised by a sudden female voice from behind, Kang Shin-hyuk frantically turned around. Out of instinct Kang Shin-hyuk reached for his waist, but he was unarmed at the moment. Fortunately, the person didn¡¯t show any hostile intention towards him. She was only gesturing for him to move out of her way with a slightly irritated look on her face. Looking at it now, he had been blocking the path to the Wyvern Hall¡¯s front entrance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sunbae-nim.¡±(1) ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± She was absentmindedly nodding her head as if she didn¡¯t care in the first ce. Kang Shin-hyuk was able to recognize her as his senior due to her tie. ¡®The magic majors¡¯ uniform along with a blue tie¨Cshe¡¯s a sophomore.¡¯ Shinyoung academy operates 8 Knight and 2 Magic sses, totaling to 10 sses for each year. Since an average ss consists of about thirty students, each year consisted of about 300 students, adding up to a total of 900 students. As an academy that assembled only the elites-among-the-elites while disregarding their country of origin. The total student body of Shinyoung was smallpared to that of a typical high school (2). But having attended Shinyoung for only two months, Kang Shin-hyuk still had difficulty recognizing all the faces. But there was still a way to figure out their major and year¨Cthrough their uniform design and tie. The Knight majors¡¯ uniform exhibited more of active-type design and the Magic majors¡¯ uniform was more of a schrly one. A 1st year¡¯s tie was red, a 2nd year¡¯s tie was blue, and a 3rd year¡¯s tie was ck. ¡®But...... Is she an international student? She¡¯s really pretty; even if our majors are different, it¡¯s odd that word about her hasn¡¯t spread among the 1st-year students.¡¯ More than her uniform, what caught Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s attention was her nicely tanned, brown skin. As he thought she might have spent some time at a beach in the South, the riddle was solved by her exotic features, starting from a sharp nose too deep eyes. Attractively tall with long, straight legs and sizable breasts, she had a distinctively Western body. To add to that, the silver hair that slopped around the rim of her neck and her dimly burning eyes, attracted him. Though her unrealistically sleek hair and the color of her iris should be the effect of her awakening...... Overall, she gave Kang Shin-hyuk a very deep impression. ¡°I¡¯m not a foreign student. My dad¡¯s Korean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk bowed his head again to his senior who responded before he could ask the question as if she could read his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I get asked pretty often. Excuse me, then.¡± She passed Kang Shin-hyuk entering the Wyvern Hall. But just as Kang Shin-hyuk tried to calm himself to survey the student club pamphlets again, the senior student, before walking up the staircase, told him in a soft voice: ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to pay a debt as soon as possible...... Though, it¡¯s best not to owe one in the first ce.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± He was confused at first, then realized; she had overheard him talking to himself. As if that was all she wanted to say, she quickly climbed up the stairs and disappeared out of sight. Thinking that she might be a nicer person than she looked, Kang Shin-hyuk turned back from where he was standing. When he did, a certain object entered his field of vision as if it was destiny. ¡°Hm?¡± A single page of paper was on the floor. There was a rather bleak headline of ¡°List of student organizations to be disbanded next semester¡± written at the top. Under it, there were several rows mentioning the different club names; one of them caught Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s attention. ¡°Artifact Production Club.¡± ¡°Could this be......?¡± His heart skipped a beat. There was definitely a possibility. The problem was the club was scheduled to be disbanded in the next semester...... But he decided there was no need to worry about that for now. ¡°All right.¡± Let¡¯s visit them after school. Kang Shin-hyuk left the Wyvern Wall with a bright look in his eyes. @@@ Eager tomence his metallurgy training as soon as possible, Kang Shin-hyuk felt that time passed by unnoticeably during the lectures. Strangely, as if they were wary of him since the previous day¡¯s sparring session, nobody had picked on him during the whole day. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s presence was gradually building up tension for those around him, which Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t give much thought about. ¡°A student club? At this time?¡± ¡°Yup, so I¡¯ll get going first.¡± After thest ss ended, Baek In-ha quickly approached Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s seat to chatter about his experience at the Superhuman Market the day before, but Kang Shin-hyuk took the initiative as he was about to speak. Baek In-ha¡¯s eyes narrowed in response to form a look of suspicion. ¡°......Is our Shinyok-yi hiding something from me?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Yesterday you absolutely dominated in the sparring match and now...... You¡¯re hiding something? Hm?¡± ¡°Yup. I¡¯ll tell you allter.¡± ¡°I sense a girl involved...... Shinyok, there¡¯s a girl you like at the club, right?!¡± It was a hopelessly wrong answer. Kang Shin-hyuk flung a fierce finger flick toward Baek In-ha¡¯s forehead which was gradually approaching closer to question him and subsequently headed to the Wyvern Hall. He located the Artifact Production club¡¯s clubroom in a corner of a 3rd-floor hallway after searching for a long time. To be designated a clubroom at such a remote corner, the club had to be very unpopr from the beginning. ¡°Excuse me...... Ohhh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was totally captured by the unexpected sight as he opened the door. Unlike its appearance, the clubroom was massive! As expected of an academy that unhesitantly pours an incredible sum of money to fund the physical spaces students need. But Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t pay much attention to the desks standing in a row, the drawings of magic circles ced on the desks, or the props that seemed to be used for a certain craft. ¡°It¡¯s there! It¡¯s really there!¡± A soundproof wall was segregating the clubroom into two. Beyond that translucent wall, Kang Shin-hyuk could see a room that was equipped to train metallurgy! To think that they¡¯d have a cksmith workshop in a clubroom¨Cthis is the quality of the best Superhuman Academy in the nation! ¡°Hm? Who is it?¡± He rejoiced and stepped into the clubroom after confirming the workshop¡¯s existence. Soon after he stepped inside, someone called out to him. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk flinched and stopped moving, he spotted a person sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. At first, Kang Shin-hyuk mistook him for a statue, but that was not the case. Those wide-open eyes that gazed at him definitely belonged to a human. ¡®......An old man?¡¯ There was an old man, who was well over 70 in age with white hair in front of him. Struggling to look unflustered, Kang Shin-hyuk asked him. ¡±......Are you a teacher? The supervising teacher of the Artifact Production Club?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Kang Shin-hyuk, a 1st-year student of Knight major from ss C. I came here today in hopes of enlisting in the Artifact Production Club.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no work avable for you.¡± The old man¨Cor rather, the teacher¨Cpped his hand back and forth while giving a firm response to Kang Shin-hyuk, who was pulling off a perfect performance of a cheerful freshman. ¡°The Artifact Production Club is over as of today. I sent thest remaining student earlier. So look for somewhere else.¡± ¡°But I need to hammer metals.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s re was tantly pointed towards the workshop. The teacher raised his eyebrow as if to signify his interest in the student¡¯s rather unusual reaction, but his answer hadn¡¯t changed: ¡°A student club scheduled to be disbanded can¡¯t ept new members. Not that it can be sustained with only one member either. So just leave.¡± ¡°But, sir......¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The teacher stood up in annoyance as Kang Shin-hyuk was about to say something as if to indicate that if he doesn¡¯t leave, then he will leave himself. ¡°This conversation is over. If you¡¯re still here when I return, expect to receive a penalty.¡± ¡°Ah......!¡± As the teacher looked around the clubroom while passing Kang Shin-hyuk, he gave a soft re to the workshop. But then he shrugged his shoulders and left the room. Only Kang Shin-hyuk remained in the spacious clubroom. Not knowing what to do, Kang Shin-hyuk shifted his gaze towards the workshop that was left alone in the room like him. ¡°I put a lot of effort into finding this ce......¡± [Dear member, you have to hammer a heated metal at just the right time.] He knew he shouldn¡¯t do what he thought of doing. But his violent impulse, his firm desire, and his fierce origin were pushing his hesitation back. ¡°If it¡¯s just taking a look, won¡¯t it be okay......?¡± [A whole-hearted 10HP bonus from the Administrator!] He didn¡¯t think for long. Kang Shin-hyuk acted as instinct told him to. Everyone was waiting for him. Trantor and Editor Notes: (1) Sunbae-nim¡± is the equivalent of ¡°senpai¡±, ¡°senior¡± or an upperssman. ~Meg (2) The average Korean Highschool holds around 2000 students on average. So 900 is a small number unlesspared to the American schools which usually hold 1000 or less. ~Sotheno Chapter 9: The Equation of Growth - 4

Chapter 9: The Equation of Growth - 4

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be in trouble if I leave before he returns......¡± Though hesitant at first, Kang Shin-hyuk acted decisively, ¡®thinking¡¯ he was merely looking around. More than anything, though, his fiercely beating heart wasn¡¯t letting him walk away from the facility. Kang Shin-hyuk resolutely turned the doorknob and went past the soundproof wall. The facility that was wlessly equipped with cksmithing equipment. A huge brazier, a pair of bellows to nourish the fire, a massive anvil, and a hammer so big that he may have trouble properly holding it...... Weren¡¯t there. ¡°What the hell.¡± There was a small brazier with a fancy magical diagram engraved. State-of-the-art equipment to freely control the fire to any extent with a single press of a button. If you wanted to create a special fire with unique properties, all you had to do was put in the right materials! ¡°But the bellows......¡± Were nowhere to be found. The anvil wasn¡¯t that big, either. Since it was crafted out of memory alloy, it had a feature of controlling the shape of the constructed product depending on its usage. If you preset the wanted shape of the intended weapon or armor, it would automatically guide the hammer¡®s movement to turn the desired shape into a physical form. A circr tube nearby also had a magical diagram engraved at the bottom, which had the feature of cooling an inserted metal to an optimal temperature by spraying water on it. Even a stack of ingots had already been cast. ¡°This is a lot different from what I imagined......¡± A faint memory of an old cksmith inside Kang Shin-hyuk roared out of rage. This isn¡¯t what I wanted! I wanted a more traditional cksmith workshop than this high-tech crap! A practice where you squeeze the handles of the bellows with all your might and solely confront the metal as its shape slowlyes to life......! ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t pull off something like that without practicing in the first ce.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk slowly calmed himself. Even though the spirit was there, he wasn¡¯t the Anvil, he was the clueless amateur named Kang Shin-hyuk, who¡¯s never grabbed a hammer in his life. Trying to carry out his vaguely stored memory would just be fruitlessbor; he should be thankful for having a cutting-edge facility before him where he can nourish his dormant skills. ¡°Excuse me, then.¡± Breathing slowly to calm himself once again, he slowly approached the hammer ced on top of the anvil and gripped it in his hand. It was surely different from the hammer that was owned by Anvil. The modern design that was optimized forfort ironically made Kang Shin-hyuk ufortable. Still, the very fact that he was holding a hammer naturally left a smile on his face. [Synchronization rate is slightly increasing. Your assimtion rate is now at 0.6%.] Kang Shin-hyuk did not doubt that he was the reincarnation of Anvil. He naturally epted it. But until this moment, Kang Shin-hyuk had never fully consciously experienced that fact as reality, something more than an abstract thought stored in his head. ¡°I am Anvil...... I¡®m a cksmith, I might have felt this way even if I weren¡¯t aware of the reincarnation.¡° A deeply embedded instinct guided him forward. He could feel his soul satisfied by the simple act of heating up and pounding the metal. ¡°I¡¯m almost regretting not looking for a hammer earlier.¡± Now there was no need to enter a deep meditative state to confront his origin by squeezing out his spiritual power. The ego that was faintly emitting light at the end of a dark cave was now zingly lighting up to assert his existence. [Synchronization rate is slightly increasing. Your assimtion rate is now at 0.65%.] ¡°Ha, haha...... ¡° Kang Shin-hyuk had an eerie feeling as he felt an unknown emotion filling up inside of him. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It¡¯s a part of the process of understanding himself as part of his spiritual power training. Rather than an addition of something that was previously absent, it was a revtion that had been kept hidden. [Dear member, Is grabbing the hammer all you¡¯re nning to do?] A message suddenly popped up in front of his retina. Looking at it now, he has been sinking in his sentiment without even putting the hammer to use! ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t even get permission from the teacher...... After all, he told me to leave before he returns.¡° [The Administrator would like to rmend performing as many practices as possible while your growth buff is still in effect.] ¡°That¡¯s true......¡± He told the Administrator that it was already inappropriate to be holding equipment, much less walking into the workshop without permission. The Administrator gave a firm response to such an obvious statement. [While I can¡¯t estimate how much points you¡®ll be deducted, the results you gain from metallurgical training are much more important. Besides, if the teacher has a pair of functioning eyes, he won¡¯t be able to penalize you after seeing what you¡®re capable of. He might even be inspired by your performance to prevent the Artifact Production Club from being disbanded.¡° ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be......¡± [Your talent is capable of making that possible.] If Kang Shin-hyuk was in the right senses, he would¡¯ve denied the Administrator¡¯s ims all he wanted. How would someone like him, who has never once grabbed a hammer in his life, go through all those troubles as if he could make anything? Rather than taking those risks, it would¡¯ve been much wiser to go back to his dorm and train on his own. But since Kang Shin-hyuk was in an uncontroble state after havingid his eyes on the anvil and the hammer, Kang Shin-hyuk was shaken by the Administrators¡¯ obviously perforated logic, like a field of reeds being rushed by the wind. ¡°Th, then...... Maybe just a little? Just hammering a bit and nothing else......¡± [A 100HP bonus!] The Administrator eagerly pushed Kang Shin-hyuk. Powered up by the Administrator¡¯s encouragement, he grabbed the metal tong located on the other side of the workshop with a slightly more dexterous movement than when he grabbed the hammer. With it, he grabbed an ingot that was piled within from the side. With hiscking intuition, he couldn¡¯t firmly grasp the identity of the object at first sight. But as he grabbed the ingot, a stream of spiritual power escaped Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s body as naturally as a breadth of air and enveloped the object in whole; the object subtly vibrated in response and subsequently imbued Kang Shin-hyuk with the knowledge rting to itself. ¡°Hm...... This feeling. I see it¡¯s steel. Of course, even if Shinyoung was flooding in money, they wouldn¡¯t just hand out magical metals to students.¡± Although a little bit of him wished for that to be true, having ess to magical metals as someone with an F+ cksmithing rank was a little too much to expect. Shaking his head to ward off those unnecessary thoughts, Kang Shin-hyuk began to study the ingot. He wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed that he could make a long sword with that one ingot alone. Not an ounce more nor less was needed. ¡°......Wait a minute. First I infused my spiritual power into the ingot, and now I know this? How did I know to do all that?¡° Kang Shin-hyuk had spent the morning surfing the popr video-sharing website MeTube studying dozens of how-to videos on cksmithing or a production-rted skill of the sort, but that wasn¡¯t enough to provide him with thepetence he currently seemed to exhibit. At least, it shouldn¡¯t have been enough...... [Synchronization rate is slightly increasing. Your assimtion rate is now at 0.7%.] ¡°Ha.¡± Instinct had taken control of his body at this point. The awkwardness he felt when he first stepped into the forge, was now nowhere to be seen. They may be differently shaped from his imagination, but all the necessary equipment was there: a pair of bellows, a hammer, a whetstone, everything. The ingredients were all there as well. There was no more need to hesitate. Kang Shin-hyuk was receiving the guidance of Anvil. The dim connection between him and his past life was gradually transmitting more and more of the knowledge and experience that had hitherto been hidden behind a mist. He felt, once again, that this is what synchronization feels like. ¡°...... All right. Let¡®s do this.¡° Kang Shin-hyuk thought of seeking someone¡¯s advice or having a MeTube video ying by his side as his aide at first, but standing directly before the brazier, he didn¡¯t want to divide his attention to anywhere else. If he spent all his time assessing every option, he wouldn¡¯t have trespassed into the workshop in the first ce. Even if he was ridiculed for acting recklessly like an ignorant child, it didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡°Whoo.¡± He tightly gripped the ingot with the tong and ced it inside the brazier. A burning me burst into existence, instantly heating the steel ingot to a bright red color. Surprisingly, the brazier contained a special function that prevented heat from escaping from its interior, so even though Kang Shin-hyuk was standing in front of it, he didn¡¯t feel the heat! ¡°I keep getting disappointed by the strange parts.¡± But the heating from the tong that was extracted from the brazier was greatly satisfying. He heated the metal to soften it just enough and ced it on top of the anvil. Then, he hammered it. Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s E rank strength far surpassed that of an ordinary human being. He had to be careful not to exert a force that the metal couldn¡¯t endure. Though he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that if he just let instinct guide his movements. nk! A satisfying sound came from where the hammer and the metal made contact. A brightly heated metal gradually smoothed out and started to increase in length. A look of delight formed on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face. Bits of embers spattered to his clothes. He only then realized that forging metals in a student uniform is an incredibly stupid idea, but it was toote to realize that now. ¡°This is a reserve uniform anyway.¡± Returning to his dorm and changing clothes was definitely an option, but Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to postpone his practice out of the fear that the teacher maye back at any time. Instead, he merely took off the jacket, threw it on the floor, and continued hammering on the ingot. Activating Anvil¡¯s option would provide him with helpful guidance, but he didn¡¯t. All he wanted at this moment was to hammer on the ingot with an empty mind. nk! nk! nk! The facility was different, but the sound of a hammer pounding on metal was the same. Actually, it seemed weird to nostalgically reminisce about a faint memory from a past life. nk! nk! nk! The hammering sound filled the entire space. With every smack, his awkward stance was getting slightly corrected, and the rather unstable rhythm was steadily gaining its stability. His stance wasn¡¯t the only thing that was changing. With every extraction from the brazier, the metal was also morphing into a different shape, and before he knew it, it was approaching the shape of a longsword. nk! nk! nk! The periodic sound of the hammers fall spread across the room. The sound of zing fire. The sweating from the intense heat; everything around him stimted his spirit. ¡°......Good, very good.¡° It felt as if only he and the metal that slowly became a sword existed in the whole world. In fact, he hadn¡¯t even noticed he was releasing his spirit power. But that was not a problem. Without draining its supply, the released spiritual power was traveling back and forth between the metal and Kang Shin-hyuk, strengthening their connection further and further. Unlike when he performed the sword dance and meditation, his cksmithing technique made use of his spiritual power in a more fine-tuned, gentle way. nk! nk! nk! During this endless process of hammering, the memories of a cksmith slowly flowed into Kang Shin-hyuk. The memories of hammering, tempering, and grinding a countless variety of metals, to craft the best possible artifact those metals were capable of. Kang Shin-hyuk hammered the metal ording to his new memories. Striking his final strike and entering into the tempering stage, the cksmith¡®s memories continued. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk was tempering the metal, Anvil was tempering the metal with him. At some point, he had lost his sense of who he really was; or rather...... It no longer mattered to him whether he was Kang Shin-hyuk or Anvil. ¡°Whooo......¡± An adequately tempered metal bes sturdy but fragile due to heightened internal stress. Through the process of repeatedly heating and cooling the metal at precise temperatures, a skillful cksmith can attain the right bnce between hardness and resilience to create a solid but tenacious sword. But even though ¡°heating and cooling at precise temperatures¡± is impossible for an amateur, Kang Shin-hyuk fiercely yet effortlessly carried out this process. As the sword was adequately tempered, the process entered the grinding stage. Swish, swish, swish. A typical person might have trouble without the help of machinery, but Kang Shin-hyuk was a superhuman. He intently concentrated on his task, nearly forgetting to breathe. It was at this point that he noticed his spiritual power flowing into the sword. [It might be a good idea to consume a jelly at this point.] ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The Administrator broke its silence, giving timely advice, which Kang Shin-hyuk epted while nodding his head. There would be a possibility of draining his supply of spiritual power if he went overboard, but driven by his will to craft the best possible artifact, he decided to feed as much spiritual power as the sword wanted. ¡°Whew...... Now I can have a breather. I hadn¡¯t even noticed I was hungry.¡° Not only was he totally absorbed in his task, but he also couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed since the workshop didn¡¯t contain any windows. He threw a jelly in his mouth and looked around the room to find a clock...... ¡°......¡± ¡°You......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s eyes met the teachers which were gazing at the exhausted student from the door. No, actually, the teacher¡®s gaze was subtly pointed lower. He was looking at the sword that Kang Shin-hyuk had crafted. ¡°That...... You just made that? Here? From scratch?¡° ¡°Sir, please, let me exin.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swung his arms around in panic. But the teacher cut him off, got closer and asked him again while looking down at the sword. ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you crafted this here.¡± ¡°Pardon me? Uhm, yes...... I did. I will reimburse you for the materials I usedter......¡± ¡°They were going to be scrapped anyway. But this thing......¡± He was going to penalize him! While ming the Administrator for pushing him and pushing his brain to work through every possible escape n, the teacher gave an unexpected response: ¡°Finish it.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°I said to finish it. You¡¯re not quite done yet.¡° ¡°Ah, yes, of course!¡± [See? I told you. It turned out just as the Administrator said. A 20HP bonus of joy!] ¡®Good job!¡® Kang Shin-hyuk could sense hope. As the teacher instructed, he began the grinding phase. He was going to prove himself before the teacher¡®s mind could change! Swish, swish, swish. ¡°His use of machinery is clumsy. But those hand movements......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk peeped at the teacher who was murmuring something to himself as he studied his movements but then forgot about his existence as he concentrated on polishing the object to its final form. ¡°Whew. All right, then.¡° As he finished the task using a grinding machine, Kang Shin-hyuk refined the sword¡®s edge to perfection by polishing it with a whetstone. The teacher somewhat tilted his head while watching Kang Shin-hyuk use a grinding machine, but watching Kang Shin-hyuk apply the whetstone on the sword¡®s edge, he sewed his mouth shut and intently watched him perform the rest of his work. A look of a hard-to-identify expression formed on the teacher¡®s face. How long has he been spewing his spiritual power into the sword? Just as he consumed about half of the spirit power, he recovered through eating the jelly, the task came to a conclusion. ¡®I¡®m at my limit. At my current state, I¡®ve done the best that I could possibly do.¡® The sword wasplete. It had an iparably sharp edge, and its sides had no curve or distortion that was out of ce. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a bright smile. Kang Shin-hyuk thought that he did a decent job for an amateur, but a real amateur would have strained his neck to death upon hearing him. Objectively speaking, the sword he made could even be ssified as a masterpiece! [Synchronization rate is increasing. Your assimtion rate is now at 1.1%.] [You have sessfully crafted a sword faintly infused with energy, the ¡®Bizarre¡¯ Long Steel Sword (E+). Your cksmithing proficiency level will greatly rise!] [Your cksmithing proficiency level has instantly risen to E Rank! Due to the increase in your skill¡®s rank, your physical strength¡¯s rank will increase to D Rank.] As he dered thepletion of the sword by attaching the prepared handle and polishing the sword¡®s edge onest time, Kang Shin-hyuk was flooded with messages from the Gaia system. Perhaps due to the buff attained as a login bonus, he was awarded incredible rewards. Kang Shin-hyuk silently watched the messages. Each one of them was surprising enough to leave him shocked, but the most notable message was the one referring to his growth in physical strength. ¡®It takes about 2 years to raise your physical strength from E- Rank to E Rank by physical training alone......¡® But its rank had risen up by two notches with the level up of a different trait, and now with his cksmithing proficiency level improved, it had improved by another level to D Rank. Not knowing that cksmithing proficiency came with the bonus of stat growth, he felt like he received a surprise gift from someone. But at the same time, he felt empty thinking back to all the effort he put in before awakening his trait. Even the A-Rank skill [Eighteen Techniques] didn¡¯te with a status growth attached as a bonus! ¡®......No, I decided not to think too deeply. Let¡®s just be thankful for having the ability to be stronger faster. Instead of using my time to look back, I should be stepping forward.¡® As he thought, Kang Shin-hyuk chuckled while looking at the delicately sharpened sword. Stepping forward instead of looking back? There¡¯s a limit to how much of a sentimental statement one could make¨Che was cringing at his own thoughts. ¡°All right. It looks to be finished.¡° ¡±......Oh.¡° As Kang Shin-hyuk turned his head towards the person whose existence he hadpletely forgotten, he was met with a gaze of intense interest that couldn¡¯t bepared to the dull look he witnessed when they first met. ¡°Shall we continue our conversation, then?¡± Trantor and Editor Notes: Chapter 10: You Got the Wrong Person - 1

Chapter 10: You Got the Wrong Person - 1

Trantor: Meg Contrary to appearances, the supervising teacher of the Artifact Production Club, Lee Manwoo had a deep interest in Kang Shin-hyuk before leaving the room. ¡®Everyone interested in the club so far was interested in the rice given to them more than the prayer.¡® (1) But Kang Shin-hyuk was different. He was jubted upon entering the clubroom. Struck by the unprecedented sight, Lee Manwoo had left the room to test the sincerity of his will. ¡®But to think that it¡¯d turn out like this.¡® At most, he was expecting decent handling of the equipment and basic knowledge of metallurgy. If he seemed promising, he was going to connect Kang Shin-hyuk to an acquaintance and if he didn¡¯t, he was going to let him go with a light penalty. But instead, he had crafted a brand-new sword from scratch. It was a hard task even for an experienced cksmith. What¡¯s more, thepleted sword was emitting a presence of an infused skill. ¡®He¡¯s a wielder of metallurgy.¡® Of course, one could still make swords without possessing metallurgical skills. cksmiths before the advent of the Gaia system were still capable of producing quality weapons and armor. But one could not fight monsters with those weapons and armors. Only the artifacts crafted by those possessing metallurgical or a rted sort of production-based skill were able tond a critical hit on monsters or block an attack from them. If you didn¡¯t have ess to those weapons, the only option you had would be to fight with the artifacts earned from a monster drop or by clearing a gate. That was a naturalw! Looking at it from that perspective, the weapon Kang Shin-hyuk crafted was, without a doubt, a ¡®monster hunting¡¯ type of a weapon. It was not a weapon of the highest caliber, for sure, but Lee Manwoo still had trouble dismantling the true nature of the skill that was infused in the sword. ¡®Maybe this guy is...... No, it¡¯s naive to form a conclusion too soon. A premature expectation always ends up in disappointment, but still......¡± Lee Manwoo narrowed his eyes. Countless thoughts cleared from the old man¡®s head, and a single term of ¡°reserve judgment¡± remained. ¡®In any case, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to observe him for a while.¡® Kang Shin-hyuk, having no idea what the old man was thinking, was nkly waiting for him to say something. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t even notice what¡¯s happening around you while you¡®re working.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡± ¡°No no, an ability to concentrate to that extent is a God-given talent. It¡¯s not something to apologize for...... Though it is wrong to use a workshop without permission.¡° ¡°I give you my sincere apologies again. I couldn¡¯t resist the urge....... But sir, I genuinely wish to enroll in the Artifact Production Club.¡° Lee Manwoo¡®s expression turned stiff. Kang Shin-hyuk bowed his head to earnestly request without sumbing to his authority and just going along with whatever decision he made. Perhaps he would¡¯ve backed off if he hadn¡¯t touched the hammer, but having made a weapon using it, he was going to hold his stance no matter what. ¡°Huh...... ¡° The old man kept looking at him with an expressionless face. He finally broke the silence while emitting a deep sigh.¡° ¡°Like I told you before. This club is scheduled to be disbanded.¡° ¡°Yes, I know. But there should still be things we can do to prevent........ ¡° ¡°I recognize your smithing skills. But producing an artifact is a different matter.¡° ¡°I may be clumsy since this was my first attempt, but I¡®m still growing.¡± Lee Manwoo¡¯s stiff expression rxed at the unexpected response and asked back. ¡°This was your first attempt?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. A total novice can¡¯t craft a sword of this quality. Even if you¡®ve never grabbed a hammer before, you still should have been educated as an apprentice for at least 3 years, no?¡° ¡°I have not experienced an apprenticeship....... Yet¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, to tell the truth, was taken aback by the man¡®s astonishing im. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that Kang Shin-hyuk was an apprentice after gaining Anvil¡®s memories instead of training on his own. But he had no choice to deny the man¡®s statement, as he couldn¡¯t outright talk about reincarnation or the Hero Universe. ¡°Are you telling me that you awakened your ability yesterday or something?¡± ¡°Not an awakening, but I did acquire a cksmithing skill.¡± ¡°Hey, hey...... I know that you have a metallurgy skill by sensing the presence infused in the sword. I¡¯m talking about the experience, not the skill. Whoo....... Can I see the sword again?¡° ¡°You know about swords too?¡± Lee Manwoo, who took the sword without answering Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s trivial questions,bed through every part of the sword, from the handle to edge. With the old mans sharp eyes wide open, Kang Shin-hyuk feared that every part of him was being read. ¡°Ha...... This is more than I expected. I can¡¯t tell whether this is a masterpiece made by a beginner or a toothpick made by God.¡° How long had he been looking at the sword? Lee Manwoo giggled as he held it out to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Yes, it¡®s a mixture of delicacy, violence, impatience, affection, and anger, so it¡®s like a master wearing a spacesuit while forging a sword.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shuddered. It was a perfect insight into Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s current situation. There¡¯s no way he¡®d know about Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s reincarnation, but to think that he would say such a thing just by looking at the sword...... What kind of an individual was he? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Suddenly, Lee Man-woo said with a big smile while Kang Shin-hyuk was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you for a little bit. I¡¯m admitting you to the club, in other words.¡° Kang Shin-hyuk would never have known that he had decided to make this offer to him from the moment he saw Kang Shin-hyuk forging the sword. However, it was a fact that he had more expectations for Kang Shin-hyuk right after looking at the sword. ¡°Thank you very much, sir!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lee Manwoo, a teacher for supplemental majors.¡± ¡°Supplemental majors......?¡± Only Knight majors and Magic majors should have existed at Shinyoung. What did he mean by the supplemental majors?? To Kang Shin-hyuk, who was tilting his head, Lee Manwoo just said that such a thing existed. He felt bitter that Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know his name or the existence of a supplementary department, but it was only for a short while. ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to be so happy. If you don¡¯t make any progress, the club will be closing down this semester without a doubt.¡° ¡°Progress.......¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you know about itter. You should go for today. Right...... I will tell you the clubroom¡¯s password, so you cane and practice whenever you want to. Use the ingots as much as you want.¡° ¡°Sir!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was thrilled and tried to ask for a handshake from Lee Manwoo, but he cold-heartedly refused Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s hand. Kan Shin-hyuk thought Lee Manwoo might be a tsundere that he had only heard in legends, but he just needed time to think alone because of theplicated situation. ¡°Just get going.¡± ¡°Yes, excuse me!¡± Now that he¡®s achieved what he wanted, it was time to go! But as he turned to close the door, he saw Lee Manwoo picking up one of the ingots piled up on the side by the still-open door of the workshop. ¡®Hm.......¡® Why did he sense misery at the sight of Lee Manwoo staring at it? He felt an urge to talk to the old man, but Kang Shin-hyuk suppressed it to gently shut the club room¡¯s door. ¡®Well...... I lied a lot today without meaning to.¡¯ Lee Manwoo, who was left alone, stood in the workshop for a while, constantly thinking about something. About the boy who created an ¡®Artifact¡¯ wielding an option on his first attempt. About the whims of fate that gave him a new rtionship on the very day, he decided to abandon everything and leave. @@@ Coming out of the Wyvern Hall, Kang headed for the dormitory with a smile in the night breeze that pleasantly cooled his hot, red cheeks he got while working, but sadly, dinner time was already over. ¡°You should havee by eight.¡± ¡°Is there really no way, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Even if you drop on the floor and beg while clinging onto me, what¡¯s gone is gone, young man.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pleaded with the restaurantdy, but the bus was already gone. He was yearning for food after working for several hours and couldn¡¯t just eat another Eiren Jelly. The only answer was to buy dinner outside of school. He put his long sword in his room, took a shower, and came out with only his wallet in his tracksuit. The dormitory and the main gate of the school were connected by a long hill road. He was definitely happy with the night breeze before, but now he just felt hot and humid. He was d he was walking on downhill. ¡®Crap, I¡¯m gonna have to pay with my dignity maintenance expense.¡° He wanted to reserve his dignity maintenance expenses as much as he could and didn¡¯t expect to use it on this asion. Kang Shin-hyuk was so upset that he was about to cry. [It¡¯s a small pricepared to being able to practice cksmithing] ¡°That¡¯s true, but from now on, I¡¯ll have dinner before going to the clubroom. I¡¯ll need to know the closing time of the Wyvern Hall in advance.¡° After talking with the Administrator, he left school and was about to enter a nearby convenience store, when he bumped into a woman who wasing out of the store. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He might have been so hungry that he couldn¡¯t see hering. Kang Shin-hyuk stepped back gently, quickly apologizing, and the woman who bumped into him stared at him withouting out of the door. ¡±...... Hello?¡° ¡±...... Sigh.¡° No, don¡¯t make weird exmations and just move out of the way. Kang Shin-hyuk faced the woman with such thoughts. At the same time, he was shocked. The Alchemist! It was ire Boyle, the Alchemist who was in Baek In-ha¡¯s photograph! Why was she here? Is the Thunder Empress nearby? Is the red hair and eyes natural? At that moment, countless thoughts passed through his mind, but the first thought that appeared was. ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful.¡¯ He clenched his teeth to gather his spirit that seemed to be sucked into ire Boyle¡¯s beauty. But still, he couldn¡¯t help but unconsciously direct his attention to her unbelievable beauty that was leaving a tingling sensation in his spine. ¡°Ha, so a person can be this beautiful......¡± Her white skin, white as porcin, and her beauty, which was giving a drowsy impression under bright light, gave off a decadent charm. If Baek In-ha finds out that he ran into the Alchemist at such a close distance, he would be furiously jealous, Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly thought andughed. ¡®I thought the sunbae I met at the Wyvern Hall had a mature beauty but, I¡®d have to revise that assessment. The true charm of an adult was here.......!¡± But it¡¯d be foolish to stand in a daze enchanted by her beauty, so Kang Shin-hyuk gathered himself with a superhuman mentality and tried to walk past her to enter the convenience store. But at that moment, the Alchemist reached out to Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s shoulder, and as soon as he sensed it, he quickly stepped forward, turned his head around, and confronted her. He was surprised at how fast his body reacted. He felt in his skin that his status and skills have substantially grown. ¡°H-how can I help you?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re pretty fast.¡± The Alchemist was speaking in Korean as naturally as a native speaker. Fortunately, his surprise wasn¡¯t great because he had seen others speak fluently before. ¡°I don¡¯t dare offer the Alchemist a business card, but I¡®m a student at the superhuman training school.¡± (2) ¡°You know me. Good, that¡¯ll make this quick.¡± The Alchemist said while smiling. It was a dizzying smile. ¡°And those gym clothes...... You attend Shinyoung, right? I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I¡¯m probably weaker in physicalbat than you anyway.¡± ¡°Excuse me. I¡®m just sensitive about someone grabbing me from behind.¡° ¡°I know Shinyoung is the best superhuman training school, but I didn¡¯t know they were sticking to a killer¡®s style. Oh, by the way.¡° The Alchemist brought her face close to him just after he had widened their distance. Her red eyes filled his vision. The subtle smell of perfume tickled the tip of his nose. ¡°Do you have a minute?¡± ¡°...... Excuse me?¡° Is she asking me out? Kang Shin-hyuk was shocked. He knew his looks weren¡¯t bad, but they weren¡¯t good enough to make someone like the Alchemist fall in love at a nce! ¡°Oh, no, no, I¡¯m not doing anything suspicious; I just smell something good from you.¡° ¡°!!!¡± Kang instinctively wrapped himself up and stepped back. The Alchemist added, feeling even more embarrassed when she realized her slip of the tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you something delicious!¡± The Alchemist shouted. It was the most suspicious remark someone¡¯s ever said to him, but at that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk¡®s tremors stopped. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Uh, uh, uh? Are you sure you¡®re okay? Do kids these days get tricked by this?¡° ¡°But I like chicken if you can buy it for me, and may I have three of them......¡± He was still a growing teenager who was weaker on food than on beauty. In addition, he was a teenager with a light wallet. Trantor/Editors Notes: 1: This is a reference to Buddhist practice. Means they were interested in an extrinsic more than an intrinsic reason 2: In some of the eastern countries things such as giving someone a business card, is usually for starting a rtionship in business settings, Meet and Greets, Social Functions, and simr things. So when he says he dares not giver her his business card, then he is essentially saying, he dares not introduce himself to her. Chapter 11: You Got the Wrong Person - 2

Chapter 11: You Got the Wrong Person - 2

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno ¡°It¡¯s quiterge.¡± ¡°Sit where you¡¯refortable. I¡¯m going to take off my jacket for a second.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took off his coat and watched as ire Boyle hung her jacket on the hanger, thinking to himself. How did this happen? It was Kang Shin-hyuk himself who said he liked chicken, but still...... ¡®Really? Then go to my room. The chicken from the hotel room service that I¡¯m staying in now is delicious.¡¯ ¡®A hotel room service serves chicken?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t have with money.¡¯ So he was taken to the hotel where she was staying. It was an ultra-high-ss hotel that rose to 30 stories in the city center. He remembered it was obviously the hotel that was set up 10 years ago by Cheonwol corporation, a globalpany, inmemoration of the monumental 10th World Superhuman Summit in Seoul. He was brought to the top-floor suite without a hitch, and it was an incredibly spacious andfortable ce. He could see the night view of the city through the window, and the people below it, as if they were little ants. ¡®No, wait a minute.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk, who was escaping reality, regained his sanity at that moment. Isn¡¯t this a very dangerous situation? Coming into the hotel room with an adult woman! Wasn¡¯t it still at the point where the Alchemist could be arrested if he reported to the police? ¡°Then I¡¯ll order room service~ Are you really eating three?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯ll really eat that much.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded quickly to the sound of chicken, which came after agonizing about his situation. Right after that, he despaired that he had crossed the river by himself, which he could not return to. What a fool! ¡°Young boys sure do eat a lot...... ¡®Ah yes, here¨Cthree chickens please. No actually, four. Alcohol too. What do you mean by beer¨Cchicken and soju is the hotbo!''¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk cursed her impersonation, ire Boyle finished the phone call and sat across from the sofa where he was sitting. When she took off her coat and dressed lighter, her provocative figure was clearly revealed. Her eyes glistened as Kang Shin-hyuk turned his gaze away with a cough. ¡°Holy crap, that¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being cute. I¡¯m still young.¡± ¡°No, cherish yourself now. This is the only time you can be so naive and cute. You¡¯ll grow quickly into a more explicit and shallow adult. They don¡¯t even get shamed while looking.¡± ire Boyle said with a slightly embarrassed smile. Looking at the expression, Kang Shin-hyuk felt a little relieved from his senseless agitation. ¡°That...... Must be distressful. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay because it¡¯s fun in its own way. You can hide it when you don¡¯t want to reveal it. To distinguish between one¡¯s opponent, time and ce. It¡¯s basic, isn¡¯t it? Ah, but the ones who are trying to expose me when I¡¯m trying to hide, are taken care of without mercy. You should be careful with women like that, too.¡± ording to the words, she wanted to reveal something right now, but Kang Shin-hyuk stopped his thoughts there. He didn¡¯t want to think too deeply for now. The Alchemist must have a reason for bringing him to this ce. No, rather, he felt at ease thinking there would be. ¨C Ding-dong Then, the bell rang. ire Boyle stood up and went to retrieve the food after telling Kang Shin-hyuk to stay sitting. When he saw her carrying tworge silver trays with her slender arms, he thought, ¡®a superhuman was a superhuman, after all.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s just eat and talk.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Perhaps it was funny to say this himself, but Kang Shin-hyuk really thought he was a fool. Because he was so focused on eating as soon as he saw the chicken in front of a beautiful woman like ire Boyle. ¡°You really eat well.¡± ¡°I was a little hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Knight major, aren¡¯t you? You seem to like it.¡± The Alchemist would have experienced fighting with countless superhumans. She had reacted that way after seeing Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s well-built body. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and gave a supplementary exnation. ¡°Yes, but not because of training, but because of the student club.¡± ¡°A club?¡± ¡°Yes, cksmithing.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk said that, he put the whole chicken leg into his mouth. At the mention of the word ¡°cksmithing,¡± ire Boyle became slightly stiff while pouring soju into her ss. ¡°cksmithing?¡± ¡°Yes, pounding metals to create a sword and stuff like that.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s production-based. Even production-based superhumans attend Shinyoung, huh.¡± ¡°Well,...... Yeah. Though it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t havebat capability.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I saw the movement earlier.¡± Even though he was eating chicken for free, he didn¡¯t need to exin in detail to someone who won¡¯t see him again. Kang Shin-hyuk gave a cursory response himself with such an idea, and the alchemist¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°It¡¯s a production type, so maybe what I felt earlier was somethingmon among that ss......¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°No, nothing. Help yourself.¡± He was told to eat as much as he wanted, so he decided to do as he was told. Kang Shin-hyuk, who finished two of the chickens in an instant, lightly wiped his hands and mouth, and began the third one with less ferocity, enjoying the taste. It was as delicious as she had promised. ¡°Do all the knight majors eat as well as you?¡± ¡°It depends on their traits, but I do because my trait is very physical.¡± Moreover, consuming one¡¯s spirit power leads to hunger, so the amount of food he eats would only increase rather than decrease. As he calmly exined while tearing the breast and putting in his mouth, the Alchemist who had emptied her bottle of soju pped her hands once tomence the business. ¡°Then I¡¯d like you to start paying for the chicken. Come to think of it, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡±...... I am Kang Shin-hyuk, a 1st-year student of Knight majors at Shinyoung Superhuman Academy.¡± Finally¨Che thought. His heart was palpitating, half suspicious but half excited about what was about to happen. His reason was his instincts telling him something. Kang Shin-hyuk tried hard to calm himself down, recalling the memory of the cksmith Anvil. ¡°Well, Kang Shin-hyuk. Okay. You know my name, right? You knew my nickname.¡± ¡°Yes, Alchemist. Your name is ire Boyle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Just call me ire. I¡¯ll also call you Shin-hyuk.¡± The distance was quickly narrowed. Kang Shin-hyuk faced the Alchemist...... Or rather ire with more tension. However, the words that followed confused him. ¡°I awakened on my way to high school. Tobine or process countless things that overflow in the world and create stuff that has never existed. That¡¯s my knack.¡± ¡°Well, yes......¡± He didn¡¯t know why she suddenly talked about her past, but one thing was for sure. What Kang Shin-hyuk was worried about¨Cor rather, excited about¨Cto happen wasn¡¯t going to happen. Frankly, to say he wasn¡¯t disappointed would be a lie, but wouldn¡¯t it have proved that he¡¯s still a young innocent boy if he was more relieved than disappointed? ¡°A magic bomb, a simplified trap, a potion...... I quickly became famous for making so many things. My abilities got stronger in the process too. I also have the ability to handle things that I make more efficiently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± No wonder she¡¯s amazing. The Alchemist is a monster among the top 500 in the superhuman ranking. ¡°Her problem was that shecked in pure physical strength. If you only considered the things she was able to do with her skills, based on their importance alone, she¡¯d have easily ced among Top 100 of the World Superhuman Ranking.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t believe he was sitting face to face with her in this hotel room. ¡°Shin-hyuk, do you know what I like most of all?¡± ¡°Uhm...... I heard it¡¯s a potion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s fun tobine different materials in different ways and eventually make them into a single, mixed liquid. I wanted to be a bartender until I awakened.¡± ire said that and pulled out her bag thaty below. It was full of cocktail tools like shakers, jiggers, bar spoons and muddlers. ¡°Even now, all the potions are made with this. The taste and aroma vary depending on how you mix the same potion. Making the potion as delicious as possible, that¡¯s my ground goal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s wonderful, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was a moment when the emotions of an Alchemist and a male high school student were united. ¡°Cough, I¡¯m sorry I got excited. I¡¯ll get to the point now. I mean, there are times when I feel strange when I make a potion these days.¡± ¡°Strange feeling?¡± ¡°Yeah. Feels like something¡¯s being sucked from me into the potion. Something separate from magical power.¡± Until then, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes, which had been listening quietly, narrowed. Come to think of it, he¡¯s heard something like this before. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something, but I can¡¯t figure it out. But the potion that I made with that feeling definitely turns out better. It smells good, too. It¡¯s been upgraded by more than one level. But I don¡¯t know how I did it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced at this point. This woman was dealing with spiritual power without even knowing it. Though he wasn¡¯t sure why she hadn¡¯t awakened it yet. ¡°Sometimes I feel that way in the ingredients. There¡¯s...... A ck market that sells rare materials and the materials that are made there have a strangely good fragrance. A rxing scent. If I can get more of them, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to figure it out for sure......¡± ¡°Then just buy all those. Oh, is the supply limited?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m short of money.¡± ¡°Money?¡± But didn¡¯t countless superhumans pay hundreds of millions for her potions? As Kang Shin-hyuk put on a puzzled look, ire shook her head with an awkward expression. ¡°The dor and the won aren¡¯t widely epted in the market, so...... Anyway, there is something like that, and while wandering around, I met you.¡± ¡°Me......¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Yes. You smell like that scent.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk picked up his sleeve and smelled it, but there was no scent because he came out of the shower earlier. Can the Alchemist really smell spirit power? He wanted to ask the Administrator, but he couldn¡¯t make a mistake in front of this woman. Just then, the Administrator, who noticed what was in his mind, sent a message. [Spiritual power is the rarest and most unique ability in the whole universe, and it is also a force that depends on perspective. So everyone has a different way of feeling and handling spiritual power. Their effects are also different.] Two people in this small space dealt with such rare energy; wasn¡¯t that a little strange? No, it was not so strange to say the Alchemist was attracted to him in the first ce due to his spirit power. [You feel spiritual power is an energy with a distinct heat, and you have the ability to handle it skillfully and reach the origin easily, but in fact, that¡¯s an exceptional capability. She still can¡¯t feel or handle the spiritual power properly, and can only distinguish them by scent. In the ensuing exnation, Kang Shin-hyuk thanked the Administrator in his heart. In other words, Kang Shin-hyuk had a talent no one could imagine when it came to his spirit power. [A 10HP bonus from the Administrator that sensed your appreciation!] Now it was ready to give him a bonus even if he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°That¡¯s why I caught hold of you. I couldn¡¯t let go of a clue. So...... If possible, please tell me. I¡¯ll pay as much as you want.¡± Meanwhile, ire, unaware of the skit that took ce between Kang Shin-hyuk and the Administrator, looked at him with a serious gaze, taking a small ss bottle of red liquid out of her arms and shoving it to him. Kang Shin-hyuk admired the deep spirit power and magical power felt in it. It was an unimaginable treasure for a school student. If this is the artillery piece made by an Alchemist, its value cannot be measured. He could see how serious she was. ¡°It¡¯s a small token of appreciation. Will you tell me? Do you know about that power, this scent?¡± ¡°I......¡± The anguish didn¡¯tst long. If you¡¯re not a stranger to spirit power, and you¡¯re already half aware of it, you¡¯ll find your way sooner orter, whether I tell you or not. Then again, the overwhelming benefit is to make a connection with her in return for a little help in finding the way. She¡¯s a person who offers such a valuable potion, saying it as a token of gratitude. There was no harm in bing closer to her. ¨C Burrrrr However, at that very moment, ire¡¯s phone rang. No, right after that, the whole building vibrated and the sharp sound of sirens filled the city. ¡°This is......¡± ¡°Yeah, probably¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s pager in his pocket was also ringing wildly. As soon as he turned on the screen and checked, there was an emergency disaster message saying, ¡°A number of Irregr Gates have urred.¡± ¡®Irregr gates, are gates that aren¡¯t forecast when and where they ur. One of the worst disasters, where one cannot know whether durable, unique, emissive, or absorbing types of monsters might appear......¡± He shut his eyes tightly. Frankly, this text was meaningless even if you received it. It was always sent out after an incident! In fact, sirens were still ringing throughout the city. The disaster was spreading in a sh. ¡±...... Damn it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively gritted his teeth, recalling the day when his parents died. No matter how much time passed, he could never forget the memory of that day. The day he vowed to be a superhuman. The day when he first learned the feeling of hate and despair. After that day, the scene of the day dominated his mind and wouldn¡¯t let go of him whenever he heard that siren. ¡°Yes, Eunah? That¡¯s right, I hear the sirens. ¡°If it¡¯s an attempt to blow up monsters¡¯ eardrums and kill them, I think you¡¯d better stop. Before that, my eardrums are going to explode.¡± ire was already on the phone beside him. He thought she was receiving a disaster message, but she wasn¡¯t. Her calm voice on the phone also subdued Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind. He opened his eyes slightly and looked at the Alchemist. She looked as calm as her voice. ¡°How many have you got?...... That¡¯s a lot. Where are you gonna be? Ah, okay. Any estimates?...... At least A Rank majority? Whoo, I get it. I¡¯ll hurry.¡± The phone call was soon finished. The Alchemist packed her bag, swung it, and broke the outside window. ¡°Shin-hyuk, there¡¯s an Irregr gate urrence, so you can hide in this room while I go to catch some monsters for a while. Despite how it looks, the hotel security here is awesome.¡± He was pretty sure she broke some of the security systems just then but decided not to mention it. She must have chosen the quickest means of action to solve the disaster in the city. ¡°Let¡¯s continue talking when Ie back. You¡¯ll do that for me, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that for you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded firmly and said with as much respect as he could to a warrior going to fight against the enemy of mankind. ¡°So please return safely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice expression. I¡¯m powered up now. All right, I¡¯ll be back.¡± As if she liked Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s reaction, ire smiled and jumped out of the window. From there, he wondered what she was going to do, but her tightly held bag expanded, quickly turning into a hang glider. ¡®If I were only two years younger, I would have thought it was really freaking cool.¡¯ As he thought it¡¯s probably an artifact, the hang glider glowed brightly and used the wind to disappear into the distance with her in an instant. Her dream of bing a bartender had ended up in her bing an alchemist with her using a hang glider to fly into the city. She was a wonderful noona who was realizing all of a middle school boy¡¯s dreams by herself. If she was that old, she may have been ashamed, but she still seemed to be enjoying her youth. ¡°Whoo, then I will......¡± It is suicide to take to the streets at a time when an Irregr Gate urred. Like other superhumans, he wanted to take to the streets and fight, but he knew he was stillcking. He had to hide for now. Making up his mind, he tried locking himself in the bathroom but grabbed the red potion that was chained to the table. He wasn¡¯t sure, but hundreds of millions of won would be traded in an instant for this object, in cash. He couldn¡¯t leave it unattended. [This is a miracle potion that temporarily amplifies all statuses when ingested. As you are proficient in dealing with spirit power, you can expect further increases in your abilities, or even permanent increases.] ¡±...... I think it¡¯ll easily surpass hundreds of millions. No, wait, you don¡¯t have to tell me the price. Just don¡¯t.¡± He held it dearly in his arms and turned around. At that very moment. ¨C Boom! A roar rang out at a short distance. Bounced by a terrible shock, Kang Shin-hyuk was worried about the potion even when he flew to the opposite wall and was stuck upside the head, but fortunately, the ss bottle was durable. Kyah...... Kiyiiiik. He heard a cry. A strange beast¡¯s voice, though curiously it sounded like augh. Kang Shin-hyuk scurried ahead, scaring up his shaggy body. The window that ire broke earlier was now shattered without a trace. Something. Had entered through that window. Kiiii...... I found it. I found itt! It was a talking ck monster. A different smell. A special smell!...... A smell of spirit power! [Go ahead and drink the potion! It¡¯s a variant of a ss B monster War Troll; you can¡¯t deal with it in your current state!] The monster stared at Kang Shin-hyuk, hitting its axe on the floor. It was an axe made with spirit power. Trantor and Editor Notes: Chapter 12: You Got the Wrong Person - 3

Chapter 12: You Got the Wrong Person - 3

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno ¨C Caaaaang! The sound of a violent collision between two metal weapons spread across the room. Kang Shin-hyuk held his trembling hand, which had been crushed and twisted by the insurmountable force of the monster¡¯s strike. But luckily, he was still alive. Kang Shin-hyuk had blocked the monster¡¯s attack with the Godyer sword, which, for an unknown reason, appeared in his hand before the monster could deal a fatal blow. Had it not been for its sudden appearance, his head would have been torn apart by the axe. [Godyer Sword] [D+ Rank] [Special Ability Unlocked ¨C de Predation] [Special Ability Unlocked ¨C Regression] (1) As Kang Shin-hyuk nced at the sword in his hand, a message was engraved on his retina. The Godyer sword¡¯s information was expressed through a message with the Gaia system¡¯s assistance. ording to the information, the Godyer sword, which was obviously at the level of a general weapon when it was first obtained, was now a respectable artifact with two special abilities! ¡®de Predation. Regression.¡¯ In a short moment, Kang Shin-hyuk racked his brain trying to understand what had just happened. First of all, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to stop the monster¡¯s axe due to the Godyer swords special ability Regression, which instantly ¡®brought¡¯ the Godyer promptly from his dorm room. Second, the Godyer sword had probably leveled up to D+ Rank because the Godyer sword devoured the E+ Rank longsword containing the feeble amount of spirit power he made today. It didn¡¯t matter if the de predation ability existed before or after that. The important thing was that thanks to the upgrade, he was able to live. ¨C Kikik, spirit power. More spirit power! ¡°Spirit power? This bastard......¡± Most monsters can¡¯t speak properly, but the monsters who could speak are dangerous. It was already a widely publicized fact. Kang Shin-hyuk pretended to y along in its conversation and wondered, ¡°How can I survive in this situation?¡± ¨C Spirit power, I have to find it. Spirit power! Find it, eat it! There were two options: Fight the monster or escape. But since he didn¡¯t think the B Rank monster War Troll variant would be slower than him, it would be practically impossible to escape. If he somehow jumped out of the window...... It would still be impossible. ¡®Now, it¡¯s dangerous outside. He broke into this hotel straight for me in the first ce. That means he might have the ability to track my spirit power. Though it does seem that the spirit power he¡¯s wieldinges from the axe, rather than himself......¡± Was it because of the memory of the cksmith in his previous life, or was it because of his own spirit power? Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively knew the fact just by looking at the axe the troll was holding. The spirit power flowing within it wasn¡¯t that of its own, but that of the axe. Even so, it was strange. The Administrator had said spirit power is a very rare force, but people from left to right were showing it like there was some sort of a spirit power bargain sale today! ¡®Wait, what if my presence with ire affected the Irregr Gate¡¯s breakout......?¡¯ No, wasn¡¯t that hypothesis too far fetched? He put aside the idea for now because it didn¡¯t help him to solve the current situation. ¡®Anyway, I have to fight now.¡¯ In the end, only that crappy conclusion remained. Fighting a variant B Rank monster? Nature must have a terrible sense of humor because the current situation was not a joke for him. Kang Shin-hyuk gritted his teeth and put his hand into his arms. Kirrrrrryik! ¡°Crap!¡± As soon as the monster lifted its axe, it noticed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s suspicious movement, Kang Shin-hyuk threw a sword at it with as much determination and strength as possible with his broken, twisted hands. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s skill Eighteen Techniques...... No, Fanged Wyvern Dance (2), which had now grown into an S- level, was quite useful for this unexpected circumstance, as it also supported throwing techniques. ¨C Kikik! However, it was utterly insignificantpared to the power of the War Troll. The sword, which was hit by a lightly swung axe, bounced off helplessly falling to the other side of the room. Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t think he could damage the troll with it. It was just an attempt to restrain the troll¡¯s movement for a moment. As soon as he threw the sword away, he took the cap off the potion he had taken out of his arms and drank it; not paying any attention to the sword¡¯s whereabouts. ¨C Consuming the Alchemist¡¯s Special Boost Potion (S++). ¨C All light wounds are fully recovered. Effectiveness has been amplified by the efficient eptance of the potion¡¯s spirit power. All non-fatal wounds are fully recovered, and the remaining healing power will reside in your body for protection! ¨C For 10 minutes all your status will be raised by two levels. Effectiveness has been amplified by the efficient eptance of the potion¡¯s spiritual power. For 15 minutes your status will be amplified by three levels! ¨C You have seeded in drawing more than the limits of the potion¡¯s power! The potion¡¯s full effectiveness has grown one step further! For 20 minutes all your status will be amplified by four levels! [Kang Shin-hyuk ¨C D ¡ú C+ Rank] [Physical Status] Force ¨C D ¡ú C+ Agility ¨C C- ¡ú B Stamina ¨C D ¡ú C+ [Special Abilities] Spirit Power ¨C E- ¡ú D A dramatic change had hit Kang Shin-hyuk. It was a moment when his body temporarily broke its limits and evolved! But that wasn¡¯t all. The potion, full of spiritual power, was temporarily amplifying his own spiritual power! His body felt ridiculously light, so much so that he felt he could float to the sky with a light jump. ire was such an incredible alchemist, he thought. To temporarily, amplify all his statuses by four levels was a God-given power to create miracles! Even more surprising was the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spirit powerbined with the potion¡¯s spirit power to double its effectiveness, but that was something to think aboutter. ¡®With this, I might be able to hold my ground.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm, whose muscles had been torn and whose bones had been twisted, also recovered in an instant. The troll, who realized that Kang Shin-hyuk had deceived him, kicked the floor in anger, but Kang Shin-hyuk already had the Godyer sword returned in his hand by using the ¡®Regression¡¯ ability. Combining with the awakened Fanged Wyvern¡¯s power, he quickly released his spirit power to strengthen the sword. ¡°Heup!¡± ¨C Kiyooooohhh! The War Troll leapt towards Kang Shin-hyuk with a groan, and its axe and the Godyer violently shed. This time, he was able to read the opponent¡¯s movements properly and react on time! Kang Shin-hyuk used hispetent martial art ability to neutralize the attack¡¯s force as much as possible, but the troll¡¯s strength was so strong that he was overwhelmed mercilessly. Kuohhhhhhhhhh! It was impossible to face a troll head-on even with his upgraded physical strength! What a ridiculous monster it was. However, he was able to grasp the extent of his power with that sh. ¨C What did you do? spirit power! Spirit power has grown! Give it to me! If you don¡¯t give it to me, I¡¯ll take it! Once Kang Shin-hyuk managed to withstand the axe¡¯s power and stepped back; the monster leapt forward. As the axe rose in unison with the troll, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to clearly read the monster¡¯s next move. His eyes, enhanced by the awakened Fanged Wyvern, was reading the movements of his opponent¡¯s muscles in minute detail. ¡®Two attacks iing¨Ca kick and a strike from the axe.¡¯ The monster moved in a way that seemed to be expecting Kang Shin-hyuk to take a step back. If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t back down. Believing in his amplified agility, he made a quick dash. Kang Shin-hyuk moved past the axe¡¯s orbit with his sword held straight up as if to grind its legs into a thin line! ¨C Kiyak!? Due to his weak status and inability to handle mana, Kang Shin-hyuk was used to fighting those who were stronger than him. He dodged the troll¡¯s kick by a hair¡¯s breadth and reached close to the point where he could see its thigh. The Godyer sword tore its groin and carved out a wound. ¡°Crap, it¡¯s shallow......¡± ¨C Khak! Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face was sshed with ck blood. It was that moment when the enemy was inflicted with valid damage for the first time. However, there was no time to be happy as the troll¡¯s enormous healing capacity allowed it to quickly recover. In fact, the wounds it had just received up were slowly clogging up. ¡°But the real attack begins now!!¡± Heunched a stronger attack at the moment when the enemy was wounded and instinctively slowed down. Kang Shin-hyuk drew his sword with all his strength as it slipped through the monster¡¯s groin. At the very moment of engraving, a deep wound on its body, the dragon emblem on the Godyer sword shone brighter than ever before. It looked like a dragon was ascending to heaven! ¡°Wow!¡± Kiyakkkkkkkkkkk! ck blood poured out of the monster¡¯s wounds like a waterfall. He could see the ragged monster¡¯s genitalia dripping on the floor. After he backed off and re-positioned, Kang Shin-hyuk let out a wolfish smile. Even a troll wouldn¡¯t be able to regenerate that wound right away! However, just as he felt happy for dealing a fatal blow to a B-ss monster, a shock-wave sted in from an unknown direction, throwing Kang Shin-hyuk to the opposite wall. ¡°Kuk!!¡± ¨C Kahaaaaaaah! Kang Shin-hyuk felt an unpleasant and inscrutable sticky feeling. It wasn¡¯t magical power, nor spirit power. The shock-wave that attacked Kang Shin-hyuk hit him again from the front. He was just behind the troll, so how was the situation turned so quickly? However, traits and skills made some situations irrational, making such things possible. ¡®Here ites again...... ¡® Feeling the terrifying force of the shock-wave from a distance, Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly rolled to the side and avoided it, but just before he got up from his position, the troll¡¯s axe de closed in on him. ¨C Die! Die! ¡°Kuk!!¡± Even a B rank agility couldn¡¯t fully respond to that attack. But thanks to the martial arts that had been engraved onto his body through years of training, he was able to block the attack by raising his sword at thest second. He flew in the air for a moment due to the attack¡¯s force, but he was able to stand up in the nick of time before the troll moved in. His legs trembled. While spewing blood, Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed his sword and looked straight ahead. ¨C You hurt me! Ahhhhh! You hurt me! ¡°Tseup......¡± The real fight was starting now. The War Troll mentally pressured Kang Shin-hyuk with its eyes that were as dark as the blood he spilled out of its groin. An axe of tremendous weight and a shock-wave rushing in from random directions! If Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s senses were not activated to their limits, he would have been torn to pieces by thebination. ¨C Try this! Try this! Karhaaaaa! ¡°Keuk.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was stumbling but somehow managing its attacks. Every attack left a huge burden on his body, but luckily he still had the effect of the potion ire had given him. The potion was barely preventing Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s body from breaking apart. But that wasn¡¯t going tost long either. The force of the potion was not infinite. ¡®Can I hold out until ire gets here?¡¯ He wondered as he withstood the troll¡¯s attacks, soon the answer he came to was ¡®no.¡¯ War trolls were fast, strong, and meticulous. If that was everything, he might have dealt some serious blows to the creature with his amplified status, but there was the problem of the asional shock wave. He was dodging it as much as he could, but the damage to his body continued umting. ¡®Before I get any more tired. Before I run out of energy.¡¯ He had to throw a winning move. There was a firm determination in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes. The strength of the sword rose even higher in his hand. What came to his mind at this moment was nothing other than the Godyer sword¡¯s ¡®sword dance.¡¯ He had a hunch that if it was the unparalleled force of the sword dance, he would be able to cut down anything, whether it was the War Toll¡¯s axe or the unknown shock-wave. ¡®If it¡¯s now, I may be able to reproduce it to some extent.¡¯ If it¡¯s a body that has temporarily reached C+ Rank, it might be able to follow the sword dance¡¯s movements bybining with the D rank spiritual power. No, rather, he had no choice but to follow those movements. ¡®I have to recreate the images of sword dance that the Godyer sword holds...... I¡¯ll extract the Godyer sword¡¯s origin with my spiritual power and link it to my own origin!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk shut his eyes. The spirit power stretched out from him and dug deep into the Godyer sword, covering it entirely. In an instant, the images contained in the Godyer sword covered Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ego. As soon as his headined from the pain, muscles all over his body tightened. ¨C Mm? Closing one¡¯s eyes with an enemy in front of him was tantamount to suicide. The troll was flustered at the sight, thinking he was crazy, but it did not slow down in its attacks. On the contrary, the War Troll thought, it was nice to be able to cut off his neck neatly. ¨C Give me your neck! Just as the axe de was about to cut through Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s neck...... ¡°Keuk......!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took a step forward with a gruesome sound of his flesh tearing apart. Blood spurted from both his legs and arms, even though he had not yet been attacked. By trying to reproduce movements that couldn¡¯t be performed with his current abilities, he was leaving incredible strains on his bones and muscles. Nevertheless, even though the ¡®sword dance¡¯ was iplete, it was enough to avoid the War Troll¡¯s attack. No, what¡¯s more...... ¨C Khak!? At the moment when the dragon imprinted on the Godlyer sword shone brightly, the entire arm of the troll holding the axe was cut off. His thick arm fell to the floor with the axe still in hand, spewing blood everywhere. Not understanding what had just happened, the troll was astonished, its ck eyes wide open. ¨C How.......! The troll was a great warrior. He tried blocking Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s movement by instinctively firing shock waves, despite the sharp pain that came at the moment his arm was cut off. If Kang Shin-hyuk had not thought of reproducing the sword dance infused in the Godyer sword at that moment. If he hadn¡¯t thought of linking himself with the sword and reproducing the images of the sword dance. The Troll would have been able to aplish his goal safely. ¡°Heup.¡± Again and again, the sword embroidered a fine line of trajectory in the air. (3) The first sh neutralized the shock wave, followed by a sh that cut the neck of the troll. ¡°Keuk......¡± He could feel his arm muscles tear to shreds, and his headache had be even worse. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk was about to have a heart attack, he opened his eyes, enduring a pain so terrible that he gasped. The neck and eyes of the troll, which hovered in the air for a moment, met his eyes. ¡°Ha.¡± Facing ck eyes filled with consternation, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled clearly despite the pain of his whole body being torn apart. He had seeded in killing the enemy. Trantor and Editor Notes: 1: So, I was thinking about changing the abilities name to [Returner], or something else, however, the definition of Regression is ¡®a return to a former or less developed state.¡¯ Pulled from google dictionary. So, I decided to keep it, but add a note instead of changing it. 2: Changed from ¡°Lesser Dragon Dance.¡± 3: It¡¯s like that fancy anime sh where the sh remains in the air after the attack, so Fancy! Chapter 13: You Got the Wrong Person - 4

Chapter 13: You Got the Wrong Person - 4

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno [You¡¯ve overpowered a harmful monster. Your membership tier has upgraded! You¡¯ve earned an additional 5,000 HP! You¡¯ve earned a VIP bonus! With an additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, you¡¯ve received a total of 7,500 HP!] [You¡¯ve learned something important about spirit power. Your understanding of spirit power has deepened, and the total capacity of your spirit power has been greatly increased. Your spirit power has been upgraded to D Rank in an instant!] [Your understanding of the fundamentals of martial arts has deepened. The Fanged Wyvern Dance (S-) has leveled up to B- Rank!] [Your body has realized its limitations during your battle with a B+ Rank monster. The energy of the Alchemist¡¯s special boost potion has responded, and your body will begin to change. All physical statuses will upgrade to the next level.] When the enemy died and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s victory was confirmed, a list of messages he had never seen before, filled his retina. Kang Shin-hyuk somewhat expected that if he defeated a monster, he would get additional HP that can be used in Hero Universe, but the more important part was the upgrade in his abilities. ¡®All I did was drink the potion and defeat the enemy, those were enough to cause an upgrade?¡¯ Moreover, did the growth buffs stored in his body y a significant role? The Fanged Wyvern Dance and his physical statuses have grown by one level, with his spiritual power growing by as many as two levels......¡± He thought that having your abilities enhanced mid-battle and bing stronger after a glorious victory was something only to be seen in a shonen manga, but to think that he would experience it himself...... It was funny to say it himself, but it was worth risking his life. Thrilled by the upgrades, Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively clenched his fists. [You are seriously injured! Failure to tend your wounds quickly may result in permanent damages!] ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± Suddenly, overwhelmed by a surge of dyed pain, Kang Shin-hyuk rolled on the floor. He felt his entire body¡¯s muscles twisting, bones breaking, and skins splitting all at the same time. Of course, it was an obvious oue considering that he had challenged a being that was way beyond his current ability. The fact that his body held on during the battle was already respectable enough. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± [Enter the Hero Universe¡¯s trade board and buy emergency pills! It will prevent permanent damages to the body, and it will mitigate every fatal wound to a moderate degree so as not to raise too much suspicion from the people who find you here.] ¡°Thanks for the proper advice, but can I afford those?¡± [Avable for 5,000HP!] It was a hefty price considering the number of bonus HP he had just received, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no choice. Following the Administrator¡¯s advice, he quickly purchased an emergency pill from the trade board and swallowed it. He was lucky to have an effective orally administered medicine in a situation where he could not properly rub medicine all over his body manually. [Your body¡¯s condition is improving. However, if you do not receive proper treatment within a few days, your condition may worsen again.] His pain subsided immediately after taking the medicine, and he was met with such a message. Kang Shin-hyuk breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of being out of danger for the time being. There was a limit to how many things could go wrong in a single day; if he had to suffer irreversible damage right after defeating an undefeatable monster, fate would have a very unfair way of treating him. [There is something else you need to do.] ¡°I think I know what that is. You¡¯re talking about that axe that¡¯s giving off some sort of...... Dark energy, right? It¡¯d wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to have it spotted by someone.¡± [A heartful bonus of 100HP to our dear member!] As the pain toned down and he was able to move his body again, Kang Shin-hyuk stood up by bncing himself with the Godyer sword acting as a cane. What Kang Shin-hyuk saw in front of him was the dead body of the War Troll whose head and arm have been chopped off, and the ck axe held in its fallen arm. For a moment, Kang Shin-hyuk thought of peeking into the axe¡¯s inner structure by infusing his spirit power as he did with the Godyer sword, but he had no time to spare leisurely meditating in a decimated hotel room. There was no guarantee that another enemy would not appear. ¡°All right, then...... Do you think you can devour this thing?¡± The Godyer sword slightly buzzed as if to respond ¡°yes.¡± Before Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s victory, the axe had been protected by the War Troll¡¯s energy, but having lost its owner, it was instantly devoured in whole by the Godyer sword. ¡°Anyway, to think that an axe imbued with spirit power existed...... No, it can¡¯t be. Anvil can¡¯t be the only person who can make weapons infused with spirit power. But why was I pursued by this monster in particr......? No¨Cdon¡¯t think too deeply. Let¡¯s think about itter.¡± There was no time to waste. As if to blow away any remaining bits of hesitation, Kang Shin-hyuk fiercely struck down onto the axe. In an instant, rays of light emitted from the Godyer sword encased the axe entirely, absorbing it as it melted like ice cream left on an asphalt road. It was quite a spectacle to witness, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. [By devouring the axe, your sword will regain some of its strength. However, it will take some time to purify and absorb all the external spirit power. You can shorten the process by supplementing with your own spirit power.] ¡°Will this be enough?¡± [It would be nice if you could dispose of the body of the War Troll variant, but since that¡¯s impossible, it¡¯d be best to ask for her help to clean up the mess.] The Administrator gave a vague response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t have to think long to figure out who ¡°her¡± was referring to. And that¡¯s when the alchemist ire Boyle flew into the broken window. Putting aside the issue of everyone around him seeminglying up to the top floor of a hotel as if they¡¯re jumping over a fence of a typical residence, ire had shown herself at a ridiculous timing. ¡°Shin-hyuk, are you okay!?¡± ¡°ire.......! Ah, I¡¯m not okay. I almost died.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk copsed onto the floor as soon as he saw ire. Exhausted after having miraculously defeated the War Troll, a reliable ally had appeared in front of him, who was constantly on guard for a possible appearance of a new enemy. It would indeed be strange not to feel rxed. ¡°What do you mean you almost died...... This is a War Troll. You beat this all by yourself?¡± ire, having confirmed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s safety first, was shocked to find the dead body of a War Troll. War Trolls was one of the most difficult B Rank monsters to deal with. Even a fairly skillful superhuman would refuse to fight a War Troll if given the choice. But it was clear that he had beaten the War Troll by looking at the monster¡¯s neatly cut head and arms, the marks of sword cuts left its groin, and finally the pitch-ck sword in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. ¡°If you really did, then you¡¯ve deceived me. You didn¡¯t seem to be that skilled.¡± ¡°It was only thanks to your potion that I managed to win.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rare potion for sure, but that couldn¡¯t have changed anything. There¡¯s no way a superhuman academy student can beat a War Troll just by drinking some potion. It may enable you to sustain the fight longer, but winning would be...... Wait a minute.¡± ire, who was baffled by the situation and has been spurting out words like a rapid-firing gun, finally took notice of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s condition. His clothes were soaked in blood from head to toe, and she could still see blood leaking out from various parts of his body. Frightened, she slowly approached him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were injured? I¡¯ve been interrogating a wounded man!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that serious......¡± ¡°Come here right now.¡± She pulled Kang Shin-hyuk to herself and quickly undressed him. Before he knew it, Kang Shin-hyuk was only in his boxers. ire spoke while looking at his injured body, shivering. ¡°Woaahh, this is really bad...... But I can see how you won. Your skill is much strongerpared to your physical strengths, right? And you used it without thinking about the strain it¡¯d leave on your body, because you were prioritizing survival more than anything else.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was telling the truth¨Cthe Fanged Wyvern Dance¡¯s skill level was indeed higher than any of his physical statuses¡¯. ire let out a bittersweet smile and looked at his body again. She quietly whistled after noticing his sturdy build that couldn¡¯t be hidden even with the countless injuries, but thinking that this wasn¡¯t the right time, she coughed aloud and took out a potion from her bag. ¡°Let¡¯s first treat the external injuries. Stay still.¡± She poured the potion on her hand and applied it to his wound. He felt the potion permeating his wounds and quickly restoring his skin, muscles, and bones. The emergency pill from earlier added to its effects to speed up the recovery. ¡°Wow, your natural recovery rate must be incredible. I guess that¡¯s because your body is so well¨Cbu....... Oh, by the way, this was a purely medical practice, so you can¡¯t call the cops on me, okay?¡± ¡°Of course I won¡¯t. Thank you.¡± ¡°With this, your external injuries should be fine. The problem is with the internal ones...... Right, I have just the right one.¡± ire pulled a silver-zed scalpel out of her bag. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively grabbed his Godyer sword upon seeing a knife, but ire¡¯s target was the War Troll rather than himself. ¡°It¡¯s quite unfortunate that its arms are cut off, but you did a good job neatly cutting off the neck. With the corpse in this condition, the heart inside it should still have plenty of medical potential.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°A War Troll heart has the potential to be the best medicine if you remove the poison. On top of that, if the heart is extracted from a recently in War Troll...... You might even expect to receive a status upgrade.¡± ire gave Kang Shin-hyuk a pleasant smile and...... Poo! She thrust the scalpel into the War Troll¡¯s chest. After she deftly had peeled off the skin and dug through the flesh, she reached her hands inside pulling the heart right out of the carcass. Kang Shin-hyuk had goosebumps all over his body while watching her go through the process. He swore to himself to never offend her in any circumstance in the future. ¡°You just sit and wait; I¡¯ll make you the best drink you¡¯ve ever had.¡± ire smiled brightly as she studied the Troll¡¯s heart. Kang Shin-hyuk shivered as he noticed the dead War Troll¡¯s blood sshed on her cheek. ¡°Huh? Could this War Troll be a variant? It¡¯s a little different from the War Troll heart that I know. This one contains more energy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡±...... Well, it should do the job anyway. I can worry about itter.¡± With the ingredients in her hands, ire began making her ¡°cocktail.¡± Kang Shih-hyuk watched as she infused her mana into the War Troll¡¯s heart topress its size, mix it with various ingredients and sticky liquids in her shaker and draw more blood from the War Troll¡¯s dead body. ¡°Hm, hm hm hmm~~~ Hm hm hmmm~¡± She then closed the strainer and the cap to fix it in ce and began to shake the shaker while humming cheerfully. To think that she¡¯d really make a potion like she¡¯d make a cocktail! In this kind of situation! Kang Shin-hyuk thought it ridiculous, but ire seemed to be greatly enjoying herself. During the process, Kang Shin-hyuk noticed a faint glowing off of her body, which soon spread to the shaker enveloping it entirely. If Kang Shin-hyuk was able to see it clearly, it could only be...... ¡®Is it spirit power?¡¯ [That is correct. A 10HP bonus!] But it looked like ire herself was unaware of that fact. Watching her shake her shaker as if she had totally forgotten about the current situation, Kang Shin-hyuk felt her joy spread across to him. Shake, shake, the shaker that mixed the ingredients with a pleasant sound, soon came to a stop. ¡°Oh, it looks like it was a sess. Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re really lucky.¡± As if she could tell the oue of her skill despite being unable to detect her own spirit power, ire looked surprised as she removed the cap and poured the shaker¡¯s content into a ss she had already prepared. ¡°Troll Heart Cocktail is finished. Non-alcoholic. Here, drink it while it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even put ice in it...... Was the ss kept cold? Or maybe the shaker?¡± ¡°Both. Come on, hurry.¡± ire¡¯s face was filled with excitement. Kang Shin-hyuk held the ss containing the Troll Heart Cocktail with great determination. The drink containing a thoroughly melted heart of a Troll was exhibiting a blood-red color. After he had given ire a slight look, Kang Shin-hyuk took a sip and...... Was unexpectedly struck with the sweet taste that stuck to his tongue. What kind of magic could possibly turn a Troll¡¯s heart mixed with blood, into something this delicious? Even more surprising than the taste, however, was the cocktail¡¯s healing effects. [Your recovery rate is blowing up! All your injuries will be instantly healed and for three days starting from today, the ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡± buff will be in effect. With your metabolism speeding up, every type of growth will elerate, which you will need to make up for by eating more food.] [You will receive the full effectiveness of a War Troll variant potion specially produced with spirit power. Your physical strengths have been upgraded to C- Rank.] The cocktail that slid down his throat not only amplified his blood cirction but also immediately affected his whole body, making his bones and body more robust. His body had be iparably stronger as he entered the C Rank territory! Kang Shin-hyuk was so thrilled that he felt like hugging ire until she was out of breath. Putting aside the obvious healing and the buff, to think that a potion would upgrade his physical strength one level further to a C Rank...... ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s amazing, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredible! It¡¯s the best!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out his joy and excitement with no intention of hiding them. ire gave a satisfied smile at his childlike reaction. ¡°Great, it was worth all the effort I put in. Then do you mind waiting here for a bit? The truth is, the whole situation is not fully resolved yet. I came here rushing after hearing the report that a B Rank monster had slipped through our blockade. My heart was pounding when I found out it was heading for this hotel.¡± Those words had confirmed his theory. The monster was heading for him from the very beginning. The question was why, and how....... Countless questions passed through his head, but they were not questions that could be answered immediately. Kang Shin-hyuk tried his best to smile to hide hisplex feelings. ¡°I¡¯ll patiently wait here.¡± ¡°Yup, this ce should be safe now. I¡¯ll be right back, then!¡± ¡°Ah, ire!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped ire who was about to jump off the window after confirming his safety and said with great embarrassment. ¡°I, I¡¯m really sorry, but because I lost so much blood I¡¯m...... A bit hungry. I mean, if you¡¯re busy, it¡¯s okay, but......¡± ¡°Do you have a hole in your stomach as well?¡± ire was dumbfounded, but she promised to buy him more chickens after the job was finished. Kang Shin-hyuk thought that she¡¯s a really nice person. Trantor and Editor Notes: Chapter 14: You Got the Wrong Person - 5

Chapter 14: You Got the Wrong Person - 5

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno Kang Shin-hyuk noticed he was only wearing his boxers after ire had already left the hotel room. He took his blood-soaked underwear off and entered a luxurious bathroom that miraculously survived the War Troll¡¯s rampage. As he turned on the faucet, he thought he probably wouldn¡¯t get another chance to take a shower at such a luxurious hotel¡¯s suite room any time soon. ¡®No, if I train my spiritual power further and graduate Shinyoung with top grades, perhaps......¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had the mindset of a petit bourgeois (1) until a few days ago, but he was now in apletely different circumstance. The status upgrades he had received today were great enough to make his jaw drop to the floor. Though such a big change only signified how low his status levels were before...... Neither was the price he paid for those changes trivial. First, there was the unbearable headache caused by his attempt to forcefully insert iprehensible knowledge into his brain, and second, there was the pain of dragging his body to match his clumsy movements to the Godyer¡¯s sword dance, causing his bones to twist and his muscles to rip apart. It was not a pleasant experience. He didn¡¯t want to go through that experience ever again. If it wasn¡¯t for hisser-like concentration that he trained through cksmithing and spiritual power training, Kang Shin-hyuk would have been the one to drop dead on the floor. .......It was an incredibly close battle. ¡°Dear Administrator, could you tell me more about that monster?¡± [Its sudden appearance was unexpected.] The Administrator responded as if it were waiting for Kang Shin-hyuk to ask the question. [I have already exined that spirit power is an exceedingly rare type of power. Therefore, ordinary beings are unable to detect its presence, let alone track its whereabouts.] ¡°But that thing......¡± [The Troll is not the issue, but the axe that it was holding.] The Administrator continued without pausing. [That weapon was crafted by our dear member before the reincarnation. Because the monster was in possession of the weapon, it was able to track your exact location to this hotel.] ¡°No way.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had never anticipated his suspicion would turn out to be true. Noticing him emit a deep sigh, the Administrator continued. [Our dear member has crafted countless artifacts in his past life, and the artifacts have been disseminated to countless other dimensions. But you don¡¯t need to worry too much. The majority of those artifacts are owned by someone, and even if some were to be stolen, the chance of an enemy breaking through a gate on this with one of those weapons in hand is extraordinarily slim.] ¡®So you¡¯re telling me that I beat some astronomical odds today.¡¯ Deep in his mind, Kang Shin-hyuk was suspecting that something else was happening¨Csomething he could not yet see. Something even the Administrator didn¡¯t know about¨Cor perhaps, didn¡¯t want to speak about. But thinking that he¡¯d be unable to aplish anything without putting his faith in the Administrator, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to trust its words and wait for the time being. ¡°Nothing like today¡¯s event should happen again for a while, right?¡± [I guarantee.] ¡°I see.¡± Then there was only one thing left for him to do. ¡°I should train myself when I have the time.¡± [That¡¯s the correct attitude. A 10HP bonus from the Administrator!] He was now able to reach a territory he couldn¡¯t reach before. He also knew what kind of effort he had to put in. The only thing left to do then, was to spend day and night training himself. Compared to those days when he had to train like there was no tomorrow topensate for hisck of mana, Kang Shin-hyuk was in an ideal condition; as long as he put in the effort, there were no bounds to how much he could grow. It was a blessing for someone who yearned to be a superhuman who has seeded in defeating every monster. ¡®Open status.¡¯ [Kang Shin-hyuk: C- Rank] [Trait] Awakened Fanged Wyvern (A+): Allows you to rapidly acquire martial arts techniques. Amplifies the effects of martial arts techniques and enhances your weapon¡¯s abilities. [Physical Stats] Strength: D+ Agility: C Stamina: C- [Special Ability] Spirit Power: D [Skill] Fanged Wyvern Dance (S-): B- cksmithing: E ¡±......Great.¡± It seemed his previous level up was just a short while ago, and yet he had already leveled up to C- Rank. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, his strength, which used to be at a mere D Rank, have now grown to an extent where he couldpete to be one of the top 1st-year students at Shinyoung Academy. All in just a couple of days! The rapid growth of his spiritual power required no mentioning. With its level at D rank, he could fight on equal terms with Shinyoung¡¯s Magic majors. ¡®By the time I finish all the Eiren Jellies, I may have grown much further than I initially expected.¡¯ His skills have grown just as much as his statuses. While he was happy with the result of obtaining the knowledge to utilize spirit power more efficiently, he was most pleased with the upgraded Fanged Wyvern Dance. The Fanged Wyvern Dance (S-) was the product of honing the only skill he had for five years, Eighteen Techniques (A). Considering the amount of time, it took for the skill to evolve, the Fanged Wyvern Dance¡¯s proficiency level had risen to B- Rank in no time. ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to the life or death battle with the Troll; I¡¯m sure.¡¯ Of course, the skill¡¯s growth was significantly influenced by the images of the sword dance that he had received from the Godyer sword, but he was still deeply satisfied to watch the growth of a skill that has apanied him since his awakening. ¡®I want to grow more.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk murmured to himself with heavy determination while intently staring at his status menu. He didn¡¯t waste too much time indulging in his drastic growth; he was already looking beyond. He had been hungry for greater strength for far too long to be satiated at this point. ¡°Ah...... I¡¯m hungry.¡± It had been only a matter of time before his hunger for power was ovee by a hunger for food. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t just call room service without ire, right? Wait,e to think of it, why is no oneing up to check despite all the fuzz that was happening?¡± It must have been the effect of the ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± buff¨Cit was a great buff, for sure, but he was too hungry at the moment. Kang Shin-hyuk quickly rinsed off the soap bubbles, wrapped a towel around his body, found a nightgown in the closet and wore it. When it came to luxurious hotels, everything was different, he thought. ¡°I¡¯m here~¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk, wearing a gown, red at the minibar wondering if he could eat the snacks inside, ire came bursting through the broken window. It was a splendidnding, just like before. ¡°The whole situation has been resolved, so you can now rx. Oh, did you take a shower? Great, I was just about to tell you to. How are your injuries?¡± ¡°I took a look while taking the shower, and they¡¯re gone without a trace. But......¡± He was about to say that she could¡¯ve taken a normal route to the hotel room if the situation was resolved, but the words went right back in as he noticed a few stic bags full of chickens in her hand. ¡°May I call you noona from now on?¡± (2) ¡°You¡¯re too easy. But I like that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at ire with teary eyes as he epted the chicken-filled stic bag. Although he was still young, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he had a clear criterion for distinguishing a good and a bad person. If a person buys you chicken without expecting anything in return, that person was a good person. That naturalw was never vited. The Kang Shin-hyuk she saw a few hours ago, who was having a difficult time keeping hisposure in front of her splendid beauty, was no longer at the present moment as he was overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. ire missed the previous Kang Shin-hyuk that was struggling to find the right ways to act in front of her. ¡°Hold on. Let¡¯s clean up the mess first.¡± ire took a piece of paper out of her bag after handing over the stic bags to Kang Shin-hyuk. The paper was covered in illegible magic symbols. But when she put the piece of paper in the middle of the wreckage that was caused by the War Troll¡¯s rampage, the broken room began to miraculously return to its previous condition. Torn curtains were woven back, broken windows were recovered, the broken sofa swallowed back its scattered pieces of foam as if time were being rewound and finally, the leather cover was neatly fixed. ¡°What in the world......¡± ¡°Paying thepensation for damages may be cheaper, but this way is simpler, and I don¡¯t want to go out in the middle of the night looking for another room.¡± Speaking casually as if the spectacle she showed was nothing, ire flung herself down on the sofa. Then she held out the stic bags she had piled up on the other side to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I bought you some clothes. Here.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to take care of me this much¨Cthank you, noona.¡± ¡°Well, if you think about it, it is my fault that you got into trouble. I¡¯m the one who brought you here from your school, so it¡¯s obvious that I should take care of you.¡± His first impression of ire was just a beautiful woman who often likes to go out for fun, but his image of her has drastically changed in thest couple of hours. From admiring bartenders to thoughtfully taking care of him...... And buying him chickens! Kang Shin-hyuk had learned again it was foolish to judge a person by their appearance. ¡°By the way, there won¡¯t be any aftermaths of today¡¯s incident that you¡¯ll need to worry about.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk changed his clothes and left the dressing room, ire unwrapped the stic bags containing the chickens and began to exin. ¡°A lot of events happened today, and it won¡¯t take much work to dispose of a single War Troll¡¯s dead body. Oh, and I won¡¯t forget to share the profits we gain from it. Its most important heart is missing, but if it¡¯s the corpse of a War Troll variant, you can at least expect to receive some pocket money.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly snatched a piece of a chicken and put it into his mouth as he listened to her. He felt so energetic as to swallow the whole thing, including the bones. ¡°Actually I was told to keep the monster¡¯s break-in to this hotel a secret. Your fight with the War Troll did cause a lot of noise, but as you might know......¡± The sirens and the vibrations that filled the entire city had disappeared a little while ago. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s looking at it from other people¡¯s positions. If you wish to publicize today¡¯s incident, I can help you. As you might expect, a student defeating a B ss monster is a big deal¨Cit might even help with your assessment at school.¡± ¡°Uhm...... I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine with keeping it a secret?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk firmly shook his head to ire¡¯s offer. He was trying to sound serious, but the chicken in his mouth threw off the cool vibe he was aiming for. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, my victory over the War Troll was only due to your potion. Spreading news about something that I didn¡¯t aplish with my own skills would only lead to more troubles. So I will train myself further and receive an assessment that¡¯s fair and square.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, like I said, adding my potion to the story doesn¡¯t change how incredible your feat was......¡± ¡°The effects I received from the potion were greatly amplified from the regr amount. Actually, it¡¯d be more correct to say the potion was a good fit for me.¡± ¡°What......?¡± Judging the conversation might go on forever without the proper exnation, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to let out the truth. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed three pieces of chicken as he continued exining to the red-haired beauty whose eyes had now widely opened. ¡°Not long ago, I awakened a power called ¡®spirit power¡¯ and the potion you gave me was infused with such power. The cocktail you made earlier was too, if I might add. That¡¯s why I received an effect several times stronger than the default effect.¡± ¡°Spirit power?¡± ire looked surprised, as if someone smacked her with a bat from behind. She didn¡¯t seem totally unaware of spirit power¡¯s existence, but she seemed incredulous to hear the word¡¯s mention in the current situation. ¡°I did overhear them talk about it, but to think that......¡± ¡°It was without a doubt spirit power.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know who ¡°them¡± was referring to, but decided to continue the exnation. ¡°Spirit power is simr to magical power, but they¡¯re applied differently. I was told that spirit power is the power of your soul, but I don¡¯t know the details because I only recently learned to use it myself. But thanks to you, I learned that different people have different ways of sensing it.¡± ¡°Different ways of sensing it...... Oh, so you don¡¯t smell its scent?¡± ¡°Right.¡± As expected of someone who has been already sensing its existence, she understood his exnation without much difficulty. When Kang Shin-hyuk rapidly nodded his head to her words, ire formed a disconcerted look while scratching her cheek. It was a look mixed with joy and unrest. ¡°What a shock...... I was just expecting to receive a few clues from you, but to think that I hit the jackpot. It¡¯s so surreal to find the answer out of nowhere like this. Also surprising that you told me without a second thought.¡± ¡°I survived and became stronger thanks to your spirit power-fueled potion. I thought it¡¯d be meaningless to hide it from you. After all, am I not the one in the position of having to ask a favor of creating more potions?¡± ¡°I like the honesty. Oh, and I don¡¯t want the chicken legs, so you can finish them all.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re an angel......¡± ire¡¯s ¡®Kindness level¡¯ was upgraded one level further in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind. A person who shared chicken legs with others was either an angel who never betrayed someone else or a devil with a hundred rattlesnakes in its stomach. (3) ¡°So it was spirit power...... Shin-hyuk, what would I have to do to freely use it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I saw your spirit power flowing out of you when you were shaking the shaker. I think that might have been the trigger.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk nodded with confidence, ire¡¯s eyes were filled with joy. Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t sure why she reacted with such excitement, but he was happy for being helpful. But then a secondter, ire dropped a bombshell. ¡°All right, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m gonna be a bartender.¡± ¡±...... I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for some time, but with what you just told me, I¡¯ve made my decision. Thanks, Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Wait¨Cwait a minute. Excuse me? A bartender? You¡¯re going to quit alchemy?¡± ire grabbed a chicken breast and stood up. Kang Shin-hyuk almost fell in love with the confidence she emitted. ¡°I knew that this was the correct path. After I train my spirit power through bartending and make a name for myself, I¡¯m going to stuff these chicken bones into the mouths of those higher-up bastards that alwaysined about me wasting time on some stupid hobby instead of alchemy research. Then Eunah will also stop...... Wait.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ire narrowed her eyes. After muttering ¡°what if¡± in her mouth, she looked down at Kang Shin-hyuk and asked quietly. ¡°Anvil?¡± ¡°...... What?¡± ¡°Hero Universe.¡± ¡±...... Huh? Huuhhhhh?¡± ¡°So you do know about these.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk naturally flinched at the unexpected words that were deeply ingrained in his heart. Looking at his reaction, ire¡¯s eyes narrowed even further. ¡°You¡¯re a ¡¯17-year-old¡¯ who¡¯s awakened spirit power, who trains in cksmithing and knows about Hero Universe...... Come to think of it, that sword.¡± The Godyer sword was leaning against the sofa. She hadn¡¯t given much thought to it due to the circumstance, but looking at it now, she was certain. ¡°That¡¯s the sword that Janusmissioned us to look for. The Godyer sword, crafted by Anvil.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know Janus made such amission. I mean, he told me to just keep it.¡± At this point, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but realize; ire was probably a member of the Hero Universe as well! Kang Shin-hyuk was shocked to find another member in his homeworld, but he¡¯d be lying if he wasn¡¯t also happy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re also a member. It¡¯s great to meet you. I¡¯ve actually never met another member before...... What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It was you! The one who was proiming to be the reincarnated Anvil was you! The fraud who tricked our innocent Eunah!¡± ire shouted while pointing at Kang Shin-hyuk with her chicken oiled finger. ¡®Wait, was I the only person who was happy to meet a fellow member? But why is she angry in the first ce? Wait...... Eunah? Did she just say ¡°Eunah¡±?¡¯ ¡°So the Thunder Empress Shin Eunah was that ¡®Eunah¡¯!? That¡¯s crazy...... I mean, the person who sounds like a little child!?¡± ¡°Yes, you impostor! That silly girl, who actually believes you to be Anvil, is my friend!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t believe it¨Cdespite the same name, he couldn¡¯t connect the dots because the images he had of the Thunder Empress and the ¡®Eunah¡¯ of his message log were too different! How could he have thought that an acquaintance from the Hero Universe, the intersection of countless different worlds, was actually from his home world! Kang Shin-hyuk thought that he discovered the reason the Administrator was saying he might know Enuah. ¡°Wait¨Cwait a minute, noona! I¡¯m not an impostor; I really am the reincarnated Anvil......¡± ¡°I never expected you to be from the same world! You impostor!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not! I¡¯ve never pretended to be someone else!¡± ire¡¯s anger didn¡¯t show any sign of cooling down. Well, he thought, if his precious friend suddenly said something weird like ¡°Grandpa is back alive!¡± He would be angry as well, but still! ¡°Just ask the Administrator! I¡¯m not an impostor! I really am Anvil!¡± ¡°If I could do that, I would¡¯ve done it already! How would I be able to just converse with the Administrator!?¡± Only after the Administrator sent a direct message to ire due to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s earnest request, her misunderstanding was resolved. That day, Kang Shin-hyuk had discovered that the Administrator doesn¡¯t promptly answer every member¡¯s questions. Trantor and Editor Notes: 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeoisie (2) ¡°Noona¡± is a word that a guy uses to refer to an older sister/older woman, and thetter usage (to an older, unrted woman) signifies a close friendship. (3) I think this is meant to say ¡°a devil who only eats food of demonic attributes to refuse something as precious as chicken legs¡± or something like that. The snakes could also refer to someone who is trying to get on your good side with nice stuff, but their goals are malicious. Chapter 15: The Exposed Awl - 1

Chapter 15: The Exposed Awl - 1

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno The next day, Shinyoung Academy was in chaos. Not just Shinyoung¨Cthe entire city of Seoul was talking aboutst night¡¯s event where monsters broke out of dozens of irregr gates. But the incident hit home for Shinyoung students in particr, who were destined to face those monsters in the near future. ¡°Fuck, all those gates were A Rank!?¡± ¡°They were all irregrs too. I heard there were a lot of casualties.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane, all of the superhumans A Rank or above would¡¯ve been dispatched.¡± Humanity¡¯s progressive adaptation to the new world didn¡¯t mean that the gates would cease to be dangerous. Just as with other natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, gates were erratic events that humanity could only prepare to effectively respond to once they ur. And yesterday, was a test of humanity¡¯s preparation. ¡°But Seoul has a ton of skilled superhumans, like the Thunder Empress.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so thankful the Thunder Empress is part of the association. The top guns of most elite guilds are often dispatched overseas.¡± ¡°It also seemed like the Alchemist was still around Seoul. Because of her, I heard, there was practically no one injured, despite the casualties.¡± ¡°I freaked out when the sirens suddenly went offst night.¡± ¡°A Rank monsters...... I¡¯m freaking curious, though. Don¡¯t you wanna see one?¡± ¡°Yes, will the next E+ Rank person please speak.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was silently eating his energy bar in the midst of the chaos in the ssroom. The Troll Heart Cocktail¡¯s buff ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡¯ was still in effect. Kang Shin-hyuk was incredibly thankful for receiving an additional 3-day buff in growth rates on thest day of the login bonus, but on the dark side, he was greatly bothered by the hunger that was constantly guing him. The burden was so great that even after eating seven chickens the night before, two trays of cafeteria food (one tray just for the rice and the other for the side dishes) two times in the morning, he felt hungry again just as the first ss had started. ¡®I¡¯m so thankful today is Friday.¡¯ The remaining two days of the buff¡¯s effective period were Saturday and Sunday, his days off school. If he could make it through today, he could spend the next two days training himself in his dorm room with a mountain of snacks stacked beside him. He had already been growing at a rapid rate, but he couldn¡¯t let go of this golden opportunity. While ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡± was still in effect, he was determined to upgrade his physical strength from D+ to C- Rank. D+ Rank and C- Rank were just a stage apart, but the difference in strengths was as clear as the change in the letter. His agility and stamina were already C Rank and C- Rank, respectively. With his strength entering C- Rank, all of his stats would enter the C Rank territory! ¡®Then I would already have reached the level of a superhuman who was trained at a decent superhuman academy. At Shinyoung, I would surely ce among the top 1st-year students. Adding to that, since my weapon proficiency is second to none, if I supplement it with my spirit power, I¡¯d have nothing to be afraid of. If it all works out, I might be able to get superb grades from the uing sports day.¡¯ Almost every event hosted by Shinyoung has grabbed a lot of attention from outsiders but along with the school festival, sports day in particr attracted a lot of interest. The reason was simple; outsiders were allowed to enter! It was an event where students of various talents showcased their skills and scouts from various different guilds and active superhumans came to evaluate them. In other words, your performance on sports day could greatly impact your future, so it was unwise to consider it as a fun day where you could just ck off. ¡®Getting good grades from sports day also improves your academic evaluation. In many ways, it¡¯s a great opportunity to raise my worth; it might even be a good idea to participate in the new students¡¯petition.¡¯ If he diligently raised his worth this way, he¡¯d be marked as a student of great promise and would receive several sweet offers from various guilds upon graduation. When that happened, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a dream to go back to the hotel he stayed in yesterday. He could order ten chickens from room service and enjoy the luxury of drinking cup ramen soup after dumping the noodles into the sink (1). Anything would be possible! Vrrrr Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s stick vibrated as he instantly finished the energy bar while trying to relive the moments of eatingst night¡¯s chickens. He checked to see new messages that were sent by the kind-hearted noona that bought him chickens at the hotel. [Bartender noona: I thought about it, but let¡¯s keep our meeting a secret to Eunah] [Bartender noona: Also, don¡¯t tell anyone that you¡¯re from earth] [Kang Shin-Hyuk: Okay] Kang Shin-hyuk had saved her number as ¡°Bartender noona¡± out of the concern that having her real name listed and spotted by someone may lead to some bothersome trouble. But the innocent young boy didn¡¯t yet know that a name as vague as ¡°Bartender noona¡± would also lead to various sorts of troubles. [Bartender noona: Though with your skills, you¡¯d be exposed to the world pretty soon anyway...... There¡¯s no way you¡¯d go unnoticed by Eunah when you were noticed by me, right?] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Are you acknowledging me as Anvil now?] [Bartender noona: I don¡¯t believe in the reincarnation part. Or rather, I don¡¯t want to.] [Bartender noona: But I think I can believe the part where you obtained Anvil¡¯s ID and inherited his memories and knowledge] [Bartender noona: But if you impersonate ¡®Grandpa¡¯ in front of Eunah, I¡¯m going to kill you] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Like I said, I never did that] [Kang Shin-hyuk: She¡¯d tell you the same if you ask her. I¡¯ve been honest from the beginning] [Bartender noona: (emote)] Despite his firm denial of her usations, ire sent several types of ¡®suspecting emotes¡¯ and ¡®staring emotes.¡¯ She had been like this on the phone since they split apart from yesterday, so Kang Shin-hyuk was already quite used to it. [Bartender noona: Anyway, I hope you had a good restst night. I¡¯m about to board my ne, so I¡¯ll talk to youter] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Are you returning to America?] [Bartender noona: Of course. I may be a frencer, but I can¡¯t stay away from home too long] [Bartender noona: I met everyone I nned to, and themission from Janus was a total bust.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I¡¯m sorry about that......] The three of them¨CKang Shin-hyuk, ire, and Janus¨Chad already talked about the matter the night before. The conversation didn¡¯tst long, as Janus had already figured out that Anvil was reincarnated in Eunah¡¯s world upon hearing of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s discovery of the Godyer sword. ire was mad at Janus for not telling her earlier, but Janus giggled as if he was wearing a cheeky grin. He still paid her plenty of HP for the efforts she put in, so ire didn¡¯t have much to say. Oh, by the way, the ID ire used in Hero Universe was ¡®Bartender.¡¯ [Bartender noona: If you¡¯re sorry, help me out next time.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: You need my help?] [Bartender noona: I don¡¯t know how to use my spirit power yet, so I want you to help me] [Kang Shin-hyuk: But I¡¯m not that good at it either] [Bartender noona: But it¡¯d be better for me to cling onto you midway than to drop head-first to ground level.] [Bartender noona: I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad deal for you either. I¡¯ll give you all the potions I made from my experiments] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Wow, I love you noona (emote)] [Kang Shin-hyuk: (emote)] More than ¡®not being bad for him either,¡¯ it was aically one-sided exchange, being able to receive potions from one of the best potion makers in the world. Despite the slight awkwardness between themst night due to the trivial misunderstanding, Kang Shin-hyuk was happy he could regrly meet such a good person. [Bartender noona: Sorry, but I¡¯m not really into younger guys] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Ah sorry, I wasn¡¯t talking about you but the potions] [Bartender noona: You say that when you frantically scanned my whole body when you first saw me] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I¡¯m very sorry noonim! (2) I made a mistake since you were too attractive!] [Bartender noona: All right, all forgiven since you¡¯re honest] [Bartender noona: I¡¯ll visit you againter with chickens] She was a really good person, Kang Shin-hyuk thought again. ¡®Since it came this far, should I specify the chickens¡¯ brand as well? No, that¡¯s going overboard. But if I¡¯m going to eat them in the first ce, they might as well be the best ones......¡¯ Just as Kang Shin-hyuk was painfully agonizing over the question: [Bartender noona: By the way. Do you know of a teacher......¡±] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Yes?] [Bartender noona: Ah, nevermind. Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s talk about itter.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Sure.] That was the end of their conversation. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged his shoulders and put his stick back in his pocket. Baek In-ha was in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s a girl.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°100% It¡¯s a girl. Our Shinyok-yi didn¡¯t evene back to his dorm.¡± The word ¡°girls¡± was pretty much glued to his lips, but as the saying goes, even a malfunctioning clock sometimes gets the time right. As he was spot on, Kang Shin-hyuk came up with a random excuse: ¡°I told you, I went out to buy some dinner, but then went to a nearby evacuation center after the sirens went off.¡± ¡°No, the smile you let out just now was the smile of a winner. It was a smile of superiority, as if to say ¡®I¡¯m different from you measly children.¡¯ It¡¯s a noonim, right! You must have seduced a beautiful noonimst night!¡± If Baek In-ha didn¡¯t shout such pathetic remarks out loud in the ssroom, he would be popr with girls too, Kang Shin-hyuk thought...... Kang Shin-hyuk spoke to Baek In-ha with a look of sincere pity. ¡°No seduction, but I did get to know a noonim yesterday.¡± ¡°For real!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an Irish American with red hair and red eyes and a good style. Her name¡¯s ire Boyle, she¡¯s a famous superhuman.¡± ¡°Oh...... Did you guys eat dinner together?¡± ¡°Yup, we ate chickens. ire noona bought them for me.¡± Just as he turned his back to the reality that was too hard to bear, Baek In-ha lightly gave a light tab on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder and returned to his seat. Looking at Baek In-ha¡¯s back, Kang Shin-hyuk thought there might have been no need to save ire¡¯s number with a nickname and took out his second energy bar. @@@ Thest lecture of the afternoon, ¡®Monster Ecology,¡¯ dealt with the ecology of monsters that appeared on earth; their weaknesses, and detailed counter-strategies against them. All the writing sses (3) that he had to take to be a great superhuman were as necessary as they were boring, but now he was also hungry due to the ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡¯ buff¡¯s effect. While Kang Shin-hyuk was struggling to endure the immense boredom and hunger, a whisper arrived on his message log: Eunah: >< Grandpaa (4) It was a whisper from Eunah, a.k.a. the Thunder Empress. Kang Shin-hyuk was used to receiving her messages, since she has been sending them to him whenever she had the time since Kang Shin-hyuk joined the Hero Universe. Anvil: What¡¯s up? Eunah: My friend went back to Americaaaaa She must have been talking about ire Boyle. Then this girl who speaks like a little child like her tongue hasn¡¯t been fully developed must be the Thunder Empress...... Eunah: We couldn¡¯t even find what we were looking forr :(( Anvil: That must be distressful. Eunah: Yes :(( And a lot of bad beings appeared yesterday so I was really tired fighting them. Kang Shin-hyuk made a decision. He decided to have Min-seo, the youngest kid (6 years old) at the orphanage, as a reference while talking to Eunah. His conversation partner¡¯s mental age must be around there, he thought. Anvil: You must have worked hard. Eunah: Tell me I did goodd Anvil: Great job. Eunah: Tell me I did goodd Anvil: Yup, you did good. Eunah: Yup! ?? I did good, right! Unable to endure the endless messages, Kang Shin-hyuk felt the ends of his lips convulse as he said whatever she asked him to. He was able to respond without any issues with the image of a pure innocent child in his mind, but knowing that she¡¯s actually the Thunder Empress, he couldn¡¯t connect the image of the mighty warrior with someone who was talking like a little child. ¡°Student Kang Shin-hyuk? Judging by the fact that your pen hasn¡¯t been moving, the lecture must be very boring for you.¡± ¡°Uhm.¡± ¡°I understand, though it might have been better if you weren¡¯t caught. Right?¡± It was at that moment. As Kang Shin-hyuk was mentally wriggling about due to his conversation with Eunah, he was pointed out in the ssroom. ¡°Why don¡¯t you then teach us about the weaknesses of the monster Aviole? If you give us a satisfactory answer, you may spend the rest of the ss for self-study.¡± ¡°Uh......¡± He was screwed. Kang Shin-hyuk was taking a writing ss topensate for hisck of grades in more practical sses, but he was not quite knowledgeable of the Avioles yet. That was expectantly so, because Avioles were C Rank monsters he had never learned about! He memorized every detail of E Rank monsters that 1st-year students were required to fight against, but it was too much to ask for a 1st-year student in their first semester to be informed of a C Rank monster! ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Hold on, please.¡± But if he didn¡¯t respond, he¡¯d lose his writing scores. If he lost points in a ruthless point-based system where your scores influenced every aspect of your student life, failure in this moment could even end up impacting his graduation. Eunah: Grandpa, What¡¯s wrong? Are you busy? I am sorry ?? No, don¡¯t worry about it. But I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯m in a ss, so let¡¯s talkter. Eunah: What are you learning about? Avioles Kang Shin-hyuk revealed the monster¡¯s name without a second thought as he was too agitated by the stares from the teacher and other students. Eunah responded right away. Eunah: Avioles...... I know a lot about them. ¡°!¡± ¡°Student Kang Shin-hyuk? Do you need more time?¡± As the teacher¡¯s stare was about to be even sharper, the Thunder Empress¡¯s messagespletely filled Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s retina like clouds filled the sky in a stormy night. Eunah: Avioles have two wings, but they¡¯re actually midsize ground monsters. They don¡¯t have a fixed habitat, so they move underground at high speeds, sometimes leading them to break out of gates with monsters belonging topletely different habitats. There was even a case where they broke out from an extremely low ranked gate. ¡±......¡± Eunah: The feathers on their wings have a ton of small holes in them, and using them, they soak up soil particles which they then emit back out to dig through the ground. If they align their wings about 70 degrees to the ground and howl, it¡¯s a sign they¡¯re about to attack and you have to be on your prepared right away. The soil particles stored in their wings are then discharged at once by infusing mana and that attack isparable to a C Rank magical power or physical strength. At this very moment, a vast amount of knowledge stored in the association¡¯s database was flowing into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head! Eunah: But there is a window of opportunity right after their attack. They have to refill the holes with soil particles, and if youunch water-based magic of C Rank or above, their wings would be rendered useless by absorbing water instead of soil. Eunah: They actually breathe with their wings, and will only try to breathe with their mouths if the holes in their feathers are blocked. You can easily kill them by stuffing water into their throat when they do. If you don¡¯t have the right magic, you can just attack their butt to block the passage used to discharge the soil. Their throats are actually quite sturdy, so it¡¯s not the most rmended part to target. But if you cut off the tail on top of their heads, they lose their sense of magical power so it bes easier to fight them. ¡±...... Avioles are.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have much choice at this point. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Avioles are creatures with two wings but they¡¯re actually midsize ground monsters.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°They use the small holes in their feathers to absorb soil particles, which they use to attack during battle......¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk began talking, the teacher listened to what he had to say. Kang Shin-hyuk merely repeated what Eunah had told him. She hade to his rescue, though if you think about it, it was her fault that he was pointed out by the teacher in the first ce! ¡°...... Thus, if a water attack proves to be fruitless, it¡¯s best to take advantage of the slight gap after it has discharged all soil particles to cut off the tail on top of its head to disturb its sense, and then finish it off by attacking the discharging pathway in its butt. That is all.¡± ¡°......¡± The teacher was totally silent when Kang Shin-hyuk finished the lecture that his ssmates probably wouldn¡¯t have for another year. Kang Shin-hyuk tried his best to sustain a stiff expression to hide his guilt of having cheated, and most students were slightly tilting their heads because they didn¡¯t know if anything Kang Shin-hyuk had said had any authenticity. Then, a momentter, the teacher let out a smile and gently apuded. ¡°Splendid. It was more impressive that your answer wasn¡¯t in the form of a textbook answer. You had grasped the ideal strategy of hunting an Aviole, and more, you¡¯ve meticulously explored the best way to hunt it as a Knight major. It was the perfect answer that could only be formed by having watched and analyzed dozens of videos dealing with Aviole counter-strategies. I could clearly see that you studied hard. You¡¯ve been awarded 3 points.¡± ¡°Th...... Thank you.¡± ¡°You may use the rest of the ss time for self-study. But even if you know all the lecture¡¯s contents, please, try not to look bored in ss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll continue studying as hard as I can.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk emitted a deep sigh sinking down into his chair. Baek In-ha, who was sitting near Kang Shin-hyuk, tried to covertly give a thumbs-up to him but ended up as the teacher¡¯s next victim to answer a question. Kang Shin-hyuk was dazed for a moment and he could hear students whispering to each other. ¡°Ah, Kang Shin-hyuk was always good at writing courses.¡± ¡°But that was just...... Is he backed up by arge guild or something? That strategy he just talked about is something you only see at the front line of a major guild. I¡¯ve never heard of a specific timing to attack.¡± ¡°Hey, he also beat Doo Woo-jin a while ago. What if he¡¯s amazing in practical courses too?¡± ¡°That was just a coincidence.¡± ¡°Yeah~ Just as it¡¯d be a coincidence for you to meet an Aviole at an F Rank dungeon and die while shitting your pants, right?¡± ¡°What did you say fucker?¡± Until a few days ago, the words around him were filled with shock and suspicion, but the air around him had changed quite drastically. Faintly but distinctly, there was a mood where everyone was now acknowledging Kang Shin-hyuk. Kang Shin-hyuk slightly smiled. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. ¡®That just now wasn¡¯t me, though.¡¯ He had never expected he¡¯d receive such help from Eunah. Despite knowing that she¡¯s a superhuman from the association, it was hard for him to put his trust in her as she always talked like a little child, but now he felt like he could acknowledge her as one of the top superhumans of Korea. While Kang Shin-hyuk was sitting with aplicated mixture of 1/3 happiness, 1/3 guilt, and 1/3 unrest, a message popped up in front of him: Eunah: Grandpa, Is there anything else you¡¯d like to know about? Anvil: Nope, that was the perfect exnation. Thank you. I made it through the situation all thanks to you. Eunah: Heh...... Just as Kang Shin-hyuk was happy to finally receive a short message from her. Eunah: Do you want to know more!? Eunah: I know about pretty much every single monster up to S Rank! I know a lot about SS Rank monsters too! I¡¯ll answer anything Grandpa is curious about! Grandpa, do you know what Medusa is? Eunah: You know, I thought you don¡¯t turn into stone as long as you don¡¯t look at its face, but its breadth and mana rays and all these other things can turn you into stone, so I almost died hunting it! And you know¨C Uh...... Could you please go through one by one, slowly? When you are free, that is. Eunah: Anytime! Like this, Kang Shin-hyuk had officially recruited the girl who was calling him Grandpa as his tutor. It was the moment when a green light turned on his way to receiving a high writing course grade. Trantor and Editor Notes: (1) A faux pas formoners (2) ¡®Noonim¡¯ is the more dignified version of ¡®noona¡¯ and connotes much more respect than thetter. (3) ¡°Writing courses¡± really means ¡°knowledge-intensive courses,¡± as opposed to ¡°practical courses.¡± (4) Korean has a way of sounding cute/adorable by prolonging certain vowels or with certain single/double syble sounds, but since that seems either impossible or incredibly awkward in English, I¡¯ll just use emotes instead, unless the alternative works. (The closest analog thates to mind in English is recing half the letters with w like ¡°The cwosest anawog thwat cwomes to mwind in Wiengwish is......¡± But I don¡¯t want tomit that sin.) Chapter 16: The Exposed Awl - 2

Chapter 16: The Exposed Awl - 2

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno After Kang Shin-hyuk left a deep impression on his fellow ssmates, the teacher was about to end the lecture. ¡°There is an important announcement. Everyone, please be silent.¡± The teacher of 1st-year student¡¯s C ss, Siara Bertrand. Like others Kang Shin-hyuk had met, she was a Caucasian who could speak fluent Korean, which wouldn¡¯t have been the case if Korea wasn¡¯t a nation known for its supply of talented superhumans. She was a 40-year-old S Rank superhuman in top 5,000 of the World Superhuman Ranking. She once made a name for herself during her prime in France, afterward of which she moved to Korea to teach at Shinyoung. She was popr with the students not just for her excellence in teaching, but for her youthful beauty that she was able to maintain by possessing arge quantity of mana. ¡°You fought yesterday too, right, teacher!?¡± ¡°I saw the video of you fighting and it was so freaking cool.¡± ¡°Could you also whip me like you did to the mons-......¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± After she shut everybody up by lightly mming on her desk, she calmly turned on the main screen in the ssroom. It was an announcement rted to sports day. ¡°These files will be sent to you soon, but please take a look at them right now. Thepetition will be divided into three sections. There will be a school-widepetition where two teams, consisting of all students from 1st to 3rd grades face off against each other. Then there will be a sspetition, where a single ss from 1st to 3rd grades will be selected to be the winning team. Lastly, there will be a free-for-allpetition where the results are determined by individual evaluations.¡± ¡°Holy crap, finally.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sweep the floor with everyone. I¡¯ll be the free-for-all¡¯s MVP.¡± ¡°Yes, will the next D Rank person please speak~¡± (1) Just as the students began to make a fuss, the teacher mmed her desk again to silence the students and continued. ¡°Please take eachpetition seriously. All students have to participate in at least one of the school-wide and sspetitions. Participation in the individualpetition is voluntary, where each participant will be strictly evaluated starting from the qualifiers, so please beware that joining thepetition with insignificant skills could leave a negative impact on your overall academic assessment.¡± As expected of Shinyoung, sports day was also a nightmare. Kang Shin-hyuk read through the screen with a bittersweet smile. The teacher¡¯s exnation continued, but Kang Shin-hyuk was only interested in the individualpetition. As implied by the wording, most of them were 1v1petitions, and they were varied in the types of battles involved. ¡®Apetition where any major can participate, and major-specificpetitions to determine the best Knight and Magic major of the academy......¡¯ Lastly, the new studentpetition where only the newly admitted students could participate! For new students, thepetition was a bloody warzone that was aspetitive as it was essible. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s stick vibrated. [Baek In-ha: Shinyok, are you gonna participate in the new studentpetition?] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Yup. You?] Indeed, if Kang Shin-hyuk participated in the new studentpetition, there was a chance that he¡¯d have to fight Baek In-ha, a monster among monsters who possessed a S Rank trait and A Rank magic power. Even though he¡¯s been growing rapidly, there was no chance that Kang Shin-hyuk would be able to defeat him. [Baek In-ha: I¡¯m gonna participate in the school-widepetition. Since you can¡¯t participate in the new studentpetition while participating in the school-wide one, I guess we won¡¯t be facing off against each other.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: You¡¯re crazy, school-widepetition......] Even though he should have felt rxed at his answer, Kang Shin-hyuk felt more humiliated than relieved. The new studentpetition was meant to tease out the most talented new student. But Baek In-ha was already walking over to the stage of the entire school. His vision was different. Kang Shin-hyuk gently bit his lips, and continued with a sigh. [Kang Shin-hyuk: Win the school-widepetition. I¡¯ll win the new student one.] [Baek In-ha: I¡¯ll win it all. You win it all too Shinyok.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Yup I¡¯ll win it all too.] Kang Shin-hyuk was just beginning to learn how to walk, and if he tried to chase down the person running in front of him out of jealousy, he would just end up falling over. So. he decided to work on standing firmly on the ground for the time being. Running woulde after he learned how to stabilize himself. He breathed slowly as he made his new pledge. It rxed him quite a bit. ¡°The participation list for the school-widepetition and the sspetition will be collected after Monday¡¯s ss. Likewise, anyone wishing to participate in the individualpetition shoulde and talk to me before Monday. That is all. Please decide after carefully reading the files sent to your sticks.¡± ¡°Teacher! I want to participate in the individualpetition!¡± ¡°I wanna participate in the school-widepetition! Will you ept my proposal if I dedicate the trophy to you?¡± ¡°Bring. The documents. With you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk bit on hisst energy bar and stood up as the teacher dealt critical hits on the loud students¡¯ heads with the attendance sheet. But then a voice flew in from behind. ¡°Student Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Siara Bertrand had called him after she handled the clingy students and packed her attendance sheet. Was it wrong to eat the energy bar at the end of ss? I won¡¯t be deducted points for this, right? As numerous thoughts passed by; a faint smile formed on her face. It was a smile he had never seen since he enrolled in Shinyoung two months ago. ¡°To think that you¡¯d move his heart. I was very impressed. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your development.¡± ¡°Huh......? Ah, yes.¡± As he thought, ¡®Who could it have been?¡¯ The answer came right away. She was probably talking about the supervising teacher of the Artifact Production Club, Lee Manwoo. Was he some sort of a special type of person? Did something happen to him? But the teacher had already left after packing her documents before he could ask such questions. He thought about chasing her to ask, but decided not to, thinking that he¡¯d naturallye to learn about the issue if it turns out to be important. [Baek In-ha: To think that you¡¯d seduce our teacher...... You¡¯re the real killer of older women] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Dude for fuck¡¯s sake] @@@ Kang Shin-hyuk entered the Superhuman market with only the Godyer sword tied to his waist, intending to buy some field rations. In order to sustain long-term activity in a gate, the food has been developed to be cheap, small, and able to fill as much as ten meals. They were hardlyparable to Eiren Jelly that was delicious as well as able to replenish spirit power, but since he had little HP remaining, he had to buy whatever he could with his own cash. Especially now, after he had earned the profit of hunting down a War Troll! [A total of 229,105,550 won has been transferred to your ount.] Kang Shin-hyuk thought there must have been a mistake when he first saw the message. He knew why he received money, but couldn¡¯t make himself believe the amount that was disyed. Two hundred twenty nine million won! Thinking he might have misread the number of digits, he reread the message countless times. But he was right the first time; more than a hundred million had found its home in his bank ount! But still incredulous, he researched about the corpse of a War Troll. He found out that not all War Troll corpses can be sold, and certain kinds of corpses are demanded more than others. F Rank monsters were barely profitable but the profits became sizable from E Rank. There was a huge variation depending on the type of monster hunted, but the typical price was about a 100,000 won. D Rank monsters were also greatly dependent on the type, but they cost a minimum of 300,000 won and a maximum of 5 million won. C Rank monsters cost a minimum of 2 million up to about 30 million. The concerned B Rank monsters cost at least 10 million up to a grand total of 400 million! On top of that, War Trolls were rare monsters, cing them at the maximum price range! ¡®But since we took out its heart, whichprises the majority of its price......¡¯ The price should have dropped significantly, but because the War Troll was deemed to be a variant, the value of the heartless corpse was high enough to fetch him an unimaginable sum of money. With that, Kang Shin-hyuk, who had been barely holding on with a few tens of thousand wons in his pocket, had suddenly be a multi-millionaire. Of course, filthy rich people would snicker at such an amount, however, it was money that he obtained by risking his life, but it still felt surreal to him. ¡®This should be enough until I graduate. Now there¡¯s no need to save my dignity maintenance expense......!¡¯ While ecstatic, he realized why countless people dream of bing superhumans, why low-rank superhumans worked so hard to raise their ranks. It was because a boost in rank came with a boost in profits! ¡®I don¡¯t want to be obsessed with money, but having a lot of money makes a lot of things easier.¡¯ That was indeed the case right now. Even though field rations were considered to be ¡°cheap,¡± that was looking at it from the standards of active superhumans; it was still arge sum of money for an average student. But what had happened with an excess amount of money? He had bought them without any hesitation! Money leads to less time wasted, allows you to tread on morefortable paths, and gives you better things. In order to be stronger as fast as possible, it was good to have as much money as he could. [It¡¯s more important to have more HP than more money. With HP you can purchase goods that are higher in quality than the ones you can buy with cash. Also, with some of your VIP restrictions lifted, you can directly purchase products that will speed your status¡¯s growth.] Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged his shoulders. He agreed with everything the Administrator said. There was nothing that the trade board of Hero Universe didn¡¯t offer. Especially when it came to products that assisted in superhumans¡¯ battles and growth, he recently realized, the trade board was teeming with those products. ¡°I know. Obtaining more HP and lifting my membership tier¡¯s restrictions...... In other words, you¡¯re telling me to put all my efforts into increasing my synchronization rate, right?¡± [That¡¯s precisely right. You can obtain more HP and upgrade your membership tier by hunting down monsters, but with you in your current state, that¡¯s a bit difficult to do.] Even though he was a prospective superhuman, he was just that: someone who wasn¡¯t yet a superhuman. It was impossible for a student from a training academy to undertake missions of fighting monsters that broke out of a gate. Among those, if he wanted to tackle the longsting gates that teemed with monstersmonly called ¡®dungeons¡¯, unless he suddenly happened to walk into one, he had to go through a long andplicated process of obtaining the rights of entry. ¡°That¡¯s why I need the money. Enough money to sustain me until I graduate and officially be a superhuman.¡± [Indeed, I am convinced. A 10HP bonus by the Administrator who was impressed by your thorough exnation!] ¡°I thought you¡¯d give it to me by this point. Thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if every member regrly received a bonus like him, but decided not to ask. It was more satisfying to think that he was receiving special treatment. Despite the small amount, he liked hearing the bonus message. ¡°......All right, now then.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who had purchased two days worth of food, headed to his dormitory. He had already applied to reserve an individual training room. A reservation for the whole training room just for himself, starting from Friday night to Sunday. ¡°Hello student Kang Shin-hyuk. Since you even brought field rations with you, you seem to be ready.¡± Emil Bolton was standing in front of the training room. Kang Shin-hyuk had asked a favor to him. ¡°Yes, Mr. Bolton. I also n on cutting sleep.¡± ¡°I overheard the students¡¯ conversations. It sounded like you had grown noticeably in the past few days, and you¡¯re here to hone those improvements to perfection, am I right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was to maximize his gain from the effect of his new buff, ¡®Increased Blood Flow,¡± but there was no need to exin that much. After all, Emil Bolton wasn¡¯tpletely wrong. Kang Shin-hyuk had to adapt to his newly amplified growth rate in a short amount of time. ¡°Hm. All right. Everything you asked for is in there, so go ahead and check...... Also, when there¡¯s a chance, how about you and I have a friendly sparring match?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be honored, sir!¡± He¡¯d have to go all in to fight against someone who could still fit into the top sections of the World Superhuman Ranking. Kang Shin-hyuk bowed to Emil Bolton, and entered the training room. There were fitness equipment on one side of the spacious room and all kinds of training tools on the opposite side. Emil Bolton had prepared everything he asked for. ¡°...... Good.¡± After a light breathing exercise, Kang Shin-hyuk put a pile of the field rations on the floor and ate one of them. It tasted bad, but he endured it and passed it down his throat. After that, Kang Shin-hyuk gently ced the Godyer sword against the wall. He could see the sword shivering. ¡°...... I¡¯m going to train my sword techniques just a bitter.¡± Vrrrrr ¡°Yup, I¡¯m going to train them so much you may get tired of them.¡± Vrrr The Godyer sword was only faintly shivering, but Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he could understand what it was trying to say. He chuckled and gently swept its edge a few times. Having awakened spirit power and learning that the sword has a sort of ¡°ego,¡± he started talking to the Godyer sword as if to a person, quite often. It was a natural interaction for Kang Shin-hyuk, though it might not be good for someone else to see him talking to the sword. ¡°Well, anyway...... I should get started now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk began his physical training right away. Training his martial arts and spirit power was important, but more than anything, he wanted to train his strength to C- as soon as possible! He began lifting weights that were several dozen kilograms heavier than his usual amount. But he immediately realized that he had made a mistake. ¡®This is still light. Come to think of it, my strength must have increased by a great amount by this point.¡¯ He was already overwhelmed by his upgrade to D+, so how would superhumans of C, B and A rank strengths feel about their own power? How strong would they be if they supplemented their strength with mana? At that point, it would be possible to lift an entire building with their strength. That¡¯s why they are called ¡®superhumans,¡¯ or ¡®beings that transcended humans.¡¯ It was a territory he could not conceive before, but he felt in his bones that he¡¯d one day be able to approach it! ¡®All right...... Let¡¯s keep it going.¡¯ He increased the weights until he felt a heavy load on his muscles. Due to their abnormal recovery rate, superhumans that were wielding mana could push the limits of their physical training as much as they wanted without worrying too much about possible damage. Due to such strenuous training, they were able to be stronger at incredible speeds. For Kang Shin-hyuk in the past, who once had no capacity for mana, it was an unimaginable process to partake. But having the ability to wield spirit power, he was now different. In fact, right at this moment, his spirit power was circting through his entire body to assert its existence and calm his mind. With the ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡¯ buff in effect, he had nothing to be afraid of. Pant, pant......! Kang Shin-hyuk began pushing himself to his absolute limit. His barbell was bing progressively heavy, but he didn¡¯t show a sign of wearing out. The funny thing was, his spirit power began rapidly circting to stimte his origin. ¡®It¡¯s painful.¡¯ ¡°I want to rest.¡¯ ¡®My arms hurt.¡¯ ¡®But still, I¡¯m enjoying this.¡¯ ¡®Because the pain is making me grow.¡¯ While his body was actively lifting up the barbell, his mind was calmly observing himself. It was not an act of distracting himself from the exercise. In fact, he was able to honestly observe himself because he was so intently focused on the exercise. ¡®I trained myself for years only to earn ant-sized rewards, so will this be enough to make me grow?¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s different now. Now, I can earn more than I did before. I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯ ¡®I want to give up.¡¯ ¡®No, I¡¯m making progress.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t let go of this opportunity.¡¯ ¡®I just want to pound on metals.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s the way to escape.¡¯ Wait. ¡®Escape¡¯? Pounding on metals is a way to ¡®escape¡¯? More than physical training, wasn¡¯t that the best way to be stronger? His movement came to a halt and he put the barbell on the floor. His spirit power¡¯s cirction had stopped. He had been observing himself without anyone¡¯s interjection, so the thought he just had must¡¯ve been of his own. ¡®But why ¡®escape¡¯......? I¡¯ve never thought of it that way. Which means......¡¯ ...... Was it Anvil¡¯s memory? Kang Shin-hyuk ced his hand on his chest. He tried to reach his spirit power again, but perhaps because he was no longer immersed in his self-observation, he wasn¡¯t able to pull off the intuition like before. ¡®Is it because synchronization is active?¡¯ The image of an old man pounding metals in a decimated world kept ringing in his mind. With mysterious monsters rampaging all over the world, the image of an old man absorbed in cksmithing to escape from reality. ¡°Sorry,¡± Kang Shin-hyuk spoke quietly to the old man¡¯s back. ¡°But now things are different.¡± Anvil¡¯s world was destroyed, but this world wasn¡¯t. cksmithing was a means to escape for him, but it wasn¡¯t for Kang Shin-hyuk. Kang Shin-hyuk lived on earth, not Merva. ¡°So don¡¯t worry. I have no ns to escape from this reality.¡± It was probably some sort of a self-constion for Kang Shin-hyuk, whom Anvil acknowledged as his reincarnation, to try tofort Anvil. But this was probably a natural part of the process of synchronizing with Anvil. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to believe so. ¡®I don¡¯t step back. I only move forward.¡¯ Anvil obtained his skills by escaping. But Kang Shin-hyuk decided to use those skills to step forward. Yup, he still hasn¡¯t escaped his cringy sentimentality. He was fine with it, though. ¡°Allll right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gripped the barbell again after emitting a deep sigh. He added a few more weights and lifted the barbell with as much strength as he could while enduring the pain of his muscles nearly rupturing. ¡®Perhaps, one day I¡¯ll go back to Merva¨C......¡¯ A thought came to his mind, but it disappeared as Kang Shin-hyuk lifted the barbell again with all his might. He continued to train hard for the rest of the night. A long night, where the sound of training equipment and the heavy breath of a man filled the whole room. Trantor and Editor Notes: 1: So, from what I can understand about this line is that the superhumans are rated by the Gaia system based off of their stats, so, pretty much none of them would be a full D Rank superhuman. That is at least my guess. Hope it helps a little. Chapter 17: The Exposed Awl - 3

Chapter 17: The Exposed Awl - 3

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno [You¡¯ve received an additional bonus of 1,000 HP for today¡¯s login!] At 6 a.m. on Saturday, Kang Shin-hyuk woke up after two hours of sleep and quickly finished two packs of his field rations. A typical superhuman could get by with only a couple of hours sleep each day thanks to their abnormal recovery rate, but Kang Shin-hyuk had slept even less than his usual sleep schedule due to the effect of the ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡¯ buff. [Tsukuyo: You¡¯re a tough one...... Seems like you still haven¡¯t deleted your ID.] [Halo: Anvil geezer, hope you¡¯re well. Wait, I forgot¨Cyou¡¯re not a geezer anymore.] [Cicatus: Why didn¡¯t you keep in touch? Are you no longer making weapons after being reincarnated or something? I was wishing for you to make a bridle for my Frozen Drake.] [Eunah: Did you sleep well, Grandpa? Eunah just woke up!] After having skimmed through the mountain of messages sent by his Hero Universe friends, he sent his first reply to Eunah, who seemed to have woken up at a simr time. Then he moved on to the rest of the messages. ¡®Though I still don¡¯t know what this Tsukuyo woman is trying to say.¡¯ What if, Kang Shin-hyuk thought, Anvil was actually closer to Tsukuyo than Eunah, which he didn¡¯t know about because his synchronization with Anvil was still iplete? But since that was something he had no way of knowing, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to ignore her for now. Tsukuyo had always replied with the same words no matter what he said to her, so ignoring her messages was the only answer. On the other hand, the notification screen on his substitutemunication device¨Ca.k.a. ¡°stick¡±¨Cwas simpler. There were a few trivial friendly messages from Baek In-ha and a text from ire. [Bartender noona: Just arrived in New York. Did you get the money?] [Kang Shin-hyuk: (emote)] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I¡¯ll buy you coffee when you visit Korea again] ire immediately replied. Even though it was about to be dawn in Seoul, New York was still sunny. [Bartender noona: K] [Bartender noona: I don¡¯t drink can coffees] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I¡¯ll buy you a whole freaking cafe lol. By the way, isn¡¯tmunicating through the Hero Universe¡¯s system more convenient?] They were already listed as friends in their Hero Universe ounts. ire gave a simple answer to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s reasonable question. [Bartender noona: Communicating like that feels like the recipient is at a different world, so I don¡¯t like it] [Bartender noona: Eunah and I usually talk through the phone or texts too.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I see......] [Bartender noona: Though whispering is more convenient inside a gate, cuz you can¡¯t get signals in there.] [Bartender noona: Not that I have anyone other than Eunah to request for rescue.] [Bartender noona: I have to go eat now. Don¡¯t skip your meals like you didst time.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Okay] Truly, there was arge gap between her looks and her personality...... Kang Shin-hyuk ended the conversation with emotes that expressed lots of love and respect. ¡°All right.¡± The pleasant conversation had cheered him up. He put his stick back in his pocket, and resumed his intensive training. As he lifted weights without a break and munched on packs of field rations whenever he was hungry, his spirit power powerfully roamed around in his body like yesterday, raising his self-awareness level to its limit. This time, he wasn¡¯t distracted by unnecessary thoughts about wanting to pound metals or escape reality. He was solely walking towards the goal of bing stronger without getting sidetracked. ¡°...... Huuuk.¡± As he was totally immersed in his training as if his sense of self had vanished from his consciousness, he sometimes felt his supply of spirit power depleting. When that happened, he replenished the supply by eating an Eiren Jelly. It felt like a special treatpared to the field rations, but because the recovery rate of his spirit power increased along with its total volume, he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about draining the supply empty. [Baek In-ha: Shinyok, are you training right now?] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Yup, I¡¯m at the individual training room] After he sent a short reply to Baek In-ha while chewing on an Eiren Jelly, Kang Shin-hyuk resumed his training. By the time he ate five more packs of field rations and one more Eiren Jelly, he had finished his weight training. ¡°Whoo, Whoooo......¡± He dropped the barbell, taking a few moments to catch his breath. His heart told him to keep lifting the barbell until his strength reached C- Rank, but upgrading his status wasn¡¯t something he could aplish in just a few hours. Until recently, he had been thinking about it in terms of years! There was no need to hurry since there was still quite a bit of time left before the ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡¯ buff expired. After he muttered such thoughts to himself, Kang Shin-hyuk moved on to his second training. It was now time to train his Fanged Wyvern Dance. ¡°Whoo.¡± He picked up a long spear out of the stock of the training-purpose weapons Emil Bolton had prepared for him. He intended to train with not only the long spear but also with the various weapons he had learned to use. He had two goals he wanted to aplish while training the Fanged Wyvern Dance. First, he wanted to transfer the intuition of the Godyer sword¡¯s sword dance that he acquired during his battle against the War Troll to other types of weapons. Kang Shin-hyuk put his faith into his trait ¡®Awakened Fanged Wyvern,¡¯ which allowed him to acquire martial arts techniques at a superhuman speed. Second, he wanted to learn more about his new ability, Weapon Upgrade, which he obtained when the ¡®The Serpent without its Pearl (A-)¡¯ evolved to ¡®Fanged Wyvern Dance (A+).¡¯ He wanted to learn especially about the feature that ¡®enhances the performance of weapons held in your hands.¡¯ ¡®As expected, if I grip a weapon with an empty mind, nothing happens.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk muttered to himself as he saw no change in the long spear he was holding. He realized that the weapon could only be enhanced if he held it with a clear, sincere will. ¡®I need to learn to freely use this ability. Even though it always promptly activated when I needed it most, I can¡¯t just rely on it toe to my rescue in every dire situation.¡¯ He also wanted to find out the extent to which the weapon could be upgraded. Understanding one¡¯s overall stock of capabilities was as important as growing stronger, he thought. ¡°...... Let¡¯s begin.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remembered back to when he performed his sword dance and fixed his posture. Even though it¡¯d be impossible to exactly reproduce the movements of that day, the meaning he embedded in his movements was more important than the forms they took. He closed his eyes gently. As he took a step forward, he slowly thrust the spear toward an imaginary point in the air. At some point, a worm-like pattern appeared on the spear. @@@ In the afternoon, Baek In-ha came to visit Kang Shin-hyuk at the training room. He was dressed casually. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°Why did youe?¡± By this point, Kang Shin-hyuk had practiced with a dagger, staff, hammer, whip and dual swords. Even though it was too early for him to try and reproduce the Godyer Sword Dance¨Ca name, he decided to give it¨Cwith other weapons, he had be quite good at applying his Weapon Upgrade ability. ¡°Shinyok, can you really lift this up?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put the whip he was holding on the floor and lifted the barbell. As he did, Baek In-ha checked the weight on the barbell and eximed ¡°woah¡± with an impressed look. Of course, Baek In-ha himself could lift the barbell with ease, but that was to be expected from someone who¡¯s among the top 1st-year students. Most 1st-year students would have to reinforce their strength with mana to barely lift the barbell. But the barbell was being lifted by his friend who could not wield magical power! ¡°Did you eat some ginseng or something? (1) How did you get so strong in such a short time?¡± ¡°I told you I grew stronger.¡± ¡°At least give me a hint of how you did it.¡± Hearing those words, Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed a sword and pointed it at Baek In-ha. Baek In-ha saw a curious pattern engraved on the sword, and a clear sign that the weapon has gone through an upgrade, a product of Kang Shin-hyuk training his new ability for hours. ¡°Wow.¡± Baek In-ha looked as if he had realized something. He was indeed an elite among elites, having urately discerned the magnitude of the weapon¡¯s enhancement with a single look. ¡°Is that a skill?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a trait. I told you my trait was upgraded.¡± ¡°Dude, this is not just an upgrade; it¡¯s more like an evolution.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡± ¡°Holy crap! That¡¯s insane!¡± There have been known cases of a trait going through an evolution, but it was an extremely rare urrence. Even so, it was widely believed that traits that were born as strong were weaker than traits that evolved to be strong. In other words, even if two are the same A Rank traits, the one that evolved to be A Rank was stronger. ¡°So how is it?¡± ¡°A+.¡± ¡°Holy fuck!¡± Baek In-ha cheerfully tried to hug Kang Shin-hyuk, but Kang Shin-hyuk dodged the embrace with tant disgust. Still, Baek In-ha was smiling with happiness all over his face. ¡°I knew our Shinyok could do it. At this pace, you might even awaken magical power!¡± ¡°Pff.¡± It wasn¡¯t magical power he had awakened, it was spirit power, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. He softly scoffed at Baek In-ha¡¯s response, but on the inside, his heart was about to drop. Kang Shin-hyuk slipped away from him, wary that he might see through his secret. Fortunately, Baek In-ha didn¡¯t notice him retracting because he was nodding in satisfaction to his own thoughts. ¡°So your status climbed at once when your trait evolved. Come to think of it, if your weapon is enhanced by a trait, you could probably use it to beat the crap out of a monster without using any magical power. Wait, will the enhancement amplify with a stronger weapon?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± The Awakened Wyvern was the perfect trait to hide his spirit power¡¯s existence because there was no way of telling that the upgrade came from a power other than his trait. After all, the visual effect of the Awakened Wyvern was morous, so people¡¯s attention would be directed there. Kang Shin-hyuk was confident he could deceive everyone who couldn¡¯t detect spirit power. ¡°I see why you joined the new studentpetition. Maybe you¡¯ll fight against me next year at the school-widepetition.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably sweep the floor next year.¡± ¡°Look at that confidence.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk seemed too confident to call his statement a bluff. While Baek In-ha suspected that his friend was hiding something, he decided not to pursue his curiosity. Kang Shin-hyuk would tell him when he wanted; he figured. ¡°Ah, right, Shinyok. I came here cuz I had something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard the Thunder Empress is visiting for sports day!¡± ¡°...... Why?¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk asked back, wrinkles formed on his forehead. He was worried just by the mention of the name. ¡°She¡¯sing as the representative of the association. Also, the Thunder Empress is a Shinyoung alumnus.¡± ¡°Is that so......¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you in advance. The Thunder Empress is mine, so you should give up.¡± ¡°In-ha.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk softly called the name of his greatly determined friend whose fists were clenched. Baek In-ha got a little nervous at the kind, gentle voice of Kang Shin-hyuk that he had never heard since knowing him. ¡°Uh, uh?¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tapped Baek In-ha on the shoulder with a gentle smile. It was a sincere wish of good luck without a shred of a lie. Baek In-ha looked perplexed but gave him a firm nod. ¡°Then I¡¯ll seduce the Thunder Empress and be next president of the association!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Baek In-ha continued talking about sports day but soon got kicked out by Kang Shin-hyuk. He could not waste any more of his precious ¡®Increased Blood Flow¡¯ buff¡¯s remaining effective period. ¡°So the Thunder Empress ising......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk muttered to himself after kicking Baek In-ha out of the room. Having that information in advance was a gain for him; he could at least emotionally prepare for the impending meeting with her. ¡®ire said that she¡¯d find out in no time, but to think I¡¯ll meet her this soon......¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk checked his message log and frowned after seeing the stream of messagesing from Eunah every 30 minutes. What would happen when she finds out who he really is? He pondered and came to a conclusion. ¡°Let¡¯s hide it for now.¡± Even though having the Thunder Empress on his side could be a huge advantage, he was too focused on developing his newly earned abilities to greater heights, so revealing his identity could only lead to more troubles. She was incredibly bothersome even in this moment, not even knowing they live in the same world! ...... But will he seed? ire figured out who he was in a sh¨Cwill he be able to hide his identity from a girl who¡¯s been calling him ¡°Grandpa¡± all this time? More than anything should he hide his identity? That Thunder Empress of all people was blindly affectionate of him...... Wait, no, no. ¡°Forget about it¨Clet¡¯s just train.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk repeatedly shook his head as if to ward off any thoughts rted to Eunah and began to swing his weapon again. It was too early to fully reproduce the Godyer Sword Dance with other weapons, butpared to the morning, he had significantly improved. The Awakened Wyvern was an exceptional skill when it came to cultivating his martial arts skills! He moved from practicing with a whip to practicing with a hammer, then moved onto a sword and back to the spear. He¡¯d drop the current weapon, use that hand to grab a pack of field rations or an Eiren Jelly and put it in his mouth as he grabbed the next weapon with the other hand. Whip for 30 minutes, eat, hammer for another 30 minutes, eat, move onto the dagger, eat again...... The process repeated endlessly. Vrrrr As he devoted all his attention to fend off the unnecessary thoughts, he had earlier, the weapon in his hand intensely vibrated. ¡°Hm?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk came to his senses. Without knowing, he was holding the Godyer sword. He could feel his spirit power escaping his body to encase the sword as a whole. It was as if the sword and his spirit power had merged as one. But then. [The Godyer sword has sessfully consumed the axe¡¯s strengths and will upgrade to C Rank.] [You are about to view a fraction of the memories residing in the axe.] ¡°Huh......?¡± As Kang-Shin Hyuk excitedly eximed at the timely message, The image of the axe¡¯s strong origin filled his consciousness. Trantor and Editor Notes: (1) Ginseng is... considered to be the cure-all/panacea by some Koreans. Baek In-ha is saying that as a joke here. Chapter 18: The Exposed Awl - 4

Chapter 18: The Exposed Awl - 4

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno The axe had been crafted in a spacious workshop containing an ever burning brazier infused with a small amount of magical power, a worn anvil, and a blunt hammer. And the workshop was upied by an old cksmith. ¡®This one¡¯s a failure.¡¯ The cksmith thought while looking at thepleted axe. He had been too distracted while making the weapon. The cksmith always tried tomit to his work with an empty mind, but it was sometimes inevitable to be distracted by random unnecessary thoughts. Most of them were quite unpleasant. They included the memories of the end of the world, the sorrow of losing his family, and the rage against the interdimensional invaders that caused all those tragedies. Sometimes those dark emotions would stir inside him uncontrobly, causing him to make a defective weapon. Although the purpose of a weapon was to harm another living being, a weapon crafted in such a somber state of mind possessed an excessively violent aura. ¡®Not that I can kill my own child that had just sprung out into this world.¡¯ The cksmith registered the weapon in the trade board of Hero Universe while clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction. He hoped the weapon would meet the right owner who¡¯d correct the axe¡¯s unstable aura to its rightful bnce. [Anonymous has purchased your item. You¡¯ve received a total of 176,500HP!] The axe was sold in no time. It was amon urrence. The cksmith had judged the axe to be a failure a moment ago, but his friends of the Hero Universemunity always regarded his weapons as top-quality. But. ¡®Another anonymous user. They all seem to be the same person, though.¡¯ A user with a hidden identity, who always appeared out of nowhere like a ghost, to buy his products that emitted especially violent auras. It was a well-known fact that trading anonymously was only possible with a high membership tier for a special type of product, and the cksmith wasn¡¯t quite happy specting about the kind of people interested in these products. ¡®I should probably not sell these kinds of weapons......¡¯ The cksmith thought about it, but didn¡¯t think for long. Even a weapon possessing an excessive violent aura could transform into a different weapon when wielded by the right owner. The cksmith was merely the crafter of the weapon; he was not someone responsible for the weapon¡¯s fate. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are...... but please take good care of it.¡± The cksmith muttered to himself and closed his eyes to shake off his remaining uneasiness. As he did, his consciousness began to fade into the void. When he came to his senses, he was standing idly in the middle of the training room. [Your synchronization rate is increasing. Assimtion rate is now at 1.7%...... 1.8%.] Kang Shin-hyuk fully came to his senses at the message of his synchronization rate increasing. He was struck by a mixture of emptiness, rage, doubt, desperation, resignation, vengeance, and countless other feelings, but they all soon evaporated. He had never felt that way before while his synchronization rate was increasing. Kang Shin-hyuk could sympathize with some of his feelings, but he had no time to waste by clinging onto them. He forcefully shook his head trying to shake off the memories of the cksmith that was taking over his mind. ¡®The Administrator was right¨Cthis weapon was crafted by me before the reincarnation.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk momentarily felt regretful that he could not directly benefit from having the axe for himself as it was now totally absorbed by the Godyer sword, but that was an unnecessary feeling. The Godyer sword had devoured the weapon down to its roots, to its origin. What that entailed was that the Godyer sword could be enhanced at a faster rate by possessing the origins of several weapons inside itself. Of course, only the origins of powerful weapons could produce any notable effects. Kang Shin-hyuk had realized one more thing. ¡®The Troll¡¯s manic pursuit of spirit power could have been due to the negative aura residing in the axe...... If that was the case, who bought the weapon, and how did it end up in the Troll¡¯s hand?¡± Perhaps because Kang Shin-hyuk was Anvil himself, he could obtain the memories of when the weapon was crafted, but the rest were still kept in the dark. He could do no better than surmise that it had something to do with Hero Universe. After all, the Administrator said that Hero Universe was the gathering point of heroes, not the gathering point of good people. ¡®If I get attacked like that again...... No¨Cit would be meaningless to worry about it for now.¡¯ Suppose that a new enemy finds him with another of Anvil¡¯s weapons in its hand. How would he predict its urrence, and in what ways could he prepare for it? But for Kang Shin-hyuk, the best he could do was to focus on the present, doing his absolute best for each moment. Just like he was training at this moment, putting all his might into the task and nothing else. But as Kang Shin-hyuk infused his spirit power into the Godyer sword while having such thoughts, his heart suddenly began to pound rapidly and his entire body¡¯s blood began to boil. [The origin of the axe residing in the Godyer sword and the energy within your blood have integrated. With the help of your spirit power and trait, you have awakened a new special ability, ¡®Recovery¡¯!] ¡°Wh-what......?¡± His body was hot as if a dormant organ whose existence he didn¡¯t know about, had just started functioning. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to understand the change in his body by carefully reading the message in front of him with the feeling that his mind was being lifted, as if he was drunk. ¡®Recovery?¡¯ ¡®The axe¡¯s origin and the energy within my blood have integrated?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk immediately knew what that meant¨Cthe ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± buff! The ¡°energy¡± within his blood could onlye from that buff! The ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± buff was activated by consuming the War Troll¡¯s heart, and the axe that the Godyer sword absorbed belonged to the same monster. As the two integrated through his spirit power, the temporary buff of ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± had be a permanent special ability. Kang Shin-hyuk had understood the oue, but he still had difficulty understanding the process. ¡®A ¡°special ability,¡± rather than a ¡°skill¡±......¡¯ He had only known magical power as a special ability before he awakened spirit power by logging into Hero Universe. Superhuman training academies usually didn¡¯t lecture about the topic of ¡°special abilities¡± either, and there was virtually no external research on ¡°special abilities¡± other than magical power. Despite that, Kang Shin-hyuk had just awokenakened his second ¡°special ability,¡± something other than magical power. ¡®This probably isn¡¯t normal.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think it was likely that he was the only person possessing such an ability, but he wasn¡¯t about to spread the word to the world about his new ability to find his fellowrades. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s called ¡°Recovery,¡±...... Is it simr to a Troll¡¯s regeneration ability? Though if it is, my regeneration would be nothingpared to that.¡¯ As a matter of fact, Kang Shin-hyuk felt that his body was more energized than before. Perhaps because the new ability was awakened by his spirit power, Kang Shin-hyuk could instinctively understand its power. It felt like the pinnacle of all living things¡¯ natural healing abilities. Even though both are special abilities, ¡°Recovery¡± was an absurdly simple powerpared to spirit power, which could be applied in many different ways. Still, ¡°simple¡± was good enough for him. [Kang Shin-hyuk: C- Rank] [Special Abilities] Spirit Power ¨C D Recovery ¨C F As expected, a new column had appeared in his special abilities window. Because his new ability was at the starting point of F Rank, the most he could expect it to do was to restore his body¡¯s condition at a faster rate, but that was still a blessing for a close-range type superhuman who was always physically active, in practice or in activebat. ......Though he still had no idea how to effectively train this ability! ¡°All these gains from one ss of Troll Heart cocktail. How do I express my thanks to ire......? No¨Clet¡¯s think about thatter.¡± While it was true that ire¡¯s more-than-perfect cocktail contributed to his second awakening, his ability to extract the origins of objects yed a much greater role. Moreover, he thought, ire probably isn¡¯t more knowledgeable about regeneration abilities any more than himself. So, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to dy revealing his new ability to her until their friendship became close enough to talk about his abilities in detail. ¡®Hm, I hope we be that close.¡¯ Just as Kang Shin-hyuk let out a faint smile while thinking back to his memory of ire shaking her shaker with a serious look on her face, he came to his senses and pped his own cheek. This isn¡¯t the time to indulge in stupid daydreams, he thought. He had sworn to himself to grow as much as possible while the ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± buff was in effect! ¡®I can probably push myself harder with my body being able to recover faster. All right, let¡¯s continue training!¡¯ From that point on, Kang Shin-hyuk trained with unprecedented passion. With the regenerative power added to the buff, his movements were like those of a machine, showing no signs of slowing down except during breaks to eat something. It was not a performance one could pull off with high physical stats alone. Without the support of his strong mind and will, Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t have been able to engage in such strenuous training. But those two things were the only notable qualities he had for a long time. So strong, in fact, that he felt even Anvil, who had forged for decades, couldn¡¯t surpass the strength of his mind and will. If that wasn¡¯t the case, he couldn¡¯t have enrolled into the world¡¯s best superhuman training academy as a nobody who had no talent whatsoever in using mana. @@@ [Eunah: Grandpa......Eunah wants to rest but there¡¯s work to doo. :(] [Janus: Hey geezer, is the new Godyer sword done yet?] [Bartender noona: Hey Shin-hyuk, did you know that Eunah¡¯sing at your sports day!?] [Baek In-ha: IIII hateee training. IIIII hateeee training.] [You¡¯ve received a login bonus of 500HP!] Kang Shin-hyuk kept diligently training even after the sunrise. While feeling sorry, he decided to ignore the messages that wereing to his Hero Universe ount and to his personal stick. He kept switching from one weapon to the next to perfect his sword dance techniques while exercising his physical body to death. The field rations piled up on one side of the training room and the Eiren Jellies in his Hero Universe shop inventory quickly diminished in number. [Your buff ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± has expired.] [Your body has limated to high-speed blood flow and ¡®Recovery¡¯ has been upgraded to (F+) Rank.] The deadline came to greet him even though his Strength level had remained unchanging. Having reached Sunday night, the ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± buff, which caused his rapid growth, had ended. But still, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t stop. Even though ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± had expired, ¡°Recovery¡±¨Cwhich had now been upgraded to (F+) Rank¨Cwas still in effect. He wasn¡¯t confident whether he¡¯d have enough strength to stand by morning, but Kang Shin-hyuk decided to not worry about his condition for now. ¡®I think it¡¯ll upgrade if I push just a little more.¡¯ Normally Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t ce much faith in his own intuition, but now that he was observing his body with the aid of spirit power, he could feel even the slightest of changes in each part of his body with great vividness. There was a clear sign of growth. Not only for strength, but also for agility. On top of that, he could feel the blood cirction relieving himself of fatigue and delivering a sense of fresh energy. Spirit power training was a more definite solution to understanding himself than a status window, he thought. ¡®A little more.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his teeth as he inserted two additional 50kg tes onto the barbell. Although it was a little too much, he decided to bet on his new ability, ¡°Recovery.¡± An acute pain rushed in, but Kang Shin-hyuk still lifted. ¡®Just a little more.¡¯ After he found his limit, he tempered himself by increasing the weight several times. He felt like passing out, but human beings were the kind of creatures that could surpass its limits with sheer determination. ¡°Keeeunng......!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk lifted the barbell with a shriek that he wouldn¡¯t want others to hear. The concept of ¡°limit¡± was already erased in his head. All that was left in him was a simple desire to move forward. With his teeth clenched, he lifted the damn metal bar on top of him. ¡°Heeeeuuuppp!¡± How long had it been? He couldn¡¯t count how many times he had lifted the barbell and had already gone beyond and above the limits of his recovery rate. Not being able to lift nor let go of the barbell, he felt like his arms would be detached by loosening his hand¡¯s strengths by the tiniest amount. Just when his mind wentpletely white. ¡®I¡¯m moving forward.¡¯ As soon as he instinctively moved his arms to the voiceing from an unknown direction, he miraculously lifted the barbell as if it was a piece of paper. In a moment that felt as long as an eternity, every cell of his body was dramatically enhanced. He felt his whole body palpitate as if it had be a heart. He then realized that the voice he heard earlier came from none other than himself. [Your Strength has been upgraded to (C-) Rank.] [Your Agility has been upgraded to (C+) Rank.] [You have surpassed your own limit. Your spirit power has been upgraded to (D+) Rank.] A stream of notifications proving his growth appeared before Kang Shin-hyuk. His strength, agility and spirit power had been upgraded all at once! He felt the upgrades when he lifted the barbell, but he was moved even more by seeing the evidence with his own eyes. His strong will yed arge role, but if he wasn¡¯t supported by his spirit power in thatst moment, the upgrades would have been impossible. Through this experience, he had learned more deeply about how tomunicate with and strengthen himself, bing able to use his abilities more efficiently. Now, he thought, he wouldn¡¯t get exhausted from a single strike like he did during his fight against Do woojin. ¡°Ha......¡± It was finally over. Kang Shin-hyuk first calmly put down the barbell. A glimpse of the still dark night sky could be seen out the window. The time on his stick read 4 a.m. ¡®Then, it should be fine. Well, probably.¡¯ ¡°Whoo.¡± With a faint smile, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t get up from his spot. Three hourster, if it weren¡¯t for Baek In-ha who came to the training room out of concern for his friend, he would¡¯ve beente to school. Trantor and Editor Notes: Chapter 19: The Sports Day’s Dark Horse - 1

Chapter 19: The Sports Day''s Dark Horse - 1

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno [Today¡¯s login bonus is one roulette coin. By gathering five coins, you¡¯ll earn one attempt to spin the VIP roulette!] ¡°Shinyok, Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± It was Monday morning before the start of first ss. Kang Shin-hyuk replied with a careless look, pushing Baek In-ha¡¯s face away. In fact, he was in his best physical condition. His status had grown several times, and his new recovery power hasn¡¯t been lying around idly. Even though it was still at (F+) Rank, its effect during sleep was top-notch. ¡°You looked like a real corpse this morning.¡± ¡°I was just sleeping. I¡¯m totally fine now.¡± However, Baek In-ha, who did not know about the existence of his new recovery ability, had yet to forget what he saw in the morning. When Kang Shin-hyuk was about to push him again, their ssroom teacher came into the ss. ¡°This week is Shinyoung sports day¡¯s preparation week. But most sses will still be normally conducted, so don¡¯t doze off during your sses.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°Okay, then, make sure you don¡¯t get hurt during today¡¯s sses. Baek In-ha, please follow me for a moment.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Aite.¡± They were probably going to talk about the school-widepetition. Baek In-ha was the only student from C ss whom one could expect to achieve an excellent performance in thepetition. Kang Shin-hyuk waved his hand to Baek In-ha, who was following Siara Bertrand and took his textbook out of his desk preparing for the first lecture. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°What is it, Do Woojin?¡± At the very moment when Baek In-ha left the ssroom following his teacher, Kang Shin-hyuk was approached by Do Woojin, who previously lost in a sparring match against him. Come to think of it; he often felt Do Woojin¡¯s stare in the ssroom. Perhaps he doesn¡¯t have any friends either, Kang Shin-hyuk thought at first. But. Looking at the guys behind him that were giggling at Kang Shin-hyuk, he seemed to have good friends. ¡°Join the rookiepetition. I¡¯ll show you my actual skills there. If you don¡¯t participate, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmly answered and took out an energy bar from his bag. The ¡°Increased Blood Flow¡± buff was already gone¨Cwas the frequent hunger due to possessing a minor version of the buff? When Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head and opened the wrapping paper of the energy bar, Do Woojin spoke with a sneer. ¡°Don¡¯t get eliminated in the preliminary round. I¡¯m telling you just in case you¡¯re mistaken, but you¡¯re allowed to bring your own weapons to the rookiepetition. If you bring a toy like a training-purpose spear, you¡¯ll be out of thepetition before you even see my face.¡± ¡°You came here just to tell me that?¡± ¡°I know you have hidden skills, but the real strength of a superhuman is brought out by using a befitting weapon. If you get cocky for winning thest match, you¡¯ll fall apart in no time. Be prepared.¡± Do Woojin left once he finished, his friends tailing behind. Kang Shin-hyuk paused as he ate another energy bar, thinking nkly as he watched Do Woojin¡¯s back. As if the days of scolding Kang Shin-hyuk for hisck of mana never existed, he seemed to think that Kang Shin-hyuk was an opponent who he had to defeat by fighting fair. ¡®Of course, I already knew all that. You can bring up to two pieces of equipment including the artifacts, if I remember.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have a shield, but he had a weapon. He had the Godyer sword, which had recently grown to C Rank after absorbing the axe and its spirit power. Through its higher rank, its durability and strength had been greatly enhanced. It was unlikely to be pushed back even when shing against another formidable weapon. But that was it. There were two special abilities possessed by the Godyer sword. However, ¡°Regression¡± waspletely useless for thepetition and ¡°de Predation¡± could only lead to troublesome situations, so its existence had to be tightly sealed. ¡®Will I be able to fight against artifacts containing more than one special ability with such a sword?¡¯ ¡®No, I¡¯ll have to do well if the sword can¡¯t.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk kicked away the anxiety that was crawling up in his mind. The battle was in his hands, not the swords. All the sword had to do was endure without breaking. After all, he was already...... ¡®Status Window.¡¯ [Kang Shin Hyuk: C Rank] [Traits] Awakened Fanged Wyvern (A+) ¨C Allows you to rapidly acquire martial arts techniques. Amplifies the effects of martial arts techniques and enhances your weapon¡¯s abilities. [Physical Stats] Strength: C- Agility: C+ Stamina: C- [Special abilities] Spirit Power: D+ Recovery: F+ [Skills] Fanged Wyvern Dance (S-): B- cksmithing: E ¡®Whoo.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes filled with satisfaction as he looked at his status window. His strength and stamina were at (C-), and his agility was at (C+). His spirit power had been upgraded to (D+), and he now had ¡®Recovery¡¯ added to his special abilities. But that wasn¡¯t all. The Fanged Wyvern Dance, a core skill that strengthened all martial arts techniques, was (B-) Rank. With that added to the calction, his overall superhuman rank was C Rank. The rank set directly by the Gaia system was absolute. Kang Shin-hyuk himself was also convinced he now had the ability to do as much as a C Rank. He had grown immensely since fighting Do Jinwoo. ¡®I can do this.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t going to stay content by only beating Do Jinwoo. If possible, he wanted to try to win the rookiepetition, or in other words, win the Rookie of the Year award. It was quite thrilling for him to imagine bing Rookie of the Year after being treated like a loser in the Academy. For someone who grabbed everybody¡¯s attention for his deficiency in mana. If he performed well in the rookiepetition, he¡¯d be in the spotlight in a different way. But he wasn¡¯t afraid of that at all. If he was bothered by people¡¯s attention, he wouldn¡¯t have enrolled at Shinyoung in the first ce. ¡®I¡¯ll win. No matter what.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk swore to himself again with great determination. For a moment, the memory of his awakening five years ago shed back to his mind, but unlike before; it wasn¡¯t apanied with a sense of despair. @@@ After school that day, Kang Shin-hyuk filed his application for the rookiepetition. The scene of Kang Shin-hyuk confidently submitting an application to his teacher created another stir in the ssroom, but he didn¡¯t feel as bad as before. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that his trait evolved¡¯ ¡°Or skill awakening. After all, it¡¯s all thanks to his bullshit skill that he got into Shinyoung. Eighteen Techniques or something? ¡°Isn¡¯t that what he obtained along with his trait? Then it¡¯s gotta be trait evolution.¡± As soon as Kang Shin-hyuk heard the students whispering on the side of the room, he turned around to look at Baek In-ha, who shook his head firmly. Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t very surprised, thinking that themotion was inevitable as the causes of his sudden growth could easily be narrowed down to one or two possibilities. ¡®Though it¡¯s probably not thatmon to see a trait evolution...... That¡¯s the creativity of teenagers¡¯ minds for you.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for his evolution to be known. That was because he intended to reveal in the first ce. Though when it came to his spirit power, it waspletely necessary to have it hidden in the farthest corner of the closet. His indifference for its reveal was the reason for telling Baek In-ha about it without a second thought. He wasn¡¯t sure how he would think about it, but he disclosed it, nevertheless, because he thought Baek In-ha knowing about it wouldn¡¯t matter much. He felt a little sorry, but it was true. ¡°Okay, then.¡± [What are you going to do today, our dear member?] Kang Shin-hyuk, who had just rushed out of the ssroom, received a message from the Administrator. He knew very well why the Administrator sent the message. A faint smile formed around his mouth. It was funny, but he thought the Administrator was acting a little cute. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go to the workshop. Now that I¡¯ve achieved my goal from training, it¡¯s about time for me to face Anvil.¡± [A 10HP bonus to our dear member!] In response to the expected response, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled again. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just a decision made to please the Administrator, but a reflex of contemting his abilities and the positive directions of their growth. But since his physical stats had just grown over the weekend, a little more training during the day probably wasn¡¯t going to make a big difference. The buff had already expired, so there was no merit in putting his body under strain again. ¡®If I push myself too hard, I might get injuries that an (F+) Rank healing ability can¡¯t fix easily.¡¯ On the other hand, cksmithing was an efficient training method that helped his spirit power grow without putting too much strain on his body, and it was also a means to regain more ess to VIP benefits by increasing the synchronization rate. Moreover, as only a maximum of two pieces of equipment was allowed to be brought into the rookiepetition, he intended to make an effective piece of equipment for thepetition. ¡®I¡¯d better make a shield because I already have the Godyer sword, and also...... Wait, no.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it just that I want to use a hammer?¡¯ Faced with his true intention, Kang Shin-hyuk burst intoughter. Perhaps he actually sympathized with Anvil in his ¡°cksmithing as a means to escape¡± memory while pretending with himself to disagree with such a sentiment. After all, he was trying to reward himself after having gone through the real-life business of aplishing his training goal. It was funny. Everything was the driving force behind his growth, so there was no need to hesitate or feel disturbed. He just had to focus on what his instinct guided him to do. You be good at what you like to do, he thought. Doing what you like makes you strong. There¡¯s no greater blessing, and that had nothing to do with the previous life, present life, impulse or memory. [Great decision, our dear member. If you seed in producing a good weapon with your metallurgical techniques, you can try feeding it to the Godyer sword to possibly raise its rank by another notch.] Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s stream of thoughts was cut off by the Administrator¡¯s timely message. He decided not to worry about metallurgical training anymore and replied with a more rxed look. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, too, and I wonder how much more I can strengthen a C Rank weapon by feeding it with steel that was handed out for student activities. No matter the effectiveness of ¡°de Predation,¡± it can¡¯t just receive another upgrade by feeding on some scraps.¡± [There¡¯s always a possibility. What¡¯s more, we may be able to produce better weapons now that synchronization has progressed.] ¡°That¡¯s true, too. I¡¯ll think about it once I make a shield.¡± [A 100HP gift of joy to our dear member!] After finishing the conversation with the Administrator, Kang Shin-hyuk made up his mind and headed for the Wyvern Hall. Except, a problem was waiting for him at the door. ¡°Hey, you right there. Stop for a second.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was called by someone as soon as he was about to enter the Wyvern Hall. He first scanned the person¡¯s uniform and tie. A 2nd-year Knight major, wearing...... A red cape. ¡°Are you that Kang Shin-hyuk or something?¡± ¡°Yes, but,...... Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Yoo Min-joon, 2nd-year A-ss.¡± The cape he was wearing was engraved with a dragon flying into the sky, emitting a transcendent aura that couldn¡¯t be captured by ordinary human beings. The cape symbolized the Wyvern Knights, one of the three major student organizations of Shinyoung Academy. Unfortunately, the cape was justifying his arrogant attitude. ¡°It¡¯s been noisytely. Apparently, a top 1st-year student was beaten by a piece of garbage who couldn¡¯t even use mana.¡± Yoo Min-joon said with a cold look. The top 1st-year student was probably referring to Do Jinwoo. It was true; Do Jinwoo was one of the most notable students among the 1st-year Knight majors. However, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know that word about his defeat over Do Jinwoo had already reached 2nd-year students. ¡°So I remembered his name and face, but what a letdown...... I guess there wasn¡¯t much to expect from him.¡± Yoo Min-joon gave an ice-cold re at Kang Shin-hyuk. It was a look of disdain, as if he was a bug by his foot. A look that seemed to have figured him out without knowing him. It wasn¡¯t very pleasant. [It¡¯s a shame that this waste can¡¯t even catch a glimpse of your true strength.] A somehow angry-sounding message from the Administrator appeared before Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes, but he focused on the person in front of him without answering. Not that he was about to do anything; he was just wondering how strong such an arrogant person would be. Then suddenly, a thread of spirit power smoothly stretched out from his body and swam through the air, touching Yoo Min-joon¡¯s body for a moment, which Yoo Min-joon didn¡¯t notice. ¡®Oh, I see.¡¯ At that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk contacted Yoo Min-jun¡¯s origin and was able to roughly understand his strengths. His spirit power had naturally reacted to his desire to know more about Yoo Min-jun. It was a very mysterious experience, but quite familiar at the same time. It didn¡¯t feel that different from when he extracted the origin of objects. But if those were two-waymunications, the current interaction was a one-sided peek into the other person¡¯s origin! ¡®Spirit power surely is a force that can¡¯t bepared to mana.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk, who thought that connecting to the origin of things and amplifying their potential was everything that spirit power could do, had once again realized his ignorance. But now that he¡¯s deeply realized his misunderstanding, there wouldn¡¯t be such a mistake in the future. Once again, he had learned the greatness of spirit power as well as the importance of training. But, putting that aside, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. ¡®I might win if I try.¡¯ Compared to his incredibly cocky attitude, the strength of the sunbae in front of him didn¡¯t seem so impressive. His high-level (B-) Rank average physical stats was expected as a member of the Wyvern Knights, but the most important attribute of a skill-wielder, magical power, was a mere D+ Rank. In terms of magical power alone, he was below Do Jinwoo. Even if you considered his overall stats, it was still far behind that of the War Troll that he fought a couple of days ago. It was worth a try to fight him by using his spirit power and the Fanged Wyvern Dance, which had been upgraded to an unusual degree for a student. Actually, to put it bluntly, he didn¡¯t feel like losing now that he was well aware of the power of the Awakened Fanged Wyvern. ¡°I don¡¯t know what trick you used to beat Do Jinwoo, but your fame won¡¯tst long. Without a solid base, you¡¯ll soon be exposed.¡± Without noticing that Kang Shin-hyuk was deep in his thoughts, Yoo Min-joon was still looking at him with a measured look. No longer able to ignore him, Kang Shin-hyuk faced him, clicking his tongue in his mind. ¡°......You¡¯re right, sunbae-nim. I¡¯m going topete in the rookiepetition. I just wanted to make sure that my base was rock-solid.¡± Although he was ostensibly polite to not turn the most powerful organization of the Knights majors into an enemy, he showed through his confidence that he was not inferior to anyone. ¡°So please keep an eye on me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk answered, looking straight at him. He didn¡¯t bother adding ¡°If you have the eyes for it, that is.¡± ¡°...... Ha.¡± Perhaps his confident reply was not what Yoo Min-joon had expected. Yoo Min-joon let out an explicit frown, but what more quarrels could he make with someone who confidently asked to be evaluated? He backed away after clicking his tongue. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it. I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t miss out on your games.¡± Yoo Min-jun, who didn¡¯t realize his safety in the current situation was only due to his membership in the Wyvern Knights, pushed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder hard with a sulky look on his face. When he hadpletely vanished from Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sight, the Administrator sent a slightly chilly message. [Should I report him to Hero Universe to put a bounty on his head? He¡¯ll disappear like dust in less than a month.] ¡°No, what are you doing, stop it.¡± The Administrator seemed angrier than Kang Shin-hyuk. [If you¡¯d like to take care of him yourself, I¡¯ll temporarily open a VIP private store for you. There, you can easily buy an item to erase the existence of that less-than-dust life-form without a trace.] ¡°You call it ¡°Hero Universe,¡± and are dealing with such hideous items?¡± [A true hero must know how to immerse his feet into the dark.] ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any time left if I do that kind of thing every time something like this happens.¡± This was what he has been going through ever since he enrolled in Shinyoung. Kang Shin-hyuk had forgotten about this feeling for a while after beating Do Woojin and became the center of news in the ss, but external assessments had remained the same. A lightweight without mana, who was purely lucky. A loach that blurred Shinyoung¡¯s water. ¡°But it¡¯ll be different now.¡± This was why he decided topete in the rookiepetition. You can¡¯t go to school properly if you get into trouble like this every time. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go do some cksmithing. I¡¯m going to have to get my spirit power powered up.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hurried his way in a calm manner. However, he decided to keep the name Yoo Min-joon in mind. A person whom he¡¯d have no trouble overpowering, even though he was forced to back down by considering the power of the group behind him. If he endured his humiliation now, he¡¯d get a chance one day to repay that humiliation. ...... And that day is probably not that far away. [Keut (1)...... A 100HP bonus to our dear member!] ¡°No, why are you giving me a bonus like a middle-aged man ordering another beer at a bar?¡± [A 200HP bonus to our dear member!] Trantor and Editor Notes: (1) Onomatopoeia for a deeply impressed sob. Chapter 20: The Sports Day’s Dark Horse - 2

Chapter 20: The Sports Day''s Dark Horse - 2

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno The workshop which he returned to after a couple of days was as cozy and tranquil as he found itst time. No matter what sort of disaster happened outside, the room had maintained the same appearance. Looking around the room, he noticed that his temper had cooled down, which was heated by meeting an irritating sunbae. Of course, the irritation hadn¡¯t sunkpletely. ¡°Then...... Let¡¯s get started.¡± [A shield would be a good idea.] The Administrator, who had been talking about whether Yoo Min-joon should live, calmly responded to his cooling temperament. He turned his eyes to the steel ingots piled up in one corner. Perhaps because his emotions were ahead of his head, his spirit power naturally stretched out and encased the whole pile. The faint feelings he received from the steel ingots ran head-on against the anger that rumbled inside his heart, wiping out the anger at its roots. ¨C Vrrr But there was one feeling that survived inside him. He had a faint but clear anger that was about to fade at any moment. It wasing from the bottom of the pile of ingots. From the moment it entered the workshop, the ingot was waiting to be reborn as a great weapon, but being constantly buried under the pile, its anger had umted to the point of being manifested on its surface. ¡®Well, this is......¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t all; along with those feelings, a faint memory had slipped into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head. It was a memory rting to Lee Manwoo, the supervising teacher of the Artifacts Production Club. It was a scene of him holding the hammer that Kang Shin-hyuk previously used and pounding on metal ced on top of the anvil. There was another person next to him, but the memory faded into the abyss before he could recognize her face. [Dear member?] ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go with this guy.¡± [But...... Okay. After all, metals with distinct emotions are more likely to be artifacts.] Whatever memory it possessed, the emotions the ingot emitted matched him very well. Though Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t believe that he could make an artifact. He overheard the message from the Administrator who still highly valued him and picked up the ingot to put it in the brazier. He thought nkly at the sight of the red-hot ingot. ¡®If I¡¯m going to create a shield, I¡¯m going to have to melt the ingot more than I did for the weapon.¡¯ He decided to think about exactly what he was going to make after melting it. Despite that n, however, Kang Shin-hyuk immediately began hammering as soon as the ingot melted moderately. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He couldn¡¯t stay still any longer. ng! ng! ng! The hammering itself was much more mature than the first attempt, but there was a tantly wild feeling involved that could not stay hidden. It was hard to tell whether he was affected by the emotions of the ingot, or whether it was the externalization of his own anger. From the moment the iron was melted, his spirit power had already covered his body and the ingot, making the distinction impossible to make. ng! ng! ng! The metal was getting slowly yet consistently elongated as the hammering continued. It didn¡¯t take the form of a shield no matter how you looked at it, but the Administrator decided to keep watching without interrupting the process. This was because it had already predicted this to happen. ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk has been good at hiding his feelings since his childhood. At a young age, he lost his parents and had to grow up in an orphanage. His newly awakened trait was nothing more than a glittering apricot (1), and he sweated blood for years to be admitted to Shinyoung, only to be treated like a ck sheep (2) by everyone else. He was never in a circumstance where he could express his feelings honestly. That¡¯s why he had to press on. Having gotten used to bottling up his feelings, he had forgotten how to express them. ng! ng! ng! However, he could not keep telling lies in front of Anvil. The cksmithing skills he acquired in his previous life was the practice of revealing everything about himself to what he worked on. Just as the ingot had emancipated Kang Shin-hyuk of his anger through the connection established by his spirit power, Kang Shin-hyuk was beginning to clear the metal of the anger that had been residing within it for quite a long time. ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk became totally absorbed into the task and pressed on the metal. Even while adding two more ingots into the brazier, his hammering did not stop. His spirit power started enveloping the whole workshop. The amount of spirit power released would have been unbearable if he tried a couple of days ago, but it became manageable after securing his spirit power level at D+ Rank. ¡®I¡¯ve never done anything like this.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk thought in his deep concentration. ¡®It¡¯s definitely the second time I¡¯ve tried cksmithing...... But why?¡¯ ¡®I feel like this is the third time.¡¯ He had a curious sense of deja vu. ng! ng! ng! Soon after he had the thought, he began to hear the sound of hammering in his head. A hammering sound different from his. It was the sound of Anvil¡¯s hammering. @@@ The memory belonged to Anvil¡¯s early days of joining the Hero Universe. ng! ng! ng! As Kang Shin-hyuk did from the moment he first entered the clubroom¡¯s workshop, the cksmith kept working on the iron. Anvil¡¯s hammering, which had been full of passion at the beginning, now contained the resentment against the fallen world, longing for everything he lost and anger at those who took everything from him. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk did, he also couldn¡¯t hide his feelings while he smithed. Swoosh, swoosh...... Although he decided to focus only on shaping the metal in a deeply immersed state of mind, what he faced after he sharpened its tip was a spear infused with so much hate that it could not be held properly. ¡°This is...... Whoo, I¡¯ve made a silly mistake.¡± The cksmith let out a soft sigh before the failed weapon. The anger that was seething inside him had to be his own, never to escape his body. He didn¡¯t want to put his weapon, which he deemed equally as his child, under the same burden since the moment of its birth. Even if he tried to forget the feeling, or at least keep his mind straight so as not to have it exposed, whenever he let his mind be guided by his instinct, the shadows he so forcefully tried to suppress rose on their feet to haunt him again. ¡°This one¡¯s a failure. This one¡¯s a failure.¡± He seriously agonized over whether he should list the weapon on themunity he recently joined, Hero Universe¡¯s trade board. A ce where various items from all sorts of dimensions are gathered, the Hero Universe. It urred to him that his weapon might bring about an unintended adverse effect by selling it there. He was crafting alone in a dying world, but the folks in Hero Universe had endless possibilities. In fact, he thought, it was ridiculous to try to mix himself in with such a group. [That¡¯s not really true, dear member.] The Administrator, who had been positive with him from the moment they¡¯ve met, sided with him once again. [Even if the weapon may possess a violent aura, it can be used to protect people. Just as you, with all your anger inside, are making weapons for others.] ¡°But you¡¯re just talking about the possibility. I¡¯m just concerned if my presence alone might inflict a negative influence on them.] [Everyone within Hero Universe has the ability to distinguish a good decision from a bad one, at least to an extent. In fact, all of the weapons you¡¯ve already made and registered on the trade board were bought with rave reviews by the buyers.] [So, I rmend listing yourpleted weapon on the trade board. Now that you¡¯ve done your part in creating the weapon, you can leave its evaluation to the warriors who will actually wield it.] ¡°Your words always frighten me. But yes, you¡¯re right. My role is to make weapons, and the role of figuring out their use and evaluating them are left to those who hold them in their hands.¡± [A 10HP bonus to our courageous member!] Although it was a ce full of brilliantly shining heroes that could not bepared to his pathetic self, The presence of those brave souls was the reason why he could entrust his weapons¡¯ fates without too much concern. The cksmith plucked up his courage to list the weapon on the trade board. Then he received a message he had never anticipated. [We have received two messages from prospective buyers. Would you like to check?] ¡°Hm......?¡± [Looks like they liked the weapon you made. It is highly rmended to establish new friendships with members of Hero Universe, so as the Administrator, I would like to rmend you check the contents of the messages.] ¡°If you say so, I understand. I¡¯ll check both.¡± Messages from two different people soon appeared in front of his eyes. Janus: Wow, this spear is interesting! Your ID is Anvil? What kind of work do you do? Which world are you from? Would you like to talk? Tsukuyo: Are you the one who made this weapon? Anvil...... Anvil, is it? I wish to have a conversation with you. Do you have time? But the spear was sold while he was looking at the messages. Moreover, the buyer had paid 30,000 HP more than the price offered by the cksmith. It was by someone who didn¡¯t identify himself. Janus: You, you¡¯re a real genius. To be able to instill your emotions into a weapon...... It¡¯s spirit power, right? That¡¯s not amon gift to have even in this Hero Universe. Tsukuyo: It was, indeed, a beautiful spear. My heart fell when I saw the weapon. Yes, I¡¯ve fallen in love. I¡¯m dying to know what allowed you to create a spear like this. ¡°Huh......¡± The cksmith was perplexed by the members¡¯ reactions but was willing to reply to them. He was trapped in his own space forging weapons, and having another person talk to was something he had longed for for a long time. That was the beginning of the cksmith¡¯s connection to the members of Hero Universe. @@@ [Synchronization rate is increasing. Your assimtion rate is now at 2.9%.] ¡°...... Ah.¡± When he came to his senses, Kang Shin-hyuk was in the clubroom. He had lost consciousness when the spear waspleted. He had been intending to make a shield that he could use for the rookiepetition, but he couldn¡¯t figure out how he ended up with a spear in his hand. [You have sessfully crafted the ¡®poisonous¡¯ steel spear (D) possessing a small amount of spirit power. The proficiency of your cksmithing techniques has greatly increased.] [Your cksmithing skill has grown to (E+) Rank. You are now able to handle a hammer more efficiently and have gained a minor resistance to heat.] ¡°That was......¡± For the first time, he has created a D Rank weapon and raised the rank of his cksmithing skill, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t pleased. The countless memories disturbed him that he recalled in those short moments and the deep emotions apanying them. It was different from the previous memory of Anvil that he absorbed. The previous memory only contained faint memories of Anvil that was imnted on the axe¡¯s origin, but Kang Shin-hyuk had now directly extracted Anvil¡¯s memory in every detail. The memory was incredibly vivid; the sense of his unity with Anvil, the authenticity of the memories that came to his mind and the sense of hammering that was still left in his body¨Ceverything was as clear as if he had experienced them himself. [Our dear member has created a simr weapon in the past. That action must have increased the synchronization rate. A 100HP bonus for achieving nostalgic achievements!] ¡°In the past....... I see, so that feeling was referring to then.¡± He looked down at his spear and reflected back on Anvil¡¯s memory that filled his mind. In his memory, Anvil could not suppress the negative emotions that were seething inside him and eventually transmitted them to his own weapon. He deemed the weapon as a failure, but his friend Janus found it interesting. Tsukuyo, who apparently fell in love with Anvil due to his weapon, said it was beautiful. It was also the first time he made a ¡°failure,¡± and the moment his friendship with other members of Hero Universe began. ¡°Ha......¡± Then why had he acquired this memory at this timing? It was needless to ponder; Kang Shin-hyuk already knew the answer. Kang Shin-hyuk failed to control the irritation and anger caused by Yoo Min-joon, turning the metal, which was supposed to be a defensive tool, into a sharp weapon. The bottom line was that he had repeated a mistake from his past life. ¡°That was amon urrence, though...... It was routine even before I got to know about Hero Universe.¡± [It¡¯s not like your feelings disappear by trying to suppress them. But you did a great job. Anger can sometimes be the driving force. In fact, the weapon you¡¯ve just created possesses the power to y monsters.] There was a saying that a weapon starts at D Rank. It was meant to express that a hunter must be given at least a D Rank weapon to fight properly in a battle. In fact, for any rank below D, the weapon could not overpower monsters that were strong in terms of durability and ability. ¡°I definitely wasn¡¯t trying to ¡®escape¡¯..... But I guess this one¡¯s still a failure, huh?¡± ¡°What a joke.¡± ¡°Hut!?¡± It was then. Someone next to him answered back. When Kang Shin-hyuk turned around with a startled look, Lee Manwoo, the teacher in charge of the Artifact Production Club, stood there. ¡®Why does this person always appear out of nowhere? No, maybe I didn¡¯t notice him because I was too involved in my work.¡¯ ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made an artifact with bare steel containing no magical power without the help of an enchanter and are calling it a ¡®failure¡¯? That¡¯s an insult to countless people who can¡¯t reach that level even after spending all their lives.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way....... Wait, artifact? Is this an artifact?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. You made it yourself, and you can¡¯t even recognize what it is? Even I could tell what power it contains at a single nce.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk flinched at those words and instinctively grabbed the spear. At that moment, a small glimpse of information appeared before his eyes, just as when he touched the Godyer sword. [Poisonous Steel Spear] [D Rank] [Special ability ¨C Poison Injection] It was true. There was a special ability attached to the weapon he made. What a terrifying special ability! Lee Manwooughed bitterly at Kang Shin-hyuk, who let go of the spear out of astonishment. ¡°I¡¯m d you noticed atst...... But I have to say, this one¡¯s unique. I can¡¯t feel any magical power on its surface.¡± How did this old man find out that a weapon that wasn¡¯t emitting a sense of magical power was in fact an artifact? As Kang Shin-hyuk stared at him, Lee Manwoo came close and lightly grabbed the spear. ¡°Anyhow, well done. This could be a good justification for preventing the club¡¯s shutdown.¡± ¡°By justification, you mean......¡± ¡°Inte July, the World Rookies Creator Artifact Contest will be hosted in Seoul. If you win a prize there, you won¡¯t be told to close this club anymore.¡± ¡°At the end of July...... I see.¡± It was clear that the ¡°progress¡± Lee Manwoo mentioned at the time of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s enrollment into the club meant winning this contest. As Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in understanding, Lee Manwoo raised a corner of his mouth and said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s possible. But to think that you could make an artifact so quickly......It¡¯s getting more and more fun. Besides, I see why you called it a failure. You didn¡¯t intentionally capture your emotions to transfer them to the weapon; you just let them out in a clumsy way because you couldn¡¯t control them, right?¡± ¡°......Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Try to control them in the future. Don¡¯t try to force them out of your mind, just try to control them. Being able to capture your emotions into your weapon is an invaluable talent. There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t make in the world if you can transfer your emotions as much as you want, at any time, whenever you want.¡± It was easy to say, Kang Shin-hyuk thought, but how many trials and errors did he have to go through to actually be able to do so? Lee Manwoo noticed his stiff expression and said after clicking his tongue. ¡°The attempts alone will keep expanding your horizon, so try as hard as you can withoutining. If I like what you do, I¡¯ll help you out a little.¡± ¡°.......Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll take this. I¡¯ll have it in my possession while I register for the contest......¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped Lee Manwoo, who was reaching out to the spear. When Lee Manwoo thinly opened his eyes, Kang Shin-hyuk looked straight at him and answered back. ¡°This one¡¯s merely a byproduct of my emotions. I¡¯ll make an artifact that shines brightly of my self-directed will, so please wait until then.¡± ¡°...... Ha. That¡¯s quite the arrogance.¡± Lee Manwoo¡¯s mouth was sealed. But, unlike his words, he looked satisfied. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait. You¡¯ll at least have to bring something that¡¯s not as ugly as this one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to do that.¡± Kang collected thepleted spear and turned around after bowing to Lee Manwoo. Every few days since then, he practiced his smithing whenever he had time, but Kang Shin-hyuk was unable to produce defensive artifacts. The Godyer sword had not eaten the steel spear. Trantor and Editor Notes: (1) i.e. A fruit that looks good but tastes bad. A ng term for having a good appearance but having a bad substance/content. (2) A ng term for ¡°a member of a family or group who is regarded as a disgrace to them.¡± Chapter 21: The Sports Day’s Dark Horse - 3

Chapter 21: The Sports Day''s Dark Horse - 3

Join our discord to gettest updates and progress about the trantions Trantor: Meg Editor: Sotheno While Kang Shin-hyuk was having a hard time training, the preparation week for the sports day was underway. As outsiders were free to enter the school during the event, the faculty and staff were busy trying to establish firm security measures and polishing the school¡¯s appearance. While the students were fiercely training under the enormous pressure to produce good results on sports day. The 1st-year¡¯s C-ss was no exception, of course, and they gathered to immerse themselves in practice whether it was practice period during ss, lunch period, or after school. ¡°Dude, if I¡¯m paired with another guy in the three-legged race, I¡¯d win so easily. Can we allow a male pair, please?¡± ¡°Yeah right, you¡¯re slower than me.¡± ¡°Hey, do we have toe all the way to this elite superhuman training academy to do a fucking three-legged race? Really?¡± ¡°I heard the sight of those guys and girls in typical schools participating in traditional sports games is quite pleasant to look at......¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The school and the outsiders just want to see us, the future superhumans, ying around like clowns, doing what we¡¯re told to do. That¡¯s quite an abominable taste, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sports day was divided into superhuman and non-superhumanpetitions, where non-superhumanpetitions consisted of games where superhumans as well as non-superhumans could participate¨Cthree-legged race, tug-of-war, ball-rolling, cheerleading, and so on. The use of mana was prohibited. They were no different from the games that were yed on an ordinary high schools¡¯ sports days. On the other hand, the superhuman-exclusive games set little to no restrictions on the types of abilities that one could use, and their designs were consistent with the educational goal of a superhuman training academy, prompting their students to freely use their learned knowledge and skills in many different types of demanding situations. From monster hunting, group maneuver, and maze escape to terrain strategizing, performing arts contest, horse riding, and finally¨Cthe most popr event of Shinyoung Sports Day¨Cry race, one could expect to see quite a spectacle of the students¡¯ diverse talents. Even if some games of the ¡°superhuman¡± category resembled those of the non-superhuman counterpart, the difference could be clearly seen when the game started. It was impossible not to notice a difference. ¡°We¡¯re forming the pairs! Everyone who wishes to participate, please gather here!¡± ¡°Hey, wanna team up?¡± ¡°Sure~¡± ¡°Hey, you,e here.¡± ¡°Dude, I swear this guy likes me. Aah!¡± Guys and girls began to pair up at every corner as soon as the ss president¡¯s words got out. Except Kang Shin-hyuk, who was distant from his ssmates, everyone seemed to be getting along pretty well. ¡®Before I attended Shinyoung, I was popr too......¡¯ Just as Kang Shin-hyuk was feeling slightly discouraged. ¡°Would you like to pair up with me?¡± A shy-looking girl had approached him. Feeling grateful that somebody approached him, he was about to nod his head. But then. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a slowpoke. I¡¯d be the better partner.¡± ¡°What do you mean¨Cyou¡¯re worse......¡± ¡°Get lost, you two. Kang Shin-hyuk, team up with me. I think you, and I would be a good match. My agility¡¯s B Rank¨Cyou know that, right?¡± Before he knew it, two more girls had approached him. He had never talked to any of them before, but he knew who thest girl (the one boasting about her B Rank agility) was. She was Karen Stringfield, a British student who was said to possess a sensory-type trait. If there was a list of ¡°most promising 1st-year students,¡± her name would surely appear at the top section of the list. ¡°St-Stringfield......¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Are you kidding¨CKang Shin-hyuk¡¯s stock has skyrocketed.¡± (1) Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head as he faced Karen Stringfield¡¯s green eyes staring at him. He couldn¡¯t make out her intentions. If she was looking for a hotshot, there was the unreachable Baek In-ha, but she chose to ask him instead. ¡°You¡¯re gonna pair up with me, right?¡± ¡°Uhm, sure.¡± Overwhelmed by Karen¡¯s pressure, the other two girls had already gone somewhere else, and he could probably earn some additional points by participating in the three-legged race with her, so there was no reason to refuse. But when he came back after receiving a knot from the ss president, Karen Stringfield said to him in a soft voice, as she took the knot to tie their ankles together: ¡°You know, the Wyvern Knights have their eyes on you.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There was this one guy talking about my base being too weak or whatever.¡± ¡°They were actually looking to recruit Do Woojin as a new member, but you ended up humiliating him in front of the whole ss, so......¡± With those words, Kang Shin-hyuk finally understood Yoo Min-joon¡¯s motive for suddenly starting a quarrel with him that day. He was wondering why an incident rting to Do Woojin had provoked him so much, but knowing that Do Woojin was a prospective member of the Wyvern Knights, he could see the confrontation from a different perspective. Yoo Min-joon was trying to repay the humiliation of his fellowrade. They were indeed a mature group centered around camaraderie. ¡°I¡¯m not bragging, but I¡¯m one of the new members of Wyvern Knights. That¡¯s how I found out.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks for letting me know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Honestly, it¡¯s not even funny. Why would you doubt and bear a grudge against someone who won in a fair match? Instead of using the opportunity to reevaluate your abilities? You know what I mean?¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk asked, looking down at the back of Karen Stringfield¡¯s head as she checked the knot¡¯s firmness. ¡°So your role is to reevaluate my abilities?¡± ¡°Yup. There are quite a few people in the Wyvern Knights with the same thought. Though there are a lot more who oppose the idea of reconsidering you.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you know. I was going to tell you to be careful, but....... I guess that wasn¡¯t necessary. Should we get started, then?¡± Karen Stringfield said with a grin after raising her head. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled back at her. He didn¡¯t hate the type of person who spoke frankly. Kang Shin-hyuk and Karen¡¯s pair performed well in the three-legged race. Baek In-ha sent him a desperate look pleading for him to change his running partner, which he ignored. @@@ Kang Shin-hyuk continued to perform outstandingly in the ensuing practice matches. How could he have not, having upgraded his body¡¯s physical stats¨Cthe only asset that allowed him to survive in Shinyoung due to hisck of magical power¨Cto be on par with the best 1st-year students? In particr, his performances in non-superhuman games (where the use of mana was prohibited) were nearly equal to those of Baek In-ha and Karen Stringfield. He had pulled off quite notable results in superhuman games as well, where he didn¡¯t refrain from using his spirit power. After all, winning the rookiepetition after performing poorly in these matches could raise a lot of suspicion. ¡°Then Kang Shin-hyuk should participate in the maze escape, right?¡± (2) ¡°Of course he should, even if he ran with the speed he showed with his ankle tied to Karen¡¯s.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have Baek In-ha participate in the ry race, and...... What about the performing arts contest? Isn¡¯t there anyone who can do some shy stuff?¡± ¡°I can juggle pretty well if I can get help from two people.¡± ¡°As expected of Karen!¡± ¡°Hm...... Kang Shin-hyuk, you wanna try the performing arts contest too? Wouldn¡¯t we get a high score if he did some fancy weapon techniques?¡± ¡°Huh? Uhm, okay.¡± ¡°Okay then, it¡¯s decided.¡± Did he perform a little too well? Kang Shin-hyuk was quickly confirmed to represent the ss in threepetitions. Of course, the more he participated, the more likely he was to receive additional points in his academic assessment, so he couldn¡¯t let go of the opportunities. Having drawn a lot of attention for his victory over Do Woojin, his ssmates were feeling quite distant from him. Though it was better than beingughed at, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he felt like an outsider to the ss. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s move onto the CvC games! (3) Let¡¯s practice group maneuver first! We¡¯re going to practice with D ss!¡± ¡°Where do we borrow the equipment?¡± ¡°Hey, I heard Magic majors use psychokinesis to disturb other sses¡¯ coordinations. Is that true?¡± ¡°We have Magic majors on our side too, so there¡¯s no need to worry. We can just leave it up to them.¡± ¡°Wow, Kang Shin-hyuk has a great sense of bnce!¡± It was now time to practice for the game where everybody was forced to work together. For Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ssmates, the practice sessions were a great opportunity to reevaluate his skills and improve their friendship with him. Kang Shin-hyuk also epted their suggestions without a second thought because he wanted to get a good evaluation on sports day. As a result, it looked like he was well mixed into his ss, at least on the surface. ¡®I guess this is how it looks.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk thought nkly while practicing with his ssmates. Most of them didn¡¯t have particrly malicious intent for casting Kang Shin-hyuk aside. They were just afraid that their academic assessments would be lowered by associating with someone who didn¡¯t have the capacity to wield mana. It was much easier for them to crush him to the ground and stand on top of him than to ept him and suffer by his side. They all had the pride that was carried by the name ¡®Shinyoung¡¯ in their heart. In their mind, the people who could swallow that pride and dare to befriend Kang Shin-hyuk were so strong that their perceived worth wouldn¡¯t diminish no matter who they associated with. Someone like Baek In-ha, that is. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re really fast. Your stamina is amazing too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really counting on you on sports day!¡± ¡°Yup, let¡¯s do well together.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Let¡¯s do well.¡± But now, things had changed. Even if hecked mana, Kang Shin-hyuk proved that he was capable of defeating a top student with his ability alone. A proof of his value that was effective enough to remove thebeling of ¡®failure¡¯ that had always been attached to him. Knowing that, there was no more need for his ssmates to be afraid of getting close to him, because no one could look down on Kang Shin-hyuk anymore. It was an exceedingly simple line of logic, with no room for the question of good or evil to intervene. It was precisely because Kang Shin-hyuk understood that logic that he didn¡¯tin to his ssmates, ¡°You¡¯ve isted me all this time and now you¡¯re pretending to be friends?¡± ¡®But still...... I probably wouldn¡¯t open my heart to any of them, ever.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that his ssmates were at fault, but the time, ce, and the way things had yed out were less than ideal. Even though he knew very well that they were wed humans like everyone else and that the people he¡¯ll meet in the future would be no different...... A heart that was once split apart was scarred for life, no matter how hard you tried to stitch it back up. ¡°Hey...... We¡¯re definitely gonna win!¡± ¡°At this pace, we¡¯re gonna win the MVP award!¡± ¡°We can do it! 1st-year C-ss, fighting!¡± ¡°Fighting!¡± After school, the students were hyped up after finishing their practice for sports day (though they couldn¡¯t practice monster hunting since they couldn¡¯t obtain monsters) strengthening each other¡¯s spirits with great passion. While Kang Shin-hyuk nkly watched that scene, his eyes met Do Woojin¡¯s, who quickly gave him a look of dismissal and turned away. He didn¡¯t have to act like a supporting cast every damn time, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. (4) ¡°Good for you, Shinyok-yi.¡± ¡°Huh? What is?¡± Before he could notice, Baek In-ha was next to him. Kang Shin-hyuk uninterestingly replied while wiping the sweat off his forehead. But just as he was worried that Baek In-ha had figured out what he had been thinking about during the day...... ¡°Karen Stringfield. She¡¯s definitely into you. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I was a fool to take you seriously. No, it wasn¡¯t like that, you idiot.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed, pushing Baek In-ha¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t expect him to only talk about Karen Stringfield. ¡°Why, she¡¯s pretty, she¡¯s got a great personality, her trait¡¯s awesome...... Though if you judge from my standards, she¡¯d be perfect if she¡¯s a little more mature.¡± ¡°If pairing up for a three-legged race made you a couple, nobody at school would be single. I¡¯m telling you, this is why you don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°What¨Cwhat¡¯s the problem?¡± Without answering his question, Kang Shin-hyuk pointed around the ssroom. The girls in the ss were ring at Baek In-ha in unison. Despite his S Rank trait, they didn¡¯t want to associate with a guy who only knew how to say such things. Kang Shin-hyuk covertly widened the distance from him so as not to be regarded in the same way. Of course, he was thankful for Baek In-ha for always being by his side when all the others isted him, but he didn¡¯t want to bebeled as a pervert by being next to him either. ¡°Uh...... Guys, it¡¯s not what you think. What I¡¯m saying was a sort of a general observation...... Shinyok-yi likes older girls too, right?¡± ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Traitor! Traitorrrr!¡± He did, in fact, like older girls, but he also knew that if he nodded to Baek In-ha¡¯s question, an unmanageable disaster would ensue, so Kang Shin-hyuk decided to treat Baek In-ha as a stranger for a while. @@@ [You¡¯ve received a low-rank spirit power potion for today¡¯s login!] [You¡¯ve received a bonus of 1,000 HP for today¡¯s login!] [You¡¯ve received one roulette coin for today¡¯s login. By gathering five coins, you¡¯ll earn one attempt to spin the VIP roulette!] [You¡¯ve received a buff for your special ability ¡®Recovery.¡¯ For 24 hours, your recovery rate will increase by 30%!] For a week since then, Kang Shin-hyuk devoted himself to practicing for sports day as a student of C-ss. He prepared for the performing arts contest by practicing the rough choreography he sketched while making sure to not skip out on his personal training. Even if his stats had remained the same, it was a warrior¡¯s duty to prevent his skills from bing rusty. But then. [If you start your cksmithing training right now, you¡¯ll be awarded 10HP!] ¡°Your messages are starting to sound like insurance advertisements. I¡¯ll do it, though.¡± [A 20HP bonus!] ¡°Though I think your bonuses are too generous to make any profits.¡± Whenever his body and mind were tired after practice, he¡¯d walk through the night breeze to the clubroom¡¯s workshop. He had already given up on making a defensive artifact, but he couldn¡¯t escape from the joy of pounding metal that visited his mind now and then. Cicatus: Is the bridle done yet, Anvil geezer? Anvil: I told you, I¡¯m not good enough yet. Mirang: There¡¯s a pile of things that people would like you to do. Get your ess to the My Room function as soon as possible, Anvil. Then maybe we can make some progress. Halo: I want to see your weapon. I¡¯ll be waiting. Anvil: I¡¯m hammering whenever I have the time, so please wait patiently. Eunah: Grandpa, you can do it! As Anvil in his previous life did, Kang Shin-hyuk hammered while responding to the endless messagesing from his friends from the Hero Universe. That was all he needed in the moment. His cksmithing skills and synchronization rate was growing slowly yet steadily, and he became increasingly more adept at adding cksmithing to his daily routine. [You¡¯ve received one roulette coin for today¡¯s login. By gathering five coins, you¡¯ll earn one attempt to spin the VIP roulette!] ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but what¡¯s this VIP roulette thingy?¡± [I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯ve gathered all five coins. Login bonuses will be more diverse as synchronization progresses, so please look forward to them!] A few dayster, Wednesday came. It was the day when the preliminary rounds for variouspetitions began. Because all the matches couldn¡¯t be packed into a single day, the preliminary rounds were meant to be finished before the day of the main event. Although 1st-year¡¯s C-ss did drop out of a fewpetitions, they passed most of the preliminary rounds, and...... Kang Shin-hyuk sessfully passed the preliminary for the rookiepetition and advanced to the round of 16. He had proved his qualification to be one of the 16 most notable rookies in the school. Trantor and Editor Notes: (1) A phrase used in gambling (among others), meaning that you¡¯ve won a lot of money. It¡¯s used here to express that Kang Shin-hyuk is getting all the girls, presumably by a guy who¡¯s watching from the side. (2) They¡¯re practicing for the sspetitions, where a student(s) is selected for each game to represent the ss. (Unless it¡¯s a game where the whole ss participates.) (3) ss v ss, where the whole ss participates. (4) Fourth wall break! Chapter 22: The Sports Day’s Dark Horse - 4

Chapter 22: The Sports Day''s Dark Horse - 4

[Bartender Noona: So what are you going to do?] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I¡¯ve decided to leave it up to you and fate.] [Bartender sister: Wow, you really threw the whole thing away] After a hectic week, Monday finally came when sports day was held. To be exact, sports day spanned two days, where the majority of the school-widepetition (divided into Blue Team and White Team) took ce in Monday and several big games, the individualpetitions, and the announcement for MVP took ce in the following Tuesday. [Kang Shin-hyuk: Of course I¡¯ll try not to get caught, but I can¡¯t just stay hidden in sports day. I have to achieve scores.] [Bartender Noona: How many matches are you gonna participate in?] [Kang Shin-hyuk: If you include the school-widepetition, I think they add up to six. Also, I¡¯m going to bepeting in the Rookie of the Yearpetition.] [Bartender noona: Seems like you have no intention of hiding at all.] Since Monday morning, they have been talking about keeping Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s identity hidden from the Thunder Empress Shin Eunah, who was nning to visit sports day. [Bartender noona: At least the very least, don¡¯t reveal your Godyer sword.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: ire noonim...... I...... wish to be the Rookie of the Year.] [Bartender: Ah, I don¡¯t care anymore!] ire seemed to have decided to stop thinking at that point. It was a wise choice. [Bartender noona: Anyway, don¡¯t act like you know her when you see her at school.] [Bartender noona: And I¡¯ll meet you when I have the chance, so don¡¯t get upset.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Yep!] Perhaps expectantly, ire had caught a flight to Korea as soon as she learned of Eunah¡¯s visit to Shinyoung to mark Eunah by her side as much as possible! Fortuately, participating in the Shinyoung sports day didn¡¯t seem that strange for a high-ranker, so she was able to leave the U.S. without any troubles and had already arrived in Seoul. Eunah: Grandpa, I¡¯m going to visit a sports day today!! That sounds like fun. As soon as he sent a reply to ire and put the stick into his arms, a whisper flew in from Eunah. How could a message be received at such an appropriate time? Was she eavesdropping on him? Kang Shin-hyuk opened his eyes thinly and answered back immediately. Eunah: It would have been great to have grandpa with me! I¡¯ll look shabby next to you. Eunah: Grandpa is much cooler than me. What a tant lie when she hasn¡¯t even seen my face, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. No, he had to hide his existence from her at school anyway, so he decided to run along with it. The students in sports day were told to wear gym clothes and gather at the yground rather than in the ssroom. Each ss was designated to either Blue Team or White Team regardless of their major, and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ss, 1st-year¡¯s C ss, was part of the Blue Team. ¡°Shinyok-yi!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± The sports day of Shinyoung Academy was different from that of the ordinary school in terms of scale. The first and second gymnasium, the small yground, and therge yground were all mobilized, with the opening ceremony held at therge yground. Therge yground felt big before, but having removed all the misceneous things upying the space, it became an incredibly capacious area. So capacious, indeed, that two or three schools could easily fit in. More than that, however, it was quite a spectacle to witness all the current students of Shinyoung, whether they were Knight or Magic major, gathered in one area. ¡°I guess the guests haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯re rehearsing the opening ceremony. Doesn¡¯t it feel nice to be doing things like a high school?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never attended a high school, so how should we know about that?¡± The educational structure of Shinyoung was closer to that of a college than high school, with the students dering their major in their first year and allowing them to take electives from their second grade, but you could see the traces of a typical high school by looking at the school¡¯s events, such as sports day and the annual school trip. For prospective superhumans, who could not experience a high school or college, that kind of bnce provided the perfect environment. ¡°Wow, food trucks are starting toe in over that hill. I heard all the quality foods made it to the cafeterias this time. I guess one cafe wasn¡¯t enough for the outsiders.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re definitely not a high school...... Wait, our school had a cafe?¡± ¡°Hey, right there.¡± As soon as Kang Shin-hyuk arrived, Baek In-ha, who had been dragging him and snooping around, shouted excitedly, pointing to the stand where the Magic majors gathered. ¡°There¡¯s Lee Na-hee sunbae! Right there!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Dude, you serious? You don¡¯t know the prettiestdy from our school?¡± ¡°No, but your expression of dy¡¯ is creeping me out, so stop it.¡± ¡°Just look at her for now.¡± Where Baek In-ha was pointing at, Kang Shin-hyuk saw a group of students from the White Team¡¯s Magic majors. There she was, a brown-skinned Latin beauty with a drowsy look. Her face looked familiar. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head, digging into his memories to see if they had ever met before. ¡°Out-of-this-world pretty, right?¡± ¡°I guess, yeah.¡± Shinyoung¡¯s Major majors were famous for having many pretty girls, but Lee Na-hee was by far the most prominent among them. ¡°I heard that she was number one in the poprity vote atst year¡¯s school festival.¡± ¡°Was there a popr vote at my school?¡± What a weird thing to do at a superhuman training academy.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s a voluntary vote. The Thunder Empress was famous for winning first ce for three consecutive years while she was here and there¡¯s a rumor that Lee Na-hee will be the sessor of that achievement.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± That rumor was believable, Kang Shin-hyuk thought, as she had the beauty of a top celebrity, let alone the most popr girl at an academy. He nodded in agreement. Then he remembered. Indeed, she was the sunbae he encountered at the Wyvern Hall¡¯s entrance. He remembered her describing herself as half-Korean. ¡°Why do you look so sour? She¡¯s a real beauty, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I know she¡¯s pretty, but we don¡¯t have any connections. It just feels like looking at a piece of art, like a celebrity on TV.¡± ¡°What do you mean by no connection¨Cno one knows what¡¯ll happen in the future. Someday you and that beauty might have a fateful encounter,.......¡± While the two were engaging in such a pathetic conversation, Lee Na-hee, having felt a gazeing from their direction, looked up and turned her head towards them. Somehow, her eyes seemed to have grown slightlyrger after spotting them. ¡°Wow¨Cshe¡¯s got a crush on me! Here! Sunbae! I¡¯m Baek In-ha from 1st-year C ss......!¡± Baek In-ha frantically waved at her, but she turned her head again, ignoring himpletely. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed Baek In-ha, who was frenziedly trying to grab her attention. It was almost time for the attendance call. @@@ The rehearsal ended without much trouble, and the school opened right away. The feast of luxury cars ascending the school hill made him dizzy. If Shinyoung¡¯s entire parking lot was somehow flipped upside down today, the damage would cost hundreds of billions of won. [The opening ceremony will be held soon. Please stay in your seats quietly.] One by one, celebrities who upied the front pages of newspapers, popr channels of TV, and famous MeTube videos have begun to take their seats. When it came to an academy as prestigious as Shinyoung, the parents of the students and the academy¡¯s associate were not typically ordinary people. While traits are not hereditary, the probability of awakening a strong trait was higher for children born to strong superhumans. As a prime example, the Thunder Empress Shin Eunah was born to parents who ranked within the top 10,000 of the World Superhuman Ranking. Cases like the Alchemist ire Boyle, who was born into an ordinary family but nevertheless became one of the top 500 superhumans of the world, were quite rare to be seen. ¡°Look over there, it¡¯s the White Sheep Guild. (1) I think it¡¯s their scout.¡± ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s the Cursed Sword Guild!¡± ¡°Amatsuki Guild is here too.¡± ¡°Uh...... there! It¡¯s the Vanguard Guild! Vanguard is here too! That¡¯s the real Vanguard¡¯s division 1 leader, I saw on the news!¡± Whenever the guest room was filled, voices of cheers and astonishment rang out high among the students. Just as there was a rank for every superhuman, guilds had a rank as well, and more than half of the guilds in the top 100 seemed to have attended the academy¡¯s event. From the 97th-ranked White Sheep Guild to the world¡¯s number one Vanguard! ¡°This is Shinyoung Academy for you......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk already knew that Shinyoung¡¯s sports day wasn¡¯t a children¡¯s talent show like a normal school, but he still couldn¡¯t believe the sight of these ridiculous celebrities crowded in one ce. He felt like he was about to suffocate. Why did he think of entering a school like this while not being able to handle mana in the first ce? The reckless self of his past felt like a fool. ¡®...... But now that I¡¯m here, I have the opportunity to show the world what I¡¯m made of. Yeah, that¡¯s enough.¡¯ He took a deep breath and clenched his fists. The opening ceremony soon began and the school anthem began to y. ¡°Kang Shin Hyuk.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Suddenly, somebody tapped on his shoulder from behind. It was Karen Stringfield, who he paired up with for the three-legged race. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to your matches today.¡± ¡°Okay......¡± Come to think of it, she had said that her role this day was to reevaluate Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s strengths. And that if they turn out to be eye-catching, he¡¯d be dragged into the Wyvern Knights...... It was quite an unruly attitude, he thought. Who were they to judge him and drag into their group? Heughed off her remark. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised.¡± ¡°Wow, cringe. Feels like butter.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m serious.¡± When Karen twisted her body and folded her arms around her waist at his cringing words, Kang Shin-hyuk replied with excitement and faintughter, turning his head around. But then by coincidence, he saw ire and Eunah standing side by side in the guest room. ire spotted him at about the same time and let out a mischievous smile. Kang Shin-hyuk was dumbfounded to see such a reactioning from the very person who proposed his identity to be hidden. Fortunately, no one else seemed to have noticed the two¡¯s nonverbal interaction. Karen Stringfield threw onest remark at him. ¡°Hey, if you do well today, I¡¯ll talk to you then.¡± ¡°Then my worth is going to get a lot more expensive. Say whatever when you have the chance.¡± ¡°So full of yourself too.¡± She chuckled merrily. Did she learn while practicing three-legged race with him that he wasn¡¯t simply bluffing? Then out of nowhere, an unexpected whisper from the Hero Universe system flew in. Not from Eunah, but from Bartender...... or ire. [Bartender: What, you got a girlfriend? She¡¯s quite pretty!] [I didn¡¯t expect your first whisper to be something like this. And no, she¡¯s not my girlfriend. It¡¯s an enemy spy.] [Bartender: High schoolers are ying it really hard these days.] [I¡¯ll exin in detailter what kind of y it is.] While he was unintentionally caught between the two women, the opening ceremony had concluded and the sports day hadmenced. Even the easiest games on Shinyoung¡¯s sports day led to students sweating blood, so the heat quickly hit the ceiling. ¡°Blue Team will advance to the Ry¡¯s Final Round!¡± ¡°Those who wish to participate in Maze Escape, please hurry up and gather here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep this pace and win in group maneuver!¡± ¡°Woahhhhh!¡± As the game was yed by students who have already surpassed the limits of mankind, they were full of excitement for everything, especially when it came to group maneuver! It was a big scuffle in which two floors with unstable footing went up on arge stage, and the opponents threw rubber balls specially designed to push people away. As the stage shook uncontrobly throughout the game, it was an extremely unpleasant game where you could easily lose your cool, though it was greatly entertaining from the perspective of those watching it. ¡°Oh,e on, the White Team is holding out by sprinkling the floor with lime!¡± ¡°Were items approved in this game!?¡± ¡°Yup, they didn¡¯t ban them!¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re falling! They¡¯re falling!¡± With the start of group maneuvers, all games were being yed with all kinds of ingenious items and abilities, which was an important element of the fun of watching the games of Shinyoung¡¯s sports day. With such shy matches all around, an ordinary person could feel like they¡¯ve entered a new world, where games using supernatural abilities and items, as opposed to traditional sports, were the norm. ¡°The three-legged race is about to begin! The participants of three-legged race, please gather here! ¡°Let¡¯s go, Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± And finally, the moment hase for Kang Shin-hyuk to shine. The three-legged race where the White Team and Blue Team face off each other. Surprisingly, Kang Shin-hyuk was paired with Karen Stringfield for the race. As he was waiting before the finish line by tying his ankle to Karen¡¯s, ire sent a whisper to him. Bartender: So she¡¯s your girlfriend I told you, she¡¯s a spy approaching me in this kind of way. Bartender: Wow, look at that all effort you¡¯re putting in to tie the knot. So how¡¯s the thing with Eunah? Bartender: She doesn¡¯t know. Though I think she¡¯s about to. Then the message was cut off. As expected of Shinyoung¡¯s superhuman trainee, who could easily outperform Olympic athletes with their physical abilities alone, the two teams¡¯ pairs were already approaching the line of their final runners. ¡°Oh, I think your team¡¯s losing.¡± ¡°We can turn it around.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not gonna be full of yourself just by winning this race, are you?¡± ¡°No way, this is only a start.¡± Shortly after saying that, the rival team¡¯s final pair took over the baton first and set off. The next moment, Kang Shin-hyuk and Karen Stringfield also took over the blue baton, but the difference of one second was critical for superhumans who were not bounded by the scale of seconds. In fact, many spectators thought they had already lost. ¡°Can I use my trait a bit?¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t use your magical power, it should be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking¨CI¡¯m asking if you can keep up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just go all out.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk answered back while emitting his spirit power. When he checked to see where it was headed, it was permeating through Karen¡¯s sneakers. With that he began to understand andmune with the object, taking advantage of his recent enlightenment. He could clearly understand her movements, down to the smallest detail. Armed with that knowledge, Kang Shin-hyuk said in a confident voice: ¡°I¡¯ll try to match your movements.¡± As soon as he spoke the sentence, both of them set their foot at the same time. Two feet symmetrically opposed to each other, perfectly coordinated. Kang Shin-hyuk and Karen let out a smile at the same time. ¡°Heh, not bad.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°...... All right, let¡¯s go!¡± Many of the spectators tilted their heads at the sight of the pair seemingly facing each other through a mirror. But then a momentter, the two began to run with explosive momentum! ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°The Blue Team is the best! Catch them up!¡± ¡°How on earth is that three-legged race?¡± The two of them sprinted along the yground. Rather than a mere three-legged race, the two of them were running at the speed of a single superhuman at his highest speed. Some shouted, ¡°Aren¡¯t they using mana?¡± but the magic circles that were drawn all over the yground was proving in real-time that they were innocent. Naturally, the pair caught up with the White Team and crossed the finish line without slowing down. ¡°Blue Team wins!¡± ¡°Woooaahhhh!¡± ¡°Good job, rookie!¡± ¡°They¡¯re so cool!¡± ¡°Wait¨Cthey can stop, right?¡± Of course, there was no need to worry. The two, who had crossed the finish line, slowed down as if they had nned the movement for that exact second and came to a halt just before rushing to the stands installed at the end of the field. ¡°Karen, marry me!¡± ¡°Kang Shin Hyuk is so cool!¡± ¡°You two should be a couple!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmly untied the knot that tied their ankles. Several teachers were approaching them, and he found the greatly flustered looks on their faces funny. But as he turned around, he realized that Karen Stringfield was wearing the same expression. ¡°You really kept up. How?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret. But well, like I said before¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tied the blue band to his head and smirked. The horse race was about to begin. ¡°This is just a beginning.¡± From now to its end, sports day will be his stage. (1) There are two possible trantions of this guild¡¯s name, either White Sheep or Yellow Iron Tree. I¡¯ll use the former trantion for the time being, and I¡¯ll revise it if it happens to be wrong. Chapter 23: Breaking out of the Egg

Chapter 23: Breaking out of the Egg

As he had sworn to himself, Kang Shin-hyuk performed better than he did in practice for all the matches. He especially shined in shoulder wars where he joined forces with Baek In-ha. Unlike normal highschools, Shinyoung¡¯s shoulder wars consisted of only one ¡°horse¡± along with the ¡°g bearer.¡± (1) Baek In-ha took the role of the horse due to his high speed and Kang Shin-hyuk, who was probably among the best at Shinyoung for his hand techniques, took the role of the g bearer. Theirbination was truly terrifying. ¡°What, when did they pass!¡± ¡°Hey, he stole your headband!¡± ¡°Catch that bastard! Use your magic to stop his movements!¡± ¡°Dude, what kind of trait does Baek In-ha have? He won¡¯t slow down!¡± ¡°Took yours as well, moron. You¡¯re out!¡± The Baek In-ha and Kang Shin-hyuk duo bravely dashed through the group of countless Shinyoung students to knock them over or steal their headbands to disqualify them from thepetition. Because the two were a threat in everyone¡¯s eyes since the beginning of thepetition, they were the center of focus of magic attacks from the White Team¡¯s Magic majors, but they weren¡¯t enough to stop the formidable duo. ¡°Shinyok, we¡¯re going faster! ¡°All right!¡± They could have woven a t-shirt out of the threads of all the headbands that they had collected, but the two did not stop. Baek In-ha continued to run, and Kang Shin-hyuk continued to knock over or snatch the headband from any unfortunate pair that happened to be in their vicinity. The duo would not havested long if they hadcked even a minuscule portion of Baek In-ha¡¯s speed or Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s deft hand movements, but they were persistently surviving by working together in perfect unison, plunging their opponents¡¯ determination to the bottom. ¡°Hey, drive them in! Drive them in!¡± ¡°Wow, they¡¯re calling for reinforcements! ¡°What¡¯s our team doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re protecting the captain¡¯s headband!¡± But Shinyoung Academy, like Gira stars, was a ce that brimmed with exceptional talents. (2) No one could deal with the duo for a short while, but now that they were surrounded by the majority of the remaining White Team who were slowly closing in, Baek In-ha had no way to escape. ¡°You¡¯ve held out so far. Especially you, Kang Shin-hyuk. You¡¯re not as I expected.¡± ¡°I guess the rumor was true that you¡¯ve awakened mana. Did ite with the ability to hide your mana as well?¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve made the report as soon as you awakened it. You ended up confusing me.¡± The Knight majors of White Team said as they slowly narrowed the distance. Given their rude manner of speaking, they seemed to be mixed with several sunbaes who belonged to the Wyvern Knights. Kang Shin-hyuk, however, was indifferent to theirments and was solely focused on figuring out the best way to drag his opponents to hell. But then Baek In-ha said to him. ¡°Shin-hyuk.¡± When Baek In-ha straight-up called his name without joking around, it was a sign that he was either beingpletely serious or ying a ridiculous prank. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jumping.¡± ¡°Uuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± At that moment, Baek In-ha jumped high. So high that you couldn¡¯t believe he was cast under movement-constriction magic. As soon as they soared into the air by a few dozen meters, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled. He felt rxed by the fresh air. ¡°Let¡¯s get the captain.¡± ¡°Hey look, they¡¯re shooting their magic skills at us. Looks like they¡¯re setting off some sort of fireworks.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not allowed to directly attack us anyway, and I should be free of the nerf soon.¡± The magic handled by Magic majors was divided into two broad categories, offensive and defensive types of magic. Among the defensive types, there were magical skills that nerfed the opponents¡¯ movement in various ways, such as slowing their speed or disrupting their muscle coordination, which could only be prevented by special artifacts, skills or abundant magical power. Since the use of artifacts was prohibited in thepetition, it was obvious that Baek In-ha possessed a special ability or an enormous amount of magical power, or perhaps both. ¡°I found the captain¡¯s headband. We¡¯re going down.¡± ¡°Dude.¡± At that moment, Baek In-ha kicked the air, shooting himself and Kang Shin-hyuk to the ground. If they were to bump into anyone, it¡¯d end up as a fatal ident. A tiny mistake could disqualify them! But even under such pressure, Baek In-ha made a surprisingly goodnding at an inch behind the White Team¡¯s captain. It was so fast that nearly everyone had to take a second to understand what was going on. But the captain of the White Team was different. He quickly turned around and stared straight into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes. ¡°Seems like a ridiculous rookie had enrolled this year.....¡± ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s over.¡± Before anyone realized, the captain¡¯s headband was already in the possession of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. The captain¡¯s unit of the White Team was totally silent with their mouth wide open. The Fanged Wyvern Dance, a technique that was as smooth as water flow, was a skill that could also be used as a bare-handed martial art. ¡°Blue Team wins!¡± ¡°We won again!¡± ¡°Baek In-ha is going on a rampage!¡± ¡°Those 1st-years toyed with the 3rd-years! Crazy!¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, I knew you¡¯d do it!¡± ¡°Baek In-ha! Baek In-ha!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gently got off Baek In-ha¡¯s back and gave him a high five. It was the moment when the names of Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha were clearly ingrained in the minds of people. ¡°Dude, that was Baek In-ha¡¯s carry, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, like you could do the same as Kang Shin-hyuk. You think a porter can be a warrior just by sitting on the dragon¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t even see his hands. Is it really true that he can¡¯t use mana?¡± ¡°No way, he must have awakened itst time. His mana must have awakened when his trait evolved.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t feel his mana at all......¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but...... Something. Something¡¯s happening.¡± Amid growing confusion among people over Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s unordinary performance, the cheers of his name became even louder and more abundant during hisst match of the morning, the performing arts contest, where he lit the stage by performing the Fanged Wyvern Dance with various kinds of weapons. People were particrly struck by the scene where he smashed his axe on the floor, took out the double pistol from his waist, and shot every one of the dozens of fragments that bounced into the air. He had put a lot of thoughts into the choreography, and he was happy to contribute to the ss by getting a high score. ¡°Waaah! How many martial arts has he mastered?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard. It was said that his trait was his ability to handle all kinds of weapons. But since he couldn¡¯t handle mana, he was more like a serpent without its pearl......¡± At this point, the audience and scouts from therge guilds began to pay attention to Kang Shin-hyuk. Baek In-ha had yed arge role in their victory in shoulder wars, but performing arts contest was his solo performance, so they could no longer doubt his skills. ¡°His ability was quite spectacr, no?¡± ¡°He¡¯s grown quite a lot, I¡¯m sure. Shinyoung must have taught a thing or two to him.¡± ¡°Seems like there¡¯s one more name I should remember......¡± ¡°There should be an interesting spectacle at the end of sports day.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk left the stage, receiving the cheers of Shinyoung¡¯s students as well as the attention of the outside audience. That was the end of the morning game. It was now lunchtime. Thanks to his ¡®Recovery,¡¯ he was able to perform all the games in perfect condition, but the side effect had kicked in and he was now ravenously hungry. But as Kang Shin-hyuk was walking to join Baek In-ha while grabbing his stomach, his stick suddenly rang. [Bartender Noona: You were pretty cool in shoulder wars. But the problem was that you were too cool. Eunah was staring at you as if she was trying to punch a hole with her stare.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Honestly, I¡¯ve given up on that matter. My score is more important than Ms. Shin Eunah.] [Bartender Noona: Even when youpare to the troubles you¡¯d have to bear with your identity revealed?] Objectively speaking, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s performance today was enough to draw a lot of attention. Of course, many students in otherpetitions pulled off striking performances of their own, but he was confident that if someone made a list of ten 1st-year students who stood out the most that day, he would be included. After hesitating for a moment to reply, Kang Shin-hyuk asked her a question. [Kang Shin-hyuk: Uh, did she notice I¡¯m Anvil?] [Bartender Noona: I don¡¯t think she¡¯s noticed that yet, fortunately.] [[Kang Shin-hyuk: So she doesn¡¯t wield spirit power either.] [Bartender Noona: What, you used your spirit energy!?] [[Kang Shin-hyuk: If you didn¡¯t notice, you have a lot more to practice.] [Bartender sister: This bastard......] Clearly, ire was a powerhouse who belonged to Top 500 of the World Superhuman Ranking, but she was far below Kang Shin-hyuk in the field of spiritual power. He had a lot to teach her. Kang Shin-hyukughed as he imagined ire¡¯s shaking face beyond the screen and suddenly realized that a girl was looking at him. ¡°Stringfield?¡± ¡°Hey, just call me Karen. By the way, was that your girlfriend?¡± ¡°No, I just know her.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly turned off the hologram that rose above the stick. Karen¡¯s eyes became thinner. ¡°Hm...... Suspicious, the way you were smiling and all...... I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d find a girlfriend from outside, leaving the elite Shinyoung Academy alone.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend. Though it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t intend to find one at Shinyoung.¡± ¡°Oh...... Hm.¡± Considering her subtly shifting expression, she seemed to have properly understood the meaning behind that sentence. ¡°I thought I¡¯d talk to you about that.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You know.¡± Of course, she could have let those words fly by, but Karen, after hesitating for a moment, shrugged her shoulders and continued. ¡°You know...... Could you understand, at least a little? Everyone, including me, was very proud of themselves for belonging to an elite organization such as Shinyoung. The fact that it was so hard to get into the school encouraged our sense of entitlement...... But then when we came to Shinyoung, we found out that there was a student who couldn¡¯t use mana.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s right, so I tried harder than you guys to get in. As such, even though I was weaker than everyone else and couldn¡¯t handle mana, I was still a student who passed Shinyoung¡¯s cut-off score.¡± ¡°No, no, of course, I have no intention of disparaging your efforts. It¡¯s true that we were naive. I just think we failed to understand or ept it¨Cyou know, the actual value of your trait. Or maybe it¡¯s more correct to say that we didn¡¯t even try to understand.] Kang Shin-hyuk knew very well that Karen was choosing her words in her favor. Still, he didn¡¯t bother to tackle her further. Karen finished with a slightly relieved look as he shrugged. ¡°Well, in the end, you proved that everyone who disregarded you was a fool. In a single day, to add.¡± ¡°Does that include you?¡± ¡°Of course. Uhm, if I apologize, will you ept it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think an apology will do the job.¡± ¡°I guess there¡¯s a long way to go, then.¡± Karen sighed again at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s decisive response. It was a somewhat expected oue, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed. Not to Kang Shin-hyuk who closed his heart, but to herself for her ugly behavior in the past. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together at least. I bought a lot from the food truck, and it¡¯d be a waste to throw them away.¡± ¡°...... Sure, why not.¡± A person could be guilty, but food was never in the wrong. Seeing the American hot dogs, takoyaki, cube steaks, and chicken skewers in her stic bags¨Cshe had apparently swept the food truck¡¯s entire menu¨Chis stomach began to growl again, so he epted Karen¡¯s offer straight away. ¡°Shall we sit over there?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Needless to say, the total area of Shinyoung was enormous. Most of the area except for the school and dormitory buildings were upied by ygrounds orbs and a small forest named ¡°ckwood,¡± with the others upied by well-decorated parks and walkways. Kang Shin-hyuk and Karen began eating on a bench near the forest. ¡°Looking at that forest reminded me of a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk said with an uncertain tone while biting into the hotdog. Karen, who wanted to be friends with him, took his words with a curious expression. ¡°There¡¯s a separate training facility for the Wyvern Knights in the woods, right?¡± ¡°The ckwood Training Center? That¡¯s a special facility given to the Wyvern Knights. What about it?¡± ¡°Is it true that they raise a wyvern there?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Oh, my......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk picked up three takoyaki at once, put them in his mouth, and mumbled while feeling impressed. In fact, the story has been around before. The story of how Wyvern Knights became Wyvern Knights. This was the story shortly after Shinyoung was established. A student from Shinyoung had coincidentally seeded in capturing a wyvern and tamed it while attending school. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the student dered that he would hand over the wyvern to the one who beat him in a duel, and those who wanted the wyvern along with the glory of victory gathered and challenged him for a match. They were all defeated, and the Wyvern Knights was founded by the group that had the wyvern¡¯s owner as the leader. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t believe the story as it sounded like a plot that¡¯d only ur in aic book, but if the Wyvern Knights actually possessed a wyvern, the credibility of the story would increase. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a wyvern is at least a (B) rank, so it wouldn¡¯t be possible to tame it without a special trait or a skill suitable for the job, right?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a special artifact that¡¯s handed out to the club¡¯s captain that allows you to tame the wyvern. That¡¯s why if you be the captain of the Wyvern Knights, you can be the owner of the wyvern while you attend the school. He can¡¯t take it to the school¡¯s dungeon practice, but during the 2nd/3rd year, there¡¯s a self-study assignment called Gate Expedition, where they¡¯re allowed to use the wyvern because the mark for the assignment is purely based on the results rather than the methods. It¡¯s almost like a cheat key.¡± ¡°...... Hey, then the captains shouldn¡¯t want to graduate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I think too.¡± Karen grinned and ate her share of the cup sd. Kang Shin-hyuk put the stick of the finished chicken skewer in a stic bag while thinking to himself that the amount of food wasn¡¯t enough for a Knight major. ¡°So what¡¯s this thing you wanted to talk about?¡± Next was the cube steak. Since a steak had to be finished before it got cold, he had to throw it whole in his mouth and ask the questions while chewing. On the surface, it looked no different from the cube steak sold at a food truck along the Han River, but it was different in terms of how juicy it tasted. It was definitely a A++ quality stripoli. ¡°Huh?¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk was waiting for the answer, savoring the aroma and taste of the meat, Karen tilted her head with a cherry tomato in her mouth. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and asked her again. ¡°What you were originally going to talk to me about. You didn¡¯t want toe out here just to eat.¡± ¡°Oh, was it obvious?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Karen scraped her cheek with her hand that was holding a fork, realizing that Kang Shin-hyuk had read her mind. In the meantime, Kang Shin-hyuk was taking off the hamburger wrapper after cleaning up the te that previously contained the steak. ¡°Not a big deal, but something rted to the Wyvern Knights. You told me before that I should talk to you when I have the chance. I saw from your performances today that your worth is indeed going to be increased, so I¡¯m taking the chance to get close to you as much as I can.¡± ¡°Those performances were not that superb, though.¡± ¡°No way, everyone was shocked. To put it bluntly, our vice-captain has a lot of interest in you. She said that on top of your great physical stats, there are a lot of potentials in your fighting techniques.¡± Who was the vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights? Kang Shin-hyuk wondered while munching the hamburger. Karen put a bottle of coke in his hand, which he drank in one shot after finishing the hamburger in a single gulp. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t remember who the vice-captain is. Was she in 2nd-year?¡± ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s famous as Shinyoung¡¯s strongest Lancer.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I think I saw her at the entrance ceremony.¡± Karen drooped her shoulders as if discouraged by Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s lukewarm response. The exaggerated body movements of a Westerner felt fresh and pleasant to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Phew,...... Anyway, our vice-captain wants to meet you, and if possible, she wants you to join the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really interested, actually.¡± ¡°But think about it. If you join the Wyvern Knights, you¡¯d be a great force for our vice-captain faction.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt a poignant sensation in his ears from the words ¡°vice-captain faction.¡± He asked after taking a Liege waffle from his mouth. ¡°Is that tiny club divided into two factions?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. The captain doesn¡¯t like our vice-captain. But we can¡¯t just use force against the captain because the captain is......¡± ¡°No, no, don¡¯t share an internal affair with an outsider like me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk cut her off, concerned that he might be involved in the situation by learning about their internal conflicts. Karen took out her stick with a disappointed look. ¡°Inmemoration of our friendship, let¡¯s at least exchange numbers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not intending to text me about the inside story, are you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it through text, so rx.¡± Only after hearing her reassurance that he would never be forced to enroll into their club, Kang Shin-hyuk took out his stick. But while he was busy eating and talking, three text messages had been sent to his stick. ¡°Hold on.¡± ¡°Girlfriend?¡± ¡°Like I said, no.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk checked the text message. One came from Baek In-ha and the other two from ire. But their contents were...... [Baek In-ha: I, Baek In-ha, will never forgive a traitor like you.] [Bartender Noona: You denied it all this time, but I can see you on a date~~. [Bartender Noona: Wait. Oh god.] Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head at that very moment. About five meters away from him stood the Thunder Empress Shin Eunah. She was staring at him with an indescribable, queer look. Editor/Trantor Notes: (1) In the usual sports day¡¯s shoulder wars, there are four people supporting the g bearer. This game also seems to be the version where each team consists of many units (pairs, in this case), and one unit is designated the ¡°captain¡± headband. So a team wins either by stealing as many headbands from the opposite team as possible or by simply stealing the captain¡¯s headband. (2) A ng term for ¡°exceptional people.¡± ¡°Gira¡± is the Japanese word for ¡°shiny¡± and so ¡°Gira stars¡± literally trantes to ¡°a night sky brimming with stars,¡± meant to say ¡°full of exceptional people.¡± Chapter 24: Breaking out of the Egg - 2

Chapter 24: Breaking out of the Egg - 2

In the ry race, which began right after lunchtime in the afternoon, Baek In-ha was definitely in the spotlight more than anyone else. He was usually a prankster, but no one could deny his talents. As soon as his turn came, he chased down the sunbae ahead of him in no time to his team¡¯s victory. In response to his morous performances, people began to specte, ¡°When ites to speed, isn¡¯t he the best?¡± Baek In-ha seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting. The innocent-looking boy smiled and waved his hands briskly, and those who didn¡¯t know him apuded in response. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the boy......¡± ¡°What will happen to Korea¡¯s superhuman industry in the future?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it in many ways, yes.¡± After the ry race, which showed a glimpse of the students¡¯ talents, the remaining superhuman matches were held one after another. The most eye-catching of them was monster hunting, a CvC battle where students fought real monsters captured from the gates. Even though psyche magic had been cast on the monsters to prevent them from dealing fatal wounds to the students, there was a high chance that a very dangerous situation could unfold. But the experience of fighting real monsters was an indispensable part of their training, and more importantly, the match was a great opportunity for the school to show the outside world of the quality of their education. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to bring a B rank monster......¡± ¡°Everyone will tackle the monsters in groups as we practiced! There¡¯s no monster we can¡¯t catch!¡± ¡°You all read the counter-strategy n, right? Spread out!¡± ¡°Two at three o¡¯clock! Five at seven! Respond!¡± The seniors of 2nd and 3rd-year students, who had been through countless assignments such as monster practice, dungeon practice and independent assignments, calmly and stablypeted in the match. As they knew that their performances this day would affect their job search after graduation, they needed to emphasize their strengths and ability to cooperate with their teammates even at the risk of looking like clowns, being yed by the school for spectator sports. ¡°We can kill this one! Push!¡± ¡°You fool, that one¡¯s still full of strengths! Watch out, it¡¯s about to shoot its scales!¡± ¡°When a shell wolf is struck on the top of its head, it peels off its scales to fire them! Did you even read the counter-strategy n!?¡± Meanwhile, the inexperienced 1st-year students made a series of mistakes as they were not able to calm down in front of monsters that they¡¯ve never faced in their life. A lot of them were already dropped out of the match, and one of them even turned pale and rolled on the floor after letting go of his weapon against a monster. The superhuman spectators would eitherugh out loud at those scenes or shout out a big lecture at them. ¡°Hey, the formation at 11 o¡¯clock is falling apart! Wait¨Cthey¡¯re changing to an offensive formation!¡± ¡°Still, Shinyoung is Shinyoung, after all. No one has run away from the monsters yet.¡± ¡°They have the pride of being prospective elites, so they wouldn¡¯t just turn their backs on those monsters. You can do it; I believe in you!¡± ¡°There! Hey, you can¡¯t just let a monster perform a summoning magic!¡± ¡°This year¡¯s sports day is fun too!¡± Of course, the spectators made suchmentary for their own fun; no one had actually expected these 1st-year students, who had been enrolled in the Academy for only two months, to calmly handle real monsters. It didn¡¯t matter that the students had natural talents. They were still immature, inexperienced. No matter how much they practiced their formation and prepared for the monsters that were likely to appear in thepetition, the fear of the actual experience was not something to be taken lightly. Moreover, it was all the more so because unlike the previous monster practice, students were dealing with numerous monsters concentrated in a small area without the help of their teacher. ¡°Stay calm and stand in line!¡± ¡°Tsk, you guys just watch from behind. Heup!¡± ¡°Great¨Cyou can lure the monsters for us. Everyone else, stay where you are!¡± Of course, the weight carried by the name ¡°Shinyoung¡± wasn¡¯t light, so there were quite a few 1st-years who stood out and bought the interest of many spectators. Of course, that included Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡®I felt it during the battle against the War Troll, too.¡¯ ¨C O! Kang Shin-hyuk thought while striking the nose of the D rank shelf wolf with the training-purpose knuckle given to 1st-year¡¯s C-ss. ¡®I think I¡¯m pretty strong in actual battles.¡¯ During his encounter with the War Troll, the warning of likely death prompted him to take action before he could be frozen by fear. His head was constantlying up with a counter-strategy n, and his body was constantly always in motion. ¡®Why was that? Was it because of spirit power, the faint memory of Anvil, or maybe my natural talent?¡± ¡®...... It doesn¡¯t matter, actually.¡¯ He kicked the body of a shelf wolf that was rushing towards him while striking another one that nked him from the side with his knuckle and pushed it away. Instead of obsessing over killing as many as possible, he focused on kicking and pushing away the monsters that were trying to break into his ss¡¯s formation. Kang Shin-hyuk took the role of a guard of his team¡¯s formation for his ability to handle multiple enemies at the same time due to his high physical stats and impressive skills in martial arts. The role of dealing final blows to the monsters was handed to two other students. ¡°Damn Shinyok, your lower body¡¯s tough! Gotta thank your girlfriend, am I right!?¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up, you dumbass!¡± ¡°Why is Baek In-ha so disgusting while having such a normal face?¡± ¡°That I wonder, too.¡± The role of finishing the monsters was given to Baek In-ha, known to have the highest quality speed-type trait, and Karen Stringfield, who, despite being generally slower than Baek In-ha, could temporarily boost her agility to an extreme level by strengthening her nerves. The two were speeding through the battlefield where weakened monsters were present to deal their final blow. High speed was an incredibly handy ability, and the D rank monsters couldn¡¯t respond to the two appearing out of nowhere and attacking their vital points. ¨C ng! ¡°Whoo!¡± ¡°You take care of that side!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Although the situation seemed to be worsening on the surface, it was actually stabilizing for the student¡¯s favor. Without Kang Shin-hyuk, Baek In-ha and Karen would havecked the manpower to protect their vulnerable teammates who didn¡¯t know what to do, but Kang Shin-hyuk was practically doing as much as three tanks by knocking out the wolves attacking from every direction. No, if you considered the students who weren¡¯t doing their best, he was probably filling the duty of as many as seven people. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk...... He¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°I think he has an eye on his back, too. How the hell do you do all that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not using mana, is he? Also, why is the sounding from his fist so terrifying?¡± ¡°Hey, are we going to let him take all the spotlight? Don¡¯t be so pathetic and let¡¯s fight!¡± Perhaps thanks to the presence of Kang Shin-hyuk, the 1st-year C-ss was able to regain its sanity faster than other sses and achieve aparably high result. Baek In-ha took it easy for the whole match as he thought it was meaningless to go on a rampage alone in such a teampetition, so it was Karen Stringfield who broke the neck of thest remaining wolf. ¡°With this, it¡¯s over!¡± As she raised her hand with her trampling on the wolf¡¯s neck, the buzzer rang right away and the record of the first grade C-ss was engraved on the electronic disy. It wasn¡¯t an all-time high score, though it was incredibly high. ¡°We finished faster than expected! Were we the fastest among 1st-years?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re behind Magic majors¡¯ I-ss. Didn¡¯t those bastards cheat?¡± Since I-ss was brimming with notable talents, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s C-ss was unable to annihte the monsters at the fastest pace among 1st-year students, though they were the fastest among Knight majors. It wasn¡¯t a surprising oue. I-ss had nned every step; they pulled a series of defensive and offensive magics in perfect coordination and whipped out 80% of the monsters before they had direct contact. They probably didn¡¯t have much opportunity to experience the tension of real battle. ¡°But I think people would notice that their teamwork is countered by theirck of individual strengths. It¡¯s not just a matter of finishing the match quickly.¡± ¡°Anyway, well done, everybody!¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m tired. Is anyone hurt badly? The medics areing soon, so raise your hand if you are.¡± ¡°Baek In-ha looked pretty cool earlier. He would be perfect if he doesn¡¯t open his mouth......¡± ¡°Karen was the best. I almost confessed by mistake earlier.¡± While the ss was excitedly chatting about their high score, Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deep sigh after confirming that he wasn¡¯t hurt. Baek In-ha approached him. ¡°You were awesome, Shinyok. You were flying around.¡± ¡°Are you talking about yourself?¡± ¡°No, Kang Shin-hyuk, I¡¯m serious. You were incredible. Our formation didn¡¯t copse in the middle of the battle thanks to you, and...... I hate to say it, but, Do Woojin.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head with a grin at Baek In-ha¡¯s words, Karen approached him andplimented him, perhaps having heard their conversation. When the aces of thepetition stood side by side and praised his performance, Kang Shin-hyuk finally made a proud expression and shrugged his shoulders. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sophisticated movements and meticulous techniques had shone on one-on-one battles, but they shined just as brightly in a team battle. But since the wolves were weaker than him in physical stats, he could take on as many of them as possible without retreating. So he just stood his ground and fought them, which seemed to have generated a deep impression on the people around him. ¡®And well, about Do Woojin...... I¡¯m sure he performed well with his abundant mana.¡¯ Do woojin was originally famous for having the equivalent of a C+ rank mana. His trait was in fact higher in rank, but he had only been using his weaker skills because using his trait would have led to a penalty. In other words, the other members of the C-ss showed worse results than Kang Shin-hyuk, who they had been ignoring for his inability to use mana, and Do Woojin wasn¡¯t at his full strengths. ¡°I wish everyone had just pulled themselves together and gotten a higher score.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve never been in such a team-oriented battle before, so they couldn¡¯t help it. The real issue was you; why were you so good, Shinyok? You were almost like an experienced active superhuman.¡± ¡°Yeah right, all I did was knocking down monsters jumping at me.¡± ¡°......Shinyok?¡± ¡°Hey, this guy¡¯s just calling me whatever he likes, so don¡¯t look at me with that weird look.¡± (1) Kang Shin-hyuk cut Karen off before she could say any further. She mischievously smiled and asked him. ¡°If you tell me what you were talking about with the Thunder Empress earlier, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that nickname, Shinyok.¡± ¡°The Thunder Empress? You met the Thunder Empress, too!?¡± ¡°Ha......¡± This time, Baek In-ha bit the bait. Kang Shin-hyuk pushed him away as he was closing in with his eyes wide open as if to eat him alive. ¡°We didn¡¯t talk about much. She just told me she enjoyed the game.¡± ¡°Really? The international celebrity Thunder Empress approached you and no one else and that¡¯s all she said?¡± ¡°Yeah, that was all. Look, they¡¯re calling for us. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Suspicious......¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed Karen and Baek In-ha¡¯s backs towards where their ss was gathered while thinking back to the conversation he had with her at lunchtime. ¡®I was freaked out at first that she found out.¡¯ The Thunder Empress Shin Eunah appeared out of nowhere to stare at him for a few moments and asked him to have a private conversation. Karen lost her mind at the sight of a Top 500 superhuman and Kang Shin-hyuk had no choice to follow her while shivering at the idea of his identity being found out. ¡®I saw the morning game.¡¯ ¡®Kang Shin-hyuk...... I¡¯ll remember you.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll look forward to the remaining games.¡¯ She said those three sentences and left coolly, saying, ¡°See you next time.¡± That was all!! ¡®If that was the case, was it necessary to have a private conversation or stare at me so intently?¡¯ ¡®Fortunately though, I don¡¯t think she noticed I¡¯m Anvil. If she did, she wouldn¡¯t have had that look on her face.¡¯ Recalling the facial expression of the Thunder Empress, which was ice-cold during the whole encounter, Kang Shin-hyuk sighed in his mind. A stiff expression with a stiff manner of speaking. He wondered if she really was the ¡°Eunah¡± who called him ¡°Grandpa¡± like a child in the Hero Universe messages. If she didn¡¯t think of him as Anvil, why would she approach him in the first ce? Was she capable of detecting spirit power like ire? As a member of the same Hero Universe, the possibility was there. ¡°Shinyok, what¡¯s wrong. Is it because of the rookiepetition tomorrow?¡± ¡°Huh? No..... I mean, yeah. I¡¯m worried about that.¡± Seeing Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s look of unrest, Baek In-ha patted him on the shoulder and talked to him. Kang Shin-hyuk knew very well that mentioning the Thunder Empress one more time would be self-destruction, so he merely nodded. At that moment, his stick vibrated. When he took it out and checked, he found that the schedule for tomorrow¡¯s rookiepetition was sent. His opponent for the round of 16 was...... Do Woojin. ¡°Ha......¡± When he looked up, he could see Do Woojin giving him a heated look. Thinking that he was unnecessarily too heated, Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head. The first day of the turbulent Shinyoung sports day wasing to an end. Editor/Trantor Notes: (1) Since ¡°Shinyok¡± is a nickname connoting a very close connection, Karen is (jokingly) suspecting that they Baek In-ha is his boyfriend. Chapter 25: Breaking out of the Egg - 3

Chapter 25: Breaking out of the Egg - 3

[You¡¯ve received one roulette coin for today¡¯s login. With five coins now in stock, you can spin the VIP roulette once! Would you like to spin it now?] It was the morning of the second day of the Shinyoung Sports Day, when the rookiepetition was going to be held. Weing Kang Shin-hyuk in the morning, was the message that he had been expecting to receive recently. ¡°I thought the coins were stacking up, but I collected all five faster than I thought.¡± [The VIP roulette is one of Hero Universe¡¯s finest services that only VIP members can enjoy! Please enjoy the roulette where you have the chance to win invaluable items from the countless dimensions!] The Administrator took the chance to enthusiastically exin, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t really into it. Whether it was roulette or card flipping, he learned very well from growing up in Korea, the heaven of gambling games, that the factor of luck was not reliable. [Our VIP roulette doesn¡¯t have nk draws. What¡¯s more, the roulette will more than likely end up upgrading your stats, so the more active you are in the Hero Universe and the more you devote your efforts to your self-development, the more rewards you will get!] ¡°But since my synchronization rate is low, my upgrades won¡¯t have much effect. Doesn¡¯t that mean the roulette¡¯s rewards will be lower in quality?¡± [It¡¯s all right. VIP roulette has rewards that go beyond stat upgrades, so you can expect to receive great rewards!] ¡°Then can you reveal the probability of winning certain things or something? I would be satisfied even if there¡¯s a 3% chance of winning a good reward......¡± [I¡¯m sorry, I cannot do that.] As expected, it was simply a game where you draw lots and leave it all up to fate. Kang Shin-hyuk threw away all expectations at that point. But the login bonus was a gift from Hero Universe, so he had no reason toin. If something was free of charge, even if it was something as trivial as mint chocte frappino, Kang Shin-hyuk would dly ept it. ¡°Then I¡¯ll spin it right away.¡± [We¡¯re about to spin the VIP roulette. Please throw the dart at any time you want!] He thought it would be over with a simplemand and the result would be decided right away, but that wasn¡¯t the case. A hologram-looking translucent giant disk had appeared on the other side of his bed! It began to turn furiously as soon as it appeared, and he was holding a small dart in his hand before he could notice. [Throw it!] ¡°What happens if I miss?¡± [Throw well so you won¡¯t miss!] Kang Shin-hyuk felt slightly disappointed as he thought that the Administrator¡¯s personality seemed to have changed a little these days. But since a free opportunity was present before him, he decided to empty his mind and throw the dart. ¡®It¡¯d be best if I can get a defensive artifact, but...... Wait, my hand is moving!¡± Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t miss, as his throwing ability was also considerably enhanced by his trait and skill. The moment the dart hit somewhere on the roulette, the speed at which the roulette turned slowed down and quickly stopped. Where the dart was hit, it said ¡®Lestia¡¯s hatching item¡¯ was written in Korean. [Lestia is a world that blesses the birth of all living things. This is a special item that borrows the power to speed hatching from that world.] ¡°I see. So I guess I was pretty unlucky.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was fluent in martial arts but he didn¡¯t have the ability toy eggs. However, the Administrator seemed oddly pleased with the reward he drew. [Do you really think so? I have already told you that the reward will likely end up helping with your stats¡¯ upgrades.] ¡°Well, should I ask the cafeteria if I could borrow some eggs or something?¡± [The hatching egg doesn¡¯t have the ability to turn an unfertilized egg into a fertilized one!] Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk was grumbling only on the surface; he wasn¡¯t actually that disappointed. He knew well that nothing rted to the Hero Universe was ordinary. He decided to keep the item, believing that it may be useful one day. Fortunately, it was possible to store the roulette¡¯s reward in his inventory. ¡°Shinyok, are you ready?¡± ¡°Maybe? What about you...... Nevermind, I guess there¡¯s no need to ask.¡± On the morning of the second day, Baek In-ha seemed particrly energetic at therge stadium. The first day of sports day wasn¡¯t quite challenging for Baek In-ha, who had already transcended other 1st-year students, but the school-widepetition of the event¡¯s second day included the 2nd-year and 3rd-year seniors, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that he was hyped up. ¡°You really only brought that sword. I should¡¯ve prepared a proper defensive artifact for you.¡± The adjective ¡°proper¡± didn¡¯t go with ¡°artifact,¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought. If an item had the word ¡°artifact¡± attached to it, it was worth at least hundreds of millions! Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly at Baek In-ha¡¯s words and tapped into the bag. He invested some of the money he earned from the War Troll¡¯s corpse and bought a suitable defensive tool. ¡°Nevermind that it¡¯s not an artifact, that¡¯s just a D rank defensive tool......¡± ¡°This should do the job.¡± Many of the students who went to school today wore heavy equipment as they were allowed to own personal equipment for the individualpetitions. Baek In-ha was wearing thorny gaiters on his knees and an unusually blue pair of metal shoes. Kang Shin-hyuk had already known, but he witnessed yet another evidence of how stupendously rich Baek In-ha was. Many people naturally paid their attention to Baek In-ha, though Kang Shin-hyuk, who was wearing nothing but a sword on his waist, also bought the interest of a lot of peo0ple different way. ¡°Ah, I guess that¡¯s the difference of family. I was looking forward to him since yesterday¡¯s games.¡± ¡°You idiot, he might hear you. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong to you¨Cwhy the fuck you gotta be like that?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true. The individualpetitions are the best ce to raise your reputation, so if you lose you might not even get sponsored.¡± ¡°That¡¯s his problem, nothing for you to worry about.¡± Thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s constant care and the axe it had absorbed, the Godyer now had a fairly appealing ck gloss, but to others, it looked like an insignificant weapon that was D rank at best. Since the Godyer sword doesn¡¯t contain mana and its appearance didn¡¯t show a sign of possessing a notable trait, people¡¯s judgment was destined to be ill-informed. They would surely be surprised by learning that the sword is a C rank weapon. ¡®Adding to that, the real strengths of the Godyer sword is not a meager C rank. My memory isn¡¯t that clear, but I¡¯m the one who built this weapon, so I know better than anyone else. Even if it¡¯scking a dragon heart, it¡¯s not going to fall behind some artifacts that the students will bring.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had sworn to himself to not pay attention to other people¡¯s thoughts of him, and he wasn¡¯t about to fail that vow by indulging in people¡¯s dismissal of his sword. But of course, there were some people who thought differently. ¡°Hey, Kang Shin-hyuk. You should have brought the right weapon even if it meant taking out loans and putting yourself under a debt. Are you nning to make an excuse when you lose against me?¡± As soon as the attendance call at the yground was over, Do Woojin ran to Kang Shin-hyuk and said to him with frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how important thispetition is? People whom you would never meet in your life are gathered here to see our cute actions. It¡¯s a ce where we have to show our abilities and potential as much as we can. You should have prepared a proper weapon even if it meant selling your organs to buy one.¡± ¡°...... You.¡± If it had not been for the existence of the Godyer sword, every word he spoke would be spot-on. In other words, Do Woojin was sincerely disappointed, rather than feeling a sense of dismissal. Do Woojin is really hard to understand, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. How did things turn out this way? One day, hepletely ignored him, and on the other, he¡¯s feeling sorry for him. They were the same age, but Kang Shin-hyuk really couldn¡¯t understand the minds of his peers! ¡°Thanks for your concern, Doo Woojin.¡± ¡°...... What? Who said I¡¯m worried!¡± ¡°But this is a really good weapon, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡± ¡°......¡± Do Woojin shut his mouth, thinking that his confidence didn¡¯t seem to be a bluff. And then he turned around with a light chuckle, which Kang Shin-hyukughed at. After all, they were little kids. Their minds and attitude constantly changed depending on their emotion and the circumstance they were trapped in. It wasn¡¯t their fault, though, it was the fault of the system that was designed to prompt such a vtile state of mind.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk himself was no exception to being young. But, unlike others of his age, he had the ability to objectively observe himself, which wasrgely due to the presence of the old man in his memory. [Bartender noona: Hey, popr guy, big news.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I¡¯m not popr. But what¡¯s the news?] re¡¯s text message brought Kang Shin-hyuk back to reality. He waited for her answer, pushing the face of Baek In-ha constantly trying to steal a glimpse of his stick. [Bartender noonar: Eunah wants to sponsor you via the association.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Me? The Thunder Empress? Did she notice?] [Bartender noona: No, I don¡¯t think so. But she does seem to haveid her eyes on you. She even approached you herself yesterday, so......] He would probably get more attention from her today by carrying the Godyer sword. And one wrong word could lead to a full revtion of his identity. Kang Shin-hyuk felt as if he had be a death-row convict watching the executioner get closer to him step by step as he waited with his head on the executioner¡¯s stand. [Kang Shin-hyuk: By the way, did the association sponsor students?] [Bartender noona: Of course it¡¯s not like the wild sponsorships thatrge guilds hand out. The association likes to sponsor students of poor background who are nevertheless exceptionally talented¨Cpeople like you, that is.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Hm, sponsorship....... I don¡¯t intend to decide where I want to join at this moment, but thank you for telling me.] [Bartender noona: Of course, it all depends on your performance in the individualpetitions today.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: I know. Aren¡¯t you going to cheer for me?] [Bartender noona: Mmm. Your noona will buy you chicken.] [Kang Shin-hyuk: Okay.] Though he didn¡¯t express it in his text messages, he was incredibly fired up to pull off an impressive performance at the prospect of free chickens. He hesitated to text her if he could give her a kiss after the victory, but he regained his sanity just before tapping the send button. ¡°Game¡¯s about to start, Shinyok. Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly and move onto the next game!¡± ¡°Okay. But if you don¡¯t want to be disqualified, take that artifact off.¡± ¡°Oh, right, I was only thinking about the individual match......¡± On the second day of sports day, there were more games to show off their superhuman abilities. In particr, Magic majors had various traits that stood out, but many Knight majors were also under the spotlight for their unusual traits. ¡°Oh, that one¡¯s interesting...... But I wonder if that will be effective in a real battle.¡± ¡°B rank trait? That one? Well, there¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t know about the rank calctions of the Gaia system. Still, I guess it means that one has potential.¡± While the students were fiercelypeting in their matches, the scouts of each guild calmly assessed their potentials. ¡°Well, that one¡¯s a no for me. Where¡¯s the list of promising students you kept yesterday? Let me see it.¡± ¡°The individualpetitions are about to start. So let¡¯s go to our seats.¡± ¡°Whoo, it seems like the Thunder Empress and the Alchemist will be watching the rookiepetition.¡± Although Shinyoung¡¯s name was very highly regarded, the scout of every visiting guild was also an alumnus of Shinyoung or an equally prestigious training academy. The spots for the guild¡¯s ace were limited and thepetition was fierce. Thepetition to determine the students¡¯ future paths had begun now. [Shinyoung Sports Day¡¯s individualpetition will be held soon! All the yers who have advanced to the round of 16, please gather at the venue! I repeated, the Shinyoung Sports Day¡¯s individualpetitions will be held soon!] By the end of lunchtime, a broadcast finally rang out throughout the school marking the start of the individualpetition. ¡°See youter.¡± ¡°Later.¡± Everyone excitedly stood up from their seats with a look of ¡°the time has finallye¡± for the main event of the second day. Kang Shin-hyuk gave Baek In-ha a fist bump and turned around to head to gymnasium 2 where the rookiepetition was held. [Fresh sprouts of Shinyoung, a contest of infinite possibilities for 1st-year students! Wee to Shinyoung¡¯s rookiepetition. This year¡¯s students are also attracting a lot of interest with their sparkling potential.] ¡°Hurry up and get started!¡± [Haha, president of the Sivie Guild, please be patient for just a little longer. We still have time before thepetition begins!] The gymnasium was already crowded with the voice of the host covering the noisy auditorium. But just as Kang Shin Hyuk found his waiting room. [All students who participate in this rookiepetition will earn extra points in their academic assessment, and those who make it to the semifinals will be eligible to participate at the 15th World Superhuman Conference in Paris, France, as a guest representing the academy this fall. Furthermore, the winner and runner-up will be given special rewards!] ¡°Rewards?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who was weak when it came to rewards, raised his head at the words mentioned. Two items in a transparent box were seen on disy at the podium of the gym, where the host was standing. [These are highly invaluable items that had been collected by various schoolmasters with great trouble. The first item is an artifact that was recently unearthed in a dungeon! As a mask-type artifact, it has the ability to speed up the flow of mana when worn.] Shinyoung was indeed an incredibly rich school, but to think that a B rank item worth billions of won was offered as a reward! This year¡¯s rewards didn¡¯t seem to be ordinarypared to the previous years¡¯, as indicated by the fuss in the audience. But the item that caught Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes was not the mask, but the other reward. [And the second reward is an unnamed spherical OOPArt that was found in a(A rank gate!](1) ¡°A sphere......¡± [Although mana cannot be detected, its surprising firmness is indicative of the infinite possibilities that are suitable for our rookies. The winner of thepetition will get to choose the desired reward, while the runner-up will receive the remaining reward. To make sure you get the prize you want, you better win!] The host was making it sound all impressive, but in short, it was just a hard ball whose use was so far unknown. ¡®But that one, that one could perhaps be......¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and stared at the gray sphere on the tform. Kang Shin-hyuk could see a faint beating of certain energy inside the object, as if something was alive inside. It was none other than spirit power. Looking at it more closely, the object looked like an egg. [Didn¡¯t I tell you?] ¡°Yes, the Administrator is the best.¡± [A 100HP bonus from the Administrator for the kind words!] The Administrator said with a swagger. He hated the ¡°I-told-you-so¡± attitude, but he had to admit it. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ wonder what¡¯de out of that egg, but I guess I have to win to find out.¡± Five minutester, the round of 16 match between Kang Shin-hyuk and Do Woojin began. Editor/Trantor Notes: (1) ¡°An out-of-ce artifact (OOPArt) is an artifact of historical, archaeological, or paleontological interest found in an unusual context¡± (Wikipedia) Chapter 26: Breaking out of the Egg - 4

Chapter 26: Breaking out of the Egg - 4

[The first match of the round of 16 has begun! Surprisingly, it¡¯s a sh between two Knight major ssmates! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard that a lot of notable talents have enrolled in Shinyoung this year, and the students of C-ss have especially been in the spotlight.] A 2nd-year student from the student government was in charge of thementary for the rookiepetition. A member of the student government could not be someone that could be taken lightly, but Kang Shin-hyuk and Do Woojin couldn¡¯t help but frown at the overly dramatic tone of thementary. [Can you believe it? A total of three students from C-ss had entered the round of 16! It¡¯s almost as if the rest of the sses have been cking off all year. What¡¯s more, there¡¯s an even more shocking secret involved in this matter, which you can find out while spectating the academypetition at gymnasium 1!] The secret was obviously implied by the hint that you could find out while watching the academypetition, which meant that the host didn¡¯t have much interest in hyping up Kang Shin-hyuk and Do Woojin. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to ignore the host and stood with his fighting posture fixed. As if sharing the same thought, Do Woojin gripped his sword tightly with his eyes fixated on him. He had a gray stone sword that had a coarse appearance and a stylish belt that sparkled on his waist. Those seemed to be the only two artifacts he had prepared. [All rightdies and gentlemen, it seems that both yers are ready. As a reminder, both contestants have a shock-absorbing sensor attached to their body, and if the impact exceeds a certain amount, the buzzer will vibrate and the contestant would be disqualified. Of course, striking the vital spots will lead to harder impacts, so you can expect safe but real-like battles!] As the host said, Kang Shin-hyuk and Do Woojin were both wearing choker-shaped equipment on their arms, legs, and necks. They were a shock-absorbing sensor created by the armor-manufacturing brand Mystic, having the ability to absorb a certain amount of shock and protect the wearer while measuring the magnitude of the impact. The most impressive feature of the equipment was that its measurement was adjusted by the defensive abilities that the wearer was using, so if the wearer had a trait to harden his body or some sort of a defensive skill, the measurement would be lowered to urately assess the damage inflicted on him. Therefore, it was a defensive artifact that had the auxiliary purpose of measuring the wearer¡¯s defensive capabilities while protecting him from external attacks. [On one side we have Do Woojin, who is known to have one of the most exceptional magical power among 1st- year students. Then we have Kang Shin-hyuk on the other side, who has polished his fighting techniques more than anyone else topensate for hisck of magical power. Then, without further ado, let the match begin!] A teacher from the sideline raised his hand at the host¡¯s signal. As soon as his hand was lowered Kang Shin-hyuk leaped forward to Do Woojin, who backed away in response and thrust his sword into the ring. That was the trigger. His body was swarming with mana! [Ahhh, contestant Do Woojin is infusing his magical power! His belt is releasing its own magical power in line with him¨Cit seems that his belt is a supplementary artifact that helps activate his trait!] The fact that Do Woojin was born with strong magical power was a testament to his strong trait. And that gave him the excuse to scold Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s highly ranked (A-) trait. The stronger the trait, the stronger the magical power! That was an unwrittenw in the world of superhumans. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen you activate it fully before because there are so many restrictions on the activation of traits.¡¯ If you attended the academy, it was inevitable to have the identity of your trait discovered by others in one way or another, but without the ability to read the status window, it was impossible for others to infer the nature of your trait in great detail. Moreover, since Do Woojin had never activated his trait in ss, Kang Shin-hyuk suspected that the conditions for its activation were severely restricted. True to that expectation, he seemed to possess a ridiculously powerful trait that could only be activated with the aid of an artifact. ¡®Though the use of an artifact also depends on the individual¡¯s skill. So? What is his trait?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk opened his eyes wide, correcting his bnce so that he couldn¡¯t be swept away by the raging magical power storm. Naturally, his spirit power flowed into his eyes to strengthen his vision. He could see Do Woojin¡¯s body swelling in the midst of the storm. [Ahhhhhhhhhhh! That is amazing! What an incredible trait that is matched by his powerful magical power!] The host, who had noticed the identity of Do Woojin¡¯s skill almost simultaneously with Kang Shin-hyuk,vished praises on him. The host was wary of aiding a contestant by revealing the identity of his opponent¡¯s trait, but Kang Shin-hyuk seemed to have already caught onto the matter, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to make the remark. ¡°Whoa!¡± It was just then. The mana that covered the entire ring instantly converged into Do Woojin¡¯s body, revealing his transformation into a giant nearly three meters tall. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Amazing...... That¡¯s amazing! ¡°Transformation! It¡¯s notmon to see a transformation that is solely focused on size and pure power.¡± Gigantification. Actually, given the fact that his sword had also grown bigger, the term ¡°ergement¡± might have been more apt. As he grew in size, his power had also increased, and the air around him gave off the vibe of a monster rather than a human being. If he nurtures his trait further, he could well end up bing a top-tier tank. But despite the terrifying pressure, Kang Shin-hyuk let out a faint smile. ¡°Ah...... Hm.¡± ¡°If you won¡¯te, I will!¡± Do Woojin rushed to him, seemingly having be more militant by bing a giant. With the increase in size, the width of his stride was broadened, and his speed was faster with the added muscles. So fast, indeed, that ordinary people had a hard time tracking his movement. ¡°Whoo.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took a step forward. He drew a circle with the Godyer sword in the air and firmly gripped it. He recalled the previous experiences he had with the sword. The battle at the top-quality hotel where he confronted a monster whose size, weapon, and aggression were bigger than the gigantified Do Woojin. ¡®Of course, I¡¯m a bit weaker than I was when I drank the potion......¡¯ He was weaker than during the incident at the hotel, but Do Woojin was also weaker than the Troll. On top of that, Do Woojin didn¡¯t have the ability to create a shockwave. Most importantly, however, his current understanding of the Godyer sword was iparably deeper than when he fought against the monster. Moreover, whenever he practiced sword dance techniques, he simted re-matches against the Troll in his head countless times. Although the imaginary simtion didn¡¯t count as an actual battle, after a couple of practices he was able to pull off an 80% win rate. Therefore, victory against an opponent weaker than the War Troll was inevitable. His certainty in the oue of the battle was the reason for his vague facial expression. If ¡®ergement¡¯ was the only trump card that Do Woojin had up his sleeve...... ¡°Sorry, Do Woojin.¡± As if he heard Kang Shin-hyuk muttering to himself, Do Woojin¡¯s eyes narrowed to a slit. He opened his mouth as if to answer something back. But Kang Shin-hyuk leaned over and charged in without waiting for the answer. His hard-trained spirit power soared like wildfire. The Godyer sword made a pleasant cry as if to resonate with the flow of his spirit power. The giant struck down his sword, but Kang Shin-hyuk lifted his Godyer sword and let it slip it away. The giant tried to punch him, but it didn¡¯t reach him. The giant tried to kick him with his foot as ast resort, but. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sword had already reached its destination. ¡°Kahak!¡± The Godyer sword, which was iparably more elegant, potent and free the violent aura than during the incident at the hotel, struck a vital spot of Do Woojin. The trajectory of the sword drawn in the air was slow enough for his eyes to catch, but Do Woojin could not stop the attack. [Oh, my God!...... What an unexpected turn-out! Contestant Kang Shin-hyuk is overwhelming contestant Do Woojin! I¡¯m sure you have heard that contestant Kang Shin-hyuk isn¡¯t capable of using mana but...... What are those movements? Contestant Do Woojin is fast and strong, but he cannot reach contestant Kang Shin-hyuk!] The sight of Do Woojin swinging his long-sword in every direction after being in by the Godyer sword resembled a fish that had escaped water. On the other hand, Kang Shin-hyuk moved his body swiftly like a butterfly, avoiding every attack and rushing into the gaps of his movements to strike his vital points. His counter-attacks were perfectly timed, as if the two had nned those movements before the match began. ¡°Wow......¡± ¡°Is it a side effect of gigantification? No¨Cactually, that kid is very strong right now. You can tell by just reading his momentum. If so......¡± ¡°What was that kid¡¯s trait? The report at the time of his awakening.¡± ¡°It was high proficiency of martial arts at the cost of the ability to use mana.¡± ¡°But his power is effective enough to deal damages to a superhuman. He¡¯spletely overwhelming him with his movements! To add to that...... I don¡¯t think I can dodge those sword attacks myself.¡± The people sitting in the audience stood up almost in unison. People who only focused their attention on Do Woojin for his gigantification felt like they had been hit by cold water. ¡°You fools, look at the sword that the boy is holding.¡± Then a scout from Vanguard, one of the world¡¯s most powerful guilds, said mockingly to those who were surprised. Only then did others find that the sword in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand had a distinct dragon pattern engraved on it. ¡°I still can¡¯t feel mana from it, but it¡¯s gotten stronger. That pattern wasn¡¯t there before.¡± ¡°Then the artifact was activated under some special condition, or......¡± ¡°It¡¯s the power of that boy¡¯s trait.¡± It didn¡¯t matter which way. If he could fight a giant without backing down, and deal damages that were effective against a giant, it was proof that he was a skilled superhuman, whether he was capable of mana or not. It was impossible to deny it. It was no coincidence that a boy without mana had enrolled in the world¡¯s top superhuman training academy, where he was now evidently one of the greatest potentials! ¨C Beep! When the nearly one-sided battle came to a conclusion after very little time had passed, the buzzer rang. Do Woojin himself had felt that he was at his limit. ¡°Crrrrr......¡± Just as Kang Shin-hyuk pulled his sword, Do Woojin knelt on the ground helplessly as he dropped his sword. His body began to shrink into its original form like wind blowing out of a balloon. After he wore the Godyer sword on his waist, Kang Shin-hyuk agonized over whether he should reach out his hand to him. Out of sympathy, he decided to do so. Fortunately, Do Woojin, who hadpletely returned to his original form, did not reject his hand. ¡°You son of a bitch.¡± Do Woojin, who stood up holding his hand, suddenly cursed at him. His tone, however, signified a sense of relief. ¡°Why did you pretend to be weak all this time?¡± ¡°I was, in fact, weak, but I got stronger.¡± ¡°Fuck......¡± With that one word of despair, Kang Shin-hyuk startedughing. Do Woojin frowned. ¡°My eyes were fucking useless.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°I¡¯m madder that Baek In-ha knew about your true strength all along.¡± ¡°Well, now you know.¡± ¡°Yeah, fuck. You¡¯re fucking strong.¡± Do Woojin spat out curse words again and let go of his hand. He stepped back from the ring and gave him onest remark in a quiet voice. ¡°Congrats on making the quarterfinals.¡± The matches continued on. Karen Stringfield, who was also participating in thepetition, had advanced to the quarterfinals like Kang Shin-hyuk, but he faced a Magic major whom he easily defeated by throwing his Godyer sword. The contestant, who mistook his throw as a simple threat,ughed at Kang Shin-hyuk for abandoning his weapon and tried to defend himself with an instantly activated defense magic, but sadly, the sword thrown by him contained as much spirit energy as he could muddle at the moment, and his throwing technique was enhanced by the Fanged Wyvern Dance. In the end, that single throw greatly exceeded the maximum amount of impact and the contestant instantly passed out. It was a concise yet pathetic battle. ¡°Did you just see that?¡± ¡°That attack should work on monsters too, don¡¯t you think......? I¡¯ve learned quite an interesting throwing skill.¡± ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s good at all martial arts techniques, and throwing technique is just one of them.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± His opponent for the semifinals was a Knight major male student from 1st-year F-ss, who was considered a strong contender for the trophy. Karen said that he was a talent whose entry into the Wyvern Knights was secured, just like her and Do Woojin. He was the master of a versatile trait that could generate mes around his weapon and around himself for protection, but sadly, the mes weren¡¯t powerful enough to pierce through the Godyer sword. [Your synchronization rate is slightly increasing. Assimtion rate is now at 3.9%.] He felt sorry for his opponent, but he was very familiar with mes. The memory of the cksmith, who had been apanied by mes throughout his life, was whispering to him. You don¡¯t deserve to be called a cksmith if you get scared off by such petty me. Kang Shin-hyuk shed through the raging mesing from all sides and stepped forward. The heat resistance effect he got from cksmithing was activated during the battle, whose effect was¨Cto his surprise¨Camplified by spirit power. The damage umted on his sensor was consequently minor. ¡°You, what the hell is that weapon!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an artifact, a very precious one.¡± His opponent seemed to have thought that the reason for his mes¡¯ ineffectiveness was due to the Godyer sword. Of course, it was true that the (C) rank sword could not be affected by that kind of me, so it wasn¡¯t a false assumption. ¡°You¡¯re weaker than Do Woojin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh, it¡¯s not over yet...... Kuhuk!¡± With his worthless trait, his only means of taking down Kang Shin-hyuk was through his sword skills. But that was an area where Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t lose to anyone. After shing des with him several times, Kang Shin-hyuk realized that there was nothing left to learn from him, so he knocked the sword out of his hand and dealt multiple damages to his vital points, prompting his buzzer to ring. That was the end. It was a less exciting ending than Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s match against Do Woojin. [Ah, what an incredible finish! The boy who no one had paid attention to had just be the dark horse of thepetition...... Ah, I apologize¨Cwas that expression too cliche? But it is undeniably a dramatic turn-out! Kang Shin-hyuk is going to the finals! His opponent is......] Kang Shin-hyuk gently closed his eyes and opened them shortly after. His opponent who had advanced to the finals by defeating Karen Stringfield was a talented student who was considered to be the next king of the Magic majors. ¨C The final will be held after an hour¡¯s break! Get your popcorns ready, everyone! It was a head-to-head confrontation between a Knight major and a Magic major. Chapter 27 Breaking out of the Egg - 5

Chapter 27 Breaking out of the Egg - 5

¡°He was unbelievably fast. I thought my speed was second only to Baek In-ha, but his magical attacks caught up to me.¡± An hour¡¯s intermission was given before the finals. Karen visited Kang Shin-hyuk who was waiting in his own waiting room and started talking about various things. He would¡¯ve kicked her out if she came empty-handed, but she brought a mango smoothie with her to wish him good luck, so he decided to listen while drinking it. ¡°And there were plenty. He incanted some sort of magic and created ten fire arrows to shoot at me. That bastard certainly has at least two abilities: one to create multiple arrows and another to fire them at high speed. He¡¯s purely a magic type.¡± ¡°Do Magic majors mostly have those kinds of traits?¡± ¡°No, only a few are armed with incantation traits or skills. The traits and skills of Magic majors are usually ones that modify their brain structure to be capable of certain magical skills, create magical circles or modify their magical power. If you¡¯re really unlucky, you¡¯d just be given an ability to create a fireball or something like that. Though anyone with that kind of low-tier magic wouldn¡¯t have made it to Shinyoung.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled back at her, took his mouth off the smoothie, and responded. ¡°You never know. Maybe there¡¯s someone like me among Magic majors. Someone who¡¯s really good at handling fireballs.¡± ¡°Oh...... Anyway! He¡¯ll use incantation magic to create multiple high-speed weapons. So you shouldn¡¯t throw away your weapon like you did in the quarterfinals. Rather, think of it as fighting against a warrior who throws a lot of weapons, and be careful.¡± ¡°You came to tell me that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Karen came to cheer for Kang Shin-hyuk in her own way by informing him of his opponent¡¯s abilities. When Kang Shin-hyuk smiled softly, Karen shrugged her shoulders andughed. ¡°We¡¯re partners. You¡¯ve got to avenge me.¡± ¡°Three-legged race partners.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cheer for you. Now you¡¯re the only one who can build the honor of our ss.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Just as Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes to a slit out of suspicion that she had something in her mind, Baek In-ha came bursting into the room in tears. ¡°Shinyok!¡± ¡°Oh, I know what you¡¯re about to say, so go over there and cry alone.¡± ¡°Shinyokkkkkkk!!!!!!!¡± ¡°Get the fuck off me, you idiot!¡± Five minutes ago, Baek In-ha had been defeated in the semifinals of the Battle for the Crown of Martial Arts. (1) His opponent was Natan Bodin, a third-year French student who was the current Crown of Wizards. (2) It was apetitive match, but it was a loss all the same. Karen had already heard the news and had shared it with Kang Shin-hyuk before Baek In-ha came bursting into the waiting room. ¡°You¡¯ve made a record as a 1-st year student to make it to the semifinals of the battle for the Crown of Martial Arts. Someone made it to the quarterfinalsst year, but you¡¯re the first to make it to semifinals after the Thunder Empress four years ago.¡± ¡°The Thunder Empress took the title of the Crown of Wizards as well as the Crown of Martial Arts in her first year!¡± ¡°Wow, you were actually thinking of beating the Thunder Empress......¡± Karenughed in disbelief at Baek In-ha, who seemed like he was about to disintegrate and die. The Thunder Empress was already a legend at the time of her admission to Shinyoung. As evidence, despite her young age in mid-20s, she¡¯s currently ranked 317th in the World Superhuman Ranking. Some people who knew a little about her even im that she had never shown her full power. To make that im more authentic, she had never failed in conquering a gate, so there was no opportunity for anyone to urately assess her full strengths. ¡°Ahhhhh! If I were a little faster, I would have won! If my magical power rank had a +, I would¡¯ve totally owned her!¡± ¡°Calm down, dude. Anyway, you did a great job.¡± ¡°Actually, Baek In-ha is a real nuisance. He beat the Crown of Knights in the quarterfinals, so it all ended up as if a Knight major had lost to a Magic major. The Crown of Knights of Shinyoung was Dous Paine, a third-year American student studying abroad who was currently the captain of the Wyvern Knights. Having secured his title as the Crown of Knights this year, he entered the Battle for the Crown of Martial Arts to secure that title, only to be defeated by a first-year student in the quarterfinals before even getting the chance to face the Crown of Wizards. It would have been better if Baek In-ha went on to be the Crown of Martial Arts, but he was defeated by the Crown of Wizards while having beat the Crown of Knights! ¡°You¡¯re truly a nuisance......¡± ¡°He was weaker than me! What do you want me to do!?¡± Baek In-ha rolled on the floor, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about that dude.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered what it would have been like if he had gone out to the Battle for the Crown of Knights and won the title, but the train had already left, which couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Karen, are there any Knight majors left in the Battle for the Crown of Martial Arts?¡± ¡°Our vice-captain made it to the finals. Of course, if it¡¯s her, I think she can beat the Crown of Wizards, but......¡± ¡°Then is your vice-captain stronger than the captain?...... Ah, forget it. Don¡¯t tell me. Hey, I said don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re too quick-witted.¡± ¡°......¡± As soon as the vice-captain was mentioned, Karen tried to take the chance to let Kang Shin-hyuk into the loop, but stepped down while smacking her pte as Kang Shin-hyuk quickly deterred her. Baek In-ha nced at the two and narrowed his eyes to a slit. ¡°As expected, you two are dating.¡± ¡°Yes, so is today our first day as a couple?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, you traitorrrrrrr!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finished off his smoothie, leaving Baek In-ha alone as he flustered over Karen¡¯s mischievous jokes. Karen threw away her empty cup and finished what she came to say. ¡°Anyway, everything will be fine if you win. I even bought smoothies, so you have to win.¡± ¡°I drank it without knowing it was prepaid.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m going to buy you a proper artifact this time, so make sure you win, Shinyok.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a burden, you know.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk rose from his seat while pushing back Baek In-ha away. It was surprisingly fun to talk to them, but he didn¡¯t have time to rx anymore. The final match was about to begin. But when he opened the waiting room¡¯s door, Do Woojin was standing in front of him. ¡°Do Woojin?¡± ¡°......¡± Do Woojin slightly flinched when he saw Baek In-ha and Karen Stringfield in the waiting room, but soon gave something to Kang Shin-hyuk. It was the belt he was wearing when he faced him in the round of 16. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a rule against renting an artifact. Use this.¡± ¡°What......?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Doo Woojin with a shocked look. Do Woojin clicked his tongue and avoided eye contact. Baek In-ha, who was watching from the side, shouted with his eyes wide open. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! Doo Woojin, you¡¯re so smart! Wait a minute, Shinyok, I¡¯ll lend you the artifact I brought......¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Karen pped her hands as Kang Shin-hyuk was embarrassed by Do Woojin offering his belt to him and Baek In-ha who was about to take off his artifact. ¡°You fought so well that I thought you had everything, but I see, you didn¡¯t use an artifact.¡± ¡°This sword of mine is an artifact.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the only artifact you have, right? It¡¯s a good thing we noticed before you got up to the ring. Your final opponent is equipped with two artifacts, both of which are B rank or higher. I know for sure because I fought him myself. If you¡¯re going to fight someone like that, you¡¯re going to have to be well-equipped.¡± ¡°Hm......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded to her reasonable words in a low voice. He hadn¡¯t been expecting this to happen. Why did he burn so much enthusiasm for the rookiepetition in the first ce? Of course, he purely wanted to achieve good grades, but he also wanted to prove his strengths to Yoo Min-joon of the Wyvern Knights who s started a quarrel with him. ¡°But the one who made me confront Yoo Min-joon and was defeated by me in the round of 16 is trying to lend me his artifact.¡± It was a very difficult situation to understand. Even if he took his offer, Do Woojin was going to be seen as weird. ¡®What is he thinking?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Do Woojin with an indescribable look. But Do Woojin was still sticking out his belt at him with a wistful face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about useless things and just take it, you bastard. I just don¡¯t want to see you beat me and lose in the finals just because your opponent had better items.¡± ¡°I mean, I can take mine? I don¡¯t need yours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny, what Baek In-ha¡¯s offering you only works well for certain users.¡± That was true. Of course, in terms of rank alone, the Baek In-ha¡¯s artifact would be higher in quality than Do Woojin¡¯s belt. But more importantly, Baek In-ha¡¯s artifact was specialized equipment. Baek In-ha has the highest-quality trait associated with speed, and his artifacts have the ability to enhance that quality of him. Even if Kang Shin-hyuk were to wear it, he wouldn¡¯t receive any dramatic effect, since his agility was only a little bit high. ¡®But that belt......¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk thought while looking at the belt in Do Woojin¡¯s hand. That belt had the ability to trigger the activation of the user¡¯s trait. For someone like Kang Shin-hyuk who had exclusively relied on his trait until his awakening of spirit power, it was an invaluable treasure. ¡°Whoo. Okay, then I¡¯ll borrow it for now.¡± ¡°Of course you should.¡± Eventually, Kang Shin-hyuk epted the belt from Do Woojin. He decided to push useless concerns aside and borrow the artifact only for the duration of thepetition. In the first ce, it was not pleasant imagining his opponent to be armed with artifacts of B rank or higher while waiting for him, and he didn¡¯t want to refuse the item that Do Woojin had given out with a good intention. Thus, it was not time to say, ¡°I will win the match with this one sword!¡± ¡°Thanks, Do Woojin. I¡¯ll definitely win.¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive, so don¡¯t scratch it.¡± ¡°No, why, my artifact is much better even if it¡¯s not a good match to your trait!¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking down on my trait. I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s made of, so keep an eye on it.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk looked at the belt in his hand while Baek In-ha was rolling on the floor from a sense of unfairness and indignation, a message from the Gaia system popped up in front of his eyes. [Enhanced Power Belt of Dmpe] [C+] [Special ability: Weakly triggers the activation of a trait and enhances a trait with low probability] It was just as expected, or perhaps more. Kang Shin-hyuk took off the armor he was wearing and wore the belt. Then, as if it was waiting for the right moment, the broadcast announcing the final match rang out. [The long-awaited final match of the Shinyoung rookiepetition will begin! The contestants will now enter the stage!] ¡°Whoo......¡± After a short deep breath, he looked back for thest time. For an unknown reason, the sight of Baek In-ha and Do Woojin looking at him with the same sulky expression made him smile. They weren¡¯t adults yet, he thought. ¡°Good luck, Shin-hyuk!¡± Bartender: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! Karen voiced her support while the boys were staring at each other. At the same time, ire¡¯s cheering message popped up in front of his retina. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded firmly and turned his head again to move forward. A myriad of spectators gathered at the second gymnasium looked at him. Among them was a familiar face: Yoo Min-joon, the sunbae who had promised to watch his matches. He seemed shocked to find Do Woojin¡¯s belt on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s waist. Kang Shin-hyuk was expecting such a reaction from him, but it was more entertaining to see it with his own eyes. He didn¡¯t ept Do Woojin¡¯s good-willed offer to provoke such a reaction from him, but he couldn¡¯t help but enjoy. [Oh, contestant Kang Shin-hyuk! He¡¯s wearing the belt that contestant Do Woojin wore in hisst match! They¡¯ve exchanged their artifact for the final match, and ording to the rules...... There¡¯s no problem! How nice of him to lend his artifact to the opponent who beat him!] On the stage, his opponent with a conical hat holding an elegant staff looked straight at him. Rather than an out-dated fashion, they were powerful artifacts that were at least B ranks, as Karen had told him. [On one side we have a genius who has been the fan-favorite from the start, and on the other, we have a dark horse who popped out of nowhere. What an exciting match this is! A battle of pride between a Knight and a Wizard; the loser will carry home the humiliation of losing to their rival as the representative of their major. Both contestants must put out everything they have!] Kang Shin-hyuk stepped up to the ring and looked at his opponent. On the surface, he didn¡¯t seem nervous at all. Kang Shin-hyuk could understand the look of arrogance; he was the Wizard equivalent of Baek In-ha, whom every Magic major unanimously acknowledged as the strongest. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t borrowed Do Woojin¡¯s belt, I would have been finished after swinging my sword once or twice.¡¯ But somehow, it never urred to him that he was going to lose. It wasn¡¯t because of his friends¡¯ sincere and heartfelt support; he was just fully confident in himself. ¡°Whoo......¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out his sword and fixed his fighting posture. The judge raised his hand and struck it down. ¡°Fight!¡± The Godyer shone brightly and Kang Shin-hyuk rushed to his opponent. The final match of the rookiepetition has begun. Editor/Trantor Notes: (1) Fixed a trantion error; the previous ¡°academypetition¡± was modified to ¡°Battle for the Martial Arts Crown.¡± (2) Changed from the previous ¡°King of Magic majors¡± Chapter 28 - Breaking out of the Egg – 6

Chapter 28 - Breaking out of the Egg ¨C 6

¡°Ha.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s opponent was Yuta Mitsui, a Japanese international student and a freshman in the Magic Department. Yutaughed at Shin-hyuk, who charged at him as soon as the game started. ¡®I was nervous because he is the best in Shinyoung with his skill, but there¡¯s nothing to see here.¡¯ The British woman that fought in the semi-finals lost rather quickly, and he didn¡¯t think this would be any different. With his normal eyesight, he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow the movements of Shin-hyuk at all, but he was currently using an artifact that increased his vision and reaction speed. Right now, it was as if Shin-hyuk was running slowly, and was easy for Yuta to hit with his magic. Even though he was running at his best, he was caught in those eyes reinforced by artifacts. ¡®Not that I was expecting much from the knights.¡¯ Yutaughed and lifted his staff; it was an artifact that increased his casting speed and guided his magic projectiles. With that staff and his characteristics that allowed him to use high-speed chanting and multiply, there was no-one among Shinyoung¡¯s freshmen that could surpass him. ¡°Now!¡± Colorful petals bloomed from the end of the staff as nearly twenty fire arrows immediately formed to seek out Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Hm?¡± Surprisingly, Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t make any attempt to avoid it. He whisked his sword around as he lifted it. The weak wind propelled by the de was enough to redirect some of the me arrows¡¯ trajectories slightly. Shin-hyuk continued to run along the path he created, right across the small arena. Fighting against a wizard was a game of taking advantage of the gaps in each other¡¯s defenses. In avoiding this preemptive attack, the edge was definitely on Kang Shin-Hyuk¡¯s side. ¡®He turned the arrows¡¯ direction with the wind from his sword? That¡¯s no martial art! But it doesn¡¯t matter!¡¯ A small smile crossed Yuta¡¯s lips as the me arrows that missed Shin-hyuk turned in the air began to pursue him. But he had already narrowed the distance between himself and his opponent, and it didn¡¯t matter if an arrow hit him if he could defeat Yuta right away. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Yuta eximed, dozens of me arrows blooming once again from the staff right in front of Shin-hyuk. A wave of magic approached him from both sides; it was clear to see why Yuta was already the strongest in the magic department. Anyone would be hard-pressed to find someone who could match his firepower at his age, even when you considered the support he had from his artifacts. ¡°Hm¡­¡± In this situation where the game seemed to be over already, Kang Shin-hyuk still drew his sword forward. At that moment, everyone watching immediately recognized it as a skill. All of the me arrows in the way the sword cut through were extinguished. -Oh my! Those arrows contain quite the punch, but they were cut off in an instant by Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sword! A skill that destroys magic is the most desired one for closebat, but who knew Kang Shin-hyuk had it! ¡°He didn¡¯t divide them; he destroyed them. It was possible because it was low-leveled magic. If he can grow that skill, it would be worth having.¡± ¡°I thought I could use that card too, but it wasn¡¯t worth using in the quarterfinals!¡± The auditorium was heating up due to the words of the moderator. Kang Shin-hyuk, however, had no real idea of what he had just done. He swung the sword because his intuition had told him it would be best to cleave through the arrows with his sword. ¡®Well, I suppose it¡¯s a skill incorporated into my sword dance now.¡¯ Perhaps it was due to the spiritual force that moved ording to the sword¡¯s trajectory, but he knew now wasn¡¯t the time to consider the reasons. Now was the best chance to push his attack. He thrust his sword forward, aiming at his opponent¡¯s head, but something blocked him. ¡°Hot!¡± Yuta had done everything he could to block the sword, sending me arrows from all directions at him immediately after. Even with that, though, he would probably get hit before theynded. ¡°Khhh¡­!¡± ¡°Shield!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swung his sword again and rolled back to create some space. Instead of chasing after him, the fire arrows stopped in ce as Yuta began to chant defensive magic once more. -The tides have turned again! There were some sharp movements from Kang Shin-hyuk, but Yuta Mitsu has created an enormous number of magic arrows! It¡¯s incredible how quickly he can chant his defensive magic while managing all of them! Yes, that was the problem Kang Shin-hyuk faced. He breathed in deep, gripping his sword tightly. A wizard that could control dozens of magic arrows, and even summon a shield to protect them. They were a frustrating foe to fight; even a master swordsman would have been easier. It was an uphill battle for a martial artist like Shin-hyuk, but he knew it was pointless to bemoan that fact. ¡®If I were a little stronger, I would¡¯ve finished it already. Still, it¡¯s not over yet. Let¡¯s try again.¡¯ If he gave him any more time, he would use that to summon more magic arrows or hinder him with secondary magic. He hit the floor and rushed back towards his opponent, done with thinking. His spiritual power swirled around his body, and through his sword, a figure of a dragon clearly formed on it for anyone to confirm. -Just like the previous matches, a dragon has appeared on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sword! Is that an ability of the artifact, or his skill?! A magic arrow rushed to meet Kang Shin-hyuk as he fiercely charged. He didn¡¯t avoid it, cutting the magic at once. He had concluded that the amount of spiritual power he consumed doing so was manageable. ¡°Huh.¡± He kept sprinting forward, his sword cutting down the magic arrows flying at him. At least one vanished each time his sword shed out in his beautiful dance. The sword flew through the air like a swallow, much faster and lighter than before. -Wham! Bang! Kam! Bam! Kang Shin-hyuk, who was pushing himself to the max, had no blind spots at that moment. The magic arrows gave off too much energy to be able to sneak around him. The belt around his waist shone brilliantly, enhancing his abilities. The sight of him running around and cutting through the magic arrows as they closed in on him from every side was dazzling. However, as he cut through about half of the arrows, and his feet hit the floor¡­ -Kaaaaam! ¡°Kh¡­!¡± The remaining magic arrows exploded all at once. -Kang Shin-hyuk was caught off guard! He didn¡¯t know that the magic arrows could remotely detonate! Kang Shin-hyuk broke through the explosion, his body gliding briefly through the air as he rushed at Yuta. His clothes were slightly singed, but the sensor hadn¡¯t gone off; it wasn¡¯t a clean hit. The answer to how he avoided it was in his sword, the engraving of a dragon wrapped around it. It had grown onlyrger. ¡°Hold!¡± Yuta had already prepared himself for that not being the finishing blow, activating his restraint magic that he had been preparing to tie Shin-hyuk in ce. But that was what Shin-hyuk had been waiting for. ¡°Kh¡­!¡± The moment his feet stopped, Kang Shin-hyuk stood firm, twisting his waist to put all of his strength into his upper body. He threw his sword forward, letting it sail toward Yuta. -There it is! The throwing technique that finished off his opponent in the quarterfinals! But Mitsui Yuta was already prepared for it with a stone wall! With a terrible crashing noise, the stone wall Yuta summoned copsed to the ground; Yuta himself was unharmed. Kang Shin-hyuk ground his teeth but could tell the power of the magic shackles was loosening. Yuta couldn¡¯t maintain concentration on that many defensive spells. Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t miss the opportunity, rolling his feet forward violently to break through the shackles. He attempted to summon his sword to hand as he charged once more, but it did not return to him. ¡°Urgh?!¡± ¡°Artifacts with a retrieval function aren¡¯tmon, but I expected as much. ¡°Shin-hyuk¡¯s sword was entangled at the base of the ring, bound by Yuta¡¯s magic. At the same time he had been defending, he had chanted a spell to neutralize the sword as well. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t throw it if you didn¡¯t have a way to get it back, after all. But if I do this, you can¡¯t get it back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amid the battle, such a thought had urred to him, and he had sealed the sword with his magic, proving that it wasn¡¯t just his artifacts that made him such a dangerous foe. Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t call back his sword without tearing up the entire floor. ¡°I was worried about your ability to cut through my magic, but if I just nullify your artifact, then it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He was trying to talk calmly, but it was easy to see Yuta was anxious. The sword that was stuck to the floor was still trying to break free from its restraint. He knew he couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer, chanting attack magic to finish the fight. ¡°Go!¡± At that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively stretched his arm forward, thinking he had to stop the attack. But that didn¡¯t mean he was able to snatch away his opponent¡¯s staff or block the magic attack. -Woowooong. The belt about his waist began to vibrate. While the simple exnation was that the belt¡¯s power assisted in activating a trait, it would be more urate to say; it stimted the very core of a capable user. And so, it was perhaps thanks to that¡­ ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Deep inside of him, a dragon was sleeping in the depths of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s consciousness. One he had yet to reach. But just a little¡­ a little bit¡­ it began to open its eyes. -Know yourself. Golden eyes shed awake, a weak part of a much greater power flowing out. ¡°What¡­what is this?¡± Yuta, who had been trying to fire his magic, began to tremble as if he was shocked. His mana wasn¡¯t cooperating with him at all. A terrifying presence wrapped around his staff, forcibly breaking his synchronization with the artifact. ¡°I broke his connection with the artifact¡­that¡¯ll be a useful skill.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk muttered to himself. He was beginning to realize that the power of his trait, which he had been applying only to himself and his own weapon, could affect the weapons of others. ¡®The moment I listened to Yuta, I thought I could do it. I tried it on a whim, but¡­it actually worked. I didn¡¯t think I could seal the artifact away, but thanks to this belt¡­¡¯ ¡°Now, this seems fair.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Yuta cleared his confusion and began to chant again, forming a new attack. -Bang! ¡°Wow!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hit him with a solid kick backed by all of his might, breaking straight through his defense magic. -Kang Shin-hyuk, how did you do it?! Preventing the opponent from using their magic, and then breaking through their defenses with a kick! I heard you were good at all martial arts, but this is insane! Oh, another jabnded! A one-two punch! The easiest way to mess with a wizard¡¯s magic chant was to apply constant physical and mental pressure to prevent them from focusing. Kang Shin-hyuk knew this well and was putting that knowledge to good use. ¡°Ow! Stop, ah!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± -Bang! His right fist, containing a part of the spiritual power he had been using to amplify his sword, mmed into the enemy¡¯s face. The shock knocked Yuta down, his sensor ringing out, announcing that the battle was finally over. -Kang Shin-hyuk sent Mitsui Yuta flying with a right straight! The final of the Rookie¡¯s Game has ended with a punch! The winner is Kang Shin-hyuk, the Rookie King from the Knight¡¯s Department! That must hurt for the Magic Department! Kang Shin-hyuk raised an arm, calling the sword back to his hand, now that it was free from its magical restraints. The hall around him immediately filled with cheers and apuse. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°He really did it! He broke through that magic fire and beat that wizard up with his fists!¡± ¡°Looks like we have a new magic killer. How fun.¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk! Kang Shin-hyuk! Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°I bet Vanguard wants him.¡± ¡°¡­This is insane.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt like the main character in some TV show. He stood there nkly, thinking that this all might be a dream when two lines of text formed in his retina. ¨DTalent [Awakened Wyrm (A+)] has satisfied one condition for growth. As soon as the other conditions are met, the trait will grow. ¨DA 100HP bonus from a manager who is impressed with your proud appearance! ¡®Oh, so it¡¯s not a dream.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and raised his arms even higher in victory for the growing cheers of the crowd and the countless eyes upon him. Kang Shin-hyuk looked around for Yoo Minjoon, who had already been shocked by the belt he wore. ¡°Yeah¡­!¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Yoo Minjoon looked as if he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, grinding his teeth as soon as he made eye contact with Kang Shin-hyuk. He turned away and left in a hurry, the sight of which made Shin-hyuk feel a little relieved. ¡®Hopefully, Do Woojin is alright. Though, he was probably already prepared for this.¡¯ A mixture of feelings was present in the crowd. Some were astonished and admired him; some were wary. Some were happy or surprised, and some were angry. But one thing was for sure. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s fate at Shinyoung academy had changed entirely. Chapter 29 - Breaking out of the Egg – 7

Chapter 29 - Breaking out of the Egg ¨C 7

The awards ceremony was heldter that afternoon, apanied by the announcement of the results of the athletic meet and the selection of the MVP. The Qing team had sessfully beaten the Baek team and not just thanks to the struggle between Kang Shin-hyuk and Yuta. As Karen Stringfield had predicted, the Vice-Captain of the Wyvern Knights defeated the Crown of Wizards in the finals, taking the Crown of Two Kings. When the Crown of Knights had lost in the quarterfinals, there had been some worry whether the Crown of Magic would im the victory for the Magic Department. The Knight Department had imed victory in the end, however, and strengthened their position this year. ¡°There are so many interesting characters at Shinyoung this year.¡± ¡°Did you see that second-grade kid, Eleanor R. Alger? I don¡¯t remember seeing much of themst year.¡± ¡°Who was that first grader who defeated the Crown of Knights? Baek In-ha?¡± ¡°Shinyoung is still Shinyoung, after all. I¡¯m looking forward to next year already.¡± The results of the athletic meet were announced first, followed by the MVP ss and individual awards. Following that, the Crown of Knights, of Magic, and of Two Kings were summoned forward and presented. Usually, one of the two Crowns upied the position of Two Kings, but this year was different. Kang Shin-hyuk took this opportunity to see the Vice Commander of the Wyvern Knights that Karen Stringfield praised so generously in person. ¡®Are they British? Did Karen follow them because they¡¯re from the same country? I wonder if the Wyvern Knights and the Magic Society have all been taken over by international students¡­is she really eighteen-years old?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk was focused on the English girl with long ck hair and clear purple eyes. He wondered idly if her eyes were a result of some trait she had but couldn¡¯t deny that they added to her noble image. The most surprising thing to him, however, was how short she was. She couldn¡¯t have been more than 155 centimeters tall, with a slight stature that was unfavorable for closebat. No one would dare make fun of her for her height, however, as her presence there as the Crown of Two Kings proved her ability. Kang Shin-hyuk was filled with admiration for her as he watched her calmly ept the gaze of everyone around her. -Next is the certificate award for the winner of the Rookie Game. For the first time that day, Kang Shin-hyuk was face to face with the principal of Shinyoung, Shin Yoonhak. Like many others who worked at the academy, the principal was also a person who had made a name for himself as one of the top heroes in the world before working there ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk¡­I had a lot of expectations for you since the start.¡± That was the first thing the principal said as he greeted Kang Shin-hyuk for the award ceremony. ¡°Haha¡­thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied with an ambiguous smile, not buying the words he was hearing. ¡°You have met my expectations wonderfully. To help students like you with unique and wonderful traits find the right path and grow up- that is the duty of our school.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will try my best going forward.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk almost couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing at the words unique and wonderful. Shinyoung would fall from grace if they really cared for kids with such characteristics, but in the first ce, it was just a pretense, so he decided not to bother with it. People in this country didn¡¯t water seeds to make them grow; they looked for the sprouts that had grown on their own in a drynd. He thought it was stupid, but he knew he couldn¡¯t help that the world ran like that. At that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk had broken through the hard ground and sprouted. He proved he deserved water. ¡°More than that, you saved face for the Korean students. I look forward to your sess in the future. Especially in France.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± France. It took a second for Kang Shin-hyuk to recall what he was talking about, as he had forgotten all about it while preparing for the games. The finalists of each individual exhibition, including the rookie one, would participate as school guests at the 15th World Superman Conference held in Paris. He couldn¡¯t help but be excited about a free overseas trip. ¡°This red badge will be evidence of your victory today. Always wear it on your school uniform.¡± The principal presented him with a certificate and then attached the badge directly to the left side of his uniform. ¡°Okay.¡± Simr badges had been given to the other victors. ¡°That will be all.¡± ¡°There was the prize as well, Principal.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. There were two options. Which one did you want, Kang Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the spherical object.¡± He responded without hesitation. The principal lifted an eyebrow at this boy who would dare take the unknown object over the excellent B-ss artifact. ¡°Very well. May I ask why?¡± ¡°It feels like the correct choice. Besides that, I can¡¯t even use mana so the other one is useless to me.¡± ¡°Haha, of course. That it is.¡± The principal burst intoughter and waved a nearby faculty member to hand Kang Shin-hyuk his prize, a box with the spherical egg inside. ¡°Maybe you can awaken the possibilities it holds.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took the box and hugged it to his chest, responding with a firm voice. The principal shook his hand with a smile. At the moment, Shin-hyuk could feel energy secretly emanating from the principal, trying to explore him. He almost reactively used his spiritual power to protect himself, but before he could, a message from the administrator arrived. -Spiritual power isn¡¯t the type of thing he can sense, so don¡¯t worry. Stay still. ¡®What about my regenerative power?¡¯ -If you don¡¯t open the status window yourself, he won¡¯t see that either. Thanks to the administrator¡¯s advice, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to avoid rousing the principal¡¯s suspicion by activating his spiritual power in response to the principal¡¯s search ability. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Seemingly satisfied to learn just about the Awakened Wyrm ability, the principal nodded with a smile upon his lips. Kang Shin-hyuk shook off his thoughts and bowed his head, pretending not to notice a thing. Though he had to bite his tongue to keep it that way. ¡®From the beginning, I was suspicious.¡¯ There was no one in this world to trust. As Kang Shin-hyuk went down from the tform, recalling that fundamental truth, all of the first-year C ss members were waiting for him, with Baek In-ha at the front. ¡°He¡¯s here, everyone get out of the way!¡± ¡°Rookie of the Year ising through!¡± ¡°From now on, I will sing his achievements! Principal, give me a beat!¡± They all crowded around him, pretending as if they had always been best buddies. However, he didn¡¯t try to push them away or rebuke them. He decided it was wiser to not waste his energy with the past, and instead focus on what would happen from then on. Maybe he could make a new rtionship with all of them. It would have been impossible for him to consider it before, but now, he had been able to shake away that negative mindset at least a little bit. ¡°Ah, Woojin Do.¡± Woojin Do was off by himself, but he made eye contact with Kang Shin-hyuk. Even though he won the championship with his own power, he was thankful for his help. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s thanks to you that I won.¡± ¡°Thanks to the belt?¡± ¡°Yeah. I made sure to use it properly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Woojin Do gave him a small smile, which Shin-hyuk returned as he handed him back the belt. ¡°Hey, Woojin Do lent him that?¡± ¡°When did they get so close?¡± ¡°How kind of him.¡± ¡°Woojin Do, right hand of the Rookie King!¡± As soon as they heard the conversation between the two, his ssmates began to swarm Woojin Do as well. The awkward atmosphere between the two had entirely disappeared now. ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Baek In-ha showed up to the side of Shin-hyuk. Instead of asking Baek what he had done well, he instead brushed him off, the red badge swaying from his chest. Baek In-ha¡¯s eyes shook as he looked at the badge. ¡°Jealous?¡± ¡°Just you wait. Next year, you will call me brother.¡± ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll listen to you next year when you win. Until then, call me brother.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have no choice but to take the throne now!¡± *** The athleticpetition, as tumultuous as it had been, ended in sess. New stars had emerged. Those were Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha, of course, but Woojin Do, who had shown off his strength despite losing, was also receiving attention. Scouts were fiercelypeting for the prospective talents they found. Kang Shin-hyuk was receiving messages from several people as well, but for the time being, he put them all on hold. He thought he was still too weak to properly respond to them. Two of them, however, couldn¡¯t be ignored. The first was the guild that made Korea the world¡¯s top superhuman power- Vanguard, the guild at the top of the world rankings. ¡°I¡¯m Hoon Lim, team leader of Vanguard One.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kang Shin-hyuk, a freshman in the Knight Department.¡± ¡°Why not just introduce yourself as the Rookie King?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say¡­¡± Later in the evening, long after the closing ceremony for the athletic meet, Kang Shin-hyuk was sitting across from Hoon Lim in a caf¨¦ near the school. Hoon Lim tried to offer to take him to the campus caf¨¦ for a drink, but Shin-hyuk refused. He didn¡¯t want to draw the attention of the other students for no reason, and he had never been to the campus caf¨¦ before. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a Korean student upy the position of Rookie King. I¡¯m proud both as a Korean and as an alumnus of Shinyoung.¡± The man didn¡¯t touch the iced americano that he had ordered, but Shin-hyuk wasted no time in trying his mochatte with extra whipped cream. ¡°Shinyoung is a ce where talented people from all over the worlde together. In terms of ability, though, Baek In-ha is much better than I am.¡± Shin-hyuk¡¯s response was exceedingly polite as he put down his mocha. Hoon Lim suppressed a smile and shook his head in response. ¡°That boy was defeated after choosing to go after the Crown of Two Kings. Choosing your battles wisely is a valuable ability as well. You made a great choice and proved your abilities, which is why we¡¯re contacting you.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the only reason. I hope you¡¯ll excuse me, but I went ahead and looked at your admission records. You barely made it through the entrance exam, correct?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded while making his way through the whipped cream. It wasn¡¯t really a secret, after all. Nearly everyone knew about it. ¡°Despite that, in the two months since you arrived you went on to win the title of Rookie King. We are looking forward to your frankly amazing speed of development and the potential you will show in the future.¡± ¡°It is an honor.¡± ¡°What a polite young man. Right¡­let¡¯s go ahead and take a look.¡± He took out a contract and handed it to Shin-hyuk. It was unexpected to Shin-hyuk that they would be so blunt about it, and Hoon Lim let out augh as if he could see right through him. ¡°This is Vanguard¡¯s policies. We are the best in the world, we don¡¯t need to waste any time in recruiting someone.¡± ¡°I like that way of approaching things.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought you might.¡± While Hoon Lin stopped to enjoy his americano, Kang Shin-hyuk finished off his own drink as he checked out the contract. -There are no uses that are specifically detrimental to you, and quite a few of the provisions are beneficial. ¡®Oh, thank you.¡¯ In the end, he didn¡¯t even have to read it through because the administrator checked it for him. Did he really have nothing else to do? -In fact, I like that Artifact Support is a big part of this contract. Although you will be able to create the best artifacts on the. ¡®Vanguard is the world¡¯s number one guild. It¡¯s ridiculous for me to sit face to face with the leader of Team One like this.¡¯ -However, you are one of the most notable being in the Hero Universe, where countless worlds gather. You don¡¯t need to dwell on being number one in this world right now. Sometimes the administrator¡¯s words were so grandiose that they caught Kang Shin-hyuk off guard. He couldn¡¯t say they werepletely wrong, though. ¡®I haven¡¯t even shown everything I can do yet.¡¯ From his previous life as Anvil to his metallurgy and spiritual power, even his characteristics that were beginning to develop¡­Hoon Lim had said he was surprised by his growth, but to Kang Shin-hyuk, he was just now on the starting line. He could tell that now he had been using spiritual power, he could be sure he had endless potential. Now he could be in a position to choose rather than be chosen. ¡°Vanguard is a great guild.¡± ¡°Of course, we are the best. In fact, we¡¯re making you an offer that you can¡¯t refuse because there will be no better ce than in Vanguard.¡± The world¡¯s best guild had contacted this first-year after seeing what he could do for just one day. If he passed it up now, there might never be another chance like it. But¡­ ¡°But for now, I want to continue to grow by myself.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Hoon Lim¡¯s eyebrows raised as high as they could. He didn¡¯t seem upset or mad, simply confused. ¡°I can¡¯t openly do guild activities while in school anyway, right? There¡¯ll be plenty of time for you to reconsider me joining before I graduate.¡± ¡°Of course, it is mostly in name, but even while you are still in school our guild can provide you many benefits such as renting artifacts. You could even take the Crown of Two Kings next year with our help.¡± -It would be better to make your own artifacts. Ones meant for mana users won¡¯t be suitable for you. Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t as sure as the administrator sounded, but he knew it was as attractive of an offer to him as it would be to other students. Besides, he had something else in mind. ¡°I want to solve that by myself. When you were a student, you didn¡¯t need artifacts so desperately, did you?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­you¡¯re right, of course. All right. We will wait as much as we can.¡± Hoon Lim nodded, full of confidence. The response had been crystal clear. ¡°Maybe the contract we offer you next time will be a little different.¡± ¡°Haha, was it because of my answer?¡± ¡°No.¡± The contract that Vanguard had brought him was extremely beneficial, written with the consideration of his potential for growth. Just looking at the contract was enough for Kang Shin-hyuk to realize how they were able to be the number one guild in the world. ¡°I¡¯ll be showing you more than just what I have so far.¡± ¡°Hahaha! It should be expected that a Rookie King would have this much spirit. Alright, make mee back with an even better contract.¡± In the end, Hoon Lim burst intoughter. Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a smile and shook his hand, d that the meeting had gone so well. He had set his mind on not belonging to this guild, but he hoped he could maintain a good rtionship with them going forward. Chapter 30 - Breaking out of the Egg – 8

Chapter 30 - Breaking out of the Egg ¨C 8

After a pleasant meeting with the Vanguard representative, Kang Shin-hyuk returned to his room. On one side of the room, which wasn¡¯t very spacious to start, he had the Godyer sword, the steel spear he had made, and a box wrapped in cloth. ¡°Alright, then.¡± -I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to hatch the egg as soon as he had received it, which is why he hurried back to check on it after the meeting with Vanguard. ¡°It¡¯s time to hatch it.¡± After changing his clothes, Kang Shin-hyuk opened up the box and took out the egg. He thought to just toss the box away, but after he realized that it was made out of a material found beyond the gate, he decided to hold on to it. -You can trust in the power of Lestia. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it myself¡­no, I do. I trust in it.¡± Shin-hyuk made sure his door was locked before he took out the hatching elerator from the world of Lestia from the shop inventory. It took the form of an ampoule full of nutrients that you would ce on the egg. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Believe in it.¡± ¡°Well, if even you believe it will work¡­¡± He had no choice but to pretend to be deceived by it. Fortunately, it was intuitive enough to use. He emptied the ampoule onto the egg; the shell quickly absorbed the liquid. ¡°Huh?¡± The egg began to vibrate immediately, like a Digimon egg that was about to hatch. Kang Shin-hyuk was confused, unsure of what to do, but he quickly decided to pick up the egg. It continued to shake but showed no sign of actually hatching. Thinking about what he could do, he did the only thing he could think of. He stretched out his spiritual power and wrapped it around the egg. -Woowhoom. What he did was instinctive, but it appeared to work. The vibration of the egg decreased as it received his spiritual power. He could feel a faint beat resonating from it, the sound of a heart. Thinking that the administrator would stop him before he did something bad, he continued to exude spiritual power into the egg, feeding it. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was working, but he was at least confident that the egg didn¡¯t hate it. He could feel the vivid emotions of the egg and could tell that they were connected through his spiritual power. ¡®Wow¡­this is a weird new experience.¡¯ Shin-hyuk was used to utilizing his spirit to stop his opponents¡¯ weapons and read their abilities. This was the first time he had tried to interact with a living thing with just his pure spiritual power. Spiritual power was the energy at one¡¯s core, which meant that right now, Kang Shin-hyuk and this egg were facing the core of each other¡¯s existence. It felt unfamiliar to him, but it wasn¡¯t unpleasant. ¡®You have yet to hatch, yet I can tell your will is ridiculously strong. No, wait. Are you about to hatch?¡¯ Even though they weren¡¯t talking, he could read all of the egg¡¯s intentions. The life that was about to be born was weak, extremely so, but it had a strong will. In interacting with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power, the energy exuded by the egg began to grow slowly, bing clearer and firmer. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk had been able to awaken his spiritual power through attaining the memories of Anvil, this egg was receiving the information needed to be hatched in such a way. -I didn¡¯t need to tell you a thing. After all, you are¡­ ¡°The elerator wasn¡¯t enough by itself.¡± -That¡¯s right; it needed you. This means that maybe this creature was destined to meet you. The egg of some ancient creature that already lost any hope of awakening as it was abandoned to time. To wake it up, it needed not only energy but also the presence of someone who would take up the mantle as its parent. Kang Shin-hyuk had just found it, yet as a result, its shell was already beginning to crack. He put it down on the floor carefully, watching it hatch. The administrator was already excited, however. -What is this egg? Perhaps it wandered through the storm of time and space with no hint of what it was. There are some living organisms whose appearance and abilities vary significantly depending on the parent, its environment, the ability of its breeder¡­ The administrator rambled on as the eggpletely cracked open, a small creature emerging from within. It resembled a rat, covered in ck fur except around the face, which had small little tufts of white. It was immediately clear to Shin-hyuk that it wasn¡¯t such a simple creature, as he noticed the small but sharp strands of hair protruding from its back. ¡°Wait a minute, this is¡­¡± -It is a hedgehog. The administrator answered correctly, and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind went nk as he heard it spoken aloud. ¡°Why is a mammaling out of an egg?¡± -It resembles a hedgehog, but at its core is a life with apletely different structure. In the first ce, normal animals aren¡¯t born with fur like that. ¡°He is¡­¡± -Wow. The hedgehog looked up at Kang Shin-hyuk, wriggling as it let out a small, cute cry. When he reached out his hand to it, it immediately crawled up and bit at the tip of his finger. It didn¡¯t hurt him, however. -It seems that it recognizes your spirit. However, ingesting spiritual power isn¡¯t enough to fix its physical hunger. It must be starving. ¡°¡­It¡¯s pretty cute.¡± There was a saying that all young animals were cute, and it was hard not to feel your heart warm at the sight of such an adorable little creature. It was looking straight at Kang Shin-hyuk, its eyes shining as it rubbed its head against his palm. ¡°I guess it¡¯s definitely not a hedgehog. What would be a good name be¡­pointed¡­dense¡­¡± -Can I name it? The administrator requested immediately, unable to withstand Shin-hyuk¡¯s horrible sense of naming. He nodded. -Hedge would be nice ¡°Isn¡¯t that just short for hedgehog?¡± -¡­¡­. Shin-hyuk recognized he touched a nerve as the administrator refused to send a response to his words. After a moment of silence, the administrator continued as if he hadn¡¯t said a thing. -How about Spina? Or Spike¡­ ¡°I should just name it myself then. I¡¯ve decided, Doosik.¡± -Not that name! -No, how about¡­ As the administrator and Kang Shin-hyuk continued to argue over its name, the hedgehog bit at his finger a few more times before wandering off somewhere. By the time Shin-hyuk realized it had disappeared from his sight, it was already in front of the steel spear he made the other day. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s dangerous! Don¡¯t touch it!¡± -No! Kang Shin-hyuk tried to scoop him but, but the creature was surprisingly agile despite just being born. It quickly avoided his hand and ran into the steel spear. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± There was an odd sound as the little creature started to bite into the spear and eat it. ¡°It¡¯s eating it?!¡± -It has been biting at your finger because it was hungry. The administrator retorted sharply at Shin-hyuk, who was making a silly noise. While he stood there looking nkly in amazement, the hedgehog began to eat at a faster rate. A tenth of the steel spear was already absorbed into its small body, and it only kept eating faster as it went. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Initially, Kang Shin-hyuk had been wondering if he should sell that spear on the trading board of the Hero Universe. He knew that it was of poor qualitypared to what Anvil had made before and that it was a failure since it carried the emotions he had while forging it, but he still thought it would be the best way to show who he was. There would be those who would be disappointed in him or some who would not be convinced that he was reincarnated. But there would also be those who would be convinced, those who would ept him now. At least, that would have been the case if the possibilities weren¡¯t being devoured before him. -Are you okay? ¡°It ate it all. My opportunity is dead.¡± -Sure, that perspective is valid for you too. 10HP bonus from an administrator who learned something good! His words were sincere; the core of the spiritual power forming the spear was already eaten by the hedgehog. He wouldn¡¯t be able to repair it back to the state it had been. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to worry about punishing the hedgehogter and, for now, waited for him to finish his meal. ¡°Still¡­¡± As he watched the creature, Shin-hyuk realized something. The way it ate the metal¡­ ¡°It looks more like a starfish than a hedgehog.¡± -Then, how about we call it Tedro¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll call it Onyx.¡± A dark body with a white face and dark, sparkling eyes that reminded him of jewels. It was the perfect name. -You have met the conditions and sessfully formed a pet contract. Unless his loyalty dips down to the negatives, Onyx will follow you unconditionally. Currently, his loyalty is at 50. He had acquired a pet that could typically only be handled by tamers. Being the one that hatched him, fed him, and named him seemed to be what Shin-hyuk needed to do to meet the conditions. ¡°Did you know that?¡± -Of course, that¡¯s why picking a name was very important. Onyx¡­not bad. A 10HP bonus for your good naming sense! It was a name that had nothing to do with either hedgehogs or starfish, but the manager appeared to be satisfied with it. While the two reached thispromise, Onyx increased his momentum in eating the remainder of the steel spear. After watching for a few minutes, the creature had devoured the entire spear and let out a cute little burp. -Kyu-oh-oh¡­. It promptly fell asleep after its meal. ¡°This child¡­¡± -It is young. Even if he bowed his head and spent the rest of his life apologizing, Kang Shin-hyuk knew he would never live it down if he fell asleep so neatly after a meal. As the administrator had said, however, Onyx was still just a child. Kang Shin-hyuk struggled to dismiss his rising anger as he lifted the child up and ced him on a nket. As he swept the remains of the egg that Onyx broke off from, he could feel them begin to vibrate and resonate with him. ¡°Hm¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes and watched them. He didn¡¯t think they would hurt him. Dazzling light began to pour out from them as they melted together and flew toward his hand, seeping into his skin. ¡°This¡­¡± -It will not harm you, don¡¯t worry. He already knew without the administrator telling him. He could feel the intense energy of life emanating from the shell, resonating with his own spiritual power. The results were astounding. -By absorbing powerful soul energy, your spiritual power has grown to C-rank. -The power to energize and strengthen life. By growing in your understanding of this, your regenerative power has grown to E-rank. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Just by absorbing the eggshell was enough to produce such an oue. Kang Shin-hyuk felt dizzy as the strong spiritual power welled up in his body. It was the simultaneous growth of two of his special abilities, which more than made up for the steel spear he lost. ¡°No way¡­you anticipated all of this¡­?¡± -¡­Of course. I can count from one to ten. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the administrator¡¯s message, which arrived after a pause. It was a bald-faced lie, made in an attempt to surprise him. ¡°Okay¡­thank you.¡± -10HP Bonus for friendly members! In this way, Kang Shin-hyuk took this starfish-like hedgehog as a pet. He didn¡¯t know how it would grow up, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be ordinary. ¡­Once he woke up, Kang Shin-hyuk vowed not to let him eat the Godyer sword. Chapter 31 New Rookie King (1)

Chapter 31 New Rookie King (1)

-ng! ng! ng! The cksmith was shaping the metal on the anvil even today. Since he had been able to obtain metals from other worlds through the trading board of the Hero Universe, he had been studying the various metals he could purchase there. -ng! ng! ng! Immersing himself in his work, all of his useless thoughts disappeared to give way only to the desires and expectations of creation. Even his anger, which seemed as if it would never subside, could be blown away. The cksmith thought of this work not only as his escape but also as the rest that was allowed for him. -Mirang: Anvil, why do you want to sell these precious weapons at a bargain price? How many hours had he been in a trance? Suddenly a question from a friend brought him out of it, and he responded with a bit of surprise. -I¡¯m gradually raising the price, though I still think that price is too high. I have to cover the material costs, though. -Mirang: I think it¡¯s rude to devalue your work as such, but that¡¯s just my advice. It should be traded at a price it deserves; otherwise, people who won¡¯t be able to use them properly will buy them. -I don¡¯t know enough, so it may be embarrassing for me to ask, but aren¡¯t all members of the Hero Universe geniuses whose talents are universally recognized? -Mirang: You only know a couple, Anvil. Of course, each member has an exceptional talent, but their personalities can¡¯t be guaranteed. -But that¡¯s not something I can fix. -Mirang: What would happen if such people bought your work at this bargain price and told others about it? That would be a problem. The cksmith hadn¡¯t thought about it before, but as he looked down at what he was making, his expression hardened. It was a nice shield, massive in size. It made him think of a wonderful warrior, the very image of a hero. But what if it were to fall into the hands of someone who didn¡¯t know how to respect it properly? What if not a guardian, but one with ill-intent, acquired it? -That is indeed, a problem. -Mirang: Of course, there is no need for you to personally take responsibility for the things you craft; you are just a producer. But considering the bnce of power and proper distribution, I think you need to set a higher price for your items. -Your sight is very far. -Mirang: What? No one could hear his voice, but it was the voice of a man bursting withughter. -Mirang: I was just bothered by such quality goods being sold so cheaply. *** Sunlight was pouring in through the window, waking up Kang Shin-hyuk a littleter than usual. -Sync has been elerated. Assimtion rate of 4.5% Kang Shin-hyuk sat up, looking back at the memory of Anvil. It had been brighter than the other ones he had acquired, still vivid in his mind. The memory of an old man who had seeded in controlling some of his emotions to find a bit of calm. As that feeling settled in his heart, Shin-hyuk felt strange that he had been so excited the day before. It wasn¡¯t a bad mood, but rather one that naturally epted what was ahead. He noticed that the synchronization had elerated, and he was acquiring more of Anvil¡¯s memories. He wondered if he did something, but nothing came to mind. -It¡¯s because your spiritual power has grown. The administrator, who had been observing Kang Shin-hyuk sit on the side of his bed, responded as if he could see right through him. -You have achieved dramatic growth by using your spiritual power in different ways. It is the power at your core, the power of the soul. As it has grown, the memories sleeping deep within your soul have awakened. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why.¡± Now that he understood spiritual power a little bit better, he was able to naturally ept the administrator¡¯s exnation. -Kyuu¡­ ¡°It¡¯s because of this guy.¡± He muttered with satisfaction while watching the sleeping Onyx, slumbering on a futon made of cushions and a jacket. Now that the steel spear had been devoured whole, he felt like he wanted to make something new. He also needed to gather a meal for the creature. ¡°¡­Should I head to the club room for some iron bars?¡± -When the synchronization rate reaches 5%, you will be able to ess the My Room function. All the metal that little creature can eat will be avable to you. ¡°How much time will that take, I wonder¡­I think the club room¡¯s closed today.¡± It was a Wednesday, but the school had designated it a holiday since the athletic meet had been the day before. But before that¡­Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as he picked up his stick, looking at the text message that had just arrived. [Shin Eunah: 11 AM, at the designated ce.] [Shin Eunah: (Link)] Before all of that, this meeting had to be resolved. The second force that approached him yesterday couldn¡¯t be ignored; he had to meet with the superhuman association. ¡®It¡¯s nice to meet with the association, but why did they send her¡­?¡¯ Fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to notice he was Anvil, but it wasn¡¯t good to attract too much attention. Kang Shin-hyuk was firmly determined not to get caught by her, as well as to get the support of the association if he could. That was the real reason he had agreed to meet them today. The fact he had a meeting with them was one of the reasons he rejected Vanguard as well. ¡®I talked to the administrator yesterday, but it¡¯s true that the artifacts Vanguard could lend me aren¡¯t useful to me. The rest are things the association can also take care of.¡¯ There was a merit that only the association had as the superhumans of Korea. They held tight to any and everything rted to the gate. If he could gain support from them, he could get rid of some of the restrictions he faced as a student. For him, the ce called Shinyoung was both a training facility and a prison. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go now.¡± After a quick bath and choosing a decent set of casual clothes, Kang Shin-hyuk strapped a training sword to his waist then checked on the sleeping Onyx before he left. He was anxious about whether it would be alright to leave him alone in the room but decided it would be fine now that he had the Pet system to aid him. The meeting ce Eunah chose wasn¡¯t far from Shinyoung, anyway. It was a familiar street to him, a shopping district for supers that he had been to several times before. ¡®It¡¯s still weird every time Ie here.¡¯ This was the ce where most superhumans gathered in Seoul, where everything was meant for superhumans. It was joked that even if the government fell to the monsters, the Choin Shopping Center would be safe. Kang Shin-hyuk found the caf¨¦ he was looking for in a side alley, hidden away off the main street. Not many people were around, and he could tell a special type of barrier was erected to protect it. ¡°Wee.¡± As soon as he entered the shop, he was greeted by a young clerk with a neutral expression at the counter. The soft sound of a violin being yed tickled his ears. The inside of the store was quite narrow, with several antique decorations hanging all over and a staircase going up to one side. It had quite an odd atmosphere. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± ¡°Yes, here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk opened the link Eunah sent him on his stick, a holographic pattern forming above it. The clerk picked up something that resembled a high-tech barcode reader to scan it, nodding at what he saw. The words [2F Room 09] appeared on his stick, the reader sending a signal to it as soon as it had confirmed he had permission. He felt briefly upset at the idea of it essing his messages. ¡°Is this ce always like this?¡± ¡°This is the first time, actually.¡± The clerk smiled and straightened up, leaning close to Shin-hyuk as if he were sharing some secret. ¡°It¡¯s just because everyone wants to return here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk exchanged a smile with the clerk and went straight upstairs after cing an order. He found his room quickly, knocking on the door. The stick vibrated again as he knocked, the door opening automatically in response. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shin Eunah was already inside, drinking ck tea alone. He had been hoping ire would be with her, but it appeared that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Hello.¡± She put down the teacup and greeted him after confirming it was who she expected. She was like a statue made of ice, a cool and perfect beauty. He could find no ws in her ebony-like hair, and the golden hairpin that decorated her bangs gave her a charming impression. Her golden eyes shone brilliantly as she looked at him, making his heart beat faster. He pushed the thoughts away, recalling ire¡¯s face to help him in doing so. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I said I would see you again.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Her expression was unreadable. To Kang Shin-hyuk, who had a secret he wished to keep from her, he couldn¡¯t help but almost flinch with every word she said. ¡°I thought you had great potential¡­but I didn¡¯t know it would manifest the next day.¡± ¡°It was thanks to the artifacts I had.¡± ¡°In the decades since Shinyoung was founded, every victor of the rookie games had better artifacts than you.¡± Her expression remained unchanged as she spoke, pointing across the table with her hand. Kang Shin-hyuk obeyed wordlessly, sitting down across from her. ¡°I will talk inly. You are strong and will only be stronger. I wish to support you going forward.¡± ¡°I guess most people here like to cut to the chase.¡± ¡°Vanguard?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± She responded immediately to the words he said in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. By the way she clicked her tongue, he could tell she didn¡¯t like Vanguard very much. ¡°Did you agree to them?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± She let out a sigh of relief. Immediately following it, as if she caught herself doing something she shouldn¡¯t, she raised her hand to cover her mouth. At the moment, a knock sounded on the door. The clerk arrived with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s drink order, a mocha with extra whipped cream. ¡°Enjoy your stay.¡± The clerk regarded the scene without raising an eyebrow and left. ¡°Hmm.¡± Shin Eunah coughed as the clerk left. While her expression had hardly changed, he could tell by the way she fiddled with her hairpin that she was embarrassed. ¡°Pardon me; I don¡¯t usually act like this. It¡¯s strange, but you¡­well, it feelsfortable to talk to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that is the case.¡± In fact, he wasn¡¯t happy about it at all. The hand which Kang Shin-hyuk held his coffee with was trembling slightly with agitation. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that meant she could instinctively sense that he was Anvil. ¡°Alright¡­let us continue.¡± Fortunately, she didn¡¯t appear to notice as she took out a piece of paper. ¡°I want to make it clear first that we don¡¯t want to force you to be a part of the association after you graduate.¡± ¡°Then, what do you want¡­¡± ¡°We have two conditions. You will not join another guild until you graduate, and you will not change nationalities.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Yes. You will be working with our support if you agree, so organize your thoughts about the association and judge it for yourself.¡± She beckoned for him to check the paper. It was precisely what he had wanted. A monthly subsidy would be issued under the name of the association, and artifacts ranged from C to C+ could be rented. Vanguard had offered up to B level, but that didn¡¯t really matter to him. In addition, if he could obtain permission from the superintendent of the association, he could explore gates. He would even have permission to ess E-ss documents held by the association. It was ridiculously favorable. ¡°To give such a benefit to someone not technically a part of the association¡­¡± ¡°Compared to the support of arge guild, it¡¯s not all that great. They all take students into gates to train and explore.¡± ¡°What if I take this deal and then join a guild when I graduate?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t me you. You can do whatever you like. But you are the one who decided toe here today.¡± She said it with a small smile between sips of tea. ¡°I judged that you were a talent the association wanted and that the association was what you were interested in. if I was wrong about that, I have no one to me but myself.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She had told him to judge the association for himself, so this was probably a test for him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to join the association just because he had the abilities, so she was nning on watching over him for the next three years to decide if he would be suitable. However, Kang Shin-hyuk saw this as a positive. If he did an excellent job, he would receive attention in the future. Not only the association, but many guilds and various people would be watching his growth. When it came to it, the association was a strong force to rely upon. ¡°If I may tell you one more thing.¡± Shin Eunah, unaware that Kang Shin-hyuk had already made his decision, continued. ¡°If you want to get by using your own strength, the association is the best option.¡± Her expression and tone were ones of absolute conviction, not a hint of doubt in her body. The Eunah, who seemed like a child obsessed with her grandpa, and the Shin Eunah now in front of him werepletely different people. Perhaps it was due to therge gap between the way they acted that Kang Shin-hyuk could mentally differentiate them as two separate people. ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± He nodded at her words. From the beginning, he had been nning exactly that. From the day his parents were lost when he had been saved by a superhuman from the association. ¡®Those who have to face the most dangerous situations and fight more battles than any other guild¡­this is exactly what I wanted.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had never forgotten the fundamental reason he had for wanting to be stronger. An emotion that he shared with Anvil. Absolute hate for monsters. That was why he trained, the wealth and honor were only byproducts. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright if you just call me your senior in the future.¡± Shin Eunah responded immediately and shook hands with him. Contrary to his initial impression of her, her hands were soft and warm. Chapter 32 New Rookie King (2)

Chapter 32 New Rookie King (2)

¡°It¡¯s small.¡± ire looked around Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s room and didn¡¯t waste any time giving him her first impression. If it weren¡¯t for the bag of chicken in her hand, he would have already driven her out. ¡°This a male boarding house; you¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, let me tell you a secret; It¡¯s not a crime unless you¡¯re caught.¡± ire gave him a meaningful smile and stuck a small ck circle at the door entrance. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at it nkly, unsure of what it was. ¡°It¡¯s a barrier against perception. They sell a lot of them on the trading board, so I rmend you buy one too. They¡¯re only 50,000 HP.¡± ¡°50,000¡­!¡± ¡°At times like these, you¡¯re such a neer. Why are you acting so surprised at only 50,000 HP? It¡¯s not a disposable item, you can recharge it and reuse it.¡± Assuming you received the VIP bonus, it wasn¡¯t an amount that could be obtained even by ying ten variant War Trolls. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t think ire even knew of the existence of his VIP bonus, though, and figured she might be stunned if he told her. ¡°I figured it was a great item, but do you know who the dormitory director is? It¡¯s Emil Bolton. He used to be in the top 300 in the world.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± ire took out another barrier and stuck it nearby the first as she said this. Content with her work, she decided to sit down on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s bed, finding the hedgehog lying on a cushion nearby. ¡°Is that from the egg yesterday?¡± ¡°Are you stalking me?¡± ¡°I noticed when you chose it over the ss B artifact. Even if you couldn¡¯t use it, you could¡¯ve sold it for a bunch of money. But this one is so cute. Can I hug him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him get close to metal, he¡¯ll eat it.¡± When Shin-hyuk had returned after his meeting with Shin Eunah, the creature had already gone through a door handle and a belt buckle. He was still hungry, too. ¡°Metal? Wait¡­¡± But here was an angel before Kang Shin-hyuk. ire essed the Hero Universe without hesitation and bought some ingots right from the trading board. -Mew! The hedgehog jumped up immediately from his spot and ran over to the unknown metal ingot ire held in her hand. Once he was lying down on herp and contentedly eating at the metal, she began to pet him with a satisfied look. ¡°He eats so fast.¡± ¡°Yeah, I need to figure out a way to feed and raise him. Thank you for feeding him, sister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not expensive, so don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s eat too.¡± Having learned her lessonst time, ire bought five servings of chicken. It was a good brand, too. ire opened a can of c while Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly bit into a chicken drumstick. ¡°You did well. You made a good rookie debut, and you weren¡¯t even found out by Eunah.¡± ¡°Well¡­I think she noticed something. She said she feltfortable around me, and she noticed the sword during the match.¡± ¡°Eunah said that herself? You really need to be careful of her intuition. It¡¯s like you wanted to be spotted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. It was a little quiet today, but normally I receive a message from her every thirty minutes¡­¡± He had been half-worried and half-prepared for her to find out about his identity as Anvil at the athletic meet, but she hadn¡¯t. As a result, he concluded that unless he or ire made a big mistake, she wouldn¡¯t notice. Although, that didn¡¯t mean he was alright with meeting with Shin Eunah one-on-one regrly. When he had met her in person¡­ ¡°Is that what she is normally like? It waspletely different from when she sends me messages.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s kind of scary. When she talks about Anvil, she bes apletely different person.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively nodded. It was scary. Outwardly, she was fine, an upstanding adult. Yet, she became like a seven-year-old child when she sent messages to her grandpa. He couldn¡¯t help but think he preferred the Shin Eunah persona or the Eunah one. ¡°At least it worked out well in the end, so then¡­¡± ire handed the can of c to Shin-hyuk and pulled a can of beer from her bag for herself, toasting him with it. ¡°Congrattions and cheers for Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s rookie championship!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡¯ -Mew! Kang Shin-hyuk drank some of the c and then went right back to eating chicken. The c was sweet, and the food tasty, and ire herself was also pleasant as they conversed over the meal. ¡°So you¡¯re a hybrid;bat and production. I mainly focus on production myself.¡± ¡°I think Anvil focused only on production as well. ording to the administrator, he didn¡¯t have thebat characteristics I did.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how you became a hybrid. But won¡¯t it be difficult to focus on both metallurgy andbat? It¡¯s difficult enough to master just one path.¡± ¡°But I can. Or rather, I must.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded strongly, having already finished off one of the chickens. ire couldn¡¯t help but think that this child appeared to be most confident while he was eating. ¡°I think you can pull it off.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re trying your best, then I need to as well. I¡¯m ready to open my bar.¡± ¡°You mean that¡­¡± ire finished off the rest of her beer boldly, and Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but think about how cool she appeared then. ¡°I¡¯m going to set up a mobile bar for superhumans. I¡¯ll have a separate main store, but I¡¯ll drag a cart with cocktail ingredients to every gate that opens up and do business there! How¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very cool!¡± ¡°You get it too!¡± It was an idea that even if he were only a toddler, he would have sincerely cheered on with all his heart. ¡°It won¡¯t just be a potion business. By being there to see the types of monsters that appear, I can instantly make and sell cocktails designed to deal with them.¡± ¡°A bartender defending humanity on the front lines.¡± ¡°Frontlines¡­the frontline bartender. What do you think?!¡± He thought it was a bit of a cheesy name but didn¡¯t want to tackle that subject. ire nodded, very satisfied with herself. ¡°Shin-hyuk, you have some good sense. If someone asks me where that namees from, I¡¯ll tell them you came up with it. A mysterious man who showed up in this bartender¡¯s path and gave them advice on how to use their abilities¡­it¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°Uh, sister¡­?¡± ¡°I had a question for you that I meant to askst time.¡± She decided to ask the question that had suddenlye to her mind, and Shin-hyuk was happy to change topics before this one could continue further. ¡°Do you know anything about a man named Lee Manwoo?¡± ¡°¡­Do you know him?¡± ire¡¯s surprise at his casual familiarity with the name was unparalleled, and Shin-hyuk was momentarily taken aback. ¡°Do you know him personally?!¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not close but he¡¯s the adviser for the club I¡¯m in. He asionally shows up to talk.¡± ire almost choked on her drink at that. ¡°I wondered if that person was really in Shinyoung¡­¡± ¡°Is he famous?¡± ¡°What are you even doing? He¡¯s one of the greatest craftsmen in the history of superhumans¡­although Eunah oftenined thatpared to Anvil, he was just pretending to be a craftsman.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help butugh at those words; he could tell how much Eunah thought of Anvil. In reality, it was probably somewhat true. Lee Manwoo wasn¡¯t in the Hero Universe, after all, but Anvil was. Not that it mattered for Kang Shin-hyuk, who was only a cksmith-in-training with poor skills himself. ¡°But why are you looking for him?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a craftsman, it means you want something made. I had been wanting to put in a request with him, but it¡¯s been difficult. I had heard he was at Shinyoung, so I thought I might ask you but¡­it turns out that was the correct choice.¡± Despite finding the answer she wanted, ire¡¯s face was dark. ¡°To be honest, I knew he had some reason forying low. Have you seen him do any metallurgy yourself?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She pondered deeply before letting out a sigh. ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s not in me to bother someone who wants to be left alone. Which means I have no choice but to rely on you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You said it yourself you wanted to master both. I¡¯ll help you regain the power of Anvil, in exchange for a few tools.¡± She let out a spitefulugh. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who expects things from you.¡± ¡°Do you mean Shin Eunah?¡± ¡°No, Lee Manwoo. He wouldn¡¯t have taken you on unless he knew of your talent.¡± She winked as she handed him a new can of coke. ¡°If you¡¯ve received the recognition of the best craftsman in the world, I have to believe in it myself. Your sister will be good to you, so grow up fast, alright?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face was beet red at ire¡¯s faceing close and giving him a wink. Sheughed at his innocent reaction and opened a new can of beer. Suddenly, she pped her hands as if she came up with something good. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a cocktail right now, so keep watch and let me know if I use that spiritual power or not. You can drink both my failures and sesses.¡± ¡°I¡¯m prepared.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been hoping for the good atmosphere to continue but decided to give up on his expectations and start eating again. -If you increase the synchronization rate, you will be able to control your emotions more freely. That is the true skill of a cksmith who has been struggling with iron for twenty years. The message from the administrator came with awkward timing. ¡®I¡¯m going to practice metallurgy tomorrow¡­¡¯ As the two continued celebrating, Onyx finished eating the ingot and was now working his way through the aluminum cans they had dropped on the floor. The thorns on his back were gradually growing sharper, but Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t noticed it yet. *** -That¡¯s how it happened. He took the contract and left. ¡°Hmm, really?¡± On the way back to the hotel after leaving Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s room, ire was on the phone with Shin Eunah. She was recounting the story of the association member candidate she had met earlier that day. Of course, ire had no intention of telling her she had just been partying with that very same candidate. -I said it yesterday, but he really has great potential. It was difficult to keep myposure. I suppose he was chosen by that sword for a reason. ¡°So did you give the contract ridiculous terms?¡± -Yes? ¡°Artifact rental, providing identification¡­such a ridiculous privilege for a simple sponsorship would never happen in the United States.¡± There was no response as ire simply grinned and teased her friend. ¡°Be honest with me, Eunah. What were you thinking?¡± -Maybe I¡¯m in love. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ire had been expecting an answer like, ¡®He¡¯s my grandpa!¡¯, but instead, the answer she received caused her muscles to tense. It waspletely unexpected. The silence, however, only made Shin Eunah bolder in her confession as she could not see the shell-shocked expression on her friend¡¯s face. -My eyes kept going to him, and my heart kept beating every time I saw him. It felt like my chest was tightening¡­I had never met him before, but I had the urge to approach him and hug him that I could hardly endure. I couldn¡¯t leave it be, so I abused my authority a little to get him into the association. ¡°Uh¡­huh? Huh?¡± -Is it love? I haven¡¯t experienced it before, so I don¡¯t know. ire, is this love? ¡°Well¡­well¡­isn¡¯t it arrhythmia or a heart condition?¡± ire tried to deny her words but was sweating. ¡®She instinctively feels that it is Anvil but is trying to reason it out mentally. So this is the conclusion she came to¡­!¡¯ However, ire couldn¡¯t tell her who Kang Shin-hyuk was. Shin Eunah continued to bber to her friend like an innocent schoolgirl. -Also, my hairpin vibrates whenever I see him! I¡¯ve been wearing it for eighteen years, so I know. It only does that when I meet an exceptionally good person. It was the same when I met you. ¡°Oh, the hairpin that Anvil made you¡­so, he¡¯s a good person because it vibrates?¡± -Maybe this is fate? A bond that grandpa gave to me¡­ The hairpin was just reacting to the person who had made it, but without knowing that, it was easy to see how Eunah hade to such a conclusion. -What should I do if it is love? There¡¯s a big age difference¡­and I¡¯d have to ask grandpa first. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, please!¡± -No, I won¡¯t ask. I have to think about it on my own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± -Kang Shin-hyuk, Kang Shin-hyuk¡­what a good name. A good personality, too. Besides¡­don¡¯t you think he¡¯s handsome, ire? ¡°Oh, Eunah¡­!¡± The alchemist screamed at the chaotic situation gradually unfolding before her and grabbed her head. Chapter 33 - New Rookie King (3)

Chapter 33 - New Rookie King (3)

-You¡¯ve earned Spirit Glue for today¡¯s log in bonus! Kang Shin-hyuk awoke early the next day, unaware of ire¡¯s tremendous suffering at the hands of Shin Eunah¡¯s absurd misunderstandings. Onyx was already nibbling at his fingertips,ining he was hungry. -Myu! ¡°You ate so much yesterday¡­¡± -Myu! Whether it was because he was connected to the pet system or because he used his spiritual power to hatch him, Kang Shin-hyuk could read Onyx¡¯s intentions as he let out a small cry. ording to him, he would consume all metal in general, but the most delicious thing had been that finished weapon with plenty of spiritual power. ¡°I guess you know what you want. Do you get stronger when you eat that sort of thing?¡± -Myu. Onyx rolled up his body with energy at Shin-hyuk¡¯s words, the tip of his thorns glowing purple. ¡°Hm?¡± -Myu! He realized btedly that the creature was using the special ability of the steel spear he had ingested, poison spray, in an amusing way. ¡®Wait a minute, poison spray?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! I¡¯m an ally.¡± At Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s frightened voice, the hedgehog dismissed the magic. At the moment, a familiar system window appeared in front of Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes. It was the status window of Onyx, not himself. [Onyx: E+ rank] [Physical Ability] Force: F Agility: C- Health: E [Special Ability] Gold Magic: E [Skills] Iron Predation (S+): E Implementation (SS): F Defensive Position: D [State] Subordinate to Kang Shin-hyuk: Loyalty 52 Its overwhelmingly high agility was surprising, but the first thing that caught his eyes was the special ability Onyx had- gold magic. Presumably, it had something to do with magic metals, but it was something he had never heard of before. ¡°The iron predation is the same ability that the Godyer has¡­so he can reproduce the power of what he¡¯s eaten with it. It¡¯s only F rank, but its rarity is higher than S. How absurd.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk carefully stroked his pet after confirming the poison had disappeared. He realized that this little guy really was no ordinary pet. ¡®Still, that means I have to create an artifact toplement the Godyer sword, and something for him to eat, in addition to making something for the Hero Universe and the contest.¡¯ It was hardly something a human could find time for, much less in addition to martial arts training, studying for ss, and the activities that the association would have him take part in. ¡°Administrator, is there an item that could make a duplicate of me for sale on the trading board?¡± -There is not. ¡°Then, how about a product that will increase how much time is in a day?¡± -Also no. ¡°How about a product that will let me graduate early?¡± -No. How about dropping out and bing a mercenary? ¡°Don¡¯t give up on me¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a cry, and the administrator responded casually. -Graduating early isn¡¯t possible, but all of your other problems can be fixed by increasing the assimtion rate. ¡°Really?!¡± -Of course. Therefore, please, earnestly raise the assimtion rate. Of course, that was always the answer. He simply sighed and nodded. ¡°You said 5%, right? Let¡¯s reach it today.¡± -50HP bonus from a cheering administrator! Kang Shin-hyuk asked Onyx to stay quiet in the room, buying some cheap ingots for him to eat from the trading board. He had been saving up the login bonus and the administrator¡¯s bonus, so he could purchase enough for him to eat. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take one. I want to try metallurgy with other materials.¡± -I think your priority should be getting used to the basics for now. ¡°I know, I was just being greedy.¡± -A 20 HP bonus for members! ¡°Are you encouraging me?¡± These days, as Anvil¡¯s memories were gradually recovering quicker and quicker, Kang Shin-hyuk felt the urge to imitate the Anvil he saw in his memories. The skill of a cksmith who had reached the realm of perfection. When he woke up, he felt an instinctive need to chase after it. The administrator was reinforcing that desire as he tried to grasp at that lofty ideal. -Myu? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all for you. I won¡¯t take any.¡± He left after reassuring Onyx, who was staring at him anxiously. The sky was, fortunately, clear on his walk to the club room. ¡°Rookie King!¡± ¡°Your match the other day was insane!¡± ¡°Were you just pretending to be unable to use mana?¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s hang outter!¡± ¡°Is that this year¡¯s Rookie King?¡± Things had dramatically changed for him now, as everyone who passed by was pretending to know him. He felt somewhat troubled as he didn¡¯t know how to react, but he finally made up his mind. He quickened his pace as he walked, trying to put on a suitable sense of confidence for a Rookie King. -100HP Bonus! ¡®Why, just why?!¡¯ It had been the same when he had shown up at the ssroom earlier, his neer badge still too shiny. Even their homeroom teacher, Shiara Bertrand, looked incredibly happy at the meeting earlier that morning. ¡°Everybody in the sportspetition worked hard. Some of you may have shown off your skills, and others may be unsatisfied with your results, but I believe all of you have grown greatly from the experience you gained. And¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty today too!¡± Shiara smacked the head of the student who interrupted her without fear. ¡°As everyone knows, the Rookie King came out of our ss this year. So we sincerely wish to congratte you on that.¡± ¡°Woahhhh!¡± Cheers went up through the ssroom at her words, everyone standing up and apuding. It was a scene that he couldn¡¯t have even imagined a month ago; all he could do was quietly chuckle at it. He still felt like he had a long way to go to follow after Anvil, however. ¡°In addition to that, students who advanced to the semifinals in the solo exhibitions will be able to participate in the World Superhuman Conference held in Paris this fall. Surprisingly, three of them are from our ss.¡± That was Kang Shin-hyuk, Karen Stringfield, and Baek In-ha. ¡°Do they get to skip ss to go to Paris?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll get to meet all those powerful people.¡± ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll see the Alchemist there. I envy them.¡± ¡°Everyone quiet down. The festivities are over, and now Shinyoung¡¯s curriculum will begin in earnest. It would be good to think of the sses up until now as a tutorial to get used to Shinyoung.¡± She finished her speech and looked at Kang Shin-hyuk briefly before leaving the ss. However, the ending was a mess as she unconsciously hummed a tune to herself as she left. ¡°Our teacher is cute¡­¡± ¡°So cute¡­¡± ¡°Hey, first period will be outdoors! Change into your gym uniforms!¡± The students prepared for ss in a warm atmosphere, but it was as the homeroom teacher said. The teachers kept rushing the students, and things became nearly as twice as intense as before. ¡°You must¡¯ve realized it during thepetition, how much people look up to you as elites!¡± ¡°If you feel like you can¡¯t measure up to that standard, pack up and go home now. If not, run. Run even more! Run until you copse!¡± ¡°You ten in the back, you have ten moreps to run! Make the most of your abilities!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was feeling refreshed as he went through this ss that forced students to run without thinking. If he didn¡¯t have spiritual power, he would have already reached his limit and copsed. But thanks to the spiritual power that already reached C-rank, he was able to hold his core firm. His regenerative power at E-rank was helping his muscles regenerate quickly as well, which made a huge difference, enough to put him in the lead of the group. ¡°I think I¡¯m faster.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re slower.¡± ¡°Wha? Dude, you can¡¯t be faster than me, this is all I have.¡± Baek In-ha, who was keeping pace with him, pretended to be frightened by his confidence beforeughing. The teacher gave them a look as if to run without talking, but Baek didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Can you run any faster?¡± ¡°A little bit.¡± ¡°Alright, keep up with me.¡± Baek kicked it up a notch. Kang Shin-hyuk clicked his tongue and sped up as well, using more of his spiritual power to keep up. The power of his soul strengthened his body, the change even more dramatic and longersting, now that the grade of his skill had increased. It was only natural that his body would strengthen alongside his soul. His calf muscles bulged as they pushed him forward. ¡°Don¡¯t use all your strength on running!¡± ¡°Ha, who would?¡± ¡°Go faster!¡± ¡°Stop being crazy!¡± Soon Karen Stringfield joined them, running alongside the two men. The three left the other students behind. The students behind them, led by Do Woojin, clenched their teeth and renewed their mana to pursue after them. In the end, the only four people whopleted the course were those three in the lead and Do Woojin. The teacher looked at them coolly before turning to another ss. ¡°There are some good contenders in C ss. Are you just going to them?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I see. Alright, run again for 10 moreps! Go, go, go!¡± The students were moring that now their education was only physical. The teachers, however, were skilled. They knew the limit of their student¡¯s bodies and that pushing them close to that limit was the fastest way to develop their skills. This intense training was the most efficient method of doing so, born out of a deep understanding of the students. ¡°Next week will be gate practice. If you look pathetic then, you¡¯ll really die. We¡¯ll give you basic protection, but you¡¯ll be fighting real monsters.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then train! Get used to the formation needed to fight a monster and push yourself to the limit to defeat your enemy!¡± The basicbat and skill training was also intense. It made sense, given that gate practice would be next. It was the most dangerous and practical training they would receive. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to prove himself in all of the sses, showing that he was indeed qualified to be the Rookie King. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk¡­¡± ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t even see his sword anymore when he swings it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obviously a trait evolution.¡± ¡°Is he stronger than Baek In-ha?¡± ¡°No way, but it¡¯s close.¡± Neither Do Woojin nor Karen Stringfield could beat him now. Gong Joon-pyo, the gym teacher, could only resentfully grind his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the gate practice.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll be paired with Baek or Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°What, we¡¯ll be in pairs?¡± ¡°Actually, Karen would be a good partner too.¡± Unfortunately for those students, their hopes were shattered in thest lesson of the afternoon- Group Combat Training. The teachers had already formed groups based on the midterm exams and their performance at the athletic meet. ¡°Finally, ss C. Baek In-ha, Karen Stringfield, Do Woojin, and Kang Shin-hyuk. You four will form thest group. Your group will be conducting special exercises.¡± ¡°Crazy, they¡¯re like some special forces¡­!¡± Usually, when one student was particrly stronger than the others, they would be removed from the ss and put into a group of aces formed from each grade level so they could receive special practice. In this case, however, multiple talented people had gathered in one ss. As such, four students from ss C were grouped up to conduct that special practice. ¡°You will enter the D+ rank gate. Don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy just because your abilities are outstanding.¡± The teacherughed darkly as their group was announced. ¡°The crown you wear is heavy, and you won¡¯t have time to settle down and rx.¡± As he listened to the teacher¡¯s words, Kang Shin-hyuk looked at his teammates. Do Woojin would make an excellent tank with his traits, and they had two fast melee attackers. The teacher was trying to scare him, but he knew that the D+ rank wasn¡¯t all that dangerous. Of course, they still had to be vignt. He also had one important issue to address before then. ¡®What should I bring?¡¯ He knew you couldn¡¯t bring external artifacts to gate practice, which meant the Godyer was out. But he wondered what about artifacts or tools the students created themselves. The teacher¡¯s answer to that question made him smile. Chapter 34 - New Rookie King (4)

Chapter 34 - New Rookie King (4)

¡°So I¡¯m going to create my own artifact somehow. Fortunately, my teacher gave me the OK since they didn¡¯t think I could do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Lee Man-woo nodded as Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s idea brilliantly tricked his teacher. Lee Man-woo, the Artifact Creation Club advisor, had agreed to authenticate that he had created it himself. ¡°It may not be reliable, but with your skills, it shouldn¡¯t be impossible. What¡¯s important right now is keeping your mind disciplined, as I said before. If you make an item with your need in mind, your results will be higher.¡± ¡°If you think about what you need and make it¡­ would my emotions naturally be contained in it?¡± ¡°The darker feelings that you don¡¯t need will disappear, leaving only the ones you do.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Perhaps it was because of his newfound experience with Anvil¡¯s memories, but Lee Man-woo¡¯s advice sounded different to him now. With his guidance and the memories of Anvil, it was only natural the growth of his metallurgy would be exceedingly fast. Lee Man-woo saw that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes were glittering, and he gave him a bittersweet smile. ¡°I think I understand you a bit better now.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a joke. With your metallurgy, you intend to pursue another path alongside it.¡± They were the same words that ire said before. Truly, it was uncanny how well other craftsmen understood him. His answer did not change this time either. ¡°I will do both. I can¡¯t give up on either one.¡± ¡°I knew you would say that. I don¡¯t intend to interfere, so I won¡¯t say anything more. Perhaps the metallurgy you have will affect yourbat abilities¡­or perhaps your martial arts will have a positive effect on your craft. At the very least, I don¡¯t think they will interfere with each other.¡± ¡°Is there any more advice you can give me?¡± ¡°No. Think about the rest yourself.¡± ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately began to devise a n that considered the characteristics of his team members. ¡®We have two fast ones and a strong one. But how about me? What can I do¡­¡¯ The answer came to him quickly. The other three were exceptional close-range strikers, and he himself preferred to use swords and spears. But his special weapon skill epassed all weapons, which naturally included ranged weapons like bows and guns. He could bring a sword as well, but a ranged weapon would definitely be useful. ¡®There are so many types, though. Bows, crossbows, guns, javelins¡­ I suppose a gun is beyond my current ability.¡¯ Except for students who received special permission, they weren¡¯t permitted to possess live ammunition, anyway. Moreover, guns weren¡¯t particrly preferred when dealing with strong monsters as they don¡¯t have recoverable ammo. Although he doubted the monsters at the gate they were going to would be that strong. ¡®Crossbows are out too. It would be strong enough with my power, but it won¡¯t leave a particrly good impression of my abilities.¡¯ He went through the myriad of weapons he had practiced with one by one, enjoying the process immensely. It felt like he was taking a step forward as a cksmith. ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± ¡°What are you going to make?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make javelins. It has less range but more destructive power than a bow.¡± A javelin is a throwing-spear that had a simple structure to make. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to make it stand out since it¡¯s so simple.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to change it up a little bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch your process.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately set to work. He had a lot of practice with simr weapons while he was practicing his throwing technique, so he knew its characteristics well. ¡®Control your mind¡­control your mind¡­¡¯ He melted the ingot down into a familiar shape with the furnace and began to stretch it out on the anvil with his hammer. He had to get the bnce exactly right. He focused on shaping the tip of it, hammering away. ¡®What sort of things do I need? If it were Anvil, how would he make this part¡­?¡¯ The speed at which he worked was quick but careful. No one who saw him would think he was a beginner who had just started using a hammer. Little by little, he was showing the experience he was learning and relied less on the instincts given to him, feeling morefortable in his own body as he hammered away. -You crafted a steel javelin (D+) with a weak spirit. Metallurgy has increased. Despite the fact he had been working carefully and using his spiritual power, the result wasn¡¯t quite an artifact. The synchronization rate hadn¡¯t even increased. ¡°It looks like your work is bing a lot more natural despite being limited to working with only steel.¡± Lee Man-woo praised his progress, but Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t agree with him. Anvil had created wonderful treasures that would astonish countless heroes despite the limitations of his materials, all within the abandoned workshop of a dead world. It wasn¡¯t a matter of making an artifact anymore, or of skill proficiency. He knew this wasn¡¯t his best, and if he were satisfied with stopping there, he would never grow. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll try again.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been working for a bit, and you made what you set out to do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can keep going. I brought a lot of snacks to keep me going.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk lifted the bag he brought with him and took out one of the energy bars it was packed full of. Lee Man-woo was speechless as he watched the student eat the energy bar and get right back to work. The process was precisely the same, melting the ingot and hammering at it on the anvil. As he did it, though, Shin-hyuk tried to focus entirely on the metal before him. ¡®I had too many thoughts to contain and wasn¡¯t sure of what I needed.¡¯ Spiritual power bloomed inside of him, wrapping around him and moving down his hammer to the anvil and the metal atop it. He could hear a faint metallic voice calling out to him, which he listened to with his hammer. He remembered what Anvil had looked like when he was forging the metal, never intending to put any thought or emotion into his craft¡ªjust hammering the iron, letting the mind naturally move with spiritual power. That¡¯s how his anger would just dissipate away. -ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk had been too obsessed with figuring out artifacts that he misunderstood a fundamental fact. Lee Manwoo said it was difficult to put one¡¯s emotions into iron. He tried to achieve that without understanding and failed as a result. ¡®But I¡¯m d I realized it sooner rather thanter.¡¯ He decided not to think too deeply about it now and push away thoughts of Anvil. It was him, not Anvil, who was hammering the iron right now. -ng! ng! ng! He forgot about the anvil, his heart, and even his spiritual power. All that existed in his world was forging the javelin. It was the most fundamental wish of any craftsmen, to craft something. The anvil vibrated, spiritual power covering the metal with each impact of the hammer. The iron was responding to him, crying out in response. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Lee Man-woo was entirely focused on Kang Shin-hyuk as he was immersed in metallurgy. He had no doubt in his skill, but the pace he was developing was absurd. ¡®He¡¯s using techniques I don¡¯t know and can¡¯t follow¡­¡¯ Not all people¡¯s experiences in learning metallurgy were the same. Lee Man-woo had learned the skill after working as a cksmith, but there were those who awakened to it suddenly. To those people, it was like knowledge just flowed into their heads by its own ord. ¡®With metallurgy, each person¡¯s growth and potential varies so much, but this¡­¡¯ Even with that, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s metallurgy was utterly alien to him. Even those who awakened the skill without training didn¡¯t show such skill and would experience countless errors as they practiced. He was awkward andcking still in many ways, but he moved as if he already had the skills of a master. ¡®He instinctively noticed even the smallest errors and is looking for a way to fix them. He¡¯s faster than any craftsman I¡¯ve seen¡­¡¯ It was, of course, faster than him. Faster, deeper, and more beautiful. Lee Man-woo realized he was jealous of Kang Shin-hyuk and couldn¡¯t help butugh at himself. What was the point of an old man who had given up on crafting feeling jealous of a young man who had just started? ¡®I just don¡¯t want to admit it, but he¡¯s talented. It will bloom brightly if it¡¯s nurtured. There¡¯s nothing I can do but keep others out of the way.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a responsibility he felt as the teacher in charge of the club. No, he just wanted to remove the shackles Shinyoung had imposed on him. He wanted to see how far this boy¡¯s amazing metallurgy would go; to see this talent that clearly overwhelmed him. He thought Kang Shin-hyuk would make something that he never could. -You crafted a separating steel javelin (C-) with a moderate spirit. Metallurgy has greatly increased. -Metallurgy has grown to D rank! Stamina has grown to C+ rank! Your resistance to heat has increased, and a 20% correction will be applied to your working speed. -Synchronization has greatly elerated. Current assimtion rate of 5.3% -The soul¡¯s vessel has strengthened, and your spiritual power has grown to C rank. You will take less damage from weaker spiritual power and will now be able to recognize the source of the soul. -The first VIP benefit is in progress. 5 million HP has been unlocked. The ¡®My Room¡¯ function is now avable! ess My Room right away to check out the Dimension Quest! Suddenly, as he stood there holding the new javelin in hand, Kang Shin-hyuk had no idea what he should do. Chapter 35 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (1)

Chapter 35 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (1)

[Separating Steel Spear] [C-rank] [Special Ability: Split] *Split: When throwing this javelin, there is a 30% chance that two more spears aimed at the target will be created. The created spears will disappear after hitting the target. The first thing Kang Shin-hyuk did after he recovered from the shock of all of the notification windows was to check the javelin he made. That alone would have been surprising enough. ¡°An artifact¡­!¡± ¡°You really created one.¡± Lee Manwoo, who had been watching from the side, let out a loudugh. He was the world¡¯s best craftsman, so he could easily see how great the artifact this student had just created was. ¡°You seeded in containing your emotions.¡± ¡°I tried to do it sincerely.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s enough.¡± Lee Manwoo couldn¡¯t help but let out another shortugh at Shin-hyuk¡¯s response. In such a short period of time, he went back to correct the mistakes he made and found the right path forward. ¡°If you submit that to the contest, you¡¯re guaranteed to win a prize. You could even go after the grand prize. Not many people are capable of using javelins, admittedly, but the contest doesn¡¯t evaluate that.¡± ¡°I need to use this for practice, so I can¡¯t submit it right away¡­thank you for keeping watch sote, sir.¡± ¡°I had to observe to prove to the school that you made it. But you¡¯re right; it is alreadyte at night.¡± Lee Manwoo realized that it was indeed already dark outside, the sun having set hours prior. He was so absorbed in watching Kang Shin-hyuk that he didn¡¯t notice the time passing. ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright. Next time I¡­¡± He felt an intense impulse, one he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, that was brought about by watching Shin-hyuk¡¯s cksmithing. It was an impulse he tried desperately to quell. ¡°No. You did well today. You¡¯re probably tired, so go home. I¡¯ll be getting some rest too.¡± Lee Manwoo waved him off, and Kang Shin-hyuk quickly picked up his two spears and left the club room. It was hard for him to remain calm, given all that had just happened. -A 100HP bonus from a joyful administrator! -A 200HP bonus to congratte you on gaining ess to My Room! -Congrattions on the creation of a C-rank artifact with a 50HP bonus! Especially since the administrator¡¯s messages kept popping up in his view. ¡°Please calm down.¡± -I¡¯m very calm now. I¡¯m just congratting you on your assimtion rate passing 5%. ¡°No, thank you for that¡­¡± With the creation of this new artifact, his metallurgy had grown significantly, as did his synchronization rate. The situation was confusing to him, which the messages from the administrator didn¡¯t help, though he wouldn¡¯t say that out loud. Kang Shin-hyuk did view the administrator as a friend and didn¡¯t want to upset him by saying that. ¡°It only exceeded 5%, but five million HP was unlocked.¡± -I told you once you passed it, you would be able to afford to feed Onyx. The amount of HP that the previous you earned over the course of twenty years exceeds any other member. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s kind of scary.¡± The fact that Anvil had acquired such arge amount of HP was indicative of the impact he had on the Hero Universe. He was aware, now more than ever, of the enormous footsteps he was following. -But in the end, that business is now yours as well. It wille back to you naturally. That artifact in your hand proves it. ¡°I mean- no, it will be the same in the end. Thanks, administrator. Let¡¯s go as far as we can.¡± Whenever he thought of Anvil, his previous life, the same questions, and anxiety haunted him. However, he couldn¡¯t let that keep dragging him down. The administrator responded as he always did. -A 20HP bonus to a member who can honestly express their gratitude! Kang Shin-hyuk returned to his dorm room, holding his two javelins in hand. As soon as the door opened, Onyx, who had been just sleeping, opened his eyes and rushed towards him. Or rather, towards the separating steel spear he was holding. -Myu! ¡°No, don¡¯t eat this one.¡± -Myu! He threw the first javelin he made to Onyx, who rushed to take a bite of it and then stored the artifact in a ce where Onyx couldn¡¯t reach it. After that, he grabbed a quick snack and prepared for bed. He wanted to check out the My Room feature, but he felt too tired to do that. Creating artifacts wasn¡¯t simple, and he made two of them in a single day. His stamina was low, though his spiritual strength still had some energy thanks to the rank-up at the end. ¡°Would it be okay to postpone it a little¡­?¡± -It might be better to check it out tomorrow. It will be Friday, and after ss, you will have the weekend. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head, not quite expecting that response. He had been specting that My Room wasn¡¯t just a simple room, however, and wondered what could be inside. ¡°Will I have to go far¡­?¡± -It would be best to pack some luggage. ¡°You know I have gate practiceing up, right?¡± -Which is why you need to prepare even more. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to listen to the advice and packed a bag without saying anything. The administrator never lied to him, after all. *** Friday¡¯s ss wasn¡¯t much different than the previous day. All the practical subject teachers pushed their students without rest, and the students were eagerly waiting for the writing ss. However, even that long-awaited sspletely betrayed their expectations. ¡°There are a lot of hardships awaiting you at the first gate practice. Since we must prepare you thoroughly in advance, today, we will conduct a test.¡± ¡°Beg your pardon?!¡± The students screamed in unison as the teacher in charge of monster ecology began to hand out test papers. ¡°Do it carefully, as they will be weighted. Think of this as a matter directly rted to survival inside the gate.¡± ¡°We have to train over the weekend too¡­¡± ¡°It is important to train your knowledge of monsters haunting the lower gates. Now start!¡± ¡°This is hell¡­¡± ¡°You really have to know all of this to be a superhuman?!¡± Each of the students taking the exam cried out in a different voice. Most of the questions weren¡¯t just rted to the knowledge of monsters but required judgments tailored to an individual situation, and thus most of the students had a hard time answering. ¡®Because there are so many people who be superhumans without knowing this, there are still deaths at the lower gates. Shinyoung really goes all out.¡¯ As the other studentsmented the exam, Kang Shin-hyuk calmly answered the questions. He couldn¡¯t just borrow Eunah¡¯s power, so he had been diligently studying and taking notes to increase his score. He could clearly draw out the situations in his mind and determine how to actually deal with them. There was a small group of students, alongside Kang Shin-hyuk, who had been preparing and thus were answering the questions with ease. ¡°I will score the exams right away since everyone must be busy over the weekend.¡± ¡°Oh please, teacher¡­¡± ¡°I only want all of the students taking part in the practice to be safe.¡± The teacher¡¯s words were serious. Most of the students who received less than satisfactory results weremitted to studying theory for a significant chunk of their weekend. Karen and Baek In-ha were among those who had to study. ¡°I was going to do joint training this weekend, but¡­it seems it will be difficult. Hehe.¡± ¡°What are you even doing?¡± Karenughed slightly at Kang Shin-hyuk, who was gazing at Baek with a mixture of doubt and reproach. ¡°You¡¯re the type who is stronger in practice than theory.¡± ¡°Did you not notice the sign I sent you asking for the answers?¡± ¡°I ignored it.¡± ¡°Traitors will have to pay a dear price!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Work hard on your assignment.¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad thing for Kang Shin-hyuk that the ns for joint training had fallen through since the administrator had said he should be prepared to leave for the weekend. He left the ssroom by himself, ignoring the resentful gazes of those who would spend their weekend studying. *** He was back in his room. -Are you ready? ¡°Yes¡­maybe.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had his Godyer sword attached to his waist and the armor he wore during the rookie games. On his back, he wore a pack containing food, water, and the javelin he made yesterday. Additionally, Onyx was with him, and he had metal grains to feed him with. It might have been too much equipment for entering My Room, but the administrator told him to pack well. ¡°Okay, then¡­ let¡¯s enter.¡± -Connecting to My Room. He could feel his body being dragged somewhere else, his vision cutting off. ¡°Am I alive?¡± -You¡¯re alive; it¡¯s just a very dark ce. Don¡¯t worry. -Myu! Fortunately, he could read the administrator¡¯s message without any problem, the words shining bright on his eyesight. It only made him more anxious, however. He must have just entered My Room, but why was it so dark? He considered several possibilities in entering the ce, but him being unable to see it wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Should I turn on the light?¡± -50HP bonus for your excellent guess! He received a bonus, but the room was still bathed in darkness. ¡°Do you have to use HP to buy an exclusive item or something to turn on the light?¡± -No, it doesn¡¯t take HP. ¡°What do I need to do then?¡± -To activate theplex functions of My Room, you need to perform a dimensional quest. ¡°Lighting the room is a detailed function. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk trembled slightly with anger, recalling the dimension quest yesterday when he received the notification. He skimmed over it, not knowing it was essential to use the My Room function. -With only a 5% synchronization rate, the functions of My Room couldn¡¯t be activated. It would take too long to reach a high enough rate to unlock them, so the dimensional quest was activated to elerate your use of the My Room function. ¡°What a well-thought out measure.¡± It was a quest, so he thought maybe it was like a search or expedition type of task like in a game. -In fact, this is also a way to help you aplish your goals. The dimensional quest can provide you with the time you need. Kang Shin-hyuk recalled that he did say it would be better to go to My Room for gate practice as well. It was clear that this was the administrator¡¯s n from the beginning. Curiosity began to rece his anger. [The City Wall of Despair] [The weapons you made in the past have spread all over the worlds, and some of them are used for the wrong reasons. If you go ahead and recover them, it will help increase your synchronization rate.] A text box with a different texture than the administrator¡¯s messages appeared in front of Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes. It exined what exactly the dimensional quest was. [Recover your armament¡¯ Heroic Shield¡¯ from Kieron, the closed world. If it is sessfully retrieved, you can get semi-permanent ess rights to Kieron.] [Quest Deadline: One month] [Earth to Kieron Time Ratio: 1:10] ¡°Heroic Shield.¡± That was the name given to the shield that Anvil made in hisst memory. ¡°By the way¡­for the wrong reasons¡­¡± -You can check it out yourself. ¡°Going to another dimension?¡± -That¡¯s right. It is possible through the intermediate dimension of My Room. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were moring to get me ess to enter here¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been preparing for something like this since he had learned about the Hero Universe. Other dimensions existed, and you couldmunicate between them. So why wouldn¡¯t it be possible to travel to them? It had happened a lot faster than he thought it would, though. ¡°Can I really do this?¡± -There is no need to worry about the difficulty of the quest. Only dimensional quests that can be solved with your current abilities are presented to you. ¡°My current abilities¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at the administrator¡¯s message as he read over the notification in his retina again. Heroic Shield. He could remember the thoughts Anvil had over it, as well as Mirang¡¯s worries. ¡°Then, this time rate¡­ one day on Earth is ten days on Kieron?¡± -That is correct. Even if you spend the entire time until the quest deadline on Kieron, only three days would pass on Earth. Since your soul belongs on Earth, you will only age three days as well. What a great benefit! ¡°It really is¡­¡± That he could train in this other world but only use three days on Earth was more than he hoped for. Kang Shin-hyuk was starting to get pumped up at this opportunity. He wouldn¡¯t be able to spend the entire time there, however, as three days passing on Earth would make it Monday. ¡°I¡¯ll have to finish up by school time on Monday.¡± -I believe if it¡¯s you, it will be possible. The administrator blindlyplimented Kang Shin-hyuk once again, but this time he believed it himself. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start right away.¡± -Connecting to the world: Kieron. Just like when he arrived at My Room, he could feel his body being dragged somewhere else. He closed his eyes and then opened them as soon as the sensation stopped, greeted by a bright world around him. He didn¡¯t have time to appreciate the light; immediately, as his eardrums were assaulted by a loud noise from all around him. ¡°The general is dead!¡± ¡°They¡¯re about to deploy theser cannon¡­!¡± ¡°The general is dead! Retreat, retreat!¡± The administrator said it would be safe, so why did he hear the sounds of a battlefield? Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head, his vision filled with the sight of two groups of humans fighting with a massive wall between them. ¡°Block their arrows!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t back down. Today, I will get back the orb! March!¡± ¡°Energy is gathering at the Walls of Despair!¡± All of them were armed with cold steel in the form of swords, spears, and bows. Only a few mana abilities were popping up, and no artifacts could be felt. The two forces were about equal in strength, but that wall was the deciding factor. ¡°Prevent that trash from climbing up!¡± ¡°Take no prisoners!¡± ¡°The Orb of Water is ours!¡± The enormous walls were smooth on the outside as if made of whole iron and apparently had the ability to gather energy and shoot destructive beams. It was like a huge artifact. ¡°Administrator, maybe that city wall¡­¡± -Yes. From the moment he arrived, he noticed that his spiritual power was resonating with an object other than his divine sword. Specifically, that wall. It was clear the wall was rted to him, and more so, though it was huge if you carefully examined it¡­it almost looked like¡­ -Kieron is a small dimension that makes everything thates under its influence smaller as well. There is no exception, even for members who could ess it from the outside. ¡°¡­¡± -The exception is artifacts that have established their own spiritual power. Only those inanimate objects, made by members prior, can escape the influence of this world. He saw it in Anvil¡¯s memory. It was the shield he made, the Heroic Shield. ¡°¡­No, how in the hell do I recover that? -Myu! In the midst of his despair, the simrly miniaturized Onyx cried out cutely. He held Onyx carefully; the creature was anxious to rush towards the wall full of spiritual power. He now understood why the name of the quest was the Wall of Despair Chapter 36 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (2)

Chapter 36 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (2)

Kang Shin-hyuk felt a need to get a grasp on the situation first. It was a quest to get the Heroic Shield back, which means that those who imed it as their wall would be his enemies, but what if¡­ ¡°Return the Orb of Water!¡± ¡°Those damn Survival Alliance guys! Stealing Orde¡¯s treasure was a nasty trick!¡± ¡°In this world, power is order! Weakness is a sin!¡± ¡°No defeated soldiers will grow old. Kill them all!¡± At least the good and evil on this battlefield was clear. Kang Shin-hyuk was able to figure out the situation by picking up the yells and screams ringing out on the battlefield. Those who currently upied the wall were the Survival Alliance, and they had stolen a treasure known as the Water Orb from the group named Orde. They were fighting now to retrieve it, but couldn¡¯t cross the wall, with their situation looking dire. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately realized he needed to cooperate with Orde to get the Heroic Shield back. Even leaving aside the concepts of good or bad. ¡°There¡¯s someone wearing unusual clothes over there.¡± ¡°Leave them be!¡± ¡°No, kill them and take their stuff!¡± Apparently, one of those stationed on the wall had a sharp eye, crying out a warning as he discovered Kang Shin-hyuk. It was frankly odd he hadn¡¯t gotten any attention up until now, wearing modern clothes around these soldiers decked out in medieval armor. ¡°Kill him!¡± Arrows rained down toward Kang Shin-hyuk from the top of the wall but looking at it; he felt neither fear nor anger, only a distant longing. He was prepared to suffer an attack since he was in a battlefield, even if they were all humans. -They¡¯re not the same as you. They¡¯re aliens with different customs than your world. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that my first contact with an alien is like this¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out Godyer and filled it with his spiritual power, tracing a trajectory in the air above him with it. He stopped the magic arrows of Mitsui Yuta like this, so ordinary arrows stood no chance. He swung his sword once, smashing and scattering the arrows closest to him. He quickly fell back after that, sword still at the ready. ¡°He¡¯s a skilled warrior!¡± ¡°He dares insult our citadel? Activate the wall! Kill him with everything you have!¡± They were referring to the special abilities of the Heroic Shield. It was a type of counter that converted the damage done to the shield into energy and fired it at a single point. It was originally at a level that could frighten the enemy. But ever since bing a giant, it was now a terrifying weapon of destruction that could wipe out an entire area. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop it?¡± -You have to avoid it. Kang Shin-hyuk put as much spiritual power in his body as he could, retreating at full speed. A huge crater remained in the ground where the energy had struck, the ce he had just been. ¡°Die!¡± The warriors of the Survival Alliance, who were fighting the soldiers of Orde under the wall, attacked Kang Shin-hyuk as if they had been waiting for him. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face hardened as he realized their weapons were aimed at his vitals. ¡°¡­Hoo!¡± His hesitation was over quickly as he struck at the spearman leading the charge, narrowing the gap between him and the attackers. He swung his sword, the attack neatly cutting through the necks of three people. It was a skillful enough attack that those who saw it retreated. -Sorry, dear member. Even I couldn¡¯t predict that such arge-scale war would be happening. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was prepared for anything¡­¡± He had been prepared ever since he decided to be a superhuman. He was prepared to take a person¡¯s life. The enemies of humanity weren¡¯t just limited to monsters; there were plenty of wicked people who had be drunk on power and left bodies in their wake. If he wanted to live in that kind of society, he would have to face them one day. And if he wanted to live, he would have to take their lives. Shinyoung didn¡¯t neglect in that training, either. ¡®I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be doing it for the first time now though¡­¡¯ He saw no reason in sparing the opponents who rushed forward with the intent to kill. Especially not in a battlefield where the lives of countless people could be snuffed out in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± But even still, as he tried to reason it out, he was still human. The feeling of killing another human who looked like him left him feeling unbearably filthy. ¡°Woo¡­¡± -Hm? Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deep breath, his sword-arm trembling. The people around him were still amazed by his skill, and thus didn¡¯t yet notice his agitation. -Dear member, are you okay? ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay now.¡± -Myu! ¡°Thank you¡­I won¡¯t give you the Godyer, though.¡± -Myu¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk managed to endure the feelings welling up inside him, and hastily began to withdraw from the battlefield. He put all of his remaining spiritual power into his legs, running even faster than he did with Karen Stringfield. The enemies couldn¡¯t even dream of catching him. Those on the wall still screaming after him, but those who had seen his swordsmanship decided it best not to approach him and let him leave. ¡°Get back! Retreat!¡± Around that time, the soldiers of Orde began to retreat as well. The Alliance shot arrows at them as they fled but didn¡¯t actively pursue them. In the first ce, there had been more archers on the safe walls than soldiers down below fighting. They wouldn¡¯t abandon the overwhelming advantage they had. ¡°Listen up, if you surrender to the Survival Alliance and give up all your stuff, we¡¯ll ept it!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk slowed down to wait for the retreating soldiers while listening to the insults slung by the Survival Alliance. There was only a single road leading out from the deep valley the fortress was located in, so if he waited here, he could meet with those retreating. ¡°Well now¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s that man!¡± The soldiers carrying their wounded soon discovered Kang Shin-hyuk and shouted out loud. He looked quite different from them, wearing his modern outfit and the bag upon his bag. Onyx was situated on his shoulder. ¡°He showed up in the fight!¡± ¡°I saw him too; he appeared out of nowhere.¡± ¡°He cut down three of those alliance soldiers with a single strike!¡± Fortunately, unlike the Survival Alliance, they didn¡¯t try to attack him. He remained vignt but decided to rx a bit around them. Soon, a man wearing an armband pushed his way to the front to speak with him. ¡°Were you waiting for us?¡± ¡°Yeah. I thought our goals would match up.¡± Thenguage was different, but he could understand it. The administrator helpfully informed him it was a function provided by the Hero Universe. He decided to ask about it moreter, specifically for his foreignnguage studies at the academy. ¡°Our goals¡­¡± The soldier speaking to him looked back to the others. Kang Shin-hyuk saw one of them nod his head, and the one in the lead turned to him. ¡°Hmm, alright. We¡¯ll listen to it.¡± The soldier let out augh and nodded. ¡°But first, let¡¯s move out. This is still their territory.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They eventually stopped in the hignds,pletely outside of the valley. Thend was dry, without a trace of water to be found. But the soldiers had a well-equipped barracks stationed there. ¡°Looking at your expression, you really know nothing about us.¡± ¡°No. I really don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Alright. Come this way.¡± The other soldiers began to take care of the wounded as the one in the lead brought Shin-hyuk to thergest building. Three other soldiers, including the one he nodded at before, followed them in. ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s talk. I¡¯m Zeke, and I lead these soldiers. At least, for now, as my superior just died.¡± ¡°I am¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was about to give him his name but stopped. He couldn¡¯t trust these soldiers quite yet, so he had to be careful. ¡°Anvil. You can call me Anvil.¡± ¡°Anvil? That¡¯s a peculiar name. Is it a pseudonym?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a name I made up; it¡¯s like my recognition code.¡± -300HP bonus for this member! Even though he felt like it was a misunderstanding, the administrator seemed to be extremely thrilled that he called himself Anvil. But, in truth, he had only thought of that name since it was because he went through Anvil¡¯s My Room to retrieve his shield that he was now in this situation. At least for now, he was working as Anvil. Thus, it was only natural he used that name. ¡°Anvil¡­yes, I see. Then I hope you can exin to us how in the world you suddenly appeared in that battlefield.¡± ¡°I used a special kind of magic. It sends me to the ce where something I want is.¡± ¡°Magic¡­?¡± -A 50HP Bonus for your artistic exnation! ¡°Have you ever considered that what you call the Wall of Despair looks rather strange?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a huge shield. It¡¯s never been broken, and even when the continent was destroyed, it protected the Survival Alliance who were hidden inside it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk briefly wondered about the destruction of the continent, and if it had led to the war between these two groups. ¡°It is a shield. In another world, it was a shield meant for a human.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± The real boss spoke up this time, the one who had been watching quietly from the group of three behind me. He was wearing a helmet, so I couldn¡¯t see his face, but he sounded young. ¡°I am from a different world, here to retrieve that shield.¡± ¡°I heard from my father that different worlds exist, but are there any who could travel from them beside monsters? No¡­I suppose you¡¯re not a monster.¡± ¡°That shield is something I made.¡± He ignored his own remorse, reminding himself he was working as Anvil now. ¡°So you¡¯vee to retrieve it¡­is there a way to recover it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I need to figure out now. But one thing is for sure; I need to get rid of those you call the Survival Alliance if I want to recover it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± He nodded and stepped forward, dignity and prestige evident in his movements. ¡°I am Mn Van Orde, the Prince of the now ruined Orde.¡± ¡°I am Anvil.¡± ¡°Orde was robbed of the Water Orb- our lifeline. We must retrieve it from them, so our purpose is the same.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk simply held his hand out to the prince of these ruins. ¡°Are you asking me to form an alliance with you?¡± ¡°Indeed. I wish to form an alliance.¡± Shin-hyuk thought this prince was a pretty cool guy as they shook each other¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you have a specific n? As you can see, we are struggling with crossing the wall, and, if possible, I am hoping that you can help us make a strategy. That is, given you are the creator of that wall and shield.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no memory of making it, and I¡¯ve no experience in sieges, but I do have an idea. Do you have any archers?¡± ¡°None have survived, and they are difficult to train.¡± ¡°I figured that would be the case.¡± He nced at the backpack he was carrying. He had the javelin, a destructive and straightforward long-range weapon that could fly quite far if thrown by a strong man. ¡°Do you have any forges?¡± That was how Kang Shin-hyuk, or rather Anvil, began his first dimensional quest. Chapter 37 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (3)

Chapter 37 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (3)

-Bartender: What? Are you really in a different world right now? ¡°I am. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t receive your messages. I would never deliberately ignore¡­¡± -Bartender: Look at you sucking up. Two days after joining Orde, Kang Shin-hyuk was in the temporary amodations given to him, whispering to ire. She had initially tried to contact him by phone, but her messages hadn¡¯t gone through. She started to worry when he didn¡¯t respond and tried to contact him through the Hero Universe instead. -Bartender: I suppose when you¡¯re a VIP, you get to experience such novelties. I wish I could help out. ¡°Can an outsider even help?¡± -Some dimensional quests allow other members of the Hero Universe to apany you. ¡°You can help out next time.¡± -Bartender: Well, that¡¯s not important right now. You¡¯re in a different world- are you really okay? Kang Shin-hyuk was touched by ire¡¯s words of concern and couldn¡¯t help himself from responding energetically. ¡°I am. The level of the forces around here is much lower than in our world. I was also told they only handed out quests that could be solved.¡± -Bartender: Why are you freely giving out that information? Well, that sounds suspicious, anyway. It¡¯s a good system for us, but¡­I really don¡¯t like it for some reason.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wanted to check this out with my own eyes, anyway.¡± He responded somewhat firmly to her, who was worried about him. Although the reason he had received the dimensional quest was to activate the My Room function, he probably would¡¯ve epted it anyway even if he didn¡¯t need to. He couldn¡¯t get the conversation between Anvil and Mirang out of his head, and he wanted to see the armor that Anvil had made himself. Most importantly, he didn¡¯t want to see the Heroic Shield being used for the wrong purpose. It was something only he could do, as the one who had epted Anvil as his past life. ¡°This is my job.¡± -Bartender: ¡­Okay? ¡°Yeah.¡± He had a slightly mischievous smile on his face as he continued in a yful tone. ¡°And there¡¯s no reason not to do it. It will increase my synchronization rate, and time moves much faster here. If I don¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll die with a lot of work left.¡± -Bartender: If you didn¡¯t say that, you would¡¯ve looked cool. ire noticed he was trying to reassure her, but she decided not to point it out. -Bartender: So, what are you doing now? ¡°Now, I¡¯m¡­¡± -ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk stopped his hand that was swinging the hammer and let out a sigh. Embers scatted and danced around him in the air like fireflies. ¡°I¡¯m working with iron.¡± He was making a javelin with a simple stove and anvil. Among the weapons that the soldiers could use to attack the enemies high up on the wall with their abilities, the only one that fit the bill that could be mass-produced in a short amount of time was the javelin. It could be manufactured simply, and it would be enough to break through armor with ease. ¡°It¡¯s a javelin. Can you really break through the fort with this simple weapon?¡± Mn Van Orde expressed his concerns upon hearing Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s idea. It was an ancient weapon used since the dawn of civilization, and it had a shorter range than a bow. But Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced that the ones he made were fundamentally different. His confidence had only grown by making that artifact. It didn¡¯t matter if these ones didn¡¯t be artifacts; a well-made javelin would surely be just as destructive and far-reaching as a bow. Maybe even more. That was the difference of a weapon made by a cksmith with metallurgy. ¡®And on top of that¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk was working much faster now that his metallurgic skill had risen to the D rank. It was like the connection between his thoughts and actions while working had be more natural, and his movements were more efficient. He had already seeded in making more than twenty javelins in the two days since his arrival. All of the javelins he made were of steel, the metal that was distributed inrge quantities throughout the world. He was able to buy it at a reasonable price (about 1Hp per 10kg) on the trading board. Given the value of HP, though, he thought it should be cheaper. Of course, when he considered it, one of the administrator¡¯s bonuses was enough for him to buy at least 100kg of the material. As a bonus to that, he had enough to give to Onyx so that he wouldn¡¯t try to eat thepleted javelins. ¡°Anvil, are you still working?¡± ¡°Yes. Good morning.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had just finished the twenty-third javelin when Zeke greeted him. He was staring at the javelin Shin-hyuk was holding with an unsure expression. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure about this. Can you really hit the guys in the fort with this stick?¡± ¡°Yes. I was actually thinking I should try out a demonstration.¡± ¡°Testing it?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk picked up the javelin he just finished and motioned for Zeke to go outside. The one-meter long javelins were piled up outside of the barracks near the soldiers. It felt like a bit of a waste of iron to use it now, but he had plenty of resources to make more. ¡°Anvil.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go ahead and demonstrate it all to you.¡± Seeing that Mn¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t very weing, he was quick to show off the power of the javelins. ¡°Are there any birds around here?¡± ¡°Yes. Up until recently, our archers would shoot them down for food. With that and the Water Orb, our group¡­¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s okay. Stop.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk spoke up, unwillingly to listen to an extended story. ncing upward, he could indeed see several birds flitting across the sky. ¡°There are so many¡­¡± ¡°Anvil, you really do act like someone from a different world.¡± Mn responded in a bleak voice. ¡°Our world has declined because of a terrible monster. Those winged ones, however, are able to evade it and are still thriving.¡± ¡°A monster?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Some of the soldiers who were listening groaned as Mn exined the situation bleakly. ¡°It is a monster that hides in the ground, waiting to snatch at unsuspecting prey and draw them underground. It will also deceive people and mislead them. If you see something that looks suspicious, it¡¯s better to avoid it.¡± ¡°¡­I will remember that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded seriously at his words and readied himself to throw the javelin. It was a weapon that was easy to master, the form for throwing one simple as can be. But despite that simple method of use, its effect was truly dramatic. -Quek! The spear rushed through the air, piercing arge bird hundreds of meters up. The bird fell to the ground, spear sticking out of it, and a soldier ran over to collect it. ¡°He really got it¡­it¡¯s dead!¡± ¡°No, how did he¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really dead!¡± ¡°That¡­it doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary javelin!¡± While the soldiers were admiring and cheering him on, mostly out of a desire to share in the bird¡¯s meat, Mn suspiciously looked at the javelin he had collected. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have bothered with it if I were intending to make a normal javelin. Do you believe me now?¡± ¡°Alright. If all of our soldiers¡­or even a quarter of them were armed with these, there is a possibility we could overthrow the citadel.¡± The number of Orde soldiers was not so great in the first ce, numbering only in the hundreds. He said this world was declining, but he had to wonder how many people there would be if all of them were gathered in a crowd. ¡°Then we can get it back¡­the Water Orb¡­!¡± ¡°Why was it stolen in the first ce?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided this would be a good time to finally approach the subject. Mn turned his head away as if to avoid his gaze. ¡°¡­We¡­originally relied on that fortress.¡± ¡°But they betrayed you. They stole the orb and banished you?¡± ¡°Yes. We were protecting civilians, but they said they had no intention of protecting those who couldn¡¯t fight. I¡­couldn¡¯t agree with that.¡± Shin-hyuk regretted making him talk about it and wordlessly handed him the javelin. ¡°I¡¯ve shown you how to throw so, so start training your soldiers with it. You can acquire food in the process. Oh, and have some of your men help me make more.¡± ¡°Alright. One more thing¡­it is shameful for me to ask, but¡­do you have any water to spare?¡± They said they were robbed of an orb that could make water, after all. Fortunately, that was something that could be acquired at a meager price on the trading board. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s barter.¡± ¡°Barter? I don¡¯t know if we have anything of use to you.¡± ¡°You do.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was staring at Mn¡¯s metallic blue armor. It wasn¡¯t steel or any other armor he knew. It was a metal unique to this world. ¡®I can¡¯t pass up an opportunity to acquire new metals for cheap.¡¯ Of course, he had no intention of taking their armor or weapons. That would be counter-productive given the fight they were preparing for. But if they could receive much-needed water in exchange for metal, no doubt they would agree instantly. ¡°Ho, you want my body?¡± ¡°What?! No! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m interested in that metal.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly cleared the misunderstanding, and Mn sighed with a relieved expression. ¡°It is Brenite, a specialty from the old continent. It¡¯s light and sharpens well, making for great arrowheads. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not particrly hard, so it¡¯s not great for a full-fledged weapon.¡± ¡°Light and sharp, and great for arrowheads? That¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect¡­? Ah¡­.¡± Mn, somewhat bted, realized what Shin-hyuk was thinking. He could onlyugh. A weekter, the Orde units were armed with steel javelins that had Brenite tips. Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk had been working with the new metal non-stop. Chapter 38 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (4)

Chapter 38 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (4)

What determined the level of metal? Under the assumption it was being used to make a weapon, hardness was one of the most important evaluation factors. However, in many worlds, the existence of manapletely changed the criteria for evaluation. How would this metal react to mana? What change could mana cause to it, or how much could it contain? ¡°Magic metal is really a wonder¡­¡± The Brenite mined in Orde was an exceptionally light and sharp metal, caused by exposure to the mana flowing through the mining area. When mana was added to it, these characteristics were only reinforced. However, its hardness wasn¡¯t particrly good; thus, it was not suitable for armor. But for arrowheads and javelins, it was perfect. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty.¡± -If anyone heard that, they might think you were confessing your love to a woman. ¡°But it¡¯s really pretty.¡± -¡­500 HP Bonus! ¡°Why?!¡± It would have been enough to just tip the spears with the metal, to conserve resources that were already scarce, but Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to make at least one made entirely out of the Brenite he had. The resulting shiny metal spear was a product that demonstrated Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability as he had been forging tirelessly for the past week. [Brenite Spear That Never Fades] [C+ rank] [Special Abilities: Robust, Split] * Robust: The spears hardness and attack power has increased. *Split: When throwing the javelin, there is a 50% chance two more spears aiming at the same target will be created. The created spears will disappear after hitting the target. The notification window indicated that he created another artifact. It was so beautiful to him that he wanted to embrace it and roll around on the ground with it. It was C+ Rank, which he was especially happy about. And it had two abilities, not just one. It was even better than the one he made for himself. -This administrator is even more amazed at your metallurgy, making such artifacts in such a short time. ¡°Did you know about my metallurgy?¡± -I did, from the moment you joined. He wasn¡¯t sure if that meant when he joined the Hero Universe, or if he was talking about his previous life as Anvil. ¨DMetallurgy has grown to C-rank! Your resistance to heat will be higher, and the likelihood of a positive effect will be added to your finished product has increased. ¨DThe synchronization has greatly elerated. Current assimtion rate of 7.4% ¨DThe spiritual potential that the soul remembers has been drawn forth. Spiritual Power has grown to C+ rank. The influence of spiritual power has been increased and can be used more skillfully. A person who had just started metallurgy would not be able to raise his skill rank so fast only in the course of ten days. This was evidence that Kang Shin-hyuk had been able to make a leap to the next level as a cksmith, thanks in part to the half-remembered instincts of a prior life. ¡°If you were Lee Manwoo, you¡¯d think I¡¯ve changed too much in such a short time. -Dear member, the quest deadline is still ten days off. While such dramatic growth may be difficult to achieve once more, one more step should be possible. That would mean going up from C rank. While he didn¡¯t know what that meant in cksmithing, it was a huge gap to cross for any other ability. To achieve it in just one month¡­Kang Shin-hyuk considered it but shook his head as he remembered his conversation with Lee Manwoo. ¡°Well, he said I was a weird guy from the start.¡± -So you¡¯ve realized it. He won¡¯t be dazzled by this kind of change, though; he doesn¡¯t have enough skill to notice this level of growth. ¡°And by the time my synchronization reaches one-hundred percent, it¡¯ll be so advanced it¡¯ll be unrecognizable.¡± -Of course. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± He didn¡¯t expect the administrator to confirm it. But he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen next after that moment came. Would he recover all of his memories, HP, and abilities? Anticipation and fear mingled inside of him. He knew he would just have to wait for things to be clearer. ¡°I can clear the quest quickly now. I¡¯ll spend the rest of my time working.¡± -100HP Bonus to a member with cool eyes! -Myu! ¡°What? You think I¡¯m cool too- oh, you¡¯re hungry.¡± He decided to give Onyx some of the leftover Brenite he acquired in exchange for water. -Myuuu! While Onyx chewed away at a spiritual power filled Brenite dagger with the happiest face in the world, Kang Shin-hyuk packed up the Brenite spear he had just made with the steel javelin and a new sword. ¡°Anvil, are you ready?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Mn and his soldiers were lined up, much more energetic than they had been ten days ago. Before, they had been half-starved and dehydrated, but now that they were able to acquire both food and water through their deal with Shin-hyuk, they had turnedpletely around. ¡°All that remains is the decisive battle.¡± Mn stepped forward stiffly. In thest battle, he had a general leading his army. That general had been killed, and now this prince had to lead the army himself. He was nervous, and Kang Shin-hyuk could hear his voice trembling earlier when he was rallying the troops. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can do this. You guys will win.¡± Over the past three days, Mn and his soldiers had been practicing non-stop. Kang Shin-hyuk had been forging non-stop in the meanwhile, going through the supply of Brenite he traded for. ¡°Of course.¡± Mn¡¯s voice was firm now, as he shook away his doubts. It wasn¡¯t just to live that they battled. The Water Orb was the symbol of pride for the Orde people. If they ran away without it, they would be lost. Mn¡¯s face was covered by his helmet, but Kang Shin-hyuk could sense his resolution and spirit to fight. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to depart!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to capture that fortress!¡± There were two-hundred and eighteen soldiers remaining, including Mn, who were able to fight. One hundred of them were armed with the javelins Kang Shin-hyuk made, and another hundred abandoned their swords to pick uprge shields. They were the main offensive line, archers in the back guarded by a solid formation of shields. The remaining eighteen soldiers were armed with swords and shields, and they would be the ones to clean up and push while the spear-throwers dealt with the main enemy forces. This was the formation that they decided upon to reim the Water Orb and Orde¡¯s pride. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be able to help you in the battle.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve already helped us enough.¡± Mn looked as if he wanted to say something more, but decided to stop and stepped back. Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a small smile. ¡®Am I being too cruel?¡¯ -You can do what you want. The purpose of the quest is to recover the shield. The administrator had been sticking to short, vague answers when it came to the humans of this world¡¯s humans Shin-hyuk could only think it was out of respect for his decisions. But it felt a bit odd to him, as now the Heroic Shield was clearly upied by the Survival Alliance, yet the quest was to take it from them. ¡®Is the will of the Hero Universe different from that of the administrator?¡¯ He tilted his head at this incongruity, but it wasn¡¯t a question that could be resolved so quickly. He pushed it to the side and stepped in line with the soldiers of Orde. One of the soldiers, Zeke, approached him and offered him a helmet. ¡°It was taken from one of the fallen, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± ¡°I think the dead may find more use for it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put it on regardless, epting the sentiment behind it. A couple more soldiers approached him to offer him more armor; he decided to only ept their moral support. ¡°Soon.¡± ¡°Yes, soon.¡± As soon as Shin-hyuk finished speaking, he could see the fortress in the distance. It was protected by a valley on three sides, facing toward the only path avable. As he looked at it from afar, it was easy to tell; it was shaped like a shield. ¡®Because it¡¯s partially buried, its hard to see up close.¡¯ It had a smooth surface, impossible to climb in the midst of a battle, and it was much too thick to break. In this world of small people, it was invincible. He wondered if maybe this world¡¯s ability to make everything small had a role in why the inhabitants were weaker. ¡°They¡¯reing again!¡± ¡°They¡¯vee to offer us more treasure!¡± ¡°God¡¯s allowing us to plunder today too!¡± Voices began to rise up from the fort, met by Mn¡¯s retort. ¡°Today, Orde¡¯s Water Orb will be restored!¡± ¡°Ooooooh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought it was an excellent idea. He cut off the enemy¡¯s provocation and managed to inspire his troops at the same time. His voice was much more dignified now, too; he had clearly been practicing. ¡°To protect the honor of Orde! For our future! For Anvil! Charge!¡± The two-hundred and eighteen soldiers ran forward at once. The soldiers atop the fortress looked like they were going to start shooting as soon as they were in range. ¡°Is it this way?¡± ¡°Yeah, move quickly.¡± ¡°I know. Just a little more forward.¡± However, the Orde soldiers weren¡¯t charging in ignorantly as they had before. They suddenly stopped, still at a distance much too far for an arrow to reach. ¡°Ready!¡± Mn took up his javelin first, pulling his arm back in a throwing stance. ¡°Throw!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Confusion briefly sprouted atop the fortress, the allied warriors perplexed as to what was happening. It took them little time to confirm, however, as one of them was copsed on the wall with a javelin through his chest. ¡°Attack! They¡¯re attacking!¡± The rm went up, soldiers running about to prepare for their counterattack. Orde¡¯ssoldiers stood still for but a moment, confirming the javelin had worked and began to throw their own. The soldiers of the fortress reacted sluggishly, trying to lift their shields or fire back arrows. The Orde soldiers were prepared, the ones wieldingrge shields moving into position to defend the spear-throwers. It mattered little in any case, as the range of the bows made in this harsh environment could not match the javelins created by Anvil¡¯s reincarnation. ¡°Okay then¡­shall we start?¡± Orde¡¯s soldiers were following the n exactly, and the stronghold soldiers had no choice but to focus on them. Kang Shin-hyuk rushed forward, aiming for the gap that had been created for him. Some of the fortress soldiers noticed him, but it was toote for them to turn their attacks toward him. ¡°It looks like I didn¡¯t waste my time here.¡± -Yes, it seems that the weapons you made were certainly worth the cost. The administrator still gave strict evaluations to everyone but him. He couldn¡¯t help butugh as he picked up speed towards the Wall of Despair- the Heroic Shield. -How will you do it? ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but there¡¯s really only one way I can.¡± That was, he had to make the shield small. It had to be a size he could carry if he wanted to collect it. -How are you going to do that? ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought I¡¯d ask you¡­¡± For the past ten days, he had been forging iron and thinking quite a bit. He even asked other Hero Universe members for ideas. But, in the end, the reincarnation of Anvil had no choice but to figure it out himself. He created it a lifetime ago, and he had spiritual power. He would have to try to talk to the Heroic Shield, just as he usually did with the Godyer sword. -It¡¯s the right direction, at least. The administrator¡¯s response was positive, as always. -Even if not, you can always try a few things until it works. As I said before, you¡¯re safe here. ¡°I don¡¯t n on taking it easy like that.¡± He had ten whole days left, but he wasn¡¯t going to let these people he had been talking to and working with die as he stood by and watched. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Heid his hands on the huge wall before him, activating his spiritual power. The reaction of the wall, or rather the Heroic Shield, was instantly dramatic. Tremors and vibrations echoed through it, yet given the size of it, those same tremors echoed throughout the entire battlefield, frightening the soldiers. ¡°He¡¯s trying to do something to our wall!¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°You do it, I¡¯m not lowering my shield!¡± He ignored the reactions of those around him, knowing they couldn¡¯t harm him even if dozens of them attacked him at once. There was too wide of a gap between them. ¡®Can you hear my voice?¡¯ -Vwoom. The will of the shield was simr to the sword when he first encountered it. He began to think it would be easy after all, but he suddenly felt an overflowing sadnesse through to him. ¡°The energy cannon! Can¡¯t you use it?¡± ¡°It can only be used when it¡¯s triggered by a direct attack! They¡¯re throwing the spears at us, not at the wall!¡± -Vwoom. The Heroic Shield vomited forth countless emotions, like a child who was seeing his parents for the first time in a long while. It was tooplex and disorganized, however, as it overwhelmed his mind. ¡°Get down there!¡± ¡°Fuck¡­!¡± ¡°Everyone get down now! The wall is too dangerous!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill him myself!¡± -Vwoom. Kang Shin-hyuk managed to sort through the emotions he was feeling from the shield, his brain on the verge of exploding. Sadness, anger, more sorrow¡­he wondered if this shield was upset that it was being used by these people. As he thought this, he felt the shield¡¯s sadness more intensely. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ -Vwooom. The shield seemed to beining, crying out to its long-lost parent. It was the same with the Godyer sword. From the beginning, it considered him to be Anvil and treated him as such, just as the sword did. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry I left you alone in a ce like this.¡¯ -Vwoooom. ¡®Will youe with me?¡¯ The shield let out another brief cry, affirming the question. ¡®It¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll work out somehow.¡¯ -Vwooooooom. The moment the shield epted his will, it began to shine brightly. Synchronized with it, Kang Shin-hyuk could feel his spiritual power being drained rapidly from his body. He pulled out an Eiren jelly in a panic, consuming it quickly. He couldn¡¯t help but appreciate his spiritual power developing so much, knowing that it would¡¯ve been really dangerous without it. -Vwoom, Vwooom. The Heroic Shield that had been vibrating violently began to reduce in size. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but think of how easy it was, minus the sudden draining of his spiritual power. But for those watching from afar, it was a truly overwhelming sight. ¡°It really is getting smaller¡­¡± ¡°Does Anvil really own that wall¡­or shield, I guess?¡± The battle calmed down, the soldiers all standing ck-jawed. Zeke quietly approached Mn as everyone else was focused on Shin-hyuk and the wall. ¡°Sir, are you okay? We originally meant to upy the citadel once we pushed out the cotion¡­¡± ¡°What would you have me do? Kill Anvil and take it away?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± Mn let a bitter smile y across his lips as Zeke dropped his head. It was impossible for them topete against Anvil, who had done so much for them already. ¡°It was meant to be this way. We lost our Water Orb due to greed, but thanks to Anvil, we have recovered our precious treasure and way of life. If we stayed in that fortress¡­we would eventually be no better than the Alliance.¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± ¡°Mn. Just call me Mn.¡± ¡°Okay, Mn¡­what?¡± ¡°What is¡­ it¡­?¡± Mn looked in the direction that Zeke was pointing, a frightened scream leaking from his mouth. He thought it might be the Alliance attempting to rally once more, but¡­ ¡°Thend¡­ it¡¯s moving¡­¡± ¡°Because of the wall¡­? No¡­¡± Anyone who lived in this world knew what was happening. ¡°Anvil, run!¡± Mn let out a desperate shout, hoping he would make it in time. Where the wall had been, moving up through the earth, appeared the mouth of a huge monster. Chapter 39 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (5)

Chapter 39 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (5)

[Guahhhhh!] The moment the shield was in his arms, the earth began to vibrate violently, and a deep cry erupted from below the ground. Kang Shin-hyuk understood what was happening immediately, remembering the monster Mn had told him. -Vwoom The shield in his arms confirmed it, letting out a silent scream. What the Heroic Shield hated was not the humans fighting between themselves. It was initially an armament meant for fighting after all. What it hated was the monster below it, using it as bait to acquire prey. It had felt an intense sorrow and anger for failing to fulfill its duty of protecting people, instead of aiding in their destruction. ¡°Anvil, run away!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was flying through the air before the warning cry reached him. Like a prickly fence, teeth began to rise out from the ground secondster, right where the wall had been. The buildings built next to the wall started to copse underneath the beast. It had a ck chitinous body, with cockroach-like legs protruding out from all over it. A huge mouth upied more than half of its face, disgusting Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Save me!¡± ¡°Help!¡± Those who were stuck inside the fortress buildings were consumed, chewed up by this monster¡¯s fangs. They told him the Survival Coalition had no interest in protecting those who couldn¡¯t fight, but that appeared false. No doubt, they simply rejected and plundered Orde to protect their group. ¡®They¡¯re not the first.¡¯ He recalled what Mn had told him of this monster, how it waited for prey, and mimicked things. That was what had happened here; it used the shield as bait to attract prey. When enough gathered here, it woulde up and consume them all just to hide again, waiting for the next group. How many times had that scene repeated here in this valley? ¡®This is the disaster that drove this world to ruin¡­¡¯ -Stay back, dear member. It will be a formidable enemy to defeat. You have alreadypleted the quest, so it would be better to practice metallurgy with your remaining time in a safe ce. The administrator¡¯s advice was certainly ideal. There was no need to fight that huge enemy, now that the quest had beenpleted. But Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if he could do that. If he could finish the quest while this monster that had been tormenting his shield was still alive and tormenting humans. -Vwoom. The Heroic Shield in his arms cried out again, and Kang Shin-hyuk knew its intent. He was tormented by what he should do, but Mn¡¯s voice echoed across the battlefield before he could reach a decision. ¡°Attack it!¡± Shin-hyuk raised his head, witnessing dozens of javelins flying toward the head of the monster at once. ¡°Let no more humans get eaten by that monster!¡± ¡°Kill it!¡± ¡°It will fool us no longer!¡± ¡°We can worry about the rest after we kill it!¡± It was a strange sight. They could save their lives if they ran away, but Orde¡¯s soldiers were throwing their javelins at the monster with no consideration of retreating. Those with spears threw them, and those without them grabbed swords to charge it. The monster was entirely above ground now, a giant monster with a body longer than ten meters in length, but they didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡®Because of the Water Orb? No¡­¡¯ If that had been the reason, they could just recapture it and flee. It was as if they had forgotten all about it and the Survival Coalition, their only intent to attack the beast. ¡°Fall back there!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± ¡°Get back!¡± Perhaps it was because they were human that he could not sit still and see the sight of them being devoured by a monster. Maybe it was the anger of the entire human race and unbridled hostility toward this monster that had hunted them for so long. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know why, but he knew what he had to do. -Vwooom. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see your vengeance through.¡± Perhaps, in the end, it was the intense anger of the shield in his hands. Kang Shin-hyuk took a step forward towards the monster. -If I determine your life is at risk, I will immediately return you to My Room. ¡°Thank you.¡± The administrator said nothing about his choice but chose to support him anyway. -As a bonus for today¡¯s login, you¡¯ve received an Instant Spirit Booster! Kang Shin-hyuk smiled. It was paid ording to Earth¡¯s time, but he wondered if his timing was convenient. ¡°Thank you.¡± He immediately took out the spiritual booster and drank it. He suddenly felt as if his soul had been pulled out forcibly from a deep cave it resided in, thrust into arge and vast world. His senses were amplified, revealing to him a new world that he had never seen before. -Your spiritual power is temporarily amplified (10 minutes) to B+. Kang Shin-hyuk felt as if he were possessed, holding both the steel and Brenite javelins in hand. The symbol of a wriggling dragon engraved itself on both of them as he readied them, his spiritual power reinforcing them. The spears sailed through the air, one after another, at the monster¡¯s head. -The special ability Split has been triggered. -The special ability Split has been triggered. Both of the spears¡¯ split abilities were activated at once, several more versions of the spears breaking off from them and colliding with the monster all at once. [Kuohhhahh!] The monster let out an annoying sound at the javelins thrown by the soldiers, but it soon twisted into a terrible scream as it was hit by the artifact spears. Some people who were not yet consumed fell out of its mouth, and the soldiers with swords moved up quickly to save them. ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart wavered. That attack he hit it with was the best he could manage, his with spiritual power amplified to B+ rank backing the strongest javelins he had. Even the split ability had been activated on both of them. Nevertheless, it was not enough to drive back the enemy. Surely, it had been an effective hit. Yet it would require at least ten more people like him using that attack again to finish the monster off. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to end this with a single attack, but less than nine minutes remained on the potion. [Guahhh!] -Vwoom. The monster recognized Kang Shin-hyuk as the clear enemy here, twisting its body to face him. However, it was a monster built to hide underground and wait for its prey, so its movements weren¡¯t fast. Kang Shin-hyuk avoided him, flying up into the air again as he evaluated his options. ¡®Even if I cut a hole through it with Godyer¡­that wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡¯ Even those javelins wouldn¡¯t have been enough if that had pierced through. It meant nothing for him to risk his life by getting close to poking it with his sword. ¡®So should I just keep throwing javelins? No.¡¯ A fundamentally different solution was needed. If only he could feed this beast arge spear. Kang Shin-hyuk wracked his brain for the best way to defeat this monster with his amplified spiritual power. -Vwoom. The Heroic Shield let out a strong cry, but Kang Shin-hyuk dismissed it as childish pleading. It just wanted him to defeat that monster quickly, ¡°Is Godyer the answer? But can I wield it while holding you?¡± -Vwoom. The shield let out another strong cry. Kang Shin-hyuk was determined to find a way through this, and he considered the shield. An artifact was able to maintain its original size in this world, where everything else became smaller. Just like this shield was a wall, his sword was also iparable to the size it had be. Could the Godyer be a giant sword? If that could happen, it would be a simple matter to take care of this monster. The problem was that the sword was weakened; it wasn¡¯t in tip-top shape like the shield was. ¡®No, is it worth trying?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk thought about it, checking his amplified spiritual power. It would disappear in the next few minutes, but currently, it was immeasurable. If he invested all of that power into it, maybe he could recover a little bit of the Godyer. ¡°Okay, fine. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out his sword, and with a thought, pulled out a javelin to go with it. There was a hole in the handle where the decoration had fallen off, so he was able to loop it around the javelin with ease. -Vwoom. ¡°No, don¡¯t struggle.¡± The sword told him not to treat it as junk, and he had no choice but tough. Since the level of his metallurgy and spiritual power had risen, they had be more friendly. [Kuohahah!] He took a deep breath, the monster holding guard for his attack. It couldn¡¯t approach, given the humans still going all out to attack it, however. ¡°Get back. It¡¯s about to attack!¡± ¡°Pull the injured away from the battlefield!¡± ¡°Kill the monster!¡± He thought it was fascinating how they moved in unison, despite several of them being enemies just a little while ago. When it came to struggling against monsters, truly, little else bound humans as tightly. It would be easy for Shin-hyuk to dismiss it as stupid or trivial, but he didn¡¯t want to belittle these people who were just struggling to survive. ¡°Please.¡± -Vwoom. Even if it failed, he could run back to My Room. But it would mean he failed. He was trying to be a superhuman so he wouldn¡¯t have to run away. He rained his abilities to fight and win, so he was sure. ¡°That damn monster¡­kill it!¡± Heunched the sword into the air with all his strength, backed by his spiritual power. It soared into the sky, faster than the eye could see. It flew quickly, more than a few kilometers. -Vwoom. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it works¡­¡± His head became nk as he exhausted all of his spiritual power, unable to move one step as hunger wracked him. He desperately endured it, consuming the recovery potion he acquired to keep himself going. He could feel the soaring Godyer, ording to his will, begin to descend. ¡®It¡¯s not over yet¡­¡¯ The sword¡¯s rank had not yet increased, and thus, had not yet erged. If that didn¡¯t happen, it would all be for nothing. ¡®Be strong.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk muttered to himself, relying on that faint connection of spiritual power between himself and the sword. ¡®Get stronger.¡¯ He felt as if he could hear the faint cry of the sword, so far away. He somehow had to give it more power, but he wasn¡¯t sure how. Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his teeth and focused on that connection. ¡®Get your original form back!¡¯ If the power of the sword was not enough, he had to add his own power to it. If his spiritual power wasn¡¯t enough, then he had to give it everything. He concentrated with all of his might, pulling out the potential of all of his characteristics and abilities, pouring them through his spiritual power into the Godyer sword. [Kuoahhhh!] The monster wriggled, devouring two more people. Warriors wielding swords and spears ran past Kang Shin-hyuk, running toward the monster. Both the surviving Alliance warriors and Orde soldiers were driving their weapons into its body. ¡°All¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head, his eyes shining golden. ¡°Get away from it.¡± He had no energy left, but a scream ripped through his throat with all the might he could summon. The humans around the monster reacted to him instinctively, retreating. A huge shadow was cast upon the ground. ¨DTalent [Awakened Wyrm (A+)] satisfied all the conditions for evolution and has evolved into [Golden Eye Dragon (S)]. All stats will grow significantly. The characteristic skill [Warrior Dragon Dance (S-)] evolved to [Fantasy Dragon Dance (S+)]. ¨DThe Godyer has regained some of its original characteristics and has grown to B-ss. The sky opened up, a massive de descending to the ground. It was sorge, its entirety couldn¡¯t be captured by sight alone. [Kuha¡­.] It smashed through a petty bug that was wriggling on the ground. Chapter 40 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (6)

Chapter 40 - Heroic Shield, the Wall of Despair (6)

-Kwaang! The moment the giant sword cut through the body of the monster and cleaved into the ground, a terrible tremor ran through the earth. Everyone on the battlefield hit the ground, unable to move. No one could understand what just happened. The monster, which had been running amok, was pierced through by a huge sword that suddenly fell from the sky. What could this be, if not a divine event? -Vwooom. The Godyer, having cut through the entirety of the monster with a single blow, cried out loud as if it were happy to be active after such a long time. The Heroic Shield shone with jealously in response. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with a bitter smile, unable to enjoy the evolved characteristics of his sword. ¡°Yes, good job.¡± -Vwoom. The sword vibrated low with joy, returning back to Shin-hyuk¡¯s grasp. Because it had exhausted his spiritual power, the sword was once again bound to thews of the world and reduced in size. -Vwoom. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°That huge monster is dead!¡± Only once the sword that had been supporting up the monster¡¯s body disappeared, and it fell to the ground did people realize it was dead. They had seeded in ying this absolute evil, which overwhelmed humanity at its strongest. ¡°It is God.¡± One of the soldiers cried out, realizing the sword that had killed the beast was now in Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. ¡°He is an apostle of God!¡± ¡°Oh, God!¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry!¡± ¡°Forgive us¡­!¡± ¡°I will never kill again¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who had apparently be an apostle of God, looked around in embarrassment and saw everyone looking at him. Objectively, he just appeared out of nowhere and shrunk their fortress wall. He then threw a sword and erged it to destroy that monster. Having deciding not to deny it, Kang Shin-hyuk chose to act as if he were an apostle of God, at least just for a moment. -You have suppressed the ones that were harming the order of things. You have received a bonus due to your membership level! You have received 30,000 HP. AS a VIP bonus, you receive an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 45,000 HP. -The dimensional quest has been resolved perfectly. The synchronization rate has elerated to 10.4%. The light and tile functions of My Room has been unlocked. You have received a 20,000 HP bonus for overachieving on the quest. The choice of new dimensional quests has been expanded. The message from the administrator hit his vision. The HP he had just acquired was nothingpared to the HP he recovered before, but at least it was something he earned by himself. ¡°The reward is big.¡± -Because you did a great job. I can¡¯t say anything about your choices, but if you wanted me to share my personal impressions, you also looked great. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± After seeing the administrator¡¯s message, Kang Shin-hyuk was relieved. His eyes that had been shining gold had returned back to their original state now that the battle was over. The fact that he had just unlocked the lighting and tiles of the room made him think he should quickly increase the rate of synchronization. But first, he had to help the survivors of this messed-up battle. *** It took a long time to clear out the battlefield. There had been many causalities in the original skirmish, and several had been devoured by the monster. Thanks to the Godyer sword being dropped on it, however, some of them could be saved. Mainly, it was thanks to the abilities of the sword. [Godyer] [B Rank] [Special Abilities: Edged Predation, Regression] [Open special ability: Flesh Control] * Flesh Control: The sword will only cut and kill what the sword¡¯s master wants to. ¡®Now it¡¯s actually worthy of its name.¡¯ While the new ability wasn¡¯t focused on attack power, it was a rare and useful ability that would give him a tactical advantage going forward. -Vwoom. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a lot stronger now. It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t rely on that javelin, though¡­¡± -Vwoom! Although the spiritual power imbued in it was temporary, it was thanks to that, that the sword was able to regain some of its lost abilities. In the process, its condition had been restored to near perfect. The empty space in the crossguard was still there, but it looked brand new. The sword was acting the part as well, and Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh as he sheathed it. The sword wasn¡¯t the only thing to evolve, however, as did his abilities. [Kang Shin-hyuk: B rank] (10.4% synchronization rate) [Characteristic] Golden Eyed Dragon (S): Unable to deal with mana, but will master all kinds of martial arts very quickly. It can greatly amplify the effectiveness of self-learned martial arts and the performance of weapons under its influence. [Physical ability] Force: C- ¡ú C+ Agility: B- ¡ú B+ Health: C+ ¡ú B [Special ability] Spiritual power: C+ ¡ú B- Regeneration: E- ¡ú D- [Skill] Dragon Fan Dance (S+): B- ¡ú B Metallurgy: C- All of his physical abilities had grown two stages, and his spiritual power had grown one. Regeneration, however, had grown three whole stages. Shin-hyuk could already feel his fatigue recovering, confirming it did get stronger. Even his sword dance skill evolved as well. All of it was only possible because he didn¡¯t run away from that monster. Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help it, but he happy he could stay true to his desires. ¡°Good¡­¡± ¡°Anvil!¡± As he was drunk on checking out his new status, a voice called him from behind. He looked around, quickly finding Mn. The prince did not think Shin-hyuk as an apostle of God, though his respect for him had grown. ¡°That was really¡­amazing.¡± ¡°Is the clean-up done?¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks to your help. Thank you for everything.¡± Mn was still wearing his helmet, though Shin-hyuk could tell what sort of expression he was making. He shrugged, tapping the sheath that Godyer was in. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that impressive. Just like that shield had grown big, so did the sword. It was so hard I¡¯ll probably never do it again.¡± That was partially a lie. If his spiritual power kept growing, he could probably pull it off again. But he was afraid they might start expecting more things from him, so it was best to try and deceive Mn. ¡°I have no doubt it took a tremendous amount of skill to pull it off, but thanks to that, many people were able to survive. Once again¡­thank you very much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was necessary when recovering the shield. It looks like this guy suffered a lot at that damn bug¡¯s hands.¡± -Vwoom. Mn couldn¡¯t say anything while he watched the Heroic Shield vibrate in response to Shin-hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°Then, now you have the shield back. Are you heading home?¡± ¡°Well¡­what should I do¡­¡± -Since you¡¯vepleted the quest early, you can still stay here until the originally scheduled deadline. That would be more convenient. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at the message and decided to ept it. They considered him to be an apostle, so they wouldn¡¯t have any problems with him staying here in the future. Mn, for his part, seemed delighted that he would be staying another ten days. ¡°Mn, the survivors of the Alliance are looking for you.¡± Zeke came up as they were talking, delivering a brief report to the prince. ¡°Did you gather them all together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They had all unified to fight the monster, but they had just been fighting a fierce battle against each other just before. Neither Kang Shin-hyuk nor Mn thought they would try to keep fighting, however. ¡°If we had a lord like you¡­¡± ¡°Please, give us a chance. If you lead us, we¡¯ll never betray you!¡± ¡°¡­We were desperate to survive. We have no excuses.¡± The group of survivors from the Survival Alliance handed the Water Orb to Mn, dering these things in unison. Mn epted their offering. ¡°You will be my servants from now on. We will live together in this dyingnd, and we will surely survive and sprout new life.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± At their core, humans were simple. They were able to reconcile after fighting together just once. In this world, that simplicity might be integral to survival. Kang Shin-hyuk took a step back with such thoughts in mind, not wanting to interfere as he was just a guest. ¡°Hey, Anvil.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± It was Zeke, pointing toward the destroyed battlefield. Kang Shin-hyuk nced over, seeing that he was pointing toward the remains of the monster. ¡°We¡¯ve cleaned the body, so please take the remains of it. You finished it off by yourself, so it¡¯s all yours.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You did all of this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do.¡± He had hunted monsters before, but he hadn¡¯t thought of saving the corpse. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s jaw dropped as he examined the remains of the monster that had umted. Sharp teeth, eerie chunks of flesh, pieces of ck shells, and a huge mana stone. It was thergest mana stone he had ever seen. -It will be difficult to sell without authenticating your identity first. ¡°What should I do with it?¡± -It would be best to use it as materials for metallurgy. Using it to make an enchantment would be best, but you probably can¡¯t handle that right now. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know how to use mana stones in metallurgy, just as the administrator had said. But he thought to ask Lee Manwoo about it next chance he got. At least, he could do something with the carapace and teeth in the meanwhile. ¡®If I go back with this, will it suddenly be huge?¡¯ -If your metallurgy reached the extreme, it might be possible to create something like that. But now, don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t get any smaller either. ¡®But how will I collect all of this?¡¯ -Don¡¯t worry! Among the items that you can now purchase on the trading board, there is the Hero Universe service system. Among these services, there is an inventory feature! It is a sub-space like the shop inventory. Thinking back, Shin-hyuk did remember ire pulling things out of empty space. That must¡¯ve been her personal inventory. -That¡¯s right. With no volume limitation, you will receive an inventory that can hold up to 200 kilograms perpartment at the VIP 50% special discount of 1.5 million HP! ¡°¡­¡± Shin-hyuk trembled. Even with the discount, it was so expensive, which meant it was originally three million HP per slot? And two-hundred kilograms¡­that wouldn¡¯t be enough to store all of these materials. ¡®I¡¯ll buy¡­three spaces.¡¯ -Please note that the purchase price bes more expensive after five slots! ¡®Alright, hand them over quickly.¡¯ He could immediately tell that he had gained ess to the inventory. It felt like he had ess to a personal drawer that only he could tell was there. ¡®But I can¡¯t take everything.¡¯ He took the remains he had in hand and pushed them in his inventory, and then wrapped up the rest in a cloth to put in his backpack. ¡°You can have the rest.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much we can do with it¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. ¡°I will process it somehow, so leave it be then. Please move it to the barracks if you would.¡± ¡°Certainly, Apostle.¡± Seeing that what he wanted was done, he gave a bloody smile. He nned to spend the remaining ten days practicing metallurgy non-stop. Ten more days passed, Kang Shin-hyuk was steadily devoting himself to his training. He made weapons, primarily in the form of javelins, for the people who were treating him as an apostle. -Metallurgy has grown to C rank. Strength has grown to B rank through skill growth. Your resistance to heat has increased. Working speed will increase by 30% in the future. Through this way, he reached the skill of C rank he had been aiming for. -As today¡¯s log in bonus, you have received a monster attraction system (C+ grade)! The day hade for him to finally return to Earth. Chapter 41 Our Rookie King Has Changed (1)

Chapter 41 Our Rookie King Has Changed (1)

It was said that among the many monsters, there were a few cases of insectile monsters having metallic shells. However, the monster that Kang Shin-hyuk had just in wasn¡¯t of that variety. Therefore, to process the carapace and turn it into a weapon, he had to physically break it down. Fortunately for him, it was easier to break down once he applied heat to it. ¡°But, when I think about it, this isn¡¯t really metallurgy, is it?¡± -Metallurgy is a skill that spans a very wide area. Even if you¡¯re not dealing with metal, processing materials to make weapons is influenced by it. ¡°It¡¯s not metallurgy¡­but it is¡­¡± It was thanks to the metallurgy skill that he could process the carapace so easily, so Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t going toin. No doubt, this would serve as a good foundation for the future, in processing all sorts of non-metals to make weapons. -Janus¡¯s whisper: What are you doing? ¡°I¡¯m trimming the shell of an insect.¡± -Janus¡¯s whisper: You are working hard, that makes me happy. ¡°But the Godyer sword is still far away, so please wait, Sir Janus.¡± -Janus¡¯s whisper: Just Janus is fine. Kang Shin-hyuk idly chatted with Janus while he ground away at the shell, seeding in making an oval-shaped ring. He attached the small, sharply ground teeth to both sides of it. The finished object looked almost like the mouth of the beast it hade from. -You made a Sudden Monster Trap (C) with a little spiritual power. Metallurgy proficiency has slightly increased. -Synchronization has elerated. Current rate of 11.2%. ¡°Done!¡± The moment he created this new object, a trap, Kang Shin-hyuk was delighted to see the notification window in front of him. This was the first artifact he created that wasn¡¯t a weapon or armor. ¡°I think it¡¯s because my metallurgy is now C rank, but I¡¯m gradually getting a sense of how to make artifacts. I have to pay attention to the source of the object as well as my own will to imbue it with spiritual power.¡± -Not just anyone can casually create C rank artifacts and talk about it in that way. [Sudden Monster Trap] [C rank] [Special ability: Stealth] *Stealth: When deployed, this trap is immediately assimted into the surrounding environment and concealed, slightly increasing the damage of the trap. It cannot be detected by search abilities below rank B. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± It was a special ability that really fit a trap. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a satisfiedugh as he examined thepleted trap, but it urred to him it would hurt if he identally activated it. He safely stored it away in his inventory. ¡°So, that¡¯s it.¡± -If you return now, it will be Monday, at 8 AM. ¡°Wow¡­¡± He was alright with being a littlete, as he wanted to stay there longer. He had taken to metallurgy rather quickly, and it wasn¡¯t boring, no matter how long he worked. ¡®But that¡¯s just an escape.¡¯ To be a superhuman recognized by everyone, he couldn¡¯t ck off when it came to sses. He was eligible toe back here afterpleting the quest, so he resolved himself toe back the following weekend. He quickly organized his luggage and prepared to leave. ¡°Anvil, are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± With good timing, Mn entered the barracks as Shin-hyuk was packing up. ¡°Leaving without a heads up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s night. Besides, I said I would be leaving sooner orter.¡± ¡°Nevertheless¡­no, I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± Mn approached him with a small sigh, taking off the gauntlets he was wearing and offered him a handshake. ¡°Anvil, you¡¯ve helped us so much¡­thank you.¡± ¡°You paid me to do it.¡± The prince¡¯s hand was delicate, but his voice was strong. ¡°You charged us nothing. If we survive on thisnd, it will be because of you.¡± ¡°If you think so.¡± ¡°No, You have no idea how grateful we are. You are, uh¡­¡± Mn hesitated, then put both of his hands on his helmet. Kang Shin-hyuk realized he had not taken it off in front of anyone as far as he had seen. As the helmet was lifted off, what Shin-hyuk saw was the face of a beautiful girl with dazzling blonde hair and clear eyes. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°It was worth taking off my helmet just to see that expression.¡± Mn gave him a smile upon seeing his face. Her voice was different now, and he realized that the helmet she wore must have been an artifact of some sort. ¡°I will introduce myself formally. My name is Milia Van Orde, thest princess of the kingdom of Orde. To rally my soldiers and have them follow me, I was imitating my brother, who died.¡± Shin-hyuk was immediately convinced, but also a bit curious. ¡°With just that helmet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also had some help from Sir Zeke and a few others. But at this point, who can say? Maybe I won¡¯t need to hide anymore.¡± Milia pped my hands loudly. ¡°But such concerns are luxurious. You gave us this opportunity, and as my benefactor, I felt that I shouldn¡¯t deceive you.¡± ¡°As you wish¡­¡± ¡°Is this not enough? It won¡¯t be enough, so¡­¡± She came to some sort of conclusion all by herself, without a word from Shin-hyuk, and lightly gripped his shoulder. She kissed him briefly on the cheek, the scent of her clear to him. ¡°This is the best way to express myself as I n on continuing to live as a man in the future.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°This is a breathtaking feeling.¡± Sheughed and stepped back toward the entrance of the barracks. She put back on her helmet and returned to being Mn without any regrets. ¡°Thank you for everything, Anvil. I hope the day wille when we meet again.¡± ¡°I do too.¡± ¡°Well.¡± She nodded firmly and left the barracks, and Shin-hyuk felt the spot on his cheek she kissed. ¡°There were some hups, but the finish line was great. It feels like I¡¯ve achieved a real quest because I got a kiss from a princess.¡± -¡­ ¡®If you¡¯re not going to talk, then don¡¯t. Why send these ellipses?¡¯ He shrugged it off. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back to My Room now.¡± The next moment, he was really back there. After it had happened a few times, it didn¡¯t feel like a dimensional shift at all to him. Now, however, the lights were back on so he could see the floor and wallsid before him. ¡°This ce¡­so.¡± -It¡¯s like the shelter you used in your previous life. Though it was blocked on all sides and he couldn¡¯t check it out properly, it was clear that this was Anvil¡¯s studio. The one he had seen in the memories. ¡°How¡­?¡± -My Room is meant to resemble your own thoughts, and it can change as you grow. ¡°So¡­it isn¡¯t that world?¡± -Of course not. You can go directly there by paying HP once your synchronization rate increases. However, please decide carefully if you want to go. Merba is a perilous ce. He felt equally relieved and disappointed that My Room wasn¡¯t actually that ce, but both were soon overtaken by a sense of anger and the urge to go there someday. He was about to say, ¡®my family is there,¡¯ but he stopped himself before he could. He let his mind cool off for a moment, regaining his senses. ¡®It¡¯s because the synchronization has increased.¡¯ As he acquired more memories of Anvil, the sense of unity with him only increased. It seemed more and more foolish to try and separate himself from Anvil since it was his past life. Which was why he¡­ ¡°I will go.¡± -The more effort you put in, the faster you will get there. ¡°I know. Thank you.¡± -¡­10HP Bonus! He decided to find Merba someday and clear everything up. *** At school that day, Kang Shin-hyuk was pestered non-stop by Baek In-ha all morning. ¡°Who did you go y with? You abandoned me!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say I was ying with someone. Would I tell you about it?¡± ¡°No, damn it!¡± He was able to exin the situation to ire, but he couldn¡¯t honestly confess to Baek that he had been to a different world. However, since it was impossible to make an appropriate excuse to him since he had been trying to contact and search for him all weekend, Shin-hyuk decided to act as if nothing was wrong. ¡°I believed you were my friend¡­!¡± ¡°You were busy working on assignments all weekend anyway.¡± ¡°You were supposed to help me!¡± ¡°Do you not know how to work on your own? Are you a kid?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down while teasing Baek, but at that point, he quitining and just stared at him. ¡°If you climb the stairs of adulthood, will your physical abilities be amplified?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of something so stupid.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve definitely gotten stronger.¡± A child he may have been, but a keen one. Shin-hyuk trained in another world for a month and had greatly improved all of his stats, but he had yet to demonstrate that. How could he read that change in his status? ¡°It¡¯s a growth spurt, yeah.¡± ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll catch up to you right away. It seems like the evolution of a trait is really intense.¡± Shin-hyuk had no intention of telling him it had evolved again. ¡°I can¡¯t lose anyway. I¡¯m going to train non-stop today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to start group training today as well.¡± It was a new week, but no changes had urred in the teachers¡¯ educational policies. Even if group training was going on this afternoon, the training intensity only felt as if it had increased to push the students who already had a week to adjust to the hellish physical exertion. ¡°Compared to the level of training the seniors get, this is easy. Some of those seniors even have lower physical statuses than you lot do, so that means the problem is your guts!¡± ¡°Oh, god¡­they finally said guts¡­¡± ¡°How is it possible that these elite superhumans were trained this way¡­?¡± Each student wasining, but Shin-hyuk was of a simr mind to the teacher. The students were unused to handling their stats properly, but he had been training hard with his body to amodate the fact he couldn¡¯t handle mana. ¡®But I¡¯m also not dealing with my status properly because my growth has been too rapid. I have to figure out my limits and how to deal with my skills.¡¯ He had entered the B rank, and at this level, it was enough to be on par with active superhumans. But if he were asked if he could use that power properly, his answer would be no. He had grown too quickly and didn¡¯t know how far that strength could carry him. He had to push that to the limit until he couldn¡¯t summon any more strength. ¡°Crazy. Kang Shin-hyuk is still holding on¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely stronger thanst week.¡± ¡°We¡¯re barely holding on, but he¡¯s not slowing down at all.¡± Originally, in his ss, Kang Shin-hyuk was still thought to be below Baek despite him winning the Rookie King title. Or rather, many people thought Baek was just an exception. ¡°My face doesn¡¯t change so much.¡± ¡°Were you trying to make a tough expression?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s rather¡­I was going for calm?¡± ¡°Are you constipated?¡± ¡°No, look, you asshole¡­¡± However, in today¡¯s ss, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t seem to begging behind Baek in any of the training. If Baek had gone all out, maybe that would change, but right now, they were almost equal. ¡°I still can¡¯t feel mana.¡± ¡°What the hell is it?¡± ¡°If you be a Rookie King, do they give you some sort of magic elixir?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was training with the wooden spear, a bloody smile on his face, as he listened to the gossip behind him. He was doing reaction training to hit iing targets, but the training was soon over as hepletely cleared the set at the maximum difficulty. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re free to train as you wish with Baek. Everyone else, gather up!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh.¡± ¡°This is hell.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you need to do it like them, just do the best you can!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the 1st year C ss. Since the previous week, all of the 1st years were being finely ground down. They cursed the teachers, Shinyoung, and the entire world as their bodies were broken down to be built back up. However, the thought of showing off an ugly sight in the sportspetition made them hold on without giving up. ¡°Hey, Kang Shin-hyuk seems to be looking good today.¡± ¡°He does look different since he became the Rookie King.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s more like something fundamentally changed.¡± As a bonus, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s stock price was gradually rising, although he was too busy trying to stop Baek from running off to be aware of it. Soon, the afternoon sses came to an end, but special sses awaited them after school. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m going to die!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die in the gate practice, work hard right now.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, let¡¯s go right away! I heard a rumor that our trainer is a woman.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± The group training for gate practice was conducted in the ckwood. For the students¡¯ safety, the school closely monitored their training by calling in support from active supervisors from the superhuman association and several famous guilds. The superhumans, who had graduated from Shinyoung, were always willing to respond to the call of cultivating prospective youngsters, especially for the chance to make new contacts. But the supervisor of Group 7 of the 1st year C ss had received a lot of attention in particr. ¡°I will be the supervisor of your gate practice training. I am Shin Eunah, a superhuman from the association.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk rubbed his eyes and double-checked the sight in front of him. There was no doubt that Shin Eunah was right there before him. She met his eyes and gave him a slight nod. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again. Please take care of me.¡± ¡®No, wait, why?!¡¯ Chapter 42 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (2)

Chapter 42 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (2)

Shinyoung¡¯s group 7 of ss C gathered in the multipurpose room to listen to the story of Shin Eunah, their practical supervisor. ¡°This gate practice has been held for a long time, and it takes ce in a persistent absorption-type gate- also known as a dungeon. There is no need for me to exin the difference between persistent and single-shot gates, or emission and absorption types, yes?¡± A gate was first divided into general and surprise types. A general type had signs of its appearance, and thus it could be prepared for, but a surprise gate would appear without warning. Such a gate had appeared in Seoul previously when Shin-hyuk had been meeting with ire. The next difference was persistent versus single shot, which was merely the difference of whether the gatested for a long time or not. Finally, an emission type gate poured monsters out into the area, but the absorption type brought humans in when they made contact within the gate. Specifically, it brought them to a subspace environment full of monsters that existed inside. ¡®But emission type gates are often difficult to measure in advance because they are usually single shot rather than persistent.¡¯ Absorptive gates were also usually temporality deactivated once a condition was met inside the gate, such as killing all the monsters or a specific boss monster. At that point, it would spit the humans back out. That was called clearing, and some gates would be maintained after they were cleared. It was possible for humans to repetitively attack those gates, and humans had begun to refer to them as dungeons. ¡°I know all of that, but why were you put in charge of our group¡­?¡± Baek In-ha asked this with hearts in his eyes, dreaming of his future wedding with Shin Eunah and bing the president of the Korean Superhuman Association. Shin Eunah nced briefly at Shin-hyuk when she heard his question, but quickly let out a little cough and responded in a cold voice. ¡°Because you are the freshmen who have received the most attention so far at Shinyoung. Many guildspeted for this opportunity, and the association stepped in to prevent things from getting heated. However, many in the association feared the bacsh, so the baton came to me in the end.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the association also want us?!¡± ¡°The type of talent the association wants is different from the ordinary guilds. Now, let¡¯s get back to the gates.¡± Baek¡¯s desire to be recognized by the association was neatly ignored. There was no doubt about his abilities, but in terms of personality, he was at least a million light-years away from what the association wanted. Kang Shin-hyuk took a step back from him as Do Woojin and Karen gazed at Baek with pity. ¡°The gate you will enter this time is the D+ ss dungeon in Jongno, Seoul, known as Crow¡¯s Nest.¡± ¡°Crazy¡­¡± ¡°No, so wait.¡± Upon hearing the name of the dungeon, Karen murmured quietly, and Do Woojin, who had been watching Shin Eunah quietly, finally spoke up. It was a famous dungeon that had a lot of peopleing and going, but it was also¡­ ¡°That dungeon has flying monsters.¡± ¡°Right. Frankly, all of your abilities to perform close-quarterbat is beyond the range of the 1st grade. However, by raising the dungeon¡¯s rating, it would vite education equity and increase the risk.¡± The highest the dungeon¡¯s grade, the more likely an unexpected situation would ur. In fact, it was already sort of unreasonable to push freshmen into a D+ grade dungeon. ¡°The school has decided to judge how you will respond to an unfavorable environment. The main monster you will face is the D-ss Gray Crow. It is a flying monster with high intelligence, and it is not prone to provocation. How you will move in response to this monster will be the core of this exercise.¡± ¡°I can only feel like I¡¯m trying to do something impossible¡­ugh¡­¡± Do Woojin, who wasining, stiffened at Shin Eunah¡¯s emotionless gaze. Baek In-ha, who was holding his mouth shut after grasping the atmosphere, looked back at Kang Shin-hyuk with a proud expression that was promptly ignored. ¡°It is natural for a superhuman to be specialized in a single field, but it isn¡¯t something to be proud of. You must know how to respond to any situation; it is the most basic of basics to prepare countermeasures.¡± Normally, superhumans move as a team, but higher-ranked ones often charge into gates alone. Certainly, in such a case, it would be necessary to be fully prepared for any situation. But they were still only students. These expectations were too big. ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°Call me teacher.¡± ¡°Would you be able to fight using melee?¡± It seemed like Do Woojin was still struggling with the idea. They were being told that they, as students who used melee weapons, should be able to fight long distances. So naturally, Shin Eunah, a student from the Department of Magic, should be able to fight using melee. It was reasonable at first nce, but she was a high ranker who was here as a teacher for some reason. ¡°Sure. Do you need proof?¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to know.¡± ¡°Do Woojin, that won¡¯t really solve anything¡­¡± Do Woojin asked for proof without hesitation, and Karen could only shake her head at him. Kang Shin-hyuk sympathized with her, but Do Woojin was unable to recognize anything unless he experienced it with his own eyes and body. Shin-hyuk would have found it hard to admit out loud, but he thought it was pretty cool. ¡°Alright, then step forward.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was plenty of space to fight in. Do Woojin shut up and stepped forward without a weapon, and Shin Eunah took out dozens of silver bracelets from her bag and ced them over her arms. IT was an artifact that suppressed the wearer¡¯s magical power. ¡°I saw that in Dragon Ball.¡± ¡°Shut up, Baek.¡± ¡°Hm¡­!¡± Do Woojin bit his lip, feeling his pride hurt as he watched her suppress her own magical power. However, considering her position, it was a natural measure to take. Rather, it was an honor to be able to fight her. ¡°Then start.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± As soon as Shin Eunah said that, Do Woojin rushed at her. He partially activated his characteristics to raise his physical performance, running at her with the intent to see her strength. It was a fast and powerful rush, but Shin Eunah calmly took a step forward and stretched out her fist. An electric current flowed around her fist, which mmed into Do Woojin. It was a clean hit, and he hit the ground. ¡°¡­What did you do¡­?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see it¡­Karen, is it possible that her lightning ability is also enhancing her speed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nervous system stimtion involves the flow of electric currents, so considering my own ability to strengthen my nervous system¡­it is possible.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s gaze brought a stop to Shin-hyuk and Karen¡¯s whispering. Her reflexes would remain a mystery to them. ¡°All abilities can develop with discipline, so don¡¯t limit yourself.¡± She swung her hand to unleash telekic magic, moving the fallen Do Woojin back to his starting spot. ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t need to worry about the specifics right now. Let everyone think about what way they should train ande up with their own answers by tomorrow. Today, I will just check the basics.¡± ¡°Check our basic abilities?¡± ¡°Next is Karen Stringfield, step forward.¡± In the end, everyone was supposed to fight her. As Shin Eunah talked calmly, Karen stepped forward, trembling. Just like Do Woojin, she was beaten and stunned. ¡°Next¡­Baek?¡± ¡°Yep! I¡¯ll show you at once!¡± For the first time since he had enrolled, Baek was excited to show off his abilities. Shin Eunah weighed him for a moment and then loosened a few of the dampening bracelets. She was still wearing at least ten of them, though. ¡°Are you all talk?¡± ¡°I will go!¡± Baek¡¯s talent was primarily his speed. He charged forward, just like Do Woojin and Karen. Shin Eunah, however, was surprised for the first time today by his speed. -Bang! However, the results didn¡¯t change much. Baek In-ha was about to be hit in the head by a fist, but as he tried to move out of the way, Shin Eunah quickly lowered herself and hit him with a leg breaker that would only appear in a fighting game. Baek hit the ground; the wind was knocked out of him as he passed out. ¡°He¡¯s a real monster¡­how at that age¡­¡± Shin Eunah, who hadid him out on the ground like that, murmured quietly as she shook her fist. It was hard to tell who the real monster was, though. The talent that had made it to the quarterfinals was taken out so quickly in close-quartersbat by a magic-user who was suppressing their magic. ¡°Let¡¯s go next then.¡± ¡°Hm? No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was determined to take his beating next but was confused by Shin Eunah¡¯s refusal. ¡°I clearly grasped the extent of your abilities in the rookie exhibition. I don¡¯t like to hit people needlessly.¡± Using just her index finger to move them with magic, she arranged the three fainted students¡¯ side by side, then pulled out a can of coffee for the two of them. He epted the can, vowing not to mention that it seemed like she had nned this. ¡°Oh, thank you¡­teacher.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the only ones left, so you can just call me senior.¡± His hunch had been so right he was stunned. ¡°Then¡­senior.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was in a strange mood as he saw the small smile she showed. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was receiving special treatment right now. ¡®It must be because I¡¯m sponsored by the association.¡¯ The coffee was delicious, turning out to be a specially designed product for superhumans to drink inside the gate. It was a stimnt, but a superhuman¡¯s body was able to consume it with no problem. Shin-hyuk, with his excellent regeneration power, immensely benefited from it. ¡°I like drinking it because it keeps me aware of my surroundings.¡± ¡°Do you always want to be tense even when you¡¯re not fighting monsters?¡± ¡°No way. When I have to do director stuff, I always have to deal with nerves.¡± She said that without changing her expression, taking another drink of her coffee. She took three more cans out and arranged them in front of the fainted students. It was no doubt due to her own sincerity, but to an observer, it almost looked like a bizarre ritual. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Her question came to him while she did this. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I apologize if I¡¯m mistaken, but¡­you seem almost calmer than before.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear that, as even Baek noticed he had changed. Even though he had only met her once, there was no way Shin Eunah wouldn¡¯t recognize it as well. ¡°I think I made some progress from the special training I did at the weekend.¡± ¡°Special training¡­for metallurgy?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stiffened, feeling embarrassed once he realized what happened. It was only natural that she knew about it; he belonged to the Artifact Creation Club now. Anyone could ess that information. Moreover, to proceed with his practice, he had no choice but to reveal to people that he was practicing metallurgy. That way, he could bring his own javelin instead of buying a bow. Kang Shin-hyuk cleared his thoughts and began to calm himself, but Shin Eunah continued in a cool voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t n on saying it¡¯s useless. I think metallurgy is a valuable skill.¡± ¡°I see, I¡¯m d¡­yes, I¡¯ve been working on metallurgy over the weekend. I achieved some good results that I think will help ourbat power.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡­¡± Shin Eunah seemed to mutter something, but he couldn¡¯t quite catch it. ¡°So, how about this exercise? Did you have a n?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but I¡¯ve prepared something.¡± ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± She seemed to be trying to talk to him about it, but he desperately wanted to refrain from talking about metallurgy. Finally, she packed up her bag, expressionlessly. ¡°I¡¯m relieved that I was able to prepare properly. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­goodbye.¡± After saying goodbye, she left the multipurpose room without looking back. Kang Shin-hyuk, who thought he might go after her, decided to remain with his unconscious friends. He still had some coffee left anyway. [Eunah¡¯s whisper: Grandpa I¡­I think I just experienced fate.] Later, this whisper came to him through the Hero Universe. Chapter 43 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (3)

Chapter 43 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (3)

When he woke up, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s consciousness was once again in that cramped workshop. He couldn¡¯t recall how many times he had seen the cksmith¡¯s memories in a dream by now. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Anvil, is it a little challenging to control your emotions? -Noisy. Words and actions that he could not control; a flow of thoughts that were simultaneously his own and someone else¡¯s went through his mind. He could feel them all so realistically before they slipped away. He no longer felt ufortable with it, wondering if that was because he was getting used to that sense of unity with Anvil. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Still, you¡¯re making more and more these days. Yes, it feels like I¡¯m invincible with these armless armaments. Oh my, I¡¯mughing too hard! Hahahaha! -I will block you. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Wait, I was wrong! I just wanted topliment Grandpa on a talent you wouldn¡¯t find even by searching the whole world! Janus was talking intimately with Anvil, who felt as if the hammer had be lighter as he conversed. -I should call you Grandpa; you must be older. -Janus¡¯s whisper: You¡¯re Grandpa because you use such an old tone of voice! The title follows the spirit. The rtionship between the two was particrly good, or rather, Janus was oddly interested in him. He didn¡¯t express his emotions very well, but Janus would stillugh and be happy despite that. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Ah, Anvil. The armor you made today was even better. Meanwhile, Tsukuyo was even stranger, sending him messages that made it almost sound like they loved him. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I want to meet you soon. If only the barriers between us disappeared, I would run to meet you right away. No, rather, Kang Shin-hyuk thought that they definitely loved him. -What a useless idea. I am only a filthy old man. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: No way! When I close my eyes, I can imagine how wonderful you look. s, I want to meet you soon. Anvil regarded Tsukuyo as a strange person, just as Shin-hyuk did upon seeing his memories, but he figured it was just her own way of expressing herself. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Are you a VIP yet? If you aren¡¯t, you will definitely be one soon! He didn¡¯t know what a VIP was, so he responded carefully. -When the timees, I will be. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Huh¡­well, I¡¯ll be waiting until then, Anvil. Mixing with the cheerful sound of his hammering, Tsukuyo¡¯s message appeared in his retina. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Until then. Kang Shin-hyuk opened his eyes wide. It seemed like the message was still there, causing him to shudder, but then a familiar message instead covered his eye. -You received 1 Roulette coin for today¡¯s log in bonus. ¡°Phew¡­good thing, that was kind of scary¡­¡± He stood up from his bed, trembling. That was the first time he had a real memory of Tsukuyo. Thest time she sent a message he couldn¡¯t understand, he got quite nervous. ¡°If possible, I shouldn¡¯t get involved¡­¡± -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Hey, you. If you im to be Anvil, why aren¡¯t you even posting any items on the trading board? As soon as he thought about it, she sent him a whisper. Maybe she had the ability to spy on him? Kang Shin-hyuk thought deeply about whether he should ignore her or not, but there was what she was saying about him erasing his ID. -I¡¯m a lot different than the person you remember, but I was nning on posting some soon anyway. Tsukuyo didn¡¯t answer, but ultimately, Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t care about it and instead went to the huge bag he had in the corner of the room. Onyx, having risen earlier, was whining and mmed his head against it. ¡°Hey, I gave you something to eat.¡± -Myu! ¡°No, how¡­alright, I got it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to throw out the lowest grade item he had in the bag to Onyx. Although it was still a D ss artifact, despite being the lowest grade. Onyx raised his voice in joy and began to eat excitedly. -Myuuu! ¡°I can¡¯t live like this.¡± No matter how much he had grown, he still couldn¡¯t produce artifacts as Anvil had. He had stayed in Kieron for more than three weeks, hammering away the entire time, but in the end, he was only able to create three artifacts aside from the Brenite Spear and the Trap. One of them was just eaten by Onyx, so he only had two left. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll use the trap much in practice anyway, so let¡¯s put that on the trading board.¡± There was no trap in his inventory, so he wondered if he had identally taken it out while organizing yesterday and forgotten about it. He wasn¡¯t as careful with it as he was the Godyer sword. ¡°But, it¡¯s not even in the bag¡­?¡± -Myuuu! ¡°Hey!¡± In the end, Onyx confirmed he had eaten it yesterday. Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t forgive him so easily, picking him up and pinching his nose. -Myu!!! ¡°¡­uh?¡± The next moment, Onyx¡¯s body became transparent. Onyx, who had escaped his hand while he was surprised, screamed and began to roll around. -Myu! Myu! ¡°But you were the one in the wrong. Even if it seemed like delicious food to you, it is an object that can help me in an important moment. Are you really not going to reflect on it?¡± -Myuu¡­ As Shin-hyuk lowered his voice, Onyx curled up andid his thorns down in reflection. He was sincerely asking for forgiveness for his inability to ovee his appetite. He didn¡¯t appear to have any malice in him, and he hadn¡¯t touched the really valuable artifacts. He was just like a child, unable to control himself in front of food. ¡°¡­It¡¯s my fault for going about this the wrong way.¡± -Myu? ¡°But I won¡¯t forgive you again. If you want to keep eating delicious things, do better next time.¡± -Myu! Satisfied with his answer, he let Onyx crawl up his shoulder as his anger began to cool. He decided to check in on Onyx¡¯s status while he was at it. [Onyx: D Rank] [Physical ability] Power: E Agility: C Health: D- [Special ability] Gold Magic: E+ [Skill] Iron Predation (S+): D- Implementation (SS): F+ Defensive Position: C Stealth (A): F [State] Loyalty to Kang Shin-hyuk: 58 ¡°What¡­?¡± He assumed the statuses rose due to eating the artifact, but he also acquired a surprising skill- Stealth. That must have been from him eating the trap and was how he became transparent in his hand. Ultimately, Shin-hyuk was sure it wasn¡¯t a bad thing that Onyx was growing. ¡®An A-rank skill from eating a C-ss artifact is also a steal.¡¯ Artifacts, no matter how good they were, were just objects that retained skills. Kang Shin-hyuk pinched Onyx¡¯s nose a little again to confirm his pledge that he would never eat another artifact without permission again. ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± He posted the two remaining artifacts on the trading board: an ordinary longsword and a shield he had put his heart into making after seeing the Heroic Shield. He was embarrassed because the sword was D+ rank, and the shield was C-, but he thought it was better than nothing. ¡°Then, what would you like to do?¡± -Vwoom The will of the Heroic Shield was weak, probably due to being used as bait for so long. Its will had been strong when they fought the monster, but like an old man waiting for death after his final wish had been fulfilled, that will had gradually weakened since then. -Vwoom The Godyer hummed this time, offering the idea of epting the Heroic Shield. Shin-hyuk was silent for a moment, considering this as he stroked the Heroic Shield. ¡°What do you think?¡± -Vwoom It was a weak affirmative. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and held the shield in his arms, but it only cried out louder. He couldn¡¯t understand it, the difference between humans and armaments being too wide for him to cross. ¡°It¡¯s enough for you just to be here. Why do you need to prove your worth?¡± -Vwowoom The shield appeared to harden its mind, and the Godyer sword became quiet as it read Shin-hyuk¡¯s intent. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh as he unsheathed the sword. ¡°Damn it.¡± -Vwoom ¡°Sorry¡­and thank you.¡± He thought about what he should do but hade too far to pretend he didn¡¯t know what needed to be done. Shin-hyuk raised the sword high and brought it down upon the shield. It was sucked into the sword without breaking, and he felt a strange emotion welling up inside of him as he watched the Heroic Shield vanish. -The Godyer sword ate the Heroic Shield and regained some of its strength as the shield had arge amount of spiritual power. It will take a considerable amount of time to fully digest the power of a strong armament. Perhaps this was the moment the dimensional quest truly ended. Kang Shin-hyuk thought this with a bitter smile as he sheathed the sword. *** The second group training happened after school the next day. Kang Shin-hyuk brought his javelin, and Karen brought her bow, but Baek In-ha and Do Woojin had nothing in hand. Shin Eunah calmly evaluated all of them. ¡°The bow is difficult to master.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve practiced with it before, and I have the ability to strengthen my nervous system, so I am quick. Additionally, Shin-hyuk is good at handling all types of weapons and has enough skill to keep in check the oing monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought Karen had a good response, but Shin Eunah stared at her as if to decide that she didn¡¯t like her. Kang Shin-hyuk felt embarrassed, choosing to speak up first. ¡°What if we try some target practice?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shin Eunah fiddled with a hologram device installed into the multipurpose room, and several targets popped up into the air near one side of the room. This was a state-of-the-art training facility that could detect actual blows with sensors. Karen pulled back to an appropriate distance and then began to fire her bow. The result was five hits out of five, and Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°What about that?¡± ¡°Next, let¡¯s make it move.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± It was natural that they wouldn¡¯t be dealing with a stationary object. Shin Eunah manipted the hologram again, and Karen, now less confident, could only hit four out of the five. ¡°You missed too much. But first, we should move on to measuring damage. The key is how much damage can be done to a D-ss monster with your arrows.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident when ites to my magic control!¡± As she had imed, she sessfully shot sessive arrows with enough mana toplete the task. It was a difficult technique to keep enough magical power in a ranged weapon like an arrow or bullet. Kang Shin-hyuk softly apuded her skill and wondered if he could make a bow for himself instead, but Shin Eunah sounded even stricter. ¡°No matter how good your magic control is, if you miss an important shot, it¡¯s over. If you really n to carry a bow, practice until your uracy is at least ny-five percent. That¡¯s the condition for your practice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s tougher than being a special shooter¡­¡± ¡°Until you can, practice.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s bitter expression finally sunk into Karen as Shin-hyuk wondered how a British student knew about the Korean army¡¯s special shooting conditions. Next up was Kang Shin-hyuk, who Shin Eunah regarded with a softer expression. ¡°The javelin has a big range of movement, can you manage it?¡± ¡°Yes, non-stop.¡± The javelin needed the weight of the entire body behind it to be incredibly powerful. Certainly, an ordinary person or even a trained thrower would feel the burden of repeating such a movement multiple times. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was hardly the same person he had been a short while ago. His physical strength had increased to B, even though it was still negative. It was of a level that could produce severely destructive power and speed without needing the use of the whole body. Added to that was his D-rank regenerative power, which helped his muscles recover from fatigue more than twice as fast. ¡°Then prove it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He proved it wasn¡¯t too difficult, throwing much faster than Karen, who was practicing with her arrows. She stopped to run over and check on him after a while, concern ridden on her face. ¡°Shin-hyuk, is your shoulder okay? You were really throwing them. Like consecutively.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Wow, that was cool. I need to pick up the pace myself.¡± ¡°Karen Stringfield, go back to training.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°And Kang Shin-hyuk, you¡¯ve passed. Let¡¯s think about how to work in sync with the other members in a real-world scenario.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shin Eunah passed on her decision without hesitation, skipping Baek In-ha, who was waiting with an open heart and went right to Do Woojin. ¡°What are you nning on doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning on learning a provocation skill.¡± ¡°A skill stone?¡± ¡°Yes, I learned it recently.¡± A skill stone was a crystal that forcibly awakened a skill, and it was an extremely rare type of mana stone possessed by a monster. The vast majority of them had a ridiculously expensive price range, and just possessing one wasn¡¯t enough to obtain the corresponding skill. Depending on thepatibility with other skills, it was possible to fail acquiring the skill but still destroy the stone. However, Do Woojin was an obvious tank type with matching characteristics, so the probability of him sessfully acquiring a provocation skill was high. ¡°You¡¯re going to bring the enemy to the ground with your provocation.¡± ¡°There will be some enemies who attack with range, but the other two can deal with them.¡± ¡°You spent money instead of using your head?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not confident in my ability to fight at a range. Rather than taking the clumsy way, I decided to force the enemy into my territory.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a good answer, but I can¡¯t allow it until I check the level of provocation. I¡¯ll bring equipment tomorrow, so train yourself until then.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Do Woojin looked proud, happy to be recognized by Shin Eunah. ¡°Okay, everyone is starting off in the right direction. Train on your own, and tomorrow I will educate you about simple formations in the dungeon.¡± ¡°Uh, ma¡¯am. What about me? I haven¡¯t shown off my ranged abilities yet!¡± Baek In-ha raised his hand high, and Shin Eunah replied with a profound feeling that conflicted with her expressionlessness. ¡°Do you need to?¡± ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Yes, then¡­¡± Shin Eunah opened a window with her telekinesis and thenunched a can of coffee out of her bag into the sky. It soared out of the window, quickly bing a distant point. ¡°If you catch that, you will pass.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Surprisingly, the next moment Baek jumped through the window that was clearly narrower than him and soared into the sky. Shin-hyuk thought it was a speed-based ability, but it was like even his body had transformed. His eyes were open wide in amazement as Shin Eunah handed each of them a can of coffee. ¡°Everyone worked hard. Good job.¡± ¡°Uh¡­thank you¡­?¡± ¡°What about Baek?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway, I¡¯ll be heading off on my own.¡± Shin-hyuk decided not to mention it as the rest of them disbanded and decided to head to the club room without waiting. [Don¡¯t forget about tomorrow.] [Baek In-ha: Oh yeah!] He sent him a text message and received an immediate reply. In the end, he decided not to worry about it. Chapter 44 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (4)

Chapter 44 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (4)

-ng! ng! ng! What did Kang Shin-hyuk make the most of during his stay at Kieron? Of course, javelins. -ng! ng! ng! He hadn¡¯t made them for his use, but to supply arge number to Orde. They were mainly made of steel, but a few were also made with Brenite. -Hissss. The point is that, in a short period of time, the area that Kang Shin-hyuk had mastered was the production of the javelin. It was an easy matter for him to make a better javelin and put his heart into it. ¡°¡­Done.¡± -You made a steel javelin (C-) with the spirit of falconry. Metallurgy skill has increased. -The synchronization has been weakly elerated. Current rate of 11.4%. After a long time away from it, but really only two days, he was extremely excited to be holding onto a hammer again. In no time, he created a C-rank artifact, the highest rank he had aplished with something made of steel. He wondered, briefly, if that were the best that steel could achieve. [Hawk¡¯s Steel Javelin] [C-] [Special ability: Hit, Pration] *Hit: It bes easier to hit the target. Attack power has increased slightly. *Pration: Increases the probability of prating the target by oveing the limitations of the material. Attack power has significantly increased. ¡°Can I see it?¡± ¡°Yes, here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, with a slight smile at the two special abilities, handed the javelin over to Lee Manwoo, who had been watching him work all the while. He looked it over seriously before sighing lightly and returning it to Shin-hyuk. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Frankly, I can¡¯t believe it was made using steel. The second I think I know the extent of your abilities, you create something new the very next moment.¡± ¡°Is that apliment? Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been training quite a bit during the weekend.¡± Lee Manwoo had noticed there had been significant changes in Kang Shin-hyuk, both in his technical skill and his mentality. ¡°Is it a woman?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Something simr happened, I think.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look into it.¡± After snorting at Shin-hyuk¡¯s smiling face, Lee Manwoo continued. ¡°Do you have any ns to deal with magic metal? You¡¯ll need it to go further in the field of metallurgy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes began to shine- he had been thinking of the same thing. ¡°Could I, please?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you much. However, if you make good things out of it and achieve an excellent grade in the contest, the school will purchase more.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Lee Manwoo remarked he always had a good response, then clicked his tongue. He took out his stick and began to manipte it in his hands. ¡°When did you say the practice was?¡± ¡°Friday.¡± ¡°You have to be ready by tomorrow to make something useful for practice. It¡¯s good that your hands are fast.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the average time needed, so is it a lot faster?¡± ¡°No matter how much metallurgy assists in the work, it¡¯ll vary from person to person. Some people will take three or four days to make a sword that¡¯s nothing to brag about.¡± He finished ying with the stick and put it down, giving a final nce to the javelin before nodding. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll introduce you to someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the guy who remained in the club until the end. I have to admit I kicked them out.¡± Shin-hyuk wondered why he would introduce him to someone he kicked out, and Lee Manwoo had a bitter smile on his face. ¡°The situation was pointless if he was left alone. His skill is real, though.¡± ¡°If you are alone, there¡¯s no point¡­¡± ¡°He knows that you joined the club and wanted to talk to you. So far, I¡¯ve stopped him¡­but maybe with a look at what you¡¯ve created, it¡¯ll convince him too. Maybe he¡¯ll even try to coborate with you.¡± ¡°Coboration? Like an apprenticeship?¡± ¡°You really are like someone from another world who just picked up a hammer.¡± Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart stopped for a moment, but the teacher continued unaware. ¡°It¡¯smon practice to create artifacts as a joint effort. It¡¯s odd to create them with just one person¡¯s skill.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± Lee Manwoo put a hand to his head upon seeing Kang Shin-hyuk make a face like this was the first time he heard about it. ¡°The cksmith shapes it, and the enchanter gives it an ability. When the two are in harmony, an artifact is born. That¡¯s how the majority of artifacts have been produced.¡± ¡°An enchanter¡­that¡¯s right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk also knew of the existence of enchanters: wizards who temporarily or permanently imparted power into objects. Of course, he even knew that they made artifacts. However, he didn¡¯t know they were involved in the creation of artifacts made by a cksmith, since he, or rather Anvil, had been making them alone from the beginning. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to create an artifact with metallurgy alone, obviously. The more special the material, the higher the level of the skill, and the stronger mana the cksmith has¡­all of that will increase the probability of an artifact being created. I can also create them by myself¡­but that¡¯s not the norm. Most can barely make one even with the power of an enchanter.¡± Lee Manwoo smiled at Shin-hyuk as he contemted how he should even begin to respond to that. ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t want to say it because I thought it might make your head too big. But that guy kept waiting for me¡­I knew that you weren¡¯t the type to be swayed by a word or two, so I decided to let you know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­thank you.¡± ¡°Moreover, it would make a good experience for you to coborate with an enchanter. Anyway, if you coborate with him and make a good artifact, you can submit it to the contest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Manwoo left the club room with those words. Kang Shin-hyuk only nodded and muttered to himself while nkly watching his back. ¡°He¡¯s a good person.¡± -He has a lot of thoughts on how to make your talents bloom. It seems like you¡¯re a big shot in this world. ¡°Enchanter¡­enchanter¡­¡± He mumbled to himself and checked the time. It was only 6:30 PM, and the group training ended at 4:30, so he had created a C-rank artifact in less than two hours. ¡°Let¡¯s make something with Brenite or that monster shell.¡± -Good idea. However, before he could start, his stomach rumbled loudly. The distance between the club room and his dorm was quite far, and Shin-hyuk cursed the size of the school as he considered how hungry he was. Anguishing over this, he suddenly recalled what Baek In-ha had told him before. ¡®There¡¯s a caf¨¦ on campus.¡¯ The structure of Shinyoung was extremelyplicated, given its size and the number of buildings it had, so he hadn¡¯t known it existed for quite a while. In fact, there was a multipurpose building containing a bowling alley, gymnasium, and game room right next to the cafeteria he would eat lunch at, which also included the caf¨¦ and other amenities. The building¡¯s name was Unyu, but he had never gone there as he was always too busy training after sses. ¡®It¡¯s closer than the dormitory, and now I don¡¯t have to stick to the dorm food because I have money. It¡¯s so good to have enough cash¡­¡¯ -50HP bonus for a proud member! To the administrator, this side of Shin-hyuk was rather cute. He ignored the message as best he could and marched onward to Unyu. He found it quickly; the caf¨¦ was on the first floor and had seating outside for people to eat. ¡°That¡¯s Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really him¡­I haven¡¯t seen him before here.¡± The moment he entered the caf¨¦, all eyes were focused on him. That probably would¡¯ve never been the case before he became the Rookie King. But, whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, he was used to the gaze of others. He pressed on to make an order of a caf¨¦ mocha with an excess of whipped cream, a lemonade, two sausage pretzels, and several butter croissants before finding a suitable seat with a buzzer in hand. ¡®There are so many people in here.¡¯ -I told you once this is a fairly elite group, but I¡¯m honestly a little disappointed. ¡®People have to rest sometime.¡¯ Shin-hyuk responded with a bitter smile at the stubborn words of the administrator. He hadn¡¯t spent really any downtimetely, but that was just because he was bad at it. ¡®I wonder if I¡¯m like Anvil in that regard- if it¡¯s my way of escape by only focusing on training.¡¯ But no matter how durable a person was, proper rest was indispensable. Moreover, it was important to take time to establish acquaintances with those who would be active in the field in the future. That was the main reason he focused on gaining the status of Rookie King, after all. Now, thanks to that, he was given special treatment in this space where elites gathered. -It¡¯s ringing. ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk approached the counter and epted his tray. However, as he returned to his seat with the thought that this wouldn¡¯t be enough food, the face of someone he recognized crossed his eyes. ¡®The King of Two Crowns?¡¯ It was the 2nd year- Eleanor R. Alger. The rather smalldy was sitting alone at a caf¨¦ table, much like Shin-hyuk had been. She was eating a croissant, much the same as Shin-hyuk had ordered, and was cutely gnawing at it while holding it in both hands. She clearly didn¡¯t intend to look cute, however, as a serious expression was stered on her face. ¡®She looks physically weak, but she¡¯s the King of Two Crowns? That¡¯s great.¡¯ -Do you want to talk to her? ¡®No, I hate the Wyvern Knights.¡¯ -10HP bonus for this member! ¡®Why?!¡¯ He sat down, catching a glimpse of the cloak of the Wyvern Knights fluttering on her back. He thought he caught her nce at him as well, but thought it was his imagination. ¡°He should go ahead and say something.¡± ¡°What a bunch, but it¡¯s funnier like that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think Alger should pay more attention?¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk will be the next Crown of Knights.¡± ¡°Yeah, and honestly, Dous Payne¡­¡± ¡°Shh. She¡¯s moving.¡± He tried to ignore the voicesing from all around him, focusing on clearing out his food and drinking his lemonade. Something moved across his field of vision, and as he looked up, the figure of Eleanor R. Alger stood before him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It felt a bit sad to him that her eye level was not so different from his while he was seated, but she gave off the impression of being strong enough to not care about that. The moment he tried to say something to her, facing her purple eyes, she cut him off. ¡°¡­. you go.¡± She mumbled in clumsily spoken Korean and ced an American muffin on his tray. He suppressed the thought he had that she was British, and it wasn¡¯t an English muffin. ¡°Uh, thank you¡­¡± ¡°Hm.¡± She nodded a little, then picked up her tray and left. Kang Shin-hyuk was taken aback that that was all she had to say and decided to check the muffin for a secret message before biting into it. No such thing existed, however. ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°What kind of y was that¡­?¡± The other patrons¡¯ words were rude, but to Kang Shin-hyuk, it was an amazingly effective strategy. In his mind, as he ate, he felt his affinity with her rise. Almost resentfully. -The administrator is very worried about your future. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, administrator¡­¡¯ As a bonus to those events, he received a very unexpected message on his way back to the club room. -Tsukuyo has purchased both products. You will receive a payout of 117,300 HP! No personal message arrived from her, but Shin-hyuk wondered if she had begun to acknowledge him in her own way. She had paid more than twice the starting price posted by him, after all. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I was trying to buy something made by Grandpa, but an odd person bid above me and took them both. -I¡¯ll make more if I get better. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Wow! Something made by grandpa just for me? How much can I pay for it? 1 million? 2? Kang Shin-hyuk, who was in a good mood, responded kindly to the message from Eunah that immediately arrived, but it only seeded in igniting her will. As a result, the rivalry between Tsukuyo and Eunah red up, and eventually, it would be a war that would engulf the entire Hero Universe. Not that Kang Shin-hyuk had any idea of that. Chapter 45 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (5)

Chapter 45 - Our Rookie King Has Changed (5)

¡°You said you met with the vice-captain yesterday?¡± ¡°Not really. Without saying a thing, she dropped a muffin on my tray and walked off.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± The next morning, Shin-hyuk told Karen about his meeting with the vice-captain, and she immediately burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know, but is there something special about muffins for the British?¡± ¡°Ahh, no. It¡¯s just because the vice-captain is a little awkward.¡± From Karen¡¯s smile, Kang Shin-hyuk knew there was something up. However, she gave no sign of answering his question. ¡°You must¡¯ve done well. Did she seem like a bad person?¡± ¡°No, she seemed like a good person.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t going to join the Wyvern Knights in exchange for a muffin and decided to refuse to even consider it. Do Woojin came up to the two of them as they were entering the school. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to hall two starting today.¡± ¡°Huh? Why did that happen?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Do Woojin¡¯s words were for Karen and seemed to have something to do with the Wyvern Knights. He apologized mentally to them, but he wasn¡¯t going to fall for it. ¡°There¡¯s a 2nd year named Yoo Minjun. You should remember him.¡± ¡°Oh, there was a person like that¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk recalled that there had been another reason for him going after the Rookie King title. It was to rub it in the face of that senior who had been looking down at him, but so much had happened right after that he had forgotten entirely. Thinking of that senior now, it didn¡¯t inspire much in Shin-hyuk anymore. He had too many other things to worry about to be bothered by such a person. ¡°Why did I lend artifacts to you during the finals? That senior was asking about that¡­finally, they kicked me out of the first building.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on in hall one and two? Does this have anything to do with the split between the captain and vice-captain?¡± ¡°Right. Remember that there is a training center for the Wyvern Knights in the school forest? There are two buildings.¡± ¡°The second building is for the vice-captain.¡± Do Woojin had originally been picked by a senior who worked under the captain and joined the Wyvern Knights. But that senior had been disgusted by this incident, and he had been moved to join the vice-captain. It really wasn¡¯t funny. ¡°I like the second building. There are fewer people, so there is plenty of free space. We¡¯re throwing a barbecue party this Sunday, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why this is happening in the first ce, just because I lent an artifact?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just fight against it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not allowed.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. We have to help the vice-captain.¡± At Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s words, watching idly from the sideline, Do Woojin shook his head, and Karen replied a firm no. Karen then turned back to Do Woojin. ¡°Whatever the reason, we¡¯ll be on the same side in the future. Let¡¯s work hard together, Do Woojin. Ah, at times like these¡­if only a strong friend joined us¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He was a little sorry that he was the reason for Do Woojin being kicked out, but ultimately, he was a bit d that he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with such an awful senior anymore. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to get involved with such an odd guy.¡± Do Woojin nodded, sympathizing with Shin-hyuk. ¡°I just don¡¯t like someone being above me¡­now that this has happened, why don¡¯t we help the vice-captain get the position of captain? It looks like she¡¯s stronger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to do too¡­¡± ¡°More than that, you two should talk without me.¡± Whether or not the story of an epic rebellion began here, Shin-hyuk made himself blissfully unaware. He ran away from Karen¡¯s pursuit, who was trying to tell him about the internal affairs of the Wyvern Knights. Karen clicked her tongue and nced at Do Woojin for help, but he just shook his head. Baek In-ha, who had just appeared behind them, decided to speak up. ¡°What, are you dating Do Woojin too?¡± ¡°Wow, none of you are helpful!¡± *** ¡°A formation means cing people in a specific structure with unique roles. It can be done in advance to cope with a fluid situation. It is not only important inrge-scale battles but also when exploring dungeons.¡± After school, group 7 was once more gathered in the multipurpose room to listen to Shin Eunah¡¯s lecture about the basics of exploring a dungeon. ¡°So, from now on, I will educate you on the basic formation that suits each situation. Your sess will depend on how quickly you can adapt to a rapidly changing situation and respond appropriately.¡± ¡°Can you tell us about the appropriate formation for this dungeon?¡± ¡°If you understand the basics behind it, you¡¯ll be able to figure that out on your own.¡± The actual training would ur on Friday, and today was Wednesday, so they had only two days to beat their knowledge to a level that was useful in a real battle. They were subjected to practical formation training, apanied by response training that mimicked a battle situation. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m a real superhuman.¡± ¡°The one who does the best in ss often makes a mistake in the real world.¡± Because they were outstanding talents, Karen and Baek In-ha were able to follow through without any problem once the training switched from theory to practice. When it came to the way they moved, everyone was already a professional. ¡°Hmm, this much¡­you pass.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After the training, Do Woojin¡¯s provocation skill was measured by Shin Eunah. Even though he had just learned the skill, it was already a considerable level. ¡°If Shin-hyuk and Stringfield pressure the enemies at a distance, and Do Woojin pulls them closer with a taunt, I can go ahead and clean up. Isn¡¯t that perfect?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, just do what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°What about our party leader? I think Shin-hyuk would be good for it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Okay, then Shin-hyuk.¡± Thus, Kang Shin-hyuk became the party leader. He wasn¡¯t confident, but he was also aware that only he would be able to control Baek at any point. ¡°Good.¡± Shin Eunah gave a satisfied nod as soon as they picked a leader. ¡°I¡¯m getting used to it now. Tomorrow, we will review the things that need to be grasped when entering a dungeon and prepare for the actual battle. You are dismissed¡­Kang Shin-hyuk, remain here. I need to make a list of the items you will be bringing into the dungeon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ah, wait a minute.¡± Shin Eunah stopped the others from dispersing, handing each of them a coffee can from her bag. They all epted it without question, expecting as much, and then split up. Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced she was just being conscientious. ¡°Then¡­how many are you going to take?¡± With only the two of them there, Shin Eunah took out a document and pen from her bag. It may have just been because of his mood, but Shin-hyuk thought her speech was bing morefortable around him. He put down his canned coffee and tilted his head. ¡°There will be a few more¡­I think ten.¡± ¡°Ten, did you make all of them?¡± ¡°No, not yet, just three. I¡¯m nning to finish the rest from now on.¡± Including the steel javelin he made the other day, he had three that Lee Manwoo had certified. The remaining seven would be forged from the magic metal he would prepare. He wanted to bring the Brenite Spear, but it would be hard to exin where it came from. Thinking about Lee Manwoo¡¯s personality, he wondered if he would even be willing to give the okay sign. ¡°From now on? Is that possible?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Shin Eunah frowned slightly and looked at the watch on her delicate wrist. It was a brand of watch Shin-hyuk had never even heard of, and he wondered how expensive it had been. ¡°Is it possible to see the production myself? I¡¯ve been interested in it for a while.¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­¡± He wondered if it would be okay. She shouldn¡¯t have any knowledge of how Anvil actually forged, so it might be fine. ¡°Yes, but there is a teacher in the club¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡± There was one problem that Shin-hyuk overlooked, however, and it was how eye-catching Shin Eunah was. As she walked alongside him to the clubroom, everyone they passed had their eyes on them. ¡°It¡¯s her¡­¡± ¡°What, why is she here?¡± ¡°Do you not know? I saw her at school a few days ago¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty¡­¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the Rookie King. Are you with him?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he was the focus of the rumors that were spreading among the people right now, even from the little he could hear. He had already been attracting a lot of attention these days, but now that he was seen with Shin Eunah¡­he wished he could just grab one of these people and exin that she was his supervisor for gate practice. Maybe this was what she had been aiming for? No, it seemed that she didn¡¯t care about her surroundings at all with her unchanging, icy expression. He sighed and proceeded as quickly as he could to the third floor of the Biryong Hall. ¡°Mr. Lee Manwoo.¡± ¡°Well.¡± In the room of the Artifact Production Club, Lee Manwoo was sitting alone and reading a newspaper. In these days where everything had been reced by digital, it was the very image of a stubborn, old craftsman. Almost too much so. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Mr. Lee Manwoo, long time no see.¡± ¡°Alright¡­it¡¯s you.¡± The two seemed to know each other. It was only natural, as she was a graduate of Shinyoung. But he wondered why ire hadn¡¯t known about that fact if she suspected Lee Manwoo was here. As Shin-hyuk tilted his head, the two continued to converse. ¡°I heard about what happened a while ago, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something for you need to apologize for.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Now, why are you¡­hmm, yes. You are their trainer. Do you have any doubts he made it himself?¡± ¡°No, I came to watch the production process.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a demonstration then.¡± Lee Manwoo frowned. ¡°Are you going to badmouth this guy¡¯s work?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who was listening from the side, raising his head. Shin Eunah was quick to deny his words, and Lee Manwoo clicked his tongue. ¡°This student came to the club once and said thatpared to what they were looking for, what we had was far short of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah mped her mouth shut. Kang Shin-hyuk began to recall what ire previously told him about Lee Manwoo and how Shin Eunah said he could notpare to Anvil. Shin-hyuk wondered about that story, and Lee Manwoo moved forward slightly as if to protect Shin-hyuk. ¡°If you¡¯re going toment about this guy¡¯s work, then just go back. I can vouch that this guy can create artifacts.¡± ¡°Are you teaching him yourself?¡± ¡°¡­No, not quite.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°What a terrible guy.¡± Shin Eunah was hostile towards the old man without hesitation. Lee Manwoo clicked his tongue at her words, but only let her enter after she pledged not to bad mouth Shin-hyuk¡¯s work. ¡°Then look. I purchased some of the mostmonly used magic metal, Kenyon, and some of the more popr metal you might look for, Alite.¡± Lee Manwoo had prepared four kilograms of the metal total, with two one-kilogram ingots each. The Kenyon had a shiny silver look to it, and the Alite radiated a subtle golden glow. Shin-hyuk was more interested in the Alite than the Kenyon. ¡°Kenyon is, in a sense, the top version of steel. It is reinforced by absorbing magical power, so it is preferred by those who use magic. It also has a high rate of sess in enchanting¡­Alite, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t ept magical power and is hard to turn into an artifact. But oncepleted, it is excellent for blocking and destroying magic.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lee Manwoo had known Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t handle magic and must¡¯ve prepared it out of consideration for him. Shin-hyuk smiled ambiguously at him. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to turn it into a javelin.¡± ¡°Every attempt has meaning. Try it.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± He took the two Alite ingots without any further hesitation. Shin Eunah struck up a conversation with Lee Manwoo as they watched him turn on the furnace. ¡°I heard you gave up the hammer.¡± ¡°I did. Still, I thought I could clear the road ahead of him.¡± ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re doing that much.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s expression hardened, and Lee Manwoo continued. ¡°So, tell me. Is it possible that you were connected to that guy¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Jormungand¡­I was informed that the anti-superhuman coalition is starting to move again.¡± Lee Manwoo¡¯s expression also hardened and became grim. He had a bad rtionship with the group called Jormungand. ¡°It¡¯s said they are recruiting new blood after losing many members in the previous conflict. Shinyoung decided to put their prospects together after receiving that intel.¡± ¡°Are you a part of that escort?¡± ¡°We are cooperating with Vanguard as well. So even if there is another ident, the students will be safe.¡± -ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk started hammering on the molten metal as the two continued to talk. ¡°I still don¡¯t like what the higher-ups are doing.¡± ¡°¡­It was the best choice to protect the students.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that, but it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°From the moment they enter this school, the students will be prepared to fight.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t those just pretty words? Well?¡± Shin Eunah didn¡¯t respond, staring at the figure of Shin-hyuk while he worked. Lee Manwoo nearly passed out as he witnessed the small smile on her lips. ¡®She can smile?¡¯ Lee Manwoo had been interested in her ever since sheined about his work being bad. The Ice Princess, the Lightning Witch, and so on. Just by looking at her nicknames, you could get a sense of how beautiful she was- and her terrible personality. She never involved herself with anyone during the three years she was at Shinyoung, and no one had seen her smiling face. This continued after she graduated and became a member of the Superhuman association. ¡®But she¡­¡¯ Lee Manwoo recalled the day she visited the club room and spat on their work. She had said it wasckingpared to what she was looking for. So, what if she had found it? What if that was Kang Shin-hyuk? What if it weren¡¯t to observe his work that she hade here? ¡®Huh¡­at least I don¡¯t have to worry about his safety.¡¯ Lee Manwoo was surprised at the conclusion he hade to, so much, soughter came out of him unbidden. Shin Eunah turned to him with a scary expression. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there a problem¡­?¡± ¡°¡­No, no¡­¡± Shin Eunah turned her head back expressionlessly, but Lee Manwoo, with the eyes of a craftsman, could see her blushing ears. Of course, he looked away without a word. Kang Shin-hyuk was forging the magic metal, unaware of what was happening around him. Chapter 46 - Dragon’s Yeouiju (1)

Chapter 46 - Dragon¡¯s Yeouiju (1)

-You have earned 1 Intermediate Agility Potion as a bonus for today¡¯s login. It was a bright Friday morning on the day of the gate practice. Kang Shin-hyuk, who had continued to refine his mind until he went to bed, was suddenly distracted by seeing the log in bonus. ¡°Agility potion? Administrator, does drinking that increase your agility?¡± -Unfortunately, it is not a permanent increase. It will amplify your agility by two levels for thirty minutes. ¡°Even a temporary effect is great.¡± The administrator informed him that the lower level potion could be purchased as a basic item from the transaction board, as an item sold by the Hero Universe itself. Even a one-level increase would be great, but the price was 100,000 HP, so he decided to give it up. Today¡¯s bonus was an absurd enough win. -Do note that it will only go so far as SS rank, given it is an intermediate potion. ¡°An intermediate potion covers up to SS?¡± As far as Shin-hyuk knew, there were rare cases where a skill or status would exceed the S rank. If one did, it was enough for one to be considered a top ranker. How could any potion that pushes someone up to an SS rank not be advanced? ¡°How many levels does the status go up to¡­¡± Currently, he had: Strength B-, Agility B+, Health B, Spiritual Strength B-. Now all of his physical statuses had entered the B rank since his second trait evolution, but now he suddenly felt pathetic. Even Shin Eunah, who Kang Shin-hyuk dared notpare himself to, was treated as a neer to the Hero Universe. The administrator sent another message as if shaking his head. -You will surely reach that far someday. ¡°Is that really true¡­¡± -Of course. As soon as the synchronization rate reaches 20% and the second VIP privilege is released, the chance you¡¯ll receive a growth-speed buff from the log in bonus will increase. Shin-hyuk could easily count the number of times he had received it so far. If he could get that buff more often, however, that would be great for his training. -In addition to that, there will be a status growth potion among the basic items on the trading board. It can be applied with the growth rate buff to increase its efficiency. ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡± -As a special reminder, the price of a lower potion that will increase your growth rate by 30% for a day is 300,000 HP. He knew it. Even after he restored some of his VIP rights and recovered a lot of HP, it seemed like so little now. There was the issue that he also wanted to purchase more inventory space and consumables like the Eiren Jelly. There were also metallurgic materials and unknown conveniences that he might need to spend HP on. ¡°I have to make weapons and sell them quickly.¡± -100HP bonus for members! ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± At the administrator¡¯s usual bonus, he quickly expressed gratitude. He finished getting ready before giving breakfast to Onyx and heading off to eat at the dorm restaurant himself. Originally, he would train in the morning after breakfast, but he didn¡¯t have the time today. It was the day of the gate practice, and they were supposed to gather right at 7 AM after arming themselves. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He met up with Baek In-ha, who was enjoying a nice meal full of popr Korean ingredients. ¡°Today is perfect Korean cuisine.¡± ¡°We always eat this kind of food, even though Western cuisine is popr here.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a conspiracy to make the Korean students outperform the international ones.¡± Of course, other national cuisines were also prepared for students. But even most of the international students were eating Korean dishes. As they considered this, they could feel the presence of another person approach them. It was none other than their assistant, Do Woojin. ¡°Sit next to me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Do Woojin¡¯s meal consisted of much the same, although it was meagerpared to Shin-hyuk¡¯srge portions. ¡°Why are you eating so much this early? Did you forget about practice?¡± ¡°Because we have practice we should eat more. Besides, to eat like this outside of campus you¡¯d have to pay a lot more. Eat when you can.¡± Do Woojin shook his head and sat down. ¡°The captain asked about you.¡± ¡°Captain¡­Dous Payne?¡± ¡°I asked him what the hell he wanted from me after kicking me out of the second building.¡± He made an unpleasant expression as he popped a steamed egg in his mouth. ¡°I answered like that, but sooner orter they¡¯ll probably take direct action.¡± ¡°Is it really something to get that upset about?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Do Woojin hesitated, chewing on some fried sprouts before letting out a sigh. ¡°You may not know this from Stringfield, but the captain wants to make the vice-captain his girl. Since, the first man the vice-captain has shown interest in is you, naturally, he¡¯s interested in who you are. At least, that¡¯s the word around.¡± ¡°So he seriously wants to deal with me because of that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the kind of person he is. It¡¯s like he¡¯s from some book.¡± Do Woojin made a face as he considered Shin-hyuk and Baek. Baek was looking between the two. ¡°What. Why. What?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the vice-captain usually scout out and hire talented neers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a mess. The vice-captain is famous for having a good sense for a person¡¯s ability.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk listened to him as he continued to eat the food before him. Do Woojin seemed a little upset at least in part by that. ¡°The captain didn¡¯t seem to notice that, though, which must be annoying for you because you heard the vice-captain was interested in you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. This stuff is happening because of you, regardless of whether you did something wrong or not.¡± It bothered him to be surrounded by this, but he figured he could at least look after them since they would be in the dungeon together. But he honestly felt that he would rather them take care of it on their own. All he did was eat the muffin Eleanor gave him. ¡°Anyway¡­be careful.¡± ¡°Thank you for worrying about me.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Do Woojin pretended like he wasn¡¯t worried and just ate his rice. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he emptied the remaining rice on his te as well. Baek was eating at the fruit he had for dessert. *** 7 AM. All 1st-year students had gathered in their groups in the grand courtyard. They listened to a brief speech from the principal and were now on their way to their assigned gate with their supervisor. There were a total of seventy-five groups and a total of three-hundred people, including eight sses from the Knight Department and two from the Magic Department. The only one entering Crow¡¯s Nest, however, was Group 7 of C ss. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who had arrived with Do Woojin and Baek In-ha, greeted Karen, who was looking particrly good. She tilted her at the three approaching. ¡°When did you get so close?¡± ¡°We just ate rice together.¡± ¡°Alright? Anyway, Shin-hyuk,e to our barbecue party this Sunday. Free unlimited meat!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± She let out a yell but surprisingly, Do Woojin moved up to side with her. ¡°It might be better to join us if you want to avoid all this bothersome work.¡± ¡°Hey, then I would be confronted in earnest. That would be more troublesome¡­¡± ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± As Shin-hyuk refuted him, a voice popped out from behind them. At the same time, everything became noisy. ¡°It¡¯s the Empress!¡± ¡°She¡¯s real!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the special forces.¡± ¡°How did they get that person to be their supervisor?¡± Shin-hyuk turned around to see the figure of Shin Eunah, the grand-daughter of Anvil, emitting the chill of absolute zero through her golden eyes. ¡°Is someone picking on Kang Shin-hyuk? Who dares?¡± She looked straight at Do Woojin as she asked this, which was scary to me even on the sideline. ¡°Well, uh¡­that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just a petty dispute.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Do Woojin was embarrassed by her unflinching gaze, so Shin-hyuk intervened quickly. Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes became a little gentle. ¡°A trivial dispute¡­alright. But if there is anything unreasonable happening, please consult with me. I will take formal action through the principal.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Was she the principal now? Even if he woke up from death, he would never consult Shin Eunah. ¡°I¡¯ll always be around so that nothing happens to Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Alright. Now, everyone. Head this way.¡± She responded coldly to Baek, who was trying to score points and lead the group to line up. A total of seventy-five groups were lined up side-by-side. ¡°Look over there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Thunder Empress.¡± ¡°Pretty¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She wore a in ck suit, but her luminous beauty was enough to attract attention. Exmations erupted among the people who saw her, but she was staring straight ahead without paying it any mind. The atmosphere didn¡¯t change at all during the principal¡¯s admonition, but immediately after the training session started, she turned around and let out a brief shout. ¡°Start!¡± Themand rang out amongst all of those gathered, but especially in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ears. That was because of the ear microphones that each member of his group was wearing. ¡°Where¡¯s that group going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m envious.¡± Groups rushed forward as if they werepeting, but Shin Eunah let their group without the worry of the surrounding atmosphere. That attitude of always maintaining one¡¯s own pace was something Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to learn. ¡°When superhumans engage in gate operations, there are two ways they move. The first is in an emergency dispatch due to an irregr gate. The second is in a general dispatch. In the case of the second, there is no problem in taking any mode of transportation so long as you¡¯re notte.¡± Shin Eunah quickly exined to the group as she led them off of the school grounds. ¡°For an emergency dispatch, all avable means must be used to arrive at the meeting point as quickly as possible. The state will evenpensate for damage to public or private properties due to the activation of abilities. Then, with that, we will carry out an emergency call.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Shin Eunah disappeared from the spot without giving them a chance to ask what she meant. Immediately afterward, Shin-hyuk¡¯s stick rang with a notification. She sent him a map with the location of the meeting point. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go too!¡± ¡°Oh, you bastard!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Baek In-ha quickly recognized the situation and ran. Karen bolted after him, leaving only Shin-hyuk and Do Woojin facing each other. Do Woojin already knew he would be thest to arrive. ¡°See youter.¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Shin-hyuk also hit the ground running, exerting his spiritual power to the max to increase his speed. His D rank regenerative power would keep his muscles from fatiguing. ¡°What are you, Shin-hyuk?!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for him to catch up to Karen, who was running to her fullest. She let out a shout of fear as she noticed him passing her. ¡°Why are you faster than me?!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± At the athletic meet, he had heard her agility was B rank. Now, he was B+, thanks to the rapid growth of his second awakening. That wouldn¡¯t have been enough topete with her ability, but he had his own spiritual power. ¡°A scam! You¡¯re a scam!¡± ¡°See youter!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Shin-hyuk leisurely overtook her as she angrily sped up. The practice had already begun. Chapter 47 - Dragon’s Yeouiju (2)

Chapter 47 - Dragon¡¯s Yeouiju (2)

¡°Huh, huh, huh¡­¡± In downtown Jongno was the Crow¡¯s Nest, a D+ ss gate surrounded by barricades to prevent the public from entering. Do Woojin, who arrivedst, was gasping for breath. Shin Eunah was looking over him calmly. ¡°It is good to hurry at the words emergency dispatch, but keep in mind you need to be able to fight as soon as you arrive on site.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not confident in your own speed, it would be good to arrange a special means of transportation in case of an emergency call or seek cooperation from another superhuman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He nodded silently, and Kang Shin-hyuk nodded along with him, thinking there was a third method. ¡®Although that¡¯s a special means of transportation.¡¯ Things like magic bikes and cars were on the market, and they had superhuman-only vehicles that could speed up ording to one¡¯s magical power. The prices started in the billions, of course. ¡®But I don¡¯t have magical power.¡¯ He did have spiritual power to strengthen himself, but it wasn¡¯t useful for a magic vehicle. Then, he considered, there would be no choice but to make something. He decided he would have to put that off until his metallurgy reached at least A rank. ¡°Look, it¡¯s Shinyoung students.¡± ¡°Are the students going in there?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the Empress. The Empress!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head to the soundsing around him. Jongno had many people and was considered the number one political city in Korea, so it had taken especially careful measures around the gate. To enter Crow¡¯s Nest meant you were a recognized superhuman. ¡°They send their students to this gate?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t their students special?¡± ¡°Hey, that boy is so handsome.¡± ¡°Not that one¡­¡± It was a stable gate that didn¡¯t have the risk of reversing flow ¨C a phenomenon in which monsters woulde out of the gate due to a failure to handle it ¨C, but it had great meaning because it was Jongno¡¯s gate. ¡°After a five-minute break, we will enter.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Perhaps that was why Shinyoung assigned Group 7 to this gate. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged as he could feel people watching them, with some even taking pictures. He struck Baek In-ha on the side, who was posing. ¡°Don¡¯t do something that tantly visible.¡± ¡°Kuhh, you got stronger¡­¡± Five-minutes passed, and Do Woojin was able to recover back to a fighting condition at that time. The group held each other¡¯s hands to pass through the gate; Shin Eunah stood at the front of the barricade holding Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. She used her superhuman registration card to open the barricade, which slid open for them to pass. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of each other¡¯s hands until we¡¯re allpletely inside the gate.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt a faint trembling in Shin Eunah¡¯s hand. ¡®What? She¡¯s a certified S+ rank, she can¡¯t be nervous to enter a D+ gate¡­¡¯ That said, he wondered if there was a hidden situation behind the exercise. While he considered it, she stepped through the vortex of pale gray floating above the ground. -Entered the D+ level gate Crow¡¯s Nest. The message of Gaia System, not the Hero Universe, struck his retina. The world went round and round, and the next moment he had already arrived in another world. It was his first time entering a dungeon. ¡®It¡¯s simr to the dimension quest.¡¯ He thought nkly as he looked up to the sky. Surprisingly, the sky above them was taller and bluer than the one outside the gate. ¡°It looks high, but it¡¯s not really. Depending on the grade of the gate, the area inside will vary.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Teacher, can we let go now?¡± Karen spoke up, and Shin Eunah looked surprised for a moment. She recovered quickly, nodding, and then let go of Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Freed from Karen and Shin Eunah, Shin-hyuk busied himself, preparing for battle. The armaments he had brought, with permission from the school, were nine steel javelins. They were: the D+ splitting steel javelin, the C- hawk¡¯s steel javelin, one made of Alite, and finally a D+ steel sword. He took one of the javelins out and hung a second one around his waist. He prepared a bucket to carry the rest and put it over his shoulder. He had a bit of luggage, but he wasn¡¯t ufortable carrying it all. ¡°Did you really make all of that?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have received permission.¡± ¡°Awesome¡­¡± Karen was armed with a bow and a long spear, where Do Woojin held a greatsword and a towering shield. No doubt it was for when he grew in size, although Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t judge someone for overburdening themselves. Baek In-ha was the least armed, wearing onlybat boots with a small metal de protruding from the end. Aside from that, he was dressed casually. ¡°I will follow from behind. From now on, everything will be subject to evaluation, so keep that in mind.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she fell in behind the party. It wasn¡¯t a joke; she waspletely out of sight behind them. They looked as if they were possessed by a ghost, but soon regained their senses and went into formation. ¡°Alright then, go ahead. Did you memorize all the maps?¡± ¡°Yeah. This will probably be the D pattern.¡± Dungeons were deactivated each time they were cleared and then reactivated after a certain set amount of time called resetting. The internal structure of the dungeon would also slightly change, along with the distribution of monsters. Of course, there were limitations to this, so instead of apletely new dungeon, instead there were several simr patterns. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± At Shin-hyuk¡¯s words, Karen shouted vigorously. Baek raised his arms to follow her, and Do Woojin held his weapons tighter. Shin-hyuk responded with a rough smile. However, their efforts to inspire their own spirits would soon wither in vain. Because the dungeon was too easy. -Kuah! ¡°Monster!¡± It was a Gray Crow, the main monster in the Crow¡¯s Nest. It was as big as a human with a clever intelligence not prone to provocation. They didn¡¯t have long-rangebat capabilities, however, and were easy to deal with. ¡°Kuh!¡± Shin-hyuk found it, and the moment he let out a cry, he threw his javelin with all his might. It gave the Crow no chance to escape as it flew faster than a bullet with his B rank strength, urately piercing the Crow¡¯s head to kill it. There was no message, which made Shin-hyuk think the Hero Universe didn¡¯t count monsters below a certain level. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s natural you can kill a D ss monster in one hit.¡± ¡°But how do you retrieve that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only downside. I can recover them after the battle.¡± He agreed it would be nice if they had an automatic recovery function, but it turned out that option belonged to a sword, not a javelin. ¡°Then I will retrieve it. I can go before the formation copses and then get back.¡± ¡°Stop¡­whoa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back, was I fast?¡± Before he could even say thank you, Baek had returned with a javelin and a gray crow in hand. From him, it didn¡¯t matter if it was a kilometer or not. He could travel back and forth within a second. ¡°Much faster than before.¡± ¡°Well, here you go.¡± As Baek returned Shin-hyuk¡¯s javelin with a smile, Shin-hyuk realized it was still impossible for him to catch up with this guy. ¡°What about the monster corpse? It¡¯s worth money.¡± ¡°Usually, we¡¯d have a porter. But it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job as supervisor.¡± Shin Eunah suddenly appeared in the air, grabbing the Gray Crow. It was immediately sucked into the air, which she exined as a rare inventory artifact, but Shin-hyuk knew the identity of the inventory. ¡°All corpses will be dealt with after training. If there is a skill stone, it will be distributed to the most suitable person.¡± ¡°Do skill stones actually show up?¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± With a word, their motivation grew immensely. A skill stone was the fastest way for a superhuman to grow through the gate, although the probability was clearly slim. She clearly knew how to raise morale like a professional. They had no hesitation now, especially now that Shin-hyuk had someone to recover his javelins. He led the group, throwing one whenever he saw a Gray Crow. He didn¡¯t even need to rely on his special javelins; the normal ones were doing fine. ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t have anything to do.¡± ¡°I believe there is a section where the number of monsters is diversified. We¡¯d usuallye across more sooner, but Shin-hyuk is killing the Gray Crows before they can react.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to kill the mobs before the boss, anyway, so let¡¯s pull the crowds little by little from now on and fight.¡± ¡°Okay, then Karen will start first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Under the strictmand of Hell Instructor Shin Eunah, Karen¡¯s bow skills had increased remarkably over the past few days. Perhaps her ability to strengthen her nervous system had positively affected her learning ability as well, though she was still bad at studying. -Kyaaaah! -Kyaaaah! ¡°They¡¯re calling for their friends like that.¡± ¡°Good. Do Woojin, get ready.¡± ¡°Already am.¡± The Gray Crow that was hit by Karen¡¯s arrow began to scream loudly, soon met with a quick reply. Shortly thereafter, dozens of gray crows began to appear in the sky. ¡°So many?¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk has only been killing them one by one, so now they¡¯re showing up in force?¡± ¡°Do Woojin, start provoking!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to start it off with his steel javelin, which luckily triggered it¡¯s split option from the start to tear into three Gray Crows instantly. The party¡¯s eyes, seeing the power of his artifact for the first time, went wide open. ¡°Did Shin-hyuk really make that?!¡± ¡°Shoot them!¡± Shin-hyuk significantly reduced the Gray Crow¡¯s numbers by throwing sessive javelins, backed by Karen, firing off mana-filled arrows to thin them out at a slightly slower pace. ¡°I¡¯m going to sh head-on. Should I participate in the ranged attack?¡± ¡°Do Woojin will bring them down with provocation, I need you to recover javelins.¡± ¡°Sheesh.¡± Shortly after Baek recovered my javelin, the Gray Crows began tounch their attack. Their method of hunting was to use their beak, sharper than a de, to sweep down. Do Woojin stepped forward with a tense expression, raising his shield to shout. ¡°Provocation!¡± ¡°Is it a skill that works by shouting like that?¡± ¡°Oh, it works.¡± The Gray Crow was not a monster prone to provocation. However, whether the taunt he learned was of a high rarity or his skill aptitude was high, arge number of them stumbled in the air and started to move toward him. Of course, it was only about half, but that felt about right. ¡°It¡¯s being covered by Do Woojin and Baek In-ha.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, please support me. I¡¯ll switch to spear now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Again, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s javelin announced the start of the battle. The Falcon¡¯s Steel Javelin, which had the hit and pierce options, stabbed through three Crows and stuck to a fourth one. It continued to fly as the one it stuck to copsed. But now, Karen wasn¡¯t holding back anymore either. ¡°Ha!¡± The Gray Crow approaching the ground was struck by a spear and killed. It wasn¡¯t an easy thing to kill a D ss monster with a single blow, and she was doing it with just a regr spear. ¡°Be diligent!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Meanwhile, Do Woojin and Baek also fought very neatly. Baek was light on his feet, jumping up, killing crow after crow with his feet beforending on Do Woojin¡¯s shield. ¡°What, you¡¯re done already?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad of a gate.¡± It was probably because Baek said that, in the next moment, a bright light burst out of the stomach of a Gray Crow while Shin-hyuk was collecting his javelin from it. ¡°What?!¡± Shin Eunah, who had been watching from a distance, approached at a startling speed and began to cast protection magic. Unfortunately, Shin-hyuk was too close to the epicenter of the light to be protected by magic. -Entered the B+ ss Irregr Gate Tomb of the Mantis. Be careful; this ce has greater difficulty than your own ability. He was swept away by the light. Chapter 48 - Dragon’s Yeouiju (3)

Chapter 48 - Dragon¡¯s Yeouiju (3)

Irregr gates would appear at random, but this was the first time Kang Shin-hyuk had heard that an irregr gate would reveal its entrance through the body of a monster inside of another gate. -She¡¯s a great fool. The message from the administrator was full of anger. -If she hadn¡¯t stopped it, there would be other victims to ensure your safety. ¡°No, don¡¯t say such terrifying things¡­¡± Shin Eunah used her magic to save everyone, including him. All the others except for him were saved, so she was at least seventy-five percent sessful. ¡°But what the hell?¡± -An irregr gate is a gate whose timing, scale, and location cannot be predicted. However, someone who can manipte such a gate certainly exists in this world. ¡°Is that so?¡± Shin-hyuk nodded, recalling the troll he had confronted in the previous irregr gate situation. Somehow, the troll had been wandering in search of spiritual power while wielding a weapon that was made by Anvil. It was unlikely that it had just been a coincidence. The existence of Kang Shin-hyuk and the Godyer sword¡­no doubt, someone had been confirming that. Now, he was convinced of it. ¡°Is this about the sword again?¡± -I can¡¯t be sure, but maybe not. There were too many uncertain elements. There is a high probability that all the people who entered the gate with you, or at least someone among that group, were targeted. Aiming at people and attracting them into this irregr gate. If that proved to be true, it¡¯d make a huge fuss. It wasn¡¯t lost on him how absurd it was that he was the first to get caught in it. ¡°Can youe to help?¡± -It¡¯s annoying to give praise, but that woman is the highest-ranking wizard who has mastered not only her own traits but the magic allowed for humans. If you take the right action with the right product, she shoulde to your rescue. The problem is not her, however¡­ ¡°Ah, the other¡¯s outside can¡¯t be left alone.¡± -That¡¯s right. However, when ites to priorities, your priority should be yourself over anything else, so keep that in mind. Moreover, because of your own mistake, you were left alone in this dangerous ce¡­ The administrator suddenly cut off his message. Shin-hyuk wondered what sort of things he might be telling Shin Eunah, or if he was evenmunicating with her. Kang Shin-hyuk spected at will but decided he should first take a closer look at his environment. ¡°Big.¡± He couldn¡¯t see the sky. The ce where he was now was a cave full of dark and humid energy. Sticky mucus covered the floor, and there were thread strands all over. But, above all, it was big. This natural-looking cave was clearly not something that could exist on earth. Absurdly high ceiling, passages that even a troll could leisurely enter, and above all, rocks were rolling around him. ¡®So the monsters that appear here will also be huge¡­damn it.¡¯ B+ rank gate. Although Shin-hyuk had grown rapidly over the past month, enough to reach ss B, this gate had greater difficulty than that. It wasmon sense that when entering a gate, enter only the ones that were at least one level lower than yourself. It was rare, but even monsters that shouldn¡¯t appear could. Therefore, that was themon belief established among professionals. ¡®But I was sucked into a gate that is higher than me¡­¡¯ Moreover, the worst part was that someone artificially created this irregr gate to pull him into it. Which meant there was someone who held malice towards him that wasn¡¯t a monster. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Grandpa¡­ It was then that a message arrived from Eunah. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: What would you do¡­Grandpa, what can I do? What do I do? Grandpa, help me¡­! -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Grandpa, grandpa. What should I do, what should I do¡­! Kang Shin-hyuk stared at it nkly for a moment. It wasn¡¯t umon that he thought Eunah was out of her mind, but now she was especially going at it. How did she n on asking for help if she wouldn¡¯t talk about the situation? That said, she wasn¡¯t necessarily calm right now¡­but it was clear to him that she was really worried about Shin-hyuk, not Anvil. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Grandpa, grandpa¡­! -It¡¯s okay. Kang Shin-hyuk, who was reading her messages constantly, came through and suddenly replied. It felt only natural. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Yes¡­? -It¡¯s okay. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It¡¯s really okay? -Yeah. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Why, how¡­? I haven¡¯t said anything yet. -That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯ll tell you a littleter. Shin-hyuk wondered if he would be caught since he sent such a message. No, he might have been caught already. However, for him, it was more important to care for Eunah right now, who was surely worrying herself silly outside. -It¡¯s really okay, though. So believe and wait. He couldn¡¯t help it. As the synchronization rate gradually increased, he became more aware of Anvil¡¯s feelings, who cared for Eunah. He figured it would be more important to calm her down now than worry about what would happen if he were caught. Perhaps it was because he was feeling guilty of hiding it from her. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Yes¡­ -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Yes! Fortunately, her answer was positive. He checked the message with a smile, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry about the future now that she had calmed damn. The administrator¡¯s message flew in the next moment tofort him. -Your actions were appropriate. She has regained herposure at a phenomenal pace. It seems that in about five minutes, you will be able to find the entrance to the irregr gate and open it again. ¡°I just need to hold on for five minutes? Thank god¡­¡± -But you have tost five hours. He stiffened at the message that flew in right after. The administrator began to exin as if it were only natural. -There are many cases where there is a time gap between the outer dimension and the irregr gate. This one appears to be a particr offender¡­in other words, you will have to be careful. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Perhaps that was why it took a moment for the messages to fly in from Eunah at first. There was a fair bit of time in-between them as well. He thought it was just because she was agitated, but that wasn¡¯t it. He felt like he wanted to shout out loud but desperately suppressed it because he knew it would be foolish. Five hours. Three-hundred minutes. Eighteen-thousand seconds. He would have to endure eighteen-thousand seconds in a gate where death coulde at any moment. -Kiiii¡­ At the same time, from the other side of the cave, a noise that distinctly belonged to a monster sounded out. He held his breath as much as he could and went to the rock wall in search of a ce to hide. Immediately after, the cavity began to fill with dense mana. -Kii¡­ The cry of the monster had a clear intention. Did it have something to do with the mana that just filled the room? Shin-hyuk squeezed the javelin tight in his hand, his knuckles whitening. Fortunately, he had his weapon. He could throw it or just swing it. -Kiii. It took another step and made a short cry. It was apanied by the slight sound of wings. Shin-hyuk instinctively activated his spiritual power and rolled forward, the rock he was hiding behind breaking into pieces. -Kiiii! The monster¡¯s cry seemed to say, ¡®As expected!¡¯ From the beginning, it had guessed that Shin-hyuk was somewhere in this room. He focused on the creature. It was a mantis, wrapped in a gum-purple colored shell and nearly four meters tall. A long de on its arm was shing out. -Venom de Mantis, a B+ monster. ¡°So it can poison me?¡± -That¡¯s right. ¡°Great.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk muttered and began to flee again. The moment his shoulder turned, the de swung, and a sharp wind flew along his trajectory. The ce where Shin-hyuk had been was smashed once more. Pebbles rained down all around him. -Kiiiii! ¡°Kh!¡± When it tried to swing the de again, this time, Shin-hyuk swung his javelin. No matter how hard the carapace was, the joints were likely to be weak. The javelin precisely shot out towards the elbow joint that supported the de, flying too fast for even a B rank monster to react easily. -Ting! It bounced off the joint harmlessly. ¡°Seriously?¡± -Kyaaaahhhh! He was dumbstruck by the ridiculous sight. The monster began to scream and spit something out of its mouth. Shin-hyuk jumped away without looking at what it was, something with an acrid smell passed and grazed the end of his uniform. Shortly after, his uniform toppletely melted away. Looking behind him, he could see that purple saliva covered part of the floor, sizzling and breaking the rock down. ¡°Seriously¡­¡± He pressed his heart down and held back his desire to cry, moving again. Combining his spiritual power to his agility, he was able to escape the next attack. He still had an agility potion he could drink as well, so at least he could beat his enemy in terms of speed. ¡®No.¡¯ He had only met his first enemy; resorting to drinking potions already would be too much. He needed to save it for the direst of situations. If so¡­ ¡°Fuck.¡± He had no choice but to fight back. He prepared a steel javelin, avoiding the attack that came as he swung it forward, once again aimed at the joints. As much as he could, he poured his spiritual power into the weapon that contained his best efforts. However, it also bounced off without an effect this time. As a result, he concluded that a normal steel javelin couldn¡¯t do anything to this mantis. -Kyaaaahhhhh! The mantis rushed in with a shout, brushing away the attack. Whenever it took a step, a dull vibration resonated throughout the cavity. Kang Shin-hyuk jumped away desperately, rolling on the ground. ¡®Should I close the gap instead? Would it be easier to block his arm at close range? No, he has that acid¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk calmed his breathing while taking evasive movements. He had one more shot at this. This time, he prepared the falcon¡¯s steel javelin. -Kyaaaaah! ¡°Kh!¡± Avoiding its wind de, he carefully threw the spear. Luckily, the javelin¡¯s split option activated. The javelin found its target, as it stuck itself into the monster¡¯s elbow. -Quoooh! It made a terrible noise, but Shin-hyuk was happy to hear it. Three javelins tore at the elbow joint, and the de on it¡¯s left arm fell neatly to the floor. -Ahhhhhhhhhhh! The mantis screamed loudly, spraying acid in every direction. Shin-hyuk ducked behind thergest rock he could find. It melted away, but he was able to stop it from hitting him. ¡°It works.¡± -It works. The artifact he created had a great effect. There was no happier feeling for a craftsman. The only problem was that he just threw the only artifact he had. -Gyoaaaahhhhh! The mantis was thrashing about, and Shin-hyuk examined the arm that fell below it. The javelin was stuck in its joint. If he could recover that, he could get rid of the other arm too. Would that be possible? It seemed difficult, but he had to try it. However, in the next moment, his thoughts were cut off as a thread flew in. -Gyaaaah! The mantis screamed, yet the thread that was now connected to him never broke. More strands began to fall down from the ceiling, gradually restraining the mantis and pulling him into the air. -Click, click-click There was an unpleasant sound that couldn¡¯t bepared to that of the mantis. Kang Shin-hyuk held his breath as he looked up towards the ceiling. A giant spider was pulling up the mantis and began to cocoon it. ¡°¡­¡± He wanted topliment himself for not making any sound. Fortunately, the spider didn¡¯t notice him as it focused on recovering the mantis. -Very well done. 200HP bonus to members. Even the message from the administrator sounded quiet. He couldn¡¯t say anything out of fear and only spoke once he was convinced the spider waspletely gone. ¡°So, it¡¯s the Mantis¡¯ Graveyard.¡± In normal gates, monsters rarely hunt each other, but it¡¯s not umon in irregr gates. ¡°I see¡­¡± He felt dizzy after holding his breath for too long. If it weren¡¯t for his regenerative power, his limit would¡¯ve arrived long ago. He moved slowly, very slowly, with gratitude for his power. He retrieved the javelin he threw and grabbed the mantis¡¯s ded arm. At that moment, he could feel his spiritual power permeating and resonating with the mantis de. He was able to acquire one piece of valuable information as a result. He realized that both a great crisis and a great opportunity had arrived Chapter 49 - Dragon’s Yeouiju (4)

Chapter 49 - Dragon¡¯s Yeouiju (4)

Two types of monsters lived in the Mantis¡¯ Graveyard. There were bug-type monsters that were lower than C ss, which weren¡¯t very threatening to Kang Shin-hyuk. The ones that he had to be concerned about, however, were the Venom de Mantis and their predator, the Spiders. Both were B+ ss monsters, and there were quite a few of each of them. ¡®But the spiders are more interested in the mantises.¡¯ Using his spiritual power, Shin-hyuk once again examined what he heard from the mantis¡¯s de he collected. He didn¡¯t think he would be able tomunicate with the monster¡¯s body, but once he knew it was possible, it wasn¡¯t difficult to do. The de contained all of the information about the ecology,bat method, and weaknesses of the creature it was just attached to. ¡®To think such a possibility was hiding inside my spiritual power.¡¯ Of course, he remembered the time he had used his spiritual power to figure out the momentum of the senior who was trying to take a picture of him. But at that time, he was only able to get a rough sense of some of his opponent¡¯s power. Perhaps it was because this was a piece taken directly from a living thing, or that his spiritual power had grown more than before. Maybe it was even abination of the two. -Member, are you okay? The administrator sends him a worried message as he stood still there in an emergency situation. He didn¡¯t speak openly, but the administrator appeared to be seriously concerned. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay.¡± -¡­? Shin-hyuk¡¯s answer was calm. He was still envisioning how to use the new information he had gathered. Soon, he arrived at a conclusion, albeit one with gaps in it. ¡°Administrator, how much HP do I have?¡± -753,090 points. The administrator responded without dy. ¡°Wow.¡± He knew it wouldn¡¯t be a lot after he had purchased inventory space per 1.5 million HP, but it was enough for now. ¡°Is there a potion that can refill my spiritual power at once?¡± -The cheapest of that type are sold for 50,000 HP apiece. ¡°Then just one¡­no, two.¡± -VIP fee waiver, VIP special discount price both have been purchased for 80,000 HP. This potion has a ten-minute cooldown. ¡°Thank you for the easy to understand exnation.¡± I now had 670,000 points left. I bought a few more items, including five additional trauma treatment drugs, at 4,000 apiece. -This product cannot be purchased anywhere else. In the Hero Universe, there are magicians that have been cultivated to create potions. Shin-hyuk wondered how theypared to the potions ire made. ¡°Is there anything I can afford with my remaining money that would help me sneak?¡± -Searching transaction board. It took a little time this time. However, ording to ire, it seemed that the search function of the Hero Universe board wasn¡¯t so friendly. It was one more thing he had to thank the administrator for. -It will take a little time. Can you wait? ¡°No problem, I also have a little work to do.¡± Shin-hyuk took a seat on the floor, keeping his ears alert for any monsters. The moment he put the de on the ground and pulled out the sword he had stored in his inventory¡­ ¡°¡­What?¡± -Myu! Onyx popped out with a cute cry, hanging off of Shin-hyuk¡¯s face. He put a hand over him quickly. ¡°If you¡¯re not quiet here, we could die. Understand?¡± He whispered quietly, and Onyx let out a small cry to affirm that he understood the situation. Onyx settled in on his shoulder, but he was still confused. ¡°How the hell did you enter my inventory¡­was it always possible for living things to enter?¡± -Inventory provides an optimal environment for everything stored inside. Keep in mind that items that aren¡¯t yours cannot be stored. Indeed, ording to that, Onyx was able to enter it because he was Shin-hyuk¡¯s pet. He hadn¡¯t even imagined that he would try to crawl in. He really was a fearless little guy. ¡°I guess he was trying to eat the Brenite in there. -But I¡¯m d he¡¯s here. I couldn¡¯t find a product that would meet your conditions within the price offered, but thanks to Onyx, there are products that could be used. This is the Mimicry Scroll. ¡°Will it let me imitate his stealth skill?¡± Onyx had a stealth skill with a whopping A ss rarity. He gained it by eating the C ss trap Shin-Hyuk created. The administrator confirmed his spection without hesitation. -Correct. However, you must remain attached to the target. You can borrow the target¡¯s skills until the seventh time the scroll expires. The skills that are borrowed are limited to one at a time. ¡°That¡¯s perfect for this moment¡­¡± Onyx let out a proud cry as he realized that he was helpful. Shin-hyuk gently patted him. ¡°How much is it?¡± -It is 560,000 HP. ¡°I knew it.¡± *** Fortunately, since his encounter with the mantis, he hadn¡¯t run into any other monsters. Shin-hyuk began to mobilize once more after finishing his preparations. The mantises would move quickly once they realized one of theirs had been killed. -Mimicry has imitated the entity Onyx¡¯s Stealth (A) ability. The skill proficiency of the borrow skill is D. ¡°Good¡­I don¡¯t know when you increased your skill level, but good job.¡± He activated the imitation scroll he purchased right away, confirming that Onyx¡¯s stealth was applied to him. It would release if he engaged inbat, but as long as he had the scroll, he could reapply it at any time. -Member, are you prepared? ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded seriously at the administrator¡¯s obvious concern. There were many types of superhumans in this world, but Kang Shin-hyuk was the type who attacked monsters even if it was dangerous for him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He had a javelin in one hand and the mantis de in the other. After removing the flesh from the de, which was two meters long, he sharpened it with a whetstone and used the leather he had in his inventory to make a handle. He had just done that, but a nice makeshift sword had been born. His previous experience in Kieron making armor from shell really helped him in making it. -Do you have any reason to make it? ¡°To deal with the big guys, I needed arger de. Moreover¡­¡± The de was highly toxic and would be able to block the webs that the spiders emitted. -When I look back, it seems you¡¯ve grown quite a bit. Infiltrating the enemy¡¯s base, tearing off a bit of their body, and processing it into a weapon on the fly¡­300HP Bonus! ¡°Thank you.¡± Maybe the day he would receive more than 1,000 HP as a bonus was approaching. He shook the thought quickly, sensing a monster. ¡®Spider.¡¯ A giant spider was peeking out from a hole in the ceiling. It had eight purple legs and was making a creepy clicking sound. Kang Shin-hyuk held his breath as it blinked itspound eyes, then returned into the hole. His stealth had proven effective. ¡°Thanks to that, I¡¯m alive.¡± He tried to be bolder with the next monster he met. The mantis never recognized he was there. It was only a D rank stealth ability, but it was incredibly effective. -The skill proficiency of Onyx¡¯s stealth skill became D+ rank, and the level of imitation has increased with it. It was even growing in real-time. He didn¡¯t want to imagine what would¡¯ve happened if Onyx didn¡¯t eat that trap he made. ¡®Nest.¡¯ He soon reached the entrance of a cave where there were a lot of mantises. Until now, they had been walking alone, but now he estimated at least thirty of them were at the front of the cave. He knew what was in there. ¡®That female mantis is holding an egg. These must be the soldiers who protect the young then.¡¯ This was a harsh breeding environment. However, they found ways to live and deal with the spiders which they coexisted with, oveing them with numbers so that they could protect their offsprings. ¡®But that¡¯ll give me a way to catch them.¡¯ Shin-hyuk found a wide passage within sight of them and ced a bottle in the center of it. It was the monster attractor (C+) he obtained as a login bonus before. It was a hunting aid that could attract monsters up to the B- ss. By itself, it couldn¡¯t attract B+ mantises. So, Shin-hyuk used the spiritual power potion he bought, using his spiritual power to strengthen the lure. Before, this idea would have been impossible for him. But now, he was in an environment where he had to squeeze his brain for all the ideas he could. That was helping him learn how to use his spiritual power. -Now, you¡¯ve mastered the training of spiritual power. At this level, you can attract as many as you like. ¡°Thank you, then¡­¡± He quietly left the bottle and took out another in his hands. It was the spiritual glue that he obtained. When applied with spiritual power, it became a transcendent adhesive that would bind all things inconsistent with his own spiritual power. ¡°Is this not sold at the store?¡± -Upon the third liberation, we can purchase them for 2 million HP each. When that timees, the discount will be even better, so you could buy it for 800,000 HP! ¡°I asked for nothing.¡± He grunted and spread the adhesive around the monster attractant. As expected of a product worth 2 million HP, the amount of adhesive was quiterge. The entire passage could be covered without a problem. ¡®That should be enough. I¡¯m now ready.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk carefully distanced himself from the passage while still hiding. Only then did the mantises find the lure ced in the center of the passage, making a noise to alert the others. A steel javelin, fired off by Shin-hyuk, shattered the bottle to spread the lure. -Kiiiii! -Kiaaaaa! There was a terriblemotion. The mantises screamed and ran into the passage together. Even though his hiding was dismissed as soon as he threw the javelin, they ran forward without paying him any mind as they flew toward the attractant. Soon after, they all stopped in ce where he had spread the adhesive, their feet bound to the floor. -Kiiiii! -Kiaaah! -You¡¯ll need to hurry. Once activated, Spirit Glue only works for a few minutes. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ran right into the cave holding the egg clusters. A de of wind flew out to meet him, but he rolled straight down the floor to avoid it. -Kiiii! A giant female mantis revealed her anger at this invader. The cave behind her was filled with mantis eggs. Chapter 50 - Dragon’s Yeouiju (5)

Chapter 50 - Dragon¡¯s Yeouiju (5)

All superhumans had a limit to their growth. Traits, skills, and even stats had clear limits that could be reached, and a person¡¯s potential could be judged by how high their limits were. Usually, that could be roughly determined by the rarity of a trait or skill, so superhumans with high rarity traits were considered elites. Kang Shin-hyuk himself had acquired an S Rank characteristic through two trait evolutions, so his limit was naturally higher. But how did a superhuman be stronger than that limit? There were two methods. The first was to keep things simple and work hard. Deeply exploring one¡¯s characteristics and repeatedly training the body to challenge one¡¯s limits would slowly grow one¡¯s status. ¡®Which is what they make the students, including me, do¡­¡¯ The second was hunting monsters. The Gaia system itself was a system that presumed the ability to grow by hunting monsters. Abilities would grow by absorbing bits of the monsters they defeated. You couldn¡¯t get strong by killing monsters weaker than yourself, but in contrast, you could get stronger quickly by defeating monsters stronger than you. It was like the idea of experience in a game. ¡®Of course, you don¡¯t see dramatic changes right away as you level up in a game, and you might feel your ability growing faster by training¡­¡¯ Nevertheless, by hunting monsters steadily, your stats would surely grow. When Kang Shin-hyuk defeated the mutant troll and devoted himself to training, his status grew rapidly as evidence of this. As he had found in that case and in fighting the strong enemy in Kieron, this way of growth brought no small risk of death. -Gyaaaah! ¡°If it¡¯s just one, it¡¯s worth trying.¡± -Myu?! ¡°Onyx, quickly get in the inventory.¡± In front of his eyes now, there was a giant female mantis. This was a particrly strong one among the B+ Venom de Mantises, who was put in charge of guarding and raising the young. However, Shin-hyuk had already learned the pattern of her behavior through the mantis de he had acquired. Holding it, it was like he was a mantis himself. ¡®It¡¯s odd when I feel united with the Godyer but¡­this isn¡¯t bad.¡¯ -Kiiiiiii! The mantis cried out and swung its front limbs. Shin-hyukughed quietly, avoiding the attack that had arrived just as expected. Originally, they collected mana in their limbs to fire off toxic wind de attacks, but she wasn¡¯t doing that. The reason wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t, but because this space was full of mantis eggs. ¡®I¡¯ve heard rumors but¡­¡¯ He had heard urban legends of superhumans who fell through single-shot absorption gates, falling into the center of a nest of insect-type monsters. They were able to gain enough experience to increase their status on the spot. It wasn¡¯t known how high the experience value of a monster¡¯s egg was, since those stories were relegated as an urban legend, but the egg of a B+ rank monster would no doubt be worth quite a bit. -Monster eggs provide experience equivalent to one-eighth of an adult. However, their price remains the same. He found out that information from the administrator. ¡°So¡­like this!¡± He struck the nearest egg clutch with the forelimb de; the eggs copsed with an unpleasant crunching sound. Whether the eggs weren¡¯t resistant, or a direct cut was too much even for a regr mantis, the eggs quickly began to cken and rot away from the toxic limb. As soon as he destroyed the clutch holding more than a hundred eggs, a message appeared before his eyes. -You have suppressed a mass of beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus on membership level! You acquired 120,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you gain additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 180,000HP! -Your strength has grown to B rank! At that moment, he felt a rush shoot through him. Not just because he acquired HP, but because the moment he reaped those countless lives, he could feel something absorbed into himself. The growth in strength wasn¡¯t muchpared to the monster on Kieron, but it was still incredible. Shin-hyuk was half-way upied with those ecstatic thoughts when¡­ -Kiiiii! The de of the mantis aimed for the nape of his neck, strong enough to kill him instantly if it hit. ¡®But.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t difficult to avoid. He should be safe if he kept moving away from it to break the egg clutches first. The main concern was how much time he would have to break all the eggs. ¡®The spiders will react after making such amotion.¡¯ And, more than that, the spiritual glue wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a B+ rank monster forever. It was best to work as quickly as possible and then get out. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the forelimb de with both hands before letting out a scream as he charged at the mantis. ¡°Break!¡± -Kiiii! The mantis spat out a glob of acid at him, faster than any bullet, but Shin-hyuk was prepared. He turned the de to block the acid. It couldn¡¯t melt through the de as he swung it forward, causing it to spatter on a nearby egg clutch. He hoped the experience for that would be given to him. -Kiiiii?! The mantis crossed its forelimbs, and Shin-hyuk lowered himself as he continued his charge. He ducked under the swinging des, waiting for the moment it tried to recover. Now that he could read the enemy¡¯s attack patterns, it wasn¡¯t difficult to evade them. He moved in close to its body as its bnce was disturbed, cutting deep into the mantis¡¯s neck joints. It was a perfect attack with uncanny timing, but true to the rank of B+, the monster didn¡¯t die immediately after being dealt a fatal blow. -Kiiiiii! As Shin-hyuk tried to pull the sword out, the two forelimbs moved in behind him to confine him there. The mantis lowered it¡¯s split head, revealing disgusting four-pronged tentacles protruding from within. It was proof that, despite looking like a mantis, there were actually monsters. It wasn¡¯t information contained in the forelimb de, either. ¡°Kh¡­¡± In a split second, he considered his options. ¡®Can I escape if I leave the weapon? No.¡¯ He realized he had to cut through with all he had. He squeezed the de harder, clenching his teeth as he poured his spiritual power into the de. His skill was activated, a dragon pattern engraving itself on the forelimb de. As Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes turned golden, the forelimb de began to vibrate. -Kiiii! ¡°Khhh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gave up his shoulders to the counterattack of the enemy that flew in. Panic set in as he could feel his flesh being carved, but he had no time to look at the wound. Wind began to emanate from the vibrating de, blowing the head of the mantis clean off. ording to the forelimb, however, they could move for a bit without their heads. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Fortunately, that was the end. There was no trace of the head or the tentacles, and the torso soon stopped moving and fell in ce. -You have suppressed a being that was harmful to the order of things. Bonus on membership level! You acquired 10,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you gain additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 15,000HP! -Your Regeneration ability became D rank. -You are poisoned. Even taking into ount your regenerative power, you should take at least an intermediate level of detoxification. An appropriate item has been purchased immediately at the discretion of the administrator. 20,000HP will be deducted. ¡°Thank you.¡± Since the message was urgent, Kang Shin-hyuk took the detoxification drug that appeared in his hand without question. Looking at his shoulder, he saw that his uniform was a mess, and flesh had been dug out of his shoulder. The drug would neutralize the poison, but it didn¡¯t help with the actual wound. He drank a recovery potion and applied some trauma medicine to the wound, which radiated pain through him. ¡°Ow¡­still hurts less than the troll.¡± -Member¡­ ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry.¡± -I¡¯m not trying to me you. I just noticed something outside has changed, but it isn¡¯t good news¡­ ¡°Changed? What did?¡± -Myu? He took out Onyx from his inventory and asked the administrator to borate. -An irregr gate has urred again in the Crow¡¯s Nest. However, this time, it is an emissive type. Shin Eunah is currently engaged in a battle against unknown enemies to protect the students¡­I don¡¯t think you can wait for outside help. ¡°So, that means¡­¡± -You have no choice but to clear this gate alone. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to hear that, but that didn¡¯t mean anything would change. It couldn¡¯t be solved, so he decided to figure it out after breaking all of the eggs in this cavern. Meanwhile, he didn¡¯t notice Onyx approaching the fallen mantis. Chapter 51 - Dragon’s Yeouiju (6)

Chapter 51 - Dragon¡¯s Yeouiju (6)

For him, it was like an open-pit flowing with gold and silver. Wherever he went, treasures awaited. -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 150,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you will obtain additional HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 225,000 HP! -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 110,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you will obtain additional HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 165,000 HP! -Your Regeneration ability has grown to the D+ rank! -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 140,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you will obtain additional HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 210,000 HP! -Your Health has grown to the B+ rank! Thinking that the spiders could arrive at any moment, Kang Shin-hyuk immediatelyunched the wind de from the forelimb, which he had just learned to activate with his power. The wind des were just like thoseunched by the mantises, slicing through the eggs scattered throughout the cavern with ease. -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 172,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you will obtain additional HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 258,000 HP! -Your Spiritual Power has grown to the B rank! In the process, both HP and experience were pouring in at a tremendous rate. Even his spiritual power had grown to the point he could feel it recovering and expanding, just as he was finishing up with thest clutch of eggs. ¡°Huh¡­huh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took a moment to catch his breath after confirming there were no enemies iing. Rather than being tired from using too much energy, the constant changes he was undergoing were wearing him down. He decided to confirm his status as he busied himself, filling his lungs with oxygen. [Kang Shin-hyuk: B+ rank] [Characteristic] Golden Eyed Dragon (S) [Physical ability] Force: B+ Agility: B+ Health: B+ [Special ability] Spiritual Power: B Regeneration: C- [Skill] Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (S+): B Metallurgy: C ¡°Crazy¡­¡± Although his agility remained the same, his strength had grown by two stages, and his stamina and spiritual strength by one. Amazingly, his regeneration had grown by three whole stages. While the mantises were sturdy and strong, they weren¡¯t very agile. Perhaps, being insect-type monsters, they had a regeneration-like ability that had helped in developing his own. ¡®But the wall to A-rank is high.¡¯ The ¨C or + after the rank indicated a difference in power, of course, but it was iparable to the letter changing. He had acquired several B+ rank abilities, but Kang Shin-hyuk knew very well of the wall that blocked his progress now. He believed he could be an A-rank superhuman, but there had been plenty in the past who had thrown themselves vainly against that barrier with such beliefs. ¡®Even so, I¡¯m easily in the top 15%¡­¡¯ At B+, only 15% of the superhumans, or roughly 750,000 of the 5 million, had reached that far. That number was cut in half if you went to A-rank and cut in half once more by going to A+, but Shin-hyuk was confident he wouldn¡¯t stop there. -Don¡¯t forget to be vignt, member. You have just reached the B+ rank, but this gate is still the same level as you. ¡°I know, but thank you for the good timing with that advice. -100HP bonus for unattended members! He knew he couldn¡¯t hope for outside help, so he had to work to clear the gate by himself. The added power he acquired here was nothing butying down the groundwork. ¡°Well?¡± A raucous of mantis cries, and clicks filled the cavern. Rather, it had been there all along, but he was just noticing it now that his own battle had calmed down. He made sure his stealth was activated and peeked outside. The group of mantises was engaged in a battle against several spiders. ¡®The glue is working properly.¡¯ He expected the spiders to show up, but given it would mean decreasing his foes, he was d to see it actually happened. The battle was fiercely unfolding before him. The mantises had been struck by surprise and were unable to move properly because of the glue, yet they had wind de. The spiders were overwhelming them gradually, but the mantises were fighting back fiercely. ¡°Okay, then, you can collect the loot¡­¡± -Myu! ¡°What¡­you¡¯ve grown quite a bit.¡± -Myu? Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes at the appearance of Onyx approaching him. If previously he were the size of an apple, now he was more like a pear. It was a subtle difference, but one he recognized. The thorns on his back seemed sharper now too, more like des than thorns. ¡°¡­What did you eat?¡± -Myu myu myu¡­ (I only ate half¡­) ¡®You only ate half?¡¯ After hearing Onyx¡¯s honest confession, he looked back to find that one of the mantises¡¯ forelimbs had disappeared. While Shin-hyuk had been destroying the egg clutches, Onyx was eagerly gnawing at the forelimb des. ¡®No, wait. He¡¯s treating that like metal?!¡¯ -Myu? ¡°¡­You have to eat plenty when you¡¯re young. Good job, good job.¡± -Myuuuu! Onyx let out a cry of relief, afraid he would be scolded. Shin-hyuk cut off the other forelimb de and stowed it in his inventory forter, noticing a glint of blue in the torn neck of the mantis. He grabbed it, thinking it was a mana stone, but it looked a little different. ¡°Is this¡­a skill stone?¡± The words of Shin Eunah came to him as he examined it. He doubted his luck, but he had been ridiculously lucky in falling into the irregr gate. In a bad way, anyway. But this was a skill stone from a B+ gate. -Please take it right away. ¡°But it might fail¡­¡± He had no idea howpatible he would be with it, but it felt stupid to just store it away when it could be useful. ¡®It feels somewhat cold against my spiritual power.¡¯ It didn¡¯t feel bad to him, though. He closed his eyes and held it tightly, the skill stone shattering in his hands. A cool rush of energy flowed through him. -You learned the attribute skill [Wind Master (A-)]. As the message appeared before him, he desperately suppressed a scream of joy. ¡®It¡¯s a skill that deals with one of the four major attributes!¡¯ With the rarity of A-rank, this was the jackpot of jackpots. The skill level was still F-rank, however, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it effectively. However, he had a weapon that could assist with it. Creating wind by himself was beyond him right now, but reinforcing it wasn¡¯t so long as he used the forelimb de. With that, he could create a de of wind even stronger than the mantises made. -Myu! ¡°Huh? What, again¡­?¡± Perhaps as an apology for eating the forelimb, Onyx ced something in front of him. It appeared to be half of some broken marble, with faint energy leaking out from it. Shin-hyuk immediately identified it as spiritual power. But why? -Member, put it in your inventory. ¡°Yeah.¡± At the administrator¡¯s message, which contained urgency, he immediately stowed it away. -The enemy ising. Hide. ¡°It¡¯s over already? Onyx,e here.¡± Holding Onyx in his arms, he immediately activated stealth and hid in a corner. Shortly after, he watched a spider climb inside the cavern. It began to wander around the ceiling with a clicking sound, but shortly stopped in confusion when it found nothing. It clicked a few more times before leaving. ¡®¡­Can it sense movement?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk sat there for a while, not moving until he couldn¡¯t feel any signs of movement. Careful to stay hidden, he slowly left the cavern. A sight from a horror movie awaited him. Bits of monsters were scattered about, and the ground was dug up and melted in ces. However, the corpses didn¡¯t remain, consumed by the victors. ¡®The spiders won and carried them off.¡¯ The mantises might¡¯ve won if it weren¡¯t for the spiritual glue, but if that happened, it wouldn¡¯t have been good for him. It was a bit disappointing he couldn¡¯t recover the parts, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡®Well¡­ let¡¯s get started with this gate.¡¯ He confirmed the amount of HP he had acquired. 3.7 million HP. It was a good bit of money; now he had to think of how to use it in clearing the gate. -Kwooooong A dull and massive vibration rocked the space he was in as he was thinking. Anxiety filled him as the inner walls of the gate swayed. -Be prepared! Kang Shin-hyuk hugged onto Onyx and squatted down, bracing himself for the terrible shock that reverberated through the gate. -The Mantis¡¯ Tomb (B+) has transformed into the Queen¡¯s Cobweb (A-) due to the change in the power structure. Be careful! The world turned over again. Chapter 52 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (1)

Chapter 52 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (1)

After being dragged into the B+ irregr gate, he managed to break the enemy¡¯s nest and raise his rank to the next level. Just in time for the gate¡¯s rank to rise as well. No one would understand if he tried to exin it- even he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Ha.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh as he watched the gate¡¯s inner walls narrow and became stickier. -Anything can happen at an irregr gate. Perhaps because of your performance, one of the two forces became superior. ¡°It was something I had to do to survive, so I won¡¯t regret it.¡± Still, he couldn¡¯t help but think this was too much. The gap between B+ and A- was massive. It was like the gate itself had a will to kill Kang Shin-hyuk. He wasn¡¯t afraid, however. Instead, he set his mind to grow inside this irregr gate. He ground his teeth as he red at the changing walls. ¡°Is there something useful I can buy for HP?¡± -There is. You can purchase a skill stone. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes sparkled upon hearing skill stones could be purchased on the trading board. -Among them, the most useful in the current situation is the ¡®Resist Poison.¡¯ Your status isn¡¯t much lower than the spiders, but if you are poisoned, you cannot deal with it with only C-rank regeneration. However, with the addition of poison resistance, you could ovee it without needing medication each time. ¡°How much is it?¡± -Rare B-rank Resist Poison is currently 2 million HP. Would you like to acquire it? It was ridiculously expensive, of course, but he had no choice but to buy it. He spent the money and broke it straight away. The greenstone shattered and absorbed itself into his body, well worth the 1.6 million HP (thanks to the VIP discount). -You learned the Resistance Skill (Poison Resist (B)]. The rarity has increased due to the effect of regeneration, bing [Poison Resist (B+)]. Thanks to his regeneration ability, the grade of the skill increased. That wasmon when the match with a skill was particrly good. -Next, I rmend some essories. The cheapest that gives poison resistance is 1.3 million HP¡­ ¡°No, I won¡¯t be able to break through by investing HP only into poison resistance.¡± -But, member, it is important first of all to survive. ¡°There is a way to grow my poison resistance without using HP.¡± -Do you mean to train your immunity now? Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and raised the forelimb de above his hand. Only then did the administrator realize what he was trying to do. -Are you going to harm yourself?! ¡°I¡¯m trying to grow.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk refuted the concerned administrator. -Member¡­ Skills grew by using them. Poison resistance would grow by resisting poison. It would be naturally advantageous to raise the skill rank even a little if possible, rather than go into battle with an F rank skill. -¡­500HP bonus for brave members. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a lot of encouragement.¡± Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to just cut into himself without hesitation. Letting out a groan, he cut into the back of his hand. -¡­ ¡°Khhh¡­¡± -Member, are you alright? ¡°The poison¡­it works pretty fast.¡± -Myu¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk tried to respond as calmly as possible, hugging onto Onyx as he searched for a safe ce to wait. The wound recovered quickly, but he could feel the venom coursing through his veins. The venom of the mantises was on the same level as those spiders, so if he could resist it, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore. ¡®My head¡¯s spinning¡­I feel hot¡­¡¯ When he was poisoned earlier, he took the detoxifying medicine as soon as he could, so he didn¡¯t notice it. The poison made him feel as if his blood was burning, and the room was swimming around him. -Member. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He struggled against the dizziness overtaking him for a while, but he suddenly felt the energy in his body begin to resist the poison. His regenerative power was working in tandem with his poison resistance to clear his body of the toxin. ¡°Whoo¡­¡± He breathed out, desperately focused on that power inside of him. He awakened his spiritual power to help with healing. In the end, he was victorious. Thanks to the harmony of the three forces that are his regeneration, resistance, and spiritual power, he was able to drive out the poison. -Poison Resist has grown to F+ rank. As soon as the message appeared, he felt refreshed. He let out a sigh with a faint smile. He felt an intense hunger from the vigorous activity of his powers and began to quickly eat the rations and Eiren Jelly he kept in his inventory. ¡°Can you let me know when an enemy arrives?¡± -Originally, the administrator doesn¡¯t y such a role¡­but if it¡¯s a member¡¯s request, I¡¯d be happy too. ¡°Please.¡± -¡­The administrator is always on your side. Laughing at the message, he began to draw his de across the back of his hand again. This time, the poison felt a little more manageable. *** -Poison Resist has grown to D rank. Regeneration has grown to C rank. His head no longer felt dizzy even when he was poisoned. Unexpectedly, he had also grown his regeneration ability once more, so he felt confident in facing the spider¡¯s poison. Deciding he had finished training, Kang Shin-hyuk stood up. He still had two hours left in his mimicry scroll. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll use my remaining HP. Are there any items that increase your spiritual power?¡± -Few people deal with spiritual power in the Hero Universe. If it is an item or artifact to increase your spiritual power, no one will be able to create it except for you¡­although there are items that ur naturally. Kang Shin-hyuk picked up the meaning of the message. There was that broken marble he picked up earlier that was emitting spiritual power. Perhaps the other half was inside this gate, although that didn¡¯t help right now. ¡°If so¡­power. How about something to increase strength?¡± -The Ogre Power Gauntlet, which will increase your strength to the next level, is going for 3 million HP. It¡¯s a ssic and great artifact that can boost your power even further with the backing of magic or spiritual power. Were it not for the poison; I would¡¯ve rmended this to you¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll give up on buying equipment, I¡¯ll take some potions.¡± The lower level status potion, whichsted thirty minutes and could raise it up to rank A, could be purchased for 100,000 HP per bottle. Surprisingly, he now thought that price was quite low. -You can only use one status potion per day. ¡°Then, I don¡¯t need to buy an agility one. I¡¯ll take one for strength and one for stamina.¡± He felt it wascking but still acquired two at the price of 80,000 HP per bottle after his discount. -Member, an explosive egg that boosts your strength by one level for thirty minutes, is being traded for 1 million HP for a set of three. It is a rare product with trading restrictions based on membership level, and there aren¡¯t many opportunities to acquire it. It was expensive, but he knew the administrator wouldn¡¯t have rmended anything useless. It probably didn¡¯t have a limit to it as the potions did. ¡°Is it possible to eat two in a row?¡± -You can eat all three in a row. However, doing so reduces the duration to three minutes, and the after-effects are severe. ¡°I wish ire could make me a potion¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyukined about the penalty but still bought it. The discount was great, so even after that, he had 1.14 million HP left. He had to save that, though, to buy another mimicry scroll once his current one ran out. ¡°Good¡­then let¡¯s go.¡± Onyx stood tall atop Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder, his de-like thorns standing on end. It seemed like he was saying that he would pay for his own meal, but no matter how Shin-hyuk looked at him, he still didn¡¯t appear to have the ability to fight on the frontlines. However, no, there was no fight to be found. He only had two hours until his scroll ran out, but he realized something was off. ¡°I can¡¯t find any spiders¡­¡± -Myu¡­ Moreover, the internal structure of the gate hadpletely changed. The memories inside the forelimb de were no longer helpful. He could buy some more scrolls, but he would probably need to wander inside the gate for a while. ¡°Would they show up if I ran around without hiding? I¡¯d rather not do that¡­¡± ording to the information from the forelimb, the enemy was known as a Toxic Web Thrower. It was a type of monster that called out for reinforcements immediately if things became difficult. Now that the gate had mutated, its structure was more suited for spiders. No matter how strong he became, it would be too much to expose himself. He first organized his thoughts and bought a scroll to apply to hide again. ¡°Are there any items to find enemies?¡± -There are, but they are so popr they are out of stock. Moreover, the search artifacts and the skill stones for search are too expensive¡­ ¡°Which means I have to figure it out on my own.¡± -I apologize. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been relying enough on the Hero Universe. I¡¯ll figure this out somehow.¡± He cleared his breath and rolled his head around. It was obvious it wouldn¡¯t work out if he just wandered around like this. ¡®How can I find my enemies? What can I do with my abilities now?¡¯ The answer came quickly. It was spiritual power. He learned about the mantises through his spiritual power, so theoretically, he could use it for the spiders. He didn¡¯t have a spider corpse in front of him, but there was the gate itself. ¡®If I fail, I¡¯ll look stupid.¡¯ But, if he seeded¡­maybe he could experience that same growth once more. Kang Shin-hyuk breathed deeply and reached a hand out to the inner wall of the gate. He raised his spiritual power with all his might and tried tomunicate with it. Chapter 53 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (2)

Chapter 53 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (2)

He had experience reading the memories and experiences of objects, but this time his target was the entire irregr gate. ¡®I¡¯m asking you.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think deeply about it; he had nothing else he could do. ¡®Please respond.¡¯ He believed and focused. His only goal was to find out where the spiders were. -¡­ Perhaps because the target¡¯s will was so huge, at first, there was no change. However, as Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power steadily flowed into the wall, a small sound flowed directly into his mind without passing through his ears. -¡­Click¡­click¡­ It was a spider creeping somewhere on the ceiling. His eyes widened; it was close to him. He could faintly read the spider¡¯s position and movement, which meant he seeded in interacting with the gate. That was only the beginning, however, as information about the spiders flooded into him. ¡°Oh, huh?!¡± All sorts of information flowed in at once, too fast to organize. He tried to control the image somehow as it felt like his head would begin to split. He didn¡¯t need all of this information, only where there wererge groups and where they were going. ¡®¡­!¡¯ He clenched his teeth to prevent himself from screaming at the terrible pain radiating through his head. He mentalized himself, refining the informationing in as if he were forging a de. Melting it down in the forge, beating it down on the anvil. Then calmly tapping away to do the finishing touches. ¡®Done¡­!¡¯ Finally, a beautiful de of meticulously organized information was engraved into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind. The gate¡¯s structure, the safe paths, the goals of the spiders, and their routes were all condensed into a simple map in his mind. The irregr gate was starting to feel a lot more manageable now. ¡®But.¡¯ He took his hand away from the wall and cut off the connection with a serious expression. There was one part he wasn¡¯t able to gather information on, and that was the spiders¡¯ birthce. It was the ce that had changed the most during the gate¡¯s transformation, but the mana concentrated there was so intense that it was impossible to scan using spiritual power. ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s too dangerous to leave alone.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced he had to go there to clear this gate. There would be plenty of spiders gathered there, so why not drink his potions and take them all out at once? His potions would onlyst for thirty minutes, and he couldn¡¯t use more than one per status each day, so it would be the ideal environment to take care of as many enemies as possible in that timeframe. Of course, it was another question whether he could face that many enemies at once. -Did you read it? ¡°Yeah, somehow.¡± The administrator remained silent in astonishment at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s honest reply for a long moment. -You¡¯re the only one who can handle your spiritual power so well. ¡°You told me that it is the power ofmunication.¡± -Usually, it is limited to one¡¯s specialty. Some can onlymunicate with their weapon or monsters. However, you canmunicate with everything as if there were no limits. Perhaps it is because you¡¯re going through your second life, or it¡¯s because of your ability as a craftsman. All I can say is that it¡¯s amazing. It was the second time that such a long and passionate message hade from the administrator. Kang Shin-hyuk thought to ept thepliment and move on, unsure of how to respond. ¡°I¡¯m going to check out if I was right.¡± He purchased some Velcro Tape using 100,000 HP from the remaining 700,000 HP. It was an item that you could attach to your shoes to stick to any surface. With it, it was possible to move around on the ceiling. -Are you okay? ¡°It feels a bit weird, but it¡¯s alright. It helps that I learned about the spiders from the wall.¡± -Myu¡­ ¡°Be patient.¡± He tucked Onyx in his shirt so he wouldn¡¯t fall, then looking into the nearest hole in the ceiling. Evolving into a spider-friendly A-grade environment, the gate now had an internal passageway for spiders to move easily through. Now, he could use it himself. ¡®My stealth is still up. Good.¡¯ There were usually only a few spiders crawling throughout the inner passages, which shouldn¡¯t be difficult to deal with. The real problem was in them sending periodic signals to each other. If there were a disturbance in the passage, he wouldn¡¯t be able to cover it up. -Click, click Crawling through the passage, he could hear the clicking sounds of spidersing from everywhere. Reaching an intersecting passage, a spider swung just past his nose. ¡®I have to keep calm.¡¯ His pulse was pounding in his ears, and he forced himself to calm down. The spiders didn¡¯t have a good sense of sight or smell; they mainly relied on their sense of touch to search for enemies. Therefore, as long as he remained calm and moved slowly, he wouldn¡¯t be caught. But was it really that easy? Another spider appeared from the crossing passage, shaking the antennae on its head up and down. Shin-hyuk held his breath to wait it out. -Click click click Little by little, the spider moved toward where Kang Shin-hyuk was hidden. It seemed convinced there was something nearby. He wondered if he should kill the spider and run away; however, there was the possibility he would be besieged in the passageways if he did that. The second he moved, he would definitely be caught. ¡®¡­Please, with this!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk acted quickly, making a gust of wind in his hand and shooting it away. Instead of hitting the spider, it caused a slight vibration on the other side of the vibration. Given that the skill was only still F-rank, that was all he was capable of doing. ¡®But I can do that without consuming spiritual power.¡¯ It was said that only those with magic could deal with those powers, but he could make that light breeze without it. If he used spiritual power, he could create stronger winds, but that was pointless at F-rank. -Click click click click On the other hand, he had achieved his goal. The spider reacted violently, turning to face the vibration. Kang Shin-hyuk crawled out of his spot as quickly as possible. -Myu. ¡°Just a little longer.¡± He proceeded without hesitation through the tangled passageways. In the process of encountering several more spiders, he began to learn of new ways to use Wind Mastery. He could erase his presence by artificially generating and interrupting the flow of wind. Thebination of Onyx¡¯s stealth and his wind were synergizing to make them even sneakier. -¡­Dear member, we will soon reach the core of this gate. ¡°I see. The information I gathered seems to be urate.¡± -You need to prepare for battle. You can¡¯t avoid it anymore. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He nodded, looking forward at the spiders, still moving busily in the center of the passage. ¡°Onyx, hide in the inventory. -Myu! Onyx steadfastly refused. His loyalty had risen after eating so much, so Shin-hyuk could feel that he wanted to help somehow. He gently patted Onyx¡¯s forehead. ¡°Okay, then hold on tight.¡± -Myu! Kang Shin-hyuk carefully pulled out the forelimb de he had stowed in his inventory, concentrating his spiritual power on it. His eyes began to turn golden. ¡°Here goes¡­!¡± His stealth skill dropped. The spiders began to approach him with a clicking sound as he with the de into the ceiling, firing off the de of wind with all his might. Thanks to Wind Master¡¯s influence, the wind de was twice as strong. -Kwaaaaaah! -Kiiiiiii! -Kiii! The ceiling copsed with the roar of a bomb exploding. Cracks began to spider out throughout the borately constructed passageways, causing them to copse as well. In the process of evading the debris, Kang Shin-hyuk turned to find a ce to go. Naturally, the space before him was a huge cavern. ¡°Crazy¡­¡± The contents of the cavern were iparable to the mantis nest. Countless eggs filled the deep, dark cavern that made up a significant chunk of the gate. -Kiiiii! -Kiii! Additionally, unlike the mantis nest, there were countless spiders there as well. Monsters were wrapped up in spider webs all over, bing food for the unborn spiders. Empty shells of the monsters that had already been sucked dry were piled up in one corner. -Kiiiii! The only positive thing was that Kang Shin-hyuk had blown up the passages effectively, killing some of the spiders and blocking the rest from essing this cavern. However, even with the HP acquisition message filling his retina, he couldn¡¯tugh. Hundreds of spiders were all watching him. -Click click click -Kiiii -Click A dissonance like hitting a torn drum or ying a rusted violin hit him. Ominous red eyes, twinkling in the dark, were drawing closer to him. He had no one but himself to me for his stupidity. -You¡¯ve consumed a lower strength potion. Your strength has risen by one level for 30 minutes. -You¡¯ve consumed a lower stamina potion. Your stamina has risen by one level for 30 minutes. -You¡¯ve consumed an intermediate agility potion. Your agility has risen by two levels for 30 minutes. Kang Shin-hyuk drank all of the potions he had prepared, raising his strength, stamina, and agility to the A-rank. He was now minimally prepared to fight against the gate. -Kiiii! -Click, click ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it now.¡± He had nowhere to retreat; he had to deal with them and clear the gate now. He showed a fearless smile as he brandished the forelimb de. Beyond the spiders, he could see a huge magic circle emitting a low blue light. Inside it was one giant egg. ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯ That was what he couldn¡¯t sense, perhaps the heart of this gate. But first, he would have to break through these hundreds of spiders. -Click click click -Click ¡°I won¡¯t die here¡­!¡± Drinking the spiritual recovery potion to put all his power into the forelimb de, he swung it with all his strength toward the poisonous spider webs that were aimed at him. The battle began. Chapter 54 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (3)

Chapter 54 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (3)

Spider, spider, spider. There were spiders everywhere the eye could see. The poisonous webs flying in from each side were sted away by the des of wind. Several egg clutches had been caught in the fray, raising the ire of the spiders even further. Even though it was temporary, with his agility at A-rank, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s speed had risen to a level beyond the imagination. The spiders also boasted a considerably faster speed than the mantises, but they couldn¡¯t catch up. If there were only ten of them, he would be able to take care of them easily. ¡®Although the problem is that there are at least a hundred of them!¡¯ He did it because he thought there was no other way, but still. His feet collided with the bare ground in that space teeming with spiders, kicking off quickly as he swore in his heart. -Click click click The creepy noises of the monsters ovepped and assaulted his ears. They attacked him with reckless abandon, unconcerned of any spider eggs nearby. Venomous fangs and webs, as well as de-sharp legs, came at him from every angle. He focused his eyes as he looked at the countless attacks crossing dizzily in front of him, raising the forelimb de. In his immediate vicinity, he only had to deal with so many enemies at once. He just had to keep hacking his way through. ¡®My increased agility is improving my visual acuity¡­good!¡¯ Examining the attacks, he figured out how to evade them and which spiders to attack first. ¡°Kh!¡± He immediately charged at them. The dragon engraved on the mantis de had it¡¯s mouth wide open as the de cleaved through the legs of the nearest spider. Cutting through one more quickly after, he fired off a wind de to defeat some more nearby spiders and destroy the closest egg clutch. -Kiii! -Kyaaaak! Quickly ducking under the spiders¡¯ legs, he drew the forelimb de upward to cut off the poisonous web spewing toward him. Then, avoiding the de-like limbs, he swung his de horizontally to cut down two spiders blocking him. Several spiders climbing on the sidewall spewed out poison toward him. He evaded what he could and blocked what he couldn¡¯t, avoiding direct hits. The attacks couldn¡¯t bepletely prevented, however. -Poison has been mostly resisted with Poison Resistance. However, the effects may remain. ¡°But it won¡¯t interfere with the battle¡­Onyx, you okay?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly evaluated the damage caused by the poison and decided it was safe, turning his attention to Onyx. Onyx was silent, however. ¡°Ah¡­I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh as he cut down the spiders left and right. He had already leaped out of his arms sometime during the fight. Looking around for him, he quickly decided it would be impossible to find him in the chaos. ¡®He must have a n of his own¡­right?¡¯ He had no choice but to trust in him. -Kiiiii! -Click click click Not giving him a chance to think about it anymore, the spiders stormed him. It was better to stop thinking and let instinct drive him. He struck out at the monsters threatening him, seizing the opportunity to counter-attack. There was no need forplex thought. -Kiiii! Although the weapon he was holding was not the Godyer sword, he gradually unfolded the Godyer swordsmanship he remembered through the forelimb de. His efforts to replicate that sword dance with various weapons were bearing fruit. It destroyed the enemy¡¯s movement through a unique dance that even Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t interpret. It was infinitely short of the original but effective enough for spiders. -Kyak -Click click¡­click The spiders¡¯ movements started to gain a sense of urgency as they kept dying. The poisonous webs shooting out were wrapping around the bodies of other spiders instead of him, and their stinging blows passed by him to hit eggs instead. It was thanks to him adapting to his heightened agility. ¡°Break¡­!¡± -Kiiiiii! The spiders screamed at the sound of the cracking of eggs. The spiders relied mainly on agility, and thus had a weak defense. It was easy enough to break through them with the forelimb ded in his hands. He didn¡¯t know how many spiders he had already killed, nor how many eggs, but the HP gain was enormous. It was a shame he couldn¡¯t be leisurely shopping on the trading board right now. ¡®I can¡¯t see the end.¡¯ How long had it been since the battle began? He fired off another de of wind imbued with his spiritual power and checked the time. Exactly eleven minutes had passed. ¡®Right¡­¡¯ He was running out of spiritual power, so he immediately grabbed a recovery potion and drank it, asking the administrator to buy two more. He had neen minutes to finish this. ¡®If I don¡¯t, it¡¯ll be over anyway.¡¯ He knew he couldn¡¯t end the battle through fighting blindly like he was. He was convinced he had killed plenty of them so far, but it was nothingpared to the amount still overflowing the tunnel. ¡®It isn¡¯t enough, I need a different approach.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and looked at the magic circle shining from one corner of the cavern. The spiders had stopped him hard, so the distance hadn¡¯t closed at all. Rather than killing the spiders, he knew he had to get there somehow. ¡®If don¡¯t get there, I¡¯ll have no choice but toy down and die.¡¯ He would destroy as many egg clutches as possible in the process, too. If he could raise his status before the potion ran out, he would be able tost longer. ¡®Go.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk, sure of what needed to be done, focused his spiritual power in his legs. At the same time, he attempted to lighten his body with Wind Mastery, which had grown to F+ rank during the battle. -Click click click ¡°¡­Ha!¡± It was open for only a moment, but he saw the best path before him. Wondering if it was the result of his dragon¡¯s dance, he intuitively followed it. Crushing the heads of spiders and firing off wind des, he threw his body forward again and again while letting his eyes pass over the HP acquisition messages popping up in front of him. -Kiiiii! ¡®Wind Mastery with my other skills¡­ it¡¯s not just a force that summons wind, it¡¯s involved in the flow.¡¯ And indeed, he flowed down the path before him. He analyzed the movements of all enemies before him so that he could respond more actively, aided by Wind Mastery. However, it wasn¡¯t purely his skills, as it was also based on his experiences so far. -You have realized the essence of the skill throughbat. Wind Master (A-) has grown to E Rank. Spirit and agility have been adjusted, but they may not grow to the next rank. -You have brought out the potential of your skill and embodied it. Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (S+) has grown to B+ rank. The effect of the trait has increased. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t even recognize the messages passing over his retina as he moved without hesitation. All of his experience up until now harmonized with his abilities. Each movement was engraved into his mind, materialized from a realm of intuition. -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 150,500 HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 225,750 HP! -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 115,000 HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 172,500 HP! -Click click -Kiiiii! The message covered his eyes as screams reverberated around him. Lifting his head, the magic circle was only a hundred meters away. -The status potion has five minutes remaining! The administrator¡¯s message seemed to announce the climax of the battle. ¡°What¡¯s my status right now?¡± -Strength B+, Agility A-, Health A-. ¡°I¡¯m stillcking in strength.¡± -You have to hurry, member. They appear to be hatching! ¡°I know, it¡¯s too noisy to stand.¡± A vibration like a steady heartbeat emanated throughout the cavern from the egg in the center of the magic circle. He knew if it hatched, something bad would happen. The issue was the remaining one hundred meters. The spiders were desperately rallying to defend the magic circle, forming a wall around him, without defeating them. He couldn¡¯t move forward. But, he expected this to some extent. In fact, he prepared for it. ¡°Administrator, please buy me an Ogre Power Gauntlet.¡± -Sorry, member, but it was just sold¡­artifacts like those are immensely popr¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk lost any ability to me the administrator for the sorrowful message. In that case, there was no other way. He sted away the closest spiders with a wind de and pulled three times from his inventory. The first was a javelin. The second was the items he bought to boost his power. The final was the javelin he forged for practice. It was the javelin made out of Alite, which could prate through magic. -Are you going to eat all of it? ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk failing.¡± -¡­I see. He grunted and swallowed the three eggs in session. His whole body began to boil without dy. With the addition of his potion, his strength had risen to the S-rank for a moment. He could feel his power overwhelming him. ¡°Oh, this is¡­ this¡¯ll be bad once the three minutes are up.¡± -So destroy it quickly! Since the administrator used an exmation point, he felt like he had to hurry. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled in the midst of the chaos and prepared the Alite javelin. Pulling it back, he threw it with all his might. Chapter 55 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (4)

Chapter 55 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (4)

[Perm¡¯s Javelin] [B-rank] [Special Ability: Perm] +Perm: Destroys all magical power. The probability of this urring increases in proportion to attack power. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s first B-rank masterpiece, the spear, which fully expressed the ability of the metal called Alite, was stuck in the center of the magic circle, leaving a golden afterimage behind it. He could feel power bursting out of the spear in a brilliant disy of light. The spear, backed by the power of an S-rank strength, shot right through the magic circle without any heed for its strength. -Kiiii! -Click click click The magic circle began to ssh unstable sparks, sowing confusion in the spiders flocking around it. For Kang Shin-hyuk, it was the perfect opportunity. In that gap of attention, he began to destroy all the egg clutches remaining in the cavern. -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 152,500 HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 228,750 HP! -Your strength became A-rank! Finally, his strength reached A-rank, pushing the buff even higher. At this point, he didn¡¯t have to run away to deal with them. He charged right in, wielding the forelimb de. ¡°Go away!¡± Everything in the path of his de fell. The spiders couldn¡¯t resist as they were split apart, still focusing on the magic circle. -Kwooom The magic circle began to disappear with the sound of ss breaking, unable to ovee the power contained in the javelin. -Kwooooom The magic circle shattered, countless particles of light scattering in the air as vibrations shook the cavern. Each spider let out a cry of excitement, flocking forwards to protect the egg, but it only encouraged Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Get off!¡± He had two minutes left to destroy the egg. He moved forward, wildly swinging his sword in all directions. His wind des cut through the spiders but weren¡¯t able to break the egg. ¡°How annoying¡­!¡± He picked up a javelin in his free hand as he kept cutting down the waves of spiders. Even his javelin, backed by S-rank strength, was blocked by the bodies of the spiders trying to protect the egg. -Myu! Looking down, he found Onyx at his feet. In his tiny hands was the other half of the marble he found earlier. ¡°You¡­where?¡± -Myu! Onyx cried out proudly. Apparently, he found it stuck to the egg in the middle of the magic circle. He was able to retrieve it once the circle was destroyed. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered what the true purpose of the magic circle was, if not just to protect. -It looks like it was used to instill spiritual power into the eggs. The damage is severe; it won¡¯t be usable right away. ¡°Did the spiders go into the mantisir for the other half¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced when he recalled the spider who searched the mantis nest. He thought it had been looking for him, but instead, it was searching for this marble. ¡®Into the inventory you go.¡¯ He stored it right away, praising Onyx. He only had one minute left and thirty meters between him and the egg. He thought it couldn¡¯t hatch without that marble fragment, so all he had to do now was smash it. However, Kang Shin-hyuk could not cross that thirty-meter distance. -Vwowooooom Like it suddenly sprang to life, a ck tentacle came out of the egg. It groped the air in search of something, quickly stabbing through the nearest spider. Dozens of tentacles joined it, piercing and absorbing the nearby spiders. -Click, click-click-click -Kiiiii! -Click-click The spiders didn¡¯t reject it, moving around excitedly. They were prepared to give everything to the egg. Realizing this was a part of the incubation process, Kang Shin-hyuk let another javelin sail to interrupt it, but it only broke through a few tentacles. The spiders threw themselves in his path to the end. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± When the tentacles finally moved back into the egg, no spider had survived. Cracks began to split the sides of the egg like lightning. Inside was, of course, a massive spider. It was the owner of this gate: the spider queen. ¡°Huh¡­Haaaaaaa!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw a javelin with thest of the power he had remaining in him. It was aimed right at the queen¡¯s head but could not pierce the leg that was swung to block it. -Kuoooooooh! At the very least, he could be a little d he broke the leg. The queen cried out, angry over the injuries she suffered. It was a roar filled with terrible power, like the one that changed this gate to A-rank. Soon after, what he had already expected came over him. -The effect of all status potions has disappeared. -The effect of the eggs has disappeared. As a side effect, strength and stamina will decrease by two ranks for thirty minutes, and your body will sustain serious injuries. The moment after the messages filled his retina, Kang Shin-hyuk ground his teeth in pain as it felt as if all the muscles in his body were contracting. It seemed like all the bones in his body were twisted and broken, blood welling up out of his body. The three minutes of invincibility had passed. -Kuooooooh! -Member! The pain was so severe that he couldn¡¯t respond properly to the administrator. No, rather, if he had time to react, he had to focus on the queen¡¯s attack. She was stepping out into the cavern, pushing away the eggshell around her to shoot a web at him. ¡°Khh!¡± Even in the midst of that pain, he was somehow able to throw his body away from the attack. Instead, the webs covered over the ground where he was standing, emitting an ominous purple hue. -Kuooooh! The queen spider carefully climbed out over the ground and spat out more web. Thanks to one of her forelimbs being destroyed, she was moving slower. If his agility had weakened instead of his strength or stamina, this battle would¡¯ve already been over. The webs that were now filling the floor was a trap that could kill him with a touch. ¡®Not good.¡¯ There was no retreat. To defeat it, he would have to get closer somehow. If he continued only to dodge, his death was assured. But how? With his strength and stamina falling to B-rank, how could he confront the queen and win? ¡®¡­ It¡¯s useless to think about it. I have to crush this guy even if it uses up everything I have.¡¯ -Myu¡­! His head became hazier as he continued to bleed out. Onyx began to cry out anxiously. ¡°Onyx¡­It¡¯s alright, I just had a hard time.¡± -Myu?! He patted him lightly, assuring him it was all fine, then put him in his inventory. He had already done his part by finding the marbles; now, he would be in danger. ¡°Administrator, please rmend an item that can heal my wounds and eliminate the side effects, if you could.¡± -Member. Kang Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t given up hope yet. He needed to destroy this monster to escape this irregr gate, and he still had the Hero Universe. He had secured more than five million HP so far, that had to be enough¡­! -I apologize, member. At this stage, potions that eliminate the side effects cannot be sold. Originally, I would have ignored the restrictions through my own authority. Again, he jumped away from the spider web. The next moment, he had to fire off a wind de to stop the next one from reaching him. If it weren¡¯t for Wind Master, he would¡¯ve already been caught. -Fortunately, there was no need for that. ¡°Damn¡­what?¡± The administrator who always sided with him made a voice he couldn¡¯t understand. He wondered if he was disappointed with his disy of weakness. His mind was so hazy that he could entertain such a ridiculous thought. -The bartender sent a gift. Would you like to confirm? The angel¡¯s gift arrived without warning. ¡°My sister¡­?! Yes, give it to me right away!¡± -You received the Alchemist¡¯s Special Transcendent Potion (SS-). The Hero Universe also provided the Gift system. It allowed for the direct transfer of objects between people registered as friends. It was limited to objects not provided by the Hero Universe, and a considerable amount of HP was consumed in sending one. There was also a limit to how many gifts could be sent, so it wasn¡¯t a service that could be used lightly. However, ire had sent him a gift right now. ¡®You heard.¡¯ When he contacted Shin Eunah, he knew there was a time difference between here and the outside. She must¡¯ve contacted ire after contacting him. She must¡¯ve immediately begun to make potions to send his way right after. Shin-hyuk felt so moved, he thought he would begin to cry, but he had no time for dys. He picked up the potion straight away and drank it. -The Alchemist¡¯s Special Transcendent Potion (SS-) Explosive power ran through his body, burning away the pain of the side effects. -All wounds below fatal have been healed. The effect has been amplified by the spiritual power contained in the potion. All wounds and abnormalities will be healed, and the remaining healing power will stay in the body for a while to protect you. -Temporarily (10 minutes), all stats will increase by two ranks. Spiritual power has amplified the effect in the potion. Temporarily (20 minutes), all stats have been boosted by three ranks. -With your spiritual power, you have seeded in releasing the limit of the power contained in the potion! The rarity and proficiency of all skills have increased by one rank during the duration of the potion. It truly was a potion to be described as transcendent. He felt a small bit of pride in his role as ire¡¯s assistant. -Quooooooo! Realizing that the atmosphere around Kang Shin-hyuk had changed instantly, the spider queen had a tense appearance to her. Thanks to the side effects disappearing and the potion, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s status was now at the level of S-ss. ¡°Thank you, sister.¡± He let go of the javelin and summoned the Godyer to his hand. In one hand, he had the forelimb de, and in the other, the Godyer. With his current status and skill, he felt like he could manage it. He wanted to send a message right away to ire, but he had to face this monster first. ¡°Hoo!¡± With a smile, Kang Shin-hyuk kicked off the floor. The queen spider¡¯s webs were blown away by the forelimb de. He jumped up into the air with the help of Wind Mastery, narrowing the distance between them to less than three meters. The queen swung her legs to attack him, but he cut them off with ease in mid-air. -Kuoooooooooh! The wind generated by his power of Wind Mastery lifted him up a little higher; the queen was right in front of him now. A huge spider body with a slightly smaller head attached to it. Perhaps it hatched in an iplete state. -Member, the enemy¡¯s attack¡­! ¡°Yes, I know.¡± It¡¯s huge body surged forward, an ominous purple haze emanating from its back. Without hesitation, Kang Shin-hyuk threw the forelimb de forward. -Kuooooooooh! ¡°Ha!¡± With his other hand, he thrust the Godyer through the head of the queen spider. Chapter 56 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (5)

Chapter 56 - Phantom Dragon, Ride the Wind (5)

Shin Eunah, a leading superhuman in Korea¡¯s top 20s, her incredible ability matched her with beauty, made her a renowned celebrity, and, thus, many rumors circted about her. Rumors like she was dating the second-generation member of an influential family, or that she held the real power of the association through the use of her beauty and body, or that she was even the result of a national experiment to create the strongest artificial superhuman. Most of them were mere gossip or bullshit, but there was one rumor that wasn¡¯t. That was that she was hiding her full power. Many of her fans in Korea argued that she was only 317 in the international rankings only because she didn¡¯t have a chance to show off her skills beyond that, or perhaps because she didn¡¯t need to. ¡®I believe it.¡¯ Karen Stringfield wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment as she watched the scene unfolding beyond the shield around her and her party. Her eyes were focused on the very image of the Thunder Empress, with shining golden eyes as she controlled the lightning around her. ¡°Thunderbolt ¨C multiple. Reload. Thunderbolt ¨C dispersion. Back. Thunderbolt ¨C repeat, repeat.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a monster.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t group up, you idiots!¡± People in dark costumes with intricate patterns and masks on their faces moved in to attack Shin Eunah. They used magic in conjunction with swords, spears, and bows to try and finish her off. However, the lightning around Shin Eunah negated their offensive and was even pushing them back despite the difference in numbers. With each blink of the eye, bodies burnt by lightning fell to the floor. It was hard to tell what was actually going on, but Karen, who could enhance her reaction time, was able to understand the battle unfolding before her. ¡®Amazing¡­I wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with one of them properly. No, it¡¯s weird no matter how you look at it! All of them have to be at least A-rank, what the hell?!¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even guess why she was being attacked by other humans while they were training inside the gate. All she knew was that Kang Shin-hyuk had suddenly disappeared, and soon after, another gate appeared inside where these unknown people came out of. ¡°Fuck.¡± Do Woojin swore quietly as he watched the battle beside her. They were safe inside a protective shield Shin Eunah activated the moment Kang Shin-hyuk was taken into an irregr gate. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°They were targeting us and decided to attack. I bet they kidnap superhumans and brainwash them.¡± It was Baek who answered Do Woojin. He was wearing a subdued expression that didn¡¯t fit his normal attitude, but even Karen could tell he was outrageous right now. ¡°Kidnap? Brainwashing?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, reinforcements will probablye soon. I assumed this might happen. No¡­this situation will end before the reinforcements arrive.¡± ¡°Hey, wait¡­were we used as bait?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t stop practicing just because you knew it was dangerous. That¡¯s why our escort is her.¡± With Baek¡¯s terse response, Do Woojin¡¯s annoyance was growing full. He couldn¡¯t stand how calm Baek was being. ¡°How can you be so calm?!¡± ¡°Does it look like that?¡± Do Woojin immediately closed his mouth to Baek¡¯s sharp response. He recalled Baek¡¯s face when Kang Shin-hyuk was dragged away into that irregr gate and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No¡­alright.¡± Baek waved him off and crossed his arms, looking out to the fierce battle beyond the shield. Rather, he looked at the one-sided battle that Shin Eunah was fighting. The monsters that arrived were already annihted, and only those with excellent skills had been able to hold on. The game seemed to being to a close, however, as she drove them back without a single gap in her defenses. Somehow, to him, she felt angrier at herself than them. He wondered if they had anything to do with Jormungand, or if she felt responsible for the student she lost. ¡®¡­Shin-hyuk.¡¯ Baek bit his lip at the memory of his friend. He felt like he was at fault for letting him get taken; he could barely stand it. Yet, all Baek could do we stay inside this shield. He was confident he could fight these masked enemies, but he would only get in Shin Eunah¡¯s way right now. ¡°Uh, guys? Right there!¡± Karen grabbed onto Do Woojin and Baek¡¯s sleeves, pointing. They turned their heads in time to see cracks forming in the air. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a gate copsing.¡± Baek muttered nkly in response to Do Woojin. ¡°What kind of gate is that¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where Shin-hyuk was dragged in.¡± Baek prepared himself for battle. If Kang Shin-hyuk came back alive, then that would be that. But it would be arrogant to think that Shin-hyuk, or even himself, could clear a mysterious irregr gate alone after being tricked by the enemy. ¡®If so¡­I have to be careful.¡¯ As Baek quietly watched, the crack gradually increased to make a ck hole the size of a person. From within¡­nothing came out. ¡®What?¡¯ His eyes grew thinner as the ck hole began to shrink until it finally disappeared. If the gate was destroyed, something should havee out, whether it be the human who destroyed it or the monster that killed said human. But nothing came out. ¡®No, there is!¡¯ He opened his eyes wide. It felt really faint, but there was a human apanied by a small creature. They were slowly getting closer to them. Baek looked away towards Shin Eunah, who was still fighting. She showed no sign of noticing what was happening. She was running wild with anger as her foes charged at her. Turning his head again, Baek could faintly hear a small voice in the ear mic. -Open the shield. It was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s voice. As soon as Baek heard it, all the energy in his body left. ¡°You¡­ it¡¯s really you¡­¡± -I¡¯m Kang Shin-hyuk, who came back alive thanks to the 1.5 million won sword you bought me as a birthday gift, so open it up quickly. ¡°Huh? Baek, what did you say?¡± Baek ignored the gaze of Karen and Do Woojin as he stretched his arms out of the shield. It would attract people from outside the shield into it. It was dangerous and couldn¡¯t be used while being attacked. But the enemies dealing with Shin Eunah weren¡¯t in a situation where they could focus on Baek. Quickly, someone who grabbed onto his hand was pulling into the shield. At that same time, his hiding waspletely released, and the appearance of Kang Shin-hyuk wearing rags that were once his school uniform was revealed. ¡°Thank you.¡± He was clearly exhausted, but alive regardless. ¡°Shin-hyuk, is that really you¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± Karen and Do Woojin didn¡¯t give him a chance to say anything. Those outside the shield also began to realize that someone else had joined them. ¡°How did he make it out of that gate?¡± ¡°Focus!¡± ¡°Hey, report to headquarters¡­!¡± The fighters of Jormungand seemed visibly embarrassed at the scene before them. ¡°Lightning ¨C multiple links!¡± Shin Eunah swept them all away with golden lightning. She seemed to calm down a bit after confirming Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s safety. As such, Jormungand¡¯s elitebat unit was neatly taken care of. *** Reinforcements arrived shortly after all the work was done. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because they werete, but because Shin Eunah¡¯s response was too fast. ¡°A magic tool that forcibly generates an irregr gate¡­ I¡¯ve heard the rumors, but it could form a gate inside another gate¡­¡± ¡°It appears that the rumors of them working with intelligent monsters was true.¡± ¡°This is a problem. If a raid like this is possible, anyone who enters a gate is in danger.¡± ¡°We have to manage the gates more thoroughly¡­ there¡¯s no excuse. Damn it.¡± The elite troops of various guilds, including Vanguard and Baekyang, were gathered in the D+ gate for a meeting. ¡°This countermeasure meeting is important, but right now, the students need a break.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Sorry.¡± Baekyang¡¯s guild submaster, Lee Jin-young, shuddered at the anger in Shin Eunah¡¯s voice. He knew she had turned Jormungand¡¯s elite unit into charcoal. ¡°It¡¯s best not to discuss this in front of the children.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send them back to the school dormitory right now. Shin Eunah, why don¡¯t you apany them? You¡¯ve fought a fierce battle and should take a break too. We¡¯ll contact youter.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± At the words of Lim Hoon, leader of Vanguard¡¯s 1st team, Shin Eunah nodded and led the children to the gate¡¯s exit. ¡°Are you really okay, Shin-hyuk?¡± Riding in a limousine arranged by the association on the way to the dormitory, Karen carefully questioned him. Just by looking at the condition of his clothes, you could tell how seriously he had suffered. His jacket was torn, and the armor he wore underneath his shirt had holes in it. His pants were torn as well, and what remained of them also had holes in them. Strangely, there were no wounds on his flesh. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Actually, I wasn¡¯t, but thanks to that potion I drank, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Where did such a potione from?!¡± ¡°An angel sent it.¡± In response to Kang Shin-hyuk, Shin Eunah, who was sitting in front of them, flinched. Karen puffed her cheeks at Shin-hyuk, who wouldn¡¯t answer her properly, but she has pushed away as Baek jumped in. ¡°Were there any bad guys there?¡± ¡°There were only monsters. I guess¡­ wasn¡¯t it meant to iste us?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­it was meant for Shin Eunah? Were they trying to quarantine the teacher to kidnap us?¡± ¡°Perhaps originally, but it got me instead.¡± If that were the case, it meant their ability to control monsters and generate irregr gates wasn¡¯t perfect. Kang Shin-hyuk thought that was the most usible case. The monsters inside the gate had been too strong to deal with a couple of students; no doubt, it was intended to contain Shin Eunah. ¡°What was the difficulty level?¡± Do Woojin asked next, and Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at the concern he could feel from him. But he couldn¡¯t be honest. It would¡¯ve been impossible for him to clear that gate without the Hero Universe. ¡°It was difficult, I barely survived.¡± ¡°What was its rank?¡± ¡°Ah, Woojin? Stop bugging this boy who had a hard time clearing the gate! Look at the state of his uniform and read the mood!¡± ¡°No, but¡­sorry.¡± Do Woojin apologized honestly, dropping his shoulders. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head to let him know it was okay. ¡°Actually, it was so crazy that I can¡¯t remember the difficulty level. There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± ¡°¡­I see, it must¡¯ve been hard.¡± Do Woojin looked a little depressed. Kang Shin-hyuk looked over at Shin Eunah. It was astounding to see her fight with those enemies outside of the shield. It was a battle that matched the expectations of the title Thunder Empress. ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah was in the front seat staring back at him. Her eyes were filled with confusion and impulse. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± She finally said that and turned away from him. They arrived at the entrance to the school, and the car quietly climbed the hill past it. He wondered how he should interpret her words just then. Everyone in the group could sense the strange atmosphere between them and wondered the same. Meanwhile¡­ ¡°I told you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as he spoke to Shin Eunah. He had no intention of avoiding her anymore, so he decided to confess. ¡°Because it¡¯s okay, trust and wait.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Shin Eunah turned to him so fast he was worried her neck would break. ¡°That¡­so after all¡­¡± ¡°Teacher, I need to talk to you about something. Could you please set aside some time in the afternoon?¡± ¡°¡­Huh. Okay.¡± Before she could react, he decided to push forward. She desperately suppressed her words and nodded a few times. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t the only ones there. ¡°¡­Guys, what are you trying to really say?¡± ¡°What? What the hell? Why do I feel like you¡¯re stabbing me in the back?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a report on the gate. All of you calm down.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one furthest from reality?¡± The students began to argue as they sensed the two¡¯s unusual atmosphere. A spark from Shin Eunah quieted them, however. The limousine came to a halt, the main school building was right in front of them. The long practice had finally concluded. Chapter 57 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (1)

Chapter 57 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (1)

-Thank you so much, sister. No joke, if you didn¡¯t send the potion at the right time, I would¡¯ve died. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. It was worth the rush. ire¡¯s response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s gratitude-filled message was elegant and stylish. Diving into a bathtub full of warm water after throwing his raggedy uniform into the trash, he once again expressed his gratitude. -I love you, sister. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I said before you¡¯re too young, give up. Despite the decisive rejection, his indomitable will wasn¡¯t broken. -This grace will be paid back. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: That¡¯s a bit tough¡­ let¡¯s go to our bar regrly. -Oh¡­ He had been caught up in the blink of an eye. He didn¡¯t want to get too close to the space full of those heavy drinks she was creating. However, it was true that she saved his life, so he couldn¡¯t refuse. Moreover, any time spent with her was purely enjoyable. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Good? -Y-yeah, good¡­ -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Good. From now on, you are the server responsible for the mysterious Frontline Bar. -You¡¯re in charge of the mystery¡­but aren¡¯t you in America? How will I get there? ireughed and replied as if to ask him what he was talking about. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Aren¡¯t we setting it up in Korea? -¡­Yeah? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I¡¯m tired of the US governmentbeling me an alchemist and trying to control me. Didn¡¯t I say I wanted to be a bartender? But if I did that in New York, it would bother them. -Well, sister? Wouldn¡¯t it be bothersome in Korea too? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I bet it¡¯ll be fine. Korea will want me there, anyway. He admired ire¡¯s absurd willpower and sheer optimism. Would the daye when he could be as flippant about the government? Maybe when he reached SS rank. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: The important thing right now is Eunah, not the government. What are you going to do? -Sorry, sister, but I¡¯ve already been half caught. I decided to stop ying around. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Whoa, I thought it would be like that one day, but what¡¯s serious right now is that Eunah is actually¡­ah. ire decided to cut off the message and send one that was a bit calmer. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Maybe it worked out for the best. Maybe Eunah decided to cut it out before it went too far¡­ -¡­What? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Nothing. Take good care of your granddaughter. ire ended the conversation, leaving Kang Shin-hyuk puzzled about what she meant. Maybe it was rted to his sponsorship by the association? Shin Eunah had judged him as a great talent and tried to force him into joining them but gave up because she learned he was Anvil. ¡®What an excessive granddaughter.¡¯ Thinking of meeting with Shin Eunah made him feel like something heavy was sitting on his chest. Looking down, Onyx was sitting on his chest, sshing in the water. ¡°You.¡± -Myu! He was so cute he couldn¡¯t stay mad at him. He closed his eyes with a satisfied expression. ¡®It would¡¯ve been really dangerous if it weren¡¯t for this guy¡­do as you will for the time being.¡¯ He slowly patted Onyx. He realized that he hadn¡¯t checked his status in a bit, so he decided to check that while rxing. ¡°Status window.¡± [Kang Shin-hyuk: A-rank] [Characteristic] Golden-eyed Dragon (S) [Physical ability] Power: A- Agility: A- Health: A- [Special ability] Spirit: B+ Regeneration: B [Skill] Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (S+): B+ Metallurgy: C Wind Mastery (A-): D- Poison Resist (B+): C ¡°Ha, that¡¯s crazy.¡± All of his physical stats had risen to A-rank in addition to gaining the Wind Master and Poison Resist skills. His spiritual power grew to B+ rank after ying the spider queen, and now his regeneration was also at the B-rank. That was thanks to ying all those insect monsters who had excellent regenerative powers. ¡®My status raised significantly while I was struggling to survive in that dungeon.¡¯ He was unsure how others would react if they could see his status window. No doubt, they would faint if that happened. He would have to be especially careful around Baek. ¡®It was dangerous but¡­still, I hit the jackpot.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a simple urban legend that people would find nests full of monster eggs. Today, Kang Shin-hyuk had proven it to be true. -In addition to your growth, you also have the automatic routing function. ¡°¡­¡± Intoxicated with the joy of growth, his expression quickly faded away at the administrator¡¯s words: the automatic routing function. It was a service provided by the Hero Universe that allowed one to separate and obtain monster by-products quickly. It even stored the obtained items automatically into the inventory. ¡°It¡¯spletely a game. It¡¯s like an automatic looting feature.¡± -I won¡¯t say we didn¡¯t refer to it during development, but it¡¯s a great feature. It will be helpful to you as well. ¡°It was today¡­¡± It instantly secured everything it could from the spider queen in the short time he had while the gate was copsing. It even acquired the loot from the spiders he killed in the cavern leading up to it. It was a great function; the problem was its price. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would cost 4 million HP.¡± -That is thanks to the VIP 50% special discount. The original price is 8 million HP. It is also a feature that cannot be purchased unless one¡¯s membership level is quite high. Please do not be discouraged; it will be helpful in the future. ¡°I also had to purchase two additional inventory slots¡­¡± -Inventory space will also be quite helpful to you in the future. Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk knew that. Both were useful things to have, but neither were things he could use in front of other people. -The routing function is also referred to as an artifact or skill. ¡°¡­Oh, that makes sense.¡± There was now that there would be no artifacts that could automatically dismantle monsters. Kang Shin-hyuk quickly understood and became quiet. Upon evaluating, he spent 7 million HP to purchase those functions and had 2.25 million HP remaining. ¡®It¡¯s a huge amount, but it¡¯s not quite enough for an Ogre Power Gauntlet.¡¯ He decided to clear away his regrets about the artifact. Rather, buying various materials and crafting his own might be more beneficial in the long run. No, before that, he had the by-products of the spider queen he killed¡­wait, wasn¡¯t there something more important than that? ¡°The marble!¡± He hadn¡¯t checked the pieces of the marble yet. It was clearly a key object from the gate, but he hadn¡¯t figured out its functions yet. ¡®¡­ Let¡¯s take a look¡­¡¯ The moment he tried to get the two marbles out of his inventory, his stick vibrated. He wondered if it was Shin Eunah. He left the bathtub with a bitter smile at the timing, Onyx still clinging to him. Now he had to have a conversation with this overbearing granddaughter. *** The meeting ce was on campus. It didn¡¯t make sense to head out of school right after being attacked by strangers. It was a ce where he could chat with Shin Eunah without attracting other people¡¯s attention. Their meeting ce was the Artifact Production clubroom. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back safely.¡± Lee Manwoo greeted Kang Shin-hyuk. Seeing Shin Eunah standing beside him, Kang Shin-hyuk nodded quietly. She had already told him about the situation. ¡°Yes, somehow. The Alite javelin I made turned out to be pretty helpful.¡± ¡°You recovered it, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He almost lost it, but thanks to the automatic routing function, he recovered it. ¡°It¡¯s an item for the contest, so keep it safe.¡± Lee Manwoo nced at Shin Eunah onest time before standing up. He paused at the door and nced back at the two. ¡°It¡¯s not a romantic thing, right?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Alright, then. That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if he knew something about Shin Eunah as he left with a look of relief. Shin Eunah stared at him as he considered this. He sat at the table opposite to Shin Eunah. She was wearing a ck leather skirt and a white blouse, revealing the charm of an adult woman, which only served to pressure him. He knew something was wrong. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah was silently staring at him. He twisted his body, unable to withstand the awkward atmosphere, as she examined him closer. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa?¡± The moment he opened his mouth to speak, Shin Eunah struck like lightning with a fastball. Kang Shin-hyuk stared into her golden eyes as numerous thoughts ran through his mind, but in the end, he nodded. ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m Anvil. As I saidst time, I still only have a few memories of my previous life.¡± ¡°You knew I was Eunah?¡± The fastballs kepting. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± ¡°It was a burden. Moreover, I didn¡¯t think revealing my identity would help you¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± Her words hardened. The words that followed, however, were not what he was preparing for. ¡°¡­Eunah.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Call me Eunah.¡± He felt if he didn¡¯t call her Eunah, she would be inclined to rip his throat out. However, he hesitated to do so, and she reluctantly suggested apromise. ¡°When it¡¯s just us two.¡± ¡°Then¡­Eunah.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Suddenly, it felt like the room had brightened, but it was just because she was smiling wide. It was a beautiful smile none had ever seen before. It was a smile so bright that it could even purify the undead. ¡°So that¡¯s it now.¡± Shin Eunah stood up with a refreshed expression. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°What happened¡­hey?¡± She ignored him and moved to sit right next to him. ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Whoo¡­so.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat stiffly as sheid her head on his knee. ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re not done with this yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m mad.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m angry that you could recognize Eunah right away, but Eunah couldn¡¯t immediately recognize her grandpa.¡± As it became clear he was Anvil, she began to regress immediately to this childish form. The imbnce between her mannerisms and her mature beauty was too much. His head began to swim as he could smell her fragrant shampoo. ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t be mad at grandpa for that. Eunah is a good child, so she doesn¡¯t me others for her own faults.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t say anything to Shin Eunah, who looked like an adult but was acting so childishly. He wanted to ask her how she grew up like this, but he knew that wouldn¡¯t go over well. ¡°Hick.¡± Instead of saying anything, he looked down, but she quickly raised her head. He could see her underwear through the gap in her blouse, and his heart began to pound. She reached out to grasp his hand gently. He tried hard not to make a sound. ¡°So that¡¯s it for now. This is it.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m d grandpa is safe.¡± As if she didn¡¯t hear his apology, she muttered, gently squeezing his hand. ¡°I¡¯m so d grandpa visited Eunah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively extended his hand to her forehead as he heard that. That memory of Anvil was evoked. ¡°Huh¡­hugh¡­¡± He gently swept her bangs. It was an act that would be very rude and unpleasant for anyone else, but she gently closed her eyes and smiledfortably. She was the very image of a granddaughter infatuated with her grandpa. ¡®This one¡¯s really weird.¡¯ While thinking that, he didn¡¯t stop gently brushing her hair. He thought it was weird, but now he was filled with a warm feeling. Maybe it was Anvil¡¯s influence, but he didn¡¯t hate it. ¡°Grandpa¡­I love you.¡± ¡°Stop calling me grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa, I kept the hairpin you gave me as a birthday present. Are you proud?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, yes.¡± ¡°I love grandpa¡­¡± She suddenly turned outside, wondering how long they sat like that. He thought it was unfortunate he couldn¡¯t see her face, but he could feel something wet on his knee. Her shoulders were shaking quietly. He didn¡¯t dare ask if she was crying. He only kept brushing her hair. ¡°¡­In the future¡­¡± Before long, she quietly spoke up in a voice choked by emotion. ¡°In the future, we will continue to be together¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunahid crying on his knees for three hours. Kang Shin-hyuk thought it would be better if she was angry at him, but he couldn¡¯t dare do anything but sit and wait quietly for her. Chapter 58 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (2)

Chapter 58 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (2)

-Janus¡¯s whisper: Honestly, it was impossible to keep hidden. Eunah, she must¡¯ve been holding onto some pretty rough wounds. Even if I had helped, it would¡¯ve cost 100 million HP. It was evening now. Eunah was barely satisfied, but she was finally removed as he returned to the dormitory. Janus, who heard about the situation from Kang Shin-hyuk, was making fun of him. Kang Shin-hyuk took out the by-products umted in his inventory one by one, cleaning them and sorting them by type. -Do you have 100 million HP? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Ha, 100 million HP is a lot. Anvil was really good, though. He made a weapon that was worth hundreds of millions. Have you recovered your skills? -C rank. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Ah, it¡¯s still far away. I¡¯m growing old and dying. When will the Godyer be done? -I¡¯m still working on it diligently. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Come on, grandpa. Dimensional quest, dimensional quest! Janus offered an unexpected proposal. Kang Shin-hyuk, who was curing the monster¡¯s shell from the previous quest, tilted his head at the unexpected words. -Janus¡¯s whisper: They¡¯re perfectly suited to the aptitude of Hero Universe members. -The administrator said that there are a lot of dimensional quests to recover weapons I made in my previous life¡­ah. The administrator immediately affirmed him. -The dimensional quest is a noble task of bringing bnce to the world, but it is also a privilege only granted to VIP members. It opens the door to the most suitable environment for those few members who want to push their limits. You are just adding your special recovery quest to it. ¡°Well, it sounds like a win-win no matter how I look at it¡­¡± -You only need to trust the administrator. We will guide you through the dimensional quests that aren¡¯t dangerous. It is also the fastest way to recover your skills. Kang Shin-hyuk knew well that the administrator wasn¡¯t trying to trick him. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Dimensional quest. Got it? -Yeah, if I have time. Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t happily agree to his words as he would need a few days free to head off to a ce like Kieron. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Did you say it was school? It is bothersome you didn¡¯te back to this world with your abilities. -I need toy down my foundation at school. If you hurry too much, you¡¯ll make yourself sick. I¡¯ll make a new swordter somehow, so don¡¯tin too much and wait patiently. -Janus¡¯s whisper: ¡­That old grandfatherly tone came out for no reason. Shin-hyuk was ready to end the conversation, but another message arrived. -Janus¡¯s whisper: By the way, you will have a hard time in the future. -Why? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Eunah. -That¡¯s¡­yes, it seems like it will be annoying. -Janus¡¯s whisper: You don¡¯t know Anvil yet, but as a third party, I have a clear view. -Anything else to tell me? -Janus¡¯s whisper: It will be more fun if you look forward to it! Welp, I¡¯m going to catch the Chaos Dragon! -Hey! Don¡¯t just ask me to make you something then run off! If you catch something like that, send me some of its materials! Janus left without a reply. Both Tsukuyo and Janus, or rather all members of the Hero Universe, were like this. Kang Shin-hyuk grumbled as he finished organizing his inventory. He had arge number of mantis des and carapaces, as well as various bits of the spiders. Even the parts from the queen alone weighed about 200 kilograms. ¡°With this, the rough cleanup is over¡­let¡¯s take a look at this guy.¡± -50HP Bonus for members! After organizing all the by-products, thest thing to examine was the two fragments of the marble. It was an unknown bit of energy, but he thought it was the biggest harvest he acquired. When he put the two cross-sections together, they fit so well he couldugh, but they didn¡¯t fuse together. ¡°Hmm.¡± It wasn¡¯t like him to give up so easily, though. He tried tomunicate with the fragments with his spiritual power while aligning them once more. He could feel the aggregate of spiritual power that existed in the marble fragments, connecting them together. He wondered what sort of power would be produced when they were fused together. However, his spiritual power only allowed them tomunicate back and forth; it didn¡¯t connect them. ¡°If so¡­¡± Shin-hyuk retrieved the spiritual glue he used at thest gate. He had just enough for one more use. -Spirit adhesives don¡¯t have any basic restorative properties. I do not rmend this. ¡°But currently, I have no other option.¡± -Your spiritual power will increase, and if you hunt more monsters, you can secure materials like mana stones¡­perhaps with that, you can repair this¡­ ¡°Even if this fails, I can just try thatter. The worst that¡¯ll happen is I¡¯ll be out of spiritual glue.¡± -I¡¯ll observe it then. The administrator seemed sure he would fail; however, Kang Shin-hyuk clearly remembered his own abilities. He carefully spread the adhesive against the marbles and fit them once more. They were perfectly interlocked. ¡®Good¡­now.¡¯ As the administrator said, the spiritual adhesive temporarily connected the beads but didn¡¯t restore it. However, he recognized the flow of spiritual power rotating in the marble and began to lead it. As the broken passage was temporarily restored and spiritual power circted through it, the connection became more natural. ¡®But it¡¯s still weak.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes lit up as he watched the spiritual power circted inside of it. The radiant lights in it were like a copsed gxy. He began to add his own spiritual power into it, speeding it up and repairing it. His trait, Golden Eyed Dragon, activated. The marble resonated with the gold in his eyes, strengthened by his influence. -¡­Amazing. Kang Shin-hyuk was unaware of the administrator¡¯s message,pletely focused on pouring his spiritual power into the marble as his traits activated. He was struggling hard just to focus. If he could activate this marble, maybe his characteristics would be able to take another step forward¡­! ¡®It¡¯s sticking.¡¯ Thanks to the spiritual glue and his own characteristics, he was able to restore the marble. The iplete surface was filled in, fully bonded now as the adhesive dissolved away. The flow of spiritual power smoothened as countless sparks of spiritual power moved in the marble, slowing the power leaking out. The marble began to radiate an intense golden color. And at the moment, Kang Shin-hyuk injected all of his remaining power into the marble; a dazzling light burst from it. It was like the Milky Way had been released inside of his room. -After restoring the damaged item beyond perfection, you obtained [Shinfeng Orb (SS)]. However, since it was damaged, some energy has been lost. A lot of effort will be needed to restore it to its original state. -Talent (Golden-eyed Dragon (S)] has satisfied one condition for evolution. As soon as the other two conditions are met, the trait will evolve. -Acquiring experience in restoring valuable artifacts, your metallurgy skill has grown to C+ rank! Heat resistance has further increased. -Synchronization has elerated¡ªcurrent rate of 14.1%. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes opened wide, a smooth marble of gold floating in the air in front of him. It was the size of his fist. ¡°SS rank¡­¡± The words leaked out of his mouth at the message. -Even that level is lower than its true form. Depending on your efforts, it can be restored beyond that. ¡°Why was such a treasure in that gate¡­?¡± -Wouldn¡¯t those who attacked you know? No, maybe not. It may have been so long that no one knew of its value. Could it be that they knew information about this orb and tried to find it using Shin Eunah? No. Rather, Onyx easily found it. Was Onyx special? As usual, he found no answers. ¡®Nothing could be done about it.¡¯ The administrator asked him to store it away, and heplied. Now that it was regaining its power, he knew he had to be careful in using it. ¡°But it¡¯s still a jackpot.¡± -That¡¯s not an item avable even in the Hero Universe. I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯ve sessfully restored it. ¡°My metallurgy has grown too because of that.¡± -It¡¯s not an armament, but it is a great artifact. It¡¯s surprising that it didn¡¯t grow more than that. Kang Shin-hyuk ced his hand on the orb to check its information, but only the message, ¡®Unable to confirm¡¯ appeared. He wondered what it was, but he still couldn¡¯t figure it out even after he restored it. Perhaps it was because the rank difference was too extreme. ¡°Then, let¡¯s focus on acquiring some other skills.¡± -You have the ability to create and enhance things, so you will bepatible with most emotional skills. The cheapest is 5 million HP. With your VIP discount, it will be 4 million. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at itter.¡± After all that, he had no choice but to work on his own spiritual power tomunicate with this marble. It was an SS-rank item, so he had to be incredibly careful in touching it. ¡®I need a space where others can¡¯t see me¡­My Room.¡¯ However, the moment Kang Shin-hyuk had that item, his stick began to ring. ncing at it, the caller was Karen. ¡°Should I answer it?¡± He couldn¡¯t ignore it in the end. This was because he had a message saying that if he didn¡¯t go to the female dorm, she woulde directly to him, apanied by the vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights. Chapter 59 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (3)

Chapter 59 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (3)

It was 10 PM now. The incident during the day¡¯s practice wasn¡¯t widely known, but the school stopped students from leaving the campus for three days. That meant people were crowded inside the dormitory. No, rather, at 10 PM, most students would be in the dormitory, anyways. Kang Shin-hyuk was heading toward the girl¡¯s dormitory with no small amount of embarrassment. It would usually be impossible for a male student to enter such a ce, especially when no permission was granted. ¡°Wee to the Royal ss.¡± It was Karen who greeted him. She stood in front of the elevator at the entrance of a cepletely different from the general dormitory. She motioned for him to enter the elevator and shed a key card. The elevator started moving them up to the top floor. ¡°Royal ss?¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t heard? It¡¯s a special space for only the top 1% of Shinyoung¡¯s top talent. It even has a restaurant.¡± ¡°1%? You?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll chide youter¡­I was originally listed to enter the Royal ss on the condition of attending to the vice-captain.¡± Serving Eleanor R. Algiers, decided before she enrolled? Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What sort of aristocrat is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a noble, but a noble among nobles. They wanted to send her to the Royal Academy of British Superhumans, but she was hoping to go to Shinyoung. Should I tell you I¡¯m a noble too?¡± He was surprised to find out about that. The nobles of Ennd had been grooming superhumans for several generations, so having a title was enough to assure people you were an extraordinary superhuman. ¡®I thought her ability was incredible, but to think it was because of that¡­however, she seems a little too friendly for a noble.¡¯ Karen, who had no idea what he was thinking, continued to exin. ¡°Originally, the Royal ss was one of the three organizations representing Shinyoung¡­it was allowed only for the executive level students belonging to the student council, the Wyvern Knights, and the Magic Society. I wouldn¡¯t be here if it weren¡¯t for the vice-captain.¡± ¡°Wow. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m learning about this.¡± He was stunned. However, Karen continued to look at him with a strange expression. ¡°For reference, those at the top of each field in the solo exhibitions will also join the Royal ss.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Anyway, usually the title of King is upied by someone from the Wyvern Knights or the Magic Society. But that wasn¡¯t the case with the Rookie King.¡± she added. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Some people will look badly at those who don¡¯t belong to any organization. Still, I would like to guide you this week.¡± At that moment, their sticks began to ring. The teachers would be mobilized for external assignments, so there would be no sses Friday. Kang Shin-hyuk received one more message; the decision made to move him into the Royal ss. ¡°Isn¡¯t this timing too good?¡± ¡°Not really. Wasn¡¯t it pushed forward because of what happened at the gate?¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, convinced. There was no reason to refuse an offer of a good room. ¡°What happens if there is a new Rookie King next year?¡± ¡°The same that happened before. Would you be kicked out if you took a different seat? For reference, thest Rookie King was the vice-captain.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The elevator arrived at the top floor. The interior of the top floor was much different than the rest of the building. ¡°The vice-captain¡¯s room is this way. Come quickly.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Come on!¡± ¡°That should be my line¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk followed after Karen and soon arrived in front of an ornate door. He admired it as Karen gracefully used the door knocker. It was engraved with a lion and dragon entangled together. ¡°Enter.¡± ¡°Can she not talk?¡± ¡°She has trouble pronouncing Korean sometimes. It¡¯s usually fine, but it pops up when she¡¯s nervous.¡± The door opened to reveal a spacious and luxurious room. Kang Shin-hyuk was focused on Eleanor R. Algiers; she was drinking tea alone at a table in the center of the room. She was wearing a Wyvern Knight outfit, appearing the very image of a noble as she elegantly held her teacup. -Cheh. ¡®Administrator?¡¯ Strange, he felt he had just seen the administrator¡¯s message. However, no message answered his call, so he assumed it was his understanding. ¡°Hello. Eleanor R. Algiers. Knight Department, sophomore B ss.¡± She lifted her head and nodded at Kang Shin-hyuk, offering a brief greeting. Acknowledging she was his senior, he bowed his head back. ¡°Hi. Kang Shin-hyuk, first-year C ss in the Knight Department.¡± ¡°Come, sit down.¡± ¡°She says she¡¯s sorry for suddenly calling. Please make yourselffortable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I just said that¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat across from Algiers. He wanted to know why she called him in the middle of the night right away. If she wanted to recruit him, he was ready to bail. ¡°I roughly told you what happened before.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Karen poured him a drink and began to talk to Algiers instead. Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he was in some medieval English noble¡¯s reception room, but the atmosphere evaporated as Karen winked at him. ¡°So¡­you were attacked?¡± ¡°Yes, but I told you about his fighting skills and specialties. He also made his own weapons.¡± ¡°A craftsman in this school¡­that¡¯s rare.¡± It was certainly true; no one entered Shinyoung to increase their production capacity. If Kang Shin-hyuk had that ability from the start, he would¡¯ve gone to a specialized school. ¡°I have something to ask.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Artifacts¡­can you make them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± There was no need to hide that fact as it could be easily found out, but Karen and Algiers opened their eyes wide in surprise at his quick response. ¡°Then, repairs?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t learned professional repair skills, but he had his experience from earlier. -Your metallurgy has a wide range of coverage. In the past, repairing the armaments of other Hero Universe members was easy to do. ¡®But now I don¡¯t have that ability¡­¡¯ Algiers seemed to understand the subtle expression he was making and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Wow, honestly it was just an excuse, but Shin-hyuk can do it.¡± ¡°Can I leave?¡± ¡°I have something to ask for¡­oh.¡± Algiers covered her mouth with a resentful expression, taking a deep breath before speaking again. ¡°The artifact passed down from generation to generation within the Wyvern Knights is currently broken.¡± ¡°Hey, the inside story finally came out.¡± ¡°If you fix it, I can take the title of captain. I will owe you.¡± Algiers¡¯s purple eyes glowed mystically. He wondered if that was the artifact he had heard of before. ¡°Is that the one that tames the wyverns raised by the knights?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving it to an outsider?¡± ¡°I¡¯m holding onto the artifact right now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Karen instead of Algiers. She let out a sigh and began to exin more concisely. ¡°The captain broke the artifact in the first ce. Then, he left the job of fixing it to the vice-captain, saying it was the role of a woman to support a man.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk briefly doubted whether or not he was listening to people of the modern era. ¡°What an anachronistic idea¡­¡± ¡°I know, right? He really thinks and talks like that. In the first ce, except for the vice-captain, he won¡¯t allow female members to take an executive position.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned to Algiers. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t put my status first.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if that was the pride of a noble. It seemed like she was stronger, so why didn¡¯t she just beat the captain and take his position? There seemed to be something they weren¡¯t telling him yet. Of course, he didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to follow hismand right away¡­so I left it unattended. But, if by any chance it goes well, I can get rid of this debt. That will make things easier.¡± ¡°I said from the beginning this was just an excuse. The vice-captain also likes you, so-¡°Algiers blocked Karen¡¯s mouth. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and drank his tea. It was delicious. ¡°If you¡¯re not trying to make me join the knights, I¡¯ll see to it at least once. There¡¯s no guarantee I can fix it.¡± A taming artifact. He was interested in it. Whether he seeded or not, it would make for a great experience. At his agreement, Algiers and Karen looked surprised. They weren¡¯t ready for their request, a mere excuse, to be epted so simply. ¡°Good. Besides that, I think you have something else to tell me.¡± The excuse was over. Algiers nodded firmly with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°¡­I want to ask you about something.¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time since I¡¯vee to this school that I¡¯ve seen someone with an ability stronger than me.¡± He wondered if she was referring to the Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance movements he demonstrated. Her eyes were sparkling intensely, an immense passion hidden away in her small form. ¡°Please. Fight me.¡± Algiers asked sincerely, not even recognizing she had the pronunciation wrong. Only then did he realize why she was interested in him¡ªhis ability based on martial arts, built up from the bottom, not his characteristics or skills. ¡®Well, it¡¯s thanks to my traits that my understanding of martial arts improved so much.¡¯ Just as he had struggled over the years due to hisck of magical power, there must have been those who couldn¡¯t practice the skills they set their minds too, no matter how much they trained. ¡°Okay. Take good care of me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was more than happy to test his skills against her. ¡°Great¡­!¡± ¡°Our vice-captain is so¡­¡± Karen let out a sigh from the sidelines as Algiers nodded satisfied. So tomorrow, on Thursday, Kang Shin-hyuk would visit Hall 2 of the Wyvern Knights to examine the broken artifact and fight Eleanor R. Algiers. Chapter 60 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (4)

Chapter 60 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (4)

-You received 1 roulette coin for today¡¯s log in bonus. If you collect 1 more in the future, you can y the VIP Roulette! Early Thursday morning, Kang Shin-hyuk woke up energetically, fed Onyx, and went straight to the training room. Today, he wasn¡¯t training his spiritual power or martial arts, but rather to learn the limits of his physical status, which had gone through rapid growth in the gate. ¡®Measurement room, then. I never thought I would need it.¡¯ The space,monly referred to as the status measurement room, was where people could indirectly prove their status without showing off their status window. It could also be used to directly identify the limitations of one¡¯s body, which was what Kang Shin-hyuk was interested in using it for. ¡®Not too many people around¡­¡¯ For that purpose, he got up and ran to the training center at dawn. He was getting more attentiontely, so he didn¡¯t want to attract anymore. He immediately went into the measurement room, closed the door, and began operating the measuring instrument. It would find one¡¯s limit through all sorts of tests rted to power, speed, and physical functioning, all the while gradually increasing in difficulty. For Kang Shin-hyuk, it started at C-rank but quickly moved all the way up to B. ¡°Whoo¡­!¡± The basic function of the measurement system was to maintain bnce on a moving floor while detecting and hitting a moving target that would quickly fly in. The gradual increase in difficulty served to help limate the user to their own level, which was incredibly helpful to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Hoowoo¡­hoowoo¡­!¡± Not long after he started, the measurement system had quickly reached the B+ rank, then A-rank. He could see his strength, agility, and stamina were marked as A-. Magic couldn¡¯t be used when measuring one¡¯s limits, and the system would shut down if you tried to. You could probably get away with using spiritual power to raise your limits artificially, but that wouldn¡¯t have helped his purpose. ¡®It¡¯s getting tough.¡¯ The target kept flying through as the floor pushed him back. He wasn¡¯t aware of it, but the speed of the conveyor belt exceeded tens of kilometers per hour. In other words, he was running faster than a car, catching the position of a target flying past in all directions to intercept it. Even the target weight, which seemed light, was now well over 100 kilograms. It was designed to stop working just before hitting, but it was still a ridiculous measure. ¡®Kh¡­!¡¯ He had no room to think; he just let his instincts move his body. He hadn¡¯t used his spiritual power yet, but undoubtedly his regenerate power allowed him to exert his physical abilities for a sustained time. ¡®No, but now¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk began to lower the intensity. He had now barely learned the limits of his physical abilities, but it wasn¡¯t good to run wild. After getting used to his body, he would have to practice with it just like a weapon. ¡°Okay, stop.¡± The targets and floor stopped. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and checked the monitor. All physical abilities had gone from A- to A on the monitor, showing that he was in the top 7% of the world¡¯s superhumans. It was an achievement he could barely believe. ¡°Even if I graduate right away, I could be selected by arge guild.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Hearing a voice nearby, he looked back to see Baek In-ha standing in the open door. Kang Shin-hyuk was visibly embarrassed as Baek let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll forget what I saw. You didn¡¯t set up security.¡± ¡°Security¡­ah!¡± The measurement room could hide or reveal the measurement results. He closed the door but forgot to enable the security setting to stop the disy on the monitor attached to the outside of the room. ¡°I wondered if you were just proud of your strength by the way you were gathering people together.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was filled with loathing at his own forgetfulness. As he let out a silent scream, Baek entered the room with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s distract you from what has already happened.¡± ¡°Are you going to do it too?¡± ¡°After seeing you, I wanted to try it too.¡± Well, if Baek did it, surely the other students would be distracted. ¡°Do your best.¡± ¡°Look forward to it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thanked him and left the room, to the gathering of students in front of the monitor. ¡°Was he originally that strong?¡± ¡°Without magic¡­¡± ¡°Can your status even grow like that without magic?¡± The students who couldn¡¯t talk to him but only behind him gossiped nearby. He let out a sigh and looked up at the monitor, which was reflecting the image of Baek. Baek, who started measuring at B rank, boasted a peculiarly fast speed that quickly reached S-rank. ¡°Wow, better than Kang Shin-hyuk. S-rank in the first grade? What the hell is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s so extra.¡± ¡°A monster, that¡¯s what he is: a monster.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the top level in our school?¡± ¡°Close enough.¡± Thanks to Baek¡¯s performance, the interest in him was decreasing. ¡®That monster child.¡¯ He was a person living in a world different than his own¡­but hadn¡¯t he begun to catch up? He still had a long way to go, but he firmly pledged to surpass him one day. ¡®I¡¯m also nearing a new trait evolution.¡¯ He felt inspired as the people to his sides parted. A huge, breathtakinglyrge man with bulging muscles was walking toward him. He had dark brown hair and gray eyes covered by stylish sses. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, long time no see.¡± Baek greeted him in a friendly manner as he left the measurement room, but the man passed him by and strode into the measurement room himself. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Dous Payne, captain of the Wyvern Knights and Knight Crown.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why.¡± He was so huge, Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t even noticed the cloak of the Wyvern Knights. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s great.¡± ¡°I heard that Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha are measuring. Isn¡¯t that funny? Who cares about first graders.¡± ¡°Are they normal first graders? One is Baek, after all¡­ah.¡± Several more students stepped out of the way as more Wyvern Knights arrived to look at the monitor. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but mentallypare them to gangsters. ¡°Not knights, but a gang.¡± ¡°Hey, you two.¡± ¡°What?!¡± One of the members yelled and turned around as Baek and Shin-hyuk were sharing the same sentiment. It was Yoo Minjoon, the second-year senior who had shouted at Kang Shin-hyukst time. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Senior Yoo Minjoon, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you see my gamest time? I tried hard to check if you were there, but I don¡¯t know if you saw my performance.¡± Yoo Minjoon turned away silently, his shoulders shaking. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to grab his attention once more, but Baek tapped on his shoulder and pointed at the monitor. [Measurement result: Strength S-, Agility B-, Stamina S-] ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a tank.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call him that out loud, or he¡¯ll break you.¡± It wasn¡¯t only Kang Shin-hyuk who was surprised to see the results. People were scrambling about the results. Sure, they were marked by a negative, but he had two physical stats that were S rank. Although his agility was a bit low, he was still an elite among elites evenpared to superhuman society as it was now. If he could find an artifact that supported his agility, he would be on par with the superhumans representing the country. ¡°Are there only monsters like this in Shinyoung?¡± ¡°This year is particrly strange, including us.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed of saying that yourself?¡± ¡°Are you embarrassed by your friend?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really too much.¡± As the pair joked together, Dous Payne walked out. ¡°Huh¡­¡± It was hard to tell if he was satisfied with the results or not, then left. ¡°I have a sense of how you beat him now.¡± ¡°His reactions were too dull. Honestly, I was bored.¡± Only Baek could say he was bored against a monster with S-rank strength and stamina. ¡®What could I do to beat him¡­?¡¯ *** ¡°Wee to ckwood Training Center Hall 2!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Everyone p, p!¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡­¡± As promised, Kang Shin-hyuk visited Hall 2 of the Wyvern Knights training center after ss that day. It turns out that a simple magical barrier was installed to prevent anyone who wasn¡¯t wearing the cloak of a knight from entering. Fortunately, it was as simple as holding another person¡¯s hand to enter without one. ¡°It¡¯s like a subspace.¡± ¡°Maybe simr to that? Can you hear it now?¡± ¡°Hear what¡­Ah?¡± He could hear the faint cry of a dragon mixed in with the apuse. That guy was nearby! ¡°No, why is it nearby?¡± ¡°Actually, caring for the wyvern is the role of those in the second building. So, from generation to generation, Hall 2 is a bit more difficult and annoying than Hall 1. It ismon for those without power to be sent here.¡± ¡°So why is the vice-captain here?¡± ¡°Hey, Karen!¡± Some of the second-years interrupted Karen, who was telling Kang Shin-hyuk about their internal affairs, but she didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°It will be easierter if we tell him these things now.¡± ¡°Is that so? Operation: Sympathy?¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± There were seven members that made up Hall 2. Excluding the vice-captain, Karen, and Do Woojin, that would make four others. Three of which were women, but the other male member didn¡¯t even show up today. Noticing theposition was mostly women, it was easy to notice Dous Payne¡¯s thought process. ¡°You¡¯ve been in a harem until now.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Do Woojin ground his teeth quietly in the corner. Apparently, he was embarrassed to be around this many women. Somehow, Kang Shin-hyuk had expected as much. ¡°So, where is the other one?¡± ¡°That senior isn¡¯t very cooperative. It was one of the reasons he was relegated here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Since all humans could be reborn as superhumans, it was hard to find differences in the abilities between men and women. However, in terms of pure physical status, men tended to be a bit stronger than women in many cases. ¡°But the story is different when traits and magic are involved¡­ wasn¡¯t the Wyvern Knights originally a structure in which focused on skills first and foremost?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s not always the case.¡± The female members here would be able to overwhelm most of the other knights in terms of skill. Dous Payne knew that, yet¡­ ¡°How many are in Hall 1?¡± ¡°Thirteen people; all men. The Wyvern Knights total twenty people.¡± ¡°Almost twice as many¡­then a civil war to retake Hall 1 would be impossible.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, we don¡¯t n on filming a war movie here¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right and taking care of Meloy is quite fun.¡± One of the seniors interrupted their conversation. Meloy was probably the name of the wyvern. ¡°Then, I would like to check the artifact and see this Meloy guy.¡± ¡°Before that.¡± Algiers blocked Shin-hyuk¡¯s vision, full of motivation. Well, she was too short to block his sight, but the passion emanating from her was magnificent. ¡°Fight first, please.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen the vice-captain do that.¡± ¡°This kid Shin-hyuk must be really great. It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t watch his match.¡± ¡°Wow, vice-captain, get him!¡± The members were excited about the chance to see them fight. The vice-captain ignored them and dragged Shin-hyuk into the outer courtyard of the building. There was a furnace built out there. Not a furnace sued for metallurgy, but one for barbecues and such. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Algiers was the first to speak. ¡°Let¡¯s have a barbecue!¡± ¡°I thought Sunday was the barbecue party!¡± ¡°Since Shin-hyuk wasing, I rushed to make it today!¡± Karen winked refreshingly as she carried a te of meat with her. Do Woojin was carrying vegetables, fruit, and seafood with him. He seemed to listen to Karen well. ¡°¡­¡± Algiers looked at it with an upset expression for a moment before grabbing Shin-hyuk¡¯s cor. ¡°Let¡¯s fight first.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I agreed with¡­thank you.¡± Eventually, Algiers and Kang Shin-hyuk found a ce far away to fight while the others prepared for a barbecue. Karen¡¯s operation to disrupt them had failed. Chapter 61 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (5)

Chapter 61 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (5)

Kang Shin-hyuk and Algiers readied their weapons at each other. He was wielding his sword, while she held a long ck spear with a subtle purple color to it that matched her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s finish and eat the meat.¡± ¡°Karen, don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Karen, prepare the barbecue!¡± The referee was immediately reced by a third-year senior, who looked at the two with an expression full of expectation and death. ¡°Then¡­match start!¡± ¡°Kh!¡± It took only a moment for them to sh. Algiers, from a distance, thrust out her spear. The pressure that hit him made him instinctively throw his sword out. Immediately following the violent crashing sound, Kang Shin-hyuk took a step back. ¡°Good.¡± On the other hand, Algiers was looking at him with a deep smile on her lips. She hadn¡¯t moved an inch; only her attack had flown in. However, he didn¡¯t feel any mana. ¡°A characteristic?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± She struck again with her answer. He was able to deflect it with a bit more ease this time. The people watching pped at the disy. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be someone who could adapt so quickly.¡± ¡°Even the captain got hit at first.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk is so strong. How can he take the hit head on and be fine?¡± ¡°¡­Senior? When did you be so interested in our Shin-hyuk?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was focused only on Algiers¡¯s movements, ignoring the soundsing from around him. Just watching her hold onto that spear was enough for him to feel pressured. ¡®Fast and strong. This person could rival Baek.¡¯ Shinyoung really was a den of monsters; Dous Payne was just the tip of the iceberg. ¡®But now, I am¡­!¡¯ He opened his eyes, recalling his ability he had naturally exerted in the measurement room. Algiers fired off another spear that caught his eye. He took a diagonal step, the wind pressure slicing right past where he had been and threatened to push him back. He took another step forward against it. He needed to think about how to close the distance between them. She was still about twenty steps away. ¡°Whoo!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Algiers screamed out, but Kang Shin-hyuk was already moving. In order to break through, he had to reach her somehow. Algiers fired off two spears in a row at him. ¡®I heard she¡¯s good at close-quarters, but this ranged ability is nearly invincible!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk avoided one of the spears and knocked the other out of the air. He had reduced the gap between them to eight steps. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d like to see my martial arts?¡± ¡°I¡¯m watching it. It¡¯s admirable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to be one-sided.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyed colored golden at that moment, the pattern of a wriggling dragon engraved on the Godyer sword he was holding. ¡°Finally¡­whoo!¡± -Chiying! Kang Shin-hyuk struck the floor as their weapons collided. He empowered himself with his spiritual power, spurring himself forward at an incredible speed to close the remaining gap between them in one go. Algiers was smiling, despite his speed. At a nce, it would appear that he was the one dominating as she retreated from the sh. ¡°Ha!¡± She quickly retrieved her spear and fired it off. Her attack was even stronger somehow, at close range. Kang Shin-hyuk realized he couldn¡¯t attack her from the front, shing at her legs as he desperately evaded. With a loud crash, his sword was blocked. ¡°Whoo¡­!¡± Her reaction speed didn¡¯t fall behind his; the power contained in her spear was about half of his. He was slowly grasping what her abilities were like. ¡°A specialty for stabbing. Traits specific to one behavior are rare.¡± ¡°But strong.¡± She blocked his sword aimed at her neck with her short spear, taking a step back with a smile. ¡°I watched your game.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no answer. She had said everything she had to, which he wondered if that meant she woulde out with full force from now on. Her purples were calm as she lowered her waist a little. It was difficult for him to tell how she might attack. This would be good practice for him, however. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk also took his posture, which seemed to make Algiers happy as she recognized it. ¡°Also.¡± There was no opportunity to continue that thought. Her spear shed out at him from close range. His golden eyes were wide open as he skillfully unfolded the Godyer sword and shed with her spear. -ng! The two weapons sparked as they shed head-on, but in the end, the spear tip was averted. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he watched Algiers¡¯s eyes open wide as he seeded in stopping her with his sword dance. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± ¡°¡­hoo!¡± Algiers came back with a simr smile after she realized her attack had been blocked head-on. She had a martial art that was trained to the limit,parable to Shin-hyuk¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance. Kang Shin-hyuk confronted her with unbearable joy. *** ¡°I lost.¡± In the end, the fight had ended with Shin-hyuk¡¯s defeat. The reason was that he couldn¡¯t surpass Algiers with his own status. Perhaps her characteristics were already beyond the S-rank. It was clear to see that in her attacks, that she was in a realm beyond him. ¡°Atst.¡± When he surrendered, she tilted her head at him. ¡°It felt like you moved faster than your status limit.¡± ¡°Yes. If I kept that up, maybe I might¡¯ve won.¡± At thest minute, he tried to forcibly raise his physical attributes by actively using his regenerative power. It was his first attempt, so it wasn¡¯t sessful. But if he could get it right, maybe he could beat Algiers. ¡°I was satisfied. You are strong, and your swordsmanship was clearly born from talent and effort.¡± ¡°The winner says this to the loser.¡± However, with how satisfied she looked, he thought it wasn¡¯t meant to ease him. He gently bowed his head to her. ¡°It was fun.¡± ¡°To me also. Please, ask again next time.¡± Neither had gone all out, but they fought enough to understand each other better. Those who were watching the fight pped from the sidelines. ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°Wow, wow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a person push the vice-captain. Isn¡¯t he stronger than the captain?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bnced type.¡± ¡°If he trains with us, we¡¯ll be much stronger.¡± The seniors approached them with a shine in their eyes and praise for Kang Shin-hyuk. They were subtly trying to enlist him in the Wyvern Knights, but he evaded their invitations. ¡°So rxed.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t tell them he wasn¡¯t nervous because he had regr contact with Shin Eunah and ire. Karen, however, demolished that hope. ¡°Oh,e to think of it, what do you have to do with Shin Eunah?¡± She brought it up, and the seniors around him seemed shocked. ¡°Thunder Empress?!¡± ¡°Why are you bringing her up?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Karen said she was their teacher for the practice. Our school closing tomorrow is rted to that.¡± ¡°Right, right. But her, with Shin-hyuk?¡± He gazed at Karen, who whistled and turned away from him. The gaze on him was increasing, however, so he thought it unavoidable. He quickly decided to hide the truth by telling them some of what happened. ¡°Actually, I received an offer from the association.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡°The association wants to scout me, so I¡¯ve been talking to her as my senior. That¡¯s all, so please keep it a secret.¡± Karen had her mouth wide open at his exnation. ¡°Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability must be wild¡­right?¡± ¡°As expected, she has a good eye.¡± ¡°But is that really all¡­?¡± ¡°If we get caught talking like this, she¡¯ll burn us with lightning!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Karen was still amazed, but the seniors were convinced. She agreed to keep it secret, however. ¡°There seemed to be something only the two of you shared, but I couldn¡¯t tell what.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± She nodded her head in agreement not to dig anymore, though she still wasn¡¯t wholly convinced. ¡°I¡¯ve exercised, so let¡¯s eat.¡± Algiers was already grilling meat while all that was happening. ¡°It¡¯s meat!¡± ¡°Woojin, go cook up some meat!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Karen and Do Woojin took the tongs from her and began to grill the food. ¡°Ah, Shin-hyuk.¡± Karen called out to him while he stared at the scene. She was cingrge chunks of meat onto a big te. ¡°Can you bring this to Meloy?¡± ¡°Wyverns eat grilled meat?¡± ¡°They eat anything a person does. Go on, say hello. Be careful, it¡¯s dangerous if you get too close.¡± He immediately epted her request, wanting to see the wyvern for himself. The te weighed at least ten kilograms, but it didn¡¯t bother him as he headed toward the wyvern. Soon, arge barn came into view. -Korrumph¡­! He heard a low voice cry out from the barn. It was enough to make a person go stiff just by listening to it, but Shin-hyuk was of a high enough rank that it didn¡¯t bother him. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ah.¡± His eyes made contact with the wyvern, who was pushing his head out at the smell of meat. -Kourree¡­ ¡°Oh¡­¡± It was truly a dignified creature that could be called a dragon. It was well over ten meters tall, with a body covered in dark gray scales. The scales covering its neck were raised threateningly. Its head was reptilian, with vertical retinas that were observing him. It stretched its neck out a little further and looked at him. -Kurruk Its neck gently vibrated as it stuck its tongue out to lick his cheek. -Kiiii ¡°Wee, right?¡± -It seems to be showing favor. He had heard the taming artifact was broken, but it seemed to have an affinity for humans in the first ce. Maybe that was only natural after being with them for so many years. Convinced, he reached out to scratch the wyvern¡¯s neck carefully. The wyvern let out a satisfied cry. ¡°Kiruk, krrr.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give you food.¡± The wyvern wasted no time in engorging himself with the meat. After his meal, he cried briskly and spread hisrge wings in the barn to show off its towering silhouette. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh as he admired its great appearance. ¡°I wish I had acquired a wyvern instead of a hedgehog.¡± -If you repair the taming artifact, you can create a new one based on it. If it¡¯s you, it can definitely be done. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll raise one to be nice. -100HP bonus! While having such a conversation and ying with the wyvern, he was unaware of the presence behind him. Algiers stood there, with two meat skewers in hand. ¡°You took long, so I came to see.¡± Her pupils were rounder than normal. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know what was so surprising and tilted his head at her. ¡°That child¡­how did you tame it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± An unexpected question arrived. Chapter 62 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (6)

Chapter 62 - The Sound of a Dragon Calling (6)

Now that the taming artifact wasn¡¯t working, Meloy was said only to take meals provided by the members but wouldn¡¯t approach them. If you weren¡¯t careful in feeding it, it would begin to riot. The barn was sturdily built and had special magic woven to help in trapping the wyvern, but it had no safety devices built-in. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the first time Meloy hastched onto a person like that. Not even the former leader got along with it that well.¡± Each of the knights approached with an expression of surprise at Kang Shin-hyuk and the wyvern. He looked embarrassed as he gnawed at the skewer he received from Algiers. ¡°Isn¡¯t it always like this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a taming talent?¡± To demonstrate, a third-year senior approached Meloy but was only met by the wyvern baring its teeth at her. Indeed, it was treating him differently. ¡°Is it a female wyvern that prefers men? Maybe that¡¯s the reason why the captain has been a man through the generations.¡± ¡°Not even the captain can approach him that well.¡± ¡°Unlike Shin-hyuk, the two other men¡­hey, do I have to say it?¡± ¡°It looks like you already have.¡± Do Woojin seemed a little outraged. Shin-hyuk scratched Meloy¡¯s chin with an embarrassed smile. The wyvern fluttered around like a cat, which caused Algiers eyes to open wide. ¡°I think you could ride it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not actually taming it, so that would be dangerous even if it likes me.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk should ept it and throw a coup. If you¡¯re the head of the Wyvern Knights, you should ride a wyvern.¡± ¡°Then, Shin-hyuk will be the leader?¡± ¡°A freshman leader¡­so cool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head at their story and moved away from Meloy. The wyvern let out a sad cry and went back into his cage. Even if he did tame him, he belonged to the knights. ¡°It would be nice if it was like that normally.¡± ¡°I hope Shin-hyukes to y often.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be good to you, soe to y in the future, huh?¡± ¡°Seniors, please stop dreaming. First, I¡¯m going to eat.¡± The barbecue party continued on for another half hour. Everyone could easily eat at least three or four servings, except for Kang Shin-hyuk, who ate about as much as Meloy. His caloric intake had increased since his regenerative power grew to B-rank. ¡°Our Shin-hyuk eats so well.¡± ¡°Senior, you¡¯re a little too old to speak like that.¡± Do Woojin was alwaysining about something, but he seemed to be getting along quite well with the 2nd Hall knights. Kang Shin-hyuk ate a grilled pineapple while watching him argue with his seniors. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± Shin-hyuk turned toward Algiers at the end of the meal as he sipped at the herbal tea he was provided by Karen. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the artifact yet.¡± ¡°Oh, that was an excuse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it an excuse if it is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you, follow me.¡± Algiers led him into the training camp. The seniors gave them the thumbs up, clearly misunderstanding something. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s kept in here.¡± Somehow he had arrived in Algiers¡¯s private room. The office room was artfully arranged, decorated with armor on the walls and a closet. Inside the closet was a colorful saddle. ¡°This.¡± -It¡¯s a high-level artifact. It¡¯s more mana crafted than metallurgy. Mana Craft was an exceptionally rare skill among the abilities of those with enchantment. It was a specialized skill that produced artifacts using materials containing mana. It was a skill that solved everything from crafting to enchanting entirely by yourself without the need for a cksmith. ¡°Be careful, okay?¡± ¡°No, just looking at it is fine with me.¡± The saddle seemed to be intact. It had a metal base covered by soft leather. Something bothered at him a little, those metal decorations added to it¡­ ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°The badges of previous leaders. The most recent one is the badge of the now captain Dous Payne.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a problem?¡± ¡°Why is that¡­does it matter?¡± Apparently, the general public had a slightly different view of artifacts than he did. He let out a sigh. ¡°Senior, can I touch it myself?¡± ¡°You can call me Eleanor.¡± ¡°Then¡­Eleanor.¡± She nodded, satisfied at what he said, and he reached out with his hand. He carefully touched the saddle and looked at her, noticing her face was turning a slight red color. -That woman must be a fox. What an ugly world we live in. ¡°¡­?¡± Shin-hyuk was confused at the administrator¡¯s malice filled message. He raised his spiritual power and ignored it, unable to understand what he was saying. Aftermunicating with that dungeon, doing so with an artifact was much easier. ¡®The badges aren¡¯t just decoration¡­¡¯ He was only trying tomunicate with the saddle, but each badge had its own individuality. Originally, they contained the user¡¯s magic and allowed them to connect to the saddle. The problem was that several of them were now in the saddle, disrupting any new connections. ¡°I¡¯ll take them off.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Eleanor raised a hand, but Kang Shin-hyuk boldly removed all of the badges. The saddle¡¯s energy revived a little bit, but its original ability showed no sign of recovery. The saddle¡¯s incorrect usage over the years had tangled its magic flow. ¡®It¡¯ll be difficult to analyze in this state.¡¯ Eleanor was staring at him nkly as he made a face. ¡°Those are the badges of our predecessors.¡± ¡°I know how it broke now. When the captain attached his badge, the magic power confused inside the artifact reached a critical point. Remember when I said the badges were a problem?¡± She looked surprised, realizing btedly that his ability to deal with artifacts was extraordinary. Meanwhile, he was only focused on the saddle. He attempted to grasp the flow of mana inside of it and reinforce it with his spiritual power. It was hazy, but slowly, the structure of the artifact was drawn into his mind. It was still too weak, however. While originally a high-ranking artifact, it was not properly managed over the years. ¡°Wow.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his shoulders after trying to wrestle with the artifact a few more times. ¡°Can I borrow this for a while? I don¡¯t think I can solve it here.¡± ¡°Are you confident you can solve it if you take it?¡± ¡°Maybe not fully.¡± He once more instilled spiritual power into the saddle, carefully grasping its exterior structure. He thought it would be possible to make the internal magic flow a bit more smoothly, at least to an extent. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Would it be okay?¡± ¡°The captain told me to repair it. I can¡¯t take it outside, but you¡¯re not an outsider.¡± Looking at her sincere expression, he could tell she just made a rather big decision. He nodded. ¡°Okay. Then excuse me for now.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk carefully wrapped the saddle and left the building. On his way, he found Do Woojin cleaning up after the barbecue. ¡°Ah, Shin-hyuk¡¯s already here!¡± ¡°Come y tomorrow! We can fight!¡± ¡°If you lose to us, join us!¡± All of the female seniors seemed to have taken a liking to him after his match with Algiers. Kang Shin-hyuk waved them goodbye and returned to his dormitory. Once he was there, he got to work examining the saddle. There was no immediate answer, however. If you were topare it to a human, the saddle needed long-term medical care. ¡°It would be dangerous to add anything else to it¡­¡± -In your previous life, you were quite adept at making and repairing leather products. It is certainly possible for you now. ¡°With metallurgy?¡± -It would be correct to view it as starting from metallurgy and reaching the realm of ¡®All Craft.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s still too far away.¡± Once more, the administrator seemed to have identified him as the Anvil of his previous life. With a bittersweet smile, he began to trim the saddle. Right now, he was cleaning the exterior of it with a brush that contained his spiritual power and leather oil. He didn¡¯t know if the spiritual power was working, but bit by bit, it felt like it was improving. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not bad if I view it as spiritual training.¡± -A 200HP bonus for this member¡¯s appearance that can only be seen when cleaning leather! Was it just him, or were the criteria for receiving a bonus bing stranger each day? As he cleaned the saddle with a sly smile, Onyx rolled over the floor and climbed onto his knees. ¡°Be careful not to tear up the floor with your thorns.¡± -Myu! He warned Onyx and let him take a bite out of some iron he had prepared. Working with Onyx rxing on hisp didn¡¯t feel too bad. ¡°What if you were a wyvern?¡± -Myu? ¡°Eat a lot and grow up.¡± -Myu! The day ended peacefully as so. The next day, Friday was a temporary holiday. Kang Shin-hyuk received a visit from the dorm supervisor early in the morning. ¡°Congrattions, Kang Shin-hyuk. I knew you¡¯d be a resident of the Royal ss someday, I just didn¡¯t know it would be this year¡­it seems my eyes are getting rusty.¡± ¡°Mr. Bolton¡­thank you.¡± ¡°I want to see you take the two crowns next year. Now, it looks like your luggage is packed, so move.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± He had already packed up what others shouldn¡¯t see inside his inventory, and the rest in his suitcase. Kang Shin-hyuk pulled it behind him as he followed Emil Bolton, ignoring the curious students peeking out at him. ¡°Teacher, is it possible to bring a pet into the dormitory?¡± ¡°Normal ones, but I doubt this is an ordinary pet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small monster.¡± ¡°That will need a taming certificate. If you submit it to the school and receive certification, you can bring it with you to practice depending on its type.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Arriving at the dorm lobby, then climbing into the elevator outside. Emil produced a key card made of pure gold and handed it to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°This belongs to you. When you¡¯re no longer a resident of the Royal ss, you can return it.¡± ¡°It looks expensive.¡± ¡°It was made with magic. Some even say they used an alchemist in the production process. It isn¡¯t just for the elevator, but it is also your room key and restaurant ess key. It will also grant you ess to the special facilities avable exclusively for the Royal ss, so don¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°The treatment here is incredible¡­¡± ¡°Shinyoung is a training center with the goal of cultivating strong superhumans. It¡¯s natural to treat talented people well.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could sympathize with that. The students didn¡¯te here to be treated fairly. This was all to turn them into superhumans officially recognized by the government. ¡°Here you are, the 13th floor.¡± ¡°This building goes up to the 13th floor¡­no, never mind.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head at Emil¡¯s smile and went down the hall, dragging his luggage behind him. There was a luxurious carpet and a sparkling chandelier, even amons lounge. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­my room is 1303¡­¡± He used the key card to unlock the door. Pushing it open, the only word he could mutter was, ¡®wide.¡¯ ¡°There are private rooms where you can exercise as well, so you don¡¯t need to worry about going down to the training facilities. The rooms are soundproofed, so don¡¯t worry about the noise when training.¡± ¡°What a scam¡­¡± Not even hotel suites would be as luxurious as this. He hadn¡¯t been attached to anything in Shinyoung so far, but now he thought he wanted to live here forever. ¡°Should I help you unpack?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s alright. Thank you so much for the guidance.¡± ¡°Yes, then that¡¯s that. There are separate restaurants for the royal ss, so be careful not to forget your card. A file with additional details will be sent to youter today.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Emil left, he decided to contact Baek. He felt like he would be like abandoning him if he went to one of those restaurants to eat alone. [Baek In-ha: It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll be in the Royal ss soon.] [Student council?] [Baek In-ha:¡­Is it fancy?] [Naturally.] Shinyoung¡¯s student council election was due to be held at the end of the semester, right after the final exam. The council was no ce for ordinary students to intervene in, and no amount of politicking could get one in. Baek was, no doubt, one of those being considered for it. [Baek In-ha: Let¡¯s go out together and team-up.] [No.] [Baek In-ha: I knew it would be like that.] Baek gave up easily. [So, how is it structured? No, rather, what are you going to do?] [Baek In-ha: ording to the school, a first-year cannot be the president, so I¡¯m aiming for the vice-chairman seat. I know one of the seniors who is a current vice-chairman, so I¡¯ll help them be the president.] A dirty scheme was starting to unfold before him. [Don¡¯t bother me.] [Baek In-ha: Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯ll be no dirty tricks, so just watch.] Kang Shin-hyuk wondered how he should respond to him but decided just to quit. [Do whatever you want.] [Baek In-ha: It¡¯ll be fine. So, until the election is over, please eat with me at the regr cafeteria¡­] Suddenly, he was acting sneaky. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and agreed. [Bartender sister: You entered the Royal ss?] While he was organizing his luggage after talking with Baek, a text came from ire as well. [How did you know that?] [Bartender sister: Well, how indeed?] The answer came that evening when ire appeared confidently in front of his door. Chapter 63 - Awakening (1)

Chapter 63 - Awakening (1)

¡°Good evening.¡± ¡°Sister?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was wiping the leather saddle while gently exuding spiritual power all afternoon when he heard someone barge in. He shouted angrily at ire, who appeared without warning. Today, she was wearing a leather riding jacket with a neatly tied ponytail, revealing her provocative body. ¡°I¡¯m shy, so let me in.¡± ¡°No, how on earth did you get in? No one cane in here!¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? Didn¡¯t I tell you I wasing?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you meant toe to my room!¡± She had certainly sent a message saying, ¡®I¡¯m heading in.¡¯ But, of course, Kang Shin-hyuk just thought it was a wrong number or something. ¡°What? Haven¡¯t you heard? I made this system. In addition to Shinyoung, I¡¯ve also worked with other academies and major facilities. To be precise, I provided the theory and reagents needed.¡± If she had made it, then certainly it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to enter the Royal ss. But how did she know he joined those ranks? ¡°Even if you can sneak in, you couldn¡¯t have known my room number or that I joined the Royal ss, right?¡± ¡°I installed a backdoor, of course. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m collecting information from all the organizations I lent my tech to.¡± ¡°This criminal¡­!¡± ¡°Correct!¡± ire affirmed she was a criminal by puffing her chest out. ¡°But it¡¯s okay because it¡¯s not sold anywhere. I¡¯m just satisfied with the fact that I can y behind the scenes of the world by myself and sleep on secrets no one else knows!¡± ¡°This is thebination of some amazing talents with the worst results¡­!¡± ¡°And, actually, I knew something about Shinyoung¡¯s royal ss promotion structure. Because you¡¯re the Rookie King, I knew it was a matter of time before you ended up here. It¡¯s actually easier for me to break into here than into the general dormitory. What?¡± Did that mean she would continue to intrude on him like this in the future? He loved that idea. ¡°But what¡¯s the reason you came here today?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s the first day of business for our bar, so I came to pick you up.¡± Her voice was excited, as she exined. Although he had roughly expected it, the ce she opened her bar up was in Seoul¡¯s Superhuman Shopping Center, which was famous for its price. There, she would run a regr bar serving cocktails to superhuman customers and provide emergency contact information to guests so they could be called to gates to sell cocktails. ¡°You must¡¯ve really liked the idea of a frontline bartender¡­¡± ¡°Why are you pretending not to care now? It was a name created thanks to you. After all, we have the same feelings about it.¡± ireughed and tapped him on the shoulder. He did, at least until two years ago. Now he had more shame about those childish desires. ¡°Isn¡¯t it expensive to find a building in that district?¡± ¡°Ah, I deliberately picked a ce that was a little rundown, so it was cheaper. A bar should be in a secret ce, anyway, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I understand.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was given no chance to veto, not that he had any intention of rejecting it in the first ce. He managed to stop her briefly, however, by showing her the saddle. ¡°I also have a job I¡¯m working on first¡­sister, do you have any idea on how to recover this artifact?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­wow, is it Mana Craft? There are few people with that level of skill. How did you get a hold of this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°Hmm, ah. Them.¡± Sheughed and nodded as if she understood the situation. ¡°Repairing it, right? I can think of a few ways to make that happen. Okay, I¡¯ll help you. So, work hard today too.¡± ¡°I love you sister.¡± ¡°This one tires me out.¡± She gently pinched his cheek with a small smile at his constant confessions of love. *** Kang Shin-hyuk had his arms wrapped around ire¡¯s waist as he rode behind her on her bike. Naturally, being in such close contact with her made his heart soar. Were it not for the calming influence of Anvil, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to help himself. ¡°You¡¯re so calm, it¡¯s pissing me off. You don¡¯t seem attracted to me at all.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just difficult to respond appropriately, sister.¡± ireughed and revved the motorcycle powered by magic. It began to float in the air like it was perfectly natural. Kang Shin-hyuk had to desperately hold onto ire so he wouldn¡¯t fall off. ¡°You didn¡¯t warn me!¡± ¡°It has a silent function and a transparency one. Is that alright?¡± ¡°I could fly to Hogwarts like this!¡± They headed toward the shopping center through the sky at a speed faster than a sports car. When they finallynded in an alleyway near their destination, Kang Shin-hyuk pulled himself away with a regretful expression. ¡°I hope the drive during our next date is a little longer.¡± ¡°Date someone your own age.¡± ire jokingly responded to Shin-hyuk and stowed the bike in her inventory. Looking out of the alley, he could see several superhumansughing and chatting as they walked through the shopping district. ¡°It was crazy a couple days ago, but everyone seems to be doing well.¡± ¡°You mean Jormungand? It wasn¡¯t publicized, as the association and therger guilds are taking charge of it.¡± ¡°Is it okay like this? I was also involved, after all.¡± ¡°Do you not know who¡¯s beside you? I¡¯m a high ranker too, a high ranker. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll walk you home.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a small exmation as he realized what happened. She could¡¯ve just messaged him to head over for work at the Choin Shopping Center, but she met up with him in person because she was taking into consideration that he was just attacked. ¡°Although it might be best if I didn¡¯t go to work at all.¡± ¡°Not allowed. You¡¯re an essential part of the bar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still underage¡­¡± ire disregarded hisints and pulled him into a nearby building. It was an ordinary two-story building, the inside was empty and unlit. A cheap neon sign saying ¡®Frontline Bar¡¯ hung above a stairwell leading down to the basement. Meanwhile, the stairs that went up to the second floor was blocked by a locked iron door. ¡°You bought this whole building?¡± ¡°I thought the first floor should be so deste that they would feel something awesome is in the basement. The second floor should be shrouded in secret, so you don¡¯t know what the hell is up there. People who enter will have no choice but to feel a slight sense of fear at this neon sign.¡± Listening to her exnation made it sound like there was a dungeon in the basement, not a bar. ¡°So, what is on the second floor?¡± ¡°My room. I decided to stay in Korea, so I thought I would need a room.¡± ¡°Only someone like my sister can treat this expensive shopping mall as their home.¡± He really wanted to see her private room, but it was obvious such a suggestion would be met with disgust. ire squeezed his hand as if she knew he was thinking of it and forced him down the stairs. Opening the door, he was greeted by an antique atmosphere. Candles dimly lit the space inside, revealing antique wooden pirs, tables, and silver decorations. He quickly located the counter against one wall, several bottles of vintage alcohols lining the back shelves behind it. ¡°Cool, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Itpletely matches your taste.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She replied proudly and handed something to him. It was a in mask that covered the upper half of the face, starting from the nose. ¡°Try it out. It¡¯s not a normal mask.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it an artifact that hides my identity?¡± ¡°Oh, you know? It costs over 10 million HP. It can change the shape of your face, the color of your eyes and hair¡­ it¡¯s a ridiculously useful product that can even set defaults.¡± ¡°This mask itself is so conspicuous though¡­¡± It was full of magical energy. ¡°I¡¯ve already chosen an appropriate pattern, so try it right away.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He really didn¡¯t want to try it, but he had no choice. He sighed internally and put it on, intuiting how to use it. The pattern that ire made¡­sure. ¡°Oh, it suits you as expected.¡± Was it properly applied? ire offered a hand mirror to him with a satisfied look. What was reflected in it was a shy and unlucky looking man with dark red eyes and ck hair, flowing just past the shoulders.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look perfect? Isn¡¯t it cool? This is yours now, it¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°Oh¡­yes. Thank you very much¡­¡± ¡°Did you think growing your hair out would suit you?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at her proud expression and decided to say nothing else as she pulled out a ck suit for him to change into. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s open!¡± ¡°Will anyone show up, sister?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know the Choin Shopping Center, you wouldn¡¯t know. This ce is full of abilities, but its also a refuge for those who don¡¯t catch monsters and want a new way to y. There¡¯s no way they could ignore a ce like this.¡± He was worried about her evaluation of the people around her, but soon a guest showed up to silence him. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the Alchemist!¡± ¡°This is the bartender, sir.¡± ¡°To see the Alchemist working as a bartender in a Korean store¡­!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going to order, please leave.¡± ¡°Sorry! Huh¡­? Is this a potion?¡± The man tilted his head at the menu offered by ire. She replied with a smile. ¡®It¡¯s a cocktail only avable in our store. The price starts at 1,000 dors. Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°A potion made by the Alchemist, for only 1,000 dors¡­! God, please!¡± One customer took the bait and soon called for more friends. Soon enough, the bar was full. ¡°A cocktail from the Alchemist!¡± ¡°I was tired from the dungeon today, but I feel like my mana is recovering already.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to drink this and then fight in the dungeon?¡± ¡°Alchemist, you¡¯re so pretty. That bartender outfit is the best.¡± Although some of the customers¡¯ perceptions were problematic, the sales were sessful. Some ran in to drink cocktails before heading out to hunt, and others handed her business cards, but she just gave them the business card of the bar with augh. ¡°That table.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°After that, wash the shakers and sses.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk diligently assisted her by carrying drinks and cleaning up. He had noints, however. Just seeing her alchemy up close was of great help to his own craft. ¡®Although her use of spiritual power is still a little underdeveloped.¡¯ ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± It was then that one customer became interested in him instead of ire. ¡°Must be the Alchemist¡¯s man.¡± ¡°Well? No, I heard they broke up a while ago¡­¡± ¡°The both of you. Leave.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The two guests making vulgar jokes were immediately expelled by ire. The others who saw them shut their mouths at once. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was worried about what they were talking about. ¡®No, there¡¯s no way my sister doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend. Nothing odd there.¡¯ Shin Eunah was about that age and had no interest in dating, but it wasn¡¯t that way for everyone. He focused on bing the Anvil that wasn¡¯t shaken by anything, focusing on that image of forging metal in his mind. It was then that the door opened, and a woman entered. Kang Shin-hyuk shook away his anguish to greet the new customer. ¡°¡­The bar was here. I¡¯ll take a drink too, nonalcoholic.¡± ¡°Oh, Eunah.¡± He found Shin Eunah and froze. The subtle smile she was making seemed so scary for some reason. Chapter 64 - Awakening (2)

Chapter 64 - Awakening (2)

Shin Eunah, dressed only in a gray suit and a neat skirt, was still beautiful today. However, the chilly aura emanating from her didn¡¯t give one much room to appreciate it. ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t that the Empress?¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t let her hear you.¡± ¡°Stay quiet. Don¡¯t even breathe.¡± The veteran superhumans had gone through enough battles to sense the moon emanating from Shin Eunah, and it silenced them. It wasmon knowledge that she was a close friend of the Alchemist, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for her to show up at the bar she opened. But the ufortable look she had made it seem more like a matter of life and death rather than a friendly visit. ¡°Eunah, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me for the opening day?¡± ¡°Because you were working today too¡­¡± It was a lie. ire had been dying telling her about her rtionship with Kang Shin-hyuk, so she didn¡¯t want to call her to the bar today. ¡°Which¡­with him.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s nced at the stiff Shin-hyuk before turning back to ire. He had guessed this might happen, but it seemed like he got caught right away. ¡°How do you know him?¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s my friend. Like you and I, we have something inmon, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, right. Actually¡­I knew.¡± ¡°What?¡± The blood drained from ire¡¯s face. Her head shook as she desperately looked back and forth between Shin Eunah and Kang Shin-hyuk. Shin-hyuk¡¯s own expression below the mask was very simr. ¡°What? The Alchemist and the Empress have a man in-between them¡­¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve brought popcorn¡­outside snacks are allowed, right?¡± ¡°You fool, you¡¯ll be kicked out!¡± The gallery began to grow louder at the unusual air current flowing around the trio. However, they immediately became silent once more as Shin Eunah turned towards them with a look of disdain. They knew what they had to do. ¡°Drink quickly and go¡­¡± ¡°Leave a tip.¡± ¡°Have a good time¡­hiick!¡± ire let out a sigh as people began to filter out,memorating the opening of the Frontline Bar. Shin Eunah sat down at the counter only after confirming no one else was left except for the three of them. ¡°Grandpa sits here.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk followed along with Shin Eunah withoutint as she tapped the seat next to her. Shin Eunah made an expression like she was still dissatisfied with his reply, however. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You still have your sister ire¡­ no, I see.¡± ¡°Cocktail. Nonalcoholic. With sweets.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ire was neatly ignored. Shin Eunah gently closed her eyes and waited for her cocktail as Kang Shin-hyuk and ire exchanged sharp nces at each other. It didn¡¯t matter, however, as, in the end, it was both their fault for not confessing to her. ¡°Here. Virgin Pina Cda, a ire arrangement using dungeon fruit.¡± ¡°¡­Are you making fun of me for still being a virgin at my age?¡± ¡°Ah! No, nonalcoholic cocktails usually have the word virgin in their names. Eunah? That look is too scary!¡± ire¡¯s greatest mistake was tough at her unexpected remark. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to flee on the spot, but Shin Eunah was holding his arm so tight that he couldn¡¯t. ire silently asked him for help but was only met by Shin-hyuk¡¯s only silent request for saving. Shin Eunah¡¯s gaze hardened upon noticing the looks they were sharing. ¡°What sort of sign are you two exchanging like that? Are you that close? Are you dating?¡± ¡°Eh, Eunah. So how did you know we knew each other?¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± Shin Eunah responded to ire¡¯s overt topic change by clicking her tongue. ¡°When grandpa was isted in the gate, I was told he lived thanks to a potion sent by an angel. I was thinking about who it was, then I remembered I told you about grandpa. At the time, I was half-crazed and had no time to think, butter I recalled that it would be impossible to send a gift if they weren¡¯t registered as a friend.¡± ¡°An angel¡­¡± Shin-hyuk was a bit impressed at how coldly Shin Eunah could calcte such childish things. Her eyes narrowed as she regarded ire. ¡°Are you trying to flirt with grandpa? Why did you try to hide it from me?¡± ¡°No, no, no. There¡¯s no such rtionship. How about taking a drink to calm down a little? I was excited, too.¡± Shin Eunah pouted at her words but finally took a sip of her cocktail. ¡°¡­Delicious.¡± ire looked a bit relieved as Shin Eunah¡¯s face began to rx slightly. ¡°My rtionship with Shin-hyuk was a bit of an ident. I didn¡¯t know he was Anvil at first, but I learned that he was familiar with spiritual power. We became friends as he taught me a little about it¡­in the end, I decided to leave that other stuff between you two. I just needed a little help today.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Strangely, Shin Eunah seemed even more displeased at ire¡¯s exnation. It scared Shin-hyuk that he couldn¡¯t figure out what she was thinking. ire continued to make excuses. ¡°Besides, you know my taste is for those older than me. Shin-hyuk is handsome, but he¡¯s eight years younger than me. Honestly, it¡¯s out of the question.¡± ¡°I am only in high-school, after all¡­¡± He didn¡¯t feel great about ire¡¯s words, but now wasn¡¯t a good time toin. ¡°In other words, you weren¡¯t interested in grandpa.¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ll never take him away from you, so be relieved.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I will remember that.¡± Only after listening to that did Shin Eunah finally rx her grip on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm. She didn¡¯tpletely let him go, however. ¡°¡­ire, it¡¯s like this because you tried to hide it from me. I¡¯m not selfish enough to say grandpa can¡¯t have friends.¡± ¡°What about romantic partners?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not allowed.¡± She naturally made a selfish remark. ¡°He will live with Eunah forever, so don¡¯t do anything like marrying someone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ire wanted to ask, ¡®Then what about you?,¡¯ but the words stuck in her throat. She endured it silently, afraid that the answer would be that Eunah would marry grandpa. ¡°Hey¡­is it always like this when he¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ire was, for the first time, witnessing the child-like nature of the Thunder Empress around her grandpa. Meanwhile, Shin Eunah began to hang onto Shin-hyuk after being satisfied by ire¡¯s false response. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s so nice to see you today. It was a difficult day for Eunah.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I bet you had a hard time.¡± ¡°Please stroke my hair.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried not to be too conscious of her as he gently patted her head. ire stared nkly at the two. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes, sister. You¡¯ll be fine if you meet a good person.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think Eunah has any rtionships with anyone else. How about you just ept it?¡± The moment Shin-hyuk heard that, he couldn¡¯t control the expression that popped up on his face. ire unconsciously stepped back, aware of the mistake she had made. ¡°Goodness¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin-hyuk had nothing more he could say to her. ¡°Grandpa, your status came out.¡± ¡°Oh, the association?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I took care of it and raised the security level. Hey, let¡¯s take a pictureter for your card.¡± Shin Eunah fiddled with her stick a little, and a message was sent to Kang Shin-hyuk. It had a file with information on his disguised identity and an electronic ID card. ¡°The superhuman level was set to B rank, and you will be assigned to Group 1 of the Special Task Force. If possible, I would like you to continue even after graduation.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say receiving support from the association didn¡¯t mean I had to stay with them after I graduate?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t count because I didn¡¯t know you were grandpa.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The status was at B-rank, which was lower than his current ability, but it was still rather good. ¡°Then, I can enter the gate with this?¡± ¡°Normally, you¡¯ll have to apply in advance, but it¡¯s not illegal to enter undiscovered gates if you get lucky. You should avoid ones with higher ratings, though.¡± Shin Eunah added that in most cases since it would be fine because she would be there. ire, who had remained silent, suddenly shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s choose a name for his disguise. How about ck Soul Eater?¡± ¡°Sister, that can be your name. Who the hell would give me that name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pseudonym, so let¡¯s make it cool.¡± ¡°Why do I need a pseudonym?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already decided on a name. Shin Eunhyuk.¡± As ire and Kang Shin-hyuk argued back and forth, Shin Eunah piped up. Shin-hyuk looked over at the document and confirmed she was telling the truth. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that name too simr to yours?¡± ¡°You just need to say it¡¯s a coincidence. I just wanted to make our names simr.¡± ¡°Your desire is leaking out.¡± For reference, Shin Eunah was still rubbing her body against Kang Shin-hyuk like a cat. He desperately tried his best to ignore her. ¡°Okay, I see. Then let¡¯s use a code name. His name is Shin Eunhyuk, but he needs a code name. Just like I¡¯m the Alchemist, or you¡¯re the Thunder Empress.¡± ¡°You two are high-rankers, my cover identity shouldn¡¯t stand out so much.¡± ¡°The most important part is to stand out as much as possible!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not possible!¡± In the first ce, a code name was like a symbol of honor attached only to those who stood out above others. For that reason, Shin-hyuk rejected it, but ire ignored him and said she would think of one. He was scared of what kind of codename she woulde up with, but he hoped it would remain only in her mind. ¡°You can use that status when working at the bar. You won¡¯t need to identify yourself in the first ce, but maybe it¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Wait, ire. Are you going to keep grandpa working?¡± ¡°We promised it in the first ce. We¡¯re both production workers, so we have a lot of work we can help each other with. Besides, we¡¯re both spiritual power users. ¡°¡­¡± Even though ire exining the rtionship between them was normal, Shin Eunah didn¡¯t seem to like the idea of them spending a lot of time together. Shin Eunah barely managed to calm her anger by pushing herself closer to Shin-hyuk. ¡°Okay, whenever grandpa works at the bar, I¡¯lle too. I¡¯ll get to see grandpa working in uniform.¡± ¡°You work too, work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because I¡¯lle after work. And on holidays¡­ we¡¯ll enter the dungeon in earnest.¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°Grandpa wants to be strong. To be strong, it¡¯s best to deal with monsters.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s voice softened a little bit as sheid her head down on Shin-hyuk¡¯s knee and looked up at him. ¡°It was impossible when grandpa was away before, but now I can help. I will make you the strongest in the world.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡­¡± Shin Eunah grabbed his hand tightly and stuck her tongue out at ire. ¡°Because it¡¯s only us two, I won¡¯t teach you anything.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ire tried to retaliate, but Shin Eunah ignored her. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a bitterugh as she grabbed his hand with more strength. Maybe she knew about Anvil¡¯s past; it was a past that Kang Shin-hyuk himself only knew fragments of. Maybe Janus or his other friends would know something as well, but he decided not to say that out loud. ¡°So let¡¯s work hard together starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Well, sorry. I can¡¯t because I have something to do this weekend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The grip on his hand became tighter, but he couldn¡¯t help it. That night, Kang Shin-hyuk returned home with the reward promised by ire. Of course, he didn¡¯t return home on ire¡¯s bike but in Shin Eunah¡¯s arms. Chapter 65 - Awakening (3)

Chapter 65 - Awakening (3)

-For today¡¯s log in bonus, the skill boost buff is applied! All skills will increase by 30% for the day, and the probability of a jackpot has increased. Saturday morning was the day Kang Shin-hyuk finally saw the skill amplification buff he had been hoping for. It felt fitting for what he needed to do today. ¡°With this¡­¡± ire had given him a potion in exchange for his work yesterday. She called it a regeneration potion, but like one that returned things to their original state. It was one of the higher-level potions that only an alchemist could make. ¡®But just sprinkling this on won¡¯t restore the artifact. You need to use it and repair it at the same time. Artifact repair isn¡¯t something anyone can do. Can you do it?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t immediately responded to ire¡¯s words at the time. Of course, the administrator reminded him he had already repaired the orb, but that wasrgely thanks to the spiritual glue. ¡°I have to try. After eating.¡± -Myu? ¡°Yes, you should eat too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk left some food for Onyx before heading out. He was thinking about eating breakfast at the Royal ss-exclusive restaurant. He left behind his key card, but he didn¡¯t need it. It was more like an honorary identification card, and his stick carried the ess codes for his room and the restaurant as well. ¡°Wee. Enjoy your meal.¡± The Royal ss restaurant was located in the Unyu hall, along with several facilities exclusive to the members of the Royal ss. It felt like Unyu hall was a facility that existed just to emphasize the difference between the students. Of course, most students didn¡¯t know of such facilities in the first ce, just like Kang Shin-hyuk used to. That made him feel worse for some reason. ¡°This year¡¯s Rookie King¡­¡± ¡°I heard he received an offer from the association¡­¡± ¡°The association? Ha, they don¡¯t have any money.¡± The restaurant was iparably spacious and luxuriouspared to the regr student cafeteria. The number of students here, however, was much smaller. ¡°Shin-hyuk, this way.¡± A bright voice called out to him. Turning, he found Karen waving at him from a table where Eleanor R. Algiers was also sitting. ¡°It¡¯s just you two.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat at the table with them just as a server arrived to present them with a menu board. He shook his head and handed it back, however. ¡°I¡¯ll take it all.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Everything. I want a big breakfast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­we can increase the size of your main dish, however¡­¡± ¡°By a lot. Enough to feed three people.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Karen admired his appearance as he proudly ordered breakfast in this new environment. Meanwhile, Eleanor disregarded the exchange and cut straight to the point. ¡°How about the repairs?¡± ¡°I found a way. I should have some results today, although I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll seed.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You can say that after I seed.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± As they waited for their meal, three men entered the restaurant. The one in the lead was Dous Payne, captain of the Wyvern Knights. The other two were third-year students Shin-hyuk had seen with him in the measurement room. They flinched when they saw Eleanor, Karen, and Shin-hyuk sitting together. ¡°Vice-captain.¡± Dous Payne was the first to speak up. ¡°You¡¯re with an outsider?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor didn¡¯t respond to him. He thought she was dealing with the captain¡¯s unreasonable requests but looking at her attitude now, that didn¡¯t appear to be the case. ¡°You¡­you were with him, then.¡± Dous looked at Shin-hyuk with a slight frown. He was probably referring to Baek, who had defeated him. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged, and he snorted a little before turning his head back to Eleanor. ¡°I need the dragon¡¯s mark. I¡¯ll go to pick it up in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Did you forget you broke the saddle yourself?¡± Finally, Eleanor spoke up. It was in very urate Korean, although it had a peculiar British ent to it. Kang Shin-hyuk was a little moved at how well she spoke. ¡°I have a way to fix it, and I decided to seek support from the family.¡± Probably the dragon¡¯s mark was the name of that taming artifact. Eleanor¡¯s face hardened at the word family. ¡°That will involve outsiders.¡± ¡°You seem to have already brought one into the training camp.¡± It sounded like the information was leaking out, although there was no reason for it not to. Kang Shin-hyuk disregarded the stares of the three men. ¡°He is a member of Shinyoung and a candidate for the knights. It¡¯s apletely different story when it involves the captain¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯m thinking of having Mr. Bolton present. Wouldn¡¯t it be alright if he and you were there to directly observe it?¡± ¡°¡­Do whatever you want.¡± Eleanor replied with a bored expression and turned away. Dous let out a faintugh before turning to look at Shin-hyuk. He then walked away with the other two. ¡°It seems that you knew he was trying to repair the saddle.¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying to now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk only spoke up once he confirmed they had sat down somewhere else. Karen shook her head. ¡°He wants to secure his legitimacy as the captain. Why did he entrust it to the vice-captain in the first ce?¡± ¡°It may have been out of good faith.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s reflexive remark got a rise out of Karen, who turned toward him. ¡°Shin-hyuk, there are things in this world you can say and things you can¡¯t. What about good faith?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned to Eleanor for help, but she looked just as confused at his words. He began to faintly realize something as he connected Dous Payne¡¯s actions and words together. ¡°No, I¡¯m still not sure, so let¡¯s talk about itter. So, what are you nning? Shall we fix it?¡± Eleanor thought for a long time before lowering her head to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think I have to return it. Repair it after they fail.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be sessful.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve inquired with some trusted people back home. At least now, there¡¯s no one who can fix it.¡± Indeed, in the process of asking her family for help, she had found that Dous Payne¡¯s family couldn¡¯t handle it either. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, but I have one more favor to ask.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really tell what you want when you stare at me like that.¡± Eleanor¡¯s expression was serious as she bowed her head deeply to Shin-hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s alright even if it¡¯s only temporary, but please join the Wyvern Knights.¡± *** It was an established rule since its founding that the Wyvern Knights maintained a maximum of twenty people. Therefore, in order for new recruits to join when capacity was full, they would have to release existing personnel and re-enter with the approval of all the executives or retake their positions by ying a fair game with the existing members with the approval of the vice-captain or captain. -Rookie King Kang Shin-hyuk, Wyvern Knights Joining Test! A duel with Ethan Mn, 3rd year C ss, with the approval of vice-captain Eleanor R. Algiers! The Wyvern Knight¡¯s traditions had been handed down since the founding of Shinyoung. Normally, the captain and the other executives directly selected members without any friction, but there were a few cases where recruitment had to be dealt with by duels. ¡°You.¡± Ethan Mn, who had been enjoying walking around the campus wearing the cape of a Wyvern Knight rather than working, hurried to the gym as soon as he received a message that he would be disqualified as a member if he didn¡¯t fight. He had been dismissed from the halls due to hisck of skills. ¡°Should we really do this?¡± ¡°No hard feelings, I just need your spot.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± There were quite a few spectators seated around the gym. The Wyvern Knights were a fairly famous group, but there were also no sses today, so there were plenty of people lying about the dorms with nothing better to do. They dly flocked to the gym for a chance at entertainment. ¡°Prepare¡­¡± The teacher in charge of the basicbat training course epted the role of judge for the selection duel. Yesterday, when they went to apply for it, he begrudgingly epted with a tired face. ¡°Match¡­start!¡± ¡°Kh!¡± Knowing that Kang Shin-hyuk was the Rookie King and emerging talent, Ethan decided his best chance at victory was striking first. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± However, at the moment, he tried to knock Shin-hyuk down with his huge war hammer that amplified his B-rank characteristic [Shock Amplification], Shin-hyuk drew his sword and jumped off the floor. The enormous wind pressure from the Warhammer would¡¯ve been enough to crush him even before it hit him head-on. It was a powerful attack that allowed no resistance, certainly worthy of the position of a Wyvern Knight. Kang Shin-hyuk, however, evaded it all and twisted his body in mid-air. His sword collided with Ethan¡¯s mid-section. ¡°Kh!¡± ¡°Now¡­!¡± Shin-hyuknded on one foot, pivoting to kick Ethan before he could recover. Ethan copsed with a groan. ¡°Winner, Kang Shin-hyuk! Ethan Mn has been disqualified as a member of the Wyvern Knights. From this moment, Kang Shin-hyuk is now recognized as a member of the Wyvern Knights.¡± The teacher calmly dered Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s victory. The match was over in less than thirty seconds. ¡°It was so overwhelming he had no time to judge. Was Ethan Mn really that weak?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said he¡¯s probably the weakest of the knights, but he was still one of them, so he had to be strong.¡± ¡°More than that¡­ didn¡¯t Kang Shin-hyuk be stronger?¡± ¡°Right. His movements were clearly different from before.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the soundsing from around him as he sheathed his sword. Ethan Mn was very weak for a 3rd year. Karen, or Do Woojin, if he pushed his characteristic to the maximum, would have been much more dangerous. ¡°Shin-hyuk! Put on the cloak!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Karen ran up to him, fastened a cloak on his back as if she expected this from the start. He didn¡¯t want to wear it, but he reminded himself it was only temporary. Right. Only temporary. ¡°With this, I¡¯ve met the requirements to be there in the afternoon.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a bitter smile to Karen as she giggled. Among those who gathered at the gym, there were no Wyvern Knights from the first hall. Maybe they deliberately ignored it. Eleanor walked up and shook his hand with a faint smile. ¡°Please take care of us in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯s temporary.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk still shook her hand, however. ¡®Now¡­¡¯ He just had to wait for them to fail to fix the artifact. Kang Shin-hyuk headed to the 2nd hall with the cloak of a Wyvern Knight fluttering behind him. He was greeted by cheers. Five hourster, Wyvern Knight captain Dous Payne arrived. Chapter 66 - Awakening (4)

Chapter 66 - Awakening (4)

¡°Senior, I apologize for bothering you with this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to lower your head like that.¡± The first leader of the Wyvern Knights, Emil Bolton, replied to Dous Payne. He frowned as he noticed Kang Shin-hyuk standing next to Eleanor; perhaps he had heard of today¡¯s entrance test. ¡°I never thought you would join the Wyvern Knights, what kind of change of heart did you have?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s some circumstances around that¡­ I¡¯m rather surprised to see you here as well.¡± Emil Bolton. In his heyday, he was an exceptionally strong superhuman who was among the top 300 in the world rankings. Now he was in charge of Shinyoung¡¯s male dormitory. In hindsight, it made sense that he would¡¯ve had a close rtionship with Shinyoung before bing a supervisor. And, if he had attended Shinyoung, it would be unlikely that he, with his reputation for his swordsmanship, wouldn¡¯t have joined the Wyvern Knights. However, it was surprising that he was their first leader. He must have a good knowledge of taming as well. ¡°Senior, to tell you again why we¡¯ve brought you here today¡­¡± Dous Payne stood between Shin-hyuk and Emil to switch the topic. There was no way he would be happy with his ¡®enemy¡¯ conversing with Emil Bolton. Not to mention, Kang Shin-hyuk had taken another member¡¯s position with the help of the vice-captain today. Emil Bolton waved his hand like he didn¡¯t want to hear any more. ¡°I know, I remember. So, who¡¯s repairing the artifact?¡± ¡°He¡¯s from my family.¡± Shinyoung didn¡¯t normally open its doors to the outside unless it was for a big event like a sports festival. That was no exception for Dous Payne; then, he seemed to have received approval today. Two men appeared in the direction he pointed, with their heads politely bowed. Emil stared at them as if to silently test them before nodding. ¡°If they¡¯re members of the Payne family, then they¡¯re trustworthy. I was surprised to hear the artifact was broken, but your attitude towards fixing it is worth noting.¡± ¡°I will put it back in order so that it doesn¡¯t tarnish your name.¡± ¡°But there is one small problem.¡± Emil Bolton seemed genuinely embarrassed. ¡°The artifact isn¡¯t originally mine. Even if a dragon were in front of me that could fix it, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Even Dous Payne and Eleanor seemed embarrassed as they watched from the sideline. Shin-hyuk had roughly guessed this would happen, however, as Emil Bolton had no talent in production. Emil Bolton had acquired it, but he didn¡¯t make it. ¡°Well, though, you are the original owner of the artifact, so you can check it once it¡¯s repaired¡­¡± ¡°Of course that is possible, but will it really work? This is the first time I¡¯m hearing it is broken. I¡¯m not here to make it your fault, but I need to rify why it was broken and whether it should be left to the knights in the future.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Emil¡¯s strict remarksnded heavily on Dous. He continued without paying his appearance any heed, however. ¡°Dous, you know that your actions so far bear a significant penalty. The broken artifact has been hidden so far, then you called outsiders to repair it and even called me here to verify it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When did the Wyvern Knights be a group to strengthen their own authority by borrowing power from others? If you had won the hearts of your members, this wouldn¡¯t be necessary. If you had confidence in yourself, you wouldn¡¯t need to hide it was broken in the first ce.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± No matter how proud Dous Payne was, he had nothing he could say in front of one of the world¡¯s top 300. He had apparently thought Emil Bolton would help him save face, but things weren¡¯t going as he wanted. ¡°Well, whatever the reason, you¡¯re now trying to get the job done. I won¡¯t me you. Whatever the reason, if you properly repair the artifact and are recognized as the rightful owner of Meloy, I will admit it too.¡± ¡°Senior¡­!¡± ¡°Fortunately, the person who made the artifact is nearby. I asked him to visit. He will be better suited to this than I, who can only scare my juniors. He¡¯ll be able to figure out what went wrong and why it¡¯s broken, as well as if the people you brought are doing their job.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± For the second surprise of the day, Dous¡¯s eyes opened wide once more as Eleanor grabbed at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm. Meanwhile, Shin-hyuk was convinced. The mystery before him was being solved as he realized why ire reacted the way she did to the saddle. She recognized whose work it was¡­ *** Twenty minutester, an old man arrived at the ckwood Training Center. It was Lee Manwoo, the teacher in charge of the Artifact Production Club. ¡°If I realized it was this, I would¡¯ve told you not to bother me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It was the request of my juniors, so I couldn¡¯t leave it be.¡± Emil Bolton bowed his head, and the other students quickly joined him in bowing to Lee Manwoo a secondter. Lee Manwoo looked at Kang Shin-hyuk with an expression of displeasure. ¡°You need to study artifacts, what are you doing here?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here today, sir.¡± ¡°What? Hmmm? Oh, is that so?¡± Lee Manwoo tilted his head at the words but soon seemed convinced. ¡°You¡¯re cheeky. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re up to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not confident, but I think I have a chance.¡± ¡°How do you manage each day? Even if I didn¡¯t have the skills, I would¡¯ve acted confident.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly, but he couldn¡¯t help it. As his synchronization rate increased, sometimes that old man¡¯s attitude would appear. Meanwhile, Dous Payne was looking more disheveled as he watched Shin-hyuk and Lee Manwoo converse. He realized things weren¡¯t going as intended. ¡°Then, the artifact. I have to see what the hell is wrong.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eleanor, who had been in charge of storing it so far, brought it out right away. The badges of the previous captains were sticking to it once more. Shin-hyuk had recovered some of the energy that had weakened inside it, but a ridiculously difficult process still remained until it couldpletely recover. ¡°Ha¡­these superhumans. Even their brain is a muscle.¡± Lee Manwoomented as soon as he saw it. As the creator of the artifact, he was able to grasp the problem immediately. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I clear? When the user changes, the badge changes.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I conveyed that to my juniors.¡± Emil Bolton responded politely. However, he had yet to realize the essence of the problem. Each time the user changed, so too did the badge. It didn¡¯t ur to him to remove the previous badge. ¡°Hah¡­ I¡¯m wrong. I was wrong for not writing an instruction manual. Yes, try to fix it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Manwoo set it down, and Dous gave instructions to the men he brought. They didn¡¯t move, however, as they stood still and stared at Lee Manwoo. ¡°Are you Lee Manwoo, the chief of the field?¡± ¡°No one knows such a strange nickname.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s loud!¡± The two men bowed their heads. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± ¡°I thought it would be amazing to see the taming artifact, but I didn¡¯t realize¡­!¡± ¡°What, what is it?¡± Dous Payne seemed embarrassed, but Emil Bolton took their attitude for granted. After all, he was familiar with Lee Manwoo back in his heyday. But what would be the response of someone who wanted to keep himself hidden? ¡°If you tell anyone outside, I will make you regret it.¡± ¡°We will keep it in mind, sir!¡± The men were eager to bow, which only increased Lee Manwoo¡¯s annoyance. They finally approached the artifact to check it out as Shin-hyuk shook his head. ¡°The internal structure ispletely twisted. I¡¯m sorry, but it is impossible to recover even for Lee Manwoo.¡± ¡°Unless you could turn back time¡­¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ve heard several reports that it can be fixed!¡± Dous Payne couldn¡¯t help himself as he angrily shouted. However, the two craftsmen shook their heads firmly. ¡°There are several ways to revive a low or mid-level artifact with a simple structure. You can even rebuild it from scratch. However, this is out of our reach. The number of craftsmen who could handle this¡­¡± ¡°Even if they could fix it, it would be temporary. It¡¯s been used wrong, now it¡¯s almost dead.¡± It wasn¡¯t dead. Kang Shin-hyuk thought of the Heroic Shield, which hadpletely lost its will. It was almost dead, but he was able to recover it. ¡®Actually, has the Godyer sword finished digesting the Heroic Shield?¡¯ He pushed the thought away, deciding now wasn¡¯t the time to think of it as he took a step forward. Eleanor nodded and spoke up. ¡°If so, how about leaving it to our new member Kang Shin-hyuk this time? He is knowledgeable of artifacts and is capable enough to create his own. I don¡¯t think it would be bad to test his abilities.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear these guys? Even the finest craftsmen couldn¡¯t touch it.¡± ¡°Well, can you alone create artifacts at your age?¡± Dous Payneughed her off, but the artisans shouted in anger. ¡°Alone? Huh, looking at your conversation with Lee Manwoo¡­are you his disciple?¡± ¡°Disciple? He¡¯s already making things on a different level than me. I¡¯m just paving the way a little for him.¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Lee Manwoo responded honestly, getting a good reaction of surprise out of the craftsmen. Dous Payne was growing upset with his n falling apart, and Shin-hyuk hoped the craftsmen wouldn¡¯t be treated too badly. ¡°Is that really okay? He¡¯s only a freshman. It may result in the artifact being destroyed.¡± ¡°Dous, you are the one who broke the artifact.¡± Emil Bolton rebuked Dous, but he also had a look of anxiety. He wasn¡¯t aware of Shin-hyuk¡¯s abilities, so he looked at Lee Manwoo for confirmation. Lee Manwoo clicked his tongue. ¡°Where will you do it? It would be nice to get a good look.¡± With that, Lee Manwoo took a seat. Emil Bolton joined him, and Dous ground his teeth and backed off. The artisans of his family were watching with anticipation, as did Eleanor. ¡°Then I¡¯ll try it.¡± With a deep breath, Kang Shin-hyuk approached the artifact. He began to pull out the badges hanging from it. Dous tried to stand up angrily, but Emil Bolton stopped him. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have left them all in. I liked it because I felt that it was handed down from the generations, but it was wrong.¡± ¡°Muscle heads. These magic tools are delicate.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± It was a clean hit to all of the leaders of the Wyvern Knights. Kang Shin-hyuk handed the badges over to Karen, who was standing nearby and pulled a potion out of his clothes. It was the regeneration potion ire had given him. ¡°What is that?!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Lee Manwoo stood up and shouted. He could tell the value of the potion just by looking at it. ¡°This is¡­ah,working.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied vaguely and poured about half the potion on the saddle. He immediately activated his spiritual power tomunicate with the saddle once more. Now it was time to wake up this artifact that slept like the dead. Chapter 67 Awakening (5)

Chapter 67 Awakening (5)

Regeneration potions were items that returned things to their best condition. This extended even to the saddle known as the Dragon¡¯s Mark, whose interior waspletely entangled due to years of misuse. However, it was important to note that if the artifact wasn¡¯t carefully controlled, the reproduction that would take ce would have no limits. In other words, it was possible for artifacts overload due to an excessive recovery, or to even begin to dpose. ¡®It¡¯s funny.¡¯ Therefore, repairing artifacts with a regeneration potion was a difficult process. It was delicate work that involved analyzing and reconstructing the artifact¡¯s internal structure while simultaneously controlling the regeneration process. That was using two different types of magic at once. Or so ire had said, but the exnation went over Shin-hyuk¡¯s head as he couldn¡¯t handle magic. ¡®I don¡¯t need to.¡¯ However, he had learned about the efficacy of the regeneration potion, so he was confident. He already knew the internal structure of the artifact, as well as the perfect state of the artifact that the saddle itself knew of. The saddle was leading him to the form it desired. ¡®Right?¡¯ -Vwoom ¡®Finally, it responded.¡¯ The artifact began to resonate faintly with Kang Shin-hyuk as it began to ept the spiritual power permeating into it. His spiritual power led the potion so that it wouldn¡¯t go berserk, aiming for that original form desired by the artifact. He smiled as he could feel the slight changes taking ce in the mana circuits within the saddle. ¡®I know a little more now.¡¯ At first, he didn¡¯t understand what exactly it had to do with taming. However, as he examined the artifact as it epted the power of the regeneration potion, he began to understand it intuitively. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he would be able to replicate it. This item was made using mana craft; all Kang Shin-hyuk could do was metallurgy. ¡®Still¡­I think this is possible.¡¯ Once he had grasped the meaning and will of the artifact, all he needed to do was focus on creating an object that replicated that. If an enchanter heard him, no doubt they would mock him, but he felt it was possible. -Vwoom ¡®Well?¡¯ It was then. Even after restoring it to its original state, the regeneration potion still had energy left to spare. He wanted to improve it. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively added his own spiritual power to the artifact, pushing the potion beyond its limits to change both the interior and exterior of the artifact. -Taking off the unnecessary decorations and expanding the mana circuits. -A specific direction has been given to the saddle based on the spiritual power it has received¡­in this process, the Golden-eyed Dragon was activated. -Originally, this artifact had the name of Dragon¡¯s Mark, but it wasn¡¯t originally rted to dragons. It didn¡¯t matter so long as the target was a monster. It worked without differentiating between them. -However, it obtained that name after it was used to tame wyverns over the years. Thanks to the Golden-eyed Dragon characteristic, the artifact was breaking through its limits. ¡°No, it¡¯s still a littlecking.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk drew his sword as he kept his hand on the saddle. The people watching the vibrating and changing form of the saddle stood up, but he paid them no mind as he cut the tip of his finger. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Lee Manwoo silenced Dous Payne with a word, who was trying to stop Kang Shin-hyuk. Meanwhile, Shin-hyuk¡¯s blood that continued a deep spiritual power and a B-rank regeneration power fell onto the saddle, absorbed into it without a trace. Of course, his regeneration was quiteckingpared to the potion¡¯s power, but it was better than nothing. The artifact emitted a radiant light as it finished repairing with the addition of his blood. No, rather, it had evolved. -An artifact that hadpletely lost its ability has evolved beyond mere restoration. You have obtained [Dragon¡¯s Mark (A+)]. If you use it yourself, you can raise your rating even further. The luxurious saddle was shining radiantly before him. The image of a dragon was engraved onto the edges of it. He let out a sigh and put it down, messages filling his retinas as if they had been waiting for that moment. -Communicating directly with artifacts to draw out their true power, your metallurgy skills have grown to B-rank. Heat resistance has further increased. -Mastered the resistance skill [Resist Fire (A)]. The rarity of [Resist Fire (A)] increased due to the influence of regeneration and metallurgy, bing [Resist Fire(S)]. Under the influence of metallurgy, skill proficiency increased to B-rank. -Synchronization has elerated¡ªcurrent rate of 17.2%. -Congrattions on your new resistance acquisition with a 500HP bonus! Familiar messages scrolled past him. He could understand the extent of the evolution of the Dragon¡¯s Mark, but what was even more surprising was that he gained the Resist Fire skill from his heat resistance increasing. Resistances were very rare skills, so it was surprising metallurgy had such a hidden effect. No, of course, what he had just learned wasn¡¯t ordinary metallurgy. ¡®By the way¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk recalled the instinctive activation of his trait during the process of repairing the object, which had happened when he repaired the orb as well. He thought it was originally applied to only weapons as a simple buff, but it worked to evolve these objects. It was a reminder that it was linked to his metallurgy, although its secrets still remained hidden for now. ¡®I thought it was a trait that stopped me from using mana, but is it rted to my previous life? No, since we have the same soul, isn¡¯t that natural?¡¯ He grew increasingly confused as he wondered what characteristics Anvil had in his previous life. -As I said before, you didn¡¯t havebat capabilities in your previous life. Until you essed the Hero Universe, you were an ordinary person. One with no characteristics. ¡®I see¡­¡¯ -There¡¯s no need to think too deeply about it. It means that there is no need to separate yourself from the past, nor do you need to try and match yourself. Just do what you want to do now. ¡®¡­Thank you.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk covered his embarrassment by thanking the administrator. -1,000HP Bonus! ¡®Did you read my mind?!¡¯ While Kang Shin-hyuk was going back and forth quietly with the administrator, the artisans of the Payne family went to examine the artifact. ¡°My god! The energy inside is already different!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of artifacts but¡­this is great. Lee Manwoo, this!¡± ¡°Artifact evolution. I¡¯ve only seen it twice so far. When the connection between an artifact and its owner reaches its peak, I¡¯ve heard that it can grow. But to think it would happen with an artifact I created¡­¡± Lee Manwoo shook his head and looked at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°This guy did it.¡± ¡°Evolving the artifact created by the great chief¡­!¡± ¡°Is this the ability of his disciple?!¡± The craftsmen overreacted to the point where it was hard to imagine them quietly repairing an artifact. Kang Shin-hyuk reddened a bit under their excited gazes. ¡°Haha, the effect of the regeneration potion was really great.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an amazing item, but that¡¯s not the only reason. You aren¡¯t even the owner of this artifact in the first ce¡­¡± ¡°You!¡± Finally, Dous Payne stepped forward. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen. ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to steal the Wyvern Knights items? Dropping blood on an artifact is often a way of registering as its owner!¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded calmly and lifted the saddle up. ¡°I could have used anything like that on this artifact. Still, anyone can use it, and you don¡¯t even need to attach a badge to it anymore. You just need to meet the conditions for using it.¡± ¡°The terms of use¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit shaky as he hadn¡¯t expected it to go this far. ¡°It grew during the repair process, so naturally the qualification requirements have changed. Probably, it originally had them¡­¡± ¡°It did.¡± Lee Manwoo nodded slowly. ¡°What I set was that only the captain of the Wyvern knights could use it. But now¡­it has be a standard of the artifact, not of a human.¡± ¡°Which means?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the person who decides¡­ It¡¯s the artifact that decides. The person that the saddle decides has the abilities appropriate of the Wyvern Knightmander. Only they can use it properly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Dragon¡¯s Mark now, sir.¡± ¡°This artifact is so cheeky. It¡¯s begging you more than me!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who had deeplymunicated with the artifact while repairing it, should be excluded. It would be easy to stop Dous Payne from using it while he was working on it, after all. ¡°Huh, it must¡¯ve been quite annoying to have been gued by unqualified people. Maybe this guy can help us select the head of the Wyvern Knights in the future.¡± ¡°Huh¡­!¡± The two artisans, Dous Payne and Eleanor R. Algiers, all looked up. ¡°Then it¡¯s no problem.¡± Dous Payne took the saddle away from Shin-hyuk with a confident expression and started walking away. ¡°Senior, since you¡¯vee over, why don¡¯t we visit the wyvern? I¡¯ll show you how I tame him.¡± Of course, he was walking toward the wyvern¡¯s barn. It looked like Emil Bolton might burst intoughter, and Lee Manwoo just gazed at the artifact in his hand with his head tilted. ¡°That¡­ah¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eleanor bit her tongue, and Karen looked like everything was ruined. Kang Shin-hyuk, however, was convinced. ¡°We will go too. We¡¯ll see if this man deserves to be recognized as the real captain.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Eleanor let out a deep sigh and nodded. So next up was to check on the wyvern Meloy. -Kruuuuraaaaaah! The results were as expected. Chapter 68 - Awakening (6)

Chapter 68 - Awakening (6)

¡°It wasn¡¯t repaired!¡± Dous Payne couldn¡¯t stand the fury rising inside of him. It was because all of the Wyvern Knights watched Meloy throw him to the floor when he was climbing onto the saddle on his back. -Kurooooooh! Meloy was excited, screeching at Dous Payne. It started at him with glowing yellow eyes that seemed ready to peck at his head the next time he got close. It was a lucky thing that his stamina was S-rank. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can¡¯t be recognized as the strongest of the Wyvern Knights. You! You lied to me!¡± ¡°Dous Payne!¡± Emil Bolton shouted the moment Dous Payne tried to stare down Kang Shin-hyuk. No matter how great his stats were, he couldn¡¯t handle the look Emil Bolton shot at him. He stiffened in ce. ¡°When did the Wyvern Knights be a kindergarten? Do you think this behavior is worth the captain badge I passed on?¡± ¡°No, sir! But, senior, I was recognized by all the members and became the captain. The reason I can¡¯t handle the saddle properly is because of him!¡± ¡°Did you not hear Lee Manwoo? Those are the standards of humans, the standards of an artifact are different.¡± ¡°What is different between them?!¡± Dous Payne really didn¡¯t seem to know. Emil looked at Lee Manwoo and Kang Shin-hyuk in turn, asking if they would allow him to exin. The two nodded, knowing they couldn¡¯t convince him without Emil. ¡°There are other factors involved in human standards other than coercion such as perspective,working and loyalty.¡± ¡°Senior!¡± Dous raised his voice. ¡°I wasn¡¯t appointed captain because of my family!¡± ¡°I know, Dous, I wasn¡¯t referring to them.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± -Gruaaaah! The wyvern was still temperamental, responding angrily to Dous¡¯s voice, so Kang Shin-hyuk sneakily approached him to calm him down. Curiously, he began to calm as soon as Kang Shin-hyuk ced a hand on him. The wyvern licked his hand and let out a small cry. ¡°As expected. Shin-hyuk, we will have no choice but to take care of you.¡± ¡°Funny.¡± He stepped back,ughing at Karen¡¯s unstoppable drive to recruit him. He already knew his job was done. ¡°If it¡¯s not my family, whose¡­?¡± Dous Payne turned to Eleanor, who was standing anxiously nearby. ¡°¡­Vice-captain?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dous looked at her nkly, repeating the same word she said to himself. ¡°No.¡± Eleanor calmed down a bit, but Dous Payne was looking straight at her. ¡°Are you trying to hide your skills, vice-captain?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Ride that wyvern, vice-captain.¡± ¡°Captain.¡± ¡°This is your captain¡¯s instructions. Or can¡¯t you follow the words of someone weaker than yourself?¡± Eleanor bit into her lip quietly, but now that it came to it, it was impossible to refuse. Eventually, she had no choice but to move. -Gururu But she wasn¡¯t rejected. Meloy cried out in a low voice and epted her as if it had been waiting all along. It slowly lowered itself to allow her up. ¡°¡­¡± Even the saddle began to glow dimly as if to prove it was activated, but Dous didn¡¯t react at all. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Dous turned to stare at Kang Shin-hyuk. Shin-hyuk had an inkling of what he was thinking. That he made it react to Eleanor, as the one who repaired it, but soon his gaze fell away from Kang Shin-hyuk, looking back at Eleanor, who was descending from the wyvern. ¡°Did you know she was stronger than me? Did you insist on not joining us because of this?¡± ¡°No one says I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s fight.¡± Dous Payne touched his bracelet, summoning forth a massive greatsword. He grabbed it with one hand, swinging it lightly, and pointed it at the vice-captain. At first nce, its mass was no joke, but he was holding it with ease. ¡°Captain.¡± ¡°We¡¯re fighting to confirm it. I can¡¯t understand right now. If you lose, I have no choice but to decide that this guy tricked me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The tip turned toward Shin-hyuk. Eleanor let out a deep sigh. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll fight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hide your abilities.¡± ¡°I will not hide.¡± ¡°If you win, I will withdraw from my position. You¡¯ll be the captain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Eleanor hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ve been humiliated enough today. You won¡¯t continue to shame me, right?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remained silent, unsure if he could win against Dous himself. But both of them were special, even by Shinyoung¡¯s standards. Shin-hyuk had grown miraculously, but he stillcked confidence in himself. He believed Eleanor could win, though. ¡°¡­I will ept all conditions.¡± Eleanor gently closed her eyes for a second, steeling her resolve, and then stared at him. The shine in her purple eyes was overwhelming. Thus, this year¡¯s first managerial match would take ce. The training center had facilities for this, and the appropriate members to referee were already gathered, so they could start right away. Emil Bolton and Lee Manwoo followed the group. Tensions were high as the two executive groups were anxious about the oue. ¡°I hate Shin-hyuk.¡± Karen approached him with a dead expression and jabbed him in the side. However, with his A-rank stamina, it didn¡¯t even scratch him. ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t what I intended, but I think it¡¯s fair for you to do some heavy lifting too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope it works out.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t respond as he looked around. Everyone¡¯s attention was now on the duel that would take ce. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m ready to listen now. You¡¯ve been itching to tell me about a bunch of stuff, so what is it?¡± Even if it was temporary, he was still a member of the Wyvern Knights. He wondered if he should know what he had been putting off. Karen thankfully began to exin. ¡°Eleanor is a direct descendant of Red Lake, the current British royal family.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even blink when you said that. What is Red Lake?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name of the British royal family since the age of superhumans began. Didn¡¯t you know this?¡± Well, from the start, they were famous for changing names. However, he wasn¡¯t aware Eleanor was royalty. No, rather, why would a member of the royal family go to school in Korea?¡± ¡°We were kicked out. Now the British royal family is having quite a bit of an internal conflict. Guardians¡­oh, that¡¯s the British name for superhumans, but the royal family has control over the guardians.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t know what to do next. The vice-captain isn¡¯t strong, but she¡¯s talented. So, you came here after she fled here. Were you guys trying to stay undercover here?¡± ¡°Well, more or less.¡± ¡°Are you both stupid? That person is one of the most noticeable people in the school right now.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Karen looked like she might cry. ¡°I mean, originally she wanted to meet and defeat the captain in the finals. However, a guy like Baek got in the way.¡± ¡°Are you mad at Baek again?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he began to understand the situation a bit better. ¡°She didn¡¯t want topete in the first ce.¡± ¡°If her majesty, the vice-captain, didn¡¯t participate, it would be strange, right?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t need to be the vice-captain.¡± ¡°But it was natural after joining the Wyvern Knights. Specifically, because of Dous Payne.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t need to join in.¡± ¡°It was a good excuse to join the Royal ss. You wouldn¡¯t be able to convince the other students that you deserve to be there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really arbitrary.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± But if they hadn¡¯t shown off their skills and kept their heads down, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. They were like some strong protagonists in a bookining about the power they had worked so hard to achieve. If that would be the case in the end, why bother trying to be strong in the first ce? ¡°In fact, isn¡¯t it okay to receive some attention?¡± ¡°¡­What sort of answer are you looking for? My answer as a noble? Or as someone who admires the vice-captain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough of an answer.¡± In the end, the hero would get attacked by various people because they were strong. But, in the end, they solved it with their strength. Eleanor had been unintentionally revealing her abilities because she was so strong. Moreover, it probably didn¡¯t help that she was in the middle of a struggle for power in the British royal family. She had been struggling to hold back all this time because of it. ¡°¡­I won.¡± Today, she was forced to face a choice between hiding or being strong. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Dous Payne kneeled on the floor with a hole in the middle of his sword. She was looking straight at Kang Shin-hyuk, beyond Dous Payne. ¡°Thanks to this, I was able to make up my mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will take the position of captain. Thank you for helping me decide for myself¡­thank you.¡± Dous Payne nodded vaguely with an indescribable expression. And Kang Shin-hyuk turned away and pretended not to hear anything. ¡®Do the rest for yourself.¡¯ Chapter 69 - Awakening (7)

Chapter 69 - Awakening (7)

¡°The vice-captain¡­Eleanor R. Algiers was a woman who could¡¯ve been my wife.¡± Dous Payne, once so proud, was now crumpled on the sofa like a popped balloon. He was talking like Eleanor had died. ¡°I thought she could follow me, which was why I made her vice-captain¡­ It¡¯s why I entrusted the mark to her. I could trust her, I believed it would be the sign of that trust.¡± It was absurd, but Kang Shin-hyuk understood his heart without knowing. He was the image of a Korean patriarch from the 70s. He would swear at his wife and even get violent sometimes, but on the days he earned a lot of money from working hard, he would make sure to buy something extra for his wife and go back¡­no, wait, Eleanor wasn¡¯t dead. Dous had maintained that coercive attitude because he was embarrassed to open his heart up. ¡®Really, there¡¯s a limit to how frustrating you can be.¡¯ In novels, such a man could be viewed sympathetically. But in fact, such domestic violence was criminal, and Dous Payne, who had left all his responsibilities to Eleanor, was simply a reckless man. It was surprising to think you could convey your heart in such a way, but somehow Kang Shin-hyuk had seen through him. ¡°But she¡­brought you.¡± He stared straight at Shin-hyuk. ¡°It was unbelievable she had brought in an outsider, so I felt the need to discipline her. But she went so far as to make you a member. I thought I needed to talk to her, show her the right way.¡± So he decided to fix the broken artifact using his family¡¯s connections. Although the result went without saying, at least his family members saw something interesting before they went back home even if they couldn¡¯t repair the saddle. ¡°I was mistaken from the start. The woman I believed would follow me was hiding her abilities and had no interest in me¡­hahaha, here I thought I could protect her.¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± He frowned and sipped at his coffee. ¡°I should¡¯ve noticed when she won in the tournament, but I thought it was just bad luck I went down in the quarterfinals due to that damn Baek.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± ¡°So, whether or not she won, she was a weaker woman than me, and that¡¯s why I have to protect her¡­that¡¯s what I thought. But that was just my own ego¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Dous¡¯s spirit was in a state of flux, thanks to his pride being dismantled. But, even in the midst of that, he didn¡¯t forget to mention Baek In-ha, who had beaten him. Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to hear anymore, nor did he want to be there in the first ce. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped as he was now in a one-on-one confrontation with Dous Payne in themon lounge of the Royal ss. It was a spacious resting room with luxurious sofas and tables, with various refreshments as well. There were only two people now in that caf¨¦-esque resting room, Kang Shin-hyuk and Dous Payne. That gori who wasying on a sofa smaller than himself and a weaker-looking boy. ¡°It¡¯s incredible, but I think she chose you. You have artifact-rted abilities, so maybe you can assist her from the sidelines¡­but just keep in mind, I haven¡¯t given up. Don¡¯t dream of it.¡± Maybe that was why Dous Payne had called out to him separately. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged, looking at the mug in his hand that he was gripping tightly. There were many things he wanted to correct about what Dous said, but first of all¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no such rtionship between Eleanor and I. She doesn¡¯t view me as the opposite sex, nor do I have any particr feelings for her.¡± ¡°What?¡± Dous Payne¡¯s face turned red. ¡°To put it inly, I just helped out a friend. The membership was just a temporary assignment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please seriously consider whether you need to take the lead in your rtionships or not.¡± Dous Payne said he wanted to protect her, but that was all. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be stronger than the target to protect them. If you consider the circumstances of why she had to hide her power, perhaps there will be a way for you to help her.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dous fell into deep thought, his eyebrows wrinkling. This was a bit extra for Kang Shin-hyuk, who wished for a proper conclusion for everyone. Eleanor would be facing a lot of trouble in the future, and really, he didn¡¯t want her bugging him anymore, so he was nning on having Dous back her up instead. He already knew very well of the feelings Dous had for her, so he figured it would be possible to change his mindset just a little. If that wasn¡¯t his intention, he wouldn¡¯t be sitting in such an ufortable position at the moment. ¡°¡­Okay. She has some issues with her family, right? Okay.¡± And it was working quite well. ¡°You¡¯re a guy who knows how to talk, huh? Even if I¡¯m weaker than her, if I have the will, I can do it? I like it.¡± Dous Payne jumped up on the spot, the sofa he wasying on making some disconcerting noises as the giant moved. ¡°Good. I won¡¯t give up just because I failed to reach her. I¡¯ll keep trying until my heart reaches her, and I¡¯ll stay by her side. But it still feels bad to lose to her. Alright, I¡¯ll propose once I surpass her. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be invited to the wedding too.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± He was an enviable person who was enjoying his life. Kang Shin-hyuk nkly stared at the delusional Dous Payne. Dous enjoyed his fantasies for a few moments before he grabbed onto Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder with a thick gori-like hand. ¡°I¡¯ll remember you, Kang Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re a useful guy. When she bes my wife, I¡¯ll have to recruit you to work for my family.¡± ¡°Well, I just¡­ah.¡± Dous Payne left before Shin-hyuk could finish speaking. He let out a sigh, sipping at his coffee with a lot of milk and sugar alone in the break room. ¡°But this will reduce the annoyances.¡± -This administrator is impressed by your genius tactic of attaching an ignorant gori to an evil fox! 1,500HP bonus! ¡°Administrator, aren¡¯t these bonuses bing weirder each time?¡± -1,000HP bonus! ¡°What the hell¡­¡± -2,000HP Bonus! ¡°I admit I was wrong.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk genuinely repented after being scolded by the administrator, who seemed rather happy. *** ¡°Why would you do that?!¡± The next day, Karen had grasped the whole picture and began shouting at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s strategy, which was so beautiful Zhuge Liang would cry. It was a Sunday afternoon, and he was sipping tea at her invitation. Outside of the room, the other seniors were trying to spy on them. ¡°He¡­I don¡¯t like this very much¡­¡± Eleanor spoke up with an ufortable expression. Of course, Shin-hyuk sympathized with her after she was forced into this position. But that didn¡¯t mean it was wise to throw out someone who could be of help. ¡°It¡¯s not that you need to date him. Senior, please consider it carefully. That man is very strong, and many people still follow him.¡± Dous Payne had been soundly defeated by Eleanor, but that was a testament to her strength rather than his weakness. Dous fought his hardest to beat her, even though the duel had ended so quickly. He couldn¡¯t be overlooked. As a result of that, his followers didn¡¯t fall apart. Even though he was demoted to vice-captain, he was still a strong fighter who leads most of the men in the Wyvern Knights. It would be helpful for her going forward if they could cooperate. ¡°More than anything, there is also his family. Wouldn¡¯t they be enough to protect you?¡± ¡°But that¡­ it¡¯s a debt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough to be sessfulter and pay them back. Is there somew that you can only pay off debts with your body and mind?¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, you are really amazing¡­¡± It was an unscrupulous idea possible only because of the experience and wisdom of Anvil. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to hide your abilities. Besides, it seems like the battle for the royal throne can¡¯t be easily avoided¡­which means you¡¯ll inevitably have to show off your strength and grow. Find people who will cooperate with you, use them to mobilize resources and build your power so that you can¡¯t be touched. Haven¡¯t you yed the Three Kingdoms game?¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t tried it.¡± ¡°Then try it now. It may give you some ideas. Anyways, I returned a valuable ally to your side, so don¡¯t bother me anymore. Of course, fighting is helpful to me too, so let¡¯s continue doing that¡­well?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed forward and began to stand up, but Eleanor grabbed his hand. ¡°I agree with you. I think it¡¯s necessary to create a force inside the school¡­I wish you were the first.¡± ¡°Oh, your majesty. Wasn¡¯t I the first?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Eleanor panicked at what Karen said sadly. Her cheeks were red as she denied it. ¡°Karen was already on my side. That¡¯s a royal power¡­not a school one¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you meant.¡± ¡°There was no weird meaning. Shin-hyuk has good abilities and a great mentality. So I wish he could do this with me. You¡­I can believe in.¡± -Fox. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a quiet sigh at the administrator¡¯s message. ¡°Thank you for viewing me so highly, but I still have a lot of work to do myself. I won¡¯t be able to take care of others. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But, for the time being, I¡¯ll wear the cloak. I think you understand what that means. As long as its not annoying, if we can help each other, I want to keep talking with you.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Eleanor nodded with wide eyes at his words. It was a give and take. Besides, the cloak of a Wyvern Knight would provide enough benefits to outweigh the hassles. More than all of that, however, was that he found Eleanor likable. She had the same view as Kang Shin-hyuk since they both had the energy of one who practiced honestly and steadily. ¡®This royal family business is a bit tiresome but¡­I can¡¯t say I dislike her.¡¯ Compared to a certain 25-year-old spoiled girl who called him grandpa, she wasn¡¯t annoying to deal with at all. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go. I want to do some crafting.¡± ¡°I want to watch.¡± ¡°Maybe some other time.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk waved at the two and left. The seniors gathered around outside whispered and tried to learn more, but he ignored them coolly. -Could it be¡­ ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± Meloy was enjoying the freedom of the training center, walking up to him as he left. He scratched his chin a few times before leaving the forest. ¡°Hi, long time no see.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± But, on the way, he was stopped by a beautiful Latin girl. It was his reunion with Lee Na-hee, the school¡¯s most beautiful girl who won first ce in the popr vote for two consecutive years. Chapter 70 - Granddaughter of the Great Chief (1)

Chapter 70 - Granddaughter of the Great Chief (1)

¡°Are you in love? You¡¯re in love. After all, you can¡¯t help it in front of them. It would be fun to know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was in an unexpected meeting. Lee Manwoo stood behind him with an expression he had never seen before. It was so different that Shin-hyuk barely recognized him. ¡°Ah, sir. You¡¯re here. I was nervous that you were actually a beautiful girl who was pretending to be a grandpa.¡± ¡°¡­Your attitude seems to be changing slowly these days.¡± Lee Manwoo¡¯s eyes narrowed at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s joke. He looked back at the girl staring at him. Wearing a school uniform from the Magic Department, with a blue tie representing the second grade, she had tanned brown skin and silver hair shining like the Milky Way. Her red eyes shone ominously. Kang Shin-hyuk had a faint memory of meeting this person before, in front of Biryong Hall. ¡°Hello, senior. Long time no see.¡± ¡°I remember you¡­what about your debt?¡± Debt? Kang Shin-hyuk recalled he must¡¯ve said something like that at the time. It must¡¯ve been when he was contemting getting help from Baek in joining a club; she had passed by him. ¡°Thanks to Mr. Lee Manwoo here, I managed to get by without umting any debts.¡± ¡°In the end, you take more care of a craftsman with a hammer in hand than your granddaughter with no ability.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She spoke coldly as she stared at Lee Manwoo, but he quickly responded with augh. But wait, granddaughter? Before Kang Shin-hyuk could ask, she pushed on. ¡°My close grandfather.¡± ¡°Ah, your father was Korean if I remember correctly¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a good memory. Are you interested in me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He just recalled it by chance. She wasn¡¯t interested in his answer, however, as she tapped at the desk near her for them to sit down. Kang Shin-hyuk gently smiled and sat down. -Huh, there are so many foxes in the world. ¡®This is normal, you know. Normal.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk once again had to calm down the administrator before turning to Lee Manwoo. ¡°Is this the enchanter you mentioned?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick to notice.¡± ¡°The one that was kicked out.¡± ¡°Well¡­as you know, this is Lee Na-hee. I would bet you wouldn¡¯t find a better enchanter her age.¡± ¡°I¡¯m convinced the granddaughter of the Great Chief is a genius enchanter.¡± ¡°When I hear that from you, I feel like I¡¯m getting ridiculed.¡± While Shin-hyuk and Lee Manwoo were acting close, Lee Na-hee looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Is he that great? Enough to make my grandfather pick up a hammer again?¡± ¡°No, I just thought of helping this guy a little. Also, call me teacher at school.¡± ¡°What kind of teacher are you?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched this grandfather struggle in front of him. This was a normal rtionship, not having an older granddaughter who called you grandpa in a childish voice and clung to you. ¡°So, anyway.¡± Lee Na-hee turned back to Shin-hyuk. ¡°He said you participated in the World Rookies Artifact Contest in July.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s take a look. I want to see with my own eyes how great your abilities are.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Lee Manwoo for confirmation. The old teacher nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about it before¡­you seem to be interested in creating artifacts with Alite, which doesn¡¯t ept magic very well. So show off. Let this guy know that the world is big.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded with a small groan. Given how he was talking, Lee Na-hee was as great of an enchanter as she was beautiful. If such a skilled enchanter helped him, it was no dream to create amazing artifacts. For Kang Shin-hyuk, that would be invaluable. ¡°The only issue is that the artifact you created uses Alite. Additional enchantments will be difficult as it repels mana¡­cooperation will be a problem.¡± ¡°Are you thinking about returning to the club? If you don¡¯t like the way things are here, there¡¯s no way.¡± Lee Manwooughed at his granddaughter¡¯s harsh words. ¡°Who is the one that can¡¯t read the situation?¡± ¡°I just wanted to see this cheeky child who hogged the attention of the Great Chief.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone with such a strange nickname!¡± ¡°Grandpa, my grandfather, is rather shy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk averted his eyes. It was normal for your personality to change when you were around family, he supposed. He felt like his understanding of Shin Eunah deepened. ¡°Here you are.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He stepped forward to interrupt the conversation, the B- rank Perm¡¯s Javelin in hand. ¡°Where did thate from?¡± ¡°Subspace artifact.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought such a lie would be alright after seeing Dous Payne summon that sword out of thin air. Lee Na-hee made an even more ridiculous expression at his words, however. ¡°Grandpa, is this the heir to some bigpany?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m getting the sense he¡¯s sacrificed a lot.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lee Na-hee made an unpleasant fade. Was a misunderstanding being born before him? ¡°It¡¯s not like that. ¡°I see. Yes, no, I believe you.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s expression only grew worse, giving him no room to correct the misunderstanding. He let out a sigh and handed the javelin. ¡°Examine it carefully.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. This is the work of your student¡­hmm¡­¡± Lee Na-hee epted the spear with augh. The javelin, which emitted a subtle golden color, was of a simple design, but it had solid craftsmanship. As soon as he epted the gear, her expression became serious as she examined it closely. ¡°Wow¡­huh¡­?¡± She looked over the weapon with sharp eyes, looking every bit the craftsman. Just one look in her sincere eyes was enough to tell; they were the same as her grandfather¡¯s. ¡°No¡­wait a minute. What is this¡­¡± Her expression soon distorted, and she looked at Lee Manwoo, who, for his part, was looking like he was holding backughter. ¡°Grandpa, you knew.¡± ¡°Of course I knew. Who do you think taught you emotional skills? Well done though. Now that you¡¯ve figured it out on your own, I can¡¯t teach you anymore about it.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡­this is nonsense.¡± ¡°Uh, hello?¡± ¡°Ridiculous, nonsense¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had no idea what they were discussing amongst each other. He waved in front of them. ¡°What makes no sense?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lee Na-hee looked straight at him, a spark in her eye. ¡°It¡¯s said you can¡¯t handle mana¡­¡± ¡°Yeah? Why are you bringing that up?¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve noticed then¡­no, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. You¡¯re the Rookie King, right? I thought I was dealing with mana now. Ahhh¡­¡± Lee Na-hee put the spear down and rubbed her head. He wondered if there was some sort of effect on the javelin he hadn¡¯t noticed, but she exploded before he could consider it. ¡°You still can¡¯t handle mana, right?!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I thought as much, I can¡¯t feel any mana in it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ah? Is that not because it¡¯s made of Alite?¡± ¡°Alite resists mana which makes it harder to work with, but all artifacts in the world must have mana. Even ones made of Alite. But this artifact has no mana!¡± She yelled at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t all artifacts made with metallurgy alone like that?¡± ¡°No, artifacts made my metallurgy still have mana too. It is extremely unusual for it to have no mana despite being an artifact.¡± Lee Manwoo shrugged and offered an exnation. Kang Shin-hyuk felt like smacking himself with a hammer as he listened. That was why he was so amazed at the beginning. ¡°There are no such artifacts in the world, other than what you¡¯ve made. These miraculous artifacts with an unknown energy¡­¡± Lee Na-hee paused. ¡°If you can add enchantments with mana to it¡­it would be a multiple enchantment, not a reinforcement. It¡¯s like a bicycle versus a unicycle, understand?¡± ¡°Kind of, yeah.¡± ¡°Grandpa, be quiet. Kang Shin-hyuk, right? Listen carefully. With your abilities, you can create artifacts that challenge the realm of gods. Can you imagine that?¡± It shouldn¡¯t have surprised him all that much, given the reputation Anvil had built up before. -I mentioned cksmiths who deal with spiritual power are very valuable. -I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a cksmith with the greatest potential in the world. No, in the Hero Universe. ¡®Okay, okay, stop praising me. I feel so dizzy I could die.¡¯ ¡°You.¡± Lee Na-hee grabbed his hand, causing him to stop. He could feel the hard calluses on her palms, which had seemed so small and soft at a nce. ¡°Do it with me.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°Calm down, granddaughter. He¡¯s not a reasonable guy.¡± ¡°No, not that!¡± Because of her excitement, she had omitted some pretty important words. She gripped his hand even harder. ¡°Make an artifact with me!¡± Lee Na-hee shouted at him in a sincere voice. ¡°Yes.¡± Shin-hyuk had no reason to refuse. He could tell Lee Manwoo was smiling from behind him. No doubt, he had expected this since the beginning. ¡°Then let¡¯s start right now.¡± And so, his first coboration with an enchanter began. Chapter 71 - Granddaughter of the Great Chief (2)

Chapter 71 - Granddaughter of the Great Chief (2)

Two people working together tobine enchantment and metallurgy. An artifact created by Mana Craft and cksmithing. ¡°There are two ways to enchant: crafting and granting. Granting enchantments to an already finished object or crafting a detail circuit into a work by engraving it as it is being produced. Of course, thetter is more difficult, but also more effective.¡± ¡°Engraving the enchantment¡­does that mean you need a blueprint?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really two people with the right skills, you won¡¯t need one. Or if you¡¯re a person who has both metallurgy and enchanting skills.¡± Lee Na-hee red at her grandfather at thatment. Kang Shin-hyuk found it easy enough to guess why. Wasn¡¯t Lee Manwoo the one who made the Dragon¡¯s Mark, after all? That was an object born through Mana Craft, and hepleted it alone. ¡°I thought you created the artifacts through metallurgy alone.¡± ¡°Metallurgy can do it alone, however it requires a deep understanding and control of the production process. Even with that, the effect will end up inferior to an enchantment.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed at the exnation which he heard for the first time, but the old man called the Great Chief smiled and shrugged. ¡°In fact, I wasn¡¯t sure of your abilities. I didn¡¯t talk about it because I thought you might have an enchanting ability that I didn¡¯t recognize. After seeing Na-hee¡¯s reaction, I realized I was right.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re an old man, it¡¯s hard to tell what you¡¯re thinking, sir.¡± ¡°Haha, like I want to hear that from you.¡± At that, Lee Na-hee lightly struck the table. ¡°I already know my grandfather is a scammer, so I have nothing more to say. What matters now is our work.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± When he was working on his own, it was enough to think about what he would make while working. Even with his synchronization iplete, Anvil¡¯s instinct was still enough to guide his body. But this time, everything had to be decided in advance. It was an experience even Anvil was unfamiliar with. -As a member in your previous life, you were in the realm of All-Craft, so even if an enchanter tried to intervene, it would only hurt. ¡®All-Craft included not only leather work, but also enchanting? So it meant Anvil didn¡¯t need an enchanter.¡¯ -The objects he made were already pushed beyond their limits. One day shortly, you will reach that too. In fact, he already had proof of that skill because he had created artifacts by himself. Kang Shin-hyuk looked over at the table on which Lee Na-hee was spreading out paper. ¡°I¡¯ll start with what we will make. Of course, the javelin you made is great, but maybe it has a unique ability because of that¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°How about we start with a sword? It¡¯s a popr weapon, and it¡¯s easy to enchant.¡± ¡°A sword.¡± The first thing he made was a sword, and he felt it was the same for Anvil. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at Lee Na-hee¡¯s burning enthusiasm. ¡°That¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°Okay, next is the content. What should we put in the sword, what power do we pour into it.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He thought of the Dragon¡¯s Mark, an object created for the purpose of taming from the start. It wasn¡¯t crafted by ident; that taming ability was nned from the start. ¡°It will change a lot depending on the ability you want to give it.¡± ¡°Sword artifacts are also divided into two types. The first is a reinforcement type that increases the power of the sword itself or the wielder. The second is something more diverse that can ovee any shorings it has. Like a sword that emits sparks or creates a shield.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought about it for a moment. How many artifacts had he made so far? There were ones that had increased pration or could split apart. ¡®But now with this person¡¯s help¡­¡¯ ¡°I want to try the second type.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Enchantment was the work of engraving what you wanted onto the armament. He felt it while analyzing the saddle, but now, what Kang Shin-hyuk needed was to learn the various possibilities an object could have. He wouldn¡¯t be able to grow by focusing only on simple reinforcement abilities. Lee Na-hee must¡¯ve noticed his change in attitude as she let out a satisfiedugh. She could see the shine in his eyes. ¡°There are many types, what would you like?¡± ¡°Could I hear about the things you¡¯ve crafted so far?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­the easiest of the abilities to craft is the ability to use mana to create a shield or heal wounds. Those have a high probability of sess.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded honestly. His focus was on making the armament itself strong, and it didn¡¯t fit the purpose of a sword. Even Anvil focused on making weapons that didn¡¯t deviate from their fundamental purpose. The Heroic Shield had a destructive beam, of course, but it was born through its defense. ¡°Well¡­take a look at it.¡± epting his feelings, Lee Na-hee suddenly pulled a ring off her finger and gave it to him. He tilted his head as he epted it. It looked like a normal silver ring, although on the inside, it had some script he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Is this an artifact?¡± ¡°I made it. With this, you can measure my skills to some extent.¡± It would be a good opportunity for him to confirm her abilities. He was already confident in her, given she was rmended by Lee Manwoo, but it couldn¡¯t hurt. He set his thoughts aside and examined the outside of it. ¡°You have excellent metalworking skills.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, just look at the enchantment.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± With her cold response, he decided to focus on the ring. He raised his spiritual power and injected it into the ring. He felt a bit sorry for the creator butpared to the artifacts he had encountered so far; it was of a low enough level to be easy. ¡®B-rank¡­no, C+?¡¯ He was able to roughly measure the worth of the object-based on the mana it held and it¡¯s will. If it was of a C+ rank, then it was a valuable object that couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡®But that¡¯s not what¡¯s important.¡¯ He expanded his power out a bit more to analyze the ability of it in earnest. Spiritual power extended out to every corner of the ring to read its origin and scan the mana circuits flowing inside it. It didn¡¯t have a firm will of its own like the Godyer or the Heroic Shield, but that was probably because it was a mana-based artifact. It was simr to the Dragon¡¯s Mark. Looking deeper, he found a corner of the ring that resembled his own regeneration ability. Maybe he could inject his own regeneration and activate his trait to increase his recovery ability permanently. With that thought, his eyes opened. ¡°I watched you carefully.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He silently returned her ring. However, as if she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, she raised her hand to point at his eyes. ¡°What is that? A characteristic of your production abilities?¡± ¡°Yeah? Oh, uh.¡± Hearing that, he quickly checked. His eyes were dyed golden. Apparently, they had immediately reacted to his momentary thought. That wasn¡¯t a bad thing, however, as it meant his traits were bing more natural to use. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to the ring.¡± ¡°I know, but it sounds like you could. Grandpa, what is he really like?¡± ¡°If you work together, you¡¯ll find out.¡± Lee Manwoo himself didn¡¯t know what this was about, but he bluffed like a pro. It was only recently Shin-hyuk himself had found out he could use his traits in producing artifacts. ¡°How about it, would you like to try it?¡± ¡°Do second-years of the magic department get to wear artifacts like that?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a special case.¡± Lee Na-hee said so and pointed at herself. Looking at her, she was wearing a lot of essories all over her body. She had several earrings, two nes, several rings on both hands, and a garter decorated with metal on her leg. Shin-hyuk thought they were essories to emphasize her beauty, as the idea that they were all artifacts was ridiculous. ¡°I thought there was a limit to wearing artifacts.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? The limit varies depending on one¡¯s characteristics, and enchanters are particrly famous for being able to wear a lot of them.¡± Hearing that, he wondered if his own traits changed how many artifacts he could use. He realized his ability to improve his martial arts could strengthen things other than weapons, maybe it extended to this? ¡°So, what will you do?¡± ¡°Well, yes. I would like to see the shield artifacts.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lee Na-hee responded happily and sat down at the table. She bent forward to take the garter off of her thigh, lifting up her skirt tantalizingly. ¡°Senior, I can see your panties. Even they are gorgeous.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. But you¡¯re acting very calm, it seems like you have quite a bit of experience with women¡­¡± ¡°Who cares?!¡± In the end, they decided to make a sword with a defensive ability. The blue light emanating from Lee Na-hee¡¯s fingertips swept across the nk paper and began to draw a blueprint of magical power. Kang Shin-hyuk focused on it, ignoring the anxiety he felt rising inside of him, which he attributed to challenging a new field and ability. *** The two immediately started working on creating an artifact using the magic metal Kenyan, which Le Manwoo helpfully prepared. Although they were coborating, it wasn¡¯t very difficult. Kang Shin-hyuk struck at the iron without hesitation like normal while Lee Na-hee worked on activating her enchantment. However, unlike when he worked on his own, they had to manage their pace. By the end, they had worked until midnight butpleted only about 20% of the work. ¡°¡­Grandfather.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk returned to his senses only after midnight, deciding to return back to work tomorrow. Lee Na-hee and Lee Manwoo remained, however, after he left. The fire still burned in the furnace as the two stood there. At the rate they were going, with the swording along as it was, perhaps the contest wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°I hate him.¡± As the heat left the de, Lee Na-hee spat out those words. Lee Manwoo listened to the words with a smile. ¡°My granddaughter is already old enough to love.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me say I hate him?¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Just having a man you hate is a great improvement.¡± ¡°Ridiculous. This guy is really annoying. How¡­at that age¡­¡± Lee Na-hee trembled. The appearance of Kang Shin-hyuk as he worked was engraved in her mind. There were still traces of him in the polished de sitting on the anvil. What she felt at that was an overwhelming sense of defeat. ¡°I was so surprised I couldn¡¯t focus. I wanted topete with my skills¡­¡± ¡°It was an honorable loss.¡± ¡°I know. I knew right away just by looking at him holding that hammer.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± She became angry at Lee Manwoo, who pped her on the shoulder, but it quickly turned to fatigue as she lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it once we¡¯ve made it¡­¡± ¡°About a rtionship?¡± ¡°No.¡± She pped his back in retaliation. ¡°Should I offer him a partnership?¡± Chapter 72 - Granddaughter of the Great Chief (3)

Chapter 72 - Granddaughter of the Great Chief (3)

-You received 1 roulette coin for today¡¯s log in bonus! Since you¡¯ve collected 5 coins, you can y the VIP roulette once! Would you like to y it now? Shinyoung was a ce where only talented people from all over the world gathered, but even in that crowd, there were a select few with exceptional talent. These students were called Shinyoung¡¯s Golden Generation, which Baek In-ha himself was a part of. He had soundly defeated the Knight Crown Dous Payne, and with a bit more luck, he might¡¯ve gone as far as defeating the Magic Crown as well. Even the Crown of Two Kings would¡¯ve been feasible for him. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Kang Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°Did you hear aboutst weekend?¡± ¡°You heard too?¡± But nowadays, there was another person who came to mind, and that was none other than the Rookie King Kang Shin-hyuk. The recent events did not serve to keep him hidden from the other students. ¡°I heard about it from a friend in the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°The captain position changed? It makes sense, she¡¯s stronger than the Knight Crown.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not just that. On the same day, Kang Shin-hyuk took down a member and joined them.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­?¡± Rumors had spread throughout the dormitories, inting as they made their way through the students. Eleanor R. Algiers, the Crown of Two Kings, had gained the attention of the hot neer Kang Shin-hyuk. People couldn¡¯t help but get excited about it. ¡°What, then, the two of them?¡± ¡°I saw them in the caf¨¦ before. She won¡¯t speak to other men.¡± ¡°Hey, but there was a rumor about him and the Empress.¡± ¡°She¡¯s pretty, but there¡¯s a big age difference.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, she¡¯s powerful, though.¡± ¡°The Crown of Two Kings is strong too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk went to ss, ignoring the people who were making noise around him. However, even after sitting down in ss, the situation was the same. It was natural for students their age to gossip about love. ¡°Traitor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯m tired.¡± He sat down while Baek greeted him. He decided to let the other students talk about what they wanted to. The person he couldn¡¯t forgive, however, was Karen, who only fanned the mes. ¡°Karen is dead to me.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, you may be my friend but¡­you¡¯re really amazing.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re no longer friends.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s right! On the same day that you joined them, the Crown of Two Kings became the captain!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter about it, so shut up. Oh, wait, we¡¯re not friends anymore so I don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± The particrly noisy ss froze right away as the teacher, Siara Bertrand, entered. ¡°The final exams will start soon.¡± Theplexions of the students went pale at once. The rumors that Kang Shin-hyuk was in a fiery affair with the captain of the Wyvern Knights died away. ¡°No¡­didn¡¯t the athletic meet just end?¡± ¡°Please say we still have time.¡± ¡°Shinyoung¡¯s final examsts two weeks. To be a top-notch superhuman, you mustn¡¯t forget the importance of writing subjects. It would be good to prepare in advance. Additionally, there will also be practical exams.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­!¡± It was mid-June now, and the exam would start at the end of June. The time hade to prepare for the exams. ¡°It goes without saying that the better you do, the higher you will be in the rankings. It is no exaggeration to say that Shinyoung¡¯s ranking determines your life as a superhuman. You won¡¯t have time to chat and y.¡± ¡°Last week was supposed to be my break, but I had to work¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, what about the practical skills? Combat training will be difficult.¡± The ssroom atmosphere dimmed as Siara Bertrand announced the schedule with a mirthless face. ¡°Graduation ranking, right¡­¡± ¡°Well, the really good ones don¡¯t care because their seats are already reserved in the top guilds.¡± ¡°We have no hopes or dreams.¡± That was where Baek was. His future was secured even before he was admitted. ¡°Shinyuk, is it the same for you? Are you going to join the association?¡± ¡°Ah¡­well.¡± While it was undercover, he was technically already in. However, he couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°Well, who knows. We¡¯ll see.¡± He would¡¯ve had no worries of entering the association if it weren¡¯t for a certain granddaughter. ¡°You are a cautious type. Who knows what¡¯ll happen by graduation.¡± ¡°Then are you a reckless type?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m cautious too. My growth has only just begun.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed at the triumphant posture of Baek. He wouldn¡¯t be able to rest quietly if he wanted to surpass Baek. *** The teachers weren¡¯t going to ease up on the students just because testing was near. In these extreme conditions, the students had no choice but to hunker down and endure. At the beginning of the semester, students would go to the Choin Shopping Center or the Unyu hall to y, but such a sight was now but a dream. If they had time to y, they used it to rest instead, and when their strength recovered, they went back to work. ¡°But you seem rxed.¡± It was the fifth day since they started working on the artifacts, and Lee Na-hee was looking a little tired. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the wall. ¡°My resilience is high.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die and I¡¯m using artifacts to help me¡­besides, you¡¯re a knight. Your physical training must be harder than mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m exceptionally resilient?¡± His regenerative power had increased to B-rank, which far exceeded that of the average superhuman. Thanks to that, he only needed a little rest to recover from his exhausting training. The teachers noticed it and focused on him, but he still couldn¡¯t be worn out. Rather, it only sped up his growth. At this rate, maybe reaching A-rank would be possible for all of his stats. ¡°How can you keep this up with your metallurgy?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finished preparing for work and opened the door to the workshop. Lee Na-hee followed closely behind, throwing off her jacket and vest. The studio was swelteringly hot, and he could see her bra peeking out from her shirt. She wouldn¡¯t lose to even ire in terms of beauty. ¡°Your underwear¡¯s the same asst time.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? You don¡¯t need to say anything, just quietly appreciate it.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m busy doing that, I¡¯ll ruin my work.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grumbled a bit and lifted up the hammer and tongs. Once he started working, nothing else mattered. ¡°Whoo¡­!¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t seem to see me as a woman?¡± Lee Na-hee looked at Kang Shin-hyuk as he started working right away, but he seemed not to hear. His expression as he hammered the sword was one of absolute seriousness. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like that either.¡± Her eyebrows wiggled as she felt pissed off. She felt his expression held some mysterious feeling she couldn¡¯t exin. ¡°You¡¯re making good time.¡± Lee Manwoo watched them from behind, muttering in satisfaction. Without a word, Lee Na-hee collected mana to the tip of her finger and fired it off at her grandfather. Having sessfully hit him with a mini magic missile, she got to work herself. After five hours, the work waspleted. -You seeded in making [Shield Guardian¡¯s Long Sword (B)] with arge amount of spiritual power and mana through coboration with an enchanter! Proficiency in metallurgy has greatly increased! -Synchronization has elerated¡ªcurrent rate of 18.7%. -500HP bonus from an administrator admiring this great work! A bastard sword was on top of the anvil, silver like the magic metal used to craft it. From inspecting the item, it had a special ability called [Generate Shield], and a passive ability called [Increase Defense]. No doubt, it was an artifact that would be ranked at the top of B-grade artifacts. ¡°We really¡­seeded.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. So, it has two abilities?¡± ¡°It seems so. If I were alone, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to manage it.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Until now, all the weapons he had made contained characteristics that were faithful to its intended function. Now, however, he had dared to create a sword with a defensive function. Restraining his impulses and working with Lee Na-hee led him into learning new things. He had been sessful in making a B-rank item that wouldn¡¯t easily appear in the market. It could be sold for billions and would be enough to win the grand prize in the contest. ¡°I thought we would fail a few times. Artifacts aren¡¯t born right away just because you prepared a blueprint for them¡­really.¡± Lee Na-hee touched the sword with an odd expression, running her fingers over the engravings she had ced in it. The work she had contributed to had reached B-rank. That feeling finally hit her. Half of it was the happiness that she was able toplete her work, and half of it was resentment that she couldn¡¯t do it by herself. Jealousy of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability¡­she tried to brush it away as they worked, but once more, it was rising. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had encountered a talent she couldn¡¯t keep up with. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If a student says they made this, no one will believe it¡­huh? Why are you making that look?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head at the question and stood up to hand the sword over to Lee Manwoo. ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tiring work. Go on.¡± ¡°Yes. My senior also suffered a lot.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, but you¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t listening as Lee Na-hee tried to speak up. He went ahead and gathered up his things and took off. Lee Na-hee tried to chase after him but stopped herself after realizing what she was doing. She was wearing a shirt soaked in sweat, so she couldn¡¯t just chase after him. She cast magic on herself to clean herself up before looking back at Lee Manwoo, who was examining the bastard sword with an expression simr to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s. ¡°Do you know why he¡¯s running off, grandpa?¡± ¡°His pride is hurt.¡± Lee Manwoo responded as if he had been expecting it. ¡°His pride? He made a B-rank artifact at his age. What the hell do you mean his pride is hurt?¡± ¡°Neither age nor rank matters. Was he able to create a work that used all of his power or not? That is what matters.¡± ¡°So now¡­are you saying this isn¡¯t good enough? Did he run out like that because he couldn¡¯t show off his skills?¡± Lee Manwoo nodded and lowered the sword. ¡°There was a reason I proposed the coboration. That guy started by making weapons for himself. So he was able to make everything with all of his heart. But not this time. He had to work on design and coordination while being aware that it was all for a contest. As such thoughts collided inside of him, he failed to fully contain his will in the work.¡± ¡°I thought it fit without anyints.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the coboration with you, he wouldn¡¯t have made a sword in the first ce, nor would he have challenged himself. All of this was tailored to you.¡± ¡°No way, considering me¡­no, that¡¯s not it. You used this as an opportunity¡­¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s expression upon grasping the whole picture was grim. Lee Manwoo wasughing by himself. ¡°It¡¯s just proof that he¡¯s aware his own way wasn¡¯t as good. But now he has to work to solve the problems he faces. If you seed in your partnership, your skills will increase tremendously once more¡­I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Did you use me as a way to push that guy forward?¡± ¡°What sort of things are you thinking? You must¡¯ve felt yourself growing by seeing him.¡± ¡°Because I felt inferior!¡± Lee Na-hee shouted, but Lee Manwoo still had a smile on his face like he saw past it all. ¡°It¡¯ll be a good partnership, make sure to work hard. Maybe you could build a business.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from my grandfather¡­¡± Lee Na-hee calmed her temper and packed up. She made sure to shout back at him as she left. ¡°Hold your horses! I¡¯ll have to wait and see how great he is!¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Lee Manwooughed at his fleeing granddaughter¡¯s words. He looked back at the sword. It may be a failure for Kang Shin-hyuk, but it would be enough to steal the show at the contest. *** What was Kang Shin-hyuk up to as he returned to his room, struggling to suppress his own resentment? -The Godyer sword has finished digesting the power contained in the Heroic Shield and has grown to A-rank. All existing powers will be strengthened, and the Godyer will be further restored. -A new special ability of the Godyer, [Guardian], has been unleashed. -Some of the memories contained in the Godyer sword have been unlocked. ¡°No, why now-aaaaaahhhhhhh!¡± As usual, he was swept away by the flow of memories. Chapter 73 - Underworld Guest (1)

Chapter 73 - Underworld Guest (1)

He stood in the dark. In his hand, he held the sword with a dragon¡¯s heart embedded within it, cutting down the disgusting monsters rising from his shadow. Godyer Sword Dance. The form which bore such a name was unfolding around him in its perfect form. Thest time he had seen it was as if it were through foggy ss, but now he was wielding it himself. No, rather, his body was moving it regardless of his own will. Because of that, it was wless. ¡®Let¡¯s remember.¡¯ The structure of his body and the strength of it waspletely different from his own. It was perfectly memorized in this body. Each sword swing and footstep, each minor movement of the waist, and where the eyesnded, how the energy flowed from the heart to strengthen it all, it was iparable to his own practice so far. ¡®Is it Janus? It probably is.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even examine his own face, which made the experience feel stuffy. All he knew was that the master of this body had trained to the extreme and used spiritual power. ¡®I can feel the flow of the sword mixing with spiritual power. The movement starts in the physical realm but slowly shifts into a realm beyond sight.¡¯ It was a transcendent sword that was based on spiritual power. Even a simple motion with no power to back it could produce tremendous results. Swordsmanship that unfolded with spiritual power was an important thing for Kang Shin-hyuk. It wasn¡¯t based solely on destructive power, nor was it only a recement for using mana. It went beyond that, somehow, though he struggled to know how. It started here, the moment when the possibility of pushing his own skills beyond was opened up to him. -Struggling is useless. As he tried to interpret the movement of the sword, a voice came from the man¡¯s shadow. -Nothing changes. Because you are here, so are we. It was the cold voice of a woman. The man put the Godyer into his own shadow as if to try and cut it off. The dragon heart shed gold, amplifying the man¡¯s spiritual power in the sword. As a result, the power of a dragon that could rival the gods emerged. ¡®Is the Godyer originally like that?¡¯ In the message that had arrived at him before he lost consciousness, it had said the sword became A-rank and could use a new ability. Probably that new ability was something like this, which utilized the dragon heart at its core. ¡®But finding the dragon heart again¡­like that will be easy.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t that it had to have the dragon heart as a core. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have to kill a god in the first ce, so maybe it didn¡¯t matter if he just found a core that could work to strengthen the sword. As he considered this, a voice cut off his thoughts. -A fun weapon. -Thest work of a friend, how painful. The woman¡¯s voice came out once more, weakened, and cracking. The shadow burst out, overflowing from all sides. The world shook and became distorted as the Godyer emitted light to cast out the shadows. -Janus. Janus. Stop this stupid struggle. The man refused to listen and plunged the sword deeper into the darkness, causing a huge shock to run through the world. -You, us¡­just¡­ The darkness began to copse from the blow, reaching its limit. But, in one final act, it swallowed the sword whole. -Oh. The man reached out with a voice that recognized his own errors, but there was nothing left for him. In a world where nothing existed but him, he mumbled a curse and ced a hand on his forehead. And Kang Shin-hyuk fell into the darkness with the sword that lost its master. As he fell through the endless dark, filled with a sense of fear, his eyes opened wide. -You gained some enlightenment while experiencing a profound level of skill. The skill proficiency of Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (S+) has increased to A-rank. -You¡¯ve gained a deeper understanding of spiritual power¡¯s uses. Spiritual power has grown to A-rank. ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the sword and jumped up without time to read the message. He felt like he had to swing the sword right then and there. Fortunately, since moving to the Royal ss, there was a separate room for exercise in his lodgings, so he had no need to leave his room. -Vwoom As soon as he entered the spacious training room, the sword began to respond to him. He filled it with his spiritual power but couldn¡¯t quite replicate that unique flow he had seen in the dream. ¡®Fuck, it¡¯s difficult.¡¯ So far, he had yet to use his spiritual power delicately. He would just let it flow wildly, doing what he had seen in the dream had never urred to him. ¡®I can follow the sword movements to an extent¡­but I need to practice the use of spiritual power to replicate it.¡¯ Fortunately, the memory remained vivid in his head. Now he just had to practice to make it possible. ¡®I thought I had grown quite a bit, but I¡¯ve only taken one step forward.¡¯ Until now, he had been wielding his sword as a pale imitation of that hazy memory. Rather than just wielding his spiritual power as a way to strengthen his sword, he had to learn a proper sword technique that harmonized with his power. -Thank you, Janus. -Janus¡¯s whisper: What, why so suddenly? -Thanks to you, I realized I could go further. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Grandpa, is your hair, okay? Janus replied inly as always, but Kang Shin-hyuk knew of his greatness. After all, the Hero Universe was a space where people like him gathered. -Up until now, I was just swinging my sword with spiritual power. But thanks to the memory of you in the sword, I¡¯ve realized what real swordsmanship is. -Janus¡¯s whisper: What? Are you enjoying my backstory at will? Wait a minute; you read the flow on my spiritual power? It¡¯s not like swordsmanship, but¡­oh, well. What happened?¡± Janus seemed to be hesitant. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Yes, let¡¯s do it! If grandpa understands my sword, the next one wille out even better! -Okay, I¡¯ll definitely make it someday. His enthusiasm quickly subsided as he remembered what had just happened. Janus, blissfully unaware, pushed on. -Janus¡¯s whisper: If you have the ability to understand swords, then one day, you might even be stronger than me. -Understand¡­ -Janus¡¯s whisper: Huh? What is it, grandpa? Did I say something weird?¡± -Well. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Oh, right. Someone was looking for you on the free board. I didn¡¯t know you had an interest in that stuff. -Stop acting like I¡¯m a snob. There were several bulletin boards in the Hero Universe. Among them, Kang Shin-hyuk solely used the transaction board, but other members frequented the free board and the tip board. Kang Shin-hyuk was interested if there was anything there that could help him, but the free board was like a multi-chat, and the tip board had names of monsters and habitats that he couldn¡¯t even recognize. ¡®Like a novel, I thought a master would teach me some special training method or magic.¡¯ However, if you thought about it, there was no way he could teach others his own vision or skills. Moreover, the Hero Universe was a ce for those who had already proven their abilities. Since it was that sort of ce, none dared to learn from others. ¡®¡­Well?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head while he thought about it. Something about his previous life in the Hero Universe. Anvil had proved himself as the best cksmith, and he was a reincarnation of that very same Anvil. Yet he had only recovered his ID upon awakening his spiritual power¡­ ¡®Well, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ If it were important, he would rememberter. Kang Shin-hyuk checked the tip board, reconfirming none of it was useful to him andid down in bed. He decided to head over to the other board and found the article looking for him. [The King of Jijoo is looking for the cksmith Anvil. Our world desperately needs help!] Kang Shin-hyuk doubted his own eyes. There was a guy here who courageously used such a childish name. When he checked thements, it seemed no one else used a silly nickname. [Ascaldin ¨C If you want to talk to Anvil, you have to buy his work first. Are you new?] [Miyang ¨C It¡¯s been 20 years since Anvil was active, what bullshit is this? Are you making fun of the deceased?] [Rocky ¨C Get it straight. Anvil started back up again.] [Miyang ¨C What?! When?!] [Rocky ¨C Just a while ago. I guess he lost a lot of skills. I still tried to buy his work, but some guy took it with a higher bid.] [Eunah ¨C I should¡¯ve bought it. If I catch them, I¡¯ll kill them.] ¡®Eunah¡­¡¯ [The King of Jijoo ¨C I wanted to contact him somehow, but he didn¡¯t post anything new. Does anyone have personal contact with him?] [Tsukuyo ¨C I think a girl named Eunah should shut her mouth a bit. What¡¯s Anvil to you? No, are you a woman?] [The King of Jijoo ¨C What?] [Janus ¨C Now, this is funny.] Thements were cut off there. Kang Shin-hyuk was a bit worried about it but decided he would write ament. [Anvil ¨C What is it? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to help much with my insufficient ability.] The reply came right away. [The King of Jijoo ¨C Oh, thank you! Thank you! I heard that you are the only cksmith that can perform this dimensional quest! Could you pleasee to our world?] [Miyang ¨C What? This crazy neermissioned a quest from this board? How cocky.] [Rocky ¨C Did the administrator approve it? Wait, can Anvil do dimensional quests? Are you a VIP? Damn it!] [Janus ¨C Think of the weapons he¡¯s sold; of course, he¡¯s a VIP. By the way, Jijoo, what are you nning with grandpa Anvil?] [The King of Jijoo ¨C Our world really needs the help of a cksmith! We have the resources, so please!] [Anvil ¨C Dimensional Quest¡­] In a world with no cksmith, they needed the help of one. ¡°Administrator?¡± -It¡¯s dangerous. It can be helpful enough for you, but the reason why I didn¡¯t offer it¡­ -Eunah¡¯s Whisper: Grandpa, if you¡¯re going, go with Eunah! It¡¯s dangerous, so don¡¯t go alone! ¡°Well, can I go with Eunah?¡± It was said that some of the quests allowed for additional Hero Universe members. The administrator replied with a short message. -Cheh. Chapter 74 - Underworld Guest (2)

Chapter 74 - Underworld Guest (2)

Friday afternoon after ss, Kang Shin-hyuk was inspecting his sword and preparing himself to depart for the dimensional quest. He had yet to confirm the upgraded performance of the Godyer sword because he was so distracted, so he decided to do that before heading off. [Godyer] [A-rank] [Special Abilities: de Predation, Regression, Flesh Control] [Open Special Ability: Guardian] [Core: None] *Guardian: When the owner is in danger, it will create a shield of spiritual power to protect them. The more power stored in the sword, the stronger the shield that will be created. He couldn¡¯t help but see the irony in it. He was frustrated about creating a sword with a good defensive ability, yet the Godyer just naturally found one. Of course, that was thanks to absorbing the Heroic Shield, but the timing was just too good. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s trying to help me.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had thought of the sword as a treasure that would allow him to grow, but the memories he saw inside of it were changing that point of view. Thinking about it, it was thest masterpiece created by Anvil in addition to being the object that helped awaken him. ¡°¡­Thank you. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stroked the hilt of the sword with a sense of gratitude. ¡®The other change is the core, the nucleus that will rece the dragon heart.¡¯ A hole was originally drilled into the center of the crossguard, where the dragon heart was once embedded into it. However, upon regaining A-rank, it began to look less like a wound in the de. Intermittently, a spark would form in the center of the hole. ¡°It makes me want to put something in there¡­¡± ¡°Why are you saying such obscene jokes while gazing at your sword in broad daylight? Is your head okay?¡± ire, who had been drinking tea in his room,mented. It wasn¡¯t something he wanted to hear from someone who was sneaking into a boy¡¯s dorm in the middle of the day. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I worry about your head rather than my own? Here, you¡¯ll understand when you see.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh¡­ohhh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk disyed the sword to her, pointing at the guard. Her expression became serious. ¡°That¡¯ll be crazy. Whatever you put in there will be a big deal, so be careful.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take more than a few mana stones to fix that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded along with the words of this professional craftsman. ¡°I¡¯m guessing I¡¯ll need a very energy-rich material.¡± ¡°It must have a semi-permanent reproduction property. Really high-ranking monsters generate magical power through their mana stones. It would be able to operate stably unless its at least of that quality. So¡­SS rank? At least S+.¡± ¡°An SS rank would be difficult to find.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk said that, but a thought came to him right away. Wasn¡¯t there something like an SS rank mana stone that he had found recently? Yes, it was the [Shinfeng Orb]. It created spiritual power and had abilities he didn¡¯t know yet, although it had yet to recover the dignity worthy of SS rank. The orb was slowly healing its wounds in his inventory, and Kang Shin-hyuk would put his own spiritual power into it every night to help in that process. ¡®For the time being, I should wait. Still, it¡¯s fortunate I have something that could work.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t even learned the proper form for the sword dance, so it would be best if he learned to walk before he tried to fly. ¡°But Grandpa, why is ire here?¡± Shin Eunah had an expression of displeasure on her face as she sat on the sofa. ire opened her mouth before Shin-hyuk could react. ¡°Because I also read the post. Do you think you¡¯re the only one worried about him?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­but grandpa is with me.¡± ¡°And you, you said you would only use that title when you were alone together?¡± ire continued to ce pressure on Shin Eunah, who wanted to refuse her. ¡°But ire is like family, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Thank you for viewing me that way, but from my point of view the genealogy is too twisted. Please stop.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Unlike the other day at the bar, ire now had the advantage. She had no intention of allowing Shin Eunah to continue to get away with it. Kang Shin-hyuk silently supported her. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Good.¡± After receiving the deration of surrender from Shin Eunah, ire let out a victoriousugh. ¡°Then what should I call him?¡± ¡°Use his name. Or you can call each other senior and junior.¡± ¡°Using your name is hard¡­then, junior.¡± ¡°Yes, senior.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Shin Eunah blushed, causing ire to narrow her eyes. ¡°Eunah, you¡­no way.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s start.¡± Shin Eunah ground her teeth but couldn¡¯t say anything as ire pushed on. However, there was one thing Shin-hyuk wanted to ask the two before they started. He ced Onyx on his shoulder and looked at the two. ¡°You¡¯re both high-rankers, so how are you able to be here?¡± ¡°I made time for you, my valuable employee.¡± ¡°¡­For my precious junior, I asked for my annual leave without hesitation.¡± Both of them were firm in their answer. Kang Shin-hyuk was suspicious but didn¡¯t question them further. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go into My Room.¡± -Entrance fees are collected from the other members. You received 200,000 HP! Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart fluttered at this new information, but the two didn¡¯t seem to mind as they casually paid the fee. Was that really okay? He supposed that to these experienced people, that wasn¡¯t much at all. But they both had a look of exasperation when they saw the deste situation of his My Room. ¡°You pay an entrance fee to a ce that¡¯s as empty as this?¡± ¡°If you do a lot of quests, it changes, but I¡¯ve only done one.¡± ¡°Keep it up from now on. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ire was smiling bitterly, but Shin Eunah burned with a sense of purpose. The administrator posted the quest right in front of them, dismissing his concerns. [Jersey¡¯s Shadow] [A world where life cannot be sustained as the atmosphere is full of toxic gases. Gromas instead contains abundant mana and pure oxygen in the ground. All living things in Gromas have evolved to live underground.] [However, many years have passed, and a new evil is emerging in the underworld of Gromas. Those living underground are trying to avoid theing destruction, but unfortunately, their sharp ws have dulled.] [Your mission is to give them back their sharp ws so that they can break through.] [Quest deadline: 2 months.] [Earth to Gromas Time Ratio ¨C 1:24] ¡°Wow.¡± Even if he stayed for two months, it would barely be Monday morning back on Earth! Kang Shin-hyuk admired this incredible chance as he asked the administrator for some information. ¡°How is that possible? I thought that man was in the same time zone as me.¡± -The flow of time is twisted in other worlds due to various factors. It is the crises of a world that twist it the most. The more serious a crisis, the more marked the difference will be. ¡°Are there any penalties I¡¯ll face?¡± -The greater the difference, the more HP will be consumed to move you between dimensions. In fact, going to Kieron would cost you 1 million HP per day of Earth time. ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it!¡± He thought of going to Kieron to train, but such a money trap had been waiting for him. Still, he could buy that much extra time for 1 million HP, and he wouldn¡¯t age in the other world. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal. -The world was greatly stabilized thanks to the defeat of Kieron¡¯s greatest threat, so the time ratio has been reduced to 1:5. ¡°Nothing is free in this world¡­¡± -It¡¯s free only when you first receive the quest. The first dimension was suggested by the Hero Universe, so the HP was paid by the Hero Universe. This dimension quest was paid for by the client. ¡°So you¡¯re rich!¡± ¡°At first I had just expected to be helping out, but this¡¯ll be good business for me. As I thought, Shin-hyuk is lucky.¡± ¡°Touching is prohibited.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of doing that.¡± ire was blocked from Kang Shin-hyuk by Shin Eunah, who was acting like an idol¡¯s bodyguard. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help butugh at the disy of excessive love. ¡°No time to hesitate, let¡¯s go right away.¡± -Connecting to the world Gromas. The world became dark. This time, however, it stayed dark. ¡°What is this?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tensed, feeling something hug him from behind. A citrus-fragrance flowed around him, a scent he knew well. It was Shin Eunah. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I was trying to make sure my junior was safe.¡± Her voice was also a little tense. He could feel her body trembling slightly, and he wondered if she was scared. Suddenly, he felt bad for her and tried to hold her hand, but another voice cut through the dark. It was from ire. ¡°Cut it out. You can see through this darkness.¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ire was right, but he still felt relieved to know that they were both safe. He focused his spiritual power on his eyes, which made the darkness around him immediately brighten up. No, rather, now it was like his surroundings was in broad daylight. ¡°Wow, look at his golden eyes. It¡¯s like headlights.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trait. I didn¡¯t know it would help in this way.¡± They were in a surprisinglyrge space. Metal pirs and metal walls surrounded them as they stood in a weird temple-like area. ¡°Well there!¡± Another voice arrived from under his feet. ¡°Can you please turn that light off? Our eyes are a little sensitive¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked down instinctively. ¡°Ahhh! It¡¯s so dazzling I can¡¯t see!¡± ¡°My eyes! My eyes!¡± ¡°Which one is Master Anvil? I¡¯m the king¡­no, please lower the light before that!¡± There were a bunch of cute little moles assembled below him. Chapter 75 - Underworld Guest (3)

Chapter 75 - Underworld Guest (3)

Kang Shin-hyuk turned off the light flowing out from his eyes. He could still see through the darkness without making them sh, but they were still golden. ¡°Wee, saviors. I¡¯ll say hello again. I am the King of Jijoo.¡± Thergest mole came forward to greet them. Perhaps because the light had disappeared, he had much more confidence than before. ¡°I¡¯m Anvil. So why did you decide to call me?¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry. When I joined, I didn¡¯t know it was a ce where such great people gathered¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. So why are you the king?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± The mole lost confidence again! ire shook her head. ¡°Shin-hyuk unexpectedly likes to bully others.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious. You are too, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am. How did this little molee up with such a cute nickname?¡± ¡°Ah, well.¡± He couldn¡¯t afford to hide anything since he asked for help, so the Jijoo king told them how he had joined the Hero Universe. Surprisingly, he had been born with the best excavation talent in the world. ¡°The deeper you go in the underworld, the harder the ground is. We¡¯ve been digging deeper into the ground whenever enemies invade or when the poption increases so much that we need to expand, so¡­¡± Their ws must¡¯ve been sharp like metal to dig so far down. Kang Shin-hyuk was able to understand their history and culture as he nodded along roughly. ¡°So you became the king because of that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I had the strongest excavation ability, so I was able to ess countless treasures in the underworld and be the king. I even entered the Hero Universe.¡± That had been the source of his great wealth. These guys must¡¯ve been selling rare metals inrge quantities on the trading board. No wonder the administrator said this was a helpful world. It was a cksmith¡¯s dream to have ess to so many raw materials. ¡°The problem is that I was too good¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s the pride again. Give me the details.¡± ¡°I was alone in excavating over the years, and the others stopped working. Generations went by¡­they had no need to work and becamezier. They stopped using their ws¡­the end was that they degenerated.¡± ¡°Wait, how old are you?¡± ¡°150 as of this year. Our tribe¡¯s average lifespan is thirty years, so I¡¯ve lived a long life.¡± That was probably thanks to being a member of the Hero Universe! It was still shocking news to Kang Shin-hyuk that this little mole had lived a life about ten times as long as his. ¡°Should I keep going?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± They had heard how he had arrived at this point; all that remained was to talk about the danger terrorizing his kingdom. The king¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It is poison. A poison is entering the kingdom. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same as the poison in the atmosphere, but it is clear that it is toxic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s poison?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk urgently checked his body, but he found no problems. He supposed his poison resistance would¡¯ve kicked in, anyway. ¡°It¡¯s not such a strong poison. It hasn¡¯t affected the adults among us, the only problem is with the children. We found out about the poison because it started to kill off newborns.¡± Even if the older ones were safe, if their offspring kept dying, then the future of the kingdom, and even their race, was in danger. Truly, it was a crisis. ¡°I tried to block off the passages and soak up the poisonous energy with products from the Hero Universe, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Did you ask the administrator?¡± ¡°Administrator¡­? What is that?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t have imagined himself surviving without the administrator, but the king seemed to have no clue what he was talking about. It was a situation where the survival of a race was on the line, it would¡¯ve been nice to help out, but did the administrator have a grim side? Maybe he should stop thinking the administrator was kind to all Hero Universe members. He hadn¡¯t rmended this quest because it was dangerous, after all. ¡°The others don¡¯t have the ability to fight¡­well, they don¡¯t have any other productive qualities either. If the power of the Hero Universe couldn¡¯t help, we had only one way left.¡± Just like their ancestors, they dug further into a ce where there was no danger¡ªabandoning their kingdoms of the past, digging until they were clear of danger. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible, because of their ws.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Mine too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced as the king raised his paws. The ws on his forefeet were worn down. He had excavated for hundreds of years, so his ws couldn¡¯t have been intact. ¡°So please. Make me a new, powerful w! Let me lead the people away from this cursednd to found a new settlement¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I see. I now have a rough idea of why you needed a cksmith.¡± But he still had one question left. ¡°Are you the only one going to excavate?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave this important task to my people. It¡¯s enough if I do it alone! If only I could get my ws back!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk regarded him quietly; the king¡¯s resolve was steadfast. His eyes burned with a sense of responsibility and mission as one who had reigned for over 100 years. ¡°You just need ws.¡± In the end, Shin-hyuk nodded. He couldn¡¯t say anything right now; at least for now, that would be enough. ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much! If I have ws that can pierce these minerals, we will surely escape from the poison!¡± ¡°Anvil!¡± ¡°He¡¯ll make ws for the great king!¡± The moles were cheering in relief at his simple affirmation. Their belief in the king was as solid as iron. ¡°Then we¡¯ll start right away. I need to know the condition of the ground first.¡± ¡°The only way to cut through it would be to make ws made of the same material¡­!¡± ¡°Is it all ore?¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk began to move under the mole¡¯s guidance, he felt a tap on his shoulder from ire. Her eyes were shining with an intensity that he could see even in the dark. ¡°I¡¯ll start moving by myself. If the nature of this crisis is poison, my abilities will be of assistance.¡± ¡°Thank you, sister. But if you mess up while studying it¡­¡± ¡°I have resist poison at SS rarity and S rank proficiency.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was immediately convinced. Who was worried about who? She had already earned a lot of HP by working in the Hero Universe. Looking at Shin Eunah next, she drew two S¡¯s in the air. ¡°Because our enemy uses poison, it¡¯s a skill that should be mastered as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°The enemy?¡± ¡°Jormungand.¡± Shin Eunah answered briefly with an unhidden hostility burning in her eyes. He wondered what happened between her and that organization in the past. ¡°ire, get away from my junior.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what it was.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be hated if you¡¯re so jealous. Anyway, I¡¯ll be on my own for now.¡± ¡°Go quickly.¡± ire walked off into the dark on her own. Some moles tried to warn her, but it was pointless for one of Earth¡¯s high rankers. ¡°She¡¯s also a member of the Hero Universe, so there¡¯s no need to worry. She¡¯ll investigate the poison, so please treat her well.¡± ¡°The poison? I don¡¯t know where it started from¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s her job to figure that out.¡± However, Shin-hyuk was also a little worried about that. Not knowing where the poison started could be dangerous. What if they made it worse by digging blindly? Not that staying still was an option. The administrator hadn¡¯t been joking about the difficulty of this quest. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Eventually, Kang Shin-hyuk urged the king to lead him to the outermost area of the kingdom, thest area excavated by him. It was a zone that glowed a faint purple in the dark. ¡°I stopped excavating because we had enough resources and space for us to live in, but also because of this unknown vein.¡± The king¡¯s voice was filled with deep emotion. ¡°Until then, I was digging through a fairly solid vein. But this one was different. I couldn¡¯t break through it with my ws, so we had to stop expanding.¡± ¡°Is this vein in all the boundaries of the kingdom¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought it would be okay then, I couldn¡¯t imagine having to dig more than we had.¡± Going up would be throwing away their lives, and they couldn¡¯t dig further down. So they had no choice but to settle on thisnd until this unknown toxin attacked them. ¡°Shortsighted.¡± Shin Eunah let out the words with a sigh. ¡°I understand that you were hiding underground because of the poisonous atmosphere, but then you only dug deeper each time a crisis arrived. You never thought of solving the underlying problem, even though you had the time to study and deal with it. Even having the power of the Hero Universe, you neglected it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you had only thought rationally just a little, you would¡¯ve known this was just an escape.¡± The king trembled at the chill air radiating out from Shin Eunah. She regarded the king as if he were pathetic, but Kang Shin-hyuk just stared nkly at her. Honestly, it was a ridiculous idea to view her as the opposite sex. She turned to Shin-hyuk. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Her cold and pretentious expression copsed in front of him. ¡°I regret it, I regret it. Given the opportunity, I would never do it again!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s get the materials first.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to save his words and let out a sigh. ¡°The ore is really hard. It¡¯ll be difficult to collect the materials¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about harvesting.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stretched his arm forward. ¡°Go, Onyx! I choose you!¡± -Myuuuuu! Onyx leaped off of him without hesitation, finally free to eat to his heart¡¯s content in this metal paradise. Chapter 76 - Underworld Guest (4)

Chapter 76 - Underworld Guest (4)

-Myu! Onyx was chewing with a fierce momentum as he clung to the metal vein. Surprisingly, Kang Shin-hyuk could see glowing ck mana subtly flowing throughout his body. ¡°This is gold magic. I haven¡¯t shown him off before, but watch.¡± ¡°Gold magic¡­do you have a pet that handles elemental magic?¡± As expected, Shin Eunah knew about gold magic. Kang Shin-hyuk silently pleaded for a detailed exnation, which she was happy to provide. ¡°Attribute magic is a type of magic that specializes in dealing with only that one attribute. Compared to normal magic, it is more powerful and has unique characteristics, but it makes it difficult to use other magic.¡± ¡°Then, senior?¡± Speaking of which, wasn¡¯t the Thunder Empress known for her destructive lightning magic? She nodded right away. ¡°I deal with lightning magic.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re good at normal magic too, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­a secret. I¡¯ll tell youter when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t need to listen then.¡¯ Shin Eunah had already turned towards Onyx, unaware of his expression. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen gold magic before. This is incredible.¡± -Myu! Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t fully understand the capabilities of gold magic or Onyx, but he could roughly understand what it was doing right now. The purple ore was so hard that even Onyx¡¯s teeth couldn¡¯t bite into it, but it was making the metal in front of me soft and fluffy enough to chew due to his magic power. It was clear that gold magic at least had the ability to change the nature of metal. -Myuuuuu! ¡°I can cut into it now? Alright.¡± Onyx¡¯s magic was definitely great; the only issue was that he didn¡¯t have much mana. Kang Shin-hyuk drew his sword and quickly went to work before the ore could harden again. ¡°Hm!¡± He activated one of the sword¡¯s special abilities: Flesh control. It was an ability that assisted in cutting only what he wanted to, allowing him to neatly cut through only the parts he wanted to remove without getting stuck in the middle of the vein. Soil pattered down on the ground as the dazzling purple ore rolled out. Kang Shin-hyuk examined it with a frown. It hadn¡¯t been smelted yet, but it was already extremely pure. ¡°It¡¯s like the metal was already smelted and buried into the wall¡­this is odd.¡± -Myuuuu. Onyx slid down to the floor, having run out of magic. He was chewing heavily on the metal already in his mouth. Kang Shin-hyuk picked up the ore, but he couldn¡¯t see the item¡¯s information. ¡°Senior, is it possible to have you examine this?¡± ¡°Huh. It¡¯s ¡®Benadelite.¡¯ Very hard¡­it seems to have some other qualities, but I can¡¯t confirm it. I haven¡¯t seen it before in the Hero Universe¡­¡± -This is a world-specific mineral. It hasn¡¯t been listed in the Hero Universe as the king of this area was never sessful in mining it. The administrator chimed in with some helpfulmentary. Kang Shin-hyuk epted the ore back and nodded, noticing the Jijoo king was looking straight at him. ¡°Please make my ws, please. That¡¯s the only way we can survive!¡± ¡°¡­! Junior, this mole.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shin Eunah took a step towards the trembling mole king, but Kang Shin-hyuk urgently held her back. ¡°I¡¯ll try. Let¡¯s make it with this.¡± He knew what her concerns were; there was a fatal error in this quest they had epted, one he had realized the moment he heard the king¡¯s tale. But at the same time, he thought hanging out with these silly moles was a waste of time; he was confident this might be an opportunity to grow as a cksmith. Kang Shin-hyuk sheathed his sword and ced a hand on the hilt. ¡°The fire and light will be intense. Please provide me a space that the Golden Hidden Mice don¡¯t have ess to.¡± *** Kang Shin-hyuk entered the cavern the moles let him into, pulling out the oven and anvil he had prepared in his inventory. He didn¡¯t need to worry about smelting the high-purity benadelite, but he still needed to heat it up to process it properly. How would he do that, just firewood? -Unotia¡¯s gilded tree is the best for melting magical metal without the worry of dposition or loss. ¡°I will buy it in the smallest unit.¡± -As a VIP member bonus, you acquired 50kg of Unotia¡¯s golden firewood at a discount price of 400,000 HP. He let out a scream without hesitation. He had been expecting it, but it was still expensive. Also, 50kg was the minimum unit of sale? ¡°I want to watch you work.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be boring.¡± ¡°I¡¯m never bored.¡± Shin Eunah sat down in the corner of the cave and entered spectator mode. Augh came unbidden out of him when he looked at him. She had re-entered kid mode, which made her feel pretty cute. Kang Shin-hyuk threw the firewood into the furnace, his lips tightening. The fire started quickly, burning intensely from the get-go. After confirming the temperature, he ced the benadelite into the fire to melt it down for molding. ¡®I have to make¡­ws.¡¯ Five ws made in to fit perfectly on the king¡¯s hand, and a mechanism to secure them in ce. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult, the only problem was¡­ ¡®Even if I make it, the results won¡¯t be good.¡¯ The king believed he could solve any crisis alone if only his ws returned, based on his achievements from over a hundred years ago. But he was too weak to see it from the outside. He was already 150 years old; the reason why Shin Eunah hadshed out was that she recognized it. That wasn¡¯t the only problem, either. As a result of their king¡¯s peaceful reign, the Moles had no intention of doing anything independently. ¡®Even if he gets his ws back and digs through, it¡¯s impossible to know what awaits them.¡¯ Would there be any future for this race? No, he couldn¡¯t guarantee them a tomorrow. Even knowing that, could he make a set of ws and turn away? That was nonsense too. He couldn¡¯t tolerate it. ¡®If I work like this, I¡¯ll just repeat that longsword.¡¯ Through his coboration with Lee Na-hee, he had learned that the oue of his work could vary greatly depending on his mindset. It wasn¡¯t because the defensive ability didn¡¯t match the sword; it was because he thought so and hesitated that the result had been lukewarm. It was clearly evident by looking at the Godyer sword, which had awakened its superior defensive ability. ¡®It must contain my heart.¡¯ Whatever the goal, whatever he made, it had to be able to express his sincerity. In order to be a true cksmith that made what others needed, he had to. ¡®So that I don¡¯t regret it, so that this can really show its value¡­¡¯ What could he do to make things with all of his heart, given the conditions? He had no choice but to make something that could break through any situation. The answer was so simple he had tough. In the end, his mind was still a little weak. ¡®There¡¯s a saying that if you have a good body, you don¡¯t need to suffer about having a good head.¡¯ He would make it. Something to break through the problems around them, to connect this race together. Kang Shin-hyuk lifted his hammer and struck the metal atop the anvil. A dazzling light sprung forth as his spiritual power enveloped the metal. *** Meanwhile, Onyx continued to eat ore. For him, metal was a staple food and a potion that restored his magic and stamina. When his magic power dropped, he could eat more ore to replenish it, so his meal continued. These metals were different from what he usually ate. It was iparable to the artifacts his owner created, but the taste was excellent. If the artifacts created by his owner were a full course meal served by a 5-star restaurant, then this ore was the best ingredient. It was delicious, even when raw. -Myuuuu! How much had he devoured like that? Suddenly, Onyx felt his stomach rumble. His heart throbbed and burned as blood raged inside of his body. -Myuuuu. Onyx soon realized that the metals in his stomach were surprisingly rebellious. They resisted being digested, resisted Onyx like it was alive. -Myu¡­ Onyx let out a cry of understanding and slowly retreated from the wall. What he had devoured could be digested with his gold magic, but the problem was the remaining materials. If the minerals in this wall were alive¡­ -Vwoooooooom -Myuuuuuuu! The earth began to vibrate violently as if the walls were crying out all at once. Onyx noticed that something had awoken before him and began to run away. -Myuuuuuuuuu! The world was shaking as it would copse. The walls of the kingdom, made of metal, began to change and turn purple. The moles panicked as Onyx passed by them to head toward his owner. ¡°Wait a minute, this¡­¡± Meanwhile, the moment hepleted his work Kang Shin-hyuk had arrived at the same conclusion. He realized it a little toote. -The level of emotional skill was low, so it wasn¡¯t recognized. The administrator¡¯s message sounded a bit venomous. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. -Checking for damage¡­Deactivating sleep mode and starting up the system. Life detected. I¡¯ve found someone who qualifies¡ªgranting ess to the system. An artificial voice buzzed throughout the caverns, hearable to everyone. ¡°Grandpa, this¡­¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± -Commander, wee to shelter 32. I am a facility golem made for the 32nd shelter. It was a cute voice that came out from the ws that looked like five stacked toothpicks. -Connection waspleted. After checking the external situation, we will enter standby mode. ¡°¡­It seems that it wasn¡¯t just an ore, but a golem.¡± The item information came to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind as he sighed once more. [Gromas 32nd Shelter ess Terminal] [A-rank] [As a result of removing the debris of the golem that formed the shelter facility, and after receiving sufficient spiritual power, it became a terminal that can re-operate the sleeping facility.] [Special Ability: Boost] *Boost: It draws out the inherent performance by activating the facilities linked to this terminal. However, permanent damage to the facility is inflicted when this ability is activated. ¡­These days, nothing was simple. Chapter 77 - Underworld Guest (5)

Chapter 77 - Underworld Guest (5)

-Myuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! The ridiculously excited Onyx chattered so quickly he was impossible toprehend as he jumped into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arms. Kang Shin-hyuk quickly used his spiritual power to heal and help him deal with the golem fragments. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. They¡¯re not an enemy.¡± -Myu¡­ He patted the barely calm Onyx a couple more times as he looked around. The moles were crowded outside of the room, shouting, as the inside was too bright and hot for them to enter. ¡°Savior, please save us!¡± ¡°The kingdom is overturning!¡± ¡°Savior, the ws for the great king!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk extinguished the fire in the oven so that the moles could enter, recovering the unburnt firewood. It was super expensive firewood that cost 8,000 HP per kg, after all. ¡°Anvil, have you heard?¡± The Jijoo king rushed in, grabbing onto his leg. ¡°Yeah, I know. What surrounds this kingdom isn¡¯t just metal.¡± ¡°if it¡¯s not just metal, what is it?!¡± ¡°A golem.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The king stiffened in ce. Kang Shin-hyuk turned towards the terminal he had crafted with the king hanging onto his leg. ¡°Is there a good ce to grasp the situation?¡± -I will summon an auto walk that will lead to themand room. Plug the device into a nearby wall. Kang Shin-hyuk put one of the ws into the walls that had turned purple. Curiously, the w sunk into the wall as it split into a hole. What was even more surprising was that the hole gradually expanded into a passagewayrge enough for humans. Eventually, an esctor on the floor, much like the ones at an airport, was formed. ¡°The level of tech in this world is incredible.¡± ¡°I can understand a golem. But the idea of making an entire facility a golem¡­I can¡¯t do it.¡± Even Shin Eunah, who was close to the peak of magic on Earth, said so. But what was worrisome was that this facility didn¡¯t seem to be built for the moles. In other words, before the moles had arrived here, there was already an intelligent organism with the ability to create such a facility. ¡®So where did they go¡­?¡¯ Shelter buried deep in the dark, designed for human proportions¡­Kang Shin-hyuk was able to think of a few scenarios starting from that information. This facility had probably been made by humans long before these moles had arrived. They were fighting against a crisis some time ago but couldn¡¯t ovee it, leaving only this underground shelter behind. ¡°I have to call ire.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to bother her when she¡¯s moving on her own. She¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Alright, then shall we go first?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmed the moles by telling them that the vibrations were just from the facility reactivating. After finally calming down, they stepped aboard the esctor. It started moving at a zingly fast speed right away, and the king let out a scream as he hung on to Shin-hyuk¡¯s leg desperately. ¡°There was a passage like this in the underworld?!¡± ¡°Not originally, the golem changed his body to create it.¡± ¡°Senior, it sounds cooler like that.¡± They came to a sudden stop in front of a wall. Reconnecting the terminal to it caused the wall to disappear and open up to a huge space. Several monitors were installed in the wall opposite them, disying the underground kingdom in real-time. ¡°Amazing.¡± ¡°Look here.¡± Shin Eunah quickly noticed something peculiar on one of the monitors. The entire screen was shaded over. -Commander, the external situation has been identified. Shelter 32 is currently being attacked by monster forces with a 99.7% match of those on the ground. Reports flowed out from the terminal as Kang Shin-hyuk stared at the monitor. Was that hazy form a monster? ¡°What kind of monster is it?¡± -The name humanity gave it was ¡®swallowing fungus.¡¯ It is a parasitic monster that reproduces through spores. The spores are absorbed through the respiratory system, draining the victim of their stamina and magic, eventually killing them. Due to its overwhelming production rate and ability to pierce magical shields, it was a huge danger shortly after the outbreak. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk listened to the terminal¡¯s exnation with a cold sense of sorrow welling inside of him. -However, it had trouble going underground, and mankind extensively studied as to why. This is because the toxins contained in the underground mineral benadelite prevented its spores from growing. ¡°They blocked it off?¡± If you shut it off, wasn¡¯t there a possibility that fog of spores would seep into the basement? No, wait, what if moles poked holes into those defenses? The spores would slowly permeate into the underground, reproducing and descending further and further down. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a chill run through him. If the golem was correct, then they were in as much danger as the moles were. Of course, so far, it had only been able to spread among the mole children. -Humanity built several evacuation facilities underground using benadelite, but unfortunately, only a few made it into them. Those who barely survived were divided into several shelters, which were in standby. This is where this shelter had been waiting until Kang Shin-hyuk had inadvertently created a terminal to ess the golem. ¡°So are you doing that now?¡± -The area where the Swallowing Fungus was found was blocked off shortly after identifying the situation. However, spores may have already made it inside, so additional processing is required. Fortunately, the amount shouldn¡¯t berge, so it shouldn¡¯t lead to an emergency situation. With the exnation over, Kang Shin-hyuk immediately contacted ire using the Hero Universe¡¯s whisper system to get her location. They took off, arriving at her location shortly after, thanks to the facility¡¯s resources. ire had an expression of shock on her face as the wall moved out of the way to reveal them, which turned to confusion as Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly exined the situation. ¡°Is it a monster? No, I don¡¯t feel any life. Fungus¡­no, I don¡¯t that¡¯s it either.¡± -Any number of non-living monsters exist. The name is for convenience, but it is clear that they are a monster with hostility towards humanity. ¡°Of course, looking at the behavioral patterns¡­¡± ire seemed a bit odd to him, but Kang Shin-hyuk pressed on after the shelter facility checked her for the spores. ¡°Isn¡¯t it poisonous?¡± ¡°It is but that¡¯s a wide category. Bacteria are living things, but biotoxins are poisons, right? Any substance that harms us is called a poison. It just depends on how this poison works.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± As expected of an alchemist, she offered a concise exnation. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at her with admiration as she struck a pose. She¡¯d be really cool if she didn¡¯t do that. ¡°Then, Anvil, what can we do? We need to dig deeper¡­¡± ¡°If you do that, the shelter will copse. Please wait.¡± The king was still anxious as Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. ¡°If it stays like this, will the situation be resolved? Will those spores be able to enter here?¡± -The temporary quarantine has beenpleted, and the facility is undergoing maintenance, so further inflows should be blocked. If you use benadelite to deal with the spores that have already invaded the shelter, no further damage will ur. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start working right away.¡± ¡°Then, my ws¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you someter, be patient.¡± -The terminal is converted to use for eradication. Insert themander¡¯s magic after plugging it into the marked area on the lower front controller. Kang Shin-hyuk moved over to a switch in themand room he was directed to and plugged the terminals in with spiritual power. It had asked for magic, but he made the terminals with spiritual power, so he thought it would be fine. -Detecting the input of high-efficiency energypatible with magic. Your device¡¯s performance will increase dramatically. It was sessful. The ws had grown bigger as he pulled them free of the terminal. It was shaped the same, but now it was sized to fit a human¡¯s knuckles rather than a mole¡¯s. There was also a small little hole at the end of the sharp ws. -By spraying benadelite particles treated with special chemicals through these, the spores can be eradicated. It can also be injected into the body to remove any spores present. As a result of themander¡¯s strength, it waspleted as a higher-level object. ¡°How did you guys die off with this tech¡­?¡± Checking the item, it was now A-rank. It felt a bit absurd, but he put the w on and left themand room. ¡°Then let¡¯s start working.¡± ¡°That posture¡¯s pretty good! Now just turn on the light in your eyes again.¡± He was feeling a bit better now. In a destroyed world, he held the tool that could destroy the monsters that had wrecked it. He felt it was a pretty cool scene. -Commander, we have a problem. However, the terminal stopped him just as he was above to move. -The Swallowing Fungus has begun to invade through the barrier. ¡°¡­You said you can block it?¡± -The Fungus appears to have mutated during the time the facility was shut down. It¡¯s moving slowly, but it is progressing through the barriers. Decision: Impossible to eradicate. Evacuate! ¡°This is the evacuation site?!¡± He had just grabbed hold of this artifact, and now it was useless! He shouldn¡¯t have believed the golem¡¯s words; this civilization was ruined, after all! ¡°You have to dig a hole too!¡± ¡°Are you still on about that?!¡± Perhaps the fact that he had operated the facility had further angered the Fungus. The king kept asking Shin-hyuk about the ws, who wanted to use them on the king¡¯s head. ¡°You need magic, right?¡± It was then that Shin Eunah let out a sigh and stepped forward. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it. Maybe it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Eunah¡­?¡± ¡°Senior?¡± They tried to stop her, but the administrator sent a message at that moment. -The idiot finally realized her role. Let her go; she¡¯ll be safe. ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± ¡°What you were curious about, I¡¯ll tell you now.¡± Shin Eunah took a step forward as her body began to float in the air. ¡°Everyone get away. Especially the moles.¡± ¡°I already hid everyone inside!¡± ¡°They¡¯re fast.¡± ¡°Good. Then, I¡¯ll start.¡± An enormous amount of mana began to flow out of Shin Eunah. ire grabbed Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm in fear. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve actually seen it¡­¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s body emitted light that was gradually increasing in intensity. It was a highly concentrated mana. -The activity of the Fungus bes more intense as it senses mana. Evacuate from the power source! Kang Shin-hyuk disregarded the announcement of the facility. Soon after, the walls of the benadelite copsed, and a dark gray fog was pouring in, absorbed into Shin Eunah¡¯s body. ¡°Wait a minute, it doesn¡¯t matter how much mana you have, it would run out in no time¡­!¡± ¡°No.¡± ire asserted so with a gaze full of awe as she watched Shin Eunah. ¡°That¡¯s her trait.¡± ¡°Trait? The nature of her lightning?¡± ¡°Huh. That¡¯s one of them. The trait she awakened when she was five is different.¡± Five years old? Kang Shin-hyuk recalled something about Shin Eunah when she was five. Wasn¡¯t that when she entered the Hero Universe? ¡°Eunah¡­is the only human with two traits.¡± Immediately as ire said that Shin Eunah¡¯s body radiated an even more brilliant light after absorbing all of the fog, no matter how much mana the Fungus ate, it couldn¡¯t handle her mana. More fog began to pour in, but her expression looked rxed as the mana kept discharging from her. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± ¡°This is my friend, but¡­even I have to admit this is crazy¡­¡± ¡°This power¡­¡± What could its source be? She was like a god who deserved genuine reverence. In a distant world, the true power of the Thunder Empress was revealed. Chapter 78 Scavenger of the Fallen World (1) Chapter 78 Scavenger of the Fallen World (1) Shin Eunah was a child born through the union of two promising elite superhumans. The union of those two with outstanding qualities was intentional, and the birth of Shin Eunah was as well. At that time, the country was focusing on a secret experiment to create artificial superhumans. Kidnapping, confinement, drugs, and body modifications¡­such inhumane affairs were carried out in secret. The superhuman couple didn¡¯t hesitate to use the power of their families in such experiments. ¡°It¡¯s something to be grateful for.¡± ¡°Because it will give birth to the absolute. It is a chance for those who live and die in squalor to leave a huge mark.¡± All to give birth to a true superhuman who would form the bedrock on which their family and country would endure above all else. The couple moved with desire, but not love, and projecting themselves onto the child they would have. There were countless sacrifices and failures until they reached their sess by trampling on others. The one miracle that urred in their work that deserved failure. The first, andst, that would never be seen again. Shin Eunah. ¡°You¡¯re our treasure.¡± ¡°A good child, born as we nned¡­¡± Shin Eunah was the child who met the couple¡¯s desires. She was born with an SS rank trait, the world¡¯s highest rank, and superior intelligence. Even her appearance was beautiful. The couple raised their children with all their might. Thanks to the thorough education she received, she had the education level of a junior high student at the age of five and could already handle magic more skillfully than most superhumans. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Circte the magic and the fatigue will go away. Didn¡¯t you learn from M?¡± ¡°But I want to lie down and rest¡­¡± ¡°Eunah, you have to study now. Be a good girl who listens to your mother.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Of course, the child¡¯s will would never be a factor in the process. She wasn¡¯t allowed to y when she wanted to, or at all. Before she had even grasped the concept of y, she had learned to desire rest. ¡°The experiment is a massive sess. You¡¯re already dealing with this level of magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural given the hard time I had¡­but it¡¯s still not enough. Just one of the many outstanding people, not the best yet.¡± The child was at the heart of the couple¡¯s grand n. There would be no deviation from their schedule. They had be educators of the child, but not parents. ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to study? Eunah, are you a good girl? Good children shouldn¡¯t get out of studying.¡± Good kid. The couple bound and brainwashed the child with that phrase. Learning that it was right that it should be done, the child blindly followed their words. In that process, the stress slowly but steadily umted in her mind. If it wasn¡¯t released, it would one day break her. -You have awakened the SSS-ss trait [Master of Mana]. The first man-made god with two traits! You have achieved the conditions for essing the Hero Universe. -Wee, neer! Please write your ID! But fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. The moment she awakened to a new trait at the age of five, she became a member of the Hero Universe. She was able to ess amunity of transcendent people who epted her as a five-year-old, not as an ability to be used. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Hey, Eunah, don¡¯t tell other people about the second trait. Especially not your parents. -But they said good children shouldn¡¯t lie. -Janus¡¯s whisper: There¡¯s something in the world called a good lie. That means there are times when you have to lie to be a good child. -A good lie¡­! Huh, okay! Even the members of the Hero Universe were amazed at the possibility of the second trait she had awakened, but that was always secondary to those who learned to care for her. -Anvil¡¯s whisper: No toys? Oh, that¡¯s not possible. Then, this grandfather will make one. -Toy! Grandpa¡­toy! Eunah loves toys! I love grandpa! -Anvil¡¯s whisper: But this is a secret from your parents. They can¡¯t find out where it came from. The Hero Universe is a secret. -Right, a good lie! Janus said that to be a good child; you need to know how to tell a good lie! -Anvil¡¯s whisper: ¡­Janus, that guy said that huh? The members of the Hero Universe, who had lived twisted lives, knew that the most important thing Eunah needed was love, not training, so they gave her everything she needed. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Five years old¡­ that¡¯s short even by human standards. What can I do for you? -Tell me about stuff. I like talking. -Halo¡¯s whisper: I¡¯m the worst at it, but¡­well, yes. Then, let¡¯s talk about the days when the world was born. The little world of that young girl was expanded immeasurably. It waspletely unlike those suffocating days where she felt like she would go crazy. For the first time, she kept a secret from her parents, which drove her to grow even more. Then, after ten years, she learned to rebel against them with a new friend her age in the Hero Universe. That, though, is another story. *** Shin Eunah continued to absorb the Fungus as if she had no limits. ¡°SSS-ss trait [Master of Mana]. The ability to deal with infinite mana, as you see now. I don¡¯t really know much more myself.¡± ¡°An SSS-ss trait¡­Eunah really is the strongest.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk listened to the exnation, but he had trouble believing it. It was too absurd. ire continued with a bloody smile. ¡°The world¡¯s not so simple. Even if the resources are infinite, you can lose when ites to output. Not the total amount of power, but how much can be exerted at once.¡± ¡°So are those with the stronger output? ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the number one in the world ranking?¡± ire hesitated as Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°Eunah doesn¡¯t have the output. The top rankers from 1st to 7th aren¡¯t a joke. I couldn¡¯t guarantee Eunah could win against them. Not that will always remain the case.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help butugh at the idea that there was someone stronger than Shin Eunah, who was taking care of the Fungus with a smile. ¡°¡­I also want to get stronger quickly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be strong. Maybe even stronger than Eunah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy about such tant lip service.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. You have the conditions be stronger¡­well?¡± She tried to appease Kang Shin-hyuk, who seemed depressed about the gap between him and Shin Eunah, but she was cut off by a sh of light. ¡°Eunah?¡± ¡°Senior!¡± They had been so busy conversing that they forgot that this wasn¡¯t a solution; she was stopping them for now. They tried to ready themselves, but she stopped them while still floating in the air. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No, even if it¡¯s okay now, we have to kill them to solve this.¡± ¡°ire, you were right. It¡¯s not a monster nor a living thing.¡± ¡°Well, then what is it¡­?¡± It was then the ceiling copsed with a terrible roar under the weight of an enormous amount of Swallowing Fungus. Of course, the fog was still held at bay by Shin Eunah. It was like all the spores in the world were gathering towards her. No, perhaps that was the actual case. -Communication has been restored. ¡°Does that even matter?¡± A notification sounded out from the terminal. Perhaps themunication was restored because now the ceiling was destroyed? Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh, fully relegated to the role of spectator. -There was a recording left from Shelter 14. Shall I y it? ¡°Is it thest message of mankind? y it.¡± -ying. Shin Eunah smiled as if to say, don¡¯t worry about it, even though more Fungus was gathering around her. There was nothing he could do, so he decided to listen to the message. [No matter who listens to this, we leave this message behind so that you don¡¯t repeat our mistakes.] ¡°Well?¡± What it contained was an absurd confession. [Is the Swallowing Fungus still in the world? Probably, because the artifact softening process is not finished yet.] ¡°What is this guy saying?¡± [Mankind challenged the power of the transcendental realm to ovee the fight against Jormungand¡­after hundreds of years of research, we seeded in developing a weapon that innately raises human power.] ¡°A weapon?¡± That seemed to refer to the Swallowing Fungus. It was a weapon, not a monster. But wait, Jormungand? Were they a force that crossed the boundaries of worlds? [It is a weapon that synchronizes the wearer¡¯s mana with their body to grant them divine power through evolution. We tried to ascend to the throne of God by making living human weapons.] [But it was a failure. The object made with the power of a god asked for a master that suited him¡­but there was no god among us. We wanted to be gods through it, but in reality, it was the opposite.] [Everyone is dead. It went berserk and began to go through the poption in search of its owner. The city¡¯s gone¡­so is the country too. Jormungand had to retreat, but humanity found no escape.] [We named it the Swallowing Fungus. A lie and an excuse. The shelter is made of the same material as the weapon so that it will slow the invasion¡­if one day the weapon breaks through, then everything will be over.] Kang Shin-hyuk listened to the recording as he watched the scene in front of him. No more fog appeared, all of it absorbed into Shin Eunah. Her body was still glowing, however. ¡°Whoo¡­!¡± More beautifully. Stronger. Complete. The fragments of a god acknowledged the potential of their host. [I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re alive.] [Human, if you wish to survive, don¡¯t dare challenge God.] [They will answer you.] The message cut off as Shin Eunah descended to the ground. Kang Shin-hyuk and ire rushed to her, unable to help their concern after hearing the message. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Do you want to kill humans?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m used to it.¡± Despite absorbing all of the Swallowing Fungus, she did look alright. Of course, her face and body had subtly changed in a positive way, which ire noticed right away. ¡°Eunah, wow! Your cup size¡­one, no, maybe two¡­G¡­?¡± ¡°Get away!¡± Shin Eunah shoved ire away hard, who was trying to feel her body. She stumbled back, her friend¡¯s strength has increased immensely. ¡°This is important¡­what will we do about your bra?¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk held ire back. Shin Eunah¡¯s cheeks were dyed a vivid red, and she ran away. ire let out a sigh. ¡°Fortunately, she¡¯s herself.¡± ¡°Did you have to check in such a way?¡± ¡°That message scared me. God¡­living weapon.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk was relieved she was okay. She had followed him here to help out with his quest. If something went wrong and she was hurt, he didn¡¯t know what he would do. -The information lock has been released. Information on the Swallowing Fungus has been corrected. Agglomeration of microscopic mana particles originating from the same material as the facility. 67% of all particles in the world have been absorbed by the entity Shin Eunah andpletely annihted. Again, the notification ding came out from the terminal. Kang Shin-hyuk was wondering if he could break them. -The remaining 33% have permanent mutations. ¡°Huh?¡± -Remnants left after the failure has permeated each facility, attempting to agglomerate all particles into a single point. It is judged that it has formed into a magic weapon in case the project fails. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± -Commander, a final greeting. Soon, the facility will lose all functioning, and the golem¡¯s consciousness will be destroyed. From start to finish, unexpected things were urring. -Holding¡­benadelite¡­part of the river¡­energy condensed¡­Swallowing Fungus gathered around the terminal¡­coagtion¡­put the terminal on the floor¡­.facility¡­ The voice flowing from the terminal became jumbled before stoppingpletely. After this, the facility began to vibrate. ¡°A magic weapon? If you plug it in, what¡¯lle out this time? Was that even Korean?¡± ¡°If it is, I need to relearn it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged as the terminal ws in his hand began to vibrate. He poured his spiritual power into them. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± He ced it on the floor of the facility. Chapter 79 The Scavenger of the Fallen World (2) Chapter 79 The Scavenger of the Fallen World (2) The huge underground kingdom was copsing. The moles ran away, screaming in fear. Fortunately, the Swallowing Fungus that had been draining their mana would no longer appear. ¡°My¡­ my kingdom¡­!¡± ¡°Build a new one elsewhere.¡± He may have thought he built a kingdom, but really he had only excavated a shelter that was buried underground. Though, certainly, the Jijoo king¡¯s ability who had joined the Hero Universe shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. ¡°Wow¡­really, this whole facility is condensing into that terminal¡­the magic civilization of the people in this world was absurd. But it ruined them.¡± Meanwhile, ire was examining the terminal that Kang Shin-hyuk was holding on the floor. The entire facility was condensing into that single point. ¡°It¡¯s a problem because it won¡¯t end with one facility. I don¡¯t know if I can handle this.¡± ¡°Keep ahold of it; your sister will provide you with potions or whatever.¡± ¡°¡­Moles, this way.¡± Meanwhile, Shin Eunah was unfolding an intangible veil to protect the entire area with her magic. Kang Shin-hyuk and ire, along with the moles, were all protected under her power. -Vwoooom A shield the size of a small city was created and maintained by her. It was an overwhelming sight that defied human power. ¡°The magic manifestation¡­it feels faster.¡± ¡°It¡¯s faster?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Shin Eunah had infinite resources, but her output and operation were a bit insufficient. However, her body had evolved by absorbing the artifact left by the humans of this world, and her speed and power had grown dramatically, filling in for her weaknesses. ire had said that Shin Eunah couldn¡¯t reach the top ranks yet, but that had quickly been proven false. ¡°The association will be surprised to find out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hide it¡­rank 100th at most.¡± Shin Eunah stared at Kang Shin-hyuk as he held onto the terminal. Her eyes hid some deep emotion that he couldn¡¯t read. ¡°Thanks to my junior, I¡¯ll return stronger.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know this would happen, so there¡¯s nothing to thank me for¡­also, let¡¯s wait. We¡¯re not done yet.¡± ¡°Everyone, hurry up! Move under the shield!¡± ¡°The kingdom is copsing!¡± The moles continued to move en masse to gather under the shield. By the time they had all gathered under it, the facility had already been condensed into the terminal. It became a lump of metal now as it still pulled at the benadelite from all over the world. ¡°It won¡¯t be good to stay here.¡± ¡°I was thinking the same, let¡¯s move.¡± ¡°Well, what do we do?!¡± ¡°Focus on living first!¡± Had Shin Eunah¡¯s mana not been infinite, there would have been numerous casualties among the moles. Kang Shin-hyuk directed them in evacuating as she maintained the shield. Even if they couldn¡¯t break through the ground, they still had the holes their ancestors dug. ¡°I have to reach the ground. Senior, maybe¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible now.¡± After ensuring the moles had escaped, Shin Eunah reduced the shield to a sphere that enveloped just them. Then, flicking her finger, the shield began to float. ¡°I¡¯m going to go faster.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± -Bang! There was no time to shout as the sphere soared up with the three of them in it. It crushed through the dirt and veins of ore above them, pushing its way up. With his skill in martial arts, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to take to the center of the sphere and find his bnce, but ire was bouncing around a bit. ¡°Ahhhh! Be a bit more considerate!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ire managed to grab onto Shin-hyuk. Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes narrowed as she continued to use her magic to form the sphere, although it was her fault that they were in this situation. Meanwhile, the agglomeration of the benadelite particles was still taking ce. They prated through the protective film around the trio to absorb into the mass in Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. As the shield sphere rose at such a breakneck speed, the fog elongated behind them as it followed. ¡°We¡¯ll be reaching the surface soon.¡± ¡°¡­Is it really okay?¡± ¡°It should be now that the driving mechanism behind the Fungus has changed.¡± ¡°Now!¡± The sphere roared upwards into the sky with one final bang; it stopped in the air about ten meters above the ground. ire took a shaky breath and let go of Kang Shin-hyuk, who felt a tinge of sadness. Shin Eunah pouted at the two. ¡°ire, weren¡¯t you too eager to touch my junior?¡± ¡°Hey, that was your fault!¡± ¡°What about normally?¡± ¡°Normally¡­ah, how much do I usually do?¡± ¡°Hm!¡± The two attractive women argued meaninglessly, but Kang Shin-hyuk was focused on the benadelite particles stilling towards the mass in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m trying to focus a little right now.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± The activity of the particles was elerating even more, all of them gathering into one point. So far, it had only absorbed one shelter, but there were dozens of them all around the world. Waves of purple fog were surrounding the sky around them. ¡°You two. I think it would be better to back away from me. I think the absorption will be more intense.¡± ¡°Okay, Eunah, I think it would be better to give Shin-hyuk the floating magic.¡± ¡°I already have. Then, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± They left him alone in the air after ire took Onyx to keep him safe. He let out a sigh of relief after confirming they hadnded at a safe distance away from him. The flow of particles that had been suppressed so far was releasedpletely. -Shaaaaaa His body was engulfed in a purple mist. Shin Eunah let out a scream as she watched it, but ire calmed her down. They were gathering at the lump held in his hand with no concern for him: gathering and gathering. In the process, Kang Shin-hyuk began to realize something. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­!¡± Now that he was pouring his spiritual power into the lump, he could grasp the transformation that the benadelite particles were going through. It was iplete, even more so than the weapons that drove this world to destruction in the past. ¡®Whoo¡­No, I can do this.¡¯He closed his eyes and focused on the flow of the particles around him. His eyes began to glow golden. The object in his hand wanted to be reborn into something. Golden hues began to mix into the purple. ¡®I can¡¯t do this alone.¡¯However, that alone wasn¡¯t enough. His trait did nothing more than amplify and strengthen the particles. The form was unfinished, so he activated his other ability to add to it. Which was metallurgy. ¡®No anvil, no hammer.¡¯But he had the most important thing when crafting, and that was his mind. Didn¡¯t he prove it when he made the ws that served as a terminal to the golem facility? Metallurgy wasn¡¯t a skill about simply beating metal. ¡®There¡­¡¯What was in his grasp now was a mixture of magic, not metal. It was surprisingly light in his grasp. ¡®Start.¡¯He imagined the anvil in his mind, cing the lump on it and creating an imaginary hammer to strike at it. What would he put in each hammer blow? ¡®What sort of heart did the people who perished have?¡¯ They had wanted to be strong, strong enough to transcend godhood. As a result, they met their end, but he couldn¡¯t ridicule their aspirations just because they had failed. He also had a desperate need for strength that drove him. There was no need to focus onplex concepts like ideology. He just wanted strength¡ªthe strength to be free from all restraints of ipetence. Spiritual power bloomed out from him, permeating into the magical particles. He felt connected to those who had wanted to make this armament long ago. He read their intent, brought their aspirations into reality. He swung the hammer. ¡®The strength to keep those I have.¡¯ -ng! It was like the sound of a hammer beating iron rang out. ¡®The strength to break down everything that stands in the way.¡¯ -ng! Again and again. ¡®The strength to stand alone.¡¯ -ng! The hammer struck hard on the iron on the anvil. -As expected, you are¡­ The administrator¡¯s message appeared briefly before vanishing. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t notice it at all. He just raised his hand and lowered it. The golden color that bloomed from him converged into the middle of the lump he held in his hands. It exploded out with a momentum that filled the whole world. Chapter 80 The Scavenger of the Fallen World (3) Chapter 80 The Scavenger of the Fallen World (3) It was the very moment the unfinished techniques left behind by the extinct mankind had finally reached fruition. Benadelite particles from all over the world formed together, forming a metal that had reached the realm of gods to be what the civilization before called Sky God Iron as it converged into one point. When the golden light that filled the world finally dimmed, there were no benadelite particles left, only the plum-sized purple metal beads held in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. -Afterpleting a magical technique that required excellent metallurgy, the magical tool [Great Heavenly Spirit (SS)] was born. There are many possibilities hidden in this treasure. As it was born of spiritual power, it also functions as an energy source that creates spiritual power. -Talent [Golden-eyed Dragon (S)] has satisfied one condition for evolution. The moment the other conditions are met, the trait will evolve. -You have escaped from the limitations of metallurgy to find your own possibilities. Metallurgy has grown to B-rank. Health has grown to A-rank. -Synchronization has greatly elerated¡ªcurrent rate of 20.1%. It was at that moment that the floating magic on Kang Shin-hyuk dissipated. The reason was simple; the bead in his hand absorbed the magic. ¡°Ah.¡± He was over ten meters in the air, but thending was light. Kang Shin-hyuk stood on the ground, examining the smooth metal beads that were a far cry from the unstable mass it had just been. He could clearly feel it dispelling the magic, too, with an ability simr to the Swallowing Fungus. As he stared at it, the item information started to appear before him. [Great Heavenly Spirit] [SS Rank] [Special ability ¨C absorption, generation] * Absorption ¨C Absorbs all types of power. However, it still possesses limits on how much can be absorbed. The item needs to grow in order to absorb more energy. * Generation ¨C Creates and stores spiritual power. When it absorbs energy, it generates a greater amount of spiritual power. ¡°I made something like this¡­?¡± It was an object beyond his understanding. He had imagined a vague sense of strength when he was using metallurgy, but an object of tremendous value had been created. However, he wasn¡¯t able to put his intentions into it. There had been no time to capture them, unlike when he had repaired the Shinfeng Orb. ¡°No¡­still.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned as he thought about metallurgy, but eventually, he let out augh as he realized it was pointless to worry about. ¡°Is it supposed to be this?¡± He could vividly remember when he touched the source of the dead mankind, wrapping their desire around the benadelite particles with his spiritual power. He was convinced he fully understood their heart at that moment. ¡®Then I don¡¯t have to regret it.¡¯In the first ce, he was a craftsman, not a factory. How could the oue be set before his work waspleted? He could hope for the oue, but he couldn¡¯t dare foresee what the end result would actually be. He finally came to that realization. ¡®I guess I shouldn¡¯t have been disappointed with that sword. I was excited because of what I had made a few times before¡­¡¯Was there a problem with the sword he had made with Lee Na-hee? There wasn¡¯t. Nor was there anything wrong with the ws he had made that became a terminal. Because of that, he had found the truth of this world and helped Shin Eunah grow. He had also crafted these beads. -Member, are you okay? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Just thinking.¡± There was no need to worry once the object waspleted. In the end, everything could be used somewhere. So, focus on making good things. Do your best, and you wouldn¡¯t be ashamed of yourself. Kang Shin-hyuk came to this conclusion with a sense of pride. ¡°I wonder if Anvil thought so as he worked.¡± -Well, I wonder if that realization came muchter for him. Even though your assimtion rate has exceeded 20%, you¡¯ve thought about it yourself and made your own conclusion. ¡°What do you mean¡­ah.¡± Synchronization was the process of dredging up his past life and matching it to his current. He supposed it wasn¡¯t anything to worry about. -There¡¯s nothing more pointless than separating the two as the past and present. It¡¯s all the same thing, anyway. However, you are living in the present and will continue to change from your experiences. So refer to the past, but don¡¯t feel too conscious of it. ¡°Haha, I feel like I¡¯ve heard simr things before but it¡¯s still good advice.¡± -For the current member, you¡¯ll be able to handle it. This administrator is overwhelmed. 3,000HP bonus! ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that, 3,000¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled as he thought about what the administrator said. 20% assimtion rate? -The 2nd liberation of VIP is in progress. 100 million HP unlocked! VIP member benefits and dimensional quest rewards are increased! The time flow of My Room has been adjusted. -You¡¯ve awakened one of the skills of your previous life. You mastered the general skill [Emotion]. Under the influence of metallurgy and synchronization, your skill proficiency will grow to the B+ rank! ¡®If I was going to awaken to it, why did you try to make me buy a skill stone?!¡¯ *** The city left behind by the dead mankind was well preserved. The Swallowing Fungus only attacked living creatures, so the buildings weren¡¯t damaged at all. The design of the buildings exceeded anything on Earth, and unknown magic circles dotted the streets. It had a very creepy feel as they walked through it. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money¡­! So that¡¯s why everyone told me to quickly be a VIP.¡± ¡°Eunah, I¡¯m going to model here, help me!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± After confirming that Kang Shin-hyuk was safe, ire and Shin Eunah were excitedly exploring the city. They were shopping through the empty department stores. ¡°Let¡¯s check out some other ces.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go check out that bell tower!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He had nothing to gain from it, especially given hisck of magic, so Kang Shin-hyuk waved at the two and stepped away from them. He had something more pressing to take care of. ¡°100 million HP¡­how can I use it effectively? -If the administrator should rmend¡­ The administrator had predicted he would want to use it right away. -I think purchasing a resist poison skill stone would be best. ¡°¡­Administrator, that was the first thing you rmended.¡± -Don¡¯t be surprised to hear that a Resist Poison (SS) Skill Stone, the most popr Hero Universe product, has an average selling price of 150 million HP! ¡°Expensive!¡± Did that mean both Shin Eunah and ire bought one for that price? There was a chance it would be wasted! -Currently, you can buy one for 70 million HP at a VIP member-limited price! They are sold at less than half due to various conditions. You can only buy it now! Still expensive, but now it felt a bit more realistic. ¡°Do you know who the seller is?¡± -Forgive this administrator who can¡¯t refuse anonymity even if she is a woman who hates her sale target. ¡°I knew it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh but purchased the skill stone. The seller was Tsukuyo, as expected. If it wasn¡¯t her, it would¡¯ve been Eunah. ¡°Does this person hate me or like me?¡± -Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just one of the two stupid foxes that can¡¯t distinguish between the past and present lives. Just use them as much as you can and then throw them away. He ignored the implication of who the other was and the radical words of the administrator. -Previously, I told you to buy Resist Poison (B), as you didn¡¯t have the money necessary for the higher-level resistance. But learning the lower ranks will make it easier to learn the higher-ranked skill as well. The probability of the skill stone being wasted is lowered. ¡°That¡¯sforting.¡± -I thought it would be. Now with the burden of failure relieved, he broke the skill stone. The rust-colored magic contained within it was absorbed into him with some unexpected results. -You learned the resistance skill [Resist Poison (SS)], which has inherited the skill level of [Resist Poison (B)]. The rarity [Resist Poison (SS)] has increased due to the regeneration power, bing [Resist Poison (SS+)]. Proficiency of [Resist Poison (SS+)] increased to B-rank. ¡°Oh.¡± -Oh. Even the administrator was surprised. -The SS rank is the general limit that a mortal can reach, called the prevailing limit. Surprisingly, the rarity exceeded SS rank, although it is due to your regeneration. ¡°How about for other members?¡± -There are rather few mortals among the members of the Hero Universe. He had asked for nothing. Come to think of it; a dark-haired girl was running around this forsaken city with an SSS-rank trait. ¡°It feels good. I want to use this momentum to learn other skills. Are there any of the four major attributes like wind mastery I can learn?¡± -As you already know, skills that allow you to deal with the power of attributes are very rare and highly desired. They are usually sold as soon as they are released, but thanks to the slow flow of time in this world you¡¯re in right now¡­ ¡°There is one?!¡± -Fire Mastery (C+) skill stone for 260 million HP. You can purchase it at 210 million HP¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it.¡± No matter how valuable it was, that was more expensive than the SS-rank resistance skill he had just bought. ¡°Wait a minute, if they learn this¡­¡± -For these people, learning is meaningless. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­!¡± -And sold. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. ¡°What item does the administrator rmend?¡± -Now that you¡¯ve reached the 2nd Liberation, you can now purchase status growth potions. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± The chances of getting a growth speed buff as a login bonus had increased too. The administrator said it would ovep with the buff. -The price of a lower potion that increases the growth rate by 30% for a day is 300,000 HP. Drinking it boosts the growth rate of all your stats, so don¡¯t miss out. ¡°300,000 HP?¡± -To grow 30% faster! With the VIP discount, it¡¯s 240,000 HP! After purchasing the Resist Poison, the remaining HP he had was about 33 million. He was a bit worried, but he decided to buy a bundle of 10 at an additional 10% discount. -You¡¯ve purchased 10 bottles of Growth Boost Potion (lower grade) for 2.1 million HP. Would you like to drink one now? ¡°No, I¡¯m going to smith here rather than train¡­hm?¡± He felt something pull his foot. Looking down, his eyes met with a small creature there. ¡°Sir¡­my request still remains.¡± The King of Jijoo was holding onto his leg with bloody ws from digging through the ground. ¡°The ground is so bright¡­and I need a new kingdom. Can you make my ws now?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you this time, sir.¡± Chapterr 81 The Scavenger of the Ruined World (4) Chapterr 81 The Scavenger of the Ruined World (4) ¡°Ahhh, it¡¯s so bright I can¡¯t even open my eyes!¡± ¡°I want to go back underground!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh! We have to go there, but I don¡¯t want to!¡± The Mole tribe couldn¡¯t have imagined the hellish days that their ancestors had gone through, losing their ws in the peace they had known since birth. They were beginning to barely adapt to their instincts they had ignored so far, however. ¡°I was wondering how to reform them, but it¡¯s good that I no longer need to.¡± Since the beginning, Kang Shin-hyuk was dissatisfied with the moles who had entrusted everything to the Jijoo King, but now he was happy at the sight of them. He still wanted them to stop screaming, however. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make your ws, so go inside a building that¡¯s not so bright.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand being on the ground! The memories of our ancestors are calling out to us!¡± ¡°If all of those things died¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡± As Kang Shin-hyukined, Shin Eunah waved a finger in the air as she approached them. The thousands of moles floated in the air at once, thrown into the open entrance of a nearby building. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I just put them away because they were in the way of my grandfather.¡± Shin Eunah then turned to hug Kang Shin-hyuk, whose consciousness was nearly blown away by how voluptuous she was. ¡®Wow, she¡¯s grown so much you can see the difference through her clothes¡­stop, don¡¯t think. Let¡¯s not think¡­¡¯Looking around, ire was nowhere nearby. ¡°Where¡¯s ire?¡± ¡°She found something she liked and started doing some research.¡± Shin Eunah said that with a proud expression. She possessed all the dignity in the world at that moment. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°No.¡± The twenty-five-year-old granddaughter clung to him with a harsh voice. Kang Shin-hyuk hesitated for a moment, but soon resolved himself and pushed her away. ¡°Now, stop that. A grown-up shouldn¡¯t stick to their grandpa like that.¡± ¡°But grandpa said that if we meet in person, we could hug all the time.¡± He wished it were a lie, but now with his synchronization at 20%, he certainly had a vague memory of something like that. It didn¡¯t weaken his resolve, however. ¡°That was twenty years ago, how long will you act like a child?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Shin Eunah pulled back at his cold words. She let out a teary voice as she talked quietly to herself. ¡°It would¡¯ve been nice if you visited Eunah when she was young.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± This time, it was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s turn to be rebuked. If he hadn¡¯t felt he was Anvil, he wouldn¡¯t need to feel guilty about his actions. But now that the rate had increased and the memories were bing clearer, it was hard not to feel a bit responsible for them. ¡®That damn man¡­ making promises he can¡¯t keep. No, rather, my previous life is. If I had really viewed her as my own child, wouldn¡¯t I have gone to her at least once instead of falling asleep with the world? At least once before dying! But, in the end, I had died cleanly like I had no regrets. What, then, of Eunah, who had heavily depended on me until then? She never had the chance to say a proper goodbye. It feels like I¡¯m talking about someone else, but it¡¯s me in the end!¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk felt confused as he tried to untangle the threads in his head. However, he couldn¡¯t leave Shin Eunah alone as she stood there all gloomy. He hugged her gently, causing her eyes to go wide. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only make up for what you missed when you were young.¡± ¡°¡­Huh! Grandpa.¡± Shin Eunah let out a voice filled with joy as she hugged him back. ¡®I can¡¯tst long though.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk thought so while smiling as casually as possible. Shin Eunah may view him as her grandfather, but it was a harsh ordeal for him to endure. He only hoped she could regain some of her mentalposure. ¡°There¡­ it¡¯s nice to have a good rtionship.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Turning his head, there was once more the figure of the Jijoo King holding onto his leg. ¡°Now I really want you to make my ws¡­¡± Watching the half-crying Jijoo King, Kang Shin-hyuk whispered to Shin Eunah. ¡°¡­Senior, didn¡¯t you kick everyone out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing. Still, I guess he¡¯s a member of the Hero Universe¡­!¡± Shin Eunah trembled slightly upon discovering the king, trying to return to her cool mode. ¡°It¡¯s like this in the end, so I¡¯ll start working on it.¡± He let out a sigh of defeat. ¡°Yes¡­this still seems a little insufficient, but you can think of it as an advance payment.¡± Shin Eunah let go of him. ¡°Payment?¡± ¡°Yes, an advance payment.¡± ¡®So there¡¯s still a bnce left to pay for?¡¯Shin Eunah moved back from the confused Kang Shin-hyuk with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go find ire, cheer up.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­down payment?¡± He tilted his head as he watched the back of his foster granddaughter, who left without answering. The Jijoo King was staring up at him. He seemed to have learned a bit, as he was no longer asking about his ws, but it was almost more annoying as he quietly looked up at Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯ll really make it, so stop watching me.¡± ¡°Oh, oh! Wonderful! I found a ce like the workshop with an oven, too!¡± Three hourster, Kang Shin-hyuk had finally met the king¡¯s expectations by creating another A-rank w-shaped artifact using the world¡¯s metal (of course, it was a metal other than benadelite). The problem was the thousands of moles that followed, all asking for ws. It was the start of two months of backbreakingbor. *** ¡°ire?¡± Shin Eunah found her friend squatting on some nearby grass, gathering rare nts unseen on Earth. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I figured it would be better to focus on what can only be studied here. Look at this.¡± ire tore at the grass with purple petals with an expression of excitement. ¡°The magical ritual that drove mankind to destruction was terrible, but there were some positives. Like these nts that were subject to magic.¡± ¡°Did they mutate after being exposed to the particles?¡± ¡°Exactly. These grasses have evolved into a form that stores and maintains mana without letting it be taken away. It¡¯s an interesting by-product of its evolution.¡± ire began discussing the changes in the Gromas ecosystem, every bit the image of an excited alchemist. Shin Eunah felt the sight of her friend who was immersed in the things she liked really dazzling. ¡°But ire, whatever you¡¯re working on, you¡¯ll have to finish it early.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, I predicted as much.¡± She had an odd expression as she put the grass in her inventory. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet right?¡± ¡°The opposite; we haven¡¯t started. We confirmed earlier that the evil of Jormungand had reached this world.¡± Shin Eunah let out a sigh as she sat beside ire. The two weren¡¯t just wandering around to explore the magical civilization of a bygone era; they had a more important purpose. ¡°What about Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°¡­My junior isn¡¯t ready yet. It¡¯s great to see he has grown this much already, it might even be faster than me. Did you see him create an SS-rank artifact? The miracle of All Craft added with the talent of a fighter, I can¡¯t wait¡­¡± ¡°What a fool. Act with some moderation. You¡¯ve been lucky before¡­.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes twinkled as she recalled Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s actions. She had no clue that he looked at her with that same expression when she had been dealing with the Fungus. ire decided to leave it be. Telling her would just be pouring oil onto the fire. ¡°Anyway, I was fortunate to follow you both. My juniors were really in danger¡­¡± ¡°Have you gotten used to the changes in your body?¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s body, which had evolved instantly by absorbing the magical techniques left behind, continued to bother her with a sense of incongruity. But now¡­she twisted her lips and nodded. ¡°The tuning is over. I¡¯mpletely used to it.¡± ¡°Oh, was that tuning? I thought you were trying to mark Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°¡­You saw?¡± Shin Eunah blushed, but ire nodded without hesitation. ¡°If someone saw you, they¡¯d think you two were lovers.¡± ¡°What lovers¡­ we¡¯re just a grandfather and granddaughter.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ire¡¯s eyes became narrower as she stared at the red Shin Eunah. The thought that had been in her mind was only gaining intensity as she watched the two. ¡°You really think so, Eunah?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ isn¡¯t it true?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ire nodded. ¡°Is it unconscious then?¡± ¡°Unconscious?¡± ¡°Yes. But conscious or unconscious¡­ it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eunah tilted her head, unable to understand, but ire stood up and flicked her forehead. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°A fox either way.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± In any case, the crisis threatening Gromas was resolved. However, the excursion to another world had just begun. Chapter 82 Scavenger of the Fallen World (5) Chapter 82Scavenger of the Fallen World (5) -You¡¯ve received a skill growth speed buff with today¡¯s log in bonus! Over the next three days, the growth rate of all skills will be increased by 50%! ¡°Hah.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed at the login message that suddenly popped up in front of him while he tapped on the metal. The fact that it had appeared in a world with a 24-to-1 time ratio with Earth proved how long he had been here. ¡°When exactly is the bonus given?¡± -6:00 am. ¡°It¡¯s like a game except for that¡­¡± It was about 4 pm when they departed for Gromas. If it was 6 am now, that meant they had been gone four 14 hours or two weeks in Gromas¡¯ time. ¡°Anyway, it seems that the buffs are moremon. Plus, itsts for three days.¡± -This is the real benefit of being a VIP. If you achieve the 3rd liberation by achieving a 50% rate, the bonus will be strengthened once more. ¡°You¡¯re good at selling products. You don¡¯t need to advertise it to me now.¡± In the period of those two weeks, Kang Shin-hyuk had invested all of his time ¨C except for that needed to sleep ¨C into making ws. He had quickly switched to using molds to make them, as doing it all by hand was ridiculous. After casting them, all he needed to do was trim andplete them. With that, his work had sped up nicely. ¡°Your majesty¡¯s ws are shining so brightly, but why are ours¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re okay with it, but can¡¯t it be a little better?¡± However, it wasn¡¯t easy toplete artifacts by casting. As it was impossible to arm every mole with artifacts in the first ce, he made apromise on that part. However, it was still an essential experience for Kang Shin-hyuk, who only had experience making things one by one with all his heart. -You are starting to gain a feel for mass production. Metallurgy has increased to the B+ rank. When mass-producing goods, work speed has increased, and the quality of the finished product will increase. ¡°Oh, great!¡± In half a day after receiving the skill growth speed buff, he had seeded in growing metallurgy to the B+ rank. His work picked up even faster. ¡°Today, we excavate that ce!¡± ¡°Alright, your majesty!¡± As if he had regained his youth with his new ws, the king was working hard to rebuild his kingdom as he led his people to dig into the earth. The holes they had dug so far were blocked by the benadelite particles, but now, digging was much easier than before. They were working on a kingdom that wasrger and more sustainable than before. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s impossible.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to interfere, but he wasn¡¯tfortable watching them overdo it. Now that the king had started to dig, he must¡¯ve realized his age. Maybe he had known it from the start. ¡°If you do it like that, you won¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re doing well.¡± Suddenly, Shin Eunah came up to him. ¡°The Golden Hidden Mole tribe was created to be in the ground. It was better for them to live down there than to try and survive up here. For them too.¡± ¡°Hm¡­?¡± Her words were too vague for him to understand, but he decided to listen quietly for now. ¡°They¡¯re working very desperately, even though they knew it won¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To teach the skill as much as he can while he can move.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± All of the Mole tribe, except for the king, had lost their ws due to the peace. Until now, the king had been unaware of any problems with that. But now that he realized he wouldn¡¯t live forever, he began to worry about his death and taught his people the art of digging. It was a development that Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­Like everything just fell into ce.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t bad guys, they just didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Was it helpful to throw them to the ground?¡± ¡°It was an extreme solution.¡± Shin Eunah smiled at the slightly spiteful murmur of Kang Shin-hyuk. It was a smile filled with pure joy that softened his heart. It was an odd hybrid mode of the usually distant Shin Eunah and the too childish Eunah. It wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°Oh,e to think of it, are you not researching today?¡± ¡°It seems like the time hase?¡± ¡°The time? For what?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t talked about it yet.¡± Shin Eunah began to exin as he continued to make ws using a mold. ¡°There will be a monster attack.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± He stopped. A monster? Didn¡¯t they all die because of the benadelite particles? ¡°I know what my junior is thinking¡­these moles have survived until now, why would all the monsters have died?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, Jormungand is tough. When they find out this world has been resurrected, they will try to take it.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised a hand and shouted for her to stop. ¡°What the hell is Jormungand? On Earth, they¡¯re called an anti-superhuman group. But in this word, the story seems a bit different.¡± ¡°I was trying to tell you only a little but¡­yes, it¡¯ll take a while to get all the memories back.¡± Her expression became lonely as she began to exin. ¡°Jormungand is, as far as Earth is concerned, just a union against superhumans. But¡­after hearing the story of another world, I¡¯ve finallye to understand it better.¡± Perhaps she was referring to the bulletin boards in the Hero Universe. She continued with a slight blush. ¡°The main force of Jormungand are monsters, not humans. Those who stand atop all monsters and know more of humanity than humans do¡­they use humans to destroy humanity.¡± ¡°That means that there are monsters behind the forces of Earth¡¯s Jormungand? And¡­they can cross dimensions like people in the Hero Universe?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a pan-dimensional giant. Most of the world¡¯s invasions are rted to them¡­most of the Hero Universe members havee to this conclusion.¡± Earth wasn¡¯t originally a world full of monsters, but they had served as a catalyst that forced humans to awaken and be stronger. ¡°The purpose of the Hero Universe is to stop Jormungand. This is why we, too, have the power to cross dimensions.¡± ¡°¡­It feels like this is a bit too well-organized.¡± Usually, in situations like this, the group trying to protect humanity was actually behind it all. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to ask the administrator. ¡®So, how is it actually?¡¯ -If it weren¡¯t you who asked that question, I might¡¯ve ranted and then disqualified you from being a member. 500HP bonus! ¡®What? A rant? Why did you give me a bonus?¡¯ -Because talking with you is fun either way. Such boldments¡­1,000HP bonus! He decided to give up on asking the administrator. ¡°The Hero Universe offers us no answers, but we don¡¯t want one either. Just as most of us disapprove of Jormungand, the only thing we can do is cooperate to deal with them.¡± ¡°So is that why you joined the association? It was the best way to find out about them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s half of the reason. The other half is a secret.¡± Shin Eunah, in hybrid mode, was powerful. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to change the topic to hide his embarrassment. ¡°So, are you saying their forces are also hiding in Gromas?¡± ¡°Perhaps. It doesn¡¯t matter if their numbers are small; they can control the consciousness of all monsters. If even one remains, we have to send subjugation forces.¡± ¡°What, that power¡¯s bullshit¡­But if that were the case, did the disturbancest time have to do with them?¡± ¡°If only humans were involved, that would¡¯ve been impossible. Jormungand has the ability to interfere with gates, right? Because they know how to connect worlds together, they were able to make full use of an irregr gate. Though I didn¡¯t think they would try such a ridiculous n. Thinking about losing my grandpa¡­¡± She was shifting back to the spoiled granddaughter mode. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed, shoving away Shin Eunah, who was trying to hug him. ¡°Then what about the moles?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why its good they¡¯re digging. If they run away, they¡¯re less likely to die.¡± ¡°Ha, right.¡± But just as Kang Shin-hyuk nodded along, she stood up with a stiff expression. ¡°It will begin soon, I can feel a huge mass of energy.¡± ¡°How can you measure that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a feeling. The rest is Janus¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°Janus. There¡¯s no ce for him to not interfere.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with augh, but Shin Eunah held out an arm to stop him with a smile. ¡°Before, I couldn¡¯t show my strength properly. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°No, you showed enoughst time¡­¡± Rather, if she showed more strength than that, there would be no ce for him! However, she didn¡¯t listen as she stepped forward, golden lightning wrapping around her. ¡°I¡¯m enough alone, thanks to the power I gained here¡­then, I¡¯ll be back.¡± The Empress took to the air, driven forward by the mighty mana she emanated as a huge crack began to form in the air. The serpent¡¯s mouth opened, spewing the poison of Jormungand into the world once more. It was faced by a goddess with lightning wrapped around her, taking the ce of Thor. Chapter 83 Scavenger of the Fallen World (6) Chapter 83 Scavenger of the Fallen World (6) -How fun. The woman who crawled out from the serpent¡¯s mouth that bit into the dimension mumbled to herself. -I had already lost all hope and thought this world was left dry. How? -It doesn¡¯t matter. Now that we¡¯ve found a new foundation, we have to keep that from happening again. The male monster that followed her replied bluntly. She let out a sigh. -How boring. If you think like that, how can you afford to enjoy life? If you don¡¯t think more flexibly, you won¡¯t live long¡­huh? The moment she stretched out into the air while talking slowly, she noticed golden sparks flying in front of her face. -What? Why is there such a powerful thing in this world- She was engulfed by lightning. Her reflexive defensive barriers did little to protect her as she was roasted whole. -This dimension too¡­Hero Universe! The woman in the front was killed instantly by the Thunder Empress¡¯s destructive power, leaving only the monstrous man. His boss wasn¡¯t fragile enough to die from a single st of lightning, which meant this foe was beyond understanding. He tried to take a step back. -Kiiiiii! -Move back at once. ¡°No.¡± The man gave orders to the monstersing out the tear in space behind him, takingmand now that their leader was killed. But it wouldn¡¯t be so easy; he couldn¡¯t keep track of the movements of the lightning. ¡°You can¡¯t leave.¡± A magic circle of aplex shape moved out from Shin Eunah¡¯s outstretched hand. The monster¡¯s eyes went wide as the crack in space was forcibly closed behind him. The advanced technique she had used to close it was amazing, but what was more frightening was the tremendous power behind it. -What, how¡­a monster! ¡°You¡¯re the monster.¡± Shin Eunah used the magic circle to lock away the tear. It required terribly precise calctions and output of magic, but she performed the task as simple as turning a lock. ¡°A monster that hunts humanity.¡± Anyone who studied magic would know how absurd Shin Eunah¡¯s actions were. ¡®Let¡¯s finish this now.¡¯Shin Eunah quicklypleted the magic around the gate, which normally required several professionals working together, and opened her hands to fire off another lightning bolt. Most of the monsters that were pouring out from the gate behind him were burned away. Shin Eunah continuously fired off lightning towards the gate while extending a hand to aim at the escaping man. -What?! The monster was hit directly this time, too distracted by the other monsters to avoid the lightning strike. -Uff¡­shit¡­! He was a bit more durable than the woman, having survived the first blow, but that didn¡¯t matter. She emitted a stronger flow of lightning, burning himpletely through. ¡°More¡­I think I can do better.¡± A cruel smile found its way onto Shin Eunah¡¯s lips. She danced in the air, creating dozens of magic circles that sparkled with energy. She was exerting herself to the degree that wasn¡¯t possible before. Thanks to the benadelite particles that harmonized with her body to make her the lord of lightning and mana. ¡°Whoo.¡± A tremendous amount of mana flowed out through the magic circles. She didn¡¯t resist it, letting the mana leave her body. The sound of sparks filled the air. -Kii¡­ -It¡¯s a newnd. -I can feel the radiant energy of life! In the process of preparing her magic, the lightning bombardment had stopped, and several monsters continued to flood out. It was good timing, as she had just regained control of the magic circle and set them as targets. ¡°Huh!¡± The magic circles ovepping in the air interlocked and rotated like clockwork, spewing out a terrifying amount of lightning that filled the sky with a bright radiance. -Kugaaaaa! -Bang! Thousands of streaks of lightning bolts ran at the speed of light, turning the monsters into ash. -Creeeeeak Everything stopped as the world was filled with light and the sound of something breaking. Shin Eunah instinctively sensed that the gate had been destroyed. ¡°That much¡­¡± It was good that her physical performance and output were amplified, but she couldn¡¯t get a sense of how much her maximum output was. Still, she was able to learn a bit more about her newfound strength. ¡°Top ranker¡­it¡¯s possible.¡± She was referring to the world¡¯s top rankings from 1st to 7th. She was confident she wouldn¡¯t be pushed back if she faced them like this. Perhaps if she could adapt a bit more to the changes, she would be in another dimension altogether. ¡°No more traces of them.¡± There was no hint that the gate would reopen elsewhere. Since they had taken a bad hit, it would take them at least a few months to judge the situation and develop countermeasures. That would be enough time for the Golden Hidden Mole tribe to find their new kingdom. Shin Eunah nodded, satisfied, and descended. ¡°Senior¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk watched the scene of the battle through the window of the workshop. He left the forge and was staring up at her with his mouth wide open. Shin Eunah smiled proudly at him. ¡°Did you see? What do you think? What do you think?¡± ¡°How do you sleep¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swallowed, thinking of the two who opened the gate. It was the first time he had seen such a human monster. He intuitively recognized them as being stronger than he had ever dared to dream of. ¡®They had to be in a fairly high position in the organization called Jormungand.¡¯No, judging from the power they exuded, they might have been executives. However, Shin Eunah blew them both away with little more than the wave of her hand, even destroying the gate that had several S-ss monsters. It was an absolute power that could destroy the world. ¡®She¡¯s still so far away.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk thought so and let out augh. The idea of catching up to her was so far-fetched he couldn¡¯t even feel jealous about it. It felt like he had just started to reach his goal. If he wanted to catch up, he had to practice constantly. As he thought that, another impulse hit him. ¡®I want to create a weapon that can contain such power¡­¡¯He probably wouldn¡¯t have thought of it before, but the urge that popped up inside of him wasn¡¯t too bad. It was a valuable source of inspiration, at least, that wouldn¡¯t go away easily. Perhaps it even was proof that he had grown up a little bit. He squeezed his fists. ¡°Wow¡­¡± When he came to, Shin Eunah was staring at him with tears in her eyes, indicating she had reverted to granddaughter mode. ¡°Won¡¯t you praise me? I got rid of a bunch of bad guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you. What sort of praise do you want?¡± ¡°Pat my hair.¡± ¡°¡­Well, alright.¡± Right now, he would¡¯ve preferred the hybrid mode, but it was natural she would drift back into granddaughter mode. He patted her hair gently, but she had an expression like she would explode. He had trouble patting her, who had shown the power and dignity of the Thunder Empress just seconds ago. ¡°Then, is the battle over now?¡± ¡°No, notpletely.¡± She started at him with an expression like she wanted more attention, but he changed the topic. ¡°Jormungand¡¯s appearance is evidence that the world¡¯s unique monsters have begun to move. They can¡¯t be thought of as an outside invader, they¡¯re already here.¡± ¡°It feels like they¡¯re a cockroach.¡± ¡°Maybe simr to that.¡± ¡®If you found one, you should think that there are thirty?¡¯He felt a bit depressed at that idea. It may not be an issue for him, but it would be bad news for the Mole tribe, who would have to adapt to this world in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t look like that, junior. As long as humanity is around, there must be monsters. It would be scarier if you couldn¡¯t see them.¡± ¡°Oh, I know how that feels. The feeling of fear is different when you find traces of a cockroach versus actually seeing one¡­¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re fixed on the idea of viewing monsters as cockroaches¡­¡± A mole approached them as they were engaged in increasingly idle conversation. ¡°Anvil, there¡¯s something you should see¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What, have you been watching my senior fight?¡± ¡°What? Were there monsters here too?¡± ¡°Here too?¡± The eyes of Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah narrowed at the same time as the mole nodded weakly. ¡°While digging, they suddenly attacked from below. So the king¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk listened to the words with an increasingly grim expression as Shin Eunah watched nkly. He wanted tough; it was so absurd, but he couldn¡¯t even smile. The Jijoo King¡¯s funeral was held that afternoon. Chapter 84 A Man Growing Too Fast (1) Chapter 84 A Man Growing Too Fast (1) If it were aic book or a novel, he would¡¯ve thrown it away while cursing. The Hidden Golden Mole tribe had awakened their instincts due to the copse of their underground kingdom and the help of their old king, who had a wealth of knowledge. At the end of a wonderful scene, the king was in by monsters that had arrived without warning. ¡°They sent a vanguard, so that¡¯s not urate, junior.¡± ¡°No, I know that. Still¡­something like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± ire bowed her head to Shin Eunah and Kang Shin-hyuk. The funeral had already ended, all of the moles were milling about listlessly. ¡°I knew that the monsters would begin their activities soon, but I couldn¡¯t quit in my studies¡­I sensed it and ran for it straight away, but I was toote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s not like we were on an escort quest for the king.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s words sounded cold, but she was trying her best tofort her friend. ¡°The quest was toplete the ws, the remaining two months of our stay here was like a bonus.¡± ¡°But you¡­no, no.¡± ire tried to refute the remark but instead went quiet. She knew that Shin Eunah was the first to face the threat that had arrived, stopping Jormungand¡¯s invasion. It hadn¡¯t just been for this world, but also to protect her friends. However, her efforts couldn¡¯t be denied. ¡°In the end, these guys just depended on their king. They do nothing now that he¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t learned all they could from him¡­I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll be able to do.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk spoke up for ire, but Shin Eunah¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t change. ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse. In the first ce, it was strange that everyone rushed to the king, saying they would help. They have ws, so they can dig. Artifacts should be something you consider after the fact, not before.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. The tribe relied on the king because they felt uneasy, challenging the ground with nothing more than their body. ¡°The monsters in this world are starting to move, it¡¯s no excuse to sit down like that just because their leader died. Even after reaching this point, their mental state is too much like a child¡¯s.¡± ¡°Eunah¡­that¡¯s not convincing at all, even if you say so.¡± ¡°Anyway! ire, you have nothing to feel guilty about. If these guys die, that¡¯s their own fault.¡± That was also true. Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know what happened when the king died, but it was enough for the moles to recognize the existence of monsters. They had to deal with it in some way, whether they were brainstorming or simply moving around, but now they were rolling around like they had given up even thinking. ¡®It¡¯s because the king was too big of a presence. He solved everything quickly¡­¡¯Even after they had awakened their instincts to dig, the king had led them. They were now in a new environment where he wasn¡¯t there to help them, so it was understandable that they were so devastated. ¡°I think they need time to take control. Senior, can you protect them for at least three days?¡± ¡°Three days?¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. ¡°If there is no change by then, we will leave them.¡± ¡°Then, what are you nning for those three days?¡± ire spoke up, a curious look on her face. He replied with a faint smile. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able toplete all of the ws in that time. I hope they¡¯re not useless.¡± ¡°You always have one thing on your mind.¡± Sheughed, looking a bit more cheerful. ¡°Okay, your sister will give you a present in that case.¡± ¡°A present?¡± She seemed to have liked what he had said, as she jabbed him in the shoulder with a smile. ¡°This is perfect for our cute Shin-hyuk, who¡¯s working so hard.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Shin Eunah red at ire, her eyes shing dangerously. Shin-hyuk wondered if his eyes shed like that when he used his trait. That would be a little scary. ¡°Yes, okay, space. Some space¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± Shin Eunah stepped back, relieved with ire¡¯s response. ¡°Three days. Okay, in the meantime I will protect them. ire, protect Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Eh? I have to¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah left without another word. ¡°It was surprisingly easy to convince her. She felt so cool.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she just convinced by what you said? She¡¯s not a kid with a lot of thoughts, though even I have to admit it if these guys stay this way after three days.¡± Outside the workshop, you could still see the moles screaming and rolling about. ¡°I hate to see it either way¡­¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s start working. Is there anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you, sister.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to make you work hard as a bartender in the future, so I should help this much.¡± ¡°¡­Bartender? Sister, were you thinking of making me a bartender?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have a variety of skills. I¡¯ve been training you so far, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°So far?!¡± ire might not have been useful for the actual forging process, but she was still a craftsman. Preparing molds and pouring molten metal into them was enough for her to speed the process up. She even engraved some sigils onto the mold, reducing the time needed for the metal to cool. ¡°I think this will take less than two days, not three.¡± ¡°Okay, then the rest of the time will be practice for your bar work.¡± ¡°You really intend to make me a bartender¡­¡± He should¡¯ve noticed that from the beginning, when she brought him in as a server. But there was no way for him to escape now. Rather, he didn¡¯t want to escape either. She was a clever woman, taking advantage of his crush to bring him into her hobby. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re a minor, but when you are at the bar you¡¯re Shin Eun-hyuk. Ugh¡­as expected, that name is a bit ridiculous.¡± ¡°Could you please not use that name anymore?¡± Kang Shin-hyukined, staring at ire. His eyes lingered on her as he thought of his feelings. After they finished their work, he decided he would speak up. ¡°Sister, can you really not be younger?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s bold.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk almost thought he had made a mistake, but ireughed and responded calmly. He wasn¡¯t willing to let it go so easily, however. ¡°The more I hear it¡¯s impossible, the more it hurts.¡± ¡°Well, you are currently in school.¡± ¡°I hate giving up.¡± He stared into ire¡¯s red eyes, drawing up the resolve of a warrior who aimed to grasp a miraculous victory from the jaws of defeat. ¡°I like you a lot.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is it not possible? You can be honest with me.¡± ¡°Even if I have another reason, wouldn¡¯t it just hurt you to hear it?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ire grumbled that he was a troublesome guy before continuing. ¡°Shin-hyuk, it¡¯s best if you hang out with students the same age as you.¡± ¡°Is it a matter of age after all?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a difference in experience.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± It wasn¡¯t, but he decided that he wasn¡¯t going to push any further. ire stood up with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s why kids shouldn¡¯t get so hot under the cor. You¡¯ll regret itter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ire cleared her throat at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s nk expression, deciding to be a bit more serious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, maybe I¡¯ve been too friendly. Still, I¡¯m not trying to seduce you, I¡¯m really justfortable around you, so forgive me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought about howplicated topics like women and rtionships were. His words flowed out of him before he could stop them. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I think it¡¯ll work out in the future.¡± ¡°No way.¡± That was as far as he could go. He was worried being persistent would only make him a nuisance to ire. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired from work, so I¡¯ll head off to rest first. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll finish it all and have a bartender ss, so be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, got it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was forced to retreat. ¡°See you tomorrow, sister.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Even though he had tried repeatedly, his face had remained calm the entire time like he had been expecting this oue. ire waved her hand at the cold boy and left the building. ¡®I almost passed out. No matter what, if we started a rtionship at this stage, Eunah would murder me¡­!¡¯ She was trembling with fear Chapter 85 A Man Growing Too Fast (2) Chapter 85 A Man Growing Too Fast (2) ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°Actually, with a little memorization and dexterity, it¡¯s easy to get certified. But you can¡¯t call yourself a bartender unless you make your own original drinks! All right, unknown bartender K?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± The next day, as promised, Kang Shin-hyuk was in the bartender ss ire had nned after they hadpleted all of the mole ws. Even though he was still a minor, he was already in the mindset of his mysterious alter ego, who worked as a bartender. ¡®Well, it seems okay.¡¯ire nced at him, confirming he at least seemed calm. Yesterday, after rejecting his confession, she was worried he would have been hurt, but fortunately, the shock didn¡¯t seem to be too bad. ¡®But to think that was the case¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk had expressed his desire for her outright, of course, but he was normally so calm that she had thought it was a joke. ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Suddenly, Kang Shin-hyuk was looking at her with an anxious expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°No, no. Why, if there were such a thing, would you solve it?¡± ¡°Absolutely. But please wait a little longer for me to get stronger first, it really won¡¯t take long.¡± It was a voice full of confidence,bining the freshness of youth and the leisure of an adult to give him a subtle charm. ire spontaneously remembered the boy¡¯s confession from the previous day and the deep eyes facing her, feeling a little thrill go through her spine. If that was a joke, this boy was a shoo-in for Best Actor at the Oscars. She struggled to hide her agitation and flicked Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s forehead. ¡°Try it again, but exin what feels natural as you do it.¡± ¡°Speaking while I do it? That¡¯s too much after only a little practice.¡± ¡°Wow, what¡¯s with that look, huh?¡± ¡°If you keep jabbing me, I won¡¯t be able to concentrate!¡± The two continued the ss with an almost flirtatious mood, but soon they could feel a huge flow of energy outside. The two stopped immediately. ¡°You sense it too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two whispered quietly. They might have different ideas about each other, but they had the same opinion on how to treat Eunah. Immediately after that, their mother-inw¡­no- Shin Eunah, knocked on the door. ¡°I¡¯m entering.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± As soon as she entered, she made a face as she discovered the cocktail sses and tools spread out on the table. It was easy to deduce what sort of ss was happening here immediately. ¡°ire, our junior is still physically underage.¡± Mentally he wanted to refute that, but he remained silent as ire responded instead. ¡°But Shin Eun-hyuk is an adult. He¡¯s not drinking alcohol, so what¡¯s wrong with a little bartending?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important. Moreover, aren¡¯t you confused about our purpose right now?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± ire let out a sigh, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to drink a cocktail that Shin-hyuk made himself?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to chat with Shin-hyuk while you sit at a bar table¡­you¡¯re drinking a cocktail elegantly while he wipes the counter down with a dry towel and a soft smile on his lips?¡± ¡°I want that.¡± Both times, she responded immediately. ire smiled and shook Shin Eunah¡¯s hand. ¡°Then, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± When Shin Eunah said thank you to ire, Kang Shin-hyuk was unable to stand by any longer. Besides, why was her description so specific? ¡°Please take care of the bartender training, ire.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll implement your ideal.¡± ¡°Since when did you start nurturing me¡­¡± ¡°From the start.¡± He was filled with thoughts of ming ire as Shin Eunah turned to look at him. ¡°The moles are looking for you.¡± ¡°I guess it worked as I said.¡± He had a smile on his lips, but Shin Eunah¡¯s expression was subdued. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think everyone in the world is as sincere, passionate, and incapable of giving up as you are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re describing a game character¡­anyway, I know what you meant. Let¡¯s meet them first.¡± He was determined to go outside. It was already night, which meant the moles could roam freely outside. ¡°Anvil!¡± ¡°Master Anvil!¡± One of the moles who found him shouted happily, and soon after, more began to pop up. In short order, thousands had appeared and began to bow around him. ¡°Help us!¡± ¡°I know.¡± He smiled and opened his inventory,ying out therge number of ws he prepared. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared them for you. Now, can you excavate thend on your own?¡± ¡°Oh, oh! After all, Anvil¡­!¡± ¡°The former king certainly thought it through by bringing Master Anvil!¡± ¡°¡­Well?¡± The moles were enthusiastically moving around him in admiration. However, he felt something strange in their words. His question was quickly resolved as they all bowed to him once more. ¡°Be our new king!¡± ¡°Master Anvil¡­no, your majesty!¡± ¡°Sire!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was confused for a moment, taken aback by their derations. ¡°Be the second Jijoo King!¡± ¡°Please lead us!¡± ¡°Tell us what to do, sire!¡± ¡°Please stay here!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah jabbed him from behind, but he had no energy to react to her as he stared nkly at the moles. He bowed his head down. ¡°If I didn¡¯t expect it in the first ce, I would¡¯ve felt betrayed. Still, I wanted to see something wonderful here¡­is this their limit? Is this the karma of the Jijoo King?¡± ire shrugged, speaking quietly from behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s go make some cocktails. Virgin¡­ah, non-alcoholic ones.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Shall we wait a little longer?¡± Shin Eunah spoke up; her voice was soft and delicate as she tried to be considerate of him. However, waiting here for more time seemed like it wouldn¡¯t change anything, and he didn¡¯t want to go and force the Mole tribe to change. ¡°No¡­I think it¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°Eunah? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Well, what should I do?¡± Shin Eunah furrowed her brow and muttered inaudibly before looking at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯ll install an rm barrier.¡± ¡°Ah, good idea Eunah.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s praise, I would rather receive it from my junior. No, ap pillow would be better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really honest about useless things.¡± ¡°Master Anvil?!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t abandon us!¡± The moles tried to stop him as he turned away weakly, but they were unable to. He felt too disillusioned to deal with them now. -Myu. Onyx, who had been sleeping quietly in his arms, suddenly escaped and jumped into the middle of the moles. The moles were confused, but Kang Shin-hyuk understood what he was trying to do. Rather, he noticed what he was holding in his mouth. ¡°When did this guy¡­¡± -Myuuuuuuuuuu! Onyx cried vigorously as he chewed what he held in his mouth. It was the A-rank w artifact made for the Jijoo King. -Myu! ¡°Ah, this guy!¡± ¡°This hedgehog has the relic of the previous king!¡± Onyx chewed on the artifact with an expression of delight. The moles stood by, astonished, as did the three humans. He finished eating it and let out a cheerful cry as the thorns on his back began to harden and be sharper. ¡°Is that okay? Somehow, I think there are gamepanies that might sue him for this new form.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be okay so long as we don¡¯t talk about it.¡± Onyx cried out once more and swelled his thorns out. They began to spin like drills. ¡°Oh, they won¡¯t sue, thank god.¡± ¡°But, it looks more dangerous?!¡± -Myuuuuuu! ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Onyx dug into the ground with his spinning thorns, at a speed on par with the Jijoo King. The moles let out cries of excitement as they watched him disappear into the ground. ¡°Then he¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s follow! The new king is leading us!¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± ¡°ws, grab your ws!¡± The moles were hurriedly following after Onyx with their own equipment. ire shook her head as she watched thest one disappear underground. ¡°¡­Is this really okay?¡± ¡°Maybe? In two months, Onyx will disappear, but¡­by then, they can also settle down.¡± If they can¡¯t adapt after all of this, then there was no helping them. He let out a sigh and turned to Shin Eunah. ¡°Because Onyx is with them¡­I¡¯ll ask you, senior.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect them.¡± They returned to the building they were staying in after Shin Eunah prepared her magic defenses. From then on, it would be up to them. Kang Shin-hyuk was focused on learning how to be a bartender from ire, and as a bonus, he learned the basics of alchemy. Shin Eunah focused on studying the magic of this world with the help of ire in her free time. Kang Shin-hyuk spent some time training his body and martial arts in earnest with the help of the growth amplification potions and would go back and forth to the workshop to create new weapons. He also spent some time studying the orb and the Godyer sword when he could. This way, he managed to establish his training and develop a good rtionship with his two seniors, as well as begin his activities on the Hero Universe trading board. A month and a half passed like that before they returned after sessfullypleting the dimensional quest. Chapter 86 A Man Growing Too Fast (3) Chapter 86 A Man Growing Too Fast (3) -As a log-in bonus for today, you¡¯ve received a buff to status increases! For two days, the growth rate of all stats is increased by 40%! [Kang Shin-hyuk: A rank] [Characteristic] Golden-eyed Dragon (S) [Physical ability] Power: A Agility: A+ Health: A [Special ability] Spiritual power: A Regeneration: B+ [Skills] Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (S+): A Wind Mastery (A-): C Metallurgy: A- Emotion: A- [Resistances] Resist Poison (SS+): A- Resist Fire (S): A ¡°Hmm.¡± After his two months in another world, Kang Shin-hyuk had managed to grow his status once more. ¡®It¡¯s almost too strong.¡¯When he had been over there, it was hard for him to notice his own growth because he was with Shin Eunah, who was outside the category of human, and ire, who was a high-ranker in the top 500 in the world. However, when he considered it calmly after returning to Earth, his condition was by no means normal, now that all of his stats aside from regeneration had surpassed A-rank. The problem was the time he had taken, however. ¡®It¡¯s fast for two months of growth, but as far as everyone else is concerned, just a weekend has passed.¡¯He tried to think about it for a while before giving up on it. Unless he stopped doing dimensional quests, this would continue to happen in the future. It would be too difficult to try and hide his growth every time. ¡®The status growth is incredible, but so was the skill growth.¡¯His Wind Mastery now made it possible for him to make a swift wind de or even to use it to strengthen the power of his sword. However, the Resist Fire skill had grown even faster than that. It was a high-level at the start, but it had easily broken through the rank barrier. It made sense, given how close he had been to the forge for most of his time over there. It wasn¡¯t just him who had benefited, however. ¡°We¡¯ll leave now. Thanks to my juniors, I was able to rest for two months¡­my ability has also gotten stronger.¡± ¡°It was really fun. Don¡¯t forget you have a shift tonight!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Please go.¡± It was early Monday morning now. Of course, Shin Eunah and ire were currently in his room because they had stayed in Gromas until thest minute. After spending two months together, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s attitude towards them was a bit more hesitant. The strangely embarrassed atmosphere between him and ire hadpletely vanished, at least on the surface. ¡°I still feel sorry¡­Eunah, should we go eat? You know, Shinyoung¡¯s royal ss restaurant has some delicious food.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Also, we could go in with Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Please reconsider.¡± Bringing outside guests into the restaurant would be one thing, but the whole school would be overturned when they discovered the guests were the Thunder Empress and the Alchemist. Kang Shin-hyuk was genuinely frightened as ire let out augh and tapped his shoulder. ¡°I like Shin-hyuk because his reactions are always great.¡± ¡°ire, you can¡¯t seduce my junior.¡± ¡°Eunah, it seems to be the time you graduate from elementary school when ites to rtionships.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk saw the two off with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the bar tonight.¡± ¡°Alright, then please properly finish your work.¡± Shin Eunah hesitated a bit, but in the end, she and ire used magic to vanish from the room, leaving behind only a faint scent. It felt odd for Shin-hyuk to see them leave after being stuck together with them for two months. ¡°¡­¡± -Myu¡­ Onyx looked up at Kang Shin-hyuk and let out a small cry. The thorns on his back were normal once more, but during his stay, they had been drills for most of the time, so it felt a bit unfamiliar. ¡°It would¡¯ve been difficult if it weren¡¯t for ire¡¯s special potion.¡± -Myu? Kang Shin-hyuk decided to check if the little guy¡¯s status was any different. [Onyx: C+ rank] [Physical ability] Power: D+ Agility: B+ Health: C- [Special ability] Gold Magic: B [Skills] Iron Predation (S+): C Implementation (SS): C+ Defense Position: C+ Stealth (A): B- [Loyalty] Subordinate to Kang Shin-hyuk: Loyalty 74 ¡°All your stats and magic have increased tremendously¡­¡± It made sense, as most of what Kang Shin-hyuk did in those two months was metallurgy. Most of his work wasn¡¯t good enough to post on the Hero Universe, so Onyx ended up eating them. There were also the materials Onyx consumed when digging with the moles. Even so, B-rank was absurd. It was a level that surpassed even active superhumans. -I understand. As Kang Shin-hyuk was contemting how it could¡¯ve happened, the administrator sent him a message. -It seems like he experienced the effect of the status amplification buff thanks to your rtionship. This is my first time seeing such a thing. ¡°He received the effect of my potion?¡± -Myuuu! Kang Shin-hyuk patted Onyx and praised him honestly. ¡°You struggled to take care of those spoiled people for two months.¡± -Myuuu. The Golden Hidden Mole tribe couldn¡¯t do anything unless they had a trusted representative. Onyx had been able toy down the groundwork for them to return back to their lives underground after eating the king¡¯s ws (although whether that was his n from the start was a mystery). They had cried out and tried to keep Onyx when they learned he would be returning to Earth, but fortunately, they had taken the news better than when their king died. They would be able to survive again now that things had stabilized. -Quest rewards were sent directly to My Room, so please check themter. ¡°Thank you, administrator.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk changed into his school uniform and took off, leaving Onyx in the room. ¡°Oh, Shin-hyuk. Why didn¡¯t youe to the restaurant today? The vice-captain was waiting for you¡­huh?¡± The moment he entered his ssroom, Karen happily waved to him before tilting her head in confusion. He didn¡¯t have the time to eat after seeing Shin Eunah and ire off. ¡°Shin-hyuk, did you grow taller?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± In fact, he was about 1cm taller, but he couldn¡¯t tell her, so he deflected the question. ¡°Why do you think something has changed?¡± ¡°You feel more mature¡­¡± Karen¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply as she regarded Shin-hyuk. ¡°Are you ignoring my nervous system enhancing properties?! Obviously, there¡¯s been a change!¡± ¡°Does that actually have anything to do with your trait?¡± ¡°Woman. It was a woman! That¡¯s the only thing that can change a boy so suddenly!¡± ¡°¡­It was a woman.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Karen burst intoughter at his honest answer. Shin-hyuk was quick to pinch her cheeks in punishment. ¡°Mercy¡­mercy¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯tugh at a broken heart.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of that¡­¡± Karen patted her cheeks and continued. ¡°Your stock price is breaking through the roof. Your personality is good, and your face is handsome enough¡­what? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! So, who is it?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯d tell you?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± She shook her head, mumbling in thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s the Empress!¡± ¡°Never.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk asserted in a cold voice, and Karen nodded embarrassed. ¡°I felt she cared about you¡­¡± ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s a normal rtionship between a senior and a junior.¡± ¡°Who then? Is it Na-hee? Did you even have any contact with her in the first ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hesitated at Lee Na-hee¡¯s name appearing, and Karen opened her mouth in surprise. ¡°You do.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the same club.¡± ¡°So it really is her.¡± Karen¡¯s eyes changed strangely as she said it was meaningless to hide the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to rumors. And it¡¯s not her.¡± ¡°Then who the hell is it? Is it an outsider?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­anyway, I¡¯m d¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned away from her, and Karen puffed her cheeks out. ¡°I wasn¡¯tughing, by the way! I just thought it would be better if you dated someone from Shinyoung! Like our vice-captain!¡± ¡°I hate the thought of it.¡± ¡°You are really ruthless.¡± He knew that Karen was trying to match him with Eleanor, but for at least now, there was no time for him to like anyone else other than ire. ¡°Besides, Eleanor doesn¡¯t have the time to be leisurely meeting with a man.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. She was from the British royal family, and she had just been inaugurated as the captain of the Wyvern Knights. She wouldn¡¯t have enough space mentally to entertain the notion of a rtionship. However, Karen thought differently. ¡°I rather think that at a time like this, it would be better to have someone capable and caring like Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just nonsense?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to punish her by continuing to pinch her cheeks. *** After school, Kang Shin-hyuk got away from Baek In-ha, who was clinging to him to go to the superhuman shopping mall, he went to his club room. ¡°A woman, huh?¡± ¡°How the hell do you know about it?!¡± ¡°I heard from Ellie.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk soon realized that Ellie was Lee Na-hee¡¯s nickname for Eleanor, which meant that the two were close. No, before that, Karen had told Eleanor about it. ¡°There¡¯s no one in this world I can trust.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Ellie care about a boy. I was worried about her, especially after you joined¡­¡± She was a kind person who was concerned about her friend. ¡°My mentality¡¯s not that strong, so please go easy on me.¡± ¡°I will, I¡¯m sorry. The expression you¡¯re making is too funny, though.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put his bag down and sat down, looking at what Lee Na-hee was doing. She was dropping sugar cubes into a cup of ck coffee. ¡°So, who is it?¡± ¡°Is itmon to ask that even when you know you won¡¯t get an answer?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk removed his summer jacket and put on a work apron, looking over at Lee Na-hee, who was smiling at him. ¡°Rather than that, work with me.¡± ¡°Work? On what? We already submitted to the Artifact Contest.¡± ¡°I want to make something regardless of that.¡± His eyes sparkled. ¡°Maybe we can make something better.¡± Chapter 87 A Man Growing Too Fast (4) Chapter 87 A Man Growing Too Fast (4) ¡°You can make whatever you want this time.¡± Like Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Na-hee threw off her summer jacket and stretched. He felt like she was doing it on purpose, but he still couldn¡¯t ignore the sight. Lee Na-hee ignored his gaze and continued. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I heard about it from my grandfatherst time. He said that we made thest one ording to my will, so you couldn¡¯t show your skills properly. This time, do whatever you want. I¡¯ll match you.¡± ¡°Thank you for the suggestion¡­first, let¡¯s check the materials.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced a lump of metal that had been refined in advance from his inventory. Among the metals obtained from Gromas, it was an A-rank metal with the second highest quality after benadelite called [Lightning Urot]. ¡°What is that? Isn¡¯t it an unconfirmed material?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was lucky enough to get it inside the gate we practiced in.¡± ¡°That sounds like a lie.¡± Lee Na-hee clearly didn¡¯t believe him, but she shrugged and let it go. ¡°We only have to make something good out of it.¡± ¡°Yes, but not for the contest.¡± ¡°Then, just purely because you want to make something with me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lee Na-hee wondered if he was trying to get over his heartbreak after being rejected. ¡°It may be because of that, but¡­ I¡¯ll trust you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senior, but are you going to keep talking about it?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fun.¡± Lee Na-hee pped her hands and then ced a roll of paper on the table. She stretched it out and motioned for Kang Shin-hyuk toe over. ¡°So? What¡¯s that magic metal¡¯s characteristics? I can¡¯t read it with my abilities yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple, it just has an electric attribute.¡± ¡°The metal itself has that property?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Metal with attributes was one of the highest quality materials for weapons. A weapon made out of it would be an elemental weapon even if forged by an amateur, and thus it had a high probability of bing an artifact. Of course, it was usually very expensive, given its rarity. Lightning Urot was a metal that wasn¡¯t originally present in Gromas. Rather, it was created through the changes in the world made after Shin Eunah epted the benadelite and used her lightning to stop Jormungand. There wasn¡¯t much created in that process, but he had mined what he could find. ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s expression changed as she looked at the metal. She had been willing to help from the start, but now she was burning with passion. ¡°Let¡¯s make it!¡± ¡°You sound so motivated now.¡± ¡°Ah, you noticed?¡± She didn¡¯t have any intention of hiding her greed. ¡°But this time, I want to make something.¡± ¡°You really know how to get someone interested¡­!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± ¡°You want to do even more?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. Lee Na-hee considered his words for a moment before pping her hands. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cooperate with your production activities in the future, so make me a weapon with the same materials before I graduate. How about it?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± He had already confirmed her abilities thest time they worked together. There were better enchanters than her, undoubtedly, but she was the only one who could spend this much time with him in the club and who went to the same school as him. If it meant continuing their partnership in the future, such a condition was easy enough to agree to. ¡°Then, the negotiations are concluded. You are the first to be able to indulge me. Isn¡¯t it an honor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head with a sigh. ¡°So, what are you going to make?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯ve been thinking about a lot of things, but I wanted to experiment.¡± He took the pen offered by Lee Na-hee and drew a line in the center of the nk paper. He could practically see the question mark floating over his partner¡¯s head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A thread. Of course, I¡¯m not intending on making just a metal thread¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you make it, but¡­are you telling me to draw a magic circle on a thin thread?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and gave her the thumbs up. She looked like she wanted to break his thumb off. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we fail, I want to make it. Will you help?¡± Lee Na-hee wanted to quit, but his eyes remained serious. She let out a sigh and made up her mind, finally nodding. ¡°¡­Yes. So, what kind of thread do you want to make?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anythingplicated, for now¡­¡± The two started working on the blueprint together. Lee Manwoo arrived at the club a bitter, noticed them working, and quietly walked away. ¡®Maybe there is hope for our granddaughter.¡¯The old man¡¯s n for his ambitious granddaughter was underway, unaware of the conflict it would ce her in with the Empress and the Alchemist. *** Shinyoung¡¯s practical training became even more difficult. Assignments began to steadily increase in their writing sses as the students realized that the previous week really was theirst break. ¡°How does Kang Shin-hyuk run so fast¡­!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the Rookie King.¡± ¡°Why are both Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha in my ss¡­! Hey, slow down!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was moving particrly quick in the day¡¯s training, as his status was already far beyond the level of a first-year. He had no struggles from the practical writing portion, either. ¡°Wow¡­Shin-hyuk, help¡­!¡± ¡°Ask in Korean.¡± ¡°Mr. Kang, I ampletely unsure of these assignments¡­!¡± Needless to say, Baek was at the top in the physical practice but wasgging behind in writing. ¡°Let¡¯s go y during the exam.¡± ¡°It was an act. You¡¯ve been preparing for the election, haven¡¯t you?¡± The student council election would be held at the end of the final exam, and he was nning on taking part in it. ¡°Hmm¡­okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°I love you!¡± ¡°If you say that again, you can kiss your royal ss future goodbye.¡± ¡°Sorry, Mr. Kang, I was wrong.¡± If Baek became the vice president of the student council, Shin-hyuk¡¯s school life would be a little easier. With such a goal, he decided to help out a little bit with Baek¡¯s work. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he could help him with the actual tests. ¡°Guys, they say there¡¯s a fight for 3rd ss today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a way to relieve the stress of studying for exams against your ssmates.¡± ¡°If you lose, your score will be reduced.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the worst.¡± The subject of the third ss of the day was [Non-Skill Training 2]. That was the ss Kang Shin-hyuk had defeated Do Woojin in before. ¡°Are you my partner today as well?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you stick with me?¡± Baek In-ha lowered his voice and smiled at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I know you¡¯re stronger. Isn¡¯t it worth testing with me now?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He knew Baek¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. If it was before Gromas, it would¡¯ve been impossible, but now his status was above the average A-rank. Assuming their results from before hadn¡¯t changed, Baek was still one step ahead of him in agility, but Kang Shin-hyuk was a step ahead in strength. There was a big difference between A and S rank, but it might be doable. He could also boost his own agility with his spiritual power¡­which meant all that remained was magic power. ¡°I thought it would arrive someday, but not so quickly. How the hell did you grow so fast?¡± ¡°Well, maybe you can tell if you stick with me.¡± A friendly tension arose between the two. At that moment, the bell sounded, indicating that five minutes of ss time remained, and the two stood up as one. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Hey, I think they¡¯re going to fight today.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The students in the ss stood up as they saw the two burning with passion. The students followed after them, hoping to see the big match between them. However, their expectations were not to be fulfilled. ¡°Today, I will be seeking the help of the Magic Department seniors to test your abilities to cope with more diverse situations.¡± Gong Joonpyo, the teacher in charge, said so, but the students wondered what the hell he was talking about. There were magicians in school uniforms wearing ck ties nearby. ¡°You will battle with your 3rd-year seniors and train in responding to magic. Thank you, 3rd years, for helping your juniors despite the final exams.¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­yes¡­?¡± The teacher then led the students in pping. Something didn¡¯t feel quite right about the training. ¡°Shin-hyuk.¡± Baek jabbed him in the back. ¡°The Magic Crown is staring at you.¡± ¡°The Magic Crown?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up, noticing a handsome blonde man staring at him. ¡°Are you the one who¡¯s been flirting with my fianc¨¦e?¡± It was Nathan Bodin, the top student in the Magic Department. Kang Shin-hyuk strode forward, facing the man staring him down and feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°¡­Who¡¯s your fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Lee Na-hee, 2nd year in K ss.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding¡­of course, you won¡¯t believe me either way.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a hesitant smile. ¡°Come on.¡± Nathan¡¯s voice was dripping with arrogance. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you some proper manners.¡± Chapter 88 A Man Growing Too Fast (5) Chapter 88 A Man Growing Too Fast (5) The Magic Crown, a 3rd year senior and one of Shinyoung¡¯s strongest students, was provoking Kang Shin-hyuk. Although the 3rd years seemed to have known this would happen in advance and were acting like it was normal, all of the 1st year C ss students felt odd about the scene before them. ¡°Why is he doing that?¡± ¡°What is Kang Shin-hyuk doing?¡± ¡°His fianc¨¦e?¡± In the past, it was neatly ignored when people would go against Kang Shin-hyuk, but now it was different. It was the result of his new social life and the power of his allies. As the 1st-years began to gossip and look at them strangely, Nathan coughed as he realized his behavior was strange. ¡°We¡¯ll start the duel. Come on.¡± Without any further exnation, he entered the battlefield and beckoned for Kang Shin-hyuk to join him. It was absurd, but it was clear the teacher was going to y along with it, at least for now. ¡°Baek, do you have any advice?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Baek had been sizing Nathan Bodin up from the second he locked onto Kang Shin-hyuk. He nodded, satisfied with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s resolve. ¡°The most irritating thing is that kids trait [Magic Interference]. It allows him to interfere with magic outside of the body, but it can also disperse and neutralize his opponent¡¯s internal magic.¡± ¡°You were hit by that?¡± ¡°If only I had a plus to my magic rank¡­¡± Dispersing the target¡¯s magical power. It was a terrifying ability, although it probably wasn¡¯t effective against opponents who had stronger magical power than him, which was how he took out Baek. It wasn¡¯t a joke when he said if he only had a +, he would¡¯ve been able to win; he had magical power on par with the best 3rd-year magician. ¡°But you don¡¯t have magic power. The first thing you need to watch out for is gravity magic, which is probably born from his trait. It¡¯s tricky to avoid, as it crushes anything within a certain range instantly. I had no choice but to avoid it by watching the flow of magic.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s avoidable.¡± ¡°The second is a tremendous magic fire born purely from his sheer power. It is designed to be used on arge scale, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it in a duel.¡± ¡°That would be dangerous.¡± ¡°Will you note out? I understand you¡¯re scared, but it¡¯s ss time now. Try to understand the heart of your senior who deliberately set aside time for you.¡± At that, Gong Joonpyo began to rush Shin-hyuk. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed a wooden training sword, readying himself mentally. It was a normal duel, so neither of them would be wearing artifacts. That would prove favorable for him. ¡°I was preparing my mind to face the Magic Crown.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk retorted at his teacher, who had brought the 3rd year to bully the 1st year. A barrier was activated to prevent them from being hurt. ¡°I expected you to run away, but I¡¯m d I won¡¯t need to chase you down.¡± ¡°That is fortunate. I don¡¯t want to make a hobby out of being stalked.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing about you that seems like a Rookie King. Just a bit of martial art skills, but no pedigree or patron¡­such trash dare touches my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Does that fianc¨¦e know that you call her that?¡± The question was born of pure curiosity, but Nathan Bodin was struck speechless. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a regretful sigh. It would be more constructive to spend your time finding a different way to approach her instead of trampling on a man she knew. ¡°If you had a good rtionship with Lee Na-hee, you would¡¯ve heard there¡¯s nothing going on between us. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a nuisance to her by calling her your fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Uh¡­anyway, she will be mine someday! What¡¯s wrong with setting the title a bit in advance?!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Why were the boys in this school like this when it came to love? No matter how strong they were as superhumans, they weren¡¯t adults yet. That was why they had to be in school, although it seemed to be useless when you looked at this guy. ¡®The Knight Crown was better than this. He was wrong in the way he expressed himself, but he didn¡¯t want to cause any harm.¡¯Of course, he had also been a nuisance to Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor. On the other hand, however, this guy treated Lee Na-hee like she was his fianc¨¦e from the start and was bothering Kang Shin-hyuk, who just happened to be in the same club. ¡°Then the duel will start now.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Nathan created countless arrows in the air without any preparation as soon as the duel started. Even Yuta Mitsui, whom he fought in the rookie matches, couldn¡¯t hold a candle to him. The power in each one of them was enough to eradicate a D-rank monster instantly. No wonder he was the peak of the Magic Department. ¡®But¡­¡¯The duel was advantageous to Shin-hyuk from the start. Now that he had refined his technique of dispersing magic through that divine sword dance, he held a powerful card against wizards that wasn¡¯t subject to interference. That only left one avenue for Nathan to defeat him ¨C gravity magic. He had to be careful of that. ¡®My reflexes and speed won¡¯t be enough. If so¡­¡¯His eyes shed golden as he watched the hundreds of magic arrows fly toward him with enough force to smash the battlefield. He rushed forward in a straight line, brandishing the wooden sword. ¡°Ha.¡± Nathan Bodin mocked him with augh, watching him recklessly charge. No doubt, he wasparing Shin-hyuk with Baek at that moment. Baek had rushed him the exact same way, avoiding all of the magic arrows and even a direct hit from his gravity magic. Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t as fast as Baek. He could see that in an instant. ¡°Ha!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sword cut through all of the magic arrows in front of him as he rushed for Nathan. Even the arrows nearby that weren¡¯t directly in the way of the sword were extinguished. Dozens more aimed for his back, but Shin-hyuk was prepared for that and dealt with it easily. That was what Nathan had been waiting for. ¡®Nowhere to run!¡¯Nathan Bodin fired off more arrows as he activated the magic he was chanting. It was highly destructive magic that turned the floor into rocky thorns that pierced upward. It took a while to activate, but it did immense damage once it connected. However, the build-up for it was quite noticeable, and as an extension, if you had a good eye, you could avoid it. Therefore, it wasmon practice to use it after restraining the target. Otherwise, you could purposely force your opponent to move by activating it. ¡®You can¡¯t escape in the air!¡¯The moment Shin-hyuk floated into the air, Nathan activated his gravity magic. Shin-hyuk would get stuck in it, forcibly driven to the rocky thorns below. True to his title, the Magic Crown was chanting two high-ranking magic spells simultaneously to activate at different moments. It was a tremendous ability, but unfortunately, he had no chance to show it off. ¡°Kh!¡± This was because Kang Shin-hyuk broke through the thorns rising up from the arena and ran towards him. It was so fast that Nathan couldn¡¯t grasp what had happened. Even though he knew Shin-hyuk had the ability to disperse magic, he couldn¡¯t imagine he would be able to break through top-level magic. ¡°Crazy, he broke through!¡± ¡°The ground spikes of the Magic Crown!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too fast. I can¡¯t see his sword¡­!¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t that simple for Kang Shin-hyuk. If it weren¡¯t for his B+ rank regeneration, he wouldn¡¯t have tried it. He imbued all his spiritual power into his wooden sword, backed by his trait to raise its performance beyond the limit. He backed that up with his muscles powered by his regeneration. ¡®I can¡¯t keep this up¡­but it¡¯s okay!¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk hit the floor, reducing the distance between him and Nathan to less than one meter. Nathan¡¯s gravitational magic was incredible, but the range was limited to the area specified, so it was hard to readjust at the moment. Nathan tried to disperse Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s power with his trait [Magic Interference] but soon realized that Shin-hyuk had no magic power. ¡°Huh?! Kahak!¡± As Nathan missed his chance to counterattack, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s wooden sword fell with enough force to split his skull. Of course, Nathan had the magic barrier to protect his body, but he was still hit in the head with a great force. ¡°Kh!¡± The Magic Crown crumpled with a groan, and Kang Shin-hyuk followed up his sword strike with a swift kick that propelled Nathan out of the arena. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but rather he moved instinctively in case he was pretending to be defeated. That appeared not to be the case, however, as he slid outside of the arena. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The duel had taken less than a minute. Everyone watching questioned their eyes. He had defeated the Magic Crown, one of the most talented students in Shinyoung, the head of the Magic Department. However, now he was passed out on the ground. ¡°No, what kind of¡­!¡± Gong Joonpyo muttered in thought. He had a simr expression on his face when he watched Do Woojin lose in the previous fight. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t notice any of it, however, as he watched the fainted Nathan Bodin. ¡®What was that? It was clear what he was trying to do¡­and the movement of his magic was so clear I just moved instinctively.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk had yet to realize his own growth, as he had beenparing himself to two high-rankers in Gromas for the past two months. -Your spiritual power increased to the A+ rank. You¡¯ve learned about the potential abilities hidden in your soul. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only reason he was able to read his opponent¡¯s movements so easily¡­but he had no way to know that. Chapter 89 A Man Growing Too Fast (6) Chapter 89 A Man Growing Too Fast (6) The rumors that Kang Shin-hyuk had demolished the Magic Crown in a duel quickly spread through the school. It spread so badly that if Kang Shin-hyuk had been in Nathan Bodin¡¯s position, he would¡¯ve dropped out. Of course, Shin-hyuk¡¯s poprity was ascending with enough speed to pierce the sky. It had done wonders to boost the entire Knight Department as well, putting them above the Magic Department. Dous Payne, the Knight Crown, who had a favorable opinion of him after the advice he had received, even sent him a message saying well done. However, he had no memory of telling Dous his email address. There was one other person who was ted at the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk defeated the Magic Crown. ¡°Whoahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someoneugh so intensely, senior.¡± Lee Na-hee was doubled over the desk in the club room,ughing hard enough to start crying. The image he had of her so far waspletely destroyed. ¡°I, Nathan Bodin, was defeated by being clubbed in the head with a wooden sword! Hahaha!¡± ¡°What should I do¡­?¡± Seeing Lee Na-heeugh so hard confirmed that she wasn¡¯t, in fact, Nathan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. As soon as he brought that up, her smile vanished from her face without a trace. ¡°Listen. Who would like such a guy?¡± ¡°He did use me¡­¡± ¡°Are all men like that? Clinging so annoyingly and pretending to be my boyfriend. A fianc¨¦e? What? I told him not to talk to me, and he was doing that behind my back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that he was mistaken that he could have everything he wanted because of his power. But to be sure, guys like that aren¡¯tmon.¡± Lee Na-hee shrugged in response with a strange expression. ¡°I¡¯m originally from an all-girl middle school. It¡¯s only after entering Shinyoung have I gotten any experience with guys.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°You know Jihwa Girls¡¯ Middle School in Seoul? I¡¯m from there.¡± ¡°¡­Jihwa Girls¡¯ Middle School? Isn¡¯t that a private middle school?¡± From what he knew, it was a private school that allowed only exceptional students born to exceptional families. Most of their graduates ended up in ces like Shinyoung. There were simr private schools for men, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no experience with them being an orphan. ¡°¡­Are you actually a rich daughter?¡± No, if you thought about it, wasn¡¯t that natural for the granddaughter of the Great Chief? Still, it must mean that both her parents must be incredible superhumans as well. ¡°Well¡­something like that.¡± However, Lee Na-hee, who had been speaking energetically, suddenly closed her mouth at his question. Watching her face distort, he realized it would be best not to ask any questions about her family. ¡°But anyway, there was no problem with that senior.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. I hear you smacked him in the head then kicked him.¡± In the end, they had to mobilize Shinyoung¡¯s world-ss treatment facilities for the Magic Crown, but he was so hurt he couldn¡¯t attend school for three days. However, it was officially done in a duel, and the 3rd year was taken down without any handicaps by a 1st-year. ¡°Actually, I could¡¯ve fit in eighteen morebos in the meantime.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you win so easily? Your opponent was the Magic Crown.¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I was honest?¡± ¡°Yes, though I might not understand it.¡± Lee Na-hee looked at him silently. As he caught her gaze, she tilted her head in concern. ¡°You¡¯re in good condition, with good abilities and excellent metallurgy. Now you¡¯re even handsome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just ttery.¡± ¡°No, it was just my sincere judgment. You¡¯ll be very annoying in the future. All the women will run up to try and catch you.¡± ¡°Like how the Magic Crown bothered you?¡± She nodded frowning. ¡°This school¡­it¡¯s like a paradise for beasts in human skin. They¡¯re supposed to be building their strength to fight monsters, but all of them are immersed in useless things.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t disagree with her, having thought simrly to the school. In Shinyoung, power was revealed physically, and as the students were young, they couldn¡¯t skillfully hide their desires. ¡°The same goes for popr voting. Why does that even matter for a school that raises superhumans? Because of thatst year, Nathan Bodin began to chase me in earnest, and this year¡­¡± ¡°Senior, please calm down.¡± It was clear that she wasn¡¯t happy about winning the top vote for the past two years in a row. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to do so in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d then¡­anyway, I apologize for the trouble.¡± Lee Na-hee brushed off her clothes and bowed her head to Kang Shin-hyuk. He decided to ask her something that was worrying him. ¡°Do you know why Nathan Bodin came at me this time?¡± He gave her a brief rundown on what he had said to him, as Lee Na-hee seemed to be genuinely sorrowful about it. His eyes narrowed as she confessed what had happened. ¡°Well, I jokingly told my ssmates that I had a junior who pampered me¡­¡± ¡°I see!¡± At least 50% of it was her fault! Because she had said it so provocatively, Nathan hade to hate him! ¡°No, I was just talking to my ss friends! Besides, you can pamper me as much as you want¡­¡± ¡°Reflect on it.¡± ¡°Yes, I will reflect on my actions. Sorry¡­¡± Lee Na-hee had no choice but to back down against Kang Shin-hyuk, who had ess to materials she wanted. *** Time passed quickly as Shinyoung¡¯s trials continued. At the same time, election activities were beginning to take ce. Baek, who was participating in that as well as preparing for exams, was looking more and more exhausted each day. ¡°No matter how I look at it, you seem to be the worst off. Are there any problems with the election itself?¡± ¡°I just need to back the president, so I don¡¯t need to bother with all the public stuff¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± The most important position in the election was the president. The rest of the executives were determined by the president. ¡°Cheer up. Tell me if there¡¯s anything I can do to help.¡± ¡°Please introduce me to a woman.¡± ¡°Do that by yourself.¡± Baek In-ha stretched his arms out with a resentful expression to grab onto Kang Shin-hyuk and shake him. ¡°You! I¡¯m also close with the Empress! You¡¯re also hanging out with Algiers, and Lee Na-hee alone in the club?! Are you kidding? Switch with me! SWITCH WITH ME!¡± ¡°Because of that, Baek, you¡¯re not popr¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stared at Baek, who was shaking him with a sad expression. Baek looked embarrassed at his serious mood and backed off. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t really angry¡­Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry, I just had an idea.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk recalled his conversation with Lee Na-hee the day before, about the poprity vote. ¡®What about Baek¡­?¡¯Baek was a handsome man, with considerable ability. But now his poprity had hit rock bottom, as every time he opened his mouth, it would drop. Was that what he had intended from the start? Did he reduce people¡¯s opinion of him so he could move around easier? ¡®It¡¯s something he would do.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Baek with astonishment he couldn¡¯t hide. It would be great if that were his n from the start. He would have to re-evaluate him. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t tell you to introduce a girl to me now!¡± Baek drew close to Shin-hyuk, lowering his voice. ¡°So¡­¡± It might¡¯ve been the first time he heard Baek being sincere. ¡°After the exams, let¡¯s go hunting for a sister of my own, eh? Ouch!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without a word, Kang Shin-hyuk reached out and pped Baek. A weekter, the final exams began. Kang Shin-hyuk passed his writing sses with ease. All that was left for him was the official battle that awaited him in the practical exam. Chapter 90 A Man Growing Too Fast (7) Chapter 90 A Man Growing Too Fast (7) -The duel is over. First-year C ss student Kang Shin-hyuk is victorious and has earned additional points. Kang Shin-hyuk hefted his wooden training sword as the broadcast sounded out in the second gymnasium. On the other side of him was a student from the Magic Department, who copsed on the ground. He soon stood up and left with tears in his eyes. ¡°He could¡¯ve said we fought hard.¡± -That¡¯s a funny joke, member. ¡°Yeah.¡± The Knight Department had won both the Rookie of the Year and the Two Crowns during the sportspetition, causing the Magic Department to suffer great shame. That had ignited apetitive spirit in them for the final exams. They came out swinging against the Knight Department, with enough force that some of the students in the Knight Department couldn¡¯t even demonstrate their abilities. ¡°But what should I say¡­no, it sounds too cocky, so I¡¯ll stay quiet.¡± -It was a clumsy attempt. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at the administrator¡¯s words, inplete agreement. Because of the Hero Universe, Kang Shin-hyuk had a wealth of experience now that his peerscked. Now he could easily deal with enemies that had lost their cool, no matter how vehemently they attacked him. ¡°Not that I¡¯m really any different, but I¡¯m acting all proud.¡± -2,000HP bonus for shy members! ¡°I¡¯ll ept it for now, but I will continue to devote myself to growing stronger¡­¡± -3,000HP bonus! Sooner orter, it seemed like these bonuses would exceed 10,000 HP. He was beginning to grow concerned for the bnce of the Hero Universe. Kang Shin-hyuk returned his wooden sword and left the battlefield. Since all five of his battles had ended in victory, his ranking would increase. He felt like he might even receive some additional points. ¡®I think this will make up for my grade during midterms.¡¯Now that he had acquired the title of Rookie King and entered the Royal ss, it wasn¡¯t actually something he needed to worry about. But he was the type to give it his all no matter what. Besides, it could only help him in the future if he continued to build his position. -Is that the end of the exams? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m free.¡± The next semester would be busy with gate practice and events like school festivals and exchange meetings, so he nned on rxing a bit. The only thing left was the student council election, then a month and a half of summer vacation awaited him. ¡®I don¡¯t know if Baek is doing well.¡¯After the exam, Baek had said he was heading off to a hunting trip. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit alienated from him, but he had his own secrets to keep from him so he couldn¡¯t judge. ¡®When we¡¯re both free, we should go y somewhere.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk headed straight to the ckwood Training Center once the teachers dismissed him. Eleanor had asked him to talk to her, but he was too busy with exams to find time sooner. He was hoping to battle her again, so there was no reason for him to refuse. ¡°Hello, Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Hello, senior.¡± Eleanor had arrived just before him and was already drinking tea with a pleased expression. He didn¡¯t see Karen anywhere; she probably hadn¡¯t finished her own exams yet. ¡°Congrattions on your victory.¡± ¡°It just concluded.¡± ¡°Huh¡­the updates are in real-time.¡± Eleanor let out a shortugh at Kang Shin-hyuk, tilting his head. He looked at his stick; a hologram popped out from it with a page listing names. ¡°Is this the 1st year ranking?¡± ¡°It was updated after the matches. You¡¯re sixth.¡± Eleanor idly thought out loud that maybe in the next exam, he would contend with the top five students. Yuta Mitsu¡¯s name was up there, who was his opponent in the final match. ¡°Karen¡¯s not there.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still fighting. Oh, now they¡¯re concluded. She¡¯s in seventh, so I¡¯ll have to congratte her.¡± Karen was seventh now. Even if she had entered the royal ss using her connections, she still had the skills appropriate for that position. ¡°Do Woojin¡­if he wins against his opponent¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s in fourth ce.¡± ¡°I guess he won.¡± Do Woojin was ranked fourth. He had a high ranking from the start, so he had been matched against other high-rankers. ¡°I¡¯m envious.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Eleanor burst intoughter at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s idle thoughts. As he looked back at her with a puzzled expression, she stared back at him. ¡°You¡¯re paying attention to the freshman rankings at your level.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, but¡­¡± In fact, the only other freshman who could properly fight Kang Shin-hyuk was Baek In-ha. No, even if you expanded that to the whole school, there were only a few students who could. ¡°Always keep your vision wide.¡± Eleanor spoke quietly as she met his eyes. They were filled with a resolve that made her seem bigger than she was. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time topare yourself to the students at this school. You can look further beyond and move.¡± ¡°Are you doing that too?¡± Sheughed quietly. He didn¡¯t think he needed to ask. Her abilities had been at the top of the school long before she became the captain. ¡°Thank you for the advice, senior Eleanor.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finally nodded. ¡°Well, I have a suggestion¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± It was then she suddenly avoided his gaze and drew in a long breath. ¡°Would you like to apany me on vacation? Dungeon exploration, that is.¡± ¡°Dungeon? Did you get permission?¡± ¡°The school has given the Wyvern Knights some discretion for their training¡­we can make a reservation right away.¡± ¡°What about the others?¡± ¡°It would be nice if they joined, but they are weaker than us. We will be alone.¡± What about the Knight Crown? He was stronger than anyone else in the school, but he knew it would be rude to ask. It wasn¡¯t like he liked him either. ¡°Uh¡­no, wait. Just us?¡± ¡°It is a great opportunity¡­personally, I want to fight together with you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking quite tantly again.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been the one who told her she should gather her forces inside the school. She had even asked him if he could be on her side. He had thought he had refused firmly at the time, but now¡­it was the chance at a dungeon with Eleanor. He nned to work with Shin Eunah over the vacation, but she couldn¡¯t always be there. Moreover, exploring dungeons with other types of fighters would be a valuable experience for him. ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity, so I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Eleanor squeezed her small fists, letting out a quiet shout. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a problem if we enter the dungeon alone?¡± ¡°Believe.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a problem of believing¡­¡± ¡°Believe.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was pushed by her firm voice and eventually nodded along. -Fox¡­ He also decided to pretend like he didn¡¯t see the administrator¡¯s message appearing right in front of his eyes. *** ¡°Oh.¡± It was afternoon now. Lee Na-hee was listening to Kang Shin-hyuk as she chewed on sugar cubes. ¡°That¡¯s our Ellie.¡± ¡°I think you might be misunderstanding.¡± Lee Na-hee had a close rtionship with Eleanor, but she might¡¯ve not grasped her true identity. If she had, she would have realized the reason Eleanor had offered for him to join in the dungeon exploration. However, Lee Na-hee pushed on as if she wasn¡¯t interested in what he was thinking. ¡°Dating, at night, all alone in the dungeon? She¡¯s practically begging you.¡± ¡°Senior, hasn¡¯t your personality changed a lot?¡± In the first ce, did she always have such an uncle-like personality? Lee Na-hee clicked her tongue and threateningly gestured at him. ¡°It¡¯s because I was ufortable back then. Things have improved a little now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not helping it.¡± With a sigh, Kang Shin-hyuk hung up his jacket. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Junior, you should be careful with her. Don¡¯t rush in just because she wants you to.¡± ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded politely as he opened the door to the club. ¡°Let¡¯s finish it today.¡± ¡°Okay. Oh, before that.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The artifact contest.¡± Lee Na-hee put her stick in front of his face. A message with the date of the contest was disyed on it. ¡°This Friday? That soon?!¡± ¡°Yup. They¡¯ll announce the grand prize then too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting like it¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°Of course. But it¡¯s a waste we couldn¡¯t submit what we¡¯re working on now.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll turn out good.¡± ¡°A waste, a waste¡­¡± She grumbled as they entered the workshop. In front of them were tens of meters of a long, translucent metallic thread. A very small magic circle was engraved across it, so thin that it was difficult to see with the naked eye. Imbued inside of it was a sharply refined magical power and a warm spiritual power. Only one step remained until thepletion of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s new armament. Chapter 91 A Man Growing Too Fast (8) Chapter 91 A Man Growing Too Fast (8) The metal thread shimmered with a translucent golden color. Kang Shin-hyuk was carefully stretching it out with his tongs to process it with a polishing tool carefully. They were working with a concentration so intense that they were barely breathing. Now all that remained was the finishing touches. ¡°Hey junior, praise me. Quickly praise this genius¡¯s magic circle creation ability.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to praise my processing power above that?¡± The two young craftsmen fussed with each other as they reached the end of their work. If Lee Manwoo were there, they would¡¯ve been too embarrassed to talk so candidly, but these days he hadn¡¯t been showing up out of consideration for them. ¡°Apart from the processing ability¡­ you¡¯ve changed a lot in the short time since you¡¯ve made that sword.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°The second coboration feels morefortable?¡± Perhaps that was because Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t focused on amodating Le Na-hee anymore. ¡°Yes, your expression has improved. It was a woman, after all¡­¡± ¡°Do you really want to fight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± The conversation between the two had also be smoother, not just their work together. But he did really wish she would stop making fun of him. Kang Shin-hyuk stood back up after their break, stretching out. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to it. I want to finish up quickly.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Lee Na-hee yawned, taking out a can of coffee from the club fridge. She took a sip before taking out several sugar cubes from a box on the desk, chewing on them one at a time. It was a peculiar sight, although one he was getting used to. ¡°Why don¡¯t you add it to the coffee from the start?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Is it¡­?¡± Heughed off her response and entered the workshop. He ced the objects they had made on the workbench. The first was a ck glove with metallic trinkets attached to it. If the metal thread they made were like a bullet, this glove could be called the gun. Each metal thread was ejected through a small hole in the tip of the glove fingers, and by touching buttons on the joints of the glove, it was possible to perform moreplex operations like pulling the thread back or changing directions. ¡°How¡¯d youe up with this?¡± ¡°Just look atics. There are tons of people who can manipte threads to cut through their enemies.¡± ¡°Wow, an otaku¡­¡± ¡°I just looked at that for reference. This should be a bit more manageable.¡± To be specific, the design had been taken from aic called the Death Doll Company Dark Spider, which he had burned two years ago. There were many other weapon designs in there, like the God-King Sword or the Heaven-Hell Break Hammer, but most of them would remain quietly asleep without ever seeing the light. ¡°It¡¯s easy to handle¡­I think it¡¯s great, but it¡¯s more like art.¡± Lee Na-hee examined the gloves seriously. ¡°It can be used to fight monsters, and even defeat them. But it¡¯s a work of art that can¡¯t be properly utilized without a specific trait or ability. It¡¯s fun, for sure, and unique¡­but can it really be used?¡± It was an important point to consider, but Kang Shin-hyuk could onlyugh. ¡°You don¡¯t know my traits in detail.¡± ¡°Does this support your traits?¡± Lee Na-hee tilted her head as if it asks, ¡®Is shooting a thread a martial art?¡¯ While his Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance would certainly be helpful in using it, that wasn¡¯t quite what he was thinking. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his tongs with a sly expression. ¡°Let¡¯splete it, then I¡¯ll demonstrate itter.¡± ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t convinced, but she nodded. She couldn¡¯t understand its potential as a weapon, but she still acknowledged it was a great piece of work. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any¡­¡± ¡°We calcted this from the start.¡± Thest task was to cut the finished 100m long metal thread into five 20m parts that could shoot out from the glove. They would be stored in abat case that wasrger internally so that the thread could be stored without any problems. By attaching that case to the forearm and connecting it to the glove, the glove could fire the thread through the fingertips at any time. The work waspleted once Lee Na-hee carved the final magic circle into the glove. At that moment, a message appeared in front of both of them at once. -You¡¯ve seeded in creating [Lightning Spider Web (A-)] using both mana and spiritual power. Your proficiency with metallurgy has greatly increased. -You¡¯ve seeded in creating [Lightning Cobweb (B)] with both mana and spiritual power. Your proficiency with metallurgy has increased. -Synchronization has increased¡ªcurrent rate of 23.2%. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deep sigh. The spider web referred to the metal thread they made using the Lightning Urot, and the cobweb referred to the glove itself. He thought the rank might be lower because it was made with leather she had brought as the main material. ¡°I thought it was just cowhide.¡± ¡°It was from a lesser gorgon.¡± ¡°Lesser gorgon?!¡± Lesser was the name given to monsters that were of a lower ss of their species. A lesser gorgon was a lower ss of Gorgon, a bull monster that was at least S rank. It was a terrible monster that spewed a petrifying gas out of its massive metal body. The lower ss had less power than a proper one, but it was still of good enough quality to ensure a B-rank artifact. ¡°I had nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you should coborate with me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She said it was just lying about the house. Did she really have such a thing justying about? Her parents must be incredible, but he couldn¡¯t bring that up. Lee Na-hee was focused on the artifacts they created, unaware of his internal struggles. He decided to examine them himself as well. [Lightning cobweb] [B rank] [Special Abilities: eleration, Hardening] *eleration: Speeds up the ejection and recovery speed of the thread. * Hardening: Increases the hardness and binding force of the thread. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t been expecting much for the gloves. They were to handle the thread, and he had created them with the vague thought that it would be nice if they were strong. But they had ended up with a useful power that enhanced the ability of the thread. On the other hand, eleration was probably from Lee Na-hee. She didn¡¯t understand the concept behind the gloves, so she had just desired that the gloves would be easier to use. ¡°Senior, look at this too. It came out better than expected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s B-rank. It¡¯s a great thing to carry even for an active superhuman.¡± Unlikest time, when he had made the B-rank sword, he was more content with the end product this time. ¡°Look¡­it has a special ability.¡± Lee Na-hee let out a cry of excitement as she examined the thread. ¡°It¡¯s crazy¡­¡± She handed the [Lightning Spider Web (A-)] over to him. Intrigued by her expression of joy, he confirmed the status of it himself. His expression soon mirrored hers. [Lightning spider web] [A-rank] [Special Abilities: Lightning Stroke, Lightning Warfare, Wishful *Lightning Stroke: At the user¡¯s will, the power of lightning can be added to the thread. *Lightning Warfare: The speed of the thread doubles when lightning is added to it. *Wishful: Spirit or mana can be injected to lengthen or shorten the length of the thread. The weight can also be adjusted. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it great?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡± He had just thought it would be nice if it had the power of lightning. He thought that would be possible with his current abilities. But he had gone above that, thanks to his cooperation with Lee Na-hee. ¡°I was expecting it because it¡¯s A-rank, but this much is incredible.¡± ¡°Three special abilities¡­and two of them enhance its lightning properties!¡± Lee Na-hee became excited when it came to artifacts. ¡°But thisst one¡­maybe by studying it, we can reproduce one of the legendary artifacts. My enchantment and your ability has such an absurd possibility¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk understood why she was excited; he could feel it too. This was the first time he had made an artifact with three special abilities. ¡°But, I wish I could make a staff or sword with this instead!¡± ¡°Well, I can handle this properly.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put the thread in the case and attached it to his forearm, putting on the glove afterward. It was light enough that it could be concealed in a coat. ¡°I¡¯ll try it now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, so point it away from me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned the glove around, checking to make sure his trait was applying to it. Once he confirmed it, there was no problem with the rest. ¡°Then¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk snapped his fingers with a loud popping sound. His jacket, which was across the room, was now wrapped in a translucent golden thread. He lifted his index finger, and it quickly flew toward him. ¡°Ah?!¡± Lee Na-hee let out a loud scream, unable to deny what she witnessed with her own eyes. She rushed over to him to check the jacket he had caught. The thread was already retreating back into the glove, not a trace on the jacket itself. ¡°How¡¯d you do it?!¡± ¡°This is fun. I can move it at will, so next time I can check the multi-management and attack capabilities.¡± ¡°So how¡¯d you do it?!¡± From the start, it was manufactured to be a tool to assist Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mobility and power, but it was also possible to use it for more delicate operations. Maybe that was thanks to its third special ability. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with a satisfied look. ¡°Thank you for helping me, senior. Thanks to you, I made a good weapon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, so let me know in detail how you handled it¡­!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. Actually, I have something to do.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood up and ignored Lee Na-hee, whose eyes were sparkling. His weapon was finallyplete. Chapter 92 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (1) Chapter 92 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (1) A cksmith all alone in a shelter somewhere in the perished world was pounding metal today as well. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Where do you work, Anvil Grandpa? -In my workshop. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Oh, I see! Please tell me what your studio looks like! -Don¡¯t act like you haven¡¯t heard. The cksmithughed unintentionally at the bright tone of his friend, who was always cheery despite knowing his situation. He didn¡¯t usually look around as if he only brought back to mind the reality of his situation, but now he could look at his work studio with a lighter mind. -This ce¡­the only light it has aside from the furnace is amp. It gets dark when the furnace goes cold. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Except when you sleep, I¡¯m sure that you always have it burning since you¡¯re always working. -Noisy. Anyway, it¡¯s big. The floor and walls are gray¡­although there are some bloodstains in several ces. -Janus¡¯s whisper: It would¡¯ve been better not to list that. There was a time he had to swallow back tears each time he reminisced about the blood on the walls, but now he was able to take it in stride. He was tired of crying. -And¡­ There¡¯s a desk and a bed. -Janus¡¯s whisper: In your studio? -I stay and eat here, as well. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Huh, that¡¯s almost kind of cool. -I had canned food piled up here before, but now I buy my meals from the transaction board. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Grandpa¡­we¡¯ll go out and eat some delicious food, so reach VIP quickly, okay? -You guys spoil me. Coincidentally, on that same day, another member who liked him somewhat excessively also reached out to him. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I hope you be a VIP. We could spend all day together, and I could hold you in my arms! -After my wife¡¯s death, I pledged not to be with another woman. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Ah, somehow it¡¯s a dignity like a lion¡­! I want to meet you soon. -You still don¡¯t listen to me properly. The two discussed his life as a cksmith, much like he had with Janus. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I¡¯m confident in my cooking. I can¡¯t let you, my beloved, fill your stomach with weird things. On the day you be a VIP, I will help you find a proper meal. -Fox. After Tsukuyo¡¯s affection-filled message, a smaller one shed before him, too quick to notice. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: There are so many things I want to do for you! I¡¯m confident in my cooking, but I also have some good knowledge of tea. I even make my own refreshments to go with it. There¡¯s this one called yokan. -Yokan? I haven¡¯t heard of it. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: It takes two days to make, but it¡¯s very delicious. The day you be a VIP, let¡¯s drink tea together with my homemade yokan. -Thank you, but as I said, I made a vow¡­ -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I can¡¯t wait. -¡­ The cksmith was stunned into silence. This person wasn¡¯t listening to anything he said. However, he couldn¡¯t say anything against it. -¡­Yes, please do. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper:¡­Yes. She responded with a message that was trembling with her feelings. *** -Entering My Room. The ratio of time to Earth has been adjusted to 1 to 2. The amount of time you can stay is five hours a day, and it is possible to stay longer by consuming HP. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s definitely simr.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down on the floor, recalling his dream from earlier that day. Perhaps it was because of his increasing synchronization that his dream had been about Anvil¡¯s home. ¡°The wall and themp are exactly the same¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk realized he had been Anvil in his dream earlier as he watched the cold furnace begin to heat up. He had been able to bring in the furnace and anvil from his past life¡¯s workshop afterpleting hisst dimensional quest. ¡°It said one to two.¡± -With the third liberation, the rate will further increase. It was just like it had been in the other dimensions. Given that he would only age at the rate of Earth¡¯s time, it would be stupid not to use it as much as possible. ¡°Now if only it had a fitness facility.¡± -After restoring your previous life¡¯s workshops, I will bring one in. The administrator happily nodded at his words. A strict cksmith would never allow one to lift weights in their workshop, but it was fine for Shin-hyuk. -But you probably don¡¯t want to train right now. ¡°Absolutely.¡± That could be done with Shinyoung¡¯s facilities. No, he had already done his training for the day. Now he was focused on making a product that would be a brother to the one he made with Lee Na-hee. ¡°I wasn¡¯t confident until now¡­¡± He began to produce the materials he had gathered from the spider queen. He had thought of making the metal thread because of his encounter with the spiders. That lightning web had been created due to that idle thought, though he had no idea the results would be so good. -It wasn¡¯t possible to check its information before. ¡°I didn¡¯t have an emotion skill then.¡± But now it was different. His training in Gromas proved fruitful, and now he had an A-rank emotion skill. [Venom Princess Spider¡¯s Thread] [A+ rank] [A thread nd that can produce a vast amount of spider web. It is dangerous to handle, as it is toxic.] [Venom Princess Spider¡¯s Spinneret] [A rank] [An organ that emits and maniptes the spider web. Even when re-attached, it cannot be used. This can be fixed by re-establishing a connection in another form, but a separate spider web is necessary.] ¡°Not a queen, but a princess?!¡± -Really, it doesn¡¯t matter. However, a 500HP bonus for your show of surprise! ¡°Why?!¡± Wasn¡¯t that just spoiling him? Besides, this item was already plenty of value. -It is a valuable by-product, but not everyone can capture its abilities. This was likely due to the special circumstances behind its birth. It had been some odd circumstances. He wondered if he shouldbine the Shinfeng orb with the items, but fortunately, he didn¡¯t need to. The spider princess had left one other material. [Venom Princess Spider¡¯s Manastone] [S-rank] [The source and core of a powerful organism. This mana stone emits magical power different from a normal mana stone.] That was the spider¡¯s mana stone, which had been energized by half of that orb. Which meant it was imbued with spiritual power. ¡°I kind of wish it would¡¯ve been a skill stone.¡± -True, a thread production skill would¡¯ve been useful. Maybe if it came out from your wrist¡­ ¡°¡­No, never mind.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gently withdrew hisints. It was good enough that he could use this gemstone to make a powerful artifact. He was nning on trying Mana Craft for the first time in his life. No, rather, perhaps it was Soul Craft. -It¡¯s not the first time. You restored the Shinfeng orb before, as well as the Heavenly Spirit. Those clearly went into the realm of All Craft. ¡°That just because I was desperate, I didn¡¯t intend to do it. But now I have a clear goal in mind.¡± The administrator had told him that he, in his past life, had reached the realm of All Craft with only his metallurgy. But that wasn¡¯t him. If it weren¡¯t for his experiences in Gromas, he would¡¯ve never considered processing these materials. -Do you have some more confidence now? ¡°No, not quite¡­but I want to try it.¡± At Gromas, he had learned that was enough. -2,00HP bonus! ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk readied himself. He put the thread, spinneret, and magic stone before him as he concentrated quietly. He was trying to replicate that feeling he had when he created the Great Heavenly Spirit before. That image of cing materials on an imaginary anvil and forging them to create an object. It felt different, but the situation was better this time. The materials were easier to handle for one, and less was on the line. ¡®And I already know what to make.¡¯It was a bit regrettable that Lee Na-hee wasn¡¯t around to help, but he could ask her to enchant itter. ¡°Let¡¯s try.¡± After taking control of his own mind, he closed his eyes and awakened the spiritual power inside of him, letting it resonate with the materials in front of him. ¡®Now, move ording to my will.¡¯The mana stone greedily absorbed the spiritual power Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out to it, radiating a dazzling light as it merged with the thread nd and the spinneret. Golden color began to spill out from between Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyelids, mixing with the light emanating from the materials. He was vaguely aware that his trait was activated. ¡®I¡¯m not amplifying my ability or my weapon, but all of the substances in the artifact to make it something of a higher quality¡­this¡­¡¯It wasn¡¯t a trait that would end with an S-rank. It still had one more condition to evolve, but he was already confident in that fact. ¡®Keep focusing.¡¯He covered all of the materials with his spiritual power as he started his work in full. He recalled the experience making the metal threads and gloves, trying to realize it through these materials. It wasn¡¯t as difficult as he had been nervous about. Didn¡¯t he already make SS-ranked items? Moreover, since the rate of synchronization was increasing each day, he was able to approach this Soul Craft skillfully. ¡®Good, I can feel it changing.¡¯The spinneret was formed into the same type of glove he had made with Lee Na-hee, and the thread was turning into something he could fire at any time. He focused strongly on the mana stone, trying to use his spiritual power to amplify the items with its power. ¡®It¡¯ll be difficult to enchant since the material quality is so high. Lee Na-hee won¡¯t be able to process it properly.¡¯He could ask her if her abilities strengthened again. Kang Shin-hyuk finished the process with a smile on his lips. His golden eyes intensified as the object waspleted. The glove and case for the web werebined organically, creating a morepact form than the lightning web. -Tsukuyo wants to visit My Room. Do you want to allow it? -A fox. Please refuse. His concentration was almost broken by the message that arrived without warning. He managed to keep his mind together but identally made a mistake in focusing on his work. -You have epted the visit request. Tsukuyo will enter My Room soon. -No! It had been a while since he had seen the administrator¡¯s exmation mark. Kang Shin-hyuk thought so nkly as he lifted his head, his task finallyplete. ¡°What?!¡± Chapter 93 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (2) Chapter 93 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (2) -You seeded in making [Venom Princess Soul (A+)] using an abundance of spiritual power with excellent materials. Metallurgy proficiency has increased considerably! -Synchronization has slightly increased¡ªcurrent rate of 23.6%. [Venom Princess Soul] [A+ rank] [Special Abilities: Toxic, Capture, Poisonous Lady, Seal] *Toxic: The thread contains a strong toxic property. *Capture: The binding power and toxicity of the thread are strengthened. *Poisonous Lady: The power of the spider princess amplifies the wearer¡¯s agility by one level (max SS. Rank). By injecting energy, the thread can increase in size and toxicity. *Seal [The glove contains the power of the spider princess who failed to be a queen. Due to theck of the creator¡¯s ability, the artifact¡¯s limits were not reached. There is room for further development.] It was a luxurious product that would be valuable even on the Hero Universe trading board. The three special abilities were incredible, and each one of them served to help increase the thread¡¯s toxicity. Although given themon nature of poison resistance, Kang Shin-hyuk wondered how useful that would be. At least one of them even directly strengthened your status, and it even had a hidden trait that had yet to be unlocked. The sentiment that his ability wascking stung a bit, but it was true he didn¡¯t match up to the original Anvil yet. It was best if he just gently epted it and strove for better in the future. ¡°Hmm.¡± But that wasn¡¯t a problem. What was a problem, however, was the new presence that had appeared in the middle of his My Room, which was watching him with an overwhelming presence. ¡°Indeed¡­ that¡¯s why.¡± The being¡­no, Tsukuyo, was staring right at him. He almost screamed reflexively at the creepy feeling running down his spine. -Member, there is no escape from reality. She¡¯s looking at you! The administrator¡¯s cold words brought him back to the real world. He exhaled a deep breath and nodded. A young woman in a ck silk garment embroidered with golden thread stood still before him. The silk clung to her body, emphasizing it, with a luxurious-looking wrapping around her waist that attracted attention. Further down, the silk split to the side to reveal her thighs. It was obvious she was in excellent shape. -You¡¯re still escaping reality. ¡®That¡¯s right, damn it!¡¯Tsukuyo tilted her head, her ebony hair flowing down past her waist like a wave. His eyes were stuck to her. ¡°Hm.¡± Rouge-painted lips shed tantalizingly with her pale skin, tilted in an odd expression as she noticed where his gaze was headed. ¡°Nothinges even when I look at you.¡± Her impression was quiet and mysterious, like the moonlit night her name implied. It shed with the image he had of her from her messages through the Hero Universe. She had confessed her love to Anvil over twenty years ago, yet she only looked like she was in her early twenties. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would wee me. There¡¯s not even a chair.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I made a mistake while I was working. I wasn¡¯t even ready to serve customers.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk found his resolve and shook his head, trying to ignore Tsukuyo¡¯s voice, which seemed to cling to him. He wanted to convey the meaning of, ¡®I¡¯m not ready yet, so leave,¡¯ but she nodded as if she already knew that. ¡°Thanks to that, I saw something good. This time I¡¯ll be patient.¡± She flicked her finger, and a nice wooden table with two chairs appeared. She clearly had no intention of leaving. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s talk.¡± She sat down and tapped on the table, signaling for him to sit down as well. ¡°I¡¯ve received all of the items you¡¯ve posted on the transaction board previously.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had sat down, finding it inevitable, but he soon raised his head at her words. ¡°¡­All of them?¡± ¡°All. Of. Them.¡± He checked the sale messages, confirming she was telling the truth. She had bought all of them, sometimes for two or three times the listed price. ¡°It was difficult. All of them had traces of Anvil, but at the same time, they weren¡¯t from him¡­I couldn¡¯t honestly bring myself to resent or love you, so I thought a lot.¡± ¡°I apologize, but in my previous life, I wasn¡¯t in a rtionship with you.¡± -3,000HP bonus for resolved members! Kang Shin-hyuk received a bonus from the administrator, who was excited by him rebuking Tsukuyo¡¯s words. She only smiled back, however. ¡°I remembered that I didn¡¯t have to hesitate anymore. If I can¡¯t confirm through the work, I can just look at the craftsman to check¡­¡± -I tried to hide you from her. Kang Shin-hyuk ¨C that was the ID Anvil ¨C was revealed to be a VIP thanks to him epting the dimensional quest. ¡°The answer I gave you hasn¡¯t changed. I don¡¯t intend to delete my ID, even if you judge me. I don¡¯t even know how to erase it.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°I thought about it a bit¡­¡± She let out augh that was so charming it scared him. He felt like he would be hypnotized. ¡°I was convinced when I saw you.¡± She pointed to the Venom Princess Soul, the ck leather glove he held in his hands. He had identally epted her request in the middle of his work, and he had been too immersed in finishing to notice here. He felt a bit embarrassed suddenly. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I had a lot I wanted to say, but now that¡¯s enough. You have the talent to breathe life into inanimate objects and lead them topletion. The things you make¡­ I¡¯ve decided to watch you in the future.¡± It felt great to hear she would no longer demand he deletes his ID or tell him he wasn¡¯t Anvil. No, actually, it had been a while seen he had received such a message. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve taken care of that, let¡¯s enjoy some tea together.¡± ¡°¡­Tea?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a proud woman, but I have confidence in that.¡± A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu washed over him as he recalled the dream he had earlier. He decided to remain still, however, as the situation felt like it might be dangerous if he refused. She procured a teacup and a teapot from her inventory, with a flick of her hand, the pot filled with water. Then, with another swift motion, it began to boil. She carefully added tea leaves to it once it cooled slightly. Each movement was so delicate and beautiful that it captivated him as he watched. -Member. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ -Is this an enemy¡¯s psychic attack? If so, I will immediately banish the fox. ¡®I don¡¯t think so¡­¡¯ -It¡¯s an enemy. The teacup was ced in front of him before he could respond to the administrator¡¯s frank assertions. Tsukuyo was looking at him with clear eyes as the steam from the cup wafted a pleasant scent past him. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Well¡­thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gently lifted the cup and drank. It was a pleasant temperature, neither too hot nor lukewarm. He felt refreshed like his mind was clearing immediately, as he sipped at it. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I also brought refreshments. This is my homemade yokan. I prepared it beforeing today.¡± He knew of that, too; it had also been in his dream. He decided not to mention that either and took a bite of it. He had thought it would be more suited to an old man¡¯s tastes, but it was delicious. It has a soft texture and a subtly sweet taste. Kang Shin-hyuk had eaten many high-quality foods sinceing to Shinyoung, but this beat them all out easily. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy. I wanted to feed you this.¡± Tsukuyo nodded, satisfied, and sipped at her own tea. Her dark hair fluttered with each small movement, filling Kang Shin-hyuk with an indescribable emotion. For a while, the two quietly ate and drank. He had never imagined he would be able to spend such a gentle time with her given her first message she sent to him, but life was full of the unknown. As he considered that¡­ ¡°Already? This damn bitch¡­¡± Suddenly, Tsukuyo muttered something and looked into the air. Kang Shin-hyuk roughly guessed what had happened. Perhaps that was the administrator¡¯s job. ¡°I believe I have to go. I didn¡¯t know visiting a My Room would be so tricky.¡± ¡°Is it notmon?¡± ¡°No. The amount of VIPs in the Hero Universe can be counted on one hand, and you are the only one I¡¯ve cared about.¡± Tsukuyo replied like she had heard a funny joke and stood up. She waved the table and chair away as Shin-hyuk stood up, then approached him with arge cloth in hand. ¡°This is a lunch box I made. I¡¯ve wanted to hear your impressions, so I couldn¡¯t help it. I¡¯m knowledgeable about cooking, so it should be alright. Would you ept it?¡± The distance between them had disappeared in the blink of an eye, and his cheeks reddened. He quietly epted the lunch box, carefully holding it with both hands. She held on to it as well, as if she felt unfortunate she had to leave. ¡°What should I call you from now on?¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re okay with me?¡± ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ve changed, then I want to get to know the you now.¡± Wasn¡¯t she much more mature than a certain granddaughter? Her first impression had been bad, but it was born from a misunderstanding. Kang Shin-hyuk took a deep breath to steady himself before answering honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to deny my previous life, nor do I intend to obsess over it. So, please call me whatever you¡¯refortable with. Anvil or Kang Shin-hyuk¡­I believe it is all me.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ I¡¯m satisfied. Then, I shall continue to call you Anvil.¡± Thanks to the administrator¡¯s teachings, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he had found some center inside of him. Tsukuyo nodded, apparently pleased with his answer, and quietly let go of the lunch box. Kang Shin-hyuk began to put it away in his inventory or at least tried too as Tsukuyo¡¯s lips came into contact with his own. -Whaaaaat?! ¡°?!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± It was a perfect surprise attack. The lunchbox had sealed away his hands, and the moment he moved to put it away, she had rushed right in. He couldn¡¯t move, trembling in ce like a shark struck by a harpoon. Tsukuyo moved away from him, barely satisfied with a brief taste. A thin line of saliva was broken as their lips parted. ¡°Heh¡­you and Eunah haven¡¯t grown this close yet, right? Yes, your first kiss was not with Eunah, but this Tsukuyo¡­!¡± With that, she disappeared from his My Room. The administrator¡¯s message filled his eyes. -I was off guard! I thought she was satisfied with just drinking tea¡­! Appropriate punishment will be imposed on members who act unfairly to the owner of a My Room. She won¡¯t be allowed to visit again unless you give her permission¡­you don¡¯t mean to, right? ¡°¡­Administrator?¡± -No? Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t convey the emotions warring inside of him, so he kept quiet. The strongest emotion inside of him was the enormous guilt he felt towards ire. ¡°Should I wash my lips with muddy water first?¡± -Member, are you okay?! ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, so please calm down.¡± After taking a step he hadn¡¯t been prepared for, Kang Shin-hyuk was so agitated that he didn¡¯t notice the change in the corner of his My Room. It was a teacup with warm steam wafting off of it and a small te with yokan. Chapter 94 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (3) Chapter 94 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (3) ¡°Shin-hyuk, what happened?¡± ¡°Why was I caught right away?!¡± That night, ire had greeted him as such when he went to the frontline bar as soon as she saw him. He stepped back in fear, but she smiled. ¡°By the way you walk. It¡¯s somber, but notpletely¡­like a rainy sky.¡± ¡°Are you a detective?¡¯ ¡°So what¡¯s going on? A woman? Oh, it¡¯s a woman.¡± She had arrived at the correct answer immediately. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and covered his face. ¡°You know it¡¯s Tsukuyo.¡± ¡°Ah, that one Eunah always curses.¡± ¡°She came to My Room.¡± ¡°Really? On Earth?¡± ¡°No, not that¡­¡± My Room was an intermediate space between dimensions, so it was easier to visit than another dimension. Although you still had to be a VIP. He wondered if she could even reach Earth. ¡°Still, wasn¡¯t she threatening you? Was it okay to meet her?¡± ire¡¯s worried gazended on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart. She was so innocently worried about him, which made him feel even guilty. ¡°Because she saw me working, it looks like she recognized me as Anvil.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that so¡­?¡± Tsukuyo loved Anvil so much that she found it uneptable for anyone else to use his ID,st ire had heard. She tensed slightly, and Kang Shin-hyuk knew he could not hide it from the person he liked, so he decided to confess. ¡°She kissed me.¡± ¡°I knew it! She¡¯s a more aggressive sex offender than Eunah!¡± That sentence implied Eunah was still a sex offender, which he wondered if that was okay. Shin Eunah had never tried anything like that with him. ire pushed on without knowing what was going on in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind at that moment. He was genuinely worried about their friendship. ¡°No, I still don¡¯t know the whole story. Was it just on the lips?¡± ¡°I felt like it went a little further¡­a bit more exploratory¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s the worst!¡± He recalled the feeling of her lips, and a chill went up to his spine. It was too overstimting for him; if it weren¡¯t for Anvil¡¯s calming influence, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand it. He felt a bit weird as she looked at him with eyes filled with both joy and sadness. ¡°¡­Are you not mad?¡± ¡°Are you angry at yourself?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stiffened as he realized his mistake. However, before he could respond, the entrance opened up to bring him blessed relief. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Shin Eunah arrived in a ck suit that was the uniform of the Superhuman Association Special Task Force. Today she had her hair raised up. Kang Shin-hyuk and ire exchanged a wordless nce. They both knew it wouldn¡¯t end well if she discovered what had happened with Tsukuyo. ¡°Hello, senior.¡± ¡°Huh? Grandpa¡­what happened?¡± Howe everyone knew as soon as they saw it? Kang Shin-hyuk desperately nced at ire, who nodded and was quick to jump in for him. ¡°I was joking around with him.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ joking about what?¡± ¡°Eunah, why don¡¯t you stop looking at me like that? I didn¡¯t actually do anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah looked at ire with a gaze colder than dry ice, but she soon turned her head away with a hum. ¡°Are you busy this Friday, junior?¡± ¡°Friday¡­yes, I¡¯ll be participating in an artifact contest.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, he¡¯ll be working with me that night.¡± ¡°¡­The contest?¡± ire was clearly relieved the topic changed. Shin Eunah tilted her head at the pair. ¡°I thought it would be a good time to perform a mission under the name Shin Eun-hyuk. Of course, with me.¡± He had been nning on exploring various dungeons and gates under his identity as Shin Eun-hyuk with Shin Eunah over the summer vacation. However, it seemed that a mission had popped up sooner. ¡°If it¡¯ster in the day, I can make time. I only have to stay for the presentation, then I can leave.¡± ¡°The World Rookies Artifact Creation Contest, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The contest would be held in the 17th-floor convention hall in the 5-star hotel Lubron, which was adjacent to the Choin shopping center. All ten teams in the finals were able to stay at the hotel for free. ¡°You know about it?¡± ¡°It is at the Choin shopping center.¡± ¡°A lot of people actually participate, ire included.¡± Was it really such a great contest? Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head in confusion. ¡°I actually became famous from it.¡± ¡°Sister ire?!¡± ¡°Are you surprised? I am an alchemist.¡± ¡°No, not about that. Was thepetition that big?¡± ¡°It isbeled ¡®World.¡¯¡± ¡°There are many cases where the world bit is an exaggeration.¡± ¡°This is a real world-ss contest.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had expected maybe the whole country at most, given Lee Manwoo¡¯s words. He trembled. ¡°Can I rece my entry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part you care about?¡± ¡°I mean, the item I submitted is only B-rank.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be enough.¡± ¡°Okay, enough of that.¡± Shin Eunah pped her hands, trying to bring it back to their original discussion. ¡°Go participate normally. After you receive the grand prize, you just need to change clothes, so you won¡¯t get caught and join up with me. The operations will actually be held at the same ce as the contest.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°There has been some information that something might happen there, although it may be nothing.¡± ¡°It would be fun if an incident broke out. Kang Shin-hyuk vanishes, and suddenly in his ce, an elite member of the association appears!¡± ¡°Please stop fantasizing, sister.¡± It sounded too ominous because it might actually happen. He ignored the goosebumps rising on his arms as ire turned to Shin Eunah. ¡°Can I go too? I want to see Shin-hyuk win the grand prize.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shin Eunah was less excited about that, but ire seemed intent on going regardless. The door opened before they could continue on the subject, the first guest of the day sitting down at the bar counter without any surprise towards the bar¡¯s inhabitants. ¡°Still working as a bartender today, eh sister?¡± ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly interposed between ire and the guest. After working at the bar for a few days, he could now entertain even active superhumans casually. ¡°Gin Fizz. Today, I want something made by you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had seeded in honing his bartending skills thanks to his two months of training in Gromas. Hecked the ability to imbue it with powers, as he wasn¡¯t an alchemist, but that didn¡¯t matter for customers who weren¡¯t going out to hunt. ¡°So, my young friend¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The middle-aged superhuman looked at Kang Shin-hyuk as he prepared his drink. ¡°I know just by looking at you. What sort of girl are you sleeping with?¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± The top of his face was covered with a mask, how could he tell? ¡°Who is sleeping with whom?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been!¡± ¡°Oh, then is it a man?¡± ¡°No?!¡± It took three hours to calm down Shin Eunah, who had exploded after hearing the customer¡¯s idlements. He tried to leave quietly but was caught by ire. She imposed a month-long ban on Shin Eunah for her part. *** The contest was held on Friday morning. -A damage increase buff has been applied as a bonus for today¡¯s login. For 24 hours, a 30% boost has been applied to all attacks. The message that appeared before Kang Shin-hyuk as he awoke felt rather aggressive. The timing felt almost too good. ¡°Why today?¡± -The login bonus ispletely random, unlike roulette. Member, how about ying roulette today? ¡°Did you listen to me? Administrator, that makes it sound like something is sure to happen!¡± The administrator had been pushing him to spin the roulette as you couldn¡¯t collect more coins until you spent the ones you had. However, he had been more focused on the status growth buff, so he had been keeping his coins to increase his odds. -The roulette is the best reward among the bonuses. It is rmended to turn in your five coins as soon as possible. ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± He decided to follow along with the administrator. He had nothing to lose by listening to his advice¡­ most of the time. -y the VIP Roulette. Throw the dart whenever you want! Pretending to be careless, Kang Shin-hyuk idly threw the dart that materialized in his hand. It hit the roulette that had appeared in front of him. -Congrattions, member! Hero Universe¡¯s hidden system is now open! ¡°Huh?¡± The message made his heart pound. Before he could ask any questions, the administrator followed it up. -Momentary equipment change function is now open! You can save clothes, weapons, and other equipment all at once, then rece your current equipment by recalling it! All equipment stored in a set slot is amplified by 10%! You can specify up to three sets. ¡°Is something going to happen today?!¡± It was a function that fit the situation he was in today. ¡­No, of course, it was an incredibly useful feature too! Chapter 95 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (4) Chapter 95 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (4) Kang Shin-hyuk set up an equipment set while shivering in anticipation of his uncertain future. It was his two web gloves, a uniform provided to him by Shin Eunah, the mask that hid his identity, and a Shin Eun-hyuk exclusive piece of equipment he had made yesterday. He saved it away in set #2, leaving the first slot empty for his strongest equipment that he would one day make. [Lee Na-hee: We¡¯ll meet in front of the main gate at 10.] Lee Na-hee¡¯s message arrived as he was doing some simple training in his room. He considered it for a moment before deciding to respond. [No matter what happens today, don¡¯t be surprised. Pretend you don¡¯t know me.] [Lee Na-hee: What did you do?] [Something might happenter¡­if it does, please pretend you don¡¯t know me then.] Lee Na-hee took a while to reply but finally sent an emoji with stars for eyes. [Lee Na-hee: (emoji)] [Lee Na-hee: I¡¯m looking forward to it!] [No, don¡¯t expect it¡¯ll happen.] [Lee Na-hee: I¡¯ll bring a good quality camera!] [Don¡¯t bring it. Don¡¯t take pictures.] He washed up after training and dressed up in his school uniform before heading off to the Royal ss-exclusive restaurant. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Eating breakfast with Karen and Eleanor very morning had now been ingrained in him. He consumed a te of consomm¨¦ soup with a sigh as Karen watched him. ¡°Are you going to school today?¡± ¡°No.¡± It was still a test week, and students who had finished testing didn¡¯t have to attend. The student councils would be held next week, but there wasn¡¯t much else to do. Students freed from the exam were finally allowed to rx. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go y! Vice-captain, you said you were thinking about going to the exhibition, right?¡± ¡°I did?¡± At Karen¡¯s words, Eleanor was one who was most surprised. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t even retort at Karen¡¯s tant ploys. ¡°You got an invitation, right vice-captain?¡± ¡°Yes, I did¡­shall we go together?¡± Eleanor was quick to agree to the proposal, which would let her spend more time with Kang Shin-hyuk. He rejected it, however, with an expression of regret. ¡°I already have ns. Didn¡¯t you hear from Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°Na-hee?¡± Eleanor tilted her head as her eyes widened. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re also going to the contest. You also made it to the finals?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with my senior. It¡¯s a joint venture for our club.¡± ¡°I heard you were in the same club.¡± The two were close. He wondered if that was some group formed by people who were bothered by the Crowns of the school. Eleanor nodded, unaware of Shin-hyuk¡¯s rude thoughts. ¡°Isn¡¯t Na-hee pretty?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that. We¡¯re just junior and senior.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Actually, the ce I was going to was there.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped, stiffening in ce. ¡°The World Rookies Creator Contest?¡± ¡°Yes. I got the invitation from Na-hee.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk trembled. ¡°Senior Eleanor, it may be a little dangerous today. I think it would be best not to go.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going too?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, I will too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finally conceded to her and lowered his head. He had to pray nothing would actually happen at the contest hall, or that he wouldn¡¯t be recognized if something did. And that Lee Na-hee would stay quiet, even if she recognized the lightning web. At least the food he had for breakfast was very tasty. *** ¡°A grand prize, gold, silver, bronze, and then just encouragement. Since the finals include ten teams, only about half will win anything.¡± ¡°Just getting in the finals is enough to brag.¡± Lee Manwoo was driving to the venue, responding to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mutterings. Since they were heading there in the name of the club, it was natural for the teacher in charge to take them. ¡°But you told me I had to win.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re in Shinyoung.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shinyoung was the world¡¯s top elite education institution, though it provided no specialized training on production. If he couldn¡¯t win a prize, he would have no right to touch a hammer again. ¡°Not like you need to worry about winning the prize. What matters is how much you upstage the others.¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too upset now.¡± The group arrived at the hotel and were guided by a doorman inside. Most of the attention was on Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee, as they wore the neat uniform of Shinyoung. Perhaps it was also due to Lee Na-hee¡¯s beauty. ¡°Look, it¡¯s Shinyoung.¡± ¡°Have they participated in the contest before?¡± ¡°Come look. Shinyoung doesn¡¯t normally have producers.¡± There were quite a few other students who had arrived for the contest, amazed by the two. Kang Shin-hyuk was beginning to realize the prestige Shinyoung truly held in the world. It had often seemed so insignificant when hepared it to the Hero Universe and the people within it, but for these people, it was different. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that Shinyoung holds some great production skills.¡± It wasn¡¯t a student who spoke up, but rather the young man leading them. Perhaps he was their teacher. His gaze was focused on Lee Manwoo. ¡°Teacher, are you okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was prepared for this from the moment I agreed to help you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was worried, but Lee Manwoo just snorted. Lee Na-hee nced at her grandfather with a slightly affronted expression, but the three eventually pushed on to the convention hall under the hotel staff¡¯s guidance. ¡°Wow, they have security too. Is it because of the artifacts?¡± ¡°There is that, but this is also a ce to judge the future of the artifact production industry. Representatives from the industry, guilds, and even governments are paying attention here.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lee Manwoo wasn¡¯t exaggerating. There were only ten teams in the finals, but hundreds more hade to watch. Many of them were people Kang Shin-hyuk had seen in the news before. ¡°Hey, junior, let¡¯s use it too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already toote. Shh.¡± ¡°Hm? What are you two talking about? You¡¯re getting along a lot better thanst time.¡± Lee Manwoo was beaming at them happily as more people filled the banquet hall. Among them was, of course, the Alchemist and the Thunder Empress. ¡°It¡¯s the Empress! Let¡¯s go say hello. Please introduce me.¡± ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you working?¡± Lee Na-hee was quick to ask Kang Shin-hyuk for favor as she subtly mocked him. She had heard from her grandfather that the Empress had her eye on him. Shin Eunah was pushing away all those who tried to approach her with just her cold gaze, however. ¡°Oh, Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Instead, ire had arrived, wearing skinny jeans and acy blouse. She exuded a refreshing charm that attracted attention like a ma. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was mentally pushed back, and Lee Na-hee physically took a step back. The people around them also seemed simrly surprised. ¡°Sister ire, I thought we were pretending to not know each other¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay now. Rather, you need to get out in front of people and make yourself a target. Besides, I prepared a disguise for you.¡± ¡°Is that okay? Is it really okay?!¡± ¡°Junior, you¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this pretty girl? Oh, a club senior? Hi! I¡¯m an alchemist.¡± ¡°Yes¡­yes. Hello.¡± Lee Na-hee nodded nkly and shook ire¡¯s hand, who then turned to Lee Manwoo. ¡°Then, you must be the Great Chief.¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you from Shin-hyuk.¡± ire also asked Lee Manwoo for a handshake, which he agreed to with an embarrassed expression. She let out a satisfiedugh. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been working hard with Shin-hyuk. Although he seems seasoned, he¡¯s stillcking in some ways. Having a senior in the industry to rely on is a great help.¡± ¡°My sister or my mother?¡± ¡°Just the guardian of a boy with a secret. Suddenly appearing and then disappearing after ying her role.¡± ¡°That¡¯s messed up.¡± ire¡¯s fantasizing hadn¡¯t improved at all. She smiled proudly and patted Kang Shin-hyuk on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some chicken when you win the grand prize. Look forward to it!¡± Many people around them tried to approach ire as she left them, but she waved them off. Even Lee Manwoo had a nk expression on his face after she came and left like a whirlwind. ¡°¡­Junior.¡± Lee Na-hee was gazing at the hand she had shaken ire¡¯s hand with. ¡°Now I know who my junior was scorned by.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be quiet, please.¡± ¡°If the opponent is the Alchemist¡­wow¡­I¡¯m sorry for teasing you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still making fun of me?¡± ¡°A woman who¡¯s both prettier than me and hasrger breasts¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re really shameless.¡± Lee Manwoo, on the other hand, was watching ire as she left with a look of admiration. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making fun of you.¡± ¡°He is someone who will be very helpful to you. You need to work hard.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop and sit down.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt a cold gaze on his back. It was probably Shin Eunah¡¯s, so he tried to ignore it as he led the group. Thirty minutester, the final result of the contest was announced, attracting a lot of attention. The work that won the lowest award was a D+ rank artifact. Chapter 96 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (5) Chapter 96 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (5) Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee, thanks to the encounter with ire, sat down in separate seats without meeting Eleanor and Karen in the contest hall. The other teams red at them, but the adults that led them were astonished to see Lee Manwoo. ¡°You¡¯re the Great Chief.¡± ¡°I heard you were in Shinyoung.¡± ¡°Are those his disciples?¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± ¡°There was a D+ grade for the lowest award, but they might have exceeded the C-rank.¡± An hour after the start of the event was the announcement of the Gold Prize and the Grand Prize. The atmosphere was at its peak. ¡°Gold goes to the German Ebiger Hammer Team! Their work is a glove crafted from the skin of a fire worm and tied together with exquisite enchanting. It contains the fire attribute that allows the wielder to attack with fire! The official appraisal has ced it at C-rank.¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡°An attribute!¡± People began to stand up and p. The Ebiger Hammer team stood up to receive their award. Neither of them held the image of a traditional craftsman, but rather it was a teamposed of a gentle-looking brown-haired boy and a beautiful slim blonde. ¡°Those two made a C-rank artifact by themselves?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s made of fire worm leather, right? That¡¯s an expensive ingredient.¡± ¡°I still have to admit it¡¯s an absurd achievement.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk watched the two ept their award as he heard the voices of the gallery behind him. He didn¡¯t even dare imagine what might¡¯ve happened if he had brought his lightning spider web here. ¡°If a C-rank artifact didn¡¯t get the grand prize, then this year¡¯s grand prize goes above C-rank?¡± ¡°It may be the same rank, but with a better effect.¡± How would they react when they learned the artifact that won was B-rank? Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s stomach began to ache as he thought about it. ¡°Look over there, there¡¯s a student in Shinyoung¡¯s uniform.¡± ¡°No matter how elite Shinyoung is, they look down on the creation of artifacts. Isn¡¯t it wrong that he passed the preliminaries?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a face.¡± Lee Na-hee pinched Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s side, noticing he was having trouble calming down. Her eyes were shining bright with the same excitement he felt, however. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡°Stop looking around so awkwardly.¡± ¡°Now we are going to announce the grand prize.¡± ¡°It is what you¡¯ve been waiting for!¡± While Lee Na-hee and Kang Shin-hyuk were bickering together, the moderator finally came back to the mic. The two German students were lingering, looking around the banquet hall with gazes full of anticipation. He knew it in a second. They wanted to know who had beat them for the grand prize. Kang Shin-hyuk frowned, sensing things would be annoying soon. ¡°The 15th World Rookies Creator Contest, the glorious grand prize¡­ this is it!¡± Staff from inside the banquet hall carried out arge case. Several people were leaning over and standing up to take a look at what was in it. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ are you saying that was made by students? Look at that beautiful line of the de!¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­ there was someone who could make this among the students this year?¡± ¡°It reminds me of the time the Alchemist showed up. Come to think of it, isn¡¯t she here today? Did she know about this?¡± ¡°Who is it?! Who the hell made it?!¡± The crowd¡¯s reaction waspletely different from when the gold price was announced, as people stood up and hollered. Even the gold prize winners were staring at the sword nkly. ¡°I guess everyone recognized it right away! It is the [Shield Guardian¡¯s Long Sword]pleted with skillful enchanting using only the most basic magic metal, Kenyon! It is an item that boasts two special abilities, one that boosts the wearer¡¯s defense and one that generates shields. Its rating is a whopping B-rank! It¡¯s a miraculous gem created by the power of just two people!¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°Ha? Everyone seems to be blind.¡± The apuse was growing in response to the moderator¡¯s excitingmentary. Lee Na-hee, however, seemed to be growing angry. ¡°My influence was only a fraction of the real work¡­¡± ¡°No. It was created by both of you working together. It is thanks to both of your hard work that it reached this level.¡± ¡°You were just using me as a shield to protect your student. You¡¯re terrible.¡± Lee Na-hee was pouting, but she seemed somewhat appeased by Lee Manwoo¡¯s words. ¡®It would be difficult to create a C+ rank artifact by myself.¡¯Lee Na-hee was aware that her grandfather was considerate. However, she was able to admit to and ept the skill gap between her and Kang Shin-hyuk. Rather, she felt motivated to improve her skills enough to keep up with him in the future. ¡°The creators of this masterpiece are from the Shinyoung Training School¡¯s Artifact Creation Club! Enchanter Lee Na-hee and Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The moment they learned the names of the creators, a shock swept through the hall. Shinyoung¡¯s students, who were focused on cultivatingbat abilities as superhumans, created a B-rank artifact? ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°I heard that the Great Chief is staying at Shinyoung, maybe he made it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± Shin-hyuk briefly wondered if the convention hall had been turned upside down at such amotion. The moderator was quick to calm the gallery, but at that moment, a vibration rocked the building. It was amazing timing. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s copsing!¡± -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Come quickly. Shin Eunah¡¯s whisper came in right after. She was already spreading a shield to protect the hall. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°Run away!¡± ¡°Everyone keep calm! This convention hall is being kept safe by the Superhuman Association!¡± The moderator¡¯s shouts were lost in the roar of the people panicking. The members of the association were quick to move in and begin evacuating people, but there were too many people in the audience for them to keep a hold on the situation. ¡°Grandpa, are you okay?! Hey junior, we¡­ huh?¡± Lee Na-hee turned to find Kang Shin-hyuk as she and her grandfather were stuck to each other, but he wasn¡¯t there. *** As the shockwave ran through the banquet hall, smoke bombs were exploding throughout the spacious room. The confusion was spreading quickly because of it. But thanks to that, there was a chance for Kang Shin-hyuk to escape. ¡®I have to learn to hide.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk escaped from the party and switched his equipment using the convenient function he had obtained earlier. He had his lightning web and Venom Princess Soul in hand, with a mask on his face to cover his identity, and his body was wrapped in a suit. It very much resembled a character in his notebooks from junior high. ¡®But I can¡¯t do anything without this mask! Does this uniform have to be ck?!¡¯The ck suit that covered his body was the uniform of the Superhuman Association Special Task Force. It was a C-rank artifact that resisted the enemy¡¯s attacks. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: There¡¯s an enemy inside somewhere. If you find someone suspicious, take them down first. -I¡¯m on it. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: We need to figure out who¡¯s likely to be targeted¡­ There was no time to suffer about his own outfit. Shin Eunah had switched to Thunder Empress mode and was moving quickly. She was quick to deduce an intruder was inside the banquet hall from the smoke bombs. They were special items that could deceive even a superhuman¡¯s sharp senses. It was at least a C-rank item. Of course, with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s high-level martial arts boosting his senses, he wasn¡¯t deceived. ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°Kh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk twisted his left hand around, and two strings from the glove shot out. They wrapped around a man holding a knife in front of him, restraining him instantly. He was equipped with special equipment to see through the smokescreen, but he didn¡¯t expect to be caught so easily. ¡°Kahak?!¡± Spiritual power flowed through the threads to activate their lightning property. The man passed out right away from the intense shock. After confirming he had been safely neutralized, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled coolly and waved his hand lightly. The man was picked up by the threads and thrown at another man running toward him, mming them both into a nearby wall. He decided to test his Venom Princess Soul, sending out a single thread of poisonous spider web to tie them together. ¡°Excellent.¡± He cut away the web and strung them up on the wall. The advantage of the Venom Princess Soul was that it could infinitely create a web so long as he provided it with power, unlike the lightning spider web. ¡®Even if it¡¯s not connected, I can control the poison of the threads too.¡¯He made it himself, but it was a great fit for him. He couldn¡¯t deny the strength of artifacts forged with spiritual power. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: The evacuation is in progress. What¡¯s your situation? -It¡¯s okay. The enemies don¡¯t appear to be strong. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: They probably didn¡¯te with the intention of winning. It¡¯s most likely a violent protest on the surface, trying to cause a distraction while aiming for a different goal¡­ Shin-hyuk nodded at her whisper and kept moving. He found another enemy spreading more smoke bombs, immediately throwing him to the ground with a spider web. As he kept moving forward, he noticed something ahead of him. It was Eleanor, surrounded by a group of superhumans. ¡®Was Eleanor the target? But she received an invitation from her friend; how could they have known she would be here?¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk rushed to her side with those thoughts ying out in his head. He fired off a web of lightning, but one of the superhumans around her deflected it. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Eleanor didn¡¯t let the diversion created by Shin-hyuk go to waste. With her javelin in hand, she moved with enough momentum to break through the group. ¡°Haaah!¡± ¡°Stop her!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk fired off more threads as their enemies gave chase to try and stop Eleanor. Five threads went out to stop the men from blocking her course. They tried to strike at it like before, but that was what he was aiming for. -Kssst! ¡°Ooh?!¡± ¡°Kh!¡± Although they seeded in cutting out of the web, the terrible electricity contained in the threads radiated through their swords. Eleanor was able to capitalize on that gap and escape. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Run away, don¡¯t look back!¡± ¡°Karen!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Karen couldn¡¯t catch up with Eleanor and was left in the half-broken circle of enemies. ¡°Kh!¡± Eleanor turned to rush back, but Kang Shin-hyuk reached out for her to stop, firing a poisonous web at Karen. The Venom Princess Soul could be used as a handy restraint tool so long as he didn¡¯t will it to emit poison. In an instant, the web wrapped around Karen¡¯s body, and she was pulled back to Shin-hyuk. At the same time, he used his lightning web to keep the enemies in check. They kept their distance, remembering the electricity that shocked them thest time they hit it. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried to lower his voice as he responded. This mask changed his hairstyle and face, but not his voice. He cursed ire for not adding that function too. ¡°Huh? That voice¡­¡± He was caught! ¡°Karen, don¡¯t worry about that right now!¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯ve heard it before somewhere¡­¡± ¡°Karen!¡± Eleanor rebuked Karen as she prepared for battle, javelin in hand. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored her and spread out his hands, ten strands of spider webs shooting out in an instant. ¡°Well, that¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Someone who uses thread as a weapon¡­yes, it¡¯s like Death Doll Company¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to ignore Karen¡¯s very existence. However, considering she once suffered from the same thing he did, he decided not to get too angry. Chapter 97 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (6) Chapter 97 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (6) Both Eleanor and Kare were unable to remove their eyes from the unknown man who suddenly appeared to save them. Kang Shin-hyuk was trying his best to avoid their gaze. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Eleanor politely bowed her head and thanked him. Karen followed her lead and did the same, with a noble dignity that shed with how she usually acted. Kang Shin-hyuk turned away, nodding his head without a sound. ¡°Oh, wait a minute¡­ Eleanor! We have to go, this is your fault!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, we have to get to safety!¡± ¡°Wait, why are you mad?¡± Instead of investigating him further, Karen ground her teeth and turned around upon realizing the situation. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh, letting them leave. They were strong enough that he didn¡¯t need to worry about them now that they had defeated the group trying to capture them. He decided to push on, receiving a whisper from Shin Eunah. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Now, I know what their main target was. -What can I do to help? -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It¡¯s already under control. The enemies seem to be nning on retreating soon, so¡­ -So? -Eunah¡¯s whisper: There¡¯s one more guy we need to beat before then. As expected, Shin Eunah, in her Thunder Empress mode, had no appreciation for the enemy. With a smile, Kang Shin-hyuk hit the floor running with a golden web fluttering behind him. ¡°Quick!¡± ¡°Catch him¡­ what?!¡± Three people who tried to catch him from a side corridor were tangled up in his spider web. He used his spiritual power to shock them into submission as he kept running. He could feel his movements bing more natural with his weapons. With Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance helping him umte experience with the weapon, he was beginning to get a handle on it. He had a smile on his lips as he readjusted his gloves. ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, something flew in towards the back of his neck. He immediately turned, swinging five strands of the lightning web together. They unified into one strand, blocking what flew out to strike him, which was a problem. -An irregr gate is urring! Member, be careful! What the web had cut was a ck dodecahedron-shaped crystal. It had been cut neatly in half, and now thick dark energy was gradually spreading into the air around it, forming a gate. -A+ ss irregr gate [Iron Stormer Ho¡¯s Honeb] has been released. Kang Shin-hyuk jumped back and immediately whispered to Shin Eunah and ire. He utilized the group message feature that allowed messages to be sent to multiple people at once. -An irregr emissive gate just urred! I think it¡¯s the same trick as before. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: There too? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Just how many gates are these crazy assholes going to create?! It seemed that there wasn¡¯t only one gate to deal with. The situation was turning into a real mess. Even with Shin Eunah, there was no sign of the turmoil subsiding. -Is it Jormungand? -Eunah¡¯s whisper: No, probably not. They don¡¯t move so clumsily. It¡¯s probably an organization connected to Jormungand. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Is the irregr gate generator such an easy thing to handle? Maybe the technology wasn¡¯t perfect yet, so they deliberately gave prototypes to these guys. They must not have been able to create such objects at will, however. Otherwise, the governments of each country would¡¯ve already copsed. -You¡¯ve taken lower strength, agility, and stamina potions. For 30 minutes, each status will increase by one level. In preparation for the emergency about to happen, Kang Shin-hyuk purchased and drank three status-boosting potions from the Hero Universe. ¡®With this, my strength and stamina are A+ rank. My agility is S-rank thanks to the Venom Princess Soul.¡¯His spiritual power was also A+ rank, and his regeneration was B+. Considering his abilities, he was easily a top-level A+ rank superhuman. Unfortunately, however, the gate in front of him was A+ rank, as well. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Hold on, I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can. -It¡¯s okay, I think I¡¯ll manage it somehow. Kang Shin-hyuk took in a deep breath and extended his hands forward. The gate was increasing in size, and now he could hear a slight buzzing sound. ¡°Believe in yourself¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk procured another potion. It was an intermediate spiritual recovery potion, one he could now purchase than when he unlocked the second liberation of his past life. He opened the lid and drank it, manipting the Venom Princess Soul on his right hand to shoot out spider webs around the gate. Soon the gate was surrounded by dozens of webs, shining translucent around it. He kept infusing spiritual power into the Venom Princess Soul as he fired out webs and drank potions to keep it going. By the time his work was done, the Iron Stormer Hos were rushing out of the gates. -Kiiii! It was immediately caught in the spider web, letting out a terrible scream as it was killed by the toxic webs. The webs sagged slightly under its weight, but the floor and walls supporting the web stood strong. They had been reinforced by the magic Shin Eunah had cast earlier to keep the building intact. -You¡¯ve suppressed a monster that is harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 20,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you receive an additional HP bonus equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 30,000HP! -The [Iron Stormer Ho¡¯s Stinger] has been retrieved to the inventory by the automatic routing function. ¡°Alright, it works.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled happily at the sight of the huge waspying lifeless in the webs. Since it was an A+ ss irregr gate, he was worried the durability of the monster would exceed his spider web, but it worked out. It was probably thanks to the venomous nature of the web that was increased by its special abilities. No doubt, the 10% bonus to equipment stored in the equipment slots he unlocked through the VIP roulette had increased it further, as well as the bonus 30% from his login bonus. With all of that, it would be weird if he couldn¡¯t kill the enemy. -Kiiii! -Kyaaak! -You¡¯ve suppressed a monster that is harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 21,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you receive an additional HP bonus equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 31,500HP! -You¡¯ve suppressed a monster that is harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 20,000HP¡­. Wasps flowed out of the gate only to be ripped apart by the spider webs, unaware of the fate that awaited them. As he watched, Kang Shin-hyuk could feel something approaching from behind him and fired off a lightning web. ¡°Kuhhh!¡± The thread pierced the abdomen of the man who was trying to ambush him from behind. Kang Shin-hyuk clicked his tongue and tied him up in a spider web. He probably had seriously injured the man, and he wondered if he might die from the shock of the web. ¡®Was that too severe¡­? No, they¡¯re the ones who released these gates around civilians¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk felt no pleasure in killing, and he had no intention of killing people if he could help it. However, after seeing them make these gates, his hands naturally moved on their own. He wondered if it would be better to kill them so it wouldn¡¯t happen again. ¡®I need to make up my mind¡­this will bemon in the future.¡¯Another vibration ran through the building as his heart wavered. Parts of the ceiling began to rain down as the roar of a terrible monster rang out. Shortly after, shing lights filled the building. Shin Eunah was already taking care of it. ¡®It must be a tremendous monster over there to damage the barrier she put up.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk fired off more webs to reinforce his own trap. ¡°There¡¯s a gate here too! I will¡­ what?!¡± As he repaired the web, a woman in the same uniform as Kang Shin-hyuk ran up. Unlike his clothes that were still clean as he kept the enemies at a distance with his webs, hers were stained with blood. ¡°Are you a member of the task force?! I¡¯ve never seen you before¡­! No, this isn¡¯t the time! The gate¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°What is that¡­kh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk caught her as she tried to approach the gate. She realized almost toote that a sharp thread was running right across her nose. Immediately after that, the gate vibrated loudly and spat out dozens of the hos at once. -Kiiii! -Kyaaah! -You¡¯ve suppressed several monsters that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 457,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you receive an additional HP bonus equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 685,500HP! All of them were cut apart by the webs around the gate. ¡°What skill is that¡­ no, an artifact? With my energy, I could get it to A-rank, but could I kill such a monster so easily?¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gestured to her to keep quiet and pulled out another spiritual power recovery potion. He drank it right away and continued to cover the area around the gate with spider webs. ¡°I am Shin Eun-hyuk, a member working directly under the head. You can leave this to me. It¡¯s dangerous, so don¡¯t approach the gate.¡± ¡°Ah, ah, yes! Is that right, under the chief¡­ Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± That¡¯s right; if the name were so simr to Shin Eunah¡¯s, then, of course, people would notice! He cursed his foolish senior. ¡°Do you happen to be her secret younger brother?!¡± ¡°I cannot afford to talk right now. Please focus on rescuing civilians.¡± ¡°All civilians have been evacuated, and most of the enemies have been subdued. All that remains is the gate!¡± ¡°I will assist¡­ what?!¡± As he tried to get rid of the association member, another showed up. It was a man in his thirties, wearing the same task force uniform. He also showed amazement at Kang Shin-hyuk and the spider web around the gate. The woman ran over to him quickly. ¡°Senior, did you hear? This person is moving under the direct control of the chief. His name is Shin Eun-hyuk!¡± ¡°Someone moving apart from the group¡­ no, his name is Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± When would this stupid skit end? Kang Shin-hyuk felt like hiding in a hole. However, even in the midst of that, his web trap was grinding up the wasps that showed up. His HP had already umted in the ten million range. ¡°You can install traps like these every time? It makes emissive gates a walk in the park.¡± ¡°Traps like these were researched in the early days, but it wasn¡¯t cost-effective. How the hell¡­?¡± It was because he could infinitely create spider webs so long as he had the energy. However, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t answer honestly, so he just shrugged and avoided their eyes. -The boss monster will appear soon. ¡°We can talk afterward.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the chief would debut her secret younger brother like this¡­¡± The two¡¯s suspicions were halted as the Gaia system alerted them that the boss monster would soon appear. Kang Shin-hyuk held his breath as he looked at the gate. The webs might help, but they wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop a boss monster. -Kiiii! Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed his right hand the moment the huge queen wasp emerged through the gate. The webs around the gate contracted all at once to wrap around her. -Kyaaaah! ¡°You can even do long-distance control?!¡± ¡°I want one too!¡± Surely there must be others within the Superhuman Association who had the same interests as he did in junior high. The hundreds of webs began to glow green as they poisoned the queen wasp. Chapter 98 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (7) Chapter 98 Death Doll History Shin Eun-hyuk (7) -Kyaaaaaaaah! The queen wasp reacted violently, vibrating its wings at a frightening speed as it sttered poison around. Kang Shin-hyuk stepped back, defending the two task force members just in time. ¡°Are you okay?! It¡¯s on your face!¡± ¡°Kh¡­no problem.¡± The poison spattered on his clothes and face, melting his skin with a crackling noise, but it didn¡¯tst long. He had trained his resist poison (SS+) up to A-rank thanks to the administrator¡¯s advice. If he was afraid of poison in the first ce, he never would have thought of making a weapon with it. -Chiik¡­ His poison resistance was showing off its excellent skill. The poison was ridiculously toxic, but he was able to fend it off. His regeneration cleared up the remaining wounds. ¡®Just a little sshed on me and did that. What about the Queen Wasp?¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deepugh as he looked at the monster. It was still fluttering around viciously, but the venom was already worming its way deeper into its body to weaken it. It was already checkmated as soon as he had set up the webs around the gate. However, amid its struggle, it began to fire off wind des. ¡°A boss monster that uses the wind property! Senior, we must also fight!¡± ¡°We will help out.¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk touched his wrist and responded coldly. ¡°I told you to leave this to me.¡± He was confident it would drop an item that would help him; he couldn¡¯t make any concessions to the task force. Moreover, it was almost already dead from poison. Contrary to his intentions, however, the members of the association viewed his standoffish demeanor as even cooler. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°¡­This is a guy who can see through to S-rank!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ignored them and pulled out ten threads. The queen wasp fired off a de of wind at him. ¡°Kh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes shed as he put both his hands forward. The ten threads shed out, cutting through the wind des to reach the queen wasp¡¯s body. -Kyaaaah! The pained screams of the queen wasp filled the building. Originally, its body wasn¡¯t so fragile as to be cut by such an attack, but the poison weakened it. Blood began to flow out from the boss as it was struck by threads filled with lightning and poison. -Kiiiiiii! ¡°Come on!¡± The queen¡¯s wings beat more intensely as the queen gave in to anger, giving up all thought of saving herself to kill her foe. A whirlwind of green light began to well up around its wings. ¡°That¡¯s a strong monster, be careful!¡± ¡°Jormungand¡­¡± ¡°When the hell is the chiefing?!¡± ¡®She¡¯s probably not.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled to himself as he prepared to stop the queen. The other gates were still being stabilized by her and ire, no doubt. She was trusting in Kang Shin-hyuk to deal with this one. ¡®Because this is my debut.¡¯The purpose of today was for him to stand out and gather attention. Shin Eunah could¡¯ve dealt with this monster instantly with her ability, but that would go against their n. She was clearing the way for Kang Shin-hyuk to stand out as much as possible. ¡®But it¡¯s a good opportunity. I was lucky.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out a marble from his inventory. It was the golden-colored bead, which pulsed in tune with his own heart. -Kiiii? The queen wasp also seemed to sense the bead¡¯s energy, but it didn¡¯t stop gathering the green wind around it. Now, it looked like a small typhoon was forming around it, hiding the figure of the queen wasp. It was aiming right at him. ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s do this right.¡¯He bent his knees, preparing himself to rush forward. His eyes glowed goldenly and resonated with the bead in his hand. He could feel a cool breeze wrap around him. ¡®This will be enough to boost Wind Mastery.¡¯He held the Shinfeng orb in his hand. When he restored it, he knew nothing about it other than it produced spiritual power, but he knew that couldn¡¯t be all of it. He had a chance to study it in Gromas with his seniors¡¯ help, and thanks to that, he was able to gather a lot of information about it. His emotion skill had grown rapidly at that time, too, helping him in learning about it. God Wind, or The Wind of God. The Shinfeng orb was an object that symbolizes the endless flow of wind. That is why it produced a seemingly infinite spiritual power. It was a supreme treasure that symbolized the wind attribute. It went without saying that it went well with his [Wind Mastery (A-)] skill. As a result of experimenting with it, the power of his Wind Mastery could greatly increase just by holding it in his hand. It would even increase his wind resistance. The Wind Mastery skill itself was a skill that simultaneously covered the ability to attack with wind and resist wind. In other words, with Wind Mastery, he had no need to learn to Resist Wind. ¡°You¡¯re going to rush that?!¡± ¡°Step back.¡± ¡°No, what is with that posture? You can¡¯t hit it!¡± ¡°¡­Whoo.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shot off the floor, subtly faster than the queen wasp couldplete her skill. He was reading the flow of mana around her, finding the moment to strike. The queen wasp rushed to meet him angrily, the typhoon of wind around her. Kang Shin-hyuk was sucked into the wind as the two collided. -Kyaaaah! The queen wasp let out a cry of victory too soon, as a secondter, Kang Shin-hyuk pushed out through the wind. His body was covered in wounds from the wind. Even with his skill and the orb, the boss monster¡¯s skill couldn¡¯t be overlooked. But in the end, even the queen¡¯s special attack had failed. ¡°Break.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his fists and crossed them in front of his chest. Ten threads were pulled tightly toward him. The ends of the webs were in the green whirlwind, wrapping around the queen wasp. The whirlwind did not stop, however, as they held the wasp down. -Kyaaaaaaah! ¡°Give up¡­!¡± He clenched his teeth and pulled his fists forward. Golden energy ran across the strands of the webs as he poured his spiritual power out into it. ¡°¡­.Grrraaaah!¡± The sound of his yelling was lost in the wind. He kept pulling, and soon an eerie sound cut through the wind. It wasn¡¯t the sound of his threads breaking, however. -Kyaaaaaah! It was the terrible death screams of the queen wasp. The wind scattered, and Kang Shin-hyuk felt his threads fall to the ground. They were wrapped around the stinger of the queen wasp, which was over a meter long. ¡°You pulled the stinger out of a living boss monster?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we haven¡¯t even done!¡± Even the task force members, who dealt with monsters almost daily, were astonished by him. ¡°Good.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and quickly stowed the stinger in his inventory. -Kyaaaaah! The queen wasp moved violently. She had lost her stinger and was slowly sumbing to poison. Her wide-openpound eyes shed with a will to live as she still went after Shin-hyuk. However, the distance between them was too wide. His wounds had already healed from his regeneration ability, and his consumed spiritual power was being supplemented by the wind orb in his hand. ¡®Although I can¡¯t use it to recover in the middle of a battle yet.¡¯The orb hadn¡¯t fully recovered, either. However, given that the opponent was a monster that dealt with wind, it was immeasurably useful this time. ¡°Let¡¯s finish it now.¡± -Shaaaaaaah! The queen wasp rushed him, unable to even summon a de of wind. Kang Shin-hyuk lifted his left hand¡¯s index finger and waved it in the air with a smile. He poured all of his remaining spiritual power into a single strand, reinforcing it with his trait. -Kii A golden strand that shone bright lightning split the queen wasp in half. Chapter 99 Beginning of Summer (1) Chapter 99 Beginning of Summer (1) -You¡¯ve suppressed a monster that is harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 780,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you receive an additional HP bonus equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 1,170,000HP! -The proficiency of Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance has increased. Wind Mastery has grown to the C+ Rank. Resist Poison has grown to the A-rank. Several lines of messages appeared before Kang Shin-hyuk at the moment he ended the queen wasp¡¯s life. He had gained tens of millions of HP in the process, so the HP gain wasn¡¯t too impressive to him, but his skill growth was huge. Suppressing a gate that was of a higher rank probably had a big impact on his skill increases. -The irregr gate will disappear. You received [Queen Wasp¡¯s Wing Bracelet (S-)]! ¡°Wow?!¡± There was a huge gap between artifacts found in gates, known as natural artifacts, and ones made by modern artisans, known as artificial artifacts. Natural artifacts were difficult to obtain but often had great abilities. However, it didn¡¯t matter what the gate¡¯s level was, and it required luck to obtain one. Because of that, they were also very expensive. Although, Kang Shin-hyuk had found out that there were plenty of artisans in the Hero Universe who could make objects that rivaled and even surpassed natural artifacts. ¡®Odd.¡¯This was the first time he had directly obtained a natural artifact, even considering his past life. It was also an S-rank artifact, which meant that the boss monster was S-rank. He took a moment to appreciate the fact that his web trap had actually worked. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing it was collected directly into my inventory through the routing function too.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as he turned to face the members of the task force who were watching him with wide-open eyes. If they had seen the wing bracelet appearing in ce of the gate, there would have been an uproar. -That¡¯s right. All features provided by the Hero Universe are immensely useful. ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s a lot of things I want to say about that, but this time it worked out, so I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh of relief as he checked what he had gathered. At a nce, it seemed like the boss had also dropped a skill stone. It was unfortunate that they tried to hurt innocent people by summoning an irregr gate, but the results hadn¡¯t gone in their favor. He almost felt like he needed to thank them for the gifts he had received. ¡°Thest gate has disappeared!¡± ¡°He must be a superhuman who belongs to the association.¡± ¡°Must be a ranker. No monsters were able to get out of that gate!¡± As the situation began to calm down, more and more eyes began to focus on him. Maybe this was nned by Shin Eunah as well? He sighed and turned his head; Shin Eunah met his gaze from across the banquet hall. She had a warm smile on her lips for just a moment before her usual cold expression returned. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It was hard but good work. When you get a chance, take off and return. I¡¯ll take care of the rest and ask for the officials to continue with the award ceremony. -You want to continue the award ceremony after that?! Was thispetition that big of a deal? Of course, the Superhuman Association had responded immediately and prevented civilian casualties, but it was still surprising. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It has to be shown that this kind of terrorism won¡¯t work. -That¡¯s why¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk sent a message to say that he understood and looked around. Most of the people were trying to talk to him from a distance, unable to reach him, but members of the task force were approaching him to talk. ¡°Wow, who are you? I know we have a few domestic S rank superhumans, but I¡¯ve never seen someone with such attack-specific traits before.¡± ¡°There must be a reason Shin Eunah hid it¡­but why today? Shin Eun-hyuk, if it¡¯s okay, won¡¯t you talk with us?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What could he do in this situation? Members of the Superhuman Association were paying attention to him, not ordinary people. -First of all, why don¡¯t you enter My Room to change your clothes? ¡®But I¡¯ll be caught if I return here.¡¯ -I¡¯ll offer some administrator service to manipte the coordinates. The Hero Universe was the best. ¡°He¡¯s gone?!¡± ¡°He even had a space-rted ability?¡± ¡°The younger brother of the Empress¡­ she¡¯s his sister, right?¡± Amid the crowd, an unassuming Kang Shin-hyuk returned wearing his school uniform, thanks to the administrator¡¯s assistance. He let out a sigh as he stretched against the back of a pir but soon felt a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Junior, if you¡¯re going to do something fun like that, you should let me know.¡± ¡°Shh.¡± It was Lee Na-hee. ¡°What was with that poisonous web? It looked way stronger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk whistled innocently and pretended not to know Lee Na-hee. She giggled and pped his shoulder. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to talk about¡­? Anyway, I¡¯m d that my senior is also safe.¡± ¡°Huh, your clothes are surprisingly clean for this mess.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He changed into his work uniform as soon as the attack urred, so his uniform remained neat without a hint of dust. If he stood in front of people now, it would only look out of ce. He busied himself, disheveling his outfit. ¡°How about now?¡± ¡°Still feels unnatural, but it¡¯s better. Now let¡¯s go. They say we have to continue with the awards ceremony.¡± ¡°I heard.¡± ¡°Ho, from whom?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve no idea what you mean.¡± Lee Na-hee tried to make fun of him a bit more but eventually quieted as they went on. ¡°Are there any officials from Shinyoung? Oh, this way!¡± ¡°We will restart the event in five minutes! If you are feeling unwell, pleasee to the lounge!¡± ¡°We apologize for the inconvenience. As an apology, we will be offering dinner at the hotel restaurant on the 30th floor afterward¡­¡± The hotel didn¡¯t suffer much damage thanks to Shin Eunah¡¯s rapid response, despite the terrible attack. The staff was cooperating with the association to restore the banquet hall to order and return the exhibits back to where they were. They were quick to protect the artifacts, so nothing was lost. ¡°The Korean branch of the association is really excellent. Some minor injuries, but no casualties.¡± ¡°What was that irregr gate? This year¡¯s World Superhuman Conference will be noisy.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t wait for the conference. We need to take measures now.¡± ¡°Everyone, please take a seat! The ceremony will resume soon!¡± The contest hall was bustling once more. It was hard to imagine after they had just been attacked, but this crazy superhuman society was one that Kang Shin-hyuk was now a part of. ¡°In this World Rookies Creator Contest¡­¡± -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It¡¯s been sessful. A photo of you has already been posted. -Damn it¡­ Shin Eunah and Kang Shin-hyuk were whispering as the moderator pushed on with the ceremonies. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Now, no matter where or how you work, it¡¯ll be fine. -Is it really okay? I just wanted to enter gates, not be an employee of the association¡­ -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Grandpa¡­no, my junior, trust me. There won¡¯t be a problem at all¡­hm? -What? -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Why is everyone saying that my grandpa is actually my brother?! -Because you picked a name that was too simr to your own! Shin Eunah¡¯s reaction was more surprising than the misunderstanding. Kang Shin-hyuk contacted ire next, who was quick to respond. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I was watching a video on my phone. -What sort of video? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: A video of Shin Eun-hyuk, the death puppeteer. -Why is there a video up already?! ¡®What the hell was going on in the Inte world right now?! Who filmed it?!¡¯He wanted to find out who did and throttle them, but he had to ept the grand prize before he could. -Shinyoung Artifact Creation club 2nd year Lee Na-hee and 1st year Kang Shin-hyuk, pleasee up!¡± Despite all that had happened, attention was still focused on Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee. They could feel the heat of the gazes around them as they moved forward, especially those on the beautiful Lee Na-hee. ¡°Really made by two people¡­a B-rank artifact!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to watch them going forward, they¡¯ll be stars in the production field.¡± ¡°I heard that she¡¯s the Great Chief¡¯s granddaughter, and he¡¯s a disciple.¡± ¡°Ha! Amazing!¡± ¡°The irregr gates, that death puppeteer guy, and now this team. Things will be interesting.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried not to flinch away from the noise he heard around him. He felt like crying every time he heard the name ¡®Death Puppeteer,¡¯ but managed to soldier on. One day, he would find the person who came up with that name and kill them. Lee Na-hee wasughing beside him. ¡°Haahaha.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Tworge photos of Kang Shin-hyuk showed up in the newspaper the following day. One telling the story of the new S-rank superhuman that belongs to the Superhuman Association, and the other, the team who created a B-rank artifact. Shin Eunah cut out Lee Na-hee from the picture but kept the rest of it. Chapter 100 Beginning of Summer (2) Chapter 100 Beginning of Summer (2) Originally, Shinyoung didn¡¯t pay much mind to the World Rookies Creator Contest. It simply had nothing to do with Shinyoung, who didn¡¯t focus on fostering superhumans in the production field. Lee Manwoo had handled things quietly, waiting, and watching with the feeling that something exciting would happen. And it did. There was a terrorist incident at the 5-star hotel in the Choin Shopping Center where the contest was held. Thanks to that, rumors that Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee had participated in the contest and won the grand prize attracted a lot of attention. ¡°It¡¯s scary. To think they¡¯d be so bold to attack a ce like that.¡± ¡°I heard Shinyoung participated in the contest this year. I¡¯m d everyone returned safely.¡± ¡°It was Lee Na-hee and Kang Shin-hyuk, right? It¡¯s surprising that the Rookie King took part, but isn¡¯t Lee Na-hee the granddaughter of Lee Manwoo?¡± It was Saturday in the faculty office for the Department of Magic. It was a busy day for the teachers despite it being a holiday due to the terrorist attack that had just urred in the middle of Seoul yesterday. Most of the teachers had gathered as a result, watching the news of the event. ¡°Goodness.¡± ¡°Oh, Lee Manwoo!¡± Lee Manwoo had appeared before the morning check-up began. Even though he was a teacher at this school, the teachers had never seen him in the office before. They greeted him with amazement and joy as he entered. ¡°Congrattions on your granddaughter winning the grand prize!¡± ¡°I knew that kid was talented!¡± The reason Shinyoung didn¡¯t pay attention to the contest was that they weren¡¯t at a stage where they could y an active part, instead of focusing their resources on training the new generation of superhumans, not to disparage its value. All superhumans wanted to have good equipment, and they needed connections with craftsmen for that. The Alchemist ire Boyle had be renowned through winning the contest, and those at Shinyoung were very excited to make a good impression with Lee Na-hee, who was in a simr position now. ¡°Well¡­¡± Lee Manwoo responded with scorn, seeing through their intentions. The long sword was a productpleted by both students, and the article said as much. Nevertheless, Kang Shin-hyuk naturally took a lesser role to Lee Na-hee. Why did they ignore Kang Shin-hyuk? The reason was obvious. It had to do with how they had treated him originally when he was just a student who didn¡¯t have mana. ¡°I¡¯m here about the club.¡± Lee Manwoo intentionally didn¡¯t say anything about it, however. He couldn¡¯t hide Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability, so they would notice when the right time came, anyway. It would just be more troublesome to talk about it by himself. ¡°Oh, the Artifact Creation Club! Don¡¯t worry, the club that took the grand prize cannot be destroyed!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t ignore proper procedures. Who do I submit the form to?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The teachers¡¯ helped Lee Manwooplete the forms to reinstate the club. With this, Kang Shin-hyuk would be able to practice metallurgy more freely. He had sessfully cleared the condition he had set when he first joined the club. ¡°Mr. Lee Manwoo, are you sure you want to start your activities back up?¡± One of the teachers approached him. Everyone in the faculty office looked at him, eyes shining as if they all wanted to ask that. Most of the teachers at Shinyoung didn¡¯t actually know why he was a teacher there. Everyone knew of his reputation as the legendary Great Chief, who was once the president of the Superhuman Association, but not why he had be a teacher. ¡°¡­No, I have no intention of holding the hammer myself.¡± It took him a moment to think about it, but he finally responded with conviction. They thought he only started the club back up because of his precious granddaughter. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± ¡°But, Lee Manwoo, it may be presumptuous, but your talent is too much to be left behind¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Lee Manwoo wanted tough. There was a time when he was convinced his talent was the best in the world. ¡®Everyone will be surprised soon enough.¡¯After graduating from Shinyoung, Kang Shin-hyuk would be one of the best artifact creators in the world. The contest was just the start. Lee Manwoo wasmitted to ensuring his path forward was clear; the same path he had once walked. He no longer had confidence in himself being the best, but he could lead Kang Shin-hyuk to that peak. To add one more personal wish to that, he also wanted Lee Na-hee to stand next to him at that time. ¡®It seems possible. After meeting him, she seemed a little despondent, but now¡­¡¯If only his granddaughter could act a little more honestly, their rtionship would progress faster. *** -As today¡¯s log in bonus, you¡¯ve received a buff to status increases! For two days, the growth rate of all stats will increase by 50%! [Lee Na-hee: Junior!] On that same Saturday morning, Kang Shin-hyuk was working hard in the training room attached to his bedroom after receiving a buff to his growth rate. He was pushing his body hard to try and raise his status. [Lee Na-hee: Let¡¯s work together in the afternoon.] However, a call from Lee Na-hee came in when he was about to take a break after three hours of training. He had been receiving messages all day since winning the grand prize the other day, so it was a nice change of pace. [Feeling active today?] [Lee Na-hee: You made an artifact without telling me. I want to make better artifacts too. We¡¯ll make something even stronger, so cooperate with me.] [I didn¡¯t realize you were the type to work so hard.] [Lee Na-hee: No, not really.] [Lee Na-hee: Just¡­] [Just?] [Lee Na-hee: Anyway, let¡¯s workter. Be prepared!] [I have other things to do tonight.] [Lee Na-hee: Going to see an alchemist?] She hit the nail on the head. They didn¡¯t have time to meet up yesterday, given all that had happened, but she promised to feed him if he won. [Lee Na-hee: Then let me join too.] [No, why?!] [Lee Na-hee: I also want to meet the Alchemist.] [There¡¯s no way¡­] There was a good chance Shin Eunah would be there as well, but he did owe Lee Na-hee. With a sigh, he made up his mind. [Wait a second.] He couldn¡¯t refuse now that Lee Na-hee knew about his association activities. He expected ire would refuse anyway, so he could tell her that. [Bartender sister: Um, okay!] [Why?!] ire agreed without hesitation. [Bartender sister: I¡¯m curious about how you¡¯re doing at school. Besides, it¡¯s a chance to celebrate! Since she helped you make it, it¡¯s not strange to invite her along.] [If you¡¯re curious about my school life, I can tell you!] [Bartender sister: No, it¡¯spletely different to hear about it from someone else. And¡­] [And?] [Bartender sister: Anyway, make sure to bring her! No, we¡¯ll be gathering in your room, so bring her to your room.] In the end, she asked him to bring Lee Na-hee. His only way of escape had vanished, so he replied to Lee Na-hee with a sigh. [Lee Na-hee: Is that right? It must¡¯ve been that woman.] [What? What do you mean?] [Lee Na-hee: You don¡¯t need to know.] [Isn¡¯t that rude?] [Lee Na-hee: Hm? What do you mean, Mr. Death Puppeteer?] [Ah.] After chatting a bit more, he agreed to meet with her in the club room and stood up. He would still have some time to spare even after washing up and eating lunch, but he had something he needed to do first. ¡°It¡¯s time to check the loot.¡± -Myu! Onyx, who had been sitting in a corner while he trained, rushed over at the idea of food. ¡°Wait. We need to see if you can eat it first.¡± The Hero Universe¡¯s automatic routing function had already collected and sorted the loot from yesterday, so he hadn¡¯t actually looked at it yet. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He took out the stinger first. It was part of the ones left behind by the lesser wasps that were killed by the web. ¡°Can you eat this?¡± -Myu¡­? Myu! Onyx examined it only for a brief moment before rushing to devour it. He had no need to worry about poison; he was better at resisting it than Kang Shin-hyuk. -Myuuuuu! ¡°Is it delicious?¡± -Myuuuuu! ¡°I won¡¯t give you the queen¡¯s stinger though.¡± -Myu¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk offered him a few lesser stingers before pulling out the three core items he had received. The skill stone, the stinger of the queen wasp, and the wing bracelet. He hoped to collect the wings that summoned that powerful wind, but instead, he had received an artifact. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s crazy.¡± -Myuuu¡­ The loot was good no matter what he looked at. ¡°Am I lucky?¡± -People with natural production abilities tend to receive better loot. This is an unknown fact as those with production abilities tend not to fight. ¡°Long live metallurgy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reached out for the skill stone first. It emitted a brilliant green light and was undoubtedly worth a very pretty penny. He intended to learn it himself if possible, however. [Cruel Storm¡¯s Skill Stone] [Rareity: S-rank] [A mana stone containing the ability to create a storm that tears up all enemies around you. There is a minor possibility that if you do not have strong durability, you will be torn apart.] ¡°That¡¯s a fatal drawback!¡± Sometimes that would happen, however. Some skills weren¡¯t suited for humans to learn. It would still sell for a lot, but he felt a bit let down. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need to use it right away.¡± He had the backing of his regeneration, so maybe he could use it someday. He crushed it in his hand, letting his spiritual power wrap around it as it splintered and was absorbed into him. -You¡¯ve absorbed the active skill [Cruel Storm (S-)]. The skill [Wind Mastery (A-)] has absorbed its power and evolved into [Wind Master (S)]! Spiritual power has grown to the S-rank! -You¡¯ve realized the meaning behind using wind. Wind Mastery skill proficiency has grown to the B+ rank! Kang Shin-hyuk sat down as the memories he had forgotten began to flood into him once more with his spiritual power increasing. Chapter 101 Beginning of Summer (3) Chapter 101 Beginning of Summer (3) The first piece of loot had resulted in Kang Shin-hyuk acquiring an S-rank skill, but there were still two pieces left. One of which was the stinger he pulled directly from the queen wasp. It was a fairlyrge object, around 1.2 meters in length, and conical in shape. It almost reminded him of the heavynces used by knights, if only it had a handle. His appraisal informed him that it was A+ rank and highly toxic. Unfortunately, it was almost too big. ¡®A giant would need to wield it¡­ a giant?¡¯Wasn¡¯t there someone who came to mind? That was Do Woojin. Compared to howrge his body became when he activated his trait, it would work out perfectly. ¡®It¡¯s worth asking.¡¯As it was, it couldn¡¯t be properly used. Kang Shin-hyuk trimmed it before putting it away. Now it was time for the final object he had been looking for, the Queen Wasp¡¯s Wing Bracelet that had been the clear gate reward. It was an impressive looking object with translucent wings protruding from both sides around a golden jewel. There was a time Kang Shin-hyuk longed to be a superhuman who found artifacts from gates. Now that he could create his own, that desire had diminished a bit, but it was still exciting for him to finally reach that goal. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± [Queen Wasp¡¯s Wing Bracelet] [S-rank] [Special ability: Queen Wasp¡¯s Flight] *Queen Wasp¡¯s Flight: Summons wind around the desired target and reinforces wind. ¡®What?¡¯He couldn¡¯t help but think that the ability was a bit shabby forpensation from an S-rank boss. Perhaps he just couldn¡¯t read it properly given hisck of ability, but he found no indication of such as he examined the bracelet. However, he finally realized what was going on as he extended his spiritual power out to it. ¡°It¡¯s the power of the Queen Wasp.¡± S-rank but only one ability. The fact that it reinforced wind couldn¡¯t be overlooked. Perhaps this winged bracelet enhanced the cruel storm ability? If so, the result would be vicious, which meant that Kang Shin-hyuk, who now had that ability as well as Wind Mastery, could properly handle this artifact. It was a perfect fit for him. ¡®I¡¯ll have to get used to it. Surely natural artifacts have different personalities than those artificially made.¡¯He slid the bracelet on over his left wrist. He had to master this artifact, especially if he wanted to grow his Wind Mastery skill even further. ¡°Then¡­¡± He still had a bit of time. He sent Do Woojin a message, and a reply came immediately, telling him to head over to ckwood Training Center¡¯s 2nd hall. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but sigh at it, but he might as well get it over with. ¡°Apud our youngest member Kanga Shin-hyuk, who won the grand prize at the Creator Contest!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°You look cool!¡± ¡°Make me a weapon like that too!¡± ¡°Rather than that, what¡¯s your rtionship with Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± Thankfully, he had skipped lunch, as the vice-captain¡¯s (or rather, now the captain¡¯s) faction had prepared a party for him. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if these people liked to y too much. ¡°Drink!¡± ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t this alcohol?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Karen¡¯s cheeks were flushed as she approached him with a drink in hand. When Kang Shin-hyuk responded suspiciously, she let out augh and leaned in close. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Police?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking, it¡¯s non-alcoholic.¡± In fact, it was really non-alcoholic. Then why was Karen so excited? As he stared at her, she smiled. ¡°In fact, I have someone I like.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Okay. Do your best.¡± ¡°Ask me who it is!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt something ominous awaiting him. He tried to flee, but everyone around them looked away. ¡°You were there yesterday too, the contest awards ceremony.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± That oppressive feeling of doom amplified. ¡°I met the man of my destiny there! He¡¯s my perfect ideal in terms of ability, appearance, and even the way he talks! Aren¡¯t you curious who it is?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a picture of him in the newspaper! Shin Eun-hyuk, from the Superhuman Association Special Task Force! Do you not know about him? Please! Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re close to Shin Eunah! Please introduce me somehow!¡± Only then did Kang Shin-hyuk realize why Karen had approached him. He pushed her away, saying he knew nothing. Eleanor was looking at him strangely. ¡°Senior Eleanor, don¡¯t look that way. Please help me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cause and effect, I think.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Did she notice? No, for sure, Eleanor, who had been devoted to martial arts for as long as she was, would be able to recognize the moves on an opponent she had confronted several times. Even if he did cover his face and change up his tactics a bit. Eleanor smiled at the range of emotions warring on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face, her eyes conveying one silent message to him. ¡®I know.¡¯ He nodded back to her, and she finally approached with a satisfied look to pull Karen away from him. ¡°Stop bullying, Shin-hyuk doesn¡¯t seem to know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have time to rx either! Didn¡¯t you see Shin-hyuk with Na-hee yesterday? Yeah? Now the captain is being a bit more active now.¡± ¡°Stop, bullying.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey!¡± Who the hell was bullying whom? Eleanor was firmly holding Karen down with cold eyes. Kang Shin-hyuk turned away from the two and retreated, evading the other seniors who came to bug him until he finally found Do Woojin. ¡°You, finally.¡± ¡°What did you want to ask?¡± ¡°I want you to show me your gigantification power, you have time?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not trying some bullshit to learn about individual traits, right?¡± ¡°Of course not. I was wondering if it could be applied to making a weapon.¡± ¡°Weapon¡­¡± Do Woojin nkly nodded at his words. ¡°You?¡± ¡°You were there when I repaired the saddle, remember?¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot because so much happened.¡± Do Woojin mumbled nkly before closing his eyes to think. Before long, he finally nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Oh, good.¡± Shin-hyuk had a negotiation card up his sleeve, but maybe it wouldn¡¯t be necessary. The two of them headed straight away into the training room and shut the door. ¡°Without the help of artifacts, it¡¯s a bit unstable. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­Then.¡± Do Woojin stood still, closing his eyes to concentrate. Kang Shin-hyuk reached out to him with a thread of spiritual power, but Do Woojin didn¡¯t notice it. ¡°Whoo¡­!¡± Before long, a change started to take ce. Do Woojin¡¯s internal mana began to activate and rotate around his body at high speed. It was a momentary and iprehensible change that could only be called the power of a trait. The mana was slowly inting his body as it rotated, drawing a certain magic circle with his body as the paper. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± Do Woojin was nowrge enough to reach the ceiling. The sense of overbearing pressure he emitted was no joke. He¡¯d be pretty reliable at the front of a party. ¡°If you held a weapon in that state, would the weapon also be huge?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. However, unless the weapon is made exclusively for it, it would take time.¡± ¡°Could you show me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Do Woojin nodded and grabbed a nearby training sword. The sword underwent a simr process, slowly growing in size as well. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± It was a great ability, after all. ¡°There, that¡¯s all I can do.¡± ¡°Could you keep it as it is?¡± ¡°That would be difficult.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too conscious of it? It seems to be triggering naturally right now. It doesn¡¯t seem to be something you need to control too much.¡± ¡°What? You¡­¡± Do Woojin let go of his ability, shrinking back to normal size as he nced at Shin-hyuk. ¡°I think I learned something.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t some kung-fu movie. You aren¡¯t going to evolve just because of that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, I just roughly know how to try what I¡¯m going to do¡­¡± Do Woojin let out a sigh and scratched at his head. ¡°Damn, I wanted to erase my debt, but why is it like this?¡± ¡°Debt?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit refreshed as he watched Do Woojin left. At the beginning of the semester, he was a youth with a ratherrge ego. But now it felt like he had matured a bit. Was it because he met Shin-hyuk? He didn¡¯t know, but he supposed it didn¡¯t really matter either. He had achieved his purpose in meeting with him, and now he was convinced he could create a giant artifact. ¡°But first, materials.¡± -Don¡¯t you have an appointment before that?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk began to move urgently at the administrator¡¯s words. No doubt Lee Na-hee was already waiting in the club room. ¡­How could he have known the Thunder Empress was as well? Chapter 102 Beginning of Summer (4) Chapter 102 Beginning of Summer (4) Kang Shin-hyuk felt a chill permeate all over him as soon as he opened the door into the club room. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had entered an irregr gate instead, but he didn¡¯t. It was just that Shin Eunah was standing right in front of him. Lee Na-hee was there as well, standing bravely against Shin Eunah though her legs were trembling. Kang Shin-hyuk himself was barely able to open his mouth against the pressure he felt. ¡°Well¡­ senior, what the hell?¡± ¡°I was told you would be working before dinner, so I came to see.¡± ¡°Hey, how can this person¡­¡± The two responded at the same time, then turned to stare at each other once more. Well, that was to be expected. He did call both of them senior, he supposed. Shin Eunah spoke up again, her gaze unmoving from Lee Na-hee. ¡°I heard that this kid is an enchanter. Were you about to do your usual work together?¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± ¡°Do you need an enchanter? The contest wasn¡¯t goodpared to your usual skills.¡± ¡°Urgh?!¡± Shin Eunah boldly attacked Lee Na-hee, who knew that the longsword wasn¡¯t Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s best work. She was quick to recover and refute it, however. ¡°We made it when we first met and didn¡¯t know each other well, but now we fit each other! Hey, junior, show it to this person! That!¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­ yes? What is it?¡± After a moment of confusion, he gently produced the Lightning Spider Web they had made together to Shin Eunah. He wondered why these two were fighting. Shin Eunah looked at the shimmering gold-colored threads, letting out a small exmation. ¡°Pretty¡­! That¡¯s¡­ yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why she knew you¡¯re Shin Eun-hyuk¡­¡± He began to grow very worried about what sort of conversation they were having before he arrived. ¡°As expected of grandpa, it¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Shin Eunah let out that child-like statement before she realized that they weren¡¯t alone. Her face immediately hardened, but Lee Na-hee said nothing and only stared at her. Shin Eunah avoided her gaze and tried to counterattack. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a delicate enchantment technique, but it¡¯s also clear that my junior can make better things without enchanting. As evidence¡­¡± Shin Eunah stared at Kang Shin-hyuk until he produced the Venom Princess Soul. Now it was Lee Na-hee¡¯s turn to be amazed. ¡°Ugh, were you wearing this yesterday? What is this scam¡­ A+ rank, how¡¯d you do it?¡± ¡°It was thanks to the creation of the lightning web I was able to figure it out, and the materials were great.¡± ¡°If A+ rank artifacts could be created just because of good materials, all of the high-rankers would have more artifacts than they knew what to do with!¡± Shin Eunah had a cruel smile as she watched Lee Na-hee stomp the ground in frustration and admiration. ¡°After all, you are just a stepping stone for my junior.¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± ¡°Why are you puffing up?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. He had been trying to calm things down and defend Lee Na-hee, but it went poorly. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work. Senior¡­ Lee Na-hee, don¡¯t worry about Shin Eunah. Shin Eunah, stay quiet and don¡¯t interfere with our work.¡± ¡°Junior, your attitude toward me feels so severe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in your head.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ my junior is great.¡± Lee Na-hee proudly made a face at Shin Eunah before turning to Kang Shin-hyuk. It wouldn¡¯t end well if she found out about Shin Eunah¡¯s true face. She had already identally called him grandpa, after all. Shin Eunah quieted down, blushing ashamedly. ¡°Is she your sister?¡± ¡°You really believe that Senior Lee Na-hee?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded to Lee Na-hee as they entered the workshop. ¡°Say it morefortably, like everyone else.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°You could call me sister.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡± In the end, he decided to stop using her surname and call her Na-hee. Strangely, after the prior incident, he felt closer to her. Perhaps it was because of their shared embarrassing tastes from junior high. He didn¡¯t want to continue to grow closer to people because of that. ¡°So, what are you making today?¡± ¡°I was thinking about a throwing weapon I could use as Shin Eun-hyuk, and I just got some good ingredients.¡± ¡°Do you really need one? The thread yesterday covered everything from short to long range.¡± ¡°Of course I need it. The ten strands are fine, but I need a backup that can go further than them just in case.¡± ¡°¡­You look very excited.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without questioning her, Kang Shin-hyuk quietly produced the materials out of his inventory. They were the leftover wasp stingers. The ten centimeter long needle-thin stingers seemed to be made for use in throwing. ¡°This is poisonous, too, right? Maybe instead of the Death Puppeteer, it should be the Spider Puppeteer¡­¡± ¡°Could you not increase my nicknames?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk waved her off and got down to business. He wanted her to engrave two enchantments on the weapons: wind and stealth. ¡°Wind?¡± ¡°Look here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk waved a finger in front of Lee Na-hee¡¯s face, spinning a weak wind around it. Her eyes opened wide. ¡°An attribute?!¡± ¡°In fact, I used it yesterday in handling the thread.¡± No matter his proficiency with weapons, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to control all ten threads without the power of his Wind Mastery. The gloves he had made were practically made to be used with his Wind Mastery. ¡°Not a trait, you must¡¯ve acquired the attribute mastery skill. Incredible. Why do you get all the cool things?¡± ¡°You might get one if you defeat an irregr gate alone too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you keep it.¡± The two started working right away as they chatted. Meanwhile, Shin Eunah was watching from outside the workshop with puffed cheeks. She didn¡¯t like Lee Na-hee getting so close to Shin-hyuk. ¡°Grandpa doesn¡¯t need an enchanter¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s just your thoughts.¡± ¡°Oh, ire.¡± Suddenly, ire appeared behind her. She had shown up after receiving a call from Eunah that said she would be going to the artifact production club. She had shown up one step toote, but it seemed to have worked out. ¡°Couldn¡¯t mess up in front of him?¡± ¡°You act like we¡¯re lovers.¡± ¡°They¡¯re both just kids.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah quietly turned away. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Whatever you said to her, make sure you¡¯re gentle about it.¡± ¡°I just told my junior the truth.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I think that she¡¯s an enchanter who has no reason to be with grandpa.¡± ire¡¯s eyes narrowed, and Shin Eunah was quick to excuse her own actions. ¡°My junior can create perfect artifacts by himself. He needs room to grow.¡± It might certainly seem that way to Shin Eunah, but was that the case? ire shook her head and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re only abat-ss.¡± ¡°¡­It sounds like I don¡¯t understand my juniors.¡± Shin Eunah wasn¡¯t happy that ire seemed to be forming a consensus with Kang Shin-hyuk. She clenched her fists, but ire didn¡¯t back down. ¡°When ites to products, it¡¯s true that you don¡¯t understand. Look.¡± ¡°Oh, um.¡± Shin Eunah followed ire¡¯s gesture, looking at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face as he worked on the stingers. Her expression loosened as she watched him work seriously. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Shin Eunah was now engrossed in watching him work, eliciting a groan from ire. She could certainly understand Shin Eunah¡¯s feelings to an extent. The figure of a person passionately devoted to their work was attractive, after all. Kang Shin-hyuk was especially so. That transcendent concentration that hinted at his reincarnation. ¡®Well, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ire thought about the terrorist incident as she watched him. He manipted those strands of thread freely, cutting down monsters and terrorists alike. She had watched the videos of the event all day long on repeat. ¡®Why is my heart¡­ where did this kid appear from? Why?¡¯If it weren¡¯t for Shin Eunah, she might¡¯ve been thrilled to greet him with a hug as soon as the battle had ended. If only he were three years older. ¡°¡­ire?¡± It was then that she came back to her senses, feeling Shin Eunah¡¯s sharp gaze. ire realized she had been staring at Shin-hyuk as well. ¡°Goodness, look at the time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Before that, I have something I want to ask ire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in your head.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± They waited quietly for Kang Shin-hyuk to finish working in a frozen atmosphere. Chapter 103 Beginning of Summer (5) Chapter 103 Beginning of Summer (5) -You received 1 Roulette Coin for today¡¯s log in bonus! Collect 5 and y the VIP roulette! -For today¡¯s log in bonus, you received an intermediate Spirit Boost Potion! Monday morning was nice and sunny. It was thest week of the first semester at Shinyoung, as well as the week of student council elections. There were almost no sses, so as soon as you showed up for attendance, you were free to do just about anything (except for ck off in your dorm room or leave the school campus). Shinyoung¡¯s tasks for summer vacation were known for being intense, so this one week was the chance for the students to get some rest. ¡°I heard about it from Na-hee.¡± Even Kang Shin-hyuk was feeling the drowsy atmosphere that hade over the school. Karen rushed to him first thing as soon as he arrived. ¡°The Alchemist and the Thunder Empress were here the day before yesterday?¡± ¡°What?¡± It wasn¡¯t Kang Shin-hyuk who responded, but Baek In-ha who was standing next to him. Fortunately, no one else seemed to hear it. ¡°Don¡¯t go around saying that. Although I guess no one would believe it.¡± ¡°I saw the Alchemist talking to you on the contest Friday, and there were some students from our school there. The rumor will spread to everyone in the school.¡± ¡°Why do you like gossip so much¡­¡± ¡°Before that!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as Baek grabbed his shoulders and shook him. ¡°You were rolling around in a flower garden while I was struggling!¡± ¡°I just ate some chicken?¡± Of course, it couldn¡¯t be solved with that. Shin Eunah, Lee Na-hee, and ire were all together with him. It had been so noisy that just remembering it hurt his ears. There was no room for him to intervene, so he quickly ate so he could run away. So he wasn¡¯t lying since he had been blissfully unaware of the three women around him as he focused on eating. ¡°What about Sunday?¡± ¡°I work part-time.¡± Now that he had gotten used to being a bartender, many customers came to the bar for his drinks. Unfortunately, however, the majority of them were women. It was especially difficult when Shin Eunah was around, and they tried to flirt with him. ¡°Work?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s something I started recently. Hey, the teacher¡¯sing in.¡± Siara Bertrand, the homeroom teacher of their ss, entered the room with a big smile. A newspaper was in her hand, not in Korean but in English. However, the picture on the front page was immediately recognizable as it was a picture of Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee. ¡®It really is a world-renownedpetition then.¡¯However, he had learned that by looking at the faces of those gathered in the contest hall. ¡°Students, I have an announcement before we start today.¡± Siara made the students sit down before she showed off the front page of the newspaper. Those who already knew about it quietly nodded, but there were plenty who hadn¡¯t heard and were amazed. ¡°You¡¯re close to Lee Na-hee?!¡± ¡°And Algiers?! I¡¯m jealous!¡± ¡°I heard the Magic Crown ran wild because of that.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t bring that up.¡± The students¡¯ eyes began to bug out when they learned that Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee won the grand prize with a B-rank artifact. ¡°Everyone apud Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± The sound of lifeless apuse echoed throughout the room. Kang Shin-hyuk could understand their feelings. They must have viewed him as living in an entirely different world now. ¡°This year¡¯s Rookie King is incredible.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll create artifacts for his friends¡­¡± ¡°I would rather get friendly with Lee Na-hee.¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± Siara tapped the table in front of her to quiet the students. ¡°This week is when the student council elections will be held. Each candidate and the campaign schedule can be viewed on your sticks. Voting will be conducted on Thursday, with the count and inauguration on Friday. There is also a student in this ss who will be participating. Everyone, make sure to cheer on Baek In-ha.¡± ¡°Woaaaahhhh!¡± ¡°Even if he is rotten, Baek should be elected!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be good for the ss if he joins the student council!¡± Even though Baek had made a bad impression, especially on the girls, his potential still reached the sky. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with the rest of the students to apud Baek. ¡®The whole school would have supported him. He really is incredible¡­¡¯While Shin-hyuk was apuding, he suddenly met Siara¡¯s eyes. He thought it was just an illusion, but then she nodded at him. ¡°That will be all. Student Kang Shin-hyuk, please follow me.¡± The ss was dismissed, and Siara motioned for Shin-hyuk to follow her. They walked down the corridor a bit and, once she had confirmed no one else was around, tapped him gently on the shoulder. ¡°You did really well, Kang Shin-hyuk. To be able to create an artifact at your age is great but thank you for bringing Lee Manwoo back. It¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve seen himugh so brightly.¡± He vaguely remembered her mentioning Lee Manwoo before. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head inquisitively. ¡°Are you personally acquainted with Lee Manwoo?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s not it.¡± She seemed to hesitate for a moment, mumbling to herself before facing him once more. ¡°I¡­ no, France owes him a lot. It had a big impact when he let go of his hammer¡­ I was very sorry to hear about it. So I was surprised to find out he was in Shinyoung.¡± ¡°France.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t sure what France had to do with anything. Wasn¡¯t the World Conference supposed to be held there in the fall? ¡°Did you know that Lee Na-hee¡¯s mother is French?¡± ¡°No, but it makes sense.¡± She did have Western-style features, after all. ¡°His daughter-inw was French, so he became involved with France.¡± ¡°His child was a genius field master who had the potential to surpass him. His workshop was in France¡­¡± ¡°No, this feels like a story I¡¯ve heard before in an odd way.¡± ¡°The story itself is amon tragedy, we don¡¯t need to talk about it.¡± Siara Bertrand nodded with a sigh. Lee Manwoo¡¯s son has been a great craftsman, just like him. Perhaps that was why Lee Na-hee¡­ ¡°¡­Wait, was his wife an enchanter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face stiffened. Siara¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment, as it took her a second to realize she was looking at the same person. His face rxed in the blink of an eye, however, as if it never happened. ¡°You have a great responsibility.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°When we go to France this fall, I¡¯ll invite you over. Please,e y with Lee Na-hee.¡± ¡°Oh, right, you¡¯ll be going to.¡± There was no way they would send the students by themselves, and who better to send to France than a French teacher. ¡°Is Lee Na-hee going to France?¡± ¡°She advanced to the semifinals for the Magic Crown. Did you not know?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± But he was convinced. She was an enchanter with overwhelming skill, no doubt that bled over into herbat abilities as well. ¡°Then, excuse me. You will also be helping Baek In-ha in the election, correct? I was wasting the time of a fairly busy person.¡± She seemed rejuvenated by clearing her mind and left Kang Shin-hyuk, whose heart felt heavy. He could only mutter nkly as he watched her leave. ¡°No, I won¡¯t help you¡­¡± He decided to help out Baek in his campaign, but his help was almost meaningless. On Friday, Baek In-ha had won over 90% of the votes. [Baek In-ha: Wait, I will be in the Royal ss next week.] [Yes, yes. Congrattions. By the way¡­] [Baek In-ha: By the way?] [I¡¯ll be traveling starting next week.] [Baek In-ha: ????] [With a woman.] [Baek In-ha: ?!?!?!] That evening, after Baek In-ha was elected as the vice president of the student council, it was officially the start of vacation. Kang Shin-hyuk was wiping down sses with a dry cloth at the Frontline bar as always. He roughly answered the text that flew in from Baek as he readied himself. It would be opening time soon. ¡°Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ire was wiping down the table next to him, suddenly calling out to him. As he turned to answer, he noticed a cigarette in her mouth. ¡°Do you smoke?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s only chocte. I just wanted to look cool.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had no idea how to respond as she took a bite into the cigarette-shaped chocte. ¡°I used to smoke, but it dulled my senses, so I quit. A superhuman doesn¡¯t need to worry about the toxicity of it, but I wanted to be a pure bartender.¡± ¡°I see. Either way, you look cool.¡± ¡°Right? Doesn¡¯t it look cool?¡± ¡°It depends on who it is.¡± ire let out augh and nodded. ¡°You said you and Eunah were going to a gate?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be testing my abilities in arge dungeon. I n to work earnestly.¡± It was what he had told Baek about. He was nning on pushing himself to the limit. ¡°Well¡­¡± ire was looking at Kang Shin-hyuk as he mentally wandered. She summoned her determination. ¡°Should I go too? I¡¯m anxious about sending you two alone.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I can¡¯t just let my sister take care of me.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m more worried about Eunah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to it.¡± However, she could still be a bit annoying. ire continued to look nervous, however, as she didn¡¯t understand his thoughts. ¡°¡­Okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Besides, it seems like she¡¯s getting better. She seems to be realizing she can¡¯t treat me the same as the Anvil of my previous life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong¡­¡± ire wondered if she should be honest about her thoughts but soon gave up. Instead¡­ ¡°Then suffer. If you make it back safely, your sister will make time for a date during the vacation.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately took the bait, and ire let out a satisfiedugh. ¡°You¡¯ll have to keep it secret.¡± ¡°I¡¯m clumsy at lying.¡± ¡°You seem to be good enough to notice that.¡± She thumped Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s forehead with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s start.¡± The door opened, and the first guest entered. It was the start of a busy summer. Chapter 104 Task Force Secret Weapon (1) Chapter 104 Task Force Secret Weapon (1) It was the first week of vacation, the Monday after the election week. -You drank the Alchemist¡¯s special cocktail potion, ¡®Cindere.¡¯ For the next two hours, movement speed will increase by 50% and attack speed by 20%. -You drank the Alchemist¡¯s special cocktail potion ¡®Golden Medalist.¡¯ For the next two hours, first resistance will increase by 40%, and you have a 10% chance to add a D-rank ice attribute to your attacks. ¡°The taste is delicious¡­and the effect is great.¡± ¡°It is definitely a potion. They¡¯re not expensive for nothing.¡± After finishing up for the night, Kang Shin-hyuk was rewarded with two non-alcoholic cocktails ire had made. She was in the midst of training her own alchemy that converted cocktails into potions, and as a result of working with arge number of customers, she was able to increase her abilities so that theysted for two hours. ¡°I¡¯ll make a few more cups, so put them in your inventory.¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t be that dangerous¡­ that will be enough. Thank you, sister.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was currently disguised as Shin Eun-hyuk, a member of the Superman Association¡¯s Special Task Force, who had yed an active part in the recent incident. ire had a sparkle in her eyes as she examined his gloves and mask. ¡°Perfect¡­ the best!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so excited you¡¯re trembling¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you let me have this?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± It was the reaction he had been expecting. He wondered if she might like it when he was making the lightning spider web. He went ahead and crossed his hands to fire off ten threads into the air, tangling the threads together in the air to form a concrete shape. Soon, the threads molded into something that looked like a huge spear. It was evidence of his growing proficiency with his new weapons. ¡°Ooooh!¡± ¡°Thanks to the growth of Wind Mastery, I can now barely do delicate molding like this¡­ though, it¡¯s not very practical inbat given how difficult it is.¡± It would¡¯ve been better to take out a real spear and throw it instead. ¡°But it¡¯s cool!¡± ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best¡­! Oh, can I take a video?¡± ¡°No.¡± He let go of the skill and brought the threads back into the gloves. At that moment, the door rattled. ¡°Are you ready?¡± it was Shin Eunah, dressed up in the same uniform Kang Shin-hyuk was in. They had agreed to head into the dungeon right away now that summer vacation had started. Shin-hyuk nodded firmly at Shin Eunah, who was clearly motivated. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll be alone, so it¡¯s okay to talk inly.¡± ¡°Eunah, you.¡± ire narrowed her eyes at her obvious intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything weird.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t either!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was perfectly prepared for the two to have a friendly chat, but all of a sudden, it felt rather weird. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start now.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back, sister ire.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ be safe.¡± Shin Eunah grabbed his hand and summoned a gate of fog-like energy in front of them. No, rather, they had been moved to the gate instead, in the blink of an eye. Kang Shin-hyuk looked around, noticing that his surroundings had suddenly changed. ¡°Wow¡­¡± He admired her ability to travel such long distances instantly, and she gleamed at him with pride. ¡°It¡¯s a basic spatio-temporal magic that retraces the coordinates of ces you¡¯ve been to. I can teach it to you.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay.¡± Magic was out of his reach, after all. There was no point in trying, especially not with space-time magic. Besides, space-time magic required tremendous power and skill to even consider using. If you messed up with it, the results wouldn¡¯t be something you couldugh about. Only Shin Eunah had two traits and overwhelming talent, who could use it so casually. ¡°It¡¯s the task force.¡± ¡°A solo mission for the Thunder Empress¡­ no, look¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± People began to shout when they noticed the two who had suddenly appeared in front of the gate. It may have been midnight, but still, crowds of people were hanging out near the gate. There were even food trucks set up for people entering it. ¡°It¡¯s a popr ce.¡± ¡°A lot of people will gather atrge scale ces like this. With this many people around, it bes rtively safe. It¡¯s not a bad idea to gather people around it, assuming the gate will hold up.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The gate they arrived at was [Btos (A+)], famous for being thergest dungeon in Korea. It was located in the valley of Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do. When it had first formed, it put out enough energy that superhumans from China and Japan had prepared to support Korea. People were relieved to find out it was a dungeon, given its high level. Btos itself was renowned for having aplicated internal environment, to the extent that it was like an entirely different world. It was like a small unto itself, with arge variety of environments. As such, the level of monsters that appeared inside varied from F to A-rank. ¡°But it has so many people that it¡¯s difficult to hunt in.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought for a moment, wondering if he was qualified to fight in such a ce where high-rankers gathered. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine to catch monsters to fight one-on-one though.¡± ¡°Huh. Then let¡¯s go in.¡± Shin Eunah easily shook off the attention of those around them and grabbed Kang Shin-hyuk. He took a deep breath while being dragged along by Shin Eunah, feeling the excitement of the superhumans and merchants around them. It felt like he was barely a member of the true superhuman society. ¡®I wasn¡¯t this nervous when fighting against the terrorists¡­ it¡¯s almost funny.¡¯With augh, he followed Shin Eunah through the gate. -You¡¯ve entered the A+ gate, Btos. Just a moment ago, they were standing under the night sky, but beyond the gate was a daytimendscape. Even though it was something he had experienced before, it still felt odd. ¡°Ha.¡± The grasnds before him were crowded with monsters and superhumans. Even though there were too many to be in the same party, they were all at a distance to help each other. The reason as to why was immediately clear, as monsters continuously appeared. They weren¡¯t especially dangerous, however, but rather the superhumans saw them more as a source of money and experience. ¡°It¡¯s like field hunting in a game.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I hate it here.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s voice was filled with disgust as she led Shin-hyuk. Rather, the second he tried to follow her, the scenery around them changed once more as she used her space-time magic to move. ¡°I¡¯ll start with B-rank. Will that be okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± They hade to Btos so that Shin Eunah could evaluate hisbat abilities. Her goal was to have him deal with various monsters in a short period of time to grasp his range and limits, then find a suitable gate for him. ¡°Oh, hey, over there.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ the Empress?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the task force.¡± ¡°Rookie training? With the Empress?¡± ¡°You idiot, keep your voice down!¡± There were fewer superhumans around the B-rank area, but the attention on the two had only increased as a result. ¡°Your first target is the Jet Horn Bunny.¡± ¡°A rabbit with horns, It feels like a ssic.¡± Shin Eunah ignored all of that as she led him, however. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to follow her example in ignoring the unnecessary things. ¡°Try it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked over to the green-horned rabbit the size of a hound. Five strands of a golden web stretched out in no time to wrap around it. -Kyaah! The moment it turned its head towards him, he clenched his fist. The threads shed sharply as they cut through its flesh in an instant. ¡°Well.¡± Shin Eunah seemed impressed as she watched him. The Jet Horn Bunny was famous for its fast reaction speed and its ability to shoot out its horns at threats. It was one of the more difficult opponents among the B-rank monsters, yet he had disposed of it before it had a chance to react. Even without considering his armament, it was a disy of immense skill. ¡°Hmm, sorry, I think I was wrong.¡± Eunah grumbled a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s skip B+ and go straight to rank A. Maybe A+¡­ no, let¡¯s start with A.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out the thread to retrieve the dropped materials and then grabbed Shin Eunah¡¯s hand. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she tried to maintain herposure. They vanished in an instant, leaving only the dismantled body of the Jet Horn Bunny and the other superhumans who were nkly staring. ¡°What is this¡­¡± ¡°Did he really kill it?¡± ¡°Where¡¯d they find such a talent?¡± They started to chat with each other about what they had just seen. One of them was moved so excitedly he identally aggravated another nearby Jet Horn Bunny that had just spawned. Chapter 105 Task Force Secret Weapon (2) Chapter 105 Task Force Secret Weapon (2) Shin Eunah was confident that she had survived more than anyone else in their 20s or 30s, standing on the same battlefield as countless other superhumans. It wasn¡¯t a boast, but merely a fact. However, none of those other superhumans she had seen had ever shown the same performance that Kang Shin-hyuk had now. ¡®He¡¯s already hunting A+ monsters¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s fingers were dancing splendidly in the air, cutting down all the enemies around him. She already knew of his talent, but the destructive power of his weapon and his skillful handling of it surprised even her. -Kyaak! ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all of them over here.¡± He was aware of the limits of his weapon. No matter how sharp it was, it wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee enemies of a higher rank, at least, not by itself. But he was able to increase its power using Wind Mastery, in addition to his trait that strengthened all of his armaments. ¡®Even without spiritual power, it¡¯s absurd. Plus there¡¯s room for him to grow¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk himself had yet to realize how truly great his power was. With his spiritual power and his ability as a cksmith to embody his imagination into a weapon, he was a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps it was in part due to that sword dance that he kept striving to imitate. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Shin Eunah was considering these things until he called out to her. He was staring at her with an odd expression as she was lost in thought. She was fascinated by his eyes, which shone golden every time he used his abilities. She turned her head away, unable to face him directly as impulses she couldn¡¯t understand welled up inside of her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Shin Eunah shook her head as if trying to wake up. ¡°What rank are your statuses?¡± ¡°A+.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s physical statuses were A+ across the board now, and even his spiritual power had grown that high. ¡°I think it¡¯s higher than that. Thest time you defeated an entire irregr gate alone, which means the association recognizes you as an S-rank. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°That the human standard is more urate than the Gaia system, or perhaps different?¡± ¡°No, not quite.¡± Shin Eunah smiled at his response. ¡°It means that your traits and skills have an effect on your rank. You can sense it yourself, the advantage that your ability to handle weapons has ,and how it closes that gap between ranks.¡± ¡°Then if I used a sword instead, my rank would go down.¡± ¡°No, if you lifted your sword you would get stronger, right?¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s sharp point made him go stiff. Although that sword dance could be used through other weapons, it was still the strongest with a sword. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°I can tell by the way you move. One day, if all your weapon skills grow that strong, your rank may be even higher.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± She had a keen eye, after all. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively felt for the sheath of his sword that was currently stored in his inventory. ¡°So now, do we move on to the next gate?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gained a lot of experience here. I think it¡¯s enough for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I wanted to catch a boss.¡± ¡°A boss?¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s expression was filled with spite, unlike her usual self. ¡°No one has ever caught the boss of this dungeon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± They both tilted their heads at each other, and Shin Eunah was looking embarrassed. ¡°No one has ever found the boss¡¯sir. It¡¯s so popr that it has been flooded with superhumans training in the lower parts.¡± ¡°Is that safe?¡± ¡°It has to be, look at the number and rank of superhumans in this dungeon.¡± ¡°Ah, I suppose.¡± A gate that hadn¡¯t been cleared of its boss was like a ticking bomb. The gate itself acted ording to the will of the boss in charge of it, who could evenmand the monsters inside to go out and kill humans. However, there was a surplus of superhumans who had flocked here to hunt monsters, several of which even exceeded A-rank. No matter how strong the boss might be, it couldn¡¯t be more than one rank above the gate. So if it did show up, everyone would attack it. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s safe. What an odd dungeon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes were twinkling as Kang Shin-hyuk began to notice her intentions for the first time. ¡°I think I have an idea where it is. If I haven¡¯t been caught yet, I want to do so with my own power.¡± Btos was a shining jewel of a gate where many people gathered to train. Even Shin Eunah after she graduated from Shinyoung and had joined the Superhuman Association. But what many of them couldn¡¯t find, Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to test his abilities against. ¡°Huh¡­ to think you would want to clear this gate. As expected, given Gromas.¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t found it yet.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stepped forward confidently, shaking his head at Shin Eunah¡¯s exaggerations. He couldn¡¯t know for sure, but now that he had reached the depths of the gate where the A+ rank monsters dwelled, he could sense a strange flow. So long as the boss room was inside the gate, a twisted flow could be felt running through it. ¡°I actually felt something simr, but could never find a way to open it.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if it weren¡¯t for the spiritual power flowing out of the gate.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°But once I read it¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk led Shin Eunah as he walked up a rocky hill. This was the most dangerous zone in Btos, where aerial monsters, golems disguised as rocks, and earthworms waited to attack the unwary. ¡°Are there any people nearby?¡± ¡°Not currently.¡± The two in the task force uniforms certainly stood out, especially given their reputations. Attention had been on them for a while as they roamed the crowded gate, but Shin Eunah had deliberately shaken them off a while ago. They had been leaving them alone to show off Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability, but they didn¡¯t want anyone nearby if they were going to the boss room. ¡°So open it with confidence.¡± ¡°Yes, then.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reached the point where the dark energy flowed the strongest and ced his hands on the floor. Spiritual power flowed into the earth from him as he scanned the area. Now that his spiritual power had risen, it was no longer difficult to do. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but groan out as too much information began to rush in his brain at once, overloading him. ¡°Are you okay, grandpa?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright, just dizzy.¡± He reassured her, who was watching him anxiously, then gently closed his eyes as he organized the information in his head. ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± He put his hand on a nearby rock as he recovered his spiritual power. He was now moving it around gently as if to find the keyhole of a door in the dark. He was slowly putting in a bit of wire to twist around the mechanisms inside instead of a key. -Click Perhaps it didn¡¯t actually sound like that, but suddenly he was able to open the lock. The rock that he had been holding onto was suddenly pulled into the ground as a staircase descending down into a temple opened up. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡± Shin Eunah was surprised that she had never noticed it before. ¡®To be able tomunicate with anything with your spiritual power¡­ could it be possible to attack the remaining gates in this world¡­?¡¯She watched his back as he fell into the step behind him. Perhaps that would be the start of a historic step forward for all superhumans. Chapter 106 Task Force Secret Weapon (3) Chapter 106 Task Force Secret Weapon (3) The Gaia system determined the name of all gates, which were seen by the first person witnessing it, but there was no way to know its origin. Usually, it had to do with the enemies or the environment inside of the gate. However, no one knew why the A+ gate in Pyeongchang was called Btos. Themon guess was that it was the name of the boss. ¡°But, it¡¯s not.¡± They were inside an underground za located under the highest rocky mountain, the Btos gate, having taken the descending stone staircase. Nine white tombstones were nted around the za, and as soon as she saw it, Shin Eunah grasped the meaning of the name. ¡°I guess Btos was the name of this world.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Look here.¡± Shin Eunah pulled him over to the tombstone in the innermost corner of the square. It was engraved with anguage he couldn¡¯t understand. Or rather, he shouldn¡¯t be able to, but somehow he could read it. -This is a function provided by the Hero Universe. The administrator finally spoke after a long period of silence. Kang Shin-hyuk had figured as much. He had encountered other natives to other worlds, after all, but had been able tomunicate with them naturally. ¡°Can you read it?¡± It is one of the first benefits of the Hero Universe. You learn the words that serve as the origin of allnguages in the world.¡± ¡°What is that?! Then can I speak English?¡± ¡°Try it.¡± He did, and it came out naturally. When he thought of speaking Chinese, Japanese, French, or any other that came to mind, he was able to do so with ease. ¡°Ridiculous¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the most basic benefits of the Hero Universe, but also the most important. ¡°Then, we were able tomunicate on the bulletin board¡­¡± ¡°Because of this¡­¡± It was absurd that he never realized it until now. He thought it was all still in Korean. However, now that he knew, it was easy enough to ept it. ¡°The Hero Universe¡­ it presumes that we are working in connection with other dimensions.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ so, what were you talking about?¡± ¡°This tells of Btos, and his destruction.¡± ¡°Why did he perish¡­ no, wait, I don¡¯t need to ask.¡± He could also just read the tombstone. The tombstone referred to Jormungand as well. ¡°It has a record of the battle between Jormungand and Btos. It¡¯ll take some time to fully interpret, but this is immensely useful.¡± They both knew that they couldn¡¯t share this information with the outside world, as the administrator wouldn¡¯t allow it, but maybe it had something they could use. -They aren¡¯t qualified to know. ¡°I was expecting as much.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk walked slowly through the cavern to read the histories engraved on all nine tombstones as Shin Eunah walked beside him. It almost felt like he was in a museum of some sort, but really it was the boss room of an A+ gate. ¡°It almost seems like I¡¯m ying with grandpa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± -You¡¯re crazy. Kang Shin-hyuk felt the heating from the administrator¡¯s words. He had no clue how he might react if he knew that Shin-hyuk had been thinking a simr thing. ¡°Grandpa, there¡¯s no need to worry about it too deeply.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Their history is their history, not ours. We just need to refer to it so that we can fight Jormungand.¡± ¡°¡­Aha, that¡¯s what you meant.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. She had been worried that he would be afraid of this happening to Earth. As she said, this was only another world¡¯s history. Besides, he had much more vivid memories of destruction rattling around his head than in this text. Anvil¡¯s memories weren¡¯tplete yet, but he could at least recall the desperation he had suffered. Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t ignore it, however, but epted it. ¡°No need to worry, if I was going to be scared by this, I would¡¯ve been lost in that first irregr gate.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He faced her gaze without avoiding it, and this time she turned away from him with reddening cheeks. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get the boss now.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Shin Eunah infused the first tombstone with her mana, and it slowly slid into the ground. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be okay.¡± A white light began to erupt from the area where the first tombstone had vanished. Within it, a group of monsters resembling huge boars appeared. They were an elite version of the A+ rank monster he had hunted earlier in the dungeon. -Grrr¡­ -Kiii! ¡°Can you take care of it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The moment he saw them, Kang Shin-hyuk was already swinging his arms forward to throw threads at them. They instinctively moved to avoid it, but it was enough to slow them down. That was thanks to the barriers in the cavern that prevented all of them from leaving. -Kiiii! He was able to tie the monsters together in a smooth motion, leaping forward as he pulled the threads together to cut into them. -Buoooooh! One of the wild boars evaded his threads to rush him, spinning its fangs like a drill, but Kang Shin-hyuk kicked off the ground to avoid it. -Kyaaaah! A de rushed out from his feet to stick into the wild boar¡¯s head. It was one of the throwing daggers he made out of the wasp needles and mantis des through coborating with Lee Na-hee. [ck Tiger Needle] [A-rank] [Special Abilities-Poison, Bog, Incarnation] *Poison ¨C The weapon bears strong toxins. * Bog ¨C The weapon has increased pration, and the wounds it inflicts will worsen over time. * Incarnation ¨C The wielder of the weapon can handle it naturally like it is a part of their own body. It bes more difficult for others to notice. That final ability meant that it could be shot from anywhere on his body; he could even throw it from his armpit. He had them hidden everywhere under his uniform. He had forged a set of them with the same powers, although he was currently unable to tie armaments together through his own power. That was purely thanks to Lee Na-hee. He quickly cleaned up the remaining monsters by stretching out a strand of the lightning web. It prated the forehead of a nearby wild boar that had been hit by the dagger, wrapping around its brain to crush it. The wild boar sank neatly. -You have suppressed several beings that are harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 180,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you receive an additional amount of HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 270,000HP! ¡°Perfect.¡± ¡°Yes, it appears to be well made.¡± The ck tiger needles were made to be used in conjunction with the spider webs from the beginning. Instead of a hilt, the des had small hooks that could be caught with the threads. -It was a great battle. 1,500 HP bonus! ¡°Thank you.¡± The administrator was giving out bonuses every time he fought, but he never forgot to say thank you. Sometimes, he would even add a bonus saying what a nice member he was to not forget his politeness. But thanks to that, he was slowly losing his sense of the value of HP. ¡°Grandpa might receive a name soon.¡± Shin Eunah said so as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk after the battle. He titled his head at her. ¡°A name? Like for monsters?¡± ¡°No, not like that.¡± In games, monsters with names were usually much stronger. ¡°Some of the rankers have special titles. Although there are cases where they are referred to only by name, like Michael Sampson.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± What was great was that it was such a mediocre name that he almost forgot it right away. He tried to recall who that was. ¡°Is he a high ranker?¡± ¡°He¡¯s ranked 22nd. His trait is hardening, and he¡¯s famous for smashing all of his enemies. But everyone just calls him Michael Sampson.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s too ordinary.¡± Hardening wasn¡¯t a rare trait, true. Shinyoung had several students who had simr traits, although the ranks varied. ¡°Just give me a nickname that makes sense.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Grandpa is way too different from Michael Sampson. Yourbat method is much more attractive and elegant. It¡¯s important to give off a strong impression too¡­ although Grandpa is already excellent at that.¡± ¡°¡­Like back in the contest hall?¡± ¡°Huh. That was great. If you keep fighting that way, it will be easy for you to build up people¡¯s awareness of you. Then, your ability to sway superhuman society will increase, and rankers will be more likely to ept you. That¡¯s why you need a nickname with impact.¡± ¡°Like Thunder Empress?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s face quickly turned red. She puffed her cheeks out and activated two more tombstones with her mana, causing dozens of monsters to appear. -Woah¡­! ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Shall we do a fourth too?¡± ¡°No, wait! Wait a minute!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to hold off on jokes until they defeated the boss. Chapter 107 Task Force Secret Weapon (4) Chapter 107 Task Force Secret Weapon (4) It was not unusual for thest remnants of humanity (or those who thought they were thest) to leave a record of their world in some form. They were already aware of the existence of other worlds, given their conflict with Jormungand, so they created a special gate that contained their will. This was the record of destruction that they had found. ¡°With that, it¡¯s over. There will be a boss showing up.¡± ¡°Whoo¡­ okay.¡± They bet on someone with the right strength finding the records. Thus, they set up thisplex trap and set monsters to guard it. Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t all that surprised that this gate could be part of another world, but he was rather excited to find some means to fight the group called Jormungand. ¡°Get ready.¡± Thest tombstone epted Shin Eunah¡¯s mana and sunk into the ground. The magic circle around them began to emit a dark blue light that filled the cavern. -Coooo¡­ It was a type of monster that had yet to be seen in the dungeon so far; its strange cry echoed around them. At first nce, it was a monstrous cow with a blue metallic body, looking almost like a Gorgon, but Kang Shin-hyuk quickly realized that wasn¡¯t correct. Its insides appeared to be empty, and blue light was emitting irregrly out from it. The outer armor was engraved with aplex magic circle that he had never seen before, causing the cow¡¯s body to float in the air. ¡°Golem?¡± ¡°It might be some sort of living armor. Be careful!¡± Shin Eunah suddenly shouted out a warning. Kang Shin-hyuk quickly moved in response, narrowly avoiding a sh of blue lightning that exploded out where he had just been standing. -Coo¡­ Recognizing its attack had missed, the enemy slowly turned its head to Kang Shin-hyuk. A spark of some alien intelligence sprang up in the bull¡¯s empty eyes. ¡°Kh!¡± This time he leaped without needing a warning from Shin Eunah, once more dodging the lightning strike. He couldn¡¯tpare to Shin Eunah, but at least with spiritual power, he could hold his own against this boss. -Coo¡­! ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°No.¡± Noticing that the enemy was of a clearly higher level than him, Shin Eunah immediately stepped out to intervene. Kang Shin-hyuk refused her help, however. ¡°If it gets dangerous, then I¡¯ll ask.¡± The lightning fell towards him once more, but he was a bit toote. He mobilized using Wind Mastery to move, but the attack still grazed him. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t hurt? I felt like I heard something shatter¡­¡¯He realized that it must have been the new ability of the Godyer sword, Guardian. It would automatically create a shield when an attack would hit the wielder¡¯s body, so the shield appeared even though it was in a subspace. ¡®But I can¡¯t just rely on that.¡¯It would protect him with the spiritual power stored in it, but he couldn¡¯t expect it tost forever. ¡®Don¡¯t get hit twice.¡¯Despite its strength, it couldn¡¯t fire off two bolts of lightning in a row, so that was the best time to attack. Kang Shin-hyuk strengthened the Venom Princess Soul as much as possible with his own traits and threw five poisonous spider threads out into it. Given its attacks, he ruled out the lightning web as useful. -Cuuooooo ¡°Kh¡­¡± The threads bounced off in vain. He fired them off again after avoiding another bolt, trying to strengthen the poison in them as much as he could. He could feel the armor absorb his web and the energy within it. ¡®It¡¯s the same ability as the Great Heavenly Spirit.¡¯It was a fairly passive abilitypared to that, but it was enough to stop his webs. He tried the ck tiger dagger, but that also bounced off. At least it wasn¡¯t absorbed. He began to wonder if he should try the Godyer, although its rank right now was lower than his glove. ¡®No, though¡­¡¯Just because it was a bit tricky didn¡¯t mean he needed to rely on the sword right away. Shin Eunah was also nearby to save him in case of an emergency, so wasn¡¯t this a great situation to analyze the enemy and learn? His armor was ridiculously hard, and it had that lightning attack, but it couldn¡¯t keep it up forever. Kang Shin-hyuk believed so as he kept evading. -Cuuoooooo¡­! The armored bull¡¯s cries rang throughout the cavern. It was growing angry with Kang Shin-hyuk, who kept evading its lightning. That was enough evidence that its abilities weren¡¯t infinite. ¡°His agility is S-rank with his artifact¡¯s ability, but how is he able to avoid it so easily¡­?¡± Lightning kept bursting out from inside the barrier to scratch at the ground, narrowly missing Kang Shin-hyuk. Shin Eunah was seated nearby, carefully watching to ensure his life wasn¡¯t in danger. ¡®Is it spiritual power?¡¯It was clear to her that he was using spiritual power, at least in some capacity, to evade. ¡®If so¡­¡¯If the enemy also dealt with spiritual power, wouldn¡¯t that be a way to confront it directly? The spiritual power it had was probably greater than Shin-hyuk¡¯s, but with the aid of the Shinfeng orb or the Great Heavenly Spirit, he had no reason to fear a head-on collision with spiritual power. -Cuooooo! ¡°Hoo!¡± He avoided three lightning strikes in a row, throwing off another dagger with a spider web attached towards the bull. This time, however, his spiritual power stretched out with it. Information began to flow into his mind roughly. ¡®It¡¯s more of a sentient artifact than a monster. Its name is¡­blue cow in Korean. That was the name given to it by the Btos. I can¡¯t read any memories beyond that.¡¯It seemed possible that it wasn¡¯t created in Btos, however. It also seemed to be stronger than it was in the memories, although he wasn¡¯t sure why. That wasn¡¯t important; however, all that mattered was how to defeat it. His eyes shed gold as he attempted to restrain and weaken the enemy with his own spiritual power. It was only for a moment, but the monster was clearly slowed down. -Gwoooooo! The artifact quickly realized what he was trying to do and shouted in anger, striking itself with lightning. ¡°Ha.¡± With that, the connection of spiritual power was cut off as sparks careened off of the blue cow. The magic circle engraved onto it was shing rapidly, and Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if that was its power source. -Kooooowooooo! It rushed through space, mming into the barrier behind Kang Shin-hyuk as he leaped out of the way. He had been able to read the flow of spiritual power just in time. ¡°Crazy!¡± He wondered if the energy consumption of the artifact would be worse with it rushing with lightning flowing around it, but it didn¡¯t really matter, given the speed it had done so. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous as is.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk recovered his spiritual power, but it wasn¡¯t enough to approach this enemy wrapped in blue sparks. It seemed to be absorbing more energy now, too, having taken some of his spiritual power. He felt that was somehow uneptable, and he ground his teeth as he kept dodging. ¡®What to do¡­¡¯He reached out again with his spiritual power, letting the bull absorb it. But this time, he didn¡¯t let it dissipate and instead used it to wander around inside the bull. He recalled the moment he had repaired the Shinfeng orb as he did so. It might have just been an illusion, but for a moment, it felt like his spiritual power took on the form of a golden dragon. ¡®Huh?¡¯At that moment, a brief image popped into his mind. It was an image of thest Btos, who made this gate, with the blue cow. He was using his magical power to control the cow, albeit clumsily. ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯With that firmly in mind, the golden dragon swelled up with spiritual power inside of the empty armor of the blue cow. It couldn¡¯t absorb the energy as it overflowed around the magic circle engraved into its skin. -Chiiing! The magic circle broke, and parts of it vanished with an audible sound. It wasn¡¯t difficult to erase, as the controls were poorly made. Kang Shin-hyuk could feel he had lost some of his spiritual power, but now it was easy to force the blue cow to stop moving. -Kuoooo¡­ The sparks also vanished as it let out one more fading cry. His spiritual power was carving into both the outside and inside of its body in such a way that even Shin Eunah couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I thought you were going to fight¡­huh?¡± The barrier disappeared, and Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes went wide. The blue cow was still there, but the barrier was gone. That meant the battle was over. ¡°Done.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh as he poured thest of his power into the cow. ¡°Now, I have a ride.¡± Cjhapter 108 Task Force Secret Weapon (5) Cjhapter 108 Task Force Secret Weapon (5) The blue cow waspletely silent as the light inside of it faded. It was now clearly inactive. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a monster?¡± ¡°Sort of. It¡¯s an artifact.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Shin Eunah listened to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s brief exnation, convinced by his words. ¡°I thought the level of this watchman was oddly high for a world with lowbat power.¡± Watchman. That was this guy that guarded those remnants of this fallen world. ¡°Is that why you were confused by this guy appearing?¡± ¡°Hm. Based on the record on the tombstones, it¡¯s clear that these people didn¡¯t have the ability to tame monsters of this level, so I was relieved¡­but then a monster that was at least S-rank showed up.¡± ¡°Is it S-rank? That¡¯s no joke.¡± In fact, Shin Eunah¡¯s palms were sweaty. The thought of Kang Shin-hyuk being seriously injured was too much for her to bear. Of course, with her ability, stopping the blue cow would¡¯ve been child¡¯s y. But even momentarily putting him in danger was too much. ¡°Don¡¯t let pride take you off your guard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This wasn¡¯t even a monster, and it was thanks to its spiritual power that I was able to find it.¡± He doubted that those in this world before would¡¯ve ever imagined someone could take control of it. They couldn¡¯tpletely control it themselves, after all. ¡°Oh, I should take a look at it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ced his forehead on the cow¡¯s. On the outside, it looked like a golem-type monster, but it was definitely an artifact, so that meant it should be possible to appraise it for information. [Blue cow] [SS-rank] [Special Abilities-Lightning, Lightning Speed, Thunder God] *Lightning ¨C Fires lightning at an enemy. When cast under the sky, its power doubles. This doubles again if it is raining. *Lightning Speed ¨D By consuming spiritual power, you can move as fast as lightning. *Thunder God ¨D A body forged by lightning. It ignores lightning strikes and will absorb external energy to recover itself. It bes reinforced anytime it absorbs lightning. [The form of a beast that threw itself into a lightning storm to protect God. As the years passed, it wandered through the world and found itself in the hands of those not worthy. It won¡¯t be easy to repair it to its original form without a cksmith that deals with spiritual power.] That phrase seemed to point directly at Kang Shin-hyuk. Perhaps that was a result of it appraising him in return. As a test, he breathed a little spirit into the cow. That blue spark inside of its eyes gained a bit of life, but there was no dramatic change. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t believe he had tried to defeat this guy head-on. If it had been in top-shape, he might¡¯ve died. -Kuooo¡­ The blue cow let out a gentle cry in response to his spiritual power flowing in. It entered his inventory without any issues. ¡°Thank you, senior. I didn¡¯t know I would get something this good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a normal urrence, even for S-ss gates. It¡¯s all thanks to my grandpa¡¯s abilities.¡± Shin Eunah shook her head and approached the center of the cavern, where a small stone floated. It looked like the tombstones in the cavern had beenpressed into one small stone. ¡°It¡¯s all the information that was held here.¡± When she retrieved that final remnant, vibrations began to spread throughout the entire cavern. No, they were going throughout the entire gate. -The gate [Btos (A)] has been cleared. The gate will be destroyed, and everything inside will be ejected. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°The purpose of this gate was to convey this information. Now that it has¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the gate was stable up until now. But¡­ won¡¯t it be an issue if people see what we did?¡± ¡°If grandpa wishes to, I can hide it.¡± Shin Eunah said so while firmly holding the stone as if to break it. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay, Eunah¡­ I¡¯ll let my senior take the lead. It would be nice to hide my existence, but some people have already seen us¡­that¡¯s right, after training a rookie, we identally discovered the secret of the gate and defeated the boss.¡± ¡°Once again¡­¡± Shin Eunah was staring directly at Kang Shin-hyuk, whose eyes were shining a brilliant gold. ¡°Say it one more time.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Eunah.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± As the memories of Anvil¡¯s memories became clearer, he had felt it more natural to call out her name without hesitation. ¡°Well¡­senior Eunah?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Call me that in the future.¡± ¡°¡­Even in public?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± It did feel a bit more familiar than just calling her senior, but he nodded as soon as he saw her tremble. ¡°Then¡­okay, senior Eunah.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head, wondering what the hell was good. He could feel the pressure building up around his body as the gate prepared to eject them. ¡°If possible, we¡¯ll just leave.¡± ¡°On to the next gate.¡± He remembered that this trip was supposed to be only a measuring of his ability, after all. He let out a sigh at Shin Eunah, who was using strange words like date and tent, as they were kicked out. *** After grasping Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s abilities, Shin Eunah took him on a tour through all sorts of gates for an entire week. He had originally thought that they would be working at it every night, but instead, she had nned it out to be all day every day in the name of educating her junior. ¡°It¡¯s over. There¡¯s no shortage of work for a task force member.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­¡± The moment she announced it was over, Kang Shin-hyuk slid down against the wall. He had experienced more than ten gates over the course of the week, one of which he had handled alone. ¡°The difference between simple talent and being a superhuman is like this.¡± In this world where talent is overflowing, it answered why those with abilities should train themselves. If they just wielded strong power, they were nothing more than simple beasts that were dangerous even to themselves. A real superhuman had to grasp who their enemies were, recognize those that should be obeyed, and have a mindset to cope with all types of situations. That was what Kang Shin-hyuk was learning over the past week. ¡°I knew from the start that a superhuman and a member of the task force were different.¡± ¡°Yes, you are my grandpa, after all.¡± Shin Eunah responded with a smile. Kang Shin-hyuk, knowing her real nature, only blushed a little at it. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that when there are people around¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have a barrier up to prevent people from hearing or seeing us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that sort of problem¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a hotel, so let¡¯s go and rest.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going back to my dorm.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± Shin Eunah pouted a bit at him, shooting down her proposal so quickly. He had no intention of falling for it, however. He had already suffered plenty this past week in taking care of her demands every day. Asking him to let her sleep on his knees, or sing her a luby, or asking him for food. She waspletely treating him like her grandfather. ¡°Eunah, you¡¯re an adult, right? You have to grow up.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re my grandpa.¡± ¡°Which is why I was ying along a little, but it can¡¯t go on forever.¡± Shin Eunah quieted, and Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit relieved that he had calmed her down. He was quick to find out that she hadn¡¯t fully given up, however. ¡°Then, how about a kiss?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s expression was very cute as she held onto his shirt with one hand and tapped her cheek with the other. But, ultimately, it looked more like a high school girl asking for her boyfriend to kiss her than a granddaughter asking her grandfather. ¡®What¡¯s the verdict?¡¯ -Death penalty. ¡®That¡¯s the verdict?!¡¯ -Death penalty. The administrator was determined, but Kang Shin-hyuk resolved himself. This was thepromise she proposed if he wouldn¡¯t go to the hotel with her. Even his Anvil side was saying that it was okay. He gently kissed her cheek before pulling back. ¡°Is that enough?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her cheeks were red as he flopped around in embarrassment. -Execution. Execution. Execution. ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down¡­¡± He could vaguely smell her citrus perfume, and a fatal sense of incongruity arose in his mind. Something shed with his senses as Anvil. ¡®Perhaps¡­ senior Eunah¡­¡¯No, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ -Do you know that when you say something can¡¯t be, it increases the chances of it actually urring? ¡°Stop raising gs.¡± -Execution! Kang Shin-hyuk finally returned to his dorm room and slept for twelve hours. In the evening, he heard the news of a big neer to the Superhuman Association. Chapter 109 Last Vacation (1) Chapter 109 Last Vacation (1) -Myu¡­ -Kuooo. -Myu?! -Kuooooooo¡­ -Myuuuuuuu! In the living room of one of the Royal ss dorms, a mysteriousmunication was taking ce in front of Kang Shin-hyuk. It transcended the boundaries between the living and inanimate things. Kang Shin-hyuk was quietly talking to Onyx, who was letting out a cry as he walked on the back of the blue cow. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat it.¡± -Myu?! ¡°Don¡¯t look surprised, I can read your thoughts.¡± Now that he was making weapons on a regr basis, he would frequently feed Onyx the ones he was less satisfied with. But whenever he discovered a new metal, he could only focus on that. Even now, he was considering how to try a bite secretly. ¡°By the way.¡± He tossed Onyx the battle hammer he had made today in his workshop and copsed on the sofa. The cushions under him were sofortable he wondered if it was an artifact. ¡°A lot of money was spent on the Royal ss¡­ no, wait, that¡¯s not the problem.¡± His gaze was drawn to the TV, hanging on the living room wall. Kang Shin-hyuk (or rather, Shin Eun-hyuk) and Shin Eunah were currently being disyed on it. [The Superhuman Association maintains the position that this attack on the Btos Gate happened by chance during a training expedition.] [Shin Eun-hyuk, the talented neer who prevented the terrorist attack at Lubron hotel previously, was involved in the incident.] [Btos has remained unattended for the past few years, but now it has been cleared and destroyed due to the efforts of Shin Eunah and Shin Eun-hyuk. The association has revealed that they will make an announcement at the World Superhuman Conference, and whether traces of other worlds were found in Btos¡­] [Shin Eun-hyuk has been revealed to be a neer that was discovered and is being nurtured by Ms. Shin Eunah.] [On the other hand, there have been recentints from the merchants and superhumans active around Btos¡­] ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been expecting as much. However, he believed that things would cool down a week or so after clearing the gate, but it didn¡¯t at all. Rather, he had upied the main article of the news even a week after they had returned from their training excursion. The response was evenrger than it had been after the Lubron hotel incident. Given that Btos was a popr A+ gate, people wondered what sort of boss ruled over it and what reward was obtained from it. ¡°Eunah seems to be doing her best though.¡± Even with her efforts, however, it wasn¡¯t possible to reduce interest in Shin Eun-hyuk. A neer that arrived on the scene out of nowhere and cleared a gate on his first try, of course, people would talk about it. ¡°What sort of hidden identity is this¡­ I feel like an idol dancing on stage.¡± -500HP bonus! ¡°¡­uh? You want me to dance?¡± -2,000HP bonus! ¡°You¡¯re not going to deny it?!¡± He let out a sigh and stood up. As soon as he decided to go back to training, a message arrived. [Senior Eleanor: It¡¯s been scheduled.] Kang Shin-hyuk looked at it for a moment before he realized what she was talking about. [Dungeon?] [Senior Eleanor: Yes, A-ss. Admission is limited to two.] [You monopolized an A-ss gate? How the hell did you book it?] [Senior Eleanor: I have some connections.] Kang Shin-hyuk was suddenly very aware of the power that Eleanor actually held. [Is that alright? There was the hotel incident¡­] [Senior Eleanor: That¡¯s why I chose a gate that only two people can enter. Since we¡¯ll be in the city, no one can openly aim at me, and inside the gate, it will just be us.] Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, convinced that she had already thought this out. [Senior Eleanor: To let you know, I think there is a bounty on me right now. That¡¯s why those terrorists attacked me. Their original goal wasn¡¯t me, but they saw an opportunity.] [It¡¯s suddenly very dangerous?!] What sort of era was this? A bounty? [Senior Eleanor: It¡¯s not a bounty that normal superhumans can take. It¡¯s only spread among themunity of viins.] Not viins like in aic book, but people like those in Jormungand or those terrorists who attacked the hotel. Those who rioted against society using illegal means. [The British royal family is using guys like those to get rid of you?] [Senior Eleanor: It¡¯s not the royal family, but others who want to stick to them.] [I see¡­] [Senior Eleanor: I must have offended them after gaining attention at Shinyoung.] If Baek In-ha and Kang Shin-hyuk were receiving the most attention from the 1st years, then Eleanor was garnering attention from every student. It couldn¡¯t be helped after she had taken the Two Crowns and defeated Dous Payne to be the captain of the Wyvern Knights. [Senior Eleanor: It¡¯s a little annoying since I can¡¯t move as actively. But if I can deal with it, I want to.] [That is really annoying.] [Senior Eleanor: ¡­Sorry.] [No, why are you sorry?] [Senior Eleanor: If you¡¯re with me, it¡¯ll be annoying for you¡­] Now she was saying that after inviting him to a gate? Kang Shin-hyuk wanted her to stop sounding like she was telling him goodbye. [Senior Eleanor: I don¡¯t want to bother you.] [Don¡¯t worry about it, recruit some helpful guys, so you don¡¯t need to rely on me in the future.] Eleanor briefly exined the details about the dungeon. They would go in two days, and it would take ten hours to clear the gate. She also sent details on the dungeon environment and the monsters in it. Having checked all of it, he finally stood up. ¡°Should I train for the dungeon?¡± He had been fighting using threads and daggers as Shin Eun-hyuk, but that wouldn¡¯t work in front of Eleanor. She had already seemed to notice his secret, of course, but there was no need to push it. Worst case, he could switch using the equipment slot if he really needed it. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll use you.¡± -Vwooom He hadn¡¯t been using ittely since he had been making and handling new equipment, but now he gripped the Godyer sword in his hand. He still needed to master that sword dance, so he decided to limit himself to using only this one. ¡®No, I should use the wing bracelet too. I haven¡¯t tested it yet.¡¯The natural artifact he had acquired, the Queen Wasp¡¯s Wing Bracelet, from the gate at the Lubron hotel. He decided to go ahead and test his equipment, focusing on the bracelet¡¯s ability to cause vibrations to enhance wind or damage enemies. He headed into the training room with both artifacts in hand. -Vwooooom ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult to vibrate the sword itself¡­¡± Unlike his threads that could be controlled remotely, it was impossible for the sword. If he used the bracelet to cause it to vibrate with the power of wind, he couldn¡¯t properly wield it. But if he weakened the vibration, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to use as a weapon. Kang Shin-hyuk trained for a couple of hours before he finally came up with a possible solution. ¡®What if I surround the sword with wind and reinforce that with vibrations?¡¯Rather than the sword itself, he could create a sword of wind on top of it. That sounded much more usible. He went to work testing it. Two dayster, Kang Shin-hyuk realized who he was entering the gate with. Chapter 110 Last Vacation (2) Chapter 110 Last Vacation (2) If there was one saving grace, it was that they were meeting in a ce that wouldn¡¯t attract attention. ¡°Are we going to ride her?¡± -Corruk! Kang Shin-hyuk was meeting with Eleanor and Meloy, the wyvern that symbolled the Wyvern Knights. Meloy let out a cry of joy and licked his cheek. It was rough to the touch, but thankfully his physical status was high enough not to be hurt by it. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know. It should be possible for two people to ride her at once.¡± Eleanor stroked Meloy¡¯s head as she rode atop her. She was dressed in a leather vest and pants, with a cloak denoting her as the captain of the Wyvern Knights. All in all, she cut quite the dashing figure. ¡°¡­An A-rank dungeon, huh?¡± ¡°Going below this won¡¯t help us at all, given what I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°Well, what could you mean¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pretended not to know what she was talking about as he turned away. For reference, the average level of the 1st year was D+ rank, and that of previous Rookie Kings were B-rank. Even with the backing of Shinyoung¡¯s education, a B-rank superhuman would be ughtered if they entered an A-rank gate. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to hide it. It was so cool¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± He forcefully cut her off and climbed onto Meloy¡¯s back. The saddle, which had been renovated by Shin-hyuk, had enough space for two people. ¡°Hold onto my waist.¡± ¡°My sense of bnce isn¡¯t bad¡­?!¡± Meloy rose vertically as he tried to retort at Eleanor. He quickly managed to find his bnce before he fell off. Actually, now the wind beating across his body felt refreshing. ¡°You won¡¯t hold on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Rookie King, this is a bare minimum.¡± He decided to ignore the fact that it wouldn¡¯t be possible without his S-rank Wind Mastery. He used it to adjust the airflow around his body as he corrected his posture. Meloy climbed up to a hundred meters up through Eleanor¡¯s urging before heading off to the dungeon. ¡°Karen told me to try this.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Eleanor was really honest. He sent a message to Karen to be prepared forter. ¡°I told you to rely on Dous Payne, not me.¡± ¡°I hate that person.¡± ¡°He¡¯d do just about anything for you.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked down below as they flew, hoping that no-one could see them when an idle thought crossed his mind. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a problem if you fly like this?¡± ¡°No, I have permission to fly.¡± ¡°You needed permission?!¡± To fly with any artifact, magic tool, or tamed monster required an international license. If you had one, you could fly all you wanted so long as you gave advance notice. ¡°It can be a bit bothersome to always report in advance, but it¡¯s no problem. We are students.¡± ¡°In particr, you need to obey thew.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He wondered if he should obtain a license for the blue cow but decided to leave it. He didn¡¯t intend to ride on it in the first ce. As he was seriously contemting how to make riding the cow look cool, Eleanor¡¯s voice reached him. ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving soon.¡± -Gurururuuuu! Meloy began to descend from the sky with a lively cry. ¡°Isn¡¯t this angle bad?!¡± ¡°Would you like to hold onto me?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay!¡± Meloy leaned over and quickly descended with its wings out as soon as they could see the gate. When shended, they were saluted by a man guarding the gate. What flowed out of his mouth was the posh ent of English. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Highness!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just Eleanor R. Algiers, a sophomore from Shinyoung.¡± She replied in Korean, ignoring the title he had used as she jumped off from Meloy. The man was confused for just a moment before he realized his mistake and stiffened. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored them both. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed Meloy¡¯s reins and followed after Eleanor, who produced her permit for the gate. The guard shouted about her Highness being with a man, causing a fuss with Eleanor. Kang Shin-hyuk felt his anxiety rising at the scene. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the middle ages, no one cares about a princess¡¯s boyfriend anymore.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stared at Eleanor, who began to blush. ¡°I mean, even if you look like my boyfriend, you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± It seemed that she now realized what it looked like to other people. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± -Kirrrruuk! She pulled on Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand, forcefully as she marched into the gate. The name of the gate was [Rose Garden (A)], and it had an open sky that was perfect for a wyvern. ¡°Meloy, please.¡± -Kiruuu! Meloy ascended into the sky as soon as they entered the gate. Wyverns were usually B-rank, but Meloy was a strong entity even among the wyverns, so it would be no problem for her to work alone in an A-ss gate. ¡°You¡¯re not going to fight on her back?¡± ¡°That sounds cool, but no.¡± Eleanorughed a little. ¡°I can¡¯t rely on her forever.¡± ¡°True.¡± The wyvern was a symbol of the Wyvern Knights, passed down from leader to leader down the generations. His thoughts drifted back to the saddle he had repaired. He had learned a lot from that, and he wanted to use that knowledge to make some equipment for Onyx. ¡°Let¡¯s practice on the assumption that that won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Eleanor tilted her head at his suggestion but soon realized what he meant. ¡°You want to tame a wyvern?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can until I try. There¡¯s also the issue of finding a new one.¡± They weren¡¯t verymon monsters. Given their strength, if they were, Earth would¡¯ve already been annihted. ¡°So, just be aware it¡¯s a possibility.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Eleanor raised her head with a strange voice. Kang Shin-hyuk followed her gaze, seeing Meloy flying fast towards them. Something else was behind it¡­ ¡°¡­There it is. Wyvern.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± It was a red-skinned wyvern,rger than Meloy, that was chasing after her. ¡°Meloy¡¯s in danger, I have to help.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped Eleanor, who had just pulled out a hugence from her bracelet. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s under attack. Red leather is the symbol of a me wyvern, yet it¡¯s not breathing fire.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll know soon.¡± Immediately upon saying that, Meloynded behind them. It was like she was using them as a shield. -Quooooh! On the other hand, the me wyvern saw it, let out a cry, andnded right after her. The me wyverns yellow eyes were focused on Kang Shin-hyuk, yet as soon as he red back, it crumpled. -Quoo¡­ ¡°Awesome.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s worth trying it out.¡± The me wyvern was a particrly strong category among wyverns. The minimum rank discovered so far was A-, but this guy seemed like he might even be as strong as A+. In other words, he was about as strong as Shin-hyuk. ¡°But I need to stay calm.¡± -Quooo. Kang Shin-hyuk reached out his hand towards it, and the wyvern poked it for a moment before gently lowered its head in obedience. He was immediately convinced; it had been the same with Meloy. ¡®It¡¯s no coincidence that my trait has the name dragon in it.¡¯There were many cases where the information provided by the Gaia system is insufficient. He had heard stories of superhumans discovering or developing hidden abilities of their traits. Didn¡¯t he already realize that when he used it for production before? He wondered if this was one of the remaining conditions for his trait evolution, but no notification popped on. It was just a natural side effect of his trait. ¡°As expected, you should lead the Wyvern Knights, not me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving soon enough, so it¡¯s okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded firmly to Eleanor, who was watching the scene y out before her. Her cheeks swelled up a bit from his words, but he didn¡¯t notice. ¡°But what about this one?¡± -Quoooo. -Gururu! The me wyvern was trying to approach Meloy while keeping Shin-hyuk in eyesight. On the other hand, Meloy was hiding behind him like a daughter hiding behind her father from the other children at a yground. ¡°It¡¯s just the same.¡± ¡°How old is Meloy this year?¡± ¡°Even if she was only a year old at the time the Wyvern Knights were founded, she is much older than us now¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at the me wyvern in front of him, who had its head politely bowed. ¡°I can¡¯t take him with me like this.¡± ¡°Monsters that aren¡¯t tamed can¡¯t be taken out of the gate. Do you have taming?¡± ¡°No.¡± He probably wasn¡¯t tamed right now; he just recognized Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s status and was being polite. If he left him, the wyvern would probably run amok. ¡°What to do¡­¡± ¡°If you take this guy to the knights, I¡¯d be able to graduate with Meloy.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s only one way left.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reached out and produced a simple anvil and forge from his inventory. He had been prepared for something like this. ¡°I have no choice but to make a taming artifact.¡± In this way, their goal inside the gate changed dramatically. Chapter 111 Last Vacation (3) Chapter 111 Last Vacation (3) Eleanor looked like she couldn¡¯t believe it as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk pull out various items from his inventory. There was too much variety among the items for them to be stored in just one artifact. ¡°The Superhuman Association really supports you¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start working.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk began throwing firewood (8,000 HP per 1 kg) into the furnace, letting Eleanor believe in her mistaken assumption. The fire was going, but he hadn¡¯t decided what he would make yet. He could try a saddle like the one Lee Manwoo had made, but he wasn¡¯t confident enough in his ability to process leather. Additionally, he didn¡¯t have good material to use for it. ¡®Venom Princess Soul was easy to make because the purpose of the material and the finished product were so simr, not to mention the quality of the material itself¡­¡¯With that in mind, his best chance at sess would be to make a metal product that would be suited for taming. ¡°Good.¡± Having made up his mind, he pulled a lump of gray metal out from his inventory. It was called Rowood Turtle¡¯s Armor Fragment; it was one of the materials he had acquired when he was clearing gates with Shin Eunah. ¡°Can I see it?¡± ¡°Keep an eye out for monsters.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk started working so naturally that she had forgotten they were still inside of a gate. She urgently raised hernce to prepare for battle, and near her, the me wyvern continued to stare at Meloy. ¡°Ah, it¡¯sing again.¡± Eleanor murmured. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head to see a group of wyverns circling around in the sky. ¡°¡­I thought they were a rare species.¡± ¡°I remember hearing that too.¡± Eleanor¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°Originally, this gate isn¡¯t a ce where you could hunt wyverns like this.¡± ¡°If that were the case, you would¡¯ve told me.¡± It was essential to do a preliminary investigation before entering a dungeon. Naturally, Kang Shin-hyuk had also clearly memorized the information she had given him about the Rose Garden. It was a dungeon that contained endless wastnds and the asional stony mountains. You had to be cautious when moving on the ground, as great worms lurked underneath. Generally, people woulde in to fight them for loot and experience. Its boss, the Great Rock Worm, had already been long defeated, but it was a great ce to polish one¡¯s skills. Eleanor wanted to show off her abilities here, as well as verify Shin-hyuk¡¯s own abilities. -Kuruuu! -Kiiii! ¡°Instead of worms, there are now wyverns¡­¡± The view unfolding before their eyes now waspletely different from that information. Unforeseen circumstances could ur at any time inside a gate, but the incongruity of wyverns that was never observed before in a gate that was cleared several times before was too severe. -Quooooo¡­! ¡°Wow¡­ there¡¯s already ten of them¡­¡± Even at the same rank, ground monsters and aerial monsters had different threat levels. The great worms that roamed the earth were scary, but at least they could be hit. On the other hand, what about wyverns? Those on the ground had an obvious disadvantage against flying foes, and even if you were to take to the air on a wyvern, an inexperienced rider would have trouble with aerialbat. ¡°Well, let¡¯s keep calm. It will probably be okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t stop working even after seeing it. It wasn¡¯t because of his bravery, but rather, he trusted in his own trait. ¡®None of them appear to be stronger than the me wyvern here. It won¡¯t make a difference no matter how many there are.¡¯If his trait wouldn¡¯t work, then he had ranged weapons as a back-up. Eleanor was able to regain herposure as she thought about it. ¡°If Shin-hyuk says so..¡± She seemed a bit embarrassed as she was concerned about Shin-hyuk¡¯s safety, whom she felt responsible for. She knew that she couldn¡¯t handle dozens of wyverns alone. -Quoooooh¡­! The me wyvern, anxious to earn Meloy¡¯s favor, raised its head to let out a loud cry. The wyverns flying around them returned with their own cries. -Guaaaah! They didn¡¯t stop with that. They began to descend as one, folding their wings as they fell downward. -Gururu¡­ -Gao?! Meloy carefully watched the scene, evaluating the other wyverns. The descending wyverns flinched and spread their wings out upon discovering Meloy. -Guooohoh! -Guooo! As if it had been nned from the start, the wyvernsnded carefully around them to approach Meloy. The me wyvern stood in front of her and growled at them. ¡°They¡¯re all males except for Meloy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It would¡¯ve been fun to fight a bunch of wyverns, but this situation was clearly going in a different direction than a battle. The me wyvern was squaring off with the other male wyverns in a duel of their own! ¡°It¡¯s incredible. I wonder if the reason this happened is because we brought a tamed female wyvern here¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes were flickering as she watched the scene. ¡°Is this because of my trait¡­ no, I¡¯m sorry, Meloy. It¡¯s my fault.¡± -Gururu¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk sincerely apologized to Meloy, who gently nipped at his hair. As expected, she had lived around people long enough to understand what they were saying. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°I just have to create a taming artifact and put it on the winner. I want the strongest guy.¡± Maybe the me wyvern would win. He was wary of them trying to attack, but they seemed fully interested in Meloy now. He could focus all of his attention back on his work now. -ng! ng! ng! ¡°It¡¯s quite warm because of the oven¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m keeping an eye on them, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡± In truth, Eleanor was also paying plenty of attention to Kang Shin-hyuk as he worked because of what she had heard from her friend Lee Na-hee. ¡®She said he looked so cool when he was working with metal. It¡¯s the first time I ever heard Na-hee talk about a man like that.¡¯The fact that she had favorablements about him was enough for Eleanor to know she had a crush on Shin-hyuk. She had be curious about what he was like when he was practicing metallurgy because of that. Who knew her opportunity woulde so soon. -ng! -ng! -ng! And the image of Kang Shin-hyuk she witnessed firsthand was indeed wonderful. He possessed a serious sort of charm as he hammered the iron with a cool gaze that was different from his usual expression. ¡®It feels like he¡¯s an association member like this.¡¯Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes began to sparkle a deep golden color as he immersed himself in crafting. He looked so calm that she almost wanted to keep watching forever. ¡®Yes, but it¡¯s nicer when he¡¯s holding a sword.¡¯Perhaps it was because she wasn¡¯t a craftsman that she thought so. On the contrary, Lee Na-hee wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the beauty of the swordsmanship he wielded properly. Time continued to pass as he worked, and Eleanor watched him instead of being on the lookout. Fortunately, because of the wyverns gathered, there were no signs of a great worm appearing. Unexpectedly, the male wyverns¡¯petition ended up helping him work in peace. Thanks to that, four hours after entering the gate, Kang Shin-hyuk had finally seeded in creating an artifact. [Rockwall Choker] [A rank] [Special ability: Training, Protection] *Training: You can attempt to control monsters when wearing this choker around your neck. Training may be rejected if the wearer doesn¡¯t possess the proper abilities. *Protection: It hardens the whole body and protects it from impacts. [A work made by a cksmith who writes his own history. Only those who prove themselves can use it. To change the user, it is necessary to smear the blood of the new user onto the mana stone in the center of the choker after recing it.] It was a solid grayish metal choker. It wasn¡¯t that big, but it was made with a considerable amount of carapace, with a central mana stone for user authentication. It would be essential if it were passed down the generations of Wyvern Knights. ¡°An A-rank artifact on the spot?!¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was also surprised he was able to aplish it on the first try. It was evidence of his growing understanding of artifacts and how to make them. ¡°It won¡¯t work at all on S-rank monsters, and it¡¯ll be hard to use on A-rank ones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll follow you after you prove your strength.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s almost like a monster ball.¡± -2,000HP bonus for your intuitive exnation! At the same time, the me wyvern roared a victory cry after defeating thest challenger. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and motioned at him. -Quoooh¡­ The me wyvern approached with an unpleasant expression as Shin-hyuk put on the choker. It licked his cheek as a sign of obedience. ¡°Is it done?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shin-hyuk felt a connection between himself and the wyvern, just like when he first connected with Onyx. If you reced the mana stone in it, it probably wouldn¡¯t be difficult to transfer it to someone else. ¡°Then¡­¡± he stored the me wyverns head before turning his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s try this hidden strategy.¡± ¡°Huh? Are we going to kill them?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s kind of scary.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had a different idea. He had been considering why this gate was named the Rose Garden, and he suspected it was simple. This gate had yet to be properly cleared. And he suspected the wyverns were needed for that. Chapter 112 Last Vacation (4) Chapter 112 Last Vacation (4) The name of a gate was its identity. The other superhumans weren¡¯t fools; they had searched the gate for a connection to its name. Yet despite their efforts, there were certain gates that would not reveal their secrets. Btos was such a gate (until a certain someone arrived), and the Rose Garden was also proudly on that list of gates where its name¡¯s origin remained a mystery. ¡°The first thing they thought to look for when they heard the name was a garden. So they scoured thend to look for any sign of it.¡± ¡°But they didn¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Because this gate has a limited time to stay. It is impossible to wander through all of this vast wastnd. Moreover, there are two restrictions on admission.¡± Most persistent gates had something called a dwelling time limit. When the time limit was exceeded, you would be automatically rejected from it to a random location. ¡®The time limit is twelve, and I¡¯ve already used four of them to make an artifact.¡¯Fortunately, he had seeded in the first go; it would¡¯ve been very difficult if he hadn¡¯t. Of course, taming the wyvern was more important than attacking the gate in the first ce. Luckily, they had also discovered a hidden element of the gate, so it would be best to capitalize on it to clear the gate. ¡°Then, what do you think? What does it mean?¡± ¡°A rose, of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor stared at Kang Shin-hyuk with her purple eyes, but it felt oddly cute because of the height difference. ¡°The main enemy here is the great worm, right? If you think of this as a garden where trees grow, what can that be substituted for?¡± ¡°An earthworm.¡± That was exactly right. ¡°But is the earthworm the boss?¡± ¡°¡­Do we need to avoid the great worms to figure out what¡¯s hidden?¡± The boss of this gate was the Great Rock Worm. If you beat him, you would clear the gate. But if you ignored the great worms, that boss wouldn¡¯t appear. ¡°But that¡¯s nonsense.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk.¡± Eleanor spoke up, catching Shin-hyuk¡¯s attention. ¡°That wasn¡¯t in the attack information we had.¡± ¡°But in the end, none of this was. I made sure to read it too.¡± ¡°What if your hypothesis is wrong¡­?¡± Eleanor¡¯s tone was cautious. Perhaps she was worried about saying he was wrong, but he didn¡¯t feel like she needed to be so concerned. ¡°But the people who gathered that information could call the wyverns.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What if the wyverns didn¡¯t suddenly appear, but they¡¯ve lived in the gate from the beginning?¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She understood what he had been trying to say. ¡°The wyverns were also hunting the great worms here.¡± ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be anything else for them here.¡± The wyverns were now recovering from their fight, pping their wings in preparation to fly. They must¡¯ve emptied their stomachs after fighting so vigorously, so perhaps they were going to find some great worms to eat. Kang Shin-hyuk quieted them down with just his stare as he talked. ¡°The wyverns have been hunting the great worms without anyone knowing. Maybe that is why the conditions haven¡¯t been right¡­¡± If the great worms were like earthworms, then the wyverns were birds. Birds that harmed the field by pecking and eating the seeds and earthworms it contained. ¡°Okay¡­¡± After listening to his exnation, Eleanor was convinced. ¡°I think if we catch all of the wyverns, it will be solved.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple, considering the condition they appeared in.¡± ¡°¡­Meloy?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°Thanks to Meloy, we were able to form a good rtionship with these guys. In other words, we can form a temporary party with them because we arrived with a wyvern.¡± ¡°That seems to be more thanks to your ability¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if you brought a female wyvern and caused a dispute like they had, or a male one to ignite them. The important thing was to be apanied by a wyvern that could gather the ones hiding in the gate. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to just kill them. Above all, killing them won¡¯t necessarily ensure that the gate¡¯s clear conditions will be achieved.¡± ¡°The gate¡¯s clear conditions¡­¡± The most obvious course of action in attacking a gate was to clear it. He doubted catching all of the wyverns would be enough, nor the great worms. ¡°Maybe a different monster?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± The only option that remained was the presence of a new boss monster. If he gathered the wyverns like this, maybe a boss monster worthy of the name Rose Garden would appear. He wasn¡¯t sure yet, but he decided it would be worth the wait. ¡°We¡¯ll use these wyverns to defeat the boss monster.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I think that would be normally impossible without you.¡± However, it was true that it was a good n if it could be done. Eleanor decided to give up hunting the wyverns. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant to kill one in front of Meloy. ¡°Now that¡¯s out of the way, you guys calm down.¡± -Gurururuuuu! -Quooo! Kang Shin-hyuk tossed some food to the wyverns, who were groaning that he wouldn¡¯t let them hunt. It was a lump of meat from some monsters that had been piling up in his inventory from the gate clearing he had done with Shin Eunah. Kang Shin-hyuk had realized that five inventory slots wouldn¡¯t be enough when he had been hunting, so he had purchased ten new slots, for a total of fifteen, when they had been hunting. Now he could store up to three tons of cargo. Half of the HP he had obtained from that tour had also been spent, though. ¡°It¡¯s such a great artifact to hold so much space. If I could find such a thing¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, senior Eleanor.¡± -Gurururururuu! The wyverns were somewhat dissatisfied with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s appeasement at first, but their loyalty to him rose as they devoured the meat of various monsters that were iparable to the great worms. At this point, they probably wouldn¡¯t want to eat earthworms anymore. He climbed onto the back of the me wyvern as they engorged themselves. It was a bit ufortable as he had no saddle, but his martial arts training allowed him to find his bnce quickly. ¡°Then, let¡¯s take a look from the sky.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ alright.¡± Eleanor made a strange look as she watched him ride atop the me wyvern. Before he could ask her what was wrong, however, she shook her head and hurried back to Meloy. ¡°Then let¡¯s go up.¡± -Quoooh! At Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s direction, the me wyvern flew into the sky with its red wings spread wide. The sight of the wyverns flying behind him, the information was truly spectacr. And Meloy flew quietly behind them with an expression that said, ¡®I have nothing to do with these guys.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a pretty good feeling¡­¡± -Quoooh! The me wyvern soared hundreds of meters into the sky in an instant. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at the rush of air, looking out at the vast wildernessndscape under him. It was apletely different feeling than it had been when he was hanging onto Eleanor on the back of Meloy. His body was shaking a bit violently as he had no saddle, but he wondered if it would be possible to fight like this if he could get used to it. -Hero Universe sells ridingbat skill stones. Just 3.5 million HP! They can be purchased with a bonus of the administrator¡¯s smile for 3.5 million HP! ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the skill stone, just give me a smile.¡± -3,000HP bonus! Sometimes he wondered if the administrator was too easy. He had replied as a joke, but it might actually be a good idea to consider purchasing such a skill stone sooner orter. He had no ns to fight on the me wyvern, but maybe he could use it for the blue cow. ¡®Is it possible that skill is included under my trait?¡¯Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance was a skill capable of dealing with all forms of martial arts that existed in the world, at least in theory. Mountedbat was also a type of martial art with a clear purpose. He had never been in such a situation before, but perhaps¡­ ¡°Well, I think it will be fine.¡± After bncing himself on the wyvern¡¯s back, he brandished his Godyer sword and swung it several times beforeing to that conclusion. He just needed to learn the trick of it. As he wasn¡¯t on the ground, everything from wielding a sword to managing his position and guard had changed. If he could get used to it, perhaps his destructive power would soar. -A 2,000HP bonus for a talented member! ¡°I feel like these bonuses are getting more dangerous by the day. Are you okay?¡± -2,500HP bonus! ¡°Okay, I was wrong.¡± It was then he felt the atmosphere vibrating slightly. Turning his gaze down, he saw the earth shaking below. ¡°Are you still with me?¡± ¡°You were right.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes sparkled as she raised hernce up to a point into the distance. The image of a princess knight riding on the back of a wyvern with ance was exceptionally cool. Kang Shin-hyuk thought so as she followed to where she was pointing, noticing a dark brown tree trunk growing through the ground. ¡°It started quickly.¡± ¡°Maybe it began the second you took control of the wyverns.¡± The tree trunk was growing rapidly as great worms swarmed to it. In fact, they were growing rapidly all over the wilderness. Before long, a bright red rosebud formed on one of them, eliciting a smile from Shin-hyuk. The earthquake stopped as soon as it bloomed. The rosebud opened, a red mist erupting from within. The red mist nketed the ground, covering the great worms. All that came into contact with it shriveled up and started to die. Chapter 113 Last Vacation (5) Chapter 113 Last Vacation (5) -The hidden threat of the [Rose Garden (A)] has been revealed! You have awakened the une named Spine Rose! -There has been little damage to the rose seeds. The level of the Spine Rose has increased. -No damage to rose seedlings. The level of the Spine Rose has increased. -No damage from the Great Worm. All the great worms nourish the Spine Rose, further enhancing its abilities. -The Great Rock Worm has been absorbed by the Spine Rose, further increasing its abilities. -All conditions have been fulfilled to maximize Spine Rose¡¯s ability. [Spine Rose (S)] has awoken. Kang Shin-hyuk was the first to notice the messages overflowing from the Gaia system. He had been expecting that the gate¡¯s difficulty might increase, but this was a bit too much. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the Great Worms would go like that.¡± ¡°The Great Rock Worm has already died¡­¡± The two went silent as they watched the great worms dry up and die below in the red fog. They were drained dry, down to the bone marrow. -Vwooom¡­ A rose bloomed on top of the tree. Something that took the form of a human began to open its eyes. A pure white, soft-skinned beauty with red hair and green eyes with rose petals wrapped around her body like a dress. She blinked several times before bursting intoughter. -I feel great. Everyone wake up! Youte sleepers! She held a whip of thorns with a rose-covered hilt. She lifted it and struck the air once, causing monsters in the same shape as her to awaken from the rose flower garden blooming around her. -Queen! -Finally, our time hase! -It¡¯s a human! -What is that? The savage wyverns are alive! The monsters began making loud noises as Eleanor trembled. Even the weakest among them was still A+ rank, ording to the message from the Gaia system. ¡°une are monsters who use nt magic¡­if we had been on the ground, we would¡¯ve been torn apart by their garden.¡± ¡°No, before that, we would¡¯ve been killed by that red mist.¡± ¡°Like them.¡± It became clear that using a wyvern was mandatory in this dungeon. Kang Shin-hyuk unsheathed his sword and looked at Eleanor. ¡°Senior Eleanor, can you do it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re okay, then I can try my best.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded as she raised hernce and turned his gaze towards Spine Rose. He knew he could rely on Eleanor; she had grown even stronger since their duel. ¡°So let¡¯s go do it. Everyone get ready!¡± -Quoooooooooh! -Gruaaaah! The fourteen wyverns raised their cries in response to the me wyverns. They weren¡¯t simply shouting but rather were using a distinct skill to pressure the unes on the ground. Spine Rose noticed it and called out with her own shout, raising her whip in the air. -Guys, tear down, and kill the sparrows that bothered us! -Tear and kill! -Die! Women who looked like pretty flower fairies began to shoot thorns from the tree trunks. They rose hundreds of meters up without difficulty, and the wyverns were forced to perform evasive maneuvers. ¡°Attack them! Breath!¡± But the wyverns were silent. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if there was a limit to his leadership, but no, it was just that these normal wyverns couldn¡¯t breathe fire. The me wyvern he rode, and Meloy in the back row began to draw energy into themselves. ¡°The rest of you guys, take care of the junk mobs!¡± -Kuoooo! -Kiiii! The group of wyverns descended upon the unes. -Ahhhh! -The sparrows! The wind they generated as they descended together twisted the trajectories of the une thorns. -Quoooooh! ¡°Fire at will.¡± At that moment, the wyverns¡¯ breath was ready. A sparkling fireball began to form in the me wyverns mouth, and Kang Shin-hyuk empowered it with his own abilities. The moment his eyes shone with golden light, the size of the fireball swelled up to three times in size. The me wyvern felt its amplified power and let it soar, turning the world red for a moment. -Kwaaaaaah! -Ahhhhhhh! The me erupted with enough momentum to light up the rose garden, only empowered further by Meloy¡¯s own breath attack joining the fray a secondter. Spine Rose hurriedly made a shield out of tree trunks to block it, but the other unes were incapable of stopping it. A quarter of the enormous garden burned down in an instant, and the mes showed no signs of stopping. Kang Shin-hyuk was overwhelmed by the HP notifications appearing before him. -Quoooooh! ¡°Good job.¡± The wyvern who had been reluctantly obeying him fluttered his wings and trembled, recognizing that Shin-hyuk had strengthened his breath. Kang Shin-hyuk stroked his head andughed. -I can¡¯t forgive it! However, Spine Rose seemed less than pleased about the fireworks that had gone off in her garden. She cracked her whip in the air again, causing hundreds of twigs to spring out of the rose garden and soar at the me wyvern. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m behind you!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk held on securely to the wyvern¡¯s neck with his sword in hand. He cried out, as if waiting for this moment, then immediately folded his wings to dive down. It deftly avoided the branches thrown out by Spine Rose by twisting its body around in mid-air. ¡®Is this guy named?¡¯If he wasn¡¯t, it felt like the me wyvern was on the verge of it. Shin-hyuk noted he would have to investigate thatter as a sharp de of wind wrapped around his sword. -Quooooh! -This cheeky sparrow! The me wyvern spread his wings out as a whip made of trees came right for its head. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t try to avoid it but instead swung his sword to face it. -Ahhhh! There was a sound like a chainsaw cutting through the wood as his wind de tore through the whip. The pained voice of the Rose Spine rang out as it cut through the tree. Perhaps she shared her life with the tree she was born from, and cutting the branches would damage her. -How? The branches he cut through fell miserably down to the ground, scattered by the wind, and Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at his enemy from the back of the me wyvern. -Gururuuuuaaaah! Meloy passed right by where they were, taking advantage of the opening Kang Shin-hyuk had created. Eleanor was lying on Meloy¡¯s back, holding hernce firmly as the wyvern charged. It looked so natural for her that it was like she was born riding a wyvern. ¡°Haaaah!¡± Eleanor threw hernce with a loud roar. Rose Spine trembled as thence swooped through the air with the momentum of a giant¡¯s fist. -You! -Kwaaaaang! The shield made of the tree trunk created by Spine Rose in an instant shed against thence thrown by Eleanor. ¡°Kh¡­!¡± The edge of thence pierced through the defensive wall created by an S-rank boss monster. -Something like this monster¡­! The enormous magical power flowing out from Eleanor¡¯s small form lifted her dark hair up. Her purple eyes were ring at Spine Rose as thence stabbed through her abdomen. -Kahak! ¡°Hah, crap!¡± Blood began to spurt out from Spine Rose, soaking Meloy¡¯s and Eleanor¡¯s body as she let out a short scream. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed at it. ¡°Is it poisonous?¡± -You weren¡¯t careful enough. The administrator spoke up, which meant that even if it wasn¡¯t poison, it was something bad. He spurred the me wyvern on towards Spine Rose. Eleanor was plucking hernce out of Spine Rose, turning to face him with Meloy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shin-hyuk.¡± Her purple eyes were gradually turning red, as was her ebony hair. ¡°The une¡­¡± -Gurururuu! Hernce raised toward Kang Shin-hyuk, shing bloodily. Meloy let out a sad cry and opened her mouth to prepare her breath attack. The me wyvern realized the situation btedly and began to fly vertically. -Pay the price for hurting me! Spine Rose¡¯s voice echoed out sharply. -Tear and kill them all! ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± -Gururu! Spine Rose¡¯s whip cracked in the air once more as Meloy¡¯s body filled with magical power. Shortly after, that power was fired out of her mouth. -Member, take this chance to bury that fox! ¡°Administrator, aren¡¯t you too happy right now?!¡± -Quaaaaah! The me wyvern pped its wings angrily. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± He had been hoping to keep it hidden, but it would be needed to ensure Eleanor¡¯s safety. Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out a shiny bead from his inventory. It was the Great Heavenly Spirit, the first thing he made with All Craft when he was in Gromas. Without hesitation, he ced it in the center of the hilt of the Godyer sword. It was the moment when the legend of Shin-hyuk would arise. Chapter 114 Last Vacation (6) Chapter 114 Last Vacation (6) -Due to the fusion with the [Great Heavenly Spirit], some of the Godyer¡¯s original power had been temporarily restored. The sword has be S+ rank. The strength and power of it were amplified, and all special abilities were strengthened. -You can now use the [Absorption] and [Generate] abilities of the Great Heavenly Spirit. -The special ability [Release] has been temporarily unlocked. The change was dramatic as the purple metal bead was ced into the Godyer sword. The sword began to vibrate violently as it grew longer and sharper. The sword, which was ck, was nowpletely colored purple. It was absorbing the wind energy around it, thanks to the bead. It was a treasure with an absurd skill that absorbed and stored all kinds of energy. ¡®But as a bead it couldn¡¯t be used to attack.¡¯It only absorbed and stored energy, but now that it was fused with the Godyer, it could emit that energy. -Quoooh¡­ ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t be scared.¡± The me wyvern pped its wings, amazed by the power of the Godyer that had absorbed all of the energy around him. Now that it was in the sword, perhaps the absorption function could be adjusted a little bit. -Graaaa! ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± Meloy¡¯s breath flew towards them once more as Kang Shin-hyuk hefted the newly improved sword. The me wyvern noticed it a second toote, pping its wings to try and dodge it. ¡°It¡¯s okay, stay still.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk extended his sword in front of them, using his Wind Mastery skill. A purple wind wound around the sword like a vortex. The next moment, the breath attack was caught in that vortex of wind and converged onto the Godyer. It was silently sucked into the sword without a problem. -What?! Meloy and Eleanor were stunned, as was Spine Rose, who understood the strength of the weapon in an instant. -That, give it to me!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw the sword at her. Spine Rose was clearly surprised, thinking that perhaps this guy was also caught up in her delusions. She tried to reach a branch out to grab it, but it couldn¡¯t end well. Thanks to his Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance A-rank proficiency, the Godyer sword pierced the branch with ease and released the enormous me it had just absorbed after hitting Spine Rose. -Ahhhhhhhhhh! With a terrible scream, the blood of Spine Rose once more spattered out. It soaked the Godyer and was absorbed into it. The me wyvern evaded Meloy as Shin-hyuk activated the return ability of the Godyer sword to bring it back to his hand. -I will kill you! Stained with blood, the Spine Rose roared out with enough intensity to shake the garden. She reached into the air and gestured for the sword to return, but no matter how much blood she stained it with, she couldn¡¯t take ownership of it. In the first ce, the Great Heavenly Spirit just absorbed it as energy. ¡°So now, how do I use this?¡± Emission was a useful ability that could release the absorbed energy in a destructive fashion. It was even possible to use it to release energy in the same form as it was absorbed. He had been hoping to absorb her blood so he could analyze it and use it himself to free Meloy and Eleanor. However, this was different than just emitting a me. The structure of Spine Rose¡¯s power was tooplex. -All¡­ I will kill them all! He didn¡¯t have the time to study it leisurely. Spine Rose¡¯s anger had reached a peak, causing the gate to change. Everything in this small world was turning red. -Queen, queen! -You who have taken all my things¡­ give them back! -Quaaah! -Kiiii! The magical power of Spine Rose hit all of the surviving une and wyverns at once. The Godyer sword was able to protect Kang Shin-hyuk and the me wyvern from it, however. -It¡¯s a unique ability. No other world has ever attacked this gate, so her power is strengthened. ¡°No other world¡­ no, I¡¯ll askter!¡± The me wyvern rose to avoid the flower stalks of the unesing from all sides. They were reinforced by the power of Spine Rose, and the ugly thorns that were sprouting on them looked like they could peel off a wyvern¡¯s thick hide. -Quaaaaa! Other wyverns followed the me wyvern with rose thorns sprouting out of them. Meloy flew after them as well, with Eleanor atop her withnce in hand. ¡®Did I really end up saving them?¡¯ -You can¡¯t help it. Rest assured that you can kill all of them to survive. ¡®No, I can¡¯t kill all of them.¡¯ -Cheh. ¡°Kh!¡± At that moment, thence Eleanor held soared at them. The me wyvern turned sharply to avoid it narrowly. Thence broke its trajectory and began to fly faster at them. ¡°It¡¯s a skill. I¡¯m sorry!¡± -It¡¯s deadly, too! ¡°You¡¯re both too noisy!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his sword to block thence. The purple de of the sword greedily ate at the power of thence as they violently collided. It was impossible to deal with all of its power, however, and Kang Shin-hyuk was rocked violently. Thence swung again for another blow, aiming right at his head. -Vwoooom Just before it could hit him, he managed to stop it in the air. ¡°Just a hair away¡­¡± -Even if you couldn¡¯t have, the Guardian ability of the sword would¡¯ve activated. Thence was dyed in the same purple as the Godyer sword. With its power released, he erased the ability of Spine Rose and reced it with his own. No, not just purple, but brilliant gold also ran over thence in the form of a spiral. Now it was enhanced by his trait, Golden-Eyed Dragon. ¡°me wyvern!¡± -Quooooh! Now Shin-hyuk held his sword in one hand, and Eleanor¡¯snce in the other as the me wyvern rose to the limits of the gate. The other wyverns tried to follow suit but couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace. That was because the engraving of the golden dragon was also on the me wyvern¡¯s wings. -Quooo¡­! The wyvern changed direction upon reaching the highest peak. Down below, they could see Spine Rose was motionless, focusing all of her energy on controlling the monsters around her. Two crimson eyes were looking straight at him with open arms. Kang Shin-hyukunched thence with all his strength. ¡°Haaah!¡± -Block it with your lives! The wyverns chasing them whirled around to stop thence. However, the moment they touched the purple air current around thence, they moved out of its way as if they were awakened. -Why?! ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Even Eleanor let out a cute scream and evaded the javelin on the back of Meloy. Rose stalks raised up from the unes to stop it, but instead twisted along the spiral stream around the javelin and joined its momentum. -Nonsense¡­! Spine Rose urgently dismissed her powers to instead focus her energy on blocking the spear. Her thorn-stalk shield collided with thence, causing both to burst out. The flower stalks that had flown behind thence prated her body, carving cruel wounds in her flesh. Her blood sprinkled the ground once more, but it no longer contained her power. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Eleanor looked at it and let out a scream. That¡¯s right; it was because it was an A-rank artifact. Even though she was treated as distant from the royal family, she was indeed a princess. ¡°Your body is okay, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Thank you!¡± Although thence was shattered, the rest was as Shin-hyuk intended. Eleanor and the other wyverns had been freed from Spine Rose¡¯s control. They hurriedly gathered behind the me wyvern. Meloy let out a soft cry as she came to their side. ¡°Thank you so much for saving me¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay, so stop crying.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not crying?¡± Her expression was less one of thanks and more one of despair that her weapon had been smashed. She couldn¡¯t me him, but it was clearly visible she was fuming inside. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a suitable weaponter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her face brightened immensely at that as she had seen the creation of an A-rank artifact in a matter of hours. ¡°So, let¡¯s take care of this first.¡± -Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Several thorny stems, stained red, were rising around Spine Rose¡¯s body. With Eleanor¡¯s blow backed by Shin-hyuk¡¯s own attacks, she was in dire straits. But they had to remain vignt. -Ahhhhhhhh! The unes who had been holding on were annihted by the bloody thorn stalks that absorbed their energy. -Die! The blood thorns swelled up from the rose garden, wriggling unpleasantly as the queen of red thorns rose with them. Her whole body was covered in a thorny dress, and her eyes bled red as she red at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Huh.¡± His own eyes shone golden in response against the wave of red before a sh of gold sparked out to strengthen himself, Eleanor, and all of the wyverns. ¡°What, this is¡­?!¡± -How do you possess that power¡­ you?! Even Eleanor could sense it as Rose opened her eyes wide in amazement. But more than anyone else, Kang Shin-hyuk was surprised. He only tried to activate his trait to deal with Spine Rose¡¯s power. -Member, iing! Messages from the Gaia system filled his retinas. -The trait [Golden-eyed Dragon (S)] has met the conditions for evolution and has evolved into [Guardian Golden Dragon (SS)]. All stats will grow significantly. The skill [Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (S+)] has evolved into [Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (SS+)]. -The Godyer has regained some of its original power and has grown into the S-ss (SS-ss.) -A new special ability, Golden Dragon Fighter, has awakened! The special ability regeneration has been absorbed into the Golden Dragon Fighter, further amplifying it. Perhaps because he had been preparing for it step-by-step or because it was so sudden, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to ept the changes naturally. His bones, flesh, blood, muscles, and soul. The pain of everything being disassembled then put back together was certainly terrible, but it also ended in an instant. The golden energy flowing through him calmed the pain, and revitalized him. Spiritual power mingled inside of him, further strengthening his body and mind. -¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk opened his eyes while the whole world held its breath. His eyes were shining golden with a mysterious imprint. They looked like the eyes of a dragon. Anyone who watched it happen could feel it intuitively. His agility had doubled, perhaps even more than doubled. -Ridiculous¡­ Spine Rose leaned back, the legion of red thorns shrinking with her. -We could call it a draw¡­?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed at her cautious remark as the rage inside of her diminished. Then he threw his sword out. Chapter 115 Halo Quest (1) Chapter 115 Halo Quest (1) Spine Rose¡¯s body was split in half without any resistance by the power of the Godyer sword that was reinforced to the S-rank (SS-rank with the addition of the Great Heavenly Spirit). Soon after, the gate began to vibrate and copse as messages disyed across Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes. -You have subdued a monster that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 1,200,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you gain additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 1,800,000HP! -The gate [Rose Garden (A+)] has been cleared. The gate will go into a state of reconstruction. Everything inside the gate will be discharged to the outside. This time, the gate wouldn¡¯t fully disappear. Kang Shin-hyuk was looking at the message nkly as Eleanor came to his side. ¡°How did it go¡­? I thought I felt my strength growing, but then the next moment¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, I bet it did look weird.¡± He had strengthened the people around him, but then with the reward for doing so, he had killed the boss alone. That was because he had evolved his trait after meeting the conditions, but Eleanor had no idea that had happened. ¡°It¡¯s rted to my trait.¡± ¡°Did you experience a trait evolution?¡± Eleanor had reached the truth in an instant. Her eyes opened wide as Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°Your trait has evolved twice?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a bloodyugh, and Eleanor tilted her head in puzzlement. This evolution was his third, not his second. He had started as a serpent, then became a dragon, and now he was a golden dragon. What woulde next? All that was certain is that there would be a next. He could feel the new power flowing through his body as he imagined the next one, then began to cough as he noticed Eleanor¡¯s gaze stuck on him. ¡°Anyway, the gate was cleared safely. That boss was stronger than I thought¡­ I¡¯m d we both made it through alright.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­ I tried to show my skills, but I made a lot of mistakes and mynce was destroyed¡­¡± Eleanor was clearly disheartened. ¡°I saw your skills clearly, so cheer up.¡± Eleanor had really just been unlucky. That power she showed against Spine Rose wasn¡¯t something Kang Shin-hyuk could imitate. If it hadn¡¯t been for her blood, Eleanor could have overwhelmed Spine Rose by herself. However, Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t have evolved if that had happened. ¡°We should head out.¡± The copse of the gate was elerating from its reconstruction, and the pressure bearing down on them was increasing. He nodded at Eleanor, noticing that the wyverns were flocking around them. ¡®What about these guys? Will they move to the reconstructed gate?¡¯The wyverns looked as if they were waiting for him. They all had golden stripes on their bodies now. He hoped it was just a temporary phenomenon, but if not¡­ -Escape from the gate. Thendscape in front of him changed as he thought about it. Kang Shin-hyuk was still riding on the me wyvern¡¯s back as thendscape in front of them changed to the view of the city they had seen before entering. ¡°The other wyverns¡­ they¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve caused a major ident if they were here.¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s you¡­ maybe¡­¡± Eleanor seemed to have been thinking the same as Kang Shin-hyuk. However, the only ones to leave the gate was Kang Shin-hyuk, Eleanor, Meloy, and the me wyvern. -Guo¡­ Kuaaaah! The me wyvern was turning its head back and forth to check the strange new scenery but soon let out a vigorous cry to show it had no fear. -It¡¯s okay, member. The wyverns aren¡¯t dead. ¡®That¡¯s good.¡¯ -Can¡¯t you ask for more details? ¡®Well, won¡¯t I figure it all out with the third liberation?¡¯ -You¡¯ll know when the synchronization isplete. He knew that the urrence of the gates had something to do with the Hero Universe, so he wasn¡¯t too surprised. ¡°Then let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°What should I do with this guy? Maybe I could give it to Dous Payne.¡± ¡°You just need to manage it as the next leader.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to quit.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor exchanged meaningless conversations as they flew through the sky. Of course, the news that the Wyvern Knights had a new mount became known to all of the students in short order despite it being summer vacation. *** Kang Shin-hyuk: S Rank] (25.5% synchronization rate) [Trait] Golden Dragon (SS): The guardian and leader. It refines the body and unlocks its potential. The body has grown stronger and heavier, increasing its proficiency with all forms of fighting with the power of a dragon. Strengthens the self and allies while weakening enemies. [Physical ability] Power: S Agility: S Health: S+ [Special ability] Spiritual Power: S Golden Dragon Fighter: S [Skill] Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance (SS+): A Wind Mastery (S): A- Metallurgy: A- Emotion: A [Resistance] Resist Poison (SS+): A Resist Fire (S): A Kang Shin-hyuk measured his own abilities in his room. There hadn¡¯t been too much of a change, fortunately, in his physical state. He was just a bit taller. His trait had evolved to the SS-rank, and all of his physical stats had grown by two stages. As a bonus, his Dragon¡¯s Fan Dance had changed to a skill called Golden Dragon Fighter with a rank of SS+. ¡°What to do¡­¡± He muttered nkly while looking at his status. In terms of sheer numbers, it might not be as significant of a change aspared to his previous two evolutions. The problem was that he broke through the S-rank wall that had been in front of him. Moreover, his trait had a rank that even high-ranking superhumans might not have. Plus, it not only strengthened him and his allies, but even went so far as to weaken his enemies. ¡°I¡¯m probably stronger than Dous Payne now.¡± -From the start, if you used your spiritual power and regeneration, you could have beaten him. ¡°Then what about now?¡± -You can make him into a rice cake within five seconds. Three if you use your spiritual power. ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate me!¡± The problem was that he agreed with the administrator¡¯s assessment. He had be too strong for him to hide it, yet Shin Eunah still looked so far away. A sigh came out of him. -She was already in the top ranks of the Hero Universe the moment she joined. It is a bit different than reaching the Hero Universe as a cksmith. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± It was evident he hadn¡¯t fully matured that such words made him feel a little resentful. -But¡­your potential hasn¡¯t been fully realized yet. A trait that has evolved three times is extremely rare, and now you have this special ability called Golden Dragon Fighter. ¡°In other words?¡± -Depending on the evolution of your trait, you might¡¯ve already been able to acquire membership rights even if you didn¡¯t have the ability of a cksmith. The moment he heard that, Kang Shin-hyuk began to feel a little better. He coughed and covered his face to hide his child-like inner feelings. -5,000HP bonus! No, he was caught right away. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and realized he still had something left to check. His sword had evolved as well. The Godyer sword now maintained the S-rank even without the Great Heavenly Spirit. It had also physically changed, with a golden engraving running down the pitch-ck de. [Godyer] [S rank] [Special Abilities: de Predation, Regression, Flesh Control, Protection] [Special ability open: Weighted] [Core: None] * Weighted: Increase the weight of the sword. By injecting spiritual power, this can be further strengthened. The wielder of the sword can ignore its weight. As it had evolved to S-rank, he had acquired a new ability. Weight meant power, and heavier weapons produced more destruction. But now it could increase its weight and let Shin-hyuk ignore it at the same time? If he could swing a heavy weapon without any sense of resistance, it would be an overwhelmingly effective weapon. -At this level, it might be okay now. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head rose at the message. ¡°Pardon?¡± -It is possible to perform a dimensional quest. There is a request from Halo, who is registered as your friend. It is also rmended to carry out the work of recovering the armaments you made in the past. ¡°It¡¯s possible to request such a thing?!¡± -It is if you are a VIP member. There are four other cases, but the rest are on hold because they are currently impossible with your ability. ¡°Is it urgent?¡± -It arrived eighteen years ago, but Halo has informed me that he could afford to wait for the next 100 years. ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was struck silent for a moment before he quietly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take it¡­ I¡¯ll start in three days.¡± -1,000 HP bonus! Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. He felt like he had gone through so much, but it was only the end of the second week of summer vacation. From now on, he would have no more time to rest. Exactly three dayster, he entered his My Room to receive the quest. Chapter 116 Halo Quest (2) Chapter 116 Halo Quest (2) The scene of the My Room was as bleak as always. However, there was one new anomaly. There was a te with beautifully cut yokan and a teacup that had steam rising off of it in one corner of the room. Perhaps it was a disy of Tsukuyo¡¯s dedication to being Anvil¡¯s wife. It was a form of Eastern etiquette to make a share for the dead. Indeed, it was an action worthy of the name Tsukuyo. ¡°I wonder every time I see it, but why doesn¡¯t it cool down?¡± -It is state-preservation magic. The fox is, unfortunately, quite adept at dealing with time and space. The magic that dealt with time and space was considered to be the king of magic, but now he had just casually heard Tsukuyo was skilled at both. ¡°Now you just openly call her a fox.¡± -The administrator¡¯s power cannot stop what she did¡­! It is an act of invasion, would you like to give her a penalty? ¡°No, that¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll just let it go¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel bad.¡± -¡­Member. Kang Shin-hyuk stared at the teacup and yokan for a while, his thoughts a mystery. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± -Don¡¯t know what? ¡°¡­Was it a good thing to think of my previous life?¡± -You sound like an adult. ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite. Just some childishints¡­ I¡¯m sorry, administrator. Anyway, let¡¯s check the dimensional quest.¡± -¡­Okay. A message appeared before him. [Crushing World.] [Mirotoz has perished. No new life is to be found in the world anymore. However, there are still those who have yet to die. They want to survive, even for a little bit longer. Halo, the Descendant, decided to lend them a hand, but his abilities weren¡¯t enough, so he requested help from you.] [You must forge shackles to bind the feet of the roaming giant, Terota. If you can tie down his feet, Halo will take care of the rest.] [Quest deadline: 101 years, 6 months, 5 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes, 56 seconds] [Earth to Mirotoz time ratio: 1:1.5] ¡°Wow.¡± He wasn¡¯t really sure if the words before him were even in Korea anymore. ¡°I can¡¯t understand anything except that the world has been destroyed¡­ uh¡­ so, is it not a request for the world Halo lives in?¡± -You can say yes, or no. Halo will exin. He had so many questions, including how one bound the foot of a destructive giant. Or what Halo could do after that point. Plus, the deadline was toorge, and the time ratio was almost the same as the earth. -I can answer any questions about the time ratio. It is because, as stated before, the world has already been destroyed. The time for a change in the world has passed. ¡°¡­What is the criteria for the destruction of a world?¡± -It is based on whether or not a new life can be born. When the core energy of a world, called the source, is exhausted, nothing new can be born there. It was a clear standard. The world he was heading to had already lost its source and perished. Somehow, however, he was able to ept it. Perhaps it was because of that image of destruction that remained in his mind from Anvil¡¯s memories. ¡°Then what about Kieron? Wasn¡¯t that world also destroyed?¡± -Their situation was close to destruction, given the destruction Jormungand had caused. However, there was still a weak source in the world, and you prepared the fire to save it. ¡°Do you mean Millia¡­?¡± -Yes, that fox. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. -She was a descendant of the royal family and had gained the authority toe into contact with that world¡¯s source. It is possible for her to draw the energy remaining in thend toy the foundation for new life to be born again. Although it is possible that Jormungand may turn their sights back to it¡­ ¡°If so, give me another dimension quest.¡± -If it can be solved with your ability, it will be done. But now is not the time for that. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded firmly and epted the quest. As he moved to the new world, a peculiar feeling overcame him. When his eyes opened, a huge tree stood before him. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± He blinked several times. The sky above him was stained with dark red ash, and below him was gray earth. Yet, the tree connecting the two was green. [My friend, Anvil. Did you finallye?] A voice arose from the tree. It was an inhuman voice that had an ageless quality to it, but he instinctively realized that it was Halo. ¡°Halo¡­?¡± [It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you in person¡­ kind of.] ¡°Ha¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. Even a tree was a member of the Hero Universe! [I am no tree. This is not my body, but merely a terminal containing a piece of my soul.] ¡°Main body¡­ terminal¡­?¡± [You will know if you touch it.] ¡°I see¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ced his hand on the tree as instructed. His spiritual power began to synchronize with the spiritual power flowing through Halo¡¯s enormous body. It was a ridiculous amount of spiritual power that made him want to retreat, but he was able to get a glimpse of what Halo meant. This wasn¡¯t his body; it wasn¡¯t even really alive. It was a pseudo-living creature with spiritual power¡­ in other words, a golem. ¡°How is this possible¡­¡± [I am just sending energy using this tree as a terminal. I wanted to support this world a little more.] Halo lightly announced he was supporting an entire world by himself through this tree. If he didn¡¯t know the circumstances, he wouldugh at such a thing. But after feeling his energy, he couldn¡¯t dare. The Hero Universe really was a group of monstrous abilities. If this tree were a terminal, however, where was his body? And how was Halo able to send this terminal to this world? He had too many questions. ¡°With this power, you could do anything yourself. Why did you need me?¡± [I am supporting this world. If I try to deal with the giant with this terminal that can¡¯t move, the world will copse.] ¡°¡­¡± [But I can¡¯t leave him be. His footsteps are too heavy for this world right now. In the next one-hundred years or so, the floor will copse if we can¡¯t ovee him.] He didn¡¯t know how feasible that would be, physically speaking. Perhaps this world was t. ¡°How big is he?¡± [I¡¯ll show you.] Halo raised up a branch in front of his eyes. The end of the branch was rolled up, forming a ring, in which water droplets were formed. Kang Shin-hyuk realized it was a telescope of some sort and looked through it. At first, it was out of focus, but soon, a clear view reached his eyes. A very, veryrge ck pir was slowly falling down from the sky. ¡°Surely not.¡± [That¡¯s his leg.] ¡°¡­¡± What he had first thought was maybe a six-meter-tall giant like from a movie. Or maybe a thirty-meter-tall one from a manga. But no way¡­ it was sorge, that the human eye couldn¡¯t even see all of just one leg. That leg alone had to be at least several hundred meters in circumference. [That¡¯s why I called for you. With you, it would be possible to make shackles that could hold his feet. If you can immobilize him, it is possible to kill him. How about it, Anvil? Is it possible?] Kang Shin-hyuk nkly opened and closed his mouth like a fish. He didn¡¯t even know where to start. Finally, slowly, he let out a groan. ¡°Shackles to bind that giant¡­you prepared something special for the materials, right?¡± [Of course.] Halo replied with a smile that Shin-hyuk could sense. [But take a break for now. The kids will guide you.] ¡°Kids?¡± He raised his head reflexively, noticing pieces of leaves falling around him. One gently settled on his head, and thendscape around him changed. [It¡¯s a lodging. You can follow the children.] Halo¡¯s voice came through the leaves. Shin-hyuk blinked several times before picking up the leaf glowing on his head and bringing it to his chest. Looking around, he was in a dark room without any windows. Gromas had a simr facility, so it felt familiar. Perhaps this ce was also underground. ¡°We were waiting, Mr. Anvil.¡± ¡°We were waiting.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk blinked his eyes as he looked at the ¡®children¡¯ who had appeared as his guides. They were all ridiculously beautiful, with snow-white skin and very long ears. Kang Shin-hyuk was instantly familiar with them from fantasy novels. ¡°Elves¡­?¡± ¡°It is an honor that you know of our people.¡± The man in front politely bowed his head in response. ¡°We have nothing left, but please enjoy your stay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had met an elf in his first summer vacation at Shinyoung Chapter 117 Halo Quest (3) Chapter 117 Halo Quest (3) Kang Shin-hyuk knew that throughout the Hero Universe, there were races other than humans. No, the people of Earth must have realized through the traces of other worlds presented by the remnants found in the gates. However, to think he would be able to meet elves, one of the first races one thought of when they thought of fantasy. ¡°First¡­ let¡¯s take a photo!¡± ¡°Yes?! Why are you so embarrassed?!¡± Nothing couldpare to his joy at that moment, especially given how beautiful the elves werepared to humans. ¡°Ooh¡­¡± The elves took pictures with him. As Kang Shin-hyuk continued to take photos with the various elves and was stupidly admiring them, the administrator sent him a message. -If you are active in the Hero Universe, you will be able to meet more beautiful and unique races than elves. Actually, you¡¯ve already met one such person. ¡°Tsukuyo?¡± Among the people he had met so far, Tsukuyo had been exceptionally beautiful. He still vividly remembered the quiet atmosphere that had apanied her. -That¡¯s right. It is part of the racial characteristics of that fox. Only her appearance is outstanding, only that¡­! ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to hate her so much¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt like Tsukuyo was a much more normal person than many of the other people he found himself aroundter. Perhaps even including the administrator, though he kept that bit to himself. ¡°Then, Anvil, this way.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Please.¡± The elves guided him to his lodgings. Now that his excitement had run its course, he noticed the atmosphere was rather subdued. ¡®It is a dead world, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯As he thought that, the space around them shook. It was so intense Kang Shin-hyuk could barely stand. Had his stamina been lower, he might¡¯ve copsed. ¡°That¡­?¡± Has the facility been attacked? He tried to prepare for battle, but the elves next to him were acting casually. ¡°It means that the giant has taken another step.¡± ¡°The next step¡­ should be the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°The facility has suffered some damages. I¡¯m sorry, but I will be repairing it.¡± The elves were already ustomed to such quakes, and unlike Kang Shin-hyuk, remained calm. He couldn¡¯t help but admire them for their strength. -It¡¯s not that they are necessarily strong. It¡¯s just that they have developed the skills needed to survive and live here. Mirotoz¡¯s surviving elves have an S-rank ability on average. ¡®That¡¯s the same as me.¡¯ -S-rank for you is very different from others since you have spiritual power. You also have the added benefit of your trait. Given the right situation, you might be able topete with an SS-rank. If the average S-rank is a single-core, then you are a dual-core processor. ¡®Did you really need to add thatst bit?¡¯But the administrator was correct. He had been stuck in his room for three days, adjusting to his rapidly growing body and new abilities. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± His thoughts were cut off by the elf guiding him, stopping. He opened the door to a spacious bedroom, with a bed that was fastened to the floor. ¡°The giant¡¯s pace is regr, but sometimes it might sneeze and hit the ground. To prevent unnecessary injuries, please fasten your body to the bed with the installed belt when sleeping.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Hitting the ground identally from a sneeze? That sounded like a recipe for disaster given the scale of that giant. Kang Shin-hyuk politely saw the elf off, noticing the fatigue on his face. ¡°Thank you so much foring to this world. Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning.¡± The elf bowed his head and stepped back, closing the door. Kang Shin-hyuk sat down on the bed and sighed, but the door opened again slightly. The same elf peeked in. ¡°There is one other thing I haven¡¯t told you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There are others who wish to attend to Master Anvil tonight, but what would you like?¡± ¡°?!?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk froze, but the administrator¡¯s messages passed his eyes. -Member, I don¡¯t think there is a need to leave any unnecessary traces in this world that is already destroyed. Member, can you see my message? Member? ¡°No new life can be born in this world, so there is no need to worry about the future. If you find the idea not unpleasant¡­¡± The elf continued, and Kang Shin-hyuk noticed now that he had a paper in his hand with a list of women¡¯s names. He was afraid of what it was. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s okay! I¡¯m still a minor!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finally came to his senses and responded urgently. ¡°A minor¡­ I see. Okay, I will tell them that.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± ¡°It is a perished world where there are few joys left. Everyone is happy to see Anvil, who listened to Halo. Well then¡­¡± The elf retreated at that as Kang Shin-hyuk trembled. The illusions he had of the elves were shattering before him. ¡°Administrator¡­ are all elves like this? After all¡­¡± -It is a dead world. At least the elves knew how to keep their hopes up. [Please understand, Anvil. While staying here, I wish you could take care of my children if possible. ording to the providence of the Hero Universe, rewards will be added ordingly¡­] Halo spoke up through the leaf Shin-hyuk had as he talked with the administrator. ¡°What do you mean by that? Surely¡­ not in that way?¡± [That wouldn¡¯t be so bad either. The survivors are often rtives, so there are quite a few of them who are unable to fulfill their needs.] ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear such a vivid consultation¡­¡± It was too much for a high school student. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s lock the door first.¡± -5,000HP bonus! ¡°Thank you.¡± In exchange for giving up his chance at a night visit from the elves, he seeded in protecting his innocence and the administrator¡¯s favor. -I miss you. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: What is this guy suddenly saying? However, it felt so unfair that he decided to message ire right away to express his feelings once more. She acknowledged his words, but it didn¡¯t seem to have worked. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Huh? I can¡¯t call right now. Are you on a dimensional quest? -Yeah. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: If you had told me, I would¡¯ve gone with you. -This quest could only bepleted by me. Besides, if Eunah found out, we had done a dimensional quest together without her¡­ -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Are you stupid? Of course, we¡¯d have to keep it a secret. Next time, tell me before you go. Let¡¯s travel together. Her messages made his heart pound. -I¡¯ll keep it in mind. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Yeah. Come back without getting hurt. I also miss you. After his conversation with ire, he sat down with a satisfied sigh. She may view him more as a younger brother, but he was happy to maintain their rtionship. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s work hard.¡± -It¡¯s different from the way you suffered from the memories of your previous life a few hours ago. ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s it¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk scratched his head, feeling a slight barb in the message. ¡°Being an adult or a child, being serious or not¡­ well, it¡¯s fine to be both.¡± -¡­500HP bonus! ¡°Huh?¡± He didn¡¯t realize how mature his own remarks were. [Haha, Anvil remains the same.] ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Halo butted back in. [Going back to what I was talking about, I didn¡¯t just mean that when I asked you to take care of them.] ¡°Then?¡± [There aren¡¯t many things here. I believe you can fill in for a lot of what theyck.] ¡°As a cksmith?¡± [You are smart.] Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged, finally understanding what he meant. ¡°It will take a while.¡± [It will take a while to make the shackles as well.] ¡°It was a quest that I could barely take on after reaching S-rank, so I thought there would be more fighting¡­¡± He had wanted to test out his Golden Dragon Fighting here if possible. [There will be enough opportunities for you to deal with that old dragon¡¯s energy in your body.] ¡°What¡­?¡± He found out the answer the next day. It was just plowing the field. Chapter 118 Halo Quest (4) Chapter 118 Halo Quest (4) -You received 1 roulette coin for today¡¯s log in bonus. Since you¡¯ve collected 5 coins, you can y the VIP roulette once! Would you like to y now? Life could no longer be born in a world where the source was exhausted. This is because the soul doesn¡¯t dwell there for humans, animals, and nts. Therefore, cultivating crops shouldn¡¯t have been possible. Originally, that is. ¡°From here to there is the field we are managing.¡± ¡°With Master Halo¡¯s original spiritual power, even more would be alright, but it¡¯s impossible to ovee the shock of the giant¡¯s footsteps¡­¡± Early in the morning, a female elf hade to wake up Kang Shin-hyuk, who had already been training. Seeing his training in his thin sleeveless shirt had caused her eyes to brighten, but he had managed to find out what was needed after reaching a safe distance from her. ¡°Halo¡¯s spiritual power makes it possible to grow crops¡­¡± [Although it¡¯s only possible near my roots.] -The origin of a world is a very, veryrge collection of spiritual power in the first ce. You can understand why it is a higher form of energy than magic. Not only the garden, but everything rted to the elves and their survival was located near Halo. ¡°What if the elves also were able to use spiritual power¡­? Could the source¡­¡± [If someone with great spiritual power helped, then the story could be different. But they would need significant power.] His heart sank at that. ¡°Sorry.¡± [It¡¯s alright. It would still be impossible even with that sort of spiritual power. Besides, the administrator would try to kill me if I tried such a thing.] -¡­ The elves who watched them talk were gazing at Kang Shin-hyuk like beasts sizing up their prey. Doubting his safety, he retreated further away from them as he worked the fields. ¡°So? What should I work on?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk explicitly changed topics as the weight of the current one was too much for him. [Because of the impact of the giant¡¯s footsteps, we are limited to a small area to grow in.] ¡°I see.¡± [Unfortunately, it is difficult to maintain the surviving children with only the items harvested from this small field. If I feed them more, the amount of spiritual power in my terminal decreases, decreasing the zone that they are safe in.] ¡°That is difficult¡­¡± [That is why it is necessary to secure an area that isn¡¯t as affected by the giant¡¯s steps.] He didn¡¯t need to ask how. The moment he looked out at the field, Kang Shin-hyuk could sense it as part of his nature as a cksmith. He instinctively knew what could be made to make the field safer. ¡°Alright, I have it. I¡¯m not at the same level as my previous life¡­but if that¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll make it.¡± The elves were amazed at his words, as they knew how absurd Halo¡¯s request was. Yet he had epted it without any worries. [Those are some nice eyes. Yes, I really wanted to see that expression of yours. No matter how proud Eunah is.] ¡°Eunah?¡± Thinking about it, Shin Eunah did talk quite a bit with the other members of the Hero Universe. Especially Janus and Halo, whom she treated almost like uncles, which he knew about through Anvil¡¯s memories. ¡°So, do you need anything else besides that?¡± [It¡¯s the most urgent problem right now, so I¡¯ll ask for that first. There are also the shackles.] ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll start here.¡± It would take a little longer to prepare the materials for the shackles, so Kang Shin-hyuk decided to start with the field¡¯s protection. He pulled out the materials he needed from his inventory, including a hard branch he acquired from the gate raids with Shin Eunah called [Wood Golem¡¯s Core]. It was a B+ grade material that could be used as firewood or even a weapon if properly processed. [It¡¯s a good choice, but I can also provide nts.] ¡°If possible, I would like toplete it without using your power.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and lifted his sword. What he was going to make now was a scarecrow. He thought it would be silly to try and stop those vibrations caused by the giant with one, but intuitively, it felt right. ¡°Then first, its skeleton¡­ shall we start.?¡± The Godyer sword was by no means a chisel, but its ability of flesh control was perfect for shaving the wood. It also had the advantage that it was easy to imbue it with spiritual power. The elves watched him work with wide-open eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would start right here.¡± ¡°All-craft? Is that the legendary all-craft?¡± ¡°The way he works is great.¡± ¡°He feels just as serious as Master Halo.¡± ¡°How long did Master Anvil say he would be staying? Creating the shackles and other artifacts, that can¡¯t be resolved in just a year or two¡­¡± ¡°If so, that¡¯s good for us¡­¡± Elves were somewhat better than Halo, but they still thought in terms of time that felt absurd by human standards. Kang Shin-hyuk was already concentrating on his work, so he was blissfully unaware of their conversations, but Haloughed. [There was a time I thought about that too. Yet Anvil is a craftsman born as a human and gained a widespread reputation throughout all dimensions in only twenty years. His speed in his work and the perfection of the objects he created¡­ these children will have no choice but to notice it. Even if he¡¯s here for just a year, he will significantly change the world.] -Master Halo is joking too much. The cost of the dimensional quest will grow exponentially. Besides, it won¡¯t take up to a year. [Any amount for a reward is fine, administrator. Ah, there was something he had to get from this world. Would you be willing to bargain a little bit if I help him get it?] -¡­ Several hours passed as such. Kang Shin-hyuk had made a rather usible looking scarecrow in the meanwhile. The elves were still watching him, unsure of what a scarecrow was in the first ce. ¡°Everyone can get to work doing other things.¡± ¡°We have nothing to do. Watching Anvil¡­ it¡¯s fun, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk got back to work with a slight tremble in his face, starting on making a second scarecrow. The speed of his work grew faster with the second one, perhaps thanks to his metallurgy. ¡°Okay, done.¡± In the end, he had created five scarecrows over the course of nine hours. He barely handled metal in the process, but he felt strangelyfortable doing it. He felt like he was starting to grasp, just a little, what All-craft was. It had to do with achieving a distinct purpose. Because he knew the destination, he was able to move on a rather rough road rather than a familiar one. It was still clumsy and far from the All-craft he sought to achieve, but he had seeded in making something eptable. -Why these five, member? ¡°They should be ced in the form of a pentagram¡­ ugh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finally realized that he hade up with it because of ire. -A 2,500HP bonus for members! ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk finished the work in silence after covering the scarecrows¡¯ faces. At that moment, they began to shine and resonate as he had intended. The material¡¯s quality was only B+ grade, and he was unfamiliar with the work, so the result was lower than he had intended. Or rather, the power of that giant was too damn strong. [May I add some strength to it?] ¡°Please.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded without hesitation. This was for the elves who lived here; there was no time to cling to his pride. [Okay, then.] Halo gently shook his branches over their heads. Five leaves fell, each onending on a different scarecrow before exploding with a dazzling light. -The [Guardian (S+)] was created using the power of an ancient being. Metallurgy proficiency has greatly increased! [Guardian] [S+ rank] [Special Ability: Protection, Activation] *Protection: Protects the designated area from all physical, magical, and spiritual interference. If the five Guardians aren¡¯t ced as specified, they won¡¯t trigger. *Activation: Amplifies the life inside the designated area. If the five Guardians aren¡¯t ced as specified, they won¡¯t trigger. He had used that B+ rank item to create an S+ rank artifact. Kang Shin-hyuk would¡¯ve been satisfied if it had even been A-rank, so he had no choice but to smile at the result. Just adding those five leaves had such a result. -You seem to be misunderstanding; it was only possible because of your metallurgy and traits. If not for that, it would¡¯ve been impossible to ovee the material¡¯s limitations no matter how much of Halo¡¯s power was added. The administratorforted him. He was probably right, to some degree. ¡°I feel like I can rx with this. Now let¡¯s focus on the shackles.¡± [It will still take a little more time, Anvil.] Halo responded to Shin-hyuk as he stood up with a clear mind. [So please help me a little more in the meantime.] ¡°Taking advantage of me while I¡¯m here, huh?¡± [That¡¯s fairly urate.] Halo epted the words as Kang Shin-hyuk looked out. With the scarecrows deployed, the field was expanded tenfold. [I need plows too.] ¡°I bet next you¡¯ll ask for sickles too.] [Please do that a littleter, Anvil. That way, you will probably make better sickles.] ¡°?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk went ahead and made a plow ording to Halo¡¯s request. It waspleted as a B+ rank artifact, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cultivate thend of this world. In the end, he had to use his Golden Dragon Fighter to break through the ground. ¡°It¡¯s great, Anvil! Even without our magic, such power is difficult to produce¡­!¡± ¡°Master Anvil¡¯s body is covered in golden energy!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s join him!¡± Halo had said he would have a chance to use Golden Dragon Fighter. He realized he had intended this from the start and vowed to receive the rewards from Halo. Eventually, he received the materials for the shackles only after the day was over. Chapter 119 Halo Quest (5) Chapter 119 Halo Quest (5) -A 3,500HP bonus for a member who uses their power well. ¡°I feel a bit bad about that bonus. Administrator¡­ administrator?¡± -3,000HP bonus! ¡°He¡¯s started again.¡± -2,000HP bonus! After the five scarecrows, Kang Shin-hyuk made a plow and even led the plowing of the field by himself, all while emitting his Golden Dragon. He then ran away from the elves who cheered him on as he widened the field as they tried to rinse him off, enjoying a bath as best he could while avoiding them. The world was destroyed, but fortunately, clean water was readily avable. He sat soaking in the warm water, rebuffing the elves¡¯ attempts to break into the bathroom and peek in on him, when one of Halo¡¯s leaves found its way onto his head. [The material is ready, soe out and check it, Anvil.] ¡°Finally?¡± It had been a long day of work before he had been able to reach the goal of the quest. An elf was waiting to guide him outside the bath. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Outside the facility? Well, I have a rough guess.¡± When it came to shackles that could hold a giant, it would have to berge enough that it wouldn¡¯t be carriable. Not only that, but it couldn¡¯t use ordinary steel. Halo revealed the nuance of preparing the materials himself. [I cut thergest and thickest of my roots.] It was the pieces of Halo¡¯s terminal. ¡°Do you think I can process it?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk heaved a sigh as he looked at the thick tree roots that filled the vacant lot. Even if he sprinted around it for ten minutes at top speed, he would have trouble going around it, and he was supposed to process this himself? It felt like a joke, but Halo responded firmly. [If it¡¯s you, it¡¯s possible. Watching you work with those low-quality branches, I could feel the possibilities.] ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He wanted to refuse and say that was thanks to Halo¡¯s help, but he knew the administrator would refute it. He decided to ept it, though he wasn¡¯t fully satisfied. [No matter your rank in metallurgy, I realized that Anvil is still Anvil. Tsukuyo didn¡¯t quiet down for nothing.] ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing up Tsukuyo all of a sudden?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hesitated, feeling a bit ufortable discussing her, but Halo replied with augh. [Isn¡¯t she the one who is obsessed with Anvil more than anyone else in the Hero Universe? That she acknowledged, you mean that there is no question about your skill. However, I don¡¯t particrly appreciate that she is always buying all the products crafted by you¡­ right. While I¡¯m asking, how many of my side quests will you ept while you are staying here?] ¡°Each time I talk to you, you have more for me to do!¡± Still, the reward seemed pretty hefty, so he decided to ept it. [But the important thing now is the shackles. How about it, Anvil. Will you do it?] ¡°Hmm.¡± He felt like it was still too early for him to try work on such an enormous scale. But as he looked at the tree roots, an idea came to his mind. It was clearer in his mind than the scarecrows had been. It wouldn¡¯t be possible with his skills as they were, but if he slowly worked at it, his production ability should increase enough for it to be possible. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± [Thank you!] ¡°By the way, is it possible to return to Earth during the quest?¡± -If a mutual agreement is reached, it is possible. [Although the destruction is decided, there is plenty of time until then, Anvil.] Then it was decided. Kang Shin-hyuk hurried to the tree roots after getting a definite answer from the administrator and Halo. He thought about shaving it into the shape he envisioned, but he changed his mind after trying it a few times with his sword. ¡°This is metal.¡± [I changed it a bit as I thought it would be better for you to handle.] ¡°You¡¯re talking about some pretty unbelievable things, but good job!¡± If it were metal, it would be better to melt, hammer, and then grind out. However, there wasn¡¯t a forge in the world that could melt this thing whole. He had no choice but to melt it and shape it partially. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but I¡¯ll finish it before I die.¡± -2,500HP bonus! As such, Kang Shin-hyuk began to make a pair of full-fledged shackles with firewood and hammer in hand using the tree roots. The most important part of the work was his spiritual power. He needed to instill his spiritual power into the roots as he melted and shaped them. Once he reached his limit with spiritual power, he would focus on other work that didn¡¯t require it while he waited to recover. ¡°If it¡¯s daily necessities, you don¡¯t need to add spiritual power.¡± ¡°Master Anvil! We need a table¡­¡± ¡°I would like a little more variety in our cooking tools. Please!¡± ¡°Master Anvil, the items for tonight¡­¡± As Halo had previously told him, the elves living in the underground shelters had many things theycked. Even Halo couldn¡¯t afford to buy each and everything they needed, so they had no choice but to live with the inconvenience so far. ¡°Master Anvil, that¡­ could underwear be possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for me to challenge sewing¡­ but wouldn¡¯t it be better to just buy some from Earth?¡± ¡°I want to wear the underwear that Master Anvil made!¡± ¡°Are all elves perverts like you¡­?¡± For Kang Shin-hyuk, who could travel back and forth from Earth and Mirotoz at any time, it was faster to buy the daily necessities they needed from Earth. However, it seemed like there would be no end after four days in Mirotoz, so he stopped by Earth to buy some things, yet¡­ none of the objects could hold up for long and soon melted away. -This world¡¯s standards are too high, member. Earth¡¯s mass-produced products cannot stand here. It¡¯s not just because of the giant¡¯s steps. The atmosphere of the world suppresses the weak. It was because of this that you were withheld from epting the quest before. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, a member of the Hero Universe, had been receiving system-level protection from it, so he hadn¡¯t noticed. Perhaps a lower-level world, like Kieron, wouldn¡¯t have any problems, but Mirotoz was on another level. A world where the average rank of the survivors was S-rank, but what did that mean? It meant that beings or objects of a lower level than that had difficulty enduring here. ¡°How did the people here survive?¡± Even now, the steps of the giant shook the world, bearing down on the hearts of those who survived. Kang Shin-hyuk could indirectly feel the weight that the survivors bore and let out bleakughter. There were less than one-hundred people here, quietly waiting for their end. What did they think of in their day-to-day lives/? ¡°This is the underwear Anvil made!¡± ¡°Me too! I want some too!¡± ¡°Auction, let¡¯s do this fairly with an auction!¡± No, maybe he really didn¡¯t need to think about anything. Kang Shin-hyuk resumed his work while the elves started their auction of the underwear he had made. Now he was focusing on sewing a new fabric provided by the elves. The only thing that remained in this dead world was raw materials not burned by human hands. ¡°Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could do it well¡­ but it¡¯s working.¡± -It¡¯s almost impossible for one person to master more than one of the crafting skills. However, if you have mastered one skill, you can use it in other production processes. It is a form of All-craft. Since you reached that level once in the past, you can still embody some of it. He had trouble following the administrator¡¯s words, but he nodded along as he focused on sewing. It was quite fun, all in all, though he hoped that the female elves would stoping up to him, asking to be measured. -You have realized some of the infinite possibilities of metallurgy. Metallurgy has grown to A-rank! Strength has grown to S+ rank! Spiritual Power has grown to S+ rank! -Synchronization has elerated- current rate of 28.2%. After doing various work like that, his metallurgy grew to A-rank. He was working on metallurgy when it grew, but he wondered if maybe his other work had an effect on his growth as well. ¡®All my stats are S+ except for agility and Golden Dragon Fighting now¡­ no more excuses.¡¯It was easy to forget when there weren¡¯t any monsters around, but the rank of S+ was in the realm of elite superhumans, which only a handful could reach. -You will continue to grow faster in the future. ¡°I can really see it.¡± He wondered if he would¡¯ve be this strong before essing the Hero Universe. He probably would¡¯ve been satisfied with his growth back then, too. But now he knew that there was still a long way to go. Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh and continued shaping the roots that were slowly, very slowly, taking on the form he wanted. ¡°Shall we stay up all night again?¡± -It would be nice to return to Earth tomorrow. ¡°Yes, that would be good.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up at the sky with a satisfied sigh. There was nothing to see beyond the branches of Halo. With a shrug, he went back to work. The fourth week of summer vacation wasing to an end. Chapter 120 Regurgitating Hatred (1) Chapter 120 Regurgitating Hatred (1) ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Ah, get out of the way.¡± ¡°As soon as you see me, your reaction is bad!¡± The morning after Kang Shin-hyuk returned from Mirotoz, Baek In-ha came to his room. What that meant was now he was also a part of the Royal ss. It was natural, given that he was elected vice-president of the student council. ¡°You can¡¯t enter the student council so casually.¡± ¡°If only I didn¡¯t have to pay attention to something like the student council¡­¡± ¡°Well,e on.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk conceded and let Baek In-ha into his room. Although it probably wasn¡¯t different from his room, Baek nced through the room with a curious expression before quickly finding a small hedgehog eating a piece of iron in the corner. ¡°Is that the hedgehog you were taming? Rumors are circting everywhere. That you have a taming-like trait¡­in other words, a double trait.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just an urban legend¡­¡± Originally, it was thought that a capable superhuman could only have one trait, but people liked to argue that it was possible to have two. Usually, it just turned out that someone had a broad trait or a special skill, however, when it was suspected. Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk actually knew a person who had two traits¡­but she was an exception in many ways and thus didn¡¯t count. ¡°It was just an artifact.¡± ¡°Is that so? At least, everyone is talking more about skills. Shinyoung¡¯s current hot topic is that you tamed a me wyvern and enjoyed a sky date with Algiers.¡± ¡°These damn guys are on vacation. Why don¡¯t they go out and enjoy it instead of staying here?¡± The me wyvern was too huge to hide. Moreover, the Wyvern Knights didn¡¯t skip their activities during vacation, so perhaps all of the students were already aware of the me wyvern by now. Kang Shin-hyuk was still his owner, too. He thought he would hand it over to Dous Payne, but he would be graduating before too long. It would be a pain to switch owners twice. ¡°So be honest. How far have you gone with Algiers?¡± ¡°To a gate.¡± ¡°Ah, please.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Even though he responded honestly, Baek didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°You haven¡¯t been at schooltely. Have you been with Algiers all this time?¡± ¡°No, I was with another woman.¡± ¡°Casanova!¡± He had only said so to see Baek¡¯s reaction and make fun of it. Before entering the gate with Eleanor, he had been with Shin Eunah, but that was a special training course from hell. Then, after all of that, he had been in Mirotoz at Halo¡¯s request. There were a lot of beautiful elves there, though, so it wasn¡¯t technically a lie. ¡°Betrayer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I just returned from training in some new environments.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Baek nodded. ¡°You¡¯re much stronger. How did you grow so much? Once my agility hit S-rank, my growth slowed down to a crawl.¡± ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Still a traitor.¡± Baek attacked him with his arms wide open, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t easy to catch. Baek stopped angrily after a couple of tries. ¡°Really fast! This is S-rank¡­you¡¯re agility is S-rank!¡± ¡°Keep it a secret.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even believe it!¡± Baek was stuck to the spot in shock, but soon he recovered. ¡°I have to practice.¡± ¡°Yes, be strong.¡± ¡°Ah, and sir.¡± Baek turned around before he left, speaking up cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s said that the frequency of gate urrences is strange these days.¡± ¡°Why¡­are there more?¡± No one could control the generation of gates. Humans could predict them to an extent, but they couldn¡¯t prevent or adjust it. There were times, however, when the incidence rate would increase to a noticeable degree. Usually, it was treated as a harbinger of disaster. ¡°There have been many cases concentrated in one ce. Therge guilds are busy moving, as well as the Superhuman Association.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I see.¡± Shin Eunah had seemed busy these days. However, she had not put out a call for ¡®Shin Eun-hyuk.¡¯ Which meant it wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved by his hand. ¡°There is also talk about whether or not a fourth countercurrent is urring.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Countercurrent. That was the name of the disaster that imed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s parents. Baek could tell what he was feeling and made a serious face. ¡°So be careful for the time being. Then, I¡¯m off.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Baek left, leaving Kang Shin-hyuk alone with an ominous feeling of dread hanging over him. No matter how strong he was currently, he couldn¡¯t take on such a disaster alone. Now was the time to forget about all of that and continue practicing. *** ¡°Did you hear that band?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such an unfortunate sound.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the Moscow mule!¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading off now.¡± That night, Kang Shin-hyuk was working at the frontline bar serving drinks to a crowd of customers in the full bar. ¡°Something will happen sooner orter.¡± ire was muttering drowsily with the cigarette-like chocte in her mouth. It would be embarrassing if the other customers knew it was only chocte, and he wondered if he should inform them. ¡°Everyone is noisy.¡± ¡°Today, five gates urred in the adjacent area. This is for table three.¡± ¡°Five¡­? No wonder there¡¯s an uproar.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to be prepared for it, it¡¯ll get busier.¡± The guests of the bar were rather noisy today. It made sense, though, given that it was a ce where superhumans flocked to. As he moved, a female guest sitting near him gently grabbed his hand to pull him back to sit near her. ¡°He¡¯s ranked.¡± ¡°Uh, did you see that?!¡± ¡°Look.¡± They had just been trying to y a joke, but then they realized the bartender had naturally avoided them. The female customer went silent as she looked at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Don¡¯t only famous peoplee here these days?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the most famous person in front of you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed in response to ire. ¡°I guess everyone wants to get a buff. There are quite a few people whoe to invite me to a guild.¡± ¡°You get rid of people like that right away.¡± ¡°Yeah. Soon enough, I think they¡¯ll attempt the same with you. Look¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± there were several people whispering quietly and motioning at Kang Shin-hyuk after witnessing his movements. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re rumored to be Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°Well, Eunah ising every day¡­¡± That same Shin Eunah had shown up for one drink today. She had hung unto his arm before she left reluctantly, but it seemed there was something she had to take care of. ¡°Wait a minute, then don¡¯t they know I¡¯m affiliated with the association?¡± ¡°Well, not that really matters for guild recruitment.¡± ¡°Wait a second, I just looked it up, but there¡¯s an article with the three of us.¡± ¡®The attractive male bartender of the Frontline Bar is Shin Eun-hyuk?! Shin Eun-hyuk, a man loved by the Alchemist and the Thunder Empress!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk sputtered upon reading the title, ¡®Suspicious love triangle.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s rather good.¡± ire read the articles with a smile, but soon her eyes narrowed. ¡°Our cute Shin-hyuk is much better than this scandal.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright, I suppose.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk busied himself cleaningsses while ire giggled. Once he had a second, he approached her again. ¡°We had an appointment for a date, by the way.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what I promised.¡± She had promised to go out on a date during vacation once he had returned home. ire was acting as she had forgotten; Kang Shin-hyuk could tell it was a lie. She remembered but was waiting for him to speak up. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date.¡± ¡°Huh, yes. That tone was okay, but you¡¯re still far away¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be stronger from now on.¡± ¡°From now on.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. ire was aware of how much he had grown during the vacation so far. It wasn¡¯t a joke; it seemed like he could get into the ranks at the age of seventeen. If that happened, they might stand together on the same battlefield. ire let out augh as she imagined it. If she wanted to take her shot with Kang Shin-hyuk, there was one boss in her way that she¡¯d need to defeat. ¡°Is that the first step to our date¡­?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine tomorrow, so let¡¯s go on a date then.¡± ireughed abashedly. Chapter 121 Regurgitating Hatred (2) Chapter 121 Regurgitating Hatred (2) ire was one of the most famous people in the world. What would happen if she and Kang Shin-hyuk walked down the street? Not only would Shinyoung riot right away, but Shin Eunah would also be dispatched to end their lives. Therefore, the two met with appropriate disguises. In the Hero Universe, there was an item called ¡®Shadow of Leaves¡¯ that subtly changed one¡¯s appearance to avoid attention naturally. It was a bit pricey, but it was a must-have item for those who wanted to avoid people knowing their identity. Of course, if you engaged in vigorous activities, the effect would disappear, but there was no problem when enjoying a normal date. The moment he met ire at the appointed meeting ce, Kang Shin-hyuk realized that no one was really paying attention to them. ¡°Ah, why haven¡¯t I used such a thing?¡± ¡°Ah, for your work as Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± ¡°Well, I was also thinking as a bartender.¡± ire shook a finger at him, her red-hair tired into a side tail fluttering cutely behind her ear. ¡°Who do you think our bar guests are? They¡¯re superhumans. The Shadow of Leaves is perfect to deceive those who pass you by, but it won¡¯t work well against those who stay around you for hours at a time. It¡¯s just a matter ofpatibility. So¡­ were you deceived?¡± ¡°I¡¯m stuck wearing a mask.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was staring at ire, who began to swear and avoid his gaze. With a smile, he reached out his arm for her. ¡°Actually, I think the mask is cool.¡± ¡°Of course, it is!¡± ire snapped at his words but having her cling to his arm felt the best. ¡°Marry me, sister.¡± ¡°Do I look deceived?¡± The two exchanged jokes and headed for dinner first. They were going to the restaurant on the 20th floor of the five-star Lubron hotel where the artifact contest was previously held. ¡°Wow, Shin-hyuk is so capable.¡± ¡°I wanted to go with you, so I saved it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ire flinched momentarily at the naturalment but soon recovered with a smile when she realized he had said it without expecting a reaction. ¡°Yes, then, should I be thankful? But I¡¯ll save it for next time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The mood between the two was pretty good, as Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t acting needlessly nervous or unreasonable. ire held up the wine the waiter poured for her as she regarded him. ¡°Is it Anvil¡¯s influence?¡± ¡°The way I am now?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. It must be affecting me, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be so calm with you in front of me.¡± ¡°Another hard attempt.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel bad to hear, though, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a pretty good skill, so cherish it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because I really mean it.¡± ¡°Again, again.¡± A light smile appeared on her face, and Kang Shin-hyuk was d it had worked. He let out augh as he faced her, but then his face stiffened. ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°Jesus.¡± At a table far from there, there were two women Kang Shin-hyuk knew. One was Eleanor R. Algiers, who he had seen a little while ago when they cleared the gate, and the other was Lee Na-hee. ¡°Yes, my senior also had a ticket toe here¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know they would being on the same day. It would¡¯ve been fine if she was alone or with her boyfriend, but instead, the two had arrived together! ¡°Oh, definitely¡­¡± ire also noticed the two where his gaze was directed. Fortunately, it seemed like they hadn¡¯t noticed them yet. ¡°One is your club senior.¡± ¡°The other is the same. She¡¯s the head of the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°Wow, how nice. There is a lot of beauty surrounding you.¡± ¡°Out of all of them, you are the prettiest.¡± But what should they do? Wouldn¡¯t they be caught? Would the Shadow of Leaves be enough to hide them? Thinking about it, it didn¡¯t really matter if he was caught. In the first ce, Lee Na-hee already knew Kang Shin-hyuk liked ire. ¡°Well, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, yes. I¡¯m on a date, so I¡¯m going to focus on you.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Sheesh.¡± They both forgot the presence of those outsiders and enjoyed their meal. They were enjoying cake for dessert and drinking tea when ire snuck a question in. ¡°Where are we going next?¡± ¡°Are you the type who likes to move, or the type who doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on the moving side.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go bowling.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t ordinary bowling he referred to, but rather the bowling found at the special sports center for superhumans. The ball¡¯s weight and size were different; the pins were different, and even the floor was different. It was a facility designed to be enjoyed by superhumans who had strength and stamina above and beyond ordinary people. From the point they had decided to go on a date, it was unavoidable that they ended up going to the Choin Shopping center. ¡°Wow, they have a lot to do aside from bowling.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you been here before?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hade along with Baek In-ha once before when he had said he would go flirt with some olderdies. In the end, however, they had both concentrated too much on the game to do so. ¡°I generally don¡¯t do more exercise than what I need to, but it¡¯s good sometimes.¡± ire retied her hair back in a ponytail. When Kang Shin-hyuk gave her the thumbs up, sheughed and pped his arm. The mood around them was particrly good. Or at least, it would¡¯ve been if Eleanor and Lee Na-hee hadn¡¯te to thene next to theirs. ¡°What a coincidence, junior.¡± ¡°Ah, hello, Shin-hyuk.¡± Lee Na-hee was smiling while Eleanor looked between Shin-hyuk and ire with an expression of disbelief. It became clear that the Shadow of leaves didn¡¯t work well against one¡¯s acquaintances. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why do you look like that? Think I look pretty today?¡± ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve seen each other since the gate. How are you¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wordlessly stared at them, but once they confessed it was a coincidence, he finally sighed. ¡°What a coincidence¡­ you were at the restaurant too¡­¡± ¡°What, you saw us and pretended not to? That makes me sad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s against thew to interfere with someone¡¯s date.¡± ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t our sister just ying with you?¡± When did ire be Lee Na-hee¡¯s older sister? Kang Shin-hyuk, feeling a bit upset, tried to retort, but ire came up to hug him from behind. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Not only Kang Shin-hyuk but also Eleanor and Lee Na-hee also stiffened in response. ire yfully ced her chin on his shoulder. ¡°Is it wrong that we¡¯re dating? Oh, keep it a secret from others.¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± ¡°That is¡­ excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Should we bowl together?¡± ¡°Uh, no. We¡¯ll just bowl by the side.¡± ¡°It was an honor to meet you, Alchemist.¡± The two quietly stepped back, overwhelmed by ire. Kang Shin-hyuk felt his face heating up. It was aplete defeat; he couldn¡¯t beat her. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Yes? Did I go too far?¡± ¡°No, not at all. Absolutely not.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ire had a small smile on her face as Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he was dying. ¡°Then, let¡¯s y.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± They grabbed drinks and enjoyed bowling. The two women, defeated by ire, were ying in thene next to them. Perhaps they wanted to observe, or perhaps they didn¡¯t want to waste the money they had already spent. [Lee Na-hee: Junior, I¡¯m sorry.] A message came from Lee Na-hee as he watched ire throw the ball. He was sitting on the sofa nearby and raised his head to meet Lee Na-hee¡¯s gaze. [Lee Na-hee: I was joking about making fun of it, but you two go well together.] [Why are you being so kind all of a sudden?] [Lee Na-hee: No, I¡¯m truly sorry if I disturbed your date.] [Well, you were roughly right. We¡¯re not dating, not really. I feel like I¡¯ve barely won a chance to do so.] He could see Lee Na-heeughing at his message. [Lee Na-hee: It¡¯s still far away.] [You¡¯re making fun of me again.] [Lee Na-hee: That¡¯s not it.] [Lee Na-hee: No, that¡¯s it. Should we make one before the semester starts?] [I¡¯ll think about it tomorrow and contact you.] ire was returning to her seat as he finished messaging her. Meanwhile, he could see Lee Na-hee whispering with Eleanor. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my seniors interfered.¡± ¡°Good boy. Tell them you¡¯re not angry. Rather, I felt like I benefited from it.¡± ire giggled and sipped at her drink. Shin-hyuk was confused about what she meant and watched her quietly. Her thick lips were biting at her straw, making him fidget ufortably in his seat. As he stood up, his stick began to vibrate. Didn¡¯t he already finish talking to Lee Na-hee? As soon as he thought so, a siren rang out through the building, and Lee Na-hee¡¯s phone also began to vibrate. [An irregr gate is urring.] ¡°Ah.¡± He faced ire, who let out augh. ¡°Somehow, this is to be expected¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be right about that expectation.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it like this the day we first met?¡± ¡°It was. I¡¯m still afraid to die before we could finish our date.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk threw out a joke, ire tilted her head in contemtion. ¡°We can finish our date next time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, instead¡­¡± ire¡¯s phone was flooded with messages. She was a top ranker staying in Korea, after all. She was their first line of defense when it came to superhumans. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go alone today. Fight with me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he had been hit with lightning. Before, he had no choice but to send her alone because he was weak. But not now. There was no need to hide anymore. ¡°Like that¡­¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ire asked with a smile, and in response, Kang Shin-hyuk put on the mask of Shin Eun-hyuk. Chapter 122 Regurgitating Hatred (3) Chapter 122 Regurgitating Hatred (3) At that time, as the two stood up to spur into action, the other two next to them stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll go too!¡± ¡°Uh, we? Should I go too?¡± Eleanor looked straight at Kang Shin-hyuk as he wore his mask, and Lee Na-hee was crying beside her. She was a typical wizard character who specialized in enchanting rather than battling, so of course, she was reluctant to go to the frontlines. ¡°Oh, these guys¡­¡± ¡°I trust them both.¡± In the first ce, Lee Na-hee was involved with his crafting, and Eleanor had be aware of his identity through his martial arts. There was no need to hide it, so he had put on the mask in front of them without hesitation. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they would follow us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty strong.¡± Eleanor stepped forward. Kang Shin-hyuk already knew that. Her pure meleebat power was incredible and terrifying. ¡°Senior Eleanor, is it okay if you stand out?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± She was already famous. However, it was another problem if she were to attract attention outside of school. ¡°Well, that¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± As Eleanor slowed down to consider it, ire let out augh next to Shin-hyuk, and a very uneasy premonition came over him. ¡°¡­No, sister? Say no,e on!¡± ¡°In fact, I have artifacts that can hide your identity!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ire ignored Kang Shin-hyuk and pulled out two masks. They were at least ten million HP apiece, but she had gone and bought multiple of them. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes twinkled as she noticed the masks were the same as the one Kang Shin-hyuk wore. ire was pleased with that reaction and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you. Oh, let¡¯s coordinate our hair and eye color.¡± Why not, at that point. The current Shin Eun-hyuk had the same dark hair as Kang Shin-hyuk and red eyes. Now that his trait had evolved, those red eyes had a bit of gold crossing over them. ¡°Red eyes with ck hair.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a minute, are you forcing me to participate?¡± ¡°I think it suits me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it then!¡± ire¡¯s words suddenly changed Lee Na-hee¡¯s attitude. She couldn¡¯t help but be excited. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s hurry up. Oh, put these jackets on too.¡± ire confirmed that no people were around before they all ced their masks on. Like Shin-hyuk¡¯s, it was a in mask that covered half of the face. Once they used it, Eleanor and Lee Na-hee had dark hair and red eyes just like his own. The shape of their faces had changed significantly as well. They all almost looked like siblings, and once they put the jackets on that ire handed out, they looked like a group of cartoon viins. ¡°Should we go with the name Shin?¡± ¡°Senior Eleanor, I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s a bit noticeable. Anyway, I have these boots for you to wear. Can you still fight properly in them?¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had a pair of high-heeled boots (that were B-rank) he had made out of some extra leather. They had the ability to amplify athletic performance, and with them, Eleanor could easily lead the pack. ¡°This¡­ do you intend to give this to me?¡± ¡°I made them with the intention of doing so.¡± They weren¡¯t as useful to him, anyway, as he had a higher rank in agility than her since his trait had evolved, and his statuses had further grown. ¡°Wow, you can even easily make artifacts out of leather and cloth¡­¡± ¡°Well, it was one of the best toe out of my experiments¡­¡± These days, Kang Shin-hyuk had fully immersed himself in crafting anytime he had spare time. These boots were ones he had created in the process of crafting necessities for the elves. ¡°And also this.¡± ¡°¡­Whoa!¡± He produced a cone-shaped spear that was about as tall as Eleanor. Her eyes went wide as if she had been struck by electricity. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just lending it to you.¡± ¡°This is too much¡­¡± Lee Na-hee clung to Eleanor to check out the item information, feeling alienated at the fact Shin-hyuk had been working alone without telling her. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Only three minutes had passed since the siren went off. Lee Na-hee gave up on telling Shin-hyuk off and followed them quietly. ¡°Everyone, drink this. It¡¯s a cocktail I made in advance.¡± ¡°Can I add my enchantment to it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Na-hee enhanced the potion with her enchantment. Her enchanting ability could be applied to any target, but the stronger the target¡¯s power was from the start, the more amplified the effect would be. Thus, with ire¡¯s potion, the effect was very noticeable. -You drank the Alchemist¡¯s special cocktail potion ¡®Cindere.¡¯ Over the next two hours, movement speed will be increased by 60%, and attack speed will be increased by 25%. Attack speed has increased an additional 10% due to enchantment, and there is a chance to evade automatically. -You drank the Alchemist¡¯s special cocktail potion ¡®Sunrise.¡¯ Over the next two hours, the abilities of all skills will be increased by 20%. There will be an additional 20% reduction to the cost of all skills due to enchantment. The effect was outstanding. ¡°Can you enchant us too?¡± ¡°No, it can only be done once for the same subject.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be possible for her to buff their weapons, for instance, now that she had buffed them directly through the potion. ¡°You should do some trait training.¡± ¡°Instant enchantment isn¡¯t enough?!¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed as a golden mark ran through his eyes. A golden brilliance covered the entire party in an instant. -Guardian Golden Dragon has activated to increase the performance of all allies and weapons by 30%. He showed off the power of his trait, frustrating ire and Lee Na-hee, because of the sudden change. Eleanor was prepared for it, however, as she had already experienced it. ¡°Wow¡­! It¡¯s nowpletely¡­.¡± ¡°It is the power of apletely evolved trait. Well, now I will be working as Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°What a scam. You weren¡¯t originally an enchanter¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not, it¡¯s only that the range of my trait has increased. So senior, what is your trait?¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ire let out augh as the two bickered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had those abilities. You¡¯ll need to tell your sister about itter, but for now, let¡¯s head out.¡± ire called Shin Eunah directly as she finished talking. The call ended quickly, but ire was already in a cold sweat by the time it did. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sister?!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I just suddenly thought of something when talking with Eunah¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If we go together, she¡¯ll notice we were together, right?¡± ¡°?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was quick toe up with a good excuse despite his surprise. ¡°How about I was ying with my seniors at the shopping mall, then you joined us because the situation broke out?¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go with that!¡± ire epted it instantly, but Lee Na-hee cried out in fear. ¡°Wait a minute, we don¡¯t want to be attacked by lightning?!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. Eunah won¡¯t kill you if you¡¯re careful.¡± ¡°Wait, but we could die?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go! There are a bunch of gates opening, so let go of that idea!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Eleanor braced hernce as she stood next to the frightened Lee Na-hee. Strangely, her cheeks were red. ¡°Oh, it might be nice¡­¡± ¡°Ellie?!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time, let¡¯s go!¡± ire pulled out her aerial bike from the time she rode with Shin-hyuk. It could be easily ridden with two people, but four would be too unreasonable. ire quickly pressed a button on the bike, however, causing two hard handles to stretch out from the sides of it. ¡°¡­Is this¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ire sat down on the bike with Lee Na-hee behind her. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and hung onto the left handle with both of his hands. Eleanor wasgging behind, however. ¡°Senior Eleanor, grab the other handle.¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Are you on? Then we¡¯ll fly!¡± ¡°What¡­ ahhhh?!¡± The moment Eleanor grabbed on the bike soared into the sky. Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor had to hang on to the bike¡¯s sidebars as it flew in the air. ¡°Should we give our squad a name beforehand?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it a squad.¡± ¡°Senior!¡± The bike with the four of them sped through the air quickly. -A 6,000HP bonus to members who look cool! ¡®Don¡¯t give me a bonus at a time like this!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deep sigh as the bike sped on towards the battlefield. Chapter 123 Regurgitating Hatred (4) Chapter 123 Regurgitating Hatred (4) Countless emission-type gates had appeared at the same time, resulting in a situation called the countercurrent. It was a phenomenon that everyone had no choice but to recognize as countless monsters of different types came together to destroy the world and kill humanity. In a word, it was war. In the past, there had been three such incidents in Korea. Several other countries had only experienced two at most (Africa had already fallen into monsters¡¯ hands when the first happened), so Korea was seen as being particrly unlucky in this regard. Yet now, as more than one-hundred irregr gates opened at once all over Seoul to pour out monsters, it became the moment that the world¡¯s first countercurrent urred. If Vanguard, the world¡¯s number one battle guild, hadn¡¯t found it earlier, Korea might¡¯ve been blown away. -Largend¡­new air¡­! -We will conquer. -We will take it. Few people knew that the gates weren¡¯t independent but rather interconnected. However, those who saw the monstersing from within them,municating with each other, would naturally realize it. The fact that there was a conspiracy lurking behind the gates that humans could not yet fathom, everyone who fought at the forefront to block the countercurrent could sense it. That was Vanguard and the Superhuman Association. ¡°Block the right side! They¡¯re pushing us!¡± ¡°A new gate at 11 o¡¯clock! It¡¯s A-ss!¡± ¡°Baekyang guild will take them on. Focus on this side!¡± ¡°Is the Alchemist here yet? Are they in Korea?!¡± -Kiaaaah! The chaos showed no sign of subsiding. Compared to ten years ago, when the third countercurrent urred, the average level of superhumans had increased, but so did the number of monsters appearing. It made it difficult for superhumans lower than B-rank to move properly. ¡°Damn¡­this feels strange¡­!¡± ¡°S-rank elite monsters in the front! Vice-captain, pleasee out!¡± ¡°Come on¡­!¡± Ace Brett, the vice-captain of Vanguard¡¯s third team, which had been struggling harder than any other guild, cursed as he charged forward. Thorny wolves were scattered about them, attacking the superhumans, but Ace Brett swung with a dagger of purple mana to cut them down without hesitation. The dagger¡¯s curse imbued the wolves¡¯ body, stealing their energy for Ace. As it robbed the monsters of their energy, the purple aura around the dagger gradually increased. -Kiiii! -Kyaaak! Kyaah! ¡°Kh!¡± The wolves realized what happened and tried to flee, but he didn¡¯t let them. Anyone cut by the cursed dagger would not be able to escape except through death. The wolves were already bound to be Ace¡¯s prey. ¡°Get off! Huh¡­?¡± -Great¡­ As the energy continued to cover the daggerpletely, Ace Brett came to face the elite monster that had just formed in front of the gate. It was a deformed giant wolf with sturdy ck horns and a very sharp thorn under its chin. -You are dealing with the curse of life, a power not permitted to humans¡­¡± ¡°An annoying monster that¡¯s too chatty has appeared.¡± Ace had already roughly predicted that a monster that knew how to speak would appear. He knew because he had participated in the second one in the United States before joining up with Vanguard, who had saved him from the endless monsters that were there. ¡®Well, that wasn¡¯t muchpared to this¡­¡¯At that time, he had realized the limits to what could be achieved through effort alone, that barrier that separated hard work from the truly talented. But he had no regrets. There were some superhumans who thought he was among those who were talented, but there were plenty of people he was forced to look up to. -It is a power that isn¡¯t controlled, cannot be controlled. ¡°Pretending to know what you¡¯re talking about, monster?¡± His eyes shimmered in the light as he readied himself. ¡°Kh¡­!¡± -I¡¯ll show you. ¡°Ugh?!¡± He had to forget about attacking as he was forced to evade with all his might as ckthorns erupted from the floor beneath him. -Kaooooo! -Kiiiii! -Kuhek, Kieee! The superhumans following Ace Brett were elites and thus were able to avoid any serious damage, but the wolves around them were taken out by the thorns. The attack had spread out over a wide area without any warning or preparation. Wherever Ace Brett dodged, more thorns arose. He swung his dagger at them, but the moment they collided, the thorns sucked out his energy. ¡°Ugh¡­?!¡± -Check. The voice looked forward to his next move. The soaring thorns vanished as soon as they appeared as the energy of the giant wolf increased. It seemed simr to Ace¡¯s own ability¡­but perhaps of a higher quality. -Move. Show me your abilities. ¡°I hate monsters like this.¡± Ace grumbled and raised his head, feeling a bit refreshed. He could fight, but the issue was¡­ [Vice-captain Brett!] A call came from the telepathic crew from the HQ. [It is S+ rank! It may grow beyond that, so be careful. It is likely they disguised their ranks to disorient us!] ¡°The absorbed energy is temporarily amplifying their stats. It¡¯s simr to me.¡± [Yeah, but¡­okay! Support will be there soon, so please hold on!] Ace knew his own abilities weren¡¯t as effective. The energy he absorbed from his enemies could heal his own injuries or increase the power of his attacks, but to raise his rank to the next level? That wasn¡¯t possible, yet this monster¡¯s limits didn¡¯t seem to end there. -Check again! ¡°Go ahead and die!¡± The wolf rushed towards him through the ckthorns that flew through the air. He was wary of the thorns as he couldn¡¯t tell where or when they would spring up. Moving cautiously, he condensed the energy of his curse and fired it at the wolf¡¯s torso, who couldn¡¯t absorb the energy that was already fixed in shape. But perhaps that was the wolf¡¯s intention. It swung its tail with dozens of thorns at that moment. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯Ace leaped away, making use of the survival skills that any top superhuman had. Even the giant wolf looked surprised as he jumped more than ten meters away. ¡°Now it¡¯s checkmate for you¡­huh?¡± However, as he turned to fire off another attack in the air, his body stiffened. Anyone would be surprised by something falling from above them. ¡°What, monst-¡° ¡°I will never do another heronding!¡± ¡°¡­Wow!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything!¡± Not a monster, but a man and a woman wearing ck coats and masks had fallen together,nding side by side. Several questions crossed Ace¡¯s mind at the sight, specifically why from above and what sort of guild dressed that way, but he was quick to realize the truth. ¡°Death puppeteer! The association¡¯s secret weapon!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t say it!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk screamed as he sent out ten strands of spider webs to form a thick shield to block the giant wolf¡¯s thorns. Blocking the attack, he then pulled his arms back as he stepped away, sending the thorns back at the wolf. ¡°Be careful of those thorns!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them touch you!¡± The giant wolf avoided the thornsing back at him as Shin-hyuk once more stretched out his web. Two strands of thread wrapped around the wolf¡¯s forefoot, and three more wrapped around his hindfoot. The remaining five wrapped around his torso as poison and lightning ran through it. -Kahak?! Kang Shin-hyuk pulled the wolf down. It was an incredible sight as he easily dealt with an S+ rank monster before he evennded on the ground. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to step through the air thanks to his Wind Mastery as he handled the wolf. ¡°Thanks!¡± It was the perfect opening. Eleanor descended like a meteor with her javelin onto the wolf¡¯s stomach. The spear rapidly expanded to five meters long as it hit, making use of the ability he had imbued it with. It was thanks to Do Woojin that he managed to make it. ¡°Haaaah!¡± -Kaaahak! The spear pierced right through the wolf and protruded from the other side. Eleanor hit the ground with the wolf,nding right on top of it. ¡°What the¡­¡± So much had happened in an instant that Ace Brett couldn¡¯t help but mutter nkly. The death puppeteer had shown up with a random woman to kill an S+ rank monster instantly, so of course, it was surprising. Meanwhile, messages began to pop up in front of Kang Shin-hyuk as hended onto the ground. -You have suppressed a being that was harmful to the order of things. Bonus based on membership level! You received 2,500,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you have received an additional HP bonus equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 3,750,000HP! -A 3,000HP bonus from this administrator who has admired your splendid appearance! If only that fox wasn¡¯t here. ¡®Thanks to the fact she was here, it was easy.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk checked Eleanor¡¯s safety before using the automatic routing function to store the giant wolf in his inventory. ¡°It¡¯s amazing you dealt with it at once.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll share what was caught fairly.¡± The two turned away shortly, leaving Ace Brett to stare at their backs. ¡°You¡­how¡­?¡± The voice of ire came from above,ining about the name she had decided, but Kang Shin-hyuk ignored it. ¡°We¡¯re the support.¡± Chapter 124 Regurgitating Hatred (5) Chapter 124 Regurgitating Hatred (5) ¡°Support? What support? You¡¯re definitely the association¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°We can talk once this clears up.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately joined the battle after calming the man and confirming he was uninjured. Now that their leader had been killed, the remaining wolves ran wild. ¡°Take a break, senior.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Eleanor nodded softly at his words and sat down nearby. The battle was short, but the fatigue had built up already given the amount of power they had put into their assault. With his regeneration power, Kang Shin-hyuk could recover in a few seconds, but Eleanor needed a breather. ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ll be over soon, then I¡¯ll take a break too¡­¡± -Kyaaak! The same was true of the man they had saved. As Kang Shin-hyuk told him to rest, a thorny wolf came to attack him. His agility exceeded the A-rank, but Shin-hyuk was aware that his defense was much weaker than that. ¡®Although at least the elite monster has been taken care of.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk was actually a bit d to be face-to-face with a wolf-type monster that he had seen in his textbooks, given the odd monsters he had been fighting so far. He threw out a strand of the lightning thread, imbuing it with his Golden Dragon Fighting to pierce the wolf¡¯s brow. The elite monsters had a different level of defense, so he hadn¡¯t tried it, but it worked for these guys. ¡°This will be easy.¡± ¡°You pierced it with thread?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the onlookers and recovered his thread from the wolf. It was annoying that he couldn¡¯t just outright use his automatic routing function in front of people. ¡®Let¡¯s deal with this quickly and move out of their sight.¡¯He began to spread his arms wide like a conductor. Ten strands of thread extended in all directions, shing a pale gold as they cut through the wolves within his range. ¡°That¡¯s eight.¡± He twisted his arms mischievously, causing the threads to flutter and rage. The sight was fantastic, like a wave of gold flowing over the ground, but the result was cruel. The wolves¡¯ bodies were tossed into the air as blood flowed freely. -Kyaaah! A strand of thread carved its way through the body of a wolf who tried to attack him through the bloody mist. He barely noticed it as he ran forward, ignoring the pieces of wolves around him as he squeezed his fists and pulled them forward, causing the strands of thread to be taut and return into the gloves. Everything in their path was shredded. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Looks like you¡¯re done now. Leave the rest to that man, and let¡¯s go. Kang Shin-hyuk ced one of the intact wolves¡¯ bodies in his inventory as ire¡¯s whisper came in. Looking up, she was waiting for them on her bike. -Where to? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Go straight; we¡¯ll follow. With a nod, he approached Eleanor. She was currently engrossed in admiring the smooth curves of thence she wielded. ¡°How did you make such a weapon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to its materials. Now let¡¯s go.¡± There were monsters all around them. Kang Shin-hyuk carved a path through them with his threads. The man, Ace Brett, watched it with a frown as he could hardly believe his eyes. ¡°That thread¡­it seems to be stronger.¡± The effect of ire¡¯s potion and Lee Na-hee¡¯s enchantment were also significant, but his trait was greatly enhancing the webs speed and power. Adding to his Golden Dragon Fighter¡¯s ability to reinforce the power of his weapons and skills, it meant they could cut through monsters with ease. When it came to aggression, he felt that his Golden Dragon Fighter enhanced his weapons more than spiritual power. Spiritual power was a way tomunicate with the source of an object, yet Golden Dragon Fighter was purely designed forbat, so it was only natural. ¡®I can feel it flowing through me. It feels like it will actively help me ovee my body¡¯s limitations¡­¡¯Probably, it felt simr to people who used magic to amplify their physical abilities directly. However, magic might feel inadequatepared to it. ¡°Oh, hey!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded to Ace Brett and flew away as Eleanor ran to catch up, hernce returning back to its normal size. Ace realized he couldn¡¯t keep up and just watched them go. ¡®Ha, damn it.¡¯He wasn¡¯t sure how to ept the fact that this young man was already stronger than himself even though he had just debuted as a rookie of the association. He had no choice but tough. It wasn¡¯t only that young man, but also that woman who had dealt the final blow. ¡®She seemed young too¡­where did theye from? Is that urban legend that the association is working with the government to carry out an artificial superhuman project true?¡¯Once more, unfounded rumors began to emerge. *** ¡°Sister,e here!¡± ¡°Wow, the gates in the air have opened up quite a bit.¡± The bike team consisting of ire and Lee Na-hee, were moving busily. That was because ire had agreed to take on the air monsters at the urging of Shin Eunah over the phone. -Woooooo ¡°It¡¯s odd to listen to, but the effect is great.¡± ire was using magic tools she had either purchased from the Hero Universe or created herself. A strange sound echoed out from the loudspeaker mounted on the back of her bike, attracting the monsters everywhere. ¡°Besides¡­this!¡± Lee Na-hee aimed the mana rifle she held in hand andughed brightly as she fired it at the monsters flocking after them. ¡°Amazing! Did you make it yourself?!¡± ¡°I just modified it. It¡¯s a delicate structure, though, so it was a lot of work.¡± ire fought with a weapon that could utilize her unique mana control and alchemy. The main type of weapon among her arsenal was mana guns. By adding magic circles and high-quality materials to enhance their power, she had made a gun that could be handled by anyone capable of using magic. The price of it would be absurd if she tried to sell it. Lee Na-hee was an enchanter capable of creating artifacts, so she was capable of handling it as well. ¡°Could even my junior handle this?¡± Lee Na-hee muttered in amazement as she buffed the gun¡¯s performance with her enchantment, firing it once more. ¡°It might be possible if I added some new innovations to it.¡± ire nodded, looking back as she dodged the monsters. It would be possible to change it to handle spiritual power as well as magical power, though she couldn¡¯t tell Lee Na-hee about spiritual power. ¡°Shin-hyuk is also good at shooting. Did you see it at the athletic meet?¡± ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t interested in my junior back then.¡± Lee Na-hee fired off three rounds of magic at a nearby bat before turning to ire. ¡°Did you know my junior back then?!¡± ¡°Uh, um, well¡­.¡± ¡°How did you feel about him?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± ire paused before waving it off and pulling a weapon out of her inventory. It was a drone-type weapon equipped with a magic gun and grenadeuncher that could only be controlled with her magic. It had quite a reputation among the superhumans and mercenaries that fought with guns. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the Alchemistbat drone I¡¯ve dreamed about¡­¡± ¡°Ah, thank you. By the way, are you also interested in Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°I think my grandfather wants to stick him with me.¡± Lee Na-hee shook her head. ¡°No, honestly, I¡¯m also interested. It¡¯s weird¡­sometimes it feels like he¡¯s older¡­then sometimes he acts cute.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± When ire agreed immediately, Lee Na-hee raised an eyebrow at her. ire immediately realized her mistake and hid her face. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why?¡± One, two, three drones in total began to circle around the bike, firing magic bullets at the monsters around them. Lee Na-hee didn¡¯t want to be their next target, so she quietly responded. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ire smiled, pulling out one more drone. It wasn¡¯t equipped the same as the other ones, however. ¡°What is that one for?¡± ¡°To take pictures of the Death Puppeteer battling.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 125 Regurgitating Hatred (6) Chapter 125 Regurgitating Hatred (6) -Clear. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: This neighborhood is stable. Move about three kilometers at 11 o¡¯clock. -On it. An hour had passed since the initial outbreak. Kang Shin-hyuk had been in a state of constant motion with Eleanor to deal with the monsters pouring out of the constantly opening gates. As most monsters were between the B and A-ranks, Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor had no issues with them one-on-one. The problem only came with the sheer numbers of them. ¡°Senior, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­¡± The fatigue of the body during battle was beyond imagination. Added to that was the burden of a situation where there were enemies everywhere, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if you copsed from exhaustion in such a situation after just a few minutes. However, they had spent an hour in those conditions, and it was Eleanor¡¯s first time experiencing such a mass conflict, so it was natural that she had begun to struggle. ¡°Shinhyuk¡­why¡­are you fine¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Only the two of them were still moving, doing the part of a guild all by themselves. ¡°Actually, my stamina is S+ rank.¡± Stamina was directly rted to the body¡¯s durability, which included its defenses. That it was S+ meant that it was on par with a steel wall. ¡°That¡¯s already at the top ranks¡­! But it¡¯s weird, though!¡± Eleanor let out a loud cry. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Even with S+ rank stamina, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to fight for an hour without a drop of sweat like Kang Shin-hyuk now. The answer was his in his Golden Dragon Fighter. It was activating to rejuvenate his muscles before they could tire constantly. It had been the same with his regeneration before it became a part of his new skill, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising. Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell Eleanor about any of that, so he just smiled. Eleanor squatted in ce, catching her breath as she reached her limit. ¡°Senior, would you like to take a break?¡± ¡°¡­I think I can recover in just five minutes.¡± ¡°Then, please do. It should be okay here for a while¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reported to ire and prepared to move, but suddenly a drone arrived from above. Although it was small and cute, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t miss the muzzle on the front of it. Nor the potion hanging from it, indicating who had sent it. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Drink it, it should help. I took one too¡­ -I¡¯ll take it, but I don¡¯t think I need it at this rate. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Did you say it was Golden Dragon Fighter? It¡¯s really insane. It¡¯s not a pure stamina boost, right? -Well, it should be about that level. Kang Shin-hyuk recovered the potion from the drone as he chatted with ire. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Until she recovers, I can protect her with a drone. Another A+ gate opened, so you should go ahead and get started. -It¡¯s really crazy. In an A+ grade gate, there was the possibility an S-rank boss might pop out. It had been that way with the wolf pack they had first encountered when they joined the fray. Originally, when an A+ ss gate opened, the association would contact the top guilds to arrange a team to be sent. -Will they have the manpower to handle this? -Now, they are considering whether to ask Shinyoung to participate in the war. -Other than that? -Some guilds, including Vanguard, are urgently calling in teams from Japan¡­but it doesn¡¯t change that we have to endure with the personnel we have until then. We might not be able to hold out. ire, along with Kang Shin-hyuk working as an operator, was blocking nearly half of the flying monsters herself while also helping and providing potions to the superhumans who needed support. In other words, this was a business trip for the Frontline Bar. There was no way to know that the firstunch would be held at the countercurrent site. ¡°Senior, drink this.¡± ¡°Huh¡­I can¡¯t hold it¡­¡± Eleanor didn¡¯t have the strength to ept the potion. Kang Shin-hyuk reluctantly supported her chin and helped her drink it. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make any strange sounds.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt the weird mood as he pampered Eleanor. He pulled out a clean cloth from his inventory and wiped the sweat from her brow. Her armor was covered in gore that he could do nothing about, but at least he could do this. ¡°Woo.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I feel relieved¡­¡± ¡°Rest and then follow, I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Eleanor stretched a hand towards Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s back but then withdrew before he could notice it. ¡°¡­I have to recover quickly and follow.¡± The drone continued to watch her. It was just guarding her, but Eleanor decided to dismiss it with a pout. *** With the Venom Princess Soul increasing his agility to the rank of S+, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to move incredibly fast. He also had the added benefit of his A-rank Wind Mastery, increasing his agility almost to Baek¡¯s level. In an instant, he traversed the space between him and his target point, running with ten strands of thread hanging behind him to cut through the monsters trying to ambush him. -We havee¡ªour dream. -Kill them. Take control! Those were the dangerous guys. In a short time he had been on the battlefield, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to grasp that those monsters who had clear intent andnguage were more dangerous than others of the same rank. They had high intelligence and often strange skills. ¡°I should¡¯ve waited for my senior.¡± He muttered as he crossed his hands in front of his chest, pulling the threads tight to deflect the attacksing his way. ¡°Sneak attacks are prohibited.¡± -Read his energy! -He¡¯s strong! -Look¡­ He stretched out his hands again, forming the thread into a sharp form. His Golden Dragon Fighter wrapped around the thread to make it look like a goldennce. Kang Shin-hyuk imbued it with his wind, causing it to rotate with enough momentum to crush the gate and the crowd of monsters protecting it. ¡°But no matter how intelligent you are, you can¡¯t use your strength to protect.¡± With a particrly viinous line, Kang Shin-hyuk sent off his attack. Given that it was an emissive gate, the best line of attack was indirectly attacking the gate the monsters had arrived from. When the gate is destroyed, those who have lost their connection to their original world would weaken and suffer serious damage. There was also the possibility that the gate would copse and force the guys inside to the outside all at once, so you had to act carefully, but in the current situation, that was functionally already happening. ¡®But I don¡¯t actually intend to break it down.¡¯The monsters would try to protect the emissive gate from copsing early so that it could be used against them. By pretending to attack the gate, he could pierce the gaps that were revealed. -Let¡¯s use him as manure. -I see his shadow. It will be ours. -Come on, smash him! A group of monsters furiously attacked him after realizing his intentions. He let out augh and evaded. The tactic when fighting with his threads was basically hit and run. It could move quickly to trap and crush the monsters in his range. Of course, he could alsobine them to form bigger weapons to attack with, thanks to his Golden Dragon Fighter strengthening his attack power. He couldn¡¯t waste his energy on long fights, however. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the long game. The third countercurrentsted more than five hours¡­¡± -Kiiii! -Die! Kang Shin-hyuk recalled the distant past as he watched the monsterse at him like moths to a me. Those memories of the violent scene he had been thrown into with his parents, spending two hours running away until the association rescued him. Ten strands of thread swept across the floor to cut off the legs of the monsters. He tried hard not to remember that day in the corner of his mind, but now he didn¡¯t need to suppress it. He didn¡¯t know the day woulde so soon where he could stand on this battlefield¡­yes, he felt grateful to Shin Eunah and ire. -Get him! -Come this way, little boy. Let¡¯s fight here. -No, kill him! Kang Shin-hyuk once more headed toward the group of noisy monsters, as, suddenly, a ck haze began to bloom in the air. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Shin-hyuk, step back. ire, who was observing the situation, responded calmly as she observed it. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: It looks like an S-rank. I will ask the association and Vanguard toe. -Sister, can you send me one drone? However, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t backing off. He still had room. An S-rank gate was scary, but he could never consider running away without doing anything. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: ¡­ It¡¯s dangerous. But yes, you won¡¯t die with my help. -Thank you. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: But if this is destroyed, you need to step back. -I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded firmly and swung the Venom Princess Soul to melt the monsters in the air with poison. With it now clear, he pulled the Shinfeng orb out. Chapter 126 Regurgitating Hatred (7) Chapter 126 Regurgitating Hatred (7) On August 17th, at 11 PM, the fourth countercurrent in South Korea started in Seoul. Given the increased urrences of irregr gates in recent years, there had been enough signs for them to prepare some contingencies. The Superhuman Association assumed that an outbreak might ur, and thus, made sure that at least three members from No. 1 to No. 10 took turns protecting the association HQ. In addition to that, all members of the task force groups 1 through 10 resided in the HQ. Thanks to this, it was possible for them to promptly dispatch to the field immediately upon the incidence¡¯s urrence. Group 1, led by Shin Eunah, was currently in a transport helicopter with Group 10. ¡°Are we worried about it being a countercurrent?¡± On the way, an impatient-looking man spoke up to Shin Eunah. He was Kim Ik-hyun, a man in his mid-30s who had recently joined as the chief of the 10th group. He had only been in the task force for three years, but he was a confident man who quickly rose to the position of leader given his remarkable abilities. He was a highly versatilebatant who possessed a strong S-ss telekic trait, with slow but continuous status growth, so it was predicted he would be a high-ranker before he turned forty. However, he was used to talking about himself like he already possessed those high-ranking skills. ¡°I don¡¯t remember allowing the tenth group.¡± Shin Eunah responded coldly without looking back at him. The 1st group members aboard the helicopter couldn¡¯t help butugh at the familiar sight. ¡°Are you usually so hard toward people? The heads of the task force should stick together at times like this¡­¡± A short spark sprang out from Shin Eunah as Kim Ik-hyun tried to continue talking. ¡°Group Ten, I will not tolerate any more rudeness.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes. I¡¯m trying to¡­oops!¡± ¡°Do I need to fix your rudeness?¡± Shin Eunah looked at Kim Ik-hyun. He backed away, seeing the thin film of lightning forming around her. Because he was close to being a high-ranker, he could see how great her ability truly was. It would¡¯ve been better if he sensed it before she revealed it, but he wasn¡¯t quite that capable. ¡°I apologize, Group One.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah was tired of even responding, deciding to ignore him instead. This was how things had been since she joined the association, no, since she joined Shinyoung. Her appearance was much more fragile and delicate than her powerful ability actually was, in addition to the fact that she was peerlessly beautiful. There were many who considered her reputation to be blown out of proportion, and thus countless people looked down on her. However, if they had the skills to match her, they would be able to recognize the power she held from the start. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen the Ice Princess mode¡­ you¡¯ve been in a good moodtely.¡± ¡°Are you nervous about the countercurrent?¡± The members of the 1st group, used to Shin Eunah, began to shudder as she turned her gaze towards them. ¡°No way, she was already fighting on the frontlines during the third one.¡± ¡°What, seriously? You must¡¯ve been, what, fifteen?¡± ¡°Even before entering Shinyoung, she was making waves.¡± The 1st group was shouting about her achievements as if they were their own. Another group member picked up his phone to search for those articles with a look of admiration. As they talked about it, Kim Ik-hyun realized how ridiculous he had been and quietly shrunk. ¡°Then why are you feeling bad?¡± ¡°Fortunately, Vanguard is already on the scene. If we show up and do our job, there will be no problems.¡± ¡°Hey, you think she¡¯s worried about that? Just look, it¡¯s a man, a man.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it!¡± The team was throwing around silly jokes to rx. They wouldn¡¯t have dared say Shin Eunah was interested in a man if it were the usual case. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± However, Shin Eunah made the mistake of flinching at their casual conversation. At that moment, a strange tension ran through the helicopter. Soon people¡¯s attention was directed at Kim Ik-hyun, who had been trying to talk to her. ¡°¡­Group ten, you worked in vain.¡± ¡°Who the hell is this man?¡± ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t it the one that the captain took on secretlyst time? They had a simr name to the captain¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that rookie.¡± ¡°You fool, shut up!¡± The helicopter fell intoplete silence as lightning began to form around Shin Eunah. They were now right above the fierce battle going on, and a lump of rock the size of a house flew towards them but was struck down by a beam of lightning from Shin Eunah. ¡°Watch out for that giant monster¡¯s projectiles. The helicopter should return right away. Begin operations.¡± ¡°The battle begins!¡± Her quiet voice echoed in everyone¡¯s ears as she left the helicopter. The other members jumped out one after another, thinking it fortunate they had avoided being hit by her lightning. She ran interference against the giant as they descended to the ground. ¡®ire was meeting with grandpa without telling me¡­!¡¯Yes, ire and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shallow attempts to hide had already been discovered. It was a ridiculous idea that she would happen to meet Kang Shin-hyuk at a sports facility, as Shin Eunah already knew ire¡¯s hobbies. ¡®Didn¡¯t they just meet at the bar and then¡­did they¡­? ire said that grandpa was too young for her, though.¡¯Lightning sted through the monster¡¯s body as it was about to destroy a government office building. It burnt through the body of the giant monster, leaving no trace of it. ¡®But grandpa is nice, and tolerant, and kind, and smart¡­is there a possibility ire has a ck heart?¡¯Lightning sparked out in dozens of strands that swept through the city. There was no difference between A-ss and S-ss when it came to the monsters hit by her attacks. ¡®If ire says she likes grandpa, will grandpa refuse her? For grandpa, she must seem so young¡­but he didn¡¯t seem interested. No, it¡¯s only natural with his young body and mind, right? Oh, my heart beats strangely when I think about it¡­¡¯In less than five minutes, she had already cleared out one of the gates and instructed the team to begin carrying out rescue work as she led the others to the more dangerous areas. ¡®If ire said she wanted to be a couple with grandpa, would they get married? Would ire be grandma?¡¯The team members dared not talk to Shin Eunah, given her icy expression, instead opting to follow behind her. None of them had a clue what sort of ridiculous thoughts were going through her head. ¡®There¡¯s nothing bad about that. ire is a good friend who cares a lot about me, so it would be easier¡­she knows about the rtionship between grandpa and me as well. Yes, if it was on the condition she married grandpa, it¡¯s possible to live together with three people.¡¯Shin Eunah¡¯sck of maturity was revealed in her childish line of thinking. ¡®But why do I feel so upset when I think they are dating¡­ it¡¯s hard to find anyone as good as ire. She¡¯s attractive, talented, and her personality is good¡­¡¯ ¡°Captain, let¡¯s move on to the next point!¡± ¡°No wait, S+ grade?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go alone. The rest of you should move under the vice-captain.¡± ¡°Captain?!¡± Shin Eunah imbued herself with lightning and ran. She was able to arrive before the gate opened, given her breakneck speed. ¡®Yes. If he dates ire, grandpa will have less time for me. But is that a good enough reason to stop him from dating? Even if he isn¡¯t my grandpa, he has the memories of his previous life¡­but why am I interested in him dating¡­?¡¯Thus, her idle thoughts continued, reflecting her heart as lighting containing terrible destructive power split through the gate. The boss of the S+ gate, who had just appeared, was an SS-rank named boss called the Devil Ogre Anox. [Ahhhhh! Power, all my power¡­!] ¡®¡­Yes, he¡¯s not my proper grandpa.¡¯It was ridiculous to say, but she had forgotten that fact because she had always called him grandpa, but it was true. The two weren¡¯t actually rted. Why would her heart be thrilled by that fact? She tilted her head, unsure of the reason. [Like this, I can¡¯t die¡­no¡­!] The devil ogre pressed on to attack her, irritating her as she was roused from her thoughts. Instantly, a thunderbolt full of her power prated its heart and head simultaneously. ¡®It feels stuffy. I want to know what grandpa thinks of ire. No, I¡¯m afraid to ask¡­why is it scary? I don¡¯t know, but I want to see grandpa.¡¯While thinking that, she received the HP reward for defeating the devil ogre. Looking at the message, she realized the enemy she had just in was a bigger one than she thought. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± In deep thought, she had forgotten to hide her skills and had made full use of her abilities. It should¡¯ve taken at least ten minutes to y an SS-rank named boss! But it was weird. Even acting alone, an S+ ss gate had appeared, yet no one witnessed her performance. -Captain, you¡¯ve already finished with the S+ gate?! However, the HQ was able to grasp the situation as it scanned the situation in real-time. Shin Eunah wondered how to respond to the telepathy as she recalled that she was about to update the rankings anyway. ¡°An SS-rank boss monster appeared¡­I believe my abilities have improved a little. Can you update the international rankings?¡± -You cleaned up an S+ ss gate in less than three minutes; of course, it will be updated! You¡¯ll easily enter the top 100! ¡°I¡¯m d, but why aren¡¯t there any people around? Did another gate appear? -Ah, yes! An S-ss gate appeared, and most went to deal with it. The words poured out with excitement about a high-ranker within the top 100 would soon be born in Korea. However, after absorbing the Swallowing Fungus and awakening, Shin Eunah easily had the strength to reach the ranks from number 1 through 7. ¡°Which way? I¡¯ll head there.¡± -Oh, I¡¯ll provide directions! Thanks to the secret crew you sent in advance, however, it is being blocked! ¡°¡­?! Secret crew?¡± -Yeah! Shin Eun-hyuk! Is he really your brother? A huge vortex erupted out from in the distance as Shin Eunah looked nkly. It was a huge whirlpool dyed with brilliant gold. Shin Eunah immediately began to sprint towards it. Chapter 127 Irreversible (1) Chapter 127 Irreversible (1) While studying the Shingfeng orb and the Great Heavenly Spirit, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s first thought was,¡®What would happen if I ced them inside the Godyer sword?¡¯That idea came with some great results. After all, didn¡¯t the Godyer sword show great results against Spine Rose when imbued with the Great Heavenly Spirit? The Shinfeng orb, however, was a little difficult to operate in this way. The reason was that the Shinfeng orb wasn¡¯t in perfect condition. Even now, its self-healing was progressing slowly. Unlike with the Great Heavenly Spirit, which boosted the sword to the SS-rank, with the Shinfeng orb, the best possible was S+. ¡®It¡¯s a bit soon to put it into the sword. The wind emanating from it is still¡­but can it be used?¡¯How could he use it without cing it in the Godyer sword? He couldn¡¯t think of a way to recover it yet, but should he keep looking? In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk found a simple yet effective answer. That was, to use both beads at once. ¡°Once you put things aside¡­¡± He ced one hand into his inventory while he swung his other with the Venom Princess Soul. Five strands of thread, like a dragon¡¯s w, raked across the monsters aiming at him. More began to appear around the S-ss gate forming in the air, human-sized snakes moving through the air so fast they could be missed. They quickly made their way into the gate before Shin-hyuk could stop them. ¡°Where¡­cheh.¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that the S-ss gate had opened here? The remaining monsters swarmed Kang Shin-hyuk, trying to impede his movements while the elite boss jumped through. He was able to kill them rtively easily because of that, but he could not catch the monsters that ran into the gate. The story might¡¯ve been different if he could directly control the drone floating beside him, but the drone was programmed to focus on protecting him. ¡®Why are they trying to¡­? Entering a gate that¡¯s about to be released, even a monster wouldn¡¯t be safe¡­¡¯He moved as fast as possible to guard the gate. Safely pulling out the two beads from his inventory, he activated them at once. The Shinfeng orb first created a strong wind of spiritual power, while the Great Heavenly Spirit absorbed it before it could explode. That continued to repeat, causing the wind energy to pile up inside the Great Heavenly Spirit as the S-ss gate finally opened. -The S-ss Irregr Gate [Ancient Warrior¡¯s Shelter] has deteriorated due to external intrusion. Be careful! ¡®Deterioration? Is that because of those snakes?¡¯Abandoning his persona as the Death Puppeteer, Kang Shin-hyuk prepared himself with the beads in hand. [You have finally arrived.] [Our time hase.] An unpleasant voice assaulted Shin-hyuk¡¯s eardrums. Crawling out through the gate was a monster with the upper body of a muscr human and lower body of a snake. -It is a Naga Warrior of at least S-rank. Be careful. The Shinfeng orb continued to energize the Great Heavenly Spirit, and Kang Shin-hyuk thought it was ready to be shown off. A golden hue formed all over him as vicious scratches ran across his eyes through the mask. [You look pretty strong. But¡­] [Those things you hold look more special.] ¡°You should check your eyes.¡± The snakes entered the gate of the ancient warrior and came out a naga. But it didn¡¯t matter; he was prepared to fight an S-rank monster the moment the gate opened. The change that had happened to the enemy couldn¡¯t be matched with just the Shinfeng orb, but now the change happening to him was much more dramatic than that. Kang Shin-hyuk held out both of his hands, and the naga fighters instinctively sensed the thread attack and held up their weapons in unison. ¡°You can¡¯t stand before a dragon.¡± [Ahhh!] [Keek!] It didn¡¯t matter if they tried to sh at it or block it with shields. None of their weapons could ovee the thread wrapped in golden wind, which had been imbued with the power of both the Great Heavenly Spirit and the Shinfeng orb to increase its power immensely. The power of Golden Dragon Fighter only further pushed it. -5,000HP bonus for members who call themselves dragons! ¡°Don¡¯t do it¡­ I¡¯m ashamed of myself.¡± -3,000HP bonus! There were times when the administrator¡¯s bonus was sent to make fun of Kang Shin-hyuk deliberately. Pouting a bit, he looked out at the damage he had caused. The ten strands of thread were pulled taut as they cut through everything in their tracks once more. Even the lightning web, which was only A-rank, had sliced through the bodies of the nagas with ease. The harmony between the Shinfeng orb, the Great Heavenly Spirit, and his own abilities was better than he thought. [My skin and bones are harder than steel!] [That treasure is amplifying his power!] [If we can use it, we will be strong!] The nagas were still aiming for the Shinfeng orb, thinking it was the true source of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s power. It would be easier to move that way, so he had no intention of correcting them. ¡°Try and take it!¡± The battle began in earnest as S-rank naga warriors and archers jumped out of the gate to attack him. Kang Shin-hyuk avoided the warriors¡¯ attacks, cutting them down one by one as the arrows were intercepted by the drone hovering around him. Thanks to that, he could safely ignore the archers for the most part. [He¡¯s fast!] [Perhaps the treasure amplifies his speed!] They weren¡¯t wrong. The amplified wind, processed through his Wind Mastery, increased the power of his weapon as well as his speed. [Let¡¯s kill him and take it!] [Right now!] The frenzied nagas came at him with swords, axes, sickles, and spears. But the more excited they became, the easier it was for Kang Shin-hyuk to deal with them. The gap between them only grew wider as his threads shot out. Lines of golden pierced the throats of several of them at once, quickly moving to block others right after. ¡°Slow!¡± -Member, twist your lips, and let out a singleugh! ¡°No!¡± -4,000HP bonus! He felt a sigh in his soul as the lightning web and Venom Princess Soul continued to cut off the nagas. More arrows and spears came toward him, but they could not keep up with his elerating movement. [Kyak!] [Kehe!] Those who failed to stab him with spears were strangled by the lightning web, whereas the poisonous web sliced into the naga archers. Each kill gave him roughly 60,000HP, and now he had umted at least 50 million. He would have to spend some timeter thinking about his next shopping trip. [Kek! It¡¯s poisonous!] [It won¡¯t let go¡­kahak?!] The web¡¯s nature changed as he controlled it, being sticky at one point but sharp at another and then poisonous. He controlled it with a steel will, driving the nagas back. This situation should be unfavorable to Kang Shin-hyuk, given how outnumbered he was, but he was able to reduce the number of them without suffering much damage himself. If he had fought with his sword, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to control the environment like this. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Shin-hyuk, more of them are arriving. Are you alright?! -Yes, I have it under control. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Eleanor ising. Oh, and¡­ -Yeah? I can finish it myself¡­ ¡°¡­Wow!¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk tried to respond to ire, he heard Eleanor rushing behind him and shouting. It wasn¡¯t just her. Combatants in Vanguard¡¯s guild uniform, and those wearing the same association outfit that he was, flocked to this ce. It was an S-ss gate, after all. ¡°I¡¯m blocking it by myself!¡± ¡°Can I call you Shin Eun-hyuk? We will join you now!¡± With the members of Vanguard and the association, even an S-ss gate could be handled with ease. It was an unexpected situation for Kang Shin-hyuk, who nned to erase the gate by himself. ¡®Rather, the spider webs would interfere with them¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk was driving the nagas around the gate, subtlypleting his trap of spider webs all the while. If they joined in now, they would suffer as much damage as the naga. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± He confirmed the energy-filled capacity of the Great Heavenly Spirit and decided to attack as it was. With the boost from his Golden Dragon, it might be enough. He motioned for those around him to stop flocking to the gate and then ced the Great Heavenly Spirit to his chest. [Kaaahhhh!] A naga archer fired off an arrow with all his might at the motionless Shin-hyuk. It shot past the drone, and Eleanor tried to block it by throwing her spear. It stopped in the air as if blocked by a wall before it could; however, at the same time, Shin-hyuk fell to the ground. ¡°The ground¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s shining.¡± A huge circle was shining around the gate. It was the poisonous spider web trap that Kang Shin-hyuk had been preparing during the battle,id out inplex shapes that couldn¡¯t be recognized. There wasn¡¯t any special meaning to it; rather, he had just fired them off as much as he could. ¡°Done.¡± He had experimented with it before, so he knew it was possible, but it was the first time he had exercised power over such a wide area. The poisonous spider web began to transform into spiritual power under Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s guidance. [A trap?!] [A magic circle, is it some magic circle we don¡¯t know about?!] [Gate¡­protect it! He hasn¡¯te out yet!] The nagas moved to protect the gate as an unusual wind began to form around the whole area. This was what Kang Shin-hyuk had intended. Hepressed the spiritual power, pushing his Wind Mastery to its limit to give the wind direction. To make it infinitely fast. And sharp. To grind up everything. [Kuoooooh!] [The gate!] A huge golden vortex that reached up to the sky formed, engulfing all the nagas as well as the gate. It was the moment that a new unpleasant nickname, ¡®Golden Wind,¡¯ appeared for Kang Shin-hyuk. Chapter 128 Irreversible (2) Chapter 128 Irreversible (2) The whirlwind was truly spectacr, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill all the monsters by itself. Kang Shin-hyuk wrapped up the gate and focused the whirlwind on rotating fiercely while shooting his lightning strands into it. They flew in to snap at the necks of the nagas wandering in it, forming lightning inside of the vortex. From the outside, it almost looked like a natural disaster caused by the heavens. ¡°It¡¯s not just a storm. I don¡¯t know how the hell he did it¡­are you a high ranker?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be like that yet, but it¡¯s clearly a difficult ability to break down because the mana structure can¡¯t be interpreted.¡± All abilitiesposed of mana had the potential to be ovee with mana. However, the storm created by Kang Shin-hyuk was purely spiritual. It wasn¡¯t something that could be ovee just by using a lot of mana, which was why the nagas were swept away. ¡°It¡¯s the power of a superhuman who follows after The Empress, after all. Those two¡­¡± ¡°How old is he? Does anyone know?¡± ¡°All of his information is managed by Shin Eunah¡­¡± People wandered behind the scenes, not daring to get near the whirlpool created by Kang Shin-hyuk. However, Eleanor, knowing that his usual abilities weren¡¯t at this level, rushed to him. ¡°Eun-hyuk, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. Before that senior, the gate will burst soon. There will be a boss monster.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it.¡± Eleanor nodded without hesitation, understanding what he was trying to say. After drinking ire¡¯s potion, both of them were able to recover their energy fully. With her help, catching an S-rank boss would be well within their grasp. ¡°Then, I will give them a chance toe out. Be careful.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The lightning web continued to kill the naga inside as they talked. Kang Shin-hyuk asked the administrator to turn off the HP acquisition notifications that kept popping up in front of him. -The gate is copsing! The named boss [Naga Priest Uzram (S+)] has been weakened! At that moment, the gate shattered, and a huge naga appeared from it. It was a majestic naga with a scythe that had a three-meter long de and a four-meter long handle. True to the S-ss rank, the gate boss showed no signs of weakening despite the system message. ¡°I was waiting!¡± As soon as he appeared, Kang Shin-hyuk used his Wind Mastery topress the vortex, crushing and bouncing around the naga still alive inside. Some of them made it out alive but were quickly handled by the other superhumans. -The proficiency of [Wind Mastery (S)] has increased to A-rank! Only the minus had disappeared, but the change was dramatic. The wind, which had not yet epted his will, quieted down in an instant. All of its des were turned inward. [Hah?!] Uzram would have thought there would be enemies outside, but he didn¡¯t consider that the gate would be surrounded by a deadly storm. It was starting topress around him as well. [I can¡¯t do anything with this wind!] Uzram furiously swung his scythe that glowed with dark mana, cutting through the thick storm. ¡®That sickle, maybe¡­?¡¯ -You also noticed. The storm broke away wildly, astonishing Kang Shin-hyuk, who couldn¡¯t imagine it would be neutralized all at once. But he quickly shook it off. ¡®No, rather, that works.¡¯His unique trait, which had grown to SS+, helped him keep his center and move as the stray winds caused the surrounding buildings to copse. Even the priest was stunned by the reaction of the wind, giving Shin-hyuk an opening. ¡°Now!¡± [What?!] He fired off the lightning web with all he had. A huge force exploded out, shaking the heavens and earth, as the strands of gold entangled around the scythe and the naga¡¯s hand. Electricity discharged as Shin-hyuk grabbed the scythe, ck sparks sputtering out in resistance before he managed to pull it away into his inventory. The priest¡¯s eyes went wide, unable to believe what had just happened. [You, how did you take my scythe¡­!] ¡°Haaaaah!¡± However, he wasn¡¯t given a chance to pursue Shin-hyuk, as Eleanor was waiting by the sidelines for the go-ahead. She started acting the moment he shouted, filling her body with energy. Her trait [Crag Volg (SS)] was activated, and an unprecedented amount of energy was ced into her spear. Eleanor charged beyond the limits of her agility with the added power of her boots. The tip of the assaultnce, increasing in size as she charged, before striking into the abdomen of the naga priest. [Kahh!] Several things happened in the blink of an eye. Because of the copse of the gate, the priest naga¡¯s stamina weakened, and thus he could not withstand Eleanor¡¯s assault as he began to spew up the blood. Kang Shin-hyuk quickly downed a spiritual recovery potion, pushing his recovering spiritual power into his Venom Princess Soul to prevent him from recovering. ¡°Kh!¡± five strands of poisonous webs twisted andbined into a single stalk, covered by the wind of spiritual power as the Shinfeng orb screamed in his arms. This would probably be thest attack he could use it with. ¡°Die!¡¯ [You dare!] The priest instinctively raised both of his arms to protect his chest and neck, but the strand cut through his lower body instead. [Ahhhhh!] The enemy¡¯s weapon had been taken, and now his mobility was suppressed, but Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t rush him. He noticed the blood flowing back through the air for a moment after he had been hit. -It is the unique magic of the Naga family. They can amplify their powers if their kin is nearby. The superhumans had already taken care of the other nagas, so Kang Shin-hyuk prepared his own final attack. ¡°Senior, would it be possible again?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Eleanor was gasping for breath after exhausting herself again, but she quickly corrected her posture. If she were alone, she might not have been able to carry out that charge, but Eleanor was aware of the people around her that depended on her, which pushed her forward despite the fatigue she felt. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go.¡± Kang Shin-hyukunched another poisonous web, though itcked the same power as before. The two orbs had alreadypleted their roles and were quietly stowed away in his inventory. It had been a miracle they had worked so far, which would¡¯ve normally been impossible without his trait. [I will devour you and make you my new blood and flesh. The jewel you hid away will be offered up as a tribute to our god!] As expected, the spider web was blocked and broken without the backing of the orbs. A shield of red blood formed and began to surround the priest¡¯s body, his upper torso floating in the air after losing his lower half. Still intact, his arms began to twist and deform into a simr shape as the scythe he had wielded. A magic circle began to blow from his blood below him. ¡°He was possessed by the weapon.¡± -You were fortunate to take it right away. Had he kept holding it, it would¡¯ve been hard even with your current power. ¡°I was lucky¡­¡± [Ahhhhhhhhh!] Unable to withstand the rough transformation, blood began to spurt out from his forearms, only to be absorbed into the magic circle below, further elerating his arms¡¯ deformation. Longer, sharper, it was like the magic circle was crafting them into a weapon. It was unexpected but watching it, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he received a bit of insight into metallurgy. It was like Kang Shin-hyuk had momentarily left, reced by Anvil. ¡°Shall we finish then?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk signaled to Eleanor. Despite the fact that 100% of people who approached a transforming enemy in a book or movie would just wait for the end, she immediately started her assault back up as she believed in Kang Shin-hyuk. -Kill it quickly! [First, this one!] The magic circle was sucked back up into the priest¡¯s body, who faced Eleanor as he floated. He pulled his arms back then crossed them, trying to cleave her neck off. Kang Shin-hyuk activated his Golden Dragon ability a moment before, using it to strengthen Eleanor and weaken the priest. The poisonous web he had blocked moments before struck back at his arms to tie them down. [Ugh?!] The unreinforced webs should break easily, yet the priest wasn¡¯t aware he had been weakened by Kang Shin-hyuk and failed to break the webs. His eyes went wide as he realized his fatal mistake. ¡°Rose thorn!¡± That moment was enough for Eleanor to pierce his neck. -You have subdued one who is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 3,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you will receive additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 4,500,000HP! Following a moment of silence, a fountain of blood erupted from around thence. ¡°I killed it.¡± ¡°We really did it.¡± The people who had been watching quietly began to speak up as soon as it was over. ¡°Who is that woman? Is she on the same team as Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± ¡°Was that her trait? That blow was ridiculously powerful. It even broke through that magic shield.¡± ¡°He looked weakened. Was that a debuff?¡± ¡°That debuff might¡¯ve been from Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°To deal with his abilities and debuff¡­¡± They were curious about the two but soon went quiet as the one supposedly in charge of them, Shin Eunah, appeared from the sky. She ignored them all and approached Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Senior¡­?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Shin Eunah had an indescribable expression on her face, but before Kang Shin-hyuk could react, she hugged him tightly. Exhausted after that fierce battle, he was unable to resist. ¡°Oh, senior?!¡± ¡°He is her younger brother!¡± It was the moment the picture of the next day¡¯s front page was taken. -This fox! CHAPTER 129 Irreversible (3) CHAPTER 129 Irreversible (3) -You have received an Advanced Strength Potion as a bonus for today¡¯s login! Kang Shin-hyuk awoke the next day with a sense of pleasant foreboding. It was the first time he had received an advanced potion as a login bonus. It would amplify his strength by three levels, albeit temporarily, which meant it was a great item to have in a pinch. The generous bonus had been the result of his 2nd VIP liberation. With that, he could only dream of what he might receive from his 3rd liberation. His synchronization rate was still below 30%, however. -Try connecting to the inte, member. ¡°Inte?¡± -The TV also works. As always, a hard message appeared before him as he had been examining the potion with a smile. Tilting his head, he turned on the wall-mounted TV in his room. Of course, the scene that disyed was Shin Eunah hugging him as he was dressed up in his Shin Eun-hyuk outfit. The camera gradually zoomed out, revealing the surroundings of the scene, but the two were still at the center. ¡°¡­¡± [The fourth countercurrent will remain in history as an unprecedented disy of perfect coping sess. It has firmly proven that Korean¡¯s superhumans have be stronger.] [The government has pledged to provide adequate support to all the people affected by this incident. Surprisingly, despite therge scale of the event, there have been no confirmed fatalities.] [On the other hand, some intellectuals have warned the international superhuman society that the period between countercurrents is shortening and that one day, an urrence like what urred on the African continent may happen.] It had been worthwhile to fight all night long. While the image might have rattled him, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but smile at the news that there had been no deaths. It would¡¯ve been nice if the third countercurrent had gone that way, but that thought was pointless now. What was important was that he had be stronger and was able to act without leaving any regrets. Yes, that was enough. Or, well, it was a good start at the very least. ¡°¡­So with all the news, why is the video focusing on this?¡± -It must be because you look good. The battlefield where the gate had copsed, bringing a temporary piece, with the figure of a man and woman hugging. On one side, the inmmatory phrase, ¡®Hidden siblings? Or lovers?¡¯ remained. He felt a pain rising in his stomach upon reading it, just as his stick vibrated with a message. [Bartender noona: You know, it was still our date day. Doesn¡¯t it seem a bit off to be hugging another girl at the end?] Yesterday, they disbanded at the site without a word, then this contact suddenly came. He felt it was a little ridiculous, but his reply was serious. [From now on, I will hug you. Would it be okay in about 24 hours?] [Bartender noona: It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m satisfied with your reaction.] Kang Shin-hyuk was sincere, but ire cut him down. Maybe she understood too. Shin Eunah, despite appearing to be an ice princess, was really an uneasy child on the inside. It made no sense to argue with him over the oue of her actions. However, Kang Shin-hyuk felt a little pleased that ire was acting a bit jealous. [Bartender noona: You worked hard, take a break today.] [My noona should too.] Feeling like his reply was boring, he seriously pondered whether he should add, ¡®I love you,¡¯ to it or not. No, would she be annoyed if he was persistent? It would be right to save it for a more decisive moment. Still, Shin Eunah hugging him was being broadcasted internationally. Perhaps he should reveal his mind to make her less anxious¡­no, no one told him that she was anxious, but somehow¡­ [Bartender noona: Isn¡¯t it a cool look when ites to a shooting bartender?] [Yes, you were very cool.] [Bartender noona: I thought so too. You were cool as well.] Well, that should be enough for today. He smiled happily and ended the conversation, taking a break in thete morning in his room. At that time, Lee Na-hee contacted him. [Lee Na-hee: Wake up.] [¡­] [Lee Na-hee: Wow, that¡¯s fast. I thought you were lying down all day.] [Are you the same as your senior and me?] [Lee Na-hee: Try to be at least half polite with me as you are with ire.] [Please give me half of what my noona ire does.] [Lee Na-hee: Well, let¡¯s stop talking about that.] [Alright.] [Lee Na-hee: So you¡¯ve been dating the Empress?] [No.] [Lee Na-hee: But no matter what you think, other people will think so.] The screen being broadcast had finally changed, reced with an exclusive interview with Shin Eunah. She had a lot of work to do when it came to public rtions, as she held the position of director in the Special Affairs Department. She was the face that represented the Superhuman Association. [The name is simr, but he is not my brother. He is a junior that I personally managed.] [Yes, he has been certified as at least S-rank but doesn¡¯t engage in public activities. He hasn¡¯t been officially assigned to the Task Force.] [A romantic rtionship? There is no such thing happening!] Shin Eunah was calmly interviewed, the very image of her ice princess persona. Kang Shin-hyuk could roughly guess what she was thinking (probably the rtionship was grandparent to grandchild instead), but it seemed more like a woman in love on the outside. [Fortunately, I hid my face yesterday.] [Lee Na-hee: Is it an issue if you date her? Will you lose face or money?] [It¡¯s not that sort of problem.] [Lee Na-hee: Is that right? I suppose that¡¯s it.] In the end, no more answers came for a while. Then, suddenly, another text message to turn the channel came. Doing as asked, there was an image of Lee Na-hee sitting behind ire on her bike, spraying the air with bullets. [Lee Na-hee: I look cool.] [It would¡¯ve been cooler if you hadn¡¯t sent that text.] Just because you respected ire didn¡¯t mean you had to share her sense of style. No, that level would still be okay to a general sensibility. [Senior Eleanor: Shin-hyuk, you really don¡¯t have anything to do with the Thunder Empress¡­?] [Did you guys n this out in advance.] [Senior Eleanor: I haven¡¯t returned thence yet, so I wanted to meet you to thank you. So, when we meet, why don¡¯t we go into the dungeon again for thest week of vacation?] [I¡¯m interested too, but my senior sure does love to fight.] Kang Shin-hyuk replied after thinking a bit. [First of all, you caught thatst one.] [Senior Eleanor: I wouldn¡¯t have if it weren¡¯t for you.] [No, it would¡¯ve been difficult for me to get in the final blow. We did it together. So, what I got from him¡­that, and all the other loot I recovered, I¡¯ll give you the spear on the condition that I keep everything.] [Senior Eleanor: What?!] [Yes?] [Senior Eleanor: You can¡¯t just give away S-rank artifacts so easily!] Thence Eleanor had been using was, in fact, an S-rank artifact he had created. He had surprised himself, as it was his first attempt to apply gigantification to an artifact. It must¡¯ve been thanks to the quality of his materials. [I think it¡¯s a good price for the materials I received.] [Senior Eleanor: I still can¡¯t. It¡¯s too much, as always.] [As always?] [Senior Eleanor: So I¡¯ll rent it. As a condition of rental, I will hand over all the loot this time.] [Huh?] [Senior Eleanor: Because I¡¯m still at an advantage, I will pay you back for what¡¯s left.] [How?] [Senior Eleanor: With our team.] [Team¡­?] Kang Shin-hyuk felt an anxious ringing in her words, turning to the TV that now disyed ire talking to a reporter. She was recognizable even through the mask she wore. [It was thanks to our team, Masked Bhus!] ¡°This noona!¡± She thought of and chose a name like that?! As Kang Shin-hyuk struggled, the interview continued as ire made it clear that the team was not officially formed by the association. If a renowned superhuman like the Alchemist had joined the association, that fact would already be public knowledge. But some people were saying that both the Empress and the Alchemist were being swayed by a man, whereas others said they werepeting for the same one. [Senior Eleanor: Masked Bhus¡­ I think it¡¯s pretty cool.] [Pleasee back to earth.] He knew things would getplicated the second they started with simr clothes. Kang Shin-hyuk pressed his forehead and thought about how to cope with this situation, but no insights came for him, so he decided to leave it be. He just wanted Shin Eunah and ire to take care of it themselves. [Senior Eleanor: So, at thest week, let¡¯s go together as amemoration of bing a team.] [Yes? Oh, the dungeon. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t.] [Senior Eleanor: Do you already have a priormitment?] [No¡­but there is a ce I need to go before the vacation ends. The orphanage.] That was the orphanage that took in Kang Shin-hyuk after he lost his parents. He hadn¡¯t been there since he had entered Shinyoung; his own feelings had prevented him from returning. But now that he had ovee the fourth countercurrent, his thoughts had changed. He was confident he could face the other children. [Senior Eleanor: I see¡­shall we go together?] [I think that will cause some misunderstandings, so no.] Still, he was grateful that she had offered. After talking to Eleanor for a bit longer, he began to exercise. He thought Shin Eunah would contact him, but she didn¡¯t reach out to him as the day went by. Not only that day, but also the next. It was at that point he was sure of it. Shin Eunah was avoiding him. Chapter 130 Irreversible (4) Chapter 130 Irreversible (4) ¡°The process around the countercurrent has kept me busy, so I haven¡¯t been able to contact you so far.¡± That evening, Kang Shin-hyuk was visiting Mirotoz. He had a hammer and chisel in hand, carefully processing the giant tree roots Halo had prepared for him while talking with Halo through the leaves beside him. Even though the work had yet to progress through even a tenth of what was needed, the elves were watching him with bright admiration-filled eyes. [It must be embarrassing.] Halo let out augh as soon as he heard about the incident from Shin-hyuk. [How much effort would the little child go to in conveying her heart to you? Please measure it.] ¡°You sound more like her grandfather.¡± [We were all simr. Just like when that child first essed the Hero Universe, wasn¡¯t it also difficult for you and me?] ¡°That¡¯s¡­well, it was.¡± As the synchronization rate increased, his memories of essing the Hero Universe in his previous life became clearer. Among them were the memories of Eunah when she had first entered the Hero Universe at the age of five. They were particrly vivid, perhaps as a result of him growing closer to her. ¡°If only she had treated me more like a brother like Janus, then the rtionship wouldn¡¯t be as distorted as it is now.¡± [Well, Janus is a bit too carefree. Eunah needed Anvil at the time, I bet.] Anvil, Halo, Janus. Those were the three people who cared for Eunah the most when she was young. It was clear when you saw Halo and Janus regrly exchange messages with her. [And what do you mean by distorted? In my view, it is very straightforward.] ¡°Halo, you are still too far away. If this is straightforward, then Korean drama would be a highway.¡± [It¡¯s fun to watch you like this.] ¡°I see you¡¯re also someone who watches Korean drama regrly¡­¡± He struck at the roots of the tree as he responded bluntly. He could practically hear the smile in Halo¡¯s voice. [Nothing to worry about. When you return, ask Eunah to meet with you. Just meet her and hug her as he would.] ¡°Wouldn¡¯t her dependence only grow worse?¡± [I swear it will be fine. This sort of shock therapy is most appropriate for that child.] ¡°Shock therapy¡­?¡± Why was a hug being called shock therapy? Didn¡¯t Eunah wish for her grandfather¡¯s unconditional love? [Anvil, you said there was a woman on your mind?] ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s a bitplicated.¡± [For Eunah¡¯s sake, I hope you can get along with her.] ¡°??¡± He couldn¡¯t really understand what Halo was talking about, but he was grateful for the support of his rtionship with ire. ¡°I hope so too.¡± [Yes, then the rest will take care of itself. Try to behave manly, Anvil. I believe in you.] ¡°You¡¯re a little weird today.¡± [It has to be¡­ah, I¡¯m just a little jealous of Anvil, who lives in a lively way.] ¡°I want to refrain from such vigorous living personally¡­¡± With a sigh, he raised the hammer again. [Meet and hug her. Don¡¯t forget.] ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that.¡± [And don¡¯t tell Tsukuyo.] ¡°I also don¡¯t want to do that.¡± Work resumed as the two reached a consensus; Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart calmed down from the repetitive work. The only thought left in his mind was the magic circle around the naga priest he fought the other day. It looked like it was smelting his body. As he thought that, he began to grow tired of hammering. [Huh. You in the previous life weren¡¯t like that.] ¡°I know. I still have a long way to go if I want to keep up with that.¡± [That¡¯s not it. The branch has changed. The Anvil from the previous life was technicallyplete before essing the Hero Universe.] ¡°Ah¡­looking at it, yes¡­Maybe.¡± No matter how much he had awakened the memories of Anvil, he was different. He had been processing and stacking new skills and techniques on top of the old ones he had instinctively learned upon awakening his metallurgy. That had been shown when he worked with an enchanter, which Anvil in the previous life wouldn¡¯t have, nor would he have challenged the realm of All-craft withoutpleting his cksmithing skills. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be good.¡± [What did you think of?] ¡°What did you think of? For me, it was about the standard of metallurgy.¡± [Isn¡¯t that good? The way you approach it may be different, but you will be able to reach the highest level again someday.] Perhaps he would do it faster than in his previous life, was what Halo wanted to say, but swallowed the words. Anvil, in his previous life, reached that realm many failed to quickly, but to be even faster than that¡­ ¡®No, since he was reincarnated, wouldn¡¯t that fit?¡¯It was like he was being supplemented by the experiences of his previous life. When he reached the top again, his metallurgy would be even greater than it had ever been. [I¡¯m really happy to be able to see the process like this.] ¡°Huh?¡± Focused on his work, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t quite catch what was said. Halo merelyughed it off, however. [I think at this speed, you couldplete it within a year.] ¡°¡­Saying that is already making me lose motivation.¡± *** After a few hours of work on the shackles, he moved onto personal work. He wanted to process the parts of the new monsters he had acquired throughout his vacation. ¡°Let¡¯s look at the thorn wolf first.¡± That was the first monster he encountered on entering the battlefield. ¡°The by-products are also big.¡± The first thing he pulled out was the loot of the elite entity Eleanor had killed. It had been automatically routed and stored at the moment of its death, but the harvested tail wasrger than Kang Shin-hyuk if set upright. Eleanor had said she would give up the loot in exchange for renting thence, but that wasn¡¯t all it was to Kang Shin-hyuk. Processing such a high-level corpse would help his skill-level rise and increase the possibility of producing high-grade weapons. ¡°So how should I do this? It would be best to use the tail.¡± -The tail is one of the strongest traits of the world. ¡°But, I have to make it with all-craft.¡± -That¡¯s right. For that reason, the tail went back into the inventory. All-craft wasn¡¯t an easy thing for him to attempt. The most stable way to process the tail would be to work with Lee Na-hee¡¯s mana craft. He promised himself to work on it once more before the vacation was over. ¡®Let¡¯s make spears using the bones and blood instead.¡¯He focused on melting down the metallic thorns of the wolves, dipping them in the blood to cool. It was a method that Anvil, in his previous life, had tried in theter years. Doing so made it possible to amplify the abilities of the artifact if the appropriate monster¡¯s blood was used. ¡®When I used my spiritual power, I can vividly remember it.¡¯He continued to strike with his hammer as he analyzed the thorns with his spiritual power. It reached out to prate into the bones as the hammer strengthened them, before returning to Kang Shin-hyuk, forming a cycle of spiritual power between them. That was the unique technique of Kang Shin-hyuk, of Anvil, that none dared replicate. [You are still you.] Halo spoke once more, but Kang Shin-hyuk waspletely immersed in his word. Golden waves overflowed from his eyes to cover the hammer and bones. [What do you think, administrator? About what Anvil and I were discussing earlier.] -Do you mean, Master Halo, about the vicious tricks you proposed to get our member in trouble? [Administrator¡­] Halo sounded tired as he responded to the administrator¡¯s obsessive words, but the administrator already knew what Halo was trying to say. -If you are talking about metallurgy, don¡¯t worry. His skills haven¡¯t disappeared. Rather, he is currently learning additional skills suited for a new world. [Isn¡¯t getting blood on his sword a huge factor?] -Many encounters and experiences, including that, shape him. Haloughed at the words. [Well said, administrator.] -What is that? [I was told that there was a chat with Tsukuyo.] -¡­You¡¯re really brave too. Kang Shin-hyuk stopped working at that moment, wiping the whetstone clean before examining the spear de. -You have created a masterpiece [Wolf Thorn Javelin (S-)], which brings out the abilities of the monsters it is crafted from! Proficiency in metallurgy has greatly increased! -Synchronization has elerated- current rate of 32.5%. Halo and the administrator looked at the finished product with admiration. An S- rank javelin was a tremendous achievement, but it was still a rank attainable in his past. He wanted to create an S-rank artifact. ¡°Then, let¡¯s make something else.¡± Actually, there had been a separate main dish for his work. Kang Shin-hyuk did not hide his anticipation as he pulled out the naga priest¡¯s body and the scythe he held. [Huh.] Halo let out a sound of surprise as he examined the scythe. [How did you get it?] ¡°¡­Hm?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up nkly. [Isn¡¯t that the scythe I asked you to make? That was what I wanted to ask for before, but you came to it even without me saying anything.] ¡°This scythe¡­why?¡± [What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t there only one use for a scythe?] Halo sounded confused. [To farm, of course.] His image of a reaper wielding a sickle was severely shattered. Chapter 131 Irreversible (5) Chapter 131 Irreversible (5) [It was the first thing I asked you to do. If thend was no good, I thought it would help if I changed the farming equipment.] ¡°Is this all I am to Halo?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had suspected that the scythe had been made by his previous life the second he had encountered the priest. Seeing that it broke the vortex of his spiritual wind so easily, you could tell in an instant that it was made with spiritual power. It also had been too simple to take away from him and store it in his inventory. Items originally owned by someone else couldn¡¯t be freely ced in the inventory. Were such a thing not possible, that fight would have been much harder. Nevertheless, he was able to take it away and hide it because he was the one who made it. [Falling Scythe] [SS-rank] [Special abilities: Harvesting, Fall Harvest, Earth Communication] * Harvesting: The chance of a critical hit is extremely high when harvesting a target. With each repetition, the weapon¡¯s performance and effectiveness are permanently amplified. *Fall Harvest: Movement speed and attack speed are increased by 30% when holding this weapon¡ªthe effect doubles in autumn. *Earthmunication: It is possible to share energy with the earth. This effect strengthens when you are stepping on the ground. [It was originally a simple farming tool, but the work of harvesting human necks instead of crops caused it to deteriorate. It is currently insecure and iplete.] ¡°Really¡­¡± Itpletely wasn¡¯t a farming tool! ¡°How did you lose this?¡± [Didn¡¯t the old Anvil know this well? Groups like Jormungand have always coveted such objects. It seems like they took this from my children without my eyes reaching them.] ¡°Hmm.¡± [Perhaps there are quite a few of your works wandering around the universe in this way.] ¡°I know. Last time, I retrieved an ax.¡± [Then this will be quick.] Halo heaved a sigh. [Many of your works have fallen into the hands of Jormungand. They desire to go back to you. It¡¯s no coincidence that this sickle is back in your hands.] ¡°No¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t that too sad of a story? He was sorry that the items his previous life had made were collected by such an annoying group, but they wanted to return to him even if it meant opening gates to Earth? ¡°Administrator, didn¡¯t you say it was a coincidence before?¡± -Even I cannot know everything about your work, but it¡¯s not bad. If they are aiming for Earth, if you can collect them, you won¡¯t regret it. ¡°Really¡­¡± [Don¡¯t mind it. They are beings made to fight anyway. Rather, it might be better now that you fight them directly.] Halo was right, and Kang Shin-hyuk slowly realized that fact himself. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do. Because of him, the forces of Jormungand arrived on Earth with special artifacts, so why not take responsibility? The only thing he could do was train to the point where he could retrieve the objects each time. ¡®I couldn¡¯t have thought this way before.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk quietly smacked his cheeks and stood up. ¡°So what can I do with this? Are you asking me to help in farming with it?¡± [That¡¯s not it. How could I use high-quality human resources like you for such a thing?] Apparently, he had forgotten Kang Shin-hyuk had been plowing the field with the elves a while ago. [That sickle. That¡¯s not the only one.] ¡°Huh?¡± [I ordered a pair, and you definitely made it that way.] ¡°¡­¡± He had a brief image of himself in a ck coat with two of them that he urgently shook away. Had he been hanging out with ire for too long? ¡°So where is the other one? That is also with Jormungand¡­no, wait.¡± [Right. I did notice it.] Halo sounded satisfied. [It¡¯s still in this world, but it¡¯s not in good shape. In taking one of them, the other was sealed.] Neither Jormungand nor Halo could release the seal that had been ced on the one that remained, and in the end, Jormungand¡¯s forces retreated from this world. [In fact, what I wanted to ask of you was to bring back the sickle sealed here. It is set so that only you can unlock it.] ¡°I see.¡± It was starting to look like a quest. No wait, it was a quest. [I was originally going to ask you when you¡¯re ready, but seeing as you got the other sickle back, I think I underestimated you. There¡¯s nothing more to prepare, so we can start right away.] ¡°You really pamper people¡­so where do I go?¡± Instead of responding, Halo motioned upwards with his higher branches. ¡°¡­It¡¯s in your terminal?¡± [Exactly. I sealed it at the top of my terminal.] ¡°Halo, be honest. You enjoy your games, don¡¯t you?¡± The sealed legendary equipment (read: farm equipment), a man who had to climb a high tree (or terminal) to obtain it¡­ wasn¡¯t that the example of an old story? The summer vacation would be over by the time he managed to climb up there. ¡°Can you drop it down?¡± [It was sealed.] ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down on the spot, thinking. After a moment of silence that Halo was about to break, he pulled something out of his inventory. ¡°I was going to put it off for another time¡­but I have no choice.¡± [Well?] It was armor bigger than Kang Shin-hyuk, shaped oddly like a cow. Rather, it was a cow, the artifact that he had acquired in that ancient world. [Blue cow] [SS-rank] [Special Abilities: Lightning, Lightning Speed, Thunder God] *Lightning: Fires lightning at an enemy. When cast under the sky, its power doubles. This doubles again if it is raining. *Lightning Speed: By consuming spiritual power, you can move as fast as lightning. *Thunder God: A body forged by lightning. It ignores lightning strikes and will absorb external energy to recover itself. It bes reinforced anytime it absorbs lightning. [The form of a beast that threw itself into a lightning storm to protect God. As the years passed, it wandered through the world and found itself in the hands of those unworthy. It won¡¯t be easy to repair it to its original form without a cksmith that deals with spiritual power.] [Another unusual thing.] ¡°I didn¡¯t make it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was still imbuing his spiritual power into the artifact whenever he had a chance, but it was still difficult to use it as it was. He had been hoping to renovate it during the process, to shape its unusual appearance to be something a bit more manageable. His goal was to make it look like the magic bike that ire usually rode around. ¡°In the end, if this guy is also made of metal, I can shape the outside to look like a bike.¡± [I am suspicious of your mind, Anvil¡­] -1HP bonus to Halo, who read the administrator¡¯s heart. It was an absurdly small bonus, but it was also the first time he saw one being applied to a member other than himself. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the duo¡¯sedic skit and examined the cow. -Koo¡­ It was weak, but it had an ego. It quickly swam through the air to approach Kang Shin-hyuk as he breathed more spirit power into it. ¡°I was hoping toplete this guy by the end of vacation.¡± He wanted to do so secretly and show it off to ire. The administrator remained silent at that. [Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to just ride it up now?] ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not worth riding now. I need to fix it somehow.¡± -Kuoo¡­ The blue cow weakly cried out, making it known that it wasn¡¯t made to be ridden originally. However, it was ignored as Kang Shin-hyuk began to pull out various books, drawings, and misceneous materials from his inventory. Among them, the centerpiece was the design drawing of [Thunder Dragon]; a $30 million magic driven bike released by Mystic, an armament brand exclusively made for superhumans. [Huh, the world you live in is great to give out such advanced knowledge casually.] ¡°Actually, I saw it in the shopping mall and scoured it with spiritual power to make this blueprint myself.¡± [¡­] Long live spiritual power. In front of Kang Shin-hyuk, with his cksmithing skills and ability to see through an object¡¯s fundamental structure with his spiritual power, anyplex technology had no choice but to reveal itself to him. Of course, he was still a little sorry. ¡°It¡¯s not intended to be tranted as it, though, it is for reference only.¡± The interior part didn¡¯t really matter, after all. Kang Shin-hyuk only needed something that could support its mobility. The principle was different from a magic bike that used an engine to gain speed and fly. ¡°So I have blueprints for other vehicles and gadgets to help.¡± [¡­I guess I¡¯m wrong. Sealing is tricky, but if I transfer you to the branch¡­] ¡°Then, I will make it from now on, so don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Halo just wanted to see Kang Shin-hyuk climb up the branches like some legendary hero, but his wish was in vain. He kept silent as he watched Anvil focus on the blueprints. -A 3,000HP bonus for members who carry out their will anytime, anywhere! As always, only the administrator was excited. Chapter 132 Unrecognizable (1) Chapter 132Unrecognizable (1) -Janus¡¯s whisper: You¡¯re going to mix the two? Grandpa is a fool. -So noisy. In the small workshop, where the only light was the mes burning inside the furnace, the cksmith was once more working on his craft. However, he wasn¡¯t making weapons. He was focused on mixing two metals together to form an alloy. They were metals he had purchased from the bulletin board with money he earned from selling his weapons. -Janus¡¯s whisper: I think it¡¯s in vain, but it¡¯s fun because it¡¯s you. -Didn¡¯t I say it was noisy? -Janus¡¯s whisper: How are you doing? The cksmith went silent for a while in response to the question. But finally, he decided to respond honestly. -I¡¯m only making more garbage. The structure of these magical metals, once mixed, cannot be separated. -Janus¡¯s whisper: That¡¯s why it¡¯s in vain. The only case when something betteres out of mixing things is when they are iplete. Right now, the dragon¡¯s scales or the bones areplete materials by themselves; you can¡¯t create something that goes beyond that. -Leave it. The cksmith responded with annoyance at his friend¡¯s whisper, who was teasing him out of concern. He knew well that the odds of sess were slim to none, but it was his stubbornness, born from surviving alone in a world where nothing new was born anymore; the stubbornness of someonemitted to creating something new. Therefore, the act itself had meaning. He would be very happy if the results followed, but he was just so happy to try it in the first ce. Because his old body, whose will for life had weakened, was still alive. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Anyway, that¡¯s the way you¡¯re like, grandpa¡­ -Before I die, I will surely create something beyond the bones of a dragon, so stay tuned. His failures continued, but the data piled up. The cksmith analyzed the world¡¯s countless metals with his spiritual power dancing in his hammer, engraving into his mind how they mixed with and changed other metals. With each new lump of failure, the alloy¡¯s possibilities grew little by little, slowly but surely. In that narrow workshop, the old cksmith began to understand the metal. -Janus¡¯s whisper: ¡­I don¡¯t want to see my grandpa right now. -Don¡¯t horse around and help me dispose of the trash. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Huh? Ah, yes. Can¡¯t I throw it away? Okay, then let¡¯s do this. To put it together and manage you, I¡­ *** Kang Shin-hyuk studied the blueprints of countless magic-driven bikes to design an interior that best suited the blue cow sessfully. It was only seven hours after starting work. [Huh, you also had such tricks.] ¡°Spiritual power is the power to see the essence. Anyone with some skill with their hands canbine them and move them around.¡± [¡­] Halo was silent. It was difficult enough to grasp the basic structure of something with spiritual power, much more so tobine it with other objects to create something new. ¡°Then let¡¯s start.¡± Before starting his work properly, Kang Shin-hyuk analyzed the outer shell of the blue cow. He wanted to match the parts that would fit the interior as closely as possible to the artifact. -Member, if so. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m trying to challenge the alloy.¡± It wasn¡¯t an alloy like titanium or tungsten steel used on Earth, but one made with all kinds of magic metals and biometals obtained from monsters. It was one of the tasks that the Anvil of his previous life was most concerned withpleting. ¡°It should be made out of a material that is as simr as possible.¡± In fact, there was a better way to make an alloy. The artifact had a special ability called Thunder God, which allowed it to absorb energy from the outside that it could use to repair itself. If parts of the cow were removed and then imbued with electricity to recover them, theoretically, he could mass-produce the metal. The issue was that it would ce an immense burden on the artifact, which could be an issue, given that it had yet to fully recover. Even more than that, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Okay, I have enough different types¡­ then let¡¯s start.¡± He took the furnace out of his inventory. It was arge portable furnace he had purchased for 15 million HP, using the HP he had acquired in fighting against the countercurrent. Naturally, as an artifact, it was a high-end furnace that could increase the probability of sess in production, reduce worker fatigue, and even increase the quality of the finished product. No matter how skilled a craftsman Kang Shin-hyuk was, making such a furnace would be almost impossible. The Hero Universe couldn¡¯t be underestimated. [Hey, making an alloy on the spot¡­ oops, you already started.] Halo tried to stop him. But it was already toote. As Kang Shin-hyuk focused on taking out and smelting various metals, Halo waved his branches and sighed. -Your concentration is good. That alone hasn¡¯t changed until now. [¡­Yes, but the other parts have turned out to be quite fun. If it was the Anvil from before, the conversation would be satisfying, but I wouldn¡¯t have received this kind of pleasure.] -I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe¡­ [Well?] -No, Halo. Now watch. Alloying the metals obtained from a monster¡¯s body (which, for convenience, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to call biometal) and magic metal in appropriate ratios was a difficult task that even someone with an advanced degree of metallurgy wouldn¡¯t dare tackle. However, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s synchronization rate was now 32.5%. Even though he hadn¡¯t reached his previous life, he had recovered most of the memories that centered around making alloys. That was invaluable knowledge that the craftsmen of the universe would give their lives to gain. It wasn¡¯t only Anvil¡¯s skill that was highly valued in the Hero Universe, but also his knowledge of all kinds of metals that had been posted on the trading board. ¡°¡­Um.¡± That knowledge made it possible for him to find out the potential of an alloy by analyzing the biometal of the monster. There were a lot of monsters, but many of the biometals had simr structures. It wasn¡¯t perfect, so there wasn¡¯t anything that could be done with the trash generated during the work. But Kang Shin-hyuk was slowly grasping it. If it were an alloy of simple magic metal, there was a possibility it would return to its original state after smelting, but it wouldn¡¯t be easily separated the moment the biometal entered the equation. Once it wasbined, there was no choice but to seed or throw away the loser. This way, most of them were eliminated. ¡°Yes, in case of this, Janus¡­ Janus, ahhh?!¡± It had been about two hours since he started working. During his work, Kang Shin-hyuk let out a scream of enlightenment as if he had been hit by lightning. The administrator seemed frightened as he responded. -Why, why, member? No matter if your partner is Janus¡­! [Really, administrator. There¡¯s no way Janus would harm Anvil.] ¡°Okay, wait a second. Wait..¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped working and took a calming breath. Opening his inventory, he woke up the sleeping Onyx. -Myu? ¡°Yes, no.¡± He instinctively blinked his eyes, and, without hesitation, Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed Onyx¡¯s tail as he approached the blue cow. ¡°How about this instead?¡± -Oh¡­ ooh? As Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s monster hunting had be more active these days, Onyx had tasted the biometals he gathered at least once in a while. He had just thought he was eating, but now that he had reached B-rank by repeatedly eating new metals and weapons, there was a chance to utilize his traits. -Myuuuu! ¡°Yes, do you want to eat it?¡± -My! Onyx ran to the pile of metal as fast as he could. The alloys were garbage, no doubt, but they had enough spiritual power. ¡°¡­It¡¯s an opportunity.¡± -It has been a while since Onyx could be of full help, given your rapid growth. ¡°Even if I share in the effect of the status amplification potion, I¡¯m still growing faster¡­ well, I think he can still be of help.¡± For example, Onyx¡¯s stealth skill that had reached B-rank. It was said that if you could increase it high enough, it would be possible to hide people nearby as well as yourself. That way, he could enjoy the benefits of stealth without needing to buy an imitation scroll on the trading board. Honestly, he had searched the trading board for it a few times himself, but the stealth skill stone had never been for sale. ¡°How do you like it?¡± -Myuuuu! Was he just hungry, or did he have no limits in the first ce? Onyx was crying out pleasantly after cleaning up the pile of trash alloys. ¡°Where¡­¡± [Onyx ¨C B+ rank] [Physical ability] Force ¨C C+ Agility ¨C A- Stamina ¨C B [Special ability] Gold Magic ¨C A- [Skill] Metal Predation (S+) ¨C B Implementation (SS) ¨C B+ Defensive Position ¨C A- Stealth (A+) ¨C B [State] Subordinate to Kang Shin-hyuk-Loyalty 81 Kang Shin-hyuk quickly checked his status. Gold magic had finally grown to A-rank, and the rarity of his stealth had increased a little bit too. He was already on the level of an active superhuman. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s possible.¡± -Myu? Onyx let out a cute cry and hovered around his feet, realizing that whatever was happening wasn¡¯t bad for him. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled down at him as he whispered to his friend. -Janus. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Grandpa! Are you finally ready to make a new sword? -Give me the keys. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Last time, you said you weren¡¯t good enough. Are you going to challenge the alloy again? -I¡¯m going tobine them. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Well, just like the old Anvil. Shortly after, a gift arrived from Janus. The price of a gift was quite high, but if it let him recover the items left behind, Kang Shin-hyuk could casually return it. It was a small key. In the memories left for Kang Shin-hyuk, Anvil managed the garbage created using this key made with Janus¡¯s help. Within the unique space opened by that key contained every alloy waste created by Anvil in his lifetime. Chapter 133 Unrecognizable (2) Chapter 133 Unrecognizable (2) Onyx had vanished since then. He had thrown himself into the abyss of the garbage warehouse without hesitation, ready to devour the alloy garbage lying within. It might¡¯ve been trash metal, but it was filled with the spiritual power of Anvil. Although it was difficult to expect whether special abilities could be obtained from it, the traces of Anvil¡¯s efforts to create an alloy were enough to draw out Onyx¡¯s overall abilities. [I know some types of metal-eating monsters, but that¡¯s really strange. What a fun creature.] ¡°For the time being, it¡¯s fortunate that I don¡¯t need to pay for his meals.¡± [It¡¯s a pet that suits you.] Kang Shin-hyuk was looking forward to seeing how much Onyx would grow, but now wasn¡¯t the time to watch him eat. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately resumed his alloy work. Of course, for the time being, more trash came out to replenish the contents of the warehouse, but after a day, he was beginning to get the hang of the alloying techniques that Anvil was dealing with. -Synchronization has elerated- current rate of 34.7%. In the meantime, his assimtion rate rose a bit more than 2% over the course of the day. At that point, Kang Shin-hyuk had barely finished selecting a material to make an alloy simr to that of the blue cow. Anvil¡¯s intuition, seeping inside of him little by little, was whispering that he could seed with these materials. ¡°Spine Rose¡¯s thorny stem, the Lightning Golem¡¯s core, Kenyon, and the Thorn Wolf¡¯s thorns.¡± He had yet to touch the spoils from his fight with Spine Rose, but now he had nothing holding him back. No, he was confident he could handle them properly. Among those materials, only the core of the lightning golem had to be purchased from the trading board. It was a rare S-rank monster, so it cost him 6 million HP, but he was confident it would match the blue cow¡¯s power. He felt rich when he was making money, but now he watched it disappear like bubbles in the water. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk examined the structure of the blue cow once more, engraving it into his mind. Then, he went to work, putting the materials into the furnace. [It¡¯s bold, but¡­] ¡°The experiment is over. Now it¡¯s the real battle.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk closed his mouth firmly and worked with the furnace. His body already had the power of the S+ rank, so even physically intensive work like this wasn¡¯t enough to make him sweat. ¡°Wow, it doesn¡¯t melt well at all¡­¡± It was only after adding the special firewood he had that it began to melt together. However, if he left it alone, it would mix wildly and harden, turning into garbage. Kang Shin-hyuk poured the contents into the te he had prepared in advance and began imbuing it with his spiritual power. The meaning of each material was continuously applied through his spiritual power. It should have been a normallyborious process, but he was naturally activating his trait. [Hoh.] Halo couldn¡¯t help but exim at the sight. He didn¡¯t know much about metals, but he realized that the work was being sessfully carried out as the alloy turned blue. -The idea is that if it is the same material as that cow, it should also be blue, right? [Is it changing due to his will?] -It is due to his traits. There is a strangeness hidden in the trait he has acquired in this life that even I cannot understand. [It¡¯s a trait of a craftsman.] -That¡¯s not the case. [¡­?] Kang Shin-hyuk was determined not to need to purchase another lightning golem core. With the aid of his preparation, however, the work ended smoothly. He had made an amount of alloy that would be able toplete the cow¡¯s interior and still have some leftover. He smiled as he tapped on the alloy te that flowed with a strange energy, satisfied by his work. ¡°I made it so well¡­¡± [The self-praise is quite good.] ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s too hard.¡± The parts needed to be sturdy, but even taking that into ount, the hardness of the finished alloy was too high. ¡°This¡­ it¡¯ll be difficult to process.¡± [Use the whole thing as a shield.] Ignoring Halo¡¯s joke, he chose the right parts to try and mold it, but neither a hammer nor a grinder could deform or even sharpen it. Once the metal was poured into a mold to harden, it reached an irrecoverable state. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Perhaps the Anvil of his previous life could have changed the metal by skillfully handling spiritual power. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was still unable to deal with spiritual power in the way his previous life had been capable of. He instead decided to force himself a bit. -You¡¯ve drunk the Advanced Strength Potion. Your strength has been boosted by three ranks for an hour. If he couldn¡¯t defeat it with the power of S+, he just needed to challenge it with the power of SS+. A sense of all-consuming strength that he had never felt before in his life filled his body at once. The hour time limit would be a bit tight, though. Even if he had prepared the blueprints in advance, it wouldn¡¯t be possible toplete all the parts within an hour¡­ ¡°Can I buy advanced agility and stamina potions?!¡± -Sorry, member. They will be purchasable upon reaching the 3rd VIP liberation¡­ ¡°Then, intermediate potions!¡± -I will purchase them immediately. As a result, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s agility became SS-rank with the addition of his Venom Princess Soul, and his stamina became SS rank as well. Looking at just his physical stats, he had already reached the level of a high-ranker. The fact that he could gain this ridiculous power by using the power of the Hero Universe told him how much he had been blessed, but nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t help but feel something wascking. ¡°Administrator, do you have any sort of duplication scroll?¡± -Yes, but it isn¡¯t rmended for advanced work as mental power is also divided. ¡°Ah, then I have no choice but to do this¡­¡± It was a waste of time toin, so he started working with full power. He couldn¡¯t use a grinder, so he started making parts one by one with his chisel and hammer. [It¡¯s been a long timeing to see the best cksmith in the universe doing this kind of work.] -5,000HP bonus for members who sweat beautifully for their work! An additional 7,000HP bonus! [¡­It¡¯s something worth seeing.] In order to move even stronger and faster, Kang Shin-hyuk raised his skills and traits to the limit. The power of the Golden Dragon enveloped his body, reinforcing it even further. -ng! ng! ng! -ng! ng! ng! -ng! ng! ng! The administrator began to wonder if he had identally bought an item that could duplicate himself, as Kang Shin-hyuk was moving so fast he was leaving behind an afterimage. He brought several hammers and chisels in the process (despite them being reinforced with spiritual power), as well as several parts he had failed to control his force with. New tools were procured immediately by the administrator as soon as they broke, and thankfully there were enough spare parts that breaking a few didn¡¯t matter. -The effects of all status boosting potions have expired. At the end, when that message appeared, Kang Shin-hyuk had already finished his work and dropped the hammer and chisel that had been broken by his hand. There wasn¡¯t a part that couldn¡¯t be crafted. He had made the internal structure that would maximize the blue cow¡¯s ability. ¡°Ha, ha-ah¡­¡± -Metallurgy has increased to the A+ rank. Efficiency in all production operations has further increased by an additional 20%. ¡°It¡¯s done early.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down, muttering without energy. He identally stepped on his broken chisel and stood up in a sh. ¡°Oops, I need to be careful.¡± -Sorry, member, but the stamina of S+ rank won¡¯t be prated that easily. He had no energy left to respond to the administrator. He wanted to go to sleep right then and there, but he still had important work left toplete. He pulled out the blueprint, checking it carefully before assembling the parts. ¡°Are you ready?¡± -Kooo. Perhaps it had liked the interior of the bike he had made of alloys, but now the cow seemed less reluctant. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled, stroking the cow¡¯s back before taking out a new hammer. ¡°Then, let¡¯s make you look a little different. You won¡¯t resist?¡± -Kuoo. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be gentle cutting you open.¡± -Koo?! Of course, you wouldn¡¯t have to cut it apart to ce the parts on the inside. But certainly, the blueprint had arge hole in the center of the bike¡¯s handle that had a delicate mana line running through it to directly connect to the inside. ¡°What, did you think it would beplete like this? It needs a power source, power source.¡± -Quoo? Given the materials, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to produce good results unless a significant power source were to be fused with the blue cow. ¡°But, I already have a good power source.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and opened his inventory. A dayter, Kang Shin-hyuk finished his work and returned to Earth. Chapter 134 Unrecognizable (3) Chapter 134 Unrecognizable (3) -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: You work too much, really too much. -Tsukuyo also wishes toplete the dimensional quest. It was the morning after he had returned to Earth from his work on Mirotoz. He had already received the login bonus for the day (it was a consumable that could take a blow for the owner, but it made him feel a little anxious as it looked like a straw doll used for curses). -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I also want to meet with Anvil¡­ -So you want toplete the dimensional quest. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Indeed. Unfortunately, there is no urgent issue in my dimension that requires the services of Anvil¡­ It seemed to Kang Shin-hyuk there were someplex conditions behind generating a dimensional quest that he didn¡¯t fully know about. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I was really jealous. Even if I try to be satisfied with the things you¡¯ve made, the number of weapons you sell these days has also decreased¡­ -I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ve been focusing on other research. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I heard about it already. After all, it just sounded like she wanted toin. Kang Shin-hyuk was hesitant to answer, but another message aimed right at him arrived. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I want you like this too¡­ -A few words are missing there. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Oh, there¡¯s nothing to add or subtract. -¡­ After that, Tsukuyo made fun of Kang Shin-hyuk for a little while before stepping back, seemingly barely satisfied. She hinted that if he continued not to suit her, she would take more active actions than before. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Oh, and Anvil? In the midst of her flirting, a new message appeared. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: It¡¯s good to be careful not to get too stained by lowly things. Those words reminded Kang Shin-hyuk of the reality of Tsukuyo, whose gentle tone he had been adapting to. -Hm? -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: The world is shaking in full swing. Has it been noisy? -Do you mean Jormungand? -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: You don¡¯t need to put it together in one word, I think. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered what she meant, feeling confused. Was it something on Earth that he needed to pay attention to? If so, it would be better to have more precise information. -Tsukuyo? -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: The administrator is noisy, so today, that¡¯s enough. Just don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m always by your side¡­ After that, the message broke off, reced by the administrator. -I would also like to rid the Hero Universe of that fox. Kang Shin-hyuk briefly considered asking the administrator about the meaning behind Tsukuyo¡¯s words but decided not to. If there were anything he could tell him, the administrator already would have. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, administrator.¡± -500HP bonus for members who show kindness and consideration¡­ It seemed like his words weren¡¯t very helpful to the administrator, so the bonus was a little smaller than usual. However, it was still a lotpared to when he first essed the Hero Universe. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start.¡± After morning training, he ate breakfast, washed up, and dressed neatly. He turned to Onyx, who was sleeping in his pet bed. ¡°Do you want to go too?¡± -Myu¡­ Onyx, who had stuffed himself in a paradise called the garbage warehouse the other day, was hazy as he focused on digesting the metal he had consumed. -Myuuu. Onyx seemed concerned for a moment before he crawled over to sit down on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. He couldn¡¯t do anything while digesting, but it wouldn¡¯t be needed. ¡°Yes, the kids will love you.¡± -Myu¡­? They left the room together, stopping by briefly at Baek In-ha¡¯s room (who asked if he was going to spend a hot night with some noonas) before leaving the dorm. His destination was the Starlight Orphanage near the quiet reed forest by Seoul. At the time of the third war, the neighborhood was flooded with monsters, and most of thendowners were in. The country had reimed thend after that, building several facilities there. Many children were orphaned in the incident, so one of the facilities built was the orphanage operated by the church. There was originally a priest, but he had passed away, so due to ack of manpower, one of the nuns had taken over to raise the children. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re staying healthy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly frowned as he recalled her face, his gaze directed towards the scenery passing by the bus window. She sounded healthy thest time he talked to her. Although she was weak, she had divine power. Strength born from her strong faith helped to revitalize her body and maintain her health. Without it, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for her to raise and take care of dozens of children alone. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the kids too¡­¡± -You probably don¡¯t need to worry. ¡°I hope so.¡± An hourter, Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed the administrator¡¯s words, as the orphanage building was not the same as thest he saw it. The government-built orphanage, which had never been afortable ce despite its size, was coated with shiny new material. It was easily two or three times as wide as he remembered it. Just from a nce, he could tell the material was reinforced with monster by-products to prevent it from being broken. At this scale, it must¡¯ve cost billions. ¡°Uh, uh¡­?¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk is here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our brother!¡± -Myu?! ¡°It¡¯s a hedgehog!¡± The children ying in the yard found Kang Shin-hyuk and jumped on him to hug him, their eyes twinkling. Kang Shin-hyuk held them one by one, asking them about what was on his mind. ¡°Siwoo, Minseo, what happened here?¡± ¡°The pretty noona built it!¡± To the boy of six, any olderdy was a pretty noona. ¡°They said they built it because you did a lot of work!¡± ¡°Hey, Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± Lee Jinseok, a boy of the same age as him who had given up the idea of school to work as an apprentice mercenary while living at the orphanage, appeared to save him. ¡°Lee Jinsu, long time no see¡­¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, you crazy kid. If you were in a rtionship with the Alchemist, you should¡¯ve told me first!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Perhaps that pretty noona was referring to ire. Kang Shin-hyuk looked vaguely refreshed, his worries resolved¡­ but then his eyes went wide as he realized what they meant. ¡°ire?!¡± *** ¡°My son¡¯s hand is fast to catch such a woman.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± Sister Esdel, the mother of the orphanage, smiled happily as she served tea to Kang Shin-hyuk. He drank it as he avoided her gaze, instead opting to look outside the window. He watched the kids y outside in the garden with Onyx for a while before looking up, noticing a sign saying ¡®Ster¡¯ hanging proudly over the orphanage¡¯s entrance. Yes, that design was definitely ire¡¯s. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t tell me she did this¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it embarrassing? To be honest, renovating the orphanage for a man she is dating isn¡¯t exactly an ordinary person.¡± ¡°That¡­you honestly don¡¯t believe it, but we¡¯re not dating.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Who would at that point? But that was how it was with ire. ¡°Did she ever ask for anything weird?¡± ¡°She said she woulde visit asionally. I set aside a room for her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­ even so, really.¡± He wasn¡¯t angry. He knew that ire usually did weird things, and he never hid the fact he was from an orphanage. He didn¡¯t know if she had done anything bad, but he couldn¡¯t help but be grateful that she rebuilt the orphanage for these children. ¡°Ha, really.¡± Some people might dislike it, viewing it as interference, or feel burdened by the scale of it, but for Kang Shin-hyuk, who had grown physically and mentally over the past few months, it was possible to ept ire¡¯s actions purely. He fell in love all over again. Maybe now he couldn¡¯t escape. ¡®My confession is sincere, but¡­¡¯Did this mean she thought of him more like a younger brother? No, no matter what, who would do this for a man they viewed as a younger brother? When he thought about the messages they had shared on theirst date, it seemed like there was still hope. ¡°It¡¯s rare for someone to do something like this. There are a lot who have the ability but don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°I know. She is a very good person. We¡¯re not dating, but¡­¡± ¡°It is the Lord¡¯s work. So, do your best. If possible¡­¡± ¡°Please stop selling me religion and stop doing those hand movements that aren¡¯t proper for a nun. I know you¡¯re still healthy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk handed over the gift he had prepared for Sister Esdel, as well as the gift he had prepared for the children. After that, he headed up to the roof of the orphanage with Lee Jinseok, who had been waiting for him. Even the rooftop had changed. ¡°Jinseok, you too¡­¡± ¡°Please introduce me.¡± Lee Jinseok made a huge disy of bowing in front of Kang Shin-hyuk, who was caught off guard. He recovered quickly, responding firmly. ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not aiming for your woman. I just want connections! Honestly, it¡¯s difficult to seed in the mercenary game ying at the regional level.¡± ¡°ire doesn¡¯t have connections with mercenaries either.¡± Mercenary. That was the path for those who couldn¡¯t handle mana because they hadn¡¯t awakened or had trouble handling it even after they did. They mainly dealt with monsters using modern weaponsbined with mana stones, but they couldn¡¯t catch high-ranking monsters because of their limits. The skilled among them could deal with multiple monsters at once, however, making them particrly activebatants in fighting emissive-type gates. Lee Jinseok had lost his parents during the third countercurrent, just like Kang Shin-hyuk. The difference was that Kang Shin-hyuk had awakened, though he still couldn¡¯t handle mana, and Lee Jinseok hadn¡¯t. Still, he hated monsters, and Kang Shin-hyuk helped him train in all forms of martial arts. In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk helped train several of the children here. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing! I will repay with my heartfelt grace, so please, brother!¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty good to y this role¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t it the right answer to use everything avable at one¡¯smand to be stronger? It wouldn¡¯t be bad for Kang Shin-hyuk to have acquaintances that were active in the mercenary field as well. ¡°Hye-na? Does she work with you?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t give it up either.¡± ¡°You can still afford to see it as useless.¡± At the Starlight Orphanage, there were four children, including himself, who were the same age. One of them had gone to a public high school, whereas the other two, Lee Jinseok and a girl named Yoo Hye-na, trained with Kang Shin-hyuk since they were twelve to be mercenaries. Most of the children older than them had chosen to live as ordinary people, although there were a few who had tried to be superhumans like Kang Shin-hyuk, viewing him as a role model. ¡°It¡¯s not ire, but I might know someone with a connection to the mercenary corps. I¡¯ll take it to them, so wait.¡± ¡°Hey, wait, then Woonhyung.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s still in middle school.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll back off.¡± It was fortunate that Sister Esdel hadn¡¯t copsed yet of exhausting dealing with these ones. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and nodded. Lee Jinseok was staring at him, however. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not the Alchemist, who do you n on asking?¡± ¡°There is¡­ a person on the association side.¡± ¡°Association?! By any chance¡­is that¡­¡± Lin Jinseok asked, half-expecting the answer. ¡°Is it a woman?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°A world where only damn handsome men get ahead! Perish! Perish!¡± However, the world didn¡¯t perish, and Kang Shin-hyuk attended the first day of school the following morning. Chapter 135 Unrecognizable (4) Chapter 135 Unrecognizable (4) On the day of the opening ceremony, the students briefly gathered in the ssroom with excitement on their faces before being dismissed for the day. Karen, who had guessed what had happened with Eleanor during the vacation, poked his shoulder with a disgusting expression. Baek In-ha tried to convince them to go out to y, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook them all off and left the school alone. This was because he had an appointment with Shin Eunah at the Choin shopping center. He had used Lee Jinseok¡¯s request as an excuse to contact Shin Eunah, who hadn¡¯t responded to him. After specifying a time and location, he said that if she didn¡¯te, she could find him at ire¡¯s bar. She finally responded at that point. The meeting ce was in a private room of the caf¨¦ they had first officially met in. ¡°Ha¡­grandpa.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± As he waited in the room, Shin Eunah had appeared with a tray carrying her own drink. Her cheeks were swollen in a rare expression even for Kang Shin-hyuk, who was used to seeing past the usual ice princess fa?ade. ¡°There¡¯s too much to do, grandpa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you were busy. But if that were the case, that is if you didn¡¯t want toe¡­¡± ¡°I hated sending you to ire more.¡± Well, he figured that would be the reason. Kang Shin-hyuk took his caf¨¦ mocha with extra whipped cream and worked on licking off the cream on top. Shin Eunah hid her blushing cheeks as she saw him. ¡°So, why did you ignore my call?¡± ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± She was in granddaughter mode from the start, yet he felt a sense of distance between them that wasn¡¯t normally there even when she was in her ice princess mode. ¡°So, why?¡± ¡°Okay¡­you might get angry?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I hugged you freely.¡± Well, looking at the skin-ship they had disyed, it wasn¡¯t good to do that in public, but it wasn¡¯t any different than what she had done to him before. His eyes narrowed slightly, finding her attitude suspicious. He eventually decided to ask her openly. ¡°Why did you hug me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Were you happy that I was okay?¡± ¡°I was angry. You fought a strong enemy alone.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t alone.¡± ¡°ire was just looking around.¡± ¡°She was protecting me with a drone¡­¡± ¡°That little girl weirdly pretends to be close to grandpa.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s my senior in the club I joined. We are somewhat close.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me, and then you were all wearing the same uniform.¡± ¡°That was just a disguise.¡± By this point, Kang Shin-hyuk realized that the story had been derailed. Still, it was better than when she was staying silent, so he listened to her as he drank his caf¨¦ mocha. ¡°But it was cool.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Her anger was relieved after she let it pour out, her voice subsiding again. Her shoulders dropped, and she ran a finger around the rim of her cup. ¡°Everyone there thought grandpa was great.¡± ¡°Suddenly you reveal the situation.¡± ¡°I was jealous¡­couldn¡¯t stop.¡± She returned to her senses and realized how dangerous it was to have acted that way. Right after that, there came a big wave of rumors about her and Shin Eun-hyuk, about them dating and all sorts of other conspiracies. The picture of them hugging had already be so widespread that people on the other side of the world had already seen it. The most popr theory, for reference, was that they were dating. ¡°So¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I do want you to refrain from that in front of others.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as Halo¡¯s advice came to mind. He put his cup down and stood up. He was worried it might be counterproductive, but the reason he couldn¡¯t stop was that he valued Shin Eunah. He approached her, who had been sitting across from him, and carefully hugged her from behind. She jumped as if she had been struck by lightning but soon fell silent. ¡°But it¡¯s okay because you didn¡¯t do anything bad.¡± ¡°Ah, ah.¡± ¡°We¡¯re close, so we can hug each other. But only when it¡¯s just the two of us in the future, okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s all okay now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah was sitting stiffly like a cat on a tall tree branch, nodding and repeating the same answer like a broken record. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh of relief at the good advice of his friend Halo. -I think the counterproductive effect will arrive. That is, she¡¯ll hug you back. ¡®Huh? Does the direction matter?¡¯ -The direction matters. You are really stupid. It seemed like the administrator was also broken. It was the first time he heard the administrator say anything like that. Maybe he also wanted a hug? But it wasn¡¯t like he was a physical person, so how could he? He decided to think about itter. ¡°Then, shall we go eat? In fact, I have something to ask of you, so we should talk about it over food¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Relieved that their rtionship had recovered, he released her and tried to step back, but Shin Eunah shook her head and held him so that he couldn¡¯t leave. ¡°A little more¡­¡± ¡°¡­Are you going to do it as soon as we reconcile?¡± ¡°Yes¡­huh.¡± She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but she let it go. Kang Shin-hyuk felt like the mood had somehow changed, but he didn¡¯t dare ask about it. In the end, it was two hourster when the two finally went to eat. Shin Eunah didn¡¯t call him grandpa once, for some reason, even though it was only the two of them. *** Shinyoung¡¯s second semester was at least five times more important than the first one. School festivals, exchange meetings, rankings, and other tests that could determine one¡¯s future as a superhuman were all concentrated in it. There was also a graduation exam, in which prospective beginners were reborn as official superhumans. The first and second years were able to prepare for their turn by watching and learning from the third years. That was to say, most of the students were doing everything they could. ¡°This¡­does this make sense?!¡± Baek In-ha was indignant as he mmed his fists on the desk. ¡°The fact there are already arge number of couples covering the ss in a pink atmosphere as soon as school starts¡­does this make sense?!¡± ¡°Chill out, idiot.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried to calm down Baek, but his anger wouldn¡¯t subside. Kang Shin-hyuk had also felt a bit cold to see the couples showing off their affection in ss, but Baek¡¯s reaction was severe. ¡°The grades in the second semester will hit rock bottom. No, it has to be like that. All the guys holding hands in school should die¡­!¡± ¡°Hah, why is Baek¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste of your good looks. Give them to someone else.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Shin-hyuk being stained? He¡¯s a handsome man, wouldn¡¯t it be better to iste from Baek?¡± ¡°What to do¡­?¡± After a while, the female students were now talking about Kang Shin-hyuk being handsome with blushing cheeks. If he were alone, that would be fine, but the problem was that Baek was sticking to him. He wanted to pretend to be someone else, but Baek wouldn¡¯t let him go. ¡°Shinyuk, you won¡¯t say anything, but I know you dated Algiers!¡± ¡°Calm down¡­¡± Rumors had been spreading throughout the vacation, but with the opening of the school, the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk had tamed a new wyvern for the Wyvern Knights became clear throughout the school. Of course, it was also known that Eleanor had apanied him, so people were talking about how he would be the new vice-captain and that they were already dating. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a certified couple! Now you can¡¯t get along with other girls other than the captain, you know.¡± Karen¡¯s smile was too explicit. Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Did you spread the rumors?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to be so honest.¡± ¡°Hahahah.¡± Karen was the first person in school that Kang Shin-hyuk could fight without hesitation. ¡°But Shin-hyuk, can I ask you something seriously?¡± ¡°To think you have the gall to do this and then ask for a favor.¡± ¡°You have a link to the association, right?¡± ¡°What¡­right.¡± That was something Kang Shin-hyuk actively wanted spread. If he had the protection of the association, no one would be able to touch him. In fact, he was already quite a big yer, though he didn¡¯t realize it. ¡°I told youst time, about who saved me¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t that answer a little too quick?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anyway.¡± ¡°I want to talk about it once, so please! Somehow!¡± Karen blushed and put her hands to her chest. Kang Shin-hyuk, disgusted, distanced himself from her a bit. But she wriggled like a cockroach to quickly close the gap. ¡°I fell in love again after seeing the new video¡­he¡¯s so cool! I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but he¡¯s my type. So, I want to contact him somehow¡­Shin-hyuk? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. But I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much¡­! You¡¯re close to the Empress. How about you¡­oh, that¡¯s right!¡± Karenughed and jabbed him in the cheek. ¡°It¡¯s because the Empress gave you away and changed to Shin Eun-hyuk, right? That¡¯s why you got in good with the captain, huh? Yep?¡± Karen kept pricking him. It was like she had been perfecting how to piss people off. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled quietly. Today¡¯s third ss would be training for free skills. Given it was the first time in the second semester, there would be a battle. ¡°If you beat me in a duel today, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°I knew it! It doesn¡¯t matter who my rival is, I won¡¯t lose! Not even to the Empress!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk that way about senior Eunah.¡± That was how time passed until the third ss. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the dissatisfied gaze of Gong Joonpyo, the teacher of the ss, and pointed at Karen. ¡°Quick!¡± ¡°Kehek¡­it hurts so much!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t train your nerve reinforcement hard enough.¡± ¡°I mean, I did¡­! Oh, it hurts.¡± The students watching were overwhelmed by the scene. Even though Karen was a strong contender for the top ranks among the first years, she had been unterally defeated by Kang Shin-hyuk. They didn¡¯t even see his attack, only Karen falling out of the ring. ¡°What¡­isn¡¯t he stronger?¡± ¡°We trained during the vacation too, but Kang Shin-hyuk¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s been a training fanatic from the beginning.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he just a freshman?¡± Despite being freshmen like him, Kang Shin-hyuk was strong enough to inspire jealousy in them. He had moved into apletely different realm over the vacation. It was no longer apetition, but rather now a point to be pursued. ¡°Isn¡¯t he stronger than Baek In-ha?¡± ¡°It seems like it¡­¡± ¡°I heard he also tamed a Wyvern.¡± ¡°No, that has nothing to do withbat power.¡± Do Woojin stepped forward as Karen headed off to the health center. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, let¡¯s fight next.¡± ¡°Then Karen can wait and go to the health room with you.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Do Woojin was about to step into the battlefield, clenching his teeth in response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s light provocation, but a hand stopped him. ¡°Shinhyuk, you¡¯re with me.¡± It was Baek. Chapter 136 Unrecognizable (5) Chapter 136 Unrecognizable (5) The students were excited. Even Gong Joonpyo, the teacher in charge, looked at the two with curious eyes. Karen pped, saying it would be fun, and Do Woojin tried to step forward but was firmly blocked by Baek In-ha¡¯s arm. ¡°Woojin, if you fight now, you won¡¯t be happy with the results.¡± ¡°I know I can¡¯t win. Even so, I want to show him the changed me.¡± ¡°No, I understand your determination¡­¡± Baek whispered quietly to him. ¡°Because it seems like Shinyuk is hiding his power.¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing such a thing¡­?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t like being beaten by him, so I¡¯ll do it. Sleep, take off, leave it to me.¡± ¡°Hey, I hear you.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to im innocence after throttling Baek? Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to aim a sword at someone who talked so badly? ¡°That¡¯s the case, so Shin-hyuk, let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed like a joke, but Baek¡¯s face was the most serious he had ever seen. Hesitating about what to say, Baek entered the battlefield with a light hand wave. ¡°Originally, I thought I could wait around until next year¡­it worked fine, though. The student council has started up smoothly. Let¡¯s fight without hesitation.¡± ¡°Without hesitation¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the second semester now, the testing period.¡± Baek In-ha winked, making Shin-hyuk want to hit him. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to learn from the third years. Didn¡¯t you think that too when you imed your position in the Wyvern Knights?¡± ¡°No, that just happened because the Wyvern showed up.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded to his simple words with a grin. He recalled his defeat at the hands of the Magic Crown, his opponent in the quarter-finals. Didn¡¯t he im to lose because of the matchmaking? He didn¡¯t see the match, so he couldn¡¯t say for sure, but he kept wondering whether Baek intentionally lost. Baek¡¯s ability was outstanding. Some even argued his talent rivaled the Empress, who had graduated from Shinyoung several years ago. Since Kang Shin-hyuk had awoken the ability to read the source of all things to an extent, he thought if it were Baek, that might be so. ¡°No matter how strong Kang Shin-hyuk is, Baek¡­¡± ¡°He did beat the Magic Crownst time.¡± ¡°Ah, but that was without any artifacts.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll still be without any.¡± The students were gossiping around them, gathering the interest of the students from other sses who were on the other side of the gym. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed. His power had been growing so quickly that now it was rumored he was the vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights. It wasn¡¯t just that his rank was top-tier, either. He had also been gainingbat experience throughout the vacation, culminating in his trait evolving into the SS-rank. If he wasn¡¯t careful to hide his abilities, it could be a problem. ¡°But what¡­¡± Would it be a big problem if things became a little annoying? His eyes grew thin as he grabbed two wooden daggers. ¡°Let¡¯s not hide from each other.¡± ¡°What bullshit. This is right for you.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± Baek let out augh as he prepared the same armaments as Kang Shin-hyuk. He was well aware that Baek had a talent for kicking techniques, so perhaps it was to block. ¡°Teacher, please signal it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The rtionship between Shin-hyuk and Gong Joonpyo had changed quite a bit over the past semester. At the start, Kang Shin-hyuk had soundly defeated Do Woojin after learning how to use spiritual power, which had shut down Gong Joonpyo. Nevertheless, he had been unable to admit to reality and sent in the Magic Crown, who wanted to get rid of the man approaching Lee Na-hee. Yet he had been beaten too. Now Baek in-ha, a talented person who might surpass the Magic Crown and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s greatest ally, asked to spar against him. The teacher couldn¡¯t understand the two¡¯s hearts, but he wanted to see Kang Shin-hyuk defeated, so he agreed to it. ¡°Then,¡­start!¡± The start signal rang out. At that moment, the two shed in the middle of the battlefield. It was with perfect timing as if it had been promised in advance. A bursting sound echoed out through the gym. ¡°Shinyuk¡­ it¡¯s hard!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a little soft.¡± Baek¡¯s right foot collided with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s abdomen, but in return, Kang Shin-hyuk had shattered his right arm with the wooden de. Shinyoung could recover those wounds without any aftereffects, but at least for the match, it wouldn¡¯t function properly. ¡°I thought I blocked it¡­¡± Both of the wooden daggers Baek had held were separated. In exchange for receiving the blow from his foot, Kang Shin-hyuk had been able to strike out with his own dagger to break his arm. Considering that his high stamina (S+ rank) had reduced the damage from the kick to be minimal, the exchange had ended in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s favor. ¡°I¡¯d rather have a shield too.¡± ¡°Oh¡­kh!¡± As soon as he finished talking, Baek was already spinning with a round kick. The moment he rotated his body, his feet flew in from the other side. He didn¡¯t have time to retreat, so he pulled up the two daggers to block it. His arms shook as his body was pushed back. The kick wasn¡¯t only fast; it was extraordinarily heavy. Kang Shin-hyuk had been able to measure its speed and power from that exchange roughly. Even his trait wouldn¡¯t be enough to block it fully. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯While his stamina was low, Baek¡¯s strength and agility were both exceptional. His trait strengthens his agility, and his magic only further backed it. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if Baek was already an active superhuman instead of a student. ¡®Still¡­¡¯Now Kang Shin-hyuk had his own way of contending with it, however. He pushed his trait to the limit, his eyes glowing golden with joy as golden energy flowed through the two wooden daggers he was holding. Baek¡¯s expression stiffened as he saw it. ¡°You are¡­!¡± He didn¡¯t need to say anything else; he recognized it instinctively. Baek quickly charged, aiming at his chest with a kick. By the time he hit the floor, he had already reached his destination. His movements were more like teleportation. Kang Shin-hyuk parried with one dagger while using the other to stab at his groin. ¡°Kh.¡± Just before hitting, Baek disappeared, and instead, a fierce blow came over his head. It wasn¡¯t just fast; his blows contained a dangerous amount of strength that pushed Kang Shin-hyuk back. ¡°Kh¡­!¡± No matter how much he reinforced his status with a trait, it was impossible to move faster than Baek after he activated his own trait. Avoiding wasn¡¯t possible in the first ce, so Kang Shin-hyuk focused only on retaliating. His dagger flew in, scraping against Baek¡¯s knee. ¡°Ah?!¡± ¡°Hoo!¡± Using the two daggers, Kang Shin-hyuk pressured Baek In-ha with a strange movement that resembled a two-headed snake. Baek had an excellentbat sense that went well with his traits, but he couldn¡¯t ovee Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s fighting ability. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Go down!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reacted to the attack as if he had eyes in the back of his yet. His eyes couldn¡¯t keep up, but instinct was guiding his body to respond to the oing attacks. ¡°Monster!¡± ¡°You!¡± -Bang! Bang! Bang! Whenever the two collided, a loud vibration spread throughout the gym. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything, damn.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have an announcer rather than watch nkly?¡± ¡°Do that at the school festival.¡± ¡°I just see something shing¡­are they fighting?¡± With agility above A-rank, it would be possible to read their movements. Karen¡¯s agility wasn¡¯t at that level yet, but her trait was strengthening her so that she could clearly capture the fight happening. ¡®¡­Baek was also hiding his power. He¡¯s much faster than before.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t the only one to double-down on his training during vacation. ¡®But¡­Shin-hyuk¡­something about him¡­¡¯Karen sensed that the energy surrounding him resembled that of Shin Eun-hyuk, that cool task force member who had saved her. She could feel how simr they were now. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no way he can emit such a dark force. Obviously, my man is at least in his twenties¡­¡± ¡°I know your taste well, but don¡¯t talk about it in front of others.¡± ¡°Ah, Do Woojin, who was abandoned because he wasn¡¯t a match.¡± ¡°I¡¯m standing right here.¡± Suddenly, Do Woojin was sitting beside her. He seemed a little sad, so Karen decided to stop attacking him more than what was necessary. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in my heart.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to pity me, give me strength instead.¡± ¡°¡­I kind of like that line.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± While the two continued their idle chitchat, Baek and Kang Shin-hyuk kept moving to reach a conclusion. ¡°Shinyuk, this might hurt a little.¡± ¡°Yes, you too.¡± The two, who had been fighting fiercely, pulled away. Baek¡¯s clothes were tattered, yet Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s were still in good condition. ¡°Weapon enhancement¡­ no, it includes armor too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Baek¡¯s legs began to be covered in green mana as his mana created a tangible de. It was clearly a skill of high rarity and proficiency. ¡°Here I go.¡± ¡°Come.¡± Baek immediately charged without giving him time to prepare. He was thinking of increasing the attention on him starting in the second semester anyway, so he showed off the maximum speed he could achieve. He was convinced he wouldn¡¯t lose in this attack, so he was giving it his all. ¡®Those eyes are really amazing.¡¯There was no quaking in the eyes of his target. He seemed to stretch out his right leg, but it was a feint. He was nning on knocking out Kang Shin-hyuk clean with his left foot. Exerting his strength with all he had, Baek felt like he had be the wind. It was a moment of ecstasy, halted as he felt the flow shift around him. ¡®Wind?¡¯He saw Kang Shin-hyuk lift his dagger up in front of him, the energy surrounding it that reached out to hinder Baek¡¯s movements. ¡®This can¡¯t be blocked!¡¯Baek cleared his mind of hesitation as he attacked boldly. ¡°Huh?!¡± His toes bent away, the trajectory of his attack twisted. ¡°Okay¡­!¡± He tried to correct his posture, but before he could, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s dagger came at his forehead. Chapter 137 Unrecognizable (6) Chapter 137 Unrecognizable (6) Immediately after the final blows of the battle rang out, which didn¡¯t sound like they belonged to two first years, the hall became silent. It was the first time they had seen the true nature of Baek In-ha, who rarely had the opportunity to show off his skills forck of the right opponent. ¡°He won that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true his trait has evolved. He must be using something other than magic.¡± His pace was so fast that it felt impossible to catch up with. No matter how much his status had been strengthened, even with the added boost from Golden Dragon and his spiritual power, he was too fast for Kang Shin-hyuk to catch. If so, how could he fight back? That was because the trait skill, Golden Dragon Fighter, enabled him to read and alter the behavior of Baek In-ha with Wind Mastery at thest minute. ¡°Lost¡­¡± Baek was stunned,ing to his senses shortly after thanks to his magical power. He stayed on the floor, however, mumbling like that. ¡°You act like you¡¯ve never lost.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was refreshed by the thought he had done so in front of everyone¡¯s eyes as he helped Baek up. He had thought once that he would never ovee his friend, and it filled him with something he couldn¡¯t yet describe. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Because I hit you in the head.¡± He had a broken arm, too, so he would need to go to the health center. Kang Shin-hyuk supported him. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll take In-ha to the health center.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Gong Joonpyo replied awkwardly as he remained frozen in ce. The moment he became the Rookie King, he was already as strong as the teacher. Now, Shin-hyuk was well beyond him. ¡°Ah, are you not taking me? I¡¯m sick too.¡± Karen spoke up behind, and Kang Shin-hyuk replied with augh without looking back. ¡°Ask Do Woojin.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes, I don¡¯t like it either.¡± Grumbling, Do Woojin gently supported Karen. However, as a condition, he told Kang Shin-hyuk to fight him after school at the Wyvern Knight¡¯s training center. ¡°I¡¯ll show you I wasn¡¯t ying around during vacation, either.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think you were.¡± Do Woojin pouted at him unpleasantly. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve gotten stronger from a guy who took first ce in the school rankings.¡± ¡°The number one ranking¡­¡± ¡°You should be prepared.¡± Do Woojin paused, thinking. ¡°Since Baek and I both lost to you, I wonder if guys like that will show up to fight us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Baek, supported by Kang Shin-hyuk, heard the words and painfully clenched his fists. He had forgotten he had a broken arm. ¡°That¡¯s what I want. To strengthen the student council¡¯s authority, we need to actively step on other students.¡± ¡°That way of thinking is too militant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m excited to hear so from Shinyuk.¡± ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± He took Baek to the health room, where Cha Hye-rin, an active ranker who could use healing magic, was waiting as the health teacher. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys¡­oh.¡± Cha Hye-rin greeted the party, amazed by their appearance. ¡°What a fun sight. To see Baek in-haing to the health room¡­¡± ¡°His arm is¡­¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s shattered.¡± Cha Hye-rin healed the injuries while quietly mumbling things like that. While there had been some serious wounds, they were easy to take care of thanks to her magic. It was still necessary to rest for a while, however, to fully recover. ¡°Now, let them rest.¡± ¡°Help Woojin out, Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Karen, you go out too.¡± ¡°No, why?¡± Cha Hye-rin kicked Karen out, who was trying to stick to the bed, iming that her wounds still hurt. Kang Shin-hyuk was about to leave as well when Baek called out to him. ¡°Shinyuk, let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Do Woojin stopped to look at the two before letting out augh and leaving. Cha Hye-rin tilted her head but didn¡¯t try to drive him out. ¡°Would you like some privacy for a minute?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of misunderstanding you have, but please stop.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and sat on the chair opposite the bed Baek In-ha was lying in. Baek had an excited expression on his face. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Huh. Well, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Baek swung his arm around as if to confirm it was still properly attached before nodding, satisfied. ¡°Would you like to join our guild?¡± ¡°Another very abrupt offer¡­no.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a passionate scout. I¡¯ll be watching quietly, so feel free to talk to me, master.¡± First of all, he wanted Baek to exin what guild he was talking about. Yet, when he refused, both Baek and Chae Hye-rin, who was nearby, blinked at him in surprise. ¡°Huh, didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I guess you really didn¡¯t know. How couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s originally a guy like this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to smack Baek and Cha Hye-rin, who weren¡¯t exining properly. Baek urgently exined as he felt the danger approaching him. ¡°Baekyang.¡± ¡°Baekyang?!¡± Baekyang was the secondrgest guild in Korea, right behind Vanguard, that also belonged to the top ten in the world. In short, it could be said that Korea was held up by Vanguard and Baekyang. Korea¡¯s high status in superhuman society was thanks to those two guilds leading the country. ¡°No, wait a minute. Isn¡¯t the guild master determined by a direct line of descendants?¡± ¡°Well, my grandfather is in charge.¡± ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡± ¡°Rather, it¡¯s even more amazing that you didn¡¯t know. Quite a few kids stay away from me because of it.¡± Unlike Vanguard, which focused solely on its capabilities as a battle guild, Baekyang was famous for also being associated with various domestic and foreign businesses. It was said that their financial power might actually surpass Vanguard¡¯s, and Baekjuin, the guild master, was ranked among the top five in the world. But the grandson of that man was in front of Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m the highest ranked, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m the only sessor. I have quite a few cousins looking to take my position.¡± ¡°Baekyang¡­ like that. Looking at it, even back then¡­¡± When Lim Hoon, the leader of Vanguard¡¯s team one, tried to recruit him, he mentioned some problems in scouting him. Perhaps that was because he was close to the prince of Baekyang. ¡°But why now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that sudden. I¡¯ve wanted to recruit you since the start.¡± However, Baek In-ha said that he had postponed his offer because he was worried it would hurt Kang Shin-hyuk, who was weaker than himself, to join the guild. ¡°It would¡¯ve been simpler if we weren¡¯t friends. Taking into consideration your self-esteem¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re proudly recruiting me now.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t let you win if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking!¡± ¡°Would the conditions be better than with Vanguard?¡± ¡°Of course, Shinyuk. Let¡¯s start with an executive position right after graduation.¡± Even though Baek had been defeated, he had a big smile on his face that Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but return. In the end, however, he shook his head. ¡°Regardless of the conditions, I will refuse.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going to refuse it for Vanguard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t felt the need for a guild. If I wanted to join one, however, I would go to Baekyang. So please be satisfied with that for now.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Baek narrowed his eyes as Cha Hye-rin, still nearby,ughed. Kang Shin-hyuk realized with a start that she had been there the entire time. ¡°Should the teacher be here while we talked about this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s originally from Baekyang. She entered the school as my escort and guard.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It started to sound more and more like a novel. Considering Shinyoung¡¯s strict standards to crack down on corruption, it felt absurd that they had two people from Baekyang. ¡°The master would have taken on Shinyoung no matter what we did.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt convinced as he heard her words, nodding. She seemed like she was holding back augh. ¡°By the way, go make some other friends in the same year as us.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that!¡± Baek in-ha finally exploded. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I forgot to say.¡± ¡°Is it about the guild?¡± ¡°Oh, you refused the guild already, so listen to this.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t help the student council.¡± ¡°Ah, please.¡± In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk let out a small sigh, sure that whatever it was would be rted to the student council. He left Baek and the health room behind him, unwilling to listen. Thus, on the first day of sses for the second semester, Shinyoung¡¯s existing power structure had been overturned by two superhumans. Chapter 138 Shinyoung’s Center (1) Chapter 138 Shinyoung¡¯s Center (1) ¡°It was a big deal.¡± ¡°Either noona is worried orughs, that is all she does.¡± ¡°Huhhhh.¡± ire burst into a weirdugh in response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s story. It was, of course, about what happened at school that day. The whole school was in a fuss about his rank, and many people hadmented on him and Baek In-ha that they received more attention than necessary. It all happened so quickly that it felt cartoonish, which was why ire had reacted as so. ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. The finale is Dous Payne¡­the Knight Crown¡­¡± ¡°Did you fight with him?¡± ¡°No, I fought Baek and beat him. I¡¯m not sure what the hell he was thinking.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ire shook the ss in her hand as sheughed. The amber-colored liquid within it shook gently around a square ice cube. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to fight with him directly. I was afraid of this.¡± ¡°You challenged Baek In-ha even though you knew this would happen?¡± ¡°He challenged me.¡± ¡°Hmm. And what about Eleanor?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh filled with annoyance. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between my senior Eleanor and me¡­ you¡¯ll know if you just talk directly with her.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, what do you think of Eleanor?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a talented senior with a good personality. She¡¯s likable, but I don¡¯t want to be deeply involved with a person who carries such an annoying burden.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± ire smiled a little, satisfied with Shin-hyuk¡¯s judgment. She took a sip of her drink, and Kang Shin-hyuk joined her with his own non-alcoholic cocktail that she had prepared for him. ¡°It¡¯s also annoying that Karen keeps trying to push me closer to her.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°However, they are reviewing the position of vice-captain at least. Baek In-ha is trying to get me into the student council, but I think the Wyvern Knights would be less annoying than that.¡± ¡°I wonder why, but I think you will eventually join the student council.¡± ¡°Actually, I was worried about that, too.¡± ire burst intoughter again at his agreement. ¡°Ah, it would¡¯ve been fun to attend school with you¡­¡± ¡°How about joining as a teacher?¡± ¡°While working as a bartender?¡± ¡°The Alchemist, taking on the job of a teacher and a bartender. Why not?¡± It was just an off-handed joke, but ire was seriously considering it. Finally, she shook her head. ¡°I think my current position is the best.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my noona¡¯s answer.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed and emptied his ss. ire mimicked him. It felt lovely when there were no customers, and the two could sit and have a chat. ¡°Well, before all that, I made a bike.¡± ¡°Made, not bought?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk exined in detail what had happened in Mirotoz, how he had made a bike by converting the blue cow with the work he had recovered from Anvil. ire¡¯s eyes showed her amazement. ¡°Is this the skill of a cksmith? Even makingplex machines¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be done with a blueprint.¡± ¡°I want to see it too.¡± ¡°The next date is a driving date.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a drive date, you should get a car.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t know what to do if we¡¯re alone in a car, so let¡¯s stick with a bike.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re one to talk.¡± ireughed, jabbing him in the cheek. It felt fun, unlike when he was hit by Karen. ¡°How about this Saturday?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for me.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The date was set. ire pumped her fist under the table. ¡°Oh, I heard from Lee Na-hee.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly spoke up. ¡°Why did a different girl suddenlye up while we were talking about dating?¡± ¡°She said my noona took a video.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Is it possible that my noona took the photos of Shin Eun-hyuk that have been running around Metubetely?¡± ¡°No, I only took it for my own appreciation. Really.¡± ¡°For your appreciation?¡± ire blushed silently as Kang Shin-hyuk realized they had a long way to go to cure her disease of having a taste for a certain middle schooler. ¡°Please enjoy it alone.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± It wasn¡¯t just because of that, that she had taken the video, but Kang Shin-hyuk was too ashamed to ask for further details. ¡°Is it well shot?¡± ¡°Yes, it came out very nicely.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m cool.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Perhaps that response was the correct answer. The two immersed themselves in a pleasant atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± It was Shin Eunah who boldly broke the atmosphere. She frowned when she sensed it but soon let it go with a hum. ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± ¡°The guilds are tightening their resources after the countercurrent, so this is how it is for the time being.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take a drink. With alcohol.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ire prepared a cocktail with a surprised look. She made a sweet one with melon liqueur. It was easy to get drunk from just sipping it, so it was known as one of thedy killers. Shin Eunah took the ss that sparkled bright green and carefully sipped on it. ¡°Can the junior also make such delicious drinks?¡± ¡°A Midori sour is a basic among basics. I did teach him well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah flinched slightly at ire¡¯s proud response. A sharp gaze passed between the two as the temperature suddenly dropped. ¡°But, he can¡¯t drink alcohol yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m a minor. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t make it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his empty cup in response. ire gave him a new cocktail with a smile. ¡°Thank you, juniors.¡± ¡°Why so, suddenly?¡± ¡°I thought it would be good to praise my juniors after my boss praised me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head at Shin Eunah¡¯s unexpected words. He was about to ask her when he realized it himself. ¡°Did what happened at Shinyoung make it to the association?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ It is one of the best training institutions in the world, not only Korea. I graduated from there myself, so it is only natural to pay attention to them.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, your reputation is growing.¡± ¡°Perhaps already to a global scale.¡± Shin Eunah dered she liked the cocktail and emptied it at once. ¡°The association is not the only one paying attention to Shinyoung. In the first ce, the fact I was in charge of Baek and you for a while was enough for me to hear from the American association. Give me another drink simr to this one.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been viewing Shinyoung as a very narrow world, but once again, his view was rocked by a different perspective from the outside. ¡°The student Baek In-ha was a talent everyone paid attention to. However, it¡¯s obvious he will be the sessor to the Baekyang guild, so no one would consider recruiting him. Then he was defeated by the Magic Crown¡­ what was his name?¡± ¡°Nathan Bodin.¡± ¡°Yes. His evaluation rose as a result. Then it lowered after he was miserably beaten by a junior¡­¡± Did that happen? Without him knowing, Baek had prepared the medicine for Nathan Bodin that Kang Shin-hyuk gave him. Of course, he had been bothered by being used of bothering the woman he liked. ¡°Now, June Buck. This one is a little more sour.¡± Shin Eunah emptied half of the bright and colorful cocktail at once before speaking. ¡°There was a lot of talking that Baek had finally revealed his true power, boldly showing off to his juniors. The battle between you two is spreading throughout superhuman society around the world.¡± Could that have been the deep meaning behind Baek¡¯s simple request for a duel? As he listened, he began to understand. He had already heard about it in the health room, after all. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Baekyang already.¡± ¡°Yes. That was why I was praised, as the heads of the association know that you are already supported by them.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t join the association, it was clear he was sponsored by them, and the fact that he had a good rtionship with Baek was enough reason for Shin Eunah to be highly evaluated. ¡°Eunah just wanted to provide for her grandpa, right?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eunah¡¯s expression sharpened at ire¡¯s joke. She emptied her ss again and handed it back to ire. ¡°One more drink.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be heading off. I have sses tomorrow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want one more?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a smile as he changed clothes on the spot (using his equipment slot switching function) and waved at the two before departing. ire smiled pleasantly at his back as he departed before turning back to Shin Eunah. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah received her third drink, a Cuba Libre. She drank it with a smile, enjoying the taste before she looked up at ire. ¡°You are like that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t have any romantic interest?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ire was wondering if she should answer honestly, lie, or flee. As she contemted those options, she sensed something in Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes. It felt like it would be okay now, so she conveyed her sincerity. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Shin Eunah bit her tongue and didn¡¯t say anything. ire walked around the counter with a smile, turning the sign to say it was closed. She then headed back to the counter to pour herself a ss of whiskey. ¡°Cheers.¡± The two nged their sses and toasted. Despite the toast, however, they were staring at each other fiercely as if they might fight. ireughed. ¡°It¡¯s all about friendship.¡± ¡°You sound so experienced.¡± Shin Eunah regarded her carefully, ncing up and down at her. ire shrugged her shoulders in apology. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a bad rtionship with another because of a guy who liked me¡­¡± ¡°Then what about now?¡± ¡°I like Shin-hyuk, is that really any different?¡± Shin Eunah seemed a bit surprised to hear her answer so clearly, bringing augh out of ire. ¡°To think you¡¯ve be so normal because I¡¯m in love.¡± ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s been weird so far.¡± ire sipped at her whiskey. Shin Eunah still showed an odd expression, but now she seemed to be acting more like an adult than a child. ¡°You¡­ It might be good that your first love is Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°¡­I think so too.¡± ¡°Huff.¡± ireughed again. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°No, sorry. I shouldn¡¯tugh, but you keep making faces¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get angry.¡± Even though the cocktail had a low alcohol content, Shin Eunah¡¯s face was a bit flushed as she emptied her ss once more. ire grinned as she waved her hands in front of her face. ¡°You¡¯re my friend, but you¡¯re still so cute. Any man would fall for you, really.¡± ¡°I know. My junior also said I was cute.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t concede. Never.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shin Eunah held her cup out; her cheeks were slightly red. ¡°Give me something strong too.¡± ¡°Good.¡± They clinked their sses together in another toast. It was the moment two high-rankers began to fight over a man earnestly. Chapter 139 Shinyoung’s Center (2) Chapter 139 Shinyoung¡¯s Center (2) On the Friday of the first week of school, it was quickly decided the position of vice-captain would be handed to Kang Shin-hyuk. This was because what happened with Baek in-ha had spread throughout Shinyoung, reaching the point where none could argue. In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk had no desire to leave the Wyvern Knights, and after ss, all of the Wyvern Knights gathered to hold the inauguration ceremony. That was how he was given a badge and the vice-captain¡¯s cloak from the captain. ¡°Congrattions, Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, seniors, would you please give me some space?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk barely escaped the circle his seniors had formed, who were all saying that their aspirations had been achieved. Incidentally, among them was the man who had been the vice-captain until Kang Shin-hyuk had taken the position over. ¡°If it¡¯s you, I can trust the Wyvern Knights will be safe. I¡¯ll admit you¡¯re the vice-captain, but I¡¯m not going to hand her over to you.¡± ¡°No, I know. I have no intention of receiving her, but she¡¯s not yours in the first ce¡­¡± Dous Payne congratted Kang Shin-hyuk on his inauguration, all while frowning. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten cocky in just a few months.¡± ¡°He is the vice-captain now. Haha.¡± Reading his status, Kang Shin-hyuk was confident he could beat Dous Payne. Thus, his attitude around him was a lot morefortable. Dous wrinkled his eyebrows, admitting that he had changed frankly. ¡°But since then, I¡¯ve struggled and trained a lot. I¡¯m no longer the old me.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say that to the captain and not me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little embarrassing.¡± Wasn¡¯t that the same as before? No, unlike then, he at least could admit his own feelings now. ¡°I won¡¯t be in school anymore. Until she graduates, protect her.¡± Shin-hyuk felt like he was uselessly friendly. He stared at him, contemting what to say. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°The third years will be active as practical superhumans in the second semester.¡± ¡°Ah, after the countercurrent¡­¡± ¡°That was an exceptional thing.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was in the center fighting, so he hadn¡¯t noticed, but Shinyoung had been supporting from the outskirts. Among them was Dous Payne, who was considered to be one of the ranked reserve forces. He had secured his position after he graduated that way. ¡°So protect her here. After she graduates, I will take responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Bring her into my family. Even the British royal family wouldn¡¯t be able to interfere with her.¡± He hadn¡¯t exined the details, but it seemed that Dous had done some of his own investigating using his family¡¯s power and connections. It sounded almost criminal, but Shin-hyuk figured he was only trying to ensure Eleanor¡¯s safety. ¡°Well¡­ make sure you get permission in advance.¡± ¡°Sure. I won¡¯t make any clumsy mistakes.¡± Didn¡¯t that mean you were trying tomit a perfect crime? Kang Shin-hyuk looked at him anxiously, noting that he should remind Eleanor to be carefulter. ¡°Shin-hyuk, over here! Cheers, cheers!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was good timing. Shin-hyuk decided to chat with Karen and the others until Dous calmed down. This would probably be thest time he met the Knight Crown, and was surprised to find the thought left him a bit sad. He wasn¡¯t sad at all to think the Magic Crown would be going away, however. ¡°Nathan Bodin dropped out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time that a Magic Crown escaped.¡± ¡°Crazy, he was going to graduate in half a year¡­¡± ¡°No, just say he dropped out, not that he escaped.¡± While the party to celebrate Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s inauguration was in full swing, several seniors began to talk about such matters. Thanks to the fact that Dous Payne was approving of Kang Shin-hyuk, the factions put aside their differences and reconciled. ¡°Nathan Bodin? That person wascking¡­¡± ¡°There was only one reason he left. He realized he couldn¡¯t get what he wanted.¡± Dous Payne responded with a click of the tongue to the seniors who were talking. His gaze was on Kang Shin-hyuk as he did. ¡°You beat him badly. Hearing the rumors about you and Baek, who would think he could win?¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t be a superhuman, he won¡¯t continue to grow¡­¡± ¡°I heard about what happened from a guy in the Magic Department. It was about a rtionship with someone named Lee Na-hee.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start exining.¡± ¡°The school has its rumors¡­ That you kicked out Nathan Bodin and took Lee Na-hee.¡± In fact, rumors had also been spreading about him and Eleanor after he had tamed a wyvern, but Dous Payne was struggling to ignore them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about dating her. So don¡¯t get greedy for Eleanor, huh.¡± ¡°Well, not both.¡± Dous Payne nced at him as if to say, ¡®I¡¯ll be watching you,¡¯ as he ignored Eleanor staring at them. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, but there are a lot of guys spreading nasty rumors, led by the Magic Crown. He was the one who created this sense ofpetition with the Knight Department among the mages. It must¡¯ve been easy enough for him to incite anger at you.¡± ¡°So, how did you respond to him?¡± ¡°The Knight Department doesn¡¯t avoid a hard fight.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s desire to fight the giant before him rose quickly. However, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to solve the harsh atmosphere between the two departments by doing so. ¡°It was virtually a solo stage for the Knight Department at the sportspetition, but I didn¡¯t know this would happen.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°There are only two paths left for him. He can be a superhuman by taking the graduation exam or transferring to another school¡­or he could walk a rough path.¡± ¡°A rough path¡­¡± That was, he could choose something other than being a superhuman. Being a craftsman was an option, but that seemed ill-suited for the militant Nathan Bodin. ¡°A mercenary. That is, an illegal mercenary.¡± ¡°An illegal mercenary¡­¡± If you were going to be a legitimate mercenary, it was better to be an official superhuman. Therefore, the only option left was to be an illegal mercenary. That referred to a group of criminals who would make unauthorized use of gates and even engage in the hunting of superhumans, as well as crimes against civilians. He had heard from Shin Eunah that some of them were connected to Jormungand. ¡°He must be hostile towards you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could sense that annoyances rted to Nathan Bodin would pop up sooner orter. Dous Payne looked at him with a soft smile. ¡°So¡­ if he bothers youter,e to my family too.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you Eleanor, but I can guarantee you better treatment than other guilds.¡± ¡°Senior¡­¡± He had thought he was just an idiot, but then he said something that suited the leader of a bigpany. Of course, he kept that thought to himself. ¡°Well, because Eleanor doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Unfortunately, because Eleanor had been listening to their conversation, the distance between the two, which had narrowed slightly, widened as far as the Andromeda gxy. *** After the party, Kang Shin-hyuk made his way to the club room. To his surprise, he found Lee Na-hee was ying around there already. She had some cake at the party. ¡°Have you heard about Nathan Bodin?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lee Na-hee frowned, fresh cream on the side of her mouth. ¡°People were so noisy about it today.¡± ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°He suddenly showed up at lunch today, then disappeared after saying some annoying nonsense. Ugh, just thinking about it is creepy.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s annoyance was apparent as Kang Shin-hyuk stood stunned. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, and next time we meet, it won¡¯t be the same¡­ oh, did he stay in his room during vacation and only watch cartoons?¡± ¡°He went with some brave remarks.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk prayed that Nathan Bodin would forget the embarrassing things he said, Lee Na-hee continued to speak as she ate. ¡°So I told him I would go even if I died, regardless of my junior.¡± ¡°Junior?¡± ¡°You. He keeps mentioning you and asking me if it¡¯s because of you. How annoying!¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± He had heard everything he needed to. ¡°Anyway, rest assured. I made it clear that the reasons why I don¡¯t like him had nothing to do with you¡­ well¡­ not that that will necessarily keep you safe.¡± ¡°Just say you don¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± From Shin-hyuk¡¯s point of view, he had said something rather reasonable, but Lee Na-hee puffed her cheeks at him. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°I meant tell Nathan Bodin that.¡± ¡°I hate you.¡± Lee Na-hee ate the cake with a slight hum. ¡°Work with me tomorrow.¡± ¡°If not tomorrow, the day after¡­¡± ¡°I hate Shin-hyuk!¡± Club activities for the second semester were also able to start up smoothly. Chapter 140 Shinyoung’s Center (3) Chapter 140 Shinyoung¡¯s Center (3) ¡°Wow¡­it¡¯s really cool¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was watching ire make such a pure expression for the first time. Well, perhaps she had done the same when he first cosyed as the Death Puppeteer, but he decided to ignore that. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°The best.¡± She gave him a thumbs-up without hesitation. Kang Shin-hyuk was happy as he ran a hand over the shiny blue bike he had produced. It had a sleek seatrge enough for two people to ride on. The front fender was sharp as if it could cut through anything it hit, and the two wheels made of rubber were made directly from Halo¡¯s sap, glowing mysteriously. It was designed to be able to change directions with ease in mid-air. -Koo. ¡°Quiet.¡± -Quoo¡­ When Kang Shin-hyuk knocked on the bike, he heard a faint sound from somewhere inside as it vibrated gently, and the brilliant bead embedded in its steering wheel sparkled. It struck ire as a valuable item ill-suited for a magic bike. ¡°The Shinfeng orb can be retrieved at any time. I was thinking of transforming the biketer into a weapon that could use the orb.¡± ¡°A cksmith can do that?! I want to learn metallurgy now, not alchemy!¡± ¡°Not just a cksmith, but a cksmith the Hero Universe admitted.¡± ¡°I am also registered to the Hero Universe¡­ I¡¯m going to get upset.¡± His work this time around seemed to be motivating ire. It didn¡¯t have a transformation function yet, but ire seemed excited at the idea of it. He quietly pulled up the status of his masterpiece as she examined it. [Blue cow] [SS-rank] [Special Abilities-Lightning, Lightning Speed, Thunder God, New Wind] *Lightning ¨C Fires lightning at an enemy. When cast under the sky, its power doubles. This doubles again if it is raining. *Lightning Speed ¨D By consuming spiritual power, you can move as fast as lightning. *Thunder God ¨D A body forged by lightning. It ignores lightning strikes and will absorb external energy to recover itself. It bes reinforced anytime it absorbs lightning. *New Wind ¨C Constantly produces power and can speed up using the wind. The power of lightning doubles the power of the wind. [The form of a beast that threw itself into a lightning storm to protect God. As the years passed, it wandered through the world and found itself in the hands of those not worthy. The cksmith who deals with spiritual power has renovated it in a ground-breaking way to add what wascking, bringing it one step closer to its original ability and appearance. The ego began to grow once more.] It seemed like it hadn¡¯t changed much despite being turned into a bike from a cow. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was satisfied with the end product. His efforts could be praised just for not reducing its rank in the first ce, yet he had even raised the rank from SS to SS+. ¡®Although, that¡¯srgely thanks to the Shinfeng orb.¡¯No matter how much Kang Shin-hyuk designed an awesome interior, it wouldn¡¯t help if the power source that would move it was inadequate. However, using a power source that could support the blue cow¡¯s lightning properties would allow the two artifacts to harmonize. Since they were both damaged, harmonizing the two would elerate their restoration. With that, the bike¡¯s ability would naturally increase. It was a wonderful piece of craftsmanship that couldn¡¯t have been produced without Anvil¡¯s knowledge. ¡°Did you finish registering?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have a superhuman driver¡¯s license.¡± Despite their simr appearances, magic bikes required a special license to drive. ¡°So, when you ride a bike, you have to look like Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°Not if I don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way to catch and interrogate each person who drives a magic bike, I suppose.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not a way to find them in the first ce.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s ride.¡± Today¡¯s date was a bike drive in the sky. When Kang Shin-hyuk tapped his back seat, the corners of ire¡¯s lips raised up. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to satisfy me without going fast.¡± ¡°Keep in mind you said that. Hold on tightly.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± A superhuman¡¯s senses were different from those of ordinary people. Since their bodies were different, so too were their senses of bnce, their vision, and their reflexes. For ire, a top-ranking superhuman, going 200 kilometers per hour was like taking a gentle walk in the breeze. In the first ce, she enjoyed riding magic bikes. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you!¡± ¡°Ohhhhh!¡± But even then, she couldn¡¯t beat the blue cow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you stepping on the gas too much?! This is too fast!¡± ¡°Noona, I haven¡¯t even brought out its power yet.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Running purely on the power of the Shinfeng orb, it traveled at more than five hundred kilometers per hour. Yet even that didn¡¯t bring out the limits of its power. ire was stunned as she pondered about that, clinging to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s waist. ¡°Was it a little scary?¡± ¡°Can you keep alert while moving this fast?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Driving a bike at these speeds was extremely dangerous as the body was exposed to the elements. Even the enhanced body of a superhuman could be seriously injured in an ident at these speeds. Considering that there were times you might even need to fight on such a bike, going at a speed you couldn¡¯t handle was tantamount to suicide. ¡°My agility is S-rank now.¡± In addition to that, Kang Shin-hyuk had his trait that would push his physical performance to the limit. With that unique skill giving him a sixth sense, it wasn¡¯t difficult to control the bike. He could even perform all sorts of tricks with it. Halo, who had been dissatisfied watching Kang Shin-hyuk make the bike, let go of his disappointment upon seeing him ride the bike at full speed to the top of the tree. ¡°Since I canmunicate with the bike through spiritual power, it¡¯s more like moving my own body.¡± ¡°Uh¡­spiritual power is still difficult¡­¡± ¡°My noona is doing well too.¡± ire had been working hard as a full-fledged bartender to train her spiritual power. In fact, when it came to making cocktails, she had excelled in using it. ¡°But I don¡¯t really have that feeling¡­can you help? What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­¡± It was natural when the two of them were riding the same bike, but he finally realized that the amount of contact her body was making with his was increasing. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered why, but today it felt like ire was a bit more active than before. The rtionship they had was good, but today it felt like the direction was subtly different. It was good, though. ¡°Well, I might be able to¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Spiritual power is a source ofmunication.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°So, with my spiritual power, I could touch and activate your source, so that your spiritual power can be activated.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ire whispered in his ear, putting a little more strength in her grip. ¡°That sounds a little nasty.¡± ¡°Actually, I thought it was a bit too erotic as I was said it.¡± ¡°Did you think you shouldn¡¯t, but said it anyway?¡± ¡°Because my noona asked¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hide it.¡± ire leaned her face on his back with a grin. She made her decision, lifting her head up. ¡°Not today, next time. Next time, understand?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s go eat chicken.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the end, the two ate at a chicken restaurant that was popr on Jeju Ind before returning. *** ¡°So, there¡¯s a rumor¡­¡± The next day, the inte was abuzz with news of Kang Shin-hyuk and ire¡¯s nighttime date that had been captured on photo. Although thankfully, people were iming that it was Shin Eun-hyuk. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face wasn¡¯t properly photographed, so no connections were made. He pledged to cover his face when riding in the future. ¡°The reason you said no yesterday was because of the date, no?¡± ¡°Well, right¡­are you in a bad mood?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lee Na-hee nced at the image of the two on her phone in the club room after school. ¡°I thought my unnie was in the lead.¡± ¡°Was there such a good rtionship between you two?¡± ¡°You could say something like that because our rtionship has improved a lot.¡± Since working together during the previous incident, Lee Na-hee had begun tomunicate personally with ire. That also seemed to be the case with Eleanor. Kang Shin-hyuk had his suspicions that the three were in cahoots. ¡°You said you¡¯re working as a bartender at her bar, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Will you make me a drinkter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s banned for all minors.¡± ¡°But you work there.¡± ¡°Okay, if you go, you can have something non-alcoholic.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°But be careful. On the days I work, there is almost a 100% chance Eunah will show up.¡± ¡°¡­That person? Wait¡­¡± Lee Na-hee produced the picture once more. ¡°What happens if she sees this? Will you die?¡± ¡°Maybe, so I¡¯ll prepare myself. Help me.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Lee Na-hee inadvertently responded sincerely at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s seriousness. But that evening, despite preparations, Shin Eunah did not appear to pursue Kang Shin-hyuk. He was thrilled with her growth, though ire and Lee Na-hee, who had arrived in a mask, were trembling. Kang Shin-hyuk once again felt alienated, but he knew his life would be flipped the moment he asked. So he quietly worked on making cocktails. Chapter 141 Shinyoung’s Center (4) Chapter 141 Shinyoung¡¯s Center (4) Just as the second semester changed the focus to on-the-job training for third years, so too did things change for the first years. In the first semester, it had been a lot more note-taking than practical skills. Entering the second semester, the number of practical subjects increased as well as the various situational training to be conducted. ¡°Situation C, situation C! Transmit the location of civilians and protect them from the targets!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s right in front of the gate!¡± Practical training was conducted by generating holograms and training targets throughout the gym. It was a training exercise that assumed various situations that students would experience as official superhumans in the future. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re totally different.¡± ¡°Those are the special forces, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± During the previous training, the four members under Shin Eunah¡¯s guidance had reunited as a team. It was only natural that as soon as Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha were ced with another team, their team members¡¯ meaning would disappear. It was only Karen and Woojin who could match their level. They would be bound by thatposition until the end of their first year. ¡°Aren¡¯t all of us going to France next week?¡± ¡°Ah, The World Superhuman Conference.¡± ¡°All three of us, except for our helper.¡± ¡°Except for the helper.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Do Woojin gave them a rough look as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Baekughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Do Woojin. I¡¯ll buy you an Eiffel Tower keychain as a souvenir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you a postcard. You, who remains alone in Seoul¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°A duel would be good.¡± Eventually, afterpleting the practice with the highest score, it was possible to proceed with personal battles. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was surprised this time as Do Woojin could now be a giant in less than two seconds, unlike before. -I heard that he had learned a few things, but he really has grown a lot. ¡®A few things¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk admired the sight of Do Woojin, who rushed him after quickly bing enormous. The giant sword in his hand wasn¡¯t just big; it contained something special. ¡°Die!¡± ¡°But, his yelling hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk overpowered Do Woojin with a tinge of sadness. The wooden spear he wielded deflected the giant sword as he darted through Do Woojin¡¯s legs to offset his bnce. But even there, Do Woojin had some surprises. It had been an unexpected blow but hitting Do Woojin felt like hitting an unshakably giant tree. ¡°Is this the power of a monster?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s probably the power of a giant.¡± Do Woojin regained his senses and fought back. Kang Shin-hyuk, roughly grasping his opponent¡¯s strength, made him step back with a shoulder charge before knocking him down with the wooden spear. It almost looked like a battle straight out of a portrait. The problem was that the only people in the ss who could properly recognize it were Baek and Karen. ¡°It hurts¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just your size that has grown.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk helped Do Woojin up after he admitted defeat. He was astonished at Do Woojin¡¯s dramatic growth. He himself had grown immensely over the vacation, but Do Woojin hadn¡¯t been cking off. ¡®I can¡¯t let it go.¡¯ -There aren¡¯t many people who have the chance to evolve their traits as you did, but it¡¯s definitely a notable change. That¡¯s why humans are so fun. ¡®Please stop talking like a reaper, administrator¡­¡¯Do Woojin may have lost the battle, but he defended his honor. The special forces continued to perform well after that, achieving the best grades in every group training session. In the blink of an eye, the day of the World Superhuman Conference approached them, and the three members of the team (excluding Woojin Do) were exempted from sses to leave for Paris, France. Three teachers, including Siara Bertrand, and the principal, Shin Yoon-hak, joined them. Of course, it was natural for high-rankers like ire and Shin Eunah also to participate. *** [Another country¡­] The day before leaving for France, Kang Shin-hyuk stopped by Mirotoz to talk to Halo about the conference. [So, humans have such a concept?] ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be that big of a difference in perception.¡± [Look down on this perishednd. It has been a long time since the division of countries has disappeared from this world.] ¡°But your body is in a different world, right?¡± [Well, yes¡­] Halo seemed to hesitate before continuing. [In the first ce, I¡¯m not too fond of the work of humans to draw lines and sortnd. Disputes arise as soon as you start to differentiate. And when there is a conflict, red blood flows through thend. Fighting against enemies for survival is daunting enough; I can¡¯t understand why the same species hurt each other.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± [But maybe that¡¯s the fate of most in this world¡­yes, grinding and rolling on.] ¡°What?¡± [No matter. For Anvil, it is creation and destruction.] ¡°You¡¯re being philosophical.¡± [Sooner orter, you will also realize. Now, rather than that, shackles. Shackles.] Yes, no matter what Kang Shin-hyuk was going through on Earth, there was the only thing he needed to do in this world. That was to form Halo¡¯s roots into shackles to bind the giant¡¯s feet. ¡°Anvil! It starts soon!¡± At that time, he heard several elves cry out loud from below. Kang Shin-hyuk roughly waved at them and started on his work. The earth vibrated dully, reaching him all the way up on the top of Halo. ¡°I¡¯m d there¡¯s not much of a shock up here.¡± [It¡¯s not a ce allowed for anyone. Thank me, my friend.] ¡°This is also for you, you know.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was working on top of the giant tree that was Halo. It was the top he had reached by converting the blue cow into a magic bike. After he had recovered the sickle sealed there, space had turned into something that looked like a meadow. ¡°A little more¡­¡± [You¡¯re working faster.] ¡°I have been repeating the same task¡­¡± He needed no more materials than Halo¡¯s roots to make the shackles. Rather, the giant couldn¡¯t be bound with any other materials. However, wouldn¡¯t it be possible toplete the production by simply tying the roots together into rings? Therefore, Kang Shin-hyuk made a unique attempt to reproduce his desired object in the roots by analyzing its traits with his spiritual power. Shackles, a tool aimed to capture and restrain enemies. Each time Kang Shin-hyuk lifted his hammer and chisel to shape the roots, his spiritual power prated into them to fundamentally change them. If there was anything he wished to add to that, it was the gigantification ability he analyzed from Do Woojin. ¡°Just this much today!¡± [Now I think it¡¯s almost 30% finished.] ¡°I still have a long way to go to catch up with my previous life¡­!¡± He stood up, gazing at Halo, stretching out his branches to recover his work. It was a far drop down, but with A- rank Wind Mastery, it was possible tond softly. ¡°Master Anvil!¡± ¡°You came down!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, as promised.¡± ¡°Cool¡­!¡± The elves were waiting for him, but he deftly avoided them as they approached. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the field.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The earth where life would not grow. Thanks to Halo¡¯s ability, however, work was steadily being conducted to make it habitable. After collecting both sickles he had made previously, Kang Shin-hyuk could help them. ¡°I wish I could hand over ownership.¡± ¡°There is no one who could handle it but Master Anvil, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced the two scythes from his inventory while the elves watched. They were nearly identical, except that one was pure white and the other ck. [Falling Scythe] [SS-rank] [Special ability: Harvesting, Fall Harvest, Earthmunication] * Harvesting: The chance of a critical hit is extremely high when harvesting a target. With each repetition, the weapon¡¯s performance and effectiveness are permanently amplified. *Fall Harvest: Movement speed and attack speed are increased by 30% when holding this weapon¡ªthe effect doubles in autumn. * Earthmunication: It is possible to share energy with the earth. This effect strengthens when you are stepping on the ground. [It was originally a simple farming tool, but the work of harvesting human necks instead of crops caused it to deteriorate. After returning to its master¡¯s hand, it has stabilized a little.] That was the dark side of the pair, acquired from the naga priest. However, its third ability was particrly important as it could be used to revitalize the earth¡¯s vitality. That was left was the scythe he acquired from Halo. [Growing Scythe] [SS+Rank] [Special Abilities: Growth, Amplification, Capture, Split] *Growth: Speeds up the growth of crops. All abilities increase by 30%. *Amplification: Increases the yield of crops. All abilities increase by 30%. *Capture: Never misses the target it has set. *Split: Can divide into several pieces to increase work efficiency. [A piece of farm equipment that has been sealed for a long time.] It could not only speed up the growth of crops but also increase howrge the yield was. It still felt vague, like it was made for battle, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know what Anvil had thought when he made it. ¡°Master Anvil is using both of them!¡± ¡°Start!¡± Elves gathered around to witness the moment they had been waiting for. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to turn away from their gaze but was unable to. Eventually, he gave up and lifted the scythes. ¡°Oooh!¡± ¡°Be quiet!¡± His only salvation was that ire wasn¡¯t around. He swung the two scythes and activated their special abilities. ¡°The energy of life is imbuing the field!¡± ¡°Master Anvil is moving so passionately!¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but can¡¯t everyone be quiet?¡± The day before his trip to Paris, the debut of the twilight harvest, a man wielding two scythes, took ce in Mirotoz. Chapter 142 Parisian Artisans (1) Chapter 142 Parisian Artisans (1) ¡°It¡¯s discrimination.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a distinction.¡± ¡°Is it really right to discriminate against students like this?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we students of a superhuman training school? Rather, this is a good opportunity to learn about the rigors of superhuman society.¡± ¡°By humiliating students in such an explicit way? Are you really saying that¡¯s right? Really, Shinyuk?!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s right, and don¡¯t call me Shinyuk.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the curtain separating the business and economy sses, scoffing at Karen. Originally, all of Shinyoung¡¯s students attending the conference were to be in business, but somehow, due to a missed reservation, some of them had to move to the economy ss. As a result, three students of rtively low importance who were the finalists in the rookie games (excluding Kang Shin-hyuk, who won) were transferred to the economy ss. Indeed, it could be said that it was cruel. ¡°Wow, what good luck.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly close to Karen¡­¡± ¡°I just treat her how she treats me.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed as he tried to sit down next to Baek in-ha (who also had secured his seat in business ss), but someone grabbed onto his sleeve. It was none other than Eleanor. ¡°Shinyuk is here.¡± ¡°No, no way.¡± ¡°Really.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed his ticket at Eleanor¡¯s prompting. She was right; he was sitting next to her. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°We¡¯re both Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°If you say that, then Dous¡­ no, never mind.¡± The moment he tried to say the name, Eleanor¡¯s expression became too scary for him to continue. He quietly shut his mouth. Dous Payne was nearby, looking for an excuse to approach Eleanor. ¡°The vice-captain should be with the captain.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose.¡± Eleanor tapped the seat beside her happily. Lee Na-hee, who sat by the window on her other side, looked back with a bright expression. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just watching the conversation, and it¡¯s hurting me¡­¡± ¡°Baek¡¯s by himself¡­¡± ¡°What am I?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down next to Eleanor, who quietly held out a bag of Pepero for him. ¡°¡­Senior, we¡¯re not on the bus for a school trip.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± -Fox¡­ He opened the bag from Eleanor, who smiled happily, and he took one out to chew on. Lee Na-hee reached out a hand to her from across the aisle, and he grabbed it. Lee Na-hee quickly released his hand. ¡°Not your hand, the Pepero!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not on a bus. You¡¯ll get in the way of the crew.¡± Despite his admonishment, he handed her the Pepero. The stewardess, watching it, asked him if he would like peanuts. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at her, causing the stewardess tough shyly and hand him way too many bags of airne peanuts. ¡°¡­Did this airline originally give out this many?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He handed some to Eleanor. Lee Na-hee was staring at the stewardess on the other side. ¡°She¡¯ll hit on you before the ne ride is over, I guarantee it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult those who work professionally, Na-hee.¡± Not only Kang Shin-hyuk but Eleanor as well called out Lee Na-hee. It was a rare glimpse at Eleanor¡¯s stubborn side. Handing her the bag of Pepero, Lee Na-hee seemed appeased. However, two hourster, Lee Na-hee¡¯s words became a reality. The stewardess, who brought the meal, secretly hid her contact information in his meal tray. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± -Execution! Of course, he tried to hide the paper and remain quiet in consideration of her, but he couldn¡¯t escape the eyes of Eleanor. She had a look of astonishment on her face. ¡°¡­Na-hee was right¡­¡± She sounded like she had been betrayed. Kang Shin-hyuk felt sorry, though he wasn¡¯t sure why, and Lee Na-hee picked up on it. ¡°Already? She¡¯s fast. Shall I report her for hitting on a minor?¡± ¡°Shh, not so loudly, please.¡± How did he end up between these two seniors? Kang Shin-hyuk let out a desperate sigh, not noticing the others sitting in business ss (superhumans with sharp eyes and ears) were staring at him like he had killed their parents. ¡°A dirty world where only one gets so lucky¡­¡± ¡°I should have awoken a curse trait.¡± ¡°I¡¯d take some peanuts too¡­¡± ¡°Eleanor¡­¡± ¡®No, if you want some, I could give you a bunch.¡¯Dous¡¯s unpleasant self-talk was politely ignored. *** The party arrived at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. They were gathered together, yet they had no specific schedule other than attending the conference on the fifteenth, which would be in two days, so it was alright for them to sightsee to their heart¡¯s content. All their luggage was supposed to be sent ahead to their hotel, although they didn¡¯t even need to stay there. ¡°It¡¯s a bad game.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be difficult to navigate foreign streets.¡± Karen replied to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s self-talk. As expected of Eleanor¡¯s personal escort, she was always by Eleanor¡¯s side. Well, except on the ne. ¡°If you want, I can send you with an interpreter guide.¡± Principal Shin Yoon-hak spoke up as he approached. He had a much more pleasant smile on his face now, perhaps because he had heard of the battle with Baek. ¡°Ah, I can speak French.¡± ¡°You know how to speak French?¡± Karen, not the principal, responded with surprise. Eleanor knocked on her head to quiet her. ¡°Is that saying you¡¯re already ready to work on the world stage? That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much of apliment.¡± They bid him farewell and distanced themselves from the principal. Just then, Baek¡¯s hand rested on his arm. ¡°Shinyuk, let¡¯s go. The beauties in Paris, the city of romance, await us!¡± ¡°How can you not change even aftering this far?¡± ¡°Could you change your stance so easily? Even if I fall to hell, I¡¯d find a pretty devil noona.¡± ¡°At least your taste is consistent.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk also preferred someone older, so he decided to keep quiet about it. ¡°So, you going or not?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± -Member?! ¡°I was counting on you!¡± Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk only had eyes for ire, so he had no intention of ying along with that. Perhaps this could be a chance for them to talk openly, however. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± He was caught by the sleeve before he could follow Baek. Turning around, Eleanor had a worried expression on her face as she grabbed onto him. Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes, and she blinked several times in hesitation. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a beauty, there¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°In this case, just say ¡®excuse me! I¡¯m sorry I forgot to escort thedy!¡¯ and kiss the back of her hand.¡± ¡°Are you from the ¡¯80s?¡± He looked over as he responded to Karen, noticing Lee Na-hee also had a grim expression. ¡°Baek, let¡¯s hang out with our seniors. We don¡¯t need to be in Paris to find time to talk together.¡± ¡°Huh? Algiers is wee, but¡­I can¡¯t! I want a beauty who likes me!¡± ¡°Then go alone. Our junior doesn¡¯t need a new beauty.¡± Lee Na-hee tried to expel Baek with open contempt. Baek pretended like hispromise was inevitable as he grabbed onto Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm. ¡°Then let¡¯s go! Where should we go, the Pont Neuf Bridge?¡± ¡°Your senses are always good.¡± Eventually, the five went sightseeing together. Shin-hyuk could feel Dous Payne¡¯s gaze on them, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could do, so he ignored it. *** There was so much to see in Paris. First, they took pictures of Montmartre Hill then went to see the cathedral of Notre Dame, famous for being burned a long time ago by a horde of monsters. Then they crossed the river to see the Eiffel Tower. Baek raced down the road to face the Eiffel Tower, asking who would race him to the top. He was beaten by Karen. ¡°Where next?¡± ¡°I want to stop by the Champs-Elysees.¡± ¡°Champs-Elysees¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re excited, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk checked the tour guide map as he avoided Karen¡¯s gaze. They crossed the river again, locating the Champs-Elysees. It was a street full of beautiful buildings and luxury shops. ¡°It¡¯s a ce that has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to have two beauties with you?¡± ¡°Senior Na-hee didn¡¯t count me.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Apologize sincerely!¡± Shin-hyukughed as he watched Na-hee and Karen scramble after each other. Eleanor quietly approached him. ¡°There are all types of luxury brand shops from all over the country here¡­of course, artifact brands too.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± He understood everything at once, but he kept his mouth shut. Eleanor had an embarrassed look on her face. ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s go right away.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Lee Na-hee raised her head and smiled slightly at his answer. ¡°My dad¡¯s store was once there too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of heavy.¡± ¡°I heard that, you idiot.¡± Again, Lee Na-heeughed. Kang Shin-hyuk exchanged a bitter smile with Eleanor and then joined them. Somehow, Baek was left behind, muttering depressingly. ¡°What, it¡¯s not a joke¡­¡± Chapter 143 Parisian Artisans (2) Chapter 143 Parisian Artisans (2) The party enjoyed walking along the Champs-Elysees. It seemed like Kang Shin-hyuk was the only one who cared about Lee Na-hee¡¯s father, as the others went into every shop screaming and chatting. Women were scary? as was shopping. Shopping women were the scariest in the world. ¡°Look at this wallet I bought.¡± ¡°I hate it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up at the shops¡¯ signboards around the street as he responded to Lee Na-hee. On one side, a luxury shop was lined up, while on the other was a mysterious artifact brand shop. Further down next to each other was a car shop and a magic bike shop as well, side by side. ¡°Even though monsters and gates can appear out of thin air, there are people pouring money on cars that can only go 250 kilometers an hour.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid from start to finish.¡± ¡°What¡¯s stupid about it¡­?¡± That had been the way since before monsters appeared. The rich wanted to disy their wealth by revealing that they could spend it on useless and splendid-looking items. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong, but¡­¡± Eleanor responded with a soft smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to talk about in the shop.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because we¡¯re talking in Korean, Ellie.¡± ¡°If you knew of Korea¡¯s status in superhuman society, you would know that the clerks ofrge shops also speak Korean.¡± It was certainly true. They could feel the clerk¡¯s gaze on them growing more severe as they hurried to escape the shop. ¡°Then let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Lee Na-hee seemed to be determined. She reached out to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Pepero?¡± ¡°Give me your hand instead.¡± He smiled and took her trembling hand. Eleanor took her other hand, but Lee Na-hee dismissed her. ¡°Na-hee?!¡± ¡°Thank you for your heart, but it¡¯s not your turn now.¡± ¡°Is it something that only works for two people?¡± Eleanor had a dissatisfied look, regretting that her friend didn¡¯t depend on her. It also bothered her that she was clinging on to Kang Shin-hyuk. Karen, standing nearby, wasn¡¯t helping things. ¡°Is friendship unnecessary in front of a man? Oh, it hurts, senior Na-hee!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that with my junior.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, you¡¯re holding his hand tight like that¡­oh! Why is even the captain?!¡± Unlike Karen and Eleanor, Kang Shin-hyuk knew the rough reason behind Lee Na-hee¡¯s strange behavior. He thought of what Siara Bertrand had told of him before as he silently followed her. They passed an artisan brand shop he had heard of a few times, looking at the superhumans bustling through the artisan¡¯s shops. Kang Shin-hyuk caught the sight of a prosperous shop standing on one side of the street. A simple sign saying ¡®Lee & Marion¡¯ was hung on the front of the red brick building. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Yes, here it is.¡± Lee Na-hee nodded and squeezed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. His eyes shone golden, a scratch running through them like a dragon¡¯s w mark. He was using it to see through everything, the illusions of this luxurious shop. What remained was a burned mark of a copsed wall. It wasn¡¯t hard to realize what had happened here. Of course, someone with spiritual power could use that to realize the essence of things, but it was convenient to do so just by looking at it. ¡°Shin-hyuk, your eyes¡­¡± ¡°¡­Can I go in?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± To match the shops on the Champs-Elysees, this store that hadn¡¯t been managed was hidden with a type of camouge magic. Now wasn¡¯t the time to ask about that; the two opened the door and entered the store. What awaited them was a gruesome scene that matched the exterior. The shelves were shattered and copsed in several ces as if a giant had swept his palm through the store, and ss was scattered over the floors. It was reserved as it had just been destroyed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­This.¡± Those following them were silent, unable to speak. Lee Na-hee had a bitter smile stered on her face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯vee back here. Wow, it¡¯s a mess. Really.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, it¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lee Na-hee gripped his hand even tighter as her red eyes swept through the messy store. It felt like she was looking for someone, but Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t ask her. Instead, he just tightened his grip. Lee Na-hee seemed surprised, but soon she nodded with a faint smile. ¡°¡­¡± Then, for a moment, she closed her eyes. Inside the deste store, the sun shone through the copsed walls onto her shining silver hair. Kang Shin-hyuk thought it looked almost pure white. ¡°After all¡­¡± She let out a deep breath and opened her eyes once more. ¡°Now that¡¯s it. You can let go.¡± ¡°If you want, you can stay like this for a while.¡± ¡°Is that free?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Lee Na-hee struck him as he weakly joked. She let go of his hand with augh. ¡°If I do it any longer, I¡¯ll get stabbed by Ellie.¡± ¡°Not stabbed!¡± ¡°Go, before the building copses.¡± Lee Na-hee turned away, ignoring the red-faced Eleanor. Kang Shin-hyuk followed her with a nod, everyone else falling in line behind them. ¡°Junior, will you work with me after you graduate?¡± She left the store and looked at the signboard for onest time as she asked that. ¡°You know a lot of ces to go to.¡± ¡°I know my ability will take a long time to developpared to you.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to work hard in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be good.¡± She smiled brightly and tapped his shoulder. Kang Shin-hyuk was happy to see her change positively. It¡¯s hard to think you could affect other people, but sometimes it was possible to change someone just by being there. If he had be such a person for Lee Na-hee, it would be quite a pleasure. -A bonus of 7,000HP to the cool appearance of a member who skillfully rejected the fox! ¡®Was it a rejection? What? Are you okay?¡¯The administrator didn¡¯t like the reality so much that he started to escape it. *** That evening, upon returning to the hotel. Siara Bertrand was waiting for Kang Shin-hyuk. Unlike her usual school outfit, she wore a casual blouse and jeans, looking young enough to be twenty rather than forty. ¡°It feels good to hear such words.¡± ¡°I really mean it.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, it¡¯s hard to believe. But I will try.¡± -Member, women over the age of thirty are sensitive to suchpliments, so be careful. Kang Shin-hyuk filed that information away before continuing. ¡°Why were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°To be exact, I was waiting for you and Lee Na-hee. Didn¡¯t I said before I would invite you two over?¡± ¡°Oh, then¡­¡± Siara continued with a light smile. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you that Lee Man-woo¡¯s granddaughter, Lee Na-hee, had the opportunity topete on the world stage. I already received permission from the principal.¡± ¡°Did you already call over Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as he asked, Lee Na-hee appeared in the hallway. She had already cleaned up and changed clothes, but her expression was restless as soon as she saw Shin-hyuk. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t it be tomorrow instead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid my schedule tomorrow is a bit¡­is there an issue with tonight?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­um.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk understood her reaction, given what had happened earlier in the day. No wonder she felt ufortable facing him now after she had to deal with her family¡¯s memory. ¡°s¡­he, my grandfather, made the teacher¡¯s armament.¡± ¡°Not only mine, but that of many French superhumans. Today, I would like to have a chat with you both. I hope you¡¯lle together.¡± Originally, Siara was known for being polite at school, but now her attitude was as polite as a servant greeting their master. Even Lee Na-hee couldn¡¯t reject such an offer. ¡°Uh¡­then, excuse me.¡± ¡°Thank you. I called a taxi already, so let¡¯s go right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Siara Bertrand took the lead. Lee Na-hee quietly approached Kang Shin-hyuk, avoiding his gaze. The sight of her acting shy was a cute look that didn¡¯t match her usual self. -It¡¯s a fox¡¯s operation. They will reveal their true colors. ¡®It sounds like you¡¯re saying they¡¯ll try to eat my liver in the middle of the night.¡¯Thanks to the administrator, the mood was prevented from bing awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s go, senior.¡± ¡°Well, yes, junior.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes, offering her his hand. ¡°Would you like to hold my hand?¡± ¡°¡­I want to.¡± Lee Na-hee grabbed the hand offered. Siara smiled gently as she pressed the elevator button. It was several hourster that the two found out that Siara Bertrand was attempting to conduct a dating operation between the two at the bidding of Lee Manwoo. Chapter 144 Parisian Artisans (3) Chapter 144 Parisian Artisans (3) -Today¡¯s log in bonus is a luck increase buff! For 48 hours, your chances of sess in everything will increase! ¡°Luck?¡± The next morning, Kang Shin-hyuk awoke in the guest bedroom on the second floor of Siara Bertrand¡¯s house, tilting his head at the login bonus he had never received before. He had no such skill among his statuses. ¡°Administrator, are there people who have luck as a special ability? Is this useless?¡± -Good luck isn¡¯t a special ability, member. It¡¯s just a part of the status that cannot be measured. ¡°But now it¡¯s being amplified?¡± -That is a benefit of the login bonus that only VIPs can receive. He didn¡¯t like that he couldn¡¯t confirm it with his own eyes, but he decided to leave it alone. It wasn¡¯t like it was actively hurting him, at least. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He left the room at the same time the door to the next one over opened, revealing Lee Na-hee in pajamas. ¡°Huh¡­hiii!¡± When she saw him, she blinked a few times before making a weird noise of surprise, fleeing back into her room without a further word. ¡°What does that mean?¡± -Pretending to be embarrassed like that, it¡¯s the fox¡¯s trick to make you excited by her pajamas. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be a person who would use such a high level of trickery¡­¡± With a sigh, Kang Shin-hyuk went straight to shower before descending to the first floor. There, Siara Bertrand was already waiting for him with Lee Na-hee, who had changed clothes. ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°If the bed wasn¡¯t good, I would¡¯ve reported you for kidnapping.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you liked the bedroom.¡± Yesterday, Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee had been swayed by Siara Bertrand and ended up in something that suspiciously seemed like a date. ¡°Is it okay for a teacher to do that, really?¡± ¡°Thews that apply to superhumans are subtly different. In order to survive in superhuman society, you should also study international superhumanw in advance.¡± ¡°Thank you for the lesson.¡± Even with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sarcasm, Siara let out a satisfiedugh. The reason was clear. Lee Na-hee, sitting on the other side of the sofa, was still embarrassed. Siara was convinced her n had paid off, although the trigger was technically what happened before then. Still, results were results. ¡°I can happily report back to Mr. Lee Manwoo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my enemy from now on.¡± Lee Na-hee responded bluntly, but Siara had a friendly expression on her face. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I hope you see past that. I want to be a regr at your store.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Apparently, when it had just been the two of them, Lee Na-hee had identally leaked what had happened on Champs-Elysees yesterday. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Well, what¡­I won¡¯t disappoint anyone.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was getting to see a lot of rare views of Lee Na-hee recently. She was making a point to avoid his gaze. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go ahead. Actually, I prepared opera tickets for you two. Have you ever watched an opera from a box seat? It¡¯s definitely a special taste.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an opera, let alone from a box seat.¡± Was luck already working? Forgetting that he had been subjected to the same trick yesterday, Kang Shin-hyuk vacantly reached out to take the ticket while Lee Na-hee stood next to him with a conflicted look. ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m not going to do it today.¡± ¡°Do you have a date with someone else?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that, I just feel bad for Ellie.¡± Lee Na-hee stood up while blustering. ¡°So go see it with her. I¡¯ll head to the museum today.¡± ¡°Oh, the opera is in the evening¡­¡± Lee Na-hee quickly left, leaving Shin-hyuk with the ticket. Siara Bertrand, embarrassed for her, seemed to understand something he didn¡¯t. ¡°Indeed¡­maybe so.¡± ¡°Tell me too.¡± ¡°It seems to have reached a critical point, I¡¯ve been pushing too hard.¡± ¡°Critical point¡­?¡± However, she had no answer for him. ¡°It¡¯s more than you can imagine, Kang Shin-hyuk. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m praising you. Now, then today, as instructed, invite Miss Algiers. Oh, you can dress up if you want, but if possible, please wear your school uniform.¡± ¡°Will you be going with Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Reaching the extent of what information she would give him. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up. Siara Bertrand smiled and waved him goodbye. ¡°Then, have fun. Please, have a moderate rtionship¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what someone who tried to push two students into the same roomst night would say. Then, see youter.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk left, letting out a sigh as he prepared himself to contact Eleanor. [Senior Eleanor: Sorry, I have an appointment¡­] [Right, it can¡¯t be helped.] [Senior Eleanor: I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t refuse Na-hee¡¯s request¡­] [Yes? An appointment with Na-hee?] [Senior Eleanor: Yes, I would be willing to go if not for that¡­] Kang Shin-hyuk stiffened as he looked at his phone. Lee Na-hee told him to invite her, then beat him to the punch in nning something with Eleanor? -Limiting your options and then getting rid of them¡­what a brainy foe. ¡°In my heart, I want to treat her as an enemy, but let¡¯s think about it first. Wait, when this happens, who remains¡­?¡± Baek In-ha or Karen. He immediately struck Baek off as an option. ¡°What is this¡­¡± What did he do to Lee Na-hee yesterday to suffer such humiliation? He sent her a text to confirm. [Senior Na-hee: I called Karen, too. Go to the opera with Baek.] [¡­] [Senior Na-hee: It¡¯s suited for you, junior.] Her words were filled with malice. Yesterday, he had felt their rtionship was pretty good! Kang Shin-hyuk made up his mind. A partnership with her? No way! ¡°As long as this is the case, even if ites down to the beauties in Paris¡­¡± -Member, calm down. The administrator quickly calmed him down, as Kang Shin-hyuk began to formte nonsensical ns. ¡°You¡¯re right. On behalf of Shinyoung, I can¡¯t afford a scandal.¡± -8,000HP bonus for reasonable members! [Bartender noona: Arriving in Paris!] At the same time the administrator sent him a bonus, his stick vibrated with a message from ire. [Bartender noona: Are you free?] [Bartender noona: Would you like to meet up and have fun?] Kang Shin-hyuk looked at ire¡¯s message, sure that this woman was clearly an angel. An angel who arrived to save him. [I¡¯ll pick you up at the airport.] [Bartender noona: Yes. Come fast; I¡¯m hungry!] Looking at the screen,ughter came unbidden out of him. He pped his cheeks to calm himself down before responding. [I¡¯ll fly.] *** ¡°Hi!¡¯ ire was waiting in the airport waiting room, sitting on her suitcase withrge sunsses. ¡°Camouge?¡± ¡°Yes. If I cover this much, I won¡¯t be recognized. Besides, it¡¯s France, not the US or Korea, so it should be fine.¡± Well, it wouldn¡¯t normally be an issue, but currently, the conference was being held here. ire recalled but smiled. ¡°Well, I dered war anyways, so there¡¯s no issue if I¡¯m caught.¡± ¡°You dered war¡­?¡± ¡°Here.¡± ire put another pair of sunsses on Kang Shin-hyuk and pushed his bangs to the side before nodding. ¡°The most handsome in the world.¡± ¡°My noona is also the prettiest in the world. Oh, does Na-hee know you came to Paris today?¡± ¡°No, I only messaged you. Why?¡± ¡°Okay¡­this way.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took a selfie with ire. He had to hide his face immediately after, however, as his senses were a bit overloaded from how close she got. ¡°Okay, time to send it.¡± ¡°Are you sending it to Na-hee?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°No, send it. Let¡¯s go.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sent the picture without hesitation. Shortly after, his phone began to vibrate, but he turned it off with a refreshed smile. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go eat!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already enjoyed myself.¡± ¡°Actually, I received some box seat tickets for the opera this evening.¡± Hearing that, ireughed and jabbed Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯ve figured it all out. You were originally going with Na-hee, you.¡± ¡°The person who gave me the tickets wanted that.¡± ¡°I bet that¡¯s an interesting story. Exin it to me while we eat.¡± ire giggled and wrapped her arm around his. Kang Shin-hyuk clearly felt the presence of his good luck buff as they headed off. Her phone began to ring, but after checking the caller, she turned it off with a hum. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the opera.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°How should I dress up?¡± ¡°¡­Today, please, in the general public category.¡± The two left the airport, whispering to each other. Even covering half of their faces with sunsses, the peoples¡¯ attention was on them because of how attractive they were. Fortunately, however, no one recognized them. One day remained until the conference. Chapter 145 Parisian Artisans (4) Chapter 145 Parisian Artisans (4) The fifteenth World Superhuman Conference was held at the Superhuman Association¡¯s French HQ, which towered about Paris¡¯s first district. The HQ was the core of France¡¯s superhuman power, a fact immediately evident just upon entering the building. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°My noona said she woulde here to contact me.¡± Lee Na-hee jabbed Kang Shin-hyuk in the back, although it probably hurt her more than him. Eleanor was watching with a sad expression from the sidelines. ¡°Because Na-hee does something like that¡­¡± ¡°What, why, what?¡± ¡°Na-hee is a fool.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be like this either¡­¡± If it weren¡¯t for Lee Na-hee, Eleanor would¡¯ve gone to the opera with Kang Shin-hyuk. Therefore, it was natural Eleanor, who had learned about the situation after the fact, wouldin to her. Karen was muttering in shock as she watched the two. ¡°The friendship of those two, broken like this¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but isn¡¯t this youth?¡± Meanwhile, Baek In-ha had been going alone after he could not get a hold of anyone yesterday. The moment Kang Shin-hyuk tried to exin what had happened, Lee Na-hee and Eleanor nced at them. Neither seemed to like that Kang Shin-hyuk had a date with ire. He quickly raised his hands in surrender. ¡°¡­Something like that happened.¡± ¡°I understand roughly. Since I didn¡¯t have a French interpreter, I wandered around like a lost child all day, but you were filming a youth drama. This traitor!¡± ¡°Everyone this way! We¡¯ll be moving to the thirteenth floor.¡± Siara Bertrand led them to the elevator while Baek deemed Kang Shin-hyuk as his enemy. The lobby on the first floor of the HQ was crowded with staff from the association and superhumans from all over the world. ¡°The meeting is held on the fourteenth floor. One hundred superhumans, including representatives of each country and carefully selected mercenaries, as well as representatives of the UN Gate Countermeasures Organization and superhumans from the top fifty world rankings will be there. In the venue on the thirteenth floor, you can observe the meeting from there and, in rare cases, might even get a chance to speak.¡± ¡°You have an enormous opportunity here. It is the moment when superhuman history takes a step forward. Be proud that we represent Shinyoung.¡± Following Siara Bertrand¡¯s words, the principal Shin Yoon-hakughed happily. The representatives of Shinyoung were all gathered up, with the exception of the Magic Crown, who had escaped. ¡®Nathan Bodin is French. Could he be here now?¡¯Nathan¡¯s withdrawal had be a mockery both at home and abroad. Even if he were back in France, he would desperately try to hide his existence. On the other hand, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s name spread quickly throughout the superhuman society as the direct cause of him dropping out, although fortunately, they didn¡¯t know what he looked like. ¡°The thirteenth floor is a party hall. Let¡¯s enjoy refreshments and tea until the meeting starts. Also, try tomunicate with other superhumans if possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd, sir. Talk to celebrities who don¡¯t know me? What sort of torture is that?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been enduring so far, but he actually had little confidence in his sociability. Eleanor tilted her head at him. ¡°Why? It¡¯s an ordinary party.¡± ¡°My senior isn¡¯t ordinary.¡± The elevator rose quickly. When the door opened, revealing the scene awaiting them, everyone took a deep breath. Unlike the first floor, the hall was wide open. ¡°It¡¯s a spatial expansion artifact. A high-ranker from thirty years ago, Iron Blood, acquired it from an S-ss gate.¡± ¡°Shinyoung has simr items.¡± The principal replied that they weren¡¯t losing and smiled. ¡°I hope there will be a time for everyone to acquire something useful.¡± ¡°What about the principal?¡± ¡°I have to attend the meeting.¡± Indeed, Shin Yoon-hak was counted among the one-hundred most important superhumans in the world. He was one of the reasons why Shinyoung¡¯s students were able toe this far in the first ce. ¡°Although there are quite a few training schools in the world that areparable to Shinyoung, it is only Shinyoung who directly participates in the conference.¡± Siara followed up with that exnation proudly. The principal looked over the students once more before closing the elevator door. Dous Payne clenched his fist as he watched the elevator ascend. ¡°To rise to the top.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have another opportunity, it is held every three years.¡± ¡°You guys have be cheeky.¡± Dous rubbed his nose at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s words, looking over at Eleanor. It seemed that he was worried about what she might think; however, she was busy keeping Lee Na-hee in check. ¡°Uh¡­if it¡¯s you, you can do it.¡± ¡°Of course, I can do it. I can do it.¡± At Dous¡¯s depressed appearance, one of the male members of the Wyvern Knightsforted him. Shin-hyuk hoped that Dous wouldn¡¯t realize the cause behind Eleanor and Lee Na-hee¡¯s mood. ¡°Shinyuk¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Dous had barely calmed down and turned to approach the famous superhumans in the venue as Baek In-ha watched with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°No matter where I look, there are only beautiful women¡­! Is this heaven?¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been great if you said something that betrayed my expectations¡­¡± The higher the rank of a superhuman, the better their body was. It was only natural that rtively handsome men and beautiful women were here. ¡°Come on, sir! Go!¡± ¡°Go alone!¡± Baek tried to pull Shin-hyuk with him, but Eleanor grabbed his hand.¡± ¡°I prefer you don¡¯t do anything that will be misunderstood.¡± ¡°Algiers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to see you, Baekyang¡¯s sessor, leading Shin-hyuk around here.¡± The moment Kang Shin-hyuk heard that, his mind shed. Meanwhile, Baek¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°No matter how much I respect you, Algiers, it¡¯s hard to just say that. I¡¯ve never thought of using Shinyuk.¡± ¡°Then, the bigger problem is being misunderstood.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Eleanor hesitated for a moment, clearing her throat as she tried to find the right words. ¡°He is the vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights, it¡¯s not strange to be led by the captain.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that will stick with the people gathered here. Especially for Algiers since things are a littleplicated.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes sharpened at his words. Baek appeared to know something of Eleanor¡¯s secret. Kang Shin-hyuk oddly admired the fact that they knew each other so well, despite not talking much before. Was this a part of being upper-ss? ¡°Yes, both of them haveplicated backstories, so it can¡¯t be helped. Then, I¡¯ll be with my junior. Instead of being cheated on yesterday, I¡¯ll sacrifice myself.¡± Of course, It was Lee Na-hee who came in. ¡°I have a history of winning the grand prize in an artifact contest with my junior. There¡¯s nothing strange at all if we go together.¡± ¡°Na-hee¡¯s situation isplicated too.¡± ¡°Rumors about Nathan Bodin must¡¯ve spread all over the ce. Especially ones about you and Shinyuk, right?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk saw the three arguing over him and felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. At that moment, someone grabbed him from behind. As he vanished from view, the three looked over. There was the figure of Shin Eunah, putting her hand on Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. As always, her ck hair and calm eyes overwhelmed those around her. She was wearing the task force uniform. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s grip was firm, offering no escape to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°The association is sponsoring my junior. You are?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s my best friend¡­no, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my club junior¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The three students, who had been overwhelmed in an instant, resigned. Shin Eunah pulled Shin-hyuk to her with a victorious smile. ¡°Then, excuse us.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Glory to the Thunder Empress¡­¡± She left with him, barely lifting her hand from his shoulder once they had put some distance between them and the others. ¡°In the future, it would be better to be mindful of the sense of distance between you and your friends.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and grabbed her hand, causing her to jump. ¡°?!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to people you know? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hand.¡± ¡°What?¡± He had done it so naturally, he wasn¡¯t aware of it. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. The higher the synchronization rate, the morefortable I feel with senior¡­ I¡¯ll let go.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I think disying your rtionship with your sponsor is a great way to show strength!¡± Shin Eunah spoke as quickly as she could, proceeding to the venue with Kang Shin-hyuk in hand. Her cheeks were flushed, making him worry about another scandal soon appearing in the news. ¡°I saw you.¡± ¡°Saw what?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She had known that ire and Kang Shin-hyuk went on a date to the opera house yesterday. All her anger had disappeared the moment he held her hand, however. She was a bit angry at herself for being so easy, but she couldn¡¯t help but be happy. ¡®I¡¯m the one who¡¯s ahead.¡¯Shin Eunah was lost in the illusion as sheughed deeply. They had one hour left before the conference began. Chapter 146 Parisian Artisans (5) Chapter 146 Parisian Artisans (5) ¡°I¡¯m Kang Shin-hyuk, a freshman in the Knight Department from Shinyoung. Please take good care of me.¡± ¡°Ho, this boy. Nice to meet you. Do you know Luanang? This is Seira, the head of Luanang¡¯s PR team.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kang Shin-hyuk, a freshman in the Knight Department from Shinyoung. Please take good care of me.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re famous these days. Yet the Superhuman Association had already snagged you up. Indeed, Ms. Shin Eunah, you have good eyes.¡± ¡°I will leave it to you. This is Edgar Beckkins, SD Chemistry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kang Shin-hyuk, a freshman from¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk went around with Shin Eunah, giving various people his name and affiliation like an answering machine. Each person Shin Eunah introduced him to had a status that couldn¡¯t be ignored, so he was nervous. ¡®I see some people I should introduce to Lee Na-heeter.¡¯If Lee Na-hee wanted to grow as an artisan, there were quite a few people here she should know. Still, the people rted to the artifact industry knew that Kang Shin-hyuk had won the grand prize at this year¡¯s contest and made sure to ask to contact himter. Lee Na-hee and Eleanor were off eating snacks, however, rxing for now. It seemed he couldn¡¯t expect her to be active. ¡°Well, by the way, senior?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shin Eunah looked at him with a gentle smile, simr to her granddaughter mode. The people who were used to her normal demeanor flinched and retreated away. ¡°Well, how long will you hold my hand?¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°If we keep holding hands, I wonder if it would seem strange to others¡­¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Like that¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± -Fox. His resistance amounted to nothing. She led him around to the various chairmen as he hoped that no love triangle between Shin Eunah, Shin Eun-hyuk, and Kang Shin-hyuk would happen. He ignored the administrator¡¯s message all the while. Finally, it was time to start the conference. -The 15th World Superhuman Conference will now begin. An inorganic voice reverberated throughout the hall. Screens installed throughout the room lit up, disying the interior of the fourteenth-floor conference hall. It was truly spectacr to witness one-hundred superhumans, each of them world-famous, sit around a giant circr table. -There will be a greeting from the chairman. The chairman of the conference was Charlotte Jad Macon, the president of the French Superhuman Association. She once reigned under the nickname of empress in the past, so it was no exaggeration to say she was one of the most famous superhumans. It was predicted there might be a fierce struggle for the title of empress between the French superhumans and Shin Eunah, who was brought to France. [This is Charlotte Jad Macon, chairman of the conference. First, let¡¯s briefly outline the information to be observed at the meeting.] The white-haired superhuman spoke calmly. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but admire the weighty voice transmitted through the screen. Shin Eunah stood next to him, still holding her hand as she watched. [The main agenda of this meeting is the alliance against Jormungand and dealing with the gate anomalies appearing around the world. We will also have a report from Ancient Artifact Development, and then finally, the rank update for the high-rankers.] People began to murmur at those words, not only on the fourteenth-floor hall, but also on the thirteenth floor where Kang Shin-hyuk was. It wasn¡¯t surprising most of them were aware of the gate anomalies and Jormungand, but they were especially interested in the updated rankings. The conference was held every three years, and it was when the rankings were renewed. Nevertheless, that agenda didn¡¯t alwayse out in every meaning. The position of a high-ranked wasn¡¯t so easily changed. ¡°Rank update? Who the hell¡­¡± ¡°Look, the Thunder Empress. I heard she¡¯s been growing stronger.¡± ¡°There was a big wave in Korea, it would¡¯ve been a good chance to prove her strength.¡± The eyes of excellent detectives were focused on her, but Shin Eunah remained calm with no change in expression. ¡°Hey, you also have that masked man too. Was it the Death Puppeteer?¡± ¡°Ah, Shin Eun-hyuk!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk flinched momentarily but caught himself and corrected his posture. If he reacted like that, he would surely be caught. -It¡¯s nice to see you confident, member. Take this chance to show everyone your superior abilities. Now, put on a mask. ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ -10,000HP bonus! ¡®I won¡¯t budge for a bonus!¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk talked to the administrator as he heard the chatter from everyone around him. ¡°The association has made an official statement. His abilities are optimal for dealing withrge numbers of monsters, but his magic level is low.¡± ¡°Hmm, but if he¡¯s a superhuman who can handle that number, you have to recognize him as a high-ranker even if his magic is low. I can¡¯t tell what the association is thinking.¡± ¡°After all, it is the absolute power required to save mankind. Standards should be strict.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was very curious about the statement the association had made about Shin Eun-hyuk. Maybe it had to do with Shin Eunah. If the association¡¯s ranking were based on magic, then he would be below. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have magic power, after all. ¡®It must¡¯ve been measured by an agent during the battle. Isn¡¯t that dangerous? If they learn Shin Eun-hyuk alsocks magical power, anyone could think of the connection between us.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk thought about it for a while but eventually decided to abandon his worries once he saw Shin Eunah¡¯s expression next to him. She was the one managing him. It was probably thanks to her that his magic power wasn¡¯t nothing, but rather just not high. He would have to trust her in the future. By the time he graduated from Shinyoung, it wouldn¡¯t really matter either. ¡°Younger students, the meeting begins.¡± Shin Eunah squeezed his hand, showing she knew what he was feeling. He kind of wished she would let go of it, however. Wasn¡¯t this just advertising that they were in a rtionship? ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried to pull away from her grip, but she muttered quietly as only to be heard by him. ¡°Don¡¯t let go.¡± ¡°Senior Eunah?¡± ¡°Give up.¡± ¡°Are you acting silly again?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I cute?¡± -Fox! She was saying it herself? But, well, he couldn¡¯t argue. [The alliance is active on the African continent, where humanity was defeated before, but recently, we have been moving against the African monster forces. A connection with the monster group has been proven. First, the report on the research on intelligence among the monsters¡­] The meeting started right off with a big bomb. Everyone quieted down to look up at the screen. Only the soft sound of sses being moved could be heard. Kang Shin-hyuk inadvertently looked down at the cup in his own hand, which had the faint aroma of alcohol despite him asking for non-alcoholic champagne. -Juno Valentine, the thirteenth in the superhuman rankings, speak up. [It is no longer ssified, so let¡¯s say it.] A young blonde who looked to be about twenty spoke up. Contrary to his appearance, he was actually in his mid-thirties, but his aging had slowed down because of his immense magical power. Juno Valentine, a famous American high-ranker, had a reputation for being quick and violent in both words and actions. His skill was solid, however, and his shooting techniques were famous. He used two pistol artifacts he found in an SS-ss gate. [Three months ago, a special mission was conducted in Italian waters to enter an underwater gate. There was a battle with Jormungand. From what I confirmed at the time, the guys belonging to Jormungand weren¡¯t reallymunicating or engaging with the monsters using special magic. Rather, it looked like they were working under them.] [Are you saying there is a chance that Jormungand is being directed by monsters?] [We¡¯re talking about a small part of Jormungand. Perhaps the monsters have taken them over and attracted them to Jormungand.] He was impatient to speak even with the chairman, but she let his attitude slide. The other superhumans couldn¡¯t, however. [This is an important event airing all over the world, Juno Valentine. Be polite.] [This is why you don¡¯t have a woman.] -Please refrain from makingments that aren¡¯t rted to the meeting. The moment Michael Sampson spoke up against Juno, the chairman¡¯s voice resounded through the monitor again. Michael Sampson sat down first, and Juno Valentine opened his mouth with a smile. No voice came out, however. -Please refrain from makingments that aren¡¯t rted to the meeting. [Keh.] ¡°That.¡± Shin Eunah spoke up as she watched the screen. ¡°It was made by ire.¡± ¡°It was?¡± ¡°Making machine-like artifacts with magic-based programming. It has a lot of restrictions and requires a lot of mana stones, but no one canpare to ire in that regard. An Alchemist who specializes in software.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk recalled that ire had been involved in making the security system for Shinyoung¡¯s Royal ss. ¡°Hey, my noona said she wasn¡¯t very confident in making hardware.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want you to call me noona like ire.¡± ¡°On the subject of calling me grandpa¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not calling you that anymore.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t because you don¡¯t feel like a noona.¡± ¡°It¡¯s deadly¡­¡± What was it? Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart felt full at the expression she made. He pondered it for a while before eventually turning away from her gaze. His chest tickled. He felt sorry for ire for no reason, trying to let go of Shin Eunah but unable to. Perhaps it was because of the affection his former life had for her. ¡°But I¡¯ll be patient while you hold my hand.¡± ¡°You caught it first¡­¡± Shin Eunah continued to hold his hand tightly. ¡°They¡¯ll update the rank, and we¡¯ll go.¡± Suddenly, the agenda of the meeting had already moved on. Chapter 147 You Know (1) Chapter 147 You Know (1) Kang Shin-hyuk stopped a server to change his non-alcoholic beverage after seeing Shin Eunah off for the ranking announcements. The ss he received was sparkling with a translucent pink liquid. A beautiful silver-haired woman with the same drink arrived at his side. It was from Lee Na-hee. ¡°Is it fun to have two high-rankers fight over you?¡± ¡°Could you stop talking like that?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grumbled and toasted her by clinking sses. ¡°We¡¯re just getting along. Of course, I¡¯ve fallen for ire.¡± ¡°So, you can see some hope there?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. Especially since yesterday¡¯s date¡­ if ire didn¡¯t enjoy it, he would have to give her the award for best actress. ¡°Ah, youth against age.¡± ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s important? Chest?¡± In response to Lee Na-hee¡¯s bold question, he wondered if the ss she held also contained alcohol. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is something else¡­that is also important, though.¡± ¡°So quick to agree.¡± ¡°Please remember, senior. There are only two types of men in the world. Those who like that sort of thing, and those who pretend not to.¡± Lee Na-hee thought seriously about his answer. At least she had the edge over Eleanor in that regard. ¡°By the way, weren¡¯t you with senior Eleanor?¡± Lee Na-hee was surprised, it was like he read her mind, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t talking about that. She coughed loudly. ¡°I was caught by an official from the British royal family, but Baek rescued me. I fell behind though, so I¡¯ve been running around alone looking for food.¡± That first bit was true, although the second seemed false. In fact, she had approached him once she saw Shin Eunah leave. ¡°Baek rescued you? Ah¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk btedly recalled Baek In-ha¡¯s status outside of school. The prince of Baekyang could confidently go against the British royal family. His close friend was a sight to behold. That was what he wanted Eleanor to find, a friend of high social status to be her ally. Not a rookie king without any standing. ¡°What about Dous Payne?¡± ¡°He was on the other side of the room then.¡± ¡°Is that person really an idiot?¡± ¡°You idiot. There¡¯s no one at our school with the title of king who isn¡¯t an idiot.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make Eleanor and me stupid too? Tell me¡­oh, there they are.¡± Looking around the venue, he quickly found Eleanor, Karen, and Baek In-ha in a corner. He raised his hand to them, but Lee Na-hee quickly grabbed it and pulled his body closer to her. ¡°We can talk to each other?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Huh? That¡­ sorry.¡± [Since the incident in Korea about a month ago, signs have been detected in each country. This proves that the urrence of monster-rted abnormalities has a connected rtionship all over the world, unlike previous countercurrents that were concentrated in a region.] Lee Na-hee bowed her head slightly to apologize as the chairman¡¯s voice continued to discuss the next agenda. Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. ¡°You suddenly left and even pulled away Eleanor. ¡° ¡°Uh¡­should I say it again? ept my apology?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and shrugged. ¡°Alright. Here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lee Na-hee was relieved that Kang Shin-hyuk let it pass but was soon confused as he produced the pile of business cards he had received. She was quick to understand what they meant. ¡°Luanang, SD, Chemistry, Mercurius¡­these are all some greatpanies.¡± ¡°They asked to contact uster. Maybe they¡¯re aiming for Mr. Lee Manwoo, but we just have to meet them and show off our skills.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± These were people who didn¡¯te to see the contest on their own. Yet at the conference, Shin Eunah was able to create those connections for them easily. Lee Na-hee knew the value of each business card was enormous, and she cherished them as she picked them up. ¡°Are you going to meet with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have confidence by myself.¡± ¡°I have confidence! I do, so let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°If so¡­¡± This was a chance to continue their talks about a partnership. Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh and emptied his cup. ¡°Okay, then. It would be nice to work together until you graduate.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes.¡± Lee Na-hee nodded shyly. As when they had first talked about the partnership, a warm atmosphere was forming around them. ¡°Na-hee!¡± When he was wondering what to do from there, Eleanor came over. She seemed to be a little angry. ¡°I think I have to do something about Na-hee.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± [Then next¡­here?!] It was then, the chairman who was conducting the meeting began to bleed. ¡°Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if this surreal scene was a movie, not something actually happening through the monitors. Blood began to bubble up from the chairman¡¯s mouth, however, confirming it was reality. ¡°Poison?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster¡¯s poison!¡± Some of those watching the monitor were quick to respond. ¡°It might be dangerous here too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a raid! Damn, how¡¯d they get in here?¡± The chairman was in a state of confusion. The guards around the hall should have been helping people evacuate, but they were copsing one after another. The poison was already spreading. ¡°It¡¯s poison.¡± ¡°Ellie, do you need a poison resistance artifact?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Na-hee. How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to worry about.¡± Shin-hyuk had resistance to the poison of SS+ rarity, and proficiency of A+. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°You look excited. Karen?¡± ¡°I have artifacts, but the grade is low¡­! Your majesty, you need to leave this ce!¡± Karen tried to move Eleanor, but she was reluctant. ¡°Take out your artifact. Senior Na-hee, enchant it.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Karen pulled out the crystal ne she wore, and Lee Na-hee hurriedly ced a temporary enchantment there. Kang Shin-hyuk then used his spiritual power to enhance it further. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so good¡­!¡± ¡®Administrator.¡¯ -The poison flowing into the room can be recovered with an intermediate antidote. However, the poison spreading to the fourteenth floor requires the highest level. ¡®Is Eunah okay?¡¯ -It is of a level that Shin Eunah and ire Boyle can resist with their abilities. Then that was that. Kang Shin-hyuk bought a bottle of intermediate antidote and fed it to Karen. There were superhumans with detoxification magic around them working to heal everyone gradually. However, the poison was constantlying in, so without a resistance artifact, you would continue to suffer from it. Some superhumans tried to cast barriers, but it wasn¡¯t working. ¡°Get out of this building first!¡± The monitor screen was disying even more of a spectacle. A gate appeared in the middle of the conference hall. ¡°Is that the source?!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just run away. Anyone who has the means to stop the poison should go to the fourteenth floor and block the gate!¡± ¡°Gates are also appearing outside¡­damn it!¡± A countercurrent was taking ce in the middle of Paris, right at the time of the conference. There was a clear intention behind the urrence of the gate abnormalities. -The fourteenth floor contains an SSS-ss gate member. You should not get close to it. ¡°Then the outside gate¡­¡± -That one is SS-. Prepare your best armaments. The administrator¡¯s voice was firm. He wanted to check on the safety of Shin Eunah, but it was too urgent. He couldn¡¯t let the people who had already gone outside be preyed upon by the gate. ¡®With Gold Dragon, it should be possible¡­Okay.¡¯He asked his friends to cover for him and then changed into Shin Eun-hyuk. ¡°Shinyuk, you¡­?¡± ¡°Ah¡­?!¡± Since he was using his friends as a wall, they watched him change equipment slots. Eleanor and Lee Na-hee, who already knew, had awkward expressions, but Baek looked shocked and Karen¡­ she looked like she had lost her first love. ¡°You¡­ I¡¯m not saying it while you¡¯re like this¡­but¡­!¡± ¡°Stay still. Baek, let¡¯s move.¡± ¡°Your battle mode is awesome.¡± Baek grunted in response and pulled out his equipment from a subspace artifact. -There are gates on the twelfth and eleventh floors. Members, assume that this building cannot be protected and move. ¡®The gate on the fourteenth floor is already enough!¡¯He let out a sigh at the administrator¡¯s words, then took out the two scythes he had in his inventory as the number of gates gradually grew. ¡°These weapons¡¯ debut stage is incredible.¡± -Wasn¡¯t the debut in Mirotoz? ¡®Please don¡¯t count that one.¡¯ ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cool too¡­no! No!¡± Karen pped her cheeks and denied her own feelings as she watched him brandish the scythes. ¡°Karen, evacuate with the others.¡± ¡°Oh, no! Your majesty should go with us!¡± ¡°No, I will fight.¡± ¡°Eleanor, I¡¯m sorry, but please wait for us outside.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped Eleanor, who was already preparing to fight. Her eyes narrowed with anger. ¡°Mybat power isn¡¯tcking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that, but with your abilities it would be better to fight outside than in here.¡± ¡°Kh.¡± Moreover, she tended tog whenbat was drawn out. Eleanor knew it as well as he did. ¡°Karen, take her away quickly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use Shin-hyuk¡¯s voice with such a wonderful look!¡± ¡°Karen?!¡± Karen burst into tears as she dragged Eleanor out. Eleanor let her pull her away without any resistance. At the same time, Dous Payne was helping other distinguished guests evacuate. Of course, he was doing well, but he had missed his chance once more. ¡°Okay, both are enchanted.¡± ¡°Ooh, Na-hee, my noona¡¯s ability is great.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me your noona.¡± Lee Na-hee calmly enchanted Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha as Karen made a fuss. Baek, feeling that his boots were strengthened by more than 20%, was thrilled and tried to cling to her but was soundly rejected. ¡°Hey, juniors.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The moment Kang Shin-hyuk turned to look at her, Lee Na-hee gave him a short kiss. ¡°This is an immortal enchantment. I put all I had into it, so don¡¯t you ever die!¡± She ran away, her silver hair fluttering in the wind. Kang Shin-hyuk stood there, flustered. ¡°No, this guarantees that I will die!¡± ¡°¡­What am I supposed to do, Shinyuk? Can I cry?¡± -Boo, fox¡­! Too many foxes¡­! They could see the gate opening in the monitor that disyed the fourteenth floor. Simr gates were appearing all over Paris, pouring out monsters. Chapter 148 You Know (2) Chapter 148 You Know (2) -Member, from now on, we will support the battle through messages. First, buy seventeen A-rank magic bombs provided by the Hero Universe, and throw them all at 730 meters away at 11 o¡¯clock through the broken window. ¡°That¡¯s the direction Na-hee just left. What sort of battle are they supporting¡­?¡± Even though a SSS and SS-ss gate had opened in the middle of Paris, the administrator¡¯s attitude was surprisingly calm. Of course, it was true he was used to taking a rtively cool attitude towards other humans aside from Shin-hyuk, but suchments relieved him in this moment of crisis. ¡°By the way, sir.¡± ¡°Pretend you don¡¯t know, pretend you don¡¯t know.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grunted and exerted his trait to boost himself and Baek¡¯s boots. Baek could feel his speed pick up as he nced over at Shin-hyuk. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that have been great in thest battle?¡± ¡°Pretend you don¡¯t know. Now, let¡¯s start.¡± Why did Kang Shin-hyuk wear a mask and act as Shin Eun-hyuk in this situation? The reason was simple; that his traits were fairly obvious when used. If he activated them here without the disguise, it would be easy to tell whom he resembled. -I guessed it thest time the gates opened¡­member, this is erosion. Be careful. Kang Shin-hyuk finished reinforcing Baek and was using his sickles to remove the obstacles before him. ¡°Erosion?¡± -There are basically two types of gates: emission and absorption. Emission types pour out monsters from inside of it, and absorption brings in humans. That was the information he already knew. Wait, did that mean there were more than just two types? -Do you know what would happen if the emission gate waspletely neglected? ¡°After the monsters upy the area around the gate, the magic power inside of it moves into its surroundings, changing it. That¡¯s why we need to block emissive gates.¡± That was exactly what the African continent was currently facing due to the environment inside the gate, bleeding out to Earth, warping it. The monsters fighting there were gaining power as the number of humans able to fight against it decreased. If there was hell on Earth, it was there. ¡°No way, erosion¡­?¡± -It is to pollute the environment by force. The area bes a subspace that cannot be escaped without destroying the gate. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head at that moment, but it was already toote. The ceiling that was there just before was reced by the ceiling of a huge cavern. -The window has disappeared. Perhaps the administrator had wanted to explode Lee Na-hee, who had kissed Kang Shin-hyuk and ran away. It seemed feasible as the administrator¡¯s regret-filled message came in. The window that had just been there as well was now a cave wall. ¡°No way, this gate¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it¡­this is erosion!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time actually experiencing it. Damn it, those Jormungand guys.¡± The term eroded gate was one that few superhumans knew of, and those who did were high-rankers. However, even those who didn¡¯t know of it were able to grasp the situation instantly. The number of people remaining on the thirteenth floor was about forty. Half of them were superhumans, and half of what remained of the other group were mercenaries. The rest were ipetents, being escorted by them. ¡°It¡¯s an SS-ss gate. Those who don¡¯t havebat skills, gather in one ce!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an erosion. We can¡¯t escape without breaking the gate. Remain quiet! Damn it, an SS-ss gate¡­¡± ¡°This is Ellen Michelle, Vanguard¡¯s third team leader. First, we will divide and get into formation! Don¡¯t move there, the gate will open soon!¡± It would¡¯ve been nice if everyone had escaped before the gate opened, but there had been too many people contending with the poison. The situation would have been even worse if no one took the lead, as Dous Payne had. ¡®Is he here?¡¯ -Even if he were, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Agreeing with the administrator¡¯s unkind words, Kang Shin-hyuk nced over at the leader of Vanguard¡¯s third team, who was trying to lead the superhumans. However, at first nce, it seemed that no one would follow him. ¡°Who are you? Do you have experiencemanding high-rankers?¡± ¡°Each of our personalities and weapons are different, it¡¯s impossible to get into formation with people we just met. Hey, everyone for themselves!¡± ¡°The gates opening!¡± ¡°The mercenaries and ipetents can¡¯t make a wall to protect it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an SS-ss gate, even us superhumans will have a tough time with it.¡± ¡°What will you do, run away? Take a tour of the gate?¡± It was no wonder they were falling apart; they were standing in front of a terrible catastrophe that threatened the world. Kang Shin-hyuk, however, was calmly doing what he could. ¡°Intermediate potion set, please.¡± -I bought them. He drank all three status potions right away, pushing all of his stats to the SS-rank with the aid of his Venom Princess Soul. With his trait, he had the minimum conditions needed to challenge an SS-ss gate. ¡®The time for the potions is one hour. Will that be enough time?¡¯No, he didn¡¯t even need to think. Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his teeth and activated his trait once more. The power of the golden dragons buffed everyone who remained in the thirteenth-floor hall, raising their power. ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°All stats have been strengthened¡­was there such a high-ranking enchanter¡­?!¡± ¡°Figure it outter, the gate¡¯s opening!¡± -The SS-ss gate, 41st Barracks, will appear. The timing in his buff was very appropriate. No one had time to think about finding the source of the ¡®enhancement¡¯ as the gate opened right in front of them. -The realm of humans. -It is our Earth. -Ournd! It was the same as the countercurrent, but it was still unpleasant to see a monster who knew how to speake out from the gate. The superhumans charged recklessly at the dark-skinned dwarves pouring out from the gate. -Kaaahak! -Keehee! -Kukuku! Shouts mixed withughter and groaning. Kang Shin-hyuk swung his two scythes as he observed the enemy¡¯s movements over the cloud of dust forming on the battlefield. ¡°These guys¡¯ skin is terribly hard.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek stuck close together, throwing bits of conversation at each other in the middle of the battle. ¡°¡­Can you do it?¡± ¡°I should be able too.¡± Baek In-ha grinned. ¡°I¡¯m a superhuman too.¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, you¡¯re still in the reserve.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll be off first.¡± Baek disappeared from the spot. A secondter, one of the dwarves was sent flying into the cavern wall from his kick, letting out a pained scream. That wasn¡¯t all. The other superhumans, enhanced by Shin-hyuk, were somehow dealing with all of the dwarves who were rushing madly out. -Hiii! ¡°Huh, damn¡­but it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t deal with it!¡± ¡°Look out for the big ones¡­!¡± -Kiiihii! The dwarves were being taken care of without Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s help. He wondered if he should intervene but decided to wait for his turn as he ced one of the sickles on the ground. ¡®If it were a little wider, I could bring out the blue cow¡­¡¯The image of him on the back of that bike swinging his scythes shed through his mind. It was then that vibrations began to rock the space, matching the death throes of the dwarves. No, it felt like his very heart was beating. -Member, it¡¯sing out! ¡°What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could sense the energy emanating from the gate was increasing, but he couldn¡¯t tell what wasing out. -These are the real enemies. ¡°..>What are they? -Well, it¡¯s like them, but think bigger. ¡°Ah.¡± It was then that the great king of the monsters, a ck-skinned giant, appeared. -Our Earth. This is the beginning. The giant¡¯s huge mouth opened into a terrifying smile. Kang Shin-hyuk swung his scythe at it. Chapter 149 You Know (3) Chapter 149 You Know (3) Another scythe de sprang from the tip of the scythe that Kang Shin-hyuk swung. At the end of that one, another appeared, and then another. Dozens of des appeared instantly, making it look more like a sharp ded whip rather than a scythe. [Growing Scythe] [SS+Rank] [Special Abilities: Growth, Amplification, Capture, Split] *Growth: Speeds up the growth of crops. All abilities increase by 30%. *Amplification: Increases the yield of crops. All abilities increase by 30%. *Capture: Never misses the target it has set. *Split: Can divide into several pieces to increase work efficiency. The growing scythe that was forged by Anvil for Halo. It was the scythe that Halo cherished and had a number of abilities that strengthened itself, but at the forefront was the Split ability. Perhaps it was originally intended to create multiple sickles to increase the speed of harvest, but the result was instead this. It created dozens of des connected to its body. They could be connected or separated, but they were all empowered by Shin-hyuk¡¯s golden dragon trait and spiritual power. -Koaaaaahhhh¡­! It was a magical sight. Kang Shin-hyuk only swung the scythe in ce, and the giant de stuck into the boss¡¯s abdomen. A moaning sound flowed out from his mouth as the power that could not be released was now welling inside of it. -It is a poisonous creature. It seems to be bursting from the inside, causing damage to itself. 1,000HP bonus for your quick response! ¡°It¡¯s a real monster to be able to breathe poison¡­¡± Toxic smoke was rushing up through its throat from its stomach. Had it not been for Kang Shin-hyuk lodging the scythe de in its side, that powerful toxin would have spread throughout the venue in the blink of an eye. ¡°Fuck, watch out for that! Who knows what else wille.¡± ¡°Shin Eun-hyuk! Was that his original ability?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an artifact!¡± -Not yet¡­ ¡°Kh!¡± It was a powerful surprise attack, but it alone was insufficient to finish him off. Making that judgment quickly, Kang Shin-hyuk kicked off the floor and rushed the monster with both scythes. Dozens more of scythe des shed out as he swung the growing scythe once more, wrapping around the giant¡¯s body. -This energy¡­ The monster¡¯s twisted voice assaulted his eardrums. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively felt it wouldn¡¯t be good to let it talk. Which meant he had to kill it as soon as possible. No, with one more blow. ¡®Is there enough¡­yes, it will be enough.¡¯He pulled on the growing scythe, tightening the de against the giant¡¯s torso, then swung the falling scythe with his other hand. It drew a ck crescent through the air, cutting right through the monster¡¯s neck. -You have subdued a monster that was harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 1,500,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received additional HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 2,250,000HP! ¡°One blow?!¡± ¡°Is he human?¡± A tremor ran through everywhere the moment the giant¡¯s neck sailed through the air. It was difficult to keep fighting the dwarves, but now that the boss was dead, would they be able to resist the superhumans? ¡°A high-ranker¡­¡± ¡°No, a top-ranker among the high-rankers.¡± There was a bit of an error in their perception. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t have normally fired off such a strong blow. It had required a bit of luck and time to set it up. [Falling Scythe] [SS-rank] [Special ability: Harvesting, Fall Harvest, Earthmunication] * Harvesting: The chance of a critical hit is extremely high when harvesting a target. With each repetition, the weapon¡¯s performance and effectiveness are permanently amplified. *Fall Harvest: Movement speed and attack speed are increased by 30% when holding this weapon¡ªthe effect doubles in autumn. * Earthmunication: It is possible to share energy with the earth. This effect strengthens when you are stepping on the ground. The growing scythe focused on maximizing the power of the weapon itself, whereas the falling scythe focused on setting up the perfect blow to take an enemy¡¯s life. It also had an added bonus that came into use when dealing with erosive gates. ¡®Now I can share my energy¡­¡¯The moment the erosive gate broke out, Kang Shin-hyuk had ced the scythe to the ground. It was something he learned in Mirotoz, that he could imbue his spiritual power into thend. ¡®At first, I had thought that the energy just made living things grow faster.¡¯No, perhaps that was correct at the core, but it did more than just that. The energy of thend, which was different from magical power and even spiritual power, was converted into a powerful destructive force when raised with the scythe. Of course, it took time to harvest that power, and the less polluted thend was by others, the more nutritious that energy would be, and the faster it would be to raise up. Thend of the gate where nothing existed except for monsters, however, was very rich in energy. ¡°Everyone stay on the lookout because we don¡¯t know where they¡¯ll appear!¡± As everyone¡¯s gaze fell on him, Kang Shin-hyuk shouted out in English. The people silently looking at him nodded and turned their eyes away. Thanks to that, he was able to automatically route the body of the giant into his inventory with minimal notice. -That was the SS-rank monster Poison Keeper. Each one is treated on the level of a named elite. As Jormungand¡¯s elite soldiers, the fact that they have appeared here means that they came in with the determination to eradicate everything. ¡°Are there more?¡± -Probably. It was a good thing ire and Shin Eunah had advised him to learn to resist poison first. No doubt that was because they knew of Jormungand¡¯s tactics. Hopefully, those two would be fine¡­ ¡°Well, if I look at it, the fourteenth floor is the most dangerous¡­¡± -She was expecting her rank to be updated today, so she should be on the fourteenth floor. Kang Shin-hyuk gently bit his lip. He decided he would head to the fourteenth-floor gate as soon as he found a way out of this ce. Shin Eunah was strong enough to protect herself from any attack, and ire also had some great abilities. However, ire¡¯sbat power wasn¡¯t that high, so he couldn¡¯t help but worry. No, rather, there was no excuse. He just felt a need to protect her. ¡°I¡¯ve no choice but to break the gate.¡± -If so, then focus on wielding that scythe. Condensing a lot of energy can destroy the gate. ¡°I know.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ced the falling scythe back on the ground and duplicated the growing scythe to dual wield it. -Our earth¡­! ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Attack them!¡± -I can feel the fresh air. As if they had waited for his preparations, more poison keepers appeared around them. Thanks to his warning, the others were able to react quickly. Baek In-ha, faster than anyone else, burst forward like lightning to kick one of them in the stomach. In the meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk was killing the dwarves pouring out from the gate. He began to notice that with each one that died, the mana in the area was thickening. ¡®Is it acting as a catalyst to summon those poison keepers?¡¯Thanks to his ability to sense energy, he could grasp the flow of energy around him. His eyes shed golden as he began to read the flow of mana. He was sure of it. The dwarves weren¡¯t supposed to win since the beginning. Rather, they were sacrifices to call out the poison keepers. With each one that died, the erosion rate of the area increased. ¡®If so¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out an orb that emitted a bright purple color from his inventory. It was the Great Heavenly Spirit, which could absorb all energy. ¡°I¡¯ll drain you all dry then!¡± Dozens of scythes sprouted out from the sickle, dazzling ally and foe alike. Kang Shin-hyuk manipted wind around the des to cut down the dwarves all at once. -Wind Mastery (S) skill proficiency has increased to A+ rank. Your dominance over the wind has strengthened. A wee message appeared before him, proof of his intense concentration when dealing with the wind. He followed up the wind with his scythes. The dwarves were unable to resist his offensive. No, they died without resistance. Yet, before their energy could bring to fruition their ns, it was locked away inside of the orb that he tossed. -Well? -It is being disturbed by that. -Catch it! The automatic routing function had a function that automatically retrieved objects thrown by him. The moment the energy was collected inside of it, it was pulled back into his inventory along with the dwarves¡¯ corpses. -That guy! -I see it now; he is also taking the energy of the ground. -Stop him! Kang Shin-hyuk felt something in the words of one of his foes, something that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. It was an imperfect idea, but it waspelling. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk activated his Wind Mastery once more, creating a shield of des to protect himself. He rotated the shield with him at its center, forcing the attacking monsters back. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk set down the growing scythe and pulled out the falling scythe from the ground. In his other hand, he took out the Great Heavenly Spirit. The orb, which had absorbed all of the energy, and the falling scythe, which shared in the power of the earth. He had a simple and spontaneous idea tobine the two¡¯s abilities. ¡®I have to do it.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk acted on that sh of inspiration. The falling scythe synchronized with the Great Heavenly Spirit and began to exude purplish energy. All of the gate¡¯s energy began to be pulled towards the scythe. Chapter 150 You Know (4) Chapter 150 You Know (4) ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°Hold the center!¡± All of the energy within the gate was being absorbed into the falling scythe through the earth. Thanks to that, the ordinary people without skills and the superhumans whocked training were staggering without bnce atop the changing ground. -Pull it out! -Kill him! The dwarves rushed to Kang Shin-hyuk, throwing themselves at him without hesitation despite the shield of rotating des around him. As the des dulled from their bodies, they could begin to see Kang Shin-hyuk within. ¡°Ha.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t budge from his spot. He raised the power of his wind, adding it to the des. The wind was golden in hue as it grew stronger and sharper. At the same time, he was working on extracting the gate¡¯s energy with the falling scythe. It felt like his head might explode from doing the two tasks at once. It would¡¯ve been impossible if it weren¡¯t for his trait, assisting him in all actions rted tobat. -The proficiency of Golden Dragon (SS+) has grown to A+. Golden Dragon Fighter has grown to S+. With that thought, the proficiency of his trait and skill grew. The rotation of the des, which was slowing down, elerated once more to throw away the screaming dwarves. ¡°Shin Eun-hyuk is doing something.¡± ¡°We have to protect him!¡± ¡°Another giant has appeared!¡± ¡°Defend, no¡­damn it!¡± The hall was dominated by chaos. Unable to stop it in time, poison began to spew out from the new poisoner that had appeared. ¡°It¡¯s poison.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be blocked even with artifacts¡­¡± ¡°Oh god¡­¡± Perhaps it was simr to the poison from the fourteenth floor. Kang Shin-hyuk, even with his resist poison at A+ rank, felt a bit dizzy the moment it spread out. However, he was able to resist it. ¡®Damn, three in an instant.¡¯Most of the high-rankers had thorough defenses against poison, but the poison spreading out now exceeded that. Of course, the falling scythe was sucking up all of the energy inside of the gate, but it was impossible to prevent it from spreadingpletely. ¡®I can¡¯t stop now. Damn it¡­Baek?¡¯It was a useless worry. Worthy of being the sessor of Baekyang, Baek In-ha was moving as fast as he could even in this situation. Quickly rescuing the incapacitated rankers, attacking the giants, and even trying to prevent the further spread of the poison. His ability was staggering. ¡®I¡¯ve seen it before, but it¡¯s still amazing. He must¡¯ve been tired from fighting the other students.¡¯It was hard to believe he was only seventeen. With those idle thoughts, he could feel something set off inside himself. -Member, an antidote! It can¡¯t bepletely resisted with your current skills alone. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk urgently purchased and downed a high-level antidote, clearing the dizziness away. That was when he finally noticed the dwarves around him. ¡°Ah.¡± -Kuoooo! He elerated the de shield¡¯s rotation to cut down all the enemies near him. Cloning the scythe and manipting it with the wind wouldn¡¯tst forever, however. He could feel his spiritual power being blown away little by little. ¡®I¡¯m still okay, but the big boss of this gate hasn¡¯t appeared yet¡­¡¯The poison spreading across the battlefield was neutralizing thebatants one by one. He clenched his jaw and held the scythe firm. He would have to deal with the boss alone. An SS-ss gate boss. It was a funny thought to him. Even with the energy of the gate absorbed, there was no guarantee he could beat it. However, that was a superhuman¡¯s duty. -No! -Ournd¡­we have to get it back! A few more minutes passed of dwarves throwing themselves against the shield before the gate lost its power, and the erosion ceased. Screams echoed out everywhere as the dwarves copsed and began to convulse. The poison keepers also lost their strength and fell to the ground, unable to spread poison anymore. -Well done, member. The gate is copsing! ¡°Hah¡­haah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled the falling scythe out from the ground, breathing heavily. He used the Great Heavenly Spirit to clean up the poisonous energy because he disconnected it from the scythe. While he did that, the environment that had been eroded by the gate returned to its original state, revealing the marble floor of the thirteenth floor of the French Superhuman Association¡¯s HQ. ¡®If that happens, I won¡¯t receive the bonus from fighting inside of the gate¡­!¡¯ -It¡¯s much better to deal with the boss monster outside of the gate, member. The administrator was right. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to measure the total amount of energy currently held in the falling scythe. It felt like it might explode, as the energy inside it was protruding and fluttering around hazily. It was maintained by a golden hue around it, however. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± ¡°All survivors escape to a safe ce! There is still poisonous energy here¡­good luck!¡± The others were beginning to pick themselves up and hurry around. Although they hadn¡¯t been in the gate for long, 70% of their numbers had been killed or incapacitated. Shin-hyuk would be happy if that were the end of it, but something must appear at the end of the gate. -Oooooh¡­ ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Run away!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± A giant monster was slowly revealing itself from where the gate had appeared. -The named boss monster of the 41st Barracks, Poison Mist (SS+), has appeared. Be careful! It is an extremely high-level enemy! ¡°SS+¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had a silly expression on his face upon reading the message. This giant of a monster had mouths with jagged teeth all over its body or at least the parts that could be seen given its size. It looked vaguely hazy, too, making it hard to recognize. If it weren¡¯t for his spiritual power, it would¡¯ve been hard to recognize properly. -Oooooh¡­! It was breaking the ceiling with its giant body of about ten meters. It was vibrating as it emitted a strange sound, causing a light mist to cover its body. There were two good things, however. One was that the boss had weakened thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk copsing the gate. The second was that the boss monster was currently dealing with the tight space around it. -The gate on the twelfth floor is keeping it from copsing. That was lucky. If it weren¡¯t for the gates, the building would have copsed from that monster. ¡°But that means we¡¯re sandwiched between two gates now. To think I have to experience these ridiculous things¡­¡± -Wooooohhhhh¡­ It was almost funny to watch the giant monster stumble around, unable to stand up properly beneath the ceiling. ¡°It¡¯s open, attack!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shouted instinctively, cutting through the strange silence, and everyone¡¯s confused. He held the growing scythe in hand. The des continued to rotate around him without losing their strength, striking at the gray body of the giant as he ran in. -Guooooooh! A hazy fog burst out from it. It would be nice if it were just a mist, but it clearly wasn¡¯t. It spread through the air with magical power, a dangerous poison that threatened everyone around it. It would consume the magical power and stamina of all who came into contact with it. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The poison bursts out just by attacking. If you don¡¯t have resistance, fall back!¡± ¡°Damn Jormungand¡­!¡± The poisonous mist didn¡¯t give them any time to stand by and swearzily. It spread fast, only barely visible, and highly lethal. Two more high-rankers knelt, unable to contend with it. ¡°Kahak¡­this poison¡­damn¡­!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t possible¡­these Jormungand guys are different from before¡­!¡± Everyone could feel it. The conflict with the monsters¡­today, here in Paris, the real war between humans and monsters had begun. ¡°We can¡¯t fight it!¡± ¡°So we just run away and let it loose into Paris? What nonsense!¡± ¡°As long as the gate on the fourteenth floor is cleared¡­damn!¡± The survivors began to retreat despite saying things like that. Only three or four high-rankers were standing up, albeit barely. ¡°Fuck, even if it wasn¡¯t poisonous¡­¡± It was a deadly poison that would make those with stronger magical power suffer even more. In the midst of all that suffering¡­ Only Kang Shin-hyuk, who had no magical power, could stand without falling. Chapter 151 You Know (5) Chapter 151 You Know (5) -Magic poison, the first type of poison that Jormungand spreads in thend they wish to upy. Their magical power is different from that of humans, so it doesn¡¯t affect them, but humans who use strong magical power are more vulnerable to it. The administrator¡¯s message appeared to be calm, but Kang Shin-hyuk could sense a wave of subtle anger underneath it. -Because of the poison that Jormungand spreads¡­ humans who have prospered with magical power are destroyed by it. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s like Gromas¡¯s Swallowing Fungus.¡± -Where do you think they got the idea from? Indeed, the idea of using the poison created by Jormungand against them was a clever idea, but in the end, it had been their doom. Then would Shin Eunah, who had taken that poison and turned it into her own power, be able to resist even this poison without difficulty? Would she be Jormungand¡¯s most dangerous foe? ¡®No, isn¡¯t that not important right now?¡¯Now that the other superhumans were incapacitated, the only one who could stand against the poison mist was Kang Shin-hyuk. Even his condition wasn¡¯t doing so great, however. It wasn¡¯t just magical poison he was being bombarded by, and he was right in the middle of it as the one who was attacking the source of the poison. Even with his antidotes and resistances, he could feel the poisonous energy invading his body. ¡®But I have no choice. I¡¯m not affected by the magic poison.¡¯He exercised his spiritual power to energize the antidote and resist the poison. At the same time, he scoured his entire body for the energy to resist poison that should be inside his body. Spiritual power allowed one to contact the source of all things and bring it forth. If it were a skill he had, he should be able to find it. -Guoooo¡­? Did it notice he wasn¡¯t poisoned by the magic? Or perhaps it realized that the power in the scythe he held could destroy it. -Guooooaahhhhh! ¡°Huh?!¡± The boss made a strange noise and turned towards Kang Shin-hyuk, shaking its hand at him. Tentacles protruded from its fingertips, spewing out more poison to cover him. He had no time to escape. It was dense like a liquid, yet moved as quickly as gas, trapping Shin-hyuk in poison. It seemed to be the boss¡¯s skill. ¡°Khhh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes widened as he felt the concentrated poison hit him. The poison invaded his body, trying to melt his insides. His Golden Dragon Fighter regenerated and strengthened his body against it, burning brightly. -Member! ¡°No, this¡­rather¡­this is good¡­!¡± The poison was spreading through him, and his body resisted it with full force. Kang Shin-hyuk could feel the process clearly as he closed his eyes and ignored the pain. It was only then he seeded in capturing the root of the energy of resisting poison. The spiritual power that remained in him mixed with the Golden Dragon and permeated his skills to strengthen it. -Through theatrical experience, the skill proficiency of the Resist Poison (SS+) skill has increased significantly, growing to the S-rank! ¡°¡­Done.¡± He had been trying to reinforce the skill, but the result was even better. It made it much easier to resist the poisonous energy. Kang Shin-hyuk bought and drank one more top-notch antidote, then expelled the poisonous energy from his body as he brandished his scythe. He pushed past the terrible pain, refining the energy in the falling scythe. He just needed to wait for the moment to liberate it. ¡®It¡¯ll be thest blow.¡¯He could only swing it only once he was confident it would connect. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the growing scythe and lifted it up in the air. It was chipped a bit in the fight, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Look, you asshole.¡± He activated his Wind Mastery as he wielded the sickle, causing fragments of the de to m into the boss¡¯s body at once. It emitted that same dense fog once more, but it had no effect on Kang Shin-hyuk as it seemed to be the magical poison. -Guoooooooh! ¡°Try again!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk broke through the poison mist, soaring through the air as he swung the scythe. Shattered pieces of the de moved along the line the sickle drew, dancing around like cherry blossoms in a spring breeze. The monster¡¯s body was torn apart, bit by bit, as the wind swept through the mist emanating from it. He was still taking damage from the non-magical poison, but even those wounds were recovering steadily. A golden glow surrounded him, making him seem like a small sun as he fought. ¡°Try it!¡± -Guooooooh¡­! It swung its hands once more, aiming its tentacle-like fingertips at Kang Shin-hyuk. Realizing that the poison was ineffective, it was now trying to hurt him physically. It was unable to move properly, however, given that it was physically blocked by the ceiling and floor. Because of that, it was unable to break through the storm of des that Kang Shin-hyuk had created. -Skill proficiency of Wind Mastery (S) has increased to S-rank! Wind Mastery had grown twice already. Perhaps that, too, was a result of the luck bonus he had received the other day. If so, now was the correct time! -Kashashasha! The de fragments moved around Kang Shin-hyuk, cutting through the monster. It screamed out in pain as several des were embedded throughout its body. ¡°Woooooohhhh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw the growing scythe, activating its abilities to make it massive. It had grown to a size of ten meters in an instant, finding its way into the boss¡¯s chest. The ugly mouths all over its body opened at once, letting out a pained shriek. Kang Shin-hyuk kicked off the floor, reaching over to its torso to swing the other scythe he had in hand. A sh of gold radiated out with a loud roar. -Bang! The sharpened energy broke through the body vertically, causing a magnificent explosion. Kang Shin-hyuk was thrown to the wall by the explosive power, causing a groan to leave his mouth. He could feel the arm he had been holding the scythe with unpleasantly creaking. It was probably broken, but it relieved him that it was only broken. ¡°Hak¡­¡± -Guoooh¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk felt his heart fall at the groan he heard. Did it not die? Didn¡¯t it feel that terrible energy amplified by the falling scythe? But all it took was a breeze. The critical hit had been triggered on thatst blow, sessfully killing the enemy. With a soft wind running through the room, the monster was scattered into the air without a trace. Something small and sparkling fell to the ground, grabbed quickly by the automatic routing function. Fortunately, no one else had seen it. -You¡¯ve fought overwhelming enemies and ovee your own limitations. Strength and agility have grown by one step. -Through a fierce battle, you have gained a piece of transcendental enlightenment that will lead battles in your favor. The skill proficiency of [Golden Dragon (SS+)] will grow to S-rank! -You have received valuable experience that transcends the limits of skill. The rarity of [Wind Mastery (S)] has increased by two steps, bing [Wind Mastery (SS-)]! Indeed, the battle had been fierce, but the reward was sweet. It was the first time since crushing the spider¡¯s egg nest that he had gained such experience. The most surprising thing of all was that the rarity of his Wind Mastery skill had increased even further. He didn¡¯t think it could grow any further. ¡®Now, it¡¯s more like a trait.¡¯His wind, having reached S-rank proficiency, was undoubtedly lighter and sharper than before. It was a shame he was unable to fight while riding on his bike. -You have subdued a monster that was harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 23,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received additional HP equal to 50% of the reward, for a total of 34,500,000HP! That was also surprising. It had been a boss monster, but it was an incredible amount of HP to receive for only one. -It is because it is a monster deeply connected to Jormungand. Rather than by its strength, HP has been paid as a measure of how much harm it would have caused if it were able to. ¡°I see¡­ugh.¡± Pain radiated through him. He knelt down, unable to stand. Normally, Golden Dragon Fighter would have healed his broken arm in no time, but his regeneration was dyed after he had expended all of his spiritual power while fighting. -I bought a potion. I will summon it right away. ¡°Thank you, administrator.¡± -3,000HP bonus for members who never forget to offer their thanks! For saying a simple thanks, he had received back half of the potion¡¯s cost. Once again, he wondered if the bonuses were getting worse as he drank the potion. ¡°Then, now¡­¡± The potion from the Hero Universe was special. It took only three seconds for it to soak into his entire body, and within five seconds, his arm was fixed. Kang Shin-hyuk opened and closed his hands a few times to test it. In the meantime, the scythe had fallen to the ground. He ced it in his inventory, as its ability wouldn¡¯t be infinitely usable. Both of the scythes had been pushed too hard. For now, it would be best to let them rest quietly in the inventory. ¡°First, I want to move people to safety¡­¡± He fed those still alive potions from the Hero Universe, but none of them awoke. Perhaps the magical poison¡¯s after-effects still remained. -There is currently no safe ce around. I think it would be best to leave them where the gate was destroyed. Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly at the message. He looked around at the destroyed room that still had intact floors and ceilings. Through the broken windows, he could see the city of Paris in chaos. ¡°I suppose so. It¡¯s incredible that it¡¯s still intact.¡± -This is because of you. It¡¯s your achievement so that you can be proud of it. He smiled slightly. This battle had gone lucky for him in several ways. He was able to block the enemy¡¯s main form of attack because it was poison, and its dangerous magical poison had no effect on him. He wondered if that too was an effect of the luck buff. ¡°But, it won¡¯t work for an SSS-ss gate.¡± -Unfortunately, no. With how difficult the SS-ss gate was, he could hardly imagine what the SSS one would be like. It didn¡¯t matter how much he had grown in that battle; the difference was toorge. To add to that, his status boost potions would soon wear off. ¡®Thanks to the growth of my strength and agility, with the Venom Princess Soul, but strength and agility are SS-rank¡­¡¯His spiritual power and Golden Dragon were also S+. But that wasn¡¯t enough to change the war situation. And ire was even weaker than that. -Noona. He spoke to her through the whisper system. -I¡¯ming to help. The reply arrived soon. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Yes. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Help. He raised his head with a vicious smile. It felt good to see her trust in him. He might¡¯ve faltered entering such a dangerous ce if she hadn¡¯t shown him her heart. ¡°I want to enter the gate above me. What should I do?¡± -You can purchase a one-time magic tool that allows for forced entry into the gate at the VIP special shop. With the administrator¡¯s special bonus, it¡¯s free. Kang Shin-hyukughed as he felt the love of the administrator. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go right away.¡± -No, you need to check the loot before that. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chapter 152 You Know (6) Chapter 152 You Know (6) It was the second time an SSS-ss gate had opened on earth. Shin Eunah had also been on the scene the first time it happened. Of course, she was a little younger, and she couldn¡¯t do much because she couldn¡¯t skillfully handle her power. Another top ranker ended the situation: the number 1 in the current international ranking, the New Sword Oh Joo-young. He was already in his fifties at that time, yet he maintained the appearance of a man in his early twenties as he waded through the frontlines with Vanguard¡¯s elite fighters. His trait was to embody the power of the most famous sword passed down through history¡­that was [Excalibur (SS+)]. His ability, which was known to be the highest rank, imparted upon him strong light magic and increased his weapon¡¯s cutting power. It was easy to understand and extremely strong. Yet, when Shin Eunah looked at his back when he fought, she could only think of one thing. ¡®The sword made by grandpa is much better than that.¡¯That thought hadn¡¯t changed even today, ten yearster. That thought was once more in her head as she watched Oh Joo-young, still youthful as ever, block the SSS-ss gate with Vanguard¡¯s high-rankers. ¡°Chairman, how¡¯s your condition!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you not call out like that, but I¡¯m fine!¡± Charlotte Jad Macon, the retired superhuman serving as chairman of the conference, shouted with renewed energy. Her ability was [Super Regeneration (SS)]. It was a trait that was the higher form of regeneration, a special ability Kang Shin-hyuk once possessed, and it was a cheat-like ability that allowed her to quickly recover and even grow her resistance unless she was killed in a single blow. What was truly surprising was that she, despite already gaining a high level of resistance to poison in the past, suffered a great deal of damage this time. The attack from Jormungand had definitely been designed to be fatal. ¡°How about rankings?!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to measure right now, push!¡± Vanguard was building a barrier right in front of the gate, but what had happened at the gate right below them was also happening there. Monsters were appearing everywhere in that environment that waspletely changed from erosion. It was fortunate that the people on the fourteenth floor were mainly top-ranking superhumans, yet that was also the problem. All of them were people with important statuses; if even one died, it would be hard to rece them. ¡°Guys who surpass SS-ss are pouring out¡­ damn, it¡¯s erosion. Catch and kill them so they can¡¯t escape!¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let theme this way! Focus on the detoxifying magic!¡± It wasn¡¯t just Vanguard, however. The world¡¯s rank two and three guilds, Stone Ground and Dark Curtain, were gathering to block the gate. Thanks to that, they were able to establish at least some semnce of order. ¡®Is it alright yet?¡¯The moment she saw the message announcing the SSS-ss gate, Shin Eunah had abandoned all notions of hiding her power. It was no exaggeration to say that the people in charge of the¡¯s future were gathered around her right now. She couldn¡¯t let them die, even if it meant revealing her power. However, she needed to find the traitor who would surely be somewhere in this venue. She focused on protecting the civilians with her magic while she looked around. ¡°ire, can I ask for that potion first?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made it for you.¡± ire had been waiting with her as she was going to update her rank today as well. She was also caught by the gate¡¯s erosion, but herbat power wasn¡¯t on the level of the high-rankers around her. ¡°Here. It won¡¯t only increase the quality of your magic power¡­ it¡¯ll protect your body no matter how much you use.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shin Eunah noticed the trembling in ire¡¯s hand as she handed her the potion. Even though she always smiled brightly and joked around, she was frightened. Shin Eunah held her hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Wow, how cool.¡± ire giggled a bit before her smile became uneasy. ¡°Thank you, but that¡¯s not it¡­ Shin-hyuk is worried¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Shin Eunah frowned at that. She wanted to get out of there and go down to save Shin-hyuk on the thirteenth floor, but she wasn¡¯t able to. She had no way to get out of the gate, and even if she could¡­ ¡°These people can¡¯t leave here¡­¡± ¡°What should I do¡­? he¡¯s worried about this side. Shin-hyuk is intuitive, so he knows¡­ ah¡­¡± ire tangled her hair, her frustration growing. Shin Eunah watched her nkly. ¡°Not the first one he loves¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ll be his first love.¡± ¡°Hey¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, ire.¡± When ire inadvertently shouted out loud, a man called back out. It was Juno Valentine, the man who had spoken during the conference. ¡°ire, you¡¯re still pretty! It¡¯s a bit unlucky to meet here, but?¡± ¡°Ah, Eunah, something strange came because of what you said.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯ve been making fun of me since the old days, so it¡¯s returning.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ire ground her teeth at Shin Eunah¡¯s reply. She had certainly made fun of her this way in the past, but that was to take Shin Eunah¡¯s mind off of her grandpa. Ultimately, the two¡¯s situation hadn¡¯t been all that different. ire, who had awoken an SS-ss trait, was isted from the general public without much chance to interact with others. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re nervous? You¡¯re saying something I can¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Korean. I don¡¯t want to talk to you right now, so go, Valentine.¡± The main difference between the two was that Shin Eunah was a noblewoman who couldn¡¯t easily talk to anyone because of the oppressive atmosphere she emitted. Not that she was unhappy with that, personally. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s an SSS-ss gate. How about a kiss for the brave knight who¡¯s protecting you, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it, so go kiss an ogre.¡± Juno Valentine had persistently chased ire in the past. It was a pain for her, as he had made such a big show of it that most had mistaken them for being in a rtionship. Shortly before his persistent and irritating courtship could reach an illegal level, ire had mobilized Shin Eunah to defeat him. Their friendship had deepened as a result, and Juno Valentine became one of the few humans who knew of Shin Eunah¡¯s true powers. It had all been quietly covered up, however. ¡°Even with the SSS-ss gate, you¡¯re doing this? Is it you?¡± At ire¡¯s question, Shin Eunah focused on Juno. What she meant was ¡®Is the traitor you?¡¯ But Juno only shrugged, not understanding. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, honey. I just thought it was nice to see you after a long time. I might want to go see what the hell is in Korea¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, well, there was a guard already here.¡± Juno became calm as Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes narrowed at him. It hadn¡¯t been so long that he could forget about her abilities. ¡°I always mean it. If you want me¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. If you¡¯re a superhuman too, why don¡¯t you hunt the guys showing up? Ah¡­¡± Just before ire could finish her sentence, a loud popping sound filled the air. It was the sound of Samuel Joiner¡¯s head bursting. He had been a part of the UN Gate Countermeasures Organization. ¡°Aha! Now you know it¡¯s not me, right?¡± ¡°Shoot a gun if you have time to talk, idiot!¡± Juno fired his double pistols. The person who had popped the civilian¡¯s head quickly evaded, unable to continue their assault due to the gunfire. ¡°If I were hunting monsters, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop them so quickly.¡± ¡°If you were more vignt, he wouldn¡¯t have died!¡± ¡°Your reaction speed is fast, Juno, but still! Too clumsy!¡± The woman was moving through the air by exploding off the floor. It was Yuki Mizushima, the Bomber Girl, ranked sixth in the international rankings. She was the strongest female superhuman with the SS-ss [Magic Alteration] trait. There was some talk that, after ten years of stagnation, she might hand over her seat to the Thunder Empress, but she was still incredibly strong. She, who had such a dangerous ability, had betrayed humanity. ¡°That woman¡­!¡± ire bit into her lip. Magic alteration changed the nature of magical power under one¡¯s own influence. It could be used to negate the opponent¡¯s magic, twist the flow of power inside of a gate, and, most simply, create explosive bursts of magic. In the confined space of the gate, she was one of the most dangerous enemies to watch out for. ¡°Bomber Girl betrayed us and killed Samuel Joiner!¡± ¡°I told you that nickname is too cartoonish!¡± ¡°Ahahahaha! Since the first goal has been achieved¡­ let¡¯s make this a grand scene!¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh so disgustingly, you fifty-year-olddy!¡± The only one who couldugh was Bomber Girl. Her magic power began to encircle the gate, spreading its magic throughout the inside. -It opened. -Is it open now? It¡¯s slow, that¡¯s no good. -But¡­that¡¯s enough. Originally, erosion took a considerable amount of time, but Bomber Girl had drastically elerated the process with her trait. The bullets Juno fired honed in after her, but by the time they reached her, there were already several monsters there to protect her. ¡°Shall we start?¡± -It¡¯s good. Humans and monsters were conversing on the same side. The agenda that had been covered at the meeting before was so neatly summarized. Oh Joo-young, the New Sword, smiled bleakly as he pointed his sword at her. ¡°That¡¯s why Japan should¡¯ve been thrown out.¡± ¡°The nation and individual should be viewed separately, right?¡± More SSS-level monsters appeared around them. ire instinctively clung to Shin Eunah, and even Juno backed up closer to her. ¡°Eunah.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Shin Eunah nodded, biting her lip. ¡°They¡¯ll have to start updating the rank.¡± Chapter 153 You Know (7) Chapter 153 You Know (7) ¡°It¡¯s a skill stone¡­¡± -That¡¯s right. Kang Shin-hyuk was thrilled when he realized the identity of the loot left by the Poison Mist. Skill stones were traded for billions of dors even if they were low-end ones, but an SS+ boss monster dropped this one. He had just obtained one of the rarest types of loot possible. -Your expectations are probably correct. It will be SS+ rank or higher. Moreover, you don¡¯t need to worry about the match, so don¡¯t worry and take it right away. ¡°Ah, even though SS-rank is the limit for skills and traits¡­¡± -As previously exined, that is just the typical limit for a mortal. In rare cases, a trait or skill could exceed that limit to reach the rank of SS+. Kang Shin-hyuk had experience in that himself, with his Golden Dragon, and resist poison. The current number one, Ju-young Oh, was known for having an SS+ trait as well. If one of the conditions for bing a high-ranker was having something of SS-rank, then having something that went beyond that was a natural prerequisite to bing a top-ranker. Of course, Shin Eunah, who had an SSS-ss trait, was beyond all that. ¡°Maybe¡­depending on what this skill is, I can be helpful in that gate.¡± -Come on,e on. The administrator urged Kang Shin-hyuk on. With a bitter smile, Shin-hyuk exuded his spiritual power and took in the skill stone at once. The energy contained in it responded to his spiritual power, absorbed into his body with a brilliant light. His trait activated instinctively, and he could feel his spiritual power growing with the possibilities. -You have absorbed the essence of the skill stone. The unique skill [Soul Poison (SSS)] has been awakened! By absorbing the [Resist Poison (SS+)] skill, the effect of the skill has been amplified, and its skill level has grown to S+. -You have grown to the SS-rank from the stimtion of your spiritual power. Kang Shin-hyuk remained silent, unable to speak. It was beyond even when he had awakened the Golden Dragon Fighter. Perhaps that was because it was a skill directly connected to the spirit. His body began to convulse as his soul changed. ¡°Soul poison¡­¡± -The administrator was also surprised by it. Originally, I thought you would acquire [Poison Master (SSS-)]. You, the master of spiritual power, have transcended what was thought possible. A 10,000HP bonus for this new miracle! The administrator was truly surprised, but Kang Shin-hyuk felt like it was a lie. Particrly because of the suspicious bonus. [Soul Poison (SSS): Sprays poison that digs into the source through spiritual power. It is invisible and powerful. Only those who deal with the power of the source can resist you. You have a strong resistance to all types of poison, and whenever you dig into another¡¯s source, your own source is strengthened.] It was a scarily usable power that cuts through to the core of a person. The Gaia system could not fully exin it. But Kang Shin-hyuk was already grasping its capabilities through his spiritual power. -If this is the case, you can enter the gate even without a Hero Universe product. What do you think? ¡°I think so too.¡± It wasn¡¯t just poison. The skill gave fangs to the spiritual power that had limitless possibilities. ¡°I will.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced that he had just gained the strength needed to reach the higher ranks. Even without borrowing the power of the scythes or the Godyer, he might¡¯ve been able to reach this conference by his own power. -However, you should be careful when using it. I believe that you will have control over it, but¡­ A power to harm the soul. Kang Shin-hyuk knew of that fear well, from Anvil, who had made countless soul weapons with his own hands¡­ ¡°But now I have to protect what is precious.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk corrected his mask and fired five strands of poisonous web toward the ceiling. The threads were imbued with spiritual power that allowed them to dig through his target. He watched with a small smile at the faint scenery that emerged. ¡°It works.¡± -I will assist you. ¡°Please.¡± The threads projected by Kang Shin-hyuk stuck to the ceiling, drawing dozens of circles round and round it. He used them to tear off a chunk of it, like removing a manhole cover to reveal the interior beyond. He threw himself into it without a second thought. -Forcibly entering the SSS-ss gate [Thirteen Passages]. The first thing he saw inside the gate were several magical volleys flying toward him. He fired off his ten threads, intersecting them in the air to block the attacks and dismantle the magic cannons that were the source. The spiritual power flowing through the threads cut through it with ease. ¡°How?!¡± He heard the voice of a young woman. Turning his head, there was a girl with a ponytail dressed in ck, looking at him with an expression of horror. She was sitting on the shoulder of an ogre, making her identity explicitly obvious. ¡°Her character is so intense¡­no doubt the culprit.¡± -It appears her trait is magic alteration. With the current you¡­three seconds. ¡°That¡¯s too quick!¡± However, it was true that the match-up was good for him. Magic alteration could be used to nullify an opponent¡¯s abilities, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no magic for it to work on. Moreover, the deterioration of magical power could be seen as an act of manipting the source, in a strict sense. That was something Kang Shin-hyuk was now familiar with, thanks to his soul poison. ¡®The problem is the monsters. There¡¯s no way to get past them, and I can¡¯t kill them quickly enough. I could try the thread¡­I have Wind Mastery, no, what is it¡­?¡¯ ¡°Death puppeteer?!¡± ¡°How¡¯d you get in?¡± The hall was revitalized. Kang Shin-hyuk noticed that the leader of the UNmittee, who he had seen on TV many times, was dead on the ground, and SSS-ss monsters were overflowing from everywhere. They had been able to defeat quite a few superhumans already, so Kang Shin-hyuk doubted he could fight them one-on-one. However, even the monsters of SSS-rank wouldn¡¯t find him easy prey. ¡®Noona? Found her.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk, who gave up on killing Bomber girl, for now, moved quickly to find ire. She was leaning against one wall as she confronted the monsters narrowing around her, Juno nearby with his dual pistols. He fired off threads to block the monsters movement for just a moment, throwing himself through the gap he created tond next to her. ¡°Ah!¡± The expression she made was one of shock, happiness, and a slight regret. Probably she was worried that she had put him in danger. ¡°I¡¯m here, noona.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly turned to Juno Valentine, putting ire behind him. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was conscious of both Juno and the monsters as he readied his threads. Juno was nervous himself, having seen Kang Shin-hyuk enter the gate at will and also cut through Bomber girl¡¯s magic cannon. However, the confrontation was resolved quickly by ire putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This man is annoying, but not an enemy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Just one traitor?¡± ¡°No, I think there are more.¡± Her hand trembled slightly. If Shin Eunah were by her side, she wouldn¡¯t be so nervous, but what had happened? Kang Shin-hyuk turned his gaze, noticing a massive amount of magical power exploding in the gate¡¯s center. ¡°She¡¯s fighting a boss monster.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grasped the situation in a moment. A traitor had appeared among the top-rankers, killing one of the important civilians. At that moment, the monsters had starteding in earnest. Shin Eunah and the others had been fighting them while keeping Bomber girl in check, being steadily pushed by as they worried about other traitors in their midst. It was then that Kang Shin-hyuk had broken in. ¡°If so¡­¡± The conclusion was swift. ¡°I¡¯ll get people out.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you let traitors or the others out of the gate, they won¡¯t be able to act easily. At least, it¡¯s better than leaving them trapped inside.¡± Additionally, if you removed the people who were burdens, Shin Eunah could unleash the full explosive power of her magic. It was evident that she was restraining herself to curb the coteral damage she was causing. ¡°Out of the gate? Shin-hyuk, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gently swung his hand and wrapped numerous threads around it. ire¡¯s eyes shed momentarily, noticing how his thread maniption had be faster. However, his next action was even more frightening. He mmed it into the floor and punched a hole through the gate. ¡°Noona, go first.¡± ¡°You, that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send more after you, so prepare for it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and pushed her through. ire couldn¡¯t respond as she fell out of the gate. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°You can help me save people.¡± Juno Valentine tried to follow after her but stopped moving as he watched Kang Shin-hyuk cover the hole with his foot. ¡°Hey, I won¡¯t be very helpful either.¡± ¡°I need a shield.¡± ¡°Hey, do you speak English?¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°Fuck, I hate the idea of going to Korea now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk waved his glove menacingly and began to drag him along. It was the start of Operation Gate Escape. Chapter 154 You Know (8) Chapter 154 You Know (8) -That man is making holes in the gate! -Block him. The queen demands it! The space, which had been eroded by the gate, was muchrger than the fourteenth floor of the HQ had originally been. There was a gate at the center, where a boss monster of immeasurable rank had appeared to confront Shin Eunah and the other top-rankers. The other SSS-ss monsters were quick to surround them, making it hard to see them from the outside. The sounds of a fierce battle could be heard, however, resonating through the gate with the screaming of monsters. -Troublesome humans! -They keep shooting strange things! ¡°These dirty things!¡± The humans were contending with the irregr summoning of monsters, like what happened in the SS-ss gate Kang Shin-hyuk had fought before, but Shin Eunah was here to organize them. The boss monster had appeared while they were fighting, and the top-rankers had gone to fight it with Shin Eunah, whereas the rest gathered up to try and endure. Kang Shin-hyuk appeared at that point when ire had been separated from Shin Eunah. He had to begrudgingly admit that Juno Valentine was a help, protecting her before he showed up. ¡°Even though I strengthened you, you¡¯re still weak. Are you really in thirteenth ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Juno Valentine shouted back at Kang Shin-hyuk, but he couldn¡¯t help but admire his ability. A golden sh had crossed Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes, and the next moment, his pistols were filled with golden energy. It was thanks to his buff that Juno was able to fight against several SSS-ss monsters at all. ¡®It¡¯s a tremendous ability. If it¡¯s something that can be given to others and not just me alone¡­ besides that, he can make it possible to escape the gate. Who is this kid? Wait¡­ he¡¯s not dating my ire, right?¡¯Juno Valentine had all sorts of thoughts running through his mind as his hands franticly moved to fire in all directions. Kang Shin-hyuk moved swiftly along the path he made, firing off threads in all directions. The webs imbued with soul poison intersected around the confined space to create a sturdy barrier that blocked the monsters. The lightning web was mixed into it, further strengthening it with electricity. -Wow?! -Pierce through¡­ kh! It was a sight to behold, seeing the SSS-ss monsters blocked by the web barrier. While Juno followed behind him to keep an eye on the monsters, he secured the civilians and tossed them through the floor. ¡°Follow the Alchemist once you make it out.¡± ¡°Are you Shin Eun-hyuk? Who the hell are you?¡± Of course, each one of them held an important position, but that wasn¡¯t important at the moment to Kang Shin-hyuk. He just created the holes in the gate and pushed them in. ¡°Help me.¡± ¡°The ability to forcibly enter and exit a gate means that Korea will be upsetting things in the future.¡± ¡°Hey, get the civilians out quickly so we can fight!¡± Unlike the thirteenth floor, the high rankers on the fourteenth floor were all in the top fifty, with only a few exceptions like ire. They joined Kang Shin-hyuk to deal with the monsters and help him move about easier. ¡°Is Bomber girl the only traitor?¡± ¡°Watch each other¡¯s backs. Move with two other people.¡± The betrayal by the top-rankers had created an atmosphere where a civil war could break out at any point, but the appearance of Kang Shin-hyuk had given them a chance to unite once more. Bomber Girl was annoyed that she wasn¡¯t able to deal with Kang Shin-hyuk when he appeared. She tried to kill more civilians before he could rescue them, but he had already grasped the root of her power when he blocked her attacks and cut through them with soul poison. ¡°All of you, move! Move! Kill him first!¡± Bomber Girl was on the ground, throwing a tantrum like a child. She was afraid of Kang Shin-hyuk, and after the first collision, she was hiding between the monsters. But at her words, the monsters responded as if it were only natural. -The enemy is unexpectedly strong. Especially that one, blocking our movement. -Humans are ipetent, after all. It would be nice if it were left all to us and they disappeared. Each monster had a unique appearance, but each was at least three meters in size. One had a red and ck outer shell that looked like a mix of dragon scales and an insect carapace. It had an unusually long tongue and arms that were slim and sharp. It was fast enough that it was hard to follow even with the keen eyes of a superhuman. Fortunately, most of the monsters didn¡¯t have magical abilities. But being caught by one meant death, even for the high-rankers here. They were trying to push them away so they couldn¡¯t approach. ¡°This is thest one.¡± ¡°Thank you, pride of Korea¡­¡± ¡°Get out quickly.¡± Finally, he threw Shinyoung¡¯s principal, Shin Yoon-hak, out of the gate and turned to face the monsters around them. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get through this.¡± ¡°If one more gate like this opens, then it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Hey, Excalibur! How long will you take?!¡± They had seeded in getting all of the civilians out, and ire was with them so that they would be safe. But what would they do from now on? Could they run away too? But then the gate would continue to erode away at the area around it, releasing these terrible monsters into the world. They could try to kill the boss monster, causing the gate to copse and these normal monsters to disappear. But¡­ how? They couldn¡¯t kill an SSS-ss monster. The high-rankers¡¯ sense of doom was slowly spreading to Kang Shin-hyuk. -The Bartender sent a gift. Would you like to ept? Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly at the message. He remembered something like this had happened before. In fact, he had been hoping she would help him like this again. He was able to enter the gate without hesitation because he believed in her. -You received the Alchemist¡¯s Special Transcendence Potion (SS). Of course, he didn¡¯t think it would be possible to ovee the situation with just her potion but just holding it reassured him. -What¡¯s it like outside? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Everyone¡¯s okay. No one seems to be suspicious, but Paris has gone mad. Shin-hyuk, are you okay? -Now, all we have to do is catch the boss. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: No matter how good the potion works, don¡¯t overdo it. Focus on saving Eunah and yourself¡­ ah. -What? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: The building is copsing. With that, her message cut off. He was at least reassured she wasn¡¯t dead thanks to the Hero Universe system, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°There¡¯s no choice but to finish this quickly and go out¡­¡± He downed the potion. -All wounds that aren¡¯t fatal have been healed. The effect has been amplified by the spiritual power contained in the potion. All wounds and abnormalities will be healed, and the remaining healing power will remain to protect you for a while. -For ten minutes, all stats have increased by two steps. The effect has been amplified by the spiritual power contained within the potion. For twenty minutes, all stats will increase by three steps. Spiritual power has increased by another level. -With your own spiritual power, you have seeded in drawing out the limit of the spiritual power contained in the potion. The rareness and proficiency of all skills have increased by one step while the potion¡¯s effect is maintained, and the power of your trait has been increased. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head. At that instant, all of the humans around him were filled with golden energy. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°What is this¡­surely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stronger¡­?¡± Excluding Kang Shin-hyuk, there were twenty-two people. All of them were in the top fifty, except for one man who was a mercenary with skillsparable to a high-ranker. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it willst for long. First, I will create a path straight to the boss.¡± ¡°No way¡­ are you¡­?¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s a reinforcement ability¡­but how many people is this? No, now¡¯s not the time.¡± ¡°Run! Break them down!¡± It was a dramatic reversal from how things had been when Kang Shin-hyuk first arrived. He didn¡¯t know how long his buff wouldst, and they still couldn¡¯t easily cut down the SSS-ss monsters just because of the buff, but they were clearly stronger. It was enough to renew their hope. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Bomber Girl! I¡¯ll tear her down myself!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± -That energy¡­ -Kill all those in our way! A full-scale sh began. Superhumans let out all their skills at once against the monsters, pushing them back. -Finish them quickly! -I¡¯m going as hard as I can! The monsters kept talking, but no one was listening to them.-Eunah¡¯s whisper: Junior, pleasee to me. Eunah¡¯s message flew in during the fierce battle. To her? In the midst of all those SSS-ss monsters? But she wouldn¡¯t call him for no reason. He fired a spider web in a straight line, believing in his spiritual power, which had been amplified by four times and reinforced with an SSS-rank skill. He had been using his soul poison to deflect their attacks or hinder their movement, but now it was possible to pierce through them with it. -Ahhhhhhh! -My soul is being destroyed! -Spiritual¡­! This is spiritual power! To be able to grasp the nature of the poison and put it into words, the SSS-ss monsters were different. Kang Shin-hyuk flew in the direction his attack had gone without a second thought, trusting the high-rankers¡¯ formation to protect the side. ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°Is he trying to fight the boss?! No, he¡¯s strong though!¡± ¡°Potion! I saw him drink a potion! ¡°If he has something like that, I want some, damn it!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s leap forward was truly spectacr. He blocked the iing attacks with his webs, piercing through the path he had set tond near Shin Eunah instantly. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°¡­You really came.¡± Shin Eunah hurriedly pulled him towards herself with an odd smile, as if relieved. Next to her were the six most famous superhumans in the world, starting with Oh Joo-young, the current number one called the New Sword. The rest of them were all also a part of Vanguard, led by Oh Joo-young. ¡°What a ridiculous rookie.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he already surpassing our ranking?¡± ¡°Junior.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s body was emanating powerful magic, just as she did in Gromas. The enemy confronting her was a small humanoid with ck crustacean-like armor. Kang Shin-hyuk felt familiar energy from him. -To think we would meet this soon. His voice was smooth. -Nice to meet you, Anvil. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face stiffened at the armor he wore. It was more familiar than the spiritual power he exuded. -Should I call you father? The moment the man said so¡­ The New Sword, Oh Joo-young, stabbed Kang Shin-hyuk. Chapter 155 Crossing and Accelerating (1) Chapter 155 Crossing and elerating (1) It was luck. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power had reached the rank of SSS, even if only temporarily, and his strong spirit wasmunicating with all things surrounding him to provide him situational information. That included the actions of all surrounding beings, the movement of their magical power, and going one step beyond that, even their consciousness of a superficial level¡­ Thanks to that, he was able to recognize and react to the attack faster than anyone else, perhaps even Oh Joo-young, who was attacking him. ¡°Huh¡­?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled both of his hands down, pulling at theyer of hundreds of threads around his body that he had prepared in advance. It was a precautionary measure he prepared, but he didn¡¯t think he would need to use it so soon. The strands of thread quickly wrapped around the sword like a spider wrapping its prey, slowing it down but not fully stopping it. His uniform was pierced as the sword tore past his skin and muscle to find the bone. Red blood flowed out from the sword embedded into him, stopping just before it could pierce his heart. The mighty magical power of the sword was invaded by the soul poison flowing through the thread. He had sessfully stopped the surprise attack from the New Sword, Oh Joo-young. ¡°Tsu.¡± The moment he recognized his failure, Oh Joo-young clicked his tongue and pulled back without his sword. The direction he withdrew to was not towards his guild members but towards the center of the gate where the monsters and Bomber Girl was. It felt like an eternity for Kang Shin-hyuk, but the entire encounter had onlysted about a second. Even the superhumans around them struggled to fully understand the situation as they watched Oh Joo-young join the monsters. Obviously, before Kang Shin-hyuk had been attacked, the armored monster had called Kang Shin-hyuk Anvil and father, but what happened after was so shocking that no one had time to care about it. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk loosened the web and pulled the sword out, blood flowing freely from him. The medicinal effects of the potion he drank remained, quickly stopping the blood flow and regenerating his wound. Considering that the person who attacked him was number one in the world, he had been exceptionally lucky. On the other hand, the sword he now held was exuding a strong sense of rejection against those it didn¡¯t recognize as its owner, but the spiritual power of Kang Shin-hyuk removed the soul poison from it, calming it down. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but think that Oh Joo-young¡¯s traits were interesting. Part of it seemed simr to his own trait, and to arger extent, it seemed to ovep with the abilities his former life had to deal with spiritual power. Maybe that was why it was easier to control the sword. ¡°¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was handling the sword, filling the people around him with amazement. His sword was a famous artifact that expressed his trait Excalibur, which meant that Kang Shin-hyuk had sessfully restrained that trait. ¡°It was with perfect timing. He¡¯s much stronger than I¡¯ve been told.¡± Oh Joo-young, down a sword,ined to the man in dark armor. -So I said it would be better to quit. Didn¡¯t you say that Anvil wasn¡¯t the one who could fight back this easily? The armored friend responded with a sigh, acting like the two had been friends for years. ¡°Master¡­? You¡­ Jormungand¡­ Why¡­?¡± ¡°Huh? There are many things going on, but there¡¯s no reason to tell you about it. Damn it, if I knew you¡¯d stop it, I would¡¯ve cut down the Empress.¡± Vanguard¡¯s submaster, Dane Brook, spoke up, but the answer that came back was ferocious. Suddenly, Bomber Girl was moving behind Oh Joo-young. ¡°You cooperated as best you could, but in the end, you couldn¡¯t kill a single person? Are you stupid?¡± ¡°You only killed one person yourself.¡± ¡°Surely¡­¡± Dane muttered nkly at the sight. ¡°Has he been on that side from the beginning?¡± ¡°Then, making us fight at the center of the gate was to make it easier for Bomber Girl to kill civilians¡­?¡± ¡°How can this be? You were called the hope of mankind!¡± Dane¡¯s mutterings triggered the anger of the other superhumans. It wasn¡¯t just with words; they also turned their weapons toward Oh Joo-young. The other members of Vanguard were the angriest of all. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. It¡¯s not umon in this era for humans to betray each other.¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± Finally, Shin Eunah opened her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t n on watching a new wave drama. You¡¯re my enemy, so I will kill you. Is that alright?¡± At that point, a whisper arrived from Shin Eunah saying that she would attack Oh Joo-young. Kang Shin-hyuk was quick to grasp her intent and silently nodded. ¡°No, but before that, why¡­¡± -We are obviously enemies, but for now, be polite to Anvil, who can be called our father¡­ The armored monster was still speaking politely when something flew over his head. He instinctively activated his defensive skills, but it was in vain. The attack wasn¡¯t aimed at him. ¡°Kh¡­?!¡± Oh Joo-young¡¯s left arm and left leg were consumed by lightning and got burned. He tried to evade the second he recognized the attack, but he was unable to avoid itpletely. As soon as he had noticed it, a spider web had wrapped around his body to restrain him. No, that wasn¡¯t all. His physical abilities were clearly weaker¡­ ¡°You, this¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I was aiming for your heart.¡± Shin Eunah was calm as she created a new spear of lightning in her hand. Her extraordinary concentration and infinite magic were united by her terrifyingly precise control to create a miraculous weapon. ¡°Kh! Hey, help!¡± ¡°Sorry, but that can¡¯t be restored! That little boy is using poison!¡± ¡°Fuck, interrupting me from start to finish¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned at that. From start to finish? He didn¡¯t like either that armored monster of Oh Joo-young, who kept saying things he didn¡¯t understand. He wanted to sit down and figure it all out calmly, but he knew he couldn¡¯t afford to do that right now. ¡®So, I¡¯ll ask after¡­¡¯Why did Oh Joo-young betray them? Why did he keep finding things that he sold to the Hero Universe possessed by monsters? Why did that monster have the armor that was given to Janus? ¡°Hahahah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk rushed at Joo-young, pped his hands together to return his sword right back at him wrapped in thread. Oh Joo-young clicked his tongue and cut through the threads with a new sword pulled out from his subspace artifact. At that point, he was already convinced that some debuff was being applied to him. Of course, that was the Golden Dragon Kang Shin-hyuk had activated. Shin Eunah¡¯s had attacked him the precise moment he had activated that trait to prevent him from responding properly. Oh Joo-young¡¯s ability to protect him was incredible, but they had no intention of allowing him to continue. -Bang! The swords collided with the sound of a great explosion. Oh Joo-young could feel his right arm throbbing from the impact and raising his left arm reflexively. He felt something unidentifiable flow within his body from the attack, wracking him with pain. It wasn¡¯t the first time. The moment he attacked Kang Shin-hyuk, something began to invade his soul steadily. He ground his teeth and swallowed back the pain. ¡®Fuck, I should¡¯ve killed him somehow¡­¡¯The original n was to reduce their power as much as possible by taking out the other top-rankers by surprise. However, when the Thunder Empress revealed her power, he changed that to killing her somehow. However, Anvil then appeared. He aimed for Anvil at the end because his instincts had screamed at him to do so, but this was the result. He couldn¡¯t finish him off, and now his own attacks were causing him to suffer. ¡°Go, attack!¡± ¡°Block them!¡± The other superhumans began to move upon seeing Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah confront the enemy. They were met by the SSS-ss monsters. Only Bomber Girl and the armored monster remained motionless. ¡°How is this happening?¡± -Anvil¡¯s abilities are better than originally expected. I have to step back. ¡°It¡¯s bad to run away after this far¡­¡± -Then, we will die here. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Surprisingly, Bomber Girl ignored Oh Joo-young and the other monsters fighting to throw herself into the gate. The monster looked at her and shook his head. -Humans are really disgusting. I can¡¯t find any fellowship¡­ ¡°Help!¡± -dly! ¡°¡­!¡± Oh Joo-young and Kang Shin-hyuk were locked in a fierce battle. However, when Shin Eunah threw a bolt of lightning to finish him off, the armored monster intervened. Even its armor couldn¡¯tpletely prevent the attack, however, as it punched a hole in his shoulder. -Even in my long life, a human has never hurt me like this before. It¡¯s amazing to think you¡¯ve been hiding such strength all this time. ¡°There were people doing simr things to you guys¡­ugh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk focused on Oh Joo-young, ignoring the monster. His poisonous spider web, filled with spiritual power, had already spread out in every direction during the battle. The soul poison they emitted was weakening his foe. ¡°I¡¯m going to get rid of the easy one!¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Who is easy¡­ huh?!¡± The breathing of Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah synchronized. She was using magic to keep Oh Joo-young¡¯s movements in check while also preventing the monster from assisting. ¡°A little boy! I¡¯ve fought a lot more than you in the past!¡± Oh Joo-young, firmly pissed off, received the baptism of threads cutting his body. When the sword Kang Shin-hyuk held flew straight at his throat, Oh Joo-young¡¯s sword radiated a brilliant golden color. ¡°Excalibur!¡± It was the sword that broke through the realm of myth, blowing away the soul poison and spider webs around his body to strike Kang Shin-hyuk. It was the culmination of his unique SS+ trait. The next moment, it changed its direction dramatically and stabbed into Oh Joo-young¡¯s neck. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Oh Joo-young grunted. Kang Shin-hyuk neatly cut his head off with his own sword without being shaken, however. The moment he noticed the sword¡¯s ego recognize him, he had thought of energizing it to use it himself. The trait the number one had was great, but he was unaware of spiritual power until the end. -Sure enough, you already hadplete control over the sword. Indeed, you deserve the title of the father of all swords. The monster jumped up to catch Oh Joo-young¡¯s head as he spoke with admiration. -I apologize for thinking of you as only a cksmith. Today, I admit my defeat and leave, father. ¡°I don¡¯t know of a child like you.¡± -It¡¯s a joke; I don¡¯t really like you either. Well then, until next time. Shin Eunah threw another lightningnce backed by terrible magic, but the armored monster had vanished before it connected. Kang Shin-hyuk was well aware of the function included in the armor known as emergency departure. ¡°He¡¯spletely gone.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s annoying.¡± Shin Eunah was frustrated she couldn¡¯t catch the monster with her own abilities, stomping at the ground. However, there was no time for resentment. Bomber Girl and the armored monster had disappeared, but there were still plenty of SSS-ss monsters around. Kang Shin-hyuk retrieved the golden sword left by Oh Joo-young. He had taken two swords from him now. ¡°Once we finish them, we can figure it out.¡± He still had time left for the potion. At his words, Shin Eunah nodded and raised her magic again. The other rankers grew almost tired of the sight of her as she expelled out infinite magical power. Under hermand and with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s buff, they took out the remaining SSS-ss monsters without letting a single one run away. However, by the time they broke through the gate and were released outside, the French HQ for the association had ceased to exist in that spot. Chapter 156 Crossing and Accelerating (2) Chapter 156 Crossing and elerating (2) Paris was burning in a scene that seemed to be straight out of a movie. Eleanor and Lee Na-hee were down in the street, looking up nkly at the sky. ¡°Na-hee, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah¡­huh.¡± Eleanor looked at her friend anxiously. Her face was subtly changed as if she was wearing a mask, and her eyes were dyed red. It was the same as when she had been fighting in the Korean countercurrent. ¡°I should also use it.¡± Lee Na-hee put on a mask herself as if everything was fine. Eleanor only grew more concerned for her friend. However, Lee Na-hee was trying to hide her face, which was heated by her bold actions against Kang Shin-hyuk. There was no room for any deeper conversation between the two, as waves of monsters overflowing the streets would soon reach them. ¡°Where are you heading?¡± Eleanor watched a monster jump over their friends from a nearby building and pierced it with hernce. At that, Lee Na-hee murmured. ¡°Can we head to my father¡¯s shop?¡± ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s go there.¡± In response to Lee Na-hee¡¯s selfish remark, Eleanor nodded without hesitation. In front of them, Karen was shouting. ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad on the Champs-Elysees! There will be a lot of superhumans there!¡± ¡°Oh, when did you¡­?¡± Lee Na-hee noticed Karen was also wearing a mask, disguised with red eyes and ck hair. Lee Na-hee nced over at Eleanor, who was sulking slightly. ¡°I thought I might be able to use this mask in the future, so I asked Shin-hyuk to give me one. I thought Karen could use it, since she¡¯s with us.¡± Eleanor was proud of the gift she had received from Kang Shin-hyuk, which was clear by how she ran her fingers over it as she spoke. Lee Na-hee suddenly had an urge to boast about kissing Kang Shin-hyuk to see her expression but suppressed it. It had just been a surprise attack she had done all on her own, after all. However, her face reddened as she remembered it, which made her d she was wearing the mask now. ¡°Did that guy make it properly? Is enchanting not such a big deal to him¡­that idiot.¡± ¡°What are you talking about so suddenly, Na-hee?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± Outside of the HQ of the association, the monsters appeared to be only S-rank at the highest. Eleanor, who didn¡¯t need to hide her power thanks to the mask, was able to deal with most of the enemies with a singlence strike. ¡°Karen, can you check what¡¯s going on in the UK?¡± ¡°I checked, nothing seems to be wrong there. The same goes for Korea.¡± ¡°There must be a limit to the monsters¡¯ ability to mobilize. Only France is dealing with this many gates at once.¡± ¡°¡­That monster, I¡¯ll get it.¡± The three wandered the streets fighting monsters while making their way to Champs-Elysees. It seemed that the number of monsters was high around the HQ. ¡°Tsu!¡± Fortunately, the monsters around them had a lower rank overall. Lee Na-hee produced the short staff she ced in the garter ring around her left thigh. She wasn¡¯t very confident in her magic except for enchanting, but in fact, she was fairly highly ranked among those in the Magic Department. In particr, she was perfect for dealing with misceneous mobs, but Lee Na-hee couldn¡¯t help but note that she was more effective with ire¡¯s magic gun. ¡°By the way, Na-hee, do you keep that staff on your thigh?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the perfect ce to hide it secretly, right?¡± ¡°Only for that reason?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool to take it out like this too, right? Actually, I thought about putting it in my chest for that reason, but it was too big.¡± Eleanor watched her with excitement. It was fortunate that she hadn¡¯t done that instead. If Kang Shin-hyuk were there, he would¡¯ve known that Lee Na-hee wasn¡¯t actually a pervert, just that she suffered from having the taste of a middle schooler. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°¡­Well?¡± The group arrived at the store they had found the day before after sorting out the weak monsters in the area, but they stopped short of entering it. Something felt off. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°Ellie?¡± ¡°Be careful, Na-hee.¡± Karen blocked Lee Na-hee while Eleanor stepped inside. They could hear herughter after a moment. ¡°Ellie?¡± ¡°Don¡¯te in.¡± ¡°No, I want toe in.¡± Eleanor spoke firmly and tried to push her away, but the smooth French caught her ear. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lee Na-hee leaned over to see the owner of the voice, stepping back in surprise. ¡°The stalker caught up to us here?¡± ¡°I was counting on you showing up here. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re destined to be together?¡± The illusionary magic around the store disappeared, revealing the figure of Nathan Bodin standing among the ruins. Nathan¡¯s trait was the S-ss [Magic Interference]. Simr to Bomber girls [Magic Transformation], it was suitable for dissipating magic that hung around an area. ¡°Damn that fate, you just broke into someone¡¯s house. I don¡¯t think that stalker temperament of yours will get any better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying some stuff you don¡¯t mean. Oh, by the way, that mask is pretty cute. It¡¯s a shame the expression doesn¡¯t look right.¡± She had responded in genuine French, but Nathan ignored her words as if he couldn¡¯t hear them and swept back his hair, saying whatever he wanted. Though he was a handsome man, it was a disgusting sight to see. ¡°So, a cute girl in a mask. I¡¯m not in school now, which means things have changed a lot, you know?¡± ¡°Of course I know. Before you were an annoying stalker, but now you¡¯re a criminal!¡± ¡°Na-hee, I know you¡¯re angry but now¡­ he¡¯s dangerous.¡± Karen raised her head to look around, speaking through clenched teeth. She could sense arge number of monstersing. It was toote to avoid them. In the sky, she could already see wyverns flying in. ¡°You mad man, have you joined Jormungand?¡± Lee Na-hee stared at him with contempt, but he nodded without hesitation.¡± ¡°Only they are able to recognize my potential and develop it properly.¡± ¡°You became a real idiot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If my junior saw it, would heugh at this third-ss viin act?¡± Nathan Bodin shuddered at her sharp words. The topic of Kang Shin-hyuk seemed to disgust him. However, he was maintaining his power, which was why Eleanor was unable to move easily. It wasn¡¯t enough to immobilize her, but it made it difficult for her to move. ¡°That boy¡­ admittedly, he¡¯s just lucky because he was born with the means to beat me. That strange and mysterious power.¡± That was spiritual power. ¡°But soon I¡¯ll be able to handle it. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯tpete directly with him since he¡¯s trapped in an SS-ss gate. ¡°He¡¯s no asshole like you, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll die.¡± It might¡¯ve been a bit hopeful, but Lee Na-hee maintained a strong stance to hide her doubts. ¡°Because he even kissed me. Once he clears the gate, the next step¡­¡± Nathan Bodin¡¯s magic exploded out. Five small round shield-shaped artifacts that Lee Na-hee usually carried around (nicknamed Pot Lid, they were remote-controlled defensive tools created in mimicry of ire¡¯s drones) wrapped around her. Karen brandished her rapier to block the front, while Eleanor broke through the loosening magical interference to stab Nathan Bodin. -Kwaaaang! Two sounds rang out. One was the sound of magical spears colliding against the shields Lee Na-hee controlled, and the other was the sound of the ck mist that had formed to cover Eleanor¡¯snce before it pierced Nathan¡¯s head. ¡°Shadow predator¡­ did you sell your soul to the devil?¡± The mist scattered under her strong blow. Even though her attack had failed to connect, she remained calm. Her red-tinted eyes were filled with disgust. ¡°Eleanor R. Algiers¡­ it was you.¡± Meanwhile, Nathan¡¯s expression twisted. He could feel the transcendental power she had wielded in that strike. As she said, it was a shadow predator, an S-rank monster, that took the attack instead. He wasn¡¯t one who could be easily destroyed with his exceptional defense. Nathan Bodin stepped back slightly, still instilled with the fear of losing the Crown of Two Kings to her, and fired off magic bullets at her shingnce. ¡°I didn¡¯t sell my soul. This is my escort. I¡¯m being treated pretty well, Algiers. Unlike you, who was kicked out of your own country.¡± -Ahhhhhh! -Kiiii! The monsters around them had narrowed the distance and surrounded them at once. Lee Na-hee lifted her staff, which rang out a warning of the troll approaching from behind. ¡°You must¡¯ve practiced a lot. If only you weren¡¯t a stalker, maybe we could¡¯ve been friends.¡± ¡°Friend? I don¡¯t need anything like that. Things have changed, I have no intention of epting yourining anymore.¡± ¡°Comining?¡± ¡°Listen to me. You should be mine.¡± Two wyverns descended upon them, one aiming for Eleanor and the other for Karen. An ominous red line ran through their bodies, marking them as no ordinary wyverns. At the same time, Lee Na-hee felt a trace of power she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I decided so!¡± Eleanor and Karen moved at once, intent on making Nathan regret his words. He activated his trait at maximum output to check the movements of the two. Eleanor was able to move against it despite that, but Karen was incapable of resisting it. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± ¡°Karen!¡± Lee Na-hee clenched her jaw and tried to manipte the shields, but they were too badly damaged from before. ¡®If only my junior were here, this would be fine¡­ ah, really!¡¯Lee Na-hee, unable to witness her friend dying in front of her, protected her with her body. She decided that if Nathan Bodin¡¯s purpose here was her, she wouldn¡¯t try to kill them that way. But¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ all you have to do is leave her head. No, I want her heart too¡­¡± ¡°What?! You son of a bitch!¡± Her eyes opened wide at the unexpected remark. She didn¡¯t want to die to this kinky asshole. She had to live somehow. ¡®Move a little! Just a little! Enchant, enchant!¡¯Lee Na-hee squeezed her chest, trying to force out her power even a bit. If she could revitalize her shields with her power, even just a little bit, it would be enough. Just one shield. At least one! -By satisfying the conditions, the existing trait [Enchant (A+)] will evolve. It was at that moment an unexpected message appeared before Lee Na-hee. Chapter 157 Crossing and Accelerating (3) Chapter 157 Crossing and elerating (3) After the gate erosion was lifted, Kang Shin-hyuk began to fall towards the ruins of the HQ building of the French Superhuman Association. He immediately brought out the blue cow from his inventory, nning on riding it in search of ire, but fortunately, ire came to find him. ¡°¡­Eun-hyuk!¡± ¡°Noona!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk drooped with relief upon confirming ire was safe. She hugged him tightly, her pleasant and alluring scent wafting over him. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hugged her tightly as he felt her body tremble. ¡°As always, it was thanks to your potion. You¡¯re the perfect match for me.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re trying to score with those words, you¡¯re already at a perfect score.¡± He burst out intoughter at her words, but a terrifying presence arrived to push ire away. Of course, it was Shin Eunah. ¡°Foul!¡± ¡°Eunah, you did itst time, so this is a draw.¡± ¡°Well, that¡­ I was so happy, I identally¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same? I¡¯m also relieved and happy.¡± Shin Eunah and ire¡¯s childish argument was a truly surreal scene, given the current situation. Those who were liberated from the gate saw them and realized that the report of the love triangle was true. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m safe too. A hug¡­¡± ¡°I wish you died.¡± Juno valentine tried to step in but was soundly defeated. If he didn¡¯t know of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s skills, there might¡¯ve been room for him to push in, but he had also been overwhelmed by the sight of him inside the gate. ¡°The scandal of the century. A new ranker rising with the red-haired Alchemist, plus¡­the first ce ranking¡­¡± All the high-rankers nodded and looked at Shin Eunah. They all had witnessed her abilities as she faced off against the monsters inside of the gate. They couldn¡¯t dare measure up to her. Then there was Shin Eun-hyuk, who had suddenly shown up even though he wasn¡¯t invited to the conference. And above all of that, ironically, the leader of Vanguard, the guild that put Korea at the center of superhuman society, had betrayed mankind. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If we endure a bit of pain, Korea¡¯s position may be solidified going forward.¡± If the power of the superhuman association was strong, then the whole country became strong. Both Shin Eunah and Shin Eun-hyuk belonged to the association, so even though Vanguard¡¯s strength might have weakened, Korea would remain strong with the association supporting it. ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was then that Baek In-ha broke into it as Kang Shin-hyuk was struggling with the attention suddenly on him. ¡°Baek In-ha, are you awake?¡± ¡°Hey, I also endured a lot. You were fighting?¡± ¡°Yes, I broke the SSS-gate.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± ire, Baek, and the other superhumans in a good enough condition had been trying to protect people as much as possible the moment the building copses. He was still working to rescue those buried under the rubble. ¡°It¡¯s tricky. These damn structures have anti-magic, so it¡¯s hard to move them with magic.¡± ¡°What the hell is anti-magic for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­¡± It was no normal task to remove the debris of a structure built to boast the world¡¯s best durability. ¡°Everyone cooperate! The people under this rubble are more important than the whole of Paris!¡± ¡°You say really cruel things so casually.¡± However, since those words weren¡¯t untrue, all the superhumans mobilized to work hard at clearing the debris. Even in the midst of that, they were still dealing with the monsters flocking around. ¡°Is there any metal in it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at least fifty percent metal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Onyx,e out.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quietly brought out Onyx while watching the people around him. He had been living in the garbage warehouse these days, but at his call, Onyx stuck his head out from the sub-space and let out a small cry. ¡°Today, it¡¯s your job to eat the metal in this rubble.¡± -Myu¡­ Onyxined about being called only for these types of things. However, even as strong as he had grown from eating the alloy garbage, he would¡¯ve needed to retire after three minutes of participating in the battle today. ¡°I have a sword for you today.¡± -Myu?! He was so eager to eat; it felt rather refreshing. Kang Shin-hyuk let the guy loose into the building rubble. Onyx immediately activated his stealth and went to work. ¡°How the hell¡­? Even I momentarily lost track of it¡­?¡± ire, watching the scene up until then, opened her eyes in amazement. ¡°If the metal disappears, the work will be easier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Baek, unaware of Onyx¡¯s abilities, responded with an ambiguous expression. ¡°What about Na-hee and Eleanor?¡± ¡°When I woke up, they weren¡¯t around.¡± ¡°What?¡± What had happened with Jormungand? Didn¡¯t he rescue them? Did they evacuate to another ce? Checking his phone, he found a message from Karen saying they would head toward Lee Na-hee¡¯s store. ¡°No, why¡­ hm¡­¡± He didn¡¯t think it was a rational judgment, but he knew that people wouldn¡¯t always act rationally. He summoned the blue cow and sat down on it. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Baek, please protect Onyx.¡± ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ire sat behind him. ¡°I¡¯m a magic-type anyway, so I won¡¯t be helpful here.¡± ¡°Then, I too¡­¡± ¡°Eunah, you¡¯re strong. Who¡¯re you trying to trick?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eunah, well aware of the importance of the rescue operation, was unable to push her case. ire grinned as she ced her arms around Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Oh, the Empress has lost.¡± ¡°I guess the Alchemist took it.¡± ¡°I thought the Alchemist was more attractive myself¡­ hiii!¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s gaze silenced the superhumans paying attention to them as Kang Shin-hyuk and ire rode off. ¡°Are you really unhurt?¡± The bike ran through Paris¡¯s night sky. When it was just the two of them, ire carefully touched Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s chest, where the uniform was shredded. Every time her fingertips ran across his skin, an odd and strangely itchy sensation hit him. Kang Shin-hyuk pretended it wasn¡¯t affecting him as he spread out his webs to catch nearby monsters. ¡°I was hurt, but your potion healed mepletely. No scars at all.¡± ¡°It must¡¯ve been painful¡­¡± ¡°It hurt, but¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but enjoy the strange heat emanating out from wherever she touched him. ¡°This is the reward.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Now, now¡­huh?¡± Thanks to the blue cow¡¯s ego, they were able to avoid colliding with any monsters. His gaze was focused forward as ire continued to speak. ¡°I was happy too when you came to my side. Or was it because of Eunah?¡± ¡°No way. I was worried about my noona. All that other stuff¡­ I was just worried about you¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­is that how it is?¡± ire sounded satisfied as she leaned against him. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was smiling back at her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it because I was worried about you¡­¡± ire hugged him from behind, finished what she had started before being disturbed by Shin Eunah. The two stayed still for a while. ¡°You know.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about her.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk barely suppressed his desire to ask what she meant. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The urge to embrace her became more intense, but soon after, they reached Champs-Elysees. ¡°What?!¡± The scene there demolished their good mood. ¡°Na-hee¡­and the Magic Crown?!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk?! Even ire¡­.!¡± In the ruins of the destroyed store, there was Na-hee and Karen, surrounded by four massive barriers, and Eleanor, who was confronting Nathan Bodin with thence Kang Shin-hyuk had made. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± ¡°Hey, junior!¡± Lee Na-hee waved excitedly from within the barriers. ¡°I evolved my trait! We¡¯ll be even when ites to splitting the profits now!¡± Chapter 158 Crossing and Accelerating (4) Chapter 158 Crossing and elerating (4) ¡°How¡­¡± Nathan Bodin looked up at Kang Shin-hyuk and trembled in disbelief. ¡°How on earth did you get out of the SS-ss gate¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve seen fifty thousand times inic books¡­no, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed after confirming he was still wearing his mask properly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this meaningless? He knew right away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Na-hee said your name. It¡¯s meaningless to hide visual information in that case.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll me Na-hee.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped the blue cow mid-air, letting ire jump down into the barrier around Na-hee and Karen. ¡°What sort of thing is this?¡± ¡°It moves automatically to block everything, unnie.¡± ¡°You hear that, Shin-hyuk? Don¡¯t worry about us and go all out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk procured two scythes from his inventory, gripping them as transparent strands of thread flowed through the air. Perhaps thanks to awakening the soul poison skill and increasing his proficiency with spiritual power, it was now possible to manipte the threads with spiritual power and Wind Mastery at the same time, even while handling different weapons. He had tested it inside the SSS-ss gate, but it was even possible after the potion¡¯s effects had ended. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you escaped the gate, but bluffing won¡¯t work against me!¡± As Nathan shouted, the monsters approached him. Kang Shin-hyuk tightened his grip around his scythe as Nathannded on the ground to unleash a powerful earth magic called Ground Wave. It made the earth sway like a stormy sea, and it was one of the more advanced area magics. ¡°Algiers!¡± ¡°Kh!¡± It was capable of temporarily incapacitating those standing on the ground, particrly thencer who had been charging with the weight of argence. Eleanor could not maintain her bnce and hit the ground as the sudden and violent waves rocked the earth. ¡°Die! Ground Spear!¡± Although his head was no good, Nathan Bodin was a person who thought things through. He calcted it would be better to deal with Eleanor, who was already exhausted from the battle, before dealing with the high-rankers who had broken through the SS-ss gate. However, if there was something he couldn¡¯t calcte, it was the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk could move faster than his magic. ¡°Hoo!¡± ¡°Kyah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk fired off threads the moment the ground wave had been activated, tying them around Eleanor¡¯s feet. She was yanked off the ground and up onto the bike hovering in the air. ¡°Now!¡± Once saddled, the bike soared into the air. Nathan Bodin readied his magic shield in preparation for the following offensive, but it wasn¡¯t him who Kang Shin-hyuk aimed for. The ten strands of thread spread out in all directions to cut through the monsters around Nathan Bodin. It would be too much effort to kill them all at once, even with soul poison, so instead, he pulled them all together and wrapped them up. Backed with the power of S-rank Wind Mastery, it was easy to do so. -Kuoooooh?! -Let me go! -Ooh, I can¡¯t move¡­! ¡°Kh!¡± The sight of the monsters being pulled and bound to a single point in the air was a spectacle, and it only became more of one when Kang Shin-hyuk activated his trait to y them with the scythes all at once. ¡°Shin-hyuk wanted to try that¡­ how cool.¡± ireughed happily at the sight, filming it all the while. She deliberated ignored theplicated expression Karen had beside her. ¡°Hahahah!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Eleanor realized what was happening as Kang Shin-hyuk aimed next at Nathan Bodin, rushing him atop the blue cow. Her spear pointed upward in time to aim right at him as the bike sped up towards him. ¡°What¡­!¡± He tried to call out to the monsters for support, but most of them were already dead. He urgently activated his trait and poured all of his magic into his shield, but unfortunately, the blue cow was a bike that moved with spiritual power. Eleanor¡¯s power was weakened slightly by him, but thanks to Lee Na-hee¡¯s evolved trait, more than enough power remained at the tip of hernce. ¡°Huoooooooooh!¡± Eleanor raised her voice to hide her embarrassment at charging with ance on the back of a bike, expressing her trait to its fullest extent. Her will sharpened so that it couldn¡¯t be shaken by Nathan Bodin, filling thence that Kang Shin-hyuk had made and that Lee Na-hee strengthened. ¡°Kahak!¡± The shield was broken through in an instant, pierced by thence that reached Nathan¡¯s heart. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± Eleanor called out his name, unjustly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you move!¡± ¡°No, I wanted to give thest hit to you. I believed you would be able to react to the blue cow¡¯s movements.¡± ¡°You believed¡­?¡± Eleanor¡¯s momentum as she tried to let out her anger shrank. It was cute the way her shoulders sagged. ¡°Well¡­ thanks.¡± ¡°Our Majesty¡¯s pronunciation is suddenly bad again.¡± ¡°Ellie needs to relearn Korean. Her ability to speak thenguage always declines when she is a little embarrassed.¡± Karen and Lee Na-hee, who was calmly judging the situation from inside the barrier, gave Eleanor a failing grade. On the other hand, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s keen eyes were surveying their surroundings as he noticed something rising up from the ground. He threw the growing scythe with the power of his Golden Dragon and spiritual power. It roared through the air right past Eleanor to stick into the ground. ¡°Uh, ah¡­?¡± Eleanor, dumbstruck, turned to the side and barely realized what had happened. A massive insect was rising from the ground with its mouth wide open to swallow up Nathan¡¯s body, but it had been cut by the scythe and was now spewing blood. ¡°Senior, finish it.¡± ¡°Hm!¡± Eleanor stabbed the giant insect in its head with her massivence that didn¡¯t fit her small body. -Kiiii! ¡°This tough guy¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shot threads and daggers into the insect¡¯s torso to stagger it as it tried to escape back underground. It writhed and tried to escape but suddenly copsed with a terrible scream. Though it was bleeding immensely, something else had killed it. ¡°What is this, how¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a new skill.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk offered up that brief exnation as hended on the ground by the insect, automatically recovering his weapons into his inventory. The insect had swallowed half of Nathan¡¯s body, which was only ced in his inventory, unfortunately. He would need to figure out what that was aboutter. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re both safe.¡± ¡°Which two are you talking about, Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, all three of you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk appeased Karen and looked around for any more monsters. Neither above nor under the ground, most were being dealt with by other superhumans. A few lurked in the skies, but they seemed content to stay back. ¡°Then, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­s, it goes like this.¡± Lee Na-hee lifted the barriers and changed them back to her original shield artifact, surveying the area with a bitter smile. Now that the illusionary magic had dissipated, leaving only the ruined cornerstone where a building had once remained. ¡°Nathan Bodin, you bastard.¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­ I¡¯m sorry, senior.¡± Lee Na-hee shook her head at his apology. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you did what you could.¡± She let out a bitterugh. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad to let it go and start anew. It¡¯s not my mom and dad¡¯s shop that was set up here anymore, but yours and mine.¡± ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that a little misleading?¡± ire, who was still contemting what was happening, stepped in. ¡°If you say it like that, it¡¯s like you¡¯re thinking about marriage, when in fact, you¡¯re just a junior and senior in a club.¡± ¡°Yes? My unnie is also¡­ it¡¯s just me presenting the facts as they are. My junior and I decided to set up a store here, since rent is free on Champs-Elysees. Plus, my junior is profitable.¡± A smile returned to Lee Na-hee¡¯s face as she looked back over at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. Was it thanks to my enchantment?¡± ¡°¡­Do you hate me?¡± ¡°No. That enchantment can¡¯t be ced on people who I don¡¯t like. It¡¯s the first time I tried it, so I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work.¡± At the moment, everyone listening had a rough idea of what Lee Na-hee meant by enchantment. Karen pouted, and Eleanor had a rough look, but ire only smiled. ¡°Shin-hyuk, please tell me the details of thisenchantmentwhen we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­ okay, sorry¡­¡± Lee Na-hee frowned as she noticed that ire¡¯s attitude towards Shin-hyuk, and his attitude towards her, changed. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know, unnie.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll listen directly from Shin-hyuk. I¡¯m interested.¡± ¡°Na-hee, tell me. I¡¯m curious how it rtes tows rted to sexual harassment.¡± No one was using their abilities, but a dangerous current seemed to be running through everyone. Kang Shin-hyuk had hope in his heart as he looked to his savior, the administrator, for help, but found no answer. Rather, no messages hade from him ever since that monster had appeared. Chapter 159 Crossing and Accelerating (5) Chapter 159 Crossing and elerating (5) Jormungand¡¯s raid on Paris had killed Samuel Joiner, the representative of the UN Gate Countermeasures Organization, and countless French citizens. The fact that two of the top-rankers, including the world¡¯s number one Ju-young Oh, had betrayed humanity and joined Jormungand shocked the world. Due to their radical actions, mankind¡¯s awareness of Jormungand had increased. Now the battle was for the civilization humanity had barely been protecting. Each country stayed up all night to prepare for the future in hopes of preventing another tragedy like Paris. The people who participated in the conference, including Kang Shin-hyuk, remained in Paris for a few more days because it was announced that the Superhuman Association would hold the conference once more. The students cheered that they could skip more sses. As a bonus, their free stay at a five-star hotel was extended. ¡°So¡­¡± The night after damage control was over and they returned to the hotel, Kang Shin-hyuk secretly escaped from his room and found his way to Shin Eunah¡¯s room, who was staying on the top floor of the hotel. ire was also there. She hadn¡¯t been staying there from the beginning, but rather she realized that Shin Eunah was calling Shin-hyuk over and made her way there. ¡°Are they going to register me as the Death Puppeteer?¡± ¡°We had a fierce battle over ck Tarant until the end, but trademarks¡­¡± Shin Eunah, who was drinking a can of coffee, smiled at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s voice as she read the summary of the association¡¯s countermeasures meeting she had gone to. She was remembered when they had first nicknamed her the Thunder Empress. ¡°You¡¯re fifth in the rankings, congrattions. I called you here because I wanted to tell you in person. In fact, the association wanted to contact you directly, but I stopped them. After dealing with Nathan Bodin, Kang Shin-hyuk returned with Eleanor, Lee Na-hee, and Karen to help rescue the victims of the incident. By then, they had all taken off their masks and returned to working as students of Shinyoung. No matter if they covered their faces, it would be easy to figure out who they are if they had all shown up wearing the same disguises. As a bonus, they could increase the evaluation of Shinyoung in helping with the rescue efforts. Shin Eun-hyuk had vanished from the scene and couldn¡¯t be found as no one could read his magical power. ¡°Fifth ce. You¡¯re a top-ranker, a top-ranker.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy about it¡­ it was all thanks to that transcendence potion, anyway¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk honestly thought his results were fraudulent. Of course, he had grown strong enough to be confident as a high-ranking superhuman. ¡°It¡¯s already been revealed that it was the result of doping with a potion.¡± ¡°Of course, but no potion could bring about such dramatic changes, even if it was one I made.¡± ire spoke up. She had been lying on the bed in her friend¡¯s room, rolling around and watching a video on her phone. Kang Shin-hyuk was trying his best to ignore what she was watching. ¡°But it was because of my spiritual power.¡± ¡°You werepatible with my potion, so it resulted in a synergy effect, but people don¡¯t know that. That¡¯s why they assumed that your original skills are also worthy of the top-ranks. If it weren¡¯t for the potion, you wouldn¡¯t be ranked five, right? That¡¯s what you think?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve seen it myself. I¡¯m d there are still videos.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t endure it anymore as ire yed the video once more with a happy smile. ¡°Is that from inside the SSS-ss gate? How¡¯d you film it?!¡± ¡°I hacked your phone and yed with the recording function just slightly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an alchemist. You¡¯re a super hacker¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll apologize, so don¡¯t call me a super hacker.¡± Shin Eunah gazed at them as the two conversed as such. ire looked over at her quizzically. ¡°Eunah?¡± ¡°No, just¡­ the sense of distance¡­¡± ¡°Is it close? Is it really close?¡± In response to ire¡¯s light jab, Shin Eunah ground her teeth and pulled Kang Shin-hyuk. He was dragged away by her without any resistance. ¡°If you do something to my junior, I won¡¯t leave it be.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re trying to do something¡­ah.¡± ire had a slightly spiteful smile. ¡°Last night, I heard that a kid named Lee Na-hee kissed Shin-hyuk. For an enchantment.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk desperately held onto Shin Eunah, whose body was filled with power as she tried to leave. ¡°I will never forget the name Lee Na-hee.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°My junior¡¯s precious first kiss¡­¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk flinched at that part, Shin Eunah caught it immediately.¡± ¡°Not the first time¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not attractive to dig up someone¡¯s past, Eunah.¡± At ire¡¯s words, Kang Shin-hyuk flinched again instead of Shin Eunah. He had also been worried about ire¡¯s ex-boyfriend, but now he felt like he had been blocked from that question. Of course, he knew it was rude to ask, but he couldn¡¯t help but be concerned. He felt there was just too big of a gap in experience between them. ¡®Most of my memories from Anvil are just about forging¡­¡¯Perhaps it was prioritizing Anvil¡¯s memories that would help him improve his own ability. Of course, some memories of his previous life¡¯s wife and family were also mixed in, but they were usually too sad to recall. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to think of them, so he put a stopper on those ones. ¡®I¡¯m worrying about nothing.¡¯He calmed down quickly, not noticing ire sigh and flicking Eunah¡¯s forehead. ¡°Really, once you focus on something, you can¡¯t control yourself¡­ if you burden Shin-hyuk, I¡¯ll punish you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ alright, but ire started it first.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I was wrong.¡± ire stood up from the bed and opened her inventory, producing various cups and cocktails. ¡°Let¡¯s send off Shin-hyuk and have a drink. If Shin-hyuk stays around for too long, the teachers will notice.¡± ¡°Student of Shinyoung, alone in a room with the Alchemist and the Thunder Empress¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s revealed.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that would be bad. Goodbye then. Both of you sleep well.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and waved at the two as he left. Or rather, he tried to, but the door wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Shin Eunah approached and grabbed the handle, but it wouldn¡¯t open for her either. She tilted her head and prepared to use her abilities, but ire quickly stopped her. ¡°If you do that, someone will reallye. Let me try.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Shin Eunah grumbled and stepped back. ire touched the front door, and it opened smoothly. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ire opened the door with a big smile, letting him out. There was no fear of being caught, as the top floor was a single suite. ¡°Well then, see you next time.¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh, you got something there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk looked back at ire, she kissed him as if she had been waiting to strike. It was for only a moment, but it felt like an eternity. ¡°Uh, ah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m new to this too. Anyway, sleep well!¡± The door closed, leaving Kang Shin-hyuk stuck in ce. It sounded like she had whispered something to him when she was pulling away, but he couldn¡¯t hear it properly due to his own excitement. It didn¡¯t really matter, he figured. The important thing was that ire kissed him. ¡®Yes, I don¡¯t have to worry about things like the past.¡¯The important thing was the present. ire liked him, now where would they go from here? That was what mattered. -Member. ¡°Hey, administrator?¡± As if he had been waiting for that timing, the administrator¡¯s message appeared in front of him. Kang Shin-hyuk could only respond hazily. -I apologize for beingte to speak. ¡°What?¡± -I returned after collecting dimensional information. It was about the disclosure of your information. ¡°Ah¡­yes, you haven¡¯t been talking since the fight.¡± -I¡¯m truly sorry; that was an area outside of the reach of this power. Kang Shin-hyuk felt something off. ¡°Administrator, you¡¯ve been talking a bit weird today. Discussing things like power and information¡­¡± -This is a monumental day¡­ The next message appeared in the blink of an eye. -You met an executive of Jormungand at the SSS-level gate and defeated them. Moreover, as a VIP, the rate of your synchronization is increasing, so information regtions have been lifted to an extent. In fact, the rate has exceeded 40%. ¡°Really?¡± He checked the rate at that, confirming it was really up to 44.5%. It had been a nearly ten percent increase. Kang Shin-hyuk soon realized the cause. It was probably from controlling Joo-young Oh¡¯s sword with his spiritual power, as well as gaining the soul poison skill and increasing the rank of his powers¡­ -The third liberation at 50% draws near. I¡¯ve just pushed certain information toe a bit faster. ¡°Yes, then what¡­¡± -So, first of all, a 50,000HP bonus! ¡°Wasn¡¯t this urgent?¡± Was he going to skip over it? Plus, this was the biggest bonus yet! -I will tell youter. It is rted to the dimensional quest you will be given in the future. ¡°Yes, so¡­¡± -To start with the conclusion, Janus went missing. The Hero Universe cannot reach him. The most likely oue is that the information leak came from him. Kang Shin-hyuk was surprisingly calm at the news that upturned his world. He tried to contact Janus, but no answer came. He felt like crying. Chapter 160 Crossing and Accelerating (6) Chapter 160 Crossing and elerating (6) [Therefore, the Korean superhuman Shin Eunah is now recognized as number one in the international rankings, and the Korean superhuman Shin Eun-hyuk is now recognized as fifth in the global rankings. If you have any objections, please raise your hand and speak.] Through the monitor, Charlotte Jad Macon, chairman of the World Superhuman Conference, was calmly speaking. Despite being poisoned to the point she was spewing blood days before, there were no signs of injury on her. No doubt, the conference had resumed in an attempt to show off the power of the superhumans, including her. ¡®Charlotte Jad Macon. She was quite active at the gate.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah were the ones who mainly dealt with the worst of the enemies, but most of the high rankers had been there to fight, including her. [Shin Eun-hyuk, the Death Puppeteer.] [You have to admit his power.] [After seeing it, I wouldn¡¯t dare.] [Fifth seems too low.] [Two top rankers from Korea alone.] Of course, all those attending the conference had been sucked into the SSS-ss gate. Some had been rescued by him, and some had fought beside him. It would be absurd for them not to acknowledge his ability at that point. At least, that maintained that attitude on the surface. No one could interfere with Shin Eunah; she had already been proven to be a force far beyond Joo Young-oh. [Then, this concludes the fifteenth World Superhuman Conference. With all these events in mind, each country will have to work closely together to protect humanity from the threat of Jormungand.] Charlotte¡¯s dignified voice carried throughout the conference hall. Kang Shin-hyuk apuded with everyone else on the thirteenth floor. Lee Na-hee, standing beside him, suddenly tapped on the floor and muttered. ¡°It¡¯s great to restore a building like this in just a few days.¡± ¡°Most of the materials were mostly intact. Even so, it¡¯s great.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked around. They were once again in the HQ of the French Superhuman Association, the same one that had copsed a few days ago in the raid. The association had restored it in that short amount of time. ¡°Though it cost an astronomical amount.¡± Siara Bertrand added with a tired look. ¡°It was difficult. Every famous production superhuman they could find was brought into France¡­ we got a lot of help from the Alchemist too.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± In fact, he hadn¡¯t seen her face to face since that shocking kiss. Kang Shin-hyuk had too many other surprising things happen immediately after that, so he hadn¡¯t been able to follow up. ¡°I¡¯m also a strong production superhuman.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know your trait evolved.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s trait [Enchant (A+)] had evolved into a unique characteristic called [Sprout Rune (S+)]. The sight of Lee Na-hee bragging was both infuriating and cute. She burned with enthusiasm, saying that she would reach the SS or even SS+ rank by evolving her trait once more. She waspletely different from the dispassionate senior he had first met. Kang Shin-hyuk, aware he had been the one who helped light that fire, wondered if he should be happy or embarrassed. ¡°Soon, everyone will know of my abilities, and the first glorious step will be with you.¡± ¡°You are raising those gs by yourself.¡± ¡°I like the sight of you two.¡± As always, Siara Bertrand was misunderstanding what was happening. Eleanor was watching them with sharp eyes. ¡°The meeting must be over, so I¡¯ll head back now.¡± ¡°What about the party?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken care of all those who needed it. Will youe y?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s no fun without you. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Yes, then me too.¡± Lee Na-hee grabbed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm with her bold deration. Eleanor grabbed onto his other arm as if it was only natural. Meanwhile, Karen stepped back with an unpleasant face as she snorted at them. Several people¡¯s eyes were on them now. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Sir, please die. Die!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed at the curses naturally flowing out from the observers and removed the two from him. ¡°I want to be alone.¡± ¡°Are you going to see ire?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s immediate response surprised Lee Na-hee as she withdrew. ¡°If so, then what? ¡­No, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk bitterly smiled at her words. She always knew the right timing to retreat from a subject. Perhaps she could intuitively examine the nature of a person, just like he could with spiritual power. ¡°Huh¡­? Shin-hyuk, what happened?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Then, I¡¯ll be off.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk waved at them and walked out of the hall. Most of the people were excited for the party to start after the meeting, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no intention of matching that atmosphere. He returned to the hotel and checked the time. He had about fifteen hours before check out. ¡°That is¡­ twenty-two and a half hours in Mirotoz.¡± -Would you like to go to Mirotoz? ¡°Yeah, I need to meet Halo in person.¡± First, he went to his My Room and then to Mirotoz from there. When he arrived, Halo¡¯s voice greeted him from the leaf thaty by the side of his bed. [Anvil, you¡¯re here.] ¡°I wanted to talk to you, Halo.¡± [It¡¯s difficult to say, but I was of the same mind.] -Master Halo¡­ [It¡¯s a joke, administrator.] Kang Shin-hyuk took the leaf and left the room. The elves were out in the field created by Kang Shin-hyuk, working hard. They had alreadypleted one harvest, and now a second one awaited them. ¡°Master Anvil!¡± ¡°Anvil is here!¡± ¡°You look better.¡± The elves noticed that Kang Shin-hyuk had grown stronger and awakened a new skill. Although it was possible that they might just be saying that to curry favor with him. ¡°Did youe to make the shackles?¡± ¡°Yes, there is that too. I¡¯ll get to it after chatting with Halo for a minute.¡± After greeting the elves, he took out the blue cow and headed straight for Halo. It would be enough to talk to him through the leaves, but he felt like facing him in person. If he wanted to converse, the Hero Universe¡¯s whisper system would¡¯ve been enough. ¡°I¡¯ll sit down here.¡± [Okay.] Kang Shin-hyuk put the blue cow back in his inventory and sat down on a branch protruding from the middle of the tall tree. ¡°You know about Janus.¡± [Can¡¯t you get in touch with him? I thought he would have left a word for Anvil¡­] Although he had been expecting it, Halo also seemed unable to contact Janus. Kang Shin-hyuk heaved a sigh. ¡°Instead, a guy wearing the armor that Janus had made for him arrived on Earth.¡± [Huh? Is that so?] Halo didn¡¯t seem all that surprised by the fact. [To tell you this, maybe Janus is too healthy. He won¡¯t die.] ¡°Is Janus a traitor?¡± [You shouldn¡¯t judge the situation too quickly, Anvil. Trust in the Janus you know.] ¡°The only thing I believe in is myself.¡± [I see.] ¡°By the way¡­¡± There was something he couldn¡¯t even ask the administrator about, but perhaps he could ask Halo. ¡°That guy in armor called me his father. To be precise. He called Anvil his father.¡± [From before your lifetime¡­ the countless weapons you have made in that past life, and the seeds of their potential, have had a significant influence on not only those in the Hero Universe but also our enemy, Jormungand.] ¡°You mean that¡¯s enough to call me father?¡± [Hmm, right¡­ Anvil¡­ do you know of the conditions under which monsters are born?] Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart began to pound just with those words. ¡°The conditions¡­¡± -Master Halo. [Administrator, in my opinion, Anvil has already made his decision. He is finally taking the Hero Universe seriously and is trying to move forward. That is why you came to find me, isn¡¯t that right?] He was right. The rtionship Kang Shin-hyuk had maintained with the Hero universe so far was too passive. He had onlypleted a few dimensional quests, and most of them were rted to Shin Eunah and ire. It was partly because he had yet to recover the skills of his previous life to make the armaments the other members were used to. But now, it was a little different. Although he couldn¡¯t darepare himself to a tremendous presence like Halo, Kang Shin-hyuk had directly obtained the minimum qualifications by acquiring Soul Poison. Now was the time for him to learn about the Hero Universe actively. It was necessary to learn about what was going on on Earth right now. [Sure, so¡­but that is wrong.] ¡°Well?¡± [Isn¡¯t metallurgy what brought you into the Hero Universe?] ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± [Yourbat power is still¡­ I apologize for saying, but it¡¯s nothing much to see. But that¡¯s not true of metallurgy. So, if you want to be deeply connected with this¡­ you have to use your metallurgy.] Halo was able to ruthlessly say that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯sbat abilities, which had reached the SSS-rank, were only that much. But he was right; he was still inferior to the members of the Hero Universe in that regard. He had just thought he was barely qualified to step in. [You don¡¯t seem to understand how great the armaments you made are.] Haloughed bitterly. [First, let me tell you the correct answer. Monsters are mirrors that reflect our existence.] ¡°Well?¡± [A mirror, us and monsters, Hero Universe and Jormungand.] [You have created weapons that have changed both histories and worlds, causing countless monsters to be born. In that sense, you can be said to be the father of many monsters, perhaps more than anyone else.] Kang Shin-hyuk was learning something he had not been prepared for, of a scale much more extensive than he anticipated. Chapter 161 Third Liberation (1) Chapter 161 Third Liberation (1) Shinyoung¡¯s students, who had experienced the historical events in Paris, were able to safely return to Korea without any injuries. It felt a bit odd given the past few days¡¯ circumstances, but Kang Shin-hyuk went to school like everything was normal the next day. ¡°Did you fight an SS-ss monster? Really?¡± ¡°Hey, how about seeing the Alchemist? Was she prettier than on TV?¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, were you good friends with Lee Na-hee?¡± Students in the same ss buried them with questions about what happened in Paris, harassing them as soon as they arrived. Especially Kang Shin-hyuk¡­ ¡°I saw a picture of Algiers and Na-hee crossed their arms with him.¡± ¡°What is that? Is it a joke? Say it¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°I heard Baek In-ha was fighting in the city too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the Alchemist?¡± ¡°Forget Baek In-ha¡­¡± No, these guys were paying more attention to the thought of a love triangle than Jormungand¡¯s raid on Paris! Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. ¡°I have someone I like who¡¯s not at this school, so please don¡¯t spread pointless rumors.¡± ¡°Oh, he just cut them off. But what do you think?¡± ¡°I just said not to spread them!¡± Despite the events taking ce in Paris, the students didn¡¯t seem too shaken. Perhaps it was because a countercurrent had just taken ce in Seoul just a short while ago. ¡°It¡¯s the morning check-up time, everyone quiet down.¡± Siara Bertrand entered the ssroom and knocked on her desk. Her magic caused the sound to reverberate throughout, silencing the students. But she only looked quietly down upon the adolescent students who were hungry for some gossip. ¡°Ah, please tell us about Paris!¡± ¡°Is it true Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee are dating?¡± ¡°Did an SSS-ss gate really appear?¡± ¡°Shin Eunah¡¯s number one in the world now?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know that? Did you hear about Joo-young Oh¡¯s death?¡± Siara Bertrand knocked on the table once more to silence the students. This time the vibration was a bit stronger as she let out a sigh. ¡°Everything that has been reported is true. Try to figure out the rest for yourself. Oh, and¡­ I don¡¯t know if Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee went on a date, but I can confirm that Lee Na-hee kissed Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ssroom was deathly silent. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t believe it himself. His teacher was tantly betraying him! No, when he thought about it, her goal from the start was to push them together. But to use such childish means! It didn¡¯t take long for the students to realize the words were true and exploded. ¡°She was my first love!¡± ¡°Get him.¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± It was the first time Kang Shin-hyuk realized how popr Lee Na-hee actually was in Shinyoung. She was the beautiful girl who won the poprity votest year, so it was natural if you thought about it calmly. ¡°Come on, fight me in practice. In practice.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s practice is group tactics.¡± ¡°Ganging up on him is legal? Great, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°That should be included in tactics!¡± *** Previously, there had been a time where Kang Shin-hyuk felt it was challenging to follow along with Shinyoung¡¯s sses. He had been unable to keep up with the other students because of his inability to handle mana, and he had immersed himself in perfecting his writing to fill in for thecking in his practical lessons. Then school sses had been just a stepping stone for him to acquire his superhuman¡¯s license. -Member, it seems you¡¯re feeling a little better. But now he felt a little different about it. Probably from the time the athletic meet was concluded, Shinyoung had be a reasonably pleasant ce for him. Janus¡¯s disappearance and the truth Halo had illuminated him weighed heavily on his heart, but they became a little lighter at school with his ssmates. ¡°Yes, really. I didn¡¯t think I could ever be friends with them.¡± -You don¡¯t need to understand each other to be called friends deeply. ¡°That¡¯s right. Thank you, administrator. -You understand this administrator well. Receiving a thank you from a member like this, I have no choice but to give you a bonus. 30,000HP bonus! ¡°I can¡¯t help but think that the bonuses seem too big these days¡­¡± -40,000HP bonus!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just give me a bonus for no reason.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed. He wondered about the administrator¡¯s ability to contact people and his own ability to extend out his spiritual power. Could the two bebined somehow? ¡°Well, now?¡± Before long, the school had ended for the day. During the group tactics ss that afternoon, he had been able to rejuvenate himself by knocking down his angry ssmates who struggled to kill him. There were so many rumors going around school about him that it was hard to know where to begin, but Kang Shin-hyuk walked unaware of it all. -Are you heading to the club room? ¡°Yeah.¡± The conversation with Halo had been profound and enlightening, but there was only one conclusion. If he wanted to train his actual ability, he needed to forge. It wasn¡¯t that Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t like it; there were just a few opportunities to do so, given all that had happened recently. But now that things had calmed slightly, and he had gathered a minimal amount of strength to protect himself and challenge dimensional quests, it would be fine to focus on metallurgy for a while. He had no reason to not do so. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Anvil, have you made a new weapon yet? Are you sick? Yes, rather than because of Halo, Tsukuyo¡¯s insisting had begun a few days ago. -I¡¯m going to make one today. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Oh my, it¡¯s like our hearts were connected! It might¡¯ve been useful tomunicate with her sooner, but he had hesitated. -Tsukuyo? -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: If you call me like that, I can¡¯t help but be thrilled¡­ Anvil, why are you calling? Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t respond for a while. In fact, he had some doubts about Tsukuyo. She was as powerful as Halo and Janus, yet some ominous energy lingered about her. It was fascinating to behold but made him alert. The Anvil from his previous life had considered Tsukuyo to be an unusual sort and was wary of her. There were many times when he realized that not all members of the Hero Universe were good. ¡®But is she linked to Jormungand?¡¯So far, she just seemed like a pervert who liked the weapons Anvil made that emanated ominous energy. It was a rude judgment, but not inurate. -That¡­ did, you know that Janus is missing? -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Anvil called me by my name, but then the topic turned to that boring person. I¡¯m disappointed. -Sorry, but¡­ I wanted to ask if you knew anything about it. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: It can¡¯t be helped. Anvil has been paying attention to Janus since the old times. Hepetes with me the most for Anvil¡¯s items¡­ Now that means I can monopolize them! No way¡­he knew what awaited him the second he put more items on the trading board. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Actually, I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to him. From the start, we made a promise not to interfere with each other¡­also, he was always a person who moved on his own. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: But a request from Anvil is a different matter. I will find Janus, even if it frays my precious hair. -Uh¡­ really? Kang Shin-hyuk was surprised by the meaning of her words. It seemed that Tsukuyo really had no clue where he was, which meant that either she had no close rtionship with Jormungand, or Jormungand had nothing to do with it. Secondly, he was taken aback that she would cooperate in finding Janus for him. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: My love for Anvil is true, but you still don¡¯t know my feelings. -Uh, no¡­ I know, I know enough, but I still thought it was a separate matter. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: It can¡¯t be, right? How can I stay still when you are in distress? -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: I will use all I can to find him, so please wait with confidence. There is no way that Janus will die if he is only stuck in a dimension beyond the reach of the Hero Universe. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: ¡­Oh, are you receiving my messages, Anvil? -Yeah. There was no answer for a while, but then Tsukuyo sent a message dripping with ecstasy. -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Oh, I never would have been able to send such a message before! -Tsukuyo¡¯s whisper: Joy, joy¡­ the day we can be together is soon¡­ The messages that began pouring in were suddenly blocked. -By this point, your business must be concluded. ¡°¡­¡± -This is a waste of time for that fox. However, you can rest assured she is searching for Janus. So you don¡¯t need to worry anymore. ¡°Is that so¡­? A dimension beyond the reach of the Hero Universe, and her abilities¡­¡± In other words, Tsukuyo¡¯s ability reached into Jormungand¡¯s realm. Kang Shin-hyuk still could not understand everything about Tsukuyo. -It¡¯s okay, member. For now, all you have to do is focus on what Halo said to do. -Soon, you will be able to solve all of these problems with your own hands. ¡°I hope so.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a short sigh and headed to the club room. Soon, autumn would arrive. Chapter 162 Third Liberation (2) Chapter 162 Third Liberation (2) [When a new world is born, mana sprouts out, and humans adapt to it¡­] [In them, mutations begin to appear. Yes, the beingsmonly referred to as superhumans in your world are such a thing.] [If so, a new life is born from the sea of mana that responds to the unique waves they emit. A new life called a monster.] [There is no way to know exactly why. It is only the clear truth of the matter.] [Yes, it¡¯s an unfavorable fight.] [If it weren¡¯t for you, everything would already be over. So don¡¯t bother, Anvil. No matter how many monsters you have created, countless more have been in by the weapons you made.] [I¡¯m not kidding. Since the birth of this universe, you have been one of the most effective forces in controlling the bnce between humans and monsters.] [Now, do you realize what you need to do?] [I believe you now realize that Tsukuyo is not the only one watching the trading board.] On top of the anvil was a piece of metal glowing an angry red. The loot that had been left by the dwarves at the SS-ss gate was their nails. It was more or less their only means of attack, and by investigating them with spiritual power, it seemed possible to craft them into various tools. Dig, chop, pierce, or craft¡­ it was no exaggeration to say that it was a soul weapon in which all the dwarves¡¯ abilities had been concentrated. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s one of the best materials I¡¯ve ever seen¡­¡± Being able to use it in so many ways meant it had a variety of abilities. Lee Na-hee muttered in excitement as she examined it while Kang Shin-hyuk smiled. ¡°If that surprises you, wait until you see what the SSS-ss monsters dropped.¡± ¡°Show me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s something we can¡¯t handle yet with our own abilities.¡± With that deration that he would keep it, Lee Na-hee pouted. However, Kang Shin-hyuk quietly turned his gaze away. Lee Na-hee noticed it with a glint in her eyes. ¡°What was that just now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lee Na-hee provoked him further, puffing her thick lips out further. Kang Shin-hyuk resisted the urge to grab onto them with the mps and shake her. ¡°Let¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Sheesh.¡± Although her trait had evolved, his coboration with Lee Na-hee hadn¡¯t changed much from before. First of all, Kang Shin-hyuk still melted and beat the metal into a basic frame for her to ce her mana into. And, while Kang Shin-hyuk hammered and hardened the metal, she would observe his work and create a magical character, a rune, from her mana to nt into it. It seemed easier, but in fact, thebor of processing mana was much more intensive than before. ¡°But, basically, it¡¯s simr to the enchant trait.¡± ¡°But my demands have increased. For the best effect, you have to analyze your opponents that much.¡± ¡°Does this mean it¡¯s different from the enchantments given by selecting the desired attribute?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could feel her mana flowing into the red metal as he shaped it. It felt simr to spiritual power, as it was exploring the essence of the object. However, if there was one difference, it would be that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power reinforced the essence of what it understood, while Lee Na-hee was attempting to add something new to it. ¡®Certainly, it¡¯s a useful ability.¡¯Lee Na-hee¡¯s ability had been a shock to him. Even with enchantment, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would be in perfect harmony with his own abilities. In some of the works, the addition of her abilities had even felt a bit burdensome. But not now. The rune grew together and bloomed with his spiritual power to create a valuable piece of work. Instead of addition, it was now more like they were working with multiplication. ¡°It¡¯s great, Na-hee.¡± ¡°It¡¯s subtle, but I¡¯m happy. It¡¯s trickier to use, though, and it¡¯s hard to use with objects I don¡¯t understand well.¡± Lee Na-hee seemed pleased with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s honest admiration as she subtly smiled. ¡°Also¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paused in his hammering. The metal on top of the anvil was taking the form of a red glove. It was simr to the thread gloves he wore as Shin Eun-hyuk. He wanted to create a metal glove that could move naturally even when worn on the hand by making a thin te of this red metal. They would look like ordinary silk gloves on the outside, but to the touch, one could feel the hard and cold texture they possessed. Now that his metallurgy had reached the A+ rank, he could craft such a thing with little difficulty. ¡°What is it? Just this for today?¡± It was already evening. However, Lee Na-hee knew that once he started, there would normally be no way to stop him until he was done. -Member? ¡®It would be better to check.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk removed his work gloves and reached a hand out to Lee Na-hee. ¡°Senior, your hand.¡± ¡°Oh, hand?! Didn¡¯t I wash them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, so give it to me.¡± He snatched Lee Na-hee¡¯s hand, who was blustering. While struggling with her embarrassment, Lee Na-hee still showed no intention of pulling her hand away as he began to let his spiritual power flow. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°How do I feel? Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad toe out so strong. -Did you have to choose that method, member? As Kang Shin-hyuk began to feel pathetic, Lee Na-hee was quick tofort him. ¡°Big and warm? That feeling?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quietly let go of her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s keep working.¡± ¡°Uh?! Oh, what is it? What is it now?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°So, what is it?!¡± Did he make a mistake? He had felt like her trait was definitely rted to spiritual power. Maybe, as she had boasted, it might appear if she evolved once more. He had already promised to help, so he could observe her trait in the future and intervene if there was anything hinting at spiritual power. ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t that a bit too sudden?¡± ¡°Some people kiss like that, but is that how it is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s! That¡¯s just an enchantment¡­¡± ¡°Have you tried that enchantment a few times?¡± ¡°Ha, once.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stared at her nkly. ¡°It¡¯s really only once. Do I look like the sort to casually kiss anyone?¡± ¡°A kiss? I thought it was an enchantment?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lee Na-hee quietly sank as Kang Shin-hyuk resumed working. She hovered nearby, her spirit in tatters. ¡°Forget all about this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± The two started working again in silence. Kang Shin-hyuk struck with his hammer, and Lee Na-hee released her magic. He was able to focus once more on his work, but Lee Na-hee kept passing nces at him. -Shall I kill her? ¡®Why are you so aggressive? She¡¯s a person who might join the Hero Universe sooner orter.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk saw a path of possibilities that Lee Na-hee had. If she could deal with spiritual power, she would prove her qualification to join the Hero universe. If she were a bit luckier, it might be possible within a few years. -That¡¯s why I have to kill her now before the contacts with you increase. ¡®Calm down.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk had a bloody chat with the administrator as his hands were constantly moving. Carefully grinding the surface of the gloves, he then added a dwarf¡¯s gemstone powder to it. The final process was to make five small holes, one in each fingertip, and trim them neatly. ¡®This part will spray the thread¡­¡¯Even though it was designed to shoot threads, no threads were used in making it. ¡®The metal thread is limited, and the spider thread is too weak. Then what would be best?¡¯That, of course, was his spiritual power. It wouldn¡¯t have been something he dared to do without the soul poison skill, but now it was possible. All that remained was to create a way to utilize spiritual power as a specific means of attack. In other words, these gloves were a way of adding physical power to one¡¯s spiritual power. So even if someone else wore these gloves, they wouldn¡¯t be able to grasp their utility. ¡°Na-hee, do you still follow?¡± ¡°Huh. I can¡¯t understand the material, but somehow I¡¯ve figured out the rest.¡± ¡°If you had realized it earlier, your work would¡¯ve been much easier.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s it, I suppose.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± What Lee Na-hee was adding to the gloves was speed. Just wearing them would make him faster and allow him to spray threads quicker. It was possible for her to do after she had seen him fight before. When the work was almost finished, Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly put it down on the workbench. Lee Na-hee raised her head in amazement; her concentration broken. ¡°Did you screw it up? It was going so well.¡± ¡°No, we have to make the other one. I¡¯m thinking of making a matching pair this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°I will do the rest of the work tomorrow. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Na-hee still had an awkward look on her face. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up and began to stretch with augh. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. Are the weekends okay with you?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯spletely okay.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll work on the weekend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Na-hee stiffened as Kang Shin-hyuk left, leaving her to remain in the club room for some time after that, swaying alone. She was filled with aplete sense of defeat. Chapter 163 Third Liberation (3) Chapter 163 Third Liberation (3) ¡°The school festival scheduled to be held this October has been cancelled.¡± ¡°Ah, Jesus!¡± ¡°Teacher, please!¡± ¡°We endured this dog-like training because we were looking forward to that!¡± Tuesday, the end of the ss. Siara Bertrand¡¯s sudden announcement left the students in despair. Shinyoung, who held the most magnificent festival among all superhuman training schools, had officially canceled this year¡¯s festival. ¡°¡­Instead, you will be entering a battle training period. In the future, there will also be more gate practice.¡± ¡°Gate practice?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be entering real gates, instead of using virtual gates in the gym?¡± There would always be a risk if the gate were real. Naturally, it required a lot of preparation to allow students to enter a gatepared to superhumans or mercenaries to ensure their safety. ¡°Is that saying that the lower-level gates will be left to the students, since there are too many for the mercenaries?¡± New gates had been forming at an rming rate since the Paris incident. It was as if the monsters had begun an all-out war to reduce the realm of humanity to ashes. All armed groups, including the Superhuman Association, we¡¯re responding with full force. In particr, Vanguard (now the number three guild worldwide after the incident with Oh Joo-young) was running around particrly vigorously under Dane Brook¡¯s leadership to regain their authority. ¡°Oh,e to think of it¡­¡± ¡°These days, the gates have increased so much that the market is oversaturated with monster parts, ording to my dad.¡± ¡°The association and the guilds are pressuring schools to take care of the lower-grade gates so they can reduce the damage¡­¡± ¡°Everyone, the school doesn¡¯t like students who are quick to notice but useless in a fight.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t really bad news for the students who were sick of the rotation between virtual gate practice, physical fitness and skill training, and thepetition between students. ¡°Then, would we ever go in without a teacher?¡± ¡°It is difficult for only teachers to amodate each group of students, so like before, we will be receiving support from the guilds. They will supply supervisors for the ss.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just have them clear the gates?¡± ¡°Not in the long term¡­ you will be dealing with several gates.¡± Thus dered the world¡¯s best superhuman training institution. ¡°The details will be delivered tomorrow. For the time being, concentrate on your writing and practical sses. Three days a week, you will be conducting gate practice, and for the other two, you will continue as you are.¡± ¡°Will we receivepensation?¡± ¡°The basic rewards for the gate will be distributed ording to your contribution.¡± Siara Bertrand had a twinkle in her eyes as she answered. ¡°You will be treated like official superhumans.¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± It may have been a sudden measure based on an emergency, but it was undeniable that gate practice would lead to rapid growth. Added to that was the opportunity to earn money like a proper superhuman, making this opportunity to participate in gate practice a wee sight. ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity to make your name known to the world. There¡¯s no doubt that the third years are envious of you for this. With that in mind, take advantage of this chance to learn everything you can.¡± ¡°It would be nice if we could skip the practical and writing sses and only devote ourselves to the gates¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be possible. We are sending you out to the gates despite yourck of preparation. The teachers are nning on putting their all into the two days of sses you will have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news¡­¡± The students¡¯ enthusiasm was shot down. *** Kang Shin-hyuk headed to his club room after listening to Siara Bertrand¡¯s shocking deration. He had already been attacking gates with the status of Shin Eun-hyuk and had long since stopped feeling the burden of sses, so he wasn¡¯t particrly moved by the announcement. Rather, today was the day he nned toplete the pair of gloves. ¡°Senior¡­ what are you doing?¡± Opening the door to the club room, Lee Na-hee stood in the center of the room, muttering strange words with her eyes half open and her arms outstretched. Nearby, Lee Manwoo was reading a newspaper while ignoring her, making the entire scene feel surreal. ¡°Practicing with my trait.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting bored working every day?¡± ¡°Combat, not production.¡± Lee Na-hee responded seriously. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t just the first years who would be challenging the gates. She must¡¯ve heard the same announcement earlier. ¡°So, what the hell is this practice?¡± ¡°I¡¯m practicing to instantly manifest my trait. I think it would be better to reinforce artifacts rather than myself directly. For that, what matters is the time it takes for my trait to manifest.¡± Admittedly, for production, the time it would take didn¡¯t really matter. But in abat situation, even a dy of a tenth of a second could result in your death. She seemed to be fully engaged in training to get rid of that dy. ¡°So, is it going well?¡± ¡°It was going well, but then everything was ruined because of you.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate since you suddenly showed up.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s temper red slightly as she sat down. Only then did Lee Manwoo fold up his newspaper and look over at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make something with Na-hee, will you let me know why you were doing it secretly?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± ¡°Hmm, I know roughly¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt his heart sink. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the one who saw you the first time you picked up a hammer. My eyes aren¡¯t so bad that I can¡¯t recognize your craftsmanship¡­ honestly, even the name Shin Eun-hyuk is a bit too easy.¡± Yes, he had been caught. ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of bbering about it, so rest assured. There are so many things I want to ask though¡­ haah¡­¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Considering that he was ranked fifth internationally under that name, Lee Manwoo¡¯s reaction was pretty tame. Kang Shin-hyuk could onlyugh in amazement at Lee Manwoo, who cleared his throat awkwardly before he continued. ¡°Also¡­ thank you for protecting Na-hee in Paris. It would¡¯ve been dangerous if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°She was holding on just fine without me.¡± ¡°This as well¡­¡± Lee Manwoo took out the business cards given to Na-hee and spread them out on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve properly applied my stamp to them. It¡¯ll be easy to talk about it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, if you want to, you¡¯re ready to trade your armaments with them.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Six of the business cards were for guilds in the world¡¯s top ten, yet Lee Manwoo was saying that they could make a deal with such people. Kang Shin-hyuk was taken aback. ¡°I used my name. It seems like it is still worth something.¡± ¡°No hesitation¡­¡± ¡°The important thing is that you won¡¯t have to go through the hassle of selling your work. It¡¯s an annoying process, so I¡¯m just helping you skip that part.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was familiar with struggling hard to prove himself as qualified for Shinyoung, so he could understand what Lee Manwoo meant. He nodded silently. ¡°If you had abandoned metallurgy to devote yourself tobat, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered. But I made up my mind after seeing all of this. Just make whatever you like, I will choose the right connection for you.¡± Then the work could be sold at the proper value. Lee Manwoo recovered the business cards and stowed them away. It sounded so natural at first, but in fact, things in this world weren¡¯t so easy. His reputation carried a heavy weight to it, whereas Kang Shin-hyuk was still considered a rookie. Adults were more likely to disparage his work and belittle him to lower the price. Lee Manwoo had set himself as a shield, however, to protect them from such an eventuality. Using his name to lead Kang Shin-hyuk to his own fame and authority in a short amount of time had been what Lee Manwoo was nning from the start. ¡®Not bad¡­ rather, I owe him one.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk began to recall the conversation he had with Halo as he listened to his teacher. What had he said? That the armaments created by Shin-hyuk changed the world. They gave birth to many monsters, but at the same time destroyed many more. That was why he had to make them. He sympathized with Anvil, who was determined to devote himself to metallurgy as a way to protect humanity and change the world. However, if the armaments he created were sold only to the Hero Universe, it would be difficult to change the Earth. ¡®It¡¯s the world I live in. If I¡¯m going to protect anything, I need to start with Earth first.¡¯It was so natural that it felt odd he had taken so long to reach that conclusion. Perhaps it was because the Hero Universe was the only way for him to understand the truth, so he had be obsessed with it. But from the start, his products could be sold in another ce. From now on, he would trade the weapons he created on Earth as well as in the Hero Universe. ¡°Teacher, thank you for your care.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It must have been a lot of trouble, so thank you.¡± ¡°Alright, make sure to work hard.¡± ¡°I will. Then, I will leave the selling to you.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Lee Manwoo stood up. ¡°The gloves you¡¯re making are for you, right? Are you going to start with the next one?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, no.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head. ¡°I made mine, so next is Na-hee¡¯s.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Lee Na-hee, who had been listening from the side, suddenly jerked her head up. ¡°This is the first I¡¯m hearing about it!¡± ¡°You have the ability to reinforce artifacts, but you didn¡¯t think about creating a new one?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡­ well¡­¡± Lee Na-hee blushed and hesitated, then finally bowed her head. ¡°Hahah.¡± ¡°Grandpa, shut up.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Lee Manwoo left, leaving the two in the workshop. They got to work as if nothing had happened, except for a slight smile on Lee Na-hee¡¯s lips. An hourter, the new thread gloves had beenpleted. Chapter 164 Third Liberation (4) Chapter 164 Third Liberation (4) [Soul Connector] [SS Rank] [Special ability: Shadow Silk, Lord, Spiritualization, Dwarf¡¯s Hand] *Shadow Silk: It emits spiritual power into a thread with physical force. It never ceases unless spiritual power is lost. Allows for movement through the shadows. *Lord: You are the master of the soul. When wearing this armament, spiritual power is amplified by one step, and the ability to interfere with other spiritual powers is increased. *Spiritualization: Envelops the thread with spiritual power to further strengthen it. It also applies to the wielder, boosting strength, agility, and stamina by one step. * Dwarf¡¯s Hand: 30% increase is applied to all hand-rted movements and skills. [Mutations that urred in areas where Gaia¡¯s eyes could not reach, scratching the dark wall with nails to pierce the dimensional barrier. The cksmith of the soul made those nails into a stable armament that cannot be handled without spiritual power.] -You have seeded in creating [Soul Connector (SS)] by handling materials above your current level! Metallurgy has grown to the S-rank. Emotion has increased to A+. -Synchronization has greatly elerated- current rate of 48.5%. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Lee Na-hee was staring at the pair of red gloves atop the workbench. As it was generally believed that the SS rank was the highest limit of a superhuman, so too was it for an artifact. An SS-rank artifact was something most couldn¡¯t even imagine a human creating, and obtaining one from a gate was unlikely, to say the least. ¡°I heard that there are less than a hundred in the world¡­ and now we just made one here.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?!¡± Earth seemed to be a world inferior to the ones the other members of the Hero Universe resided in. Yet, Anvil had created several works that didn¡¯t reach that rank that had been highly praised. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit of incongruity in that, but the administrator quickly exined as if he had read his mind. -The items you create are exceptional regardless of rank, especially in the field of spiritual power, where no one was able toe close. Therefore, even if something you made was only A-rank, it was viewed as being more valuable than an SS-rank artifact without spiritual power. ¡®I see¡­¡¯It was the same with this artifact. Weapons that dealt with spiritual power were in a different league. The gloves even said that those without spiritual power couldn¡¯t handle them. He gave it to Lee Na-hee as a test, and sure enough, she could only fumble them in the air. ¡°Uh, huh? I also helped make them, so why?¡± ¡°It means that you¡¯re stillcking. If you realize what it is, you¡¯ll be able to grow quicker in the future.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a little bit higher¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he put the gloves on. They were made of metal yet were quitefortable to wear. Perhaps it was thanks to thest skill they had, Dwarf¡¯s Hands, that they felt like he wasn¡¯t even wearing gloves. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep wearing them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re stylish, but aren¡¯t they a little noticeable? If you wear them as Shin Eun-hyuk¡­¡± ¡°Vo.¡± He filled the gloves with his spiritual power, finely manipting them as if they were a part of his own body. ¡°I can¡¯t see them!¡± ¡°Here, try touching them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite the fact he must¡¯ve been wearing gloves, Lee Na-hee could only see his bare hands. She gently held his hand with both of hers, the result being roughly what she had predicted. She couldn¡¯t feel the glove at all; it was just Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand she was holding. ¡°You can hide them like this¡­¡± ¡°How long will you hold onto me?¡± ¡°I was just trying to find the gloves.¡± Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a lie, as soon he felt the energy of his gloves increase as her trait activated. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been possible if I didn¡¯t help make it. It¡¯s really an SS-rank artifact.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still room to experiment with them, but this is good enough for now.¡± Even without testing them inbat, the artifact¡¯s excellence was obvious just by looking at the stat amplification. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be worn without spiritual power, but that hardly mattered. -It¡¯s an object that couldpete with the masterpieces of your previous life. If you put this on the trading board, everyone would be in an uproar. ¡®I¡¯ll have to work on making stuff like this consistently in the future.¡¯ -It was as I expected. Even though you haven¡¯t recovered everything from your previous life, you are already regaining the state of your previous life. By the time you regain all of your memories, you¡¯ll be capable of results that no one could imagine. His metallurgy was S-rank still, and his synchronization rate was still less than fifty percent. Despite that, however, he had created an SS-rank artifact. Of course, the ingredients were good, but they were like the Great Heavenly Spirit of the Shinfeng orb, merely by-products of an ordinary monster. It was an achievement iparable to renovating the blue cow. Of course, he wasn¡¯t content with just that, but it was a start to surpassing his previous life¡¯s skills. ¡®Na-hee¡¯s help was also great¡­¡¯ -Cheh. Kang Shin-hyukughed at the administrator¡¯s short message. He had felt it clearly while working. Lee Na-hee¡¯s trait matched his metallurgy well. It was clear that just by looking at the results that his judgment was correct. ¡°Then, let¡¯s create an artifact for you. I have a lot of work to do after that.¡± ¡°You really pamper people.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we partners?¡± ¡°Yes, partners. Our business. If it weren¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t let you take up my entire weekend, so remember that.¡± Lee Na-hee responded happily. No doubt, she was also proud of her own growth. ¡°What do you want to make?¡± ¡°Yes, I was thinking about it while watching ire¡­¡± He immediately epted her request, and they got back to work. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if ire would be envious when she saw what they were crafting. In the end, he decided to make something for ire as well. *** Kang Shin-hyuk returned to his room around 1 AM. For some reason, Onyx was waiting for him in the middle of the room instead of being in the garbage warehouse. -Myu!¡± ¡°Oh, you decided to show up?¡± -Myuuuuuuuu! Kang Shin-hyuk had omitted saying, ¡®since you normally are just eating or sleeping.¡¯ However, Onyx seemed to notice the omitted part and violently charged at Kang Shin-hyuk with his thorns protruding. He jabbed them into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s foot. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± -Myuuuuu! Onyx climbed up Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s leg, jabbing him with his thorns all the while. -Myu! ¡°Ow, ow!¡± Only then did Kang Shin-hyuk realize that he hadn¡¯t kept his promise from France. ¡°I was supposed to give you a sword in exchange for taking care of the building¡­¡± -Myuuuu¡­ Onyx shook his head at Kang Shin-hyuk. Thanks to him, rescuing the survivors under the rubble had been a walk in the park. But so much had happened since then that Kang Shin-hyuk hadpletely forgotten. Onyx had been waiting patiently all that time for his reward. ¡°Ah, my bad¡­ I¡¯ll give it to you, Onyx. Come on.¡± -Myu! As soon as he said that, Onyx¡¯s thorns receded as he jumped onto Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s see, it¡¯s in the inventory¡­ here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced the two swords he had taken from Oh Joo-young, the traitor of mankind. The man praised as the new de had some unique weapons. ¡°As a result of repeatedly manifesting his trait, the nature of the sword changed¡­¡± His trait was Excalibur (SS+). It was a trait that gave him powerful light magic and cutting power, a trait named after the legendary sword. The swords he used had been shaped by that trait over time. Kang Shin-hyuk recalled seeing an auction for one of the des Ju-young Oh had just touched on TV before. ¡®Now, I have two of them.¡¯One of them had been the one he normally used, while the other seemed to be a secret weapon of sorts that exceeded the former overwhelmingly. ¡®But if it didn¡¯t contain the power of Excalibur, it would be weaker.¡¯Maybe he always kept his energy in this sword, or perhaps it just contained his trait as he died. Kang Shin-hyuk began to wonder what would happen to the power of a trait when a human died while manifesting it in a weapon. Did it remain in the object? Perhaps this sword had the answer. -Myuuuuuu! ¡°Yeah, wait a moment. You can¡¯t have this one.¡± -Myuuu¡­ Onyx nodded sadly at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s resolute voice and epted the weaker first sword. -Myuuuuu?! However, as soon as he took a bite, he began to devour it ferociously. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if Onyx would change after eating it. ¡°Godyer, you¡¯ll get to eat one too.¡± The second sword that contained all of Ju-young Oh¡¯s power was given to the Godyer sword. Chapter 165 Third Liberation (5) Chapter 165 Third Liberation (5) The sword was not made by humans, a fictitious de used by the heroes in myth and legend. The wishes and will of countless people dwelled within it, causing it to be reborn as a sword for humans. The de did not exist but could be materialized using human magic. The one who became the owner of the sword regarded himself as the chosen one, the incarnation of a legendary hero and the savior of mankind. The strongest sword. The strongest human. The strongest being. Had he been able to stay in that illusion, he would¡¯ve surely remained an ally of mankind to the end. -The best? How funny¡­ If only that woman hadn¡¯t made him realize the truth. -The sword you create is just a believable fake. -Fake¡­? -All traits are just fakes that were borately crafted somewhere. Ah, yes, it¡¯s the same with monsters. -Ha, what bullshit. -Is it? You and I, facing each other like this¡­ it¡¯s like someone intended it to be this way. The owner of Excalibur wanted to cut down his enemies but was unable to. He couldn¡¯t ovee the enemy with his sword. He had encountered a desperate wall far beyond the power of superhumans on earth. -It¡¯s a piece created by the hand of the greatest craftsman who existed in this universe before, added to the myth of your little earth. Of course, even that was just a copy. After forcing the master of light to kneel, his will broken, the womanughed. -So, no matter how much you increase your magic, you can never be the strongest. There¡¯s no way a fake can beat the real thing. -You monster¡­! -The only difference between you and a monster is the position. Everything else is the same. -¡­Do you think those words will shake me? I will cut all of you down and protect humanity. It¡¯s all I have to do. The woman shrugged and let out a sigh. -It doesn¡¯t have to be you. Among the swords, what you have is the best, but Chang has another candidate. I could make do with him. -Huh! He was once more caught up in the words of this woman who treated him as a substitute. However, the woman casually beat him down once more. The owner of the shaking light knelt in front of her once more, his curiosity finally raised. -What¡­ do you mean? -An experiment to surpass the real thing. -Didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t surpass the real thing with a fake? -Yeah, that¡¯s how it has been so far. I want to stop doing this now, destroy the damn Hero Universe, and open up a world of chaos where there is no distinction between real and fake. To do that, they needed proof that a fake could surpass what was real. Then¡­ -So I chose the best among the fakes, you. -Hero Universe¡­ what is it? -If youe to us, I will tell you. There will be a lot that will surprise you. You, who thought you were the best, will find out about the standard of what is real. The man was conflicted. He had already realized that he was nearing the limit of his growth, and he was shaken by the woman¡¯s words that there was a way to go further. Everyone in the world knew him as a good and righteous man, but he wasn¡¯t. He just wanted to be recognized as the strongest. -Going beyond the real thing. -Yes, of course. The woman smiled cheerfully and nodded. -You¡¯ll leap over Anvil. The person who had created the original that the sword in his hand copied. The man felt an instinctive hatred for its existence. -Yes, let¡¯s do it together. In the end, the man nodded. -In return, you must help me kill. -Anvil? -Yes. The womanughed at the words. -A man loved by the whole universe? -Yes. -Yes! The woman was joyous. -If you can, try it. I¡¯ll open the way, so let¡¯s run wild. -I¡¯ll be a traitor to mankind from now on. The man smiled and lifted his sword, which radiated a dazzling light, shining upon his distorted face. -That¡¯s not a bad deal to be the strongest. *** -The Godyer haspletely devoured ¡®Excalibur ¨C Demon¡¯s Fang¡¯ to regain some strength. However, it will take time for it to digest the strong armament fully. Upon feeding Joo-young Oh¡¯s sword to the Godyer, blurry memories had gone through Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head. He had been able to get a rough sense of why the strongest had betrayed humanity. What concerned him, however, was¡­ ¡°I can guess what that monster meant from what I heard from Halo¡­ but what does it mean to be a fake?¡± Wasn¡¯t the order all wrong? Wasn¡¯t it because humans first awakened their traits that such outstanding replicas and monsters were born? ¡°Administrator, what is a trait? They seemed to think that the traits were only a copy of the real thing.¡± -That¡¯s interesting, but¡­ The administrator¡¯s words cut off. -That is a foolish illusion of those monsters, starting with the distinction between what is real and what isn¡¯t. ¡°Is that so?¡± -There are only a few in this universe who can create something entirely new. Of course, you are one of them. ¡°¡­¡± -But does that mean all others are fakes? That¡¯s ridiculous. It¡¯s all real, just like the monsters that appear are all real. Perhaps the administrator wasn¡¯t wrong, but Kang Shin-hyuk felt another secret hidden in the trait Excalibur. It seemed to be closely rted to Jormungand¡¯s motives, as well as Anvil himself. ¡°Will you know a little once you¡¯re done digesting the sword?¡± -Vwoooom The Godyer sword let out a quiet cry in response,ining as well. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and sat down with a whetstone. He wanted to clear his mind, which had been bogged down by the strange memories he had acquired by absorbing Oh¡¯s sword. -Myu? ¡°It will take time for you to digest. Go to sleep.¡± -Myu! Onyx, despite having swept through the garbage warehouse, seemed to be done eating, at least for now. -Myu¡­ He climbed up onto Kang Shin-hyuk, who was starting to hone the Godyer sword and fell asleep. Kang Shin-hyuk grumbled a little bit but soon devoted all of his attention to the sword. He felt liketely he was being bothered less by the things around him. ¡®It¡¯s a bit sad as it feels like I¡¯m gradually bing an old man¡­¡¯But ire seemed to like mature people, so he felt like it was okay. Kang Shin-hyuk thought that with a smile on his lips. *** ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ahn Hyeongju from Vanguard¡¯s fifth team. It is an honor to be in charge of training you today.¡± The next day, Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha were face to face with the young man who would be in charge of supervising their gate practice. ¡°What?¡± As soon as he learned that Ahn Hyeongju was in charge of them, Baek began to criticize Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°With this timing, shouldn¡¯t ire show up?!¡± ¡°Why are you talking about ire and not Shin Eunah?¡± ¡°Shin Eunah became the number one in the rankings, so I thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to!¡± ¡°Then why ire?¡± ¡°That makes sense with this flow!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed Baek away as he mumbled something he couldn¡¯t understand. Ahn Hyeongju was watching them with disbelief. ¡°I knew you were receiving support from the association, but¡­ are you acquainted with the Alchemist as well?¡± ¡°Oh, though you¡¯re our supervisor, you can talk inly. Yes, I work with metallurgy, so I¡¯m receiving support in that regard.¡± ¡°Support from the Alchemist¡­¡± Ahn Hyeongju was so shocked that he was sticking with polite speech. No wonder Kang Shin-hyuk was a student scouted by Shin Eunah, and now he was learning that he also has a connection with the Alchemist. ¡°¡­What? A young man with a rtionship with those two¡­ Death Puppeteer?¡± Right, it was about time for people to guess the rtionship between them. Kang Shin-hyuk only smiled and pointed at himself. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t be, of course.¡± Ahn Hyeongju shook his head at Shin-hyuk¡¯s words. There was no way a rookie, no matter how skilled, from Shinyoung, could survive an SSS-ss gate and reach fifth ce in the international rankings at the age of seventeen. ¡°I said some pointless things. However, I am not looking down on you. Rather, I think you¡¯re great. If you progress the way you are now, then I believe one day you can reach the level of the Death Puppeteer.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you for thepliment.¡± ¡°So why is he in charge of us?¡± Ahn Hyeongju appeared to be in his twenties with thick bangs. ¡°Well, that¡­ you¡¯re too strong to practice with the other freshmen, but it was hard to find a supervisor.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You are sponsored by the association, and you by the Baekyang Guild, and I¡¯m from Vanguard. I was chosen as I don¡¯t need to recruit you or anything like that.¡± ¡°So, where are we heading? Are we starting right away?¡± ¡°Indeed. Proficiency test¡­ well, I¡¯ll skip it.¡± Despite being young, their supervisor had enough experience to know how to skip the useless procedures. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the S-ss gate right away.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk doubted his ears, but their supervisor¡¯s words hadn¡¯t changed. Shinyoung¡¯s customized education was a bit overdeveloped. Chapter 166 Third Liberation (6) Chapter 166 Third Liberation (6) ¡°An S-ss gate? Shouldn¡¯t that be left to the other guilds?¡± ¡°You will be taking on an S-ss gate, given the current situation.¡± Ahn Hyeongju responded to Kang Shin-hyuk with a big smile. ¡°An S-ss gate is of a level that a guild must manage it. As reasonable rewards can be expected, they are popr enough to auction admission tickets¡­ but what if there were multiple gates urring at the same time as they are now, and one guild had to handle them all?¡± ¡°It means that the guild can¡¯t afford to concentrate manpower on them.¡± ¡°Exactly. However, if you go in poorly prepared, you will lose power. So¡­¡± ¡°So it¡¯s been passed on to the students? What nonsense.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk punched Baek in the shoulder for his words, but Hyeongju was silent. ¡°Isn¡¯t he saying that the school evaluates us that highly? Or maybe they want to test us.¡± ¡°It is less risky to enter with an elite of a certain skill level.¡± Ahn Hyeongju rallied his strength in response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s words. ¡°Well, why did they choose us and not people from the reserves?¡± ¡°Well¡­ there weren¡¯t any.¡± Hyeongju became silent once more. No doubt, this was aplicated situation for him to exin. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure your safety, so please don¡¯t worry. I am from Vanguard, after all.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk knew what Baek was trying to say, but he swallowed the words. He thought the same thing. ¡®I¡¯m stronger than this person.¡¯It was a surprising decision that the school gave them an S-ss gate for practice, but, to put it inly, Kang Shin-hyuk thought that the S-ss gate wouldn¡¯t be enough to draw out his or Baek¡¯s power. ¡®I can hardly talk, but Baek¡¯s movements at thest gate were astounding.¡¯Despite being weakened by the poisonous energy which several high-rankers had sumbed to, Baek had been able to fight back against SS-ss monsters effectively. Although his specialty was agility, he wasn¡¯tcking when it came to power. He wasn¡¯t particrly confident in his defense, but he was an excellent offensive ally to have by your side. ¡°There will be no problem.¡± These were two who had fought against that irregr SS-ss gate. They couldn¡¯t think of any trouble at an S-ss gate they couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°The gate hasn¡¯t been explored in advance.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°The gates have been pouring out monsters, even research is undermanned.¡± ¡°Has the curtain of the great gate era risen?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start with such a pointlessly heart-pounding announcement¡­¡± It was gate practice, no different than just official superhumans attacking a gate. Shin-hyuk was worried about the others going out to practice, however. Would a crisis ur while Shinyoung¡¯s students were out? At least it would be a valuable experience for those who¡¯ve sessfullypleted their training. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Good thing it¡¯s not an emissive gate.¡± The gate was in Hongdae, so plenty of people were observing them. Perhaps Shinyoung had nned this from the start. ¡°By this evening, there will be headlines about two students entering an S-ss gate.¡± ¡°Would you like some melon bread and ice cream?¡± ¡°Ah, normal Shinyuk.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paid no mind to the eyes around him as he bought some food. Ahn Hyeongju was speaking with the soldiers in charge of the gate while the two boys enjoyed some tasty snacks. The maximum number of people allowed in was uncertain, but the gate was definitely a small dungeon based on its mana emission. ¡°This sort of talk is pretty helpful.¡± ¡°The original gate practice was done in a ce where all the measurements had already been done, after all.¡± ¡°You two! Now you have to get ready to go.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly devoured his bread and grabbed onto the handle of the Godyer sword around his waist. ¡°Let¡¯s head right in.¡± -Entering the S-ss gate ¡®The Dark Creeper.¡¯ ¡°This¡­¡± Upon entering, Ahn Hyeongju frowned at the notification from the Gaia system that had appeared before them. Kang Shin-hyuk, who had only been going to irregr gatestely, was a bit taken in by the normal-looking message he had seen for the first time in a long while. All that stood before them in the gate was arge wall that blocked their vision. ¡°Is there a problem? It¡¯s the correct rank, and it¡¯s not an irregr gate.¡± ¡°Well, there is a problem¡­ where we are now¡­ I was hoping for a straight-forward gate.¡± Hyeongju let out a sigh. ¡°You are aware that certain gates require special actions to clear? This gate is like that. The higher the grade, the more difficult it is to clear¡­¡± Whereas some gates, like the one he was hoping for, just required those entering to move forward and destroy the monsters that appeared. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had experienced it before, in Btos. Shin Eunah and he had to obtain the records and fight the blue cow. To put it simply, they were tricky dungeons to clear, but they offered quite a bit ofpensation. ¡°The problem is that gates like this can be an issue without prior investigation. They aren¡¯t kind ces for humans¡­¡± ¡°Definitely not. Let¡¯s go.¡± Baek In-ha spoke up briefly before disappearing from his spot. Shortly after, he appeared in front of the wall that had appeared, letting his leg fall down. -Kyaaah! With a short burst, something exploded at the end of the trajectory he drew with his food. He had found and killed a monster too fast for Ahn Hyeongju to recognize. His expression was dumb-founded as Kang Shin-hyuk admired Baek¡¯s speed. ¡°Huh? What¡­¡± ¡°Shinyuk, does this work for you?¡± Baek threw a mass of indefinite ck solids at Kang Shin-hyuk. [Shadow Predator¡¯s Shadow Fragment] [S-ss] [Part of the body of a shadow predator. It is a daunting task to fabricate, but if you seed, there may be no one capable of physically harming you.] ¡°A shadow predator?¡± ¡°By the way¡­¡± ¡°Even without knowing what it is, there¡¯s a lot of them!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was unaware, but shadow predators were one of the most difficult to deal with among the S-ss monsters. They moved in the shadows and had an unmatched speed in the dark. They were vicious guys who would move into their opponent¡¯s shadow and give them all kinds of debuffs as they devoured their magic. It was the monster that had shown up to escort Nathan Bodin before. But now, those very same shadow predators were all over the wall that stood before them in this gate. -Kyaaaah! ¡°What an intuitive gate name¡­!¡± -Member, if that wall is broken, the gate will change into an eroded irregr gate. Blocking them from that wall is the gate¡¯s defense condition. The administrator¡¯s message came in quickly. ¡®Then what is the clear condition?¡¯ -The general condition is to hold on until morning. If so, the gate will be deactivated but not destroyed. The requirement for destroying the gate is to destroy the source of the shadow predators. Looking up, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t get a sense of any energy beyond the wall. It was the same with the monsters. They were able to thoroughly hide their energy, specialized in hiding from the start. If so¡­ ¡°Shall I let Onyx debut here?¡± ¡°Onyx?!¡± ¡°Onyx?¡± Ahn Hyeongju was considering whether or not he should intervene, curious about who or what Onyx was. Baek, who had already met Onyx before, raised an eyebrow. He was mistaken in just thinking of Onyx as a gluttonous hedgehog that ate metal. Well, actually, he wasn¡¯t, but Onyx could do other things. ¡°Onyx, I choose you! Go!¡± -Myuuuu! As soon as he opened the door to the garbage warehouse, Onyx ran out fiercely. Upon seeing the shadow predators crawling along the wall, he urgently made a U-turn and returned to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arms. -Kyahahaahaha! -Myu?! ¡°Look, it doesn¡¯t mean anything by itsugh.¡± ¡°Hedgehog? No, a monster? Where did it¡­¡± ¡°I already reported it to the school.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied briefly before turning to Onyx. ¡°Onyx, that wall.¡± -Myu¡­ The small hedgehog seemed disheartened but had no intention of disobeying the order. He went to the middle of the wall and activated his new skill. [Synchronization (SS): B -Assimte with the target and add their own status, characteristics, and skills to it. Low rank, only avable for inanimate targets.] That was the skill Onyx had acquired after eating the sword. Surprisingly, Oh Joo-young had been learning unity, a state in which a sword and a person harmonized to be one. Onyx had seeded in taking a copy of that skill when he devoured the de. Onyx¡¯s status had grown to A+ through his constant eating, but that by itself wasn¡¯t enough. He also had the skill of [Implementation (SS)], which let him reproduce what he ate. He was able to use that to express his new talent further. What happened as a result¡­ -Kyahak! -Kiiii! ¡°Thorns have sprouted all over the wall?!¡± ¡°The predators are stuck in the thorns¡­?¡± ¡°What¡­ they¡¯re being revealed.¡± He was able to fully express the abilities of the prey he had eaten so far through the inanimate objects he synchronized too. Now that enormous wall was like a huge version of Onyx, as long as his magic sustained it. -Myu! Myu! ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll feed you.¡± It had the disadvantage of requiring a tremendous amount of magical power. If it weren¡¯t for the enormous amount of food piled up in the warehouse, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where?!¡± In an instant, the risk of the gate had hit rock bottom. Ahn Hyeongju was relieved but responded angrily at Kang Shin-hyuk, who was making no sense. ¡°We have to clear the gate. There¡¯s a lot of energy around there.¡± He hadn¡¯t felt the root of that energy yet, but they were sure to find it if they looked for it. ¡°You¡¯re heading down the wall on purpose?¡± ¡°Hey, Shinyuk, you¡¯ll regret it if you take all the fun for yourself.¡± ¡°One of you has to stay here, I can¡¯t just leave it to Onyx.¡± ¡°Just leave it to Hyeongju.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the supervisor!¡± ¡°Then rock paper scissors.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had no intention of backing down himself. The materials from these monsters looked pretty good, so he wanted to see how great the drops from the source would be. ¡°Okay, one game.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± Baek was confident he would win with his agility. Kang Shin-hyuk made sure his gloves were on properly and activated his spiritual power to strengthen himself further. ¡°Are you both ready? ¡­Why am I here supervising this game?¡± ¡°Give me a quick signal.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, next time we¡¯ll go to a gate where you can¡¯t afford to engage in this nonsense.¡± ¡°Rock¡­ Paper¡­ Scissors!¡± The result was obvious. Kang Shin-hyuk boldly strode forward with Godyer in hand, leaving behind the sorrowful Baek In-ha. Chapter 167 Third Liberation (7) Chapter 167 Third Liberation (7) -Shaaa! -Shaahaaak! Thousands of shadow predators flocked toward Kang Shin-hyuk, whonded on the ground after jumping over the wall. ¡®Should I use threads? No¡­¡¯Apart from the fact that using it could reveal his hidden identity, relying too much on one weapon went against his trait and skills, which let him master all weapons. Besides, he had left the Godyer alone for too long and just fed it Excalibur, so it would be a good chance to have it work off that meal. The scene that had yed in his mind yesterday ran through his thoughts, that image of Oh Joo-young skillfully handling his sword against that woman. The idea of that woman still bothered him. Something about her presence, or maybe the de she wielded, remained in his mind. Somewhere¡­. ¡°If I do it myself, I¡¯ll see it.¡± With his Golden Dragon, he realized and reflected the essence of the movements he had seen. Now with the artifacts backing his physical status into the realm of SS-rank, it would be possible actually to trante it into movement. He could do it now; he was confident of that fact. As the shadow predators began to stick to his body and eat his spiritual power, Kang Shin-hyuk brandished the Godyer with his left hand and breathed lightly. A golden glow ran through his veins as spiritual power flowed through him and ignited the tip of his sword. His eyes had an eerie golden scratch running through them. ¡°Break!¡± He swung his sword, cutting down the enemies in front of him. -What?! -It¡¯s poisonous¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power flowed through the sword, turning into soul poison. Shadow predators were poorly matched against it, being creatures made out of spirit. If the de even grazed them, they would fall away with a terrible scream. ¡°Kh¡­!¡± Having removed the ones sticking to him, Kang Shin-hyuk focused on drawing the same movements with his sword that he had seen the other day. Those concise movements that blocked Oh Joo-young¡¯s sword, followed by a neat horizontal cut that would stop all movements. The moment it was put into action with the Godyer sword, the shadow predators flocking around him were cut down at once. The pieces left behind by them were automatically recovered into his inventory. -Kii, kiiii¡­ -A sword that touches our existence. This swordsman is dangerous. -Our father is in danger¡­ The shadow predators realized that Kang Shin-hyuk was an enemy they couldn¡¯t dare touch and began to retreat. Having made all his enemies retreat with those simple cuts, he felt half-way sessful in reaching the essence of her movements. ¡°Okay, I can feel it a little.¡± With that satisfied mumbling, an unexpected message appeared before him. -By increasing your understanding of Excalibur, the digestion of the Godyer has sped up. -Synchronization has slightly elerated- current rate of 48.7%. ¡°Huh?¡± It made sense that touching the source of Excalibur had sped up the digestion speed, but his synchronization has increased too? Was it because he was analyzing the sword? ¡®Let¡¯s aim toplete the digestion here.¡¯It would be nice to achieve 50% synchronization too, but that might be too much to ask for. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled ferociously as he watched the shadow predators flee from him. -Run away! -It¡¯s a human that will melt our souls! ¡°Where can you run away?!¡± -A 15,000 HP bonus for beastlike members! -By increasing your understanding of Excalibur, the digestion of the Godyer has sped up. -Synchronization has slightly elerated- current rate of 48.8%. With the administrator¡¯s message lingering in the background, Kang Shin-hyuk started massacring the shadow predators. Of course, his real purpose was to provoke them into revealing where the source was. Going beyond the wall, what awaited him was a forest full of conifers which hid the shadow predators. -By increasing your understanding of Excalibur, the digestion of the Godyer has sped up. -Synchronization has slightly elerated- current rate of 49.1%. ¡°They move quickly¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Now he needed a skill to maximize his sword¡¯s range rather than its power. Kang Shin-hyuk had no such talent, but he did have a treasure that was suitable. That was the Shinfeng Orb. -Due to fusing with the [Shinfeng Orb], some of the original power of the Godyer sword has been temporarily restored. The de has be SS-rank. The sword¡¯s strength and special abilities will be amplified. -You can now use the special abilities [Restoration] and [Regeneration] of the Shinfeng Orb. -The special ability [Wind de] has been temporarily unlocked. The power of the orb was still recovering. It wasn¡¯t capable of the dramatic change the Great Heavenly Spirit caused yet, but it was enough for now. ¡°Wind de!¡± The sword¡¯s de, glowing golden with the orb inside of it, suddenly stretched out to ten meters long. The metal itself had not grown, but now a de of wind sprouted up out of it. ¡®It really is an SS-ss artifact.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk drew the de horizontally in front of him, splitting through all of the shadow predators within range. The heavy conifers that blocked his view were also swept away, clearing his line of sight. -By increasing your understanding of Excalibur, the digestion of the Godyer has sped up. -Synchronization has slightly elerated- current rate of 49.3%. Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh as he ran forward. ¡°I like this one more than the Heavenly Spirit.¡± -10,000HP bonus! Apparently, the administrator agreed. -Our father is in danger. -For us to survive¡­ -Run! The shadow predators hid in the shadows in their attempt to escape, but in front of Kang Shin-hyuk, it was a pointless resistance. He put the sword into the shadows and let the wind explode out, imbuing it with soul poison as it swept through the shadow predators. -Synchronization has slightly elerated- current rate of 49.4%. ¡°My body¡¯s so light. I fear nothing now!¡± -What does that mean, member? ¡°The boss is being summoned, but I can¡¯t see it yet.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk went deeper into the dark forest as he continued hacking down monsters and trees alike with the wind de. In the meantime, he was finally getting a sense of it. ¡®Is this it?¡¯The shadow predators were adept at hiding their energy, so it took a while for him to get used to it. However, by fighting them and hitting them with his own spiritual power, their habits, movements, and even some of their memories gradually began toe to him. Repeating that over and over again, a map of the forest started to form in his mind. ¡®Shall we go? We¡¯ve secured enough by-products, and the synchronization rate is now 49.6%. By the time I clear this ce, I can expect that not only Excalibur will be fully digested, but I¡¯ll also reach the third liberation.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk recovered the Shinfeng orb from the sword. For dealing with the mass of dark energy, it would be better to absorb it rather than use the Shinfeng orb. -Hmm? The energying from the forest is a little different¡­ ¡°How so?¡± -The source of the shadow data and its performance is different than what I know. It isn¡¯t an irregr gate¡­ perhaps, depending on the situation, the goal of the gate will change. That is, a partial change may ur. ¡°That is good news.¡± He had been growing bored with only the shadow predators. He wanted the gate to be S+ grade, maybe even SS- with a bit of luck. Kang Shin-hyuk covered his whole body with Golden Dragon and bought intermediate status potions in preparation. However, the max they could raise his rank to was SS, so their effects were limited. ¡®I can still raise it by using the soul connector. I should be d I can achieve that effect without borrowing ire¡¯s potion.¡¯After thorough preparation, Kang Shin-hyuk continued forward to the source of the gate as he lightly stabbed at the shadow predators in his vicinity. Cutting down more trees, he could feel a dark mass growing in front of him. It was so dark that he thought his eyes were closed for a moment. -Father! -Protect him! It was what the shadow predators called their father. They swarmed to bite at him in an instant. Even a high-ranker would struggle against such a group; however, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t resist them. He only covered his body in a strong flow of spiritual power. Against them, that was enough. -Kyaaak! -Poisonous! -Gueeee! The shadow predators fell away from him and died like flies. -Proficiency of [Soul Poison (SSS)] has increased. A brief message appeared, indicating the skill level had increased slightly but had not risen. He figured it would be difficult to raise the second he confirmed it was an SSS-rank skill. ¡®I was fortunate to receive S+ as its initial rank.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk strode forward and ignored the shadow eaters around him. The huge source of darkness before him was still creating more of them. -Get ready, member. Things are changing right now. Kang Shin-hyuk took a stance with his sword aimed forward. He didn¡¯t know how it would change but assumed he would need to meet it with his sword. The next moment, the source of darkness began to shift, and Kang Shin-hyuk lowered his sword. Chapter 168 Third Liberation (8) Chapter 168 Third Liberation (8) The shadow source has recognized the existence of the ideal energy and is attempting to evolve. -The source of the shadow is absorbing the shadow predators! It would¡¯ve been nice if the story had been simple, and it had just made a shadow golem with the source as its core. Instead, it had created a force field to protect itself and block Kang Shin-hyuk from approaching while it began to absorb the shadow predators it had created. Then¡­ it began to shrink gradually. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem hostile¡­¡± -It¡¯s a great opportunity, so allow me to exin. The fact that the administrator entered exnation mode meant that the situation really wasn¡¯t dangerous. The source of the shadows was taking its time to evolve right in front of its enemy. -All monsters are hostile to humans, but some of them suppress their instincts to ce survival as their top priority. ¡°Survival¡­¡± -That¡¯s right. This is especially the case for non-living monsters born under the influence of humans or legends and myths rather than creature-type monsters born with instincts. It was a bit difficult for him to understand. A monster that prioritized survival but was also non-living? -Non-living monsters are inorganic monsters that cannot be defined in the form of an animal or nt. Living Armor is one example. ¡°I see.¡± -These monsters don¡¯t have a living body, so they aren¡¯t swept away by their instincts. However, they have a strong desire to survive as they weren¡¯t originally alive. It sounded a bit ironic to him, but Kang Shin-hyuk thought he could understand the feeling. Something that hade to life, as if by a miracle, no doubt would have an obsession with the life they had been granted. ¡°How does that rte to the current situation? So this source is a non-living monster with a strong desire for life¡­?¡± -Since it has no way to defeat you, that means it has decided to change into a form that cannot harm you. It¡¯s an option a creature-type monster couldn¡¯t think of. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Was that because he used soul poison to overwhelm the shadow predators? -That is correct. Your soul poison is a dangerous attack for these creatures, so the source of the shadows is adapting ordingly. Monsters being killed by superhumans was a scene ying out at countless gates at this moment; however, no matter howrge the gap between opponents, there was usually a slight chance to surpass it. The problem was that the soul poison, at least from the view of the source of the shadows, was an imprable wall. It was a case of a bad match-up. ¡°Is this also a mirror like what I¡¯ve been hearing?¡± -The member Halo may not have considered this sort of unusual situation. Well, that was fair. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head as he observed the ck sphere before him. Now it was small enough that he could hug it with both of his hands as it continued topress itself smaller and smaller. The sight felt simr to when Kang Shin-hyuk had united the benadelite particles in Gromas before. ¡°I guess this is because I showed up with the Shinfeng orb and the Great Heavenly Spirit in the first ce.¡± -This is a case that this administrator never expected. You can do whatever you want. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and sheathed Godyer as he stepped towards the source of the shadows. -¡­ It seemed to pulse in time with his steps, revealing its intention to Kang Shin-hyuk. It frightened him. ¡°Isn¡¯t this bad?¡± -If we¡¯re talking only about this dungeon, the scariest thing is you. The administrator responded honestly, revealing why he had given him all those bonuses. -At least from the enemy¡¯s perspective. 10,000HP bonus! Now the bonus just felt pointless. Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh as he reached out to the source. It didn¡¯t resist him; it had already surrendered. His spiritual power covered it. ¡®Are you ready?¡¯The situation now was much better than when he had made the Great Heavenly Spirit. His metallurgy and spiritual power had increased, and now he had the power of the Golden Dragon. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his hand, imagining the hammer in his hand that radiated a golden brilliance as spiritual power gently covered it. He used it to strike the source. -ng! The source was nervous at first, fearing that Kang Shin-hyuk was attempting to destroy it, but it soon calmed after the hammer blow rang out. It began to realize that Shin-hyuk was helping its evolution as they connected through his spiritual power. -ng! ng! ng! He was doing metallurgy even though he had arrived for battle. It was fortunate no one else had followed him into the forest. -ng! ng! ng! The source wasn¡¯t that different from the Great Heavenly Spirit, as both were collections of enormous energy (although the simrities ended there). Just like when he had done it in Gromas, however, the work was still difficult. Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind was focused as he continued to shape the source. ¡°I¡¯ll need a finishing material.¡± That would be, of course, the by-products from the shadow predators that had been killed earlier. He produced them and processed them with spiritual power into the source that was now about the same size as the Shinfeng orb. He imbued it with the spiritual thread of his soul connector. -What great workmanship. 15,000HP bonus! ¡°¡­It¡¯s looking good.¡± He didn¡¯t know what sort of properties the orb would have, but it had a smooth luster to it that resembled the Shinfeng orb and the Great Heavenly Spirit. -ng! ng! ng! The work wasn¡¯t over yet. He kept tapping at the orb, injecting his spiritual power and Golden Dragon to stabilize and strengthen it. It began to show its traits as he honed it. Perhaps, once he reached the ultimate form of what he was doing now, it could be called All-craft. -ng! ng! ng! The work felt like it took an eternity, but in reality, it had taken less than five minutes. When Kang Shin-hyuk stayed his hand, an orb that glowed ck in response to his spiritual power floated before him. It was an artifact with an ego, a gem born from Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s skill. -After performing a miraculous work by overwhelming the material, a treasure [Dark Spirit Pearl (SS)] that contains the power of shadows was born. -Metallurgy skill proficiency has increased significantly by forging a living object! -Synchronization has elerated- current rate of 51.4%. Some results had been expected, and some had been unexpected. -The third liberation of VIP is in progress. 2 billion HP has been unlocked! -You have awakened one of your previous life¡¯s skills. You have learned the skill [Repair]. Under the influence of synchronization rate and metallurgy, your repair skill proficiency will grow to A+. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes bulged out of his head. The fact that he had unlocked a new skill was a surprise, but a most wee one. It was a skill that went hand-in-hand with metallurgy. Rather, he had already been using metallurgy to do something simr when he made the Great Heavenly Spirit and the Dark Spirit Pearl. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not just repairing, but it will affect my overall metallurgy.¡¯He could tell in a second that he had acquired a great skill, and for it to be A+ was something that couldn¡¯t be ignored. -Congrattions on your third liberation with a 150,000HP bonus! Now you can purchase advanced status amplification potions that increase each status by three levels for an hour at the price of 1,000,000HP each! In addition, more products have been added to the store, including spirit adhesives! ¡°The price suddenly rose again.¡± It was pricy, but he had just unlocked 2 billion HP, so even that price looked a bit cheap. -That¡¯s because it¡¯s an advanced level. Of course, you can receive an additional VIP discount for purchasing one for 700,000HP! Kang Shin-hyuk was beginning to doubt the structure of the Hero Universe store, handing out such discounts after the fact, but he knew there was nothing good awaiting him if he asked the administrator, so he kept quiet. -Also, keep in mind that the limit of the advanced potions is the SSS-rank. ¡°Could I beat Halo with SSS-rank?¡± -You cannot win. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, needing no further exnation. ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve grown considerably in a short time, but I still can¡¯t see the end.¡± -You are growing at an rming rate. It may seem like a long way, but in reality, the distance is rapidly narrowing, so don¡¯t worry about it. ¡°Thank you, administrator.¡± -150,000HP bonus! Kang Shin-hyuk hoped that the administrator wouldn¡¯t keep sending in these types of bonuses; his heart wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. Besides, at this rate, it might start causing intion. -The login bonus has also been improved due to the third liberation. An enhanced roulette that can be turned with 20 roulette coins has appeared! ¡°Ah.¡± -The Enhanced Roulette includes equipment slots and many hidden systems of the Hero Universe, so don¡¯t miss it! ¡°I already pulled out the equipment slot.¡± -That¡¯s proof of your luck! In addition, the maximum avable time per day of My Room has been increased to ten hours, and the time ratio with Earth has been adjusted to three times, so please use it appropriately! Wasn¡¯t that the best news? It was better to stay in his My Room to go off on a quest. -The number of dimensional quests that can be taken has also increased significantly. Returning to a world where you have previouslypleted a quest will now require half the amount of HP! ¡°Oh, is it time to fill my days with quests?¡± It was time to set aside Mirotoz and explore the other dimensional quests! -We¡¯ve gotten too excited, so I had forgotten. ¡°What is it?¡± -The gate has not been cleared even though you secured the source of the shadows, which was the clearing condition. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Come to think of it, he was still in the gate. -Another irregr phenomenon is urring! ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± He wouldn¡¯t be given that much time to enjoy his spoils. Kang Shin-hyuk hit the ground running with the Dark Spirit Pearl in hand. Chapter 169 Pulling the Accelerator (1) Chapter 169 Pulling the elerator (1) -Member, be alert. Erosion is urring. ¡°If erosion happens on the streets of Hongdae right now¡­¡± In Korea, it would be an emergency equivalent to the countercurrent. It was for that reason gates in high-poption density areas were under strict management. Considering that it was a dangerous challenge, Shinyoung had presented Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha. -No, member. I am not saying that this gate is eroding Earth. ¡°Then what?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sprinted through the forest as he spoke with the administrator. It hadn¡¯t taken much time to reach this point from the wall, but now it felt so far away. Wasn¡¯t it a little weird? -This gate is being eroded by the enemy. It is reacting to the abnormal mutation of the source of shadows. ¡°Is that possible?!¡± -Generally, no. But it is proof that the gate has already transformed into an irregr one. Not only that, it means that they are watching you if erosion is urring immediately. ¡°They?¡± -Those you have already met. The gate is gradually expanding from the erosion. Dear member, if you wish to rejoin your party, it is better to take out your bike. ¡°Right¡­!¡± The blue cow bike had been shown in the media several times already as the ride of Shin Eun-hyuk in Paris. It was a bike immediately recognizable as Shin Eun-hyuk¡¯s. So using it now meant that Ahn Hyeongju might catch him, but¡­ ¡°Human life is more important than that.¡± His agonysted less than a second as he pulled out the bike and immediately ced the Shinfeng orb in it. ¡°Full speed!¡± -Wow! Reading his mind, the blue cow soared into the sky. Still in his hand, Kang Shin-hyuk could feel the Dark Spirit Pearl growing embarrassed as it met an object that resembled itself. ¡°That, what¡­?¡± Now that he was soaring above the trees, he could recognize the situation of the gate at a nce. ¡°The sky¡­ the gate¡¯s being invaded.¡± -Cuoo¡­ Darkness spread over the sky. The environment of the gate was nighttime before, but this was a sort of darkness that shattered light and hung heavily above everything under it. -It is them. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk elerated even faster as he could feel the gaze of something simr to the shadow predators from that darkness. The blue cow powered by the Shinfeng orb rushed through the air like a thunderbolt, leaving an afterimage behind it. -50,000HP bonus to this member¡¯s awesome racing skills! ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not a 100,000HP bonus this time. It¡¯s really too much.¡± -Oh, you¡¯re going faster. 50,000HP bonus! ¡°So you gave it out twice¡­¡± The Shinfeng orb had recovered a lot, but Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability to drive had also grown. Golden Dragon Fighter strengthened the bike¡¯s internal engine even further as they soared above the forest. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± It didn¡¯t matter how much the gate was expanding as it eroded; he could reach the wall at the rate he was going. Ahn Hyeongju only barely recognized him after the bikended. ¡°Where did you¡­ oh, that bike¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± -Myu! Kang Shin-hyuk stowed away the blue cow as Onyx let go of his magic and ran to Kang Shin-hyuk. He jumped up onto Shin-hyuk, frightened. Gently patting him, Shin-hyuk looked up at the darkness around them. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask. It seemed like something was happening in the forest, but then the sky became weird right after. It¡¯s nice the shadow predators are gone, but now something else¡­ -Shaaah Something began to fall from the sky toward them. It fell down like a dark rain, moving in a vaguely human-like way as it did. -Due to the change in the gate¡¯s environment, the gate has transformed into The Model Garden (SS)! -It is a Shadow Elemental, a monster with a purer attribute than the Shadow Predator. It is SS-ranked, so they might not be as easily killed as before! In response to the Gaia system, the administrator warned Kang Shin-hyuk. Baek In-ha and Ahn Hyeongju had seen the same message as they both prepared for battle. Hyeongju had arge shield in hand, and Baek was now brandishing two daggers in addition to his normal boots. -Shaaaaah! More of that dark rain began to fall as the closest poured down towards Kang Shin-hyuk. He instinctively filled his sword with spiritual power and cut it, but the feeling wascking. The enemy had no clear shape, so he wasn¡¯t sure how he could cut down a vital spot. ¡®But my soul poison¡­¡¯ -Shaaah! The enemy screamed out the next second, expanding in ce like a piece of popcorn popping. Even if it couldn¡¯t be cut down in a single blow, the soul poison certainly worked. If so, there was no reason to hesitate. He ced the sword on the floor and spread out his hands. His power flowed through the soul connector to spread out as ten strands in all directions. ¡°You are Shin Eun-hyuk!¡± ¡°Please be quiet, please!¡± The threads were backed by his S-rank wind mastery, dancing along the wind to confront the shadow rain. -Shaaah! -Kiiii! Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s attack opened up like arge umbre to greet the rain. Ten strands as pirs and the spreading wind formed an umbre-like membrane to resist the rain. The shadow elementals fell through to the ground, hit by the poison. ¡°What are you doing? Kill it!¡± ¡°Yes, right!¡± ¡°Here we go!¡± Baek and Hyeongju, who had been stunned by the sight of Kang Shin-hyuk, regained their senses at his sharp remark and began to attack the weakened elementals. Hyeongju charged in with his shield to kill them one by one, while Baek kicked off the floor and fired crystals of blue mana from his feet, kicking them into the nearest ones. ¡°It¡¯s too fast¡­!¡± ¡°Is he slow?¡± Now that the enemies were weakened by his soul power, a magical attack was enough to finish them off. ¡°What is happening to them?¡± ¡°Focus on cutting them down.¡± The thread that came out of the soul connector was both a thread of soul and a thread of shadow, making it the perfect weapon to cut down these shadowy guys. Those who tried to climb into the shadows were cut down by the thread that followed them. -Shaaaaaah! -Shaah! Kang Shin-hyuk swung his hands in a dazzling disy to cut down the hundreds of shadow elements falling down upon them. ¡°It¡¯s a hard counter, in many ways.¡± But would that keep up in the future? What if all of the light disappeared here? -There are a number of worlds made up of only shadow, as there are many made of light. ¡°The scale is a bit too big for me.¡± -But your way of thinking is a good start. It¡¯s clear that light is a weakness for them. Of course, they know that too, so they rush to swallow up the light. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ -It would be good for you to have some means to attack with light. Light has a divine nature that makes it effective against undead and demons, so it is one of the top priority attributes to purchase. ¡°Then¡­ Baek!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk kept managing his ten threads as he called out to Baek. Baek was moving fast around the area created by Kang Shin-hyuk to finish off the shadow elementals. ¡°Do you have any means to attack with light?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only as fast as light.¡± ¡°Then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± He didn¡¯t like where the administrator was heading with it, but there seemed to be no choice. ¡®What you¡¯re saying is, something like Light Mastery?¡¯ -That¡¯s right! The administrator¡¯s voice was suspiciously bright in responding. -You have a very high affinity with fire, but also with light, which shares some attributes of fire. In addition, by interpreting Excalibur that was absorbed into the Godyer, your understanding of light has also improved. So, the conditions to learn Light Mastery are rather good. ¡®Oh, then I¡¯d rather take Fire Mastery.¡¯ -You can learn thatter. Light Mastery will increase the type of weapons you can craft and handle in the future! ¡®¡­Like?¡¯ -That is beam weapons. ¡®I¡¯ll buy the best I can.¡¯The second he heard the word beam, Kang Shin-hyuk was sold on the idea. -Purchasing Light Mastery (SS) skill stone for 3.5 billion HP. Your VIP special discount has brought the price down to 2.145 billion HP. Purchase sessful! In returning for failing to curb his middle schooler sense of taste, all of his property had been robbed. He understood that attribute skills were expensive, and SS was rare, and even the VIP bonus was good¡­ But if it was that expensive, why didn¡¯t he confirm the purchase beforehand?! -It is a dangerous moment. SS-grade skills often don¡¯t remain for long, especially since that person who signed up a while ago¡­Excuse me, a member put it up for sale at a price lower than the normal selling price. If I hadn¡¯t bought it right away, another member would¡¯ve imed it. ¡®Isn¡¯t that wrong in various ways as an administrator?¡¯ Well, it had already been bought. Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out the skill stone and used it right away. Chapter 170 Pulling the Accelerator (2) Chapter 170 Pulling the elerator (2) -You learned Light Mastery (SS). Under the influence of the skills and traits you have learned, your proficiency will grow to B-rank. Golden Dragon Fighter has grown to SS-rank! A dazzling light burst out from Kang Shin-hyuk. It was not pure white, but rather, it had a golden hue to it as it mingled with his Golden Dragon. He focused on himself and began to analyze the new skill he had just learned. -Wind Mastery is a power exerted based on magic power or wind power. However, you are exercising it in harmony with your spiritual power. Light Mastery is a simr skill, but you can deal with it through your Golden Dragon Fighter. ¡°Huh¡­ well, as long as I can create light, I suppose¡­¡± It was a new source of power at the very least; it didn¡¯t really matter how it worked so long as it did. -Few people deal with Light Mastery. Not everyone who uses the power of light has Light Mastery. Joo-young Oh, for example. ¡®I see.¡¯ -Light Mastery is an extremely rare skill. It turns out that it had been posted on the trading board btedly, and now the freeboard is burning. The member Loki is dancing in a frenzy. ¡®Oh, yeah?¡¯ -Ascaldin, another member who already has Light Mastery, was teasing the member Loki, but when he heard that it was of SS-rank rarity¡­ ¡®You don¡¯t need to ry that.¡¯In the process of adapting to the new skill, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s body was continuously radiating bright light. The shadow elementals burned in the light he made, causing them to attack more viciously than before as they let out terrible screams. -Because they hate the light, they are rushing to swallow yours. ¡°It¡¯s funny for beings born in light.¡± The shadow elements swarmed around him despite being burned by the light he emitted. He thought it wouldn¡¯t be very effective as it was only B-rank, but perhaps its synergy with Golden Dragon was boosting it. Kang Shin-hyuk mixed his trait within the light to further boost it. -Shaaaaah! -Kiiiiiii! The golden threads stretched out to pierce the burning elements, the soul poison harmonizing with the light to wound the elementals fatally. ¡®But the consumption from Golden Dragon has increased¡­ I need to adjust it ordingly.¡¯Golden Dragon was the very lifeforce of Kang Shin-hyuk. He could recover it to an extent by drinking potions, but it was inefficient and took a while to recover that way, so it wasn¡¯t very reliable. The boss of this gate had yet to appear, so wasting energy would be dangerous. He lowered the energy density to a more appropriate level and moved his hand to clean up those that remained. His automatic routing function was still active, but his party members didn¡¯t seem to notice due to the dark surroundings. Instead, they were focused on the bright light he was emitting. ¡°Shinyuk, what is that?!¡± ¡°It looks like an awakening.¡± It would be weirder if they weren¡¯t suspicious of the sudden change, but they couldn¡¯t have known about the Hero Universe, so Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t bother hiding it. ¡°A huge number ising!¡± The sky was torn asunder as the rain pouring in became stronger. All the raindrops that hit the ground flooded toward them in the shadows. It was as if the entire world had be their enemy. If it weren¡¯t for the Soul Connection and the Light Mastery he had just learned, the shadows would have consumed them all by now. ¡°I¡¯m really dying here!¡± ¡°Fix your shield! It¡¯s because of the light I created.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say! Once we get past this, be prepared! I have a lot to ask!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you pay for your life, so be prepared for that too!¡± Hyeongju shut his mouth and lifted his shield again. -The boss is appearing. Be careful, as it is SS+ rank. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought about the set of intermediate status potions he had already prepared. He could only drink one set a day, and now he had the option of advanced ones¡­ ¡®Can I give this to another?¡¯ -No. Status potions are items that cannot be traded even between members. ¡®There¡¯s no way?¡¯ -Feeding through oral contact may work; however, it may be less effective. ¡®It¡¯s okay, never mind.¡¯ -Cheh. ¡®What?!¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk gave up on the idea of feeding the potions to Baek In-ha and thought of what he could do instead. -The enemy you are dealing with has a spiritual body. Spiritual strength and Golden Dragon are more important than boosting basic stats. Thus, an intermediate potion will be enough. That was true. Kang Shin-hyuk downed the three potions without worrying about it anymore, boosting all of his stats to the rank of SS+ with the added benefit of his soul connector. At this level, he was at the pinnacle of humanity. -From the cracks of the torn world, the Sediment of Chaos (SS+) has appeared! Be careful; the enemy won¡¯t die unless you break its core! His battle preparations over, something massive gradually emerged beyond the pouring rain of shadows. It was a bizarre and disgusting sphere that seemed to extinguish all light in the world, possessing an infinite sense of darkness. -Ooooh¡­! ¡°The Sediment of Chaos¡­¡± ¡°Huh?! Whoa!¡± Hyeongju Ah let out a groan and kneeled before the boss had evenunched a proper attack. Blood was leaking out of his ears. Was it possible that this monster was so fast that it could move without Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s reinforced senses to catch? -That¡¯s a type of demon. It emits dirty mana that will hurt those without enough mana or those who don¡¯t know how to protect themselves with magic. Therefore, Hyeongju Ahn had been brought to this state just by being near this boss. Shin-hyuk felt bad to say it, but he hadn¡¯t been of any help since entering the gate. ¡°I have a bad feeling, but I don¡¯t see a way to fight it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back to carrying around this extra luggage.¡± Should he shoot the thread? No, the Gaia system said he had to break its core to damage it. Was it buried deep inside that massive body? It was unlikely he could cut through it, given it was hundreds of meters long. He tried firing off a thread to test it, but it was cut off as soon as it was buried into its body. -Guooohohoh¡­! It seemed Soul Poison had a bit of an effect, however, as it turned towards Shin-hyuk with an angry voice. At the same time, a dark gas began to seep out from its body. -Member¡­! ¡°Kh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk crossed the threads into a grid pattern in front of him to build a shield. He empowered it with spiritual power and his Golden Dragon trait, creating a sparkling golden square shield. -Chiiik, chiiik The gas hit the shield and made a creepy hissing sound. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he poured more energy into the shield. ¡®Like the administrator said, the nature of its magic is filthy¡­¡¯But what did that exactly mean? It meant that it was an attack that held no meaning to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Baek In-ha, take Hyeongju Ahn to safety. Can you manage that much?¡± ¡°These damn shadows¡­ okay! I think I can do at least that much!¡± Baek, who had been naturally excluded from the boss fight, was shouting energetically. The shadow elementals had been gradually increasing ever since the Sediment of Chaos appeared, but Baek was mindful of keeping Hyeongju safe. ¡°Please lend me the bike!¡± ¡°Seriously? Alright, take it!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± Once out of his inventory, the blue cow immediately understood what was to be done and went straight to Baek. Kang Shin-hyuk asked Onyx to go with him. ¡°If the situation arises, keep Baek safe.¡± -Myu¡­ myu! Onyx seemed concerned but soon nodded that he could do that much before heading for Baek as well. He jumped high into the air, showing off a strange new ability that Shin-hyuk took note of. ¡°Okay then.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk released the shield of threads once the party had moved behind the rubble of the crumbling wall. The Sediment of Chaos poured out even more energy to end him, assuming the shield had faltered because of his attack. He felt like the attack was simr to the breath a dragon emitted, but he wasn¡¯t entirely sure as he had never fought a dragon before. -Guo¡­?! ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The dark sticky breath roiled over Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s body. The gas had no effect on him at all. That was partially thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s strong resistance to all kinds of poison from his skill, Soul Poison. Secondly, however, it was because he had no mana that could be polluted. ¡°If that is all, it would be fastest to dig into its body and break the core.¡± -Of course, digging into a spirit body is quite simple, but it bes a confrontation between souls in the end. It would be a pain to endure the pressure of that thing. ¡°As is, it won¡¯t work, so it¡¯s better to bring it to an end soon.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk bought and drank a high-grade potion on the spot before jumping off the ground. With the power of Wind Mastery topress and burst the air, he soared over tens of meters in the air instantly. ¡°Hahaha!¡± -Oooooh! ¡°I should¡¯ve kept the Shinfeng orb!¡± -It¡¯sing! The next moment, his field of view was colored ck. ¡°Huh?!¡± It wasn¡¯t the gas. Something happened to the Sediment of Chaos¡¯s body as it swallowed Kang Shin-hyuk whole. Kang Shin-hyuk briefly wondered if its body had been scattered all over the gate from the start. If so, that meant Baek In-ha and the others were in more danger than he was in right now. The problem was that he had no time to worry about them. ¡®Get off¡­!¡¯Golden Dragon flowed through his body to push away the unpleasant energy that tried to worm its way into him. Spiritual power formed a thick armor over him and spilled out poison, making the boss realize he had swallowed up something unhealthy. It wasn¡¯t enough by itself, however. Even if the path to the core was a straight line, he couldn¡¯t tell exactly where he was. ¡®First, the Great Heavenly Spirit¡­!¡¯The space around him was crushing down on him as their souls shed. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to reverse the situation if he absorbed the enemy¡¯s energy into the sword? Yet, as if possessed, he pulled out the Dark Spirit Pearl instead and put it inside of the Godyer sword. The sword was dyed in shadow as a brief message appeared. -The Godyer haspletely digested Excalibur: Demon¡¯s Fang. Chapter 171 Pulling the Accelerator (3) Chapter 171 Pulling the elerator (3) -Light and shadow exist together. You realized that where there is light, so too must there be a shadow. The digestion of Excalibur by the Godyer sword had beenpleted by inserting the Dark Spirit Pearl. The sword shed out, having sessfully received the light after being enhanced by the darkness of the Dark Spirit Pearl. -The Godyer has regained some of its original traits and has evolved to the SS-rank. The handle was slightly longer now, and the guard had a new ornament. The de itself was sharper and considerably longer as well. Now it wasrge enough to be a bastard sword. -A new special ability, Sacred Sword, has been unlocked. The sword looked brilliant and noble as it shone with an unbreakable light that fascinated Kang Shin-hyuk. The sword had clearly regained some of the original divine power that it once touted. The changes didn¡¯t end there, however, as it was changing from the core as well as its evolution. -Due to the fusion with the [Dark Spirit Pearl], possibilities that the Godyer originally didn¡¯t possess have temporarily bloomed. It has be an SS+ rank. Its strength has been amplified, and all special abilities are maximized. -You can now use the special ability [Dark Spirit]. -You can now temporarily use the special ability [Spirit Sword]. -[Sacred Sword] and [Spirit Sword] have fused to unlock the special ability [Sword of Chaos]. [Sword of Chaos], [Flesh Control], and [Guardian] have fused to unlock the special ability [Dawn]. A list of unrecognizable names passed in front of his eyes, making Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind go nk. A new special ability had been obtained by digesting Excalibur, as well as one from fusing it with the Dark Spirit. Combined, those abilities had be a whole new special ability. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he was convinced it would be powerful. Kang Shin-hyuk was quick to confirm the information about the special abilities. [Dawn: Burns through the darkness to bring light. When expressed, all stats, special abilities, and skills are used to create a dawning strike that cuts through everything.] ¡°Okay¡­¡± -The special ability cannot be expressed due to ack of ability. Forced manifestation could lead to death. Then why did he obtain it?! Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly stopped trying to express the special ability. The Godyer was silent. ¡®I have to put in the Great Heavenly Spirit.¡¯He was still struggling inside the body of the Sediment of Chaos; this was no time to be leisurely exploring special abilities. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could absorb the power of this enemy, but it was better than the Dark Spirit Pearl, whose abilities he couldn¡¯t handle. -Vwoom However, the Dark Spirit Pearl let out a strange cry and began to express its own special ability in response to Shin-hyuk trying to remove it. Not [Dawn], but the [Dark Spirit] ability it possessed. ¡®Ah, there was this.¡¯The fusion messages had been so intense he had forgotten. Thepressed source of shadow, which had been the boss of the gate, was no joke. -Guoooaaaaaaa! The Sediment of Chaos let out an annoying and diforting sound that reverberated throughout its body. All of the darkness around Kang Shin-hyuk was being sucked into the Dark Spirit Pearl stuck in the center of Godyer¡¯s guard. ¡®This¡­¡¯It was almost like the power of the Great Heavenly Spirit, yet even that couldn¡¯t absorb the entire body of the monster around him. [Dark Spirit: Be the master of shadows. Increases stealth in darkness, as well as movement and attack speed. Reduces the damage of all dark attacks by half. It can absorb all darkness and store it in the shadow, permanently increasing the ability depending on the amount.] The Great Heavenly Spirit interfered with energy and absorbed it, but the Dark Spirit Pearl could exert absolute power over only the dark. ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted toe out like that.¡± -Vwooom! Then why did it remain quiet when dealing with the elementals? Maybe it had a limit to how much darkness it could soak up like this, so it had been saving up for the decisive moment. Or maybe he just wanted to test the power of his master. If that were the case, they would need to have a talkter. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out then.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head, his confidence rising to wash away his anxiety. He could no longer feel his foe¡¯s energy pressing down on him from all sides anymore. Rather, now it felt like it was trying to expel Kang Shin-hyuk from its body. ¡°Break!¡± But there was no need for Kang Shin-hyuk to withdraw. Hepressed air beneath his feet to burst forward through the Sediment of Chaos like a cannonball. The Godyer he held in hand devoured the darknessing in from all sides to pave the way forward. -Guooooooh! Perhaps if Kang Shin-hyuk weren¡¯t inside the Sediment of Chaos¡¯s body, it would be able to fight back with magic or some special ability. -Guooooooooooh! However, such skills weren¡¯t usable against foes already trapped inside its body. It was so massive that it couldn¡¯t attack itself. It could restore itself to an extent from its core, but it was being drained faster than it could keep up. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have time to rx, however, as he knew that the Dark Spirit Pearl couldn¡¯tst forever. ¡®I have to find the core.¡¯He repeatedly fired off thepressed air to drive himself deeper into the chaos sediment as the Godyer erased away chunks of the darkness. ¡®Where is it? It must be hiding in the deepest part.¡¯His enemies up until now hadn¡¯t been good at dealing with the soul, so it was easy to read their weaknesses. But this was different. Its entire body was a huge mass of spiritual power, so it wasn¡¯t easy to scan it with spiritual power. Now that it was weakened by the Godyer, using spiritual power to read it was now possible. Cracks were forming in the Sediment of Chaos¡¯s defenses. ¡®It¡¯s my first time doing this¡­but its good practice.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power flowed through the body of his foe. It noticed btedly, trying desperately to stop it, but it could not concentrate on its defenses properly, given the damage it was sustaining. ¡®Found you.¡¯The moment his spirit found his destination, the Wind Mastery naturally reacted to push his body forward. His sword was held straight ahead, cutting right through the darkness before him. ¡®Faster.¡¯Thepressed wind exploded out, shooting him further forward. It wrapped around his body with spiritual power, granting him the ability to fly through his own strength. ¡®Stronger!¡¯That alone wouldn¡¯t be enough as the Dark Spirit Pearl was beginning to overload. ¡®Light Mastery.¡¯A weak light began to flow out from his body, providing just enough of a boost to the Dark Spirit Pearl. The pearl began to emit a stronger power in rebellion of the light as Kang Shin-hyuk gained a bit of understanding of how he could harmonize the attributes of light and darkness. -Member! The administrator¡¯s message brought his attention back to the world and the massive ck sphere before him. It was smaller than the true body of the source of shadows he had previously encountered, but its power was iparable. ¡°This guy won¡¯t try to change like the Dark Spirit Pearl.¡± -Rather, it might try to absorb the pearl. ¡°That¡¯s probably why it swallowed me up.¡± However, that pearl had now brought him here, to deal the final blow. Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh and lifted his sword high. ¡°Then, it¡¯s the final battle of the day!¡± The core of the Sediment of Chaos swelled greatly in a final attempt. He could feel that the energy inside of it was going to explode, but¡­ Without any hesitation, Kang Shin-hyuk struck it with the Godyer, the energy within the sword pouring out. The Dark Spirit Pearl radiated a gloomy light as it engorged itself on the most powerful darkness it had ever eaten. Chapter 172 Pulling the Accelerator (4) Chapter 172 Pulling the elerator (4) Baek In-ha was born far apart from the norm. He was blessed with an overwhelming talent and amount of mana from the start that none in his generation could match. ¡°What an excellent child.¡± ¡°If I was like that, I wonder if I could be the master of Baekyang.¡± ¡°Haha, stop joking. That child was born toote. Humans get old with the passage of time, but a strong superhuman will only grow stronger as time passes.¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t there one or two who are aiming for the position of Baekyang¡¯s master? The master said that if you don¡¯t meet the standard, you won¡¯t be given a seat even if you¡¯re a rtive.¡± ¡°Yes, thepetition is already fierce. Even for this child¡­¡± If he had been born ten yearster, that child would¡¯ve be the master of Baekyang. Baek In-ha, who had exercised his dazzling talents without hiding them, grew up listening to that from a very young age. It was thrown around by those who recognized his shining talent and expressed regret, but it only sounded like ridicule to his ears. ¡®It¡¯s not my fault I wasn¡¯t born earlier. My fault is that I¡¯m too weak to ovee the limits of time, and that is all.¡¯Baek In-ha realized that at a young age. Words like ¡®because I was born toote¡¯ or ¡®I didn¡¯t have good enough artifacts¡¯ only served to frustrate him. Such things didn¡¯t motivate people, but only encouraged them to stop moving. He didn¡¯t like it. People around him making excuses for him were unbearably annoying. It was around that time he stopped caring about his reputation. Natural talent, time, effort, all of that felt ridiculous. He just started doing his best at what he could. He wanted to surpass the guys who cut themselves down. Perhaps it was then that his tone of speech became more casual, and his behavior became awkward, a symbol of a spiteful adolescent boy. He wanted to make a big counterattack after ridiculing those who only judged the outward appearances. As a result, Baek In-ha becamefortable. Those who talked nonsense about his talent disappeared, and his ability began to advance at a phenomenal pace. Without any intervention, he grew freely. He stopped revealing himself so much on the outside, so it became difficult to know exactly how strong he was, but he was satisfied with his strength. He didn¡¯tpare himself to others but focused solely on strengthening himself. As he grew older, however, he slowly remembered his history and realized that what he knew was not everything in the world. ¡°In the future, behave more properly.¡± That was why his grandfather¡­ that was why the master of Baekyang, Baekjuin, directly called out to him. ¡°Think about what the guy who will be the master of Baekyang will look like to others.¡± ¡°Yeah? Who?¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°The owner of Baekyang?¡± ¡°Yes, the guild master.¡± Baekjuin dered so firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve ced it in front of you. So do your best.¡± ¡°No, why?¡± Baekjuin let out augh. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re just pretending to be the prodigal son.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ ugh!¡± ¡°You will be Baekyang¡¯s face in the future. Fight and defeat all those who attack. If you don¡¯t have that kind of spirit, you can¡¯t sit here.¡± ¡°No, Grandpa, so why¡­¡± ¡°You are the strongest among your rtives. Isn¡¯t that clear?¡± Baekjuin¡¯s eyes shone brightly. ¡°It¡¯s a lie to make them loyal when it is said it doesn¡¯t matter if they are outsiders.¡± ¡°Thank you for being so mischievous¡­ah!¡± ¡°But they won¡¯t notice. So, in fact, you must prove you have the abilities to be worthy of Baekyang¡¯s master, starting now. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­So¡­¡± ¡°First, start with Shinyoung. Student Council President, you can do that much.¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± So, Baek In-ha formally became Baekyang¡¯s sessor. That was when he realized that no matter how much he hid it, there would be those who would recognize him. But, he didn¡¯t think the way of life he chose was wrong. He thought it had gone well, as he had been able to meet a boy his age who couldn¡¯t handle mana. *** ¡®This¡­¡¯How many times had he be a bystander to Kang Shin-hyuk during a crisis? Baek In-ha was on the lookout for shadow elementals crawling around him in the surroundings filled with darkness. ¡®He had even produced this bike¡­¡¯The reason he had borrowed the blue cow from Kang Shin-hyuk was that his magical power had been gradually falling. However, he could save his mana by using the blue cow to move around and then use his magic into attacking. With that, it would be possible to endure the situation. It was a great artifact; even now, it seemed as if it had its own ego that actively assisted him. ¡®No doubt, it¡¯s lending me the power of the wind to my attacks.¡¯He felt surprised by Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s development over half a year and couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he had umted such extraordinary strength in that short amount of time. A bitter smile yed on his lips at the thought. ¡®When did I startparing myself with the friend I made without a thought of it before¡­?¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk was a man without mana, yet he had entered Shinyoung confidently and had devoted himself to what he could do, despite what anyone around him said. Baek had felt a sense of unity in that, feeling that the two were essentially very simr. However, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to others¡¯ opinions and make an effort to improve without giving in, while Baek had stopped caring. With that, Shin-hyuk had taken a leap into an entirely new category of strength. ¡®I could¡¯ve taken it for granted until he became the Rookie King. Then¡­Shin Eun-hyuk¡­¡¯It would¡¯ve been a lie if he said he was just happy to see his friend grow faster than him. But what were those emotions, and where did theye from? It wasn¡¯t easy to admit, but in the end, Baek epted he was no different from the others heughed at. He was jealous of his friend,paring himself to him. However, he had no intention of giving up and sitting down. The attitude Baek had throughout his life wouldn¡¯t change. He didn¡¯t care if Kang Shin-hyuk made a bike, shot threads, or even had a rtionship with a red-haired beauty! Baek could proceed the only way he could. ¡®No, but how the hell did he end up with ire¡­?¡¯ -Myu! ¡°What are you saying, hedgehog?¡± -Myu?! He wouldn¡¯t ept those who imposed limits on themselves, not even if he did it. He clenched the handle of the bike he borrowed from his friend, his knuckles turning white. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be satisfied with only this much?¡± -Myu! He pulled down on the elerator with one hand and held a dagger in the other, raising his mana up to the limit. If he could match the speed of this bike, he could prevent the elementals from approaching. -Shaaaaa -Kiiiiiii! The sounds of the elementals rang out, but he remained vignt. He knew their cries meant little; what he needed to focus on was their magic¡ªnegative mana, poisonous magic that would eat away at one¡¯s mana. -Cuo¡­ The bike vibrated in response. He had no clue where it came from, but this artifact was blowing out a magical wind to protect him. It pushed away the magic of the shadow elementals as it boosted Baek¡¯s power. -Shaaaah! Baek elerated on the bike towards the shadow elements rising up from the floor. They let out a scream as the bike ttened them. ¡°Go away!¡± -Kiaaaaak! His magic power was concentrated at a single point at the tip of the dagger as it cut through even the shadow elementals far away from him. ¡®What¡­¡¯The results that came out were much more impressive than the power he had used. Was it just an illusion? No, he confirmed it wasn¡¯t as he kept swinging the dagger. ¡®Is it this bike?!¡¯He had heard of artifacts like this that enhanced their master¡¯s abilities, but he never imagined the change would be so dramatic. It was all thanks to the Shinfeng orb that powered it, but Baek In-ha had no idea. The traits of the blue cow matched very well with him, making them incredibly fast. It instantly recognized what was happening around them and created an efficient path to follow. They moved around an area with Hyeongju Ahn at the center, removing the shadow elements that encroached on them as they moved like lightning. ¡®No, it¡¯s actually sparking. Is it using wind and lightning?¡¯The blue cow responded by releasing the magical power of the wind to amplify Baek. He immediately fell in love with the bike. ¡®If I ask Shinyuk to sell me one, would he?¡¯Maybe it would be too hard to make something like this again. If so, he would have to engrave what this felt like in his mind¡ªthe flow of the wind and his own mana. At some point, green mana began to rise up from his entire body. Hyeongju Ahn was unconscious, so he couldn¡¯t see it, but Onyx watched it with amazement. *** -You have subdued one that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 27,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you had received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 40,500,000HP! It had been a satisfying meal. The amount of HP had been slightly higher than when he had killed the Poison Mist (SS+), as well. That probably meant this opponent was particrly tricky, but Kang Shin-hyuk had an ability that served as a hard counter to his foe. -The Dark Spirit Pearl has absorbed darkness beyond its intake limit. It has been sealed until it is finished digesting. ¡°I believe in you, Dark Spirit Pearl.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ced the pearl in his inventory as the gate erosion was lifted, and the natural night sky returned. -The Irregr Gate has been cleared. The gate has been destroyed. Everything inside the gate will be discharged outside. Soon, everyone would be bounced out. Kang Shin-hyuk used the air bubbles tond gently on the ground. He had grownfortable using them during the fight. Ahead of him was Baek, his eyes closed as he rode atop the blue cow. ¡°What, did you burn through everything, Baek?¡± Hyeongju Ahn, as a bonus, was still knocked unconscious. -Myu! Myu! ¡°Yes, you seem fine too. Good job, Onyx.¡± He grabbed onto Onyx, who had rushed him with some intent. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± -Myuuu! Onyx pushed against Shin-hyuk¡¯s cheek to make him look at Baek. ¡°Baek In-ha? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Shinyuk¡­¡± Baek finally spoke up, gently opening his eyes that were now stained with emerald color. ¡°Lend me this bike.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything, so lend it to me. Please, lend it to me!¡± ¡°I hate the idea of it¡­¡± ¡°Sir?¡± In order to build a bright andpliant society full of dreams and hopes, Kang Shin-hyuk had decided to prepare a contract. Chapter 173 Pulling the Accelerator (5) Chapter 173 Pulling the elerator (5) The gate opened, revealing two boys and an unconscious man. Barricades had been erected around the gate (though they meant little if monsters started pouring out), and police monitored them. ¡°What happened? Emergency at the gate?!¡± ¡°We cleared the gate?¡± Baek In-ha raised his head and pointed back at the gate, which was gradually scattering behind them. The police became embarrassed as they looked at the man they were supporting. ¡°Yes?! Then, did Hyeongju Ahn do that¡­¡± Somehow, in their eyes, an emergency had urred in the gate, and Hyeongju Ahn had been injured while saving his two trainees. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged after exchanging a nce with Baek. ¡°I guess we didn¡¯t do a proper job.¡± ¡°Somehow¡­¡± That evening, Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha made the headlines of the news. It was the first time since the artifact contest that he had appeared in his form of Kang Shin-hyuk instead of Shin Eun-hyuk. He was sitting on the sofa in the hospital, gazing up at the TV screen as he listened to the administrator¡¯s exnation. -There is an item called a soul contract. It is a terrifying artifact that can inflict serious penalties or even death if you try to break it. It is a product exclusively handled by the Hero Universe. ¡°It sounds more like ck magic than anything else¡­ I¡¯ll buy one.¡± -They are 30 million HP each. ¡°¡­¡± If it weren¡¯t for killing the Sediment of Chaos, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford it. Kang Shin-hyuk purchased it with his trembling hand. Fortunately, his VIP discount brought it to 22.5 million HP, but he still didn¡¯t have enough money to buy another. ¡°Well¡­ huh?¡± Hyeongju Ahn, who was lying in the patient¡¯s bed, groaned and opened his eyes. He was quick to grasp where he was, his eyes bulging. ¡°You¡¯re alive?! But¡­ that terrible monster!¡± ¡°Mister, be quiet. If you talk too loudly, the Vanguard members outside wille in.¡± Hyeongju Ahn had returned from the gate in a battered state with traces of that filthy mana in his body, so not only Vanguard but also the entire Korean branch of the association had mobilized to investigate. Kang Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t known, but the demon that had caused it was known among superhumans. Rather, apparently, all of the main members of Jormungand were demons. Hague, the armored man who appeared in Paris, had mana simr to the Sediment of Chaos. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk¡­ you look fine.¡± ¡°Of course I am. The hospital isn¡¯t sure, though.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek were trapped in the hospital out of a fear they might¡¯ve been influenced by the mana. Baek had called Baekyang to give them a morefortable ward, but Kang Shin-hyuk had stayed behind to wait for Hyeongju Ahn to wake up. Of course, that was to cover up what he had seen. ¡°Oh¡­ oh! Right, Hongdae!¡± Hyeongju Ahn groaned and grabbed his head, recalling what had happened before he passed out. ¡°The gate was cleared.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Baek and I solved it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pointed to the TV. The news was about the S-ss gate being cleared, which in itself wasn¡¯t particrly newsworthy. The fact that a demon had been detected at the gate and one of Vanguard¡¯s elite fighters had been incapacitated despite two students walking out fine had garnered attention. Hyeongju Ahn stiffened as he watched the screen, no doubt feeling humiliated. Kang Shin-hyuk patted his shoulder and handed him the contract. ¡°Anyway, so I don¡¯t need to worry about you, sign here.¡± ¡°A contract? What¡­ ah.¡± Hyeongju Ahn stopped himself from moving instinctively, sensing the enormous magic of the soul contract. ¡°Don¡¯t reveal your identity¡­ what is this about artifacts?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sell armaments to Vanguard through you. That way, you will also umte some standing.¡± ¡°Armaments, what do you¡­ ah, I see.¡± Hyeongju Ahn btedly recalled that Kang Shin-hyuk had won the artifact contest. ¡°¡­Did you make all the weapons you used today?¡± ¡°Would you like to check them out?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took off one of the gloves he was wearing and showed it to Hyeongju Ahn. He didn¡¯t have the emotion skill, so he couldn¡¯t check the details himself, only the information Kang Shin-hyuk deliberately released¡­ that was to confirm that he was indeed the craftsman. ¡°Nonsense. How old are you?!¡± ¡°I made it with my senior. With these kinds of trading conditions, it should be sufficient for not revealing my identity.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t intend on it from the beginning. The Thunder Empress has been in charge of your information for the association¡­¡± The associations didn¡¯t know his true identity, but Shin Eunah, the one who managed his information, wouldn¡¯t forgive someone who spreads it. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at the thought and handed him the contract once more. ¡°So let¡¯s prevent such a situation. Now, sign. Quickly.¡± ¡°It looks like a pretty good artifact¡­ is there a reason you¡¯re hiding your identity?¡± ¡°If I get caught, I won¡¯t be able to move freely as Shin Eun-hyuk. I n on revealing it after I graduate.¡± ¡°You seem to be after only the good parts of being a high-ranker. Well¡­ alright.¡± Hyeongju Ahn signed the contract with a slight frown as he could feel its power bind him. ¡°I originally nned for this to be a temporary job, but now I feel like we¡¯ll be seeing each other in the future.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had intended this from the start, through trading with Vanguard. Wouldn¡¯t it be convenient if he had someone on Vanguard¡¯s side to support him? ¡°In the future, my skills will improve.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you two already good enough?! I can¡¯t figure out how the hell you were fine against that demon!¡± Hyeongju Ahn quickly shook off his depression, raising his voice energetically. ¡°How can I¡­ can it be possible to be so strong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s partially luck, but also a lot of effort.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way to be strong just by studying or reviewing preparations.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was confident he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone when it came to effort, but he acknowledged it wasn¡¯t solely through his effort he had grown so fast. ¡°Luck and talent aren¡¯t something you can force, so try your best.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°I can also make you a weapon one day.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Hyeongju Ahn was convinced that if he had an artifact half as good as Soul Connection, his ability would increase significantly. ¡°It won¡¯t be free, but I¡¯ll sell it for cheap. Wear it and show it off to the Vanguard people.¡± If he wanted to sell his armaments for a good price, he would need to prove they were worth it. Of course, he had Lee Manwoo to back him up in that regard, but he had already been considering establishing his own connections as well. ¡°Cheap¡­ how much is it?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s see what you can pay, because I¡¯ll decide what to make based on the budget.¡± Having finished what he came to do, Kang Shin-hyuk pressed the call button and stood up. Opening the door and stepping out into the hallway, he saw a nurse walking fast towards the room. She was followed by Vanguard¡¯s members, one of whom was a girl who seemed a little younger than him. She wore Vanguard¡¯s coat and had a creepily neat appearance. -Member? ¡®Why do you get worried every time I see a woman these days?¡¯ -70,000HP bonus! ¡®Look at that¡­¡¯Of course, he thought she was pretty, but that wasn¡¯t what had caught his attention. Her hair and eyes were bluish indigo. Her skin was white, and she looked Korean. ire¡¯s own eyes and hair had been dyed red when she awakened, so this must¡¯ve been a simr case. -She¡¯s a talented fox¡­ ¡®She hasn¡¯t said a thing yet, but she¡¯s already a fox?¡¯ ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± Shin-hyuk was nning on pretending to ignore them, but the man at the head grabbed him. It was Lim Hoon. Considering he was in his thirties, it was an unconventional greeting, but Lim Hoon was one of Vanguard¡¯s strongest members. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I see Shinyoung had made a good bet with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Mr. Hyeongju Ahn, who protected us.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had no reason not to push Hyeongju up now that he was his contact with Vanguard. Lim Hoon continued to look at him seriously as if he were considering something. ¡°When we met before, I mentioned the contract would have to be revised next we met¡­ I thought that would happen in about two more years.¡± ¡°Oh, did you bring a contract?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Yes. So, when I graduate, let¡¯s talk once more.¡± ¡°Haha, so there¡¯s still a chance.¡± Lim Hoon had a nervous smile on his face, but then he pulled the girl who stood behind him up suddenly. ¡°This is the next prospect of our guild, Hye-na.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go in first.¡± The girl looked at Kang Shin-hyuk with an unpleasant expression before passing him to enter the hospital room. -A woman has appeared with a high probability of falling in love with this member. It would be better to handle her now. ¡®Where do you get your information from? We need to talk about your hobbies one of these days.¡¯The sight of Kang Shin-hyuk speaking to the administrator was a bit of a shock for the others to see, but Lim Hoon was quick to take action. ¡°I apologize. She is still young¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Hye-na is a swordsman, like yourself.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk handled all weapons well, but since he used swords the most on the official stage, there were rumors his trait had to do with swordsmanship. ¡°She does have a sword on her back.¡± A blue greatsword hung behind her ck coat. ¡°She is the daughter of the guild master. She learned kendo directly from her father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who had killed Vanguard¡¯s former guild master in his Shin Eun-hyuk form, went quiet. ¡°That¡­ take good care of her. That child will enroll in the knight department of Shinyoung next year.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye out for her.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lim Hoon smiled before leading the other guild members into the hospital room. -It¡¯s obvious thatter she will rush to kill the person who killed her father. Kill her now. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine for now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk headed off to the private room where Baek In-ha was waiting. Chapter 174 Pulling the Accelerator (6) Chapter 174 Pulling the elerator (6) ng! ng! ng! As usual, the sound of a hammer rang out in the narrow workshop. ng! ng! ng! The cksmith forgot the time passing by as he hammered the metal. ng! ng! ng! No, had he forgotten? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Grandpa, can we talk a little seriously? -You? It¡¯s already funny. However, on that day, his new friend threw a small stone into that regr routine. -Janus¡¯s whisper: If you armed yourself with the armaments you made, would you have been able to fight as much as you like in that world? aang! A little too much power was put into the hammer. The cksmith looked down at his ruined work with regret, letting out a sigh as he tossed it into the furnace. -You ruined an object because of your talking. Even if it was ruined, it was still already aplete artifact. The cksmith supposed he could melt it down to create another artifact that could properly utilize its ability. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Do you think I believe grandpa could ruin anything? I could go out and recover a whole city with whatever it is. -A city? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Next up would be the world. -The world? Nothing is left. The cksmith turned his attention to creating a new alloy by adding various materials to the melted artifact. They mixed in harmony ording to his will. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Not at all. You¡¯re a member of the Hero Universe. -What is left, then? -Janus¡¯s whisper: What¡¯s left? The whole world remains. -Not intact. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Huh? -But what¡¯s left intact? The metals mixed together into one, forming an alloy that gave off a brilliant light. The cksmith pulled it out and cooled it into an ingot with a gloomy expression. -Why don¡¯t I leave it to you to save the world? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Yes¡­ -Janus¡¯s whisper: Yes. Please leave it to me, grandpa. The cksmith got back to work with his hammer. ng! ng! ng! In that narrow workshop, there was only the sound of a hammer ringing out. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Even if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll save you all. -I¡¯ll look forward to it. But in the end, that dear friend couldn¡¯t save the cksmith. *** -You received 2 roulette coins as today¡¯s log in bonus! The morning after the third liberation, the usual phrase weed Kang Shin-hyuk as hey in a hospital bed. However, this time was a bit different. Now there were two roulette coins. Now he couldn¡¯t help but look forward to what rewards awaited him after hepletely regained VIP privileges. ¡®I had five from before¡­ so seven in total now.¡¯Of course, now that he heard of the improved roulette that could be yed with twenty coins, he had no intention of running the ordinary roulette. The administrator had made it clear it could unlock new functions of the Hero Universe. ¡®Whoo¡­ I¡¯ve gotten a bit used to the feeling of recovering memories.¡¯He was beginning to pull out the deeper memories that his previous life had hidden away as a result of the third liberation. He was naturally epting those dark memories. It felt like he was being forced to be an adult. Kang Shin-hyuk began to change his clothes and think instead about what sort of beam weapon he should make when someone knocked on the door. Quickly putting on his pants and shirt before opening the door, he was greeted by the form of Shin Eunah. -Cheh. ¡°Senior Eunah?¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°What happened¡­?¡± ¡°I came to get you out. It seems there is still a bit of an upset from yesterday.¡± That was all due to yesterday¡¯s report. One Vanguard guild member and two students had gone into a gate together, yet the two students had returned fine despite the Vanguard member being injured. Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha had been confined to the hospital out of a concern that they were influenced by that contaminated mana, but it was also to help them avoid excessive media exposure. Shin Eunah, who had be aware of the situation the following day, had arrived to rescue Kang Shin-hyuk on behalf of the association. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go. Come on, I¡¯m going to use movement magic.¡± ¡°What about Baek?¡± ¡°Baekyang will take care of their own.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly gave up on bringing Baek along and instead sent him a brief text message of [I went ahead of you.] and put away his phone. His phone began to vibrate immediately after, but he ignored it and looked back at Shin Eunah. ¡°I can go to school then, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a school day.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Since the era of the great gate hade, Shinyoung was forced to change its education policy for the time being. Two days of the week were focused on theory sses, and the remaining three were dedicated to gate practice. It was like they were forcing the students to act as real superhumans, but it was an undeniably great opportunity to grow both in skill and financially (as they were offeredpensation in return for going into the gates). ¡°Then the other students will be practicing now.¡± ¡°Yes, but your team is now inactive.¡± It was too difficult for them to move now, given that Hyeongju Ahn had been incapacitated. No doubt, it would be the same for the rest of the week. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So, go on a date with me.¡± He wanted to respond, but she smiled and motioned with her hand. At the next moment, they were in ire¡¯s bar. ¡°Ah, you came sooner than I thought you would.¡± ¡°ire?¡± ¡°Hi, Shin-hyuk.¡± ire was wearing a long coat over her normal clothes, very clearly abat artifact of some sort. ¡°Where are you going to fight¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a high-ranker, there¡¯re a lot of things I have to manage in Korea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as it was in the United States. I had a schedule today.¡± ¡°Today?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s so surprising?¡± Shin Eunah hadn¡¯t just used her magic to bring them to the bar from the hospital; it sounded like she had been moving all around the world. ¡°It used to be impossible, but now it¡¯s easy enough to make a few round trips.¡± ¡°You¡¯vepletely be a moving piece of artillery¡­¡± ¡°She is number one in the international ranking.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could feel the difference between them just by being near her. ¡°I brought ire because she wanted to see her junior before leaving. Even though I never saw you since we got back.¡± ¡°Yes, I missed you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same, I missed you too.¡± The part where Shin Eunah tried to turn it to herself was ignored. She was busy making her own appeal, so she didn¡¯t notice the subtle atmosphere between Shin-hyuk and ire. ¡°If we couldn¡¯t meet today, we wouldn¡¯t be able to for a week, so I pushed myself a little.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t miss it.¡± The two were talking as usual but subtly avoiding each other¡¯s gaze. They seemed to be overly unconscious of each other, though neither realized it. ¡®I kissed him impulsively, but he¡¯s still a minor. The limiter shouldn¡¯t be released¡­ no, I feel like I want to kiss him again when I see his face.¡¯It would be dangerous to do that with Kang Shin-hyuk. ire truly believed that. On the other hand, Kang Shin-hyuk felt embarrassed when he saw her, but he was regaining hisposure. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a present for you.¡± ¡°A present?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out augh, and ire began to feel a bit morefortable. Yes, if the limiter was released, that was fine. It wouldn¡¯t be a crime. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Fortunately, Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah didn¡¯t notice her thoughts. ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll prepare one for senior Eunah as well.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded naturally to Shin Eunah but made sure to wink at ire. ¡°Gift¡­ a gift from my junior¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. Then, let¡¯s go quickly.¡± ireughed and began to urge Shin Eunah. She turned back as if she remembered something suddenly, however. ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll leave the store to you today.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bother to head back to school anyway? You can just crash here or even do business if you¡¯re bored.¡± ¡°Leaving the bar to a minor¡­¡± ¡°Minor? Isn¡¯t Shin Eun-hyuk an adult?¡± ireughed and began pushing Shin Eunah again. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Be safe.¡± Shin-hyuk said farewell and made sure to give Shin Eunah a hug before they left. Shin Eunah ascended to heaven, but eventually, ire pulled her back down to earth. With a flick of her finger, the two vanished. ¡°¡­Did they really go to America?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, now alone, let out a deep sigh as he nced around the bar where he would stay alone. ire had always been here before, and Shin Eunah would also stop by. -Member. The administrator spoke up as he changed into his uniform. ¡°Yeah?¡± -It felt like a man who was cheating in front of his wife. ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remained silent as the administrator used him. -I need to be honest. ¡°Eunah¡­ Eunah is a child who needs mental care. Even though she is an adult on the outside, mentally, she¡¯s still a child. It seems to be getting better these days, but¡­¡± -You are unexpectedly calm in judging her. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been watching her for a long time.¡± It felt like Anvil was in his words. ¡°ire and I are the ones closest to Eunah. However, if we start a rtionship in the current situation, Eunah will feel alienated.¡± -It won¡¯t just be a feeling of alienation. ¡°You know too?!¡± -Still, it would be better not to give her too much. The administrator responded coldly. -That fox is already dreaming of a beautiful house with a garden on a hill, raising three children, and a dog with you. ¡°¡­¡± That was too heavy. He wanted to deny it, but it was too believable with Shin Eunah¡¯s actionstely. -There is a special band provided by the Hero Universe. Would you like to purchase it? ¡°No¡­ please put it in the shopping cart first.¡± -You remembered the shopping cart function! 30,000HP bonus! ¡°Thank you for these tears.¡± The bar¡¯s sales that day were a huge sess, thanks to his new fame after iming the fifth ranking internationally. Unfortunately, plenty of rumors had also spread about the supposed rtionship between ire and Shin Eun-hyuk. Chapter 175 New Dimension Quest (1) Chapter 175 New Dimension Quest (1) -You received a speed buff as today¡¯s log in bonus! All movements will be 30% faster for the next 24 hours! On Friday morning, Kang Shin-hyuk washed up and ate as soon as he got up about 30% faster. He decided to eat his breakfast alone in his room to avoid what would happen if he went out in public. ¡®In Paris, I was caught in an SS-ss gate, but they don¡¯t know I was active then.¡¯Even Baek, who hadn¡¯t been disguised, was just counted among the countless other superhumans who had fought back. Now that they had conquered an S-ss gate, however, attention would undoubtedly be on them, especially after one of Vanguard¡¯s elite superhumans had been defeated. ¡®Then what to do? I could continue working.¡¯He tried to text Lee Na-hee, but the answer she sent in return was [Save me], so he closed the screen. Of course, when she learned that her text had been read, she quickly sent more. [Senior Na-hee: I asked you to save me!] [Thank you for your efforts in practice.] [Senior Na-hee: Should I say the same to you?] [Ah¡­] Kang Shin-hyuk stowed the vibrating phone away. Anyway, working with Na-hee wasn¡¯t an option for now. That hadn¡¯t been a problem since he had been thinking of working on a gift for ire and Shin Eunah. ¡°I just need to work a little more.¡± He had gone into his My Room for the rest of the evening after closing down the bar to work on forging. It was the best way to calm his mind. ¡®Let¡¯s make it a series. The numbering of the series¡­I need to be careful.¡¯The gift for the two was the same thing, but he was trying to make Shin Eunah¡¯s gift after ire¡¯s. Rather, they were simr to what he had made with Na-hee before, so they were two and three in the series rather than one and two. ¡®Let¡¯s make something for Eleanor while I¡¯m at it.¡¯Since they would be acting together in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing for them to have. Perhaps it could be a mark of being a part of the team Masked Bhus. Perhaps he should make one for Baek while he was at it. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get started!¡± He entered his My Room. Thanks to the adjustment of the time ratio to 1 to 3, it was possible to benefit from working here rather than performing dimensional quests. The scene inside the room hadn¡¯t changed much, however, as he hadn¡¯tpleted many dimensional quests. An anvil and furnace had been set up, though, so it was enough. ¡°Light it up.¡± His heart calmed down as soon as he saw the zing fire. It felt more familiar than it had before, now that he had learned Light Mastery. He also wanted to get Fire Mastery. Kang Shin-hyuk got to work in earnest with such useless thoughts. -You are an artisan in the field of precision parts manufacturing. There are many delicate parts, but you¡¯re skilled at making them. ¡°Since I made all those modifications to the blue cow, I¡¯m morefortable making things like this now.¡± Retrieving the memories of his previous life meant retrieving the memories of that hardworking craftsman who had done little else other than cksmith work other than eating and sleeping. Kang Shin-hyuk felt no fatigue despite making delicate mechanical parts that allowed for no deviation or error. ¡®But it¡¯s not just simplebor. Each will be given different traits.¡¯The base material for it all was the same dwarf nails. Blue alloy leftover from the blue cow was used, as well as the thorns and wasp stings left behind after making the previous alloy. He thought of ire as he made hers, adding special features to his work just for her to use. For Shin Eunah¡¯s, he focused on making it sincerely. He added to it fragments of the shadow elemental and bits of the blue alloy. ¡°It will need mana toplete, so it¡¯s fine to stop at this stage. Na-hee can enchant it.¡± -You¡¯re working very fast. ¡°I had already made most of the molds¡­ how much time do I have left? About five hours.¡± It had been a tremendous amount of work, but the 30% speed buff had helped him get through it quickly. He would need Lee Na-hee to enchant it, so he decided to do some work on his own. ¡®Okay, enough materials¡­ no, is it too much? I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯He added fragments of the shadow elements and the core left behind by the Sediment of Chaos to the first item. He was worried he might¡¯ve used a gemstone of too high a rank, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Okay, I think it¡¯ll be fine.¡± -You are now a superhuman of SS-rank based on the Gaia system. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, but it¡¯s true.¡± Strictly speaking, his abilities were stillcking. His strength had reached SS-rank, but his agility and stamina were still only at S+ rank. However, his spiritual power and Golden Dragon went a long way to raise his status. He had also learned skills of high rarity like Soul Poison and Light Mastery. -The SS-rank will be another stepping stone for you. ¡°Haha, maybe.¡± Anyway, now he was convinced he could handle what he had just made and immediately started work on the second piece. Here, he used the blue metal that remained and the wing bracelet from the wasp queen, which he hadn¡¯t been using these days. He decided it would be better as a material rather than as it was. -You¡¯re going to make something using an artifact that¡¯s already considered a finished product? ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s possible now.¡± ording to the memories of Anvil from the day before, it was possible at his current level. The administrator remained silent for a long moment before responding. -10HP bonus. ¡°Thank you.¡± For some reason, that 10HP bonus felt more impressive than the huge ones Shin-hyuk had been receivingtely. He felt like he knew why and smiled bitterly. He didn¡¯t respond, however, and devoted himself to his work. The ingredients and queen wasp¡¯s wing bracelet were melted down into an alloy, mixed together with his Golden Dragon. He didn¡¯t know how long he spent there, but, fortunately, he finished his work before he was kicked out of his My Room. -Using a high-quality artifact as a material, you have created an alloy with a special purpose! This metal, which vibrates under the influence of the wind, has great potential. -However, because it is a special metal, it may be counterproductive if you fail to make it into a proper object. Metallurgy skill proficiency has greatly increased. It was an odd bluish metal. If Kang Shin-hyuk gave it a name, it could be a very famous alloy. Of course, he intended to use it up, so there was no need for that. -Member, what is the purpose of this alloy? ¡°You didn¡¯t notice? After you rmended it to me like that.¡± -I did? What the hell¡­ oh, maybe. The administrator tried to guess what it was. Yes, it was what he had rmended. Kang Shin-hyuk was going to create a beam weapon. ¡®From the moment I got Light Mastery¡­¡¯A theory had formed in his head about the destructive power of magical light. However, his skill proficiency and the materials he used had obvious limitations. So, while thinking, he had thought about what might happen if he used an alreadypleted artifact. ¡°This alloy was born from that.¡± -Amazing¡­ The alloy was a magical metal that allowed you to control vibrations with the force of the wind. Whether light was a particle or a wave had been studied intensively by countless people for ages, but in the end, it was concluded it had properties of both. However, it was clear that the aggressive light created by his skill had a wave-like nature that could be reinforced andpressed by external vibrations. -I thought you would create an artifact that had the power of wind and lightning¡­ ¡°That¡¯s too simple. It¡¯s not like the artifact I¡¯ll make for Baek.¡± -You don¡¯t even mind denying your own work in order to reach your goals. 50,000HP bonus! In addition to confining the power of the light, the vibration added would increase its control and power. If he was sessful, the results would be incredible. ¡°Hmm, then¡­¡± He had limited materials, so there could be no mistakes. He went to work very carefully. Functionally 29 hourster (given the time ratio with Earth), Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh of relief after finishing his work for the day. His spiritual power and Golden Dragon had almost hit bottom, showing how much energy he had put into his work. ¡°How is it?¡± -Completing all of these will increase the rank of your metallurgy. ¡°I think so too.¡± It had been an improvised idea, but the result was pretty good. ¡°Then, I have to head back and practice martial arts.¡± -Member, I¡¯m sorry, but a dimensional quest request has arrived. ¡°A request?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was about to end the day with physical training, but the administrator¡¯s message stopped him in his tracks. -It is a dimensional quest in Kieron. A familiar name then popped up. Chapter 176 New Dimension Quest (2) Chapter 176 New Dimension Quest (2) Kieron. That was the world where Kang Shin-hyuk had conducted his first-dimensional quest. ¡°A new one urred? But the Heroic Shield was collected¡­¡± -Because it is a world where records of your actions remain, you have been given the first chance to interfere with the problems urring. ¡°Problem¡­?¡± -What you think is right. It is Jormungand. If help is requested from the Hero Universe, there is a 100% chance they are involved. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if it might be rted to the Ouroboros unit of Jormungand. While he was considering some silly things, the administrator continued. -Of course, there are no traces of you left in that world anymore. If you wish to decline, there is no problem with it. ¡°What do you think, administrator?¡± -A bonus of 70,000HP to members who respect the administrator¡¯s opinion! The administrator could hardly let a day pass by without giving out some HP bonus. -Kieron belongs to a lower level than earth. Even when you first received the dimensional quest, virtually nothing was dangerous to you. The huge monster at the end had been the exception, but he could¡¯ve avoided it if he had wanted to. In fact, it had felt more like a bonus problem he faced afterpleting the main task. Thanks to that, though, his traits had evolved. -It is the same now. Although there have been many changes in Kieron, they are very weakpared to the changes you have undergone. ¡°So I¡¯m not in danger there.¡± Another world where he could y infort. It was cruel to the people of that world, but it was a world of a lower standard of force than earth. Even the strongest person in the world there wasn¡¯t much better than Kang Shin-hyuk had been when he just awakened. So what about him now? He would have to restrain himself in order not to hurt people. -That¡¯s right. If you exert excessive power that doesn¡¯t match that dimension, Jormungand may send a suitable enemy to face you, so you need to be careful in wielding your force. It was the first time that such a restriction was given, but Kang Shin-hyuk was interested. -On the other hand, what you can get is simr to before. That is time. The time ratio has soared once more to 1:15 now with the earth. ¡°What the hell is it about that ratio?¡± -It is from the monster that had appeared. If it were a natural mutation, it wouldn¡¯t cause a cataclysmic change, but this isn¡¯t natural. Yes, he had expected that such a guy would appear. -What will you do? It is a dimensional quest that indirectly helps to defeat danger while defending humanity as it survives and rebuilds. There will be no real battle, but your metallurgy will be important. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s good enough. Let¡¯s go.¡± Shin-hyuk had little hesitation. Right now, it was around six o¡¯clock on a Friday evening, and ire and Shin Eunah would be gone the whole weekend on their business trip. With the time ratio, he could be there for a month and a half before he needed to head back. Time had always been one of the resources he needed more of. He also wanted to check out his new skills and make items to sell on the trading board. ¡°If only I heard this yesterday or even this morning.¡± -Dimensional quests don¡¯t ur every time, after all. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll go right away. Oh, wait.¡± Didn¡¯t he decide to work with Lee Na-hee this weekend? He sent her a quick text that something came up over the weekend. [Senior Nahee: Ah.] [Senior Nahee: Oh, seriously?] [I¡¯m sorry.] [Senior Nahee: My weapon was to bepleted.] [If it¡¯s okay, we could do it Monday?] [Senior Nahee: I won¡¯t sleep until it¡¯s finished.] [Okay.] [Senior Nahee: If it¡¯s okay, then look at me.] [Senior Nahee: (Emoji where a cat makes a heart with its tail)] -Kill. ¡°It¡¯s just an emoticon!¡± For a teenager, being sent a heart emoji from a girl your age was enough to set off all sorts of delusions. Most likely, it didn¡¯t mean anything; it was just a way to end the conversation. Although, there were cases where they mightinter about the missed signals. It was like Schrodinger¡¯s heart emoji, as it possessed two contradictory results that wouldn¡¯t be known until directly confirmed¡­ -Go to Kieron. Kang Shin-hyuk finally moved to Kieron after a long time of worrying about the administrator and Lee Na-hee. As his eyes opened, he could see a ratherrge number of humans. It was the race of humans in Kieron. ¡°Block them! If they get past, Her Majesty will be in danger!¡± ¡°Prepare your javelins! Fire!¡± ¡°Eat javelin, you monster!¡± Dozens of javelins flew over the wall the humans were on, filling Kang Shin-hyuk with a strange sense of longing. He realized it was because they were weapons he made. -Kyaaaah! -Keeehok! As Kang Shin-hyuk quickly moved to avoid the spears, the weapons lodged into the ground and caused screams to ring out. There didn¡¯t appear to be anything there, but Kang Shin-hyuk remembered the monster that had been here before. -Quoooh! ¡®It¡¯sing up.¡¯Several monsters, exactly like the one he faced before, began to reveal their true appearance. They had been disguised as rocks and debris, even piles of dirt, but now they had javelins sticking out of them. ¡°Fire the arrows!¡± ¡°We have to kill them and retrieve the javelins!¡± ¡°The swordsman unit is moving forward! Stab them through the barrier!¡± The scene was very hectic, which is why none of them seemed to notice Kang Shin-hyuk appeared right in the midst of it. But was that really enough for them not to notice him? -Myu? ¡°Was it because of you?¡± Since Onyx had been given free rein of the garbage warehouse, he had be more active. He had activated hiding as a habit, using [Synchronization] to hide Kang Shin-hyuk as well. ¡°Good job, Onyx.¡± -Myuuuuu! ¡°Did you feel the dimensional shift in the garbage warehouse?¡± -Myu! Rarely, Kang Shin-hyuk would be able to interpret Onyx¡¯s intentions sessfully. ¡°Then, this situation¡­ uh, what should I do¡­?¡± Thanks to Onyx, Shin-hyuk was able to take a step back and judge the situation calmly. -It is a mutation. Originally, these are creatures that wait for their prey and hide. However, they have be impatient as humans followed the excellent fox¡¯s guidance to regain their safe dwellings and a stable food supply with those javelins you left behind. ¡°Did you just say fox so naturally?¡± -And when the world began to stabilize, and the possibilities of new life began to sprout, Jormungand noticed it. They were unable to intervene for the same reasons as you actively, but they had another possibility. ¡°That¡¯s mutating this monster.¡± -A 30,000HP bonus for members whose intelligence overflows! Maybe the administrator shouldn¡¯t be in charge of quiz questions. -Thus, the entire race of them mutated. Complete stealth was possible, even disguising themselves as objects, and they even became faster.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The battle in front of them was fierce. Although they were smaller versions of that giant one they had fought before, their attack was threatening as they quickly moved their sharp front paws. ¡®No direct intervention but¡­ at this rate, they¡¯ll be pushed back.¡¯He felt guilty standing by and doing nothing. If he did that, then there was no point ining here. If so, how far could he interfere¡­ -If you don¡¯t use your own weapon to kill enemies, it¡¯s okay. The administrator replied as if he had read his mind. Heughed with relief, now aware of what kind of help he could give. With Onyx¡¯s assistance, he approached the barrier stealthily andid his hands on it. Then, he activated his trait with all his power. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The barrier is shining golden!¡± He gave the barrier the power of a dragon. The change wasn¡¯t all that dramatic, however. ¡®The barrier itself isn¡¯t very strong. My trait is stronger than the target, so the amplification is limited¡­¡¯Despite that, it was enough. The barrier that had seemed like it might buckle at any moment was still standing strong against the monsters¡¯ rampage. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing!¡± ¡°God has blessed us!¡± ¡°God is looking down upon us. We can beat them!¡± Why did they quickly rely on faith? Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh, recalling something simr that had happened before. However, he answered them by activating his trait again to strengthen each human and weapon within his reach. ¡°Is this really alright? There¡¯s no problem?¡± -Of course. Your trait of remotely interfering with other people¡¯s origins is perfect for dimensional quests. The administrator admired Kang Shin-hyuk anew. The war situation had beenpletely reversed just by him activating his trait twice. ¡°God has heard our prayers and gave us strength!¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s kill them! Javelin troops!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± Their bodies dyed with a subtle golden hue; the soldiers threw their javelins with all their might. The golden-stained spears rained down upon the monsters. -Kyaaaaah! -Kiiiek! -Kiiii! The symphony of monster screams rang out as the swordsman troops tore through their hard shells with weapons stained golden. ¡°My whole body is full of strength!¡± ¡°Ooooh!¡± The soldiers rallied to wipe out the monsters, apletely different image than before. The battle, which would¡¯vested a few hours, was cleaned up in just five minutes. ¡°Oh, huh¡­¡± ¡°My strength¡­¡± After the battle was over, Kang Shin-hyuk let his power flow out of them. It would be too much to think it had been a permanent blessing. ¡°We won.¡± ¡°Is it all over? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, at least this battle.¡± The soldiers copsed on the ground, not even thinking of recovering their weapons. ¡°Whoo¡­¡± ¡°Well?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the situation ended without any sacrifices. But, at that moment, one soldier turned his head towards him. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± His eyes clearly met Shin-hyuk¡¯s beyond the barrier. He had been one of the soldiers he met before. ¡°Ooh!¡± ¡°God¡¯s Apostle!¡± ¡°No way, the apostle is back!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Stealth shouldn¡¯t have canceled out just because he sighed; how was he caught? Kang Shin-hyuk turned to look at Onyx on his shoulder but noticed he was no longer there. -Myuuuu! The guy was on the ground, gnawing at the legs of the dead monsters. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a sigh forming in his very soul. ¡°How could it be?!¡± ¡°We thought that God had abandoned us¡­¡± ¡°He came again!¡± -Myuuuuu! Onyx was, undoubtedly, a gluttonous pig. Chapter 177 New Dimension Quest (3) Chapter 177 New Dimension Quest (3) ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Anvil.¡± One of the soldiers recognized Kang Shin-hyuk, so the process was expedited. He was guided directly to the queen without the need to exin his existence. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Milia.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk faced a woman who called him by his Hero Universe ID and made a confused expression. She replied with a sigh as if she found his response ridiculous. ¡°No way, are you really Milia¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her face was slightly wrinkled, but it was impossible for him not to recognize her. She had been wearing a helmet during the quest previously, but she had removed the helmet at the head to reveal she was a woman. But what about now? She was still wearing a simr set of armor, but she had be a bit taller, and the mood around her had matured much like the rest of her. Brilliant blonde hair cascaded down over her shoulders, and two deep blue eyes stared at him. He had thought she was pretty before, but now an aristocratic atmosphere had added itself to her, making her presence even more overwhelming. ¡°You definitely look like Milia¡­¡± ¡°Seven years have passed.¡± Queen Milia casually tossed that out. She was staring at him with her chin atop her hand. She looked almost like a painting. ¡°After you sowed the seeds of hope in us and disappeared, that was the time it took for us to barely sprout. Isn¡¯t it unreasonable to think we won¡¯t change?¡± ¡°There seems to be some room for misunderstanding with that expression!¡± At the same time, it sounded like she was expressing gratitude; it also sounded like she was ming him. There also was some room in there for some strange interpretations! The soldiers who had guided him in were staring at him too. She finally broke her stony expression and smiled at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s displeasure. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. I just wanted to be a little grumpy with you, who showed up as we were suffering.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve improved your speaking skills after bing a queen.¡± ¡°Seven years have passed. That¡¯s enough time for an unassuming girl to be a shameless queen.¡± It had only been a little over half a year for him, but the time ratio was 1:15. The soldiers he had met before did seem a little older, so it didn¡¯t take long for Shin-hyuk to be convinced seven years had passed. They had aged well, all things considered. ¡°How long has passed in your world?¡± ¡°About half a year.¡± ¡°Half a year? I thought it would be more than that.¡± Miliaughed and beckoned for the soldiers to retire. When only the two of them were left, she seemed a bit morefortable. ¡°Did you know the situation? Are you here to help us once more? There shouldn¡¯t be any more items for you here.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te for anything. It¡¯s true I¡¯m here to help you, though, so ask me for anything you can. I can¡¯t directly join the battle, however.¡± ¡°I see¡­ but still.¡± Milia stood up from the throne and descended the steps to be on the same level as Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I heard you were a great help to my soldiers.¡± ¡°I just temporarily strengthened them.¡± Of course, it was only a temporary buff. If they wanted to survive in thisnd, they shouldn¡¯t be satisfied with such passive help. ¡°The battle is getting fierce. Had the soldiers copsed there, they might have abandoned the pce.¡± ¡°This castle is part of the Ord kingdom¡­¡± He had felt it the moment he entered. It wasn¡¯t something that could be built within a few years. Besides, had it been new, it wouldn¡¯t be copsing in ces. ¡°Is there any reason to insist on this ce? The wall seems to have been copsing.¡± ¡°The power of the water orb is stronger here in Ord.¡± Ah, there was such a thing. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, recalling why Milia had led the soldiers under the name of Mn against the survival alliance half a year ago. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll show you.¡± Milia seemed hesitant but quickly made up her mind and began to lead him. She opened the door behind the room into a long corridor. Surprisingly, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to detect dark magic running through it. ¡°Only the royal family can enter. Or theirpanions.¡± ¡°What a great barrier.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt that he could interpret and neutralize the core of this barrier with his spiritual power, but he was smart enough not to say so out loud. Milia was proudly spreading her shoulders as she spoke. ¡°The first barriers were established by my ancestors, and descendants have strengthened them over the generations. Thanks to that, this corridor was able to survive.¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if it was over the.¡± ¡°If it was, the kingdom would¡¯ve fallen before the world was destroyed.¡± Miliaughed and proceeded down the hall. They walked for about three minutes when the space around them suddenly expanded. They were in a room with a clean magic circle drawn on the floor, and not a single exit could be found. ¡°Fountain?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A small fountain was prepared above the magic circle. Clean water sprung up and fell back down from it as the fountain maintained the same amount of water, but it wasn¡¯t just circting it. A clear blue marble floated in the center of the fountain, water springing from it. There was probably a water pipe under the fountain that the generated water was flowing through. ¡°Is the water produced here supplied to the entire kingdom?¡± ¡°The entire kingdom would be a bit of an exaggeration. Survivors have been gathering here for seven years, but we are only about 50,000 in number. The amount of water that can be produced by the orb is far more limited.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still ridiculous, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Milia looked at the orb of water with faint pride. ¡°When the first kingdom copsed, I didn¡¯t even dare think of enduring in this royal city. We ran with the forces he had. The amount of water that can be produced with the help of the magic circle is only enough for about 3,000 people. When we ran away, we had less than 2,000, so I thought that would be enough¡­¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s not?¡± ¡°Yes, Anvil.¡± Milia responded firmly and turned to look straight at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I need your help. We can¡¯t withdraw from the castle now. You must defend this ce. I¡¯ll do anything to help, and give you whatever I can.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was interested in the water orb, but there was no meaning in protecting the castle if he took it. Besides, his purpose wasn¡¯t to steal rewards from them, so in the end, he just nodded. However, Milia bit her lip, seeing his expression. ¡°If you want, even my body¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That immediate answer bothers me! Thank you for the answer itself, but I really don¡¯t like the speed of that reaction!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could feel the irrationally of the world as Milia stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make up any nonsense about telling you to cherish your body, but before taking thest resort, think about whether there is a suggestion more tailored to the needs of the customer.¡± ¡°I am not a woman who would show off to anyone. What if I need your help so much, but there are no treasures left in this kingdom?¡± It seemed like she just said her own body was a treasure. Of course, a beauty like her couldn¡¯t be argued with. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s not a treasure, so think about it. Do you have something like Brenite?¡± Brenite was the magic metal produced in Kieron. Magical metals were precious resources, no matter how simple their properties. It often had a high price point, even on the Hero Universe. ¡®Moreover, it¡¯s at least a middle-ranked metal too. My skills were poorst time, but now¡­¡¯At that time, he had made a javelin with the Brenite he had obtained from them with his low metallurgy. It was a valuable experience, but now he would be able to produce even better results. ¡°Brenite?¡± Milia responded nkly, then pped her hands after remaining in silence for several long seconds. ¡°Yes, that was it!¡± ¡°It looks like you really just remembered. Didn¡¯t you say it was a specialty of the kingdom?¡± ¡°Of course it was. However, it has been too long since it has been possible to mine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It became impossible to distinguish between ore and monster. Everyone who went to mine was ughtered.¡± That had put a damper on things. ¡°There are enough minerals left to be mined. Would you like to go in?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paused briefly to ask the administrator. ¡®What would happen in that case?¡¯ -You would be caught. It would be better to get help from the soldiers rather than fight in person. In this situation where you didn¡¯t know when the next battle would be, taking out the troops to the mines was an idea only a demon could use. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll get the Breniteter. First of all, I have to start fixing this ce.¡± ¡°Fix it? I wish you could make our soldiers armor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that too, but before that¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly, recalling the barrier that was too weak to stop the monsters¡¯ attack. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of building a wall first.¡± ¡°The walls of the giant shield?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head firmly. The Heroic Shield was already gone. What he would build was a huge steel wall. He was going to turn it into an artifact. Chapter 178 New Dimension Quest (4) Chapter 178 New Dimension Quest (4) The administrator exined that Kieron was a weaker world than Earth. The size of the world was much smaller than the Earth, so it was inevitably lower. However, it shouldn¡¯t be misunderstood that all things that made up this world were small because of the interfering power that could be called the will of the world. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk, a person from another world, decreased in size when he entered Kieron, objects and people in this world were released from Kieron¡¯s oppression when they went to another world. That was how the Brenite javelin, made in this world, could be used normally even after going back to Earth. ¡®What the hell does a small world mean?¡¯It wasn¡¯t pointless. For an object or being to ovee the oppression of the world and maintain its original size, it would need a high level of innate spiritual power. That was how the Heroic Shield had retained its size and had been seen as a huge wall to the people of Kieron. ¡°If so, how about thinking in reverse? First of all, how about making a miniature of the wall, then turning it into a massive wall to protect the whole city?!¡± ¡°That sounds very stupid.¡± To Milia, it sounded ridiculous. ¡°Of course, there are cases like the shield wall, and there are records of how you made the sword enormous that one time, so it cannot be said to be impossible, but it¡¯s not realistic. A wall-shaped artifact?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more realistic to build a wall thanpletely protecting the castle and the people within a month and a half.¡± ¡°Yes, so make me a weapon, not a wall. If we had only a hundred more like the old javelins, it would be easier to stop them.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do that too, but the walles first.¡± Milia sighed at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s strong will. But, before long, she shook her head with a bloody smile. ¡°Previously, I didn¡¯t know you were such a maniac. Is it a little strange for me to be happy to learn of your new side at a time like this?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s because I¡¯m not a maniac.¡± ¡°You were like that.¡± Milia turned around with augh. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go back. I¡¯ll guide you to your room.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± -Fox. Kang Shin-hyuk followed Milia while ignoring the administrator¡¯s message that appeared in the corner of his eye for a brief moment. But before leaving, he turned to look once more at the water orb in the fountain. There he had an idea while looking at it, but it passed by so quickly he couldn¡¯t remember it now. ¡®If it¡¯s important, I¡¯ll think of itter.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk was brought back to the throne room and then guided by the soldiers to his room. It was time for him to focus on making a blueprint. ¡°First, we need to figure out the difference in size between this world and Earth. -If you erge the sword, you can figure it out. It was a good idea. Kang Shin-hyuk told the soldier who brought him dinner about the n and that everyone didn¡¯t need to be surprised or run away when it happened. The soldier, frightened, went out to spread the news in a hurry while Shin-hyuk ate. It was stew with plenty of bird meat, probably from this world¡¯s aerial monster. It wasn¡¯t all that different tasting than chicken. ¡°But it¡¯s not very filling.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk required a lot of food to fuel himself, so this kind of meal wasn¡¯t enough. -The food crisis will be serious, especially if they only hunt. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any fields while I was entering. The ground is dry.¡± There was clearly ack of rain in this country, and drinking water had been scarce before they secured the water orb. ¡°But providing them food now won¡¯t solve the fundamental problem.¡± -That¡¯s right. Still, for those with uncertain futures, just being happy today was enough. Kang Shin-hyuk invested a considerable amount of his remaining HP in purchasing the regr food sold on the trading board in tons. He focused on buying a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains that would restore spiritual power. -Smart. When he finished the purchase, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Can Ie in, Anvil? I don¡¯t know if you remember me¡­¡± ¡°Come in, Zeke.¡± The door opened, and a middle-aged man in armor entered. It was easy enough for Kang Shin-hyuk to guess his identity, as he was the man Shin-hyuk had seen the most during his stay before. ¡°You quit pretending to be a soldier?¡± ¡°I stopped that a while ago. It¡¯s been a while, Anvil.¡± ¡°You look old.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a friend who only picks out words that people won¡¯t like.¡± Zeke frowned while muttering simr things to Milia; then, he immediately looked at him with sharp eyes. ¡°You said you were going to summon God¡¯s sword.¡± ¡°God¡¯s sword? Ah.¡± To Zeke and the other soldiers, that giant sword that had appeared to end the monster that threatened humanity was the sword of God. ¡°Yeah, I want to check something out. However, this time it is impossible to destroy all the monsters with it, so be aware of that.¡± ¡°I have already heard it from Her Majesty. She said you were going to build a wall, so it¡¯s undoubtedly rted to that. Is it really possible?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, Anvil.¡± Zeke closed the door and approached Kang Shin-hyuk. It felt a bit odd to make intense eye contact with a middle-aged man standing so close, but he wasn¡¯t going to back down. ¡°You must¡¯ve heard how hard it has been thest seven years, even with the city.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t mean to offer any half-assed help.¡± ¡°But nheless, without you today, it might already be over. It was that precarious of a situation, and it still is.¡± He thought it was an everyday battle, but it seemed that each battle was an important step. That was why the dimensional quest had appeared. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, but Zeke drew closer as if he was worried somebody would hear him. ¡°We have reached our limit. No matter how great your abilities are, it would be unreasonable to provide us a way to stably survive in this situation. Her Majesty is also dependent on you, though it feels like picking at grass.¡± -What is this bug talking about? It doesn¡¯t make sense to question your abilities. The administrator spoke up for Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s feelings, but he wanted to believe it wasn¡¯t his fault that the administrator¡¯s speech had be so harshtely. ¡°So at the time you decide it is impossible¡­ please don¡¯t hesitate to take Her Majesty into your world. She has suffered enough. No one can me her for leaving behind a world that will be destroyed anyway to find happiness as an individual.¡± -Even trying to push that fox on you! It¡¯s impossible now; I can¡¯t stand it anymore! Should I kill him? Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the administrator. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that.¡± ¡°You will listen to my request? Thank you.¡± It seemed that Zeke had a misunderstanding, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no intention to correct those thoughts. In a few days, everyone would know anyway. The fact stood that Kang Shin-hyuk had changed much more in half a year than they had over seven. ¡°Anyway, has word about the sword spread?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been talking about it.¡± ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk opened the window and threw the Godyer sword out. He poured his spiritual power in it and used Wind Mastery to raise it into the sky. ¡°Ha, didn¡¯t you throw it with a javelin before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s outdated. Fully automatic is the trend these days.¡± It wasn¡¯t fully automatic, but Zeke wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. Previously, he had to squeeze out spiritual power enough to kill himself to do it, but now it was different. The Godyer sword had regained its strength to the SS-rank. Even if Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t instill it with spiritual power, it would be possible for it to regain its form on its own. And so, a giant sword appeared in the sky above Kieron. ¡°Woooooahh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the sword of God!¡± ¡°God¡¯s apostle has proven himself!¡± Everyone became noisy as the sword appeared above them. Perhaps they had been waiting to confirm the stories. Their faces were filled with joy and determination like they were watching the International Fireworks Festival. ¡®I should go to the fireworks festival this year with ire.¡¯ ¡°Just like before.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk was lost in his delusions about a date with ire, the voice next to him sighed. Looking over, Zeke had a polite expression in contrast to those cheering outside. ¡°That disy was the spark of hope for us humans. Even though I know that despair awaits us in the end, I have the courage to struggle again.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve be so pessimistic sincest I saw you.¡± ¡°Anyone who lives in this world will, perhaps Her Majesty too.¡± He patted Kang Shin-hyuk on the shoulder, asking him not to forget what they discussed, and left. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t tell him that he had prepared food as he left in such a cool manner. ¡°Well, should I do it after I make the wall?¡± -Did you figure out everything you need to know? ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°I think I can make it roughly the size of a waistband. It can be resizable, so it¡¯ll be perfect for if they want to expand the cityter.¡± -A 110,000HP bonus from this administrator who can¡¯t help but marvel at your genius! In that way, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s production began. He was using the magic metal Kenyon and the nails from the SS-ss dwarves. *** [Is it Kieron?] [What a cute guy.] Chapter 179 New Dimension Quest (5) Chapter 179 New Dimension Quest (5) ng! ng! ng! The sound of metal being beat resonated through the temporary workshop built in the castle. A red metal block made of melted dwarves¡¯ nails was being molded by the steady hammer fall. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: So you went to another world? -Yes. I¡¯ll be back by the time youe back. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: If you¡¯rete, I¡¯ll scold you. -Please do, Madam. ng! ng! ng! He was using a tremendous amount of physical strength and spiritual power to work, but messages were flying in from ire at distant intervals to rejuvenate him. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Is there a pretty girl there? -No one is prettier than ire. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: So smooth. Prove it. -How can I do that? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I don¡¯t know. -You don¡¯t? -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Yes. ng! ng! ng! He wondered what sort of rtionship they had in the first ce. Things had felt morefortable than before, but he was more cautious because of it. He tried not to let it bother him, but the age difference was a problem. As he considered it, another message came in. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Because of somebody these days, I can¡¯t see you. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I miss you. ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk beat on the metal for a while to calm himself down before he responded. -I also miss you. He felt weakened as he recognized the trouble in his mind. The conversation had ended with that, but it had been enough to charge his energy. Shin Eunah would send him a message that she wanted to see him every three hours, but why was ire¡¯s destructive power so different? Of course, he knew the reason well. ¡°Good.¡± ng! ng! ng! In order to meet her quickly, he had to focus on what was in front of him. Kang Shin-hyuk put his spirit into the metal as he beat it. The hammer conveyed his clear will into the materials with sincerity and affection, filling the metal with a heart that would not be shaken. If anyone stepped into that space now, they would be able to recognize his heart. In that atmosphere, he didn¡¯t realize his spiritual power changing colors as he worked. ng! ng! ng! How much more must he swing the hammer in that trance? When he woke up, the metal was a little lighterpared to the original red color it had been. A metallic belt that had a pinkish color was now before him. -You have created an artifact with intense emotion. As a result, you have sessfully created the artifact [Guardian Will(SS)] with specialtent power! -Metallurgy skill proficiency has increased to S-rank. Stamina has grown to SS-rank. -Your affinity has greatly increased, and the rarity of the [Resist Fire(S)] has grown to be [Resist Fire (SS+)]. Skill proficiency has grown to S-rank. -Synchronization has greatly elerated- current rate of 53.5%. ¡°¡­¡± Without the help of Lee Na-hee, he had created an SS-rank artifact using only SS-rank materials. However, the message that had appeared the moment the artifact waspleted made him hesitate from enjoying his sess. ¡°¡­Did I make a mistake?¡± -I wouldugh if I knew. ¡°It¡¯s an absolute secret.¡± The image of ire bursting withughter came into his mind, but fortunately, he was leaving it here. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and checked the artifact¡¯s information. [Guardian Will] [SS Rank] [Special Abilities: Guardian, Regenerate, Aurora] *Guardian: When the owner is in a dangerous situation, it creates a shield of spiritual power to protect them. *Regeneration: steadily restores the owner and itself to their original state. *Aurora: umtes energy from light. This energy is consumed to manifest the other special abilities, and the surplus energy is randomly beneficial. It was embarrassing, but Kang Shin-hyuk thought the power of love was amazing. ¡°I want to use it.¡± -The effect of learning Light Mastery is showing itself properly. 80,000HP bonus from a relieved administrator! No doubt that meant the artifact¡¯s third special ability, Aurora. Honestly, it felt like a waste to leave such an item here. ¡°Uh¡­ well, I suppose I can create something like this again.¡± -Of course. You also have the Guardian ability already with the Godyer sword. The administrator was right; he was feeling a bit greedy. He knew it would be a great help to this country. ¡®Well, I would rather give it to ire than wear it myself.¡¯He was too embarrassed to tell the administrator this, though. He already had been working on a separate gift for her, and he could give her better armor once he had increased his skill. Kang Shin-hyuk shook those thoughts away and hefted the belt in his hands. ¡®Then, let¡¯s do this.¡¯First, he activated Light Mastery, then used Golden Dragon to imbue the light with his energy and put it into the belt. -Light Mastery (SS) proficiency has increased. As a skill with high rarity, it wouldn¡¯t grow easily, but that was one of his goals while he was here. ¡®Now¡­¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk left the workshop with the belt, causing one of the soldiers waiting outside to step back. ¡°Is this a gift for Her Majesty?¡± ¡°Call Zeke.¡± ¡°For Sir Zeke?!¡± There seemed to be some misunderstanding. The soldier ran away before he could correct it, however. Soon enough, Zeke arrived, and Kang Shin-hyuk asked him to pull back the soldiers on the barriers around the city. ¡°If I do that, the monsters will infiltrate the city.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll just take a short moment, don¡¯t worry.¡± Zeke was still skeptical. Finally, he let out a sigh after Shin-hyuk brought up Milia. ¡°Damn, threatening Her Majesty. Yes, I see. It is the kingdom you saved, so do whatever you want.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw the belt into the air while he gave instructions to the soldiers retreating back from the barriers. The belt, which was thrown with the force of an SS-rank (from wearing the soul connector), quickly soared to an invisible height. It didn¡¯t fall, however, as Kang Shin-hyuk held it up with Wind Mastery. ¡°Get into a good position¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remote-controlled its position before stimting it with spiritual power. For an SS-rank artifact, it should be easy enough for it to reveal itself beyond thews of this world. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Look, a huge circr wall¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed happily as the belt became huge and cast a distorted shadow over the entire kingdom. It was of a higher rank than the Heroic Shield, which was known as an imprable wall. He may not have fully exhibited Anvil¡¯s abilities from his heyday, but it was a mighty disy of the skill he had. ¡°Anvil, is that¡­?!¡± ¡°Are the soldiers back? Here goes!¡± The circr wall began to fall slowly. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the various reactions around him as he fine-tuned the position of the wall as it steadily lowered. He had to make sure it was positioned perfectly as he had calcted it, almost like Tetris. ¡°Anvil, if you do that, all the barriers will fall!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, as this will be the new wall that will protect this country.¡± ¡°Hah, but it could disappear at any moment¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Perhaps Zeke recalled the sight of Kang Shin-hyuk collecting the Heroic Shield. This was something he willingly created for the inhabitants of this kingdom, however. As long as his will in the belt wasn¡¯t disturbed, it wouldn¡¯t happen again. Kang Shin-hyuk filled the belt with spiritual power after confirming the humans had fully withdrawn. The belt thennded firmly on the ground. -Kwaaaaaaahhhh! A heavy vibration ran through the kingdom as itnded. -It¡¯s a sess. The belt wrapped around the city perfectly. ¡°It really worked.¡± He smiled as he could feel particles of mana and spiritual power in the air around him. Little by little, life was returning to the dry ground. Perhaps that was thanks to the regeneration effect of the Guardian Will; it¡¯s ability to restore its owner steadily. That was now extending to the entire area within it. -If Master Halo finds out, he will be envious. ¡°In that world, it would be fortunate if the artifacts I created didn¡¯t need to get bigger.¡± The reason why it was possible here was the difference this world had with the earth. Kang Shin-hyuk turned to Zeke, who was watching him fearfully. ¡°Next is the fieldwork. I would like to select a suitable area for a field to grow crops in.¡± He brandished the tworge scythes from his inventory. Not knowing what they were, Zeke had no choice but to nod. Chapter 180 Touching Behind (1) Chapter 180 Touching Behind (1) The two scythes were excellent for taking care ofrge quantities of monsters, but their true valuey in farming. ¡®No, it¡¯s not my job.¡¯ -50,000HP bonus for this farmer-like member! ¡®It just became like this because I was looking for morefortable clothes.¡¯The Twilight Harvester, Kang Shin-hyuk, wore a loose t-shirt and a straw hat. In his hands were two scythes. [Falling Scythe] [SS-rank] [Special ability: Harvesting, Fall Harvest, Earth Communication] * Harvesting: The chance of a critical hit is extremely high when harvesting a target. With each repetition, the weapon¡¯s performance and effectiveness are permanently amplified. *Fall Harvest: Movement speed and attack speed are increased by 30% when holding this weapon¡ªthe effect doubles in autumn. * Earth Communication: It is possible to share energy with the earth. This effect strengthens when you are stepping on the ground. [Growing Scythe] [SS+Rank] [Special Abilities: Growth, Amplification, Capture, Split] *Growth: Speeds up the growth of crops. All abilities increase by 30%. *Amplification: Increases the yield of crops. All abilities increase by 30%. *Capture: Never misses the target it has set. *Split: Can divide into several pieces to increase work efficiency. Those were the scythes that would help grow and harvest the crops, and as a bonus, they could help revitalize thend. ¡°Anvil, you¡¯re a man who really doesn¡¯t know how to rx.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk infused them with his spiritual power and Golden Dragon as he plowed the vast field Zeke had shown him to. No doubt, he would be admired by farmers around the world. It would¡¯ve been better if he had a farming tool better suited for plowing, but hecked the confidence to create new artifacts like these scythes. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to create a steel wall around the whole city in just a day, now you¡¯re cultivating a field that can feed 100,000 people all by yourself?¡± It wasn¡¯t the original use of the scythe, but it could be done anyway. First, the Falling Scythe filled the energy with spiritual power. Since the walls were helping imbue life into thend, it was much easier than it was in Mirotoz. Then, crop seeds collected by the city¡¯s residents were divided and nted by type. Again, instead of a hoe, the ground was dug using the growing scythe¡¯s hundreds of des, and then the seeds were sown with Wind Mastery. Aided by the Growing Scythes abilities, the crops would yield arge amount of food in the future. At the end of that exhausting work, Kang Shin-hyuk heaved a sigh. ¡°Woah, this was a lot of practice.¡± His spiritual power was exhausted. He was currently taking a break, munching on an energy bar sold by the Hero Universe (it was unlocked with the third liberation, and it tasted like chocte). ¡°Wizard¡­? Has Anvil be such a powerful spellcaster in seven years?¡± ¡°Sir Zeke is talking about silly things once more. Didn¡¯t I say only half a year has passed?¡± ¡°You were a tenacious sort.¡± People were making noise from behind them, but a nce from Zeke and Milia quieted them down. ¡°Aren¡¯t you both busy?¡± ¡°Is there anything more important than building a strong wall and creating a massive field that can feed all of us?¡± Milia responded with the dignity of a ruler, but Kang Shin-hyuk just shook his head. ¡°It would be great if those in power watched quietly.¡± ¡°Right. However, if a subordinate does something wrong, it is the person in power who is responsible.¡± Milia swept her curled hair to the side, but Kang Shin-hyuk just stared in response. ¡°I mean that I have to be aware of everything going on in this country. So, I would like you to exin the walls of the city slowly¡­¡± ¡°Do I need to exin everything? Let it be. I already told you about expanding them and making entrances.¡± ¡°Can anyone stay quiet after they find out such a wall waspleted in just one day, and that it willst forever?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to believe it.¡± In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk would¡¯ve been anxious if Milia had understood the structure of the spiritual power from the start. But, as time passed, she would naturally understand. For now, however, she pursued him with an unconvinced expression. ¡°I can rest assured once I know the basic principles. Is this really the power of God?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s nothing that difficult or grand.¡± It wasn¡¯t special knowledge. Kang Shin-hyuk briefly described thews governing this world and how objects could retain their original form. Milia, having no talent for spiritual power, struggled to understand the concept of a world outside of this world, but she was trying hard. ¡°In other words, when it gets smaller again, I can call you!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°So the kingdom is protected by artifacts. That sounds ridiculous. Do you mean that, because of that artifact, vitality is returning to this country?¡± ¡°If this world had no promise, it wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± The administrator had said that this world had been revived thanks to Milia. Was it rted to her or the water orb? He didn¡¯t know, but it seemed likely that this world¡¯s life force would be restored in the future. ¡°You resolved all this country¡¯s ailments just by showing up.¡± ¡°Well, you still have the fight against those monsters.¡± ¡°Do we need to worry about being pushed back with such a reassuring wall? Don¡¯t look down on our soldiers that have endured thus far with our barriers, Anvil.¡± The sight of Milia crossing her arms confidently was pretty cute. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± ¡°Well? What is it?¡± ¡°Why did you stop pretending?¡± It was so natural that he had forgotten, but Milia had been pretending to be her dead brother, Mn,st they met. She smiled bitterly at him. ¡°I knew from the beginning it would be unreasonable to hide it forever, but it was discovered faster than I thought. Some of the survivors tried to push a woman into my bedroom, saying some absurd stuff¡­¡± ¡°Oh. So?¡± ¡°So?!¡± Milia kicked him in anger as he didn¡¯t seem that surprised. Of course, she had to grab her own leg after kicking someone with SS-rank stamina. ¡°Now, drink the potion here¡­¡± ¡°Khh, Anvil¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to ask if they tried to push a man in after they discovered it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude! And letting a woman into a man¡¯s room is very different than the other way around, Anvil.¡± ¡°But the only one who can handle the water orb is the one who inherits the blood of the royal family.¡± ¡°Most of the young aristocrats didn¡¯t make it when the country fell, and none of the survivors match with Your Majesty.¡± Zeke chimed in next to Milia. Kang Shin-hyukpared the two for a moment before nodding. Now Zeke and Milia looked upset. ¡°You are like the apostle of a damned god.¡± ¡°You really have learned how to upset people!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, having finished his break, stood up and waved them off. He didn¡¯t see the expression that briefly passed on Milia¡¯s face. ¡°That¡­ are you going to continue working here?¡± Milia spoke up again once she saw Kang Shin-hyuk heft the scythe up with both hands. He shrugged. ¡°I have to finish the basic work. After that, I¡¯ll leave it to the people here.¡± ¡°All those who have survived until now are great warriors¡­ but, thanks to the wall, it is possible to reduce the number of troops at the border to handle the fields.¡± ¡°Good, send some of them to the field. Also, prepare some for me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Brenite.¡± Milia left out a brief exmation as she remembered once more. ¡°Now we can afford to mine it. If I can get enough, I¡¯ll make new siege weapons with what¡¯s left.¡± ¡°Siege weapons!¡± That must¡¯ve been an attractive offer. Milia seemed relieved as Kang Shin-hyuk got back to work sowing seeds. -You¡¯re gradually bing a bad guy. ¡®Each time you say fox.¡¯ -Of course, that fox is right, but I didn¡¯t expect this. I want to ask if there are any problems with the needs you have of your administrator. ¡®I won¡¯t let my eyes stray to another woman when there¡¯s ire.¡¯ -I hope you will continue to be strong. ¡®Don¡¯t be sinister.¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk finished his work only after once more, depleting his energy. The hellish group of monsters continued to attack them, but now they were overwhelmed by the walls as javelins rained down upon them. Kang Shin-hyuk handed over the tons of food he had bought the day before to hold a feast. Thanks to that, he received dozens of volunteers the next day to head into the mines. Chapter 181 Touching Behind (2) Chapter 181 Touching Behind (2) The mine was about two hours on foot away from the city. The soldiers who had engorged themselves on the food provided by Kang Shin-hyuk after he constructed the walls and cleared the field were the first to volunteer as his guides to the mine. Despite their worries, they were not attacked on their way because the monsters in the area had already been sorted out to some extent, and the active ones were flocking towards the city with terrifying momentum. ¡°They were originally like that?¡± ¡°They instinctively move to where there are a lot of people. It wasn¡¯t that bad before, but since the mutants appeared¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ve be more aggressive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So even in the mine, you have to be careful¡­¡± The mine, as far as the soldiers were concerned, was hell itself. They wouldn¡¯t dare go there if Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t with them. However, they seemed to misunderstand that Kang Shin-hyuk would fight, yet the truth was that he had no intention of doing so. ¡°This is the mine. There will be a ton of monsters hiding in there¡­!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Upon entering the mine, the soldiers nced at Kang Shin-hyuk and clearly wanted to fall back. However, he pointed to one side of the wall. ¡°Attack there.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Speak quietly so they don¡¯t notice.¡± Giving little attention to the soldiers, Kang Shin-hyuk looked over the walls. Now that the quantity and quality of his spiritual power had grown greatly, he was able to grasp the location of living beings easily. So, no matter how many of them hid, they could be seen clearly with his eyes. ¡°Attack over there. I can¡¯t fight, so I¡¯ll tell you their locations.¡± It was natural for Kang Shin-hyuk, but it was iprehensible to those who had been driven to the brink of destruction. However, in their eyes, he was an apostle of God. The soldiers looked nervous as they stepped toward the part of the wall he was pointing at quietly. At that instant, a golden scratch crossed his eyes, and their bodies began to overflow with power. ¡°Unbelievable¡­?!¡± ¡°Now, attack!¡± They had experienced the same yesterday, so they were quick to move. They stabbed into the wall. -Kyaaaak! Then, the monster popped out screaming, but it had already lost a lot of strength because of the surprise damage it had sustained. They quickly finished it off. ¡°Amazing, Anvil!¡± ¡°You could tell where it was¡­¡± Hearing their cheers, Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll lead you this way, so don¡¯t be scared and follow along. We will clean up the mines today.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll continue to buff you, but I won¡¯t fight myself. That is very important to take note of.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ okay.¡± It might sound like nonsense, but the soldiers already believed he was an apostle. No doubt, they assumed some disaster woulde for them if he vited a taboo. The reality wasn¡¯t too dissimr to that. Kang Shin-hyuk led them further in after retrieving the usable monster parts. -Kiiii! -Kyaahahaaaa! -Kyaaak! -Kooaaahk! There were many monsters in the mine, too many. It was like they had all gathered here from across the world. ¡°Huk¡­huk¡­¡± ¡°This is impossible, we¡¯ll die here¡­!¡± ¡°No, you can do it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gave them recovery potions (unfortunately, status potions weren¡¯t allowed) and cheered them up. With his trait, their exhausted bodies were restored. -It¡¯s almost like a blessing to them. ¡®Has my existencee to the point where I can be called a spirit?¡¯He was backing them up simply because he couldn¡¯t use his own strength. The soldiers continued to battle, half-enchanted, but he knew they would be grateful when they realized that they would grow from the constant fighting against strong enemies. ¡°Well, this seems to be roughly organized.¡± As promised, by the end, they had dealt with all the monsters in the mine. The soldiers were exhausted, but Kang Shin-hyuk let out a satisfiedugh as he looked at the blue veins running throughout the walls. Right after, however, his expression soured. ¡°I should¡¯ve made a pickaxe¡­¡± -A 130,000HP bonus for the cute appearance of members who regret their own mistakes! ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m a little angry right now.¡± -50,000HP bonus! Kang Shin-hyuk trembled at the administrator¡¯s teasing. Even when plowing the field, he had just resorted to using a sickle to decrease his workload, but would that work for mining? ¡°Well, I can try it.¡± Thus, he brandished his scythe. The sight was silly enough to cause the soldiers tough, had they not seen him plow the entire field with those very same scythes. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk began to swing the scythes crazily into the wall. Stone powder rained down on him as impure ore sprang out and rolled onto the ground. He was using his Wind Mastery to collect and process the stone dust as he swung the scythes, sorting the ore at the same time. It looked very silly from the outside, but in reality, he was using ridiculously high-level techniques. ¡°This one is done, so shall we move on to the next?¡± -If you finish mining the next vein in five minutes with your scythe, you will receive a special administrator bonus! ¡°You¡¯ve learned some bad things from Earth.¡± Rather than crushing the administrator¡¯s hopes, however, Kang Shin-hyuk willingly epted the request and received arge amount of HP as a bonus. It took nearly ten hours to get to the mine and clear it out, but it took less than two hours to dig up tons of ore. ¡°Well, I need to purchase additional inventory slots.¡± -It is 5 million HP per slot. ¡°Good thing I got that bonus.¡± Inventory was bing more expensive now, but he was able to secure five additional slots, for a total of twenty. ¡®Okay, this much¡­¡¯The amount of cargo that could be stored perpartment was approximately 200 kilograms. Shin-hyuk put everything he could away and left the rest to the soldiers. Some of it would be used for the Ord kingdom, so that was fair. ¡°How did you dig up this much?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think this mine had this much Brenite.¡± The soldiers had been rxing while Shin-hyuk mined and were astonished to see the result. Among them were the soldiers of Ord who had been around before the end of the world; they were particrly impressed by the sight of the brilliant blue Brenite. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go.¡± He bought a sturdy bag from the Hero Universe to hold the remaining ore, and then he led the party out. A strange sight awaited them, however. ¡°¡­Do you see what was in the sky?¡± ¡°I see it.¡± ¡°A ck hole¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood still and looked up at the endless sunset sky and the huge ck hole in the middle of it. ¡°Administrator.¡± His voice trembled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I wouldn¡¯t be caught if I didn¡¯t fight in person?¡± -I was aware of it being that way, but they seem to have been watching this world since the start. A simr thing had happened in the dungeon he entered with Baek In-ha and Hyeongju Ahn. ¡°What the hell?¡± -You are the one who holds the entire universe¡¯s attention. The administrator sounded almost proud in response, but now wasn¡¯t the best time. ¡°If it¡¯s toote, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, damn it!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw the bag he was holding down and pulled out the blue cow from his inventory. Then, he called Onyx out and passed him off to the soldiers. -Myu?! ¡°Onyx, lead these soldiers back to the city. Guys, listen carefully. This little guy is stronger than you.¡± ¡°Master Anvil?!¡± ¡°Go!¡± The blue cow charged violently, running so fast that it left behind an afterimage. ¡®It¡¯s huge, shit.¡¯The closer he got to his target, the more he could see. The creatureing out from the hole in the sky was bigger than any other monster he had encountered so far. -In this small world, it is retaining its original size. The administrator exined briefly, clearing Shin-hyuk¡¯s confusion. Just like the belt he made had grown into the size of a city wall, or his sword that had be massive, this monster was maintaining its shape. Even taking that into ount, it must¡¯ve originally beenrge. Even hisrge sword would look like a chopstickpared to it. -Quoooh? The monster that appeared had a green crystal embedded in its head. Its cry filled the world, causing the inhabitants of the Ord kingdom to tremble. They could never cope with it on their own. Kang Shin-hyuk increased his speed and threw out his Godyer sword. It became enormous as he wrapped it up with a spiritual wind, flying straight towards the monster¡¯s eyes. -Quoooh! It bounced off harmlessly. -You cannot break its shield by throwing it. You have to swing it yourself! ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was aware of what that meant. He had to grow in size like that monster. ¡°Ultraman is so outdated¡­¡± No, it was being rebooted, so perhaps he could ride on its poprity. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the sword that bounced off and made up his mind. -No need to worry too much, member. An unexpected message appeared. -As long as they intervene first, it is possible to work properly with the Hero Universe. There is nothing more to hide. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± -You have entered a request for support. Mirang has epted the request. Support? ept? As Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes widened, the administrator continued confidently. -Three minutes, member. Hold on for three minutes. ¡°¡­How?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk muttered lifelessly as he looked up at the ultra-giant beast before him. ¡°It¡¯ll be down to the wire.¡± Chapter 182 Touching Behind (3) Chapter 182 Touching Behind (3) Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t afford to joke around. He hadn¡¯t drawn enough attention by throwing his sword, as now the monster was opening its mouth towards the kingdom. ¡°Ah, shit!¡± It was a scene he thought was familiar. The crystal on the monster¡¯s head began to sparkle as an overwhelming amount of energy began to well up in its throat. ¡°It¡¯s a breath attack.¡± He had seen the wyverns breathe fire, but nothing that reached this scale. And definitely not from a monster that looked like arge chicken! It was high-density energy iparable to the wyverns. ¡®Isn¡¯t it a light property? It¡¯s condensing light energy down, just watching it is helpful to my light mastery training¡­ no, now¡¯s not the time!¡¯Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind was spinning. He was still trying to make himself huge, but it was impossible right now. There was only one other thing that came to his mind. Kang Shin-hyuk put an orb into the sword. -After fusing with the [Great Heavenly Spirit], some of the original traits of the Godyer have been temporarily restored. The Godyer has be SS+ rank. The sword¡¯s strength and power have been amplified, and the power of all special abilities is maximized. -You can now handle the special abilities [Absorption] and [Generate] of the Great Heavenly Spirit. -Special ability [Release] has been surprisingly temporarily unlocked. He threw the sword at the monster¡¯s throat again and made it grow. He hoped it would be enough to stop that breath attack. -Quoooaaaa! The sword struck the monster in its open mouth as light spilled out. ¡®Absorb it and release it!¡¯The Great Heavenly Spirit radiated purple as it pulled in the light flowing out of the monster¡¯s mouth. The energy wasn¡¯t something that could be handled even with an SS+ rank treasure, but thanks to its special ability after eating Excalibur, it had a strong resistance to light. -Quoooo! The giant monster continued to let out the energy even in the midst of its anguish as it scratched at therge thorn in its neck. The purple stained sword absorbed most of the energy and released it immediately after, exploding the rest of the energy in its throat. -A 15,000HP bonus from this administrator who admires your courage! ¡°Thank you, but¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remembered that the sword had been deflected before. He wasn¡¯t able yet to grasp this foe as the crystal in its head continued to shine. -Cuaaaaaah! The scene that followed astonished him. The Godyer sword shrunk and fell out of the monster¡¯s neck. Kang Shin-hyuk returned it to his hands and tried to fire it off again, but the sword stiffened in the air and wouldn¡¯t budge. It was some new ability that this chicken monster was using. Its eyes were slit like a snake¡¯s, and they shed Shin-hyuk¡¯s entire body yellow. ¡°Huh¡­?!¡± He was wracked by indescribable pain. It felt like everything that made up his body was forcibly stopped and hardened into stone. It was even affecting his spiritual power; only his Golden Dragon escaped from its influence to fight against it. ¡°Oh¡­¡± -I understand now! A chicken head, snake¡¯s tail¡­a basilisk! What a terrible hybrid of light-handling basilisks! Kang Shin-hyuk gasped for breath, only able to breathe at all thanks to his trait Golden Dragon. The world beyond the gate was beyond the reach of the Hero Universe, given the administrator¡¯steness in providing that information. -Cuooooo¡­! It was staring at him, recognizing his existence, but the breath attack continued to shoot straight towards the kingdom. Had it been a day before, the whole kingdom would¡¯ve been swept away in an instant. However, just before it could touch the top of the castle, a shield wrapped around the city. It was the special ability Guardian that had been imparted into the walls. ¡®But that won¡¯tst long.¡¯When the belt¡¯s spiritual power ran out, the kingdom would be wiped out. No, if the power of the one who made the belt died, it would be over before it ran out. ¡®I have to stop it.¡¯He clenched his jaw and forced the energy of the Golden Dragon to circte throughout his entire body. The fact that it even slowed him was a power rted to the soul. However, his Golden Dragon was fine because it was a power based on his trait. ¡®In other words, if it¡¯s my trait¡­¡¯Guardian Golden Dragon, the power that puts the power of a dragon in one to turn the tides of any fight. It could strengthen his allies and weaken the enemies. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes shed golden as the flow of energy intensified in his body. ¡®I can ovee its ability¡­!¡¯It was at the moment. The Godyer sword, which was frozen in the air, began to twitch. It re-erged itself, emitting the brilliant light it had absorbed from the basilisk¡¯s breath. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately fired it. -Quaaaah! At the same time, the [Absorption] ability was maximized as he activated the special ability Guardian. ¡°Break¡­!¡± The breath attack that was pouring out onto the city was blocked by the shield formed by the Godyer as it poured out the light. Originally, no matter its spiritual power, it would¡¯ve been impossible, but with the absorption ability, he managed to recycle the light energy and the melting to create it again. -Ahhhh! The beast focused on the sword once more, but it didn¡¯t shrink. Instead, since his gaze fell away from Kang Shin-hyuk, he was able to move freely once more. ¡®Now.¡¯His repressed spiritual power began to spread out through his body once more. He recalled the moment the Godyer sword became huge, that will that drove it. ¡°Whoo¡­!¡± He would not be suppressed by thews of this world. He proved it by making the city walls. If he tried calmly, he would certainly be able to find his original form. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, his spiritual power and Golden Dragon began to mix together to extend outside his body, forming a frame around him. -Sess member. 3,000HP bonus! ¡°Ah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk realized it the next moment; the sight before him was different. The bike followed a secondter, matching his size. ¡°Oh¡­¡± His head was dizzy as pressure bore down on him from everywhere. It was like the world was suppressing him. He was breaking thew of Kieron, so a strong bacsh was to be expected. But, he could keep himself intact. Kang Shin-hyuk had finally acquired the unique strength of a member of the Hero Universe. ¡°How much time do I have left?¡± -About 1 minute and 30 seconds.¡± ¡°Then, I have no choice but to try.¡± At first, it felt ridiculous to fight the monster directly, but that chicken head, which seemed to fill the world, now seemed like a surmountable foe. ¡°Quo¡­? Seeing Kang Shin-hyuk had be massive, it turned its breath on him. The basilisk¡¯s gaze ovepped with the pressure from the world to ce a terrible burden on his body, but Kang Shin-hyuk recalled the Godyer sword to his hand. As long as he could resist with Golden Dragon Fighter, that ability wouldn¡¯t hit him again. ¡°It¡¯s my turn, chicken-head.¡± Moreover, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to exert his influence on the enemy, strengthening himself as he weakened it. Standing on the same level as the basilisk, he could now affect him. -Quo?! It screamed and twisted as it felt something wrong with its body. Its size began to decrease. Perhaps due to it being weakened, it was now being affected by thews of Kieron. It was a great opportunity, now that it was weakened, and it wouldn¡¯te again. -Quoooo?! Kuoohohooo! It twisted its body and let out a powerful shriek as the crystal on his head began to spew out a dazzling light. Kang Shin-hyuk activated his light mastery as it moved out in all directions. At the same time, he activated the absorption ability of the Godyer to converge the light into his sword. ¨DLight Mastery (SS) skill proficiency has increased! ¨DLight Mastery (SS) skill proficiency has increased! ¡°Dirty¡­!¡± It was impossible topletely absorb the aggressive light as it spread over his body to burn his skin. However, despite that, it did very little damage thanks to the sword¡¯s light resistance. *Sacred Sword: Empowers those who hold this weapon and allows them to handle the power of light. It also has a strong resistance to light. With the power of the Great Heavenly Spirit added to it, the attack could be endured. But it went beyond enduring it, as most of the light was being turned into energy stored in the sword. ¡°It would be a walk in the park if I could handle the Dark Spirit Pearl properly.¡± But it meant nothing since he couldn¡¯t. Kang Shin-hyuk poured the energy overflowing from the orb into the blue cow, concentrating the rest into the sword. Light wouldn¡¯t work well against those who dealt with it, so it was turned into pure energy and converted into spiritual power. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± -Vwooom The Godyer sword and the blue cow resonated with one mind as Kang Shin-hyuk positioned himself to attack. -Quoooh! The body of a giant snake wrapped around the chicken head, forming a sphere around it. It was a strange shield meant to protect it from the Godyer. -It must be a defensive skill that makes use of petrification magic. It will stop the movement of any object within a certain range. ¡°Is it possible to stop something it doesn¡¯t see?¡± -It seems only to affect a short range around its body. What a fraudulent ability. Kang Shin-hyuk clicked his tongue but didn¡¯t give in to despair. Unlike before, he now held the sword in his hands. He could apply the power of flesh control now that he was grasping it. Added to the trait of the holy sword it absorbed, it could break through this shield to cut off its head. -Hurry. ¡®Whoo¡­¡¯ Even with the administrator¡¯s urging, Kang Shin-hyuk was in no hurry as he calmed his mind. He was one with the sword in his hand through his breathing. The holy sword trait activated to reinforce the power in his body, further sharpened by the flesh control ability. ¡°¡­Hah!¡± The blue cow rushed in with a burst of speed. Blue sparksshed out, adding lightning and wind power to his sword. A golden airflow stretched out from behind it as Kang Shin-hyuk shed forward like aet atop his bike. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± -Quek?! The moment Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes opened, the bike collided with the basilisk¡¯s body, drawing a blue line through the sky. Chapter 183 Touching Behind (4) Chapter 183 Touching Behind (4) -Kuaaaaaah! The basilisk¡¯s scream filled the sky. Kang Shin-hyuk and the blue cow, who had cleaved through its curled torso, were covered in a shower of green blood. -A terrible poison has entered your body, but Soul Poison (SSS) haspletely resisted it. Soul Poison (SSS) skill proficiency has increased. ¡°It even has poison.¡± -A 170,000HP bonus from one impressed by your wonderful performance! Despite the bonus, Kang Shin-hyuk pulled away from his sword with a resentful sigh. He felt like he had only been able to win because of the Godyer. -You have subdued one that was harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 550,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 825,000,000HP! A shocking message appeared before him. 800 million?! No matter how strong it was, there was only one of them. The previous Light Mastery (SS) skill stone was 3.5 billion HP, and the administrator said it was cheap, but now he finally understood. -Loot has been collected. But that wasn¡¯t all that was surprising. As the dead basilisk shattered in the air and loot items were automatically stored in his inventory, more messages appeared. ¨DYou have acquired the Light Basilisk¡¯s Crest of Light (SSS). ¨DYou have acquired the bones and leather of the Light Basilisk. ¨DYou have acquired the meat of Light Basilisk. ¨DYou have acquired the poison blood of Light Basilisk. ¡°It was an SSS-ss monster¡­¡± It was also a boss-ss monster. Ironically, it was in a world that weakened everything, so it was defeated. Although Kang Shin-hyuk had also been weakened by Kieron, he overcame that limit and weakened the enemy with his Guardian Golden Dragon. It was no exaggeration to say it had won him the battle. Of course, it was also beneficial that the enemy fit his abilities. ¡°Would it have been easier with a status potion¡­ no, probably not by much.¡± This time, the entire fight had been virtually done with his spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter. As his body became stronger, so did his Golden Dragon Fighter, but it would¡¯ve been a small margin in that fierce fight. ¡®Moreover, it only covers up to the SSS-rank.¡¯Now he was viewing the SSS-rank as only up to. It was natural given the administrator had revealed that Halo and the other members in the Hero Universe were generally above that rank. If so, it meant that status potions served to help members that were stillcking, or so Kang Shin-hyuk viewed it as such. -A 120,000HP bonus from a thrilled administrator! ¡°There are too many bonuses.¡± He hesitated, noticing a shadow falling beyond the hole that was cut through the basilisk. ¡°Uh¡­¡± It was several of them, actually. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would end with one, but to be so many¡­¡± -Are you okay, member? If it were one more basilisk, it might have been doable, but more than two was impossible. Now, the only feasible option was to run, but that would leave the humans trembling in the kingdom below. ¡®What do we do? I spent most of the power in the Great Heavenly Spirit¡­¡¯A new hole opened in the sky near Kang Shin-hyuk as he nervously watched the shadow monsters appear through the first one. -Fortunately, I¡¯m notte. A giant, massive wolf, big enough to devour even the sun, suddenly appeared. ¡°¡­!¡± It had long, beautiful silver fur, and its eyes shone like green jade. Magical power illuminated its entire body, enough to blind anyone who could pierce magic. -Anvil, it¡¯s great to see you in person like this. Mirang, it¡¯s Mirang. Can you recognize me? Kang Shin-hyuk was relieved to find out the wolf was an ally. If it were a foe, he might as welly down. ¡®I guess he¡¯s in a huge state right now?¡¯The wolf, Mirang, was sorge that even the giant Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t see its entire body. Probably, this wolf had power simr to Halo. -I can roughly see the limitations of this world. It¡¯s a tricky restriction, despite being a low-level world. Mirang looked around and spoke while Kang Shin-hyuk remained frozen. He could easily ovee the pressure of Kieron. -Oh, they¡¯reing out now. I¡¯ll take care of it. In the meantime, Anvil, calm those beautiful things. ¡°What¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was overwhelmed by the power emanating from Mirang. The wolf nodded and stretched a paw to point at the ground. Indeed, below them, the tiny humans were making a ruckus. -Hero Universe. -I wanted to do this quickly. -It¡¯s fortunate to see his face. At that point, a sinister voice came out from the hole across from them. Kang Shin-hyuk realized that he couldn¡¯t dare face them alone. ¡°Can I ask you to take care of it?¡± -Sure, I came to do just that. Please do me a favorter. I require your craftsmanship. ¡°If that¡¯s enough, then I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± -Very good. Let¡¯s start right away! The wolfughed and burst through the air. Kang Shin-hyuk had to hold onto his bike to not be swept away by the current of magical power. In the process, his body shrunk back. Looking up, he saw the giant monsters in the shape of snakes being cut apart by the wolf¡¯s ws and an ax protruding from its tail. He snapped out of it and drove down to the ground as the snakes¡¯ blood rained down. ¡°Anvil!¡± Milia was shouting at him from atop the castle. ¡°If that poisonous blood breaks through the shield, it¡¯s all over!¡± Milia cried out and grabbed him as soon as hended. Looking up, he could see the snakes and Mirang fighting. The issue was that the blood dripping from the snakes was bing a heavy rain that spilled out onto the ground. The shield of spiritual power was blocking it, but the sight of it bouncing off the shield to dissolve the area around them was terrifying. ¡°Is this the aftermath of fighting directly¡­?¡± ¡°What are those monsters? Are they the agents of God who came to execute us who couldn¡¯t ept destruction?¡± ¡°Why is that your thought? They¡¯re just a group that doesn¡¯t like human prosperity. For now, let¡¯s focus on stopping them.¡± ¡°Anvil, you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have a little more work to do! Go!¡± He erged the Godyer again, activating Guardian to help deflect the poisonous blood raining down on them. It would buy them a little more time. Kang Shin-hyuk began to go through his artifacts and wondered what could be done. ¡°By erging the spiritual thread of the soul connector, I could make a shield¡­ no, Guardian would be more efficient. I need to make a shield right away.¡± -Sorry, member. Even in the Hero Universe, the only artifacts that can be maintained here are the ones you create. That was right; he had been told that cksmiths who handle spiritual power properly were rare. So rare that it was really just Anvil. Kang Shin-hyuk wracked his brain as he watched the battle happening above them. ¡®Oh, what about Onyx?¡¯In this situation, it would be a disaster for those outside the city, but Onyx dutifully led the people from the mines back to the city. He had made a wise judgment as now thend around the city had be a true hell. ¡®How to solve it¡­¡¯His mind kept going back to the problem. His spiritual power couldn¡¯t infinitely block the poisonous blood. In the end, the only way remaining was something he really didn¡¯t want. Kang Shin-hyuk would have to erge himself again to directly block the poisonous blood with the power of his Guardian Golden Dragon. Now that he had confirmed the blood wouldn¡¯t affect him, suppressing it would be easy. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go directly¡­¡± ¡°Anvil.¡± It was then, as Kang Shin-hyuk was squeezing his head for thoughts, Milia spoke up with a serious expression. ¡°Is it really only possible for the items you brought to be bigger?¡± ¡°Uh? No, it¡¯s not. As long as the quality of the item is high enough, anything else can be¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Milia ran straight into the castle, and Kang Shin-hyuk guessed what she was thinking. However, he decided to abandon her expectations. ¡°Then, I should stop it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk rode the bike back into the air. He had already grown once, so he remembered the trick. It consumed no small amount of spiritual power and his Golden Dragon energy, but it would be easier to maintain than the Guardian shield. ¡°After all, heroes shine more when they defend than when they fight.¡± -150,000HP bonus! ¡°Oh, did I say it out loud?¡± He was suddenly aware of how much his self-talk had increased since entering the Hero Universe, but now those embarrassing thoughts wereing out. He blew away those thoughts as he erged himself. Green rain rained down upon him. ¡°Ah.¡± -It¡¯s a good day to practice soul poison. ¡°Right?¡± He responded darkly as he spread a shield out with the Godyer in his hand. A thread of spiritual power moved towards the raindrops. -¡­Member. ¡°Yes?¡± -I really don¡¯t think you need toe forward. First of all, even collecting the poisonous blood personally¡­ The administrator¡¯s attitude had changedpletely. ¡°Yes? But the consumption of spiritual power¡­¡± -It will be resolved before that, so don¡¯t worry. Kang Shin-hyuk thought the answer was strange as he gently stretched the thread out to gather the raindrops. Under thews of this world, the size of the poisonous blood automatically decreased as he gathered it. Soon enough, he had collected two liters of it in a container he threw into his inventory before producing a new one. It was about the time when he considered finding a way to recharge his spiritual power when the blood stopped. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Looking up, there was an enormous image of Milia. In her arms was an enormous orb of water. ¡°Uh¡­¡± -I am the new member of the Hero Universe, ¡®Water Fox.¡¯ ¡°The administrator forced that nickname on you.¡± -How¡¯d you know?! While the administrator was astonished, Milia busied herself with manipting the falling blood with the water orb. It formed a stream that moved ording to her wishes. The water orb wasn¡¯t an artifact that created water; it was a treasure that manipted all liquids. Chapter 184 Grace of Anvil (1) Chapter 184 GraceofAnvil(1) The battle continued for another dozen minutes. Each time the wolf cried out, the sky vibrated, and a silver sh shot out every time it sprinted through the sky. If Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know, it would be easy to mistake as thunder and lightning. -It¡¯s over! Then, the wolf opened its mouth and spewed out mes greater than the light the basilisk had breathed. -Hwaaaaaah! It was like the sun was pouring out of the wolf¡¯s mouth. Red mes covered the sky, blindingly bright. It consumed all the snakes in an instant and even destroyed the energy lurking beyond them. -Ahh. -Unfortunately. Perhaps that was the core of the gate. Immediately after, a horrifying unknown voice permeated every corner of the world. The ck hole torn in the sky disappeared neatly, leaving a bloody sunset in its wake. ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who was watching the scene from a safe ce, trembled. He could hardly believe that an independent entity could use such tremendous energy alone. -It was fortunate you could collect the reward on a basilisk by yourself. ¡°Exactly. Had Mirang arrived sooner, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to swing my sword once.¡± The process had been a struggle, but he gained a lot from that battle. ¡°Anvil, were you watching?¡± The voice of a young man suddenly appeared in his ear. Looking up, the giant wolf had vanished. Looking back, a person was calmly standing behind him. ¡°Mirang?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Now he was in the form of a young human man like Kang Shin-hyuk, but with beautiful silver hair and eyes that shimmered like emeralds. He had a handsome face without any wrinkles, with particrly alluring eyes. Kang Shin-hyuk was able to naturally ept him as he could tell he was the same from his spiritual power. ¡°I saw you well, you were tremendously strong.¡± ¡°Because of the limitations of this world, I couldn¡¯t reveal all my power. It was enough to defeat Jormungand¡¯s spearmen, though.¡± Mirang grabbed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand, shaking it, and Shin-hyuk repressed his instinct to step back. He realized that an overly beautiful face was scary. Of course, ire was an exception. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you in person, Anvil. The fact you chose to die as soon as you became a VIP was disappointing for me, as well as for many other members who wished to meet you. However, there was a chance toplete that great karma and meet in a new way. I should express my gratitude for Gaia¡¯s harmony.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but I haven¡¯t been able to acquire any of the new things you¡¯ve put on the trading board. I responded to this application so I could meet you in person and ask for a product.¡± Shin-hyuk wanted to ask why Mirang hadn¡¯t whispered about it, but then he remembered he had dered himself he wouldn¡¯t ept personal requests for the time being. That was why Mirang ran to him so quickly. ¡°Thank you. Of course, I still have a long way to go to reach my previous life, but I think I can make some good stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, really!¡± Honestly, seeing Mirang spewing out mes made him wonder what would be useful to such a person. In the meantime, he made sure Mirang would stay here to protect them. ¡°But can you wait for a moment? I have to talk to them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I will wait. But it¡¯s really fun to find a new member of the Hero Universe in a world that was about to perish.¡± Mirangughed at the sight of Milia holding the water orb. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t understand why heughed; perhaps it was something for those who had a wider view of the universe. ¡°Milia.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk left Mirang and approached Milia, who was still intently controlling the water orb. To be more precise, she was gathering all of the poison blood scattered around the world, evaporating the pure water to leave only the poison essence. ¡°Good morning, Anvil.¡± Milia blinked as she looked down on Kang Shin-hyuk. Her voice caused the air to vibrate. ¡°I need help with holding this. Could you?¡± -With the control of venom blood now possible, all you need is an alchemy sk sold on the trading board. It can¡¯t be bought by this Water Fox who just signed up. ¡°How much is it?¡± -It is a special solution sk that costs 10,000HP per 750ml sh. It is 6,500HP at the VIP special discount price! Certainly, it was too much for Milia to pay since she just joined, but it was practically worth pennies to him. He went ahead and bought twenty right away. Now that the water part was removed, the poison blood had reduced to a more manageable size. ¡°Hand it over.¡± ¡°Uh, um.¡± Milia blushed a little at Kang Shin-hyuk but pushed the venom sphere towards him. It looked rather threatening, actually. -It is only pure poison. Even the most brilliant alchemist would struggle to achieve this degree of purity. ¡®But Milia did it.¡¯ -The Water Fox has awakened a very powerful trait of dealing with water using water magic. Since each member¡¯s personal information is confidential, we cannot provide detailed information, but it¡¯s honestly annoying to me as well¡­ He couldn¡¯t tell her personal information, but he wouldn¡¯t hide his emotions at all. The administrator continued as Kang Shin-hyuk wrapped the poison sphere with wind and suppressed it with his spiritual power. -The water orb is a precious object created by the Water Fox¡¯s ancestors. Only the royal family can properly handle it. But in a world where hope was lost, that bloodline weakened and left the world to end¡­ ¡°¡­¡± -That was when you appeared as a prince on a white horse. ¡®I kept quiet because I didn¡¯t want to hear about that.¡¯After Kang Shin-hyuk seeded in shrinking it, he transformed it with the wind into the sk. -The Water Fox had the potential to seed in the world but didn¡¯t have the quality to do it herself. However, your ability to interfere with the source made her grow. The Water Fox, exposed to you, eventually brought out hertent power and reformed herself. ¡®Thanks to that, she joined the Hero Universe.¡¯ -She is of a level that surpassed her ancestors. He had never felt this way in other worlds, but now he felt that his actions had really influenced this world¡¯s existence. A savior who would take charge of the world was born under his influence, causing his head to hurt whenever he thought of the aftermath. ¡®Milia¡¯s possibilities awakened, though I just came to do a dimensional quest.¡¯ -To summarize, that is it. As he slowly descended to the ground after clearing up the poison, the residents of the city went to worship Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Apostle, you have granted strength to our queen, so we will offer up our prayers!¡± ¡°Not just that, but the help of another god¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to the wolf god!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was greeted by the trembling people. It was at a level he couldn¡¯t deny with a simple no. He was the one who defeated the basilisk, and then Mirang had also shown up. Added to it, the queen Milia became huge¡­ ¡°Anvil, I guess you didn¡¯t do a lot of dimensional quests.¡± ¡°Mirang.¡± Mirang appeared in front of Kang Shin-hyuk, perhaps having noticed his embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder humans serve us like gods. Rather, it¡¯s often better for them, so it¡¯s good to get used to it quickly.¡± ¡°Is it better for them?¡± ¡°Sure. Because mortals name everything they cannot understand. Those who don¡¯t try to understand it are usually broken. So this is the shield they unconsciously use to protect themselves.¡± Mirang said to Kang Shin-hyuk, then waved his hand at the humans looking up. The humans raised their voices in praise to express their gratitude for him, who was pretending to be a ssy nobleman despite fighting so violently moments before. ¡°Then¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and pointed to Milia, who was still enormous. After Kang Shin-hyuk had stored the venom, she was carrying out other tasks with the water orb- creatingkes and rivers within the cities and further across the world. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She will be treated as someone who has risen above the ranks of humanity. Anvil, do you think one who showed such a disy today coulde down to the position of human again?¡± -From today on, there will be clear rain in this world again. That Water Fox will be a creature of wonder to the humans of this world, a goddess of water. Mirang spoke in a lightly teasing tone, and the administrator added a further exnation. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk eventually quieted. Wouldn¡¯t that type of existence be too lonely? ¡°Well, then, can I ask about what I want?¡± ¡°Yes. The work will continue.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up at the image of the goddess who was engaged in the work of creating waterways in the world before smiling bitterly before guiding Mirang into his workshop. It was deep into the night when Milia finished her work. As a bonus, Onyx had returned safely with all the soldiers. Chapter 185 Grace of Anvil (2) Chapter 185 Grace of Anvil (2) ¡°Aren¡¯t you used to fire? Could you make a sword suitable for containing the power of fire?¡± ¡°A sword.¡± They were in the temporary workshop built in the castle. Kang Shin-hyuk was still casually facing the handsome young man, Mirang. He was tracing his fingernails over the table, using the energy of fire to burn a picture into it-an image of a greatsword with a long, sturdy de. ¡°Okay. My natural energy is strong, hmm.. of course, it is iparable to those with true strength, but it¡¯s enough that most weapons can¡¯t handle it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± Mirang had said he was a wolf the moment he was born. It was rtively recently that he had been able to take on a human form. After taking on a human form, he started bing interested in handling weapons¡­ The problem was, as he said, there was no weapon able to withstand his energy. ¡°The human body is delicate¡­ and the distance between each other is narrow.¡± He must¡¯ve been talking about the modernized form of human society; no other animals willingly lived in confined areas as humans did. ¡°So if you can¡¯t control it, you¡¯ll inadvertently hurt people. Correct?¡± Why did Mirang want a human form in the first ce? Such a fundamental question was raised. Kang Shin-hyuk thought he couldn¡¯t make what he wanted without knowing that. ¡°What I want is one extremely sharp tooth. It has to be small enough that it won¡¯t hit targets other than the ones I want, but it¡¯s fatally sharp and can inflict damage to them.¡± ¡°..I know what you want. Let¡¯s try it.¡± ¡°I thought Anvil would say so!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk held out his hand to him. Mirang reached out and grabbed it without thinking, just as Kang Shin-hyuk wanted. ¡°Okay, wait a minute like this. I¡¯ll be going over some basics with my spiritual power, but don¡¯t resist.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor, rather.¡± Mirang nodded happily. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit relieved. Mirang wasn¡¯t a person who treated spiritual power as casually as Kang Shin-hyuk did, but he recognized that he had spiritual power and instinctively used it. If so, he had to understand how dangerous it was to leave yourself vulnerable to another who used spiritual power, but he had done so without hesitation for Kang Shin-hyuk. -Because you¡¯re like an idol in the Hero Universe. Most members would probably buy a hundred million CDs if they could shake your hand. ¡®I hate that analogy.¡¯ -To get an artifact from you, maybe even five hundred million CDs¡­ ¡®I won¡¯t be a singer.¡¯ -Keh. After thoroughly crushing the administrator¡¯s idea, Kang Shin-hyuk began to let his spiritual power flow into Mirang bit by bit. ¡°It¡¯s very delicate.¡± Mirang let out a voice of admiration. ¡°To manipte the essence of the soul by dividing it so easily¡­ mine is a lump. It¡¯s strong as it is, and if I try to force it, I lose it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural because everyone has different spiritual powers.¡± ¡°Is that so? Is this the spirit of a craftsman¡­ no, it¡¯s also a warrior¡¯s spiritual power. How fun.¡± Mirang closed his eyes with a smile. Kang Shin-hyuk struggled to ept the information flowing in from Mirang. ¡®It¡¯s not normal, but¡­¡¯ As long as he could fully analyze his opponent with spiritual power, he would no longer be afraid. Kang Shin-hyuk had always thought that way since he had learned how to use it properly. However, he didn¡¯t think he would be in trouble because of the depth and breadth of the source. A being with a different origin than mine. It¡¯s difficult to understand¡­¡¯ The fact the source was different meant that the way of viewing the world was different. For Kang Shin-hyuk, me emitted heat and light, and thus, had a warm image in his mind. At the same time, it also symbolized creation to him as a cksmith. However, for Mirang, who had been with mes since he was born, the me was his body, breath, weapon, and shield. ¡°Ah¡­¡¯ It waspletely different. How could he ept it, understand it, and apply it to the object he nned to make? Kang Shin-hyuk now realized that understanding was apletely different matter. Still.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t his first experience. The first object he hadmunicated with was the Godyer sword, which wasn¡¯t alive. However, he never had to worry about understanding the origin of the metal. He first found what he could sympathize within the sword, then pulled out what he could work with. Understanding began with findingmon ground with the other person. If he searched for that, he would be able to realize even the parts he couldn¡¯t understand little by little. ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk murmured quietly as he closed his eyes. ¡°This production will be a very special experience for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡± Mirang also quietly nodded. ¡°Your spiritual power is very warm. I don¡¯t think it was wrong toe visit you.¡± Although it was in his previous life that he had be friends with Mirang, Kang Shin-hyuk thought that he and Mirang couldmunicate as friends for the first time. He began to understand the source of Mirang. -¡­ Should I have been vignt of other men as well? He ignored the useless things the administrator was saying. *** Of course, understanding Mirang wouldn¡¯t end in a day. After five hours of holding Mirang¡¯s hand (Zeke, who had seen the scene through the door of the open workshop, had left silently without them noticing), Kang Shin-hyuk decided to stop for the day. ¡°We¡¯ll do this again tomorrow, then I¡¯ll start work the following day.¡± ¡°This world is slower, so it¡¯s no issue if I need to stay longer.¡± It was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s perception that was faster, as it was passing by at fifteen times as much, but Mirang¡¯s standard was different. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that time was passing slower here, he supposed. ¡°That¡¯s the standard for those who live very long.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± It¡¯s those who lived short lives who felt the passage of time the most. Humans, at most, had a hundred years. So, as they faced the passage of time head-on, they had the perception of it being fast. However, Mirang lived a very long time. Eventually, for him, the impression that this world moved slowly remained. ¡°¡­Mirang.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk came to think of the future this world would face as he considered Mirang¡¯s perspective. ¡°I want you to ask you something.¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°What will happen to this world in the future? Will they keep sending those monsters?¡± ¡°No way. Jormungand can¡¯t waste that sort of thing. If they kept sending monsters to this weakened world, the Hero Universe could capitalize on it to reduce their power.¡± That, too, couldn¡¯te from a human¡¯s point of view. No, in the future, Kang Shin-hyuk might have to think that way. ¡°So howe they did this time¡­ ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of you, Anvil. You are what everyone wants.¡± -Did I not say you were like an idol to everyone? ¡°No, you said I¡¯m just an idol of the Hero Universe.¡± -I was being humble¡­ 130,000HP bonus for shy members! Kang Shin-hyuk frowned at the administrator. He had roughly expected something along those lines, but was that really the case? He arrived to save this ruined world, but in the end, he had brought those monsters? If he left, would Jormungand stop looking at it? -It is surprising that they recognized your existence and opened a passage right away. However, if you leave this world, they wouldn¡¯t dare send excessive power here. ¡°They¡¯ll continue to invade in a form tailored to this world. That¡¯s why it¡¯s currently out of bnce.¡± ¡°Bnce.¡± ¡°Bnce is something we all value. Because either side can¡¯t copse.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to inquire more about that part, but a knock on the door stopped him. No, it wasn¡¯t from the door. It wasing from the window. ¡°Hmm?¡± Mirang¡¯s expression stiffened. On the other hand, the administrator was quick toin. ¨C No way! She infiltrated us using the support request! ¡°What is it?¡± Mirang was still sitting, so it probably wasn¡¯t an enemy. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up from his seat despite his confusion and approached the window. Like a will o¡¯ wisp, a pale silver-blue me turned around in the air outside the window. Inside of it, he could feel an endless affection radiating out towards him through his spiritual power. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯ll be okay.¡± -Cheh¡­! ¡°There¡¯s no way to stop her, so open it up, Anvil.¡± Mirang smiled bitterly, having received the administrator¡¯s message as well. Kang Shin-hyuk had a rough idea of what was happening now. Opening the window, the light flew in and stopped before him. Shortly after, Tsukuyo, a woman wearing a ck silk garment embroidered with gold, appeared in its ce. ¡°Anvil!¡± Tsukuyo held him in her arms, exuding an unbearably alluring scent. ¡°I came to meet you!¡± -¡­! Kang Shin-hyuk epted her hug while flinching, remembering how he had suffered before. He was wary of her, but she onlyughed. It was theugh of a lion aiming for its prey. ¡°You¡¯re still cute.¡± ¡°You have bad taste, Tsukuyo, to arrive when the work is over.¡± Mirang spoke up for Kang Shin-hyuk, who was frozen in ce. ¡°I just slowed my steps a little to see Anvil looking cool.¡± Tsukuyo pulled away, revealing a small porcin bottle in hand. ¡°Are you hungry, Anvil? I brought food and alcohol, so let¡¯s share a cup to celebrate our reunion.¡± ¡°Alcohol? Good.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not for you.¡± Tsukuyo responded calmly to Mirang, who was quick to open a drink in the workshop. Kang Shin-hyuk remained stuck in ce as he watched the two move around, barely able to open his mouth after a long pause. ¡°I can¡¯t drink because I¡¯m a minor.¡± Chapter 186 Grace of Anvil (3) Chapter 186 Grace of Anvil (3) The appearance of Tsukuyo had a huge impact on the city. Mirang had overwhelmed many with his presence, but Tsukuyo¡¯s presence was a bit different. ¡°She¡¯s really beautiful.¡± ¡°Just looking at her gives me strength.¡± ¡°It feels like my body is getting a little hot¡­¡± ¡°A goddess.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a goddess.¡± The city was filled with weird energy. Still, they had been given hope due to Milia¡¯s awakening, and Tsukuyo¡¯s presence poured oil on that fire. Although¡­ it felt a bit annoying. ¡°Let¡¯s work!¡± ¡°Is she watching us?¡± ¡°I saw her while on patrol, and she waved at us.¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± ¡°As a soldier who had been protecting Ord, I am most proud of this moment!¡± That¡¯s right; now, the soldiers were doing what they could to make themselves more visible to her. Kang Shin-hyuk appraised Tsukuyo, who had captivated the city¡¯s residents with her charm, critically. ¡°I¡¯m grateful you invigorated the soldiers, but this is why they¡¯re having pointless thoughts.¡± ¡°Oh my, Anvil. I didn¡¯t do anything special to them. Foolish men always ept a woman¡¯sughter as they wish and hope in vain. Ah, of course, I¡¯m not talking about you.¡± -Shall I kill her? Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the administrator as per usual. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong, but shouldn¡¯t we be careful to avoid these people who behave as such?¡± ¡°You care about me.¡± Tsukuyoughed. It was a beautiful sound that held no pretense. ¡°But it¡¯s okay, Anvil. No one can bother me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be able to meet you like this. It¡¯s why I¡¯m smiling like this.¡± Thank you for your words, but it¡¯s overwhelming! Kang Shin-hyuk had no choice but to retreat endlessly as she pushed forward. ¡°Why did the goddess arrive in this world?¡± ¡°Is she with the apostle?¡± ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s the apostle¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°Or maybe she¡¯s also an apostle.¡± The people weren¡¯t blind, however. They were able to roughly guess their rtionship when they saw her cling to Kang Shin-hyuk. Because of that, some unfortunate misunderstandings were happening. ¡°Still, what about Her Majesty?¡± ¡°Her Majesty became a god. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°I see!¡± What was it? Kang Shin-hyuk had a sinking feeling as the soldiers standing guard in the inner city murmured. Next to him, Tsukuyo was thinking seriously. ¡°She¡¯s a new member. Are you interested in her? ¡°No!¡± Tsukuyo¡¯s eyes slightly widened as Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head in fear. Even if Milia forgave such a misunderstanding, the administrator would not. ¡°No? Still, you did give her such a pretty belt¡­¡± Tsukuyo nced at the wall that guarded the city¡¯s outskirts. She seemed to have read Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart contained in the will of Guardian at once. Kang Shin-hyuk excused himself while blushing. ¡°I made it while thinking of someone else. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t made as a gift for Milia.¡± ¡°Someone else¡­ ah, Eunah?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Someone other than Eunah? I see¡­¡± Tsukuyo looked a bit depressed but soon regained her energy. ¡°I can take second ce now. I will be the first one day.¡± He vowed not to tell her about ire out of fear she might be assassinated. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to carefully switch topics. ¡°Do you want anything? I¡¯ve decided to make Mirang something, so if you¡¯d like to ask for anything¡­¡± ¡°Ah! You know my heart so well.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried hard not to look at her as he received her request. ¡°A ring would be nice. No, that is¡­ sorry. A ne¡­ are you still not confident with essories? Then a fan would be good.¡± ¡°A fan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tsukuyo, who was concerned that he might refuse if she asked for the wrong thing, made apromise.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because fans make fire. I would be very happy if you made a wonderful fan full of your passion for me.¡± The type of object was different, but the properties were the same as what Mirang wanted. No, didn¡¯t a fan fit more with the wind than fire? For Kang Shin-hyuk, with an SS-rank wind mastery skill, it was easier than making a sword of fire. However, he had never made a fan before, but it thought it would be a nice challenge. ¡°Now, Anvil.¡± Tsukuyo reached out to him as she held the image of what she wanted in mind. ¡°You did this after receiving Mirang¡¯s request, right?¡± Her small hand reached out toward him. Kang Shin-hyuk shed a bleak smile at her blinking eyes. ¡°Did you see it?¡± ¡°I waste, but my eyes were wide open.¡± -Fox. Kang Shin-hyuk thought it wouldn¡¯t be necessary to do a personal analysis this time, but Tsukuyo had no intention of pulling her hand back. Eventually, Kang Shin-hyuk gave in. Her hand was cool and slender, filling him with conflicted and warm emotions as soon as he held it. ¡°Yes.¡± Tsukuyo was smiling as she held his hand. He caught her gaze and tried to interpret her source as quickly as possible. Her heart and actions were troubling, but this was a great chance to understand her a little better. ¡°Ah..?!¡± The first impression he received was being thrown into a heavy sea with a weight around his ankles. It was a far deeper and vaster source than that of Mirang that threatened to swallow him. ¡®It can¡¯t evenpare to Mirang. What the hell is she..?!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk vividly remembered Mirang in his wolf form, but Tsukuyo was iparable even to that. He had been convinced from before that she dealt with spiritual power, but this¡­ was more than Anvil, no, more than Halo? ¡®I can¡¯t breathe¡­!¡¯ It was arrogance to try and understand her at all. Kang Shin-hyuk somehow breached the surface, and that alone was enough to bring about an incredible increase in his power. ¨C You have gained valuable experience in appraising the unknown through spiritual power. Emotion skill proficiency has increased to S-rank. -Resist Fire (SS+) proficiency has increased to St rank. ¨C Golden Dragon Fighter (SS+) has increased. ¨C You have interpreted parts of the abyss. The size of the soul has increased with a small realization of spiritual power. Kang Shin-hyuk had grown his skills just by interpreting a small part of her vast spiritual power. Were it not for the strong mental fortitude his previous life had passed onto him, he might¡¯ve forgotten his purpose. ¡°Shall we end this for today?¡± ¡°Yes? But now it¡¯s starting¡­?!¡± Suddenly, Tsukuyo pulled away from him. Looking around, he was surprised to find out that more time had passed than he had thought. It was morning when he grabbed onto her hand, but now the day was in full swing. ¡°Oh, how cute. How can you be such a lovely person?¡± Tsukuyo smiled happily as she watched him rub his hand in amazement. -A year to live. The administrator cursed her as Kang Shin-hyuk blinked a few times before falling a step away from her in a cold sweat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m still not good enough.¡±. ¡°No, you are perfect. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to face me for so long.¡± Tsukuyo said something he couldn¡¯t understand before quickly closing the distance between them to stare into his eyes. ¡°You are the same from the beginning. I¡¯ve missed your pure soul.¡± If he faced her endless inky ck eyes, he felt like he would pass out. ¡°I¡¯ll make Mirang¡¯s item, then I¡¯ll make your fan.¡± ¡°Yes. Until then, I¡¯ll have to keep telling you about me. Keep going.¡± Tsukuyo was following Kang Shin-hyuk around with a happy expression. He wanted to send her back to her own world as soon as possible, but he had to admit that she was very attractive. -Gaia, please, bring the wrath of the gods to burn this fox¡­ The administrator was quick to rely on Gaia. Was the Hero Universe rted to the Gaia system? Kang Shin-hyuk continued to think of questions that had no answers. ¡°Ah, yes, I forgot to say tell you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Janus.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head raised in a sh at Tsukuyo¡¯s nonchnt response. He instinctively squeezed the handle of the Godyer sword hanging from his waist. ¡°I found a little of his information. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Is it not something I promised?¡± Tsukuyo covered her mouth andughed, then spoke in a slightly quieter voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something you really care about.¡± *** That evening, Kang Shin-hyuk continued his research by holding Mirang¡¯s hand (which was going easier after his encounter with Tsukuyo). Towards the end of it, he was summoned by Milia. Tsukuyo seemed keen to follow him but withdrew when he firmly rejected her. ¡°Anvil, I thought we were pretty close. ¡± Milia sat on the throne with her cheeks puffed up slightly. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged. ¡°Are we not?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you exin her to me.¡± ¡°Tsukuyo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hearing her name for the first time. What a funny name.¡± ¨C The Water Fox and the administrator¡¯s hearts agree. Milia was frowning, causing the soldiers around them to tremble and step away slightly. Did the deification cause something like this? ¡°You guys, go back.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Milia also noticed it, frowning at the soldiers now. After they all disappeared, Kang Shin-hyuk nced behind her throne. Normally Zeke was always by her side, but now he wasn¡¯t visible. ¡°What about Zeke?¡± ¡°Zeke¡­ he resigned from my escort post.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Because the one he must keep is stronger than him.¡± Despite her calm tone, there was a deep bitterness in her voice. ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Well..¡± Looking back on his previous conversation with Zeke; a positive oue seemed unlikely. Instead of saying it, however, Kang Shin-hyuk switched topics. ¡°You know now, right? Tsukuyo is a member of the Hero Universe. She and Mirang came to help me.¡± ¡°To help? So what did she do?¡± She was sticking to him, creating a disturbance, and making him upset for nothing. ¡°Isn¡¯t her existence of no help?!¡± ¡°What, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°The administrator told me!¡± Those two were conspiring now. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged, resolving himself. ¡°The attack that happened yesterday happened because of me.¡± ¡°..¡± Milia bit her lip gently and bowed her head. ¡°I was told it would be okay if I left. So, until then, it would be good to have those two here. As long as they are here, this city will be safe.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t me you when you make such excuses¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ll leave a bunch of weapons for the soldiers to use. Haven¡¯t you seen how much Brenite we mined?¡± ¡°.I saw. Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯ll forgive you for bringing such a strange woman into the castle.¡± Milia sighed, saying so unconvincingly. Obviously, there was nothing wrong with it, but Kang Shin-hyuk turned away while feeling oddly sorry. ¡°Anvil, I am now a member of the Hero Universe.¡± Milia called out to him once more. ¡°Yes, I know. Congrattions.¡± ¡°I was delighted that I was qualified to lead the kingdom myself, but now my people feel farther away.¡± ¡°But when I thought about it, there was still one person who I felt closer with.¡± Milia¡¯s voice quieted. ¡°Can I continue to think that way?¡± -Fox! Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and looked back at her. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll tell you about the Hero Universe¡¯s add friend feature.¡± Chapter 187 Grace of Anvil (4) Chapter 187 Grace of Anvil (4) ng! ng! ng! The sound of metal being hammered resonated in the workshop. Now, Kang Shin-hyuk was making the sword for Mirang. It wasn¡¯t possible to find out everything about Mirang in just two days, but his understanding of the me Mirang had been born with had improved enough to try. -Resist Fire (SS+) skill proficiency has increased. The me that slept at the core of the giant wolf was at the top of a mysterious road. As his understanding of it increased, so too did his resist fire skill. Considering that his skill proficiency grew as much as they had from diving into Tsukuyo¡¯s power just a day ago, he was growing at a very fast pace. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I¡¯m at an SS+ level gate now. It¡¯s an erosion type. -Erosion type¡­ they¡¯re increasing. Is it a full-fledged war now? As he worked, he used the whisper system to converse with his friends. Today¡¯s conversation partner was Eunah. No, rather, half the time, it was Eunah. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I was sure it would be like this one day. -Yeah, but this timing is tooplicated. It took a while for answers toe back as the flow of time was different between their worlds, but given he was working, that was just fine. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Yes¡­ I¡¯m d my junior grew up before things got harder. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Even if you were weak, I would always stay by your side to protect you! He was suddenly d he had grown as fast as he did. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Like my junior, I have to be stronger as fast as possible. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: At least strong enough to roast her with electricity¡­ Huh? Goosebumps formed on his arms. The time it took for her next response felt like an eternity. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It may be hard for you to suffer from strange women, but be patient. I will save my junior. -No, wait a minute. What strange woman? -Eunah¡¯s whisper: That woman, Tsukuyo. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s rhythmic hammering stopped halfway in fear. It was only a message, but he could practically hear the cold voice of Eunah, the Ice Princess, whisper in his ear like a blizzard. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: She¡¯s talking very proudly on the free bulletin board. Even with wolf uncle¡­ That probably meant Mirang. He wasn¡¯t aware she was so close to Mirang. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: And that new one named Water Fox. Isn¡¯t she a member of the world you¡¯ve been to? She¡¯s also suspicious. He wanted to erase the message and pretend he hadn¡¯t seen any of them, but they kept appearing. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: My junior is still underage. If I be stronger and protect my junior¡­ -Well¡­ you can rest assured. I can protect myself. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: No, it seems that my grandpa and my junior doesn¡¯t know these people well. They put their feelings first and push you around. Well, he did have that experience of having his first kiss stolen by Tsukuyo, so she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell Eunah that, lest she challenged Tsukuyo. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: So, we have to protect you. Until then, I¡¯ll practice hard. -Cheer up. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I feel refreshed. I won¡¯t tire out for the next 100 years. -I¡¯ll be okay. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I will protect you. No one will touch you. So scary! But he couldn¡¯t tackle it right now. When dealing with Shin Eunah, he needed to be cautious and careful, like crafting ss. -Shall I handle it? ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Rather, I would like to check the freeboard right now.¡± -I think it would be better not to. At that, it seemed he really had to check it. He essed the free bulletin board, immediately finding the post that Tsukuyo had posted. The title? [Tsukuyo ¨C Please pay attention to those who haven¡¯t met Anvil yet.] ¡°This woman is very good at aggravating people¡­¡± The text contained proud statements about Anvil, Kang Shin-hyuk, exaggerated descriptions, and false records. Halo hadmented that Anvil was on a long-term quest in his world, and Mirang had chimed in with a fewments showing off that he was also with Anvil. There were some members who wereplimenting his work,ining that Tsukuyo was with him, orining that he wasn¡¯t epting requests. There were some new members there, as well. [Water Fox ¨C I am a new member that awakened thanks to Anvil. I want to say hello to my seniors.] And then there was a misguided new recruit. [Loki ¨C You awakened thanks to Anvil? What are you talking about? Are you a cksmith too? Rather, where¡¯s Janus?] [Storm Confucius ¨C I haven¡¯t seen him these days. Was he beaten?] [Rocky ¨C He¡¯s 100 times stronger than you, no way. ] [Miyang ¨C Hey, neer, is Anvil next to you? Please tell him. I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t have an Anvil-made weapon.] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C Anvil is doing a dimensional quest now? When will he make me some gloves?] [Ascaldin ¨C No, now Anvil made a new member of the Hero Universe?] [Water Fox ¨C I can¡¯t exin in detail¡­ but thanks to his ability, I was able to strengthen my resolve.] Fortunately, Milia made no further mistakes. However, Tsukuyo continued to message. [Tsukuyo ¨C That¡¯s not new. However, I hope there will be no misunderstandings. He is just so kind and generous that he gives equally to everyone; it is by no means love. ] [Miyang ¨C Isn¡¯t it the same for you?] Tsukuyo didn¡¯t reply to thatment. Instead, other members continued to reply as if praying for blessings, and Milia continued toment herself. [Water Fox ¨C Anvil is a good person. He is the benefactor of our world; there will be nothing to bother him.] [Tsukuyo ¨C I hope so because he already has a lot to deal with. There is no need for him to carry a new load.] [Eunah ¨C The heaviest one is there.] [Halo ¨C Haha, Anvil¡¯s favorite is Eunah. ] [Bartender ¨C So he¡¯s there with you..] Kang Shin-hyuk froze at the most recentment. It should be okay. He thought about sending ire a message but eventually gave up. Wouldn¡¯t she only be more anxious if he did? She now knew that Tsukuyo hade to him, so it would be better to talk to her in person. ¡°Hah, what pointless troubles.¡± -But now it is better than before, member. ¡°Is that so?¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed at the administrator¡¯s message. -Didn¡¯t you receive a guarantee that Janus is safe? ¡°I did.¡± -There has always been antagonism between members. Moreover, Janus is one of the elder members who has been in the Hero Universe for a long time. So you don¡¯t need to worry too much. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s the way it is.¡± He had received a report from Tsukuyo about Janus¡¯s current situation earlier. Specifically, Tsukuyo said she had fought with him in the world she visited. ¨C Maybe the fox attacked him because he was unlucky. The fox¡­ The administrator was seriously discussing why Tsukuyo had to die. Thanks to it, however, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mood had lightened. He didn¡¯t want to fight Janus; he just wanted to know if he was alive. He believed that one day he would be able to whisper with him again. ¡°Then, let¡¯s finish the sword for Mirang.¡± -I¡¯m looking forward to it. The metal he was working on right now was a silver metal that sparkled more brilliantly than snow hit by the sun. It was Mirang¡¯s ws. Even with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s developed emotional skill, it was impossible to measure the quality of it. After observing and understanding the origin of the ws¡¯ owner, Mirang, it became possible for him to process it. With a little help, it could be processed. ¡°I wish I could take that magical me back with me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk admired the wolf¡¯s me burning like a ruby inside the furnace. He had gained a deeper understanding of fire by exploring the origin of Mirang and Tsukuyo, so he could tell the me was half-alive. It burned at the perfect temperature, and the powerful magical and spiritual power emanating from it aided in the forging process. ¨C Please ask. ¡°It¡¯s really scary because I think he might agree.¡± ng! ng! ng! Thanks to it, the process was easier than he had been worried about. Of course, if his spiritual power were even slightly insufficient, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible. ¡®Tsukuyo¡¯s iron fan is next.¡¯ After that, it would be producing weapons for the soldiers of Ord. Kang Shin-yuk suddenly remembered Tsukuyo¡¯sment that he had seen on the bulletin board. She hadmented about the burdens he was carrying and how more weight wouldn¡¯t be possible. Maybe Milia would notice it herself. ¡®If she refuses, I¡¯ll still make it.¡¯ Right, how about making a special weapon for Milia? Knowing that Kang Shin-hyuk had beenmissioned by Mirang and Tsukuyo, she had been hiding her envy. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make it.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyukpletely pushed aside his worries about Janus and instead agonized over what he would make for Milia. He was still too na?ve. Chapter 188 Grace of Anvil (5) Chapter 188 Grace of Anvil (5) -You finished a special experience of shaping the origins of others into the form of a single weapon. It is not something that can be attempted without a deep understanding of spiritual power and extreme skill in metallurgy. ¨C You have seeded in creating a custom weapon for only one existence. Its performance is astounding, but it will not allow any other user. -Your proficiency with Metallurgy has greatly increased. Your Spiritual Power has grown from the experience of embracing other¡¯s origins. [Mirang Salt Tank] [Cannot be measured] [Special Ability: Sunseed, Blooded] *Sunseed: Contains the purifying power of fire. It strengthens itself by absorbing the user¡¯s me. The details of the effect are unknown. *Blooded: A de trained with fire and blood. The more injured the user is, the harder and sharper it bes whening into contact with a strong me. Atop the anvil was a red two-handed sword. The de was made entirely through processing Mirang¡¯s ws, and the length of the de was two meters long. The handle was about 70cm, including the pommel and cross-guard, which used part of the snake he had caught. The red de was radiating heat as if it was burning. If someone without me resistance touched it, it wouldn¡¯t just be a minor burn. -Vwoooooom ¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk could hear the first cries of the sword as he injected his spiritual power into it. He realized that, for the first time, he had created a masterpiece worthy of the name of Anvil, and at the same time, he recognized it was an object he could never make with his strength alone. ¡°Complete¡­ is it done?¡± Throughout his work, Mirang, who had kept the fire, saw that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand had stopped and thus began to ask nervously. Shin-hyuk quietly nodded and handed the sword over to Mirang, who easily epted it with one hand. ¡°Amazing¡­ Anvil, you made such a nice sword. You were saying you were inferior, but you¡¯re not at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you, Mirang. It¡¯s a weapon that hides its potential, so it¡¯s a little different than your source.¡± ¡°At the least, it¡¯s the weapon you made.¡± Mirang swung the sword several times before narrowing his eyes and smiling in satisfaction. ¡°I think this sword will work well. I¡¯ll have to get used to it¡­ I¡¯ll stay here for a while and take care of you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mirang.¡± If it were Mirang, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to deal with a sword that contained his source. He was embarrassed to say that he would protect Kang Shin-hyuk from Jormungand, though. ¡°Then, call me if something happens, Anvil.¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was grateful that he would be around. Being safe from Jormungand was one of the reasons, but he also served as a check against Tsukuyo, who had been sticking to him every day. Without Mirang, Shin-hyuk would be in quite a bit of danger. Whenever she looked at him, or their eyes suddenly met, he felt as if he were naked in front of her. If Shin Eunah revealed herself to Kang Shin-hyuk and leaned on him, Tsukuyo was a woman who understood everything about him and affirmed him unconditionally. Both were a burden, but Tsukuyo made him uneasy. ¡°Is it finally my turn, Anvil?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± As soon as Mirang left, Tsukuyo appeared. It was like she was able to grasp where he was no matter the time. ¡°Anvil, what are you doing?¡± He wondered why a great person like Tsukuyo was stuck to him, but when he asked the reason, he thought something annoying would happen again. ¡°I thought you were pretty. ¡°Ah!¡± The effect was great. ¡°Why, Anvil directly praised me¡­!¡± Tsukuyo was trembling; her usually pale cheeks were burning red, and tears were forming in her eyes to show that she was genuinely moved. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a sigh in his heart. ¡°Then, let¡¯s make your item now.¡± He reached a reluctant hand out to her as if he were a groom in an arranged marriage he did not want ¡°I¡¯ll ask you, Anvil.¡± Tsukuyo, on the other hand, grabbed it like a woman marrying the love of her life. It took him an entire week to make the iron fan Tsukuyo wanted. *** To fulfill Tsukuyo¡¯s request, he had to scavenge her source, which served to change his own. What that meant was, like with Mirang, all the stats thatposed him were influenced by her to grow. -You¡¯ve been in contact with the source of the one you cannot dare reach for a long time, and your fundamental understanding of spiritual power has increased. -You¡¯ve learned from others how to deal with the energy that illuminates the body. Your understanding of Golden Dragon Fighter has increased. ¨C Golden Dragon Fighter (SS+) skill proficiency has increased to S-rank! Your body has gradually changed into one suitable for all martial arts. Positive adjustments have been made to all body statuses. Agility has grown to SS-rank! -Resist Fire (SS+) skill proficiency has increased to SS-rank! Your fundamental understanding of fire has increased. At that point, he wondered if his spiritual power would increase to SS-rank before he was done. Mirang¡¯s sword was a recognizable object with two special abilities, but the finished iron fan was an unknown object he couldn¡¯t analyze. However, Tsukuyo epted it with sincere surprise and delight. ¡°Ah, now I have to leave you again.¡± ¡°With every meeting, there will be separation.¡± Tsukuyo had stayed by his side even to receive the fan, but eventually had to leave as a being of her caliber regretfully couldn¡¯t leave her world empty for too long. ¡°The bnce of this world is a curse. Ah, my Anvil. Yet, I have no choice but to listen.¡± ¡°Why are there so many guardians of the bnce in the Hero Universe?¡± ¡°I hope one day we meet again, and that we¡¯ll be closer when we do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tsukuyo left Kang Shin-hyuk uneasy until the end. After shepletely disappeared, the administrator vowed to check the support system so that it would never happen again, but Kang Shin-hyuk felt he would face her frequently in the future. -I will definitely create a quest to pursue and kill that fox. ¡°Uh¡­ good luck, administrator.¡± Even after making the iron fan, Kang Shin-hyuk continued to work hard. The wall had beenpleted more or less immediately, but in order to keep it, the soldiers needed to be stronger. Kang Shin-hyuk produced a wide variety of weapons and armor for the soldiers and, finally, siege weapons. It meant that Kang Shin-hyuk had to give up on forging and focusing on casting instead to meet the production demands. ¡°Well, this is better than I thought?¡± -Because the skill of a cksmith who has mastered metallurgy doesn¡¯t just end with pouring molten metal into a mold. 100,000HP bonus! ¡°Administrator, if you thought I was going to ask why you gave a bonus, you¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± ¨C 150,000HP bonus! -200,000HP bonus! ¡°Three consecutive ones¡­?!¡± If an item were made by casting, it would inevitably be lessplete than forging it. However, metallurgy had a tremendous effect on casting as well as forging to help create a special item. Moreover, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s metallurgy was based on spiritual power. The liquid metal was poured, cooled, hardened, and refined with spiritual power imbuing it in each step so that the quality couldn¡¯t be bad. And, decisively, his trait would reinforce everything he made. -Metallurgy skill proficiency has increased to S+ rank! All metallurgy-rted actions have an additional 30% speed bonus! After a tremendous amount of work, his metallurgy grew once more. Now that he received the S+ rank, his mass production work sped up immensely. After that, he returned to forging work and made items to sell on the Hero Universe, as well as some items he wanted to make personally. He had time to consider his other skills, especially Light Mastery. As a bonus, he had some time to study into a matter he wanted to investigate. ¡°Okay, apparently, this is the best¡­¡± ¡°Anvil, if the time is okay, I have a request for daily necessities¡­ Wait, is that alcohol?¡± ¡°Finally. Wee, Zeke. Drink it and tell me your impressions.¡± ¡°?!¡± ¡°Did you say alcohol, Anvil?¡± ¡°?!¡± So, a month and a half passed. Mirang remained for the month and a half as promised and left about thirty minutes before Kang Shin-hyuk did. ¡°Anvil, I look forward to seeing you again. I will not forget the gift you gave me.¡± ¡°I really got a great one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to ept that sort of thing.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had made a sword in return for Mirang¡¯s support, but he still tried to pay him. Kang Shin-hyuk refused, and Mirang eventually gave up and instead handed him an item before running away. It was one of his fangs. ¡°It¡¯ll be impossible for me to use this for the time being¡­¡± -It seems stronger than the ws. No matter how much you¡¯ve analyzed Mirang, you¡¯ll need to understand fire better to work with this. ¡°Thanks to Tsukuyo, my understanding of fire improved but¡­ it¡¯s still impossible.¡± -That¡¯s right. You have to deal with fire yourself, not just resisting it. ¡°Fire mastery, too.¡± -But that¡¯s on hold for the time being. ¡°Why?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and stowed the fang away. After organizing the workshop, he headed off to where he would spend hisst thirty minutes in this world. It was the spire on top of the castle. Milia was waiting for him there. ¡°In thisnd¡­ other monsters began to appear.¡± Milia, wearing a dress now, said so as she observed thend beyond the wall. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She shook her head firmly. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been looking for water in this world again.¡± She was correct. The day she had awakened her power, she filled the world with water using the water orb. The water from her power was filled with vitality and permeated the world, bing rivers and seas. The earth had received that vitality-filled water and gained a new life. It had even started to rain again. ¡°The territory of those monsters naturally decreased as thend did¡­other monsters filled that empty spot. But it¡¯s not just that. Land beasts will prosper again, so I don¡¯t regret it. I did what I had to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I just wanted to say thank you.¡± Milia finally said it out loud. ¡°I was able to start a new world with the remnants of humanity because of you.¡± ¡°You give me too much credit.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t given you enough.¡± She looked back at him with tears in her eyes, causing him to flinch away. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to you, Anvil. Even if you say you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t. How I feel every night¡­¡± She stopped herself and bit her lip before changing the topic. ¡°Since the world has changed again, the time ratio with your world will soon readjust. I heard it from the administrator.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It means that there will be no seven years passing here while you spend only half a year.¡± ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± ¡°You!¡± Milia tossed something at him. He caught it reactively before it could hit him, his eyes going wide as he realized what it was. ¡°The water orb¡­?¡± ¡°This world will never run out, so take it. We don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°You have the trait to deal with water, no.¡± Milia frowned and began to shout at his refusal. ¡°If I have the water orb, I will only be a target for Jormungand, so you must take it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a national treasure¡­¡± ¡°Take it!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He had refused enough. Shin-hyuk quietly took it in his arms, causing Milia to smile. ¡°I¡¯ve strengthened it with my trait, so it¡¯s a good reward for this quest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re proud of it.¡± ¡°Now go. I¡¯ve taken everything I can and gave everything I could, so there¡¯s no reason to stick around. I can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°No kiss this time?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re asking yourself? Perhaps this time it won¡¯t end with a kiss.¡± Milia swept her blonde hair to the side, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Will you?¡± ¡°No, sorry. I¡¯ll head back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Miliaughed. ¡°I¡¯ll ¡®whisper¡¯ to you once in a while.¡± ¡°Okay, when I¡¯m not busy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Milia¡¯s satisfied smile was rather cute despite her age. ¡°Oh, yes. Before that¡­ here¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°Well?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took out what he had made for her and handed it over. It was a trident made out of Brenite. It was light and sharp but also ridiculously sturdy. It was created with the materials of all sorts of underwater monsters he had purchased from the Hero Universe. It wasn¡¯t quite as good as the ones he made for Mirang and Tsukuyo, but it was SS-grade. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I originally thought it would go well with the water orb, but it should be strong by itself.¡± ¡°This, this is really¡­ more than I thought.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Milia realized she had made a mistake in her speech. It had only been Mirang and Zeke around himtely¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t Zeke quit your escort?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Milia avoided his gaze, but she couldn¡¯t stand him staring at her. ¡°He quit as an escort, but as a royal advisor¡­¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°He gave me some advice about connecting me with you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now it seemed that Zeke was ying matchmaker! He kepting to his workshop, but Shin-hyuk thought it was because he was bored after quitting his job. No, he was spying! ¡°Milia, you¡­¡± ¡°Well, what do you mean? You¡¯re already saying goodbye, you cruel man!¡± Milia¡¯s face reddened in anger, but heughed. ¡°Zeke is okay, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you more worried about him than me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry anymore. You¡¯re a member of the Hero Universe.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll go now.¡± This time, with no regrets, Kang Shin-hyuk turned around. ¡°This really doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Milia wasining, but she didn¡¯t chase after him. Kang Shin-hyuk waved her goodbye as the dimensional quest came to an end. The next moment, he was back in his My Room. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± -We were fortunate there was no further conflict with Jormungand. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be busy from now on.¡± With this quest, Kang Shin-hyuk had a rough feeling about the rtionship between the Hero Universe and Jormungand. As a member of the Hero Universe, he realized that it was unavoidable for Earth to collide with Jormungand. ¡°I¡¯ve no choice but to struggle or be killed.¡± -Yes. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at the administrator. Soon, a whisper appeared. -Water Fox¡¯s whisper: I guess I haven¡¯t told you about the way we propose yet. -Water Fox¡¯s whisper: A woman first proposes to a man by giving them a gift, often an heirloom. -Water Fox¡¯s whisper: If they refuse the gift, they refuse to marry you, but if they receive it, it means they will go to the woman¡¯s house as a son-inw. -Water Fox¡¯s whisper: But when a man who received a woman¡¯s gift gives a gift to her, it means he will bring her to live with him. -Water Fox¡¯s whisper: How difficult. You¡¯re a difficult man. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly at the whispers arriving. From the time Zeke acted as a spy, he knew there must be some hidden meaning. But wasn¡¯t this approach cutepared to Tsukuyo? Kang Shin-hyuk thought that way as heughed and told her he would see her next time. -I have to kill her. And he had to go through a lot of effort to stop the administrator. Chapter 189 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester-1 Chapter 189 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester-1 -The total number of HP you currently have is 1,065,478,950 HP. It had been a productive weekend. Kang Shin-hyuk became proud upon seeing the administrator¡¯s message. -If you hadn¡¯t robbed the bulletin board of supplies, you would¡¯ve had five times this. ¡°The total isn¡¯t important. No, of course it is.¡± What was more important was whether he could make something he could understand and make things that suited his users. That was the belief the Anvil of his previous life also held. During thest month and a half of working in Kieron, his synchronization rate had reached 60%, and now Kang Shin-hyuk was showing off his stubbornness. ¡°Because I took materials from Tsukuyo and Mirang to make things, I should offer something that is at leastparable to that.¡± ¨C As a result, your poprity has risen even further. Well done. ¡°So you say¡­¡± However, the administrator wasn¡¯t wrong. Up until now, it couldn¡¯t be denied that he had produced somewhat disappointing results whenpared to the name of Anvil in the Hero Universe. No matter how much spiritual power his work contained, the armaments themselves couldn¡¯t be viewed as excellent. So far, Tsukuyo and Eunah had been engaged in a bidding war to take up all of his works. Now, however, he had begun to produce achievements worthy of the brand of Anvil, so other figures who knew the deceased Anvil began to open up their wallets in earnest. [Loki- This halberd¡­ ah¡­] [Miyang ¨C Ah, ah¡­] [Loki ¨C You haven¡¯t bought anything from Anvil yet?] [Miyang ¨C Mmmm! Loki, you had something from him already, so why¡¯d you buy it this time?! I haven¡¯t gotten one yet!] [Loki ¨C Ah, I didn¡¯t know, hahaha. Cry a little harder, hahahaha.] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C Oh, what great performance! Grandpa, make me something!] The armaments he made were quick to leave the trading board, and he even caught the eye of new members who didn¡¯t know of Anvil. As a cksmith, he had seeded in being recognized by the Hero Universe. [Horus ¨C No, the real story is about the rank. SSS-grade, but the performance is weirdly good. The power goes beyond its rank!] [Halo ¨C That¡¯s the trait of Anvil¡¯s armaments.] [Ga ¨C Huh, a force I don¡¯t recognize resides in this armament. I was lucky to get it for this price¡­ Anvil, you said? Amazing.] [Eunah ¨C Loki, Ga¡­ check.] [Loki ¨C ? What check?] In fact, considering the response from the Hero Universe, the fact that he made 1.6 billion HP wasn¡¯t all that much. It was the result of all the work he had done in Kieron and all the materials he had to buy as a result. Shin-hyuk felt like he had begun to catch up with his past self, so he felt a little proud, but he knew he still had a way to go. However, now was the time to focus on other subjects. ¡°Do I still have time before school?¡± ¨C You can spare about twenty minutes. ¡°I won¡¯t have time for a proper breakfast then.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk munched on an energy bar as he looked over the item Milia had handed to him before he left. [Water Orb] [SS+Rank] [Special Abilities: Water God, Ocean, Ice Flower] * Water God: Grants the power of a god of water. You can create and manipte water and amplify its effect. For water not made by the orb, the effect is reduced by 50%. *Ocean: Grants excellent resistance to water and half the resistance to ice and water vapor. It grants the ability to move freely in the water. *Ice Flower: Can turn water into ice. The strength of ice is amplified. [The object that the water god handed over to the descendants. They awakened the power of their blood through this orb. The orb¡¯s ability has also declined, but thanks to the strong descendant who has recently awakened, it has begun to regain its strength.] ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk became quiet as he opened a new energy bar. It was amazing. It seemed to him that this whole damaged orb thing was bing a tradition at this rate. But even after losing its strength, its ability was still this great? It could even manipte ice, which he hadn¡¯t seen in Kieron. ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems that if the descendant doesn¡¯t use it, it¡¯ll lose its strength¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean I need to contact Milia regrly¡­?¡± -It seems that the water fox is pretty clever. Kang Shin-hyuk kept tearing into energy bars as he read the administrator¡¯s message. -But, like a water fox, she¡¯s low in intelligence, so she doesn¡¯t know much about spiritual power. ¡°Well¡­¡± Although those who inherited the blood of the water god had the power to strengthen the orb, Kang Shin-hyuk could use spiritual power to bolster it himself. It could be seen in the growth of the Shinfeng Orb, so it would presumably work here as well. Anyway, it was obvious why Milia had granted it to him. ¡°Is the way I reject her wrong?¡± -As far as I¡¯ve judged it, you didn¡¯t reject her. Rather, you left too much hope. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed. ¡°I wish she could meet a good man soon.¡± -There is none better than you. ¡°Don¡¯t affirm weird things.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and devoured hisst energy bar before washing up. It was time to head off to school, but right before he could, a text flew in that improved his mood. [ire: Got back today,e to the bar after school.1 [I will.] Kang Shin-hyuk struggled to calm his mind as he headed off. *** The school that day was very noisy. The cause was, of course, that Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha who cleared an S-ss gate. For Kang Shin-hyuk, it felt like the distant past, but on Earth, it had just happenedst week. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we just have Baek In-ha fight?¡± ¡°What about Algiers? She can break an S-rank gate alone.¡± ¡°Is it true that the third years are falling apart?¡± ¡°Is Kang Shin-hyuk stronger than Baek In-ha now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But did you see Hyeongju Ahn?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he protected those two that they¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Take it up with Kang Shin-hyuk. When he beats you, I¡¯ll be proven right.¡± It was ridiculous that the school gave two first-years the task to clear an S-rank gate, but it was more absurd they had safely cleared it. It had proved that the teachers¡¯ judgment of the two had been correct. -They¡¯re making a fuss with just an S-ss gate. This is a great proof of how far you¡¯ve gone in the Hero Universe. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really anything new¡­¡± ¡°Why do you look like you don¡¯t care?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything special.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw something at Baek, who greeted him. It wasn¡¯t the sort of thing that could be avoided or caught unless you were someone with a unique speed-rted trait-like Baek. Baek sessfully plucked it out of the air and cheered as soon as he recognized it. ¡°Shinyuk!¡± ¡°Not that again.¡± ¡°Shinyuk¡­!¡± Baek was ecstatic, as what he had caught as the Shinfeng orb. They had made a promise to lend him the Shinfeng orb when Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t need it. ¡°Senior Shinyuk¡­ no, you¡¯re better than a senior.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you borrow it for the week.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk opened his textbook for the first ss. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re growing fast, but it doesn¡¯t feel so strange anymore.¡± Baek In-ha was staring at him with his head tilted. ¡°Oddly enough, sometimes after the weekend, it feels like the atmosphere has changed a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve had a dynamic weekend.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Baek seemed at a loss for words. Kang Shin-hyuk raised an eyebrow as his friend drew closer. ¡°Did you see ire¡¯s breasts? Is that it?¡± That afternoon, Kang Shin-hyuk finished his work with Lee Na-hee after ss, then headed straight to the frontline bar on his bike. Chapter 190 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (2) Chapter 190 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (2) Kang Shin-hyuk entered the frontline bar, the doorbell ringing pleasantly behind him as he did so. He could see ire in front of the counter, but no one else was around. ¡°No Eunah?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± ire giggled and shook her head. Her red hair was tied into a ponytail that moved from side to side as her head shook. Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t quite relieved, however. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°She¡¯s number one in the rankings, wouldn¡¯t it be strange if she could afford toe to the bar every day after work?¡± ¡°You¡¯re also a high-ranker.¡± ¡°I could say the same to you, Mr. Rank Five.¡± ¡°True.¡± ire had gone to the United States this time, but she was a superhuman who didn¡¯t fight on the frontlines. She did, however, regrly supply potions and items to each country¡¯s superhumans. It was different from Shin Eun-hyuk, who didn¡¯t engage in official activities despite being certified as rank five internationally. ¡°Thanks to that, it seems Eunah has been very busy.¡± ¡°¡­What, after so long, you¡¯re looking for Eunah? Have you been contacting her?¡± ire reacted sensitively to his thoughtless questions. Kang Shinhyuk smiled at her pouting. ¡°No way. I missed you. It was a long time for me.¡± ¡°Ah, good¡­ uh, you¡¯re like a mastermind.¡± ire, who had inadvertentlyughed at his honest confession, suddenly became shy. ¡°I missed you a lot too.¡± It became awkward, but it didn¡¯t feel bad. The two faced each other and enjoyed the unfamiliar feeling a little more. ¡°I have a present for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, a gift. I¡¯ve been excited for it.¡± He had proimed it before she went to America. He grinned and pulled out his gift, a pistol. It was ratherrge for a regr-sized pistol, but it had intricate enchantments and decorative gemstones engraved on the surface to grant it an almost antique look. Beyond just being aesthetically pleasing, the pistol was imbued with condensed spiritual power that granted it terrifying power. On the side, ire¡¯s full name had been written on it in neat handwriting one of Lee Na-hee¡¯s enchantments. Instead of being reinforced when held by its owner, it prevented others from handling it. ¡°Ah.¡± ire¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t one of amazement. Kang Shin-hyuk pretended not to notice as he vigorously exined it. ¡°It¡¯s a handgun I made for you. Your main armament is a firearm, right? It has a function to change into a rifle, and it even has a cover mode that allows it to float in the air and automatically fire at enemies with spiritual power.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little curious about that.¡± Her ears pricked up at the idea of it transforming, but her heart still felt cold at the realization that the gift she received wasn¡¯t romantic at all. ¡°Actually, this is part of a series. I thought it would be nice to have amon weapon for when we all work together with those maskster on.¡± ¡°Huh, are you a genius?¡± She had to admit it was cool to imagine a squad that all used the same type of weapon. ¡°Still¡­¡± ire liked the pistol, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to present her with a second gift just this time. ¡°Let me change into my bartender outfit really quick.¡± ¡°Huh? I wasn¡¯t going to open up the bar today.¡± ¡°Wait a second, you¡¯ll see.¡± ire was still fiddling with her pistol with an odd look as he came back from changing clothes. Her eyes went wide as he walked over to the bar counter. ¡°Then, please look forward to this bartender¡¯s signature cocktail. It is only for a certain guest.¡± ¡°Signature¡­? Is it your original cocktail?¡± He only smiled as he started making the cocktail. ¡°Aren¡¯t all these materials from different dimensions?¡± ¡°Yes, so I can¡¯t sell it as a product.¡± It used liquors and fruits from other dimensions. The final ingredient was an egg. He added it as an afterthought, separating the yolk and putting just the whites into a shaker. ¡°A pinkdy?¡± ¡°That was the inspiration.¡± A pinkdy cocktail contained cream and egg white; however, the egg that Kang Shin-hyuk added was from the birds of Kieron. It tasted simr to an egg yet had a distinct vor. When added to alcohol, it went quite well. He recalled the reaction of Zeke and Mirang when he had made it for them the first time. He poured it into a chilled cocktail ss, the liquid a vibrant red color, much like ire¡¯s hair and eyes. ¡°Even though whites are mixed in, the color is very vivid.¡± ¡°But the taste is smooth.¡± He almost added, ¡®Like you¡¯ but refrained from doing so. ire¡¯s face turned slightly red as if she had read his mind, however. ¡°What do you call it?¡± ¡°ire.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that? It¡¯s too obvious.¡± ire said as much but couldn¡¯t hide her smile. Receiving a cocktail named after her was a special experience for her as a bartender ¡°Did you try it yourself?¡± ¡°I had a friend taste test it. Mirang.¡± ¡°Oh, he was saying he came by to help.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t let Tsukuyo try it.¡± ¡°I would be very upset if she did.¡± Unlike the pistol, he seemed to have received a passing score this time. She lifted the ss with a satisfiedugh and sipped at it, savoring the bright red liquor. Then, looking a bit surprised, she finished it all in one go. ¡°You don¡¯t need to drink it all at once.¡± ¡°This is delicious¡­! I didn¡¯t even care if it tasted good!¡± ¡°Hey! I studied hard.¡± ireughed at his blunt response and leaned over the bar to hug him. ¡°Thank you, I was impressed.¡± ¡°Thank you for liking me.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you think of a gift like this?¡± He just thought that ire would like this the most. He became embarrassed admitting it, but she only hugged him tighter. ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± ire made the mistake of letting the words flow out of her mouth. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded quietly. ¡°Oh, but I can¡¯t because I don¡¯t know when Eunah¡¯sing.¡± In fact, that was just an excuse to curb the emotions growing beyond her control. Having had a glimpse at the heart that wanted to make her a cocktail, she couldn¡¯t stay still. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to do it once? ¡°Yes¡­ then just once.¡± In the end, her hesitation came about because he was younger than her. She still felt a bit guilty when she dealt with him, but if Kang Shin-hyuk forgave her, then she would be able to. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The two fell away from each other after a too-short moment. A sigh of regret left their mouths. ¡°Once it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Then, one more time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In the end, they didn¡¯t end with just one kiss. Fortunately, something in ire¡¯s pocket vibrated before the fire spread out of control. ¡°Eunah¡¯sing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I had a magic power detection artifact installed in the store. She¡¯ll be here soon.¡± At least one of them would die if she walked in on them kissing, and that person would most likely be ire. The two quickly moved away and made sure no traces of the other were left on them. ¡°No lipstick on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a cartoon.¡± The doorbell rang as they prepared themselves. Usually, Shin Eunah would teleport or barge in. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Come in, Eunah.¡± ¡°Junior¡­!¡± Shin Eunah, who had arrived with a tired expression, quickly regained her bright smile as soon as she saw Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Did ire call you?¡± ¡°I did. We should have a return party.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so noisy. I¡¯ll be working tomorrow anyway.¡± Eunah sat down in front of the bar with a smile. ¡°Junior, my present.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± As if he had been waiting, Kang Shin-hyuk produced a pistol with Shin Eunah¡¯s name engraved on it. She epted it with her eyes twinkling like a child receiving a present from Santa. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from grandpa¡­¡± ¡°You called me grandpa again.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so happy that I reverted to that habit.¡± Shin Eunah had a bright smile as she held the pistol. Kang Shin-hyuk thought about exining it in detail but decided to remain quiet. Shin Eunah suddenly noticed that he was dressed up as a bartender after taking her time to enjoy the gift. ¡°I want to drink a cocktail from my junior.¡± ¡°What would you like?¡± ¡°Are there no originals?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still difficult to make.¡± ¡°Then, I want something sweet.¡± ¡°Okay, wait a moment.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk started to make a cocktail as Shin Eunah watched him. ¡°Junior, have you ever drank?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It was just a little, but I thought it smelled like alcohol.¡± Fortunately, she didn¡¯t notice ire flinch next to her. ¡°It must be an illusion, I¡¯m a minor.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Shin Eunah nodded andughed. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a pang of guilt as he continued to shake the cocktail. -I¡¯m enjoying this morning drama. 200,000HP for your poker face! ¡®Don¡¯t give me such a strange bonus! -300,000HP bonus! In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk received over 1 million HP as a bonus from the administrator that evening. Chapter 191 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (3) Chapter 191 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (3) [Thyrsus No.4: Zephyrus] [SS+ Rank] [Special Abilities: Supply Ammunition, Windshot, eleration, Protection] *Supply Ammunition: As long as you have the ammunition, the ammo is automatically loaded into the magazine. Increases the destructive power of bullets by 30%. *Windshot: Fires a bullet of the wind. The power and speed of the bullet are reinforced with the power of the wind, and a strong shock wave is generated around the impact by the power of vibration. *eleration: elerates the user with the power of the wind. Bullet speed is also elerated. *Protection: The blessing of strong winds protects the user and strengthens their ability to handle the wind. [The fourth in a series of pistols, it is an artifact containing the power of strong winds and vibration, and it cannot be used by anyone else other than the owner. Its power increases when it is held by the owner.] ¡°¡­¡± After school on Tuesday, Baek In-ha stood nkly holding the pistol he had received from Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Thyrsus is the pine cone staff that lord Bhus carries. Zephyr is the god of the west wind, so it is an artifact that faithfully embodies the power of the wind.¡± ¡°No! Why am I holding a treasure that only a high-ranker would have?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Wee to Masked Bhus.¡± Along with that, Kang Shin-hyuk handed him a half-face mask that he had purchased from the Hero Universe. It was the same artifact he used when he worked, which cost a whopping 12 million HP (bought at 7.5 million HP at the special VIP price). ¡°What, what do I have to do to receive this? What is Masked Bhus? Are there any beauties?¡± ¡°We¡¯re a group that aims for mankind¡¯s peace and ire¡¯s self-satisfaction, transcending the interests of each country. We mainly engage in dressing up and dealing with illegal gates.¡± ¡°Are you trying to match your girlfriend?¡± ¡°This kid is smart..?¡± However, while Baek grumbled, he epted the two items offered. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s proposal wasn¡¯t so bad. The fashion sense was off, but if he could build a close rtionship with them, he wouldn¡¯t lose out. Besides, it meant getting some very useful artifacts. ¡°More importantly, Algiers and Na-hee are pretty. I can¡¯t help but ept it!¡± ¡°You really said it out loud.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head, but Baek was shameless. ¡°Aren¡¯t you with ire? Why do you care?¡± ¡°Apart from what they think of you¡­ do you really have any intention of getting involved in the first ce?¡± The idea that this guy was quite sleazy couldn¡¯t be erased. Baek looked at him seriously, stopping his thoughts. ¡°Look at my eyes burning with passion for my noona.¡± ¡°Yes, go away.¡± He gave him what he wanted to, so he didn¡¯t need to hang out with Baek anymore. Kang Shin-hyuk sent a text to ire, letting her know he secured a new member, then headed off to the training center in ckwood. He had delivered Lee Na-hee her pistol directly when they worked together yesterday, so that only left Eleanor. ¡°Oh, Shin-hyuk¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Catch him!¡± ¡°Uh, huh? What?!¡± The members who had been training outside threw their weapons down and rushed him. While he was caught off guard in embarrassment, they picked him up and carried him. He made sure to remember the face of one who touched his ass amid the confusion. ¡°We should celebrate you clearing the S-ss gate!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe sooner? We¡¯ve been preparing since yesterday!¡± ¡°Our Rookie King haspletely turned Shinyoung upside down!¡± They brought him to the same yard they had the barbecue party before. Do Woojin was stoking the mes waiting for them. ¡°Our Woojin cooks pretty well.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good boy.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a barbecue!¡± Shin-hyuk¡¯s seniors in the Wyvern Knights were quick to find reasons to celebrate and party. His resistance was meaningless, however, as the seniors sat him down next to Eleanor and withdrew. ¡°Why am I here¡­?¡± ¡°You are the vice-captain.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That did happen¡­¡± Eleanor smiled at him. ¡°Even if everyone is tired these days, you appearing on the news has made the Wyvern Knights lively.¡± ¡°That¡­ they certainly are.¡± Just half a year ago, Shinyoung¡¯s students had only focused on studying and training. But after the urrence of the fourth countercurrent in Korea and Jormungand¡¯s raid on Paris, as well as the gate incidence rate increasing, the students had been recruited to the field. Just one week had passed, but the students¡¯ stress was no joke. But Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha¡¯s performance at the gate seemed to have alleviated their moods just a bit. ¡°It¡¯s be so bothersometely.¡± ¡°Does it suit your taste better to hide and move around?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged at Eleanor¡¯s mischievous expression. ¡°The high-rankers are being dragged around and given a hard time too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it now. I¡¯ll be at the center of the world someday.¡± Eleanor could say such a thing with confidence. Karen intervened before he could respond, however, pushing cooked meat in front of him. ¡°Now, eat a lot! You can¡¯t leave until you eat all of it!¡± ¡°Wow?!¡± ¡°Look at you, taking care of Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± Karen shouted at her seniors as Kang Shin-hyuk quietly munched on the food given to him. ¡°Karen also wore a mask before¡­ no, let¡¯s not make her one.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk secretly delivered Eleanor her pistol after the seniors calmed down and left them be. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon for when we work as Masked Bhus. I made sure it can use your trait.¡± ¡°My trait with a gun¡­?¡± Eleanor tilted her head, but her eyes widened when she read the artifact¡¯s information. It was an SS+ rank artifact, just like each one of the Thyrsus series. All of them had different abilities, but none werecking. The only exception was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this.¡± ¡°What if you agree to give me the monster parts obtained when you work as, and with Masked Bhus in the future?¡± ¡°Even then, it¡¯s still too much.¡± ¡°Take it, everyone¡¯s got one.¡± ¡°¡­Na-hee too?¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, she quieted down and picked it up. ¡°I will reward you by killing a lot of strong enemies with this. I¡¯ll kill a lot of them.¡± For some reason, her attitude appeared to change instantly. ¡°There¡¯ll probably be a call for the team members sooner orter.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shin Eun-hyuk was officially recognized as fifth ce in the international rankings. If he continued to do nothing, it wouldn¡¯t look good. So, yesterday after the party, ire, Shin Eunah, and he epted a request from the association under the name of Masked Bhus to proceed with work. The identities of ire and Shin Eunah would be known to the association even if they wore masks, so it would prove they were working hard at the same time. ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll be able to y more freely. You¡¯re too strong to be trapped in the framework of the school.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Eleanor had hidden too much until now. She needed to be free of the burden of the royal family. In that sense, she needed the mask the most. ¡°Thanks. Well¡­ can you help me practice with the gun?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s at a basic level, sure.¡± She was a training enthusiast second to none, so she could learn how to use it in no time. Eleanor nodded with a shy smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the wyvern after we eat.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°A mask for the wyvern too¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible.¡± The other members had no idea what sort of conversation they were having. ¡°Karen¡¯s pretty too, but after all¡­¡± ¡°Eleanor wins out.¡± The seniors were bluntly discussing their own matters while Karen stuffed her face with food. ¡°The captain is skilled.¡± ¡°Will there be a public wedding with the former wyvern knights, you think?¡± ¡°Stop it, former captain Dous Payne wille after you.¡± Thus, the seniors chatted as they ate, some of whom were once in the previous captain¡¯s faction exchanged uneasy nces. ¡°I heard Lee Na-hee said she was going for Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Eh, the number one inst year¡¯s poprity vote?¡± ¡°This year, the students had to secretly vote since the festival was canceled, but Lee Na-hee will probably win it again.¡± ¡°No, I believe our captain will do well this year.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to ignore the rumors circting around him. And so, the second semester began in earnest. Chapter 192 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (4) Chapter 192 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (4) On Wednesday, Hyeongju Ahn showed up in a much better state. As soon as he saw Kang Shin-hyuk, he waved him over with papers in hand. ¡°This is a list of assets that can be handed over now.¡± ¡°I wish you¡¯d just text.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clearer like this.¡± A quick nce showed the resources that Vanguard would offer in exchange for the artifacts he created for them. ¡°Can you offer me this?¡± ¡°Of course. If I tell everyone I sold it to you, they¡¯d understand.¡± ¡°Man, you guys need to learn from Baekyang about making deals.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m in no rush.¡± ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Losing their guild master had been a heavy blow, but Baekyang had been taking advantage of the weakness they had been showing. Kang Shinhyuk examined the charts Hyeongju handed over and engraved them into his mind. He could calcte the value of everything on them if he took some time, but he knew someone who could do it more urately. -It is clear they¡¯re begging you for help. This level of assets is barely in the A+ ss. That was the administrator. ¡°The A+ level is no joke. Why are you looking at me funny?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and pressed Hyeongju Ahn, who responded with surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can create SS-ss artifacts every time. This already means we¡¯re investing in your future heavily¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Baek. Show him.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Baek In-ha, trembling slightly, pulled out the pistol Shin-hyuk had made for him. Artifacts with owners could be set, so only certain information was viewable, and right now, it was set so that only the name and rank could be read. ¡°SS+?!¡± Hyeongju Ahn was stunned upon examining it. He wasn¡¯t entirely wrong about making SS-grade items each time, as the soul connector and the zephyr were made of special materials, but that didn¡¯t need to be said out loud. ¡°There will be far greater things than what you imagine, depending on what you invest.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll pull out all stops, so wait!¡± ¡°No, today, I¡¯ve got to go to practice first.¡± After Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha had cleared the S-ss gate and proved themselves, they were being assigned A-ss or higher gates. In fact, they were already treated fully as official superhumans in the top 5%, not as students. However, they were able to break through the A-ss gate they went to in no time, so now Hyeongju Ahn was taking care of business. ¡°I want to face a release type next time.¡± ¡°Ha, it¡¯s surprisingly difficult to shoot this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was wondering what sort of gate they¡¯d go to next as Baek practiced shooting the pistol next to him. ¡°Did you not learn how to shoot?¡± ¡°Shinyuk, please teach me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only teach you the posture.¡± The gun he built used special .550 magnum bullets filled with mana stone powder from Mystic, a weapon brand for superhumans. Kang Shin-hyuk had already analyzed the bullets¡¯ structure and thought of making his own sooner orter. Baek¡¯s posture was corrected by Shin-hyuk, and he managed to hit a target for the first time. A shock wave rippled out from the bullet after it connected, shattering the target. ¡°This really is killer¡­¡± ¡°Make sure to practice.¡± ¡°When the next gate breaks out, I¡¯ll face it with only this pistol.¡± ¡°Are you ying games?¡± Fortunately, incidents like the S-ss gate and Jormungand¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t happen all the time, so they were able to clear all their assigned gates in the second week without incident. Shinyoung carefully checked and posted the sess of the gates assigned to the students to ignite theirpetitive spirits. They had beaten out the second years and ranked first. ¡°They¡¯re trying to turn the students¡¯ints intopetitive spirit.¡± -The effect seems to be working. Maybe this type of environment is better for skilled people. ¡°You¡¯re actingid back, administrator.¡± -A 110,000HP bonus for members who urately grasp my heart! The school was functionally telling the students to participate in national and global emergencies, but it was a good experience for them so that Kang Shinhyuk wouldn¡¯tin. In addition to that, even members of the Hero Universe seemed to be busy dealing with simr issues caused by Jormungand. *** ¡°Okay, are you all ready?¡± ¡°Yes, but what¡¯s with this cloak? Was it made with the pieces from the shadow predators you collected before?¡± ¡°Wow, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Somehow, it feels good.¡± Meanwhile, Masked Bhus¡¯s activities had begun. After recruiting Baek In-ha as a new member, they all put on their masks and capes made of shards of shadow predators and wandered the streets of Seoul at night with their pistols, sweeping through the irregr gates that formed. ire and Lee Na-hee worked as magic agents, whereas Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor served in the front as melee users. Baek In-ha was in charge of assisting both teams with his unique mobility. Shin Eunah, their non-regr member, would only appear when she was avable. Her pistol was designed to manage her enormous magical power, so each time she showed it things ended pretty quickly after only a couple of bullets. The fame of the elite group called Masked Bhus, led by the Alchemist and the Death Puppeteer (though most people were calling him Shin Eun-hyuk), began to spread. The power of those two was quite high, but all of them were of a high-level that people couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to. There were suspicions that Shin Eunah was a member, but they managed to keep her presence under wraps for the most part. Besides, most people assumed the number one in the world wouldn¡¯t have time to gallivant around in a mask. ¡°Now there are posts asking us toe abroad. We¡¯ll be busier in the future.¡± In that way, Masked Bhus was gathering attention around the world and not just in Korea. The members were gathered today in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s room in the Royal ss dorm to celebrate. ire was scrolling through her phone, humming while Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s good to be busy, but will there be a payoff?¡± ¡°Hey, did you know? Whenever you work, the association receivespensation?¡± ¡°?!¡± ireughed and put her lips next to his ear at his shocked expression. ¡°How about I reward you with a date?¡± Baek In-ha, who was sitting on the other side of Shin-hyuk, understood immediately what was happening and raised his hand. ¡°Oh, the boss is embezzling! Please date me too!¡± ¡°Baek, you don¡¯t receive a share.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk coldly silenced Baek. ¡°Unnie¡­¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± As the eyes of the rest of the female members sharpened, ire smiled. ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking. We¡¯re working in secret, right? I can¡¯t just hand out the money proudly, but I¡¯ve been holding onto it.¡± ¡°Unnie, you¡¯re really thorough.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lee Na-hee let out an excited sigh as Eleanor pouted. Watching them, Kang Shin-hyuk realized that ire had just imed him as her own to them. ¡®No, that¡¯s kind of scary.¡¯ He decided to eat quietly and avoid getting in-between the three. But, just then, a whisper arrived. ¨C Halo¡¯s whisper: Anvil, will you be arriving soon? -Yes, I¡¯ll be there this weekend. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Wonderful. It will be over in the next few decades or so. -It won¡¯t take that long. He still had quests left to resolve. Kang Shin-hyuk bitterly smiled, then suddenly thought of Janus. Where was the one who kept asking him for a new sword? ¡­We¡¯ll meet someday.¡¯ As his synchronization rate increased, his feelings toward those he had known in the past did as well. If he hadn¡¯t met ire, he might¡¯ve ended up a lot more like the Anvil of his previous life. ¡°Shin-hyuk?¡± Noticing hisplicated thoughts, ire called out his name, anxiously. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± The two shared a look, and ire smiled in relief, but the others were only more dissatisfied. ¡°Ah, I want to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave these two as they are.¡± ¡°You go alone.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± October passed without any festivals, and soon November arrived. Shin Eun-hyuk¡¯s world ranking rose to fourth ce. Chapter 193 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (5) Chapter 193 Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester (5) The rankings were renewed every three years, but there were cases where it would happen faster due to changes in the international situation. There would also be cases of renewal before then as well as when the majority of the top-rankers consented to the change. It would also happen when an existing ranker died, and the rankers below them were raised as a result. Shin Eun-hyuk had risen to the fourth rank because Emil Markov, who was thest number four, had died. ¡°Is everyone gathered?¡± ¡°The new faces have increased so much in just a few years.¡± ¡°A few years, everything has changed in just two months.¡± Although an unprecedented incident in which two top rankers had betrayed humanity and even one of them had died, the members of the seven top rankers that represented earth¡¯s superhumans armed forces didn¡¯t change very easily. When the top ranks shook, the world would shake with it, and if a top ranker died, then the world stock markets fluctuated. They were beings that maintained the world¡¯s stability just by existing. However, the top rankers couldn¡¯t skip their meetings just because two members had turned out to be traitors. ¡°Thank you for attending this meeting.¡± It was the number one, Shin Eunah, who served as the chairman. She bowed her head and spoke calmly. Kang Shinhyuk, who attended in his mask, pped moderately as he looked around the surroundings. The meeting ce was in a small conference room in the Lubron Hotel in Seoul. The reason why the meeting was being held there was that Korea was ranked first. Since the previous number one had also been Korean, everyone was used to it. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve met here. Joo-young Oh was sitting there shamelesslyst time too.¡± ¡°That psycho.¡± ¡°I mean, the two who betrayed us were Asian, right? How can we trust this new guy?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned his head and looked at the person who just spoke up. ¡®Mid-forties, but they looked like they¡¯re in their thirties¡­ I¡¯ll need to watch out for this one.¡¯ It was Ulrich Hinchen, who was number seven. He had risen to sixth ce after Bomber Girl betrayed them, but then his ranking had been fixed after Kang Shin-hyuk took fifth ce. Now he had risen again after the fourth ranker had died. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ulrich spoke German, but Kang Shin-hyuk was now able to handle allnguages after joining the Hero Universe. He responded to him in perfect German. ¡°Either leave or shut up.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± He tried to stand up with an excited smirk, but he didn¡¯t expect Kang Shin-hyuk to react so quickly. He was blocked by the five threads projected by the soul connector that fastened him and his chair to the floor. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to go? No? Then you¡¯ll be quiet?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± When his body didn¡¯t budge, he raised his magical power to activate his trait. In response to him, however, the spiritual threads tightened around him and constrained even the movement of his magic. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s cold eyes told him there would be no further warning. ¡°¡­Damn.¡± He knew it was his defeat the moment Kang Shin-hyuk fired the threads without his noticing. It was as good as saying he¡¯d be dead if Shin-hyuk wanted him to be. Only after acknowledging his death in his heart did Ulrich rx. Kang Shin-hyuk let the thread go with augh. ¡°The antagonism between top rankers isn¡¯t helpful. Also, keep in mind that the criterion for bing a top ranker has nothing to do with nationality but rather with power.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I can vouch for his abilities myself.¡± Shin Eunah firmly and fairly dered so as the chairman. All the others around the table nodded in agreement. Now, no one was dissatisfied with his ranking, as Shin-hyuk and Eunah intended. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Good job. -I should¡¯ve joined a drama club. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Shinyoung has no such club. Of course, the skit that had just yed out was nned between the two. No one couldin against Shin Eunah, who had more than proven her abilities during the world conference, but Shin Eun-hyuk was a rtively easy target despite his contributions. This served to solidify his position. ¡®Those ranked below me would be especially unhappy.¡¯ The possibility of a dispute was high, given the re-arrangements happening in the top ranks if they hadn¡¯t taken action. ¡°So, today, let¡¯s discuss the recruitment of a new top ranker and future Jormungand countermeasures.¡± ¡°Countermeasures.¡± The older active duty top ranker and number three, a Chinese man named the Dark Curtain Jang Jinmyeong, let out a sigh. ¡°It seems almost certain that Jormungand can gather information on the people entering through the gates¡­ you have to be careful on your own, right? It¡¯s nothing ridiculous about us sticking together, right?¡± ¡°Surely. I just came to the conclusion that we should have at least one means of countering it.¡± Shin Eunah responded calmly and suddenly picked up her phone to send a text. Shortly after, the door of the meeting room opened to reveal a beauty with red hair. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore an attractive white blouse. ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± ¡°The Alchemist?¡± Everyone seemed surprised except for Kang Shin-hyuk and Eunah. There were many idol-like beings among the superhumans, but she was one of the most attractive even among them. Shin Eunah didn¡¯tck in appearance either, but she was so strong she couldn¡¯t be considered. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Number two, Stone Ground Nick Hand, seemed happy to see her. He was American as well, so perhaps he was just happy to see a fellow countryman. ¡°Wait a minute, is she the new top ranker? Didn¡¯t you say that top rankers are chosen by power?¡± Shin Eunah shook her head with a bloody smile when the man ranked five grunted. ¡°The candidates for the new top ranks will be decided among those close to the top seven. She has been called to counter Jormungand.¡± ¡°A measure against Jormungand? Will we all dope like the Puppeteer?¡± ¡°What a ridiculous thought. Our Puppeteer here is the only one who can grow stronger with my potion.¡± ire came in and sat right beside Kang Shin-hyuk with a loudugh. Some gazes were thrown their way, mostly from Shin Eunah, but Shin-hyuk ignored them. ¡°Why is it limited to the Puppeteer?¡± Meanwhile, Nick Hand turned to her, regretting that he couldn¡¯t use her potions. She shrugged. ¡°Ourpatibility is right. That part has already been officially revealed. I have a clear reason for not going at the request of the US government.¡± ¡°No¡­ but why Korea?¡± ire shook her hand for him to give up. ¡°Rather than that, let¡¯s talk aboutmunicators. That¡¯s why I¡¯m attending this event.¡± ¡°Communicator?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ire exchanged a nce with Shin Eunah before taking out several small wireless earphones. ¡°¡­Air pods?¡± ¡°No, you fool. It¡¯s amunicator that can work inside a gate.¡± The people went silent as they mulled over her words, but soon Jang Jinmyeong stood up and began to shout. ¡°How is that possible?!¡± ¡°Several countries have been developing them in secret, but none have seeded so far!¡± ¡°But vo! I have!¡± ¡°Unbeknownst to the US government?!¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t get their support.¡± Nick shook his head. ¡°Are you going to defect to Korea?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me sound like a traitor. I meant getting involved with the government makes it difficult, and mass production is impossible. Oh, and that depends on how my love affairs are resolved.¡± ¡°Affair¡­!¡± Shin Eunah tantly began to wriggle at thatst bit. The two shared another nce as Kang Shin-hyuk picked up amunicator as if it had nothing to do with him. ¡°As she said, it can¡¯t be mass-produced. Moreover, the production cost is astronomical. They also need to be tested.¡± ¡°Why do you know that¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her coborator. This is a product made by the two of us.¡± So far,municating with someone outside of the gate was only possible through the Hero Universe. ire had been researching ways to enablemunication through that barrier and found a possibility when she met Kang Shin-hyuk and learned spiritual power. Kang Shin-hyuk was worried the Hero Universe might not allow it, but the administrator never brought it up. Rather, Halo and Mirang assured him that high-level worlds already had such a way tomunicate beyond gates. So, for nearly a month, they had studied ways to do so. ¡°The trials will be conducted by ourselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not stable yet, so it drains the user¡¯s magic considerably. For a top ranker, that should pose no problem.¡± ¡°So, we can send rescue requests if we fall into Jormungand¡¯s traps?¡± ¡°Well, not that it means you can run straight into the gate just because you get a request.¡± At that point, ire held her index finger up. ¡°That¡¯s why I added a teleport function.¡± ¡°That was my part.¡± Shin Eunah spoke up calmly and turned themunication device on. Nick Hand and the othersughed in disbelief. ¡°How could this be made without us knowing¡­¡± ¡°Think of it as an honor, as you are the first to receive one.¡± ¡°In the future, top rankers should be careful not to die in vain to Jormungand. With this, we can cooperate closely in the future.¡± Shin Eunah dered so solemnly as she held her ownmunicator. ¡°For the time being, I would like to talk to you about thesemunicators. Analyzing it doesn¡¯t mean you can create it. If you take it apart or break it, I will ensure your country will never have one in the future.¡± ¡°Hey, Alchemist¡­¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ire stuck her tongue out at Nick, who looked anxious. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to think about the world rather than just your own country.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s get to the main point of the day.¡± Shin Eunah cleared the air with her loud deration. ¡°That is, choosing a new top ranker. The talents currently ranked seventh to tenth are the most powerful practically¡­¡± The meeting ended sessfully. The three Hero Universe members on Earth had begun to change their world in earnest. Chapter 194 The Path of the Giant (1) Chapter 194 The Path of the Giant (1) The day after the meeting ended and a new top ranker was announced, Lee Manwoo appeared in the club room after school with several papers in hand. ¡°A request came from Amatsuki. They say they want ten B-rankbat artifacts. Here are the details.¡± ¡°B-rank.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded calmly as he looked over the list. Amatsuki was the best fighting guild in Japan and famous enough that it was well known in Korea. It was also, for reference, the guild where Bomber Girl once belonged to. ¡°But, it¡¯s only B-rank.¡± ¡°Right. I already know your abilities well.¡± Now that he was familiar with the standards of the Hero Universe, for Kang Shin-hyuk, B-rank artifacts were something on the level of Kieron¡¯s knights, not for Earth¡¯s superhumans. No, there was a time he thought that B-rank artifacts could only be used by advanced superhumans. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to deliberately make it low rank.¡± ¡°B+ or A- would be fine, so long as it doesn¡¯t significantly affect material costs.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s do seven B-ranks, two B+, and one A-rank?¡± Lee Na-hee helped Kang Shin-hyuk figure it out, and Lee Manwoo arranged it. ¡°It seems like it would be good to focus on versatile abilities.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be busy again for a while. I¡¯ll have to let ire know.¡± Lee Na-hee smiled at the thought of being busy with work again. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head but eventually shook it off and let ire know. ¡°You brought us a lot this time.¡± ¡°Yeah? I am a teacher who brings you such good requests every time.¡± ¡°Thank you, as always.¡± As Lee Manwoo had nned, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s name as an artifact artisan was gradually gaining notoriety. He had been able to win orders from various famouspanies and guilds for him and Lee Na-hee the past months. ¡°Though I¡¯m still less well known than Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite famous too, though, as a member of Masked Bhus.¡± ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯m so cool, huh? Hey, didn¡¯t you meet Red Shoes?¡± ¡°Yeah, we saw her in Paris too.¡± Red shoes, that referred to the new seventh ranker named Bridget Poulsen. Like Eunah, she had gained fame at a young age because of her excellent abilities, but she prioritized her main job more than fighting at gates. However, it was no exaggeration to say that the general society¡¯s image of superhumans relied on her for being a famous supermodel and actress. ¡°It¡¯s odd to manage that stuff on the side despite being a top ranker. But she is pretty.¡± ¡°ire is much prettier.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lee Na-hee froze for a moment, then suddenly loosened a couple of the top buttons of her shirt for no reason. She then moved closer to Kang Shin-hyuk and fluttered her eyshes at him. ¡°Is she prettier than me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re prettier than Bridget, of course.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you be a model too?¡± If he left it be, it felt like it might be something more serious, so he answered as she wanted. Lee Na-hee moved away with a smile of satisfaction. ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s best to give up.¡± ¡°Yes. You have to get what you want sometimes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and put his work apron on. Lee Manwoo tried to take a seat to watch them work, but Lee Na-hee kicked him out. ¡°If your business is done, go ahead and leave grandpa.¡± ¡°What else are you nning to do without me?¡± ¡°Hah, don¡¯t say anything that might be misunderstood.¡± Lee Na-hee steadfastly kicked him out, although he was right that she had been thinking of doing something other than working. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit sorry for him, but he wasn¡¯t fooled. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason to be sorry since he was the one who was working with Siara before.¡± ¡°Keh, that child has loose lips.¡± ¡°Grandpa, leave quickly.¡± There was no one he could trust, apparently. Kang Shin-hyuk started working in earnest once he shuffled off. -ng! ng! ng! ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve gotten even better.¡± While he worked, Lee Na-hee nted the seeds of runes and instilled magic power into the raw materials. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been curious from the start, but where on earth?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you someday.¡± If her traits continued to evolve, she might also handle spiritual power and reach the Hero Universe. He couldn¡¯t tell her about that beforehand. ¡°What, you¡¯re just working on that?¡± ¡°I did ept the order.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s shirt was still open, and Shin-hyuk made a point of avoiding looking at her. ¡°What are those traits? Are you manifesting something?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to organize it. All you need to do is concentrate.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and continued to focus. It was Lee Na-hee, who was watching him and not paying attention to her work, but that was often the case. -ng! ng! ng! They were working together, but it almost felt like they were alone. Lee Na-hee continued to look at his face while she engraved her runes into the metal. His gaze was fixed on a single point on the metal without any deviation. His eyes sparkled a soft golden as his trait was expressed. She couldn¡¯t help but think he was really beautiful as a craftsman. If she had to imagine her ideal type, he would be such a person. ¡®But he really has developed immensely¡­ how the hell?¡¯ Lee Na-hee wanted to ask as there were times she felt he had grown up by himself. His abilities kept growing by leaps and bounds as he had gone to another world unbound by time. Even Lee Na-hee, who was confident in her own abilities, felt desperate. ¡®Is it because of ire?¡¯ Did he feel like an adult because he was with her? No, but that was a different problem. While thinking about that, she suddenly realized the artifact was almostplete. ¡®Oh, I have to enchant it. One such change was that work that took at least a few hours ended even quicker these days. Despite that, the quality of the work hadn¡¯t degraded at all. Kang Shin-hyuk was pouring out great works that could bepared to other artifact artisans. ¡®Whoo¡­! It was true her own ability was growing rapidly when she worked with him, but she wanted to walk with him in harmony, so she couldn¡¯t help but be frustrated. ¡®Complete.¡¯ She always did her best when it came to crafting. Her enchantment waspleted, so now Kang Shin-hyuk just needed to finish the work. But¡­ his hand was still. ¡°¡­Junior?¡± Lee Na-hee tilted her head and called out his name, but he didn¡¯t budge. He seemed to be staring nkly in the air, not at the artifact or at her. ¡°Junior¡­?¡± His face somehow looked very mature and sorrowful, unlike the usual Shin-hyuk she knew. ¡°Junior, are you okay?¡± She approached him and asked once more, but he couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°You¡­¡± She felt fear rising inside her. What if he had gone somewhere and never came back? It was a childish thought, but it felt usible. ¡°Hey, if you keep ying like that, I¡¯ll kiss you. No, I mean, it¡¯s an enchantment.¡± Speaking urgently, she brought her face close to his. His eyes, shining bright and golden, caught her gaze and didn¡¯t let her go. Her lips felt dry all of a sudden. ¡°Junior¡­? Kang Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± With only a centimeter left between them, the focus returned to his eyes. They went cold as he realized Lee Na-hee was right before him. ¡°Senior, no matter what¡­¡± ¡°What? I was worried.¡± As he seemed to have regained his sanity, she exhaled a sigh of relief and then kissed him hurriedly. He jumped back and shouted. ¡°Do you usually do that?!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because you made me worry. It¡¯s a bonus, so don¡¯t feel bad.¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t a problem.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get upset.¡± ¡°Should I say thank you, then?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who was getting upset, Lee Na-hee suddenly pointed at Kang Shin-hyuk, who was getting upset. ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah. Of course, I know who you like, but just know that.¡± Lee Na-hee caught his gaze. ¡°So, don¡¯t go anywhere weird again.¡± He smiled bitterly and nodded. Chapter 195 Path of the Giant (2) Chapter 195 Path of the Giant (2) -With limited materials, you have created a wonderful object that pushes the source to the limit. Spiritual strength has slightly increased. -Synchronization has slightly elerated ¨C current rate of 65.8%. Kang Shin-hyuk had also realized that he had been acting strange these days. He couldn¡¯t help it, though. As the synchronization rate increased, those memories that were tightly sealed started flowing into his mind. Sometimes they were of happy moments, sometimes of frustration, and some were of infinitely painful moments. He couldn¡¯t deny them as they were all his, so he had to ept them all. It was fortunate that it didn¡¯t happen every day, but it was quite severe whenever it did ur, especially when he was holding the hammer. ¡®Don¡¯t go somewhere weird. Ha.¡¯ The words Lee Na-hee said left him feeling a bit conflicted, but at the same time, he mentally thanked her. She helped him get rid of his confusion and find his center. No, though, she had kissed him too while she was at him. ¡°Shin-hyuk, are you okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it properly.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly arranged his thoughts and looked up to see Eleanor with a spear in hand, proudly tapping her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing hard.¡± ¡°It was a bit messy at the end.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed and picked up his sword. They had just finished sparring as they often did since he had be the vice-captain. ¡°Today, I think there was something¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. Something like that did happen.¡± ¡°Shall I punish Na-hee?¡± Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°We¡¯re closer than you think.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t convince me just by saying that.¡± ¡°It was after she boasted that she became Miss Shinyoung this year.¡± ¡°Ah, the poprity vote?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± The school festival, which Kang Shin-hyuk had yet to experience, was canceled because of the damned gate situation. Still, there were several events for the students who wouldn¡¯tpletely give up on the chance to enjoy some festivities. The selection of Miss & Mr. Shinyoung was one such event. ¡°I heard you received a lot of votes too.¡± ¡°There are more students in the Knight Department than the Magic Department¡­¡± Eleanor looked away in embarrassment. ¡°I heard you came pretty close.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s only because mine are so small¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought Eleanor¡¯s charm didn¡¯t lose out to Lee Na-hee, but there were certain differences in the proportions between the two that couldn¡¯t be ovee. ¡°But I voted for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her expression brightened immediately at that. Heughed and nodded. ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t tell anyone. It¡¯ll be annoying if Na-hee knows.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Eleanor responded vigorously and hummed to herself as she cleaned up the equipment. He didn¡¯t tell her this, but the biggest reason he voted for her was that she reminded him of a cute little squirrel. ¡°Has there been no problems with your practice?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. We were assigned a low-difficulty gate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve been hiding your skill.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been active at night instead.¡± It seemed that Eleanor was still embarrassed to be a part of Masked Bhus. ¡°You¡¯re getting better little by little now. Once you¡¯ve gotten the posture down, we¡¯ll be done practicing.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. While the frequency of gate urrences had increasedpared to before, no explosive increases had urred like they did a few months ago. Now, the students¡¯ usage of the ranges and training facilities had been reduced to the minimum as they constantly assaulted gates. ¡®Although the overall amount of gates is steadily increasing.¡¯ No doubt, the association, and the world governments were both aware of that. It was bing difficult for low-level superhumans to work, and even the higher level ones were being burdened. ording to the other members of the Hero Universe, Jormungand was more likely to invade worlds that were stronger and more developed. ¡°You¡¯ll have more opportunities to work with Masked Bhus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m prepared.¡± Eleanor clenched her fist, her eyes full of determination. He decided to ask her what had been on his mind for a while now. ¡°What will you do after you graduate?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor was stunned by the sudden shift in topics, but soon she recovered with a serious expression. ¡°I will head back once.¡± ¡°Once.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eleanor hesitated but then resolved herself again. ¡°Will you go with me then?¡± ¡°To Ennd?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Certainly, she would be reluctant to go back to her own family that hated her (well, Karen would be with her, but neither were thinking of her at this moment). Asking him to go to such a ce meant she relied on him, rather than that she wanted to burden him. Since he had asked her to join Masked Bhus, he could hardly refuse. ¡°Let¡¯s go together¡­ if ire allows it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked relieved as she sped her hands together. Then, she blushed very slightly. ¡°Then¡­ maybe we can keep going?¡± ¡°Are you saying to live with you in Ennd?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Na-hee.¡± ¡°What a relief, but isn¡¯t that a little rude to Na-hee?¡± [You have such anxieties, Anvil.] Halos¡¯ voice was, as always, calm and peaceful. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged as he hefted the hammer. ¡°It must seem funny to you.¡± [Not at all. I¡¯ve never experienced reincarnation. It¡¯s like you¡¯re bncing both of your lives.] ¡°That¡¯s a good way to put it.¡± His conversations with Halo served to soothe his mind. ¡°Is this going well?¡± [It¡¯s going better than that. You can tell just by looking.] ¡°You can tell that easily?¡± [Sure. Isn¡¯t it something that was a part of me?] The shackles made out of tree roots were now 70%pleted. The giant continued to shake the ground every two days, but that was no problem for the elves since Kang Shin-hyuk secured a field for them. The continued vibrations were never pleasant, however. [You know where you need to focus right now. It will be painful sometimes, but once you get over everything, you¡¯ll never look back with regrets. ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± [At least I like you very much.] ¡°Haha, thank you so much.¡± Halo had lived a long enough life that Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t even darepare to it even after recovering his previous life¡¯s memories. Maybe that was why conversing with him made him rx. ¡°Thank you.¡± [Thank you as well, Anvil.] -¡­ Master Halo, please pay close attention. It was then the administrator interrupted the conversation between them. The sound of the giant stepping down once again caused Mirotoz to shake. ¡°¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up. The giant¡¯s steps were two days apart, but now¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early?¡± ¡°Come. Maybe we should take a look.] Halo sounded tense as he stretched his consciousness to the highest point of the tree. Kang Shin-hyuk frowned as he gazed out through the fog toward the huge feet that were dimly visible. Then, once more, the giant¡¯s footnded on the ground. [That seems to be a problem I¡¯ve never considered.] Halo returned to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s side as he remained tense. [The giant has sped up. I guess he learned how to move faster. Jormungand must¡¯ve been closely monitoring us, but when did they contact the giant?] ¡°If it¡¯s moving faster¡­ haste?¡± [Oh, that makes it easier if you already know of the magic. Yes, that¡¯s right.] The sound of the giant¡¯s footsteps echoed out once more. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°The giant is running!¡± ¡°This world will finally be destroyed!¡± ¡°Ah, if we die anyway, attack Anvil for thest time¡­!¡± The elves had no choice but to panic as the shaking that urred once every two days had increased so rapidly. ¡°Anvil!¡± ¡°Please ept myst!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned to Halo after hearing the shouts from the residential area. ¡°It won¡¯tst long if it is magic.¡± [Perhaps. I guess we can tell soon if that¡¯s the case¡­ oh, it¡¯s slow again.] The problem was that it was likely not to end as a temporary phenomenon. Kang Shin-hyuk looked down at the shackles. ¡°At first, you said 100 years, right? How many now?¡± [Well¡­ three months?] ¡°It¡¯s be quite urgent.¡± [I¡¯m sorry, Anvil. I had no intention of rushing you with this quest.] ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do the work in My Room.¡± The time ratio there was 1 to 3, so it would be more efficient. The issue was taking this huge work there. [What are you trying to do?] ¡°Hm¡­ that means we have to do a prefab design.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood up and began to buyrge quantities of spiritual adhesives from the trading board. Chapter 196 Path of the Giant (3) Chapter 196 Path of the Giant (3) Spiritual glue was the first product he had obtained as a login bonus from the Hero Universe, and it had yed an active role in holding the monsters down after he had fallen into the mantis den. It activated based on one¡¯s spiritual power and connected objects together with a transcendent level of adhesion. However, the effect was depleted after a few minutes, and the adhesive strength would vanish. I¡¯ve already crossed that limit.¡¯ It was a product that varied depending on the user¡¯s capabilities. Even when restoring the Shinfeng orb, it was possible topletely restore it by using his spiritual power after fitting it together with the spiritual glue. Moreover, his spiritual power was SS-rank now. ¡°¡­ These pieces are sized differently.¡± With the help of Halo, Kang Shin-hyuk had taken the shackles made of the tree roots and crushed them into dozens of pieces. Halo seemed very curious about the whole process. [Huh, first split the roots and then attach them again? Can what was once broken go back to normal?] ¡°I already have experience with this sort of thing, so leave it to me. Oh, instead, use some of your mana here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced the Great Heavenly Spirit and ced it on Halo¡¯s branches. [Is this a treasure you made? This seems like something in the realm of alchemy¡­] ¡°Is it necessary to possess alchemy to make something like this?¡± [Hmm. Well, regardless, it¡¯s quite the novelty. It will be effective against Jormungand.] He avoided exining how he had made it, as he would have to exin everything had happened in Gromas. [It¡¯s only SS-rank? What nonsense.] ¡°Only SS-rank¡­¡± Whenever he talked to other members of the Hero Universe, earth¡¯s standards seemed so low. However, now, when Kang Shin-hyuk was determined to make something, it was easy enough to achieve the SS-rank so that he couldn¡¯t me them for that view. In fact, he nned on looking beyond that. He was still holding onto the SSS-grade materials he obtained from the light basilisk, after all. [Now, I¡¯ve put in as much as I can.] Halo handed it back to him now that his vitality filled the Great Heavenly Spirit. Halo¡¯s trait was strong, so it would be perfect to use with the shackles made from his tree. ¡®Well, the true power of the Great Heavenly Spirit is to convert energy and amplify it. I wish it were possible to use it in boosting the vitality of this world or convert it into a destructive attack.¡¯ There was a high likelihood Jormungand would cause more problems, after all. [It¡¯s a really great thing, but its capacity iscking. Why don¡¯t you try upgrading it by adding what iscking?] ¡°Upgrade?¡± [Right¡­if you make the shackles well this time, I shall give you the best branches from this tree. As you know, they are good mediums for storing and transforming energy.] He knew it well. A tree absorbed and stored water and sunlight, circting energy as a part of its life span. It was also a symbol for life, as the phrase world tree wasn¡¯t just for show. Of course, just telling him to upgrade the orb with the tree¡¯s branches didn¡¯t mean he fully understood how to do it yet. ¡°Is Halo a world tree?¡± [My body isn¡¯t a tree.] ¡°Really?!¡± [Sometimes your jokes are difficult.] ¨C Please don¡¯t be fooled, member. [Stop it, administrator.] The administrator was trying to say something but was blocked by Halo. It was clear that Halo was a special member that even the administrator had to be careful around. ¡°Alright, good. I cut everything anyway.¡± [Are you going to work with these now?] ¡°Yeah. Time is running out, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have the time to have a leisurely conversation now. [Those Jormungand guys are resentful.] ¡°You can get rid of them quickly, then I can juste over to y.¡± -Member. Rather than going to My Room, why don¡¯t I introduce you to a new dimensional quest? ¡°Ah?¡± -It is a world with minimal Jormungand intervention, as it has already been ruined. Its time ratio with the earth is 1 to 20. In a world with virtually no potential for rebirth, Jormungand has already left after absorbing most of its energy. ¡°What sort of quest is there?¡± ¨C It is one to recover an object you previously made. Those were the two types of quests avable to him. There were ones he got from epting requests from other members like he did now, and the others were quests to recover artifacts Anvil had previously created. He thought the second-dimensional quest in Kieron had been given to him to protect the potential Hero Universe candidate Milia, but the administrator wouldn¡¯t admit this. -It isn¡¯t urgent so that you can prioritize the shackles there. ¡°The recovery quest will be left unattended and I can use the slower time.¡± -This is the privilege of being a VIP member. It should be used when possible. Kang Shin-hyuk had noints about epting the administrator¡¯s favor in this case. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. Thank you. Oh, is it a dangerous ce?¡± -It would be nice if you had at least one person assisting you. Kang Shin-hyuk had only one idea of who to ask. [If so, I will send my alter ego!] -Halo is busy enough. We will take care of this here. [No, it¡¯s okay. This world¡¯s work will be okay without me for a little while.] -Fine¡­ For some reason, the two started bickering. Kang Shin-hyuk left the two of them be and began to store the shackle parts after marking them. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s ready. Then, I¡¯ll head over. In the meantime, it would be nice to find out what¡¯s happening with the giant.¡± [Anvil¡­] -Halo has the ability to make rational judgments. You know who the wise choice is. [¡­Administrator. If he has chosen someone else, leave it be.] -Hm? What could you mean? Kang Shin-hyuk went to greet the elves before he left. They seemed impressed that he was going on an adventure to protect Mirotoz; however, the emotions they were disying were somewhat regrettable. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do for someone on such a dangerous path¡­even so, can¡¯t I try with my body?¡± ¡°Please stop taking off your clothes so boldly.¡± These damn exhibitionist elves had ruined his excitement over naked bodies. ¡°We can¡¯t just let master Anvil go off on such a dangerous path!¡± ¡°No, before you go¡­.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you all just letting out your desires?!¡± He ran away from the elves and returned to earth. It was Tuesday evening when he got back, so he had practice tomorrow, but¡­ [Can I leave for a while?] [Hyeongju Ahn: You proudly ask for me to fake official documents? Your practice for school¡­] [How about the gloves you received before? Maybe some matching boots would be nice.] [Hyeongju Ahn: ¡­Will you be gone the entire week?] Convincing Hyeongju Ahn went over easily. [Just this week.] [Hyeongju Ahn: Well, Baek can handle it alone¡­] [Then, thank you.] It was a little risky to skip training, but if Hyeongju Ahn and Baek In-ha vouched for him, they wouldn¡¯t be caught. He texted Baek too, but since he could hold the Shinfeng orb hostage, he had no worries about the result. [Baek In-ha: Are you going to Africa or something?] [Hahahahaha.] Africa one of the most dangerous ces to go since it had been consumed by gates. Fortunately, such a thing had been prevented in Paris when the erosion gates appeared there. [Baek In-ha: I¡¯m really curious, where are you going and what are you doing?] [Lodging trip with ire.] [Baek In-ha: Ah, you said it?!] He left Baek alone and contacted ire next. [Eunah, can you do a dimensional quest alone with me?] [ire: I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!] -I can¡¯t stand this atmosphere. 250,000HP bonus from an impressed administrator! Thus, it was confirmed who would go with him. Chapter 197 Path of the Giant (4) Chapter 197 Path of the Giant (4) Kang Shin-hyuk epted the temporary quest so that he could gain enough time to prepare the shackles needed to save Mirotoz from the giant. The world¡¯s name was §³y Xenon. The time ratio with the earth was a whopping 1 to 20, as it was nearly impossible to save it from perishing. If the world werepletely destroyed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to contact the Hero Universe, however, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to waste too much time here. -By the way¡­after entering, the situation here is worse than I expected. In fact, you may have to abandon the dimensional quest here. ¡°Right after arriving, you¡¯re getting excited¡­it really kills the street atmosphere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit like Seoul.¡± If modern Seoul were abandoned for about fifty years, and then a new civilization had been built on the copsed ruins with mana, then it would be like that. A night street full of neon signs with people¡¯s faces illuminated by a screen located on a tall building wall, with vehicles driving on a road of light above the city. However, the light was flickering unsteadily in several ces on the road, and nearly a third of the buildings were copsed. Mechanical parts and garbage were littered on the road, and the screen hanging from the building flickered periodically. Kang Shin-hyuk thought it was the very image of cyberpunk. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°¡­ What is it? A robot?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± The ce where Kang Shin-hyuk and ire had been deposited was a side alley in the city, brightly illuminated by a neon sign hanging above head. [Found two illegal entities.] However, while they had been half-drunk on the atmosphere of the night streets, three humanoid robots made of a gray, dull metal had found them and moved to block the alley¡¯s exit. [Confirmed to be minorities of the ¡®human¡¯ race not registered in the database. Willmence arrest.] [Do not resist arrest, or you will be fired upon.] Kang Shin-hyuk and ire exchanged a nce with each other. They were probably thinking the same thing-things were going to be very fun. [Forcibly viewing the status of the target¡­cannot be viewed. Confirmed that the Gaia system has a means of resistance.] [Raise the border.] ¡°The Gaia system¡­how can these guys view it? Their ability doesn¡¯t seem to be that good.¡± ire had never dealt with a robotic monster before, so she was looking at them with curiosity as she brandished her pistol. Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t in a hurry himself. If the situation were urgent, they could¡¯ve taken them out by now, but as a result of examining them with his spiritual power, he was able to tell they were about A-rank. But the issue is if a hundred of them crawl out¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk called out Onyx, who was eating in the garbage warehouse as usual. -Myu? [Checking monster urrence.] [Requesting permission to release.] Onyx was confused, but then he noticed the robots aiming a muzzle at him (there was a hole in the robot¡¯s finger), and he instinctively hid. Then, even Kang Shin-hyuk and ire vanished as he extended his stealth to them through his [Synchronization). [Investigating the disappearance of the subjects.] [Detecting mana. Explore the whole area.] [Searching¡­no reaction.] [Mission failed. Withdraw.] The robots soon left after scanning the area. ire let out a shout as soon as they couldn¡¯t be seen anymore. ¡°What is this, stealth?! You covered uspletely, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great stealth skill. Is it S-rank now? At that level, we can¡¯t get caught.¡± As a bonus, synchronization had been steadily upgraded, too, so he was now able to extend it to two people at the same time. This little hedgehog was gaining some terrifying abilities. -Myu! ¡°Now, eat this.¡± -Myu. Onyx was angry at being called to hide them, but he quickly quieted down after receiving the failed glove Shin-hyuk had made the day before. -Myuuuu. ¡°This guy is so cute. -Myu¡­ ireughed as Onyx¡¯s thornsid down so he could eat. She gently petted him, and he let out a satisfied cry. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his thoughts away as he watched the pair, now wasn¡¯t the time to rx. They needed to confirm the current situation! ¡°Can you borate a little more about this world?¡± -Alright The administrator was silent for a moment more before he continued. ¨C In this world, the Gaia system has been contaminated with viruses. The system cut off this world before it could spread out, and since then, it had taken on an independent dimensional structure. Jormungand has withdrawn after reaping the energy they could. ¡°It¡¯s really like the prologue of a cyberpunk game¡­no, wait.¡± -This world is maintained by a diseased system and a devastated energy source. I said it before we arrived, but there is no hope left. Kang Shin-hyuk felt something was off as he read the message. ¡°The Gaia system was cut off, but how did we get here?¡± Until now, Kang Shin-hyuk had thought the Hero Universe was closely rted to the Gaia system, but now that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. -Did I not exin that the Hero Universe is a system located above the Gaia system? Of course, a world equipped with the Gaia system has greater authority, but it doesn¡¯t mean one without it cannot be essed. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think it would be possible to break into a world not managed by the Gaia system. Then¡­wouldn¡¯t it be possible to invade the world¡¯s ruled by Jormungand?¡± -Such a course wouldn¡¯t be safe for members of the Hero Universe. ire nodded, convinced by the administrator¡¯s exnation. However, the messages that had appeared when he signed up were ones his previous life had seen, so that he couldn¡¯t remember them clearly. ¡°Is that virus okay, then? I don¡¯t know the structure of the Gaia system, but if it is dangerous enough to need to disconnect from it, then the Hero Universe also¡­¡± -The Hero Universe is not weak enough to allow contact with viruses. At some point, he had cursed Tsukuyo while crying out for Gaia¡¯s name, but now it was impossible to understand what he meant. However, the fact that the Gaia system could be contaminated was an interesting bit of information. ire seemed especially intrigued by it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was possible for it to be contaminated like it was a piece ofputer software. It looks the administrator doesn¡¯t want to tell me that. -As the member invited you, I cannot help it. ¡°Really, this is tant favoritism. Not like I¡¯m different, but¡­¡± ire¡¯s face was shining brightly. Humans were blessed by the Gaia system to be superhumans, but there was much they didn¡¯t know about it. It was no wonder she was excited to learn all this new information. ¡°Before we left, you said it would be to a world that wasn¡¯t all that special, but this is one of the most special I¡¯ve been to. -There¡¯s nothing special about it. It¡¯s just one of countless worlds that have already lost the potential to develop. The administrator paused to think for a moment. -However, the information about this world hasn¡¯t been updated since the Gaia system was shut down, so even I didn¡¯t think it would be like this. ¡°Hey!¡± No wonder he was clearly confused upon arrival. But the fact he pushed Kang Shin-hyuk intoing despite thatck of new information meant that he thought it was safe. Even if it were a little dangerous, the extra time was worth it. Halo was his precious friend that he wanted to help, after all. -You did a great job. They belonged to awork centered around the corrupted Gaia system, so if they were destroyed, you might¡¯ve been tracked by all the robots in this city. ¡°At that level, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to deal with them¡­was your information updated? Can you tell me what the level of the strongest robot in this world is?¡± -urate measurement is difficult, but it seems to be around the SSS+ level. At that level, it would be possible for Kang Shin-hyuk and ire to deal with it so long as they acted carefully. He was able to fully understand why the administrator hadn¡¯t sent him to such a good environment until now. ¡°How long can you keep this hiding up?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t use too much magic, for as long as we need.¡± ¡°really?¡± ire poked Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s cheek as a test. She was wondering if attacking another would affect it, but Onyx¡¯s stealth recognized it, and the hiding continued. ire¡¯s cheeks turned a little red as she tried to exin it. ¡°The act of touching¡­no, wait, that sounds a bit filthy.¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°Look.¡± ire motioned for him to look into her eyes. Heplied, and her face grew closer. Soon, their lips were touching. They remained there for a while before she pulled back with a giggle. ¡°It seems like that didn¡¯t work either.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, can I try one more time?¡± ¡°Kiss maniac.¡± Rather than refusing, he opened up his arms and hugged her. Onyx, who had finished eating the metal gloves, looked at them with a criticizing expression. It was only five minutester when they finally began to search for a safe ce. Chapter 198 The Path of the Giant (5) Chapter 198 The Path of the Giant (5) The name of the city was Neorust ¨C if the rusty iron sign that had been torn apart and was nowying on the floor could be trusted. ¡°Can I take this?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not contaminated.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk examined the source of the iron signboard with his spiritual power, soon nodding after he confirmed that there were no people or robots nearby. Thanks to the improved stealth ability of Onyx, their stealth wouldn¡¯t be canceled out with small actions, but it couldn¡¯tpletely block out loud noises, so they had to be careful. ¡°Wow, this will go great with the bar.¡± ¡°Well, I hope nobodyes to ask what Neorust is. Especially not Eunah. We¡¯ll have to tell her we found it at the market.¡± ¡°Well, it should be fine.¡± ireughed and stored the rusty iron sign in her inventory while Shin-hyuk looked around. The streets really were simr to downtown Seoul except for the piles of scrap metal and the fact there were no human pedestrians walking around. Also the light road above them, he supposed. ¡°There¡¯s a human-like robot, oh, and a human with cat ears¡­that guy has octopus tentacles.¡± On the side-walk ahead of them, odd-looking people and robots were seen walking around. ¡°There are some with half-machine bodies. Wow¡­¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to nt machines in your body?¡± ¡°Did I?¡± The robots that they had encountered earlier could be seen patrolling the road regrly. Some people seemed grateful to see them, while others snuck away. Others didn¡¯t care either way, and some grabbed them to ask questions. ¡°Do they have a way of identifying people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s early to say, but probably. It¡¯s dangerous to keep walking outside, though.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s find an abandoned building for now.¡± So ire said, but she had a point. They hade here to finish Halo¡¯s shackles. The world itself was very interesting to Shin-hyuk, but he didn¡¯t know how much time he would be able to waste investigating it. -The reconnaissance is trying to figure out the city patrol route. Move to an area where there is no danger. Kang Shin-hyuk and ire moved along with the administrator¡¯s navigation. The road was too dangerous because of the robots, so they moved across the building rooftops. ¡°That screen has magical power.¡± ire spoke up as shended on top of a half-ruined building. Her eyes were focused on the recurring video on the monitor that was hung on the tallest building they could see in the city. ¡°It¡¯s a very ominous mana. Demon?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He had learned of it just a while ago. Although it didn¡¯t have much of an effect on Kang Shin-hyuk, who didn¡¯t have mana and used spiritual power, it was a terrifying and evil force that polluted the body and mind. ¡°The guys you¡¯ve been dealing with were so weak that they couldn¡¯t affect you.¡± ¡°Ah, maybe.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and thought of the armored monster in Paris. He hadn¡¯t fought Kang Shin-hyuk but had he; it might¡¯ve been truly dangerous. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s impossible without spiritual power.¡± ¡°I guess I was able to do something before because of it.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­I¡¯m d.¡± ¡°Relieved?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head. ire hesitated, then punched his shoulder and turned away. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s hurry up.¡± ¡°What were you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything.¡± ire was acting oddly shy and hurried ahead. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged and pursued after her. -It really is a demon. Didn¡¯t you feel it in the robot before? ¡®I didn¡¯t have time to fully explore it¡­administrator?¡¯ -Administrators can¡¯t afford to focus on insignificant objects as the information processing is too high. Oh, do it. -However, we are actively intervening with those concerned that will affect our members. The mana has been detected in the video on that monitor. That means that the other robots are connected to thework that dominates this city and world. ¡®Does that mean Jormungand didn¡¯t actually withdraw from this world?¡¯ -What are you saying, member? That is not the exclusive property of Jormungand. ¡®Eh?¡¯ -Jormungand is the organization that stands against the Hero Universe. It is also one that stands on the other side of the mirror¡­but it didn¡¯t always exist. Someone had to create it and gather its members. ¡®Isn¡¯t it the same thing? Just like all citizens of the Republic of Korea are obligated to receive basic education.¡¯ -If you expand your perspective to the whole world, you¡¯ll see that not everyone is born with such luxuries. It was a sad fact. -To give a more urate exnation, Jormungand was created by a flute-blowing man who can control the rats called monsters born across all dimensions. But not all rats are under his control. There were also some who had joined of their own volition because their goals aligned. ¡®Then what is the flute ying man?¡¯ -300,000HP bonus! ¡®Don¡¯t boldly pretend not to know again.¡¯ Not that it was easy to tell if the administrator actually knew or not. He decided to give up and focus on something else. The traces of demons that remained in this world might not be controlled by Jormungand. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a hefty sigh. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy if we don¡¯t know where the item to be retrieved is.¡± -No, I think I know where it is. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Oh, look.¡± ire reached out and pointed as Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head at the administrator¡¯s words. Suddenly, the paved road had been cut off, and all the garbage that were piled up had increased. The road had been chaotically destroyed in the aftermath of some explosion. The buildings were rtivelyrger and closer together than they had been in that downtown area, but they had an older feel to them. Neon signs were strung up here as well, and Shinhyuk could sense the vitality of many people around them. ¡°It¡¯s a ce full of life.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ire looked satisfied as she looked around; there were no robots patrolling this street. Perhaps that downtown area had been a limited area. ¡°I can find a suitable building here.¡± ¡°Yes, I want to start work soon.¡± ¡°When I think about it, I¡¯m monopolizing you while you work. Wow, Lee Na-hee¡¯s been lucky.¡± All of these people seemed to bemunicating very actively without his knowledge. It seemed rather scary. ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to check it out now.¡± ire pretended to grapple with Shin-hyuk. He smiled and pulled her down, but she grabbed him and blew in his ear. ¡°There, your ears are clean.¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± The two, trembling, fell as the building¡¯s roof copsed under them. ¡°Kh!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk somehow held onto ire as hended, but dust spilled out over them. Onyx, who had been watching the scene from the start, cried out as if he wereughing. ¡°Kahak.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced the water and Shinfeng orb from his inventory. First, he used the wind to remove the dust from then, sending it high into the sky. ¡°Wow, someone might think you were a wizard.¡± ¡°And now this.¡± Then, he washed his face thoroughly with the water. It felt a little unpleasant to be soaking wet, but it was better. ¡°So, where are we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask the owner of this building when theyst did maintenance.¡± However, they couldn¡¯t find anyone even after searching for several minutes. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s a bar in here.¡± ire looked around the first floor with a sparkle in her eyes. She was right. Most of the cases were empty, but it was obviously a bar with tables, cases, and seating. ¡°It¡¯s fate.¡± ¡°As long as the owner doesn¡¯t show up, it should be fine.¡± Although, given the weakened ceiling, they would need to be careful. ¡°Hey! Heirech, are you alive?¡± The door on the fire floor opened with exquisite timing, and a person entered. They had three legs, arms covered in bizarre iron armor, and a wolf¡¯s face. ¡°What, it¡¯s not Heirech. Who are you guys?¡± ¡°Are you the owner of this house?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmly asked so and produced his pistol. ¡°Would you like to talk for a while?¡± ¡°Where did you get such an elite weapon¡­no, don¡¯t close the door!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Somehow, he thought the weapon would fit well here, and it did. Chapter 199 Path of the Giant (6) Chapter 199 Path of the Giant (6) Kang Shin-hyuk aimed his pistol as ire moved to block the exit. The wolfman, trapped and unable to escape, quietly raised his hands in surrender, and the two moved in to dig out information from him in earnest. They exined to him that they were outsiders who had just entered the city. ¡°Outsiders? I was lucky.¡± The wolfman, Mokoud, sat down with his third leg as a chair to support his body. ¡°I mean, this is where you came in. Had I fallen through the roof of another building, I would¡¯ve be a beehive.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s best for us not tomit pointless killings. By the way, is that a dick?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk observed Mokoud carefully, but ire seemed to be focusing on something else. ¡°No! This is the tail passed down from my ancient ancestors!¡± ¡°A tail! Sure enough, animals often use their tails for bnce.¡± ¡°ire, that couldn¡¯t be a dick. If so, women of that race¡­¡± ¡°I see. Wow¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Mokoud grew angry at the two, knowing of their misunderstanding. It seemed that they weren¡¯t the only ones who had seen his third leg and didn¡¯t realize it was a tail. ¡°Cheh, I thought Heirech was back when I heard the noise. I wouldn¡¯t havee in otherwise.¡± But it was alreadyte, and Mokoud was a valuable guide to them. ¡°If he¡¯s the owner of this ce, what did youe here for?¡± ¡°Cocktail ingredients. His specialty is making cocktails with ingredients that protect the body from brainwashing. I needed one, so I don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Brainwashing?¡± ¡°Hah, are you guys serious?¡± Mokoud was taken aback by theirck of knowledge. However, ire shrugged and chimed in. ¡°We call it something else. Are you talking about that video?¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve been living in a cave if you don¡¯t know about them. Yes, the brainwashing that the video uses. If you get hit by it, you¡¯ll be the robots¡¯ people.¡± The first thing that came to mind were the people walking in that downtown area. Now Shin-hyuk understood. ¡°That¡¯s what we call the brainwashing.¡± ¡°We call it a demon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also quite the proper expression! Ha.¡± Mokoud and Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. Indeed, it made sense that the purpose of that video was to shoot out filthy mana to pollute human minds constantly. But a cocktail that could protect from it¡­ Shin-hyuk nced over at ire, who nodded. Mokoud nced between the two. ¡°Hey, so when can I be released?¡± ¡°We still have a lot of things we want to hear, my friend. Please give us an appropriate example.¡± ¡°Ah? Dried rattail is fine. There are plenty here.¡± ¡°I know how to make those cocktails myself.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mokoud¡¯s eyes were wide open at ire¡¯s proud deration. ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve been moving so far and haven¡¯t been polluted. You know what I mean?¡± ¡°Well, is this fate?¡± In other words, humans who hade from the outside and knew how to make cocktails had fallen into this bar. Of course, Mokoud wasn¡¯t so na?ve as he had survived this far, but he also knew that these humans had no reason to lie. ¡°We will use this house for a while, and we¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Will you give me a cocktail?¡± ¡°Yes, first of all¡­¡± ire produced a cocktail potion from her inventory and handed it to Mokoud. He epted it with a dubious expression but soon closed his eyes and took a sip. Soon, a smile bloomed on his face. ¡°It works a lot better than what Heirech makes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s, of course.¡± ire squared his shoulders with pride. Kang Shin-hyuk knew that she had just handed him a status buff cocktail that had no additional benefits. In other words, her cocktails had the basic effect of defending against that mana because she dealt with spiritual power. ¡°Tell me whatever you need; I¡¯ll help you with anything I can!¡± ¡°Well, then let¡¯s hear more about this world.¡± ire nced over at Kang Shin-hyuk, who nodded in agreement, and they pulled out two dusty chairs. When the pistol was put away, Mokoud began to tell his story with a more relieved expression. It was a familiar story from a perished world. *** After sending off Mokoud, the first thing Kang Shin-hyuk did was to do some house cleaning. Using the water orb and the Shinfeng orb as delicately as possible, he swept through the three-story building. The trash was removed, and any useful items were cleaned and piled together. There was no dust left after a good solid cleaning with the two orbs. ¡°Oh, this hole¡­ should I patch it up now?¡± The sky above the perforated ceiling was covered with soot clouds. There was no value in a night sky without any stars, so he decided to block it up. Kang Shin-hyuk tinkered with the broken wooden boards he had on hand, and in less than twenty minutes, he had repaired it. ire apuded him once he was done. ¡°Wow, you did it so neatly.¡± ¡°I was the MacGyver at the Starlight Orphanage.¡± Because of his good agility, he was adept at all sorts of crafts. However, he had never actually seen MacGyver. ireughed at his words, then suddenly had a thought. ¡°The orphanage¡­ can I go with youter?¡± ¡°You can if you like.¡± ¡°But going together is a bit different.¡± ¡°It¡¯spletely okay for me.¡± ¡°¡­Okay? Yes, then let¡¯s go together.¡± She tapped his shoulder with a satisfiedugh. ¡°Now, I want to take a bath.¡± ¡°Ah, of course.¡± He let out a sigh that soon turned intoughter. There was a bathroom in the building, but no bathtub. He went ahead and made a bathtub in the empty room next to the bathroom. As a bonus, he made a show as well. This time, ire went fish-eyed as Kang Shin-hyuk built all of that, including proper drainage and new tiling, in less than an hour. ¡°¡­Are you really not MacGyver?¡± ¡°This is a plumber¡¯s job.¡± ¡°Okay, then, Mario. Well, the water temperature is good.¡± ire threw off her clothes and was soon only in her underwear. ¡°What, ire, wait a second.¡± ¡°Hurray.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk turned away in fear, she hugged him from behind. His sense of reasoning was being threatened by the scent and texture that warmly enveloped him. ire put her hands around his abdomen and whispered in his ear. ¡°My Mario, would you like to bathe together?¡± ¡°Eh, ugh.¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± ireughed again when she noticed he was thinking very seriously about it. She put her head on his shoulder and pecked him on the cheek. ¡°It¡¯s okay; I can stand it. Because I¡¯m an adult.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°But if you can¡¯t stand still, you¡¯re always wee.¡± ¡°Why are you saying things that test my patience?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­. heh!¡± The next moment, the two fell into the bathtub full of hot water. Kang Shin-hyuk, who noticed ire had thrown off her underwear after entering the bath, didn¡¯t look back and jumped off. ¡°Ahahahahaha!¡± ire burst intoughter as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk run away. He pledged to take revengeter after he became an adult! -Your patience is superhuman. Actually, it didn¡¯t seem like you had to endure it, perhaps. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that it¡¯s not because of Eunah.¡± -If so, is it because of the wife your previous life had? ¡°Surely¡­ no, maybe a little.¡± The Anvil of his previous life was someone who valued others very much. He gave a lot of meaning to each and everyone, so he was very distressed when he lost them. Kang Shin-hyuk, who was recovering his memories day by day, clearly contained such a heart. So, simply put, he was very conservative in his rtionships. Whatever ire herself thought, she was a very important person to him, so he wanted more precious moments where they were confident in each other. He couldn¡¯t say that in front of her, though, so he had to make excuses. -So, the administrator is worried you will proceed with another woman first. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about it, try stopping Tsukuyo.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grumbled for nothing and headed to another room on the third floor. It was a space created to fulfill his purpose ining here. That was a studio. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start.¡± -I think she intends to run a bar. ¡°I think it¡¯s good. If we¡¯re staying here in the future, it¡¯s good to build a rtionship with the residents.¡± Maybe the next time he came here to do a dimensional quest, it would help. Kang Shin-hyuk hummed and pulled out Halo¡¯s roots. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Where are you? I miss you. He felt his heart falling. -I¡¯m on a dimensional quest. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I wish I could¡¯ve helped. -I¡¯ll ask you next time. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Yes, I¡¯ll do whatever I can for my junior. Kang Shin-hyuk trembled slightly. -You said it wasn¡¯t because of the fox, right? He struggled to ignore the administrator¡¯s message and started working. However, with his hands trembling, it took him a while to start properly. Chapter 200 Terran in Neorust (1) Chapter 200 Terran in Neorust (1) -Suh, swoosh, swoosh! Sitting on a high bar chair, Skoba tilted his ss with a frown and yelled at the regr sounds of working from above. ¡°Hey, be quiet!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The bar¡¯s new bartender, who had identified herself as just the bartender, was a red-haired woman who was now looking at him. ¡°What, guest, do you have anyints? It¡¯s noisy and disturbs the other guests.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to say, red hair! You can¡¯t drink alcohol because of that noise, huh?!¡± ¡°Then, get out.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pay first.¡± ¡°What? Ouch!¡± The next moment, Skoba was pushed by an unknown force and bounced out of the door. He tried to charge right back in but was knocked back down to the ground. ¡°What, what, this¡­¡± ¡°Skoba, you did it.¡± A resident passing by saw him and burst intoughter. ¡°You can¡¯t go against the bartender.¡± ¡°I was just telling them to keep that noisy guy up top quiet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the bartender¡¯s, you know.¡± The resident held out his hands, and vulgarly mimed the rtionship between the two. Skoba wanted to break his fingers but instead stood up and began brushing himself off. ¡°I just wanted some peace and quiet.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look at a tree that cannot be climbed. Isn¡¯t that our rule of survival?¡± ¡°Damn, I realized it now.¡± The human bartender who had suddenly taken over the empty building after Heirech died was, undeniably, suspicious. But after hearing Mokoud¡¯s rant, they came to her and bought the cocktails that cleared up the effects of the unpleasant brainwashing that had umted in their bodies over the past few years. Any dissatisfaction with her vanished after trying just one of the cocktails she offered. Residents in the backstreets of Neorest were quick to wee these new, actively helpful residents. They were suspicious still, but it was preferable to those who tried to brainwash them. ¡°Wait, I haven¡¯t finished drinking yet.¡± ¡°If you apologize, they might let you in again.¡± ¡°No, hey¡­ really?¡± The resident just smiled and disappeared. Skoba remained there to ponder for a while. However, he hadn¡¯t finished drinking, and the poison umted in his body hadn¡¯t been fully resolved¡­ ¡°Wow¡­ hey, miss bartender? Ugh!¡± Eventually, he turned and knocked on the door. A blue electric current flowed through the door as if to block him, making him feel sick. He should¡¯ve gotten a sense of it when she made a cocktail that went far beyond Heirech. His opponent was someone with abilities that couldn¡¯t be imagined ¡°Ha, right¡­¡± Skoba pondered very deeply but eventually knelt down and cried out. ¡°Please take a look, bartender! I was wrong!¡± A man kneeling down and crying. It was a sight somon thest few days on this street that no one really paid attention to him. -Suh, swoosh, swoosh! ¡°Woah, it¡¯s a little quiet now.¡± ire knew the man was on his knees outside, but she didn¡¯t want to bring that noisy guy inside, so she left him for a while and decided to store the remaining cocktail in a container. ¡°But, bartender.¡± Seeing him kicked out, the guests were all politely quiet, but one spoke up with an interesting look. ¡°So, what is that man doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Oops, they have a lot of secrets.¡± ¡°Drink while you can,¡± ire responded slyly and picked up the shaker. Her hair, tied up, was moving side-to-side. Whenever her hair danced, the heads of the guests moved together with her unconsciously ¡°Be sure to prepare yourselves.¡± The customer emptied his cup and stood up. He left a few bullets and some mechanical parts next to the ss as payment. ire collected them together with deft hand motions and looked far away. ¡°It¡¯ll probably be awful tonight.¡± *** -Suh, swoosh, swoosh! ¡°You said tonight would be terrible?¡± Kang Shinhyuk stopped his work and turned to ire. She was squatting down to meet him at eye level as he sat down and worked. ¡°Yes. The customers were also crowdedpared to other days. It seemed that rumors have been spreading, but rather than that¡­¡± ire gathered the information she had gathered all day and summarized ¡°I wonder if they raid on a regr basis? It doesn¡¯t seem like the robots areing.¡± ¡°Well, given the state of the road and the building, perhaps not.¡± ¡°It is a bit extreme here, so perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Everyone has to find a way to live.¡± The inhabitants of the downtown area were probably protected by the robots. But these people were living illegally, so why didn¡¯t the robots actively try to wipe them out? Maybe they would learn the reason tonight. ¡°How is your work progressing?¡± ¡°Excellent. It¡¯s much morefortable without the elves interfering.¡± Immediately after speaking up, Kang Shin-hyuk realized he had said something unnecessary. ire was clearly suspicious. ¡°¡­Are those elves pretty?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°What a quick answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Compared to ire, they¡¯re all ugly.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± ire poked him in the cheek with a spiteful expression but gave up after wondering if she was bugging him as the elves had. ¡°Can I watch?¡± ¡°What about the bar?¡± ¡°I closed up early today. It felt like everyone was in a hurry to head back tonight.¡± ire settled down and watched him work. He was ustomed to having someone watch him work, so he left her be and honed the shackles. -Suh, swoosh, swoosh! He was sizing them, inserting metal parts, and nailing parts together. Even a small piece was roughly half the size of the room, so he was engaged in a major construction project. After spending so much time on it, he hadpleted one of the dozens of pieces ording to his blueprints and took out the Great Heavenly Spirit containing Halo¡¯s energy to imbue it. ¡°Okay,pleted one with this. ire¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How long have you been doing that?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± It seemed like some time had passed, but ire was still watching him. As he tilted his head, she smiled and stood up. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Did you eat?¡± ¡°Hm? Sounds like something ising from outside.¡± She explicitly switched topics, but it was true there was a sounding from outside. Kang Shin-hyuk stored the parts away and stood up. -Tick, kzzt, kzzt! ¡°It sounds like an electric bug zapper.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The two approached the window, noticing something crowded outside their house. They were moving bodies with skin decayed in ces and had oddly twisted parts. ¡°Now, even zombies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a really diverse world.¡± ¡°Actually, I had some expectations.¡± ire scratched her cheek. ¡°When the original demons appeared, the undead always followed. I¡¯ve seen the dead reborn after being contaminated with magic.¡± ¡°Is that why you prepared that safety device?¡± ¡°I thought it would be helpful.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked over the mass of zombies. Should they stay inside like this, or go out and take care of them? No, no matter how good the protectiveyer was, the durability of this house wasn¡¯t very high. ¡°Why do you think most of them areing here?¡± ¡°Ah, the undead are drawn to beings full of vitality. So, strong people like us.¡± Even though the residents of this street seemed strong, they fell short of those two. Kang Shin-hyuk took out his pistol. It was made entirely of silvery metal, and his name was engraved with a rune on both sides of it with blue metal engravings. It fit perfectly in his hand. (Thyrsus No.0: Phoibos] [SSS rank] [Special Abilities: Supply Ammunition, Light Bullets, Blessing, Protection] *Supply Ammunition: As long as you have ammunition, it is automatically loaded into the magazine. Increases the destructive power of bullets by 40%. *Light Bullets: Fires off bullets of light. Itpresses light with the force of vibrations from the wind to further increase speed and power and has a reflective ability. When live ammunition is loaded, energy consumption is extremely reduced, but the effect of the ability is reduced by half. *Blessing: Fires off holy bullets. It deals 300% damage to darkness and everything that is tainted and will pursue tainted entities. When live ammo is loaded, the energy consumption is extremely reduced, but the effects of the ability are reduced by half. *Protection: Blessings of strong light dwell inside to protect the user and strengthen the user¡¯s ability to handle light. [The hidden version of a luxury pistol made in the series. It is recognized as No.O because it shows its power when shooting ¡®without¡¯ live ammunition. It is an artifact pursuing the ideal of extreme light. Because it has a user-limited imprint, it cannot be used by humans other than the owner, but its power increases when it is held by the owner.] Phoibos, one of the names for Apollo. Thanks to his high level of light mastery and metallurgy, he was able to reach the monumental rank of SSS, but that was only possible thanks to the high-quality materials he had used from the light basilisk. ¡°It¡¯s prettier than mine.¡± ¡°Sorry, I made it while emphasizing the properties of the pistol.¡± ¡°The coolest one is one I cannot shoot¡­!¡± Phoibos was most effective when fired without loading, but that wasn¡¯t really something the zombies would appreciate. He activated the gun¡¯s special ability to reload quickly and motioned to ire. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the roof.¡± ¡°When did you make this hatch?!¡± ¡°I thought it would be nice to have an easy exit to the roof.¡± There was a hinged door on the ceiling of the third floor. ¡°MacGyver!¡± ¡°Be on the lookout.¡± ire nodded and produced her own armament, the pistol Kang Shin-hyuk had made for her as well as the one she made for herself, and her two drones. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Opening the hatch, they could see the sky was covered in ck mist. Shapes were raining down from it. Chapter 201 Terran in Neorust (2) Chapter 201 Terran in Neorust (2) -Waaah! -Bang! Kang Shin-hyuk fired off a bullet without hesitation towards the zombie falling towards him from the sky with his mouth wide open. It was live ammunition, so the effect of the light and blessing was reduced, but it hit the target in an instant. The zombie couldn¡¯t ovee the power of light contained in the bullet and turned to dust. Thanks to the gun¡¯s special abilities, the bullets continued to seek out other zombies. -Kaaahk! -Kaaah! Surprisingly, the bullet reduced the second zombie to dust as well before piercing a third. After that, it began to lose its strength and fell after hitting a few more zombies. It wasn¡¯t two birds with one stone, but seven zombies with one bullet! ¡°That¡¯s so cool¡­! The best!¡± ire had followed up after him, closing the hatch. ¡°I struggled to harmonize my abilities.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something that you can do just because you want to.¡± It was still a bit unstable, but the effects were great enough. He had to be careful of the possibility it might damage his allies, though. Fortunately, in this case, its ability to pursue unclean entities was properly applied to the reflected bullets. I suppose most monsters are unclean¡¯ Basically, it had the effect of tracking monsters. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to use the other one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit too much against the undead.¡± ¡°Sheesh.¡± ire loved the idea of Kang Shin-hyuk dualwielding pistols. Perhaps that was why she had been friendly with Juno Valentine before. No, he was sure that was the reason. -Bang, bang! He fired off several more bullets at the zombies falling from the sky. The luminous .550 magnum bullets zigzagged across the sky in bursts of lightning, sting through the zombies. Meanwhile, ire released the drone and began to fire upon the zombies crawling up from under the building. ¡°They¡¯re like fansing up on the stage at an idol concert.¡± ¡°Stop, all idol fans are good people who know their manners!¡± While the two joked, their hands continued to move in a blur as they continued to fire upon the zombies. The level of the zombies wasn¡¯t that high, with the strongest being C-rank at the highest, but dozens of them were pouring out of the woodwork every second ¡°They¡¯re weak.¡± ¡°If they were stronger than this, the locals wouldn¡¯t have survived so far.¡± ire was right. Kang Shin-hyuk agreed with her as he spread a shield around them with the Godyer sword to stop the fragments of the decayed corpses from raining on them. ¡°If this is amon urrence, I should build a simple defensive position to deal with them here.¡± ¡°Please be careful of the roof. The smell of rotten blood is hard to get rid of.¡± After grasping the enemies¡¯ level, ire took out two more drones and had them patrol the corners of the roof. They were cleaning up the zombies that flocked to them. ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not pouring down, thankfully.¡± The bodies were raining down, but the density was thankfully sparse. Most of where it was concentrated were on them, as well. Even half of those falling elsewhere were moving towards them. Undead liked humans full of vitality, and fortunately for the residents of this street, Kang Shinhyuk and ire were like beacons to them. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be an issue if it¡¯s only this much.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ should I incinerate the bodies?¡± ire produced a red potion bottle from her bosom and threw it under the roof. All at once, a purple me began to burn around the house in a circle. It had considerable destructive power since it was backed by her spiritual power. ¡°It¡¯s a special bartender grenade.¡± Seeing his look of surprise, ire grabbed a second grenade and raised her hands to sh him the victory sign. Indeed, she was the Alchemist. He had only known her for half a year, so more and more strange things were popping up about her. However, he couldn¡¯t erase the feeling that the weapon would fit a cutting-edge mercenary more than an Alchemist. ¡°Does it not interfere with the shield around our house?¡± The zing mes seemed to be ignoring the building entirely, and it didn¡¯t seem to hurt the shield either. Strangely, however, ire hesitated upon hearing that and jabbed him. ¡°Say that again.¡± ¡°The shield and mes aren¡¯t interacting with each other?¡± ¡°No, well, that¡¯s¡­¡± In response to her dissatisfaction, he quickly realized what she meant.¡± ¡°Our house?¡± ¡°Oh, ah..!¡± ire¡¯s face brightened in an instant then turned very red. She grew angry, pping his shoulder. ¡°You! If you keep making fun of your noona like that, I¡¯ll be very upset!¡± ¡°You told me not to call you noona anymore?¡± ¡°Oh, bigger things are falling from the sky.¡± ¡°You¡­ huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t be fooled by her but looking up, he noticed she was telling the truth. A lump of something ck was falling down. ¡°That¡¯s a bit serious looking. Can you destroy it?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a short sigh. He fired off a light bullet, which streaked through the sky and exploded upon impact with the mass. -You have subdued one that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 3,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 4,500,000HP! ¡°It must¡¯ve been quite powerful since the bullet was consumed.¡± ¡°I just got the HP bonus.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, as expected.¡± HP bonus didn¡¯te just from killing any monster. If it weren¡¯t an entity that harmed the order of things and upset the social system or threatened arge number of humans, you wouldn¡¯t receive any-killing monsters that belonged to Jormungand almost always ensured some. ¡°What is that? I¡¯m not familiar with the undead.¡± ¡°The world has been thoroughly defensive against the undead, so they tend to appear less¡­ that¡¯s probably an undead core.¡± Core. Whether a strong monster would awaken from it, or it attracted zombies to it, he guessed it would be that kind of monster. ¡°But it¡¯ll be okay because I broke it.¡± ¡°If it only fell here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked around. He noticed that their neighbors were peeking through the windows, firing at the zombies approaching their homes with crude weapons that were made from the same parts they had traded to them for cocktails. ¡°Somehow, I thought it was just junk they were giving us. Good thing I saved it up.¡± ¡°Give it to meter. We¡¯ll need it.¡± Even from a distance, they could tell the craftsmanship of their guns was crude. The fact that it worked well at all meant there was some hidden design in those pieces of scrap they were firing. ¡°Oh, surely.¡± While confirming the power of those firearms, his eyes continued to sweep around the fights breaking out. ire spoke up at that point, pointing upwards to three cores lumped together above them. Kang Shin-hyuk fired at it, but a translucent dark shield emerged around it to block the bullet ¡°The moment you destroy one, they begin to stick together. It seems like there¡¯s awork.¡± ¡°Awork.¡± It would be odd not to think of the monitor that controlled this city after hearing that. Kang Shin-hyuk lifted himself up into the air with the power of the wind at that; he needed to see what was happening in the downtown area right now. With the corpses raining down and the thick fog, however, he couldn¡¯t confirm it entirely, but it seemed like there were fewer zombies there. ¡°Is it a controlled disaster?¡± ¡°Fear is the best way to dominate. The power of the Gaia system that dominates this world is quite distorted.¡± He nodded in agreement with ire. But what mattered now was what would be born from that core. He tried firing off a few more bullets as a test, but it wouldn¡¯t work. Rather, it seemed to be absorbing energy, much like the Great Heavenly Spirit could. ¡°I know it well because I¡¯ve faced an undead core before. During creation, the shield bes extremely hard and will absorb energy. Let¡¯s wait until it¡¯splete.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s amon pattern.¡± Anyway, they could afford to wait. Instead, they neatly burned away the zombies around them. It wasn¡¯t possible for them to take care of all the zombies, however, and therge core graduallypressed as it attracted more zombies to it. ¡°Ms. ire, what type of undead do you think will pop out?¡± ¡°Well, Kang Shin-hyuk, I¡¯ve seen a case where one core bes a flesh golem after devouring a hundred zombies. Maybe that was A-rank?¡± ¡°Seeing itpressed like that, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ire narrowed her eyes and red at it. Kang Shin-hyuk soon found out why, as a strong magical wave spread out from its center. A strong ringing sound filled his ears, but it was soon blocked out after a message from the administrator appeared before him. -The power of the Gaia system just tried toe into contact with you. ¡°What is it?¡± -It is called the Evil Android. ¡°What?¡± -It seems like it wanted to imitate the original Gaia system¡¯s warning of the boss¡¯s appearance. ¡°How kind.¡± Eventually, the sphere shrunk down to the size of a human. As the dark light vanished, they saw a naked woman with gray eyes kneeling down. It looked at them before standing up and sprinting towards them with its arms wide. ¡°What to do? I really like it here.¡± ire revealed her true heart. Kang Shin-hyuk silently agreed with her, recalling the movies he watched as a child. Chapter 202 Terran in Neorust (3) Chapter 202 Terran in Neorust (3) Evil Android. It was a form created from three undead cores merging with countless zombies and mechanical parts scattered throughout the world. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of those two. Damn, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Go deal with it yourself!¡± The residents of the street saw the evil android and began to drool. It was a little over 1 meter and 70 centimeters tall, with a fragile and milky white body with subtle femininity. It looked human on the outside, just like those two who had suddenly shown a few days ago. ¡°But isn¡¯t that quite nicepared to the monsters that have appeared so far?¡± ¡°I love the positive mindset. Is it less painful to die to a pretty girl?¡± ¡°Wow, are you nning to run?¡± ¡°There are zombies still alive elsewhere!¡± The groaning and screams of several people flowed through the radios the residents had set to amon channel. The residents seemed to have epted Kang Shin-hyuk and ire, but they didn¡¯t give them a radio. It was natural, as a few good cocktails weren¡¯t enough to prove oneself as trustworthy. ¡°It seems to be going straight for them¡­ will it be okay?¡± However, Mokoud watched the scene with an anxious expression. The female monster was now wearing a ck catsuit it had made in an instant. It was easy to deduce that it wasn¡¯t justtex, but some weapon. ¡°That¡¯s really dangerous.¡± Mokoud was weak, but he was confident in his ability to judge the strong. In his eyes, that monster was a real danger that had yet to appear in his life. Just like in the great war decades ago, it must¡¯ve been the twisted power of the mother Gaia that could create such a monster. Otherwise, it would be impossible to have a body that was neither undead nor machine just like that. [¡­] ¡°Hey, that monster¡¯s hand.¡± While running, one of the monster¡¯s arm suddenly morphed. What was reformed in its ce was a muzzle, aimed right at Kang Shinhyuk and ire¡­ -Kwaaaaang! It fired off a shell of ck energy. -Vwoooooom The roar vibrated the heavens and the earth. Everyone who saw it thought that Kang Shin-hyuk and ire had vanished without a trace, but the next moment the dust cloud cleared to reveal the truth. For some reason, the monster that fired the shot was lying face down. The moment the shell was fired, Kang Shin-hyuk fired a bullet of light to intercept it and cause it to explode. ¡°What do you think?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who had been preparing to intercept the moment the evil android transformed its hand, looked back at ire for approval. She gave him a thumbs-up with hesitation. ¡°Look at our MacGyver¡¯s good eye.¡± ¡°Was that today¡¯s best shot?¡± ¡°Go, Kang Shin-hyuk, I choose you!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, Shin-hyuk!¡± He jumped off the roof after his yful chat with ire. The monster, sensing Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s sudden movement, stood up and fired off another shell. He avoided it easily, however. ¡°Ha!¡± When they got close enough to see each other¡¯s eyes, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s pistol fired off several times. However, the monster quickly learned and adapted as it threw itself to the side to avoid the bullets. Or it would have, had the bulletscked the ability to pursue tainted beings. The bullet bent at a 90-degree angle to m into the monster. The evil android was a highlevel monster, but Kang Shin-hyuk was a little stronger. Which meant it was difficult for it to withstand his attack power with its defense. [¡­] It let out a tormented crackling noise that sounded like a broken radio. Then, swinging its arm, it transformed into a long sharp sickle as it fell towards Kang Shinhyuk. The Godyer in Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand shed with it head-on. ¡­. !?!!] The moment the des collided, the Terminator- no, the evil android reacted violently as it was beaten back. The reason was simple: the Godyer had the ability [Sacred Sword], which was perfect for dealing with the undead. ¡°Will it be that easy?¡± Kang Shin-hyukzily swung the sword against. The evil android tried to stop him by firing a metal nail-like object off at him, but the sword cleaved right through the android¡¯s arm. [¨C] These days, Kang Shin-hyuk had been focusing on using his sword. It felt so natural in his hand. The evil android had nothing tobat it other than its highgrade physical ability. Whether or not it was connected to the power of the Gaia system, it disyed the optimal movement at each and every moment. The problem was that the optimum couldn¡¯t follow the path that Kang Shin-hyuk drew. ¡°Break!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swung the Godyer sword with one hand while firing his pistol with the other. Attacking an enemy with a gun and a sword at the same time was ridiculous as ying the piano while drawing. Rather, it could be downright suicidal, but his Golden Dragon Fighter made that nonsense possible. He used the de and gun to guide his enemy¡¯s movements, throwing them off bnce. Light magic flowed out of the sword and gun, tracing lines of light into the air. [¡­!!] The evil android retreated back with a stagger, deforming its body to fire off shots and try to split Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s body with a rotating serrated de, but it was all blocked. It was an easy task to detect and block enemy attacks with his trait. Even skills of a higher rank than his Golden Dragon Fighter couldn¡¯t fully escape its influence. ¡°Oh, right, he was in the Knight Department¡­¡± ire, who was going to help, ended up watching from the sidelines. It was so easy to forget when he was so engaged in smithing, but he was indeed a superhuman in all aspects. ¡°You have it all, even me.¡± Honestly, she loved Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s side as a producer but seeing him fight like this thrilled her middle-schooler sensibilities. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re amazing.¡± She continued to admire him as she recorded his activities, but something suddenly urred to her. ¡°Get it alive!¡± ¡°Hey?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been driving the evil android back but immediately let out a shout and reduced the energy in his sword. He kept tearing apart the evil android¡¯s body, but it was attracting zombies and mechanical parts to it to regenerate, though the quality of its body was gradually deteriorating each time. ¡°I was going to tear it apart until I broke the core, but¡­¡± He easily smashed the evil androids sword (which was gradually morphing to resemble the Godyer) and stabbed his sword through its stomach. [-!!!) ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.¡± Then he fired off several bullets with the power of light into its body to reduce its regeneration power to practically zero. A secondter, Shin-hyuk stored the pistol in his inventory and spread his hands wide, ten strands of thread wrapping around the monster. The evil android tried to turn its body into a de to cut down the threads, but it was impossible for a de without the power of the soul. ¡°What are you going to do by capturing it?¡± -For analysis, of course. The administrator responded calmly. -This terminal¡­ she¡¯s trying to hack the Gaia system connected to the android. ¡°Is that possible?¡± -It is for the members of the Hero Universe. Somehow, the administrator who didn¡¯t praise anyone other than Kang Shin-hyuk said such a thing. Confirming their intent, Shin-hyuk proceeded to weaken the evil android with his soul poison. ¡°The administrator doesn¡¯t have a crush, right?¡± -A 300,000HP bonus for your sense ofedic timing! ¡°You¡¯re doing it again.¡± At that moment, the evil android slumped over [¡­] It sounded like an out of tune radio making noise. -The Gaia system was directly disconnected. Realizing it couldn¡¯t win, it shut down. ¡°Aha.¡± -The message just delivered through the evil android is I¡¯ll be back.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk returned home, pulling the evil android behind him. All the residents of the street watched him and pledged not to bother the bartender again. chapter 203 – Terran in Neorust(4) chapter 203 ¨C Terran in Neorust(4) ¡°Fun android dissection time with ire!¡± As soon as Kang Shin-hyuk brought her theenemy, ire sat down and got to work.Kang Shin-hyuk stood beside her and fired upon the undeadfalling from thesky. ¡°ire, the battle isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Then broadcast the news on theradio.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for your help.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk leftthe evil android toire and began to deal with the zombies runningwild after the android¡¯s defeat. Ofcourse, ire was also helping in the clean-up with the drone¡¯sautonomous maneuvering function. A deep fog was spreading over the dark sky, and some ofthe zombies evolved intoghouls. The residents became tense upon seeing theghouls but soon let out sighs and began to mutter whenthey saw Kang Shin-hyuk clearing them all up alone. ¡°How the hell does he prate the ghouls¡¯ hard skinsoeasily?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a while for our garbage fusion guns to catch up¡­¡± ¡°What happened to the undead before?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t seem to have been killed.¡± A night of undead,corpse rain, and fog. If that were normal,then, of course, the appearance of ghouls now wouldn¡¯t trigger a special rm. Evenwhen the undead core appeared, the residentsjust readied to abandon their homes and leave the city. Yet the bartender¡¯s boyfriend (orat least that¡¯s how they viewed him) intercepted it and destroyed it. Even whenthe three undead cores fused together,he had taken care of them. ¡°The ghoul¡­ aren¡¯t they a little more than A-ssin terms of magic? But why couldn¡¯t Itake care of it with one shot? How can they withstand an SSS-ssweapon?¡± That very sameboyfriend wasining about things that the others would befrightenedby. -They aren¡¯t ordinary ghouls. Their skin containsfine metal particles. Well, that made sense, given the evil androidhad also been an undead. ¡°Which means they can¡¯t be judged simply by magicpower.¡± -A 150,000HP bonus for your astonishing judgment! While Kang Shin-hyuk tuned out the administrator and cleaned up theundead, ire was dissecting the android with a hum. ¡°Shin-hyuk, do you think I can controlthis?¡± ¡°Do you need surgical assistance?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t let any of the contents spill out.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± The evil android flinched every time ire puta knight into it, despite it being deactivated. However, ire continuedto work. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant scene to watch,so Shin-hyuk pretended to focus on subjugating the undead. ¡°Wow, look at the rotten flesh oozing from the inside. It looked fine only ontheoutside.¡± ¡°Double kill, triplekill¡­¡± ¡°Wow, this was a mana supplement. Wait,then the key part¡­¡± ¡°Quadruple kill, penta kill!¡± He didn¡¯t even blink when cuttingan enemy in half but listening to a corpse¡¯s anatomy wasa bit different. ire continued her work while deliberately checking to see his reaction. ¡°This is it.¡± ¡°You found it?¡± ¡°The structure is simpler than I thought.I didn¡¯t know how the tissue was structured, but the rest was taken into the undeadcore.¡± ¡°Be careful. I don¡¯t know whatsystem hacking will be like, but it doesn¡¯tseem like we can easily touch it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ worry.¡± Although ire was naturally proud of her abilities, she didn¡¯t boast aboutthings she couldn¡¯t do. And now, the administrator was backing her,so Kang Shin-hyuk believed in her and focused on the battle. Slowly,the mist scattered, and the sun dawned in the sky. The rain ofbodiesstopped. ¡°Done!¡± At that moment, ire raised her hands and cheered. It was socute that he wanted to hug her and cheer together, but he endured it patiently. ¡°What, did you really hack the Gaia system?¡± ¡°No, it seems a little difficult. It¡¯s hard toess from this side because of the quick disconnection. Instead,we got alot of information.¡± ¡°What sort of information was it to make you cheer so much?¡± Perhaps itwas the question she had been waiting for, as irepointed to the evil android confidently. ¡°It was the information on how to bring this backtolife.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She dissected it, but now wanted to revive it? Rather, itfelt like she meant something else. ¡°No way, how tomake an undead?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s subtract the undead element; I¡¯d rather make a golem.¡± ¡°A golem.¡± ¡°Very modern, very modern, and at the same time, very fantasy.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you mean an android.¡±Whether it was due to ck of time or ability, shesaid she could make something that wouldn¡¯t connect to the tainted Gaia system. ¡°I¡¯m thinking ofpletely reworking the inner structure. Can you help?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay after I¡¯m done working.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! I love you!¡± The battle ended well, and the harvest was good, sothe two enjoyed a little skin-ship as they hugged for a while.The street residents were staringat them on the roof as they shared a passionate kiss. However,once she noticed, she leisurelywaved them off. ¡°What? I¡¯m not going to hide it.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s something to be proud of?Oh, you¡¯re proud of me.¡± ¡°Exactly. Haha.¡± ire hung onto him and hugged his neck, letting out a heartfeltugh. ¡°Am I heavy?¡± ¡°What? Are you on my back?¡± ¡°Well, 90points!¡± ¡°Did you fasten your seatbelt? Then, I¡¯ll leave, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Okay, five more points. Start!¡± ire shouted happily as herlegs kicked in the air. He carried her down fromthe roof as she was, and whenthe hatch closed, the residents breathed a collective sigh. ¡°Are all humans like that? They¡¯resoloud.¡± ¡°But they did a good job.¡± ¡°Cheh, that man is good too.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t have children through same-sex mating, Regal.¡± ¡°The battle is over, so get off the radio. If you findany dead, report it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s none in this section, thanks to those humans.¡± ¡°Someone go check out the house that the zombies opened earlier.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go then.¡± The radio was cut off briefly; then,reports came in from each area stating everything washandled. ¡°What about pollution?¡± ¡°The amount of undead was absurd, but thanks to that cocktail, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Those outsiders were helpful, then.¡± ¡°They did well.¡± ¡°I was a bit suspicious¡­ but now we have no choicebut to trust them.¡± ¡°Not that doubting them will do us anygood.¡± ¡°Go in and go to sleep, everyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± One by one, the radios turned off, and Skobaid down thefusion gun he was holding. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re real lovers.¡± No, that wasn¡¯t the part that surprisedhim. He just felfortable around them. He knew they lived in a different dimension than him, their thoughtsand actions a world apart. ¡°Can they change Neorust?¡± Skoba shookhis head and closed the window. So, thefoggy night ended. Not that it could end. The night of fogwould continue again and again untll free-willed humans were wiped out. But, at leastthis time, everyone could fall asleep safely. *** Kang Shin-hyuk and ire returned to their daily lives in this new world. Shin-hyuk focusedon making the shackles while ire sold cocktails to customers and, asionally, worked onremodeling the android. She had collected a lot of mechanical parts from taking out theundead, so shewas making good progress on the remodeling. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll bepleted before the shackles, though.¡± ¡°How do you n on fixing itsinterior?¡± ¡°In fact, there is a sale on the trading board¡­¡± ¡°Ohhhhh¡­¡± In the blink of an eye, nearly two months had passed. The night ofthe fog arrived three more times, but no more undead cores fell fromthesky. Kang Shin-hyuk hapleted the shackles, and ire had finished the android. chapter 204 – Terran in Neorust (5) chapter 204 ¨C Terran in Neorust (5) ¡°Look around. Opposite direction. Jump. Get down. Sexy pose.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ire had finished theevil android¡­ no, now a pure android. It moved smoothly ording to hermands,tilting her attractive body forward andblinking in thatst sexy pose.Even Kang Shin-hyuk had to wonder if itwas really human, even though he helped fix it. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The android bowed in response to her praise, its voice soundingnatural. Thanks to her careful tuning, it could perfectly copy a human¡¯svocal organs in order to produce a beautiful voice. ire was atop-notch designer who worked with hardware and software, and Kang Shin-hyuk was a hardwaremanufacturer who knew how to perfect precision parts, so this was the natural resultof their coboration. However, despite its attractiveness andbeautiful voice, Kang Shin-hyuk felt a sense of horror athow it reacted so quickly and urately to ire. ¡°How on earth did you do it?¡± ¡°Are you asking about the artificial self? I have to enter a reaction patternfor every possible situation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Of course, situations not in the databasecan appear. That¡¯s why I teach itto learn. It canpare and analyze other situations to createnew patterns to new situations. If you build up the database like that,it will eventually be equal to,or even superior to, humans.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s kind of scary¡­¡± Could this AIbe beaten? Should he break it now? ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not possible atmy level, Earth¡¯s level, to create this level of AI from nothing.So, I made the most of the data left in its core. In other words, this canbe said to be a coborative work between me andthe contaminated Gaia system.¡± ¡°Can it think and judge for itself?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been exining that so far, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it was¡­¡± The more they talked, the more herealized he didn¡¯t know, so he decided to leave it be. ¡°I think it¡¯s timeto go back. Wait, I¡¯ve finished making theparts here¡­where did you put it?¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk, is this it?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Wow¡­¡± ¡°Our Shin-hyuk makes a lot of interestingsounds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem!¡± He epted the treeroot fragments with a smile but stiffened as he realized that the womanfacing him with a smile was the android, not ire. ¡°ire, did you put a human in this one¡­?¡± ¡°Do you need me to exin the artificial self fromscratch?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine; it just seemed so natural.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my masterpiece. Afterpletingthis, my alchemy has grown so much! Honestly, Igot a lot of help from that tainted Gaiasystem!¡± ire was patting the android¡¯s shoulder proudly. Its facelooked the same it had the day it attacked them, butits body was changed to emphasize its femininity abit more. However, the interior hadpletelychanged. The material purchased on the tradingboard was theperfect substitute for the human elements, although it wasmore like slime than a human. Now she wore a bartender suit, whichmade only it eerier since he knew she wasn¡¯t human. ¡°It¡¯s a little scary¡­¡± ¡°Did we make it for it to bein the uncanny valley?¡± ¡°It¡¯s scary because it¡¯s so perfect. You can¡¯t mass-produce this,right?¡± ¡°If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be a bartender but the ruler of a machine kingdom.¡±ire, who was the queen of a mechanical kingdom, would definitely be worth seeing.Kang Shin-hyuk thought about it and smiled unintentionally, but someone jabbed himin the shoulder. It was the android. ¡°Shin-hyuk, could you give me a name?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I have to give you one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I want a name from Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°What?¡± ire¡¯s eyebrows wriggled at the sight of her androids, rebelling against her.Kang Shin-hyuk motioned for ire to look at it,and the Android blushed as he tried toask if this was strange. ¡°If ire is the mother, Shin-hyuk is the father, so Iwant a name from him.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°Most of the parts inside of mewere processed by Shin-hyuk, and he added alot of materials, and¡­ most of all, you two are lovers.¡± Theandroid said so and twisted her body back and forth. Honestly, the image ofthat evil android swinging a de at him remained, but now itwas slowly fading. However, ire had a slightlydifferentidea. ¡°How can you say all these wonderful words?! My programming was perfect, afterall!¡± She felt a lot better after hearing that Kang Shin-hyuk and her werelovers. ¡°So is that really alright? Isn¡¯t it the ego of the taintedGaia system? Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s correct I was born from the Gaiasystem, but you don¡¯t have to worry aboutme being tainted.¡± Why didn¡¯t this guy know that made Shin-hyukeven more worried? He nced at the android suspiciously andchecked in with the administrator. ¡®Is thatokay?¡¯ -It is extremely fine. Both creators had a lotof spiritual power, so this result is normal. ¡®Spiritual power is involved here as well¡­ ah, yes, itwas a stupid question.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s doubts and concerns were all neatlyerased as he remembered the first timehemunicated with the Godyer sword. Didn¡¯t he, morethan anyone else, know that emotions inhabited objectswith strong spiritual power? He couldn¡¯t deny theheart of the android anylonger. ¡°My name.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you a Korean one.¡± Regardless of what race had to do withan android, her facial features were closer to a western woman.Her eyes were deep, her nose high, and her lips wererge. Her hairwas ck, but she was tall, and her eyes sparkled goldenly. ¡°The color of your eyes¡­¡± ¡°I like the golden eyes. BothEunah and you havethem.¡± ¡°But, why¡­¡± She really was like their daughter. He swallowed at the thought asthe android stared at him like a puppy. Android, AI, homunculus¡­ various video gamenames passed through his mind, leaving onlyhing. ¡°Let¡¯s call you, Vita.¡±It was the word that meant life in Latin.It was also a rather grandname attached to a game console, butit was a proper name for an android. ¡°That¡¯s a perfectly good name.¡± ¡°Vita, vita¡­ it means life in thenguage of Earth. Thank you, Shin-hyuk.¡± The android, vita,closed her eyes and bowed her head in gratitude. Kang Shin-hyuk could feel arge amountof spiritual power flowing from him into her, changing her and giving her asource. -You need to be careful in giving a name, member. ¡®Thank you for letting me know.¡¯ -A 400,000HP bonus for members who learnedsuch valuable lessons! Nowadays, he wondered if the purpose ofthe bonus was to raise him up. However,it wasn¡¯t a permanent loss of spiritual power, so theadministrator had probably thought it would be fine. ¡°Can I call you dad?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Vita had a sad expression again, but it didn¡¯tst long.ire also looked refreshed, looking at Vita as if she wanted to saysomething, but she soon shook it off. ¡°You can keep this bar safe until weback.¡± ¡°Are you leaving me¡­?¡± Her pureeyes asked if she was beingthrown away so soon. ire suffered a deep blow toher heart, but she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. When we go, people in this area won¡¯tbe able to drink the spirited cocktails. I thought of leavingbehind a vending machine, but not everyone wouldply with its usageandcapacity.¡± ¡°Are you worried about the people who will be left here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so that when wee back, we can smoothly perform the dimensional quest.That¡¯s why I decided toleave you behind. Now that you¡¯re upgraded, I don¡¯thave to worry about you being destroyed, andyou can even distribute cocktails topeople.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you made a lot of cocktails a while ago.¡± Asher alchemy had grown, so did her spiritual power, so hercapacity was ratherrge. Thanks to that, it was possible for her tomake hundreds of liters of cocktails at once. She had to buy one of theenergy bars that Kang Shin-hyuk loved to keepup with it, though. ¡°Then, I am connected to the two of you.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not throwing you away. We¡¯ll definitelyeback, right, Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The administrator said that the dimensional questmight be impossible, but he had no intention of giving up evenmore so if this world¡¯s current state resulted from the weapon he made. ¡°Then, I will be waiting here.¡± Vita nodded, her face dignified. ¡°Oh, destroy anyone who¡¯s noisy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill them; just warn them!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly intervened to correct ire¡¯s somewhat brutal order. ¡°It is the instinct of everyman to want to say certain things to aprettywoman.¡± ¡°Yes, then I will tell you what counts as a crime by my standards,so memorize them all. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, ire.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head at the conversationthey were having. ¡°ire, but Vita¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural as a creator to give yourandroid the ability to participate in sexual activities?¡± ¡°I stopped talking on purpose!¡± ¡°But nevertheless, this android is built withbat functions that won¡¯t allowanyone to touch her!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. Halo¡¯s waiting for me.¡± ¡°Okay, then please take care here, Vita. Be carefbout handing out cocktails.¡± ¡°Yes, ire.¡± Vita bowed deeply then moved behindthe bar. She almost looked like ire.Kang Shin-hyuk gave her a thumbs-up and turned around. ¡°But, Shin-hyuk, didn¡¯t you say something about mensaying things to pretty women they see?¡± ire clung tohis back andpoked his cheek. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°No, I just remembered when we first met.¡± ¡°You first called out to me back then.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Hm? Huh¡­?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s go.¡± The two left Vita behind. The general publicwho visited the bar the next day made a big fuss about thenew bartender, who looked like that evil androidfrom before, but their worries were easily quelled. chapter 205 – First Sight(1) chapter 205 ¨C First Sight(1) [It¡¯s not toote,Anvil.] ¡°No, it seems to be toote¡­?¡± The scenery that awaited Kang Shin-hyuk inMirotoz was terrible. Cracks were forming all over the ground thatva wasflowing through, dark clouds were choking out the sky, and what little water therewas had gone dry. He was confident he had made the shackles as quickly aspossible, but seeing everything made him regret hedidn¡¯t make it faster. -Thud! The giant took another step, the loud vibrationsmore pronounced than before. It seemed like thegiant was growing stronger with each step it took. Perhaps it had to dowith the energy of theworld. ¡°The field I made¡­¡± The field Kang Shin-hyukhad made with the sickles was alsodestroyed. This was the result of the sessive shocks to the earthfrom the giant¡¯s quick steps. ¡°Master Anvil, you came.¡± ¡°We thought the master Anvil might nevere again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not toote yet, Anvil, once before the world isdestroyed¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cling to me. I¡¯ll catch the giant.¡± The elves approached him assoon as they saw him, clinging to him. Hewondered what their feelings were, unable to stop the destruction of the giant that was getting fasterand stronger every day. He couldn¡¯t guess¡­but that didn¡¯t mean they could secretlytry to touch hisass. [It¡¯s not toote, Anvil. I can feel it alreadythat you havepleted my request very well.] ¡°Shall I take itout?¡± [No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll designate a specific ce, so please install it there.] Halo dropped a leaf ontoKang Shin-hyuk at that, and his vision suddenly widened. It was like he was lookingdown on the entire world. And a red lineran over the world he saw below. ¡°It¡¯s the giant¡¯spath.¡± [Now, do you have a sense of whereto install it?] ¡°Yeah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took out his bike and got on. The shackles were still storedin his inventory. He confirmed that all ofthe parts were in ce then nodded at the elves before takingoff. -Vwooooooom The blue cow let out a faint cry asit pushed itself faster and faster. No matter howrgethe giant was, it couldn¡¯t dream of catching upto KangShin-hyuk. -After a while, you will enter the giant¡¯s area. Please be careful not tobe pressed down byit. ¡°Area?¡± -You can think of it as a pressurized zone. ¡°Okay.¡± He wanted to give out bonus HP for thatintuitive exnation. And, just two minutester, the administrator¡¯s warningprovedtrue. -Vwoooo¡­! Suddenly, the movement of the blue cow stopped, and Kang Shin-hyukfelt a supernatural force crushing his body. Even though theshadow of the giant had yet to be cast overthem, its presence was bearing down on them. ¡°Spiritual¡­¡± -That¡¯s right. Its erged spiritual power exerts pressurearoundit. Any high-ranking person could artificially exert pressure like this,but it was just a waste of energy. KangShin-hyuk concentrated his spiritual power on the blue cowso it could endure and continue to run, but it was difficult forhim to move. How could he face off against such aridiculous monster? Rather, he was worried ifthe shackles he prepared wouldwork. ¡°If he¡¯s in contact with me throughspiritual power¡­ isn¡¯t he analyzing me rightnow?¡± -Only you are capable of such borate maniption of spiritual power.As I said before, he isn¡¯t deliberately releasing it; itis just bleeding out of control. ¡°If we talked about the giant by rank¡­¡± -It would be about X2. A new unit had appeared. Was he talking about ranks? -It¡¯s the rank system after SSS+ since you¡¯re curious aboutit. Basically, it is impossiblefor humanity toreach, and other mortals cannot easily dream of it. ¡°X, X2, does it keep going?¡± -It starts with X-. So, after SSS+, the rank increased again in this way: X-, X,X+, X2-. Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly thought of a cartoon he usedto enjoy. It was hard to feel strong when a monster ofsuch a distant state appeared. ¡°Let¡¯s see; I¡¯m SS-ranknow¡­¡± -With the soul connector, you have sufficiently exceeded the averageof SS-rank. It¡¯s an opponent that is eight or nine steps beyondyou. The word X symbolizes it is beyond the realm of mortals. ¡°But how the hell will this hold an X2¡­?¡± [Of course, they are shackles created by you.] Halo intervened. [What is the level of theshackles?] ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to confirm it because the assembly hasn¡¯t beepleted. Only¡­ I was able to view the ranks of theintricate parts that werepleted, but instead of a rank, a message saying it wasimpossible to viewappeared.¡± [That means it is definitely beyond the limit.] In other words, the shackles he made thistime would at least reach the X-rank. KangShin-hyuk felt a little relieved at Halo¡¯s words butstill felt a sense of despair at the overwhelming difference between his shackles and hisenemy. [Your stuff has always been better than the rank. Don¡¯tworry. By the way, have you arrived at the location?] The pressure given off by the giant had increased even more inthe meanwhile. Kang Shin-hyuk lifted his head and realized hewas above the red line in his mind. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder tobreathe.¡± [Assemble it. If you do that, everything will be over.] ¡°¡­I know.¡± He hurriedly jumped off the blue cow and began to produce theparts from his inventory, using his Golden Dragon tofight off the giant¡¯s pressure. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± He took out all the partsone by one. Each one was different in size,but even the smallest was still several meters long. There were hundreds of parts, butKang Shin-hyuk had perfectly memorized how to assemble them.Align the parts side by side and take out the spiritual adhesive.He had more than ten cans prepared, so there would be no shortage. [The giant has been hastened again.] -It¡¯s ridiculous to see such a huge body move like that. Halo and the administrator were conversing calmly as Kang Shin-hyuk felt tense. Hedidn¡¯t want them to worry, buthe also recognized their light attitude was an expression oftrust inhim. [Oops, the giant¡¯s speed suddenly grew faster.] -Double haste! Could it be that he evolved his skill in that shorttime? [Hey, he¡¯ll be there in the next five minutes.] Kang Shin-hyuk blocked them out and started assembling inearnest. It wasn¡¯t difficult, as he wasthe one who designed and manufacturedall of these parts. He squeezed outplenty of adhesives to glue theparts together, his movements bold and free of waste,and his eyes shone a golden glow. -Uooooooh! Somewhere far away, the giant¡¯s cry rang out. Thepressure felt like it was tryingto squeeze out Shin-hyuk¡¯s lungs, but he continuedto move. His body was covered in spiritual power and the Golden Dragon energy.The amount of energy hewas consuming was no joke, but he hadspiritual potions stocked up for this eventuality. He was nning on goingthrough every spiritual potion he had stockpiled from the login bonuses. -Guoooooh! Its voice sounded closer. Looking over, there were a pair oflegs reaching up into the sky like two indomitable pirs. Therewas no time to spare; however, he had to connect the joints togetherfirmly. It was only when the shadow of the giant fellover Kang Shin-hyuk that the parts had been fullybonded. The end result wasn¡¯t muchdifferent from the roots Halo had first provided him. [Really¡­ it¡¯sperfect.] But Halo admired the sight of it. He could see, at a nce, the spiritual powerand will contained in it. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nced up to check the giant¡¯sapproach. ¡°I¡¯vepleted it, so it¡¯s your turn, okay?¡± [Leave it tome.] Kang Shin-hyuk produced the Great Heavenly Spirit.Halo¡¯s energy had been poured out into theparts, but still half of it remained inthe orb. Without hesitation, Kang Shin-hyuk poured it out into the tree roots at thesame time he imbued it with his own spirit. The only thoughtin his mind was his will tobind the giant. Imbued with a single purpose from the start, it wouldn¡¯t bestrange if the tree roots rose by themselves to chase the giant. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this now¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk emptied outhis spiritual power into the shackles. The rest would beup to Halo and his creation. The shackles that Halo had wantedfrom his previous life were finally barelypleted with his insufficient skills now. Halo¡¯senergy and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power radiatedthrough the roots to tightlybind themtogether. -Quaaaaaah! The giant took another step. He hadn¡¯t noticed Kang Shin-hyuk yet, but he must¡¯ve noticedthe odd tree roots at his feet. But he didn¡¯tstop walking. Because it looked down onthe shackles? No, it could only move one way. And the moment the foot fell downover the shackles, the tree roots werepleted and glowed with abrilliant golden hue. chapter 206 – First Sight(2) chapter 206 ¨C First Sight(2) -By processing parts of a great being, you¡¯ve created the¡®Root of Judgement,¡¯ a tool that transformsthe future that has been set. Spiritual power has growntoSS-rank! -After a long period of effort, you havepleted a masterpiece.Metallurgy skill proficiency has increased to SS-rank. Strength has grown to SS-rank. -Synchronization has greatly elerated- current rate of 68.6%. The first thought that Kang Shin-hyuk had was, ¡®SS-rank, finally!¡¯ It hadbeen quite a while since his statuseshad grown, and now that he hadpleted the shackles, his strength andspiritual power had grown to SS-rank. ¡®I can feel my muscles and soul growing stronger.¡¯ The higher the rank,therger the actual growth was. Now, thanks to the soulconnector, Kang Shin-hyuk had amplified all his stats except Golden Dragon Fighterto SS+. Even as atop-ranker, he had achieved a level that wasn¡¯t easily found.However, his thoughts were quickly wiped away. -Quooo! The giant¡¯s foot fell onto the shackles, and the root roots wriggledand wrapped around his foot. -Kuo? Kuoo! The giant was trying to shake them off, but the tree roots were climbingup his body at an rming rate. They snakedaround its ankle and moved up onto its calf. Soon enough,the tree roots werewound around the giant¡¯s knee then quickly moved onto itsupper thigh and hips. It then split apart to wraparound the other leg and its waist. -Quoooooooh! ¡°Oh, hey¡­¡± The giant let out a resentment-filled screamas it was squeezed by the shackles. However, the giant¡¯s roarhad no effect on the tree roots. Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly felt alittle terrified as he saw the roots climb the giant¡¯sbody. ¡°Where did I see something like this¡­¡± -D Drive¡¯s Shinyoung high school¡¯s monster ecology files for the entrance exam prep¡­ ¡°Shh.¡± How did the administrator know that? He had already disposed of all thosematerials! He rebuked the administrator and silently watched the scene. Meanwhile, the gianttried to cast haste again to crush the shackles, butit was toote. The tree roots were preventing him frommovingproperly. -Oh¡­! Kaaak! The tree roots had already covered its chest andwere moving up to his neck, pressing on his vocal cords to prevent him fromscreaming properly. It was the moment the voice of thegiant who had ughtered the fragile creatures of this worldwas finallystopped. ¡°Wow, why haven¡¯t you done this before?¡± -There was a condition that Halo couldn¡¯t intervene directly. Jormungand was also unable tointervene excessively, so it borrowed power from the giant. He had roughly guessed that would be thesituation, but he didn¡¯t think that the shackles would bring aboutsuch a reversal. He thought they wouldprevent the giant from moving or use those shackles to drawhim into Halo¡¯s original world. But instead, it was this¡­ ¡®The shackles¡­ they looked like simple tree roots, but it is bound tothe ground and restraining it.¡¯ The essence of these shackles wasn¡¯t to bindthe enemy but serve as roots that dug into the earth. The moment theywerepleted, they deeply rooted themselves into the earth to be suppliedwith an infinite source of energy. -Kh¡­ ugh¡­! As Kang Shin-hyuk watched, the tree roots crawled intothe giant¡¯s mouth and prevented him from speaking.They moved inside of him, turning him into a mummy made ofwood. ¡°Halo, that¡¯sscary¡­¡± [This isn¡¯t my strength. I¡¯m just lending thend my power.] And these shackles, the ¡®Roots of Judgment,¡¯ couldconverge and exert that energy. -¡­! Then, the giant fell. Thehuge shadow shook, and the earth vibrated, making it seem like thesky itself was copsing.He urgently hopped onto his bike and sped away witha frustratedsigh. ¡°How can we ovee this by facing it head-on?¡± [Is it necessary to win that way?This is an overwhelming victory. Since the giant was caughtwith your shackles, what would it beif not yourvictory.] ¡°But it is your power that¡¯s killing him.¡± [I¡¯m not sure about that.] Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and looked down at the giant. It wapletely immobilized on the ground.However, the roots were beginning as they covered him more tightly. Only nowdid the shackle¡¯s true ability, Energy Drain, take effect. [The tree absorbs all the energy and storesit. In order to store it well, neither theroots nor the trunk can be weak. Lookclosely, Anvil. This is part of the secret to growing beyond the limit.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± The shackles tightened around the giant and absorbed its energy. Itflowed back through the roots deeply embedded in the earth, spreading itout through the world that had lost its vitality. The worldepted the enormous vitality of the giant and sproutedanew, still weak, hope. It was the work of Halo to processit. ¡°The giant is dryingout¡­¡± -It is a wee sight. This is apletevictory overJormungand. A being like the giant who could destroy the world wasnow being absorbed into the earth through the roots.All he could do was let out a sigh. Could hefight and beat the giant as he was now? Even if he extendedthe sword, it would be little more than a mosquito biteto him. He was saddened by the victory he hadagainst the artificial monster in Neorust as he considered it. ¡®I can¡¯t be satisfied with the SS-rank.¡¯ Earth¡¯s superhuman standards werejust like a child¡¯s ygroundpared to the Hero Universe. As a cksmith, herealized he hadn¡¯t yet reached the starting line as abat superhumanand feltdepressed. [It¡¯s over.] How long had it been before Halo said those words ina satisfied voice? The giant¡¯s body brokeinto powder, and a second after, so too did the tree roots, leaving nothing behind. ¡°¡­What is this¡­?¡± As the enormous existence disappeared, it felt like his vision was opened inan instant. Kang Shin-hyuk opened his mouth, stunned, as Halo kindly exined. [Some have been received by me, and somehave been sowninto this world as new possibilities.] ¡°¡­No traces left.¡± [No, there aresome.] At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes. ¨CWith an artifact containing the power of a great being, you havesuppressed one that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membershiplevel! You received 555,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you receivedan additional HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of832,500,000HP! -You have brought an end to an evil and greatbeing. Indirectly affected by the enormous source of energy, yourstamina, and Golden Dragon willgrow toSS-rank. ¡°¡­It really remains.¡± He didn¡¯t know he would be treated like hehad killed it. The HP bonus was immense, but sotoo was his growth. ¡®If I only increase my agility, all my stats will be SS-rank¡­¡¯Although it took a tremendous amount of time and effort tobuild the shackles, it was already worth it. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. [What are you talking about, Anvil? Those are thetraces Imeant.] Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and looked carefully at where the giant had been.Looking very closely, there was something there about the sizeof a fist. It was a bright ochre-colored bead. chapter 207 – First Sight(3) chapter 207 ¨C First Sight(3) [Earth Orb] [SSS-rank] [Special Abilities: Giant, Earth Spirit, Titan] *Giant: One who never breaks. It gives absolutedefense to those who have the orb andalso increases attackpower. *Earth Spirit: Grants the power of the spirit of the Earth. When standing on theground, all abilities increase, and you gainaffinity with theground. *Titan: You gain the power of the original giant born on the Earth. ¡°Oh¡­¡± There was a saying that simplicity was best. Kang Shin-hyuk thought thatthis orb fits that saying perfectly. In short, it was a treasure thatamplified defense and attack insanely. ¡°It¡¯s absurd.¡± -When you¡¯re standing on the ground, you canexpect an additional increase to stats. You¡¯ve received one powerful artifact. The administrator was right. Of course, the Shinfeng Orb,Dark Spirit Pearl, Great Heavenly Spirit, and Water Orb eachhad special abilities, so this was the first time he received an orb that specialized justin physical battle. Even just holding it in his handamplified his abilities immensely, so he could only imagine how powerful it wouldbe in the Godyer sword. It was a bit surprising,though, that the treasures all appeared in the form of such orbs. [How fun. The power of the giant mixed with mine to produce suchafruit.] Halo was even surprised after checking the item¡¯s information. ¡°This must¡¯ve been because of my refinement of the tree roots.¡± [It harmonized our two powers. Hmm, such a treasure would havebeen impossible to make if it weren¡¯t for your excellent craftsmanship¡­ it¡¯sourcoboration.] ¡°Can I take something like this?¡± [Sure. In fact, I¡¯ve returned all the energy except what is in thatorb to thisnd, so rather, I¡¯m theone who has gained a lot.] The giant was an X2 rank monster,so the by-products it would¡¯ve produced would have been immeasurable. However, ithad disappeared because Halo used theshackles to turn it into fertilizer forthis world. Therefore, Halo thought at least this would serve as a suitablereward for Kang Shin-hyuk. [I¡¯m rather sorry. I thought it would be enoughfor it to reach the X-rank¡­no, it is possible the orb doesn¡¯t fittherank.] ¡°If Halo says so¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk storedaway from the orb. Just like the other ones, he couldn¡¯t hand itover as it was likely to be apowerful card that would save his life. Additionally,it wouldn¡¯t be effective until it replenished its energy, so he had tosave it fornow. ¡°Do you think you can save the world with that giant¡¯s energy?¡± [It was a monster that could destroy the world, but it¡¯simpossible to save it. However, I was able to takecare of them so they can live in abundance forthe rest of their lives. That is thanks to the fields you created.] ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Itwas gloomy to hear that this world couldn¡¯t be saved.He recalled the image of Neorust as he thought of it. [But, with you, the vitality and spiritual power you possess, it may bepossible to sprout new nts in thisnd.] ¡°Is there still more I can do here?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swept his eyesover the area the giant had died before climbing onto the bike. [Sure. The seeds of this world are dead, so new ones are needed.] ¡°Seed? Oh, I don¡¯t know exactly what kindof seed it is, but I¡¯ll check the tradingboard.¡± -Member. [Anvil, that is not the type of seed I¡¯m talking about¡­] -Member, the quest is over, so let¡¯s go back right now. The administrator¡¯s message seemed somewhat cold. However, he had just caught the giant sothat he couldn¡¯t leave right away. Theyhad to celebrate with the elves, repairfacilities that had copsed, expand the fields¡­ [The seed I¡¯mtalking about is your love¡­] -Questpleted! Returning to My Room! The next moment, Kang Shin-hyuk was in his MyRoom. -Sorry, member, I returnedyou by my authority as an administrator. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I waste to understandwhat Halo was saying.¡± He didn¡¯t know what would havehappened with the elves had he stayed. Kang Shin-hyuk cleared his heartand looked around. The dim lighting,a fairly luxurious bed, and a burning furnace.There was even a nice anvil in front of thefurnacenow. ¡°There wasn¡¯t an anvil or furnace before.¡± -This is a questreward. It was a high-quality facility iparable to the simple stove and anvil he had been carrying.Kang Shin-hyuk looked at the anvil and suddenly felt his pulsequicken. ¡°What is this¡­ branch?¡± On top ofit was a branch about the size of hishand. On it was the leaf he used tomunicatewithHalo. -He said that when you finish the quest, you will receive the best branches. ¡°Hah, he sent them in advance¡­ can anyone use this kind of magic?¡± -It¡¯s impossible. Would you like to check its information? Kang Shin-hyuk gently examined the branches with his emotion skill. [The EarlyBranch] [???] [The purest branch of a tree that has grown sincethe beginning. It can umte a vast amount of energy and purify it.] ¡°I wonder what I did to look at this.¡± -It would be nice to have anaffinity with the Great Heavenly Spirit¡­ it feels a littletoo early to try and process it. ¡°It¡¯s still a long time away.¡± Still,there was something to be gained by examining the branch withspiritual power. He put it away carefullyin his inventory andid down on the soft bed. ¡°The bed is also softer.¡± -The dimension quest you solved this time involved a lotof high-ranking beings, so the rewards wereinevitablybetter. ¡°How about the quest on the Neorust side?¡± -That is not the name of the world¡­ probably, you willreceive more than this quest if you seed. Why? There were no traces of other Hero Universe members in that world; therewas only the artifactcreated by Anvil. ¡°¡­Is it such an importantartifact?¡± -That you will probably realize for yourself. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up, pursing his lips. -Would you like to go backtoEarth? ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to think of what Ishould make since I got the orbs.¡± -What will you make? ¡°A belt.¡± -¡­ ¡°A beadedbelt.¡± *** Kang Shin-hyuk returned to Earth safely after finishing his work. ire, who was dealing with customersat the bar, shook his hand with a brightsmile after heentered. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll changeclothes.¡± ¡°No, business is overanyway. Come and sit down; I¡¯ll give you something delicious.¡± ¡°You guys are asking me to leave?¡± The superhuman still left in the store clicked his tongue.He was one Kang Shin-hyuk recognized from TV as a high-ranker. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have any ns to hide our rtionship anymore, but Idon¡¯t know if the conversation will go well with Eunah.¡± ¡°No, what kind of rtionship do the Korean superhumans knowabout?¡± ¡°Korea?¡± The manughed at ire¡¯s frown. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re not just talking about Korea? No. 5 in theinternational ranks is entangled with the Alchemist. So, you twoare really dating? I also thought you had a better chance thantheEmpress.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, whydon¡¯t you ask her directly?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat at thebar table as he said that. The customer emptied his ss and stoodup. ¡°Me? I don¡¯t want to die. Then, I¡¯ll vanish as you wish, so please doyour best inlove.¡± ¡°Love?¡± Shin Eunah appeared at that moment. Witheveryone frozen, she first looked at Kang Shin-hyukand ire to confirm they weren¡¯t doinganything particrly suspicious. The two hadn¡¯t even been holding handssince he had just arrived, then Shin Eunah looked atthe man with clearrelief. ¡°So, who is datingwho?¡± ¡°Ah, Thunder Empress. It¡¯s been a while! It¡¯s me; I washoping to have an affairwith thebartender.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you married?¡± The man who wasn¡¯t aware Shin Eunah was that knowledgeableabout him was sweating as he backed up. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°Tsu.¡± Shin Eunah clicked her tongue at hisattitude. ¡°A cheating man is the worst. Don¡¯t betray your loved one. Nexttime I hear such a rumor, I will punish you severely on behalf oftheassociation.¡± ¡°Well, then! Of course! Everyone have a good evening!¡±The man disappeared from the bar, leaving behind only his tears.Kang Shin-hyuk and ire looked at Eunah, ncing away when shelooked back atthem. ¡°¡­Both have you been busy these days.¡± ¡°I was doing a personal request.¡± ¡°I was one a dimensional quest.¡± ¡°I wonder what it was. Uncle Halodoesn¡¯t talk much.¡± Shin Eunah walked down and satnext to Kang Shin-hyuk, then put her head on hisshoulder. ¡°I want to be together today. Tell me about thedimensionalquest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ire and Kang Shin-hyuk shared a nce, thinking the samething. ¡°Then, a drink first? Non-alcoholic for Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Thank you, ire. Yes, there¡¯s not much to say. Halo wanted to protect the elvesand stop a giant¡­¡± Rather than dating; it felt like they wereraising a child. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged and told the storyof the shackles he made. It was agrotesque story, but Shin Eunah listened with her eyes shining all thewhile. Halo suffered from the anger of ire and Kang Shin-hyuk the next day, as they learnedthe elves of that world were aiming for Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s chastity. chapter 208 – First Sight(4) chapter 208 ¨C First Sight(4) ¡°Is it possibleto deliver?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Manwoo, who checked then ten artifacts KangShin-hyuk had prepared, let out a sigh. ¡°This level deserves a bonus. You¡¯ve improved your skills again, buthow did you improve sofast?¡± ¡°Where¡¯d all of thise from? We just finished.¡± LeeNa-hee sounded a bit upset as she responded. She wasn¡¯t very happywith the idea that Kang Shin-hyuk was hiding too many things from his partner. ¡°I will also ept the next request. Are there manypeople looking for artifacts these days?¡± ¡°Tons. As the number of gates increases, the number of new awakenings doesas well. You¡¯ve heard of the new superhuman training center tobeestablished?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard.¡± No one knew when they would awaken. Those whodid so during childhood were treatedas elites by the time they attended a superhuman school like Shinyoung,as they had theirwhole life to learn and umteskills systematically. That was what the superhumantraining center was for: to educate superhumans in themost urgentmon sensebat methods over ashort period of six months. However, as gates exploded in urrence after the previous raid, thenumber of awakened people increased as a result. The originaltraining center couldn¡¯t handle all thesepeople, so a new one had to be established.That would exin why Shin Eunah was so busy, as allthose new superhumans neededteachers. ¡°But we¡¯re dealing with high-ranking guilds, sodon¡¯t rushit.¡± ¡°Yes, our brand will be going premium. I have tomake a high-end logo.¡± Lee Na-hee seemed to bethinking about the brand¡¯s logo these days. It was something KangShin-hyuk had never thoughtof. ¡°It¡¯ll be a year or so until I graduate,so we must firmly establish our brand¡¯s position.¡± ¡°Can I get your autograph?¡± ¡°How about K&L? Its official nameis K&LWorks¡­¡± ¡°My name in front¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk snorted, but Lee Manwoo looked a little surprised. ¡°Na-hee, you¡­¡± ¡°Oh, what is it?You¡¯re still there, grandpa? Let¡¯s work quickly.¡± Lee Na-hee beckoned for hergrandfather to go away, her face subtly red, butit was Kang Shin-hyuk who stood up. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go early today too. There is a call for the Wyvern Knights.Teacher, let¡¯s leavetogether.¡± ¡°¡­Do I have togo?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Na-hee pouted, but Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t noticeas he packed his bag. Then, Lee Na-hee puton her jacket and rebuttoned the shirt shehadreleased. ¡°Then, I want togo seeEllie.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight withus?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll y with Karen.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡± Lee Na-hee grabbed his handand started to run, leaving LeeManwooughing alone as he saw them off. *** As soon as he arrived, he expected Eleanor would start dueling with himas usual, but today there was a man hehadn¡¯t seen in a while in the center of the outdoor battleground. Overwhelmingsize, a muscr body. He swung his greatswordwith all hisstrength. ¡°Dous Payne?¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°What is it? Are you crazy about training these days?¡±Shin-hyuk tilted his head as he watchedDous go through a bunch of sword forms. ¡°I¡¯m here for the retirementceremony.¡± ¡°You did it a whileago?¡± ¡°Not retiring from the captain, but from the Knights.¡± Dous Payne pointedbehind him, towards the third years lined up. ¡°Oh, noway.¡± ¡°All third years will be retiring from the Wyvern Knightstoday.¡± ¡°Still, senior, the second semester¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already in December.¡± It really was. Afterpleting Halo¡¯s quest,he had repeated several small dimensional questsand shifted back and forth between the earth and other worlds,so he had forgotten even the passage of time. ¡°There are quite a few clubs that hold retirement ceremoniesbefore the second semester. We dyed our retirement ceremonyto this time to hold a special ceremony.¡± ¡°Special ceremony¡­¡± It didn¡¯t seem like the hall was crowded with anyoneexcept for the third-years,though. ¡°So, what are youdoing?¡± ¡°Dueling.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. How sneaky.¡± Kang Shin-hyuknodded, his face resolved. ¡°After we go, you will be the main pir of theknights. The final test is to see if we canentrust it to you. It¡¯s not sneaky.¡± ¡°So do I have to fight too?¡± ¡°Your turn ister. For the captain, in order¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Eleanor walked out from the other side of the hall,spear in hand. She raised her hand to greetKang Shin-hyuk happily, but soon looked confused as she noticed Lee Na-hee. ¡°Na-hee?¡± ¡°Oh, I followed him because I was bored. CanI look around?¡± At that, the members who were waiting around began to gossip. ¡°Wow, they openly go together. Itlooks like they really aredating.¡± ¡°Na-hee hasn¡¯t denied it. Don¡¯t they go well together?¡± ¡°If the captain became MissShinyoung¡­¡± ¡°Now, I¡¯m pissed off.¡± ¡°Shh, shh.¡± Eleanor looked back at the members then liftedherspear. ¡°Let¡¯s do it quickly. All at once.¡± ¡°But thevice-captain¡­¡± ¡°Everyone, hurry up.¡± Dous Payne¡¯s eyes shone. No matter how badly he was beaten,it was futile to try and fight more than ten third-years at once. However,he wanted to see how farher limits were. He thought it important to know her abilitiesif he were toprotecther. ¡°Okay, then. Everyone get ready.¡± ¡°No, are you really going to fight?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to bully a child¡­¡±Given Eleanor¡¯s height alone, it seemed like grown-ups were gearing up toharass a child. Hearing that, a fire began to burn in Eleanor¡¯s eyes.Kang Shin-hyuk could tell that those around her were dead now. He took aseat near Lee Na-hee andsmiled. ¡°It was a good provocation against our senior Eleanor.¡± ¡°Our Ellie is very strong.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not just strong; she¡¯s ahigh-ranker.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know.¡± Lee Na-hee had grasped Eleanor¡¯s true abilities while workingwith Masked Bhus. Asuperhuman experienced a dramatic increase inbat power when their rank rose,even if it was only by one, which meant that theirprobability of winning against Eleanor, who had been hiding her abilities, was practicallyzero. ¡®It seems that she has no intention of properlyrevealing her rank, but she has power beyond it.¡¯ The fight began. At that moment,Eleanor stepped forward and quickly swept her spear, throwing down two third-years. They hardlyknew what hit them as they werepushed hard to the side. ¡°Why would you say she¡¯s a child?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± ¡°Oh, another one is flying.¡± One of their senior¡¯sswords was knocked away by the spear,and Eleanor quickly moved to evade Dous¡¯s greatsword. She usedhis huge body as a shield to break theline of sight with the others, turning around him andshing out withherspear. ¡°Kaah!¡± ¡°Kaahk!¡± ¡°Wow, we¡¯re likeextras.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is when youfight the captain.¡± In an instant, only seven remained out oftwelve. The remaining fighters exchanged a nce and thengot into battle formation to push onEleanor. ¡°It¡¯s not a boss raid.¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been effective had it beenone.¡± If they besieged her from all directions and rushed at once, their chancesof winning would have slightly increased, but as it was, they were takendown one by one. Despite being third-years belonging to theWyvern Knights, the strongest of the Knights Department, theycouldn¡¯t even grasp the path of Eleanor¡¯s spear. ¡°Are they so weak?¡± ¡°Senior is too strong.¡± Eventually, only Dous remained. Now that no oneelse was left, he strengthened his whole body withmagic. ¡°Dous.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been still. Of course, you seem to be stronger as well¡­¡± ¡°¡­I had a good partner.¡± Eleanor pointed herspear at him. Dous nodded in satisfaction, not even thinking ofasking who her good opponent was. The greatsword in his hand trembled as magic was concentratedinto it. Kang Shin-hyuk sat forward, interested in whether that washistrait. ¡°Eleanor R. Algiers, I will leave it toyou for one year. I wille back to youin ayear.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°This is my confession to you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± The greatsword and spear collided with agreat roar. However, Dous¡¯s sword was still insufficient to prate [Crab Volg]. ¡°¡­After all, she isa wonderfulwoman.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Eleanor¡¯s spear mmed into Dous¡¯s face, and she was annoyed to see he hada happy smile despite his attack beingpletely blocked. The members stoodup and pped as they watched Dous pass out. Withthat, it seemed like the retirement ceremony was over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s reallysilly.¡± ¡°Oh, I have to test the vice-captain too! Wake up,everyone!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a look, now¡­¡± The wyvern knights would develop under areliable captain and vice-captain. The third-years retired with ease, trusting in theirjuniors. It was now early December. chapter 209 – First Sight(5) chapter 209 ¨C First Sight(5) -You received ten ¡®Advanced Spirit Potion¡¯as the VIP roulette reward! Congrattions! Under a night sky and a full moon, an oval gate ofdark and hazy fog had appeared in the middle of downtown Seoul, spinning round andround as it spewed unusual mana. -Be prepared! SS-ss gate [Apuseof the Weak] has been released! ¡°Interesting gate name.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood before the gate,correcting the position of his mask over his nose. Next tohim, Baek In-ha was on-top of the blue cow,muttering tohimself. ¡°SS-ss¡­ Shinyuk, will I be okay with this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I rented you the bike and the orb.By fighting strong enemies, you¡¯ll be able to grow faster.¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t die.¡± Baek was forced to nod in response, ashe had experienced an unusual amount of growth while working asa part of Masked Bhus the pastfew months. His status had risen as high as fourtimes in thest month. Even his agility showed signs of growth,so if he kept this up, he would reach the level he wasaiming for by the first semester of his third year. ¡°Shinyuk, do you fight like this all the time?¡± Baek asked socasually, but he was gripping his pistol asthe gate gradually expanded. Kang Shin-hyuk contemted which of his twopistols he shoulduse. ¡°I¡¯ve fought with ire a few times.¡± ¡°Oh, really? You two lovebirds.¡± ¡°What am I to do? ire¡¯s potions have saved memore than once.¡± Whenever Shin-hyuk was in danger, ire had preparedhim those miracle potions. Honestly, he thought it was a cheatkey. He sometimes wondered how it was possible. He hada hypothesis, but he knew no one would want to hear it. Therefore,there was only one thing he could say. ¡°It goes so well with me¡­ is it the power of love again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is itluck?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Eleanor, who was standing next to KangShin-hyuk with a pistol, began to pout. Baek wasquick tointervene. ¡°Eleanor-noona, abandon Shinyuk tonight ande with me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, the gate is opening.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor took a step away from them while looking seriously at thegate. Kang Shin-hyuk raised one hand andsaluted Baek¡¯sloss. ¡°I salute your spirit of endless determination.¡± [Stop joking! It¡¯s reallyopening!] ire¡¯s voice came through the receivers in their ears. Shewas waiting in the air on her bike. Lee Na-hee, who wasused to moving on the back seat with ire, was using adrone she made with ire¡¯shelp. -Gigigi. -Gigi. The gate opened, and insectile legs began to protrude from it. Kang Shin-hyukpicked up his Phoibos and fired right at it, contacting ire. ¡°We¡¯ll need a shield.¡± [It is an SS-ss after all. I¡¯ll activate the field.] With the gate at its center, a shield made of mana rose up from allsides. In an instant, the area around the gate became an enclosed space.Superhumans referred to this as a field. Inrgescale situations, installing barriers was useless, but when there wasonly one gate urring, it was important to prevent coteral damage and monsters¡¯ escape. Of course,it wasn¡¯t impossible for monsters to pass through it with their fullpower, but it made it easierto monitor where theywere. -Bang! ¡°Oh, they die in one shot? I used plenty ofmana, but it¡¯s still too weak for an SS-ss monster¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath on needless chatter.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk yelled at Baekand fired off severalbullets himself. But it was true that they werereally weak. They weren¡¯t fast nor durable. Crawling outwith a strange crackling sound, they were shot beforethey could even do anything. But what he didn¡¯t like wasthat there were no dead bodies left behind. Kang Shin-hyuk checkedtheir movements with his gun and contacted ire again. ¡°How does it look from above?¡± [The rate at which the life reactiondisappears is oddly fast. Grab one and take a closer look.] That meant to examine itwith spiritual power. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and immediately grabbed his other gun.Unlike Phoibos, which symbolized light, it was a gun that symbolized darkness. [Thyrsus No.0-Erebos] [SSS+ Rank] [Special Abilities: Supply Ammunition, Dark Bullet, Encroachment, Protection] *Supply Ammunition: As long as you have the ammunition, itis automatically loaded into the magazine even if you do not load it individually. Increases the destructivepower of bullets by40%. * Dark Bullet: In the dark, speed and power are maximized, andin the shadows, bullets move faster. When live ammo is loaded, the energyconsumption is extremely reduced, but the effect of theability is reduced by half. *Encroachment: Forces the enemy to assimte with the darkness, inflicting damage over time by instilling poison intothe darkness itself. Extremely lowersthe enemy¡¯s dark resistance andtraps them in shadows. When live ammo is loaded, the energy consumption is extremely reduced,but the effect of the ability is reduced by half. *Protection: The blessing of deep darkness inhabits the gun to protect the user and strengthens theirability to deal with the darkness. [The hidden series of a luxurypistol made by a great craftsman. It has the ability to supply ammunition butis recognized as No.0 because it shows its power when shooting without liveammunition. It was made using extremely rare materials, but unfortunately, the creators¡¯ understanding ofthe darkness is a bitcking, so it remains atthe limit of mortality. Because it has a user-limited imprint, it cannotbe used by humans other than the owner, but its power increases whenit is held by theowner.] The gun was one notch higher than Phoibos. A + was added tothe rank, but it meant that this gun had actuallyreached the limit of an artifact. To go beyond it, into therank of X, meant reaching a status that couldn¡¯t be measured bymortals like Kang Shin-hyuk. If hehad a skill like [Dark Mastery], it might¡¯ve beenpossible to push the gun into thatrealm. ¡®I used the mana stone and by-products left by the Sedimentof Chaos.¡¯ Although the Sediment of Chaos had a lowrank of SS+, its potentialcould bepared to the X-ss. Had KangShin-hyuk not beenable to deal with it using the Dark Spirit Pearl, everyoneelse would have been devoured and turned into asacrifice to raise its grade. ¡°Now, it¡¯s a good material for my gun.¡± -Bang! A bullet pierced through an insect crawling out of the gate andstuck into its shadow. At that moment, he began torattle offbullets. -Bang, bang, bang, bang! Like Phoibos, it was a gun thatcould be fired without ammo,though it consumed more energy than Phoibos. You couldn¡¯t be too vignt whendealing with an SS-ss gate, so he made sure to conserve hisenergy. The bullets embedded in the area resonated, expanding the shadowsto stop those not directly pierced by bullets. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s impressive everytime.¡± ¡°Each one is an artifactparable to a high-ranking trait¡­¡± Baek and Eleanor broke intoa cold sweat as they quietly spoke. They were also armed with pistols Shin-hyukhad made, but his was certainly of the highest quality. ¡°Only deal with the new ones. I needto figure out why these guys are dying so fast.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He let his spiritual power flow through the shadows onthe ground and into the source of the monsters thatwereimmobilized. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He always felt filthy after searching forthe source of a creature whose very concept ofexistence was so different from his own, hat held such hostility toward humans. Hepressed it back and continued to search through them, searching their lives, defenses, abilities,those unpleasant crackling sounds¡­then he lifted hishead. ¡°Stop shooting.¡± He fired off another bullet into the center of the gate, elerating itwith the darkness of the night. A ck hemisphere shaped area unfolded around the bullet, blocking everythingthat entered it. The insects wriggling on the floor, and the onesprotruding from the gate were allpaused. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯sawesome.¡± ¡°From now on, don¡¯t use the pistols and kill them one by onewith maximum power. Youunderstand?¡± ¡°Have we not been killing them so far?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced the high-grade spiritual potion hereceived from the roulette and drank it. He had been really disappointedwhen he ran the roulette and just received tenpotions. Well, he was stilldisappointed. ¡°ire?¡± [Got it. I¡¯m preparing to intercept the gate¡­] ¡°These guys teleport when theyare shocked. They don¡¯t die; they sacrifice a little magic power to teleport away.¡± [Wow¡­] Fortunately, Kang Shin-hyuk could keep them bound. [Wait a minute, but you couldn¡¯t catch them moving? Is that even possible?] ¡°They¡¯re teleporting into a gate.¡± [Say thatagain.] ¡°They¡¯re teleporting into a nearbygate.¡± [What kind ofndmine-like poweristhat?!] ire urgently contacted the Superhuman Association HQ. Meanwhile, KangShin-hyuk worked with Baek In-ha and Eleanor to clean up the frozenbugs. With them tied down by darkness, they couldteleport away before theydied. ¡°We have to clean this up quickly and go through all thenearbygates.¡± ¡°Do you know their range of movement?¡± ¡°Yes, fortunately, I think we only need to check200gates.¡± ¡°What a mess¡­¡± The three sighed but somehow cleared all the bugs inthe gate. At that point, they could hear a bang fromsomewhereafar. ¡°ire?¡± [Straight line, 20 kilometers away at a C-ss gate¡­do those monsters have the ability to explode?] ¡°¡­The one I looked athad the abilityto freeze enemies around it.¡± [Maybe each one has differentabilities¡­?] He felt his heart sinking at ire¡¯s words. Kang Shin-hyuk met his colleague¡¯sgaze and struck the gate with his sword. The total number of bugs that had teleported away was 33. Their hellish night had only just begun. chapter 210 – First Sight(6) chapter 210 ¨C First Sight(6) ¡°Eunah¡¯s busy right now?!¡± [She¡¯s moving. We¡¯ll respond as quickly as wecan, but 200 gates are impossible.] ¡°The monster¡¯s magical pattern¡­ oh, they¡¯reall different. This is really crazy!¡± [Apuse of the Weak] The gate was focused onmitting terrorist acts. Allthe monsters were simr in appearance, but theinformation thatposed them couldn¡¯t be used fortracking, and all they had inmon was their teleport ability.The reason their defense and stamina were so low was that they were specialized inother abilities. They were tricky monsters todealwith. [I have requested all guilds that can move, but¡­is itSS-ss?] ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t send just anyone.¡± [The word SS-ss is too easy these days.] ¡°I know, yeah!¡± ire called Shin Eunah while Kang Shin-hyukfoughtbelow. ¡°Shin-hyuk, can you finish the gate by yourself?¡± [I can do it. Send these two to another.] ¡°Okay, then In-ha and Eleanor, move to these coordinates!¡± [Yes!] With the help of Kang Shin-hyuk, ire arranged the gates in the area whereinsects could quickly move to. In addition, withShin Eunah¡¯s cooperation, they identified those that were inside the gatesand prioritized gates where people needed to be rescued. [It¡¯s almost organized here, so you go to ire.] ¡°But, theboss¡­¡± [If you have any potions, give it to me.All I need is that, so save some people.] ¡°¡­Okay, I made one.¡± ire prepared a special transcendental potion with all ofher spiritual power. The materials used to makeit were rare, and it consumed too much spiritualpower so that ire couldn¡¯t produce them for sale despite the demands ofthe governments around the world. She had been telling them they would only work for specific people. Thatwas only half-right. It was true that it had a tremendouseffect on Kang Shin-hyuk, whose spiritual power was like his own limbs, but itcould absurdly enhance anyone even if they didn¡¯thave spiritual power. She descended to the ground to hand-deliver the potionto KangShin-hyuk. ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Thanks, you too.¡± ire gave him a brief kissbefore flying back up to the bike with Lee Na-hee on the back.Lee Na-hee continued to manage her drone with a sorrowful expression. ¡°You did it on purpose.¡± ¡°Huh? Let¡¯s justhurry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to beat you.¡± ¡°Then, we would alldie?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, you¡¯re right. Sorry. Go quickly, unnie.¡±The two left, leaving Kang Shin-hyuk alone. He watched thegate cautiously while holding the potion bottle.The moment the boss appeared, he was going to drink it.It wasn¡¯t because he was worried about the boss, but ratherwhat came after that. ¡®In order to block SS-ss monsters, only those above the mid-ranks in theguilds can move, but the amountin Seoul right now is too small. I haveto clear this gate quickly and help.¡¯ It hadbeen toote to prevent the damages, but he hadmanaged to figure out their n and tie upthe remaining monsters so they couldn¡¯t teleport. At this point, if there was no boss,the gate would vanish, but the energy output was still quite high. That meantthere was a boss. At that thought, energy began to swell inside the gate. -The named boss monster¡¯ Ruin Drummer (SSS)¡¯ from ¡®Apuseof the Weak¡¯ is appearing. Be careful! It is anextremely high-levelenemy! The moment the message appeared, Kang Shin-hyuk drank the potionwithouthesitation. -You¡¯ve consumed the special Transcendental Potion (SS+)containing the Alchemist¡¯saffection! -It is a potionpleted by transcending limits with the powerof affection. It is very rare for a producer otherthan you to reach the SS+rating. He almost spewed a bit of the potion out at theadministrator¡¯s needless message, but he barely held on. -All wounds below the fatal level have been healed. The effect has been amplified bythe spiritual power contained in the potion. All woundsand abnormalities will be healed, and the remaining healing power willremain in the body for a while to protectyou. -For fifteen minutes, all stats will increase by two steps. The effect hasbeen amplified by efficiently receiving the spiritual power contained in thepotion. For thirty minutes, all stats will increase by threesteps. Spiritual power has gone up one more level. -Connecting to the source of the spiritual power contained in the potion,it has been strengthened. The potion effect willst an additional ten minutes! -Strength, stamina, and spiritual power have reached the threshold (SSS+).In order to grow beyond this,you must break through the limit with aspecialexperience. Messages he had been expecting and unanticipated onesappeared before his eyes, but he paid noattention tothem. ¡®One more thing.¡¯ He produced the earthorb and put it in the belt hewas wearing on hiswaist. -The effects of Giant, Earth Spirit and Titan have been applied. -The effects of all special abilities have been amplified by 1.2times due to the effect ofthebelt. The belt fit perfectly around his waist ashe tightened it. Itseffect was simple. There was a slot in it for anorb. If an orb was cedin it, the orb¡¯s effects would be applied.It had no use other than that, but itwas of great importance to Kang Shin-hyuk, who hadmultiple orbs. In tightening it, he wasable to amplify the orb¡¯s effect by sending Golden Dragon Fighter throughit. ¡°Wow¡­ I feel like a hero.¡± -You look cool,member. Shortly after that, the gate exploded, and a giant monster rosefrom within it. -Quooooooh! ¡°Kh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk evaded back from the boss and looked up as itraised forward with enough speed to pierce the sky.It was a disgustingly huge centipede-shapedmonster with countless legs and a protruding stomach.Looking at it, Kang Shin-hyuk felt a sh of intuition as towhy it was called the Ruin Drummer. He had to end itbefore it could hit the drums! -Quooo¡­ ¡°No way!¡± It looked down at Kang Shin-hyuk and movedits countless legs with augh-like sound, but the dark bullet that he fired mmed into itslower body and spread darkness around it. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly¡­!¡± Perhaps this boss monster would activate its ability bytriggering the sound with its legs. He drew his Godyersword and put the Dark Spirit Pearl in it,ignoring the messages popping up as he spurred off the ground. ¡°Ha!¡± He stabbed the Godyer into its lower bodywhile firing madly with Erebos in his other hand. The bulletsforcibly injected dark mana into his foe, while the Dark Spirit Pearl began to use thatas a base to dominate the enemy¡¯s body. -The power of the Dark Spirit has suckled the enemy intoshadows. -Chuaaaaaaaah?! Inky darkness spread around the sword as the bullets continued tocontaminateit. -Kaaaak, kaaak?! With its lower body paralyzed, the giant centipede panicked and triedto activate its ability, but it was toote. None of its legs wouldmove. -No way, you really stopped it. The administrator was dazed by his quick response.Kang Shin-hyuk fired off several more bullets before putting the gun away in his inventory andgrabbed his sword with both his hands. Leveraging it, hedrove it deeper into the centipede¡¯s body. Like its subordinates, it had a lowdefense for its ss, so Kang Shin-hyuk could cut through itwith the power of the potion he drank and the earthorb pushing his strength to SSS+ rank. ¡®Can I kill it in one blow? No, I haveto.¡¯ He ground his teeth and checked his spiritual strengthas he held the sword handle. He was quickly recovering thanks to ire¡¯spotion even after spending almost 70% ofhis spiritual power. His eyes shone golden as he pulled on the sword. ¡°Go!¡± The dragon¡¯s tail, which started at the sword¡¯s handle, stretchedand elongated down the sword, the energyshooting out of themonster. -Kyaaaaah! The only thing the monster could do was scream. The goldendragon protruded from the sword and broke through the monster¡¯s head to ascend intothe sky. And the moment it reached its peak, it became lightning and descendedto hit the boss again. -Kwaaaaaaaaa! Kang Shin-hyuk pulled the Dark Spirit Pearl out of his swordas he removed it from the ashes. Hestored it away in hisinventory with the sword, both needing a break after that. KangShin-hyuk also had to sit down as the ashes fluttered in the air like ck snow, exhaustedafter using most of his spiritual power. ¡°The first snow this year isn¡¯t bad¡­¡± -You¡¯ve subdued one that is harmful to theorder of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 52,000,000HP!As a VIP bonus,you received an additional amount ofHP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 78,000,000HP! -You received the Ruin Drummer¡¯s Skill Stone! ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk rubbed his eyes. Then he jumped up and checked the skill stone. chapter 211 – First Sight(7) chapter 211 ¨C First Sight(7) The monster that appeared at the SS-ss gate Masked Bhus was in charge of was named thegate jumper by the Korean Superhuman Association.It was a monster that could casuallycross barriers that couldn¡¯t be ovee. Immediately after the jumper that passedinto the C-ss gate caused a massive explosion ofmana that killed three people,the association announced the emergency. The Superhuman Association¡¯s irregr gate controlroom was at the center ofthechaos. ¡°Please deploy all the people you can!¡± ¡°Fortunately, therge guilds at the standby are actively supporting them. Vanguard, in particr,is putting in all their spare power.¡± ¡°Vanguard is eager to recover their lost image.¡±All 200 gates in a radius of ten kilometers around the SS-ssgate [Apuse of the Weak] were ssified as dangerousareas where the gate jumpers could appear. Since therewas no way to get in touch with those already inside the gates, theassociation was dispatching superhumans primarily around the gates where people were. ¡°The members of Masked Bhus aremoving fast; they¡¯ve already killed five jumpers.¡± ¡°Ha, this situation is their fault, so ofcourse, they have toworkhard.¡± ¡°What bullshit is that? If it weren¡¯t for them,the jumpers would¡¯ve overflowed to gates all over Korea. Don¡¯t speak such nonsenseandwork!¡± ¡°Overseas support¡­ is it too difficult? Okay, but then¡­¡± It wasdifficult to ept a sudden request forsupport from overseas, but above all else, quick responseas a top priority. If the foreign rankers couldeover, the situation would be resolved. ¡®Should I? No¡­¡¯ Shin Eunah watchedthe control room monitor and anxiously tapped the wirelessearphone in her left ear. It was the teleportablemunication device shared among thetop-rankers. However, since this situation wasn¡¯t a crisis for the top-rankers but ratherfor the country, if she asked them forhelp, she would be in their debt. It was possible that whenKorea desperately needed her strength, they would call on herfor something else. ¡®Also¡­ no.¡¯ Shin Eunah clenched her jaw, putting her hand to her chest. ¡°I will dispatch myself. Themand of the situation will be handedover toSora.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, chief.¡± At this, one of the crew members collecting the reportsraised hishand. ¡°It looks like the gate¡¯s boss has been killed! The gate has beenextinguished!¡± ¡°Already?!¡± ¡°Shin Eun-hyuk¡­ he has taken careofit!¡± ¡°Damn, she believed in him from the beginning!¡± A sigh of reliefwas let out inside the control room when the news arrived that KangShin-hyuk had solved the gate. However, it took tenseconds to realize the situation hadn¡¯t been fully resolved. [I found a bug deep inside a gate! I also found survivors¡­no casualtiesyet!] ¡°¡­ire?¡± Shin Eunah frownedas ire¡¯s report came in through themunicationdevice Eunahhad. ¡°What are you talking about, ire?¡± [Wait, I¡¯m trying to corner it¡­ got it! I killed itin one shot!] ¡°So, you got it?¡± [Yes, why? I need to move to the next gate quickly¡­] ¡°I just received a report that the SS-ss gate you were incharge of has been destroyed, but the monsters haveremained?¡± [Has Shin-hyuk already handled thegate? As expected of my man- no, wait.] Shin Eunah was annoyedshe couldn¡¯t ask ire what she meant as they were inan urgent situation. ire was quick to cover her mistakeup. [Usually, when a gateis destroyed, the monsters belonging to it are as well, but thatmeans these monsters aren¡¯t bound by that gate. Then we have tomovefaster.] ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Themunication was cutoff. Shin Eunah let out a sigh. Certainly, now wasthe time to move rather than think. ¡°I will go. Please give me the coordinates.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The officer carefully handed herthe gate coordinates. But, just as she was about to teleport, herearphones vibrated again. [Hi, this is BridgetPoulsen.] ¡°¡­¡± Red Shoes, Bridget Poulsen, the Danish woman recently selected to be the seventh-rankedsuperhuman. She had entered the high ranks faster thanShin Eunah, but she was a normally passive superhuman who was faithful toher career as a model and actress. Her potential was good,however, and she was the least likely among the candidates to betrayhumanity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m busyright now. If it¡¯s trivial, I wille and assistter.¡± [I heard about Korea. I¡¯m trying to help.] ¡°You cannot ask for help in a situation other than a personal top-ranked crisis.¡± ShinEunah responded curtly and teleported to the coordinates given toher. She spread her mana throughout the gate to findthe SS-rank monster and started moving. Teleporting insidethe gate was much more difficult, so she instead relied on her high-speedmovement. [It¡¯s because I personally want to help. I¡¯m not reallyhoping forpayment!] ¡°You?¡± [Yes!] ¡°You who refused to go to a gate because you had toshoot amovie?¡± [Yes!] ¡°Why?¡± [I really don¡¯t want anything, so can I help you? I¡¯lluse this to head there right away!] Shin Eunah thought this woman was suspicious. She had been chosen because itwas unlikely she would be a traitor, but now, as soon as anemergency had urred in Korea, she contacted Eunahas if she had been waiting to offer help. Therewas no way it wouldn¡¯t be suspicious. ¡°¡­Thank you. Then, please.¡± [Yeah!] But, even so, she had toept the help. She decided to ept her and believe that it would befine. ¡°Wow, this is really amazing!¡± Bridget showedup right away, wearing a gorgeous dress that made her looklike she had dressed for a fashion show. ¡°Hello! It¡¯s good to see you again!¡± When Bridget smiled at her, Shin Eunah felt a chillrun through her body. She was clearlyweaker than herself, but this womanwas clearly dangerous to make her feel such tension. Shin Eunah¡¯sface was stiff as she thought so. ¡°The situation seems urgent, so let¡¯s go,quickly!¡± ¡°Miss Poulsen, you can head here.Please, as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t wemovingtogether?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her shoulders dropped with a very disappointed expression.What was she nning by wanting to move together? Shin Eunah¡¯seyesnarrowed. ¡®Can I really entrust the rescue work to this one? No, then I haveto give her gates where nobody is.¡¯ Her thoughts were gettingplicated asBridget suddenly raised her head to face Eunah. ¡°But I¡¯ll work hard,so once it¡¯s over, just one date!¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work, even a cup of tea! If you promise me that,I¡¯ll movefirst!¡± ¡°Wait, no, who¡­ a date¡­?¡± However, Bridget Poulsenwas already off. She pondered the meaning of whatshe said for about three seconds before heading off. ¡®That woman is dangerous¡­!¡¯ *** -You have acquired the Spatial Coordination (SSS) skill stone. ¡°¡­Admin.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but askeven though he knew the situation was urgent. ¡°Isn¡¯t the limit of general skill rarity SS+?¡± -As a member who has already learned Soul Poison through askill stone, I have no choice but to admire your senseof humor! 100HPbonus! ¡°Oh, I guess so.¡± A rare SSS skill stonerted to space? It wouldreceive tremendous attention even if he posted it on the tradingboard. What should he do with itin this currentsituation? ¡°I can¡¯t afford to consider aptitude, right?¡± -I don¡¯t think it would be bad, at least. ¡°Thank you for your support.¡± He smiledand took it in without hesitation. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± Immediately, severe pain struck his mind. It felt like his brainwas forcibly expanding. He instinctively used Golden Dragon to protect himself. He believed that thispower that was specialized in strengthening all thingscould somehow protect his brain. -You have absorbed the essence of the Skill Stone.Unique skill [Space Coordination (SSS)] has been awakened! And his faith was rewarded. His brain, momentarily strengthened beyond itslimits, seeded in epting the newchanges as a new skill was inscribed into his body. However, the changes didn¡¯t end there. -Golden Dragon fighter has been greatly stimted and has grown toSS+rank! -Talent [Guardian Golden Dragon (SS)] has met one of theconditions for evolution. As soon as the remaining three conditionsare met, the trait will evolve. His eyes went wide. His Golden Dragon hadgrown, but now it was a higherrank than his spiritual power. ¡®A condition for evolution, too.¡¯ It was a message he hadnot seen for a while after his trait had grown. Although there werethree conditions left, it felt like a miracle to find outit was possible. ¡°I want to look back on myself, but¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t affordto think about it now. Because of the unique skill he just awakened, he hadsomething else to focus on. -This ability¡­ it¡¯s amazing! ¡°It¡¯s not that great yet, but at leastfollowing the traces of the spatial movement that took cehere is possible¡­¡± He could carry out short-distance spatial movementfollowing those traces. What that meant was Kang Shin-hyuk couldfollow the tracks of all thirty-three monsters that had teleportedfrom this spot and capture them. -Go right away! This admin will take care of the calctionsrequired for spatial movement! ¡°Okay, then this first!¡± With the help of theadministrator, Kang Shin-hyuk performed the first spatial movement in his life. Assoon as he moved, he immediately saw a disgusting giant insectattacking people. He stabbed his sword through it with allhis power, preventing it from moving again. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Thanks to you¡­ ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk recovered the corpse as afemale superhuman who almost lost her life faced him.For some reason, the woman¡¯s face stiffened. No, she looked like an adult ata distance, but her face stillcontained some childishness. Looking at her blue eyes,Kang Shin-hyuk sighed. The woman¡¯s jaw was clenched as she spatout his name. ¡°¡­Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± They weren¡¯t grateful eyes. -Isn¡¯t she asking for me to kill her? Even the administrator wasining. It was Oh Hye-na, the daughter of Oh Joo-young,the former guild master of Vanguard that Kang Shin-hyuk hadkilled. chapter 212 – First Sight(8) chapter 212 ¨C First Sight(8) The moment the bug was in, the gate closed. Looking closely,Kang Shin-hyuk noticed the body of the insectwas mixed with parts of different monsters. Perhaps this wormcould synthesize with other monsters. In other words, this bug had absorbed thegate¡¯s boss, so killing it had clearedthegate. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was why the girl in front of himwas in danger of getting killed after being trapped inthegate. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s run away.¡¯ Even now, he didn¡¯tregret killing Oh Joo-young, the traitor of mankind, but he couldn¡¯t casuallysay hello while facing his daughter. So he tried to activate his skill and quickly followthe trail to the next gate, but Oh Hye-naced her hand on his shoulder. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an emergency, so if you have somethingto say, do iter.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sessfully escaped, moving to another gate instantly. He had to expend agreat deal of spiritual power and his Golden Dragon energyto do so, but he still had plenty left to stab theinsect that appeared beforehim. -Member. Fortunately, there were no people or bodies around. Either it had yet tofind any survivors, or there were none in the gate in the first ce. However, when heran towards the bug in front of him with that in mind, theadministrator¡¯s message appeared beforehim. -That foxfollowed. He didn¡¯t know it was possible, but he put awaythe sword as soon as he saw the message. He couldn¡¯t casually swingthat sword around inpublic; otherwise, he would be revealed as KangShin-hyuk. Instead, he used his soul connectors to wrap up the insect andcut them down with a sickle filled with soul poison. Then, ncing back as he recovered the body,Oh Hye-na was standing there, her eyes cold. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wait, how didyou¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s also what I want toask.¡± ¡°I grabbed your shoulder, then thendscapein front of me shifted.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ppedhisforehead. ¡®I felt like that took a lot ofenergy out of me. It was because I moved with another person.¡¯ Hewas still inexperienced in operating the skill, so he identally targetedsomeone in contact with him as well. However, if he didn¡¯tdo that, he was liable to show up athis destination naked, so he had to include it all.Once he improved in using his skill, he could reduce such errors. ¡°This gate isn¡¯t verydangerous, so go out on your own. I¡¯m moving to thenextone.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The distance between the two gates wasn¡¯t long, so it wasn¡¯t difficult toleave the gate. He shook off Oh Hye-na, who watched him with an indescribable expression,then moved through space again before contactingEunah. ¡°Senior, I have the coordinates of the monsters.¡± [Tell me them right away.] ¡°They¡¯re at¡­¡± Following that, Shin Eunah was silent for a brief moment asshe ryed the coordinates to severalothers. [Did you awaken the spatial movement trait? How did youread the coordinates so urately?] ¡°It¡¯s simr. I¡¯ll tell you in a little bit.¡± [Yes!] As before, he went through and constrained the enemy with histhread. ¡°Why did I take thatgirl¡­?¡± -Are you bothered by it? ¡°She¡¯sing to Shinyoung. Like an idiot, I wasswinging that sword around in front of her.¡± He wasforced to use the Godyer to kill the Ruin Drummer, but it was aweapon that was too recognizable as his. He should¡¯ve stored it away before moving throughspace. He had moved fast without thinking, worried there might be more victims, but he hadshown it to a person who hated him the most. -From the Hero Universe¡¯s standards, it isn¡¯t much, but it is still a fairlyhigh rank among general superhumans. ¡°Also¡­¡± He would have to be careful to keep those around him quietif he wanted to usethe sword at school. Rather, it wasalready toote since he ran wild with the Godyer swordat the rookiematches. ¡°If I¡¯m caught, I have to pretend I don¡¯tknow.¡± -In the future, you should refrain from using that atschool. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. I was thinking of challenging myself tomake a new sword.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk struggled to put a positive spinon it as he swung the sickle to end the lifeof the bug. They had already suffered some damage before they teleported,so they were easy to kill unlessthey could regenerate. With the sixth gate taken careof, Shin Eunah contacted him again. [It¡¯s over! It¡¯s all thanks to my junior.] ¡°It was our fault in the first ce.¡± [No one mes Masked Bhus. Rather, the reason we were ableto end this situation with fewvictims was that MaskedBhus was in charge of that gate.] Shin Eunah responded strongly then ranted that shewould burn anyone who disagreed with lightning. [Let¡¯s gather where the gate had urred.] ¡°On my way.¡± In order to dere the situation over,it was necessary to check the gate¡¯s location carefully. He shrugged and squeezed out thst remaining energy he had tomove through space. Spatial Coordination was particrlygood because it consumed less energy to move to ace he had already beento. -Most space movement is learned with magic, but you¡¯re incredibly lucky tolearn it with a skill. 400,000HP bonus! ¡°Now, you¡¯re giving it to me for no reason.¡± In the blink of aneye, he was able to find the traces he hadleft behind and arrive back at the original gate. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a surprise.¡± ire was suddenly in front of him.She seemed momentarily shocked but soon opened her arms towardhim with a bigsmile. ¡°It¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Quickly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± However, the moment the two shared a yful hug,Shin Eunah appeared beside them. They fell away fasterthan they had ever movedbefore. ¡°What did you twodo?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ire lied tantly. Shin Eunah looked between the two with asomewhat steamed face, but both were wearingmasks, so she couldn¡¯t read their expressions. Lee Na-hee, who was next to him, clenched herfists and looked very eager to say something, but she wascertain that doing so wouldresult in self-destruction, so she endured it. ¡°Ah, Shinyuk!¡± Baek In-ha joined them on the bike a secondter.Kang Shin-hyuk confiscated the bike and kicked his shin. ¡°It¡¯s ShinEun-hyuk.¡± ¡°I know, but everyone knows anyway.¡± ¡°Be careful; we don¡¯t know who¡¯s listening.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Eleanor then joined the group,running. ¡°You had a hardtime.¡± ¡°I think we caught all the monsters that left. But first, I will investigateall the magical traces where the gate was.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help; I got a good skill.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk honestlytold the party of theskill he had acquired. Everyone was amazed that he, whodidn¡¯t have magic, could now move through space. ¡°Then, are you going to catch up with them now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a bit difficult to use in battle because the rank islow.¡± And even if it became possible, he had no intentiontopete with it. However, as Kang Shin-hyuk helped Shin Eunah, the soundof heels clicking on the ground could be heard. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°What?¡± It was Bridget Poulsen. Looking up, she floated in the air despite being in ashort dress. Shin Eunah urgently covered the topof her head with her hand. ¡°Why is shehere?¡± ¡°She came to help¡­ if I knew myjunior would solve everything, I would¡¯ve refused.¡± Shin Eunah clicked her tongueand moved behind Kang Shin-hyuk. Still, she kept her hand on herface. ¡°Oh, the Death Puppeteer too. Itcan¡¯t be helped; let¡¯s drink tea together.¡± ¡°What is she talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you for a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ire quickly managed to grasp the situation and stepped forward. ¡°I like tea, let¡¯s drink together. But to tell you in advance,so you¡¯re notmisunderstanding, Eunah is normal.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± Bridget shouted in horror at ire¡¯s words. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been dating the Alchemist until now?!¡± ¡°No?!¡± Even ire was shouting now. She nced over at Kang Shin-hyuk, afraid he mightmisunderstand something, but he had no reason for thatin the first ce. ¡°You two have been stuck together all the time! Then, as theAlchemist settled with the Puppeteer as her newlover, wasn¡¯t Shin Eunah jealous and tried toseducehim?¡± ¡°We¡¯re bothheterosexual!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ire, the new protagonist of some drama, grew angry. ShinEunah just stood behind Kang Shin-hyuk and gently trembled silently. Kang Shin-hyukcould tell she was bing like a child again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but would you please stop flirting with my senior?¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ it¡¯s a bitshocking¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re shocked?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really believed it.¡±Bridget descended with a sigh. When shnded, Shin Eunah flinched back. Bridget sighedagain and shrugged, seemingly having given up. ¡°Then, it¡¯s just an ordinary square rtionship.¡± ¡°Square?¡± ¡°Her, over there.¡± Bridget motioned, pointing at the alley beyond the gate. There, theycould see a blue-eyed girl clingingto the wall and staring straight at Kang Shin-hyuk. Of course, it wasOhHye-na. ¡°Right? It seems the Death Puppeteer is very popr.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned away from Bridget and looked up ashe felt something cold on his head. Snow was falling from the sky, but this scene felt toobitter for him to enjoy it. chapter 213 – Building a Castle(1) chapter 213 ¨C Building a Castle(1) [Rocky ¨C The Anvil of the heyday seems to being back slowly? I¡¯mserious about what¡¯sing out these days.] [Miyang ¨C Anvil¡¯s armaments, yet I¡¯m the onlyone withoutone¡­] [Tsukuyo ¨C Rather, it developed directly. That¡¯s why you don¡¯thave the eyes to see it properly.] [Horus ¨C Wasn¡¯t it okay with the post about receiving a request?] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C Heh, I¡¯m making mine right now.] [Eunah ¨CCheck.] [Rocky ¨C Damn it, what kind of check is it?!] [Halo ¨C Janus, it¡¯s not tootetoeback.] -You received a delivery power buff as a loginbonus for the day! For 48 hours, everyaction will be bettermunicated! ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t forget to note down everytime a new bonus came out. A delivery powerbuff. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it had tobe meaningful as a new type of buff. ¡°If I had a lot of time, I would exploreit in depth¡­¡± On December 22nd, the closing ceremony for Shinyoung¡¯s second semester was held.It was holding the closing ceremony in time, and the graduation ceremony wouldbe held in February. He couldn¡¯t be left out there, but he didn¡¯t want togo. ¡®The other kids seem reluctant too.¡¯ Shinyoung¡¯s second semester ofeducation had been much different due to the events that had taken cesince summer. As most of the subjects had beenreced with actual practice, Shinyoung¡¯s intra-campus ranking was mostly influenced bytheir performance in dealing with gates. Because the duel was a randommatching form, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t pass Baek In-ha and rankedsecond in the first grade. Karen had ranked fifth, and Do Woojin had surprisinglyranked third after beating out other prominent students. Except for Kang Shin-hyuk, noother student had experienced such dramatic growth. Although Shin-hyuk¡¯s on-campus ranking was secondsince he had scored a perfect score in the writing sses, this year¡¯schief was confirmed tobe KangShin-hyuk. ¡®¡­Honestly, I¡¯m not very happy about it.¡¯Although it wasn¡¯t a good semester for acquiring the knowledge a superhuman shouldhave, this year¡¯s freshmen were at a recordlevel when it came to simplebat skills.However, it was of little significance to Kang Shin-hyuk. Even without consideringthe Hero Universe, he had just cleared an SS-level gate as a partof Masked Bhus just a weekago. ¡®But Shinyoung¡¯s diploma is still important.¡¯ The personalconnections he could umte until graduation were also a necessary form ofwealth. ¡°Then, let¡¯sgo.¡± -This admin thinks it would be best notto appear in front of people until the buff expires. ¡°It was a debuff, not a buff?¡± -No, but¡­ it won¡¯t hurt you. Leaving the room, Baek In-ha was waiting for him. ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The two walked together after grunting out a briefgreeting, and at this time, Baekchose to speakup. ¡°Shinyuk.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Can I ask you for something?¡± They arrived at the elevator. Kang Shin-hyuk was suspiciousthat he had been aiming for another one of the orbs. ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied with the Shinfeng orb?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m using it all the time.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s your request?¡± Baek scratched his head and cautiouslyresponded at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯sbluntness. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of talking toHye-na.¡± ¡°No. No, don¡¯t.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk opened his eyesand recalled what had happened a week ago. He had met with Oh Hye-na,who ran to the gate after chasing him down, theman who killed her father. She cried and ran away aftergaining the attention of Shin Eunah and ireafter Red Shoes pointed her out. No,he couldn¡¯t understand what she was feeling. Kang Shin-hyuk had killed herfather but also saved her, so perhaps shewasn¡¯t sure how to treat him. The problem was that BridgetPoulsen, who saw that scene, bugged Kang Shin-hyuk and asked if she had beenright. ¡°Do you know my feelings? Since then, I¡¯ve suffered from Bridget somuch.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a reward for a womanlike that to botheryou?¡± ¡°So, what do you know about Oh Hye-na?¡± Theelevator arrived. They nned on discussing it further as they got on, butEleanor and Karen showed up and boarded before theycould. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Good morning¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Shin-hyuk! You¡¯rethe chief!¡± Eleanor waved shyly at Kang Shin-hyuk while Karen ran right in andjabbed his side. He pushed her towards Eleanor as he responded. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. I¡¯ll end up with someschrships nextyear.¡± ¡°Wow, Shin-hyuk has a lot of money now, but that doesn¡¯t meananything¡­ you said you received 4 millionpounds in settling thestrequest?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t tell Na-heeanything.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°And don¡¯t say it in pounds.¡± He turned to Eleanor. ¡°What are your ns during wintervacation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Yeah? You¡¯re not going back toEnnd?¡± ¡°I¡¯m free,¡± Eleanor repeated herself in the exact same tone. ¡°I won¡¯t go back until I graduate. So¡­ special training, can we doit together again?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, sure. Just let me know more than a weekahead oftime.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s decide now.¡± ¡°No, wait a second.¡± Baek In-ha moved in-betweenthem. ¡°Before you go out with Eleanor, let¡¯s meet Hye-na for abit,really.¡± ¡°Hye-na?¡± ¡°But, adate¡­¡± ¡°So, what do you have to do with her?¡± Karen¡¯s earspricked up at the name of this unknown woman, andEleanor blushed at the word date. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sighas he ignored the two of them and looked at Baek. ¡°I¡¯ve known her since we were kids.¡± ¡°Promoting friendship betweenthe 1st and 2nd Koreanguilds?¡± ¡°Simr to that. I haven¡¯t talked to her since that happened, but thest timeI got intouch¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? She doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re in Masked Bhus.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Eleanor, realizing that it was a serious discussion, cracked downon Karen, who couldn¡¯t control herself, and moved closer to Shin-hyuk. The elevatorstopped at the ground floor, and they all got off chatting. ¡°But why are you suddenly calling me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. She recognized you because of your sword.She watched the rookie games this year from start to finish.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t because you called my name back then?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Though now Baek looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Think about it from my position. Besides, can you tell me she was there at that time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me with those eyes?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a new sight.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk scratched thegoosebumps on hisarms. ¡°Well, she¡¯s like asister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I killed Oh Joo-young¡­ if only I could give that responsibility to someone else.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been possible if not for you.¡± They arrived in frontof the first-year ssroom. Eleanor wanted to remain for alittle more, but she eventually had to leave with a regret-filled sigh. ¡°Why has she been doing that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re onlytalking about other girls?¡± -It is because of the power of transmission. Instead of Karen, who was unhelpful, the administrator chimed in with a detailed exnation. -Transmitting power is the ability to effectivelymunicate all of one¡¯s actions tothe other person while attracting others¡¯ attention. If the other islikable, then that likability is maximized,and if it is a stateofhatred¡­ ¡®Oh, I understand.¡¯ Was that why the administrator toldhim to stay inside? Somehow, from the start with Baek, he hadthought everyone was ina strangemood. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the chief.¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Pick Lee Na-hee or Algiers, that one of them can befree to date!¡± ¡°Neither!¡± ¡°Now, everyone sit down.¡± Siara Bertrand camein to quiet the noisy ssroom down. Kang Shin-hyuk sat down, ignoringthe teacher¡¯s smile at him, and quietly spoke to Baek. ¡°What will I do when we meet?¡± ¡°Tell her why you had to kill him.¡± ¡°Then she¡¯ll be okay with me? Yeah, right.¡± He felt his anger ring up. ¡°Oh, then, just let her beat you up.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it.?¡± ¡°What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuughed as he flicked Baek¡¯s forehead. ¡°Once I get beaten a little, she¡¯ll be relievedtoo.¡± ¡°No, a pervert¡­?¡± ¡°So, when?¡± He eptedBaek¡¯s proposal as he had no way of avoiding the girlwho would be his junior next year. ¡°This afternoon.¡± However, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be that quick. ¡°¡­This afternoon?¡± ¡°Now, before the closing ceremony, there willbe an award ceremony for KangShin-hyuk, who won first ce amongthe firstyears!¡± ¡°He made it!¡± ¡°OMG¡­!¡± chapter 214 – Building a Castle(2) chapter 214 ¨C Building a Castle(2) As for the meeting ce, it turned out to beire¡¯s bar in the Choin Shopping Center. ¡°Isn¡¯t thispletely your home turf? Howcowardly.¡± ¡°Then, are you saying I should head for the Vanguard HQ?¡±It wasn¡¯t time for the bar toopen yet, and a closed sign hung from the door, so KangShin-hyuk took off his mask. However, ire was wearing a mask shedidn¡¯t usually have on for some reason as shesilently wiped the sses with a dry cloth.He tilted his head at ire¡¯s appearance. Her bartender uniformwas really attractive, but¡­ ¡°Why is your noona doingthat?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see? She¡¯s pretending to be asecretive yet trustworthy bartender NPC. When the main character meets someoneat a bar, there¡¯s usually such a character.¡± In response toKang Shin-hyuk¡¯sment, ire nodded silently. BaekIn-ha quickly realized he had no choice but to go along with it. ¡°What aconcept.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very simr, BaekIn-ha.¡± ¡°Uh, am I? Am I not getting along wellwith mynoona?¡± ¡°No, aren¡¯t you a little too easygoing?¡± ire immediately responded, andBaek suffered a fatalwound. ¡°I¡¯m always kind to Shinyuk¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, you were badnow.¡± ¡°Ah, couples. Are you not on my side?¡± Baek muttered thathe wished Oh Hye-na came soon. At that,the door rattled open, and the bellrang as it swung open. A girlin a long ck coatwith a greatsword on her backappeared. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The girl, who lookedlike a lone soldier sneaking into enemy territory, softened alittle when she noticed Baek. However, her face stiffened once more whenshe noticed Kang Shin-hyuk right after. ¡°Come and sit down.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit there¡­ and In-ha,e over here.¡± Itseemed like she wanted to split the sides.Baek looked over at Shin-hyuk, then nodded and took a step towards OhHye-na. As he approached, however, she hid behind his back. At the sametime, a question mark appeared on the faces of Kang Shin-hyuk andire. ¡°Hye-na, what are youdoing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when to reveal myself.Leave it to me.¡± Oh Hye-na thanking Baek and drew the greatswordshe was carrying, pointing it atKangShin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Hye-na, that¡¯s my friend.I believe in him as much as I do you.¡± ¡°Then, even if you gethurt¡­¡± ¡°Baek In-ha, you really are useless. Weren¡¯t you trying to act as a mediator?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not listening to me now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about In-ha. Talk to me.¡±As Kang Shin-hyuk opened his mouth, Oh Hye-nafrowned even more and stepped forward as if to cover him. Shin-hyukfelt like he had really be some viin¡­ he wasworried about ire, but she seemed so excited bythe harsh atmosphere that he decided to ignore her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to meet me? I don¡¯t knowwhy you took out your de first.¡± ¡°You¡­ I can¡¯t rx.¡± He was impressed by the response she spat out. That was right;this girl was about to graduate from middle school. It only made sense she would havethe sensibilities of a middle-schooler, just like ire and Karen. ¡°You are Shin Eun-hyuk, right? Don¡¯t even think about making excuses.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. Shall I show you?¡± Rather thandeny it, Kang Shin-hyuk even performed the trick of putting on the Death Puppeteer equipmentstored away. To those who weren¡¯t members of the Hero Universe, itonly looked like an amazingskill. As soon as ShinEun-hyuk, the Death Puppeteer, appeared, Oh Hye-na bit her lip andsteppedback. ¡°You are only one year older than me¡­¡± There seemed to be manythings she wanted to say, but she held back all her questionsand aimed her sword at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°You should fightme.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice that it¡¯s so simple¡­ but you can¡¯tbeat me.¡± Oh Hye-na should know after experiencing his skillsindirectly at thest gate. Butit was a wee oue, as she had decided to meet with him instead ofrushing straight to the newspaper to report him. That said it all. ¡°I don¡¯t care aboutthat.¡± ¡°Surely, it¡¯d be important for you to understand.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ haaaa!¡± She hardened her resolve and rushed right at him. She skillfullymoved without touching any of the tables or chairs in the store. ¡°But, your senses are stilcking.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± The moment she tried to swingher greatsword at him as he satstill in his chair, her foot stumbled oversomething. However, there were no objects in her path. Something had caught onto herbody and stopped her. Of course, it was the that KangShin-hyuk had projected with just the move of a finger. ¡°This, what¡­?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tear it down. Now, watch the sword.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk caught her greatsword as itfell out of her hands and offered it back to her. Oh Hye-na felt humiliated,and she was forced to eptit. ¡°It was just a simple mistake.¡± Oh Hye-na insisted as her face was dyed red. ¡°Okay. Then shall we try again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was excited to see how shewould react. He had been prepared for her toask why he had killed her father, but it didn¡¯t feelbad that she decided to draw her sword first. He had roughlygrasped she had her doubts about the series of events thatled up to Oh Joo-young¡¯s death.But instead of questioning it, she raised her sword.It was the feeling that if you knew youropponent¡¯s de, you knew their heart. ¡°Again¡­ I won¡¯t make the same mistake.¡± ¡°Can you really beatme?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She frowned and returned to where she had been. Then, sheran in again, this time, cold airflowing around her body. Was she tryingto freeze the threads with it? Or perhaps she was trying todetect them with the coldair. ¡®Well, in fact, there is no way the thread will becut off or revealed by this.¡¯ Oh Hye-na¡¯s attribute power was at a level that he couldn¡¯tbelieve she was graduating from junior high.His spiritual power was at the level of SS+ through theeffect of the soul connector, however, so that level of coldcould be dealt with easily. But¡­ ¡®Well, this is a technique I¡¯ve used once.¡¯ He decided to look into it. If she knewthe truth, she would be angry with him, but he wouldn¡¯t tell her. Whenthe thread was exposedto the cold and showed up faintly at his intention, OhHye-na moved quickly out of the way. Her speed was ata level that barely surpassed Karen, and the way she swung her greatswordat Kang Shin-hyuk wasexcellent. ¡®Her trait must involve swords, as well.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyukmoved his spiritual power, stopping the greatsword halfway tohishead. ¡°Ugh¡­?! Ooh!¡± She tried to shake the greatsword that had suddenly stopped, but it wouldn¡¯tbudge. ¡°This, how¡­ huh? Anotherthread?!¡± ¡°No.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk snapped hisfingers, the greatsword moved in the air. At the sight,not only Oh Hye-na but Baek watched with their mouthswide open. Kang Shin-hyuk made it swim in the air likea fish then slowly dropped itin front of OhHye-na. ¡°Would you like to do it again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh Hye-na was silent as she grabbed the sword.As Kang Shin-hyuk released his control of it, shehugged it and stepped back. ¡°Now, huh¡­¡± Then she sat down andbegan tocry. ¡°Ah, she¡¯scrying.¡± ¡°Baek In-ha,fort her. No, I can¡¯t expect anything from you. ire?¡± ¡°Huh. It doesn¡¯t go well with beinga bartender, but should I make some tea?¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± ¡°ttery? Are you trying to get some tea as well?¡± ¡°No, act a little more awkward in this case.¡± Baek In-ha watched the couple act stupidand reached out to Oh Hye-na to help her up, but she pped hishandaway. ¡°I hate In-ha oppa!¡± ¡°Why me?!¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Baek picked up Oh Hye-na,who was now crying wordlessly. She didn¡¯tresist anymore and was hugging her greatsword. Baek dragged her over to a seat andsat her down. She had fully given up, yetshe didn¡¯t forget to put Baek between herand Kang Shin-hyuk. Shin-hyuk wanted tough as he watched her, but he hadto respect her desperatewill. ¡°Come on, drink. It¡¯sa bartender¡¯s special herbal tea. Wouldn¡¯t it helpyou calmdown?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯m already calm¡­¡± Oh Hye-na still eptedthe teacup. After a sip, her tension wasrelieved just alittle. ¡°Did you kill him like that?¡± ¡°Do you really want toknow?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± They sat in silence for a few minutes before Kang Shin-hyukspoke first, unable to bear the silence. ¡°Is there anything else you want to ask?¡± ¡°There is.¡± Oh Hye-na put down her teacup andlooked down at her swordwith tearyeyes. ¡°Did you use a sword when you fought with mydad?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°?!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ then, should we fight with swords this time?¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Oh, it had started again. chapter 215 – Building a Castle (3) chapter 215 ¨C Building a Castle (3) Kang Shin-hyuk always thought it was best to be sincere when dealing with people. So, he tried totell Oh Hye-na what happened in the fight with herfather, but after, she began to cryagain. ¡°Of course, you¡¯llcry!¡± ¡°No, didn¡¯t you want to talk using swords? So¡­¡± ¡°Without even taking out your sword¡­¡± ¡°Fist-to-fistmunications is what I used this time around.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even been hit once¡­¡± Oh Hye-na wasextremely depressed as she used Baek In-ha asa shield and sipped thetea ire gave her. Shin-hyukhad to wait for her to calm down to continue. ¡°Hye-na, this guy isn¡¯t a badguy,so¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You know?¡± ¡°Just¡­¡± Even after finishing the tea, she cradled the teacup inher hands. ire poured her a new cup before pulling back behindthe bar. Oh Hye-na looked at Kang Shin-hyuk, who was on the otherside of Baek, and spoke without hesitation as if Baek wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°I came because I had toknow. How strong is the person who killed my dad? Is this really theperson who killedhim?¡± ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t youe to ask why he died?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I already knew that.¡± Oh Hye-na sipped her tea, her thoughts amystery to KangShin-hyuk. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even know what I reallywanted to learn.¡± Oh, she started crying again. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve be very strong. Your skill withthe sword has increased.¡± Baek In-ha tried to praiseher, but she responded angrily at him. ¡°You¡¯re not a swordsman; how wouldyouknow?¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear even to me.¡±Kang Shin-hyuk looked back at ire as the two in front of him began toquarrel. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t it okay? Those two go well together.¡± ¡°Then, can we surprise them and drive them out?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hardenedhis heart and prepared to kick them out,but just before he could, Oh Hye-naurgently turned to him. ¡°Sword.¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s fight with swords this time?¡± She nodded wordlessly.It wasn¡¯t difficult; he decided to ept the request. However,this time it was concludedmuch faster than the previous battle. It was enough toswing his sword once and sh with the greatswordshe wielded. There was no need to show off his status. Hissword was able tozily brush off the attack and jab at hisfoe¡¯s vitals with perfect timing. Of course, the tip of the de stoppedright before her eyebrows. ¡°¡­¡± Oh Hye-na sat down on the spotwith a nk expression. Kang Shin-hyuk waved his hand in front ofher, but she was unresponsive. Now she seemed like acorpse. ¡°What do we do?¡± While Kang Shin-hyuklooked around in embarrassment, the body¡­no, Oh Hye-na suddenly raised her hand and beckoned toBaek. With a sigh, Baek approached her gently and helped her up.She quickly moved behind his back again. ¡°I want togo.¡± ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She stepped back until she reached theentrance using Baek as a shield. Then, after opening the door, she leaned her headout from behind Baek and slightly bowed to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Thanks.¡± With that, she ran away, dragging Baek behind her. The door closed with a rattle.Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head and looked at ire,who was taking off hermask. ¡°What is she thanking me for?¡± ¡°You said you savedher from the gate, right? Didn¡¯t she mean that?¡± ¡°¡­So, all this was just for you tobe able to saythat?¡± ¡°Perhaps?¡± At this, Kang Shin-hyuk closed his mouth. Although she had been hostile to him fromthe start, she didn¡¯t try to criticizehim for her father¡¯s death. Thatmeant she already understood and epted that her fatherhad to die. The reason why she wanted to meet himwas, of course, because she thought that there should be no resentment towards Kang Shin-hyuk andthat she needed to thank him for saving her. ¡°But you can¡¯t just bow your head to the person who killedyour father. So, that¡¯s what the dispute was about.¡± ¡°Did itwork?¡± ¡°I thought it would be a more intense battle.¡± ire¡¯s fantasiesstarteding out in full force. ¡°You know, pouring out your sincerefeelings and screaming while your swords sh.¡± ¡°Oh, like when the main character and their rival, who was a friend,fight?¡± ¡°You both let out all the words insideof you and then feel relievedafter.¡± ¡°Well, the misunderstandings were resolved, at least.¡± Unfortunately,there was a wall between them that could never becrossed. ¡°I¡¯ll be very tired all my life.¡± ¡°Well, the whole world was my enemy at that age.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Still, he could see that she wasn¡¯t a child with abad personality. However, she did cry alot. ¡°I¡¯m d it was resolved, anyway.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much; Oh Joo-young had to bekilled.¡± ¡°Yes, but his family is innocent. I¡¯m d it all workedout well.¡± Now he didn¡¯t need to worryabout hering at him with a knife after entering Shinyoung next year. Seeingthat she was a close acquaintance of Baek In-ha anda soon-to-be freshman at Shinyoung, it was a matter that needed to be addressed.However, she was more mature than expected. ¡®The way she behaves is still a bitinexperienced, but that is the way for most.¡¯ He couldleave the rest to Baek. Relieved, Kang Shin-hyuk leaned ontothe bar counter. ire ran a handthrough his hairidly. ¡°It went verywell.¡± ¡°Yeah, no thanks to Baek.¡± ¡°Is thatall?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She joined him in a simr position, their eyes meeting. Kang Shin-hyuk felt thehair on the back of his neck raise. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it went well atall.¡± ¡°Are you such a kid?Not at all.¡± ¡°Wow, such confidence.¡± But despite her words, ire had a faint smile. He wishedthat she could feel as secure being around him as Oh Hye-na did aroundBaek. ¡°Are you feeling insecure?¡± At his question, ire thought quietly beforenodding. It was hard for him to ept that someone as confident asshe could also be anxious about anything. Heknew that it wasmon when you valued anotherthat much. Anvil¡¯s memories were evidence of that. ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t go for someone betterthanme.¡± ¡°How ridiculous.¡± ¡°Honestly, I felt a little nervous whenI first saw Red Shoes.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she was aiming for Eunah¡­¡± ¡°So, did you not find her attractive?¡± ¡°I thought shewas.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°I only like you, ire. You¡¯re theonly one I want to date.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk spoke firmly. ¡°Huh¡­ then, give me your hand.¡± He reached out with hishand. Slowly, she reached outwith hers, then pulled his hand up to her mouth. Her lipsparted, and she bit his ring finger, then reached out her hand for him todo the same. Once heplied, she had a lookof satisfaction on herface. ¡°We¡¯re datingnow.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Lovers.¡± ¡°How did you learnthat?¡± ¡°From Eunah.¡± But how did Shin Eunahknowthat? ¡°You have two years until you graduate.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I hope that time goes by quickly. Ahhh.¡± ireining mischievously, pulled her handback. ¡°Shall we go eat some chicken?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we normallyeat.¡± ¡°Then shall I make something?Oh¡­ but should I open up first? Will you be okay waiting?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m so hungry I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± ireshook her head stubbornly then slowly stood up. ¡°No business today. Let¡¯s have a party tomemorate you entering yoursecondyear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just going into the second year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s special because you¡¯re a senior now, right?¡± ¡°What are you nning¡­?¡± ire giggled then hidherface. ¡°Well¡­ we should keep the store door closed.¡± *** Shinyoung freshmen originally had many tasks to do during theirvacation. Most of them were practical tasks to enter guilds on a probationarybasis and learn how to deal with actual gates. But this year,the vacation assignment came from the opposite direction as theyhad already been doing that. What they had missed out on learning wascovered in video lectures providedby the school. The students cried out, asking what sort of vacationthis was, but Shinyoung was silent. Kang Shin-hyukpleted allof his assignments in the week after vacation began andreceived a new dimensional quest. -It¡¯s a quest that really suits you. Tobuild a big and dignified castle¡­ ¡°How noisy.¡± -Super Ultra Gxy Fist¡¯s whisper: Grandpa,where are you? Come on now?! It was a quest tobuild a massive castle, unlike any seen on Earth. chapter 216 – Building a Castle (4) chapter 216 ¨C Building a Castle (4) Though he was well aware that the Hero Universe members wereunique characters, Kang Shin-hyuk also knew that there werepeople who shared quests with members of otherdimensions. ¡°Wow, my grandpa was handsome all this time¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as the girl standing beforehim looked up towards his face. She lookedyoung, probably no more than ten years old. ¡°Oh, you just thought of asking about my age.Prohibited, that¡¯s not possible. An absolute no-no.¡± He didn¡¯t evenwant to ask, but the girl mmed herhand down. She had blue hair like Oh Hye-na, but her eyeshad bright red irises. ¡°Just call meShu.¡± ¡°You got that from Super UltraGxyFist?¡± ¡°Yes. What about the gloves?Grandpa¡¯s gloves.¡± As soon as Shu confirmed he was Anvil,she murmured like a child and hung tohis waist. The administrator had noment, foronce. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Wow, finally! The Anvil made products the others are boasting about!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Taking the gloves he offered, Shu¡¯s eyes sparkled as she rubbed themagainst her cheek. It was the object she had requested,but when he told her they wereplete, sheasked him to do a quest with her. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be active,but observing the power of other members would be of greathelp to his training, and it wasn¡¯t bad to build friendships,so he agreed,but¡­ ¡®It was good to meet her for sure.¡¯ The membersof the Hero Universe always surprised him. Meanwhile, Shu was experimenting withthe gloves¡¯ durability as hethought. ¡°It¡¯ll stretch out? Nottear?¡± ¡°Well, it should go up to maybe the X-rank?¡± ¡°Oooooh, after all, grandpa has different standards! Thecurrent limit was easily exceeded!¡± That meant the limit of a mortal.Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t the expression¡¯ current limit¡¯ not suitable for people that transcendit? Right now, most of mystatuses have reached that limit.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the standard. Icall less than X the current limit.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± It was an area that Kang Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t even recognized until a little whileago. The SSS-rank washardly one people would imagine tothose on Earth, but the standards of those in theHero Universe were undoubtedly very different. ¡®So, how is sheactually,administrator?¡¯ -Please consider the fact that she is a VIP member. But¡­for someone like you, the current limitis a correct way to refer to the SSS-rank. ¡®SSS+ rank is a turning point¡­ it¡¯s the VIP standard.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyukughed at thefeeling he was only a frog in a well, and suddenly caught sight of her hands;her bare hands that were covered in scars. Maybe theywere old wounds that were impossible to heal, but he had heard thatthere were definitely elixirs on the trading board¡­ ¡°Do you care? But it¡¯s okay; it¡¯s like a medal.¡± ¡°Have you been fighting without gloves so far?¡± ¡°Yes. There was nothing that suited me.¡± The girl spoke lightly asshe put on the ck gloves. The gloves shrunk to fit hersmall hands the moment she put them on. ¡°Ooh, they fitperfectly.¡± ¡°Check thestatus.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t believe it until Itry it myself. Ah! I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t believe you! I don¡¯tbelieve in Gaia,you know? Grandpa, you know?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The idea of not believing in the Gaia system was soforeign to Kang Shin-hyuk he didn¡¯t really know what to think of it.Shu grabbed his waist as he began to feel a strange distance between them. ¡°So, let¡¯s go now. This ce is a little safe.The location of the quest is right overthere.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll follow, so let go of¡­?!¡±Shu hit the floor. At that moment,Kang Shin-hyuk felt like his body was being shattered. Thendscape infront of him changed so quickly that he barely noticed he wasmoving. Apart from the sheer shockof moving that fast, he suffered no wounds. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± Shu let go of him and vigorously shouted as theycame to a stop. They were at a veryrge basin belowa lush mountain. Kang Shin-hyuk put aside the feelingthat he wanted to throw up andlooked around. The mountains spread magnificently before them.This ce was very different in size from what he wasfamiliar with, but assuming it was maybe ahundredth of the size, this ce looked like¡­ ¡°A volcanrater?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it is. Those kids live here.¡± In addition to the twoof them, there were several humans in the basin.Or rather, human-like creatures with red skinand hair that burned withsparks. ¡°They are the salted people, the Yeomin. To make good armaments, you need good ironand a good fire. They make agood fire, so I brought them.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that fire considered as a worthy reward?¡± ¡°Before that, we have to stop them. See them,Grandpa?¡± He couldn¡¯t see them, buthe could feel it. He could feel the signs of countless entities steadily climbingup from the bottom of the mountain. ¡°Yes, I can feel it roughly.¡± ¡°Wow, you feel it, not seeit? People who craft have different senses. Oh, let me introduce them to you.Hey!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Shu grabbed Kang Shin-hyuk and ran once more. It wasn¡¯t as big of a shockas their destination was closer, but the scenery in front of himchanged so fast it was like they teleported. It was like theyhad moved through space as he thought that, a messageappeared. -Spatial Coordination (SSS) skill proficiency has increasedtoD-rank! -Did you have some insight into spatial movement? ¡®Wouldn¡¯t the body adapt to something that dangerous?¡¯Well, he had to thank Shu now that she helped his skillgrow. ¡°Fireball, say hello!¡± When he openedhis eyes, a woman called Yeominstood before him. At a distance, he only noticed theburning hair, but now that he was closer, he couldsee her vital spots were covered with a thin red rock in ce ofclothes. Excluding that, however, she was a beautiful woman byhumanstandards. [Grandpa? I heard that it was easy toknow a human¡¯s age by appearance, but he looks young.] Kang Shin-hyuk smiled awkwardly ather. ¡°It¡¯s aplicated situation. Call me,Anvil.¡± [So I see. Anvil, I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re still busy. You lookweak, so why should I be talkingtoyou?] ¡°Fireball, if you ignore grandpa, you will die by my hand.¡± [That¡¯s why I am asking for an exnation.] It seemed that the Yeomin were the ones who ordered the quest, but itdidn¡¯t seem that the two were on very good terms. Furthermore,he recognized his statuswas weakpared to them. ¡®I thought I had gotten a little stronger.¡¯ -Spiritual power is not something easily revealed. She is ignorant anddoesn¡¯t know. If you show yourmaximum power, you will be seen as one ofthe best among the people living in this world. ¡®But I can¡¯t do anything about it now.¡¯ -That¡¯s right. But now, that resentment will driveyour growth. 500,000HP bonus! No, then why wasn¡¯t this girl a member of the Hero Universe if she wasthisstrong? ¡°It won¡¯t matter anyway. Grandpa didn¡¯te here to fight, but to build awall.¡± [You¡¯ll block those things with a wall?] ¡°Really, if grandpa doesn¡¯t show his skills, you¡¯ll grumble likethat to the end. Okay, look. This was made byhim.¡± [What?] When Shu put her gloved hands forward, theYeomin looked surprised. Honestly, Kang Shin-hyuk wasthe one who was the most surprised. How could a person whocouldn¡¯t even recognize his spiritual power recognize this artifactat ance? [You mean to fight with that? With the abilities youshowed offbefore?] ¡°Yep.¡± [Are you serious? It looks like it would get torn apart at once.] ¡°I believe in my grandpa. So, look carefully. If it doesn¡¯t tear, leaveit to my grandpa.¡± It didn¡¯t seem as simple as he had firstanticipated joining another¡¯s quest. [Okay, then let¡¯swatch.] ¡°Let¡¯s go to a ce you can see. Yes, thatwill be nice.¡± This time, Shu grabbed onto Yeomin and Kang Shin-hyuk. Resigned,he closed his eyes. When they opened a momentter, they were alreadyat the steep mountain slopes at the edge of thebasin. Now he could confirm the attacker¡¯s appearancewith his eyes. Lizards were crawling up throughthedarkness. [Fire lizards.] The Yeomin spoke up. [They eat fire. They cannot coexist with us.] ¡°But why are they¡­ oh, Jormungand.¡± [Jormungand? What is that¡­] ¡°Well, it means a bigsnake.¡± [Snake. How perfect because it¡¯s a snake thatcarries those lizards.] Yeomin ground her teeth. At that moment, Shu nodded and extendedher right hand forward. Then, raising her left hand, she grabbed her wrist andcriedout. ¡°Gxy Rocket Punch¡­!¡± At the moment, he was about tment at the horrible naming sense that was worse than ire¡¯s, her tightlyclenched right fist disappeared as if it had been cut offat thewrist. ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, a veryrge dark mass fell over the heads of the lizardsclimbing the mountain. With a terrible roar, thousands of them were crushedatonce. ¡°Hit! Wow, look at the gloves!¡± [To really hold up to your fist¡­!] ¡°Wow!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk realized btedly that it was Shu¡¯sfist. ¡­Was it really a rocket punch?! chapter 217 – Building a Castle (5) chapter 217 ¨C Building a Castle (5) ¡°What justhappened?!¡± ¡°Well, I swung my fist.¡± Shu looked at Kang Shin-hyuk inconfusion, as if asking whether he could do it too. No, there wasno way hecould! ¡°I¡¯m kidding, grandpa.¡± Seeing his embarrassed expression, Shu addedwith a small smile. In the meantime, her enormous hand openedup and swept the lizards climbing up the mountain away like a broom. ¡°This is a trait of our people. It skips the intermediateprocesses to produceresults.¡± ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s a little difficult tounderstand¡­¡± ¡°So, for example, if I want to kiss my grandpa¡­¡± -That example isn¡¯tappropriate. Finally, the administrator stepped in. Shu giggled and nodded. ¡°Well, then shakinghands.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively reached out at herwords. Then, Shu smiled and raised her hand. ¡°Wow.¡± Only her hand clung to his,shaking it up and down. Honestly, it felt a little weird. ¡°Like this, it performs the intended action rightaway, without me moving in the middle or stretching my arms. Understand?¡± ¡°Then, doesn¡¯t the result vary greatly depending on yourmind?¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± Suga pped at him, already figuring itout. The fist that had been knockingdown the monsters vanished, appearing back on her arm asshepped. ¡°Of course, it takes a fair bit of energy. Notall of our people can throw a rocket punch likethat¡­ pow!¡± She immediatelythrew a second rocket punch at that. This time, it was a littlrger than before. The lizards exploded in sparks, but theck glove deflected them all. ¡°Wow, the gloves are really great. It¡¯s not hot at all.¡± [Exactly¡­ I have no choice but to admit it.] Yeomin was nodding next to him. Even thoughhe had sufferedthe lizard¡¯s mes and the massive expansion ofthe fist, there was no trace left on the gloves. ¡°No matter how durable they are, it will tear. They have an automatic repair function,so you won¡¯t need toworry thatmuch.¡± ¡°The best, grandpa! I¡¯ve never worn a proper armamentbefore, but thanks to you, my power has doubledat once!¡± She happily embraced Kang Shin-hyuk. Was that something that couldn¡¯t be done remotely,or was that not the point? ¡°If it¡¯s like this, I could attack their base!¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± ¡°Oh, just like grandpa!¡± Shu jokingly replied to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯sseriousness, but he didn¡¯t rx. ¡°A weapon is nothing more than that. If you give it toomuch meaning, you¡¯ll get hurtsomeday.¡± ¡°Wow, grandpa! Alright, alright, stop!¡± Shu twisted around andnodded. In the meantime, her fists were warping around and beating back the lizards. [As you can see, it is difficult for us to attack them actively.] ¡°Huh? Ah.¡± Suddenly, the Yeomin spoke up. Hebtedly looked over, having been engrossedin the sight of what Shu was doing. People werestanding at the basin¡¯s borders with metal spears, stabbing the lizards thatcameup. [That¡¯s because they absorb our fire.Most of our abilities consist offire, but they arepletely immune to it. So we have nochoice but to stab them with weapons that we can¡¯t handle well. Wecan¡¯t live like this forever.] ¡°I¡¯ve got a rough idea of it.¡± That said, Shu couldn¡¯t stay here forevereither. The lizards were constantly rising upeven though she was beatingthemdown. ¡°That¡¯s why you want to build a wall.¡± ¡°Yes, grandpa.¡± While Kang Shin-hyuklistened to her exnation, Shu had sessively swept away the lizardsfor now. However, had that been enough, Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t havebeen calledhere. ¡°Have you thought of destroying the source?¡± ¡°Grandpa, that means making an enemy of everything in this world. Ifwe run wild outside of this basin, other forces will try to attack.¡± ¡°Are all of them with Jormungand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more irritating that theyaren¡¯t.¡± It seemed that Yeomin didn¡¯t know about Jormungand. Rather,the other tribes of the world had little to do withJormungand and lived within their ownterritories. ¡°Jormungand is still hostile, but the other races in this world won¡¯t payattention to what they should watch out for. They haveno intention of cooperating.¡± ¡°Then, they won¡¯t wake up until they betargets after this tribe perishes.¡± [We won¡¯tdie!] ¡°It¡¯s just an example.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk realized that he still didn¡¯t know her name at thatpoint. ¡°What should I call you? Fireball?¡± [****] ¡°What?¡± [Ah¡­ you can call me Kwati, Anvil.] She had be more modest than before,perhaps because she had confirmed the powerof the gloves he made. After greeting her,he nced over at the people slowly gathering around them. They weren¡¯tas different from humans as those in Neorust were, so he didn¡¯t feeltoo odd being around them. [So can we really ask for the wall? Wehave plenty ofmaterials.] ¡°It¡¯s easy, but¡­¡± The problem was that the circumference on the wallwould need to be more than a couple of kilometers. However,this world wasn¡¯t like Kieron, where it could be made bigger by freeingit through spiritualpower. ¡°I have something to askfirst. Do you usually head down the mountain whenthe lizards aren¡¯taround?¡± [We don¡¯t need to. We have everything we need to eathere.] Where? He didn¡¯t need to ask, as he soon noticed the warmth underneaththe basin. This volcano wasn¡¯t extinct. ¡°Then you¡¯ll keep living here? Won¡¯t that be boring?¡± [It¡¯s a little different in peacetime, but rightnow, it¡¯swar.] He was wondering how different it would be.Kang Shin-hyuk turned toShu without asking any of the questions he was thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s survey it first.¡± -The administrator has finished it. The basin has a circumference of fewer than65kilometers. ¡°So, a diameter of a little over 20 kilometers.¡± -To exin the circumference rate¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk boldly cut off the exnationand began to n in earnest. Buildinga wall that perfectly covered that distance¡­ wasn¡¯t it impossible? ¡®I¡¯m a cksmith, not the Chinese emperor Qin Shi.¡¯ -This is the scale of the Hero Universe, and you are noordinarycksmith. ¡®I can¡¯t approach it the usual way.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk spoke bluntlywith the administrator, having a sh of inspiration as he saw thethousands of men around him. Building a castlewall wasn¡¯t borate work like designing an artifact. He just needed to mobilize the people hereto build a barrier. A high wall would be needed,as there might be enemies other thanthe lizards, ofcourse. ¡®They can build the wall themselves.What they want is a solid wall, but their materialprocessing skills arecking.¡¯ That fact could be understood well just bylooking at the shoddy weapons they used. The Yeomin must be a racethat fought without weapons. Therefore, their ability to craft and use them was poor.As Shu said, they could create a good fire, butthey didn¡¯t have the ability to use it. If so, what he had to makenow¡­ ¡°Kwati, let¡¯s see what materials you can supply first.¡± [Well¡­] Kwati knelt down and scooped up the reddish soil from thebasin, then made a fire in her hand. As time passed, the soilfell away, and a metal lump of thesame material as the spears they were using a whileago appeared. Kang Shin-hyuk epted it, confirming it was more preciousthan any othermetal. [Explosive Gold] [SS+ Rank] [Metal made by processing the soul found only in volcanoes that erupt withthe mes of Yeomin. Once the shape is hardened, it is almost impossible toreprocess. When temperatures drop to the extreme, it returns to the soil.] [It has explosive power and immense resistance to fire.] ¡°I see why you dealt with thelizards with this.¡± [Your eyes are excellent. You managed to recognize it at ance?] ¡°What do you think of our grandpa?¡± Shu seemed vaguelyupset upon seeing Kwati¡¯s astonishment; however, Kang Shin-hyuk had no time to tacklethis. This was because he was intent on examining and analyzingthe explosive gold with his spiritual power. Then, to his surprise,it lost its shape and returned to the red soil. [How?!] ¡°Wow, what happened?¡± ¡°I wasmunicating with the materials. No, sorry.¡± He apologized, but he had founda way to move forward. Whathe had to make was not the walls. No, he needed to make an artifact thatcould create the materials at will. chapter 218 – Building a Castle(6) chapter 218 ¨C Building a Castle(6) Just as Kang Shin-hyuk awoke a new formof power in his Golden Dragon energy, there were various ways of dealing with magicalpower in the world. The same went forthe me that the Yeomin dealt with. Theirenergy, named photobase, boasted very strong heat and destructive properties, but it alsohad the unexpected property of causing certain changes in certain substances. [Can it be processed into metal again?] ¡°No, itcan¡¯t.¡± [I¡¯ll show you again. How about this feeling of energy right nexttoyou?] ¡°Hot, hot!¡± An extremely excited Kwati lit a fire next to him. Even his SS-rankme resistance couldn¡¯tpletely block it, which was frightening. ¡°Returning what has changed is different than changing it inthe first ce. I don¡¯t need to worry about that. If it¡¯s fire,you can makeit?¡± [We¡¯ll need our energy to build the walls, right?] ¡°Sure¡­ could you light a me from a little further? I want to analyze it.¡± [As much as you want.] Kwati¡¯s attitude had be rather cooperative after she confirmed Shin-hyuk¡¯s abilities. Withher help, he analyzed the photobase for a few minutes. Withhis spiritual power active, he could read the limits and potential of her abilities, though Kwatiwas unaware of it. ¡°Okay, with this¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced a notebook and startedto design it. The structure would be simple; the point was that it neededto mass-produce building materials for the wall. That meant bricks. Heneeded to configure an inlet the soil would go into,a frame to process it into bricks, and an outlet that wouldproduce thebrick. ¡°How fast can the bricks¡­ no, how well can theartifact withstand theenergy¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa is awesome, but I¡¯ve no clue what he¡¯s doing!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pattedShu¡¯s head as he focused on his design. ¡°Shu iscute!¡± ¡°Am I not? Am I not?¡± Yeah, he still didn¡¯t know howold she was. [So, is itpossible?] ¡°Yes, I think it will. But it¡¯ll be difficult to make it work forever. Somehow, while I¡¯mhere, I have toplete the wall.¡± [If you can stop those damn lizards, we will cooperate with whatever youhavenned.] Kang Shin-hyuk decided to start by making a new alloy that could withstandtheir energy. Once the explosive gold was made into the metal with the application of heat,it hardened instantaneously, making it virtually impossible to alloy. Or so everyone thought. [How¡­ how?] ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. I just persuaded this guy.¡± The explosive gold flowed red in its liquid state.It was only the Yeomin who could make it, butthey were seeing it in a liquid state for the first time. It melted quickly andhardened near immediately, so it couldn¡¯tbe processed well. But that was solved by Kang Shin-hyuk. [You convinced the metal? That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.] ¡°If it¡¯s grandpa, then it¡¯s doable. He¡¯s the smartest in theHero Universe!¡± Shu was impressed with the idea thathe hadmunicated with the metal and seemed to believe himpletely.Kwati was no fool to deny the obvious results, but she wascurious, so she dipped her handin the metal. It was ridiculously hot, but she was fine. [The molten metal is flowing like a liquid¡­ but it¡¯simpossible to keep it going.] ¡°I¡¯ve alreadypletely analyzed the materials. I¡¯ve brought everything else I need¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyukproduced the ironbars he prepared and threw them into the molten liquid. Each one wasa metal that Kang Shin-hyuk had refined himself,so there were no impurities, and as they set, the metal beganto emit a strange light. Kang Shin-hyuk produced a beautiful blueorb at the sight of it, pouring the magical power in it into theliquid metal. The light emitted by the metal turneddark in an instant. Nodding, he stored the water orb backinto hisinventory. ¡°Okay, I think it¡¯s done now. [You¡¯re saying you made an alloy out of that nonsense?] ¡°I set it in theproportions I thought fit best. If it¡¯s wrong, thenwe¡¯ll need to go through trial and errora few more times.¡± [Ha¡­ it¡¯s soridiculous.] ¡°Wow, the color changed!¡± Shu¡¯s cheers ceased as Kwati struggled with her excitement.The metal had turned into a surprising ck color, gradually hardeningin ordance with the shape¡¯s frame. [Ice SaltGold] [SS+ Rank] [An alloy whose properties were changed by mixing various metals withexplosive gold. It transmits allkinds of properties, including heat, but the form never changes. It is not easyto destroy and will block the cold, although its shape will changeeasily.] ¡°Okay, it worked. Using the water orb was the right answer.¡± [Anvil, this¡­ it¡¯s a reallydifferent metal from explosive gold¡­] ¡°But why did you make this, grandpa? It¡¯s notusable as a weapon; even if it does block the cold, it meansnothing if the shape copses.¡± Kwati looked at him in disbelief. He had just made aperfect alloy by randomly mixingmetals. ¡°Think about it, Shu. Now it willnever melt in theirmes.¡± ¡°Of course it won¡¯t melt even in the fire lizards mes¡­so, are youbuilding a wall with this? It will keep the lizards out, but Jormungand¡­¡± ¡°Not a wall, but a machine to produce the materials to make one.¡± ¡°Well¡­aha!¡± Shu, having thought for a long time, finallypped her hands as she realized his n. ¡°You¡¯re making a frame for bricks out of this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Shu is really cute!¡± He had found a suitable item on the tradingboard. It was a frost glove that expelled C-ss cold air when worn. It wasalso only about 1.2 million HP,so it was cheap. When he grasped the lump ofice salt gold, it distorted immediately. Now it was as malleable as y,exactly asintended. ¡°Now, let¡¯s make it.It probably won¡¯t take long,so Kwati, work with theYeomin.¡± [Work? How much do you need?] ¡°As much as possible. Everyone has nothing to do anyway; Shu tookcare of all the fighting.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯mstrong!¡± [We¡¯re strong too! Those lizards ignore fire!] ¡°So work instead, until the basin is noticeably lower.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk begantobine and carve out chunks of the ice salt gold to createarge kiln. It wasn¡¯t a kiln that made y, but rather hat carved bricks out ofexplosivegold. ¡°What are they,grandpa?¡± ¡°Orbs.¡± After shaping the giant kiln, what hetook out were three orbs: the water orb, the earth orb,and the Great Heavenly Spirit. The water orb wouldgive energy to the explosive gold until it hardened, while the earthorb would strengthen it. The Great Heavenly Spirit would serve asa medium to amplify the energy given to the kiln. ¡°Wow, the energy of all three isn¡¯t that great, butthe nature is?! The only one that can make such a thing is Anvil!¡± ¡°The only one Imade myself was the Great Heavenly Spirit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the best one!¡± He gently ced thethree orbs into the kiln, a subtleluster flowing through it. Kang Shin-hyukid his handson it, feeling intuitively that he had been sessful. [The Brazier of Nephritis] [Cannot beconfirmed] [A furnace that can handle all the heart in theworld. It can contain the mes of myth. However,it is vulnerable to cold andcannot protect the craftsman fromthemes.] [The performance is maintained by the exquisite bnce of the threetreasures. It is very likely that others without the craftsman¡¯s spiritualpower and traits cannot handle it properly.] [Currently, it is possible to produce objects of a specific shape(cube) with the frame installed. The production speed is threetimes faster due to the furnace¡¯s traits.] ¡°What?¡± He intended to make a kiln, but something bigger came out. Brazierof Nephritis. Wasn¡¯t that a pointlessly grandiose name? Unlike the expected form ofice salt gold, it was instead a zing red color. [Haaah!] [Look atthat¡­!] [That¡¯s attention-grabbing.] [I want to go inside.] Were those guyscrazy? ¡°Hey, stop, it¡¯s not a bathroom!¡± [What is this? Are you sure you canput dirt inthis?] ¡°Yes. Divide the teams into three from now on. One team pours inthe dirt; one team provides mes. And the remainingteam¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk drew out the blueprint of a huge city waround thebasin. ¡°Will build the walls like this. Simple, isn¡¯tit?¡± [Are you going to work us into the ground?] Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head wordlessly and beckoned to thebottom of the mountain, where more lizards werealready climbing up. This time they were bigger. ¡°If you want to continuefighting them, do whatever youwant.¡± [¡­ Let¡¯s test itonce.] Three secondster, the explosive gold was refinedinto bricks. Kwati sighed and divided the Yeomin into three groups, seeing the brickswouldn¡¯t melt even in her mes. ¡°Grandpa, shall we catch the big one over there andgrillit?¡± ¡°Choose the bestone.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Thus, the wall constructionbegan. chapter 219 – Building a Castle(7) chapter 219 ¨C Building a Castle(7) -You ate grilled heat lizard. The penalty has vanisheddue to the ResistFireskill. -Resist Fire skill proficiency hasincreased. -Resist Fire ability has increased by 20% untilthe meat isdigesting. Kang Shin-hyuk felt anxious as he cooked the fire lizard, butonce he removed its blood andcleaned the skin, he gradually became more confident. However, hewas still worried about what that penalty would have been had he not possessed theresist fireskill. ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°It feels like something is burning inside, but it¡¯s okay. Ican digest it right away.¡± It was a technique beyondmodern humans, but she seemed to be telling the truth. ¡°Are you doing that with an ability?¡± ¡°Yes. This way, you can consume a lot of energy in ashort time. Isn¡¯t it awesome?¡± However, it had the disadvantage of making onehungry quicker. Shu said so andughed as she tried to put theskewered lizard in the furnace. [Don¡¯t disturb us.] ¡°Hng, but it¡¯s delicious baked in that furnace.¡± That¡¯s because it was a furnace thathad reached the X-grade, at least. So not onlymetal could be made in it, but also delicious food.Kang Shin-hyuk thought briefly of using it to sellskewers on earth but put that thought aside. Itwould be an insult to the artifact. -But it really is miraculous. The downside ofbeing vulnerable to cold still remains, but except for that, it is a furnaceany cksmith would covet. ¡®Right. It was worth iting here to make it.¡¯ -A 500,000HP bonus tomembers who create objects that will be remembered through a world¡¯s history! Even though it was vulnerable to the cold, thewater orb embedded in it would protect it from water and thecold. It would take an ability of SS-rank or higher to destroy it atthat point. However, he had to admit ithad onew. ¡®No fire.¡¯ It could withstand incredible heat and hold it, but itcould not create such a me. Most hearth-shaped artifacts sold in modern times(though there weren¡¯t many) could create sparks on their own. Kang Shin-hyukalso wanted to create such a furnace, but the result was instead aproduct that was thoroughly faithful to a furnace¡¯s original purpose. ¡°I have to get the fire.¡± Therefore, even now, Kang Shin-hyuk wasobserving the Yeomin with hawk eyes as they emitted their specialme to light thefurnace. ¡®Isn¡¯t it impossible for me to learn that myself?¡¯ -It is the Yeomin¡¯s ability. Moreover, you already have twospecibilities. Yes, much like it was impossible to replicate theenergy of the Golden Dragon born ofhis trait, it was impossible for him to mimic theirenergy. If so, what about creating a medium that could storethat me inrge quantities? Like a fire orb,forexample. ¡®Well, an orb won¡¯t just pop out because I want one.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯tbe easy to find or make such a thing; even the water orbhad been the greatest treasure Kieron had to offer. But,hadn¡¯t Shu told Kang Shin-hyuk he could receive fire as a reward? Hedidn¡¯t know the details about the reward because he wasn¡¯t in charge ofthe dimensional quest. The administrator might exin, butthat didn¡¯t mean hecould get it anyearlier. ¡°Grandpa, what will you do? Can you make one morefurnace?¡± ¡°I thought about it, but it can¡¯t be helpedbecause of the orbs. How about just grilling itwith a lizard¡¯sme?¡± ¡°Hm? I think that will be okay too!¡± It was an extremelycruel idea, but Shu nodded like it was a goodone. Then, a few more fire-lizards would be captured when the nextwavecame. [It would be nice for it to be peaceful.] ¡°Well, you only have to stop the lizards.¡± Kwati, whowas in charge ofmanding everyone,ined besidehim. Shu was doing well enough, keeping them safe;weren¡¯t they the ones who werecking so far? Notthat Kang Shin-hyuk said such things out loud. [Pour more!] [You¡¯re already tired? Hurry up! You¡¯re not even done with onep!] Now the Yeomin had been divided into three groups thatwere working diligently. The soil evenly spread over the basinwas collected and poured into the furnace, a mewas poured into make bricks, and the finished bricks were cartedaway to build the walls. Of course, even an hour after starting,they hadpleted less than 1%. When he first madens, it seemed like they could finish it sooner, but it wasno joke to build a 60-kilometer longwall. ¡°Slightly lower theheight¡­?¡± [No, do 50 meters as nned. At that level, we canpletely block anyenemy.] [Rather, I think we could raise it to 100 meters.] ¡°No, let¡¯s not. Please.¡± He had no intention of spending winter vacation here.Actually, he didn¡¯t know what the time ratio was. -It is 7 to 1. There is a possibility it will further increase depending on the situation. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean this world is getting seriously dangerous?¡±The administrator didn¡¯t refute him. Such ominous thoughts took rootin his mind. At some pointter thatafternoon, as he was using fire from a group of lizards to cookthe meat, Shu shouted out. ¡°Kwati, other guys aring!¡± ¡°Other guys?¡± [Other guys?] Kang Shin-hyuk and Kwati both raised their heads at the same time. [Anvil, takemand for a moment.] ¡°No, I¡¯m not even aYeomin¡­¡± [If you can return the explosive gold back to dirt, you can do it. Wait amoment!] Kwati ran forward and left Kang Shin-hyuk to takethmand. ¡°Let¡¯s work a little harder. This is tospeed things up a little bit.¡± [What? Suddenly, I feelfortable moving my energy¡­] He strengthened the workers with his guardian Golden Dragonand backed them up with the spiritual power contained in histhreads. [I thought he wasn¡¯t a normal human¡­is this also a craftsman¡¯sability?] [It¡¯s amazing. He¡¯s obviously not our kind, buthow can he understand us so well¡­?] Luckily, his actions seemed to be weed by the Yeomin.But something very bad sounded like itwas happening on the otherside. [A rock wolf? Why are you guys here?] [Grrr¡­you must know thereason.] A huge wolf made of rock, more than ten times the sizeof a fire lizard, approached andgrowled just a hundred meters away from the wall. [Why the hell are damn lizards wandering through ournd?] [You don¡¯t know? We¡¯re also against them. Ifyou don¡¯t want them to dirty thend, you can bite them.] [They are only targeting you.] [Sure.] Kwati spoke confidently andughed as she confronted him. [We don¡¯t intend to take responsibility for sins we didn¡¯tmit.If you don¡¯t like the lizards,stand up and fight them. It¡¯s nothing more thanfoolishness toe to us.] [I have a differentopinion.] The biggest rock wolf, perhaps their leader, soundedlike scraping iron as he spoke. [Isn¡¯t it just a matter of getting rid of you? If you give this volcanoto those lizards, it won¡¯t bother us.] [What a stupid idea, next would be your turn¡­] [No, we agree with that.] It was from the sky that thethird person¡¯s voice could be heard. A turtlewas flying above. Kang Shin-hyuk had to clear hiseyes, but he had made no mistake. Giant turtles were flying in thesky above them. However, theirbodies were transparent and couldn¡¯t be urately seen unless he usedhis spiritual power. Without spiritual power, all that could be seen wasan ominous purple-glowing shell floating in the sky. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a flying shell!¡± ¡°I expected such a reaction.¡± Rightbeside Kang Shin-hyuk, there wasa girl with oddly dull senses. Kang Shin-hyuk looked over atKwati, who seemed to be growing more ufortable. [Storm turtle¡­ it¡¯s funny;now you¡¯re showingup?] [Salt girl¡­ we¡¯re normally invisible, but it isn¡¯t easy¡­!] [The swamppigs?] A pig? ¡°Grandpa¡­!¡± Shu eximed with excitement as she saw a groupof giant pigs slowly crawling up from the bottom of the mountain, thenewest group to show up for war. ¡°If you grill them in the brazier, it would be sotasty!¡± [You¡¯re going to eatus?!] Kang Shin-hyuk used his spiritual power to grasp theswamp pigs¡¯ bodypositionroughly. ¡°Well, they don¡¯t seem good to eat¡­¡± [I¡¯m going to grill them whole!] The swamp pigs started running around angrily, but then, another group came up fromthe bottom. They were hitby the new wave ofthe fire lizards. [At a time like this, more of them.] Kwati clicked her tongue. She was starting to feel the darkmalice of Jormungand thaty behindthem. ¡°What are you going to do?Do you think you can solve itbytalking?¡± [Ha.] Kang Shin-hyuk asked, but Kwati onlyughed. ¡°If I knew it would be like this, Iwould¡¯ve gone to y where they normally are.¡± ¡°Shu, what do youthink?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll worry about it. Which one will cost the least¡­¡± Shulooked around for the enemiesing up from the bottom. TheYeomin were still working hard on the wall that was farfrompletion. Then, she nodded with determination. ¡°Let¡¯splete the wall first. I didn¡¯t want to do it because it¡¯simpossible.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Please take care of theter work, grandpa. And Kwati.¡± He wantedto ask her what she meant. -Woooosh. The height of the basin suddenly lowered. At thesame time, the walls of explosive goldsoared more than 50 meters high. It was as ifthe basin had been scooped out and converted directly intobricks. ¡°Shu, what¡­¡± Shu fell down, and the Yeomin who were workingfollowed herdown. ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­?¡± -Member, you mustpletethewall! Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively reached out to the wall as that message filledhis retinas. Golden Dragon energy and spiritual power mixed together and emerged fromhim, pouring into the wat a much faster rate than he wasusedto. [They¡¯re doing something weird. Attack!] [Break down that wall!] The wall had suddenly sprung up, and the coalition, which already burnedwith hostility towards the Yeomin, charged with thefire lizards. However, when the firststorm turtle began to bombard it, the spiritual power Kang Shin-hyukspread into it began to morph. Combined with the energyof the Golden Dragon, a cry rang out asthe wall shook. A sh of gold erupted, repelling thestormturtles. -It¡¯s a sess! ¡°¡­No, what is it?!¡± -This is the racial ability of Super Ultra GxyFist! We skipped the process of building the wall togo straight to the result! ¡°No, even King Crimson couldn¡¯t do this!¡± A translucent domeof red energy was formed around thefifty-meter highwall. In Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes, information on thepletedwappeared. chapter 220 – Building a Castle (8) chapter 220 ¨C Building a Castle (8) [Yomwang Wall] [SSS+ Rank] [Special Abilities: Fire Nest, Diamond, Evil Absorption, Evolution] *Fire Nest: Creates a curtain of fire energy that protects everything in the wall.It is strengthened by the power of the me and never weakens. *Diamond: Strengthens defense and durability beyond the limits. * Evil Absorption: It absorbs some of theenergy of those wanting to harm those inside the wall to energize the creaturesinside thewall. *Evolution: This artifact has the potential to grow beyond the limits of itsrank. [A buildingpleted with the help of a craftsman and many helperswho have crossed the limits of a mortal body.The scale was so huge thatit did not receive enough energy, butthe building that inherited the possibility of a craftsman will surelybe reborn as heintended.] -You made history again. 400,000HP bonus from an impressed administrator! ¡°No, this isn¡¯t what I made.¡± It was made out of anSS+ rank metal, so he had high expectations, but the fact thatthe entire wall was an artifact was beyond anything he hadimagined. It was well out of what could be considered a cksmith¡¯s work. -You are the member who alloyedthe explosive gold brick, and you are the one whodecided how to build the wall. It is no exaggeration to saythat you made thiswall. The administrator said so as if he guessed what Shin-hyuk had beenthinking. Kang Shin-hyuk felt bad for Shu. Itwas all thanks to her ability that theyhadpleted it soquickly. ¡°Is this enough?¡± -I don¡¯t know, but the conditions were good. The administrator told him to lookaround. Indeed, all of the Yeomin except for Kwati had fallen totheground. [Hey, Anvil.] Meanwhile, Kwati called out to him quizzically asshe had yet to grasp the situation. [What the hell is this damn girldoing? The two of us have to fight against them?] ¡°Can¡¯t we try to solve it through talking?¡± [There¡¯s a bunch of them.] [Smash it!] [Destroy the volcano and regain our peaceful world!] The people living in this world charged atthe wall with the fire lizards besidethem. -ng! -Kiii! However, while Kwati and Kang Shin-hyuk stoodby not knowing what to do, everyone who rushed the wall bouncedoff it. The walls were unaffected, however. ¡®Well, it is made of that explosive gold.¡¯The metal had insanely high durability. It was piled up and rebornas an artifact, so itsdurability and defense had only further increased. It was no wonderthat the monsters of this world would bounce off likethat. -Quaaaaah! -Quaah! The fire lizards crawled around it, but they couldn¡¯t climb the walls or breakthrough it with their mes.Rather, the mes they breathed only reinforced it.This wall was imprable to the firelizardsalone. [It¡¯s pretty hard,but¡­] [That¡¯s right, it¡¯s their trick.Push!] [Let¡¯s attack with wind and water!] The storm turtles could produce wind, and the swamppigs could producewater. The rock wolves used the power of the earth,so they weren¡¯t suffering much damage even when they collided with themetal wall. The explosive gold didn¡¯t havethe vulnerability to water and ice as the icesalt gold did, but it didn¡¯t boast of theinvincibility it had against fire. Each enemy reached theSS-rank on the minimum, so if they continued to attack,it would only take them a day to break through. [Damn, we just finished the walls too. Once we¡¯re gone, you¡¯re next!] ¡°These ones are the real problem.¡± They seemed to have at leasta minimal level of reasoning, so why couldn¡¯t theygrasp such a simple fact? KangShin-hyuk was genuinely curious. -Member, sometimes beasts, rely on their instincts over reason.They are impatient and obsessed with their desires. ¡°Uh, that¡­¡± -Most beings only think of themselves evenwhen disaster strikes the world. They often think that theywill be the exceptionto thedisaster. ¡°Wow.¡± Such things often happened on Earth, so that he couldn¡¯t denyit. ¡°I have to giveup.¡± -That¡¯s right. Edifying them can¡¯t be achieved. Kang Shin-hyuk jumped up on the wall to look over the situationnow that he had given up on persuadingthem. Thousands of enemies were strikingthe walls from all sides. It was fortunate that all of them were beingblocked by the special ability FireNest. ¡°It¡¯s impressive.¡± [Now¡¯s not the time to admire them,Anvil.] Kwati came up to his side and redat the hordes around them with a murderous gaze. [I¡¯ll admit the walls you made are amazing. But how long will they hold out?] ¡°Is it okay to be hostile likethis?¡± [It can¡¯t be changed now. Besides, there¡¯s nothing tofear. You only need to be able to defeat themproperly. If the Yeomin were in good shape, it would be simpleto use this wall to stop them.] Kwati replied that there was a reason they weren¡¯t invading eachother¡¯s territories in the first ce. She had a me shiningorange in her hand, but she didn¡¯t know which one todealwith. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s wake up Shu first.¡± He ran down the wand found Shu¡¯s body lying halfway down. Her chestgently rose and fell, informing him that she was only sleeping. ¡°Do you have any advice, administrator?¡± -You should use your best skills. ¡°Oh, really? Then, I¡¯m sorry, Shu, but a kiss¡­¡± -?!?! The administrator had only been joking around, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasintent on doing it right. He supported her head up and heldherhand. -Member, are you really confident that your best ability is that? ¡°Shh, I need to focus.¡± -Was this mymistake? What he meant was, of course, his spiritual power. KangShin-hyuk carefully let his spiritual power flow through Shu.Originally, such a thing would be impossible, but since she was stunnedand he had more experience in reading other¡¯s sources with hispower, it was actually rather easypared to working withMirang. It seemed that she was stronger than Mirang, however,but her spiritual defense wasweak. ¡®Ah¡­ indeed, it is.¡¯ He understood some of themechanisms by which her abilities worked as he dug through to herroots. ¡®In exchange for bringingthe results right away, Shu is cutting away at her future. Inother words, her immature body is the price and penalty for herability.¡¯ Perhaps that wasn¡¯t the only penalty. There must have been many things shehad to give up in exchange for them. A typical example would beskill proficiency since she skipped the process and wouldtake a penalty for not properly learningit. Perhaps that was why her stake inpleting the wall had beenoddlysmall. -It is the ability to look forward to the future, but only if youcan wisely walk the tightrope between desire and reason. So, dearmember, it is really¡­ Half ignoring the prying administrator, he sank deeper into Shu¡¯s source. At thatpoint, she seemed to realize his invasion, but she eptedhim without any rejection. [Grandpa¡­?] [Did you wakeup?] [It¡¯s still hard. Interfering with causality causes strain onmy body. Was it not solved with the finished wall?] [I don¡¯t know, but it doesn¡¯t seem likeit will hold outforever.] [Well, that¡¯s right. They need to be overwhelmedso they won¡¯t attackter¡­] Each time her voice rang out, her core, a sphere of bright light, swelledup. [Okay, I can do this. It¡¯s still difficult for me to getupmyself.] Shu dered so. [I¡¯ll lend you someof my abilities. Wanna try a rocket punch?] [Uh?! Can I do it?!] [It would be impossible with my body. But Ithink Grandpa can handle it.] He could feel her power flowing throughhim. ¡°Ah¡­¡± -Member, are you okay? ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± When he opened his eyes, Shu was still asleep. [Anvil, please help! The walls are vibrating¡­ huh?] [What is that?!] Something great had appeared in the sky. chapter 221 – Getting Mature(1) chapter 221 ¨C Getting Mature(1) At first nce, it looked like arge cylindrical column. However, if onewere to look at itclosely, a vertically elongated handle could be seen behindit. There was a hole in the tip of thecylinder, in which an uncontroble amount of darkness bloomed. [Well, what is it¡­?] [Is it magic? Is italive?] The creatures living in this world had highbat power levels, but theywerepletely ignorant about artifacts and magic-rted items. Therefore, theycould only watch in confusion. Meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk could feelthat the power he borrowed from Shu was workingproperly. ¡®Is it really like this? It¡¯s not just making the gunhuge. As a result of the desire towant a means of attacking them all atonce, the gun chose that path.¡¯ It was just because this could attack everyone.However, the result had been special thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s deep understanding of Shu¡¯s abilitythrough his spiritual power. As abonus, he also had a lotof experience ergingartifacts. ¡®The growing side is simr, although the mechanicsare different.¡¯ Heknew very well that it was much easier to recreatesomething that had been seen before than doing it all fromscratch. ¡®The weapon is suitable too.¡¯ The massive weapon floating above them now was thepistolErebos. [Thyrsus No.0-Erebos] [SSS+ Rank] [Special Abilities: Supply Ammunition, Dark Bullet, Encroachment, Protection] *Encroachment: Forces the enemy to assimte with the darkness, inflicting damageover time by instilling poison into the darkness itself.Extremely lowers the enemy¡¯s dark resistance and traps themin shadows. When live ammo is loaded, the energy consumption is extremely reduced, butthe effect of the ability is reducedbyhalf. *Protection: The blessing of deep darkness inhabits the gun to protect the user andstrengthens their ability to deal with the darkness. The muzzle was aimed at the ground as an illusion ofa golden dragon spiraling around the barrel appeared. When he confirmed that allof his abilitieswere manifesting, he pulled his index finger tofire off a bullet of darkness straight at them. -Kwaaaang It was as if night had arrived as the darkness encroached the earth,and everyone except those protected by the wall was buried upto their waists in it. Not even the storm turtles floating in the sky could evadeit. [Huh?!] [Ah, it hurts. This darkness is holding me!] [Poison, poison in the darkness¡­!] [Kahak!] It had a more terrible result than the rocket punchShu threw. She used a force shedidn¡¯t fully understand to achieve the best results, using herbare hands to minimize the penalties of her abilities. It was afighting method based on pure intuition, which wasprobably why she didn¡¯t check the abilities ofthe gloves Kang Shin-hyuk made forher. ¡®But I can draw a near-perfect understanding with spiritual power.¡¯That was why, in this one instance, he could use Shu¡¯s ability ina way that was more powerful than hers. [Anvil, whatjust¡­] ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk recovered thehuge pistol that had been floating in the sky and openedhis hands. Now it was time to use thesecond artifact that had borrowed her abilities. [Soul Connector] [SS Rank] [Special ability: Shadow Silk, Lord, Spiritualization, Dwarf¡¯s Hand] *Shadow Silk: It emits the power of the soul intoa thread with physical force. It never ceases unlessthe power of the soul is lost. Allows for movement through theshadows. An artifact that moved through the darkness and emitteda thread of soul. It wasn¡¯t very high ranked among the artifacts he had now,but none were better for the current situation. ¡®Well, if there were just one of them, I would¡¯veused the Dark Spirit Pearl.¡¯ Had there been onepowerful enemy, that would¡¯ve been more effective. However, now therewere rtively weak enemies (although they were still SS-rank) stuckin thedarkness. -Shaaah As a result, the soul connector fired out thousands of threads, not even justfrom his fingertips but straight out of the darkness around the wall.They prated the vital spots of the enemies that couldn¡¯t escapefrom the darkness, filling them with soul poison. [Kyaaaaaaah!] [Ahhhhh!] [Save me, saveme¡­!] The sounds of screamsresonated out in all directions, but Kang Shin-hyuk ignored it ashe focused on controlling the soul connector. His eyes were closed, but he couldgrasp the enemy¡¯s conditions more clearlythan he could by sight alone. In fact, the momenthe stretched out the threads, he couldtell he had killed enemies everywhere, but some still persisted. [You¡¯ve borrowed the power of outsiders!] [We should¡¯ve killed you right away!] [Yeomin, traitors¡­!] They were the leadersof the forces. Surprisingly, they were pushing ondespite being weakened by soul poison. -The ability to manifest wasn¡¯tpletely realized. However, it isdefinitely a record to unterally borrowan ability likethis! ¡®No, it was a fairly reinforced attack, but I couldn¡¯tkill them. Ick bothprehension and power.¡¯ He clenched his jawas he manipted the threads. It was impossible to continue to use Shu¡¯s abilities, but he could stillmanipte the projections that had already been made. [This much¡­?] First, the body of the massive rock wolf was wrapped in hundreds of threads and squeezed. Threads weavedtheir way inside of the cracks in therock, tearing himapart. [Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!] The soul poison took effect a bitter, weakening itssource as its body broke and rocks sttered in alldirections. [The rock wolves¡­ kiii?!] Next was the head of the storm turtles, who was tryingto escape even though more than half of its body was buried in darkness. [How, mybody¡­!] Their shells were tough, but he didn¡¯t needto cut through it. He just needed to dig into thedelicate flesh hidden inside and inject soul poison into them. [Kiii! No, everyone willdie!] Meanwhile, the leader of the swamp pigs realized his impending doomafter watching the rock wolves and storm turtles die. He tried to resistthe darkness by sshing water around his body, but before he couldflee the threads, something bit into historso. [Kaaa!] It was the only surviving fire lizard. Without hesitation, itgrabbed the head of the swamp pigand ate it whole. The darkness couldn¡¯t approach it becauseof the mes itemitted. ¡°Tsu.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped controlling the threads and climbed up onto the wall to getanoverlook. ¡°Why won¡¯t it end with this?¡±Before him was a fire-lizard that emanated a toxic spark, unlike what had been seen inthe previousraids. [Koo, kooo.] The one who devoured the swamp pigapproached the other corpses, emitting sparks to drive back the darkness.It devoured the corpses it found,its strength growing as it did. It wasmonfor monsters to increase their magic by predating other monsters, but theextent to this one was growing was strange. Perhaps Jormungand was imbuing it. [Anvil, I don¡¯t think your ability works for it¡­ ah?!] Kwati trembled and let out a cry. This was becauseshe saw the thousands of threads that moved like waves in a darksea sink down and lose their power.Shu¡¯s abilities had reached its limit. ¡°Well, not that itwould help.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed as he watched the monster devour corpse after corpse. Itwas some badtiming, but now that he had to deal with itusing his own ability, he could expect a greatreward. [I will cooperate. After all, the fire-lizard handles mes. At least, Ican stop you from getting hurt.] ¡°Oh, really? That will make things easier. When I signal, canyou prevent his control for a second?¡± [Sure.] He wanted to say he finally found a ce where the Yeomin couldy an active part, but he pressed it down. [But are you okay? My mes won¡¯t hit himat all, and his energy is growing stronger¡­it¡¯ll be difficult unless you have someweird abilities like you showed earlier.] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee if I wasunprepared.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly drank a spiritual potion. ¡°I still have some things that can help me.¡± Thatwould have to beenough. -Vwoooom He produced the Godyer and put the Dark Spirit Pearl inside it. -Due to fusing with the [Dark Spirit Pearl], the possibilities of the Godyer have temporarily blossomed.It has be an SS+ rank. The strength and durabilityof the sword are amplified, and the power of all special abilitiesaremaximized! -You can now handle the special ability [Dark Spirit]. -The special ability [Spirit Sword] hasbeen temporarilyunlocked. -[Sacred Sword] and [Spirit Sword] have fused to unlock the specibility [Sword of Chaos].[Sword of Chaos], [Flesh Control], and [Guardian] have fused to unlock thespecial ability[Dawn]. -The special ability cannot be expressed due to ackof ability. Forced manifestation could lead todeath. Of course, Dawn was still not avable. He wondered if he wentbeyond the limit of mortals, it would be possible to use. ¡®There¡¯s no end togrowth.¡¯ -It is like a child waiting for the momentthey be an adult. No matter howold you are, forever like a child¡­ oh, you¡¯re an adultnow.Sorry. ¡®That was revenge just now.¡¯ But it was alright. Theability he wanted to use was [Dark Spirit], not [Dawn]. An ability thatwould absorb all darkness and be strengthenedbyit. ¡°Go!¡± [Kuooooooo!] Kang Shin-hyuk jumped towards the fire-lizard as it let out aroar. Its size kept growing with eachcorpse it ate. 8 meters, 9, 10¡­ the bigger it grew, the brighter themes it emitted became. Kang Shin-hyuk extended his sword forwards, pulling inthe sea of darkness that Erebos had created. [Kuaaaaaaah?!] [Anvil?!] ¡°Kwati, now!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk made a short leap through space and swungthe Godyer with all his might. The darkness concentrated at the very tip of the sword and exploded. Chapter 222 – Getting Mature(2) Chapter 222 ¨C Getting Mature(2) Even tonight, the Seoul sky looked very bright. All the buildings in theChoin Shopping Center were litup. ire¡¯s bar was in a corner that seemedto be avoiding the light of society will allits might, yet her reputation (as well as of her server, Shin Eun-hyuk) was sohigh that it was full today. ¡°Hello! Oh, isn¡¯t Eun-hyuk here today?¡± With the sound of ajingle, a female superhuman came through the door. ire, who was in themiddle of making a cocktail, raised her headand replied bluntly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me in such a scary manner, unnie.¡± Thesuperhuman, Lim Ha-yeon, caught her gaze and replied with a giggle.ire¡¯s eyes only grewsharper. ¡°You talk like you can take him away.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a joke, but now it¡¯s so scarythat I might die¡­ what happened to youtwo?¡± It was uneptable to ask personal questions,but she was a regr who could¡¯ve received a perfect attendance stamp fromthe bar, so she decided to giveit a try. ire put the finished cocktail in front of the customer, and theneer took the now vacant seat once they moved back. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, so go ahead and order. Hunting today?¡± ¡°No, I just came to drink. I wanted to drinka French kiss from Eun-hyuk.¡± The cocktail names were full of potentialsexual harassment. How would shereact if she learned that Shin Eun-hyuk was,in fact, Kang Shin-hyuk, a minor? ire sighed and began preparing her drink. ¡°You¡¯re banned from talking toEun-hyuk.¡± ¡°Uh, unnie? I¡¯m just kidding¡­ what really happened? Are youtwo not doingwell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going very well?¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Rather, the problemwas it was going too well. Rum, malibu, syrup¡­ she poured all theingredients into a cup and mixed them. Lim Ha-yeon epted thedark pink cocktail and looked around before lowering her voice. ¡°I thought Eun-hyuk was better suited to you than the Empress.¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯s mine¡­ don¡¯ttellEunah.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die early. Oh, it¡¯s delicious.¡± The scandal of the lovetriangle between Shin Eun-hyuk, ire, and Eunah had fullysolidified and was now irreversible. Frequent visitors to the bar wouldoften see the three together and observe the subtle atmosphere betweenthem. And while most of the customers were aware of the Alchemist¡¯soverwhelming advantage, everyone kept quiet as they feared the Empress. ¡°You even make your love look morous.¡± ¡°This again?¡± Lim Ha-yeonsipped on her drink as she chatted with ire.Today, the atmosphere around her was strange, so shewanted to discussit. ¡°At first, I thought it was something likewhat would be on TV, but it¡¯s a triangleof bestfriends.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, already¡­ no, never mind.¡± ire quickly backtrackedafter almost making a huge mistake, but her opponent was also superhuman. Hereyes sharpened at ire¡¯s reaction. ¡°Already? What came afterthat, perhapsEun-hyuk¡­¡± ¡°Should I kick youout?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Lim Ha-yeon urgently apologized asire was about to activate thedefense artifact installed in the bar. ire threw a jelly in her mouth,which she had prepared as snacks. They were bear-shaped jellies marinated in vodka,having a sweet and sourtaste. ¡°Well, well¡­¡± ¡°Listen quietly while you eat.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ire noticed the other guestssitting at the counter before she spoke. They quietly emptied their sses,paid their bills, and vanished. She letout asigh. ¡°Have you ever dated someone younger?¡± ¡°Are you starting to show off your boyfriend right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious?¡± She threw another jelly into Lim Ha-yeon¡¯s mouth. Shediligently chewed it thennodded. ¡°Younger boyfriend, you know, I prefer men who are younger than me.¡± ¡°If my boyfriend is young, I think Ishould be more aggressive because I¡¯m older.¡± ¡°How cute?¡± ¡°I chose the wrong person to ask.¡± Lim Ha-yeon quickly grabbed ireas she began to turn away. ¡°Ah, no, no. I know the feeling! I was thinkingabout my own experience for a moment with a superhumanboyfriend when I was still in school!¡± ire managed notto flinch away at the mention of a superhumanschoolstudent. ¡°I was a little worried because Iwas aminor.¡± ¡°The student bit is a little bad.¡± ¡°How should I say it? Honestly, aren¡¯t you an adult ifyou¡¯re eighteen?¡± That lightened ire¡¯s heart a little, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasstillseventeen! ¡°Well, the standards of adults were different in every era.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a bit¡­ anyway! So what is the problem?¡±ire hesitated and looked around, only opening her mouth when she wasconvinced no one was listening. ¡°That¡­ I feel like I can¡¯t controlmyself when we¡¯re together these days. I want to treat myselfas an adult, leisurely¡­ but when I wake up¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re proud of your boyfriend.¡± Lim Ha-yeon¡¯s expression quickly changed. Now shehad to listen about her pride in her boyfriend,who was ranked fourth internationally? ¡°Isn¡¯t itself-confidence?¡± ¡°I wish I was in such a good mood.¡±Lim Ha-yeon responded casually and then lowered her voice so that only irecouldhear. ¡°By the way, Eun-hyukis¡­¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ire tried to pretend to be cool on the outside, but shewas screaming on theinside. ¡°It can¡¯t be that way. Still, if you¡¯re saying this, he mustbe younger than I thought.¡± ¡°He¡¯s younger than us, forsure.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ so, how is Eun-hyuk? Is he sick? Ouch!¡±One of the bear jellies struck her in the head this time.ire handed her a long ind iced tea asshe was in pain. ¡°For the counselingfee.¡± ¡°Well, did you benefit from this consultation?¡± ¡°My mind feels a little easier.¡± ¡°I think you like Eun-hyuk a lot.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± iresighed. ¡°I like him so much, I think I¡¯m a fool.¡± Which was whyit was getting more and more difficult. She mumbled quietly as Shin Eunahentered thebar. *** -You have subdued those who areharmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 66,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus,you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to50% of the reward, for a total of 99,000,000HP! -Agility has grown to SS-rank! -You acquired the Heart ofConfusion! -You have acquired the Horns of the Predator. -Of thePredator¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s prediction had been correct. Thanks to Shu¡¯s ability fadingaway, he received a proper reward for defeating the fire lizard. ¡®Now, even my agility has reached SS-rank.¡¯ All stats had reachedSS-rank, and even Golden Dragonwas at SS+, so it was no exaggeration to say he had reacheda status worthy of number four in the world. Ithadn¡¯t even been a year since he acquired the Godyer sword and entered the HeroUniverse, but he had already managed to acquire thismuch. ¡®Thinking back, the dimensional quest was really helpful.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t forthat, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to huntthese ridiculous monsters reliably. Hended on the ground with asmile, unable to curb his rising satisfaction. Since there were no enemiesalive left, allhe needed to do now was recover the monsters¡¯bodies. ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°Oh, Shu. You woke up already?¡± ¡°Thanks to you.¡± As he was recovering themonster corpses, Shu approached him. He was briefly worried, but she seemed to bein goodshape. ¡°A little of the reward came to me aswell since you used my abilities to clear these guys up.¡± ¡°It works likethat.¡± ¡°But I was surprised. How did you use my abilities so perfectly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to spiritual power. Should I teach you?¡± ¡°Yeah, that would be it.¡± Sheughed andhung onto hiswaist. ¡°It felt good, though! It¡¯s hard tofind someone who understands our people that way! Well, I believedfrom the beginning that grandpacould.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone aboutit.¡± ¡°Can we do it one more time? Yes?¡± ¡°¡­It sounds a little weird, so stop.¡± Itsounded somewhat illegal, as she said it. The twofinished cleaning up the battlefield and headed toward thewall, where Kwati was. ¡°When will they wakeup?¡± ¡°I shifted the burden as much as possible, so probablyat least threedays.¡± ¡°You did a very bad thing.¡± ¡°I was trying to help, so it¡¯s okay.¡± Rather, they would probably thankher when they saw the walls werepleted. [Anvil!] ¡°Oh, Kwati.¡± Kwati approached them after arrangingthe Yeomin carefully on theground. [I really don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve donebymyself.] Judging by the amount of HP he had acquired, it was definitelya good thing Kang Shin-hyuk was ableto deal with it. Of course, it was possible thanks to the dark bulletfired with Shu¡¯sability. ¡°Kwati, you did well too. You had good timing.¡± It was just fora moment, but Kwati had certainly dampened the fire lizard¡¯s mes.Had she not done it, the sword wouldn¡¯t have been able toshow off its abilities. [Because we couldn¡¯t be left as a burden until the end. I¡¯m d ithelped.] ¡°The others weren¡¯t so good.¡± It was a problem that theyall possessed the same abilities. It is what made thelizards poor opponents forthem. [If I have the chance. I will definitely return thefavor.] ¡°Is it not over now? I built the wall,so next time you¡¯ll stop it yourself. Isn¡¯t that right, grandpa?¡± ¡°It is.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk casually affirmed Shu, Kwati¡¯s face darkened for a moment.Kang Shin-hyuk noticed it andsmiled. ¡°But since I made the walls, I¡¯ll make someweapons before I leave.¡± [Anvil!] The overly thrilled Kwati hugged him, the rock protecting her chest,hurting him a little. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cling; it hurts.¡± [Sorry, sorry.] -A new fox appears wherever you go¡­! ¡°The administrator counts this one as a fox too.¡± ¡°Grandpa, Anvil grandpa.¡± Suddenly, Shu called out his name. ¡°Before that, talk to me first.¡± ¡°What isit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s important,¡± Shu said so a little shyly. ¡°If it¡¯s grandpa, you might be able to make me an adult.¡± -The wrong approach! ¡°Administrator, is that an error message?¡± -The wrong approach! -The wrong approach! Rather, wasn¡¯t it the administrator¡¯s approach that felt wrong? Chapter 223 – Getting Mature(3) Chapter 223 ¨C Getting Mature(3) After abruptly finishing the quest and barely quieting down the administrator who wantedto return himto Earth, Kang Shin-hyuk sat face to face with Shu in a quiet ce withinthebasin. ¡°I like the one baked in the furnace. Eat abunch,grandpa!¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± They were eating the legs of the fire lizard predator. It was really delicious,but the effect after eating it was simr to thatof the grilled firelizard. [Resist Fire skill proficiency is now SS+!Skill proficiency has reached the same level as the rarity. The skill canno longer grow, but there is apossibility it may evolve due to special circumstances.] [Resist Fire has increased by 80% until the meat is digested.] However, the extent of the buff was surprisingly different. Now, his Resist Fireskill had reached the limit, and was now buffed by80%. Wasn¡¯t that at the level where itcould determine how a battle went? ¡°¡­I have to keepsome.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! Just eat more, eat more!¡± ¡°You already ate a lot.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk carefullyarranged the meat he had gathered. If the effect was the same when itwas made into jerky, it would prove to be popr on the trading board. ¡°So? What do you mean about bing an adult? Youmean making your body grow, right?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had eaten his fill,so he decided to get to the point.Shu corrected her posture stubbornly. ¡°Right. My growth is slowing down in exchange for the use of my skills.¡± ¡°A little?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask my age, really!¡± She punched Kang Shin-hyuk onthe shoulder. Her palm that flew forwardsmight¡¯ve broken some bones had he not been using Golden Dragon Fighter to defend himself. ¡°In the past, it was the simplest priceI could pay, so I didn¡¯t care.¡± ¡°But now you want to grow up.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shu said so with an embarrassed expression. ¡°I also want to love and have children.¡± -The wrongapproach! ¡°She doesn¡¯t mean with me, so calm down.¡± ¡°The administrator¡¯s love for Anvil is still there. It¡¯s amazing to see itmyself.¡± Shu whispered quietly at the si happening before her. ¡°But I haven¡¯t found love yet, so rest assured, administrator.¡± -The moment when Super Ultra Gxy Fist, who finally discovers thepossibility of growth through this member¡¯s devotion and effort, finally fallsin love withhim¡­! ¡°You have quite the imagination.¡± It was scary that it oftenled to such scenes betweenKang Shin-hyuk and other members. -I will introduce youto a good member. How about an artisan from the world, Lestia,who blesses the birth of all living things? ¡°I can¡¯t do that. They don¡¯t have thepower to pull a future that has been dyed.¡± Lestia.That was the world the hatching eleratorcame from if he remembered correctly. KangShin-hyuk scratched at his head and let out asigh. ¡°I don¡¯t have that ability, either.¡± ¡°But you know my abilities well. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible for you somehow?¡± KangShin-hyuk was only a cksmith who made things out of metal. Ofcourse, he was alsogood at soulcraft, but the likelihood of creating something thatcould solve Shu¡¯s problem was unbelievably low. She didn¡¯thave great expectations in the first ce; she just had somehope upon seeing his spiritual power. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t giveyou a definite answer. I¡¯ll try to figureit out,though.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s try it one more time!¡±Shu reached out to him. It would be normal for someone to reject having their sourcescrutinized, but she liked it because it felt like he understoodher. ¡°If my grandpa understands me better,it means you¡¯re more likely to make me an adult, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But it can be overwhelming for both of us,so only once aday.¡± ¡°Yes, because you¡¯re supposed to make them weapons as well.¡± Shu¡¯sgaze turned to Kwati, who was watching them from a distance.She must¡¯ve been waiting to ask when he intended to forge their weapons. ¡°Yes, so while I work, you focus on other things too.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kang Shin-hyuksmiled. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ll be fighting with the storm turtles, rockwolves, and swamp pigs. Why don¡¯t you help out a little?¡± They had killedthe leaders of each of those races at once,yet that hadn¡¯t solved the conflict. Rather, it was the signal to the startof the war. It was obvious that all the other races in the world would noe for the Yeomin, but it wasstupid to wait for them to attack, even if it hadlittle to do with their dimensionalquest. ¡°It¡¯s awar.¡± ¡°The war has begun anyway, so let¡¯s take advantage of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it because I¡¯ll be working for the Yeominfor free¡­ yes, that will be the way to save everyone.¡± Shuworried over his words for a whilebefore nodding with a bitter smile. She knew why the shhad happened between the races earlier. If left as it was, the other races would bedestroyed by Jormungand or absorbed into theirranks even if the Yeomin were fine. But ifthey were overwhelmed and brought together, it wouldn¡¯t be difficultto fight againstJormungand. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out and fight for a little bit.In the meanwhile, will you be doing that?¡± ¡°Refrain from causing anymisunderstandings.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no clue what you mean. I¡¯ll be back!¡±Shuughed and turned away. At that moment, he felt somesoft texture left on his cheek for somereason. It was her ability to skip theprocess and leave only the result. By omitting theprocess of kissing, the result of a sweet warmness was left. -The wrongapproach!!! ¡°Oh, yes. Yes, it is. I have a girlfriend too.¡± -The wrongapproach! ¡°Administrator, calm down. Good,good.¡± -I¡¯m not a puppy! 1,000,000HPbonus! ¡°But then why is there a bonus?¡± Kang Shin-hyukughedin response. Shu felt much more like a granddaughter than Shin Eunah ever did. In fact,it was odd to think about how old she might bedespite her child-like personality and appearance. ¡®¡­Maybe that¡¯s bad.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know about all of her abilities or penalties. He wondered if treatingher as a younger sister might hurther. [Anvil!] After Shu left him with someplicated thoughts, Kwatiapproachedhim. [Where did Shu go?] ¡°She went to shake down the guys who attackedtheYeomin.¡± [Ah! ¡­That¡¯s what we have to do. You¡¯ve onlyeto save us from the fire lizards, but you¡¯vecarried such a burden for us. I¡¯m really sorry.] ¡°It¡¯s our fault that the Yeomin will have to deal with them.¡± Besides, ifit were a quest to stop Jormungand, they would failwithout taking suchsteps. ¡°I will make siege weapons, personal weapons, and armor. Cooperate with me.¡± [Of course, pamperyourself.] Kwati looked at him with a lot of respect aftershe had seen him strike downthat fire lizard with a single sword blow.She was like his assistant now, her fiery hairfluttering along as she walked alongside him. -That me that has no intention of concealing sheis a fox is reallydisgusting. ¡®Just because you gave me a 1 million HP bonus doesn¡¯t meanyou can keep talking likethat.¡¯ -After registering as a member, such talk won¡¯t bepossible, so I have to doitnow. ¡®Ah¡­ indeed. I thought that might be the case.¡¯ The eventsof what happened in Kieron passed through his mind when Milia becamea member of the Hero Universe. There was a high possibility thatKwati, their leader, would join the Hero Universe. ¡®How much isleft?¡¯ -You asked for nothing, but it was quite amazing thatshe made the mes disappear. It wasa monster that had reached the current limit. ¡®Indeed.¡¯ -Moreover, that furnace¡­ her understanding of me will increase. Soon,she can log into the Hero Universe. ¡®That¡¯s a good thing.¡¯ The administrator seemed tohave a different idea, but he sent no further messages. [Anvil, I have one thing to say before I gettowork.] ¡°Huh?¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk thought about what he should make, Kwati lookedat him with determination. [I haven¡¯t told you why the lizards were targetingusyet.] ¡°That¡¯s because of Jormungand¡­ and they like fire?¡± [Probably. But they weren¡¯t aimingfor our fire. There is a separate me for them.] ¡°In thevolcano?¡± [Yes.] He was aware this volcano was a special ce; otherwise,an SS+ rank metal wouldn¡¯t be born here. ¡°But what are you talking about? Canyou showme?¡± [I don¡¯t intend to stop with showing it. It doesn¡¯t meananything to Shu, but I thought it would be okayfor you to deal with it.] What the heck was she intending by saying it so grandly? [Do you have anyns to be aYeomin?] ¡°Uh¡­ no? Is that possible?¡± [Sorry, I had expected as much. Then, I¡¯ll giveyouanother.] Kwati reached out to the furnace of Nephritis. [Look carefully. This is the reason for our existence¡­and why we can¡¯t leavethebasin.] The volcanicspirit. The moment Kwati quieted down, the volcano erupted. Chapter 224 – Getting Mature(4) Chapter 224 ¨C Getting Mature(4) Kang Shin-hyuk thought that his whole body would be covered in mes. However,theva that erupted from the center of the volcanoaimed down only at the furnace. It was likea baptism ofva. It erupted from belowand rained down from above to be absorbed into thefurnace. ¡°This¡­¡± [What the fire lizards wanted was to take the spirit of this volcanoand be reborn as a higher race.] ¡°I see.¡± Perhaps by epting that spirit, Kang Shin-hyuk could also be a Yeomin? Afterconsidering their appearance for a moment, he shook his head. But thatdidn¡¯t mean he would be unaware of what washappening. He kneeled and ced his hands on theshaking earth, letting his spiritual power infiltrate theerupting volcano to figure out what this volcanic spirit was. And, in an instant, hequickly pulled his hands back as he felt his spiritual power suckedin. ¡°It almost tookme.¡± -You touched too deeply. The administrator was right. The volcanic spirit was the will of an indistinct me,and Kwati had such an ability that the volcanic spiritmoved somewhat in ordance with her will. With that, she had established herself as the headof the Yeomin. Kang Shin-hyuk had seeded inmunicating with the volcanic spiritat a deeper level than her using his spiritual power,but¡­ ¡®In an instant, it almost swept me away. It¡¯s aterrifying energy.¡¯ It was his miscalction that he thought he might be able tolearn more about how to deal with mes if he grasped it. Itwas like it tried to surrender itself to Kang Shin-hyuk, to make himthe new god of the Yeomin sothat he had to protect this world. [What?] Kwati tilted her head. Shetried to calm the volcanic spirit down, but the crater only openedwider. The furnace, having absorbed theva, suddenly fell into it. [What?!] Kwati looked over at Kang Shin-hyuk. She had done thisintending to reward him, but she hadn¡¯tanticipated the volcanic spirit coveting thefurnace and taking it. Kwati croucheddown and looked up athim, but Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s appeared very calm, at least on the outside. [Anvil¡­ this¡­ yes, the volcanic spirit took the brazier as asacrifice, so I¡¯ll give you something better.] ¡°What isit?¡± [I¡¯ll help you create a new one, soplease don¡¯t get mad and calmdown¡­!] It was then that the furnace came out of the crater again. It was moresolid and significantly bigger, with golden lines geometrically running across the darksurface. [Uh, huh?Really¡­] ¡°Hm?¡± Had the volcanic spirit that came into contact with Kang Shin-hyuk andgained vitality instead take the furnace? No. Rather, it seemed that it was givingsomething back in return for the spiritual power Kang Shin-hyuk gave it. [The Brazier ofNephritis] [Cannot beMeasured] [A furnace that can handle all the heat in the world. Itcan contain the me of myth, and it can create new myths. With the blessing of the volcanothat burns forever, it is possible to create the ¡®Nephritis¡¯ by itself.] [The performance has been amplified by the exquisite bnce of the four treasures,and a treasure that depends on the craftsman¡¯s spiritualpower and traits, it is likely that others cannot handle it properly.] [Production speed is three timesfaster due to the traits of the furnace.] ¡°This¡­¡± When it had first been created, it had no abilityto create or strengthen mes. Now, however, it couldcreate a special me called Nephritis. Had his emotional skill been better,he would¡¯ve known exactly what it was, but as it was, theartifact couldn¡¯t be measured. He could get a rough understanding of it, though, withhis spiritualpower. [Is it Nephritis?] However, Kwati, unable to check the information herself, seemed shocked as sheheard the exnation from Kang Shin-hyuk. [I was trying to make the furnace capable of creating its own me¡­I thought it would be sessful, but it can now create theNephritis that has been passed down through ourmyths¡­!] -Please exin to this fox that it is because the volcano likesyou more than the Yeomin. ¡®No.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk calmed Kwati down and asked her if he couldreally create a spark of a god. It wasfortunate that she was theonly one around right now, as the others mighttry to serve him instead had they seen this. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen it with your own eyes?¡± [That¡¯s right.] ¡°So don¡¯t get too excited. It¡¯s probably a me suitablefor creating new weapons, just a bit differentfrom your energy.¡± [Sure, but¡­] Kang Shin-hyuk turned away from her and began checkingout the furnace. Specifically, he verified the fourth orb that had suddenlyappeared. It was shining red and yellow, bright like the sun. [Orb ofNephritis] [Cannot beMeasured] [Changing Immtion, Dead Immtion, Cannot be Measured] [The orb that contains thespark of creation and the spark of death. As a small sun, itproduces infinite heat. Its productive capacity is farbeyond humanunderstanding.] ¡®As expected, this orb is the cause.¡¯ No, rather, the Nephritis wasonly possible with all four orbs together. Still, it wasa great treasure. Because of his efforts inthis dimensional quest and Kwati recognizing him, this and theupgraded furnace were his rewards. ¡®I¡¯ll have to learn how to use these fromnow on.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk smiled before turning back to Kwati. ¡°Please help me with the work. I¡¯llmake your weapons inreturn.¡± [Do you need to make a frame again?] ¡°No, I want to experiment.¡± [Experiment?] ¡°Yes.¡± With this me, he might be able to transform the shape ofthe explosive gold. He decided to start by makingingots out of the explosive gold. *** It was a great sess. The result was something beyond explosive goldthat could only be reprocessed by Nephritis. Kang Shin-hyukheated the explosive gold in the furnace and struckit with his hammer. Throughout his work, his eyes shone golden as hestrengthened both the mes and the metal. [Unbelievable¡­] ¡°What did you want tomake?¡± [If possible, a whip¡­ no, it¡¯s alright if it¡¯s too difficult.] A whip made out of the hard, explosivegold? Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Kwati in disbelief for a while before thinkingof a good way todoit. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be possible with a whip sword?¡¯ Itwas a weapon made by joining piecesof sword des together with a wire, and it could be made into alongsword by pulling the wire tight and fixing it. It was a verytricky weapon to handle. Even as an artifact,it couldn¡¯t be sold for much as noone wantedone. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s makeit.¡± [Really?] It was worth the challenge, at least. Kang Shin-hyuk first designed alongsword and then divided the explosive gold to create the de pieces, then awire to connect them together. Next, he needed todesign a device that could pull or stretch the wire. ¡®It¡¯s simpler than I thought?¡¯ Had he gained some new insight into metallurgy over theprocess of making the furnace and countless bricks? -The Snow Sword of the mes (SSS-) was produced through theharmony of spiritual powerand the me ofmyth. -Metallurgy skill proficiency has increased to SS-rank! Resist Fire (SS+) is causingevolution! ¡°¡­What?¡± He had roughly anticipated half of that message, butthe rest waspletely unexpected. ¡°Administrator, this¡­¡± -Didn¡¯t I tell you it is better to holdback on purchasing the Fire Mastery skill stone? ¡°Ah, ah¡­?¡± If so, could he learn Fire Mastery by training metallurgy? Resist Fire had been anability he gained that way but wasn¡¯t it different from utilizing it?Besides, did Anvil have anything like that?! -You learned the Fire Mastery (SSS) skill. Byinheriting the proficiency of the Resist Fire skill, the proficiency of Fire Masteryhas beS-rank. -Light Mastery (SS) has changed underthe influence of Fire Mastery. The rarityof the skill has increased to SSS-rank. -Wind Mastery (SS-) has changed under the influence of Fire Mastery.The rarity of the skill has increased toSS+rank. How many SSS-rank skills had he just acquired?! ¡°I feeldizzy.¡± -This administrator has goodnews. ¡°What isit?¡± -There is a shadow on the other side of theme. Only now, the skill stone for Dark Mastery (A) is 700millionHP¡­ ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s answer was immediate. Chapter 225 – Getting Mature(5) Chapter 225 ¨C Getting Mature(5) The administrator continued to try and convince Kang Shin-hyuk. -It¡¯s a very rare sale¡­ ¡°If I need it, I¡¯ll wait for a higher rank.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hadearned a lot of HPjust from selling his armaments onthe trading board, but 700 million HP wasn¡¯t that bigamitment to make. However, Erebos handled well without such a thingas Dark Mastery, and above all, hehadn¡¯t mastered the Light Mastery skill yet,so he thought there was no need to be greedy. ¡®Although, thanks to Fire Mastery, the limits of LightMastery and Wind Mastery have expanded.¡¯ For the timebeing, he needed to busy himself studying theharmony between fire, light, and wind. Most of all, if he managed tbine darkness and fire into something like a dark me,Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself. -Not that, member. When you learn Dark Mastery, the strongest would bebininglight anddarkness¡­ ¡°Then, especiallyno.¡± [This can¡¯t be¡­wow¡­] While Kang Shin-hyuk continued to refuse, Kwati wasadmiring the sword he hadmade. [It didn¡¯t take that long, but you changed the natureof the explosive gold. That me¡­ no, then Anvil is¡­] She seemed to bedeep in thought. KangShin-hyuk decided to move away from her and concentrate on making moreingots. It was around that timethat Shureturned. ¡°I¡¯m back, grandpa! No, you just made a treasure like that?!¡± Shu appeared right in frontof him without crossing the 50-meter-high wall and waslooking at the sword in Kwati¡¯s hands. ¡°It took you so long to make something forme! You made one forher in just a few hours!¡± ¡°There is a huge difference in grade from what Imadeyou.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­ did you gettheprice?¡± ¡°Kwati asked the volcanic spirit to upgrade thefurnace. I also got thetreasure.¡± ¡°Wow, it has one more of the awesome orbsembedded in it.¡± Shu examined the new orb stuck in the furnace witha sparkle in her eyes. She didn¡¯t believein the Gaia system, but her ability to measurean artifact¡¯s stats with just her senses seemedto be of ahigh-level. ¡°This seems to be the same as taking a part ofthe volcano. This isn¡¯t just her effort. Isn¡¯t it because the volcano likesyou?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled awkwardly. ¡°You should give as much as youcan.¡± ¡°With such a weapon¡­ alright. In fact, I¡¯ve taken everything I could.¡±He had suspected as much, but it became clearto him that Shu brought Kang Shin-hyuk to this world on behalf of the volcanic spirit,not the Yeomin. If he could contain theunprecedented amount of heat emanating from the volcano, his metallurgy would greatlyimprove in thefuture. ¡°The quest hasn¡¯t beenpleted yet, hasit?¡± ¡°Yes. We did save them, but in fact, something like that fire lizardwas too weak to be the boss of this wholething.¡± So that was why it had been easyfor grandpa to catch it, or so it seemed Shuwas thinking with a dark smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that you are weak,but those who target such a world are of animmense scale.So¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m still weak, so there¡¯s no need to shieldme like that. What about the otherraces?¡± ¡°I definitely trampled on them. As long as we finish the quest, theywon¡¯t be running wild anymore. Besides, you already killedtheir leaders.¡± Thanks to that, everyone was in a state of confusion and was unableto attack theYeomin. ¡°There won¡¯t be more conflict then.¡± ¡°The fire lizards are having difficulty moving, so we¡¯ll have plenty of time.¡± Shu¡¯seyes were already shining, and Kang Shin-hyuk knew what she wanted to say. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start. That adult y.¡± -That abbreviation makes listeners veryufortable. The administrator still grumbled but didn¡¯t try to interfereanyfurther. ¡°As I said, it probably won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay because it¡¯s already helpful.¡± Shu reached out to him with a brightsmile, and Kang Shin-hyuk took her hand. *** Two days had passed since then. In the meantime, Kang Shin-hyuk had installed dozens of ballistaeon the walls armed with giant bolts, all made out of explosive gold.Since he was mass-producing them, they weren¡¯t high-grade artifacts, but themoment they were installed on the wall, thatfact changed. Surprisingly, the special abilities of the wall were partially applied tothe ballista, amplifying their durability and attack power. [They¡¯re surprisinglymaneuverable.] Kwati fired one of the ballistae herself and said so with an expressionlike she wanted to hug him. [It¡¯s especially amazing that our attack power is strengthened. Howis thispossible?] ¡°It¡¯s because of the wall¡¯s special ability. It looks like itworks because it¡¯s from the same material.¡± [To share specibilities¡­] Perhaps this was also the power of Nephritis. Anyway, it wascertain that this furnace couldchange thisworld. ¡°Grandpa, how are you?¡± Shu was stretching out next to the two. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve grown a little, grandpa?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re exactly the same.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird; every time Ie into contact with you, I feel like mysource is growingbigger.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had busied himself, making the weapons and usedhis spare time tocontact Shu¡¯s source. However, he still couldn¡¯tfully grasp the abilities andlimitations of her race. However,it seemed that Shu felt like she was growing. Everytime they went through it, she looked refreshed afterward. [Isn¡¯t it more difficult if the sourcegrows? Because you¡¯re a child.] ¡°What?! A child?! Fireball, you¡¯re dead!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk continued to think as he watchedthe pitiful sight of Kwati being beaten by Shu. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if there was something to take the side effects instead?¡¯ -What are you talking about,member? ¡®Oh, it¡¯s just a stupid idea. The wall shares its abilities with low-level artifacts of thesame material. Like that¡­¡¯ There were two ideas that cameto mind. Either to create a weapon that could be activated in ce of Shu¡¯s ability and receivethe penalties, or an amulet thatcould doit. -Either way, a cksmith can¡¯t make it. ¡®That¡¯s new. I thought it might besince Shu asked me.¡¯ The formerdid seem impossible as he didn¡¯t fully understand the structure of Shu¡¯s abilities. Therewas a clear penalty that affected herbody. ¡®If so¡­¡¯ The wall could share its abilities with the ballista made ofthe same material. If so, if he could use part ofShu¡¯s body, then transferring the penalty to it¡­ ¡®Well, I can¡¯t even imagine that.¡¯ Butperhaps it was worth the challenge. First, Kang Shin-hyuk used his spiritual powerto explore the wall and the ballista intensively. They were made by him, soit wasn¡¯t difficult for him to understandtheir source. As a result, he confirmed the furnace¡¯s effects, but the mechanism for sharingspecial abilities didn¡¯t seem impossible to reproduce. -Sure, I see.Likethis¡­ ¡°Huh? What?¡± -It¡¯s nothing. So, will you start working right away? ¡°No, before that, I need a part of Shu¡¯s body.¡± It sounded very scary. ¡°So, give me yourhair.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ grandpa? You know, Ican stretch my hair out as much as Ican, but every time I do, the time Ispend as a childincreases.¡± [Yes, she¡¯s right,¡­kuhak!] Perhaps these guys were close after all. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as Shu¡¯s hair grewlong enough to touch the ground. Shu gathered it up, grabbed it,and cut it off with her hand. ¡°Is thisenough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough to try. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I will ask you to take responsibility.¡± -The wrongapproach! However, he couldn¡¯t start work right away. Around that point, the otherYeomin finally opened their eyes, and he had to turn theminto weapons,too. ¡°Choose between bows andspears.¡± [But I got such a nice weapon.] ¡°If they want one, they can beat you and be the new boss.¡± Hecouldn¡¯t afford to custom-make each one. He was already prepared tomass-produce bows and spears, so the Yeomin were forced tochoose one of thetwo. [Can we make weapons that utilize the photobase we have?] [Right. There may be more enemies other than the lizards.] ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared it.¡± What Kang Shin-hyuk handed out was an arrowmade for the ballista. Itcould be amplifiedwith their energy. ¡°I will have plenty ofarrowheads ready. The same goes for spears.¡± [What we wanted wasn¡¯t quitethis¡­] ¡°Anything more than that will require a formal request through the Hero Universe.¡± The basin¡¯s heightwas growing lower and loweras the mass production was carried out. Kwati andthe other Yeomin were busy carrying out soil from the bottomof the mountain to replenish thebasin. ¡°Wow, you can make more?¡± [It needs to be mixed with the existing sond left be for a while. Patience is important.] Fire lizards attacked several more times in the meanwhile. KangShin-hyuk deliberately asked Shu to rest so they could watchthe Yeomin deal with them. Though they were somewhat clumsy, they were able torepel them each time. Then, finally, the amulet for Shu wapleted. Chapter 226 – The Logic of Balance (1) Chapter 226 ¨C The Logic of Bnce (1) [Destiny¡¯s Bracelet] [SSS rank] [Special Abilities: Destiny Block, Destiny Evasion] *Destiny Block: It receives the fate of the wearer on their behalf. In return, it¡¯s durability isconsumedfast. *Destiny Evasion: Allows the wearer to evade a negative fate that muste with an extremelylow probability. For each sessful evasion, the wearer experiences permanently increased fortune. [A bracelet made of the hair ofa race called the Dwarf Sage. It was designed bya genius spiritualist to take the side effects of their abilities instead.It is not an imitable artifact. Only the owner of the hair cansee the effects.] ¡°Wow, this is¡­¡± Shu eximed at the bracelet made of her delicately woven hair. Itboasted a surprisingly beautiful appearance like it was woven of thefinest thread. It periodically emitted goldenlight as it had been imbued with plenty of energy from histrait. ¡°Grandpa, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever received agift likethis¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You asked me for it?¡± -Good answer, member. Extra score, 300,000HP bonus! He replied with a slight smile at Shu¡¯s words, and for some reason, the administratorseemed to like it. He was wondering what the score was basedon as Shu shook herhead with asmile. ¡°I never thought it would be so pretty. So, thisis a gift I couldn¡¯t even imagine. Or so I think.¡± ¡°Well, whatever.¡± Though he struggled quite a bit to devise it, allthe material had been provided by Shu. Moreover, verylittle metallurgy was used. It was only neededto create the metal thread used to bind and decorate it. Aside fromthat, however, it was purely soul-craft. ¡°You don¡¯t believe in the Gaia system? Wear it andtry it a few times to see the effect.¡± Though hesaid so, Kang Shin-hyuk actually thought that thiswas a defective product. It was amiracle, though, that he had managed to produce such a product at all withina few days. He still had half of her hair left after making it,too. ¡°Wow¡­?¡± Immediately after putting it on, Shu let outa strangegroan. ¡°Are there any sideeffects?¡± ¡°No, this is¡­ wow¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could also see the energy radiatingfrom the bracelet. It almost seemed like it was alive. ¡°¡­Why is it likethis?¡± ¡°I think I know.¡± Shu gasped for breath. ¡°My cause and effect¡­ the quality of the artifact is increasing.¡± ¡°Sorry I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°So!¡± Shu screamed out and, when she saw Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes round withsurprise, she grabbed ontohim. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, grandpa. So¡­ by eliminating the process, the power that slowsdown the future seems to be sucked into it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced thatthe artifact¡¯s first ability, Destiny Block, was working properly. However, what was oddwas that the bracelet wasn¡¯t damaged even though it wasactivated. ¡®That¡¯s weird. I decided it was defective due to thatlimitation it had.¡¯ Instead of receiving the fate that woulde to the wearer, it would sufferheavy damage to its durability. Due to the ambiguity of theword destiny, he thought that it was more of a consumable than a piece ofequipment that could be worn. However, it seemed thatthe artifact was developing, as Shu had said. More vivid energy waspouring out ofit. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Shu smiled bloodily at him. ¡°Due to my karma, the decrease in durability is slowing down.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Yes, it was a bracelet of destinythat suffered durability loss in exchange for epting the wearer¡¯s fate. If Kang Shin-hyuk had made itfor himself, it would be a consumable. It would¡¯ve been destroyed afterepting the fate that came for him, whether itbe a sword strike or a magic attack. However, it had been made using Shu¡¯shair, which was dying the durability loss as it epted the fateof its owner. The more it epted Shu¡¯s karma, themore durability it would consume, but also the more that future would be dyed.Which meantthat¡­ ¡°Infinite power¡­?¡± -It¡¯s not power, but it¡¯s simr. I am worriedothers will hear ande to see the product you createdfor Super Ultra GxyFist. ¡°Grandpa really is a genius. I never imagined you wouldcreate something like this rightaway¡­¡± ¡°But, I don¡¯t know when the ws will break out,so don¡¯t get too attached.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grew ufortable withShu looking at him with sparkling eyes. He triedto lower her expectations gently, but Shu already hadinfinite trust in the bracelet. ¡°Grandpa, how about it? Have I be a little taller?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh.¡± Surprisingly, Shu¡¯s height grew a bit after wearingthe bracelet for a while. It was only about a centimeter, but thatwas enough for Shu. ¡°Oh, it looks like it¡¯s difficult for it todo itcontinuously.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. For now,you have to wait slowly.¡± It would¡¯ve beena horror to watch if Shu suddenly grew up all at once. No matterhow high the level of the artifact, it was difficult to activate the ability. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would solve my worries so easily¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when it will break.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like grandpa to be so shy.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see oneday.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Shu clung to his waist witha fullsmile. ¡°After I grow up and be an adult, I will have myfirst child withgrandpa!¡± ¡°Thank you for your heart, but please give upon that idea.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk firmly refused.Also, did that mean she had ns to have hersecond child with someone else? ¡°There are too many people who say thatthey likeme.¡± ¡°All of them are dangerous people, so please give me their addresses.I will reportthem.¡± ¡°By the way, grandpa, Tsukuyo? That woman is a bitdifficult to deal with¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her. I¡¯m scared I¡¯llsee her soon.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s funny that you¡¯re afraid of Tsukuyo. That womanshould be most afraid.¡± [Hey, little one, don¡¯t bother Anvil too much.] Kwati, who was practicing with her sword nearby,approached them. Shu looked up at her, thenturned to Kang Shin-hyuk as if to ask, ¡®It isn¡¯t thisone,right?¡¯ ¡°Yes, my girlfriend is waiting forme onEarth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad to monopolize grandpa, but at least it¡¯s not Fireball. Hey,let¡¯s y together now that I¡¯m feelingbetter!¡± [What? Don¡¯t use your abilities carelessly¡­ kaak!] They began to spar to test the bracelet¡¯s abilities. ¡°Is it reallyenough?¡± -Ick the eyes to see the artifact, but itshould be for at least hundreds of years. And,by the time that period has passed, Super Ultra Gxy Fist willbe anadult. ¡°Then, it is.¡± Should he throw away the remaining hair? No,it was a precious material that contained her ability. He didn¡¯tknow what to do with it for now, buthe decided to keep it. But, when he opened his inventory, henoticedsomething. ¡°Ah, this.¡± He hadpletely forgotten about the by-productshe had obtained from the fire-lizard predator: its horns, leather, bones, blood, and aheart containing its magical power. He tried toevaluate it, but as expected, the message saying it was impossible tomeasureappeared. ¡°This monster¡¯s heart is at a higher level than the monster¡¯s.¡± -This is evidence of Jormungand¡¯s meddling. ¡°Indeed.¡± There were other pieces of loot he couldn¡¯t use as well,special loot like the crest of light hehadobtained. ¡°¡­I think I could mix the crest and the heart together intosomethinginteresting.¡± -Would you like to try now? ¡°No, both of them are still difficult materialsto deal with.¡± Instead, there was something he could make usingthe horns and blood. ¡°Since I gave thest spear to Eleanor.¡± -You must make her pay with her life. ¡°No, why?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk also wanted a spear he could use. ¡°Then, let¡¯s forget it.¡±He decided to start working right away. First, he boiled theblood left by the predator and added the poisonous blood fromthe basilisk to it. He soaked the water orb inthem to maximize theingredients. -Member¡­? ¡°The orb is fine; they won¡¯thurt me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk used the waterorb to strengthen it and then turned to sharpen the horns.He carefully carved them and bore a hole in it for the handle beforeimmersing it in the boiled blood. After that,he took it out and threw it into the furnace. Once it had heated,he soaked it in blood again. -Quenching? ¡°It¡¯s not a metal, so thisis more likesoul-craft.¡± -¡­You are getting more and more alike. He knew who he wasparing him to without asking. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled. ¡°Alright?¡± -Except for being kinder to the admin. 500,000HPbonus! ¡°Where does the HP for the bonusese from?¡± -1,000,000HP bonus! ¡°Yes, I knew it.¡± He had been envisioning the weapon from the moment hesaw the fire lizard, so it didn¡¯t take long toplete.Shortly after it was finished,the sky opened up, and the main forces of Jormungand pouredout. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 -Goooaaahhh¡­ ¡°Hey, I just need to get rid of that.¡± Shu looked very happy as she said this, her height still about half a centimeter taller than before. Kwati was looking right at her. [That¡¯s the only one¡­] ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. There will be no major raids for the time being once that one is cut off. Well, the seeds of Jormungand have already been scattered here and there.¡± Shu stretched out her back. The sight of her stretching her joints and whistling did not match her appearance as a 10-year-old child. ¡°It was fun to y with my grandpa, but now I want to go to a different world. Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± [Quickly¡­] ¡°That, quickly¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had a simr expression as Kwati. As they looked nkly up into the sky, a giant snake was spinning around above them. Countless fire lizards were pouring down from the ck gate that had opened up, but the most shocking thing was that giant snake. ¡°That¡¯s not adragon¡­?¡± [Maybe a fire-lizard¡­ a root species? It looks the same.] ¡°Isn¡¯t it a dragonagain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a dragon; they aren¡¯t so weak. It doesn¡¯t feel like that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed at Shu¡¯s remark, but she didn¡¯t respond. Instead, the snake floating in the sky suddenly opened its mouth to emit a ck fire that cascaded down in a straight line toward the volcanic basin. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively tried to grab the spear he had created earlier, but Shu was already moving before he could. -Ahhhhhh?! Shu¡¯s fist appeared in the sky, lifting up the serpent¡¯s jaw to close its mouth. At the same time, another fist appeared from above to crush his head between hands. The snake couldn¡¯t resist the attack and let out a pained scream as it was mmed between the two fists. ¡°Crazy, what isthat¡­?¡± [Anvil, now is not the time to watch with admiration. The ck mes!] Its mouth had been mmed shut, but a torrential downpour of ck mes had already poured out. It even flowed over the other fire-lizards exiting the gate, causing them toseparate. [It¡¯s good you caught that snake, but¡­] ¡°Yahahahaha!¡± Shu let out augh-filled with energy. A sparkling light formed around her fists, and they interlocked with a crunching sound. It was the sound of the snake¡¯s head being crushed. ¡°That, like that¡­ in one blow¡­¡± [Ahhhh, more are pouringdown!] The problem was that at the same time the snake¡¯s head was crushed, more tar-like ck mes began to pour out of it! Kang Shin-hyuk also began to yell out when he realized what was happening. ¡°Shu, inventory! You just killed it, so inventory!¡± ¡°Oh, grandpa¡­ sorry. My inventory just filled up as the snake went in. No HP to expand inventory¡­ huh.¡± Shu sat down on the spot with a tired look. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a break, so my grandpa can block that. Can you do it? It¡¯s not too difficult, not toodifficult¡­¡± ¡°You did thisst time, too¡­ haaah!¡± There was no time for him toin. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed his spear and threw it into the sky with all his might. ¡®I¡¯m not sure it will work for that ck me¡­¡¯ The spear began to rotate rapidly as it flew due to the spiral groove in the horn of the predator, which had been used as the material for it. However, it was thanks to the special ability of the spear that the wind sped up the rotation. -Quiiiieeeeek! -Kiiii?! ¡®Ah, itworks.¡¯ It was surprising enough that the whirlwind from the spear knocked away the fire lizards pouring down like rain, but what was even more shocking was that the wind was sucking up the ck me. The sky was darkened by the mes, but now the spear punched a hole through it that light wasing through. [What isthat?!] ¡°I pushed the abilities of the fire lizards to the limit with the horns and blood of the predator. But I think it¡¯s too much for it to take care of everything¡­¡± [It¡¯s no problem with this much! Even the Yeomin have the power to block the mes¡­ Get ready for battle! Stop the fire lizards and the mes!] [All bows¡­ wait, there are rock wolves by the hillside!] [These stubborn¡­!] [Oh, the storm turtles are over there in the distance, they¡¯re falling to the ckmes!] Despite the situation bing increasinglyplex, Kang Shin-hyuk only watched the trajectory of the spear he threw. It was climbing higher into the sky, and the further it went, the more mes it absorbed. It had already gone to a considerable height, but it was elerating against thews of physics. The more ck mes it absorbed, the faster it rotated. The tar-covered fire lizards struggled to avoid thence, but they couldn¡¯t move freely in the sky, and, eventually, those who entered its range were thrownaround. ¡®It should be quite strong because the wind is mixed with poisonous blood, but fewer enemies are dying than expected.¡¯ It was an overwhelming sight for the others, but Kang Shin-hyuk was dissatisfied with the results. Perhaps the ck mes left behind by that snake were strengthening the fire lizards. Now they couldn¡¯t take the time to leisurely fight, however, as the other races were showing up to attack them (although they were considerably slowed by the losses they had rued before). He summoned his bike and hoppedon. ¡°If I knew it would be like this, I would¡¯ve made more weapons like that¡­well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll head out!¡± [Hey, Anvil?!] After putting the Shinfeng orb into the blue cow, he started the engine and soared straight into the sky. He held the Orb of Nephritis and the Great Heavenly Spirit in his arms, intending to protect himself from the mes by empowering the Orb of Nephritis. -Vwooooom But something happened that he had never considered. The blue cow suddenly started to resonate with the Orb of Nephritis in his arms. The Shinfeng orb radiated light in response to it. ¡°Is there a connection betweenthese?¡± -A 80,000HP bonus from the administrator who admires your amazingideas! ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± The light emitted by the Shinfeng orb seemed to be getting darker, but the speed of the blue cow was only growing faster and faster. ¡®Wait a minute; it¡¯s not an illusion. The Shinfeng orb¡­ it seems to be recovering.¡¯ -Vwooom As if to say it wasn¡¯t an illusion, the blue cow cried out. Now wasn¡¯t the time to examine the Shinfeng orb, however. The fire lizards were right in front of him, and beyond them, that ck me was heading towards him. ¡°Whoo¡­ hot!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took out his Soul Connectors, ten strands of thread stretching out from his hands to tear into the fire lizards falling all around him. He snagged onto the spear as it began to fall, the dyed metal ck and shining gloomily now. [ck me Spear of Predation] [SSS+ Rank] [Special Abilities: Fire Predation, Dark me, Burning Wind] *Fire Predation: Devours all the heat to umte energy and strengthen itself. If pushed to the limit, it will leave behind an extremecold. *Dark me: A long, sharp spear de of dark me. The length and power of the de vary depending on the umtedenergy. *Burning Wind: It absorbs all the heat around it to cause the spear to rotate, creating a sharp wind of coldair. [A weapon made by a cksmith who evolves and grows the materials he uses. It contains a lot of blood of the origin of the material, resulting in a permanentmutation.] Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes sparkled. The spear had changed. At first, it was only an SSS-rank, and its special ability didn¡¯t initially create a dark me. Sincepleting the wall, he was able to give most of the armaments he made the ability to grow, but this was the only one to grow from its firstbattle. ¡®Is it because it¡¯s also made of parts of these fire lizards? Shu killed the boss, but I received the benefit.¡¯ He diligently stretched out his threads to hunt down the fire lizards as he checked out the item¡¯s information and suddenly came up with an idea. He grabbed the spear and tied up five of the threads around it. It was one of the Soul Connector¡¯s special abilities, which could not only amplify all of his stats but could also strengthen objects by wrapping them with thread. The ck mes that sprung forth from the spear were further strengthened by the thread. It would¡¯ve been great if that could exceed the current limit, but he couldn¡¯t hope for it to go that far, nor did it really matter rightnow. ¡°Then, again,¡­go!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw the spear once more with all his might. The spear formed a whirlwind of cold air, and the threads around the spear stretched out and fluttered in the wind. What happened as a result could only be described as adisaster. -Quaaaaaah! -Kiiiiii! Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he watched the fire lizards caught in the wind quickly torn apart by the threads. In an instant, he had expanded the range by more than ten times and ensured that those damn lizards couldn¡¯t survive. What ck mes remained in the sky were absorbed into the spear¡¯s vortex, and Kang Shin-hyuk let out a satisfiedugh as he watched. ¡°Now, we¡¯ve taken care of it.¡± He cleared up the battlefield by picking off the stragglers with his Soul Connector. Looking down, the Yeomin who were on the wall, were easily driving away their enemies. Perhaps within a few days, they would be able to establish their dominion over this world firmly. ¡®Let¡¯s absorb all this and go back.¡¯ He turned around with augh, but there was someone beyond that gate that was still open in the sky. The Godyer sword that hung from his waist let out a cry. ¡°What, the Godyer¡­ what?!¡± The Godyer tried to resist, but finally could not ovee it and flew through the air. Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his threads to catch it, but the threads snapped as they couldn¡¯t ovee the force pulling on the sword. ¡®The threads were cut¡­? But that¡¯s not possible unless they¡¯re overpowered with the power of one¡¯s soul.¡¯ -Member, avoid it! Leaving behind his thoughts, he hurried to the blue cow. A second after, something passed by where he was, and a part of the mountain copsed. ¡°What¡­¡± With the feeling that rocks were weighing down his stomach, he turned tolook. He saw the face of a bewitching woman through the dark tunnel that soonclosed. The Godyer did not return to his hand. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 -ng! ng!ng! One day, when there were no more sounds reverberating in that narrow space, it would be empty. The old cksmith was whispering to a friend who had casuallymissioned him to do the task of a lifetime. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Grandpa, Grandpa Anvil. -If I ordered some work, I would wait for the results. What¡¯s theproblem? The cksmith responded harshly as he pounded the metal rod in front of him into a sword. The metals that his friends sent him as gifts were usually precious enough to give pause, but this was even more special among them. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Oh, I was whispering because I thought there was a problem with mygrandpa. -Go away. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Nowadays, when you swear so firmly, I feel so strangely thrilled and an odd feeling of pleasure¡­ -I¡¯ll blockyou. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Wait, wait, grandpa! It¡¯s my bad! -ng! ng!ng! The rod changed little with each blow, but surely it was changing. He reheated it and gripped the tongs harder. It felt like the metal was giving in for him, just a little. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Is there really a problem? No, can you hit it with your power? -Even though I¡¯m old, I still have the power to work. You even gave me a special fire, so what¡¯s the problem? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Wow, then it really works¡­ well, that¡¯s also thanks to grandpa. I sent all the good materials I had, in truth, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be finished properly. -It¡¯s because you really want it, right? It was, in fact, a very difficult metal to process. It would¡¯ve been impossible if not for his power to stimte and lead the source ofthings. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Thanks, grandpa. Actually, I didn¡¯t expect much¡­ I really need this. I have to kill a god. -What kind of god are you talking about? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Hm, is it okay to talk about with you now? He is a god that wants to bring the world back to its originalstate. As soon as the cksmith read the words, his hand stopped moving. Bring the world back? How? What would change? However, when he realized he was bing obsessed with those thoughts, heughed them off and resumed working. -It sounds like a real headache again. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Yes. I will kill him on my own, so my grandpa will live a long time. -¡­Huh. Maybe this friend noticed what he had been thinking. The cksmith snorted. -Don¡¯t get killed by that god. -Janus¡¯s whisper: Of course, you¡¯ll make my sword! -ng! ng!ng! The old man smiled at his friend¡¯spliment and continued to strike the metal. -By the way, what is this yellow gem? -Janus¡¯s whisper: Whoa, to talk about that, I need to talk about the first dragon I caught¡­ -Alright, nevermind. It was not long afterward that the Godyer sword waspleted. *** The gate hadpletely closed. Having lost the sword that had been with him since the moment of his awakening, Kang Shin-hyuk was staring nkly as he sat on the bike. ¡®¡­Tsukuyo?¡¯ The first thing he finally thought of was Tsukuyo. That beautiful woman who acted so strangely. However, the problem was that it was too obvious, too explicit. The enemy had shown their face on purpose and thought their atmosphere resembled Tsukuyo, but he wasn¡¯t convinced that it was her. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡°Haa, grandpa?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk retrieved his spear andnded on the ground, Shu rushing to him with fear in on her face. It seemed she had the energy to move a little now, but the timing was tote. ¡°What happened toyou?!¡± ¡°My weapon was stolen. The Godyer.¡± ¡°The Godyer? Janus was so proud of it¡­¡± Shu stopped in her tracks, stunned. Then, she held onto his arm with a sorrowful expression. ¡°It¡¯s because of me. I thought it would be over if I caught that snake¡­ grandpa, I¡¯m sorry. If there is anything I can do, I will do it.¡± ¡°Yes, then give me all the good stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t think that Shu was particrly responsible. It was his own fault that it had been stolen. Had Shu been there, the result wouldn¡¯t have changed much. The Godyer sword waspletely subordinate to him, and he had used the threads that were the materialization of his soul to hold on, but it was still taken. That was evidence that his opponent¡¯s soul was overwhelmingly stronger than his. What could have Shu, who didn¡¯t know of spiritual power, done against such a foe? Rather, it was fortunate she hadn¡¯t been needlessly hurt. ¡®I still have to take what I can get.¡¯ Considering what he could do with Shu¡¯s materials, he decided to take them as payment for the bracelet. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll give you the snake I killed earlier.¡± ¡°Okay. Administrator, please expand my inventory further.¡± -In order to acquire the space for the snake, you will need to purchase an additional 550 slots of inventory. We will offer them a special VIP discount of 230 million HP. Well, he was nning to expand it someday anyway. Kang Shin-hyuk made the purchase with clenched teeth, and the body of the snake was divided into parts and transferred over to his inventory. ¡°Wow, did you have room for it all? Grandpa had a lot of money.¡± ¡°Not anymore¡­¡± He replied in a lonely voice as he surveyed the situation around him. Although the Godyer had been stolen at thest moment, the war itself had gone exceedingly well for their side. Since Shu had taken care of the snake and Kang Shin-hyuk had dealt with the ck mes and the fire lizards, the Yeomin had been left to take care of the rock wolves and storm turtles. [Sweep them allout!] [Show them no mercy!] [Don¡¯t leave enough to attack us again!] The Yeomin were fed up and frustrated with the foreign powers, and they faced them with anger in their eyes. Their strength was originally on the higher end, but now that they had the backing of the wall and the weapons Kang Shin-hyuk had made, their victory wasinevitable. ¡°Wow, look at that. It¡¯s a really wasteful weapon for Fireball.¡± In particr, each time Kwati swung her sword from the wall, the wire stretched out to cut through the enemies around them. ¡°They clear it up soon. So¡­ our job is done.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯d just be a hindrance if we jumped in now.¡± Shu nodded gently toward Kwati, then soon looked over at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s waist. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. ¡°What should I do? It was the perfect weapon for my grandpa.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay; it wasn¡¯t originally intended to be used by me, so don¡¯t bother. Also, maybe¡­ no,no.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped himself, but Shu nodded as if she knew what he was trying to say. ¡°It¡¯s a bit weird to end like this, but let¡¯sgo.¡± ¡°Grandpa, thank you very much. I won¡¯t forget any of the things you did for me.¡± Shu grabbed his arm; then, with a light jump, she left a kiss mark on his cheek. -The wrongapproach!!! ¡°The next time you see me, I¡¯ll be big enough not to need to jump!¡± ¡°What a cute guy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt the heartfelt sentiment from Shu, which freed him a little from the shock of losing the Godyer. Shu kissed him goodbye and disappeared straight away. He was going to leave right after her, but¡­ [Oh, Anvil!] Kwati, who had been sweeping the battlefield with her sword, saw him alone and ran towards him with her eyes shiningbright. [Where did the little one go?] ¡°She went back first. The fire lizards won¡¯t be much of a problem now. Even if theye back, it won¡¯t be dangerous. The dimensional quest endshere.¡± [Then, will you alsoleave?] ¡°Yes, thank you for thistime.¡± [We only causedinconveniences¡­] That was true, but he couldn¡¯t say that without embarrassing them. Kang Shin-hyuk took a step back with an ambiguous smile. Kwati stepped forward as if to close that distance with her lips pouting, but he quickly stepped back again. [That guy called the administrator is a really noisy guy.] ¡°What, when did you join the Hero Universe?¡± [A little while ago. Maybe the moment we won the war?] Was that why she had left the wall? Although she hadn¡¯t been particrly helpful with the lizards, Kwati was a capable person worthy of joining the Hero Universe. If theypeted head-on, Kang Shin-hyuk knew he would be the one pushedback. [My ID is Hwaho. The administrator rmended it, but I liked it because it only had two sybles.] ¡°Yes, ah¡­ yes.¡± It sounded like Chinese characters, and he thought he knew which ones without an exnation. The administrator was nothing if not obsessive. With that thought, Kang Shin-hyuk stepped back again. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you. We did everything we could here and received everything we could. Thanks to you, I received some good abilities and that brazier.¡± [Yes. I wanted to give you guidance on how to deal with the fire.] ¡°There will be another chanceter. Maybe there will be another dimensional quest soon.¡± [If there is one on Earth, then I will go tohelp.] Kwati spoke vigorously and reached a hand out to him. He held her unexpectedly soft hand with a vague expression. He felt like an idiot for never thinking that a dimensional quest could ur on Earth. ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll ask you should that timee. Train a lot so you can beat monsters that are immune to your me.¡± [It¡¯ll be no problem with this sword you gave me.] Kwati locked eyes with Kang Shin-hyuk, her face full of regret. It was probably only because of his natural affinity to fire that she felt connected to him. Kang Shin-hyuk could be said to be a human that reached the limit of fire below the Yeomin, after all. ¡°Okay, then see youter.¡± [At that time, please take care of me, my friend.] After Kang Shin-hyuk added Hwaho to his friend list, he returned to Earth. -I guess that firefox is right. It makes me want to sigh. ¡°¡­Me too.¡± On the day he lost the Godyer sword, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s connection with Jormungand became a little more solid. However, he had no idea when the day woulde when he would hit them back. chapter 229 chapter 229 ¡°Ah.¡± Eleanor, who was waiting for Kang Shin-hyuk in front of the ckwood Training Center, felt embarrassed as soon as she saw him. ¡°Your sword¡­ where did it go?¡± ¡°I lostit.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes were filled withplicated emotions at his calm reply. She knew well that his sword was unusual and that he cherished it closely. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t easily ask what had happened. ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, senior. But it¡¯s okay; I will find it againsomeday.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had a bitter smile as he replied, taking out the spear he had made this time from his inventory. ¡°For the time being, I¡¯m going to practice with the spear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same asme.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eleanor, still confused, lifted her spear with a smile. ¡°No matter what, I am stronger with a spear.¡± ¡°I will learn a lot then.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two shed. In the first ce, he often conversed with Eleanor more through battle than through actual conversation. Her spear was growing sharper and faster by the day. In particr, after working with Masked Bhus, her growth had elerated. She was looking much better now than she had been when she was worried about hiding herabilities. ¡°Whoo¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who stepped down after the fierce battle, smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯ve improved again, senior. With this, you¡¯ll be a hardpetition for the title.¡± ¡°The TwoCrowns?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bepeting thisyear.¡± ¡°You can try.¡± Eleanor smiled mischievously and struck out again. Her ability to elerate was surprisingly fast, and the spear that flew with that momentum was no joke. Kang Shin-hyuk captured all of her movements in his mind and tried to reinterpret them into his movements. His spiritual power flowed between attack and defense as he contacted her source and analyzed the principles behind her movements. However, because his skill was not yet perfect, and he was focused on reading her movements, his reaction slowed down. Thus, Kang Shin-hyuk was blown away. ¡°Once more?¡± ¡°Yes, today, I¡¯m going to fight until Icopse.¡± Even though Shin-hyuk pretended to be calm, he hadn¡¯t been able to resist her properly, and he had yet to resolve the resentment he felt over losing his sword. In fact, this dimensional quest hadn¡¯t been very active (although the reward was sizable and the furniture in his My Room had increased), so his stress had been piling up. Fighting Eleanor was putting him in a better mood by the second, though. ¡°Does this help?¡± ¡°Yeah? Of course, it is.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Seeing the pride on Eleanor¡¯s face, Kang Shin-hyuk felt slightly guilty. At that moment, he could see Lee Na-hee heading their way along the forest trail. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re heretoo!¡± ¡°Why did youe,Na-hee?¡± ¡°I wanted to see you.¡± Lee Na-hee dered so with confidence and sat down on a nearby stump. Seeing Eleanorugh, Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced this was the best timing to speak what had been on his mind. ¡°Seniors, I have decided to officially go out with ire.¡± But the two who heard him looked at him with the same expression that said, ¡®Sowhat?¡¯ ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Oh, Iheard.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard italready?!¡± What sort of chat room were they in? As long as it didn¡¯t include Shin Eunah, it wasfine! ¡°If you¡¯ve heard, then no flirting with me.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯tflirted?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m notflirting.¡± The two women nodded calmly as if they had this nned out. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I can suddenly hateyou.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk is the man I trust most.¡± What could he do in response to such a reaction even though he had already clearlymunicated his intent? As Kang Shin-hyuk wracked his mind, the two spoke up again. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re marrying her; you¡¯re just dating alittle.¡± ¡°The age difference is a lot,too.¡± ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re waiting for us to breakup?!¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk shouted, Lee Na-hee approached him with a smile and patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t get so angry because I¡¯ve beenining a little.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act so charming; it¡¯s creepy.¡± ¡°Anyway, you have such a sincere personality despite your face.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shouted again at that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with myface?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the face of one who seems to y well with girls.¡± ¡°¡­A face of a man with five girlfriends.¡± ¡°Senior Eleanor.¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t refute them anymore. His intention had been clearly delivered, so he decided to be satisfied with that for today. ¡°When will the duel end? I¡¯m thinking of having amemorative constion party with Ellie and you today.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m notgoing!¡± In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk dueled with Eleanor until they had no more strength to stand, effectively destroying the two¡¯s party. After escaping from Lee Na-hee to the safety of his dorm, he ran into Baek In-ha. ¡°You¡¯re here? It¡¯s vacation, but you¡¯re not going anyway?¡± Shinyoung¡¯s dorm was a free space, even during vacation. Rather, only those who applied in advance could return home during the vacation, but it was hard to believe that Baekyang¡¯s sessor was still staying in the dorm. And also in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯sroom! ¡°Shinyuk, I have the request of a lifetime.¡± It felt like he was seeing a lot of Baek¡¯s serious face thesedays. ¡°How many times have you said such a line?¡± ¡°Please be Hye-na¡¯s swordsmanship master.¡± ¡°Are you her nanny? Did you raise her?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face was serious. ¡°No, you¡¯d be bothered too if a kid who was like your younger sister groaned at you like a puppy.¡± ¡°Then, you have to take care of her yourself; why do you keep trying to get me to intervene?¡± ¡°There is a picture of Na-hee and Eleanor having a catfight posted on the free bulletin board of theschool.¡± ¡°What?!¡± He urgently took out his phone and essed the bulletin board. Someone had really posted a picture of him and the two at the ckwood Training Center earlier today; the title was [The Rookie King Conflict.jpg]. ¡°Oh no, no, this is an aggro-level joke¡­ yeah¡­¡± The picture had been taken so exquisitely to make it look like the two were fighting over him, even though they were only talking. The post even had a lot ofmentsalready. [Nahee.Marion ¨C Wow, I¡¯m so pretty. Don¡¯t we get along very well?] [Do Woojin ¨C Why am I weaker than such aguy?] [dbwns ¨C Kill KangShin-hyuk!] [Article Dept. 2nd Grade Jeon Woo-Jun ¨C Try it, and you¡¯ll be the one to die.] [British Beauty ¨C Our captain is so pretty, and Shin-hyuk is the vice-captain.] [Algiers ¨C Please take it down. I¡¯m ashamed. And Na-hee already confessed to the vice-captain once and wasrejected.] [Nahee.Marion ¨C Hey!] [D. Payne ¨C¡­] ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyukmented as Baekughed besidehim. ¡°But didn¡¯t the picturee out really well?¡± ¡°No, Dous Payne is even looking at the freeboard though he¡¯s graduatingsoon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if he should make a drone that detected machines to prevent voyeurs like ire. For now, he decided to report to ire about his actions today thoroughly. ¡°Baek In-ha, think carefully. In the midst of this, imagine what would happen if I¡¯m in charge of teaching Oh Hye-na. I bet you, me, and she would be in a triangle at the start of the newsemester.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Baek asked so nkly. Kang Shin-hyuk was considering stabbing him with his new spear. Was he really not aware of how psychologically dependent Oh Hye-na was on him? Besides, she would undoubtedly suffer a lot of trouble because of Baek. ¡°Anyway, you take care of Oh Hye-na. If possible, take care of her all the way to thegrave.¡± ¡°Shinyuk, please. I don¡¯t know anyone who handles a sword better than you.¡± ¡°Wow, really.¡± You could see how clever he was by how efficiently he gave praise as he asked for a favor. However, even though Kang Shin-hyuk knew it happened, he couldn¡¯t easily beat it. He had his own sense of debt to Oh Hye-na, and Baek was one of his precious friends, though it was embarrassing to admitopenly. ¡°I¡¯ll take her on, in exchange for something.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to take the chance for a deal. ¡°What, what can I do? Is there anything more embarrassing for me to do aside from MaskedBhus?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t think of anything right now.¡± What he wanted most was a new sword, but was that something he could ask for? Honestly, he felt it was a bit presumptuous, but he was convinced no craftsman on Earth could make one better thanhim. ¡°Then, how about a rain-check?¡± ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll do whatever I can. Oh, but I can¡¯t give you the position of student councilpresident.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of asking for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the vice-chair instead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t needit.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instructed Baek to take Oh Hye-na to the designated ce in a few days. Baek was so thrilled that he tried to hug Kang Shin-hyuk, but he was pushed away. That evening, he met ire for a date and, over the next few days, devoted himself to making a new sword. In the meanwhile, Shin Eunah contacted him. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I miss you. I¡¯m too busy, but I miss you somuch¡­ -Sorry, I¡¯m at a training camp at the gate for the timingbeing. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Ah¡­ Shinyoung¡¯s tasks, huh¡­ Shin Eunah¡¯s message felt so sad that Kang Shin-hyuk made a suggestion before he knew what he wasdoing. -Let¡¯s work together after I return. Not just as Masked Bhus, but under the SuperhumanAssociation. -Eunah¡¯s whisper:Really? -Yes. Let¡¯s move together. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Ah¡­ oh,yes. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I loveit. -Yes. Then, don¡¯t overdoit. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Yes. I really love my junior! Compared to her initial message, she sounded a lot more energetic. Kang Shin-hyukughed happily as he read it, then realized he was making an expression like a grandfather who was looking at his granddaughter. -The current synchronization rate has exceeded 67%; it is no wonder that you think of her as a granddaughter. ¡°She still seems to think of me as her grandfather, so it¡¯s still a biplicated.¡± -¡­Well, the administrator seems to see a catastrophe on thehorizon. He felt as if he could hear the administrator sigh for just a brief moment. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head and then raised his hammer. It was impossible to rece the Godyer, but he intended to create a sword that wouldn¡¯t be put toshame. *** A few days passed, and the promised day arrived. Baek In-ha brought Oh Hye-na to meet with Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Oh, you¡¯rehere.¡± ¡°Hey, why are they here?Really?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Shinyuk, it¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Comining isbanned.¡± There was Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Na-hee, who was exhaling a sigh, and Eleanor, who was pouting with a disappointed look. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 The matter was simple. From the start, Eleanor had been struggling to explore the gate with Kang Shin-hyuk, and Lee Na-hee intervened without saying anything. Kang Shin-hyuk could be relieved if he was just with Eleanor, but the two of them together would be a recipe for trouble. Since Baek In-ha wanted to entrust Oh Hye-na to him anyway, then the best option would be for all of them to go together. ¡°Shinyuk, youtricky¡­¡± ¡°Why are those people here, oppa?¡± Baek, who had been quick to grasp the circumstances, red at Kang Shin-hyuk with remorse for bringing Hye-na to such an awkward position. He also felt mad at the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk was going to enter the gate with two women without telling him as well. On the other hand, Oh Hye-na looked around the party in a daze as she couldn¡¯t figure out the situation. When Kang Shin-hyuk met her gaze, it quickly shifted to one of hostility despite thest ¡®thank you¡¯ she had givenhim. ¡°How could you bring ushere?¡± ¡°Quiet. Oh, you know you have toe too?¡± ¡°Madman, leave meout.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk worked hard to convince Baek, Eleanor was staring at him with a look that said all the evils of the world had been presented before her. Baek could tell she had misunderstood him. ¡°Well, why did I bring Hye-na? To get Shinyuk to teach her swordsmanship¡­¡± ¡°What do you want with our vice-captain?¡± Eleanor put a great emphasis on the part ¡®our vice-captain.¡¯ It seemed that Lee Na-hee had been bullied into joining the club, at least for the sake ofthis. ¡°I was asking him for a favor¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s thecase¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s resentful gaze turned to Oh Hye-na, who had been brought here with no warning of the situation she was walking into. Compared to when she had previously met Kang Shin-hyuk, she seemed much more spirited when she greeted her seniors. ¡°Hello. I am Oh Hye-na from Vanguard. I will be entering Shinyoung in March. Thank you verymuch.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that. By the way,Vanguard¡­¡± Instead of Eleanor, Lee Na-hee spoke up. Oh Hye-na seemed more confident now. ¡°Yes. Although it is probationary, I am working in aunit.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, cool. I like types like you.¡± ¡°Thank you. I came here because of In-ha oppa. I didn¡¯t hear what I was doing¡­ shall we goback?¡± ¡°Huh? No¡­¡± Lee Na-hee, who wasn¡¯t a wee guest herself, greeted Oh Hye-na with arge smile, quickly calcting that she would have an advantage over Eleanor if they had more people around. ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay? It¡¯s arge gate, anyway. Ellie, are you okay?¡± ¡°Large isrge¡­ yes. Everyone,e here.¡± Eleanor grumbled, then sighed and gathered the group together. The party had gathered together in a vacant lot on a hill outside of Seoul, with no one else around except for a member of the British royal family guarding the gate. Even if Eleanor had been kicked out or whatever, her power was still valid even in a distant foreigncountry. ¡°Where we¡¯ll be entering is an S-rank gate.¡± ¡°S-rank?! An S-rank among the gates nearby¡­ ah!¡± Oh Hye-na, who had been maintaining a calm attitude, suddenly appeared frightened. It was a ce that even famous guilds wouldn¡¯t enter without a thorough n of attack. It certainly wasn¡¯t the type of ce for a few students to gather and attack lightly. However, all of them appeared to befortable, and she soon realized why. ¡°All of them, Masked Bhus¡­¡± They hadn¡¯t been dealing with anything below S-rank these days. Their skills have been growing rapidly from the intense practice they had engaged in over such a short time, so of course, they could approach an S-rank gate so casually. Oh Hye-na had heard about the members of Masked Bhus from Baek so that she could understand their confidence. ¡°To be honest, more than half of our team¡¯s power is from Shinyuk and ire noona.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? These days, unnie doesn¡¯t even use a weapon.¡± ¡°First of all, Na-hee is weakest.¡± ¡°Junior, beat up your friend.¡± He didn¡¯t n on listening to Lee Na-hee¡¯smand, but he still smacked Baek as a precaution. Oh Hye-na spoke up,however. ¡°Why hit In-haoppa?!¡± ¡°It feels as natural as walking to do so.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied so profoundly, but Lee Na-hee and Eleanor¡¯s eyes lit up, and they approached Oh Hye-na. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you think this will be okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you interested in the Wyvern Knights?¡± ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Oh Hye-na tilted her head, confused as to why her seniors seemed to like her somuch. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always wanted to join the Wyvern Knights.¡± With Oh Hye-na¡¯s ability, something like joining the Wyvern Knights was a likely oue, although that may not have been her goal. Regardless, she responded quietly to the captain¡¯s question. Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes at the differential treatment she gave otherspared to him, but she wasn¡¯t paying him any mind. ¡°The student council will still ept you.¡± ¡°I said that I don¡¯t want the vice president seat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up toyou.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk continued to refuse Baek, and Oh Hye-na finally looked back at him. Her eyes made it clear that she thought he had stolen Baek from her. At that point, Eleanor coughed and gathered their attention. ¡°The gate¡¯s name is [Blue Sun Desert]. It is a dungeon type, and time passes faster inside than outside. The environmental penalties are significant, so it¡¯s a good ce to practice.¡± ¡°It was thatgate¡­¡± ¡°Hye-na, do you know about it?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯sfamous.¡± Some gates had different passages of time than the outside world. While most of those were single-shot gates, persistent dungeon-types that could be cleared repeatedly were very valuable if they had such a nature. Time was a valuable resource for everyone, and even more so for busy superhumans, so gates like this often required payment to enter. ¡°You can benefit by about 50%. It¡¯s awesome.¡± Eleanor smiled with pride that she had been able to book such a great gate. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t help but think she was very cute, almost like a puppy. But the administrator ruined that atmosphere,however. -It¡¯s only 1.5 times as much as Earth, so it¡¯s a low level. ¡®I don¡¯t intend to argue on behalf of the Hero Universe¡­ it¡¯s definitely not a bigdeal.¡¯ -A 400,000HP bonus for members who understand the administrator¡¯s heart! ¡®No, if you give me a bonus now, it would seem like I disagree with Eleanor.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had spent plenty of time in worlds where the time went by faster than it did on Earth. Now, he goes to his My Room, where the time went by three times as fast. However, he didn¡¯t want to show off any displeasure that the time was only going 1.5 times as fast. ¡°But, this gate isn¡¯t popr.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Surprisingly, there was someone other than the administrator to speak up: OhHye-na. ¡°Gates that benefit from the timepse are mainly used as training centers. This dungeon has received the S+ grade because of the severe environmental penalty and the fact that monsters constantly appear. If you want to practice in such a ce¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense unless you¡¯re SS-rank. In other words, most high-rankers already have their skills, so it¡¯s rare to visit a ce like to train.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at her rational exnation. However, it didn¡¯t seem right to say that the high-rankers already hadpleted their skills and didn¡¯t need totrain. ¡°They seem socrappy.¡± ¡°Hush.¡± ¡°Are you traininghard?¡± ¡°Because you work me hard! Show me my wind orb!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re notpopr.¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk teased Baek, Eleanor affirmed Oh Hye-na¡¯s exnation. But, then she added¡­ ¡°It¡¯s still a good ce for me and the vice-captain to train. You guys can,too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s confident remark caused her to quiet down. ¡°Even Na-hee.¡± ¡°Is it okay? I thought I would need to practice drone control too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of an S-rank gate anymore.¡± ¡°Me too¡­ugh.¡± As expected, Oh Hye-na was now readying to enter the gate along with the rest of Masked Bhus. If Kang Shin-hyuk tried to make her leave now, they would call him a demon. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine too, though you may need somehelp.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk handed her a sword and bracelet he had prepared in advance. Her eyes just widened as she didn¡¯t ept it. ¡°What arethese?¡± ¡°Artifacts.¡± ¡°I have a lot of artifacts. If one or two could be used to ovee one¡¯s limit, all the high-rankers would have more than they knew what to dowith.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take the rest. You¡¯ll be able to practice in this gate with us.¡± Oh Hye-na received the artifacts with a worried expression, but her eyes went wide upon checking the information. The bracelet had been made based on the one he made for Shu, and it was SS-rank. ¡°What, no¡­ what is this? It¡¯s like having an extra life. Besides, an overall increase in status¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he watched her reaction. ¡°Seeing that you are unaware of my abilities, it seems that Hyeongju Ahn is pretty bad at promoting me.¡± ¡°The artifacts he brought weren¡¯t this powerful!¡± ¡°Of course. But now you know who makes this kind of thing. Return it properly.¡± Oh Hye-na looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What, why is there such an artisan at the superhumanschool?¡± ¡°Because he also has excellentbat power.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± At Baek¡¯s exnation, Oh Hye-na looked only more irritated with Kang Shin-hyuk. Obviously, he had only lent her some artifacts, so he didn¡¯t know why her perception of him was growing worse. ¡°My junior worked alone again. Am I just a decoration? Why do you always work alone, huh? Where is there an enchanter as good as me? I mean, pamper yourself and work with me.¡± ¡°Because every time we work together, I do most of the work.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ when I see you working, it¡¯s terrible! I can¡¯t helpmyself!¡± After adequately cracking down on Lee Na-hee for her remarks, Kang Shin-hyuk urged Eleanor to enter the gate. Eleanor led the party forward. Oh Hye-na caught up with them, having been distracted by the artifacts, and quietly spoke to Baek. ¡°Oppa, are there moregirls?¡± ¡°As far as I know, just four, but who can say. Maybe they have a local office they meet up at.¡± ¡°Baek In-ha, shutup.¡± -It was a keen guess. If I had the authority, I would like to give him bonus points. ¡®Noisy.¡¯ -700,000HP bonus! ¡®Why?!¡¯ Thus, the five started their training camp. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 A red sun floated above thegate. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a blue sun?¡± ¡°I figured you would pick that up.¡± Next to Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Na-hee spoke softly and tilted her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a hidden clear condition? At least, it hasn¡¯t been found sofar.¡± With a wave of her hand, she pulled out a few drones from her subspace bracelet (it seemed that she had seeded in making it herself) and floated them into the air. The drones spread out in all directions to find out the hidden clear conditions for the gate. Kang Shin-hyuk was also interested in finding it out himself, but that wasn¡¯t their purpose in entering the gate, so he decided to refrain from doing so. ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°It gets very cold at night, enough so that it can damageyou.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s the environmental damage.¡± ¡°No.¡± At that, Eleanor pointed at the ground. From the moment they entered the gate, they were standing atop golden sands, but even if they remained still, their feet wentpletely inside the dunes. The problem was the beating of life weakly vibrating through it. ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Hold thecenter.¡± In the middle of the desert, a huge swamp of sand emerged to begin to suck in theparty. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Is this the hidden clear condition?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid and resistproperly!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wrapped himself in the energy of the Golden Dragon and struck the ground. As a bonus, he carried out Lee Na-hee, who seemed like she might be able to get out by herself. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to becute.¡± Anyway, the S-rank didn¡¯t seem to be helpful for training by itself, so it would be okay for him to take responsibility for Lee Na-hee to help in his training. ¡°Huh?¡± He jumped up and touched the air in the sky, but it felt like something was tightening around him from all sides. He used his spiritual power in his sword as his intuition told him to. Something was beaten back and fell down to his eyes. It looked like grains of sand. ¡®¡­Am I going crazy? What is it?¡¯ He clearly recognized the power contained within the grains of sand. It wasparable to an attack from an S-rank monster. He could detect traces of weak magic in it, which meant it was no ordinary sand. He used Wind Mastery to build temporary support in the air, stepping onto it so he could examine them closer, but then Eleanor cried out from below. ¡°The scorpions!¡± Underneath him, scorpions had been mixed into the desert sand that was trying to drag them down. Their level wasn¡¯t that high, but they were difficult to deal with in addition to the sand spinning crazily around them. Eleanor was fending them off with her spear while Baek was riding the current and taking them out. Oh Hye-na, with Baek¡¯s help, was able to hold on. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll try to take care of it fromabove!¡± ¡°Take care ofNa-hee!¡± Eleanor shouted valiantly, but he felt anxious at the prospect of leaving her be. It seemed too difficult topletely stop the scorpions as they were. ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± ¡°Kh.¡± ¡°By the way, our Ellie is very jealous.¡± Although Lee Na-hee was being treated as a burden, she wasughing like she felt good. Kang Shin-hyuk briefly thought of throwing her away for being so ridiculous, but instead just pulled her up into a morefortable position tocarry. ¡°So, why were you following up to this point?¡± ¡°It was awkward to see her boasting that she was going on a date.¡± Heughed at the thought of that. Eleanor really was an honestwoman. ¡°By the way, this¡­ it¡¯s not reallyeasy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swung his sword again to cut down the grains of sand flying towards them while holding Lee Na-hee in one arm. The sight of him sessfully wielding his sword to cut down the sanding from all directions made him realize that it was by his swordsmanship that he had gained the title of Rookie King in the first ce. ¡°Junior, can I kissyou?¡± ¡°Should I just throw you into the sand like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding,kidding.¡± The speed at which the sand flew at them was growing faster by the second. He stepped through the air using his wind mastery as he struck down the sand, flying towards them. There was a better way to block the attacks, but his purpose here was to train, so instead, he focused on correcting his posture in the air and using his sword to cut down the attacks. ¡°Junior, do you know what theseare?¡± ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s a bit difficult to analyze when there are so many flying in this fast.¡± ¡°I think Iknow.¡± That was surprising. Kang Shin-hyuk smashed down the sand that had beening for his eyes, stretching out his sword and stirred it to scatter the sand away with a temporary gust of strong wind. ¡°So, what isit?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a golem?¡± He frowned at her. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Each grain has strong magical power, and it is clearly aiming for us. Isn¡¯t the most obvious exnation that it¡¯s a golem? Besides, my trait is a rune.¡± To be precise, it was also an outrageously high rarity trait of S+ rank. Of course, these days, traits of SS-rank had be a littlemonce, but among the rare and powerful magical traits, the rune was dominant in terms of mystery andpower. ¡°I think traces of runes remain on them.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It was a usible theory. A golem was a magical creature deeply rted to runes and enchantments. The more he considered it, the more likely it sounded. ¡°How about it, why don¡¯t you catch a piece?¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± He had to consider how he would catch the tiny grains of sand, but he soon found the answer by temporarily freezing them with his de using Wind Master and the WaterOrb. ¡°When did you get the ability to freeze things?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an artifact. I¡¯ll make you shaved iceter, so focus for now.¡± ¡°Wow, you really know how to treat me¡­ hmm, then where?¡± She activated her ability. Her ability was to nt the seeds of runes into an object to ignite their possibilities, and, in the process, she could grasp the details of other runes that had already beenimnted. ¡°Well, uh¡­ah.¡± The sand in Lee Na-hee¡¯s hand broke and began to ssh around. Kang Shin-hyuk was quick to extend the Guardian Golden Dragon to protecther. ¡°Oh, thankyou.¡± ¡°So, how aboutit?¡± ¡°Yes, I can deal withit.¡± He nodded calmly, and Lee Na-hee looked up into the sky. Her eyes twinkled as she watched the red sun abovethem. ¡°Junior, you have to go upthere.¡± ¡°I thought the sun might be the answer, but I can¡¯t right now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk deflected the iing sand that was still flying towards them and pointed to the scorpions and their party below. Eleanor and Baek In-ha had already adjusted considerably well given the short amount of time that had passed, and even Oh Hye-na¡¯s movements were markedly different. ¡°If I call out the golem now, the training will end. We came here to practice.¡± ¡°Oh, it was like that. I wanted to be helpful to my junior, so I started to rush alittle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that prettytantly.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t I seem a little cute?¡± She met his eyes, and Kang Shin-hyuk decided to take specialmeasures. ¡°Eleanor senior, I¡¯ll throw you Na-hee senior!¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting!¡± ¡°Ah, wait a minute, stop! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll stop!¡± The party struggled for several hours in the flowing desert sand. After a few hours, the sun had set, andplete darkness came over thend. At the same time, the flowing sand and the flying grains that had been attacking disappeared, a silence settling upon them. The scorpions continued to appear, however, so they couldn¡¯tpletely rest. ¡°Is this the only monsterhere?¡± ¡°Yes. The level of the scorpions increases with each passing day, and S-rank ones will appear after a few days. Even some veryrge ones will show up.¡± They made a bonfire in the middle of the desert, then gathered together the scorpions they had hunted today for food. Among them, there were ones that had poisonous bodies and some that only had poisonous tails. While the party appraised which ones could be eaten and which ones couldn¡¯t, Kang Shin-hyuk gathered those with poison and baked themseparately. ¡°What about those? Will you eat them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that resistance skills are basic for high-rankers? Of course, I¡¯m no exception.¡± It wasn¡¯t just poison resistance, either. It had evolved to the point where he could use soul poison. As Kang Shin-hyuk kept his pride hidden in his heart, Baek In-ha waved at his eyes with a leftover skewer. ¡°Being a high-ranker, I envyyou.¡± Even Baek, who said as much, had a poison resistance skill. That was how he had survived in Paris, after all, although it wasn¡¯t strong enough for him to roast and eat the poisonous scorpions himself. ¡°If you had properly measured your rank, you would be a high-rankertoo.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for students not to bother with measuring their rankings? What a load of crap.¡± Baek had the ambitious dream of being certified as a high-ranker the moment he entered superhuman society after sharpening his abilities at Shinyoung for three years. But who would¡¯ve known that his friend would be a high-ranker first, and one ranked number fourth atthat? ¡°High ranker¡­¡± On the other hand, Oh Hye-na, who had been run ragged fighting against the sand and scorpions, listened to Kang Shin-hyuk and mumbled next to Baek. ¡°Please give me oo.¡± She put her hand over the skewer Kang Shin-hyuk was grilling. ¡°Don¡¯t do somethingpointless.¡± ¡°No, I also have poison resistance.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried to wave her off, but she took the grilled skewer and bit into it. The scorpion¡¯s baked skin was just like the crispy skin of a chicken for a superhuman who had strengthened their body. Kang Shin-hyuk was waiting with his soul poison skill at the ready in case something went wrong, but she swallowed it down despite that it seemed like she wassuffering. ¡°Are youokay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m okay. Poison resistance also increases with training.¡± It was said that this scorpion had a high level of poison among the A-ranks, so to endure it, it seemed that Oh Hye-na had a lot invested into her training as the only daughter of Vanguard¡¯s former guild master. Still, she was suffering as she couldn¡¯tpletely ovee it, but her skill was growing in the process. It was an ignorant but efficient way to grow. ¡®Well, of course, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk watched her eat the scorpion and bit into his own. Seeing him, Oh Hye-na began to eat faster as if she was in an eatingpetition with him. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt the durability of thebracelet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Oh Hye-na replied with clenched teeth. The bracelet he gave her had the trait of reducing its own durability by taking damage instead of its wearer. Of course, it had various additional effects, such as raising the status, but it was an experimental work that was insufficient to the original he had given toShu. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing if I can retrieve data from it¡­¡¯ Finishing his food, he stood up. ¡°You said you came to me to learn how to use a sword. Let¡¯s get to it, junior.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± The group ss was now over. It was now time for private lessons to begin. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Oh Hye-na¡¯s weapon was a greatsword. A greatsword focused on hitting with heavy strikes rather than fast ones, and her cold-trait made the target slow and dull, and thus vulnerable to said heavy attacks. Slowing down the other person to your speed was a simple but effective idea that worked very well against opponents that wouldn¡¯t be able to resist. Of course, there was no way for her to slow Kang Shin-hyuk down. ¡°Haak, haak¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better; your swings are heavier.¡± After finishing his battle with her, Kang Shin-hyuk sincerely praised her. Her ability to understand and cope with the gap between her and her opponent was outstanding. Even when she held something like a rapier and not a greatsword, her footwork and agile movements were able topensate for her unfamiliarity with the weapon. At the same time, the threatening speed and power of the greatsword striking at a decisive moment reminded him of her father, Oh Joo-young. Of course, it was Kang Shin-hyuk who had struck him down, so he couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°I couldn¡¯t deflect it,but¡­!¡± ¡°But it was fast enough.¡± Oh Hye-na, who was sitting down and gasping for breath, spoke up resentfully. There was no way she could surpass Kang Shin-hyuk, but she had grown considerablypared to their previous battle. Eleanor was admiring them the entire time. ¡°Amazing. I hope Karen notices and learns from this.¡± ¡°She will once she¡¯sbeaten.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try itter. After losing to a freshman, wouldn¡¯t she have to think about it?¡± Eleanor decided that Oh Hye-na would be able to take the lead even if she were to enter the Wyvern Knights right now. As expected, she had the abilities worthy of the daughter of the number one world ranker. ¡°S-rank¡­¡± Oh Hye-na mumbled quietly, and Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head at her. ¡°What S-rank?¡± ¡°My sword. It is an ancient relic from the gate my father entered himself¡­on my twelfth birthday, my father gave it to me as agift.¡± Thinking about it, she had been wearing a blue greatsword on her back the first time he saw her and the day she came to confront him, but she didn¡¯t bring it this time. It seemed to be a precious sword; she couldn¡¯t swing any time she wanted. But why did she suddenly bring it up now? ¡°It¡¯s an emotion-filledstory.¡± ¡°By theway.¡± However, instead of what he had been anticipating, she tapped the greatsword he had made and lent her. ¡°But why is the sword you said you made in a few days so much better than that sword?!¡± ¡°Oh, hey.¡± Apparently, those feelings had been overwhelming her during battle. The direction of the topic was something that he couldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°No, what else could I say other than I make good weapons?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so good, this greatsword! It feels like it was made by someone who knows me better than anyone else; I feelbad¡­!¡± ¡°I have no idea what you mean now.¡± Oh Hye-na¡¯splicated emotions were now impossible for him to interpret. At this, the administrator sent an admiration-filled message. -I can understand. This is because what has a casual value to the member has the most precious value to that fox. In other words, that fox is angrily trying to deny herself and that she is attracted to you! It seemed like a great leap in logic had been made. ¡®A little more detail, please.¡¯ -The reason is that everything about you is so unconventional. Not only are you strong, but you have excellent production skills and connections with many foxes, as well as her best friend. A strong sense of hate is the same as a strong sense of interest, so she is forced to fall for your unique charm, and at the same time, feels both love and hate for you¡­ I must kill her now. ¡®You must¡¯ve been reading a very interesting novel administrator.¡¯ For some reason, there was a bulletin board for novel serialization in the Hero Universe. Now he knew why some Hero Universe members published original novels in their free time. They probably received bonus points from theadministrator! ¡°You said that you got that old sword from your father? Then, of course, a sword made with advanced metallurgy is stronger.¡± ¡°Natural artifacts are originally stronger the older they are!¡± Artifact meant ¡®old relic¡¯ by itself, but it became a term used to refer to objects with strange abilities excavated from the gates. When artificial artifact creation came about, it instead became a term to refer to any objects that had those abilities. However, artifacts created artificially could not surpass natural artifacts excavated from the gate, or so it was generally thought. As a result, it was also thought that those natural artifacts only grew stronger as they aged. ¡°But how the hell? Have you acquired all the skills? Why do you have so much at your age? How thehell?¡± ¡°Ah, Hye-na, there¡¯s no need to suffer needlessly from cognitive dissonance.¡± Baek In-ha clicked his tongue as he watched Oh Hye-na groaning, falling into that sense of inferiority she couldn¡¯t escape from. However, Lee Na-hee was the one to speak up with a contemtiveexpression. ¡°At that age, everything is considered painful. Perhaps tomorrow, she¡¯ll be distressed about why the soup has corn in it.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ soup,corn¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to put it in, so eat quietly.¡± It wasn¡¯t possible to figure out who was the most annoying, but at that, Oh Hye-na suddenly raised her head, her temper ring. ¡°Once more.¡± ¡°Yes, anytime.¡± As soon as she stood up, she rushed over the ground. Neither her breathing nor her greatsword shook as she ran. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his sword and prepared to block it, but his body suddenly stopped moving. Ice was stuck to his knees and both of his arms, restricting his movement. ¡®Ah.¡¯ He was taken by surprise. He had been preparing for it with his spiritual power, but he didn¡¯t know that it woulde at a speed that surpassed his senses. He could feel a strong sense of pressure bearing down above him. If that greatsword fell as it was, it would be quite painful. ¡®She¡¯s maintaining the magic power in the greatsword. The elites practice to deal with their abilities since their youth, I suppose¡­well?¡¯ It was at that moment when Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t resist that a scorpion soared up from the sands. This dungeon had no safe areas from scorpions, so one had to be on the lookout for attacks even while training. The scorpion jumped off the floor, aiming at Kang Shin-hyuk as he was about to receive Oh Hye-na¡¯sattack. ¡®This guy, maybe.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk rolled his eyes and thought about Oh Hye-na. It didn¡¯t make sense for him not to feel thising. His sensations had be dull, somehow. Perhaps this situation was due to her ability. ¡®It¡¯s not just the ability to make ice.¡¯ If so, Oh Hye-na was a considerable opponent. In order to restrain his movements andnd a blow, she had hidden her abilities and waited for the best timing. ¡®Is that even a real ability?¡¯ -In the first ce, frustration is how humans grow. ¡®There was a time when I thought that.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyukughed. At that moment, a red me akin to the sun rose around his entire body. In that instant, he melted away the ice and burned away the scorpion about to attack him. The me burned violently just for an instant before being immediately extinguished, and Kang Shin-hyuk lightly flicked Oh Hye-na¡¯sforehead. ¡°If I¡¯m surprised that much, I have to use it.¡± ¡°What, what was that?! Anotherartifact?¡± Oh Hye-na sat down and covered her forehead, ring at him all the while. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to answer honestly. ¡°No, it¡¯s askill.¡± ¡°Nonsense. The ability to deal with the power of the attributes so freely is already a trait.¡± ¡°I showed off other attributes earlier.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk made a sphere of wind in his hand to show off. He then mixed fire into it, creating a fireball. The wind strengthened the fire, so Kang Shin-hyuk, who could handle both together, would be able to make a name for himself as a high-ranker even if he focused on only those two abilities. ¡°Fire, wind¡­ In-ha oppa¡¯s ability¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same as his.¡± He threw it behind himself and burned away the scorpions appearing there. ¡°But it was great. Haven¡¯t your skills grown?¡± ¡°Ugh, ahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± At the same time, she was learning about Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s new abilities, Oh Hye-na began to cry and ran to Baek In-ha after suffering anotherplete defeat. Today, he had seeded in making her cry. ¡°Wow, she¡¯scrying.¡± ¡°He¡¯s like the embodiment of the Ice Princess.¡± ¡°He made hercry.¡± ¡°No!¡± As Lee Na-hee and Eleanor chatted quietly, Oh Hye-na screamed with a tearful face as she buried herself into Baek¡¯s chest. Baek was patting her head in a touching disy of paternal love. ¡°Shinyuk was the rightanswer.¡± ¡°What, because she¡¯s crying?¡± ¡°She¡¯s grown tremendously just today. Bringing her to you was the right answer¡­ though I think the shock was a bit much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a lion stalking a baby.¡± It seemed that Baek In-ha was seriously worried about Oh Hye-na¡¯s future, but he would realize it gradually. That Oh Hye-na was no baby, but a lion cub herself. *** The table was full the next morning. They were trying to eat before the battle, but Lee Na-hee had diligently gotten up early and began to cook. She was surprisingly talented in cooking and knowing that she wanted to earn points, Kang Shin-hyuk feltpelled to praise her. ¡°You¡¯re good at cooking, senior.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m so good that even grandpa admits it. By the way.¡± Lee Na-hee took out her notebook and approached him. ¡°How aboutliver?¡¯ ¡°Alright? Oh, isn¡¯t it a little bit boring?¡± ¡°What about ingredients? What do you like?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded softly, feeling like he was in front of a beginner chef who had just sparked their desire for cooking. ¡°I eat everything, but meat, especially¡­¡± ¡°Prefer meat,okay¡­¡± ¡°I particrly likmb.¡± ¡°Mutton, yes. There are some special recipes for that, so please look forward toit.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ what?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly felt something strange after off-handedly answering her questions. Didn¡¯t it sound like she was preparing for him to sit at a table prepared by her continuously? ¡°Mutton and liver¡­ lunch is good, then¡­¡± However, Lee Na-hee jotted down notes with a serious expression as she returned to where she had been before. -Shall I kill it now,member? ¡®I¡¯m scared,stop.¡¯ ncing to the side, he noticed Eleanor was also staring at Lee Na-hee with a terrifying expression. That was because Eleanor, the English princess, wasn¡¯t able to cook. ¡°There really is corn in it¡­¡± ¡°Just eat.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After that, the training continued smoothly. Eleanor trained against the grains of sand while flying through the air with a little help from Kang Shin-hyuk, and Baek could now move freely against the flowing sand of the desert. Oh Hye-na herself had adapted smoothly to the training environment. Meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee focused on interpreting the secrets hidden in the gate. ¡°Everyone, eatplenty!¡± ¡°Shinyuk, I think you did well to bring Na-heenoona.¡± ¡°Baek In-ha, you won¡¯t get any food.¡± ¡°Oh, noona! Noona, please!¡± ¡°My oppa is likethis¡­¡± Then, after the sandstorm disappeared at night, they ate dinner, and Kang Shin-hyuk trained Oh Hye-na. She was behind everyone except for Lee Na-hee, but her skills were growing rapidly through continuous battle. Eleanor, her hidden skills revealed, was above Baek¡¯s level, and Kang Shin-hyuk was stronger than her. But even Baek was growing at a fairly fast pace as he practiced. ¡®They¡¯re not kidding these days.¡¯ -A 500,000HP bonus from an administrator who was impressed by your third-person speech! ¡®No, I didn¡¯t mean myself.¡¯ -You are also growing these days, member. Your synchronization rate is rising rapidly. A few days passed, and thest day Eleanor made the reservation arrived. The moment hade to hunt the golems. chapter-233
Chapter 233 ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Baek In-ha was quick toin about Lee Na-hee¡¯s deration. ¡°Do we have to do it during the day? There¡¯s no bothersome sand swamp at night.¡± ¡°The core disappears at night.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk also nodded at her words. ¡°Perhaps the others exploring this gate were looking for hints at night, but that proved to be a trap.¡± ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t know the runes, it¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°Very nice.¡± Eleanor, who had lost her time to have fun with Kang Shin-hyuk at the gate, still felt resentment towards Lee Na-hee. Lee Na-hee tried to ignore her and exined it briefly. ¡°I originally thought we would rush to the sun directly, but it seems the sand breeze grows stronger as you get higher. It¡¯s possible for my junior, but I don¡¯t want to get in trouble.¡± She pulled a scratch bullet from her chest. ¡°I decided to use rune-carved bullets. My junior will shoot them, and all kinds of interference wille in. Baek, you will control the wind so that the path isn¡¯t blocked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy to say.¡± ¡°And Ellie will prepare to intercept the golem.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The ce that Lee Na-hee pointed to ended up being the center of the desert sand typhoon. Everyone was convinced that if the golem would ever appear, it would be there. ¡°Let¡¯s finish quickly and leave. Junior, fire.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gently loaded the bullet she passed him and raised both his Wind and Light Mastery abilities. One of the advantages of Phoibospared to Erebos was that its power amplified both light and wind. ¡°Okay, I fired it.¡± And the speed became iparably faster as a result. ¡°Eh? What? You fired it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The sandstorm started to rise up at the moment he fired. Baek In-ha let out a sigh as confusion was in on his face, but then the world suddenly began to shake. The sandy breeze blew hard as grains of sand with deadly power rained down on them. ¡°Senior!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so go to Ellie! The golem will appear soon!¡± Lee Na-heeunched a drone as if she had been preparing for this situation. A total of five drones connected around her to form a mana shield. It was probably temporarily reinforced with her rune enchantment, which caused the sand to bounce off in vain. ¡®When did you get so strong?¡¯ -All those connected to you are growing rapidly. Hearing the administrator¡¯s words, he ran to Eleanor. Oh Hye-na was already protected by Baek In-ha, and Eleanor was swinging her spear back and forth, but she was vulnerable to attacks from the side. ¡°Are you okay, senior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Arriving by her side a momentter, he fired projections all around them to create an intricate shield of thread. Eleanor looked nkly at the sight of the soul poison melting away the sand flying at them. ¡°It¡¯s so powerful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a soul dissolving poison, so it¡¯s strong against soulless enemies¡­ do you understand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a poison that melts the soul. Kuhu.¡± Sighing and raising his head, he saw that the red sun scattered and vanished as it was hit by the bullet. Eleanor¡¯s eyes followed his gaze, and she shook as she watched the sun disappear. ¡°It¡¯s that simple.¡± Maybe everyone knew the proper way to attack it, but remained silent because they only wanted the rewards? Kang Shin-hyuk kindly exined this to Eleanor, who was thinking that way. ¡°It was a structure that couldn¡¯t be broken, not without a specific mana pattern. It was thanks to Na-hee senior that doing so was possible.¡± ¡°Like that¡­ these days, Na-hee has changed a lot.¡± It was probably not just because her ability had bloomed that she was treating Lee Na-hee differently. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at the sky with a bitter smile. A new blue sun had appeared in lieu of the red one; all magical camouge had been destroyed by the rune bullet, and the substance hidden within was revealed. That was the real sun of this world¡­ the core. ¡°If you shoot it again, won¡¯t it end?¡± ¡°Then the whole world would copse, and we would die.¡± Because this entire world was the golem, the scorpion was nothing more than a parasite that had prated the golem¡¯s body. Each grain of sand in the desert was part of the golem. ¡°So¡­ that one.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The sand storm, which was raging around them as if to destroy the world, stopped. The golem was condensing its power into one point at the center of the storm. ¡°The most valuable thing in this gate is the golem¡¯s core. In order to get it intact, we have to smash the golem to the point that it can no longer fight andpletely disconnect the core from its body.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very ignorant way¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because we¡¯ve considered it. I think that you need to break that first.¡± Eleanor weed the chance to fight. Holding her spear with both hands and preparing to charge. At that moment, thence swelled up like a flower in full bloom. Kang Shin-hyuk made it, so the spear grew to a size that didn¡¯t match her small body. ¡°What is that spear?¡± ¡°You might¡¯ve noticed, but that pistol and that spear were made by Shinyuk.¡± Meanwhile, Oh Hye-na, who was being protected by Baek In-ha, opened her mouth wide open in surprise as she looked at the massive spear. ¡®It defiesmon sense!¡¯ Over the past few days, she had been keenly aware of how special this group called Mask Bhus was, even though it was made up of only students from Shinyoung (except for the Alchemist ire Boyle). However, more and more unexpected things kept popping up, so Oh Hye-na felt like the world she knew was shattering around her. ¡®That person is at the center of it. I hate to admit it, but he¡¯s a great person¡­¡¯ She felt like she now knew why Baek had brought her to Kang Shin-hyuk, who was not only skilled inbat but also artifact production. If she wanted to seed in the superhuman society in the future, she had to stick close to him. He was trying to teach that to Oh Hye-na. I can¡¯t end it while looking pathetic like this.¡¯ She had been protected all throughout her stay at this gate. It was uneptable for the person who would be the next leader of Vanguard to hide because it wasn¡¯t safe. ¡®But even if I try to intervene, then¡­! In the middle of the desert, the sand was clumping together to form a huge human figure. It had a grotesque appearance and enormous amounts of mana gathering around it. Oh Hye-na¡¯s eyes brightened as she saw the little girl rush in without hesitation towards the giant that was easily a hundred meters tall. ¡®If that¡¯s what it is¡­ it¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ The girl jumped over. The moment the heavy spear pierced the golem¡¯s body, Oh Hye-na activated her abilities to the fullest. Her ability was to freeze and dull her target. It was difficult to influence that giant golem, but she was able to somehow [Stop] it momentarily. Now, she just wished they would run¡­ -Bang! Shortly after, a bullet of dark shadow prated the same spot that Eleanor¡¯s spear had struck. Thousands of cracks split across the golem¡¯s body, but the shadows dug into its body and held it together. -Bang! Bang! Dozens of shadow bullets hit the golem and stopped it from falling apart. It was like seeing the ability of the Dark Curtain, the world¡¯s ranked three, to confine his opponent in darkness. But that was just the ability of an artifact he created. Now he could only admire it. ¡°What is it? You used it in vain.¡± So, that nasty man had predicted the golem would explode and had prepared a countermeasure. However, his gaze nownded on Oh Hye-na right after he fired off his bullets. It seemed that he understood that she had used her power. ¡®But I¡¯ve shown as much as I could.¡¯ She was sick of being capable of only this much, but that was her limit. It couldn¡¯t be helped. As she let out a sigh and sat down, she saw Eleanor, the head of the Wyvern Knights, using her spear to bore a hole through the golem¡¯s torso. The golem, whose self-destruction had been forcibly stopped, gave up and instead tried to crush Eleanor with its body, but Kang Shin-hyuk used his dark bullets to restrict its movements and slowly poison it. In the end, Oh Hye-na even felt a sense of pity at the golem slowly melting down into the ground, struggling hopelessly. ¡°The hidden boss of this gate¡­ nonsense. They treated it like a regr mob.¡± ¡°Get used to it. When you do, you¡¯ll be strong.¡± Baek In-ha, who had been protecting the party from the sandstorm throughout the battle, responded with augh. ¡°Are you finished?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know; I did block all the mana from this side¡­ oh, looks like it¡¯s over.¡± The others didn¡¯t know, but there had been a profound trick to the battle. In order to extract all of the energy from the golem¡¯s core, as Kang Shin-hyuk had told Eleanor, they had to deal with the golem until it could no longer run berserk, which required some extra steps. As a result, the energy contained in its core was concentrated, and its shape was fixed with Erebos¡¯s ammo. Then, the energy had been exhausted by hitting it repeatedly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s getting dark.¡± ¡°Shinyuk!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The blue sun, its energy exhausted, fell to the ground. It was a big sphere, but he was able to put it in his inventory. ¡°How wide is your subspace bracelet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve upgraded it recently.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dealing with an entire space system!¡± Actually, it was a feature he had purchased from the Hero Universe, but he thought that could be made one day since he learned the Space Coordination skill. Kang Shin-hyuk appeared behind Oh Hye-na and then returned to his spot, showing off the skill he was proud of. ¡°Ah, aaaaaah¡­!¡± Oh Hye-na, unable to ovee the excessive shock, eventually passed out in Baek¡¯s arms. Kang Shin-hyuk avoided Baek¡¯s gaze as Baek looked at him in disbelief. Chapter 234
Chapter 234 ¡°So, I think we should move with Eunah for the time being. I¡¯m sorry.¡± About ten minutes before the Frontline Bar had opened for business, Kang Shin-hyuk told ire all the things that had happened while they were visiting the gate and what he had promised Shin Eunah. ire listened to him carefully before responding with her head tilted. ¡°Are you apologizing to me?¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± ¡°What are you sorry about?¡± Just act like a superhuman.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought for a moment before replying. ¡°I¡¯m apologizing because I can¡¯t be with you.¡± ¡°Hey, it seems to me that you are deliberating busier these days.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± It was true. It was a time when he wanted to stick to his lover, but that was why Kang Shin-hyuk was keeping busy. ¡°You don¡¯t hate me already, right?¡± ¡°No way. Rather¡­¡± ¡°Rather? So what is it?¡± ire felt overlyfortable. He felt like he was bing dull when he was with her. She was a great partner, but he thought it wasn¡¯t good to rely on her too much, so he deliberately controlled the time he spent with her. ¡®But as a result of that, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sad and annoyed because I couldn¡¯t meet her. What sort of idiot am I?¡¯ That was the absurd result of a young man basing his judgments on the experience of the elderly. Kang Shin-hyuk put his head on the table and mumbled out his sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be a fool because I¡¯m so happy¡­¡± The moment she listened to him, ire, who had carefully pursued the answer, was stunned. Those words perfectly matched what she herself had been thinking just a while ago. Surely there was no way he could know of her conversation at that time, but ire¡¯s face turned red. Fortunately, Kang Shinhyuk¡¯s head was face down on the table, unable to see her expression. ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk still whimpered quietly. ire touched her cheek and calmed herself down, making sure she looked at least somewhat normal. Watching Kang Shin-hyuk be so shy made her feel a bit more confident. ¡°I¡¯m relieved.¡± ire spoke in a sweet voice and gently stroked his head. ¡°I thought I only liked you.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be. I liked you first, but¡­¡± ¡°Ahahaha, you¡¯repletely red. How cute.¡± ire stoppedughing at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shy appearance. She was unbearably in love with this side of Kang Shin-hyuk, who was calm one moment and then so pure the next. It was regrettable they had to open the bar soon. So, she stopped making fun of him, and Kang Shin-hyuk jumped up. ¡°Oh¡­ am I cute? I¡¯ll make you cute, too.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took his revenge by embracing and tickling her. She clung to him as if she had been waiting for that moment. Someone might think of her as a doppelganger as the face she showed him was one no one else had ever seen. ¡°Oh, but there¡¯s one thing to keep in mind.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tensed up as ire, who was in his arms, suddenly switched topics. ¡°You have to tell Eunah.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°So, like this.¡± ire kissed him on the cheek. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Eunah has to get rid of what weighs her down on her own.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, filled with worry, couldn¡¯t meet ire¡¯s gaze. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s alright now. It¡¯s impossible as it is, but someday she has to be mentally independent.¡± ¡°Eunah¡¯s mother has a lot of trouble to deal with.¡± ¡°What, what, what?¡± The casual joke Kang Shin-hyuk threw out seemed to be uneptable. He was barely released after promising her ten kiss coupons that could be redeemed whenever she wanted. ¡°Really¡­ but you know, ire.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s business hours now, so tell me quickly.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had to admire ire¡¯s ability to change into her bartender attitude quickly, but that wasn¡¯t what mattered right now. ¡°What are Eunah¡¯s real parents doing?¡± ¡°¡­ They are retired superhumans. Both were born into wonderful families in Korea. They run a superhumanpany founded with the help of their family, and it has a significant impact on both politics and the superhuman society.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really suspicious.¡± Even listening to ire already gave him a negative view on the matter. He had been vaguely guessing since when he had interacted with Eunah as Anvil that her parents weren¡¯t very friendly. He was wondering if she joined the association because of them. ¡°It was out of rebellion. They tried to make her the representative of theirpany.¡± ¡°Well?¡± However, what ire said was the exact opposite of what he guessed. Kang Shin-hyuk noticed that Shin Eunah wasn¡¯t living with her parents, but that must¡¯ve been a sure departure from them. But thepany, whatpany was it? ¡°The story is a long one¡­ can you stay after the bar closes?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ire clenched her fists, careful not to show Kang Shin-hyuk the joy she felt as she maintained her poker face. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s have some chicken after. I¡¯ll tell you then.¡± ¡°Just like the day we first met.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as ire turned the sign hanging over the door from closed to open. ¡°Forget everything I said, or did, that day?¡± ¡°Feeling shy?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ashamed. At the time, I was acting unnecessarily foolish because I wanted to brag in front of someone I liked¡­¡± ¡°What are you two talking about? I want to hear it!¡± ire turned coldly to the regr visitor, Lim Ha-yeon, who entered right away. ¡°You drink quietly.¡± The bar closed as usual. Surprisingly, Lim Ha-yeon sat down from the store¡¯s opening to its closing, wanting to see how the two had progressed in the meantime, but ire ejected her, unwilling to waste even a second of her time alone with Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Okay, did you lock the door?¡± ¡°Yes. Not even Eunah cane in.¡± The two closed the bar and headed up to the second floor, which ire was using as her amodations. He had been there once before, but everything was the same. It looked like a standard apartment. ¡°Here, here.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take it out.¡± They sat around the table, having already bought some chicken. As Kang Shin-hyuk took out the box, ire opened a soju bottle next to him. Augh came out at her unchanging tastes. ¡°What are you toasting for?¡± ¡°Do it with me.¡± ¡°Yes, then for a wonderful new semester.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think you should be popr with women.¡± He had been tired out, thanks to Lee Na-hee and Eleanor. Despite his appeal that ire alone was sufficient for him, it didn¡¯t work. ¡°I hope our regent, who is so handsome and unlucky, will be popr with only men next semester!¡± ¡°I hate that too..¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s coke ss clinked against her soju ss. ire emptied the cup in one go and offered him a crispy golden chicken leg before grabbing a breast for herself. ¡°It¡¯s a mercenarypany, the one created by the people named Eunah¡¯s parents.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned immediately, and not because he wanted to eat the piece ire had taken. ¡°They tried to make their daughter a mercenary? Not join a guild?¡± The fried chicken was crispy, and the most delicious that could be found in the superhuman mall. It melted in his mouth in an exquisite harmony of crispy and savory. However, it was hard to enjoy the taste of the food due to the worrisome topic. ¡°Because an ordinary battle guild couldn¡¯t cross Vanguard and Baekyang. That¡¯s why they turned to the mercenary guild.¡± ¡°What on Earth did they want to achieve?¡± ¡°Money. They wanted to make huge amounts of money. I don¡¯t know now, but at first, I thought they tried to reinvest in Eunah.¡± The artificial superhuman project. Kang Shin-hyuk had briefly heard about it from ire the day she used her trait in front of him for the first time. He thought it ended with her birth, but it appeared that her parents hadn¡¯t finished the project yet. ¡°But Eunah didn¡¯t follow their will in the end?¡± ¡°Right. Eunah wanted to escape from her parents, and in the end, the Korean Superhuman Association was the choice. Under their management, she couldn¡¯t be easily touched by her influential family members, and she could develop her influence both nationally and globally.¡± At first, ire told her toe to the United States to avoid her parents, but Shin Eunah didn¡¯t listen. ¡°Do you know why she didn¡¯te?¡± ¡°I think you already know when you look at me like that.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ire drank more soju as she pouted. ¡°She didn¡¯te as she said she should wait like a good child. Can you believe that?¡± ¡°Only because I¡¯ve had a twenty-five-year-old woman call me grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Really, I want her to see you as an ordinary kid¡­ but why did it be like this?¡± ire turned away from Kang Shin-hyuk at that part. ¡°Whoo, why was Eunah¡¯s adolescence so harsh? Thanks to that, I¡¯m having a hard time.¡± ¡°How were you then?¡± ¡°I was an exemry girl who listened well to her mom and dad.¡± ire¡¯s eyes sparkled innocently. He had no choice but to believe her. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it in that sense.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My mom and dad will want to see you.¡± The piece of chicken fell from his hand, but he quickly snatched it up before it hit the floor. No, she said it like that? There was no build-up?! ¡°My parents were really worried. Because of my ability, I was called here and there, but I had nothing to do with those people. It was almost always because of Eunah.¡± No doubt, ire had suffered because of Eunah, but indeed, Shin Eunah and ire, both connected to the Hero Universe, were able to withstand that difficult growth period because they had each other. ¡°It didn¡¯t mean that Eunah and I were going out.¡± ¡°But now you can confidently say that you have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yes. They really wanted me to find a proper boyfriend, one with none of that scandal business.¡± Maybe that was why she didn¡¯t get to know people properly. However, if so, he might have to thank Juno Valentine. It was because of his filthy cheating that he was able to meet ire. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I decided to stay in Korea.¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say it was because of me?¡± ¡°It was half and half back then.¡± ire, who casually responded to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s beating heart, emptied her soju ss and continued nonchntly. ¡°Mother told me to make a child ande back.¡± ¡°¡­I thought I had a very biased view of Americans so far, but surprisingly, it was a bit tamer than I had first imagined.¡± He didn¡¯t hate the topic, but it wasn¡¯t one to discuss right now. ¡°Ah¡­ right. So, the mercenarypany? Wouldn¡¯t the scale be big if Eunah went missing?¡± ¡°Oh, no. She was resourceful. Their name¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh as he heard the name of the mercenary guild. That was because it was the No. 1 mercenary guild in the industry. He had to find out more about them, as he had friends who just joined the mercenary industry. ¡°Ate it all?¡± ire was staring at him with her eyes twinkling. Kang Shin-hyuk carefully opened his mouth after finishing his food. ¡°¡­I will ask you today.¡± ¡°Spend the night here today.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded immediately. Refusal was uneptable Chapter 235 Chapter 235 ¡°Hm¡­ hm¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt dubious about the humming sounding from beside him. The person beside him was none other than Shin Eunah. ¡°Did something good happen?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah looked around the inside of the car that held no one but the two of them. ¡°My junior is next to me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to work together.¡± ¡°Humans work from birth to death, junior.¡± Shin Eunah let go of the steering wheel and looked back at him with a very sincere face. Fortunately, the vehicle they were riding in right now was a magic tool with an automatic driving function, so even if she let go, it was still heading for their destination. ¡°It¡¯s still unusual. When did you learn to drive?¡± ¡°Recently.¡± She grabbed the steering wheel again and nced over at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I thought it would be better to learn¡­ every time I moved using warp, I miss this kind of thing.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quietly digested her words and looked out the window. They were now moving around Seoul. Ever since the gates began to appear in Korea, the roads in Seoul had be veryplicated. There were ces where the natural environment hadpletely changed due to gate erosion that couldn¡¯t be fully prevented, and there were ces that vehicles had to go around due to the existence of immovable gates. ¡°Can you get in the car and go around?¡± ¡°Maybe not someone else, but I can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± What they were doing now was a regr patrol. It was a task to check whether or not there were any abnormalities in the areas around the gates with their own eyes. There was a possibility that monsters would appear in the already changed environment. As long as Korea¡¯s sensing capabilities were too busy to take care of these surveince tasks, regr patrols were essential. But it¡¯s a bit tough that the world¡¯s No. 1 and 4 are doing it together.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t long ago that Shin Eunah had been busy enough to need three bodies. Fortunately, the gate incidence rate had begun to decrease noticeably in recent years despite the recent resurgence. ¡®Rather, that makes me feel more anxious. Still, for now, humanity has been given time to breathe. At this time, I should rest properly¡­ Eunah too. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to take a vacation and encourage her to take a break as well, but her work-addicted temperament made that uneptable, so she resorted to doing such a simple task. He looked over at the side of Shin Eunah¡¯s face as she drove. As a master of endless magic, her body was still full of strength, and she showed not a single sign of fatigue. There was a slight blush on her smooth, pure white skin. On the outside, she was the very image of health, but her mind had likely worn out from all the work she had done. ¡°Huh, huh, huh, huh.¡± ¡°¡­ No, isn¡¯t that also fine?¡± Seeing her, who seemed to be really happy, Kang Shin-hyuk wondered whether she really liked this job. However, if he thought about it calmly, he would realize that she only wanted to drive around with him. He soon realized it, thanks to the administrator. ¨C Really, the fox¡¯s symptoms are growing worse every day¡­ ¡®What are you saying? It¡¯s good to work hard every day, but thanks to this, she can rx.¡¯ ¨C Please don¡¯t forget your girlfriend¡¯s request, member. Kang Shin-hyuk felt something hidden in the administrator¡¯s message, but he decided to keep quiet as he couldn¡¯t pursue it. ¡°Oh, when the patrol is over, I want to head to the association HQ.¡± ¡°Yes. I decided to work as Shin Eun-hyuk, so we should.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in agreement. His external activities as Shin Eun-hyuk felt much like Bridget Poulsen, who also worked separately from her main job. Of course, she used her external activities as a plus factor for her job, but it was still true that she made time for it. ¡°And¡­ there may be something a bit unpleasant.¡± ¡°What is it? Is there someone in the association who doesn¡¯t like me?¡± Of course, that was probably the case. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t do much of the activities expected of a top-ranker. Although he was active as Masked Bhus, it wasn¡¯tparable to the busy superhumans of the association, and, from the start, Masked Bhus wasn¡¯t a formal activity. It wouldn¡¯t be strange even if people were asking why he was a part of the association. ¡®This is all because the name of Shin Eun-hyuk has grown toorge even though it was supposed to be used as a temporary alias.¡¯ He just needed the identity to enter the gates easily. It had been so long since then that he forgot why he first acquired the identification card for Shin Eunhyuk. ¡°No, not the people of the association.¡± Shin Eunah stopped his thoughts in their tracks. ¡°In fact, the association benefits just by having a top-ranker that belongs to them. Masked Bhus is also in charge of many requests for them, so there is no problem with them. Rather, it is being said that Masked Bhus should be recognized as an official team under the association.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably something ire will hate. She wanted Masked Bhus to remain a secret organization made up of unknown people¡­ huh?¡± He realized he had made a minor mistake. Otherwise, there was no way Shin Eunah would stop talking and make such a frozen expression. Of course, her face returned back to normal as if nothing had happened a secondter, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t fooled. ¡°What did you fight with ire?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t fight. We¡¯re only getting closer.¡± Shin Eunah responded as if she were spitting out the words, and her lips were pouting. If ire had done the same thing, they would¡¯ve kissed right away. -Good job, member. Appealing to your girlfriend is a surefire way to protect yourself from foxes! 500,000HP bonus from an admin that admires your nice guard! ¡®Oh, because of that. In the midst of being embarrassed, Shin Eunah pushed on. ¡°Talking about ire these days¡­ you just use her name.¡± ¡°Oh, because it¡¯sfortable.¡± ¡°But, you still speak formally with me.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re my senior¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk witnessed the miracle of the century as Shin Eunah¡¯s cheeks swelled with dissatisfaction. How many of those who knew her had seen such a rare sight? Cute, how could it be so cute? She was a pretty, lovely, and honest child. Kang Shin-hyuk spoke up, refraining from the desire to press the air out of her cheeks. ¡°If there is anything you want, say it.¡± ¡°I want you to know it without me saying the words.¡± ¡°But, you¡¯ll say that.¡± Was it his own illusion that she seemed a little different from before? -Fox! Fox! Fox! No, given the administrator¡¯s reaction, it wasn¡¯t. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and thought for a long time about whether this vited his promise with ire, but eventually spoke cautiously with a heart that couldn¡¯t hide his worry and love for Eunah that only grew with the synchronization¡¯s progression. ¡°Is it alright?¡± ¡°¡­Hhh, hee.¡± Was it so good? A real smile appeared on her lips. Even though he had seen a lot of really rare things today, this might have taken the cake. ¡°But I can¡¯t call you by name. Because the age difference is too much.¡± ¡°You can; you call ire by her name.¡± ¡°ire is American.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that either.¡± Shin Eunah talked like she wasining but quickly caught herself. ¡°Since Shin Eun-hyuk hasn¡¯t disclosed his age, there is no problem.¡± ¡°There was an official announcement that he was younger than you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It must¡¯ve been thanks to the government¡¯s efforts and the association¡¯s to somehow make him the youngest top-ranker. Shin Eunah, who had failed to take that into ount,mented and resented them. ¡°Besides, if I call you by your name, I¡¯m worried you will call me grandpa by ident.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You might get confused.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not confused.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shin Eunah turned her gaze back to the front, but her cheeks were still puffed. ¡°I know now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pretended not to hear her and sighed only internally. The two kept silent during the patrol, but the administrator¡¯s endless messages made the silence tolerable. -I thought a day like this woulde. We will give a special lecture that prepares administrators to notice and stop foxes in advance, especially for you. First of all, the first lecture, the definition of a fox¡­ No, that didn¡¯t help either. The two went straight to the association HQ after their patrol was concluded. The people there began to fuss about as soon as they saw Shin Eunhyuk enter the building next to Shin Eunah. ¡°That is Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°Then, was Shin Eun-hyuk also on this expedition?¡± ¡°With that, the 1st and 4th rankings are secured, and maybe even the 7th. Hopefully, it¡¯s really possible.¡± ¡°It looks like they¡¯re going to attend a meeting.¡± ¡°They are members of the association.¡± Expedition? Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyebrows slightly rose behind his mask. What expedition were they talking about? Besides, 7th ce? If they were referring to Bridget Poulsen, it was most likely that Shin Eunah had directly asked her. -Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance? Using the whisper function, he silentlymunicated to Shin Eunah, who was right beside him. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: It¡¯s because I don¡¯t like it. -So tell me more. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Your participation hasn¡¯t been confirmed. You have to tell them what they want at this meeting. -Tell me about the expedition. Instead of responding, Shin Eunah let out a slow sigh next to him. Kang Shinhyuk felt worried about her at the sound. ¨C You really look like a grandfather now, so stop, member. ¡®The higher the synchronization rate, the more instinctive it bes. It¡¯s okay, though, because I¡¯m not showing it off.¡¯ ¨C The problem is with your gaze that seems like someone looking at their older granddaughter. It could be easily misunderstood. It was then a man in a suit approached them near the elevator heading up to the conference room. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, youngdy.¡± He was seeing a lot of incredible things today. He had never imagined that there would be people who actually spoke that way! The man greeted Shin Eunah politely and nced at Kang Shin-hyuk. He had been surprised by his greeting, but fortunately, he was wearing a mask. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Death Puppeteer. I know your reputation well.¡± ¡°I am Shin Eun-hyuk. Please call me by name.¡± ¡°I am Kang-yul Lee. I am the submaster of the mercenary guild Zeus and the head of the nning department.¡± Oh, Zeus. Kang Shin-hyuk lightly shook the man¡¯s hand and thought of Eunah. Now he knew why her face had stiffened. Zeus, the mercenary guild, was the dominant power in the mercenary industry, the guild founded by her parents. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Zeus is actually¡­ It¡¯s a mercenary guild made by my parents. That¡¯s why he called me that way. Kang Shin-hyuk, having heard the story already from ire, had to work hard to act like he was hearing it for the first time. -Your parents? That¡¯s shocking. He had replied with a verymon response, but Shin Eunah slightly red at him as if there was something she didn¡¯t like about his message. Then, she gestured for Zeus¡¯s submaster, Kang-yul Lee, to step back. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to do with Zeus, so you don¡¯t have toe and say hello every time.¡± ¡°The master and the madam are forever waiting for the youngdy to return.¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Shin Eunah dismissed his words and climbed into the elevator after grabbing Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. Perhaps because of the mood, Kang-yul Lee¡¯s eyes gleamed as he watched. ¡°You two have a good rtionship.¡± ¡°Have you already gone to the meeting?¡± ¡°Oops, it looks like I held you up. Then, we will see you at the meeting in a minute.¡± The man withdrew, and the two climbed into the elevator. When the door closed, Shin Eunah let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I really hate it.¡± ¡°¡­I roughly guessed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of trick they¡¯ll pull.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fourth in the world ranking.¡± He said so in the hope of relieving her, and Shin Eunah smiled a little. However, she hadn¡¯t let go of his hand yet. ¡°Did you hear why I have two traits?¡± ¡°Yes, when we did the dimensional quest together.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ inside Zeus, that project is still ongoing.¡± Why? He had heard that her parents were leading the artificial superhuman project because they wanted their child to be the best superhuman in the world. Did it mean anything to make someone other than their child superhuman? ¡°To those people, I wonder if they can¡¯t protect themselves anymore. I¡¯m already the strongest, and I don¡¯t represent them. It sounded as if they were trying to cut off their rtionship with their child just because they couldn¡¯t control her. She smiled bitterly at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Instead, they started obsessing over strengthening themselves. The mercenaries belonging to Zeus¡­ those mercenaries with remodeled bodies are just used for their data.¡± ¡°Because they can¡¯t trust anyone else, they¡¯ll make themselves the strongest.¡± ¡°Yes. It would be impossible as long as I was there.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at Shin Eunah¡¯s frantic exnation. People still didn¡¯t know her true ability; only Kang Shin-hyuk and ire did. Her remarkable trait, [Master of Mana]. Controlling and realizing the magic of all kinds, she was gradually growing stronger at every moment, breaking through the limits of her potential. ¡°Huh? But why did that persone and say hello then? If you give up on my senior, wouldn¡¯t ignoring them make more sense?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it because they noticed I¡¯m looking for a chance to catch them?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk eximed, oh. In modern times, human testing was naturally prohibited, and the terrible task of experimenting with things that were dangerous enough to lead to death couldn¡¯t be tolerated. Perhaps one of the reasons Shin Eunah joined the association; it suddenly urred to him, was for the power to manage the superhumans in Korea and imprison them. He couldn¡¯t guess at the deep feelings she held towards her parents, but nor could he bear the sight of her suffering, so he impulsively grabbed her hand. ¡°If I can help you, tell me. I¡¯ll help you with anything I can.¡± The elevator reached their floor. However, Shin Eunah pressed the close button to stop the door from opening and looked back at him. ¡°To help me¡­ as my grandpa?¡± It would¡¯ve beenfortable if she could nod, but for her independence, she had to deny it even if Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart agreed with her. ¡°I told you not to use the word ¡®grandpa¡¯. I mean, because you¡¯re a precious person to me, I will help. Just don¡¯t misunderstand that part.¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah, I understand.¡± It must¡¯ve not been the expected answer, as Shin Eunah nodded with a bitter expression and looked away. He had certainly chosen the right answer. Kang Shin-hyuk chose to believe in that and held her hand gently. ¡°I said, I know.¡± Her murmur was too small to be heard by him. *** ¡°Thank you, everyone, for gathering in the midst of this hectic time.¡± Han Soo-yeon, the head of the Korean Superhuman Association, bowed her head to those gathered around the table. It felt odd for Kang Shin-hyuk to see the face of the woman he had seen on TV asionally, but it was the same for the other people who were watching him. He had never appeared on official business, and his exposure was extremely limited. Some people, in particr, were thrilled to see him with the Thunder Empress, but it wasn¡¯t something he knew about. ¡°I think everyone knows the reason we are gathered here¡­ that¡¯s right. It is to discuss the expedition project to the African continent.¡± I¡¯m hearing it for the first time. I just heard it for the first time! Africa? Which fell into the monsters¡¯ grasp in the early days of the gates? Are you crazy?¡¯ No matter how much humanity had grown, Africa was a different ce altogether. Monsters had been multiplying there, left unattended all this time. They had even devoured other species to grow further. And, after decades of neglect, the gates generated were innumerable. It was a literal hell that had been turned into the ideal environment for the monsters there. -You¡¯ve never been there, but you know a lot, member. ¡®That¡¯s because there was a picture of it from a satellite. It was terrifying. A monster noticed the satellite was pointing at it with a camera and shot it down with a beam.¡¯ -There were such monsters on Earth as well. If it can shoot down a satellite at that altitude, it would be SSS+ rank. ¡®Right. I can shoot a beam now too, but maybe that¡¯s¡­ ¨C It might be possible if Phoibos were refined with the brazier. ¡®Really? Really!¡¯ -700,000HP bonus! He didn¡¯t understand the bonus at that timing, but that was fine. The problem right now wasn¡¯t a space beam, but these insane humans daring to enter Africa. ¡°Someday, they will cross over to other continents. In fact, the Middle Eastern countries adjacent to Africa are on the verge of copse. When they fall, Europe is next, then Asia. It won¡¯t be too long now.¡± ¡°The massive urrence of gates that took ce half a year ago¡­ if it happened on the same scale in Africa, it will be really dangerous.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded along with the conversation. How many gates had appeared in Korea alone over thest half-year? They were also high-level gates of B-rank or higher. If such a thing had been happening in Africa, it would¡¯ve led to a consolidation of power, which meant the already terrible situation there had somehow only grown worse. ¡°More than anywhere else, they are in Africa.¡± Baekyang¡¯s submaster, Lee Jin-young, spoke up. Vanguard¡¯s new submaster, Lim Hoon, calmy nodded. ¡°Jormungand.¡± ¡°It might be a bit rough to the Vanguard submaster, but¡­¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Someone at the meeting spoke up to jab at Vanguard¡¯s representative, but Lim Hoon responded firmly. ¡°Vanguard is ready to do anything to kill Jormungand. We cannot be forgiven for the former master¡¯s negligence, but at least we will make up for the damage he inflicted on humanity. No, even more than that.¡± ¡°Vanguard¡¯s ability is always dependable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It has been confirmed that Jormungand¡¯s main force interacts and evenmunicates with the monsters in Africa.¡± The chair proceeded with the meeting. ¡°Now that we have sessfully ovee the crisis of the mass outbreak of gates, we can say that we have attained the minimum qualification needed for a sessful expedition to Africa. Not only the Korean Superhuman Association, but also the United States, the UK, the European Union, China, and Russia will be alongside us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an absurdlyrge operation.¡± ¡°The Korean troops will be apanied by a representative Danish superhuman, Bridget Poulsen.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Denmark belong to the European Union?¡± ¡°There are no high-rankers in Denmark other than Miss Poulsen. Therefore, Miss Poulsen has decided to act as an elite with our high-rankers and transfer some of the achievements to the Danish side.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a benefit.¡± ¡°She could¡¯ve joined the elite unit of the European Union. Huh.¡± If they sessfully conquered Africa, the rewards would be enormous. The environment that had been eroded and changed to that of a different world would have resources buried within it. Furthermore, by-products and even artifacts could be obtained from the monsters there. Most of those who were participating held that hope, but even so, the most important thing was safety. The sense of security that could be obtained by bringing Bridget Poulsen, the world¡¯s ranked seven, was something they wanted to gain, even if it meant giving up a portion of the profits. ¡°Miss Poulsen must have had many choices other than us, but how did you get her?¡± ¡°Is there any bacsh from the European Union?¡± ¡°Denmark is still trying to withdraw from the Union, which is why they have done little to help Denmark¡¯s defenses. It seems there was such a conflict again. By the way, Miss Poulsen has a close rtionship with the Empress¡­¡° ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Between the world¡¯s rank 1 and 7?¡± ¡°Even the 4th ce, death puppeteer¡­¡± For this expedition, having three top-rankers grouped together in the same team was reassuring, but for thepetitive spirit of the top-rankers in other guilds, it was an unpleasant sight. However, they couldn¡¯t show any difort here, so everyone just groaned inside and pped. ¡°Korea will certainly lead.¡± ¡°If we leave a meaningful mark on Africa, we can bring Korea¡¯s status back up.¡± ¡°Our guild, Zeus, wants to walk that glorious path with you.¡± ¡°Baekyang, too, of course.¡± ¡°Then, I would like to move onto a more concrete discussion¡­¡± The chairman tried to follow up, but suddenly Shin Eunah jabbed Kang Shinhyuk¡¯s thigh. He hadn¡¯t said much yet, but it meant that he should speak up as the others were already confirming his participation. Kang Shin-hyuk knew well that it was pointless. In fact, when she brought him here, she must¡¯ve been thinking they couldn¡¯t fail if they were together. ¡®I can¡¯t back out. From a social standpoint, as well as for my personal beliefs, it¡¯s not possible.¡¯ The African continent, and Jormungand. Kang Shin-hyuk resolved his heart just by repeating those two things in his head. So, instead of opening his mouth and saying something, he quietly held Shin Eunah¡¯s hand under the table. She flinched briefly but immediately became calm and leaned toward him very slightly. -Member, mistake! This is a mistake! The administrator was noisy, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The first thing he needed to do was calm his granddaughter¡¯s heart. He knew it wasn¡¯t good, but still, it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s really ridiculous¡­¡± Meanwhile, Baekyang¡¯s submaster, Lee Jin-young, his eyes gleamed as he watched them. Apparently, he had noticed the two holding hands under the table. It was his mistake in overlooking the fact that only excellent superhumans had gathered here. ¡°So, who the hell are you dating, Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± The conference hall froze. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 ¡°Look at those two¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay if he died instead?¡± ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± The conference room was all aflutter. Lee Jin-young looked around btedly, but the words had already spilled out of his mouth. Everyone in the conference room expected him to be torn apart by either the death puppeteer or the Thunder Empress as the price for rushing to a topic that no one had ever touched publicly. However, when Kang Shin-hyuk opened his mouth to contemte what to say, Shin Eunah let go of his hand and was the first to speak. ¡°Please refrain from asking personal questions in this ce. Also, Shin Eunhyuk is just a close junior.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, yes.¡± Was it over? Is it okay like that? All kinds of rude thoughts and murmurings came and went, but the situation ended. Shin Eunah looked asfortable as she had just gotten out of bed. However, when he exhaled a sigh of relief, she again grabbed his hand under the table. He gently tried to pull his hand away, but she held on tightly. The conference hall, who noticed it, froze again. Shin Eunah let go of the pretenses, not sensing the atmosphere, and pushed on. ¡°Then, let¡¯s continue the meeting.¡± Everyone in the conference hall noticed the atmosphere she was projecting. After that, without any rude questions, the meeting ended. It had proceeded so rapidly in fear of angering a certain someone, and the expedition date and support troops were all decided upon. -The fox¡¯s condition seems to be getting more and more dangerous. Of course, the fox¡¯s fault is sizable, but if I evaluate it objectively and coldly, some of the fault is on you for giving her the wrong idea. ¡®I was wrong¡­ Normally, they cracked down on the rtionship between her and Anvil, but why wasn¡¯t she controlling it now? This attitude had to be avoided for her to quickly leave the ¡®grandpa¡¯ mentality behind and grow to be independent. Kang Shin-hyuk intuited that the time hade. For ire and for Shin Eunah, he couldn¡¯t slow it down anymore. It hurt a little, but the time hade to grow by force. ¡°Senior Eunah, there is something I must tell you.¡± After the meeting was over, Kang Shin-hyuk spoke calmly to Shin Eunah, who was still holding his hand. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°First, let go of my hand.¡± ¡°Huh. I must¡¯ve been nervous.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like that at all, but now wasn¡¯t the time to tackle that. Shin Eunah let go of his hand and looked straight in his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Somewhere where there¡¯s no one around. It¡¯s personal.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ um.¡± Perhaps she had guessed what he wanted to say. Shin Eunah backed away embarrassedly. ¡°Can we do itter? I have other things scheduled.¡± ¡°It will only take a minute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy, do itter.¡± He reached out to grab her hand again, feeling sweat on her palm. It was very rare to see her look so nervous. ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of this I think we should talk now.¡± ¡°If you do this, it¡¯ll look like we¡¯re fighting.¡± That was correct. He let go of her hand instinctively at that thought, and she teleported away. -Would you like to pursue her? It is possible to trace and follow her route with spatial coordination. ¡°Will I catch her if I go? I think she¡¯ll run again. -The administrator¡¯s thoughts are the same. The message came with a sigh. -Is it not something you knew? ¡°No, no way.¡± -I think you didn¡¯t know, but in fact, both of them were new, so it was quite obvious. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately understood which two he was talking about and what they were new to. ¡°¡­ No, no way.¡± Suddenly, it felt like a horror movie. First, he summarized what had happened today and reported to ire. [ire: You¡¯re crazy!] [You would¡¯ve made the same choice if you were here. Eunah was in a strange state. Maybe it was because Zeus came and made a lot of noise, so she was frustrated¡­] [ire: Still, why did you try to talk it over after?] [I was worried about Senior Eunah.] [ ire: First, you held her hand. Why?] [I was worried¡­ I have no excuse, ma¡¯am.] [ ire: When you return, you¡¯re dead.] [I¡¯m sorry.] [ire: If you don¡¯t return, I¡¯ll cry.] [Yes, I¡¯ll be there on time.] [ire: And thank you. I love you. x1602] [I love you.] He looked up and sighed after exchanging messages with ire. Maybe what had happened at the meeting would spread quickly, and people¡¯s suspicions of a love triangle would be confirmed. Someone might have even seen Shin Eunah escape by teleporting away. Life had never been easy, but now it felt especially difficult. ire was precious to him, but he also didn¡¯t want to hurt Shin Eunah. Stepping forward in a way, he realized there was no way to solve it without hurting someone. ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± A voice answered him, and he began to notice the presence of someone else. Rather, he was ignoring it because it was bothersome to care about it. ¡°It would be nice if you just went your own way.¡± ¡°I have a word I would like to say to Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paused for a moment. He had said Kang Shin-hyuk just now, not Shin Eun-hyuk? After checking that he was wearing the mask properly, he slowly raised his head and looked at the man before him, Lee Kang-yul. ¡°Are you threatening me now?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t saying it with that intention. I apologize if you¡¯re offended¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He didn¡¯t want to show mercy to some guy who was trying such a flimsy trick, especially not when he was worried about all this other stuff. A thread came out of the Soul Connector, but the fact that this was the HQ of the Korean Superhuman Association calmed him. ¡°You may know my contact information anyway, so if you have something to say, do it there¡­ know that if you do, I can kill you without anybody knowing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Lee Kang-yul trembled, his eyes moving back and forth as he seemed to think Kang Shin-hyuk was stronger than expected. Superhumans could emit their magical power to force down opponents with less magic than them and paralyze their bodies. However, this didn¡¯t have a great effect on ordinary people who didn¡¯t feel magical power at all. In Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s case, since spiritual power was his basis, it had the effect that anyone with a soul would instinctively withdraw. ¡°Then leave.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk released his power, Lee Kang-yul quickly bowed his head and stepped back. His voice wasn¡¯t shaking, however, so he seemed quite spirited. -Excellent, member. A 600,000 bonus for that nice look! I don¡¯t know why the bonuses in now¡­¡¯ However, it was true that he had made Lee Kang-yul ufortable. Shin Eunah was the one directly hiding the fact that Shin Eun-hyuk was Kang Shin-hyuk. However, if someone were to find that out and approach him, it wasn¡¯t possible for her to speak out directly. Had someone else involved in his identity¡¯s forgery opened their mouths, or had someone follow him? ¡®Isn¡¯t it worthwhile to check out?¡¯ ¨C Probably so. Even more so when I consider their participation in the expedition. Kang Shin-hyuk bit his tongue at the administrator¡¯s words. If he knew it would be like this, he should¡¯ve put a wiretapping device on that man. It was his fault he didn¡¯t pay attention to artifacts other than armaments as he hadn¡¯t needed them. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to share the conversation he had with Lee Kang-yul with Shin Eunah and ire. He was still worried over what to say to Eunah, so he decided to talk to her about itter. ¡®By the way, the days I promised to work with Senior Eunah are up.¡¯ She had run away like that, so she wouldn¡¯t even show up to meet him. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be until the African expedition that he would see her again. If so, right [ire, there is a ce I want to go with you.] [ire: Huh? But you were with Eunah for a few days¡­ oh, I see. Our poor Eunah.] [I¡¯m currently alone.] [ ire: That¡¯s it, a date is a date.] Kang Shin-hyukughed at ire¡¯s honest response, feeling refreshed despite Lee Kang-yul. He hurried on his way to her. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°Oh, our brother came! Awesome, a pretty noona did too!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk brought a woman!¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk visited the Starlight Orphanage with ire, there was an uproar. The little kids ying outside ran up to see him. Posing next to him was ire, dressed modestly but elegantly in a whitece blouse and a light pink skirt. When he noticed her posing, she jumped in surprise. ¡°This is the noona who camest time!¡± ¡°This noona helped the orphanage!¡± ¡°Wow, ahh!¡± The little kids jumped around ire, and she patted their heads one by one before making a grim face. ¡°Thank you for being nice to me, guys. I came with Kang Shin-hyuk today.¡± ¡°Are you close to him?¡± ¡°What is your rtionship with our brother?¡± ¡°Buy? Are you buying him?¡± ¡°Go away; don¡¯t make useless rumors.¡± He wanted to be careful about their rtionship. If rumors spread that she, who was famous for dating Shin Eun-hyuk these days, was dating Kang Shinhyuk at the same time, there might be people who would investigate the connection between Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eun-hyuk. Although it was already quite suspicious since the moment when ire imed to support Kang Shin-hyuk. Maybe that was how the guild Zeus discovered him. ¡°Are you here to see the sister?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Hye-na has been waiting for you!¡± ¡°Hye-na is also inside!¡± Hye-na? ire¡¯s eyes narrowed at the name of another woman. Kang Shinhyuk briefly exined it to her before she had a misunderstanding. ¡°She is one of the kids who works as a mercenary. Her and two of the boys have joined the mercenary guild through Eunah.¡± ¡°Aha. ire crossed her arms in relief and, conscious of their rtionship, endured her desires. ¡°Actually, that is one of the reasons I came. The mercenary guild they are in is also quite famous. I wonder if they know anything about Zeus.¡± ¡°How experienced, how experienced.¡± Was that apliment? They headed into the parlor with a group of little kids trailing behind them. Sister Esdel was awaiting them there. ¡°You said you¡¯re not dating?¡± As soon as she kicked out the little ones, Sister Esdel threw that out. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged, thinking lying wouldn¡¯t work anyway. ¡°It was true then.¡± ¡°Yes, I see. Come on; it¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± Sister Esdel looked back at ire andughed yfully. ire had a simr smile on her lips. ¡°I wille back often. I have my own room, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s clean, so feel free toe. With our son here.¡± ¡°Is it soundproof?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± ¡°These people!¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk shouted at the obscene hand movements the two women exchanged, they burst intoughter at the same time. Although he had roughly expected it, they were a good fit for each other. ¡°Will you sleep here today?¡± ¡°Yes. I need to talk with Jinseok Lee first.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll have to hurry. Jinseok said he¡¯s getting busy soon.¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy?¡± He felt nervous. When Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyebrows narrowed, Sister Esdel nodded with a worried expression. ¡°He said he¡¯ll be going on an expedition soon. I¡¯m worried that overseas will be more dangerous than here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bitter taste within his mouth. It seemed there was no need toe here for a meeting Chapter 238 Chapter 238 ¡°Jinseok!¡± ¡°Uh? Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± Jinseok Lee returned homete that night. As he watched Jinseok return with a deathly tired expression while carrying a load of mercenary equipment, he felt that he had be an adult one step earlier than Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, I wish the association had this much work¡­ oh, hello!¡± ¡°Hi. Are you Shin-hyuk¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± As soon as he saw Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Jinseok ran up in excitement, but he quickly quieted down as he noticed ire standing beside him. ire was still wearing her modest but elegant outfit, but Lee Jinseok stiffened in shock at the smile she had. ¡°Ah¡­ move out the way. Hello, Shin-hyuk is my friend too!¡± At that time, a girl pushed him aside and bowed her head to ire. She was a pretty girl of smaller stature than her peers, with her long hair braided so that it wouldn¡¯t get in her way. This was Yoo Hye-na, one of the idols of the Starlight Orphanage alongside Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I heard from the sister earlier. Are you Hye-na?¡± ¡°Yes! You¡¯re so pretty!¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. You¡¯re so pretty too; yourplexion is so nice.¡± ¡°Ehehe, it¡¯s really rough from my work as a mercenary. I think you must¡¯ve been born with perfect skin, how¡­?¡± What sort of affinity was this? Kang Shin-hyuk felt a bit terrified as the two started to chat right away. Therger boy who appeared from behind them just bowed his head to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, brother.¡± ¡°Ah, Woonhyung. How¡¯re you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been well, too.¡± It was Jo Woonhyung, a boy who was one year younger than them, but he had quickly gone through school to go on to be a mercenary. It was thanks to his superior body that he had made it that far, and since Kang Shinhyuk taught him several fighting techniques, there was no one at the orphanage who could ovee him. Since he learned martial arts from Shinhyuk, Jo Woonhyung treated him like some kung-fu master out of a book. He was an earnest and reliable child. ¡°Hey, are you in a rtionship? The Alchemist is like that with you¡­¡± Jinseok whispered to Kang Shin-hyuk while ncing at ire, who was talking with Yoo Hye-na. Kang Shin-hyuk clicked his tongue and looked away from his blushing friend. This guy couldn¡¯t help it in front of ire¡¯s charm. Of course, he was proud of himself. ¡°I heard you¡¯re preparing for an expedition?¡± ¡°Ah, did she talk about it? Anyway, I have a lot of worries. It¡¯s on a big scale this time. It¡¯s a little risky, but if we seed. It¡¯ll turn things around.¡± ¡°Do you know how terrible the monsters are in Africa?¡± ¡°You, how do you know we¡¯re going to Africa?!¡± Lee Jinseok screamed in surprise before hurriedly lowering his voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell mom, right? If you tell her it¡¯s Africa, she¡¯ll hang me up to dry to stop me from going!¡± ¡°Ha, so you knew.¡± At first, he thought the mercenary guild was deceiving him, but he had volunteered, knowing he would be going to Africa. Kang Shin-hyuk was stunned. ¡°Are you insane? Aren¡¯t you a beginner mercenary, yet this is where even high-rankers don¡¯t want to enter?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt it was absurd. He couldn¡¯t even imagine that Jinseok would try to participate. Wasn¡¯t the scale too different? ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not allowed to go into dangerous ces. I need to fortify a position and keep track of the luggage.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you know that the first thing that happens is that the mercenaries die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same everywhere, Shin-hyuk.¡± Lee Jinseokid down an irond fact. ¡°Woonhyung and Hye-na are also in agreement. If it¡¯s dangerous anyway, let¡¯s go to the ce with the greatest rewards. We can¡¯t be shy about putting our own lives in danger; this is our job.¡± ¡°I think so too. Thanks to you, I got stronger, so we can do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Shin-hyuk.¡± Yoo Hye-na said so with augh after finishing her conversation with ire. ¡°Thank you for being worried, but we aren¡¯t kids anymore.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all kids?¡± Without the specialw for superhumans, these guys couldn¡¯t even use a gun. Countless gaps in the Constitution that had arisen since the opening of the gates, and the special status of orphans, led them to a field of life and death at a young age. It was only more miserable than they had volunteered themselves. ¡°We¡¯re old enough.¡± ¡°Oh, was Shin-hyuk like that before?¡± ¡°Since elementary school, he¡¯s been strangely quiet like an old man¡­¡± ire nodded at Yoo Hye-na¡¯s words and subtly signaled at Kang Shin-hyuk. It meant it was time to go to n B. ¡°Then, let¡¯s head inside to talk.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this. Rather, how about you and the Alchemist¡­¡± ¡°Including that, let¡¯s talk about it inside.¡± He took the group and went into a quiet, soundproofed room where no one could hear them. It was the room given to ire. ¡°Shall we eat some chicken?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± For ire, meeting new people meant eating chicken. She ordered enough for the entire orphanage to eat some and nced over at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait outside until the food arrives. Are youfortable speaking alone?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± ¡°Save that forter.¡± ire approached Kang Shin-hyuk for a quick kiss and then left the room. Everyone who saw it froze. ¡°Uh, uh, you, really¡­¡± ¡°Right, but that isn¡¯t very important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important?! What? Wasn¡¯t the Alchemist dating Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± ¡°You must be Shin Eun-hyuk!¡± While Lee Jinseok was sputtering in confusion, Yoo Hye-na shouted boldly like Detective Conan, revealing the criminal. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you on TV! Mom was talking about it!¡± ¡°That was real? I thought she was seeing things because she missed you¡­¡± Indeed, Sister Esdel had already guessed the truth. If so, it was no wonder she assumed he was dating ire. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°OMG¡­ Death Puppeteer? My friend?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Empress, what about the Empress?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very pretty.¡± The question to be asked as soon as he realized he was Shin Eun-hyuk was that. Lee Jinseok wasn¡¯t aware that Yoo Hye-na looked at him with pity. Hyena, giving up all her expectations of him, turned back to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°How did it happen? Shin Eun-hyuk is an adult.¡± ¡°It¡¯s counterfeit.¡± ¡°How did you forge it?!¡± ¡°With the Empress.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Lee Jinseok yelled out as if he had been enlightened. ¡°Then, getting us in the Gunners¡­¡± ¡°It was the Empress.¡± ¡°Crazy¡­¡± The Gunners were the 2ndrgest mercenary guild in the industry. They had a good reputation, and many of the people who joined them were surprisingly popr. They were known for not engaging in reckless activities, so it was surprising that they had agreed to participate in the expedition. Perhaps the association put pressure on them. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a secret. Some people know, but we can¡¯t talk about it in public.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thank you for believing in and telling me.¡± ¡°¡­But why now?¡± Jo Woonhyung tilted his head and asked that question. Kang Shin-hyuk briefly thought that this guy was the most reliable before he responded. ¡°I¡¯m also going on the expedition.¡± ¡°OMG!¡± ¡°Wow¡­e to think of it, you¡¯re ranked fourth in the world!¡± Yoo Hye-na¡¯s eyes twinkled as she looked at him. It was a nce he had received a lot when they dated briefly in middle school. ¡°I have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. ire won¡¯t be able to win.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost too much of your image today.¡± ¡°Kh.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk solemnly dered so to Lee Jinseok, who looked betrayed. Next to him, Yoo Hye-na nodded in agreement. ¡°Where is there a good man? Shin-hyuk, is there anyone you can introduce me to?¡± ¡°I know one.¡± ¡°Hey?!¡± As he wondered if he should tell her about the guy who acted like Lee Jinseok but had more ability, Jinseok grabbed him. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, ah, I¡¯m dizzy now. Anyway, if you¡¯re going to go to Africa, stick close to me whenever possible.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s really great. Thank you.¡± Jo Woonhyung bowed his head. Then, gently raising it, he looked straight at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Would you mind training us until we leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Ah, me too! Hehe, it¡¯s been a while since I learned from you.¡± ¡°Hey, me too! Look at me too!¡± ¡°I got it. It¡¯s no different whether I look at one or all of you.¡± He smiled at the sight of the three young mercenaries jumping around happily. His anxiety still didn¡¯t go away, but it was true that mercenaries were put in danger no matter where they went. If so, it would be best that Kang Shin-hyuk did what he could to keep them safe. ¡°Oh, and give me your equipment too. I will upgrade it.¡± ¡°Can you do that too?!¡± This was his main job. He collected their equipment and checked the conditions of it first. All of them were of the same standard, with the Gunners¡¯ mark on them. ¡°Supplies?¡± ¡°Yes. The higher the grade, the better.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to return it, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a deal we were all given.¡± Indeed, there was a reason as to why they had one of the best reputations. He had heard most mercenary guilds only connected their mercenaries with the seller and let them buy it themselves, but they provided it like this. Kang Shinhyuk meticulously examined the equipment to see if there were any hidden defects or equipment and then analyzed the source with his spiritual power. ¡°But, just in case, I should make the upgrades secretly.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk is so cool¡­¡± ¡°Hey?!¡± At that moment, ire returned with a box full of chicken in both of her hands. When Kang Shin-hyuk epted it, ire nodded and looked around the room. ¡°Did you finish talking?¡± ¡°Yes, about the first topic.¡± ¡°The first?¡± Jo Woonhyung tilted his head, and Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly. ¡°If you know anything about Zeus, tell me.¡± ¡°Zeus.¡± Yoo Hye-na¡¯s eyes brightened, and he wanted to believe it wasn¡¯t at the sight of food. ¡°We know a lot.¡± ¡°Because of our training. Zeus does some dirty things in secret.¡± ¡°Yeah, some dangerous stuff.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sit down.¡± Jo Woonhyung raised a chicken leg with a serious look. ¡°I¡¯ll only stick to the facts.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down, feeling a bit ufortable. ire took her own chicken leg out and bit into it. ¡°They¡¯re really like a couple.¡± ¡°Hey, Hye-na, do you want a leg too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it myself.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk hyung, what Zeus is doing¡­¡± For two hours, they discussed the usations surrounding Zeus. All in all, the evidence was insufficient to confirm the facts, but the circumstances around it were roughly understood. Kang Shin-hyuk had a sense of what he should prepare. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 On the Hero Universe¡¯s free bulletin board, everyone felt confused as they looked at the new test product sold by the New Anvil (that was, Kang Shinhyuk). [Loki ¨C Record, y record? What do you need this for?] [Halo ¨C Tsu, there are many rules in human society that haven¡¯t yet developed. A society in which morality rules before it has been dominated. This is an object to gain a more advantageous position in society.] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C An underdeveloped society? It doesn¡¯t matter where you live as long as you make good things. Hi.] [Eunah ¨C Check.] [Loki ¨C I know now. Eunah, every time I see someone who says they bought something from Anvil, she says that.] [Halo ¨C Maybe she wants to check the number and ask Anvil to make her shareter.] [Eunah ¨C No.] [Tsukuyo ¨C Oh my god, my god¡­ Anvil made some really fun stuff. Whoo, it seems that the insignificant humans are bothering Anvil.] [Eunah ¨C It¡¯s okay because I¡¯ll solve everything.) [Tsukuyo ¨C You don¡¯t have enough skill, so Anvil didn¡¯te to you himself. That¡¯s why I have to be with him.] [Eunah ¨C ¡­I will kill you.] [Loki ¨C It¡¯s always fun to see the fighting. Is there popcorn, popcorn?] [Halo ¨C Be a little mature now, Loki.] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C Will I have grandpa¡¯s child?] [Bartender ¨C Fool.] Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and looked at ire in front of him. She was closing the Hero Universe with a loud hum after leaving thisment. ¡°How can I look over what that person is saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but she¡¯s a very strong kid, so don¡¯t provoke her too much.¡± ¡°This is a game where a woman shouldn¡¯t run away. That¡¯s all.¡± If so, it couldn¡¯t be helped. He gave ire a brief kiss. ¡°How long will you stay? I guess I¡¯ll stay here until the expedition begins.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here, too. Anyway, it¡¯s impossible to open the bar for the time being.¡± Because of this expedition to Africa, a huge amount of requests for potions had arrived for her. She had to send plenty to her mothend, the United States, as well as to Korea, where she was currently staying. Additionally, even the European Union, China, and Russia put great value into the Alchemist¡¯s potions and sent requests. ¡°Everyone is acting so childishly.¡± ¡°But, I want to help if I can. I want to go on the expedition with all my heart, but¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t go. I¡¯ll be waiting here, soe back safely.¡± When she noticed the brief sh of terror on his face, she smiled and kissed him as if she were satisfied with his reaction. As the two exchanged another smile, a voice grunted from behind them. ¡°Should we leave?¡± ¡°It looks like a movie.¡± Alright, the problem was these two. Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes and looked over at Lee Na-hee and Eleanor, who had intruded into their room. ¡°Why did you twoe?¡± ¡°I came because my unnie asked for help. I¡¯m learning how to make potions from her.¡± ¡°Na-hee secretly wanted to go somewhere, and I followed.¡± He ignored Eleanor and tilted his head at Lee Na-hee. Looking back at ire, she nodded. ¡°Yes, I called her.¡± ¡°Can that be taught to someone else?¡± ¡°I figured that Na-hee would do well since she learned the runes, and my expectations were correct.¡± ire said this with a small smile. It wasn¡¯t clear what the rtionship between runes and alchemy was, but there seemed to be some connection between them. ¡°I, alone, can¡¯t be in charge of potions around the world. Na-hee is so talented that she can follow me.¡± ¡°No¡­ didn¡¯t you decide to open an artifact store with me?¡± ¡°Artifacts won¡¯t be sold every day. I considered our store¡¯s finances and saw apromise.¡± The moment Lee Na-hee said ¡®our store,¡¯ ire¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. ¡°If you learn how to make potions better, why not just open a potion shop by yourself? To put it openly, Shin-hyuk makes good artifacts without your help.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it, unnie. There are some areas that can only be reached with our abilitiesbined.¡± Oddly enough, though neither was using magic, it seemed like an electric current was sparking between the two. As he watched, Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly saw Loki asking for popcorn on the bulletin board earlier, but a momentter, there was a person behind him tugging gently at his cor. It was, of course, Eleanor. ¡°Vice-captain¡­ no, Shin-hyuk.¡± Eleanor, perhaps conscious of the new students who would be enrolling the next semester, was trying to grow ustomed to the title of vice-captain. ¡°Yeah, what is it?¡± Looking at Eleanor¡¯s serious face, he thought maybe he hadn¡¯t just followed Lee Na-hee. ¡°I want to talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ let¡¯s leave these two and talk outside.¡± He turned to see ire and Lee Na-hee in the middle of a heated argument and quietly left the room with Eleanor. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine at this point. What¡¯s going on? Do you want a new weapon?¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± She seemed very hesitant. If someone saw it from a distance, they might think she was about to confess. Oh, he saw Lee Jinseok watching them with wideopen eyes as he hung up hisundry. ¡°¡­Friend?¡± ¡°You can ignore him; he won¡¯t hear you here.¡± With a sigh, he breathed his spirit into the little cube-shaped object in his arms. It was a sound collector he had made, which had the simple effect of collecting and storing ambient sounds. As it worked purely on spiritual power, those who didn¡¯t know it couldn¡¯t realize how it worked, but it had a function that prevented sound from spreading out. ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°We¡¯re also developing a smaller version and a remote version. As soon as it¡¯s developed, I want to register a patent.¡± ¡°With that, there would be no need to create a soundproof barrier.¡± ¡°It would be nice for use in important ces, right?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk promoted his new product with a smile. ¡°So, what¡¯s happening to get you so excited?¡± ¡°Africa¡­ expedition.¡± He didn¡¯t know she would bring that up. ¡°Is the British royal family participating? Oh, because it¡¯s the royal family who leads the superhumans, they will definitely participate.¡± ¡°Yes. Besides, the royal family has a grudge against Jormungand¡­¡± ¡°Where is a group that doesn¡¯t hold resentment toward Jormungand?¡± ¡°The prince¡¯s son is dying.¡± As far as he was aware, there had never been such news on TV. Which meant it was a secret within the royal family.¡± ¡°Eleanor senior¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my cousin; he was a good child.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes were full of hesitation, but beyond it, a light of firm will shined. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to get straight to the point. ¡°Is it okay to assume you want to follow along on this expedition?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Eleanor nodded quietly. ¡°I want to check.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they hostile?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t hate me¡­¡± She had someplicated family matters going on. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go together. If you wear a mask, it¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Eleanor smiled softly. If someone took a picture of her now and promoted it, this year¡¯s Miss Shinyoung would be Eleanor instead of Lee Na-hee. ¡°Hey, Kang Shin-hyuk! Who is that beauty there¡­!¡± ¡°How noisy.¡± ¡°Are you his friend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed. Afterward, Lee Jinseok, who had noticed that both Eleanor and Lee Na-hee liked Kang Shin-hyuk, went into a fit of intense training angrily. He said some ridiculous nonsense as he would surely defeat Kang Shin-hyuk and rescue those women. *** Time passed by quickly. Kang Shin-hyuk refined his friends¡¯ equipment to a level that would raise their physical abilities to C-rank or higher, even if they didn¡¯t have magic. ¡°Use it only when you¡¯re in trouble, alright?¡¯ ¡°I know, I know.¡± It would be bad if it were discovered, but it was better than dying. With that in mind, he trained his friends even more. ¡°I¡¯m dying, Shin-hyuk! Dying!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not.¡± ¡°What are you doing to Hye-na?!¡± ¡°The same I¡¯ll be doing to you next.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk hyung!¡± A sound mind and a sound body. Kang Shin-hyuk really trained them until they might¡¯ve died. However, they were amazed that they were able to withstand as much as they could, all because Kang Shin-hyuk used his guardian Golden Dragon and spiritual power to help them. ¡®It¡¯s good to use my trait like this.¡¯ His trait reinforced the strength of himself and all his allies. It didn¡¯t just amplify physical strength, but even abilities such asprehension and memorization so that it could raise training efficiency to the extreme. -You are a general capable of leading arge army. 500,000HP bonus! ¡®I won¡¯t.¡¯ -Cheh. Meanwhile, there was no contact from Kang-yul Lee. Did his threat from before work, or was he still considering how to respond? It didn¡¯t matter, anyway. Those guys had bared their teeth once, so he didn¡¯t know when they mighte back. He had no intention of being beaten. [Senior Eunah: The ce and time have been decided. We will gather in Portugal.] [See you then.) [Senior Eunah: Yes¡­ sorry.] [Don¡¯t worry.] [Senior Eunah: Yes¡­] He taught the three mercenaries while using his spare time to refine his armaments in the Furnace of Nephritis and train himself through battling with Eleanor. Eleanor, who had the same talent for close-quartersbat, was a very good sparring partner. ¡°It¡¯s strange, Shin-hyuk.¡± Then, one day, Eleanor spoke up with an odd expression. ¡°When Ipete with you, I feel like I¡¯m improving faster.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment, but isn¡¯t it just because you¡¯re facing off a simrly skilled opponent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Eleanor wanted to say something but instead raised her spear with a frustrated look, unable to find the appropriate words. ¡°It¡¯s not such a subtle growth; I feel like my body and magic are being clearly refined¡­¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because you¡¯re growing up. Now, let¡¯s go one more time.¡± Lee Na-hee narrowed her eyes and looked to ire as she saw the two fighting. ¡°Unnie, should I learn how to fight like that?¡± ¡°Make potions.¡± Eventually, the day of the expedition arrived. It was a historical moment that would decide whether mankind would advance one step forward or retreat. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Lisbon, the port city of Portugal, seemed to have held a meeting of superhumans. This was because quite a lot of high-rankers in superhuman society had gathered together there. ¡°You said we¡¯ve got rankers from 1st to 7th ce?¡± ¡°I heard that Red Shoes was attached to Korea. Is that true?¡± ¡°An African expedition, after humanity retreated helplessly and had to bury 3,000 high-rankers in the past.¡± ¡°But the top-rankers are really the strongest this time¡­¡± ¡°Seeing humanity reach the level where it can take back Africa from those monsters will fill my heart with joy.¡± ¡°If only the new sword had been alive.¡± ¡°There are those who think about such unfortunate things.¡± The expedition was treated halfway as a festival by the superhuman society. In the past, humanity suffered a painful loss and was forced to withdraw from the continent entirely, and much time was spent to recover the will and pride lost back then. This expedition could be said to be thest mountain to cross for their rehabilitation. No, one couldn¡¯t be sure what awaited them beyond that mountain. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Halo, today? Please do well. It ismon for any world to lose half of its habitat in the fight against Jormungand. -Are you cheering me on, or cursing me? And don¡¯t call it a habitat. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Yes, yes, I know I made a mistake. He responded to Halo¡¯s question, which flew in a timely manner, and Kang Shin-hyukughed despite the tension he felt. ¡°Junior? Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Ah, you saw me?¡± Obviously, he was wearing a mask. Shin Eunah shook her head, feeling her stomach fluttering as she watched him. ¡°I could see the muscles moving under your mask.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh.¡± After all, she was a woman whose limits couldn¡¯t be measured. In fact, he didn¡¯t even know if he wanted to measure them. ¡°Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes, R?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied shortly to Eleanor, whose voice came from his other side. Now that they were both wearing masks, they had to be careful not to reveal each other¡¯s age, or so they had agreed. But for some reason, Eleanor was trembling at his call. ¡°¡­Are you still ufortable?¡± ¡°No.¡± It wasn¡¯t until she responded that she began to wonder if it was too early to say anything. ¡°I¡¯m just not familiar with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. So what?¡± ¡°Why Lisbon?¡± If she hadn¡¯t concentrated on studying modern superhuman history, such a question would bemon, Kang Shin-hyuk thought. ¡°There are countless roads that lead to the continent of Africa, so why are we starting from Lisbon?¡± ¡°Yes. Lisbon is so¡­ wasn¡¯t it the beginning of the Indian route? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ridiculous to think Europe is trying to disrespect the world on this historic day¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because all the other roads are blocked,dy.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk tried to answer, there was someone else who answered in fluent American English. When they turned around, Nick Hand, the topranked from the United States and the world¡¯s number two, ¡®Stone Ground, stood there. ¡°Stone Ground?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Thunder. And the Death Puppeteer¡­ how is the Alchemist doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare like that. Someone might think I was threatening her and holding her against her will.¡± ¡°Cheh¡­¡± Stone Ground, who thought that one of his country¡¯s superhumans had been stolen by Korea, clicked his tongue and turned his head towards Eleanor. ¡°I¡¯ve been hoping to meet you. Masked Bhus¡¯s activities have been impressive. Could you please give me your name?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, it¡¯s R¡­¡± Eleanor floundered a bit, but it was inevitable since he was ranked second in the world. However, even in the midst of that, she didn¡¯t forget to hide her real name, so it could be said she was a truly excellent example for Masked Bhus. ¡°R, I think your real name must be very beautiful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to take my teammates.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not you. I just wanted to show my face to the next top-ranker candidate.¡± He growled at Kang Shin-hyuk, then shed a friendly smile to Eleanor before continuing to exin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why the roads are all blocked? The reason is simple. We can¡¯t afford to stop the monsters that flock out every day along the other borders. Rather than pushing in there, we decided to take the path that would allow us to take advantage.¡± ¡°As a bonus, all other sea routes were blocked by the concentrated erosion gates.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Stone Ground red at Kang Shin-hyuk for stealing his exnation at thest second, but then heughed. It was Kang Shin-hyuk, who was a theory expert before his trait awakened. ¡°Moreover, when humans retreated from the continent in the past, all ovend roads were blocked, and it was to Lisbon where they fled. That¡¯s why it was promised back then. When we go back to Africa, we start in Lisbon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s touching.¡± ¡°Yes. There would have been even more if none of the high-rankers had turned to Jormungand at that time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eleanor sighed. The story never ended well. ¡°Then, see youter. We, the United States, aren¡¯t at all concerned with the status of a superhuman or their birth, but only evaluate and treat them based on skill and character. If you have a reason to hide behind a mask, remember that we are ready to take care of everything¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re here just to flirt, then leave!¡± ¡°Cheh, then next time.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk grew angry, Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes red up. Eleanor tilted her head as she watched Stone Ground click his tongue and retreat. ¡°A top-ranker¡­ why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re excellent. He was in a hurry to see you after noticing our activities.¡± Masked Bhus was one of the most popr groups in the world now. However, while their representatives, the Puppeteer and the Alchemist, already had a clear origin and affiliation, no one knew the remaining three¡¯s status. Stone Ground and other superhumans probably thought they could recruit them from Masked Bhus. ¡®But even though we have a high reputation, our activities were limited to local first response and aid.¡¯ They had mainly been working in and around Seoul, so nobody had a chance to approach them yet. However, one of those members had finally appeared in public where so many superhumans had gathered! ¡°Butpared to ire and you¡­¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s unlucky to say this, but the threshold is too high. It¡¯s strange that people aren¡¯t paying attention to those who grow fast.¡± He thought that this expedition would be a good opportunity to revise Eleanor¡¯s strangely low assessment of herself. Eleanor had lived oppressed for several reasons. Perhaps one was that she had the same SS-ss trait as him, but she thought her talent was slow to bloom. Then, he felt a tug on his cor. Shin Eunahined that he had been talking to Eleanor for too long. ¡®Independence is still far away.¡¯ -Issues pop up everywhere. Shortly after, the number 7, Bridget Poulsen, arrived. Those gathered at the port formed camps by country, and more than tenrge ships had been prepared to carry them. Five of them belonged to mercenaries without abilities, but it was said that the sess rate of this expedition required that many mercenaries. ¡°I struggled to keep the EU kids quiet. Eunah, will I be naturalizing to Korea after all?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not do that.¡± ¡°These days, Korean movies are a big hit. If I do naturalize, can I sing a lot?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not do that.¡± ¡°When I think about it, it¡¯s a really good idea! Same-sex marriage is banned in Korea, but I already decided to live with Eunah all my life!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not do that.¡± Since Bridget joined them, Shin Eunah no longer had time to spend time with Kang Shin-hyuk. It wasn¡¯t possible to openly dislike having the world¡¯s 7th ranked superhuman as an ally, so Shin Eunah was quietly frustrated and going crazy. However, from the point of view of Kang Shin-hyuk, who had felt awkward around her since she teleported away from him, he felt grateful for Bridget ¡°After all, Korea¡¯s superhuman power is great.¡± ¡°How does itpare to the UK?¡± ¡°Bad.¡± Before the start, the two Masked Bhus members gathered together and chatted quietly, looking at the others gathered around them. ¡°You said you were fighting with Zeus.¡± ¡°Maybe. Just be prepared for that possibility.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll take a quick look at the British side ande back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Eleanor left cautiously. Shin Eunah had been caught by Bridget for the time being, so Kang Shin-hyuk thought about seeing his friends on the Gunners side. ¡°Nice to meet you, Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± Finally, Zeus came to contact him. ¡°I heard that you met with Kang-yul. I am Yoo Jun-man, and I am in charge of the submaster for Zeus.¡± He was a good-looking man in his mid-forties, with considerable magic, unlike Kang-yul Lee. Overall, he seemed to be A-rank or higher, but besides that, it seemed like annoying energy was mixed in. What it was, however, Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have an answer for right now. Kang Shin-hyuk looked him over and raised his head. ¡°I told him to contact me by phone.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve already scolded Kang-yul a lot for that; it was immature. Please consider it with a generous heart.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s prepared me.¡± ¡°Of course. Is there any reason for us to work against the Death Puppeteer, who is ranked fourth in the world?¡± There was a nuance of pretending to be polite with every word. Kang Shinhyuk stared at him. ¡°So, what do you want to say?¡± ¡°Actually, our master is very interested in and fond of you. He asked me to tell you that he¡¯d like to see you once.¡± ¡°Yeah, I have to meet him.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, he lowered his head with a smile. ¡°Thank you. Then, even if I contact you againter¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. But now, shouldn¡¯t we focus on the expedition?¡± ¡°Haha, of course. However, since Zeus is in charge of the rear¡­¡± ¡°If you rx, you¡¯ll be swept away. Don¡¯t rx when you¡¯re in Africa.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re really cautious as a top-ranker. I will listen to your advice. Well then¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched Yoo Jun-man turn away. At that moment, he could see strings of spiritual power that were thinly stretched out from a small device on his cor. ¡®An ident will ur on this expedition, right?¡¯ -Given the recent events, I dare affirm it has a 100% chance of urring. ¡®I can figure out what they¡¯re trying to do¡­¡¯ ¨C It is a ce filled with unknown monsters¡­ be wary they might be affiliated with Jormungand. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in agreement. At that moment, a broadcast informed everyone that the time hade. The expedition was starting. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 The expedition ceremony proved to be very colorful. Of course, until the day before the expedition, it was a project that had been secretly conducted, but the event that the association nned for that day was truly prestigious. Kang Shin-hyuk felt the magnificent heart behind it as he watched the orchestra. ¡°It feels like we¡¯re finally taking the fight to Jormungand.¡± ¡°If there was a spy at the center of the association, I¡¯d leave immediately.¡± ¡°How far will you make the future of mankind gloomy?¡± ¡°But I really can¡¯t believe anyone.¡± Shin Eunah said so with a gloomy expression. But perhaps the real reason her mood was like that was because of Bridget Poulsen, who kept sticking to her. ¡°Stop bothering my senior. Even if you want to be friends, do it after taking the proper steps.¡± ¡°If I take the steps, I can get closer to Eunah, right? How far, huh? How far?¡± ¡°Can you stop talking while pointing at parts of my senior? It¡¯s very rude.¡± ¡°¡­ Breath of the Thunder God.¡± Shin Eunah, who wanted to hunt but not be hunted, began muttering quietly as she watched Bridget. Upon hearing her whispers, Kang Shin-hyuk immediately recognized it as the most powerful magic she could perform. ¡°If I don¡¯t do anything right now, I¡¯ll head home before we even get to go to Africa.¡± ¡°Ahaha.¡± He grabbed hold of Bridget, but she only gripped his hand a little harder with her cheeks blushing slightly. ¡°I¡¯m okay with a man too. I¡¯m particrly fond of the Death Puppeteer.¡± ¡°Ah, she¡¯s really invincible!¡± He let go of her hand in fright. Eleanor jumped in-between them excitedly. ¡°Mr. Death Puppeteer, did it have five-corners, not four?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t like me that way.¡± ¡°¡­Do you know what I just said?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk realized his mistake. Shin Eunah was turning away from him with a blush, and Eleanor shook her head in embarrassment that was visible through the mask. He rather shook his head firmly, but that would only seem more suspicious. He was quick to make excuses before it was toote. ¡°I mean, as a colleague.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I knew that Mr. Death Puppeteer was a very bad guy; it¡¯s my taste. I think the three of us would fit well. How about in bed?¡± ¡°Would you please not sneak me in?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go either!¡± Bridget, who was bouncing back and forth between two people, seemed to be having fun. She was the type that only burned more fiercely when rejected. ¡°If you keep it up, she¡¯ll really attack.¡± Just then, the ship departed. A mass of humans hade out to the pier to wave them goodbye, and Kang Shin-hyuk felt oddly moved though he had no connection to them. They didn¡¯t seem to have any doubts the superhumans would conquer Africa and return. ¡°It¡¯s because there are many Africans in Lisbon, and the maind of Portugal is also very dangerous. The Spanish border is still fighting.¡± ¡°Gibraltar.¡± Eleanor quietly added to Shin Eunah¡¯s exnation. ¡°Gibraltar couldn¡¯t withstand the first countercurrent and waspletely eroded and subjugated without a chance for British support. The British troops¡¯ primary purpose in this expedition is to restore Gibraltar.¡± ¡°Ah, indeed¡­ Gibraltar is British.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eleanor, who was part of Ennd¡¯s royal family, seemed to be very interested in Gibraltar¡¯s recapture. Perhaps that was the reason she was investigating the British military¡¯s participation in this expedition. ¡°But wasn¡¯t Spain struggling to take Gibraltar?¡± Bridget Poulsen indifferently brought that up. Eleanor suffered as a result, and Kang Shin-hyuk had to exin it with a sigh. ¡°Spain cannot afford to pay attention to it. Rather, it¡¯s an area that contacts Africa, so if Britain restores it, it will be easier to protect the Spanish maind.¡± ¡°If I were in Ennd, I would just leave it to Spain.¡± ¡°The British don¡¯t give up.¡± The dignity of royalty could be felt in Eleanor¡¯s resolute deration. Bridget flinched away at the overwhelming force emanating from her small body and soon nodded silently as if she had noticed something from her ent. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll cheer you on.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll take Gibraltar.¡± ¡°¡­ Restoring Gibraltar at this time is impossible. They¡¯ll have their hands full in Moro.¡± Eunah said so firmly with a sorrowful expression. Although she became childish in front of Kang Shin-hyuk, as she discussed the expedition, she held the dignity of the world¡¯s No. 1. ¡°Even when humanity was at its peak, the conquest of Africa was a futile idea. However, at this point, the level of monsters in Africa has increased due to gate incidence, and superhuman power has decreased¡­¡± ¡°Then why are we going? It¡¯s as dangerous as you say.¡± It was Bridget who asked that. Apparently, her dignity as a top-ranker couldn¡¯t be found. ¡°If we don¡¯t go now, it¡¯ll be more dangerouster.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s face blurred as she worried over the future toe. ¡°The more the gates ovep in a small area, the steeper the risk increases. Maybe already¡­¡± As she said that, she grabbed Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. As a member of the Hero Universe, he had a rough idea of what she was trying to say. She was probably referring to the current limit, monsters that went beyond the SSS+ rank. The average level of monsters on earth was lowpared to other words, but Africa was an exception. ¡°When it gets dangerous, you will return.¡± ¡°Senior, I¡¯m fourth in the world.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes narrowed as she watched the two talk, but Shin Eunah boldly ignored Eleanor¡¯s keen gaze and held his hand tighter. ¡°Because it can be dangerous for me too. If you return, nevere back, okay?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m hurt.¡± Perhaps Shin Eunah was really considering returning only Kang Shin-hyuk if she felt it was dangerous. Had she already entered Africa? He knew she was busy as the strongest in the world, but maybe she already faced such ridiculous dangers on a daily basis. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it because I won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Listen to me and let me go.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded seriously, but Shin Eunah avoided his gaze. She had a very bad habit, but that would have to be fixed by her boyfriend in the future, not Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Don¡¯t n between the two of you; please let me join, huh?¡± ¡°Look ahead. We don¡¯t know when there will be an aerial monster attack.¡± Why would they travel by ship and not ne from Lisbon to Casanca in Moro? That was because there were erosion-type gates in the sky where a ridiculous amount of monsters would pop out. The gates had alreadypletely eroded reality to create an alien fortress that defended the air. Of course, the sea was also dangerous, but it was easier to fight back. ¡°Oh, because Mr. Puppeteer said that.¡± Bridget spoke up. When he looked around, he saw the sky turned ck in front of them. The mercenaries on the ships in the rear were preparing their heavy weapons, and Shin Eunah had sparksing off her body as she prepared her magic. ¡°Hmm, do you have a long-range attack, Ms. El?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Eleanor, realizing that he was talking about her, pouted at him. She was a melee striker, through and through. ¡°Ah.¡± Then, Kang Shin-hyuk felt that his inventory was opening. Onyx wanted toe out, and there was usually only one reason for that. ¡®Is it metal?¡¯ -Myu! Onyx firmly affirmed his suspicions. He had grown by eating so many kinds of metal, to the point he no longer paid mind to low-level metals, but now he was excited by the creatures flying in the air. ¡®Are you going?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk conveyed his intentions to Onyx through his spiritual power. ¡®Shall we try what we practiced this time?¡¯ -Myu! He hadn¡¯t acquired any new metals these days, and all the weapons he made were posted on the trading board, so he was very unsatisfied. But Kang Shinhyuk had appeased him by promising him the rare metals that could be found in Africa, though he hadn¡¯t known a monster that would get him excited would appear even before they entered Africa. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°It is.¡± What he produced was Erebos. Bridget tilted her head as she noticed Onyx quietly climb up onto his shoulder. ¡°Monster?¡± ¡°No.¡± Still, she was a top-ranker to see through Onyx¡¯s stealth. But that was okay. Soon, he would leave this ship. Kang Shin-hyuk chose his timing based on the mercenaries and various ranged attackers firing into the sky. And, for a moment, when a group of monsters blocked the sun and cast a dark shadow over the sea¡­ he fired his gun. ¡°Oh, the feeling is gun. Did you have a spirit in the bullet?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and nodded before firing several more bullets off. The subsequent shots flew quickly up to catch up with the first bullet, creating an area of shadow around the aerial monsters. It trapped them at once, and they began to scream out in pain. -Myuuuuuuu! ¡°Junior, no way¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s roughly correct.¡± Shin Eunah inferred what was happening in the darkness that had suddenly formed in the sky and looked over at him. The monsters who lost their wings in the darkness began to fall. ¡°The whole wing was metal.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled quietly. Onyx, who had assimted with the shadows, proved to be more efficient than expected. As long as the enemy¡¯s body was metallic, their tactics were undefeatable. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 The monsters seemed almost embarrassed as they suddenly fell into the water. Those who had lost their wings and fallen into the seat would be fine if they were left as they were, but there was a valid fear that other monsters would be stronger after eating them. The mercenaries who didn¡¯t have the equipment to shoot far into the sky diligently threw harpoons to kill and recover the monsters. ¡°Crazy, the whole wing¡¯s been ripped off. What did the Death Puppeteer do?¡± ¡°I got it. That bullet contains one of his minions. It¡¯s a doll of the Death Puppeteer.¡± It was curious to see that those who didn¡¯t know of Onyx were actually fairly close to the mark. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s terrible¡­ he¡¯s one that you shouldn¡¯t look away from.¡± ¡°Hey, go ahead and tell me before you get mad.¡± The mercenaries reported that they would pay for 50% of the loot on their own, afraid that he would misunderstand that they were trying to steal the monsters that he had almost killed. In fact, all he wanted was the metal wings, and those had already been devoured by Onyx, so he didn¡¯t care what they did with the rest of the parts, but they were giving him money, so he decided to say thatter. ¡°They keep falling.¡± ¡°How much magic does he have?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel any magic¡­?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s stronger than the darkness that Dark Curtain creates. Why is he still only fourth in the rankings?¡± ¡°You idiot, the Dark Curtain doesn¡¯t have that kind of attack ability in the first ce.¡± ¡°If it continues like this, we¡¯ll not be able to contribute properly.¡± Originally, the melee attackers were nning to face the monsters that made it past the ranged group. However, in front of Kang Shin-hyuk, who had created an area of darkness in the air to take care of the monsters, everyone had time to rx. Onyx, who was consuming the metal monsters, and the mercenaries, who were given the cleanup duty, were the busy ones. ¡°I tried to catch them.¡± Eleanor touched her heart with a bleak look. Kang Shin-hyuk, who knew what was in her pitch-ck long-coat (it was the Masked Bhus uniform, of course), just smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a waste to go out to finish them off. Save it, R.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great name; what does it stand for? Is that a gun?¡± Bridget Poulsen¡¯s eyes had lit up upon seeing Erebos, and she thought Eleanor might have something equally great. It would be odd not to recognize Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s gun, which had been used quite often while he worked with Masked Bhus, but she couldn¡¯t have known about Eleanor¡¯s pistol. He just said she¡¯d know soon andughed as he continued to fire into the air. -Bang! Bang bang bang! The more shadows they cast, the faster the bullets were, and each time he fired, the area of darkness in the sky increased. Naturally, Onyx sped up as he was assimted with the darkness, and all the aerial monsters captured by the darkness lost their wings. The sight of hundreds of monsters falling down in an instant could only be possible with magic. ¡°The Dark Master¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Dark Master!¡± ¡°Snrk.¡± His appearance as he used his pistol resulted in an unfortunate nickname. Kang Shin-hyuk red at Bridget, who couldn¡¯t stand it and began tough next to him while he contacted Onyx. ¡®What do you think?¡¯ -Myuuu, myuuuu! ording to his direct report, the monsters were between A+ and S rank, and the boss monsters were still hidden. The metal was delicious, but it seemed he had eaten enough for now, so he reported that he would return soon with his owner¡¯s share. ¡®But should I say thank you for taking care of my share?¡¯ He sighed and stowed his pistol. Even after stopping firing, the cloud of darkness upied a part of the sky for a while, and Onyx ran wild in it before slowly returning. -Myu! ¡°Yes, I wish I was full.¡± He stroked the cute burping hedgehog, who was content after a good meal. However, despite the sessful debut of their new tactics, his mood wasn¡¯t very good. ¡®We¡¯re not even at the entrance yet, but there are already S-ranks here.¡¯ His face was tense as he looked back at the celebrating superhumans. Shin Eunah¡¯s fears sounded more and more realistic every second. ¡®I told them that the limit of the enhanced equipment was C-rank.¡¯ In fact, even C-rank monsters weren¡¯t easy foes to deal with when it came to the inexperienced. In order to keep track of their fast reaction speed and physical abilities, you had to raise your specs with enhanced equipment as much as possible, train your vision, and use magic bullets. At the very least, it was possible for those three who had been thoroughly trained by Kang Shin-hyuk ¡®It will be really dangerous.¡¯ The mercenaries had no intention of an all-out war, of course, but they seemed to think they could protect the base camp. However, looking at the current situation, entering Africa didn¡¯t seem properly possible, let alone establishing a base camp. ¡°Have you changed your mind? Shall we go back?¡± ¡°Not going back.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded resolutely to Shin Eunah, who seemed to have read his thoughts. ¡°They may have to reduce the size of the base camp and send the mercenaries back. I can make a formal suggestion¡­ huh?¡± It was then that there was an unexpected reaction from the miniature sound collector and transmitter he had attached to the submaster Yoo Jun-man from Zeus. [The response is too fast.] [That little boy¡­ I can¡¯t get a sense of what kind of ability he awakened. It would be best if I could find out.] [There¡¯s a bunch. We have to go inside the maind to be able to make a big deal. But before that, if you were ordinary mercenaries¡­] [It isn¡¯t easy in the current situation. But if we go a little further, won¡¯t there be eroded terrain? If we aim at that time, we will be able to get it out.] [I¡¯ll change the ranks little by little. The Gunners, they¡¯re good for shooting without knowing anything.] ¡®Are these guys reading a viin script right now?¡¯ -Isn¡¯t it because they think they aren¡¯t being heard? 400,000HP bonus for members who pretend to be new! ¡®But it¡¯s too suspicious that it happened so soon.¡¯ -It would be better for you to be aware of your abilities. No one else can make a tapping device that can¡¯t be seen with the naked eye, magic, or any other equipment As a bonus, he had the ability to pull the spiritual threads and attach them to others secretly. Kang Shin-hyuk had checked himself that it wasn¡¯t visible. But that information¡­ the mercenaries were divided into five ships, one of which was upied by Zeus and the Gunners, respectively. Indeed, they were first and second in the world. ¡®They¡¯re aiming for mercenaries, but why?¡¯ They weren¡¯t particrly effective. However, he remembered hearing that Shin Eunah¡¯s parents were secretly working on an artificial superhuman project. Mercenaries who had no ability but their developed physical and mental powers would be perfect subjects for experimentation. Undoubtedly defeating their secondrgestpetitor was also a reason for their choice of target. ¡®We didn¡¯t know there would be eroded terrain this close, but they did¡­there is a possibility they have a connection with Jormungand.¡¯ -A 500,000HP bonus from an administrator admiring your astonishing power of reasoning! No matter how much it seemed to be teasing, the administrator was sincerely praising him. Kang Shin-hyuk quietly whispered to Shin Eunah, who was surveying the ships after the battle. -There seems to be eroded terrain in front of us. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Huh? We are in the African sea area, but¡­ huh? Suddenly, she turned to him as if surprised, but he pretended not to notice as he wrote another message. -1 tapped the Zeus submaster. When the eroded terrain appears, he says they¡¯ll be doing a job on the ship the Gunners are on. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: That is, I mean¡­ Her face became serious as he considered his words. Bridget, who felt like something was going on that she couldn¡¯t intervene in, looked sulky and began to harass Eleanor instead. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I can¡¯t reveal it now. -It¡¯s better to pretend you don¡¯t know for now and wait for a more decisive moment. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Then the Gunners¡­ -I¡¯ll go. The moment he replied, Shin Eunah looked frightened. However, he answered calmly. -If it¡¯s dangerous, I¡¯ll call you right away. You cane straight in. -Eunah¡¯s whisper: I¡¯d rather be there from the start. ¨C You can¡¯t move easily, you know? -Eunah¡¯s whisper: Then, then¡­ She pouted, seemed to think something over, and then grabbed Bridget, who had been bombarding Eleanor with questions about British food. ¡°Take this one.¡± ¡°Uh, unnie? No matter how much of a top star I am, I¡¯ll get excited when you treat me like this!¡± ¡°You¡¯re excited¡­¡± It would be strange for the 4th and 7th rankers to move together, but it might be best to prepare at least that much. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll take her.¡± ¡°What? Where are you going to take me, and what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait. Onyx?¡± -Myu? ¡°Go first. Give me a signal, and I¡¯ll be right there.¡± -Myu! Full of food and loyalty, Onyx bravely saluted and jumped off his shoulder. He quickly assimted into the shadows and jumped several ships over, sessfully infiltrating the Gunners¡¯ ship in the rear. That stealth ability was already fraudulent, but now that he could move through the shadows, Kang Shin-hyuk was briefly worried he would grow into a monster that exceeded the current limit sooner orter. -You may already be aware of it¡­ individuals that feed on something to grow are likely to exceed the current limit, as long as they don¡¯t die along the way. ¡®Are there any side effects?¡¯ -It might¡¯ve been dangerous had it been in the wild, but no matter how many bad things it eats, you will be able to soothe its body with the remedies you create so it can grow quickly in a bnced way. Were the weapons he created being treated as medicine for Onyx? Bridget Poulsen, who had noticed Onyx¡¯s movement, had a twinkle in her eyes as she shouted. ¡°Wha, a shadow beast! Dark Master!¡± ¡°Call me that one more time, and I will shoot you.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Oh, this guy really can¡¯t handle it¡­¡± While he was waiting for Onyx¡¯s signal, Shin Eunah sent brief instructions to her task force members to prepare for eroded terrain and began to collect mana. They couldn¡¯t trust the other superhumans who had been rxing after their momentary victory, however. And the moment arrived soon. ¡°It¡¯s an erosion zone! Damn it, activate the shield on all ships!¡± ¡°The boat has stopped and can¡¯t go forward¡­e on!¡± Suddenly waves tens of meters high crashed into them, despite the sea being calm just moments ago. Monsters were appearing from the sea and the air. ¡°Protect the ship! Follow directions and cooperate!¡± ¡°Hold your stomach firmly!¡± Confusion overcame them. In the meantime, Kang Shin-hyuk received the signal from Onyx and raised his head. With all the ships focusing on thebat, the two ships in the rear of the mercenary fleet disappeared. Chapter 243 - This is Africa (3)

Chapter 243 - This is Africa (3)

It was definitely a gate, a vicious hell that attracted everything in the area and never let them out until it was cleared. The problem was that once activated, the gate attracted a certain number of victims before closing and allowing no intrusion from the outside. Therefore, discharge-types were oftenbeled as terrorist sites and absorption-types as cemeteries. ¡®But, at this moment, an absorption gate closed after only picking off the boats with the mercenaries? How polite.¡¯ It made him want tough. The ships with the other mercenaries were in an uproar after the two ships in the rear vanished. It was easy enough for Kang Shin-hyuk, who could examine them with his spiritual power, to notice. ¡®Their alliance with Jormungand has be clear. It¡¯s a terrible scenario that the No. 1 guild in the mercenary industry has betrayed humanity.¡¯ No, weren¡¯t they the world¡¯s No. 1 traitor? Thinking so calmed him down. If he told that joke to Oh Hye-na, she¡¯d probably cry again. ¡®But this time, they chose the wrong enemy.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had already proved once in France that he could enter a closed gate. Maybe they thought it was only possible because it was an erosion-type gate, not an absorption one, or maybe they thought it was a lie that he had done so. Or, perhaps, they knew all of that and had provoked him. Either way, the results were the same- the death penalty. ¡°No, no, no, let¡¯s calm down; I¡¯m starting to sound more and more like a middle-schooler¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Huh, the boat¡¯s gone!¡± All of the other superhumans were eager to fight against the waves and monsters before them, but Bridget Poulsen turned her head to look at where his gaze was and quickly realized the anomaly. -Myuuuuuu! ¡®It¡¯s an SS+ ss gate, and there are even those who appear to be human in it.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it a problem when some Jormungand guys showed up directly inside the gate before? It was odd to think that had happened in his first gate practice as well. ¡°SS+ grade gate, is it possible?¡± ¡°To some extent¡­ huh? Can you get inside the gate?¡± ¡°Senior, R, please y nice here. Be especially wary of the Zeus guild.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an SS+ ss gate, it¡¯s still a bit difficult¡­¡± Shin Eunah calmly nodded and clenched her jaw as he immediately activated space coordination. Previously, he had to use soul poison in order to invade the gate, but not this time around. He could trace the gate and jump right into it with his spatial skill. That had been the reason Kang Shin-hyuk sent Onyx to the mercenaries ahead of time. -Entering the SS+ ss irregr gate ¡¯23 Forward Base¡¯! ¡°Huh?!¡± Just a second ago, they were in the middle of the sea, but now they were on an ind. Holding onto Kang Shin-hyuk just a moment ago, Bridget Poulsen appeared with him and was stunned by thepletely different environment around them. ¡°Going through space?! You¡¯re a wizard!¡± ¡°You have such an imagination.¡± -Myu! Since they followed Onyx¡¯s trail, the ce they arrived was right where he was. After picking up Onyx, who came running to him with a cry, he looked around. The mercenaries of the Gunners weren¡¯t sloppy, and they quickly noticed the appearance of the two superhumans after they had been suddenly thrust ontond. ¡°Death Puppeteer?!¡± ¡°Red Shoes is also here!¡± ¡°You idiots, now¡¯s not the time! Ready your guns!¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± The scene was very confusing. Bee-shaped monsters were constantly flying down from the mountain at the center of the ind (probably a volcano), and the Gunners were shooting at them. The problem was, as reported by Onyx, people were mixed among the monsters. They were trying to hide their identity, so they were wearing ck robes like the viins from Jormungand who had appeared around a year ago, but they couldn¡¯t hide it from Kang Shin-hyuk. He could sense that same unpleasant feeling he had from Kang-yul Lee. ¡®Physical evidence¡­ will there be any? If I had assumed that I would be going into this, I would¡¯ve hidden everything¡­ maybe I can take one.¡¯ But, first of all, they had to get rid of those annoying bees. They each were around SS-rank. They buzzed around rapidly, and their bodies were surprisingly resilient, so the mercenaries¡¯ attacks were doing little. ¡®Fortunately, the mercenaries are fine for now.¡¯ It was worth asking Onyx to protect the mercenaries. He tried to cut down a bee flying nearby with his soul connector, but it was difficult to slice through if it didn¡¯t contain a lot of soul poison. Thousands of such monsters flew in, so it was nothing other than a disaster for the mercenaries. ¡®If so¡­¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk took out the growing scythe from his inventory. With its ability to grow, amplify, and divide, it was the hot item that all farmers wanted! He infused it with his spiritual power and Golden Dragon, then raised his Wind Mastery to the max. -Kiii! -Kiiiii! ¡°Wow!¡± The results were truly astounding. The scythe split into dozens after bing huge in the air, and the scythes rotated rapidly with the strong winds, grinding down all the bees ahead of them. As it did, the des continued to divide. ¡°Well.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt the spiritual power being sucked out of him and drank one of the spiritual power potions he had received. It was a precious potion that he had been trying to ration, as it wasn¡¯t a product he could buy whenever he wanted. -If you regain all VIP membership rights, you will be able to purchase spiritual recovery potions up to the advanced level! ¡®That¡¯s bullshit.¡¯ He had a bit of fear about raising the synchronization rate to 100%, but it would have to be that way someday. Kang Shin-hyuk emptied the potion and let out a deep sigh, activated another mastery skill. The power of wind around the scythes was reced by a violent me, creating a huge tornado of fire. -Kiiiiiiii! ¡°OMG¡­¡± From throwing a scythe to summoning a firestorm, Bridget¡¯s eyes went wide as Kang Shin-hyuk ughtered more than a thousand bees in an instant. ¡°How many abilities was that?¡± ¡°You also need to fight. Keep on the lookout.¡± ¡°Hey, then I¡¯ll show you this time! It¡¯s okay if you fall in love!¡± Bridget knocked her red shoes together several times and jumped straight into the sky, with all the grace of a star. As she stepped lightly out into the sky and stretched out her leg, a de of powerful energy formed to tear the wings off the bees. She stepped lightly through the air, rotating around and sending out shock waves. ¡°L,l.¡± -Kihiiiii! Unlike Kang Shin-hyuk, she couldn¡¯t destroy the bees in one blow, but there was no problem stopping them and breaking their wings. Moreover, the more intensely she danced, the greater the shockwaves became, tearing apart the bees. -That¡¯s a great power. This fox might one day enter the Hero Universe. ¡°Strangely, Earth is overflowing with talent. If possible, I hope that she doesn¡¯t join the Hero Universe.¡± -500,000HP bonus for members who understand the mind of the administrator! Bridget¡¯s abilities were unusually expressed based on her actions, particrly her dancing. The important thing was that her ability was greatly influenced by her own qualities and appeared with unconventional results without much effort. For that reason, there must be many who hated her in the superhuman industry. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head with that thought. ¡®Then, I will recover my spiritual power¡­ shall we switch to defense mode?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk reduced the number of scythes to about ten and precisely controlled it to cut down the bees. ¡°We¡¯ll survive now.¡± ¡°Red Shoes is so strong! She didn¡¯t be a top ranker for nothing!¡± ¡°What is that scythe? It¡¯s casually splitting those bees¡­!¡± The mercenaries had switched to their viewing mode and waved at Kang Shin-hyuk and Bridget as they fought. ¡°Puppeteer!¡± The master of the Gunners, perhaps the most famous of the non-superhuman mercenaries, Tylo Kaube, ran straight to him. ¡°Thank you for the help!¡± ¡°Do you know the situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still¡­ it looks like Jormungand!¡± He was d that they had found out of Jormungand¡¯s intervention. He looked Tylo Kaube over carefully. ¡°Focus on defense. We need to be more alert of the humans.¡± ¡°Okay. Jormungand, why are they targeting us¡­?¡± Tylo mumbled with his teeth clenched. If Kang Shin-hyuk used the name Zeus now, he could turn his anger into action, but it wasn¡¯t something to be revealed yet. It would be enough to gather the physical evidence first. ¡®Then, let¡¯s start hunting.¡¯ The humans in ck robes were staggering at the appearance of the top rankers. Kang Shin-hyuk brandished his pistol at them. ¡®Let¡¯s see how much they nned for¡­ huh?¡¯ But just as he was about to start hunting them, an explosion rang out through the air. ¡°Keah!¡± Bridget, who had been dancing a moment ago, was running right for him while screaming. ¡°Suddenly, something broke under my foot!¡± ¡°What is going on? No, wait.¡± He remembered seeing that ability before. Kang Shin-hyuk realized it with a start as he searched his memories, just as the mana around the area began to grow heavier. ¡°Hi!¡± A lively female voice came to his ears; magical power was being used to project it from a distance. ¡°I was waiting to see you again! Your reaction was faster than I thought.¡± ¡°Bomber girl.¡± ¡°Correct!¡± The surrounding mana felt like it was about to explode as Kang Shin-hyuk threw the Great Heavenly Spirit into the air. The sight of the explosive mana being absorbed into it was truly spectacr. Now, he could see the young girl watching them from a distance. ¡°What are you¡­ how did you take that mana from under my control?¡± She blinked in confusion, her slender body wearing a ck spandex suit that fit her viin image. It was the traitor of mankind who had fled as soon as she realized she couldn¡¯t win: Bomber girl Mizushima Yuki. Bridget tilted her head after returning back to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s side. ¡°Bomber girl? I heard she was a grandma in her 50s.¡± ¡°She is in her 50¡¯s.¡± ¡°Wow, what a young grandma!¡± ¡°I will kill you 3333 times!¡± Bridget¡¯s provocation had been sessful. However, Kang Shin-hyuk noticed a gate appearing behind her. The energy swaying there was more dangerous than Bomber girl. -Prepare the potion you received, member. The administrator then calmly sent a message. -The support from their home seems to be arriving. Chapter 244 - This is Africa (4)

Chapter 244 - This is Africa (4)

Kang Shin-hyuk immediately produced the potion ire had prepared for him (she wanted to make five, but she was short on ingredients, so she could only make two). ¡®It might get harderter if I drink it right now, so let¡¯s be patient.¡¯ If possible, it would be best to stop it before the gate opened, but they had to suppress Bomber Girl over there to do that. No, it would be better to kill her if possible. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he killed a traitor to humanity. -700,000HP bonus from the administrator who was impressed by your hard-boiled lines! ¡°Please take this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the administrator¡¯s admiration and presented Bridget Poulsen with the Great Heavenly Spirit. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The treasure that prevents that grandma from attacking.¡± ¡°You called me grandma again!¡± Bomber Girl forgot herself in her anger and again exploded the mana around Kang Shin-hyuk and Bridget. Of course, it once again was sucked into the orb in Bridget¡¯s hands. ¡®Isn¡¯t this pretty good? It¡¯s not particrly efficient for her, and the orb is absorbing the high concentration of mana.¡¯ -But no matter how stupid you are, you will realize that simple attacks don¡¯t work anymore. Indeed, just as he said, Bomber Girl tried to attack by transforming her magic in other ways before stepping back. Bridget looked at the orb in her hand with wide eyes as it absorbed and stored all of her mana. ¡°Isn¡¯t this invincible?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. It won¡¯t work well against magic that¡¯s already been shaped. However, it can be said to be a hard counter for enemies that attack by altering the magic itself.¡± That alone, Bridget thought, made it a treasure that had never been seen before. She couldn¡¯t help but admire Kang Shin-hyuk, who casually handed her such a valuable item. Moreover, it seems like he had more than just one or two items like this... ¡°Are you a leprechaun? What will keeping out from you?¡± ¡°Take that and charge; she can¡¯t possibly hurt you.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you for canceling my fear.¡± Bridget had to keep Bomber Girl in check for them to fix this situation. Kang Shin-hyuk was determined, and she noticed his resolve, so she moved ording to his judgment. ¡°y with me, grandma!¡± ¡°So insolent!¡± Bomber Girl knew that the orb in Bridget¡¯s hand would seal her power, even though she was furious over their taunts. Barely calming her mind, she manipted the flow of mana in her body to move away, followed fiercely by Bridget. ¡°Where are you running?!¡± ¡°You child...!¡± ¡°I suppose so,pared to you.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Bridget¡¯s light provocation caused Bomber Girl to stop in ce. Bridget briefly thought, ¡®Huh? Just this much?¡¯ before putting her strength in her arms and stretching it forward. When the condensed wave hit Bomber Girl, she stretched out her arms. Her trait was exerted against the magical power that attacked her, sessfully stopped most of the vibrations that Bridget sent out. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re a new top ranker, but is that all? Did you reach the top ranks just by shaking that chest?¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous, grandma? There¡¯s nothing good about having big breasts. Stiff shoulders, limited clothing... oh, but the suit you¡¯re wearing might look a little better on me. Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°Jealousy? I wanted to keep myself in this shape!¡± ¡°Yeah, yes, a little grandma with a small, sagging chest.¡± ¡°I will kill you!¡± Bridget was doing very well, causing untold trauma to Bomber Girl. Most of her attacks were being absorbed by the Great Heavenly Spirit, whereas Bridget¡¯s attacks were being nullified by Bomber Girl¡¯s trait. In other words, they were fully upied with each other. ¡®Okay, she¡¯s doing well.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk finished his work while she sealed off Bomber Girl¡¯s attacks. First, he captured all the humans in ck clothing. It didn¡¯t matter if he killed them right away, but he needed information about Zeus from them, so he soundly broke their limbs and threw them to the ground. ¡®We need to get out of here.¡¯ The simplest way to go about that would be to clear the gate. To determine its condition, he sent out his spiritual power in all directions to determine the source. He thought it would be a timed gate, but fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. There was an enormous amount of energy at the center of the volcano... if he took care of that, the gate would be released naturally. ¡®Taking care of the boss... administrator, will that gate remain closed in the meantime? What would happen to it if this gate were cleared before it opened?¡¯ -As you say, the gate hasn¡¯t beenpleted yet. It seems that she was trying to elerate the summoning time by using her magical alteration ability... it would take ten minutes or so without her help. ¡®Ten minutes is enough.¡¯ -You could do it in three. 800,000HP bonus! ¡®At least give me some time!¡¯ He sighed and kept moving his hand. Threads moved throughout the gate to understand its information and create a special structure to protect the mercenaries while he went for the boss. No more monsters had attacked, but that could easily change once the boss appeared. ¡°Onyx, can you take care of it?¡± -Myu?! Onyx fluttered around as he was suddenly burdened with a heavy responsibility, and the soul thread wrapped around him like armor. It wasn¡¯t possible before due to ack of spiritual power, but originally the Soul Connector¡¯s ability was to reinforce oneself or allies with the thread like this. Kang Shin-hyuk always wore the artifact, so his status had increased, but he could apply it to others like this. If he added his guardian Golden Dragon to him, Onyx became a monster that surpassed the SS-rank. -Myu, myu?! ¡°How about it? It¡¯s worth trying.¡± -Myuuuu... myu! With the threads ced around the area, Onyx could block the enemies just fine. He patted Onyx and jumped away. Bomber Girl btedly noticed him summoning the blue cow and rushing straight towards the volcano, but she couldn¡¯t escape Bridget. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here? I¡¯ll really kill you!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t look at me with such passionate eyes. I already have a man!¡± The blue cow was absurdly fast. Kang Shin-hyuk reached the volcanic crater in an instant, and brief memories of another world shed through his mind as he watched theva boil. ¡°I have to start right away.¡± He took out the Shinfeng orb and Water orb. Using the two orbs, a cold wind began to pour down theva. -Kwaaaaaoooooh! A monster screamed as it burst out of theva. It was a giant bear withva flowing through its body. -The boss monster, Magma Giant Bear (SSS-), has appeared! Look out! ¡°Wow, what a straight-forward name.¡± -300,000HP bonus! Originally, it would only appear after catching the queen beemanding the swarm, but he couldn¡¯t afford to wait for that now. As a result of creating a storm of cold that could freeze the entire volcano, the Magma Giant Bear appeared. Of course, more bees began to spread out over the ind, but Onyx could protect the party for a while. -Quaaaaaa! Theva boiling in the crater gushed up and poured down toward Kang Shin-hyuk as the bear raised its arms. It wasn¡¯t normalva, but ratherva reinforced by mana. ¡°Yeah, thank you foring out with all your strength!¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t an ordinary superhuman anymore. Two more orbs rolled out of his inventory: the Earth orb and the Orb of Nephritis! As the powers of earth and fire mixed together, the massiveva vortex twisted in the air and turned back towards the bear. -Kuuuh! It let out a pained scream as it took the attack head-on. Theva was imbued by the power of the orbs, so even a monster that lived in theva couldn¡¯t fully avoid damage. ¡°Woah, that was easy.¡± -Member, you¡¯re not just dealing with the power of the orbs. ¡°The power of the orbs is my strength!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put the Shinfeng orb in his belt and used the water orb to create another massive storm of cold air. It smashed into the body of the bear, who was already injured from theva. Its body began to harden and crumble in ces. ¡°I won¡¯t be called the Dark Master anymore, right?¡± -I think you¡¯ll be nicknamed the Elemental Master instead. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the administrator and used the orbs¡¯ power to grind away at the monster¡¯s body. -Kuoooooooh! ¡°The volcano is copsing!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± Shouts wereing from the mercenaries. However, once the bear died, they would be able to escape, so they didn¡¯t need to worry about it. However, Gunner¡¯s master, Tylo Kaube, was assaulting his friends. ¡°What?¡± -Myuuuuu! Fortunately, Onyx blocked him before it was toote, but the thread was broken... -Kiiiii! -Kiii! ¡°Uh?!¡± ¡°Now!¡± The bees across the ind rushed to attack the ship at that opportunity, and Bridget instinctively turned to protect them. Mizushima Yuki quickly rushed to the gate as Bridget turned away. ¡°Wow.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as the gate began to activate. ¡°They said there were no traitors among the mercenaries...¡± The battle entered the second phase. Chapter 245 - This is Africa (5)

Chapter 245 - This is Africa (5)

It was evident once he thought about it. There was no way Zeus wouldn¡¯t have put a single spy into a mercenary guild that size. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at them closely from the start, considering that possibility, but it seemed that Tylo Kaube, their leader, was the traitor. ¡®It was all smoke screens.¡¯ -It was an unlikely strategy. There is nothing to say about the member who suffered from it. ¡®I know, so you don¡¯t need to tell me.¡¯ Perhaps he shared the information with Zeus, knowing that Shin Eun-hyuk was from an orphanage with the three new mercenaries that had joined them. It looked like he unexpectedly yed into the enemy¡¯s hand, so Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly felt sick. It happened with perfect timing. It would be a good thing to studyter, but he first needed to solve the situation somehow. ¡°You first...!¡± -Quaaaaah! As if it noticed that reinforcements wereing, the bear suddenly seemed to be more energetic. However, Kang Shin-hyuk realized that his body wasn¡¯t in good shape. ¡®I can¡¯t waste my time against him like this!¡¯ He concentrated the cold air on the growing scythe. The growing scythe couldn¡¯t naturally hold that power, but the Golden Dragon energy served as a buffer. ¡®Ah...?¡¯ The power of the Golden Dragon strengthened anything, regardless if it was a weapon or attribute. Blue energy mixed in with the golden energy, and the weapon vibrated as it gently emanated cold air. He hadn¡¯t been thinking it through, but the result was more stable than he had expected. ¡®Is this, maybe...¡¯ -Kuoooooh! The bear threw itself back into the crater, sensing the dangerous energy contained in the scythe. Kang Shin-hyuk swung the scythe with the feeling that he was throwing his Golden Dragon energy at the same time. ¡®It¡¯s a little difficult, but with the power of space coordination...!¡¯ The blue and gold energy was released from the scythe as it flew towards the bear in a distinctly crescent shape, cleaving through and freezing part of the crater. ¡°Wow.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nkly opened his mouth, the feeling of that energy lingering in his mind. -Golden Dragon Fighter (SS+) skill proficiency has increased to S+ rank! A positive increase has been applied to all body stats! -Your Stamina has grown to SS+ Rank! Golden Dragon Fighter has gone beyond the limit and grown to SSS-rank! -Spatial Coordination (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to D+ rank! Your spatial perception ability has greatly increased! Not only had his stamina and skill grown, but his Golden Dragon Fighter had grown to the SSS-rank. That was surprising already, but something even more shocking appeared a secondter. -Trait [Guardian Golden Dragon (SS)] has met one of the conditions for evolution. The moment the other two conditions are met, the trait will evolve. Now he had even achieved the second condition for evolving! He had never heard of an SS-rank trait evolving, but now it seemed even more attainable. ¡®I have a sense of my own growth... has my ability achieved harmony by linking weapons and energy together through Golden Dragon Fighter as the medium?¡¯ -It is a realization that could be connected to the creation of artifacts. ¡®Right. The range of Guardian Golden Dragon is very wide...¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk intuitively felt that the next time his trait evolved, it would reach the level of Shin Eunah¡¯s Master of Mana, if not exceed it. When he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but grow excited, but now wasn¡¯t the time. -You have subdued one that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 45,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 67,500,000HP! It was a monster in the SSS-rank, so a reasonable amount of HP arrived. However, the message that Kang Shin-hyuk had been waiting for didn¡¯t arrive. Since the boss had been killed, the gate should be closed, but that didn¡¯t happen. That meant the gate had already acquired another core to keep it alive. He already knew what it was. ¡®Rotten.¡¯ The gate had been created on the premise that it would be connected to the main base of Jormungand. The name of the forward base was rather revealing. ¡®I can¡¯t stop it. I have to do my best in this situation.¡¯ He clicked his tongue, looking up at the hole opening in the air, and went straight to the mercenaries using space coordination. The area above the ship stuck onnd was a crucible of chaos. The mercenaries tried to subdue Tylo Kaube, with Onyx blocking him from the front. Bridget had joined them in a panic, while Bomber Girl had triumphantly opened the gate using her trait. Kang Shin-hyuk, judging the situation in an instant, first went for Tylo Kaube¡¯s neck. ¡°Huh...!¡± ¡°Toote.¡± When he noticed that Kang Shin-hyuk had suddenly appeared, he tried to trigger some unknown magic tool, but the scythe cleaved through his neck before he could. He lit a me in the air and burned the man¡¯s head to ash before it couldnd. ¡°Death... Death Puppeteer!¡± ¡°This hedgehog will protect you as nned, keep down...¡± ¡°No...!¡± Lee Jinseok ran up to him and mumbled quietly so that only he could hear. ¡°Hey, we awakened...!¡± ¡°What?¡± He thought he was blocking the artificial superhuman project, but now his friends said they had awakened? Kang Shin-hyuk turned his head to check on his friends, wondering what sort of terrible joke this was. But, he felt it. Mana was overflowing from their bodies. ¡®What, you really awakened?!¡¯ They even had mana that was at least C-rank, despite the fact just awakening. No, it didn¡¯t seem like ordinary mana either. It had simr attributes to Onyx. He was about to panic over this bizarre simultaneous awakening, but then the Gaia system gave him the answer. -Trait [Guardian Golden Dragon (SS)] has met one of the conditions for evolution. The moment the other condition is met, the trait will evolve. ¡®Administrator.¡¯ -This is something even the administrator doesn¡¯t know. However, presumably, the fact that you instilled Golden Dragon energy and spiritual power into them over the past few weeks of harsh training became the trigger for their awakening. That was linked to the nature of Guardian Golden Dragon and thus helped it grow. Maybe. ¡®That sounds more or less correct?¡¯ He had also noticed that the cause was due to his own power. However, his trait wasn¡¯t enough to permanently increase someone¡¯s abilities or even cause them to awaken! The evolution of his trait wasing even faster than he had anticipated. ¡°When the master attacked us earlier, we really almost died. I didn¡¯t want to die, then suddenly...¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯ve got the gist, so stay in hiding. We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± He connected the two boats with his thread and reinforced them to make the shield stronger. ¡°Onyx, you¡¯re doing well. Keep it up.¡± -Myu... ¡°It¡¯s okay; I won¡¯t die.¡± He took out the potion he prepared before and raised it up. Bomber Girl was charging at Bridget now, having no need to run anymore. However, when he lifted up his sickle to kill her, a chill came out of the gate and grabbed his body. He had been expecting something like this, though he was disappointed to see he was right. ¡°Is it Oh Joo-young, or something close enough?¡± [You were expecting me? That¡¯s not fun.] ¡°To be honest, it was too obvious.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded cynically towards the monster with Oh Joo-young¡¯s face. He was wearing the same ck armor that the monster had in Paris, the armor that Anvil had made for Janus. What happened to the monster wearing the armor before? He could roughly tell the answer from Oh Joo-young¡¯s face. There was no need to separate the two entities. ¡°Is the artificial superhuman project sponsored by Jormungand?¡± [You¡¯ve already read that far? Great, great.] ¡°Your connection with each other appears to be deep.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk emptied the contents of the potion bottle. -You¡¯ve consumed a special Transcendental Potion (SS+) containing the Alchemist¡¯s affection! -All wounds below the fatal level have been healed. The effect has been amplified by receiving the spiritual power contained in the potion. All wounds and abnormalities will be healed, and the remaining healing power will remain in your body for a while to protect you! -For fifteen minutes, all stats will increase by two ranks. The effect has been amplified by receiving the spiritual power contained in the potion. For thirty minutes, all stats will increase by three ranks. Spiritual power has increased by another level. -You are connected to the source of the spiritual power contained in the potion, and your spiritual power has been strengthened for the potion¡¯s duration. The potion¡¯s duration has been extended for ten more minutes! -All statuses have reached the threshold (SSS+). In order to grow beyond this, you need to break through the current limit with a special experience. Previously, only his strength, stamina, and spiritual power had reached the limit, but now it was different. All of his statuses had now reached the SSS+ rank. [What? I thought you were doping, but you...] ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth trying?¡± [I thought it wouldn¡¯t be fun to chop you up. Now it¡¯s better.] Oh Joo-young¡¯s personality seemed to have changed a bit, but the essence hadn¡¯t. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled while checking the sword in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s not the Godyer.¡± [I don¡¯t know what that is, but it won¡¯t be better than this sword.] Dark mana lit the sword up with an ominous glow. It felt like degenerated light that had turned into a curse. Kang Shin-hyuk lifted up his scythe, hoping that something as great as Excalibur woulde out likest time. He couldn¡¯t waste time; more terrifying things than Oh Joo-young would appear from that gate. ¡®Kill him as soon as possible and destroy the gate. There¡¯s no other way...!¡¯ But at that moment. [I know what you¡¯re thinking, but with your strength...!] -Kzzzzt! Golden lightning split Oh Joo-young in half. ¡°...Huh?!¡± He really had died, leaving only one sword behind. Chapter 246 - This is Africa (6)

Chapter 246 - This is Africa (6)

-[Excalibur: Despair (???)] was obtained. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the pitch-ck sword falling from the air with a nk expression. Oh Joo-young, with the body of a monster, boasted powerful energy that even Kang Shin-hyuk, with his stats raised to the limit, couldn¡¯t dare to tackle without the aid of various orbs. Yet, he was in with a single lightning strike. -It wasn¡¯t just a single lightning strike. It was lightning that was pushed to the limit. The administrator provided a brief exnation as Kang Shin-hyuk turned his gaze upwards to the person who had in Oh Joo-young, Shin Eunah. She was floating above the gate as if she had been there from the start. Kang Shin-hyuk had his spatial coordination skill, yet he hadn¡¯t sensed her arriving at all. ¡°...¡± She was standing over his half-burnt body, her head turning slowly towards Bomber girl. ¡°What, huh...?¡± Bomber girl, who had been fighting with Bridget, immediately flinched away. ¡°You, you... how? No, still outside...¡± ¡°The situation outside is over.¡± Shin Eunah spoke calmly and then released her magic again. Bomber Girl tried to alter her magic power with her trait, but she could not dare to invade the power of the Master of Mana. The next moment, she was cut in half, just like Oh Joo-young. -I hate to admit it, but I think she¡¯s done it. The administrator¡¯s message flew by. -It¡¯s very annoying, but from this moment on, she¡¯s a VIP member of the Hero Universe. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not a position acquirable just by umting points.¡¯ -Of course. Being a VIP member means you¡¯re in a position to lead other members and orchestrate worlds. Kang Shin-hyuk looked up. Didn¡¯t even the great Anvil barely be a VIP bypleting the sword at the end of his life? He didn¡¯t be one from the HP he had obtained, but because of that. And then... ¡°...This isn¡¯t the main body.¡± Shin Eunah mumbled as she suddenly realized something. It soon turned out she was right, as Bomber Girl¡¯s body melted and vanished in the air. ¡°An alter ego created with magical power. She wasn¡¯t that strong before...¡± ¡°She must¡¯ve escaped the limits of a human-like Oh Joo-young.¡± ¡°Huh, what is it? So, was I fighting the same alter ego?¡± Bridget Poulsen was shocked to realize that. As if to appease her shock, she flew towards Shin Eunah. ¡°Are you here to help me? After all, our love is now... ah.¡± ¡°Junior.¡± However, Shin Eunah ignored her and moved straight to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s side. This time, he could detect it with his ability. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe...!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, so there¡¯s no need to check.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmed down Shin Eunah, who was trying to hug him. ¡°Is the situation outside really over?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not all over, but the most dangerous ones have been taken care of. By the way...¡± Her eyes drifted over the gate that remained in the air. ¡°It was a good thing I arrived.¡± ¡°Can you close it?¡± ¡°No, but I can zone it.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s lightning shed out. Mana began to pour out of her, forming a sharp spear of lightning that shot towards the gate without hesitation. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to help her, drinking a potion quickly and then grasping the gate with his expanded spiritual power. Then, he cut the connection between it and this ce. ¡®It¡¯s not that difficult with my spiritual power at SSS+ rank.¡¯ -If you remember this sensation now, it will help your growth. It was a fact he knew well enough; the feeling of his soul¡¯s influence on the world was unforgettable. He drew Phoibos and activated Light Mastery simultaneously, using the power of light to create a bullet. Its power that pursued and destroyed evil would surely affect the gate! In addition to that... ¡°Give me that orb again.¡± ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t it a gift for our rtionship?¡± ¡°Where did you get that idea?¡± He concentrated the power of Bomber Girl (alter ego) that could alter magic into the bullet. ¡°Since she opened the gate with this power, it should be possible to close it...!¡± ¡°Ooh...? Don¡¯t shoot for a second; I¡¯ll help!¡± Bridget, who realized what he was doing, began to dance on the spot. Kang Shin-hyuk felt energy concentrating on the bullet with her movements, increasing it even further. ¡®What is this? How is this possible? The energy isn¡¯t even magical power!¡¯ But it was possible. From the start, her dance had two abilities: buff and attack. There was a reason she became a top ranker. -This might be enough to close the gate! ¡®Now!¡¯ With no time to hesitate, he fired the bullet of light at the gate. -Bang! The gate copsed as the bullet of light, containing the power to destroy the darkness and change magic, prated it. At the same time, Shin Eunah struck it with a massive bolt of lightning. ¡°Break!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk heard the sound of the gate breaking, but he also sensed something rushing out of it. He fired off ten threads with all of his spiritual power in an instant. [Kiiiii?!] Perhaps because of the gate being broken, only one of the monsters jumped out. It would have been a frightening monster that had reached the current limit, but thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s Soul Connector tying him tightly, it couldn¡¯t show off that strength. -Oops, treasure predators! ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I thought it was a space monster.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked at the caterpir the size of three people, thinking it looked simply disgusting, as Shin Eunah clenched her jaw and struck it with lightning. -Kiiii?! However, the moment it was about to be hit by lightning, it twisted the space around it to deflect the attack. ¡°What?!¡± With Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s proficiency with his space coordination skill, he couldn¡¯t prevent it from doing so. -Kwaaaaang! -Kiiii! Shin Eunah concentrated her infinite magical power on one point, striking at the enemy. It kept twisting its body and tried to use its spatial ability, but it wasn¡¯t possible without interrupting Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s threads, which were imbued with SSS+ rank spiritual power. -Kiiiiii! Eventually, the lightning broke through to kill it. -With a colleague that challenges the realm of the transcendent, you have subdued one that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 155,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 232,500,000HP! The HP that came in as a reward was considerable, especially given he had shared half of it with Shin Eunah, who was looking rather surprised. ¡°VIP bonus, amazing...!¡± -Cheh. The administrator was tantly displeased. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to ignore his message, but suddenly, the space around them began to shake. ¡°Woah, it¡¯s over somehow.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh of relief. He was worried for a bit there, but with Shin Eunah¡¯s appearance, the situation had ended surprisingly easily. He thought about what it would¡¯ve been like if she hadn¡¯te to help, but there was no point in worrying about it. ¡°Junior!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I think I¡¯m lucky to be so fine, senior.¡± Shin Eunah, convinced the situation was over, embraced him. In fact, he had roughly expected this, so he allowed her to hug him. ¡°Can¡¯t you hug me too?¡± ¡°Ha...¡± ¡°We¡¯re finished...¡± Unlike the superhumans, who had maintained a rtively bright mood, the mercenaries were barely crawling out of their despair. However, that was normal. They had been suddenly kidnapped by an irregr gate, and both their allies and their guild master had tried to kill them. ¡°Ohhhhh.¡± His friends were also relieved, running towards Kang Shin-hyuk. When Shin Eunah noticed, she hesitantly retreated and let them hug each other. ¡°...Doing okay now?¡± ¡°A little bit more.¡± ¡°Now, we¡¯ll be leaving the gate right away.¡± ¡°That helps.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tried to understand Shin Eunah after seeing his friends were safe. She had thrown herself into the gate right away. There was no way she could¡¯ve been calm when Jormungand was opening a gate to their home base. Maybe that was why she had ended Oh Joo-young in a single strike, or perhaps it was because she was worried about him. ¡®Yes, I¡¯m sure she has her reasons.¡¯ It was too cruel for him to ignore her, given how she had been thinking about his safety. Kang Shin-hyuk reached out and hugged her, gently patting her back. It was like she was his young daughter or granddaughter. ¡°Ah...¡± Shin Eunah buried her face in his arms. Bridget tilted her head and put her finger up to her lips but refrained from saying anything. Shortly thereafter, the gate was destroyed, and the mercenaries were able to escape with few sacrifices. The expedition to Africa was just beginning. Chapter 247 - Pioneering Africa (1)

Chapter 247 - Pioneering Africa (1)

¡°Yes, no one cane in here anymore.¡± At Shin Eunah¡¯s promise, Kang Shin-hyuk looked back at his friends. ¡°Then, tell me in order now. What traits are they?¡± ¡°ss B trait, Sharp de. It says I sharpen my sword with the energy of the wind? Oh, and the status is about C-rank on average.¡± ¡°I¡¯m B+. Tada, am I breathing fire?¡± ¡°I¡¯m A rank, hyung. It is called [Guardian], and it makes my body and equipment sturdier with the power of the earth. Oh, I guess I can build a dirt wall too.¡± ¡°Huh, Jo Woon-hyung!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± It could be said that the chances of bing a ranker only appeared with a B-rank trait, but the dimension seemed different for A-rank. Lee Jinseok and Yoo Hye-na were envious of Jo Woon-hyung, who had acquired an A rank trait. However, from the perspective of Kang Shin-hyuk, it seemed natural that the hard-working Jo Woon-hyung had managed to awaken the best trait. ¡°Traits can evolve, so don¡¯t envy him and just do your best. For the time being, hide your abilities and pretend to awaken naturally after leaving Africa.¡± ¡°I know. This is all thanks to you, really.¡± Lee Jinseokughed and patted Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. However, he didn¡¯t think that the traits were awakened because of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait, just that the special training was sessful. ¡®The traits are rted to the attributes of the orbs that I¡¯ve made or found¡­ I will need to research this in the future.¡¯ Even though they wererades he could trust, he couldn¡¯t confess that fact to them. ¡°Be vignt in the future. Especially for Zeus.¡± ¡°To think our master was a traitor.¡± ¡°No one doubted him. If it weren¡¯t for this hedgehog, I would¡¯ve died.¡± -Myu! Onyx lifted his thorns up to avoid Yoo Hye-na, who tried to pet him and then ran onto Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. He produced a dagger he had made and gave it to Onyx. ¡°You had a hard time, Onyx.¡± -Myu. ¡°Hey, what about now? Are we heading back?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned at Lee Jinseok¡¯s question. They had a fierce discussion with the superhumans and mercenary representatives an hour after both ships had safely returned. As a result, nothing had changed, and all ten ships were still destined for Africa. ¡°How are they still thinking about going to Africa after that?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ve already spent money.¡± Shin Eunah spoke up coldly. ¡°If they turn the boat now, it won¡¯t be good for them. In particr, the Gunners can¡¯t withdraw if they want to protect their position as a mercenary guild, especially after losing their master.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had wondered if originally the association had put pressure on the Gunners to make them participate, but that wasn¡¯t it. In superhuman society, they had toe so that they wouldn¡¯t fall behind. ¡°Fools¡­¡± ¡°Yes, everyone is stupid. It¡¯s always been like that.¡± Shin Eunah reached out and tried to grasp Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand while she spoke. She stared at him in protest as he naturally avoided it. ¡°Uh, that¡­ those two are¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lee Jinseok carefully tried to ask a question about their rtionship, but Yoo Hye-na shut him up. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored all of them and looked around the ships near the Gunners. All five ships were kept at the same distance. -It¡¯s a ship named Desire, member. There is also a fox named Desire next to you. ¡®Don¡¯t say stuff like that.¡¯ -500,000HP bonus! ¡®Please.¡¯ It was absurd that the other mercenaries wouldn¡¯t retreat, but among them, the guild Zeus was shamelessly keeping up with them. They maintained a calm appearance as if they had nothing to do with what happened before. Zeus¡¯s submaster Yoo Jun-man, who participated in the earlier meeting, evenughed as if it were fortunate that Kang Shin-hyuk was safe. ¡°Not that I thought it would be easy to reveal them¡­¡± The guys they captured inside the gate didn¡¯t have any strong evidence that Zeus was connected to Jormungand. However, since he found a personal item on Tylo Kaube¡¯s body with traces ofmunication with Zeus, the Gunners were on the lookout for Zeus. ¡°The tap is still working?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s okay.¡± Shin Eunah maintained a calm expression in response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s worrying. ¡°When they bare their fangs again, you can kill them all.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Her parents were involved, but he didn¡¯t know if he could ask if she was okay. Instead, he grabbed her outstretched hand without avoiding it. The three from the orphanage instinctively understood it would mean trouble if they stuck around, so they fled quietly. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he watched them leave and mumbled to himself. ¡°Slowly be independent.¡± ¡°I am independent. Skinship is different.¡± It was surprising that she imed that, but it was even more so that she tantly argued that skinship was separate. ¡°It¡¯s still far off, in my opinion?¡± ¡°¡­Do you hold hands with ire?¡± He narrowed his eyes and looked over at her, but she seemed calm despite the out of the blue question. Previously, she had run desperately when he tried to confess his rtionship with ire. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and answered honestly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Was this her trying to grasp the rtionship between Kang Shin-hyuk and ire? He sighed as he gave her another side-long nce. ¡°Ah, here you are! I kept looking for you!¡±3333 Bridget Poulsen gentlynded beside them at that moment, having flown in from the sky. ¡°Would you like to hold my hand too?¡± ¡°I hate it.¡± ¡°Cheh, then, with the Death Puppeteer.¡± ¡°I hate it too.¡± Of course, she wouldn¡¯t give in. ¡°To be such a firm refusal¡­! But, what about sharing a bed?¡± ¡°If you want to fall asleep, I will help you do so. Forever.¡± ¡°Kahak! Catch me!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk barely escaped from Shin Eunah thanks to Bridget¡¯s noble sacrifice. Left alone, he returned to his ship and reported to ire that he had used one of her potions. [?ire?: Are you hurt?] [I¡¯m fine.] [?ire?: That¡¯s good. I want to make one more right away, but the ingredients aren¡¯t for sale.] [I¡¯m fine; it was just one potion. But thanks to that, we did well.] [?ire?: How was Oh Joo-young? Did you tell Vanguard?] [I didn¡¯t. It seems to me that he was just interested in getting stronger.] Like a typical cartoon viin, he swallowed those words, but ire responded. [?ire?: It seems like he became a monster. Even abandoning his daughter that was left alone¡­ really the worst.] [Anyway, now he¡¯s gonepletely. Oh Hye-na will be happier if she doesn¡¯t know.] He sent the message and picked up Excalibur: Despair, which had previously gone into his inventory. Shin Eunah didn¡¯t hesitate to say she didn¡¯t need it, so she handed it over. Its rank was unknown, but it was possible to specte that it contained his essence as he held it until the moment he died. However, Kang Shin-hyuk stopped searching for it with spiritual power as he sensed terrible malice and desire inside of it. [ire, sorry. Cancel what I just said.] [?ire?: Huh?] [He isn¡¯t dead yet.] Kang Shin-hyuk had been mistaken about one thing. He assumed the core of Oh Joo-young was his head since that was what Jormungand had taken, but it wasn¡¯t. His trait was to give power to a sword, and since he became a demon to maximize that particr trait, he was able to create several swords that contained himself. Indeed, Oh Joo-young¡¯s ego had been divided and contained in the Excalibur named Despair. [?ire?: Isn¡¯t that a Horcrux? Or a phctery?] [Let¡¯s call it a splitpression.] [?ire?: Very smart.] Of course, since Shin Eunah killed him and burnt his head, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use that ability again. However, the swords he had already made would exist inside Jormungand¡­ Oh Joo-young wouldn¡¯t be dead unless all of them were destroyed. [?ire?: So, isn¡¯t that sword the most dangerous right now? It¡¯s the one he was holding.] [Yes.] He had been concentrating all his remaining power on the sword when he died. Such a bold move was possible for a monster like him. It was even possible to invade the body of the person holding the sword and take it over. Had this sword fallen into someone else¡¯s hands, it would¡¯ve been truly dangerous. [But he can¡¯t handle spiritual power. Don¡¯t worry and leave it to me.] [?ire?: Yes¡­ if it¡¯s spiritual power, we¡¯re the best.] [It¡¯s a rather good opportunity.] The source of one who was the world¡¯s No. 1 before was by no means an easy target, but it had to be considerably weakened after dividing himself. If he slowly whittled away at it, Kang Shin-hyuk could take that power for himself. ¡®Putting a special power into other things¡­ it¡¯s in line with my abilities.¡¯ Perhaps conquering this sword would cause the Guardian Golden Dragon to evolve. Kang Shin-hyuk trembled with that premonition. [?ire?: I miss you. When you went on the dimensional quest, it was a different world so that I could wait quietly, but Earth is different.] [I want to see you too. I¡¯ll finish it quickly.] [?ire?: If you get hurt, I¡¯ll¡­] [I love you.] [?ire?: I don¡¯t know. Come back and tell me.] ire invigorated his exhausted spirit. Looking up, he noticed the superhumans getting ready for another battle. ¡°Erosion-type gate dead ahead! Prepare for battle!¡± ¡°Damn, who said the sea route was the easiest?!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll need to rush to Gibraltar!¡± From Zeus to Jormungand, Oh Joo-young to Shin Eunah, there were many things to worry about, but reaching the continent of Africa was no easy task. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and raised his scythe. They still had many gates to pass on the way to Casanca. Chapter 248 - Pioneering Africa (2)

Chapter 248 - Pioneering Africa (2)

Approximately eighteen hours had passed, and a new day had, once again, arrived. The minds of both Kang Shin-hyuk and the other superhumans were getting worn out little by little as they continuously fought the gates that eroded the sea and skies. ¡°It was like this even before we¡¯ve arrived. Can we really fight there?¡± ¡°The goal is to build a bridgehead. This expedition is a sess simply if we pioneer a less risky route and create the possibility of restoring Africa.¡± ¡°Damn, I should¡¯ve skipped it this time too.¡± ¡°Even though everyone is struggling, you¡¯re like this.¡± ¡°Is it okay for our country...?¡± The biggest problem with the expedition right now was ack of troops to protect their home countries. They had thoroughly divided those who would go on the expedition and those who would protect the country, but the fact that their defense had be weak didn¡¯t change. In order to suppress the damage as much as possible, the expedition was conducted in secret to prevent information from being exposed to Jormungand. However, Kang Shin-hyuk, who knew of Zeus¡¯s connections to Jormungand, couldn¡¯t rid himself of the feeling that they were carrying a ticking bomb. ¡°Africa, it¡¯s tough...¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even arrived yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because we¡¯re already on the way.¡± Bridget Poulsen seemed clueless, and Shin Eunah, who assumed the worst in the first ce, looked calm. Kang Shin-hyuk had to admire how much determination she had shown to participate in this expedition. Was that the weight of No. 1? ¡°Ah,nd!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Casanca...!¡± Just then, shouts of joy erupted from multiple ships at once. Lifting his head, he could see a dot on the horizon. The superhumans could barely confirm the existence ofnd, so it would still be a few more hours for them to arrive. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, the distance is weird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the gate¡¯s erosion has changed the topography. It¡¯s not that strange.¡± ¡°If it continues, there won¡¯t be any traces of Earth left.¡± ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s very likely.¡± The battle continued even after confirming they were heading in the right direction. Monsters of at least B-rank, and all the way up to SS-rank, were showing up, but everyone was aware this was nothingpared to the maind. ¡°Save your strength; don¡¯t go all out here!¡± ¡°Casanca is right there! Keep it up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wyvern!¡± Wyvern? Now? He saw a slender drake flying through the sky, its huge wings spread out. Its whole body was dark red, huge horns sprouted from the top of its head, and sharp thorns gleamed dangerously at the end of its wings. -That¡¯s the one you¡¯ve been waiting for. SS+ rank [Hell Spike Wyvern]. ¡°The name is really cool.¡± Several wyverns were flying behind it, each one of them with thorns as well. However, the color of their bodies was lighter, and they had no horns. -SS-rank, Spike Wyvern. ¡°They look a little weaker.¡± Several superhumans were alreadyunching long-range attacks but taking down an SS+ rank wasn¡¯t an easy task. When the lead Hell Spike Wyvern avoided the missiles, the wyverns behind him naturally followed. Surprisingly, it pped its wings to shoot the thorns attached to its wings. It tore through the mainmast of one of the ships, and the superhumans moved in a frenzy to restore it. It was considerably powerful to break through the protective shield of the ship. ¡°Tsu, I have to deal with that one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± When Shin Eunah clicked her tongue and tried to step forward, Kang Shin-hyuk stopped her. ¡®These are some appropriate foes to try it on.¡¯ -It is true ording to my own judgment. The Hell Spike Wyvern is a rare variant. He has control over almost all flying monsters lower than him like he is ¡®taming¡¯ them. While preparing for this expedition, Shin-hyuk had prepared not only armaments but also other things, including taming tools. In fact, if he could use the power of monsters to deal with the gates, what could be better? He had not forgotten his experience of taming the wyverns at the gate with Eleanor. ¡°Are you going to tame it?¡± Eleanor spoke up at that moment, recalling the same experience. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and brought out the blue cow. ¡°If I tame that, I can take care of the others. Hell Spike Wyvern Rider, how cool.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eleanor rejoiced in excitement at the idea. Shin Eunah turned away, and Bridget tilted her head, not understanding the situation. ¡°What else are you going to show? Do you still have some hidden tricks?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± The bike soared into the sky. The Hell Spike Wyvern, sensing his approach, screeched and threw out thorns, but surprisingly, they converged into one point and disappeared as if being sucked in by a vacuum. ¡°Is it tasty?¡± -Myuuuuu! Onyx¡¯s reaction was dramatic. He had guessed it, but their thorns were all metal, and the more metal Onyx had devoured, the more control he had over it. -Myu, myuuuu! ¡°Be patient.¡± -Quoooooooh! The wyvern let out a frenzied screech, realizing its attack had gone to waste. It seemed like it was preparing its breath attack this time, but just before it could use it, Kang Shin-hyuk activated space coordination to move onto its back from the blue cow. ¡°Your back is open... I can control this by myself, right?¡± -Kiiiiii! The Hell Spike Wyvern bucked wildly. His thorns tried to shoot out towards Kang Shin-hyuk, but there was no way for him to be shaken loose. Rather, such unexpected behavior caused the wyverns following him to scatter. ¡°The Death Puppeteer is on the wyvern¡¯s back!¡± ¡°It seems to be over SS-rank. Well, he¡¯s dealing with a boss-ss aerial monster alone...¡± ¡°Now¡¯s our chance, shoot them... damn it!¡± Just as the superhumans tried to shoot down the aerial monsters while Kang Shin-hyuk dealt with the Hell Spike Wyvern, something else popped up as always. ¡°A giant monster is appearing in the sea!¡± ¡°Is it a whale? Stop them first!¡± ¡°The monsters in the air can¡¯t attack us for a while! Deal with those in the sea first!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paid no attention to the sea as he moved atop the back of the wyvern. The thorns were constantly rising toward him, but Onyx took care of them all. Even after the wyvern began to spin, Kang Shin-hyuk stayed closely connected to it with the soul connector. It wasn¡¯t just a way for him to stabilize himself, but a way for him to deeply grasp the wyvern with his spiritual power and establish dominance. How it progressed from birth to growth, and its ability to control other wyverns and aerial monsters, was transmitted to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mind through his spiritual power. The threads began to shake, but he strengthened them further. ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite tricky when ites to SS+ rank.¡± -You¡¯ve grown a lot as well, member. SS+ rank monsters are easy to kill but not to control. The Hell Spike Wyvern¡¯s movements began to quiet down a few minutester as Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power overwhelmed him. If he could tame him, now was the time. He produced a choker simr to the one he made when taming the me Wyvern, but the energy contained in it was iparably dark. [Sacred Choker of the Blind God] [SS Rank] [Special Abilities: Domination, Enhancement, Evolution] *Domination: Blind loyalty is given only from those who arepletely overwhelmed. The subject wearing the choker bes able tomunicate with the owner and ispletely free from all other bonds. *Enhancement: When wearing the choker, the monster is strengthened beyond the limit. Applies to body stats, magic, and natural special abilities. *Evolution: New possibilities are gained through faith in the master. [An ancient treasure that proves that neither good nor evil was contained in the hands of the creator. The owner is fixed as ¡®Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯ and can never be changed.] He had been a little nervous when he made it without much thought, worrying that it might work on people too. So, he was relieved when Lee Na-hee had helped him set it so that the authority of the artifact was limited to himself. ¡®Though then Na-hee tried to joke by putting it on.¡¯ Lee Na-hee was a cute girl, but sometimes she was very annoying. He let go of his thoughts of her and put the choker around the wyvern¡¯s neck. -Quoooooh! It screamed at the feeling of being forced to obey, but Kang Shin-hyuk kept his cool. Sympathy against these monsters who sought to hurt people meant nothing. Only when these guys came to the side of humanity was there was a reason to see them as a friend. -Quo... kuooooooh? Thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk previously overwhelming him with spiritual power, the artifact took effect quickly. As proof, golden stripes ran over his body as Guardian Golden Dragon was applied directly to him. -Quooooooooh! At the moment when his body, which had reached its limit, evolved with new possibilities, the wyvern forgot his humiliation and roared with satisfaction. The wyverns who followed him realized that he had turned away, but as he roared again, they became his faithful servants once more. ¡°Okay, then take the aerial monsters out. Bring in those who can be brought in, got it?¡± -Quaaaah! ¡°Yes, from now on, your name is Hell.¡± -A 600,000HP bonus from the administrator admiring the cruel naming of the member! -Quoooo! However, the wyvern seemed to like the name as he turned to the other monsters. The sight of more than ten SS-rank wyverns turning in unison was exciting. ¡°Okay, this will work.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk returned to the blue cow and descended to the sea. He had a casual expression on his face, but the other superhumans who witnessed him had nk looks on their face. ¡°No, what the hell...?¡± ¡°It had been tamed. Now it¡¯s on our side.¡± He briefly responded to them, brandished his scythe, and threw it at a monster rising above the sea. Bridget Poulsen watched him speechlessly. ¡°Wow...¡± ¡°The Puppeteer tamed the wyvern!¡± ¡°What? The limit of taming wasn¡¯t the S-rank?!¡± ¡°Look at that. There are golden stripes on its body! It¡¯s overwhelming the other monsters...!¡± Even during the heated battle, the superhumans chatted as they sensed the change in the tide. At the end of the fight, Hell flew down onto the ship where Kang Shin-hyuk was aboard, bowing his head to him. The superhumans even gave him a new nickname, the ¡®Life and Death Puppeteer.¡¯ Two hourster, with the help of Hell, they had smoothly arrived at the African continent. Chapter 249 - Pioneering Africa (3)

Chapter 249 - Pioneering Africa (3)

¡°R is on the wyvern.¡± ¡°Is she a wyvern rider?¡± ¡°No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s SS-rank or higher.¡± Eleanor tried to ignore the whispers around her. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Stretch out the spear. Alright, Hell. You can get a rough feeling of it, too, right?¡± -Quoooh! Hell cried out vigorously. It was evident that he waspletely obedient to Kang Shin-hyuk as he didn¡¯t rebel even when another human rode his back. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll fight from the skies from now on.¡± ¡°Please take care, R.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk put out his fist, Eleanor carefully bumped it with her own. -Fox! ¡®Didn¡¯t I start it?¡¯ Eleanor soared into the sky atop Hell with a group of spike wyverns obediently flying behind her. The superhumans looked at it and thought that the wyverns alone had increased this expedition¡¯s chance of sess by more than 10%. ¡°To treat not only death but also living things like that...¡± ¡°Life and Death Puppeteer... there¡¯s no end to the surprises. It won¡¯t be strange if his ranking rose right away.¡± ¡°He tamed five SS-rank monsters, after all.¡± ¡°We¡¯re entering the port of Casanca soon! Everyone prepare!¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if he had acquired a new title, the port of Casanca had finally drawn close enough to see. At that very moment, he felt like something thin was tearing around him. ¡°...This.¡± ¡°Barrier.¡± Shin Eunah spoke up quietly. Perhaps she knew already, but what was the significance of a barrier that couldn¡¯t prevent intruders? The answer was immediately revealed. ¡°Oh my...¡± ¡°What is this? Before... it wasn¡¯t...¡± Casanca, a port city in Moro, had been themercial center of Moro. Until the fall of Africa, it was a modern city with developed buildings andrge corporations from all over the world. As they approached, that information was still simr. Of course, many buildings had been destroyed, but there was still traces of civilization. However... ¡°It¡¯s a jungle.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in agreement. Everything had changed upon entering the barrier. There were no buildings or any traces of civilization and, of course, no docks for their ships to anchor at. Moreover, groups of monsters flocked to where the pier had been in the past to stare at their ships. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Damn, I was fooled by the barrier. It was hiding all of this.¡± The barrier didn¡¯t just work on human eyes; it also deceived the satellites the humans used. Its ultimate purpose was to raise the overall level of the monsters inside the continent by containing the magic power of the entire continent circting only within it. In other words, it made the entire African continent into a different world. ¡°Kh...¡± ¡°No, what mana density!¡± As they grew closer tondfall, the superhumans of B-rank or lower began to suffer from the heavy mana. Rather, the mercenaries who had no mana at all seemed fine, but Lee Jinseok¡¯s group, who had just awakened, were working hard to hide the fact that they were suffering. On the other hand, the high-ranking superhumans felt their magical power resonate with the dark mana and suddenly felt full of energy. ¡°Wow, I feel like I can fly.¡± ¡°Only this much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger?¡± ¡°The enemy gets stronger the same as we do.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at Shin Eunah¡¯s calm words. He had realized it in the dimensional quest. In a world with high magic power, the level of monsters that were born would be high. Since Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t deal with magic and wasn¡¯t affected by it, it didn¡¯t really matter to him. -So, it can be said that you have the appropriate skills toplete the dimensional quest. Of course, this is no exception... ¡®I know, so calm down.¡¯ It was impossible for them to anchor as it was. They could only barely anchor the ships after they somehow pushed back the monsters that had flocked to the shore. ¡°Let¡¯s destroy them with magic.¡± ¡°Try it first.¡± ¡°Thunder, thunder!¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s help was indispensable when it came to attacking the enemy with magic. She wore an annoyed expression as she joined those who came to call her. It was truly spectacr to see all those high-rankers gather together and chant magic together in harmony, but Kang Shin-hyuk was focusing on something else. ¡°How is it, senior?¡± -We talked about it earlier. ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone will hear it.¡± -I¡¯m not afraid of anyone listening now, so I think you can call me Eli. Kang Shin-hyuk listened to the voiceing through them device and looked coldly up towards Eleanor, who was floating somewhere in the sky. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to notice. -I¡¯ve been thinking about it, but the honorifics seem weird when I¡¯m only one year older. It¡¯s strange that Korea has honorifics. ¡°The scale has grown. But if I start doing that with my senior, Na-hee will make a fuss again.¡± -Okay. I must speak about it with Na-hee. Eleanor¡¯smunication skills seemed to improve when she wasn¡¯t talking to someone face to face. Kang Shin-hyuk had been wary of getting too close to her. However, when she graduated, they would probably continue to work as Masked Bhus together... ¡°Then, Eli? Is that fine?¡± -Good...! -No! The administrator overreacted, as usual. ¡°So, Eli, how¡¯s the sky?¡± -I think the battle will start soon, but we can win. Hell looks confident. He was the strongest among the wyverns in the sky, and he had reached the SSS-rank after bowing to Kang Shin-hyuk. What was even more surprising was that Hell had the potential to go even further. The golden streaks flowing through his body was proof of it. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to care?¡± -Yes. The other wyverns seem to be strengthened as well. ¡°You understand them quite well. Is it because you¡¯re the proud head of the Wyvern Knights?¡± -Right. I¡¯ll show you why I¡¯m the captain of the Wyvern Knights. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and turned his eyes forward. The magic that the superhumans, led by Shin Eunah, was bombarding the monsters along the shore alongside other long-range attacks. -Waaaah! The magic baptism, which seemed enough to wipe out the entire area, could not proceed further and exploded in the middle as if a transparent curtain intercepted it. Only the lightning that Shin Eunah threw broke through the shield, wiping out nearly a third of the monsters beyond it. It was a shocking result, but more monsters quickly pushed in from the back to restore their ranks. ¡°No, I thought it would be okay if I took the lead and broke it.¡± There was a reason Shin Eunahunched her magic first. She sensed the barriers unfolding there in advance and tried to break through them to open the way for the others. However, Shin Eunah had punched through, creating a narrow path, but all the other magic attacks had been blocked. ¡°Damn, there are a fewyers of barriers!¡± That was the world¡¯s No. 1, who was specialized in defense magic but not very good at attacking. That wasn¡¯t something to be ashamed of, however. ¡°Thunder, can¡¯t you destroy that barrier?¡± ¡°Yes, but by that time, the monsters will already be on this ship.¡± The person who received Shin Eunah¡¯s cold response ground their teeth. ¡°But if this happens, the ship can¡¯t enter...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense. Now, are we going to head back just because there¡¯s no ce to dock?¡± ¡°We may be able to go in, but to get out, we have to destroy that barrier.¡± ¡°Then what the hell would you do? Use lightning to deal with all those monsters?¡± ¡°What would you do then? Send only melee fighters first? Drop them in the middle of that hell?¡± There was a lot of noiseing from everywhere. At the same time, the wyverns led by Eleanor were engaging the aerial monsters flying out from the interior of Africa. Those who realized it was reassured that they had strong allies in the sky, but they continued to groan because they couldn¡¯t ovee the situation. ¡®Can I help?¡¯ Had Shin Eunah told him that there was a barrier, he could¡¯ve helped a little earlier to stop them from wasting mana. ¡°Where is it?¡± It was often a benefit not to be influenced by mana, but it wasn¡¯t in this case. Kang Shin-hyuk produced the pistol Erebos and lifted it, loading a ¡®secret bullet¡¯ he had prepared. ¡®In this case, it would be worthwhile to drink the Transcendence potion.¡¯ He had drunk one to face off against Oh Joo-young before, but since Shin Eunah appeared, it had been a waste. Kang Shin-hyuk filled each of his orbs with his spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter instead of using the energy of the potion. Now, the bullet created by the Dark Spirit Pearl and the Great Heavenly Spirit were loaded into Erebos. ¡®It¡¯ll be embarrassing if it doesn¡¯t work, so let¡¯s do it secretly.¡¯ While everyone else was confused by the magical barriers covering the African continent, Kang Shin-hyuk quietly signaled to Shin Eunah and then fired his pistol. The moment the bullets touched the barrier, having gone through the shadows cast over the sea, ck ripples appeared around it, revealing it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Puppeteer shot the barrier!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, is that the barrier...?¡± Soon, the expected result urred. The barrier was melting away due to the encroaching effect within the bullets. That alone wouldn¡¯t be enough, but the soul poison contained in them made it possible. There was no way it couldn¡¯t melt away a magical barrier. ¡°The Puppeteer is...!¡± ¡°Now!¡± ¡°Attack!¡± Everyone fired off their magic as quickly as they could, afraid that the barrier might appear again. Of course, Shin Eunah, having received the signal from Kang Shin-hyuk in advance, drew all her magical powers to the limit to destroy the coast. The monsters tried to defend themselves, screaming terribly and breathing fire and acid, but they couldn¡¯t resist the magic. ¡®The barrier... okay, it looks like it can¡¯t recover.¡¯ The barriers that had been melted away couldn¡¯t easily be restored. Rather, due to the soul poison spreading through the barrier, it broke through it at an even faster rate as it exhausted the barrier¡¯s magic. ¡°You, you...¡± Jang Jin-myeong, who worked with the power of darkness, approached him after roughly guessing what he had just done. ¡°What the hell are you using? Is that a pistol? I¡¯ll ask, can¡¯t you let me see that pistol for a second?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this belongs to me.¡± ¡°Ah...!¡± Moreover, the core of the ability was created with his soul poison, so even if Jang Jin-myeong could use Erebos, it wouldn¡¯t produce such a result. ¡°Now, go! Capture the shore! The time hase for the superhumans of the EU to work!¡± ¡°The Zeus guild is following them!¡± -Quaaaaaah! Hell¡¯s roar echoed from the sky, informing them he had the upper hand in the battle. ¡°Without the Puppeteer, this expedition would¡¯ve been impossible. He tamed the variant wyvern, and the barrier was lifted... what can¡¯t he do?¡± ¡°The Empress is also indispensable. Will Korea be the top-ranked?¡± ¡°Oh, Stone Ground suddenly started running!¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that he may overwhelm their goodwill...¡± Many melee superhumans, including Stone Ground Nick Hand, ran forward, thinking they couldn¡¯t be left behind. Stone Ground, surprisingly, pulled thend of the shallow seabed up, creating an impromptu bridge for them. ¡°We can do it. America... Mankind is taking Africa back!¡± ¡°...Ah.¡± Shin Eunah sighed as she watched him raise a huge stone wall fortress to block the monsters. Thus, humanity set foot in Africa again for the first time in decades. Chapter 250 - Pioneering Africa (4)

Chapter 250 - Pioneering Africa (4)

Stone Ground, the world¡¯s No. 2, was one of the most wizard-like melee superhumans. He had mastered his magical ability to manipte the earth through his body, and even if it were impossible to build an ind in the middle of the sea, he could build a temporary pier on this sandy beach. In addition, he could make a fortress of unnaturally hard stone. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just a wizard?¡± ¡°Actually, they say he learned magic first. Stupid.¡± Shin Eunah spat out these words fiercely while they watched the superhumans secure a port and a forward base all at once through Stone Ground¡¯s ability. ¡°It¡¯s far more restrictive than magic, and he¡¯s not free to switch it. In the first ce, it¡¯s a power based on his body, not mana.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not magic.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s why it has certain advantages. Until his body copses, the structures he creates willst a long time.¡± While the Stone Ground continued to show off his strength, all types of buff abilities rushed in to support him. ¡°We¡¯vee here and finally divided by country. Setting up that guy¡¯s camp is just one thing.¡± Bridget Poulsen muttered vaguely as she watched Stone Ground. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged in response, also not supporting Stone Ground despite having a buff capability. ¡°We may sleep divided by country, but if monsterse in, we have to block them together regardless of that.¡± If he had taken Stone Ground along for thest dimensional quest, it would¡¯ve ended quickly without needing to make all those ingots. ¡°Can¡¯t Mr. Puppeteer make things like walls? You made all those other things very well.¡± Bridget asked with her eyes twinkling as if she had read his mind. Kang Shin-hyuk, who had no confidence in aplishing thatbor again, responded profoundly. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m no architect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay; we already have one.¡± ¡°What? That uncle over there?¡± Surprisingly, the Korean camp had a ranker with the traits of architecture! He was a high ranker named Park Moo-jin. He had been garnering attention for his ability to defend or attack using structures freely, but the foundation of his ability resided in architecture. ¡°Wow, so cool! Fight on!¡± ¡°Oh, Red Shoes¡­?!¡± Bridget, her eyes alit with fire upon seeing Park Moo-jin building the Korean camp, ran over to him and started dancing to buff him. ¡°A person who works hard is so cool!¡± ¡°Is this a buff? Hm, hah. Thank you.¡± Park Moo-jin began to show off his ability twice as fast as before, his shoulder swaying and his mouth smiling slightly. Kang Shin-hyuk fully understood his heart. She didn¡¯t have a very good reputation in superhuman society, but she was very pretty. There were few men who wouldn¡¯t get energized with a morous beauty cheering for them. ¡°Fox.¡± ¡°Why is R angry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fox!¡± Eleanor angrily trampled the sandy beach, furious at Bridget for showing an appearance that was impossible for her, given her certain proportions. He felt bad, but Kang Shin-hyuk sincerely wished that she would stop doing things that gave her the impression of an elementary school student. On the other hand, Shin Eunah looked at her with her cheeks puffed out. ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t noticed at all.¡± ¡°That kind of behavior ismon with my seniors, ow.¡± Shin Eunah pped him on the back. However, at least, Bridget Poulsen had fought quite hard on this expedition, so now the Korean superhumans looked at her with a rather favorable eye. Even now, in constructing the base camp, she was dancing to her fullest and showing off her talent. What was all that for? Yes, it was the act ofying down the groundwork for her naturalization to Korea.¡± ¡°I absolutely hate it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re off guard, you¡¯ll fall for her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s such a person¡­ no, forget I said anything.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had cleared up any unnecessary misunderstandings about her by fighting alongside her in the gate, Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes had only grown sharper. ¡°You should never give up your juniors.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand, ow. Ouch.¡± Shin Eunah cried out and pped his back again. At the same time, he felt something hit his shoulder as Eleanor joined in. Did Shin Eunah even know he was dating ire? ¡°It¡¯s really absurd.¡± ¡°Attractiveness is a sin.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that anywhere else.¡± -After all that, your sins are really deep. The administrator told you not to give your heart to the foxes¡­ No, then, wasn¡¯t that saying not to even talk to other women? Kang Shin-hyukmented that he was in such a situation, but then Eleanor, who pped him hard again, spoke up. ¡°Ennd, I want to see it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange to go so suddenly, so say that you¡¯re doing aerial reconnaissance.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± He gently rubbed his shoulder as Eleanor left. Shin Eunah clicked her tongue, but he tantly ignored it. Among those watching the scene from a distance, the name Casanova was carefully spreading, but fortunately, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t hear it. *** Battles continued to take ce even as they built their camps. The monster troops, which had been pushed off the coastline due to the magic bombardment, led more forces as if they couldn¡¯t give thisnd to humans even after their deaths. However, the power of the superhumans was different from when they were on board the ship. Back then, most fighting had to be left to the ranged superhumans, but now they could show off their melee abilities. ¡°It¡¯s just this much!¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely the start, so there are still a lot of monsters below A-rank!¡± ¡°Push them all the way! Recover the corpses of the monsters!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope this doesn¡¯t drop the price of the parts.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve been ruined if I didn¡¯te here.¡± There were many strong variants among the monsters, but those fighting now were also only the strongest among the superhumans. As the warriors at the forefront of humanity pushed in unison, the monsters that had evolved for decades in Africa were pushed back. At least, that was the case for now. ¡°Each country is slightly starting to diverge.¡± For Kang Shin-hyuk, who was taking a break in the air to recover the energy he had spent, the situation on the battlefield was clearly visible. He sat atop the wall built by Stone Ground, leisurely intercepting the monsters who broke through the superhuman lines to approach the wall. ¡°If high-level monsters start to appear like that, they¡¯ll quickly copse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an expedition that will fail anyway. For humanity, I¡¯m d we made it this far.¡± Shin Eunah was sitting next to him, still adhering to her poignant tone as she evaluated the superhumans. ¡°If you lose your power and run away, it will cause another conflict. It¡¯s obvious, but it can¡¯t be fixed.¡± ¡°I guess a lot has piled up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a scene I¡¯ve seen since I joined the association. Humans know how to me others for their stupidity but can¡¯t admit their own.¡± She sounded like she was above them, not a human herself, but it made sense given the majesty of the power she had shown before. In her eyes, all the humans struggling for ranks with their own ability seemed below her. He was curious what her feelings toward her parents were, but he couldn¡¯t dare ask. ¡°My role is to oversee humanity¡¯s retreat with as little damage as possible. Africa won¡¯t be resolved with a legion of superhumans. You have toe here with a small group.¡± ¡°You have a n.¡± ¡°There is one. I¡¯ve realized from my childhood through the Hero Universe that if you leave Africa alone, something big will happen someday.¡± She looked at Kang Shin-hyuk seriously. ¡°A guerri operation used talents like my junior. If you reach the central point that makes up the monsters¡¯ power on the continent and destroy it, there is a chance. However, there are still not many who can match my mobility and power.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still far away.¡± ¡°You have enough, junior. You can move through space, the ability to strengthen everything, excellentbat power, and you have the upper hand against magic. If possible, raising your attack power a little more¡­¡± The evaluation of the world¡¯s No. 1 was strict. She was someone who shot off golden lighting and had an infinite amount of magical power, so it was natural that his own was insufficient. He had shown off his versatility on this expedition, but Shin Eunah was already too crazy when it came to her destructive power. ¡°But junior, this.¡± Shin Eunah was working on extracting mana and depositing it into the Great Heavenly Spirit. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°There are limits, but I haven¡¯t reached them yet. And I think it¡¯s probably possible to grow one step further using this¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced the tree branch Halo had given him as a reward. Shin Eunah seemed surprised to see it. ¡°Uncle Halo, he hasn¡¯t given me anything like this.¡± ¡°You can do dimensional quests now too. Ask Halo if he has any requests.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t give me anything like this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought so too, but he looked away. ¡°It depends on the level of the quest.¡± ¡°Dimensional quest; I hope to go on one with youter.¡± The idea of doing a dimensional quest alone with Shin Eunah felt so threatening that he couldn¡¯t nod.¡± ¡°Yes, I have a My Room too.¡± Eunah spoke quietly and leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Come to y because I¡¯ll decorate it beautifully. I¡¯m inviting you because you¡¯re my junior.¡± ¡°What about ire?¡± ¡°ire too¡­ I will invite her. Previously¡­¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s voice shrunk. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s intuition told him now was the time. He held her hand firmly, having no intention of missing his chance this time. She tried to pull her hand away, but he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Hurts¡­¡± ¡°I said you should be independent, right?¡± ¡°I was independent; I did it.¡± -Don¡¯t slow down and attack! The moment he had decided to speak seriously, the administrator¡¯s energetic intervention arrived. That was probably why it backfired. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s you who can¡¯t stand being alone.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± He opened his eyes wide, but Shin Eunah pressed the attack. She stood in front of him, face-to-face, shouting at him. ¡°What kind of high schooler sees a woman with such eyes!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Then she threw the orb at Kang Shin-hyuk and vanished from the spot. It was the first time that Shin Eunah had been so actively annoyed with him, so he was baffled. Did this mean that the child was growing¡­ thinking so, he suddenly jumped up. -Fox, fox, ahhhhh¡­! Perhaps Shin Eunah wasn¡¯t wrong. Chapter 251 - Pioneering Africa (5)

Chapter 251 - Pioneering Africa (5)

The constant rush of monsters calmed down a little when night came and then retreated fully with the red sun rising over the sea. ¡®How much HP have I umted?¡¯ -You¡¯ve acquired nearly 100 million only after stepping ontond. There was a time when he was collecting and using HP by the 10,000s, but now he was earning it in the unit of billions a day. In addition, he was earning a considerable amount from the weapons he asionally sold on the trading board, so even though his synchronization rate was still a bit insufficient, he thought it was enough to proim himself as a VIP member. -For such members, there is a special sale! [Dark Mastery (S)] Skill Stone for only 1.5 billion HP... ¡®I won¡¯t buy it.¡¯ The price had doubled after the rank had risen from A to S. Of course, he knew how important the difference in rarity was. Moreover, it was very suspicious that the skill stone appeared for sale at the time he had 1.5 billion HP. It felt like the whole universe, specifically, the admin and Tsukuyo, were hoping to teach that skill to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡®Should I just learn it now?¡¯ Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk was also thinking that learning Dark Mastery might be good for him. Did it really make sense not to learn a strong skill because it seemed too middle schoolish? However, if he wanted to learn it, he wanted to find the highest rarity rank to do so. The rarity of his Light Mastery was already SSS-rank. If he didn¡¯t get it at SS-rank, at least, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it properly with his light. ¡®No, even that¡¯s too edgy.¡¯ He let go of his thoughts on Dark Mastery and looked ahead. The monsters that had pushed them all night were now washed away. ¡®They¡¯re noting now.¡¯ -Everyone seems to think so. The mercenaries were setting up on the enormous wall Stone Ground had built. ¡°Let¡¯s all take a break!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the boundaries!¡± ¡°The corpse recovery will start right away!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and turned as Shin Eunah gentlynded beside him. She had been firing off lightning throughout the battle, but she was still clean, without a drop of blood or dirt on her. ¡°Junior, let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Have you rxed a little?¡± ¡°I took out my anger on the monsters, so I¡¯m a little calmer...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was relieved at Shin Eunah¡¯s gentle response, even if she didn¡¯t realize that these questions and responses were the reason their rtionship felt like a grandpa and his granddaughter. ¡°I also thought about it while fighting.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep a little distance from now on.¡± ¡°I hate it.¡± Why was that the conclusion? That question was obvious in her eyes. However, Kang Shin-hyuk responded calmly. ¡°Because I am affected a lot by the synchronization rate. I didn¡¯t say anything because I was afraid you would worry. So, for the time being, I¡¯ll try to keep myself apart from you. Then it will be okay.¡± -Hyaha, that¡¯s a good idea! Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Shin Eunah seriously, ignoring the administrator¡¯s message. However, Shin Eunah shook her head with tears in her eyes. ¡°Then, it¡¯s okay just to be a grandpa.¡± ¡°Senior, let¡¯s be independent of each other.¡± With the feeling this would be thest time, he reached out and brushed Shin Eunah¡¯s forehead. Anvil was always sorry he hadn¡¯t been able to give enough time or care for his daughter in his previous life. He felt that his child would hate his hands that were dirty from cksmithing, and he realized that it didn¡¯t matter, albeit a little toote. Those emotions were held in his heart as he touched Shin Eunah¡¯s head, something he hadn¡¯t been capable of in his previous life. ¡°When we¡¯repletely independent, then we can return to a close rtionship of a senior and junior.¡± ¡°...I won¡¯t say anything either.¡± Joy and anger warred on Shin Eunah¡¯s face as she grumbled and pouted. Kang Shin-hyuk seemed to know roughly what he was thinking. Young children often said they would marry their father, but not she had started growing mentally a bitte, so she was only confused for a while. The kinder he had been, after bing more aware of his previous life, the more her illusion had built up. If both of them epted reality and grew up, then they could face each other andugh without any worries. ¡°Still...¡± Shin Eunah looked at him with tears still in her ears. ¡°We¡¯re still eating together, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Ehe.¡± ¡°While keeping a safe distance.¡± ¡°Safe distance...¡± The atmosphere of their meal was straight out of a war movie. The camp wasn¡¯tpleted yet, so they put down a long table and sat down, eating either the meal served or something they had brought themselves. Withrge subspace artifacts, it was feasible for individuals to bring their own food for this expedition, although not everyone had ess to them. -Ah, ah! ¡°Hell, you can eat here. Right, how is it?¡± -Quaaaaah! Kang Shin-hyuk bought 5 kg of steak meat from the Hero Universe for Hell, who had gone through the sky devouring monsters with Eleanor. ¡°Mr. Puppeteer, did you know there is apetition between countries due to the distribution issue?¡± ¡°You can call me by name now.¡± Bridget Poulsen intervened in the safe distance set between Shin Eunah and Kang Shin-hyuk. He had responded with a slightly bored voice, not particrly happy with her nickname for him. ¡°The Puppeteer is cool, though. Oh, are you shy? Really? So what do you think of the nickname Life and Death Puppeteer?¡± ¡°So, what are you talking about? Competition for food? Are they trying to serve each other delicious dishes?¡± Bridget clicked her tongue as he relentlessly shot her down so he could eat. ¡°Cheh, that¡¯s because there are superhumans in the cooking ss.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Shinyoung didn¡¯t have a curriculum for superhumans in the production field, but in fact, many superhuman training schools had a production department. It was certainly important to raise the superhumans in the production field, who greatly influenced ordinary people¡¯s lives. Rather, production superhumans were often treated as precious, given their ability to craft artifacts. ¡°By the way, I was worried and baked arge number of sardine pies...¡± ¡°Ultra.¡± Eleanor, who was quietly eating bread next to Kang Shin-hyuk, flinched away. Meanwhile, he was eager to see the sardine pie he had heard about, but Eleanor desperately held him back. ¡°I think the taste isn¡¯t that bad. You don¡¯t have to try it, and it¡¯s not a very popr food in Ennd...!¡± ¡°Ahahaha, why are you making desperate excuses? Actually, it was made by a chef from a different country, not Ennd, to make fun of people.¡± ¡°Like you now.¡± Eleanor stared as if she would kill Bridget, and Kang Shin-hyuk flicked Bridget¡¯s forehead. ¡°Prank in moderation.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Next to Bridget was Shin Eunah, who showed pointlessly big movements at each of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s small gestures, but everyone pretended not to notice. Then, Shin Eunah received a message and looked over at the party. ¡°After eating, we¡¯ll organize a search team.¡± ¡°Finally.¡± ¡°By country.¡± ¡°I roughly expected it, but everyone isn¡¯t afraid.¡± Shin Eunah shook her head. ¡°Rather, it¡¯s safer to organize multiple expeditions with an elite minority rather than to rush around. We don¡¯t know how many monsters there are, so we need to move in a way that allows us to respond easily.¡± ¡°After finding out the status of nearby monsters through this search...¡± ¡°We will enter into full-scale subjugation. It will be dangerous, but it can¡¯t be avoided.¡± Shin Eunah calmly stood up from her seat, saying she would go to the meeting. Onyx jumped into her empty spot a secondter. He had been entrusted with the mission of monitoring the head of Zeus, but now he had returned. ¡°How was it?¡± -Myuuu, myu, myu. The contents of the report weren¡¯t much different from what Kang Shin-hyuk had previously identified with his wiretap. They seemed quiet after the terrible failure they faced, but they hadn¡¯t given up yet. Their operation was to take ce two dayster; it was a stable n to shake the superhumans first and take the mercenaries in the rear. ¡®Humankind is struggling for the right to live, but they are siding with the monsters to create the strongest superhuman...¡¯ For Kang Shin-hyuk, who believed that superhumans were born to fight against monsters, couldn¡¯t agree with their goals at all. -Well, maybe this is possible... ¡®What?¡¯ -I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m sure. It was rare for the administrator not to be sure. He thought it might be important, but before he could pursue it, the submaster of Zeus, Yoo Jun-man, was approaching him. Kang Shin-hyuk stepped forward as if to protect the party, and Bridget trembled with excitement for some reason. Somehow, these days, she seemed more intent on him to capture Shin Eunah¡¯s attention. ¡°Good morning, Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± Yoo Jun-man greeted Kang Shin-hyuk as if he weren¡¯t interested in the others, but the peculiar thing was that he stared at his shadow. Kang Shin-hyuk noticed and had a slight frown as he spoke up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I picked up something you dropped, nothing else.¡± What Yoo Jun-man surprisingly showed off as he spoke was the device that had been directly attached to him. ¡°...What is that? I¡¯m not sure.¡± At that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk wore a mask to hide his emotions. However, Yoo Jun-manughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It was an item that gave off the same energy as you, so I thought it was something you lost.¡± Yoo Jun-manughed and broke it on the spot. If it had been possible to prove that it was his, it would¡¯ve been possible to obtain better results without breaking it. Perhaps he didn¡¯t know how to make it work. ¡°If not, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve pointlessly bothered you.¡± ¡°Okay. Things have been really annoying because of you these days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I promise that this won¡¯t happen in the future.¡± Yoo Jun-man turned around and left. Onyx looked out from Eleanor¡¯s shadow. ¡®He knows that Onyx is hiding in the shadows, but he hasn¡¯t figured out where he is.¡¯ Likewise, he knew the sound collector belonged to Kang Shin-hyuk, but he broke it without being able to use it himself. Those suggested only one thing. ¡®The enemy has help who can sense the spiritual power, and he contacted them recently, but they¡¯re not together right now.¡¯ -Your reasoning is really amazing. 1,000,000HP bonus... no! When the admin tried to give him an HP bonus of a record level, another message appeared. -Dimensional quest urrence conditions are met, and the quest has been issued as the representative of the district. ¡®Administrator?¡¯ -Quest participants are selected randomly among applicants... The member ¡®Tsukuyo¡¯ is visiting Earth to fulfill the quest! -Nooooo! The administrator wept openly. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded as he felt a wind tickle past his cheeks. ¡°Whew, it¡¯s a world with light mana. Oh my, Anvil!¡± The nine-tailed fox had descended onto Earth. Chapter 252 - Pioneering Africa (6)

Chapter 252 - Pioneering Africa (6)

The night sky appeared to have been torn to make out her neatlybed hair tied down with hairpins. Her eyes were deep and dark without end as if they would pull in and trap everyone who met them. Her wless, pure white skin contrasted clearly with her dark hair, dazzling those who saw her. Without applying any rouge, her lips were thick and red, in a clear line as she looked at him. Her voluptuous and fascinating body, which could corrupt even a high priest, was confined under ayer of thin silk. It was the VIP member, Tsukuyo. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°OMG...!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The moment Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed Tsukuyo¡¯s appearance before them, he grabbed her hand and ran. Tsukuyo rejoiced at his actions as they reached a ce where other humans wouldn¡¯t be able to see them. He barely let go of her hand, breathing hard. ¡°Somehow, Anvil, you¡¯re so radical. If you wanted to meet me, you could contact me in advance.¡± ¡°Why would you appear in front of humans?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shouted hard. The area where she had appeared contained all the superhumans of Korea. If a person like Tsukuyo showed up in such a ce out of the blue, not only would the whole camp be overturned, but even Kang Shin-hyuk would be viewed as suspicious. ¡°Yes? Oh my, you were worried about that. How cute.¡± However, Tsukuyo just smiled upon hearing this. -I want to deport you. Tsukuyo pointed at him, ignoring the message from the administrator. ¡°Now I¡¯m adjusting my appearance to be visible only to members of the Hero Universe, so there¡¯s no need to worry, Anvil.¡± ¡°Yes...?¡± When he looked at her, he could see that a red spirit with thick mana was spinning around her. Without interpreting the source, he immediately understood that it was a barrier that isted her from the outside. Since she was using spiritual power, no human without it could catch her. ¡°What, it was like that...?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I was very happy because I was in the mood to enjoy my honeymoon with Anvil. -Only if I die... ¡°I¡¯m so happy it was fun. Ah.¡± As soon as his worries were resolved, more questions arose. ¡°Is there a dimensional quest on Earth? Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Because I knew that sooner orter, Earth would be the target for a dimensional quest, ah... it¡¯s a little ridiculous to say this, but I was waiting.¡± Tsukuyo spoke so and raised a long, thin finger to point at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s because everyone wants to go to your world. If you actually look at the bulletin board now...¡± When he opened the board, there were several members, starting with Loki, loudly asking who had gotten chosen by Anvil. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to ignore some familiar nicknames among those rioting on the bulletin board. First, he decided to contact ire again. ¡°Huh, everyone is slow. If you move when the quest urs, it¡¯ll be toote. You have to move with feeling.¡± Tsukuyo spoke proudly like someone who had sessfully purchased tickets to an idol¡¯s concert. However, the administrator denied her words. -She interfered with the system and epted the quest even before it was sent. That fox is a cheater! No, a beater! A beater! [lol] ¡°Did the Hero Universe even have a beta test?¡± ¡°Anvil, a dimensional quest suddenly urred, and I came in a panic. I¡¯ll give you a little exnation on that.¡± She ignored the chatter between him and the admin and reached out to the side of the empty clearing. In an instant, a strong andfortable bench appeared. Kang Shin-hyuk was wondering if it had been stored in her inventory; sheughed and tapped her knees with her hand. ¡°Come and lie down while you listen. I¡¯ll clean your ears.¡± ¡°No, my girlfriend... I have a lover.¡± ¡°Oh my. I thought you looked more attractive than before, so there was a reason. But you¡¯re not trying to do anything stupid?¡± He was able to clearly read the desire in her eyes, although they were infinitely calm. What the hell was she trying to do with him under the guise of cleaning his ears? How creepy. When Kang Shin-hyuk finally refused and sat away from her, Tsukuyo mumbled with a regret-filled expression. ¡°To think I cannot serve you... if so, would you like a cup of tea?¡± Tsukuyo, whose ear-cleaning operation failed, produced a te of refreshments, ced it down, and poured him some tea. ¡°I prepared a higher quality tea thanst time. It will definitely agree with you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped looking at her fascinating movements. When they met before, he had that thought, but even her movements had a strange charm to them. ¡°Hm, Anvil?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ll drink.¡± -Don¡¯t be fooled, member! Don¡¯t forget that the essence of this fox is to possess a man! ¡°Woah, we came to a quiet ce, but that fly is noisy.¡± Tsukuyo shook off the admin¡¯s message with the wave of her hand and smiled lightly. In fact, the ce they were in now wasn¡¯t a very suitable environment for a chat. Since they left the base camp, it was natural that monsters would appear. But, Kang Shin-hyuk had a strange conviction that no monsters would enter this area unless Tsukuyo wanted them to. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Woohoo, thank you. Then, I¡¯ll tell you about the conditions of the quest.¡± -This administrator can do it as well. The dimensional quest that just urred... Tsukuyo coughed, and the administrator¡¯s message vanished as if it had been interrupted. As Kang Shin-hyuk blinked, Tsukuyo began to exin with a subtle smile. ¡°Dimensional quests are created for the first time when the dimension¡¯s existence is in danger. This is the first time the Hero Universe intervened when there is an abnormality in the maintenance of the dimension itself.¡± ¡°Then it means that something like that is currently happening on Earth.¡± ¡°However, the urrence of the quest is limited. This time, Anvil, a member of the Hero Universe, was on-site, so they quickly recognized the crisis and issued a quest.¡± ¡°...Is it like that?¡± Somehow, the timing felt tricky. The moment he found out about Zeus¡¯s cooperator, a quest was created. If he didn¡¯t know, what would¡¯ve happened? It was something he didn¡¯t want to imagine. ¡°The dimension is facing a crisis of existence... are you saying it¡¯s that scale?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because an existence that can do something like that has infiltrated this dimension.¡± The names of several people passed through his mind. At least it wasn¡¯t Oh Joo-young, nor was it Bomber Girl. ¡°This also means that Earth has grown that much. Even high-ranking Jormungand executives can¡¯t get into a world that is too low-level.¡± Tsukuyoughed. ¡°But rest assured, Anvil. I¡¯ll be with you until I kick them out. The big ones suffer a lot of pressure to move even once, so after solving this quest, it will be fine for the time being.¡± -That¡¯s right. Therefore, if this woman is also banned now, it will be difficult for her to return to Earth. Exile! Exile! Kang Shin-hyuk wondered how much pressure would be needed in order to stop an entity like Tsukuyo. However, he began to wonder if she was worried about it, too, as she listened. Suddenly, he was certain that it wasn¡¯t Tsukuyo who looked down on him the day that the Godyer was stolen. ¡°...Thank you, Tsukuyo.¡± ¡°Just being able to meet you is like a reward for this quest. So why shouldn¡¯t I be the grateful one?¡± With a smile that conveyed her happiness, she poured more tea into his empty cup. ¡°Oh my, another uninvited guest.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± -Bang! A lightning bolt fell down upon Tsukuyo¡¯s head; however, she brushed it off lightly with the wave of her hand. ¡°Junior, get away. That woman is dangerous.¡± ¡°Somehow, a savage has appeared.¡± Shin Eunah, having appeared from nowhere, was looking straight at Tsukuyo. ¡°I came here because I heard you ran away, and you were alone with such a dangerous being. I feel the same energy as Jormungand. Junior,e here right now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, senior. This is Tsukuyo.¡± ¡°What...?¡± Shin Eunah was also a member of the Hero Universe, so she knew who Tsukuyo was. However, she was somehow even warier of her after learning Tsukuyo¡¯s identity. Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly sighed as he looked back at Tsukuyo, who was covering her mouth with a fan (it was the same iron fan that he had made). ¡°This is Eunah, Tsukuyo. You¡¯re both members of the Hero Universe.¡± ¡°I knew as soon as I saw her. It looks like she wasn¡¯t a kid.¡± ¡°Huh?! Kid?¡± ¡°Yes. An unscrupulous kid who always bothered Anvil. A little girl who tried to monopolize Anvil since childhood... that hairpin looks pretty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± As if Tsukuyo would take it away, Shin Eunah covered the hairpin in her bangs with one of her hands. It was one of the twost works he hadpleted in his previous life, with fragments of that yellow jewel. Tsukuyo looked at her up and down before turning to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°No way the woman you are dating right now is that child...¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. If so, maybe that child with the nickname of Bartender? Even now, it¡¯s cute how she pretends to be calm on the bulletin board.¡± Tsukuyo revealed the truth Shin Eunah tried not to listen to without hesitation. Shin Eunah, who heard it fully, was staring at Tsukuyo with tears forming in her eyes. ¡°Junior, please leave us for a moment.¡± ¡°No, absolutely not.¡± ¡°Junior!¡± ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t refuse. If I put this annoying girl away now, we can have more intimate timeter, right?¡± The tension between them rose to an extreme. Why did they need to collide now when a crisis threatened Earth¡¯s existence? But when Kang Shin-hyuk was thinking about how to calm them down, Shin Eunah¡¯s hairpin began to vibrate. ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°Oh my...¡± Tsukuyo smiled. ¡°It looks like the gate of Jormungand has finally connected.¡± Chapter 253 - Rain and the Fox (1)

Chapter 253 - Rain and the Fox (1)

When the gate was connected, it meant that Jormungand¡¯s main troops could hit Earth at any time. Fortunately, the gate appeared to be on the African continent. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to ask what the connection was between that and Shin Eunah¡¯s hairpin vibrating, but Eunah nodded as if she understood everything. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, definitely.¡± ¡°Well, I want to proceed with a massive search right now... if I exercised a huge force outside the gate, it would have a bad effect on this world.¡± Tsukuyo wondered for a moment, then smiled brightly and approached Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°If the gate opens, you will know, so until then, is it okay to borrow your shoulders?¡± ¡°My shoulder?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The moment Tsukuyo breathed out, something that looked like a small dog appeared where she was andnded on his shoulder. No, if one were to look closely, it looked like a little fox. No, it really was a fox! Tsukuyo spoke up. [It¡¯s annoying to keep my spiritual power invisible to others. If the quest can¡¯t be solved right away, it is better for me to stay in this form until an important moment arrives.] A human voice came out of the animal¡¯s mouth, causing him to flinch, but that voice probably couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone she didn¡¯t want. ¡°Like that...¡± ¡°Wow...¡± Shin Eunah tried to regain her cool as she felt confused by Tsukuyo¡¯s actions. At this critical point, she knew better than anyone that there was nothing good about quarreling with her allies. However, she couldn¡¯t take it and ended up responding. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s different?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head, but the fox replied as she rubbed her face on his cheek. [That¡¯s why you¡¯re a kid. Rather, from now on...] ¡°What...?¡± [Would you like to hear more?] ¡°...¡± He could see Shin Eunah¡¯s ears twitch. Kang Shin-hyuk sensed the energy mounting up and closed the fox¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything weird.¡± [Ooh, oooh.] Tsukuyo was happy to be in contact with Kang Shin-hyuk. Shin Eunah approached them, seeing Tsukuyo in that state. ¡°Junior, that fox and I, for a minute.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ooh...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the quest rather than that. Perhaps... it seems that Zeus and the executives of Jormungand are working together.¡± ¡°...Huh.¡± Shin Eunah stiffened at the word quest. At that point, Tsukuyo escaped his hand and opened her mouth. [Neither of you has to be too nervous. It¡¯s my job to deal with them. That¡¯s what dimensional quests are. It¡¯s difficult to solve with the power of the world alone, so a helper is called.] Kang Shin-hyuk had be very strong over the past year, and Shin Eunah¡¯s ability went without saying, but how strong was Tsukuyo, who treated their power so casually? He wanted to ask, but he remained patient. Shin Eunah was of the same mind... no, she just wanted to challenge Tsukuyo, but she endured it. [So, until the gate opens, listen to me and enjoy refreshments in a quiet ce, Anvil.] ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Refreshment? ...Not my grandma.¡± [I beg your pardon?!] -Fox... 5HP bonus to the lightning fox! ¡°If it¡¯s something you like, give them more points.¡± That day in the lost continent began with an unexpected but strong reinforcement. *** As long as their enemies realized that Kang Shin-hyuk was eavesdropping, it was right to discard all the information he had collected. Perhaps they had spilled the information of the n in two days to trick them. Now that it was impossible to hide Onyx, Kang Shin-hyuk built a system to acquire information indirectly by spreading the sound collectors through the entire base camp instead. The sound collectors were equipped with a function to send the location information to Kang Shin-hyuk the moment it was destroyed. [Anvil, you¡¯re also good with tricks.] ¡°Is it alright for you to be here? Won¡¯t the enemy notice?¡± [The moment the enemy detects me, I will also notice them. So you don¡¯t have to worry about it.] ¡°...That¡¯s reassuring.¡± [Right? I¡¯m so d it¡¯s helpful to you.] Since then, he was faithful to his mission, to the point it seemed like he hadpletely forgotten about the conspiracies lurking under the surface. He diligently searched, handled the gates that could be dealt with, and fought against crowds of monsters in the evening. Tsukuyo was sitting still on his shoulder the entire time. As a result, it took little time to notice her presence. ¡°Hey, what is that little fox?¡± ¡°It was tamed.¡± ¡°Wow, are you a tamer now? Cute!¡± Most of the reactions to Tsukuyo were simr to that of Bridget Poulsen. However, since everyone knew how terrifying the Hell Spike Wyvern he had tamed was, they knew this fox wasn¡¯t ordinary. ¡°Does it breathe fire?¡± ¡°Keep working.¡± ¡°Can it transform? Ouch!¡± ¡°Work.¡± In response to Bridget¡¯s needlessly pointed questions, Kang Shin-hyuk flicked her forehead. While most opinions of her were slightly inclined in a negative direction since she rarely fought, she waspletely treated as an ally by the Korean superhumans now. Even Shin Eunah was forced to admit that she was helpful. ¡°Did I do well? Can we hold hands for a little bit?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Ah, I know that? Tsundere?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t stand this cold reply... ouch!¡± It was also a great thing to be able to elicit such reactions from Shin Eunah, who had no real friends except for ire and Kang Shin-hyuk for most of her life. Of course, he felt a littleplicated about it, but he hoped the two could be good friends. ¡°You defeated an SS+ gate with the EU today?¡± ¡°It was an erosion type. It seemed there was no change in the surrounding environment.¡± ¡°It seems that the UK has been cking today.¡± ¡°Brexit...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cry.¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± Meanwhile, Eleanor, who was the core of their air force along with Hell, seemed interested in hearing about the British forces. She was deliberately trying to not pay attention to them after looking into their camp once before, but Kang Shin-hyuk understood her feelings. ¡°R, can we talk?¡± ¡°Huh?! Of course!¡± Originally, this was the evening that Zeus would enact their n. Kang Shin-hyuk waved for Eleanor to join him on the wall. ¡°You¡¯re in charge of the vignce mission?¡± ¡°I applied since I¡¯ve been active for thest few days.¡± The first day, there hadn¡¯t even been enough time for the blood on the ground to dry, but now everything felt neatly arranged. The number of those guarding the walls in the evening was reduced to a minimum, and the rest strove to explore the continent. As Kang Shin-hyuk patted the seat on the wall next to him, Eleanor approached and sat down with a faint smile. Tsukuyo groaned as if they were funny, but Eleanor wasn¡¯t aware of her. ¡°It looks clear.¡± ¡°Now, all 3333 monsters around here have been cleaned up. How about from the air?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still far away.¡± ¡°Sure...¡± The territory that they had cleared was only a few kilometers in length, though each inch they took had been heavily contested by the monsters here. Moreover, the level of monsters appearing was now in the SS-rank, and sometimes the SS+ rank. That was still only a taste of what Africa had to offer, too. The problem was that despite most countries being aware of that, they were ignoring it. ¡°Eunah insists that we should focus on reducing the number of monsters rather than attacking the maind. I think that¡¯s right too.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I think Britain has a different idea.¡± Eleanor sighed and nodded. ¡°Because of Gibraltar... everyone is desperate.¡± ¡°Is your family on this expedition... Is the royal family participating?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Eleanor nodded. ¡°There are a few more, but big brother and sister are the representatives. Both are high rankers.¡± ¡°How old are they?¡± ¡°My brother is in his 30¡¯s, and my eldest sister is in herte 20¡¯s.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°The person with the highest-ranking from Britain is Boyd Taylor, the current No. 11. Thanks to his ability, he married into royalty and was made a member of the family. He is also participating in this expedition.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he learned more of the royal family¡¯s circumstances. He knew about Boyd Taylor, his name had popped up as thest top ranker selection, but he was too weakpared to the otherpetitors. Additionally, because of his age, his potential was low. ¡°Is that your big sister¡¯s fianc??e?¡± ¡°My big sister has her eyes up high. She can¡¯t meet any man because she¡¯speting for the throne with my big brother. And Boyd Taylor is too old.¡± No matter how high their ranking, you wouldn¡¯t want to marry a middle-aged person. However, for that reason, Kang Shin-hyuk started to worry a little that she would die old as a virgin. ¡°Woah, you¡¯re also a candidate.¡± Eleanor spoke quietly to Kang Shin-hyuk, who tilted his head. ¡°A candidate?¡± ¡°As my big sister¡¯s fianc??e.¡± ¡°???¡± It was the first he heard of it. Tsukuyo¡¯s soft-looking fox tail wagged as she seemed interested as well. ¡°You¡¯re young, but a top ranker. More than anything else, you¡¯re dating a western woman simr to her in age.¡± ¡°Are youparing ire to her simply because of that? It¡¯s a little unpleasant.¡± ¡°Not me, but the royal family.¡± She exined further with her lips pouted. ¡°For the UK, who wants to attract a strong superhuman to the royal family, you are a coveted talent.¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t even contacted me once, but they want that...¡± ¡°So, sooner orter...¡± Eleanor hesitated briefly. ¡°They might contact you.¡± ¡°Ah... Is that what you wanted to look into?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eleanor nodded nervously. However, he was confused. Why did the British royal family arrive at the point they might take him in as a son-inw? ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of responding to them.¡± ¡°Really? Sister is pretty. She looks like me.¡± ¡°ire is prettier.¡± ¡°...¡± Eleanor seemed to be hit pretty hard by that. Eleanor had brought it up, but he felt considerably responsible. ¡°Eli is also pretty. You¡¯ll win Miss Shinyoung this year, for sure.¡± ¡°Toote.¡± Contrary to what she said, she seemed to feel better. But it was then. Outside the wall, he saw something flying with a saddle. A woman with bright blonde hair that exuded a noble dignity. Eleanor cleared her throat. ¡°Little sister...?¡± ¡°What? No way...¡± -Kwooooong A dull vibration resounded out, quieting him. [It started.] Tsukuyo, who had been quiet until now, stretched herself out on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a countercurrent! It¡¯sing! Put the royal family in the middle!¡± Eleanor stood up as people began to shout, and Kang Shin-hyuk quickly joined her. The real trials of Africa were starting. Chapter 254 - Rain and the Fox (2)

Chapter 254 - Rain and the Fox (2)

The vibrations soon became so great that everyone in the camps could sense it. Terrible torrents of mana were spreading out, dozens ofyers of dense mana waves that were iparable to the monsters they had experienced in Africa so far. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Eli!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively tried to grab Eleanor as she stood up. She tried to shake him off but stopped as Hellnded in front of her, having been called by Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Your family will be safe, so stay calm. And, if you¡¯re calm, go ahead.¡± With that, he put the threads from the soul connector around Eleanor¡¯s body to strengthen her status. Not only that, but he quietly activated his Golden Dragon Fighter and Guardian Golden Dragon to boost her further. She closed her eyes and epted it, whether she felt the reinforcement or if she was just moved by his thoughts of her. ¡°...I¡¯ve calmed down. Thanks.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Eleanor, opening her eyes, kissed him with a disy of gratitude and jumped straight onto Hell¡¯s back. Even without Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s order, Hell was happy enough to fly with Eleanor after working with her for a few days. -Fox?! [Oh, she¡¯s a girl who knows the atmosphere quite a bit.] ¡®It¡¯s a serious moment, so you both...¡¯ Before Hell took off, Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly buffed him the same way. The wyvern delightedly pped his wings. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first!¡± -Quaaaa! As Hell flew up, the other monstersmanded by him followed in unison. In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk needed to run straight to the field with her, but... ¡®Damn it... even if I do work, will it matter? Whether it goes well or not, more than half of them will die!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t. Their target was most likely the mercenaries who should be guarding the camp. ¡®Is it their master n to push through the superhumans and devour the mercenaries inside the camp? But even knowing it, I can¡¯t help but go to the battlefield.¡¯ It was heartbreaking, but one superhuman was worth more than a hundred mercenaries without any abilities. What¡¯s more, the countercurrent was spreading, and if it weren¡¯t blocked at the source, it would gradually devour the camp. He had virtually no choice, but there was his family from the orphanage. -Myu? ¡°No, Onyx. You¡¯ll be in danger too.¡± Onyx remarked that he would protect them, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head firmly. He wouldn¡¯t protect anyone by sacrificing him. Everyone must be kept. He didn¡¯t know he would have such Batman-like troubles, but he was serious. ¡°This, Death Puppeteer!¡± In the meantime, the young woman, perhaps British royalty, whom Eleanor called her little sister earlier, reached the wall. ¡°Princess Olivia, the candidate for session to the throne, is in danger! The British royal family will not forget this grace, so please save her...! She shouted straight at Kang Shin-hyuk. Didn¡¯t she see Eleanor soaring, or was she thinking of asking him for help from the start? If one were to think about it, it was a little odd to run straight towards the Korean base camp, even if you couldn¡¯t afford to think about your direction while running away. That meant she came here for the purpose of asking him for help... which increased the likelihood that the British royal family was really interested in Shin Eun-hyuk. What was surprising was that they calcted that far and were moving toward such a goal even at a time like this. But, though he felt sorry for her, he had already made up his mind. ¡®To protect my friends, I have to stay here. It won¡¯t look unnatural because we need to protect the camp...¡± [You don¡¯t have to, Anvil.] Her red tail flickering in front of him cut him off. ¡°Huh?¡± [If you remain here, it bes difficult to draw them out, so do it like this.] She plucked a strand of her hair, then blew it. Then, it turned into a little fox that looked just like her. Itughed and turned into a red wind that flowed into the base camp. [Now, with this, the base camp is safe. Moreover, whenever you want to, you cane right away. You can leave with confidence.] ¡®Tsukuyo... thank you.¡¯ [For me, being able to help you is the reward of a lifetime.] Maybe her dimensional quest had already begun. With his worries solved, Kang Shin-hyuk stood up and looked at the woman asking for his help. ¡°Okay, go inside and let me know exactly what¡¯s going on. Tell that Shin Eun-hyuk will be helping.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± He took the princess of Ennd back to base camp and immediately put his hand up to the earring he was wearing. ¡®Senior Eunah... already in the field. Then it¡¯s possible.¡¯ Artifacts that served asmunication devices and methods for long-distance spatial mobility had been shared among the top rankers. It was equipped with the ability to teleport them to each other¡¯s location with mutual consent. Since Kang Shin-hyuk had the skill of space coordination, he could use that, but he decided that he didn¡¯t need to unnecessarily expose the fact that he could move long distances using his own power. He activated the earring and headed straight to Shin Eunah. -Kwaaaah! She was already in the middle of hell. The eroded terrain ovepped, and the ground, which was already like a reddish swamp, constantly spewed out heat. The monsters ovepped and mixed together as many gates popped up at once. -Kaaaek! -Koo, kugaaaah... ¡°That, what...¡± [Ah, okay. Many varieties are born in these ces.] -After all, Earth boasts an erosion ratepared to that of other perishing worlds only on this continent...! Worse than anything, the mana pressure was so high that monsters below a certain rank were dying immediately as soon as they were born. Monsters that died like that became part of the torrent of mana, creating stronger monsters as a result. [That¡¯s why all the weak humans are already dead.] ¡°Yes...¡± ¡°Junior?!¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk was busy digesting Tsukuyo¡¯s cold words, Shin Eunah screamed at him. She had arrived at the scene one step ahead of him and was trying to somehow tame the mana around her. However, no matter how great her magic was, it was a job that would take a while. ¡°What about the camp?!¡± ¡°One of Tsukuyo¡¯s alter egos is protecting it. Let¡¯s deal with this first!¡± ¡°But... Ugh. Then, there!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk jumped straight to where Shin Eunah was pointing. The British superhumans, caught in the center of the countercurrent, were united around the royal figures. Hell and the other aerial monsters were striking the ground sessively to reduce the number of monsters approaching them, but the victims continued to pile up. The level of the monsters forming on the battlefield was too high. They were at least SS and SSS-rank, so even Eleanor and Hell couldn¡¯t easily wipe them out with their buffs. ¡®Eli can only do so much...¡¯ Had they been more rational, they wouldn¡¯t havee to explore this area with less power than other countries. Kang Shin-hyuk was able to see the young woman standing at the center of the group; her head tilted up despite the dangerous situation. Eleanor¡¯s eldest brother couldn¡¯t be seen, but she was supposed to be the one inmand. ¡°Don¡¯t scatter! You have to hold on a little longer for reinforcements!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Protect our charge!¡± An aristocratic blonde with green eyes and a calm demeanor. As Eleanor had said, herpact features resembled her very much, but she looked a good 20 centimeters taller. ¡®Even in this situation, she is keeping her pride. Without that...¡¯ -It will help the morale of her subordinates. Of course, their morale won¡¯t change much. The administrator sounded cynical as he spoke. ording to the admin¡¯s words, their ranks would copse soon despite how much Eli was struggling. [Sorry, Anvil. I can¡¯t go out yet.] ¡®I know. It¡¯s okay.¡¯ This terrible situation wasn¡¯t even the worst toe. That would be because themand post of Jormungand hadn¡¯t appeared yet. On the contrary, that meant it was still at a level that could be solved with their power! ¡°Haaah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took out the Growing and Fall Scythes, grabbing them in each hand, and rushed forward with a lot of energy, with Golden Dragon energy covering his body. Various monster attacks flew in, but they all got blocked by the shield of Golden Dragon Fighter. His ability to protect was most robust when it came to himself. Kang Shin-hyuk was now able to demonstrate the power of his trait! -Kyaaaaah! -Kiiiii! Everything before him was shredded and crushed by the scythes in his hands. The two scythes at SS and SS+ rank were further reinforced by his trait, and once more by his soul connector, he boosted their durability and cutting power to the current limit. The spiritual power flowing through them became a poison that melted the soul, mercilessly cutting through the monsters¡¯ defense and damaging their very essence. Moreover, here... ¡°Onyx!¡± -Myu! Onyx synchronized with the two scythes, giving them the power of the sharpest and hardest metal he had ever eaten. Onyx¡¯s gold magic had metal properties, and it shone most when it came to reinforcing metal. That,bined with his synchronization, was causing the overall ability of the weapons to evolve. -Kha, are these the humans we¡¯ve been waiting for...! Then, suddenly, a huge monster rose from the bottom of the red swamp. It had a brass-colored muscr body, sulfurous breath, and crooked goat horns; it was the very image of a devil. When he saw the monsters screaming and dying as soon as it appeared, he could tell it was draining their magic. -It is from their homnd. Crimson Soldier, an average SSS-rank soldier. It won¡¯t be easy to break through because the elements that make up its body have the properties of artifacts. [Oops, even these are already on Earth.] The admin and Tsukuyo reacted at the same time. However, they both indicated that this guy seemed to be from Jormungand¡¯s home. -That¡¯s funny, human. Even though I know it¡¯s a trap, I feel like jumping...ha! Kang Shin-hyuk threw the Falling Scythe with a wave of his hand. At the same time, the monster¡¯s hand reached out to summon dark magic around it, blocking the scythe. Kang Shin-hyuk rushed at it and threw his Growing Scythe. -Same attack, kahak?! Just before the magical power in its fist collided with him, the growing scythe hit his face, having traversed space in an instant using space coordination. The growing scythe prated his brass skin, spread his soul poison, and at the same time amplified it, bursting the guy¡¯s head in a second. -You¡¯ve subdued one that is harmful to the order of things! Bonus on membership level! You received 25,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 37,500,000HP! When he threw the falling scythe to grasp his foe¡¯s ability, he found its defense and magic dreadful, but it seemed that its intelligence wasn¡¯t high enough. To be caught so easily by a feint. Or maybe the space coordination skill that Kang Shin-hyuk used was a high-level technique. ¡°This is enough to deal with without a transcendence potion.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled and withdrew the Growing Scythe, retracting the crescent-shaped des back into it. [Excellent, Anvil.] Tsukuyo raised her cute feet and pped, and then pointed one paw forward. [But they can¡¯t hold on for much longer, so if you want to save them, you better move quickly.] Where she was pointing at was a crimson soldier tearing through several superhumans guarding the English princess. Kang Shin-hyuk gritted his teeth and ran! Chapter 255 - Rain and the Fox (3)

Chapter 255 - Rain and the Fox (3)

Princess Olivia Theodora Alexis stood at the entrance of hell. ¡®Father, please forgive your ugly daughter.¡¯ Even though she knew it was impossible, she proceeded to search. This expedition was to show prominence in the superhuman society, to be recognized for the possibility of the future restoration operation of Gibraltar, and to obtain as much support as possible. With thatmon goal, she had joined hands with her brother, who felt like an enemy. But now... perhaps he had just been waiting for this moment. ¡®The moment the gate opened, he ran away. Where did he acquire an artifact that enabled space movement? No, it¡¯s useless to think about it now.¡¯ Her desire to condemn him was pointless, but they would probably die here. There were artifacts that could be used to escape if you were alone. However, if he abandoned all of them and survived alone, he would be branded as the surviving family member who fled in disgrace and wouldn¡¯t have a chance in the struggle for session. It was better to die here than to survive so miserably. ¡°¡ªSynthesis!¡± When she calmly prepared for death, spikes tore through the crowd of monsters. When she saw the ckthorns scatter the monsters around her, Olivia trembled slightly. She was almost embarrassed by the salvation she never thought woulde. ¡®It was Eleanor.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t sure at first since she covered her body in a ck coat and a half-mask, but she was sure once she saw her skillful handling of that spear. And, she was irrevocably convinced once she saw her desperate rush to save her sister. She didn¡¯t know why she moved with the Death Puppeteer, but that was certainly her youngest sister, Eleanor Rosaline Reke. ¡®So stupid.¡¯ Such a soft personality that drove her to rescue the older sister who expelled her from the country that wouldn¡¯t serve her. No, wouldn¡¯t she get herself killed in this ce? ¡°I found a ce to die, so why have you crawled here?¡± Olivia muttered, her face twisted. The vassals, distracted by Eleanor¡¯s performance, weren¡¯t able to hear her. However, even with her great skill, she couldn¡¯t save them. Even though the countercurrent had just started, monsters of SS-rank and higher were overflowing everywhere, and the moment the ground turned red, more than half their ranks fell, unable to ovee the mana density. ¡°Taylor, are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. But as it is...¡± Theforting thing was that Boyd Taylor, 11th in the world ranking, remained by her side until the end, but that was because he was her fianc??e, and he had missed the chance to run. Crucially, his power alone couldn¡¯t ovee the situation. His ability was extremely effective in stopping the SS-rank monsters, but he suffered irreparable damage from the higher-ranked monsters¡¯ attacks. The countdown to hell had already begun. -Kyaaaaahoohoh! -Guaaaah! The aerial monsters led by her sister bombed the whole area, barely giving them a chance to breathe. Oliva clenched her jaw as she wielded her wand, squeezing out all the magic she had. ¡°Don¡¯t lower your head! We are the guardians of the great British Empire! Do not back down!¡± Until the moment she died, she was a princess of the British Empire. Until the end, she would maintain an elegant appearance! But that didn¡¯tst long, either. In those red-colorednds, demons born of the blood of monsters and superhumans began to narrow the distance. -Kyahahaaha, it¡¯s ridiculous to think there is noble blood here! -The bigger the delusion, the deeper the despair. What a suitable toy to y with today! -It isn¡¯t long before hees. We have to hurry enjoying it! The demons were superior to the superhumans in every way. Boyd stepped out to stop them but was unable to withstand the blow and fell. He seemed alive, as the shield he activated was still covering him, but he couldn¡¯t continue fighting. ¡°The Thunder Empress hase, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°We just have to hold on a little more!¡± The flow of mana was remarkably mitigated by the magic of the Empress that had miraculously appeared, but she couldn¡¯t wipe them all out. No, rather, it seemed that she was concentrating her abilities on keeping the countercurrent from spreading, not saving them. In other words, Oliva couldn¡¯t be saved. ¡®She¡¯s already chosen. She will do whatever it takes to end this, even at our expense!¡¯ Olivia judged it right, but she didn¡¯t have the authority tomand the Thunder Empress. How did the sessor to the British Empire end up in this ce? Should she wait for the deathing for her? Should she be trampled by those guys who spat out human words? ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Someone shouted out to her as it felt like she was treading water. ¡°It¡¯s the Puppeteer!¡± ¡°Death Puppeteer? Olivia raised her head. The moment Eleanor had appeared, he wondered if he woulde to help them. But what could he do? She knew he was stronger than Boyd, but what could he do that the Thunder Empress couldn¡¯t? -I¡¯m full! Her thought vanished as she watched the demon who came up to her after eating her men in one bite split in half and die. ¡°I came to help. Hm, do you have any potions?¡± Boyd had been taken out in a single blow, yet this man had arrived without a single fear. He created a simple barrier that prevented the monsters¡¯ attacks by wrapping invisible threads around them. Of course, it couldn¡¯t withstand the demon¡¯s power for long, but those few seconds were enough in such a desperate situation. ¡°Don¡¯t reject it because it will give you a buff.¡± ¡°Buff? Do you mean that you possess even that ability...?¡± One of Olivia¡¯s subordinates spoke up, doubting the absurdity of his words which had been spoken in English. However, he didn¡¯t respond as his eyes shed golden through his mask. At that moment, Oliva felt new vitality rising inside her. No, she hadn¡¯t recovered; she just felt stronger. Of course, it was a temporary change, but it was a ridiculous buff. ¡°This... What?!¡± ¡°Okay, drink your potions if you have them. I don¡¯t know when it will disappear, so just try to survive.¡± Shin Eun-hyuk gave a potion to Boyd and left him to another superhuman. Oliva stared nkly at him, swinging his two scythes to stop the demons. ¡®Perhaps... Can I buy...?!¡¯ One by one, the demons they thought couldn¡¯t be ovee were taken out by the scythes. The superhumans under her, who had copsed under the high mana density, were somehow standing and fighting thanks to Shin Eun-hyuk¡¯s ability. In a sense, the change he brought was more dramatic than the Thunder Empress. ¡°Your Majesty! Are you safe?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Taylor, how are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprisingly fine. What potion...¡± ¡°It must be the Alchemist¡¯s. She¡¯s famous.¡± During the previous terrorist attacks in Paris, Shin Eun-hyuk rampaged around with the Alchemist¡¯s assistance. Everyone acknowledged his abilities, but there wasn¡¯t one who looked down on the help he received. He was perfect without her help; the Alchemist gave the man with wings a booster. ¡®And that means... even without the aid of the Alchemist, he¡¯s worth bringing in.¡¯ Olivia¡¯s eyes burned with a strange heat. Suddenly, she looked up and noticed the wyvern and her younger sister wielding a spear atop it. ¡®If only I can survive here.¡¯ No, she would surely survive if the Empress dyed the countercurrent, and the Death Puppeteer defeated the enemy¡¯s main forces. With his support, the British superhumans might be able to clean up the remainder. ¡®Every superhuman here witnessed my brother¡¯s escape. If all of them could live and return, there will be no ce for you to stand.¡¯ The situation had changed so dramatically from having just one man as a reinforcement. Oliva clenched her fists, chasing after Shin Eun-hyuk with her eyes. Then, she raised her staff with the Reke crest engraved on it and shouted vigorously. ¡°Live! We must live and return!¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± The guardians responded simrly to her voice. It was at that moment that ckva began to rise from the ground. *** Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to cover his ears at the disy of spirit from the British superhumans. It was through the use of his trait that had brought them back from the brink. ¡°That spirit is good, but it did drive them to this stupid behavior in the first ce.¡± -I felt a new fox from that idiot... [Anvil, the second wave wille. I can¡¯t stand up yet, but it seems to be a bit tough to confront.] ¡°I can see it over there.¡± The ckva was rising not far away from them. Kang Shin-hyuk saw that a life with mighty power was about to be born. It was an enemy that surpassed the current limit. ¡®I have to drink the Transcendence potion.¡¯ When he thought of the future, he wanted to surpass that limit somehow, but no matter how superior his ability waspared to the rankings, he couldn¡¯t beat an enemy beyond it. He nced at Shin Eunah. She was now controlling all the magic in the area in an attempt to suppress the countercurrent. It was thanks to her that more enemies weren¡¯t appearing. That means this time, there was no chance he would waste the potion. He drank it without hesitation. ¡°Whoo.¡± In an instant, all his stats reached the current limit. He tore through the SSS-rank demons, and his energy he had expended in helping the British troops was restored at once. But, defeating the enemy before him still seemed beyond him. -It¡¯s been a while, father. The man-madeva was wearing armor that was familiar to him. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded in satisfaction. ¡°What Oh Joo-young was wearing was a replica.¡± It had been cracked and destroyed by Shin Eunah¡¯s lightning, so it couldn¡¯t have been something Anvil made. What he was wearing right now was the real deal. No, the whole body that had beenbined with Oh Joo-young must¡¯ve been a fake. ¡®But when I think about it, it feels dirty. Why keep making fakes? In the end, everything that appeared then was fake, right?¡¯ Not only Bomber Girl, but also Oh Joo-young and even this monster! He felt like an idiot for preparing for a decisive battle with Oh Joo-young at that moment. -For Jormungand, whose birth is fake, it is as natural as breathing. [If it¡¯s a fake that¡¯s exactly the same as the real thing, you can¡¯t dare call it a fake. Anvil, open your eyes. The body doesn¡¯t mean anything to the executives of Jormungand. It is their soul that must be broken. You can do it, right?] Tsukuyo offered him some specific advice. Kang Shin-hyuk filled himself with the energy of the Golden Dragon Fighter and created armor around it with spiritual power. He put the Great Heavenly Spirit in his belt, and his scythes away. If he had the Godyer, he would be wielding it now. He couldn¡¯t endure that it had been stolen. He clenched his fists; his heart filled with resentment as he looked up at the monster. ¡°Come on, you infidel.¡± -I didn¡¯t know I would be serving my father in this way... I don¡¯t think you have any intention of backing down. The monster clicked his tongue and lifted a greatsword made of ckva. Kang Shin-hyuk recognized that a part of Oh Joo-young was embedded in the greatsword, and his lips twisted into a smile. ¡°You made a good trade.¡± -You will know soon! It hit the ground and charged. Although its body exceeded three meters, it elerated faster than the speed of sound with that might. The greatsword, which converted all of that terrible weight and speed into destructive power, swung in a straight line right at his head. ¡°Ha!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swung his fist against him, empowered with spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter. Then, a shield of lightning made with the magical power of Shin Eunah that was contained in the orb sprang up and blocked the sword. -This is...? ¡°This will be fun.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes shone a golden hue. The shield imbued with the power of the dragon soared. Chapter 256 - Rain and the Fox (4)

Chapter 256 - Rain and the Fox (4)

-Kugaga! The dragon made of lightning made a creepy sound as it swept through the outer surface of that armor. Kang Shin-hyukughed a little as he watched it. ¡®It works too.¡¯ -It would¡¯ve been better if you had created an artifact to capture this energy. [Tsu, if you wanted to make a weapon amplified by an energy that isn¡¯t yours, you would have to use this orb as a material. I¡¯m very happy to see the true face of Anvil, smelting weapons on the fly.] Shin Eunah¡¯s magical power showed the greatest efficiency when it was converted into a weapon. It was natural, given her other trait was based on lightning. With it, Kang Shin-hyuk took that high-purity lightning, put Golden Dragon Fighter at its core, and framed it with spiritual power. Thus, it was reborn as a weapon with strong destructive power. It was an ignorant waste of energy, but the effect was strong. It was evident just by seeing the armored monster beaten back by the Golden Thunder Dragon. -Already... His attitude grew more serious as part of his armor got scorched. But a moment after, he realized something felt off. That was because some of the enormous power the armor granted to him was lost. -Surely... Did you erase the power of the armor? ¡°I said this would be fun!¡± It was an object that he made himself in his past life; how could he not grasp the artifact¡¯s structure? And if he knew the structure, it was natural to know how to lower its performance temporarily! ¡®The influence of that armor is a factor for his breaking through the current limit. So, if I can disable the armor like this...!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk wrapped the scattered form of the dragon around his body and charged in a straight line. His speed wasn¡¯t much lower than the monsters. -But that¡¯s the human limit! ¡°Ha!¡± The monster calmly struck with his greatsword. The greatsword broke through the current limit, and he couldn¡¯t read its trajectory with his own eyes. It also had just as much power, creating a hole several meters deep as it hit the ground and caused redva to rise. ¡®Well?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk could hardly believe it. As if he knew in advance, he instinctively turned his body to the side to avoid the path of the sword that cut through the area he had just been. His avoidance was so fast that the enemy didn¡¯t make any follow-up attacks, thinking that he had cut through him by hitting his afterimage. He felt a slight sense of incongruity at that moment, but he thought it was the effect of his reflexes from Golden Dragon Fighter, and he punched the undefended stomach in front of him. -Bang! The fist wrapped in Golden Dragon energy and spiritual power broke through the armor, and the Thunder Dragon soared through his arm again to concentrate the blow inside of it. Only then, realizing that he hadn¡¯t cut Kang Shin-hyuk, did he twist his sword around. And, again, Kang Shin-hyuk evaded his attack. He realized how he was able to avoid it this time. It was because he knew it in advance. ¡°Somehow, I felt it was a movement that I knew. Really...¡± -Khaaahah! This time, it was his turn to fight back. Lava rose from his greatsword, forming a sword ten meters in length, and it swept in front of him, giving Kang Shin-hyuk no chance to escape. Dodging it, even by leaping into the air, would invite an even more deadly blow. Kang Shin-hyuk, who concluded it couldn¡¯t be avoided, took it head-on. -Kwaah! At the moment of collision, his arms were wrapped around with a zing white me! It was ame created by the power of Light and Fire Mastery. It contained some of the power of the Orb of Nephritis in his hand, and even if it collided with theva greatsword, it could ovee the heat. Moreover, because he had grasped the sword¡¯s path in advance, it was possible to mitigate the shock. Of course, it couldn¡¯t bepletely ovee, so his body was pushed back, and his arm broken. He clenched his jaw. ¡°Kh!¡± The me exploded and swallowed the sword. Kang Shin-hyuk broke through the gap and turned the Thunder Dragon into a long spear, which he threw with all his might at his foe¡¯s stomach. -Khh! The monster¡¯s whole body turned intova. Perhaps it could transform its body based on certain conditions. -Kagaaaaahhh! As the thunderbolt pierced the middle of theva, a groan erupted out from him. Perhaps it was because of the spiritual power wrapped around the thunderbolt. With Tsukuyo¡¯s advice, Kang Shin-hyuk put spiritual power into each of his attacks. Whether it turned intova or air, the attacks he threw had the power to stab through it. ¡°It¡¯s my son that doesn¡¯t know of spiritual power...¡± -Father, hey! -Member! At the same moment, a message came from the administrator that demanded his attention. Soon after,va gushed out around his feet and swallowed up his lower body. ¡°Huh?!¡± The reason that he didn¡¯t lose his legs was that the message hade in just in time, and he had been protecting his whole body with spiritual power. He moved away with space coordination as naturally as breathing. -Spatial Coordination (SSS) skill proficiency has grown to C-rank! ¡°Hak, ha-ah...! -Wow! But even so, the damage couldn¡¯t bepletely avoided. The equipment and clothes protecting his lower body werepletely burnt away, and his skin was also scorched. There was no abnormality in his bones, but he could feel the poison from theva in his muscles. If it weren¡¯t for his soul poison skill, he wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee the poison contained in theva, and his muscles would¡¯ve broken down right away. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately activated his slot function, summoning other equipment onto his lower body. ¡®I was blocking it, but in one strike...¡¯ [How dare you hurt Anvil¡¯s body?! Whoo, whoo, whoo. I want to tear him up myself...!] The effect of the Transcendence potion remained, causing him to recover quickly, but for now, it was difficult for him to maneuver at high speeds. Space coordination could rece that, but the danger of a counterattack was too great if he used it near the enemy. If so...! ¡°Can¡¯t end it with your disgusting swordsmanship?!¡± Kang Shin-hyukunched a Thunder Dragon containing poison as he cried out. In order not to repeat his previous mistake, he tried to turn his whole body intova and scatter it. But, the dragon hit the space he had moved to, causing a magnificent explosion! -Kahak! With a pained scream, he attempted to send theva under Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s feet again, but he wasn¡¯t foolish enough to be hit by the same technique twice. He activated his spatial movement ability he had prepared in advance and soared into the air. Below him, he saw the huge greatsword growing. Theva that rose from the ground was gathering together to make it even more massive. ¡®The whole body is a greatsword...?¡¯ -It¡¯s fun, this one. It was Oh Joo-young¡¯s voice that came to him as he was thinking that. Soon after, it shot in a straight line right at him in the air. Obviously, traces of Oh Joo-young were clear in the attack, but there was also clear traces of the Godyer¡¯s sword dance. ¡°You son of a bitch...!¡± It was rare when he did, but Kang Shin-hyuk swore as he swung the Thunder Dragon at him. Why did he suddenly feel so dirty and irritable? It was because of the possibility he wanted to deny. ¡°Using the Godyer sword dance like that...!¡± The Thunder Dragon, which contained the pure spiritual power of Kang Shin-hyuk, struck theva sword and emitted a roar and sh of light. ¡°Don¡¯t use it!¡± The moment the dragon, created with all the energy contained within the Great Heavenly Spirit, touched theva greatsword, cut it in half. The thunderbolt continued down the greatsword and smashed through its wielder. The moment it happened, a message appeared before his eyes. -Golden Dragon Fighter (SS+) skill proficiency has increased significantly and will grow to SS-rank! -Spiritual power has grown to SS+ rank. Strength has grown to SS+ rank. -Fire Mastery (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to S+ rank. -Soul Poison (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to SS-rank. -You¡¯ve subdued part of a huge being that is immensely harmful to the order of things! Bonus based on membership level! You received 320,000,000HP! As a VIP bonus, you received an additional amount of HP equivalent to 50% of the reward, for a total of 480,500,000HP! It was the moment that proved the achievement of a fierce battle could grow someone in an instant. Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed with Tsukuyo that he had cleared the enemy¡¯s soul as he had been advised. ¡°How about this?¡± [Very well done, Anvil. You are also the one I love.] -Exile... No, member! [So please leave the rest to me now.] ¡°Huh?¡± Tsukuyo jumped from his shoulders and turned around in the air, transforming from a fox into the beauty she was. At the same time, a small gate opened where theva greatsword had been broken, and he saw someone walk out of it. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes went wide as he noticed what he was holding in his hand, but the next moment thendscape around them changed to a dark and bloody space where sacrifices had been made. ¡°...Eun-hyuk?!¡± ¡°Puppeteer, the Zeus guys!¡± ¡°As soon as the superhumans left the camp...!¡± Those who found him had relief in on their faces. Only then did Kang Shin-hyuk realize that he was entering a certain gate. He knew that the Korean base camp was swallowed up by a gate. The alter ego created by Tsukuyo was made to move him into it from the start. To protect him from the ¡®real¡¯ enemies. ¡°How...? You, surely...¡± The voice of Zeus¡¯s submaster, Lee Kang-yul, tapped on his ears, and he turned his head to look at him. He was covered in thick magic armor that could be called a power suit. Moreover, there were wriggling half bodies everywhere, but most of them were eroded by dark mana and seemed to have no proper consciousness left¡ªthe situation was much worse than he had imagined. ¡°...How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Tw-twenty minutes.¡± Jinseok Lee responded weakly. Fortunately, Yoo Hye-na and Jo Woon-hyung were still safe, but a third of the Gunners were lying on the floor. ¡®Tsukuyo...¡¯ He btedly realized the differences in their standards. For her, the safety of other humans wasn¡¯t so important. It seemed she had paid special attention to only the three important to Kang Shin-hyuk. From start to finish of this dimensional quest, she was taking care of him thoroughly. This terrible humiliation, however, was the most irresistible to her. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t enter this gate... Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Yoo Jun-man, who exuded deeper energy that Lee Kang-yul, spoke with a cold smile. ¡°He promised to subdue you, but we¡¯ve no choice but for me to do it with our own hands.¡± ¡°He¡¯s this... You know well.¡± ¡°Oh, did you two meet? But how did you escape?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk justughed. While he confronted Zeus¡¯s executives, the surviving mercenaries gathered around him. The Zeus members were still, seemingly thinking that the first to move would be the target. ¡°Well, they use magic and another kind of energy.¡± Jinseok Lee whispered in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ear. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s terrible. This gate is also strange. It¡¯s best to destroy it somehow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Dismissing his friend¡¯s worrisome suggestion, Kang Shin-hyuk readied Phoibos. At the same time, the Zeus guild moved. The situation ended the moment the bullet filled with light was fired, so it was pointless. Chapter 257 - Rain and the Fox (5)

Chapter 257 - Rain and the Fox (5)

By the time the top rankers had arrived on the battlefield, the countercurrent was greatly expanding its range. Dark Curtain quickly absorbed the magic and turned it into a shield to protect his allies, and Stone Ground jumped into the battlefield, raising a high stone wall in front of the survivors. Regardless of nationality, all rankers desperately tried to block the waves of monsters and push them back. ¡°Fuck it!¡± Dark Curtain shouted out. ¡°Why the hell are you sending a search team to such a deep level?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being noisy; just file aint afterward!¡± ¡°Unnie, where are you?!¡± Red Shoes, Bridget Poulsen, walked the battlefield with unprecedented urgency. She always moved in a rxed way, but now she was urgently moving, spreading vibrations as hard as she could. The vibrations spreading from her footsteps caused monsters of even SS-rank to be shaken and forced to their knees. Those around her realized that she had been underestimated. ¡°I will use my strength until I lose...¡± ¡°Hey, a wave of demons ising from the inside! Dark Curtain!¡± ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Eunah...!¡± It was aplete mess. The superhumans jumped out in a disorderly manner to stop the countercurrent, leaving behind the mercenaries. ¡°Gate reaction behind us, it¡¯s in the direction of the Korean base camp! It¡¯s an irregr gate..!¡± ¡°Damn, ignore it! Stop the equipment from being blown away!¡± ¡°Fuck, stop that devil!¡± The SSS-rank monster, Crimson Soldier, was hard to handle without a top ranker, and even they would have trouble in a one-on-one. ¡°Damn, how...!¡± All the superhumans btedly saw the figure of the Puppeteer rushing forward with a scythe against the demons to defend the British troops, where the source of the countercurrent was rushing. Many people underestimated his ability because of the Alchemist¡¯s potion, but most of those misunderstandings disappeared in Africa. Rather, some argued he should be ranked higher, but the Dark Curtain, the current No. 3, had been denying it. ¡®Damn, this is why...¡¯ But now, he couldn¡¯t dare deny it. Looking at the Puppeteer easily get rid of a few monsters that two top rankers working together could barely fight made him think that, in a sense, he was stronger than the Thunder Empress. ¡®To think he came out of the Republic of Korea...!¡¯ Recognized as the greatest superhuman in China, he trembled at the unpleasant reality he waspelled to admit. The fact that humanity could stand up on the African continent now was not because of him, but those two superhumans from that small country. ¡°Damn it... ahhh!¡± Dark Curtain, Jinmyeong Jang, yelled as loudly as possible and activated his ability with all he had. One after another, people squeezed their abilities to the limit across the battlefield, but unfortunately, the situation didn¡¯t change much. The spread of the countercurrent was fatal, and if the Thunder Empress hadn¡¯t halted it, it would¡¯ve swallowed up the base camp in a second. What would happen if the superhumans representing humanity were annihted here? The superhumans pushed themselves as far as they could to drive away such thoughts. Meanwhile, Eleanor, who had contributed the most to reducing the number of monsters in the area and friendly casualties, was able to see Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s battle more vividly than anyone atop Hell. ¡®Shin-hyuk...¡¯ He was confronting the demons even after buffing himself and the British troops. Once the demons copsed, he began to fight against a man made ofva whose power she couldn¡¯t dare to grasp. ¡®I have to help. But... Would it be possible for me?¡¯ The battle was so fierce she couldn¡¯t try to intervene. She was confident she was as talented as Kang Shin-hyuk when it came to close-quartersbat, but looking at it now, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t even hold a candle to them. She watched as a massive sword swung between them, drawing a cruel path that captured, twisted, and extinguished all light in its way like a ck hole. ¡®You have to run! I...!¡¯ She couldn¡¯t bear it anymore when she saw him injured, and she hefted her spear. She would be able to fill in the gap caused by that injury. Even if she were caught by that ck hole and couldn¡¯t escape, for him, she would... However, despite her determination to risk her life, Kang Shin-hyuk defeated the monster alone. ¡°Huh...?¡± But what followed was even more shocking. A gate of darkness appeared where the monster fell, and a beautiful woman she had never seen before appeared with a sword, wearing light armor. Kang Shin-hyuk seemed surprised to see her, but then he immediately disappeared from the spot. And what remained there was a beautiful woman whom none could darepare to. ¡®This, what...?¡¯ What is going on? Eleanor nervously held her spear and then suddenly realized why she was so ill at ease. Whether it was the woman who appeared from the gate or the one confronting her on behalf of Kang Shin-hyuk, it was because she sensed that they had reached a power beyond her. [Did you send him? I miss him...] The woman who appeared inside the gate tilted her eyebrows and looked sorrowful. The woman confronting her lifted up a fan andughed as she covered her mouth. [Hoohoo, it¡¯s disgusting, so stop.] [I really missed him...] [Now, it will start and end quickly. The world can¡¯t stand us yet. No matter how much you lean into the darkness, I believe you know that much.] [I came for destruction, so the oue is unknown.] [You will regret itter. Have you always been like that?] She didn¡¯t understand what the conversation meant at all. Rather, the only reason she could hear it was the noble qualities she was born with and the buff she had received from Kang Shin-hyuk. [Shall we start then.] The armored woman lifted her sword as dark clouds formed in the sky, and snow began to fall. Although the sudden change in weather was surprising, Eleanor couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of her. Specifically, not from the sword, she wielded. ¡®That sword...?!¡¯ It was clear. That was the same sword Kang Shin-hyuk had worn on his waist all year. However, there was something ck and wriggling in the hole in the guard. [Why make Anvil¡¯s masterpiece so vulgar? Did you base the dragon¡¯s heart on your own?] [It¡¯s just a temporary measure. Instead, I think I¡¯ll pull your heart out to use.] [To bepared to that ck bug... how insulting!] The woman swung her fan roughly, causing a whirlpool of sparks to blow away the snow. It wasn¡¯t until she saw remnants of magic bursting that she realized the snow wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°This?!¡± The two women shed in earnest, but now wasn¡¯t the time to mind them. Eleanor recalled the monsters in the air, but it was already toote. The spike wyverns, including Hell, whom she rode on, escaped it with their mobility, but most of the airborne monsters couldn¡¯t avoid the bombs falling from the sky. ¡°You have to protect them!¡± -Gaaaaaoooooh! The superhumans on the battlefield were also in danger. Eleanor asked Hell and the wyverns to create a strong wind. They would protect the superhumans by changing the direction of the falling snow, but unlike ordinary snow, the thick magic it possessed wouldn¡¯t easily move. ¡°Hell, please....!¡± -Guoooooh! The wyverns, led by Hel, eventually started bursting the snowkes with their thorns. It was more effective than trying to manipte it, but the problem was that too much was falling. ¡°No, as it is... ah?!¡± It was then that salvation came. Shin Eunah, who was preventing the expansion of the countercurrent, began to control the snow falling on the battlefield. She thought there was no way around it with the superhumans¡¯ ability, but Shin Eunah dared to manipte their magical powers freely. ¡°Unbelievable...¡± It was truly spectacr to see the snowkes that the woman had made rearranging themselves under Shin Eunah¡¯s control. They avoided the humans and onlynded on the monsters like they had been made for that from the start. The women fighting in the storm of snow and me soon noticed the change. [Well...?] [She did something interesting. Maybe you did this knowing she was here?] [No way. I will destroy the front of the mirror!] [Sure, but in the end, all will copse!] Nothing happening on the battlefield was as disastrous as those two shing. Eleanor, who could barely breathe a sigh of relief with Shin Eunah¡¯s help, began to realize there were those being caught up in the two¡¯s fight. ¡°Uh...¡± The two women fought with all their might, not considering the consequences of their battle. No, maybe it was because if they didn¡¯t do their best, one would lose right away. But, because of that, harm was heading right towards the British superhumans near them. They tried to get away, but the magical storm arising paralyzed them. Eleanor expected that woman to protect them, but she waspletely mistaken. Her goal was to defeat the armored woman, not to protect humans. ¡°No.¡± It had really be dangerous. Each shockwave from the fight threatened lives. In particr, if even one of those snowkes hit her older sister, Princess Olivia, she would die. ¡°No!¡± Her reaction waste with Kang Shin-hyuk, but not now. She lifted her spear and aimed at the ground. The reluctant Hell began to fall like a meteor. ¡°Get out of there!¡± -Kuaaaaahhhh! Hell liked his owner so that he could let this slide just this once. She wondered why she felt she could briefly understand his intention, but there was no time to consider it. She aimed her spear, intending on saving her older sister from the magical power those women had created. ¡°Haaaaah!¡± She descended with the Golden Dragon infused into her by Kang Shin-hyuk around her body. -By satisfying a special condition, the trait [Crab Volg (SS)] has broken through the limit and evolved into [Crab Volg (SSS-)]! -Every status has grown one rank. Strength, agility, and magic are further increased! -You have gained the potential of a new special ability status. It can be acquired if additional conditions are satisfied. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait of growing and evolving all things was revealed at that moment. Chapter 258 - Rain and the Fox (6)

Chapter 258 - Rain and the Fox (6)

In a very narrow corner of the battlefield, both blue and red rain fell. It resulted from the collision of two terrible energies, one of explosive cold and one of destructive me. Tsukuyo finallyughed as she was hit by the rainwater that had lost all its power. ¡°This dimensional quest is a great sess. I feel a bit bad for Anvil, but he is also a pleasure.¡± -The administrator disagrees with this fox. The ticking voice seemed to ring directly in her ear. Tsukuyo smiled cheerfully at it. ¡°Are you going to discuss the value of life sacrificed here? That¡¯s a joke, right?¡± -I¡¯ve no intention of remembering every single life that blooms and dies of the hundreds of billions a day. The administrator wanted to discuss his delicate heart that would¡¯ve been hurt by this incident. ¡°Ah, of course.¡± Tsukuyo spread the iron fan and swung it, blowing away the rain, trying to get her body wet. It fell over her sharp node and slid past her greedy lips. The water droplets flowed along her neckline and chin, then was swept away by the wind created by the fan and evaporated from the air. ¡°Oops, any debt is a little bit bad... it is a decision of love between Anvil and me.¡± -Fox! ¡°Noisy too. Are you asking me for an answer?¡± -The price of indiscriminately swearing at the administrator is quite high. ¡°Tsu, stupid.¡± She stroked the slightly damaged fan with sorrowful eyes. ¡°Anvil is a strong person. At first, I wondered whether stirring up his essence had undermined him, but now I can be sure. Rather, because he was reborn into a new shape, he could acquire all the qualifications and support the world... Ah, Anvil, my Anvil...¡± -I don¡¯t intend to fit into that world. Fox, the dimensional quest has beenpleted, so make sure to go back to the dark and damp world that fits your heart. ¡°Ha.¡± Tsukuyoughed at the administrator¡¯s message. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. Dimensional quests are finished until you get the Magi out of this zone, as the power of mankind still cannot handle those demons.¡± -But as much as he can... ¡°Anvil will be busy refining my fan. Didn¡¯t he make that promise himself? Anvil is so kind...¡± -Mad fox. The administrator stopped sending messages as if realizing the conversation was pointless. Under the silence that arrived again, Tsukuyo smiled while looking at the de of the fragmentedva greatsword where she left. ¡°I¡¯m d I have a gift for Anvil. If possible, I wanted to make her kneel myself... Anyway, I defeated her.¡± Picking up the de and cradling it in her arms, she recalled what had happened a while ago. It was quite a pleasant variable. Whether Anvil was interested or not, that girl dared to intervene in the battle. What was even more surprising was that she survived despite such a cute charge. ¡®It was the power of Anvil.¡¯ That girl should¡¯ve been destroyed in the aftermath of the shock. The dazzling light that had surrounded the two beings should have killed her had it not been for the power she received from Anvil. Surprisingly, that girl had acquired part of her qualifications at that moment and achieved her goal. By breaking through the core of the magical storm, she saved the superhumans who were close by. ¡®That child... Maybe she will join the Hero Universe. This is a world where Anvil¡¯s hand has been directly involved, so there are more candidates.¡¯ Had it been left as it was, she would¡¯ve been torn apart by ¡®her¡¯ sword, but instead, Tsukuyo used that gap to attack her without hesitation. She never meant to rescue that girl. It wasn¡¯t even to escape his anger. It was just because, at that moment, she saw her chance. The blow convinced her of her defeat, and she withdrew, leaving behind a fragment that couldn¡¯t be recovered due to her quick retreat. What Tsukuyo picked up was that fragment. ¡°Now, then the barrier.¡± Temporary barriers were ced around thend that was deeply colored with magic. Of course, there were still many monsters left, but she didn¡¯t want to deal with them. That¡¯s what the humans had to deal with, and in the first ce, ¡®Eunah¡¯ used her power already to decrease their numbers significantly. ¡°Because that child is also really temperamental.¡± Still in the middle of the battlefield, Tsukuyo sighed as she red at the sight of Eunah wielding her magical power. ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s still far, far away.¡± *** There were two things that Zeus was mistaken about. The first was the idea that they had an equal business rtionship with Jormungand. Jormungand only thought they were doing an interesting experiment, looked into it a little, and decided to throw them a small fragment of power. They had no intention of dealing with them regrly or protecting them. The second is that they would be able to easily deal with the superhumans on Earth with their own strength. Of course, magi was a terrifying power that could produce a more destructive power than magic, but there were many abilities on Earth that had the upper hand. And the representative of them was Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°What is this...? What happened?¡± Jinseok Lee muttered nkly, forgetting himself for a moment. Kang Shin-hyuk replied briefly as he looked around. ¡°I shot a bullet that would chase their energy.¡± Just a while ago, when he drank that Transcendent potion meaninglessly, the secret bullet he had made was a powerful weapon that would convert energy into light and use Phoibos¡¯s power to chase evil. It was a bullet of light that would cleanly burn the soul of all evil energy as long as it persisted. Had it not been possible to defeat thest monster with the thunder dragon, this bullet was his back-up n. However, since he hadn¡¯t ended it then, he was able to use it on Zeus. ¡®I think it¡¯s a bit wasteful to use on these guys.¡¯ -They had the means to move through space in coboration with Jormungand. It¡¯s a big profit to get them all before they could run away. The administrator was right. The gate around them was begging to copse as its core had been lost. ¡°They¡¯re all dead, but I have to be sure, so collect their bodies.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s calm voice could be heard by all the mercenaries who were trembling near him. ¡°Oh, I see!¡± ¡°Move right now! Heal the wounded!¡± ¡°Collect the evidence that Zeus has conspired with Jormungand!¡± ¡°Now they are at an end!¡± In the process of resisting Zeus, Jinseok Lee and the others had been forced to show their abilities, and the surviving members of the Gunners naturally moved around them. Although they had suffered terrible damage from Zeus, once their wounds healed, they would soar higher with those three promising talents. -That is also done, member. Once the corpses were all collected and dragged out of the gate, the administrator sent such a message. Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed the bodies of Kang-yul Lee and Yoo Jun-man, then tore off their armor. ¡°Is Tsukuyo safe?¡± -All are fine.¡± ¡°All?¡± -Yes, everything is fine. There was no hesitation in the message. Kang Shin-hyuk remembered the sword he had seen briefly before being teleported away, and he was filled with a desire to ask the administrator, but eventually, he pushed it down. It¡¯s not like he cared about Tsukuyo. ¡°Tsukuyo tricked me.¡± -That¡¯s right. She¡¯s a very disgusting fox. It would be best not to see each other again. ¡°But without her, everything would¡¯ve been a mess. I know she made the best choice.¡± -No! No! Absolutely not! Administrator guarantee! ¡°I have to pay her appropriately. Since I have a girlfriend, I can¡¯t do anything intense... With ire¡¯s permission, a hug should be okay.¡± -Hugging...?! How about no! 1,000,000HP bonus! ¡°Well, don¡¯t bet on it.¡± However, he was a little afraid that Tsukuyo would be too happy about it. ¡°Huh...?¡± Something cold tapped his forehead. Looking up, he saw raindrops falling down. Extremely harmless water droplets full of vitality that seemed to restore the body. The raindrops were bringing life back to the base camp. ¡°The sky is clear, so this¡¯ll be considered a fox rain.¡± Yes, the sky was clear. Until a while ago, it was covered with dark magic and monsters, turning it ck. It was a little ridiculous that it was clear now. Somehow, as it seemed that the fuss was over, Kang Shin-hyuk had a strange feeling. ¡®The conquest of Africa was too early.¡¯ -But this countercurrent consumed the energy of Africa considerably. It became what the fox wanted. ¡®Okay. Humanity has earned probation.¡¯ Would humans know that there was someone who fought against the entity of Jormungand? No, it would be better if they didn¡¯t. ¡°It turns out, administrator, that there is a saying that a fox will marry when it rains with a clear sky.¡± -No, love, love, love, love, love, love! Someday, everyone would know. Until then, it would be okay to be fooled by this clear sky for a while. That was how the short but long expedition to Africa ended. Chapter 259 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (1)

Chapter 259 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (1)

Tsukuyo, who returned after everything was over, seemed ready to be beaten by Kang Shin-hyuk, but he didn¡¯t ask her anything. Tsukuyo was on the verge of being embarrassed by his reassuring reaction. [Anvil...? Won¡¯t you ask...?] ¡°I think I already know as much as I need to.¡± [I¡¯ll pay the price of the death of the humans, to Anvil...] ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been there, something worse would¡¯ve happened. So I can only say thank you, Tsukuyo.¡± The fox cub wore a strange expression as Kang Shin-hyuk gently stroked her hair. ¡°Thank you, Tsukuyo. You¡¯ve been very considerate.¡± [Ah, ah, aah... Kyaahaa!] The fox seemed to have no idea what to do with the feelings of sorrow and despair and eventually fainted as it couldn¡¯t withstand the gentle strokes. Only then did Kang Shin-hyuk feel a little relief as he let out a sigh. -...You handled the fox so easily. ¡°Well, after that, you still had something to say. -1,500,000HP bonus! The administrator let out a record-breaking HP bonus and disappeared. Kang Shin-hyuk tried to contact the administrator several times, but eventually, he gave up, seeing as there was no response. Instead, he found Jinseok Lee among the mercenaries scattered around the base camp. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, checking the dead... We have to collect the rewardter.¡± They were working on something that left a very bitter aftertaste. Kang Shin-hyuk hesitated for a moment, but he had to be careful of disying his emotions, so he smiled bitterly and tapped his shoulder. ¡°Is it field practice to raise morale?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a good track record, so we should do something like this together... Yo.¡± Right now, Jinseok Lee was dealing with Kang Shin-hyuk under the position of ¡®the executive form the Gunners guild whomunicates with the Death Puppeteer about the Zeus matter.¡¯ That happened after Kang Shin-hyuk, who pretended not to know him, had demanded the Gunners guild to work with him. ¡°What about Hye-na and Woon-hyung?¡± ¡°Checking the luggage list. They¡¯re doing a pretty executive job...¡± ¡°For the time being, they¡¯ll be busy learning.¡± The existing executives of the Gunners guild (half of them had died) were excited to have a connection with the Death Puppeteer, which would assuredly raise their rankings should they make it back. That had resulted in his family from the orphanage bing executives themselves, regardless of their ability. It was also a good opportunity for them, as all three had awakened. ¡°Yes, actually, I want to do ability training by myself! I don¡¯t know about Woon-hyung, but I can¡¯t lose to Hye-na...¡± Jinseok Lee muttered such nonsense as he whispered quietly into Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ear. Kang Shin-hyuk gently struck his friend¡¯s head. ¡°You? Study? Jinseok Lee?¡± ¡°Ah-oh!¡± Jinseok Lee nced at him, but then he retreated as he knew he was asking too much of Kang Shin-hyuk. In fact, hadn¡¯t he already been receiving help? He was able to emerge as a core executive of the Gunners because Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait worked. ¡®Since Zeus has beenpletely destroyed, the Gunners will even take the No. 1 position.¡¯ Quite a number of them had died to Zeus¡¯s tactics, but they were different from Zeus, who had been wiped out. There was also evidence that Zeus was clearly connected to Jormungand, so everyone rted to them was captured after they contacted the Korean Superhuman Association. ¡®...The scariest part is that Eunah¡¯s parents were caught without an issue.¡¯ He knew that they were former high-rankers. However, it was suspicious that they were captured by the police without any resistance or even attempted to escape. Maybe they assumed their daughter would release them, but Shin Eunah reported to the association first. ¡°God... Death Puppeteer? So, what happened? You look serious.¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± He bid farewell to his friend and headed for the wall. Somehow, his feet unconsciously took him forward to Eleanor, who was standing outside the wall. He had given her a buff a while ago, but he could still feel traces of his energy in her. He went to talk to her, but as soon as he saw the person confronting her, he hastily disappeared into the dark. ¡°You¡¯re stupid, Rose.¡± The one talking to her, although she covered her face with a robe¡¯s hood, was obviously the British princess Olivia. Only then did Kang Shin-hyuk realize there was a barrier in this area. As Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t affected by magical power, he had naturally ignored the barrier. ¡°Is it stupid to try and save your family?¡± Eleanor¡¯s voice was extremely calm and cold, unlike her usual demeanor when she spoke in Korean. Listening to her aristocratic tone, he remembered that she was royalty. ¡°It¡¯s stupid, much more so than my brother who left me in the enemy camp and ran away.¡± ¡°...He¡¯s done now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Eleanor groaned, and Oliva replied spitefully. ¡°You helped me. If you didn¡¯t, he would¡¯ve be king.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who will rule. I just went to help because my sister was in danger.¡± ¡°Is there some school break left?¡± Eleanor reacted sensitively to her, suddenly turning the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of going back to Ennd right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. I want you to dere support for me.¡± Eleanorughed. She asked her to dere support for her, who had been politically used inside the royal family? There had to be a condition for that offer to work... ¡°Do you mean to reveal my identity in Masked Bhus?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Eleanor spoke firmly and turned away. Olivia called out to her back. ¡°What do you think about the Puppeteer?¡± ¡°...What about him?¡± ¡°You, do you love him? I can see it from a distance.¡± Eleanor turned, wondering why she was bringing this up now. ¡°I can prepare the title of duke if you marry him and return. I will prepare enoughnd to satisfy you both. I can take care of everything else that a superhuman¡¯s power alone cannot obtain.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t like me! I was considerate of you, but if youe out like this, really...!¡± Perhaps she was surprised at Eleanor¡¯s reaction, which was calmer than she thought, so Oliva shouted. However, Eleanor replied with augh. ¡°He¡¯s even more, not yours.¡± ¡°You...?¡± ¡°We are satisfied with our rtionship and our position now. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll respond to your suggestion the same way. If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be going.¡± Eleanor¡¯s attitude toward her sister was extremely confident. There was no longer the shadow of the young girl from about a year ago who tried to hide from the politics of Ennd. ¡°Huh... Is it because you¡¯re young? You don¡¯t know a man yet, Rose.¡± ¡°At least I know him better than my sister. We¡¯re very close.¡± ¡°Someone close to you? Then, he too...¡± Seeing Eleanor¡¯s stability, Oliva tried any means to shake her. The strength she disyed on the battlefield was too much to leave outside of Ennd. It would be best if she could bring her in with the Puppeteer; just recruiting her would be a great help. ¡°Sister.¡± Eleanor interrupted Olivia with a cold voice. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t grow too curious about him.¡± ¡°You know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you because I know.¡± Eleanor spoke calmly and stuck her spear on the floor. It broke through the earth like splitting tofu. ¡°Because I¡¯m ready to do whatever it takes to prevent harm to him. I don¡¯t know what might happen, especially if my identity might be exposed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re threatening me? I will be the queen of the British Empire.¡± ¡°Look at reality, sister.¡± Eleanor grinned as she pulled up her spear from the ground. ¡°If I confessed to all of Ennd, what would your name be worth?¡± ¡°You dare?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say, so go.¡± She paused and then seemed to remember something as Olivia stared at her suddenly. ¡°If you want to get even a little help in restoring Gibraltar, it would be better to bury yourints in your heart.¡± ¡°...¡± Realizing that neither the pride of royalty nor the authority of Ennd had worked, Oliva turned away weakly; Eleanor¡¯s resolute attitude was unbreakable. ¡°Ah...¡± Once she was gone, Eleanor turned her head. That gaze fell right on Kang Shin-hyuk, hiding in the dark. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged, wondering when she had noticed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you saw an ugly sight.¡± ¡°It looked pretty good, but why?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed as she twisted away. ¡°You were really paying attention when you came here, to Ennd, that is. Is that okay to say?¡± ¡°That, I care a lot now. I want to bet my honor and get Gibraltar back. But...¡± Eleanor paused. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have to go in now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important to know where you are.¡± ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Eleanor strode towards him. He flinched away and evaded what he thought was a hug, but she reached out and grabbed his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that I¡¯m able to find my center.¡± ¡°Uh... So.¡± ¡°So, I will continue to be with you in the future.¡± Whether as a part of Masked Bhus or not. Eleanor dered so as her purple eyes twinkled. ¡°I¡¯ll fight by your side.¡± After that, he learned that Eleanor¡¯s trait had bloomed and grew to the SSS-rank. Together with that, he learned that Hell had undergone a racial evolution, and he felt amazed upon realizing that his trait wasn¡¯t simply at the level of awakening the ipetent. Chapter 260 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (2)

Chapter 260 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (2)

The representatives from each country agreed to leave Africa three dayster and return home. The search that took ce after was carried out, with safety being the utmost priority. Meanwhile, the base camp was very quiet, but a gloomy atmosphere had settled over it. At the same time, they had achieved much; they had taken a hefty blow. While they had fought the countercurrent, Zeus, the industry¡¯s No. 1 mercenary group, revealed their dark side. Then, the superhumans had to stand by and watch as two women with terrible power battled it out, then both vanished without a trace. As a result, it was revealed to humanity that they had no control over what was happening on the African continent. It even taught them a painful lesson ¨C that they didn¡¯t know where traitors might be hiding in superhuman society. The only positive thing was that the power humanity had built up so far worked to some extent in the African continent. When you reached the level of humanity¡¯s strongest, you could fight in Africa. They had also discovered the traitors who would¡¯ve further damaged superhuman society if left alone. [There are too many unnecessary eyes looking at us. Shall I pluck them all, Anvil?] ¡°It¡¯s a request from me, so please quit, Tsukuyo.¡± Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk had been involved in all of that. From entering the African continent to rescuing the British soldiers caught in the countercurrent, detecting the irregr gate, and trampling down the Zeus guild. Even the unidentified ¡®R,¡¯ who had emerged as a powerhouse in this countercurrent, was a member of the same group, Masked Bhus. Shin Eunah¡¯s activities were also amazing. She had reduced the countercurrent, but everyone had also seen her move away the magic snow to attack the monsters instead of humans. ¡®So, in conclusion, Korea has be a hot potato.¡¯ Unfortunately, Zeus was also born in Korea. Since the Korean superhumans had found out and solved their betrayal, he couldn¡¯t help but recall what happened in Parisst year. There were a lot of talks, but Korea had ultimately seeded in solidifying its position as a superpower after Paris, so perhaps the same would happen this time as well. Everyone had no doubt that the Death Puppeteer¡¯s ranking would be updated as soon as they got back from the expedition. However, he was more concerned about the true possibility of his trait that had been revealed. ¡®Manifesting the traits of those three, evolving Eli¡¯s trait, and even evolving Hell... I thought it was a versatile power that epasses both inanimate and living things, but I couldn¡¯t even imagine that it would be the power to evolve the source.¡¯ Had Lee Na-hee¡¯s trait evolution in Paris also been the result of his ability? Lee Na-hee had been exposed to his trait for the longest, indirectly through creating artifacts with him. He could now be sure that his own excessively rapid growth was also the result of being influenced by his own trait. So why hadn¡¯t he realized it so far? The reason was simple. That was because Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have the spiritual power and energy to maintain the strength of his trait on others. But now that his Golden Dragon Fighter was a whopping SSS-rank, and his spiritual power was SS+, he could. ¡®Because I¡¯m already exposed to the influence of the trait all day, there¡¯s no point in experimenting with it.¡¯ The evolution of his trait, which had only onest condition, probably needed him to keep his guardian Golden Dragon on a target. Eleanor and his friends from the orphanage had awakened this time, and he could use it on Lee Na-hee and Baek In-ha when he went back to school. He was thinking of giving it to Shin Eunah, and of course, ire as well. ¡®...Can I survive?¡¯ No, he was motivated to think of it as trait training. Moreover, Golden Dragon¡¯s original recovery speed was fast, and it recovered with his physical strength, so he could use a strength potion to help him. If everyone grew ording to his intentions, Shin Eunah¡¯s idea to target Africa with a small number of elites wouldn¡¯t be a dream. ¡®It is to increase the power of people I can trust step-by-step...¡¯ Certainly, the best condition by which to increase his abilities was to build power in his allies. When he was younger and lived only with the thought of revenge against the monsters, he had a dream of bing the head of a huge guild and sweeping away the monsters. Now that idea had emerged as a realistic n, he justughed. [You must¡¯vee up with an interesting idea, Anvil.] ¡°Yeah. I have a good n for what to do in the future.¡± [It¡¯s an important moment. You¡¯re happy, so I¡¯m happy.] -...It seems the time hase to expel the fox member. Are you still working on that? Kang Shin-hyuk took out the iron fan that had been repaired and renovated from his inventory. ¡°I finished it a few hours ago. Tsukuyo, check it out. I used the Furnace of Nephritis, so the performance should have improved.¡± [Ah.] Tsukuyo sounded like she was standing at the entrance of hell. Her work on cleansing the earth had finished a little while ago, and the cause of her to continue the dimensional quest had disappeared. However, since she entrusted her weapon to Kang Shin-hyuk, she had been struggling with the administrator, saying that she had to stay until it was repaired. [You, you¡¯re too much, Anvil. You finished it so quickly... shit! It¡¯s be apletely different artifact from before?!] Tsukuyo, resenting Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s swift work, retrieved the iron fan and looked at it with wide eyes as she confirmed its ability. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know its performance even though he created it because it exceeded his current limit. Still, seeing Tsukuyo like that told him that he had made it well. -Very well done, member! [Wait, a kiss of love and gratitude for Anvil...!] The administrator expelled Tsukuyo, who was urgently trying to turn back into her main body from her fox form. Still, Kang Shin-hyuk was also feeling a bit sad after seeing someone who had been stuck with him for a few days disappear in an instant. -Finally, the noisy thing is gone. 500,000HP bonus! ¡°I don¡¯t know why there¡¯s no disciplinary action against you.¡± -The only person who can discipline me is you. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Perhaps he was already at a level beyond VIP. Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his shoulders with such fuzzy thoughts. The expedition would now be leaving Africa. At least for the time being, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the rtionship between the Hero Universe and Jormungand. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Senior.¡± He found Shin Eunah drawing a magic circle throughout the base camp that attracted the surrounding mana. Looking at it, most people who had properties that were favorable for magic were only good at certain types of magic. However, Shin Eunah not only had the ability to handle lightning, but she was good at magic in general. ¡°I learned it from the Hero Universe.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± ¡°It was possible because I was smart.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was well aware of her high intelligence. No, in the first ce, magical traits were often expressed in those with superior intelligence rather than those with superior physiques. Furthermore, Shin Eunah had two traits, so it was obvious she boasted an excellent mind from a young age. She, who had been unloved by her parents, had found her ce in the Hero Universe and earnestly learned magic passed on from the other members who loved her like a granddaughter. ¡°Again, looking at me with those eyes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault for that remark.¡± ¡°Now look, no.¡± Shin Eunah approached him and held both his hands together tightly. It seemed that the way she approached him had changed significantly. Moreover, it was terrifying that she didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s eyes at all. ¡°Is it like this?¡± ¡°Look closely at my face. Don¡¯t let me go until that stupid look changes.¡± It seemed that Tsukuyo had a strange effect on Shin Eunah. He looked closely at her face; the first thing that caught his eyes was her tidy bangs. Her hair was dark in a way that was different from Tsukuyo¡¯s night-ck hair. Her eyes were sharp, but they were beautifully dyed gold. Moreover, her cool nose and small thick lips were the ultimate in beauty. The same was true of her clear, white skin. ¡®Hmm, she looks prettier.¡¯ The higher one¡¯s status was, the more parts of their body were corrected, and the more beautiful they naturally became. At the top ranks, everyone could be considered as handsome or beautiful unless they were originally quite distorted. And, of course, the better the original, the more surprising they became. Since Shin Eunah was born with great beauty, and her spirit and body were constantly evolving with her infinite magical power, only a few could hold a candle to her. ¡®...Wait, I think she even put on makeup.¡¯ Shin Eunah was originally famous for not wearing a lot of makeup. She had crushed other female superhumans with her natural beauty. There could only be one reason why she was now. She was trying to show him. ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was filled with joy, admiration, anguish, and sorrow as he wondered what to say. Her ears were burning red. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to have you look at me like that...¡± ¡°You did this.¡± -Gaia, give me the power to kick that fox... Shin Eunah turned her head first, conceding to Kang Shin-hyuk. He didn¡¯t know when this fight started, but he won anyway. Kang Shin-hyuk applied his trait to her as they held hands. ¡°Huh...?¡± ¡°This time, Eli¡¯s trait evolved to SSS-rank. Before that, my friends awakened. I concluded that the result was my trait¡¯s influence.¡± ¡°So... this?¡± Shin Eunah raised her head as she felt the spiritual power and Golden Dragon energy flow through her and mingle her with magic. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°Yes. From now on, I will keep it up. You will be able to grow further.¡± ¡°...Continue.¡± ¡°Okay. I will try not to break the effect of the trait. But if it breaks, I¡¯ll try it again.¡± ¡°Continue...¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s face turned red again as she mumbled quietly. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m being held.¡± ¡°Yes, no.¡± -It would be nice if this fox could also be expelled from Earth... Shin Eunah¡¯s condition was serious. Bridget Poulsen, whoter discovered the sight, bothered Kang Shin-hyuk by asking what he had done to Eunah. Kang Shin-hyuk, who wasn¡¯t yet convinced of her, decided to ask about the effects of her traits. Chapter 261 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (3)

Chapter 261 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (3)

The base camp demolition was finished. Shin Eunah had installed a magic circle to hide and protect part of it,plete with a barrier that would naturally reinforce it, but unfortunately, most countries didn¡¯t have a great mage like her. What Shin Eunah made was, so to speak, a small, direct base. It was a secret base built to allow elite personnel to stay and rx and fight enemies in a favorable environment anytime they returned to Africa. So, she really was thinking of forming an elite unit someday to conquer Africa. Of course, it had be a realistic dream for Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡± The ships full of superhumans, mercenaries, and the loot they had acquired from the monsters left the port of Casanca. On each ship departing into the night sea, people were muttering and sighing. ¡°It was terrible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that the ships are safe.¡± ¡°Fucking Africa, I hope I¡¯ll nevere back here again...¡± ¡°Was our expedition meaningful?¡± ¡°At least we can create a bunch of weapons with the loot we got this time...¡± It was a ce they had stayed for a very short period of time but was there any other ce as intense? In particr, the countercurrent was so dangerous that even the top rankers felt the threat to their lives many times. Moreover, the battle between those two powerful unknown beings that appeared in the middle of the fight made them feel small. Kang Shin-hyuk had a bitter smile on his face as he watched the superhumans openly disy their annoyances. ¡°There will be a global downturn for the time being...¡± ¡°Except for Korea.¡± It was Bridget Poulsen who responded. She approached Kang Shin-hyuk with a wink and tried to fold her arms with his but was blocked. ¡°Aw, can¡¯t you give me a little bit of an opening? You¡¯re not going to tell your girlfriend?¡± ¡°You¡¯re worse. I¡¯ll bring you to my girlfriend.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk firmly believed that ire would be able to make this woman some medication that would keep her in the bathroom for three days and nights. But Bridget, not knowing that a wicked n had just been born, began to grapple with him again. ¡°Hey, if you keep being so fervent, I might not go to Korea.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te.¡± ¡°Kahahahaha! Look at you, how funny!¡± She pped loudly. She really was a crazy woman. Moreover, it was annoying that her affinity for Kang Shin-hyuk seemed to be increasing. ¡°So, I have to go because my unnie is there.¡± ¡°What a joke... No, are you really trying to naturalize?¡± ¡°Yes, listen.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was astonished by her words, but Bridget continued with a serious expression. ¡°Why do you think I haven¡¯t been doing a lot of superhuman activitiestely?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you consider your job to be more important?¡± ¡°I have that too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed and pped her shoulder with his palm. ¡°Our country, Denmark, has too little superhuman power.¡± That was something he knew well. In fact, Denmark hadn¡¯t been able to adapt very well to the changing society after the outbreak of the gates. They couldn¡¯t cultivate a proper superhuman training facility in the early stages, which resulted in a painful outflow of talent. At the root of that incident was the troublesome problem of antagonism between them and the European Union to which they belonged, but that was another problem. ¡°Because our country also tried to follow the UK.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it got twisted in the beginning. Anyway!¡± Anyway, a mutant named Bridget Poulsen suddenly appeared with the highest trait one day. But it was worth knowing that there wasn¡¯t even one other high ranker in the world from Denmark except for her. ¡°You know, Puppeteer... No matter how good I am alone, it¡¯s difficult to y an active part without a single person to dance with.¡± ¡°Is there no such thing as patriotism in your country?¡± ¡°There was, but what about it?¡± She used the past tense. ¡°I just happened to awaken my abilities, but should there be so many wishes for me? It¡¯s too burdensome, too annoying.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Although he hadn¡¯t been through it, he could understand her feelings roughly. The expectant gazes upon her, the responsibility demanded of her, and the burden she didn¡¯t want to carry that had been piled up on her back. ¡°I lost my sense of patriotism, and I quickly let go of my responsibility because I would be ruined if it continued like that. So, it wasfortable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s notmon that people can let go of their responsibility, but that¡¯s great.¡± Rather than being sarcastic, Kang Shin-hyuk truly admired her. When weighing the values of the state and the individual, it wasn¡¯t easy to abandon the state and choose the individual. How difficult it was to steadfastly go on your own path, ignoring the resentment and expectations of countless others. It would¡¯ve been easier if a human didn¡¯t have the moral spirit and universal view of society from the start. ¡°What? Wait a minute, don¡¯t we have a nice atmosphere right now? I think it¡¯s going to be a little serious, but would you like to move around and talk?¡± ¡°Not at all, so I¡¯m relieved. Moreover, whatever you say here won¡¯t spread outside.¡± The sound collector he had developed to block the outflow of sound was more reliable than any barrier! ¡°Ah, it¡¯s miserable that I can¡¯t get a man into my room even after talking about my past.¡± Bridget pretended to cry, but Kang Shin-hyuk realized it was an act to stop him from growing frustrated andughed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk behind the scenes.¡± ¡°You want to do it?¡± ¡°If you keep talking, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to turn it around...?!¡± ¡°I will kill you.¡± ¡°To be killed like that... I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m joking!¡± Bridget was able to get back to the main topic only after being forgiven by Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°So, it doesn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t feel responsible for my strength either. But this time, it was so nice to fight with my trusted colleagues.¡± At that, he recalled her appearance as he fought on the battlefield with him and Shin Eunah. Indeed, looking at her then, she moved so aggressively that he couldn¡¯t understand why her notoriety hadn¡¯t spread sooner. She had been a trustworthy colleague. However, Kang Shin-hyuk nodded with conviction. ¡°If you want a reliablepanion... You have the elite EU guardians.¡± ¡°I hate the EU.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re Danish. How about the Nordic Union?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, they¡¯re good. But, other Nordic countries are in a simr situation to Denmark.¡± Bridget paused before adding more. ¡°If I really want to protect the world, I thought I should be next to you, not the EU, the US, China, or Russia.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± A clear sincerity shone in her eyes. No, it was unlikely that Kang Shin-hyuk had acquired the ability to read minds that way. He sensed the heat emanating clearly from her source with his own spiritual power. ¡°That¡¯s why you will naturalize.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t yet, but I¡¯m thinking. It¡¯s confirmed I¡¯ll stay in Korea for the time being. I¡¯ve already applied for cooperation with the association.¡± ¡°Through Eunah senior.¡± ¡°Yes. I will also be able to be with my unnie.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk briefly considered shutting her down, but he decided not to. Instead... ¡°I understand your heart, so I¡¯ll see it a bit more.¡± ¡°Brother-inw?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re too used to Korean culture already.¡± ¡°I watched a lot of dramas and movies.¡± Well, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t mean that he would wait and see how her hanging out with Eunah went. ¡®There¡¯s no reason I can use the Guardian Golden Dragon if she is going to belong to my team.¡¯ He had also used it on his three friends who didn¡¯t belong directly to his time, so there was no reason he couldn¡¯t use it on Bridget as well. However, it hadn¡¯t been long since he got to know her...for the time being, he nned on watching her carefully. ¡°Were you here to talk about that, then?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m lonely at night, so I came to flirt.¡± ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°Cheh...¡± *** The biggest significance of the expedition was that it reopened the sea route to Africa. Of course, gates could appear at any time, but it was a big benefit to clean up the monsters that had umted for decades. nning for the day they would advance to Africa again; mankind would continue to clean and pioneer that sea road. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as unreasonable as it was when we started.¡± ¡°It may not even show up in the news.¡± ¡°It will soon. ¡®African expedition failed; it¡¯s still early for humanity!¡¯ Headlines like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too easy to see, so stop.¡± Bridget Poulsen officially joined them on their way back to Korea. The Danish government tried hard to hold onto her but to no avail. The EU also threw various offers her way, but there was no way to turn her heart back. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a small deal for a top ranker to change their country of activity, but because Bridget had been acting only as she wanted from the start, this sudden trip to Korea went quickly to ¡®it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ If she naturalized to Koreater, there would be another big uproar, but at least for now, it was only at this level. ¡°What if you miss the airne?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just a minute interview.¡± As a camera-loving professional, Bridget gave an interview while wearing a wide smile to the reporters who followed them before boarding the ne. She came quickly at the call of Kang Shin-hyuk and stuck next to him. To be precise, she came between Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°No, this location is great.¡± ¡°I hate you...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand my unnie¡¯s gaze!¡± Then there was a click. One of the reporters photographed Bridget¡¯s smile as she stood between Kang Shin-hyuk and Eunah. ¡°Shall I kill them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill people who take pictures. We¡¯re bringing one of the top rankers to Korea, so please allow this.¡± ¡°Huh...!¡± Shin Eunah really didn¡¯t want to bring Bridget to Korea, but as a member of the Superhuman Association, she was a talent who couldn¡¯t be ignored. Moreover, with this achievement in the African continent, her ranking had been confirmed. ¡°Let¡¯s y an active part as the top-ranking trio of good friends!¡± ¡°I hate it...¡± ¡°...Why do I have a bad feeling...?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s premonition was right. Photos of the three with their arms crossed side-by-side adorned the front page of newspapers around the world, with headlines like ¡®Top Ranked Elite Team Formation?!¡¯ Even Bridget was reported as saying, ¡®I have a good rtionship with Korea¡¯s top rankers. In the future, my goal is to marry and be naturalized.¡¯ By making such remarks, Shin Eun-hyuk¡¯s bad reputation had risen again. Actually, her goal was Shin Eunah and not him, but this crafty woman used him as camouge! ¡°See, if I use the Guardian Golden Dragon...!¡± ¡°Exin. From start to finish.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ire, who had been waiting for him to return safely, was quietly angry at the news of Tsukuyo¡¯s visit and Bridget¡¯s remarks. Kang Shin-hyuk worked hard all night to relieve her mood. Chapter 262 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (4)

Chapter 262 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (4)

¡°I missed you, baby...!¡± ¡°Give it back. No orb for two months.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take it! I can¡¯t do this alone!¡± Baek In-ha, having been reunited with the Shinfeng orb after a long time, hugged it and rolled around with it like it was indeed a baby, preventing Kang Shin-hyuk from retrieving it. ¡°Whoo, I¡¯m a human wind power nt!¡± ¡°Ha, I want to take it back...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered for a while if it was worth putting the Guardian Golden Dragon on this guy, but eventually, he sighed. ¡°You know a bit about my traits, right?¡± ¡°I know that it¡¯s a buff type.¡± ¡°Yeah, then, take care of what you¡¯re given.¡± There was no way Baek wouldn¡¯t know since he worked with Masked Bhus. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, summoning his power, and activated the Guardian Golden Dragon on him. Baek felt it and tilted his head. ¡°Why? Are we fighting right now?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll be keeping it up all day from now on.¡± ¡°Oh? Can you do it?¡± ¡°I should be able to.¡± ¡°Crazy...¡± To receive the effect that long meant Baek would remain in that strengthened state throughout the day. ¡°No, wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous to get caught like this?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t since I don¡¯t use magic. Just wear it even in school.¡± ¡°Still, why the hell... Well?!¡± At the next moment, Kang Shin-hyuk was shocked to hear Baek¡¯s next words. ¡°Does it evolve other people¡¯s traits?¡± ¡°How did you know?!¡± Baek seemed proud of his own reasoning ability in response. ¡°No, your traits have evolved twice as far as I know, but your trait is a buff-type. So, I wondered if that buff included a permanent effect.¡± ¡°What a sharp guy.¡± ¡°But until now, you¡¯ve only been able to cover yourself in it, and you¡¯ve discovered that you¡¯ve already evolved other people¡¯s traits by ident. That means... Some people have already evolved!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was stunned. He somehow already guessed that his three friends from the orphanage had awakened and that Eleanor had evolved into an SSS-ss trait. ¡°Shinyuk, I¡¯m a little moved. As soon as you knew, you came to me? Oh, such sincere friendship...¡± ¡°Oh, screw off.¡± The first reason why he buffed Baek In-ha was simply that there was a contract between them, that they would cooperate as a part of Masked Bhus. Of course, it was a simple contract, but he knew Baek was a man of good faith who wouldn¡¯t vite it. ¡°Calm down. Why is your head so good all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve learned a few things from my grandfather about business management...¡± Baek looked tired suddenly as he responded that way, but soon his expression became refreshed as he suddenly realized something. ¡°But this buff is very good. I¡¯m tired of being overworked and not sleeping properly these days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; it¡¯s natural because of the correction given to your body¡¯s status. Still, it doesn¡¯t restore fatigue; only the maximum has been increased, so don¡¯t overdo it. School is about to start.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s more difficult because it¡¯s the beginning of school.¡± Baek, holding the Shinfeng orb, fell off the sofa and rolled over to the window. If this weren¡¯t his room but Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s, he would¡¯ve hit him. ¡°Look, sir.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That.¡± He reached the window and flipped the curtain. What could be seen through it was a view of Shinyoung at night. It was impressive to see the towering main building shining in the moonlight. ¡°I mean, in the new semester, there will be talented people there. The brightest people picked from Korea.¡± ¡°How refreshing.¡± Baek held the orb in one hand as he spread his other arm wide and spoke in an exaggerated voice. ¡°If we could bring all those talents to Baekyang, wouldn¡¯t Baekyang stand out in the world beyond Korea?¡± ¡°Did you have such a passionate dream?¡± ¡°No.¡± At Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s skepticism, Baek raised his arm. ¡°It¡¯s actually grandfather¡¯s delusion. Isn¡¯t it that Korea is the strongest right now, and their superhumans are the strongest?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk agreed with Baek. Shin Eunah, who was the first in the rankings, had retained her position. Kang Shin-hyuk had been updated to the No. 2 spot, and Bridget Poulsen, having gained recognition for her abilities, quickly rose to No. 4. The Dark Curtain, Jang Jinmyeong, who was ranked No. 3, was pushed back to fourth ce by Kang Shin-hyuk, then to fifth by Bridget, so he must¡¯ve been fuming right now. Not that it mattered. ¡°However, the position of being in the student council is the best for selecting talents and attracting them to Baekyang. I¡¯m thinking about that too.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Shinyoung was like a miniature version of the superhuman society. In fact, there were quite a few cases where the connections created therested for a lifetime. If Baek In-ha, Baekyang¡¯s sessor, yed an active role as the student council president and gained recognition from the students, then he had the right conditions to attract new talents. In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk had a simr thought, so he nodded at Baek. ¡°Of course, it would be best if you could find the strongest... Do you have any thoughts on entering Baekyang as the Life and Death Puppeteer?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m nning on growing Masked Bhus in the future.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Baek was surprised to hear that. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that ire romancing you? What was it like that?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s because Masked Bhus is in a pretty good position right now. Maybe it¡¯s because it has solidified a good image from the start, and in fact, even though it¡¯s an unofficial organization, people don¡¯t try to dig deeper. It is optimal for moving freely.¡± Considering that he would continue to be a member of the Hero Universe in the future, it was unpleasant to be bound by the regr activities that guilds and the association required. Of course, their formation was spontaneous, but he was convinced that his future would be deeply connected with Masked Bhus. ¡°But... Hasn¡¯t the identity of two representatives already been revealed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think about the other people who belong there, including you right now?¡± That was... Baek tilted his head but soon nodded. ¡°Yes. The identity of those two is so sure that they don¡¯t even ask about the other members. Still, problems arise when the scale increases.¡± ¡°No, if we continue to keep track of our activities while expanding the range, we will be untouchable. It¡¯s already like that.¡± In fact, in Africa, R... Eleanor yed a huge role, so everyone wondered where she was from, but no one was digging deeply into it. That was because she already belonged to the group led by the Death Puppeteer, and doubting her was the same as doubting Shin Eun-hyuk, the current No. 2. Rather, it was the same as doubting the person who managed him, Shin Eunah, the current No. 1. In other words, Masked Bhus was like Shin Eunah¡¯s cartel. Who would say anything? ¡°In the end, it¡¯s just pressure with force!¡± ¡°How good is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good...¡± ¡°Moreover, it was decided today, but this time Eli will be recognized as No. 7 in the international rankings. There are three top rankers in the team called Masked Bhus. Would the association even want to touch this group?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Even other countries would have to wrap it up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Superhuman Association wouldn¡¯t dare touch Masked Bhus in the future. Who would risk losing their golden goose? ¡°Moreover, being able to work while hiding your identity means that even if you already belong to another group, you can wear a mask and participate. Like you, Baekyang¡¯s next master. Therefore, the pool of talent recruitment is very wide.¡± ¡°...What is it? Can¡¯t I get out of there?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, if you inherit the guildter and grow busy, I don¡¯t intend to ask you to participate every time.¡± ¡°Wait... Just like that?¡± Baek also understood what he was trying to say. ¡°Can you bring talent from other guilds that way? Signing a contract such as giving them armaments and helping them develop their trait, you bring them in and use them only when they aren¡¯t engaged in guild activities.¡± ¡°Even if they belong to a different group, what if we gather several people who can wear masks on an irregr basis?¡± ¡°For example, on the day I¡¯m missing, someone else can fill in that gap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Baek admired his friend. Of course, there was the condition that they had toply with the contract, but if it went as nned, a special strike teamposed of only the best members would bepleted. ¡°Shinyuk, I have an important question.¡± ¡°What?¡± Baek looked at him seriously. ¡°It¡¯s an important question for people in multiple groups to join under one name... Is the purpose of Masked Bhus the public good?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That was a question he could answer without hesitation. ¡°From the moment I entered Shinyoung, my objective was to kill as many monsters as possible. Oh, of course, I n to distribute personal ie from our activities thoroughly.¡± ¡°I know that well because I also yed as a team member. Yes, it is...¡± Baek nodded again. ¡°Assuming you have the means to control your teammates, I see it as a very good tool. Especially to set aside all other conditions and build a team of only strong people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of giving the right to assemble at least once a year. To prioritize Masked Bhus over the group they belong to when it really matters.¡± No, maybe when such a moment came, the team members would flock to Masked Bhus. The moment Kang Shin-hyuk thought of was a crisis of the entire. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s think about other terms and conditions slowly from now on. I also learned a lot about contracts during the vacation.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed as he listened to Baek. He really was an insider when it came to this stuff. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful. So will my trait be SSS-rank?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded without hesitation, thinking of Eleanor. ¡°It depends on what you do.¡± ¡°Ha, let¡¯s go together all our lives.¡± ¡°Oh, get off.¡± Baek avoided Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s kick and suddenly turned around. ¡°Will you add Hye-na too...?¡± ¡°If she signs a contract and listens carefully, then maybe in the future.¡± But for now, it was impossible. He didn¡¯t want a crying girl who hated him on the team. ¡°You won¡¯t do anything weird to Hye-na?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Since when did Eleanor get a nickname? Eli?¡± ¡°Ah... That¡¯s...¡± Perhaps the night would actually be long. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and aimed for Baek¡¯s ipital region, hoping that he might forget everything. Well, after starting school, everyone would find out, anyway. Chapter 263 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (5)

Chapter 263 - Does the Golden Dragon Dream of the Invincible Legion (5)

On March 2nd, Shinyoung¡¯s entrance ceremony was held. Kang Shin-hyuk was cing chairs in the main auditorium with Eleanor. It was a tradition for students to arrange the chairs for entrance and graduation ceremonies, but that wasn¡¯t what mattered. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I should be mobilized for the entrance ceremony.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re the Wyvern Knights vice-captain.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a student council matter?¡± ¡°Over there¡¯s the student council.¡± Looking in the direction Eleanor was pointing, he saw the student council officers chatting and working. The figure at the center of them was Baek In-ha. He thought all of Shinyoung¡¯s students didn¡¯t like him, but the student council executives around him smiled andughed yfully at him. ¡°What, they¡¯re all girls except him?! Besides, how...¡± It was a disgustingly cartoonish situation, but all the student council members seemed too friendly with Baek. Kang Shin-hyuk felt slightly betrayed. He had been going on about wanting to meet a girl every day...! Eleanor shook her head as if she saw what he had too. ¡°No ess within a three-meter radius in the future.¡± ¡°Because we have to work as a team, bear with it.¡± ¡°You can throw him out...¡± ¡°He¡¯s a valuable power.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you. Huh?¡± As her trait had evolved into the unprecedented realm of SSS-rank (of course, it was a lower level than Shin Eunah¡¯s Master of Mana, but Eleanor didn¡¯t know it), she seemed somewhat overconfident. Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes as she insisted on expelling Baek with an unsuitable wink. ¡°Are you ying after the entrance ceremony?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yes!¡± Before she made a big mistake, the duel fanatic Eleanor nodded, saying that she was good to go. No, maybe not just for that reason. ¡°Huh...¡± ¡°Hey, this is Shinyoung¡¯s two crowns.¡± The weather was still close to winter, but the spring breeze was blowing only next to Kang Shin-hyuk. He put down the chair, hoping that the freshman who would join the Wyvern Knights wouldn¡¯t be disappointed to see her. The work proceeded in a leisurely manner, and the students cleaned their clothes and took a break before the ceremony began. ¡°Shinyuk!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk caught the two canned coffees thrown by Baek In-ha and handed one to Eleanor. As he handed it over, Eleanor blushed slightly. ¡°Is it Karen?¡¯ ¡°Huh?! Karen isn¡¯t here!¡± ¡°You two are good friends, huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he opened the can in response to Eleanor, and Baek came up with a smile. He was the one who learned about the ¡®nickname¡¯ a few days ago, so that attitude was natural. ¡°Eleanor noona, this isn¡¯t aplete betrayal of ire noona. Betrayal? No, how could you say that to Shinyuk.¡± ¡°No ess within a three-meter radius.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk exined while Baek smiled ambiguously. ¡°I think I got a new realization about you after seeing your student council harem.¡± ¡°Ah, the student council? Did you want to join?¡± ¡°No!¡± Eleanor shouted firmly and pulled Kang Shin-hyuk into her arms. Of course, given her short stature, she was hanging off his back, but her expression was desperate. ¡°You can¡¯t take the vice-captain!¡± ¡°You can serve as an adjunct, an adjunct.¡± ¡°No!¡± In addition to Eleanor screaming, Kang Shin-hyuk spoke up. ¡°No. Moreover, I heard that the student council and the Wyvern Knights have never joined hands before?¡± ¡°Huh, so starting this year, we¡¯re going to be happy with each other. Even if a person who serves as an adjunctes out, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not blocked by school rules.¡± Baek¡¯s eyes wereughing at Kang Shin-hyuk as he spoke. It was because Eleanor wasn¡¯t thinking of falling away from him in the slightest. It was very cute how she clung to him with her eyes closed tightly, but outsiders wouldn¡¯t think that way. ¡°Eli, take it easy.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already toote.¡± Baek seemed like he would burst intoughter at any moment. That was true. The student council officers, the executives from the Magic Association, the teachers in the hall, and even the freshmen who were starting to find their seats were staring at them. ¡°No, it¡¯s not too easy.¡± ¡°Well, what? We¡¯re close.¡± ¡°Oh, confident.¡± Baek apuded Eleanor¡¯s demeanor. ¡°You two are close.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°But it looks suspicious, so I¡¯ll report it to ire.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not scared.¡± She seemed embarrassed for a moment as she continued hastily. ¡°Because we¡¯re close as a senior and a junior!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you think that way, but I can¡¯t hide her dark heart...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± At that point, Kang Shin-hyuk cracked down on Baek. The auditorium was already full of freshmen. Oh Hye-na was even there, staring at them. The moment he saw her again, he thought of Oh Joo-young appearing on the expedition. ¡®But will it be okay? The head has already been removed, and the only thing left was a sword...¡¯ Now Kang Shin-hyuk had Excalibur: Despair, which Oh Joo-young had used, and theva greatsword used by the armored monster... There was a fragment containing the power of Excalibur: Ras. Of course, he had no intention of passing that on to Oh Hye-na. Later, when he could embody Excalibur properly, he would forge a new, good sword. Since he received a lot from the father, why not repay his daughter? ¡®Though recovering the armor would¡¯ve been nice.¡¯ It was inevitable as it had all melted. Had he been able to read the memory of the armor, he would¡¯ve been able to see what happened to it after he gave it to Janus. ¡°Vice-captain? What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, captain.¡± He said it naturally as they had promised to call each other by their titles in public, but Eleanor slightly frowned. ¡°The ceremony is just starting. Sit straight.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two tried to pretend to be quiet while they sat side-by-side on the podium. However, the freshmen were already looking at them oddly, and that continued as the ceremony progressed. No, it seemed they had attracted a little too much attention. ¡°What, why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Vice-captain, quiet.¡± They weren¡¯t looking at the principal, Baek, or any of the other teachers, only Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor. ¡®No way, maybe?¡¯ Could their identity have been revealed on the inte? He heard that Shin Eunah¡¯s parents were taken in by the association; did they decide to release the information? But if so, superhumans from all over the world would be jumping at him right away, so he didn¡¯t think that was it... ¡°Uh...¡± After seeing that Eleanor¡¯splexion beside him was also pale, he realized that she understood the situation. She always had a wirelessmunicator in her ear that couldmunicate with Karen, and it looks like Karen had just reported in. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°An article is out.¡± ¡°What article?¡± ¡°An article that the youngest princess of Ennd is attending Shinyoung as a third-year...¡± That was about Eleanor. ¡°Oops...¡± ¡°Oh, my sister...!¡± Olivia¡¯s response proved to be worse than he had expected. It seemed that they were convinced that if they made it difficult for Eleanor, it would be enough to bind her to Ennd. It was stupid, indeed. ¡°There, there.¡± It was cute to see Eleanor¡¯s body was shivering strangely, but it seemed that she would fall out of her chair. Kang Shin-hyuk reluctantly reached out to stop her, but fortunately, she soon stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll listen, so tell me about it after the ceremony.¡± ¡°By the way, I have to say hello as the representative of the Knight Department...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± However, Eleanor stood on the podium and introduced the department with an extremely dignified appearance, as if her previous worries had been a lie. Thinking of it, wasn¡¯t Dous Payne therest year? Kang Shin-hyuk remembered those days as he listened to her. Only a year had passed, but so much had changed in the meantime. Perhaps in the future, more changes would await him than ever before...¡± ¡°She¡¯s really pretty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m drowning in her eyes.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very short.¡± ¡°Is she in the third grade?¡± ¡°The person sitting behind her is her fianc??e.¡± ¡°What bullshit.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. The picture of them is on page 1 of the Times and the Guardian!¡± What? Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor? On the Times and the Guardian? He immediately knew why she was ashamed. ¡°He was an orphan. There¡¯s a story that his trait had evolved.¡± ¡°Wow, then marrying an English princess with pure skill?¡± ¡°Uh, shit. The association said they wanted him, and the princess intercepted them.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was possible...!¡± ¡°Persuasive...¡± The freshmen were whispering quietly, but Kang Shin-hyuk could hear them all. Perhaps the teachers could as well. Of course, Eleanor was well aware of them. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to exin how her face was calm, but her ears were red. ¡®Olivia... I¡¯ll try my handter.¡¯ In other words, if she thought that Eleanor and Kang Shin-hyuk were dating, it means she discovered his identity. She was warned about it, but she went ahead and revealed such a scandal. Did it make sense for an ordinary boy who had achieved the title of Rookie Kingst year to be engaged to the princess? ¡®What a misunderstanding... this will be tiresome.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t said much so far, wondering who would care about their rtionship, but it would be good to warn ire. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: If you don¡¯t see me today, I¡¯ll cry. Not surprisingly, a message came straight from her. She must¡¯ve seen the article. That she used the whisper system, which she didn¡¯t use often, conveyed her feelings to him. -I¡¯ll go as soon as the ceremony ends. -Bartender¡¯s whisper: I want to go to your room. Can I...? -Yeah. Eleanor¡¯s greeting ended while he conversed with ire. After her, the chairman of the Magic Society began to introduce the Magic Department, and she sat down with a sigh. ¡°...You know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sorry, my older sister...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll let you pay the priceter. Besides, this affects you as well.¡± ¡°I... Yes.¡± She seemed like she wanted to say something but soon nodded instead. The entrance ceremony ended safely. As soon as it did, Lee Na-hee, who was embarrassed, rushed outside, and there was a small incident where bad rumors of Kang Shin-hyuk spread among the freshmen. Kang Shin-hyuk was safely promoted to the second grade. Chapter 264 - Spring Again (1)

Chapter 264 - Spring Again (1)

[Beauty Mage ¨C Wow, so this is the person who ranked first in the popr votest year?] [Now Nougat Sword Master ¨C Mixed race beauty is good.] [Mob 72 ¨C Mid is also good.] [Nambabamba ¨C Please delete these strangements.] [Good Nick Nemda ¨C A British princess and Miss Shinyoung? I¡¯m against beauty monopoly!] [Talent S Rank ¨C Will they look at you even without that?] [HN.O ¨C Male yboy.] [Yeeun ¨C He looks handsome, but hahaha.] [Future ¨C If that face is convincing, lol.] [Ironform ¨C No chance.] After the entrance ceremony was over, Shinyoung¡¯s various studentmunities were raring to gather new students. Of course, the main character was Kang Shin-hyuk. Eleanor R. Algiers (her real name was Eleanor Rosaline Reke), who was the head of the Wyvern Knights and the youngest princess of Ennd, appeared on the day of the entrance ceremony. Evenst year, when the ceremony was over, they ran wild. [Nahee-Marion ¨C I like her. For reference, he hasn¡¯t even dated Eleanor.] [Mob 72 ¨C My back.] [Talent S Rank ¨C Noona.] [Algiers ¨C This is rted to personal honor, so please refrain from mentioning it in the future. This article is a hoax, and I have no fianc??e.] [Nahee.Marion ¨C But Eleanor also likes her junior.] [Algiers ¨C Please refrain from spreading rumors.] [Nahee.Marion ¨C Please refrain from spreading rumors.] [Yeeun ¨C Are you two together?] [Future ¨C Well, perhaps with Kang Shin-hyuk...?] [Now Nougat Sword Master ¨C Hahaha.] [HN.O ¨C Tomcat trash.] Lee Na-hee wasn¡¯t fooled by the article, but rumors about the triangle rtionship centered on Kang Shin-hyuk had already spread out of control among the first years. ¡°Woah, no matter how manyments I read, I can¡¯t organize them.¡± ¡°To think this would happen.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve expected it.¡± It was unbelievable that the best newspaper in Ennd made a false report, but if you read the article, they didn¡¯t tell a single lie. For example, Eleanor and Kang Shin-hyuk were the captain and vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights. And, in the underline, it read ¡®The British royal family revealed that it doesn¡¯t matter if her marriage partner is Korean, they support her choice.¡¯ They were deliberately misleading the people!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s in Ennd...¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as Korea.¡± ¡°By the way, when was this picture taken?¡± Lee Na-hee pointed to the picture of the two on the front page of the newspaper. The two were wearing in clothes while walking into a caf??, having a friendly conversation. The final blow was that the distance between them was too close, and Eleanor was looking at him with a shy smile. It was a picture that no one would doubt was of young lovers. Kang Shin-hyuk never dated her, so he had to ponder over it. ¡°It looks like it was when the two of us went for coffee after Masked Bhus activities.¡± ¡°Ah, we bought it and drank together because it waste. All five of us were there.¡± ¡°No, Eunah was there too, so six.¡± ¡°What? Then it¡¯s not a date!¡± ¡°Of course?¡± Was the British government keeping watch on her? Even so, Kang Shin-hyuk spected that their Masked Bhus activities wouldn¡¯t have been discovered at this time. As he dealt with spiritual power, Kang Shin-hyuk had excellent senses, and Eleanor herself was quite alert, so they would immediately notice if they were under surveince. Perhaps this photo was a random one someone had taken? But even so, it was a very sharp picture. ¡°You look sweet. Hee...¡± ¡°Eli, don¡¯t download it.¡± ¡°Eli? Did you say, Eli?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes went wide at his mistake. He thought Eleanor would be the one to make the first mistake! Instead of ming him, Lee Na-hee narrowed her eyes at Eleanor. ¡°Eli... It looks like there really was...?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s, more than that, Na-hee...?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sparks red between them. ¡°I did it too, on the roof.¡± ¡°The tent for executives at the Casanca forward base. Technically, space was divided there as well.¡± ¡°We kissed, too.¡± ¡°I thought that was the case.¡± ¡°Eli, it¡¯s pretty much you...?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, his patience at his limit, pushed the two quarreling girls away. ¡°Now, both of you go, please.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t push me out!¡± ¡°This is my room.¡± He ran straight to the dorm after the ceremony for his appointment with ire, but he was unable to shake off Lee Na-hee and Eleanor. He said he would listen to them, so they entered his room in an attempt to get rid of the confusion. Then why did they start to fight? ¡°Anyway, others are also listening.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, Na-hee.¡± ¡°Na-hee...¡± ¡°Just go, both of you!¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk yelled, a red-haired beauty appeared behind him. ¡°Ah, why are you so ruthlessly chasing them out?¡± ¡°ire?¡± ire also had that earring-typems device that could teleport her directly to other top-rankers. It seemed she had used it just now. ¡°Noona?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± When the owner appeared, the thieving cats shrugged. It was only then that they realized why he was trying to get them to leave. ire, on the other hand, smiled brightly and pulled out several bags of chicken from her inventory. ¡°It feels so boring to eat alone. Let¡¯s have a school opening party.¡± ¡°Well, are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s eat while we talk about what happened.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Lee Na-hee and Eleanor both froze at that, seeing the glint in ire¡¯s eyes. They may not now, but the article published today was a detonator that pushed ire off the brink she was on after Tsukuyo¡¯s visit. Originally, Kang Shin-hyuk was going to see her alone, exin it carefully, and soothe her, but these two ended up getting caught. ¡°Good?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t save them. That was because his own ass was on fire the moment ire appeared. The home partysted for three hours, and Lee Na-hee and Eleanor were only released from their interrogation after they confessed all that had happened with Kang Shin-hyuk during the vacation. ¡°I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m scared...¡± ¡°Junior, I¡¯m dying...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve run away.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be like this...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk saw the two off and looked back at ire, smiling victoriously. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still not enough, given Tsukuyo.¡± Her cheeks puffed up, and she threatened him by raising her arms up. Of course, it was just cute, but she probably knew that. Kang Shin-hyuk felt the stress that had been umting vanish as he looked at her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell you everything. Come on.¡± ¡°No, youe. Sit here.¡± She put her cup down, spread her legs to the side, and tapped between them. Indeed, she wanted that. Kang Shin-hyuk obeyed. First, she folded her legs over him to constrain him and then wrapped her arms around his stomach to ensure he couldn¡¯t escape. She sounded relieved as she leaned against him. ¡°You¡¯re mine now.¡± ¡°I was always yours.¡± ¡°Then, write it down.¡± She pressed her chin down on his back. He could feel her lips on his neck. ¡°Your back has grown bigger again?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about my trait? I guess my status also went up at that time. Somehow, the school uniform became a little tight.¡± ¡°Your stomach has be soft.¡± ¡°Because my abs were solid from the start?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s gotten harder... So what about the forearms? You have more muscle. Why?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± She touched his body everywhere and asked why he had grown bigger. Heughed low and moved on before she could. ¡°Can I stop listening to Tsukuyo?¡± ¡°I know nothing happened. It was unpleasant to hear that that fox knows a lot about you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; it was a past life.¡± ¡°No, not like that... You don¡¯t know.¡± She stopped talking and buried her face in his back. ¡°So how about Eunah...? Did you clear things up with her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the worst.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Please don¡¯t be too harsh about making her independent.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly. The words he heard from Shin Eunah came to mind. Of course, the conclusion he made was a cause of his distress. ¡°No, I think it would be better to stay away for the time being. For both of us.¡± ¡°You just looked like a dad. Or a grandpa, I suppose.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why. Now I want a more normal senior-junior rtionship.¡± ¡°Like that...¡± So that was how the story ended concerning the expedition. ire also liked the conclusion. She clung to his body and spoke yfully. ¡°So, why is this ce so big?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± The wolf quickly stood up to perform his mission. ire screamed as if she had been waiting and happily met the fate of Red Riding Hood. *** The next morning, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s phone vibrated as he entered the second year¡¯s ss A and sat by the window. [?ire?: Do your best today ???] All of ire¡¯sints seemed to have been safely resolved. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled happily at the message, but the person behind him suddenly shook his head. ¡°What am I seeing?¡± ¡°Baek In-ha?!¡± It was a little strange that he and Baek, who was fighting for the top-rankings (though Kang Shin-hyuk was the likely victor), were in the same ss this year. But the reason was simple. Shin Yoon-hak, the principal, realized there were many talented people in the first year¡¯s Knight Departmentst year and decided to put them together and provide them education appropriate to their level. So this year¡¯s Knight Department A ss had gathered only the best students. It was natural that Baek, Do Woojin, and Karen were all there. In fact, many from the Wyvern Knights were there as well, so the new ss had drawn a lot of excitement. ¡°Pretending to be popr?!¡± ¡°Oh, can¡¯t you leave it? This is the achievement of special training!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was able to distinguish between hostiles and non-hostiles with his spiritual power... However, before Kang Shin-hyuk could say anything else, Baek continued with an odd expression. ¡°By the way, Shinyuk, is that re-noona?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk out loud.¡± ¡°Why... Why are there so many hearts? You don¡¯t always do that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°No, even with that, it¡¯s a 180-degree turn...?!¡± Baek was in full force today. ire, who had created Masked Bhus because of her tastes, could send such a stupid couple-like message?! ¡°It¡¯s not like this every day, but when we feel good.¡± ¡°When you feel good...? Then, yesterday, when I knocked on your door for us to eat dinner together...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡± He thought it was really fortunate that the door was locked. Baek¡¯s eyes narrowed at that. ¡°Shinyuk, you, from the first day of the new semester...¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The moment he was about to say something, Do Woojin came in through the ssroom door. During the vacation, he had grown considerably, bing a very desirable tank. ¡°Aren¡¯t the first years fighting?¡± ¡°Fighting on the first day of the new semester...?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a girl named Oh Hye-na and some other students...¡± Baek jumped out of the seat and began to move. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged and stood up, and Do Woojin stood there, surprised. ¡°She¡¯s a candidate as Baek In-ha¡¯s wife-to-be. Let¡¯s go see it.¡± ¡°Ha, from the first day...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Perhaps it would¡¯ve calmed down by the time they arrived, but it was quite worth seeing. Kang Shin-hyuk left the ssroom with Do Woojin, feeling a sense of youth he hadn¡¯t felt during his first-year. Chapter 265 - Spring Again (2)

Chapter 265 - Spring Again (2)

The ce where the fight took ce turned out to be ckwood, the grove built in the school. All other ces were visible enough so that students or faculty could walk by and see them at any time. That was why Do Woojin was able to get the information quickly. He had been in the training camp working hard in his own time these days, and when he left in the morning, he saw freshmen with a hostile atmosphere going into the forest. ¡°Karen said she wanted to hang them out to dry, but... It seems difficult.¡± ¡°Did youe to school with Karen?¡± ¡°Because she also stays at the training center these days.¡± What? There was an odd feeling in what he said. Kang Shin-hyuk stared at him, and Do Woojin blushed very slightly before turning away. ¡°Well, what?¡± ¡°Are you two dating?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I?¡± ¡°Then, you still like being alone?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and pped Do Woojin on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll cheer you on. But to be recognized, you have to do better.¡± ¡°What? Before, it was just fine... No, I don¡¯t like it!¡± Do Woojin was an easy-to-read guy. The days when they hated each other felt like a distant past now. ¡°Be strong; your brother will push you.¡± ¡°What sort of brother are you, ah, get rid of it! Besides, she¡¯s...¡± When Do Woojin was crying out, trying to say something, they arrived at the scene. ¡°Kh...¡± ¡°Ah, ah...¡± ¡°Oh Hye-na, calm down!¡± ¡°Let me go, oppa, let me go...!¡± There were four male students scattered on the ground, and Oh Hye-na, who was unharmed, was being held up by Baek. ¡°Hick.¡± ¡°Why are you upset?¡± On the other side, two female students who hadn¡¯t yet been identified were hiding behind Karen¡¯s back with terrified faces. Strangely, looking at that, the scenario was drawn in his head. Maybe those guys had heard of Oh Hye-na and brought her here. The fact that her father was mankind¡¯s traitor would remain over her like a scarlet letter, and people would continue to harass her. Perhaps what happened today was just a preview. ¡®I don¡¯t know, but... I can¡¯t pretend I don¡¯t know.¡¯ He stepped forward and spoke up. ¡°What about a teacher? Has onee yet?¡± ¡°Ah, Shin-hyuk!¡± Karen waved at him with a bright expression after noticing him. Next to him, Do Woojin red at Kang Shin-hyuk with fearsome eyes. He knew what he was thinking, but that¡¯s not it. Deciding that he would tell Do Woojinter that he already had a girlfriend, he stepped forward again. ¡°Baek In-ha, take her to ss before things get worse. I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± ¡°There are still...!¡± He spoke to Baek, but it was Oh Hye-na who answered. She shouted sharply and reached out to try and demonstrate her abilities at the girls behind Karen, but when Kang Shin-hyuk shook his hand, it vaporized and disappeared. It was cold mana, so it was easy to remove with a little heat. ¡°How...?!¡± ¡°Hey, take her away quickly.¡± ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Baek picked her up and disappeared from the spot. Her voice could be heard spouting out all kinds of curses from further and further away. Kang Shin-hyuk waved his hand at them and then checked the condition of the boys who had fallen. ¡°Oh, but it¡¯s neat.¡± ¡°Are they not hurt?¡± When Oh Hye-na vanished, Karen stopped protecting the girls and approached Kang Shin-hyuk. He replied with a refreshing smile. ¡°She broke their bones neatly.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Will she be punished in the new semester?¡± ¡°Alright, nothing happened here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk produced a small stic bottle full of red liquid from his chest. As soon as he did, one of the girls raised her voice. ¡°Potion?!¡± ¡°Right.¡± It wasn¡¯t, it was just a drink, but he carefully treated it as if it were a potion and shared it with the four students. It was his Golden Dragon that healed them, not the potion. He had prepared it to trick others, but to think it would be used so quickly. ¡°Now, like this...¡± ¡°Wow...¡± Golden Dragon Fighter had the power to activate and regenerate the body. The bones were cleanly broken, so it was really easy to mend them together. Rather, it was faster and more effective than a lot of potions, and those who watched it thought it was a rather expensive potion. He quickly brought the four to a healthy state and raised his head. ¡°Look at this, nothing happened.¡± ¡°Yes? But senior...¡± ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk repeated himself in a stronger tone. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± As the girls quickly grasped the situation and began to nod, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and pointed at the unconscious students. ¡°Tell them too. If you can¡¯t convince them, have theme to meter.¡± ¡°Well, that...¡± ¡°Will they listen to us?¡± At first nce, it seemed that it was the girls who were in charge, but instead of pointing that out, he took it step-by-step. ¡°The second year who took that girl with him, is he familiar? He¡¯s the vice-president of this year¡¯s student council and the sessor of Baekyang. The two of them are close. As a bonus, I¡¯m the vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°Well, I know that.¡± ¡°Then, you know that you don¡¯t have to raise trouble for nothing?¡± ¡°Ooh....¡± Heughed at the freshmen before continuing in a much quieter tone. ¡°Don¡¯t talk back in a ce that won¡¯t bring you to the future. If you don¡¯t like Oh Hye-na, beat her with your skills in front of everyone. That¡¯s the right superhuman way... Understand?¡± He dered it as he put a little of his trait and spiritual power into them like they were his enemies. The results were very effective. ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Okay, then wake them up and go.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk saw the two wake up the others and run out of the forest. As soon as things were cleared up, Karen and Do Woojin looked at him nkly. ¡°Shin-hyuk, you were a little weird just now.¡± ¡°How do you wield power like that without hesitation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier than using force. Moreover, I rather protected them who didn¡¯t know anything.¡± If those students told the teacher what happened with Oh Hye-na, who would be punished? It would be them. Even though her father died, Vanguard was still a veryrge guild, and Oh Hye-na was their princess. The school itself would give a little penalty to Oh Hye-na and scold the studentster for being just as violent. The reason Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t call a teacher was that he was considerate of them. ¡®It¡¯ll be simpler to keep it between students... Hopefully, this incident won¡¯t spread... Probably not.¡¯ He was sure about the boys, but he could read the girls¡¯ hearts roughly with his spiritual power. At least they wouldn¡¯t talk first. There seemed to be some side effects too, but... He frowned while thinking of the feelings he had read from them as Karen, who was checking her phone, spoke up. ¡°Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re just posting on the school bulletin board?¡± ¡°Yeah, kids these days seem to start there.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go too; the ss will be starting.¡± ¡°I left our bags in our seats so that we won¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°Oh, was that why you took my bag? Your sense is impressive.¡± ¡°This arrangement...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart lightened a little at the sight of Do Woojin puffing his chest in front of the girl he liked. But this was by no means a fundamental solution. Perhaps even more annoying things would happen in the future. There might even be someone who hated Oh Hye-na among the young teachers. Considering that, in order to be less stressed at school, he had to avoid her... ¡°Hey, when will we receive the new recruits for the Wyvern Knights?¡± ¡°Maybe this week?¡± ¡°If I asked you not to take in Oh Hye-na, would you not?¡± ¡°If she wants to join, why not?¡± ¡°What about using my authority as the vice-captain?¡± ¡°Consult with the captain. Wouldn¡¯t she listen if you kissed her?¡± ¡°What? Kiss?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk seriously thought about it, but eventually decided he needed to have a serious conversation with Oh Hye-na. *** After school, Kang Shin-hyuk headed to the caf?? on the first floor of Unyu hall with Baek. Karen and Do Woojin were also eager to meet Oh Hye-na, but today could result in a bit of an intimate story, so the two were left behind. No matter if Baek was involved, he thought Oh Hye-na would try to escape if he were there, but fortunately, she arrived first and sat at the table. Then, upon discovering Kang Shin-hyuk, her eyes went wide. Indeed, it meant she didn¡¯t know he would being. ¡°You!¡± Calling him ¡®you¡¯ now. Kang Shin-hyuk flicked the air to hit her. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Call me senior.¡± ¡°What kind of senior are you... Ouch!¡± Oh Hye-na, who was hit by a couple of air shots in a row, grabbed her forehead. Kang Shin-hyuk took a caf?? mocha from the counter (extra whipped cream), three butter croissants, two cinnamon rolls, three scones, five mini jams, and arge bottle of clotted cream, as well as custard, fresh cream crocanche, and chocte cream. He put all of that down and picked up the scone first. ¡°Why did you buy so much?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t eat like this before and after training, your body won¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk liberally applied cream and jam to the scones before biting into them. In order to restore the energy for his Golden Dragon, he needed to eat a lot. ¡°Ah...¡± Oh Hye-na nodded with conviction because she knew that his level of training was tremendous. ¡°So... Why did youe? To interfere with me and In-ha oppa...?¡± ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who devoured three scones in an instant, began to sip at his caf?? mocha. ¡°It¡¯s about what happened today.¡± ¡°I walked over andid them down. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Is the world funny because you are Vanguard?¡± ¡°What, no...¡± Oh Hye-na flinched at his sharp words, but he continued. ¡°Whenever there¡¯s a dispute in the future, Vanguard¡¯s image will be very good if you ignore all the rules and beat it, right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°No, maybe you will leave a witness. With no honor or authority, only pride remains. That¡¯ll show that Vanguard, the forefront of humanity¡¯s protectors, ispletely destroyed...¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk easily quelled her. He continued to eat as he looked over at Baek In-ha, who sat next to him. Oh Hye-na was looking at him for help, but he was ignoring it with the air of a leader. ¡°I¡¯m not mad. It¡¯s true. Even Baek asked you to be good.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t...!¡± -I will kill her now. ¡®Be patient.¡¯ It felt funny to him that he was teaching freshmen when he was just a second-year himself. However, it was inevitable because Baek was too soft on Oh Hye-na, and at least he could give her some advice before things got worse. ¡°Do you think it will end like that? It was nice when everyone in the world supported Oh Joo-young, but now it¡¯s the opposite.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged as he watched Oh Hye-na chew on her lip. Now that he had torn her down, it was time to cheer her up. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should only be patient. If it¡¯s school, you have to fight like a student. The most representative thing is grades and duels. The closest is the rookie exhibition held in April. There are endless means of fighting back ording to the rules.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Oh Hye-na¡¯s eyes began to sparkle in the unexpected direction. Instead, Baek¡¯s eyes went wide as he red at him. ¡°Hey, Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Why, that¡¯s right. What¡¯s the point of my words?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paused to take a couple more bites of his pastries. ¡°In the future, don¡¯t think about polluting Vanguard¡¯s name, and build up your own strength in the school.¡± ¡°Huh...¡± ¡°Power is also a good tool. How about bing a student council officer? Then no one can ignore you.¡± He finished it with a sip of his mocha. Both Baek and Oh Hye-na looked a bit possessed as he finished off his cinnamon roll and licked his fingers clean. Of course, the words that came out of his mouth didn¡¯t match the fresh atmosphere he had. ¡°It¡¯s the same when you go out into society. If you cultivate your own values, others will respect you as an individual. In extreme terms, if you surpass your father, there will be no one who can speak against you.¡± ¡°Teaching really good things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the type of advice that boils the blood.¡± Baek put a hand to his forehead and sighed. But before long, he nodded. ¡°Actually, what I wanted to say is no different, Hye-na. In the morning... I may have made you angry.¡± ¡°No, oppa.¡± Indeed, it seemed that something went wrong after he tried to persuade Oh Hye-na earlier. However, her expression was lighter. ¡°Now, I know what you wanted to say. I need to be me.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°I want to enter the student council.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ears twitched. If she did it on her own, she would have less contact with him, and naturally, he would be less bothered! But the words that followed rotted that idea away. ¡°And I want to enter the Wyvern knights.¡± ¡°What? You can¡¯t be an adjunct.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rule like that, sir.¡± Baek In-ha corrected him, tapping on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head. Oh Hye-na, her heart already resolved, stood up and bowed her head to Kang Shin-hyuk. Her long hair poured down like a waterfall to cover her expression. ¡°Thanks, senior. Preventing the teachers from hearing... You¡¯ve persuaded me.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Look at Hye-na, all grown up...¡± ¡°You wake up a little.¡± Baek had proud tears in his eyes. ¡°Senior.¡± Oh Hye-na raised her head; her cold blue eyes looked straight at him. ¡°I want to train with you.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Oh Hye-na bit her lip at his immediate answer. ¡°I¡¯ll enter the informal guild that you make.¡± ¡°Hey, Baek.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything important! Just that you wanted to create a public interest group that transcends guilds...¡± ¡°This child...¡± No matter how close Baek In-ha and Oh Hye-na were, in the end, they were inpeting guilds. In other words, he wanted her to join Masked Bhus. Of course, his real purpose was to have her grow with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability, but Oh Hye-na moved ording to her own will. ¡°So, please make me strong.¡± Oh Hye-na bowed her head again. Seeing that she could bow her head to the person who killed her father, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like seeing her again. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Damn it...¡± The dozens of people in the caf?? were all watching them now. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a deep sigh over the new rumors that would undoubtedlye out. Chapter 266 - Spring Again (3)

Chapter 266 - Spring Again (3)

Rumors quickly spread in the school that Kang Shin-hyuk, vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights, had scouted Oh Hye-na the very first day of the new semester. Now there were very undesirable rumors that Kang Shin-hyuk was targeting Oh Hye-na. It was even said that he had already seduced Lee Na-hee and Eleanor, so now he was aiming for Hye-na. ¡°I thought I would...no, what kind of crazy guy is that?!¡± ¡°Shinyuk, why is your image working?¡± ¡°You flirt.¡± ¡°Increase the weight to 10 kilos.¡± ¡°Ahhh! Ahhh!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, Baek In-ha, and Oh Hye-na had begun training together at dawn. He already had finished his morning training in his room, but he received a very serious request from Oh Hye-na. As a bonus, he decided to gather and practice with Baek while he was at it. ¡°No, it¡¯s scary. I¡¯m holding weights that I shouldn¡¯t be able to lift...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural because you¡¯re getting a buff. Your status will only grow when your limit is ovee.¡± ¡°But what if I break my arms?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t. Add three times more.¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Control your breathing. Exhale when you¡¯re under pressure.¡± Even when they gathered together to practice, it was nothing special. With Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait, he supported all of them, effectively doing physical training and trait training at the same time. However, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing as the closer they were to him, the greater the effect of his trait, so they were able to grow faster than if they were alone.¡± ¡°Shinyuk, the contract.¡± Baek In-ha, who was lifting weights next to him, finished on set and opened his mouth in dissatisfaction. ¡°Did you have to use such a magic tool on Hye-na? Even entering high-level gates these days, it¡¯s not enough to use such expendable magic tools casually.¡± The magic tool he referred to was, of course, the soul contract sold by the Hero Universe. If he could really trust her, he wouldn¡¯t need one, but he didn¡¯t yet, so he had her sign a contract with tight conditions for Masked Bhus¡¯s activities and secrecy. It was impressive that she signed without hesitation even though Baek, an observer, hesitated at the powerful magic the contract emanated. It seemed there was no room for hesitation because she knew her growth was good when she trained with Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I told you that my trait evolves other traits.¡± ¡°You did.¡± ¡°You understand how dangerous it is, right?¡¯ ¡°Right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need a confidentiality contract. In the first ce, I¡¯ve no intention of recruiting everyone.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± He was ming Baek, who had confessed his ns to expand the Masked Bhus personnel. Of course, Oh Hye-na already knew the two were a part of Masked Bhus, and she was as close to Baek as a sibling. He didn¡¯t even talk about traits at all, so it didn¡¯t matter that much. ¡°I still believe there will be nothing more than this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because Hye-na is special...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk also knew already. ¡°You say it like that because you know I hate it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just get married, get married.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s like a younger sibling.¡± The moment Baek responded with a bloody smile, Oh Hye-na, who was pretending not to listen, missed the barbell because her grip loosened. Kang Shin-hyuk extended his arm to grab it. ¡°Add 30 more times.¡± ¡°Devil!¡± ¡°When exercising, focus only on that.¡± ¡°Evil!¡± ¡°Then, I should exercise too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk started with an ultra-heavy barbell specially developed for high rankers. Oh Hye-na went back to her own exercise while looking at the two hundred kilogram barbell he was using. Baek smiled gently as he watched them, convinced that he had made the best choice for her. *** Although the conquest of Africa was unsessful and the mercenaries had suffered severe damage, the superhumans didn¡¯t suffer much harm on the expedition. Rather, the business that was carried out based on the corpses of the monsters they collected caused a great boom. Not only were the superhuman armaments upgraded in general, but artificial artifacts of rank A or higher were released in arge amount on the market. That resulted in an improvement in the power of superhumans in each country, making it more feasible to cope with the urrence of higher grade gates. Therefore, Shinyoung¡¯s students were able to focus on their school curriculum. The students were delighted to spend their days like students finally, but that joy ended in exactly two days. ¡°Oh, the sses are boring. I liked the gate practice...¡± ¡°If I became an official superhuman, I¡¯d be active like Shin Eun-hyuk with the women.¡± ¡°He¡¯s No. 2 in the world.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s already ranked second?¡± ¡°They said he was a big yer in Africa. Britain¡¯s royal family was saved by him.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at the gossip happening behind him, but more and more stories about him began to flow. ¡°Red Shoes jumped up to fourth ce. But isn¡¯t she in Korea now?¡± ¡°What, she¡¯s also stuck with Shin Eun-hyuk! Maybe she¡¯ll join Masked Bhus.¡± ¡°So the No. 1, 2, and 4 are in Korea? How magnificent...¡± ¡°I remembered it because she was with Masked Bhus, but what about that R woman? Isn¡¯t she ranked seventh now? How ridiculous.¡± ¡°When ites to Masked Bhus, it¡¯s not a sham. They¡¯ve been active for half a year, idiot. Masked Bhus has been recognized by the association, so obviously they¡¯ll be high rankers.¡± ¡°But she said she likes Shin Eun-hyuk.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? He¡¯s already got the Empress and the Alchemist.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk crumpled a bit. He was clearly dating the Alchemist, but he couldn¡¯t go ahead and exin it! ¡°But there are simr people in our ss.¡± ¡°Ah, is it not enough to have Miss Shinyoung and the British princess, so on the first day he went after a first-year?¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk...¡± However, he could exin this. Kang Shin-hyuk looked back at the ones talking behind him. ¡°That¡¯s not how it is.¡± ¡°No, what¡¯s not, the rumors! You went to school with her today!¡± ¡°No, Baek was with you.¡± ¡°Baek will be on our side!¡± Didn¡¯t they want to focus their aggravations on him? Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and raised his left hand. When the students saw the shining silver ring on his ring finger, they stiffened instantly. ¡°Uh...¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? A fashion ring?¡± ¡°Couple¡¯s ring.¡± In response to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s bold response, not only the boys talking to him but all the students in the ssroom stiffened. He momentarily wondered if he had awakened the toper of the world, but it seemed that time hadn¡¯t stopped. ¡°Couples ring?¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°Hey, with whom?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt impressed. By this timest year, he was getting this gaze from all the students. Of course, it was one filled with contempt and irritation... ¡°You won¡¯t know if I tell you because she¡¯s outside the school.¡± ¡°OMG?!¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°Not Algiers senior?!¡± ¡°No. I have a girlfriend.¡± Yes, this was it. He was waiting for the chance to announce the existence of his girlfriend naturally! Until now, he was worried about revealing the connection between himself and ire, so he was hiding it. But it wasn¡¯t very pleasant to keep repeating the same situations, so he eventually took this as a means to reassure ire. For reference, the ring had a simple function, which was to change into a designated shape. Not only the color but also the designpletely changed. ¡°No, really?¡± ¡°Is she prettier than Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really dating another girl? Ha...¡± ¡°Then, the seniors?¡± ¡°I already know.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his hand so everyone could see it clearly. ¡°So don¡¯t spread bullshit in the future.¡± ¡°Then can I flirt with Lee Na-hee?¡± ¡°Ask her, not me.¡± ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± The effect was sure. Although his name upied the schoolmunity, the existence of his girlfriend was now being mentioned. ¡°So, who is his girlfriend?¡± ¡°An active superhuman?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a normal person.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t pay unnecessary attention to it!¡± *** Although a lot of noisy things urred from the start of the semester, the more intense sses and practice soon imed the students¡¯ overly eager minds. Oh Hye-na, who joined both the student council and the Wyvern Knights, was able to adjust to school without causing any more problems. The other first-years were quick to realize Oh Hye-na¡¯s excellence. Although they weren¡¯t afraid of Vanguard outside of the school, they were afraid of the Wyvern Knights and the student council, so they quickly became passive. Oh Hye-na pulled the less passive ones out to the battlefield and destroyed them one after another. Kang Shin-hyuk was satisfied that she was doing things ording to his instructions. The Wyvern Knights started much more vigorously than the previous year. Eleanor was pretty but also strong and cold, so she was an unrivaled existence, leading the Wyvern knights smoothly in securing talented freshmen. Masked Bhus was also still active. As all of them enjoyed the benefits of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s Guardian Golden Dragon, they were growing remarkably fast. Their achievements were clear to see, and their positions in society grew every day. Oh Hye-na secretly asked when she would get her mask, but Kang Shin-hyuk dismissed her expectations by saying that all her stats needed to be S-rank. On the other hand, Bridget Poulsen kept asking Shin Eunah, Kang Shin-hyuk, and ire about participating in Masked Bhus. Her application was under review. For the student council, there wasn¡¯t much room for their active participation in the new semester. Their main task was to post a newspaper containing Shinyoung¡¯s various news and announcements, but aside from their early reports on who Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s girlfriend was, nothing happened. Then, it finally became time for the student council to get busy. After the midterm exams, May arrived in an instant... The athletic meeting was to be held. Chapter 267 - Spring Again (4)

Chapter 267 - Spring Again (4)

¡°Congrattions and cheers for Bridget Poulsen joining Masked Bhus! Yeah!¡± Eight sses clinked in the air. All of the members of Masked Bhus, including the reserve member, Oh Hye-na, were gathered together. ¡°Oh, thank you, everyone! Please look forward to the cute and sexy Bridget in the future!¡± Bridgetughed as she emptied her ss of beer. ¡°You said it yourself?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled and tilted his cup as if he found this whole thing ridiculous. None of them were wearing masks as not only Oh Hye-na, but also Bridget had signed soul contracts during their enrollment process. ¡°In the first ce, you have to call yourself pretty to be prettier? By the way, our Death Puppeteer is also very handsome...¡± ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ire, who had been sitting beside him, pushed Bridget¡¯s head away. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Cheh.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Shin Eunah, who was also next to him, pushed Bridget back, and then Lee Na-hee and Eleanor pushed it, creating an inextricable gap between Bridget and Kang Shin-hyuk. Bridget looked like she felt the whole thing was quaint as the four protected Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Wow, it feels like sumo.¡± ¡°Since this is Korea, change it to ssireum. Localization is essential even though they may not look simr.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like when people from Osaka be Busan people.¡± ¡°You respond calmly, but I think you¡¯ll suffer a lot from the Death Puppeteer.¡± The presence of the sparkling rings on Kang Shin-hyuk and ire¡¯s hands was truly dazzling. But what was even more daunting was Shin Eunah, still unable to ept reality, and his two seniors from school were looking for an opportunity to narrow the distance with him. Well, in the modeling industry or Hollywood where Bridget worked, things like affairs weremonce! ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so popr. I¡¯lle to you soon...¡± ¡°Put that away if you don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°Bridget-noona, let¡¯s leave that cold guy and y together.¡± Behind Kang Shin-hyuk, Baek In-ha spoke with a light tone as always. However, Bridget replied with a grim expression. ¡°Yeah, In-ha is also handsome, but not my type, so...¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with In-ha oppa?¡± Oh Hye-na cried out, but that only made Baek more miserable. However, Kang Shin-hyuk, who knew that Baek had the student council harem, was no longer fooled by him. ¡°To think Mr. Puppeteer was really a minor.¡± ¡°Now, call me by name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really awesome; what did I do as a student...?¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve been ying.¡± ire said so with a snort. ire, who was confined in her youth to a superhuman facility because she awakened a very rare trait, had a longing for youth and a very slight sense of inferiority towards those who enjoyed the youth she didn¡¯t have. Before meeting Kang Shin-hyuk, she wondered if that was why she used to say her ideal type was older. ¡°Ding! I was modeling!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really wrong because I yed a lot while modeling, kuhuhu.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hit her.¡± ¡°Then, when you awakened...¡± ¡°Oh, that...¡± There were quite a few people gathered, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad overall. Bridget and Baek were good at raising the mood, and Shin Eunah, Oh Hye-na, and Eleanor were satisfied with just listening. In fact, as the protagonist of the day was Bridget, most of the topics revolved around her. ¡°What? You¡¯re in a Korean drama?¡± ¡°I came to Korea, so I had to try it. Whoo, it was hard to take care of it. I¡¯m also making a movie.¡± ¡°Your spirit is overflowing.¡± ¡°Even if Eunah quits the association, I will work to support her!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it because I already have a lot of money. Go away.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t have an interest in Bridget, but he had to admit that she was energetically active in various fields and exuded positive energy. ire looked at him pointedly, however, so he decided to quit looking at Bridget with admiration. ¡°What is the content of this athletic meet?¡± As he turned the topic gently, Baek replied with a clenched fist. ¡°Abolition of evil habits is the first decision. We willpletely abolish the old game and renew it.¡± ¡°Youe out strong.¡± ¡°Hey, honestly, are you talking about running or horseback riding? If you¡¯re a superhuman, you should y a hot game with more visual explosives.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you most excited about the racest year?¡± ¡°It was the same with Shinyuk.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that; I¡¯m shy.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk cut in at Baek¡¯s speech, then Oh Hye-na suddenly spoke up. ¡°I want to go to the two crowns battle.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek opposed each other, Oh Hye-na cried out. ¡°Why are you saying, no?!¡± ¡°Then you can¡¯t go to the rookie game.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk solemnly dered so, then added with a slightly vague tone... ¡°There was a boyst year who gave up on the rookie battle to go to the two crowns battle, but he couldn¡¯t do anything and became a shame...¡± ¡°Hey, Shinyuk. Is that really my story? Are you talking about me?¡± ¡°So put it aside. Get the solid grades you can now.¡± ¡°Oh... Yes.¡± That was also one of the powers you could acquire at school. In particr, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s position had changed significantly upon acquiring the title of Rookie King. At his words, Oh Hye-na bowed her head. The strange rtionship between them formed at the start of the semester had settled to some extent. ¡°What about you, Shinyuk? Are you going for the Knight Crown and the Two Crowns?¡± ¡°No, I agreed to share with Eli. I¡¯m only doing the Two Crowns.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Crown of Knights.¡± Eleanor naturally responded to him. In fact, it was rare to upy both titles. It was better to focus on only one. It seemed that there was an excuse for Dous Payne¡¯s loss to Baek since he had gone for bothst year. ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s natural to win if you go all out? You said you would share the titles?¡± ¡°Of course. You can also take a top-rank.¡± Eleanor carefully held up a victory sign next to Kang Shin-hyuk, who responded boldly. Lee Na-hee grappled with her attitude as if the two were forming a consensus. Baek was unable to avoid getting heated up by Eleanor, and he dered Kang Shin-hyuk as his target. ¡°Pack your bags in the royal ss and get ready to leave.¡± ¡°No, I get a room because I¡¯m the vice-captain of the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°Oh, oppa. Just don¡¯t lose...¡± ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you believe in me?!¡± Even Oh Hye-na, who was always his ally, looked away. As Kang Shin-hyuk struggled with the sight, Lee Na-hee spoke up with dissatisfaction. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just thinking of fighting? We have a contest.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°We wonst year.¡± ¡°That was the rookie contest. Now neither of us are rookies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s metallurgy had already reached SS-rank thanks to his synchronization rate increasing. Lee Na-hee, too, had evolved into using a new enchantment system called Rune, and her ability improved drastically. ¡°Now we have topete in the worldpetition. It¡¯ll be valuable for our name to be known.¡± ¡°A worldpetition.¡± He was curious if they could still attend such apetition, but he was confident in their skills. ¡°Yeah, even in other schools, children who show their skills canpete with adults. Of course, it¡¯s rare to win prizes.¡± ¡°Are there no restrictions at all?¡± ¡°If you challenge yourself with that skill, you¡¯ll be buried. Even so, my grandfather said a big one would be held this year.¡± She cutelyughed for no reason, then blushed and tried to hit him. It was then... -Shin-hyuk. A very strange message appeared in his eyes. When Kang Shin-hyuk stoppedughing, ire asked what was going on, then immediately looked as serious as him. -This is a dangerous situation. I am asking for rescue. ¡°Shin-hyuk, this...¡± ¡°Did you get it, ire?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shin Eunah, feeling alienated, intervened with a pout. However, Kang Shin-hyuk had no time to answer. Someone who could send a rescue request message to both of them... ¡°Vita?¡± Vita, the android created by ire with the help of Kang Shin-hyuk, sent them both a rescue request message. She was in Cy Xenon, the world they visited some time before. It didn¡¯t matter how she sent it; it was important to note that she suddenly turned to them for help after months of no contact. ¡°We should go right now.¡± ¡°What about school?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Thursday today. If I¡¯m absent on Friday, then you can cover for me.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? Absent? What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stood up with an ambiguous smile at those who couldn¡¯t keep up. ¡°Sorry, I think we need to go somewhere.¡± ¡°Are you a couple now?¡± ¡°...¡± Baek said this so mischievously, but Shin Eunah¡¯s expression looked frozen. Then, ire spoke up seriously. ¡°I want Eunah to go, too.¡± ¡°Huh?! Me too?¡± The ice thawed. ¡°Are you sure?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate it, but suddenly, no, I don¡¯t really like it... I¡¯m not prepared.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s face reddened as she mumbled. Then, Bridget stood up, unwilling to miss this opportunity. ¡°Then, me too! Let¡¯s do it together, finally, the three that I dreamed of, or the four... Oops!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Junior...¡± ¡°No!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk told Eleanor and Lee Na-hee to stay behind, then joined hands with Shin Eunah and ire to enter his My Room. Shin Eunah had been there before, but she wandered around and examined the new features he had achieved from finishing hisst dimensional quest. ¡°Wow, here...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± When only members of the Hero Universe remained, he was able to exin the situation. Once he exined it, Shin Eunah had an odd expression on her face. ¡°You two went without telling me.¡± ¡°Yes, we dated secretly.¡± ¡°ire!¡± Shin Eunah raised her eyebrows at ire¡¯s honest confession, which frightened Kang Shin-hyuk. However, ire didn¡¯t look away from Eunah, and in the end, thetter sighed and nodded. ¡°I hate you... I¡¯ll help you, though.¡± ¡°Thank you, Eunah.¡± -Once the departure has been decided, it is best to set the starting point first. The so-far quiet administrator suddenly began to exin. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head. ¡°The starting point?¡± -That¡¯s right. Currently, the world you want to go to is Cy Xenon, which is in a precarious state of not knowing when it will be disconnected from the Hero Universe. Therefore, it is necessary to set the spatial movement coordinates so you can escape even if itpletely copses. This is possible because you have the ability to move through space. Shin Eunah intervened, and he wondered why the administrator would exin it, but it seemed that he did so that they could return safely. Kang Shin-hyuk made eye contact with Eunah and set the coordinates ording to the admin¡¯s instructions. In his My Room, a piece containing a significant amount of energy from Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah was installed, and then the three moved to the dimension together. It ended up being an apocalypse. Chapter 268 - Rusted Rhapsody (1)

Chapter 268 - Rusted Rhapsody (1)

¡°It¡¯s strange; it wasn¡¯t like this before.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk muttered as he looked around Neorust, a city where no proper building remained. This was where the former Neorust slums were located, but even if they were slums, at least there were buildings where people could enter and live. Now, only decaying and crumbling ruins remained. The scene repeated itself even beyond the slums, the only thing intact remaining being the tallest skyscraper in the city, with those huge screens still ying. ¡°ire, am I not mistaken?¡± ¡°Yes. The city seems to have copsed.¡± ¡°Here, the magi is amazing.¡± Shin Eunah sounded slightly anxious as she responded. At first nce, it was an unusual atmosphere, but it was wise of ire to bring Shin Eunah. If it were only them, it would¡¯ve been quite dangerous. ¡°Dad!¡± At that time, something jumping out of the rubble collided with Kang Shin-hyuk. It was so fast that it was impossible to resist, but ire grabbed Shin Eunah, who was angrily raising her hand to fire off a thunderbolt. ¡°It isn¡¯t the enemy!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± It hugged Kang Shin-hyuk, then tackled ire as well. ire gently hugged Vita with an uncertain smile. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Exactly ten years, two months, seventeen days, fifty-three minutes, forty-eight seconds. I missed you.¡± Vita¡¯s appearance remained the same. No, it could be said she had changed. Of course, her face was the same, still youthful and beautiful with golden eyes and clean ck hair, but the bartender outfit she wore had vanished. Now she looked like a female warrior at the end of a century... Looking closely, the bartender outfit was there, but the skirt was cut off the hem, and a side opening had been made to make it easier to move in. Grenades, pistols, and a longsword hung from her waist, and the suit was transformed into abat vest. Only thece shirt was the same, but it was also ripped here and there, giving it a sexy feeling. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to be seen like this, dad.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t call me dad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been ten years, so I wondered if you would return...¡± ¡°Ten years?! Only a few months have passed for us...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was amazed as he finally understood what she was saying. Thinking about it, that was about right. Originally, this ce had a much different time ratio to Earth... He began to feel guilty foring sote. ¡°Sorry, I was going toe sooner, but quite a few things piled up...¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s okay, because you¡¯vee now.¡± Vita left ire¡¯s arms and again embraced him, and she spoke softly. It should be awkward, as she was an adult woman (plus a post-apocalyptic warrior), but it didn¡¯t feel that way at all. When he pondered it, this was something Shin Eunah had often done before. ¡°What, what? Mom and dad... The kid you two had? You had a child here?!¡± Shin Eunah couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally burst into intense anger. ire, having expected it, was quick to calm her down. ¡°Eunah, calm down. This is an android.¡± ¡°Liar! A human android like this... Really?¡± ¡°Of course. We didn¡¯t have a child. Even if I did give birth, she wouldn¡¯t look like this.¡± Shin Eunah calmed down a little after realizing Vita¡¯s inhuman side. She then blinked away her tears of anger as ire spoke with a bloody smile. ¡°You did something like that...?¡± ¡°...Now then, Vita. Could you please exin the situation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still talking!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous outside, so let¡¯s go in first.¡± Vita, after embracing Kang Shin-hyuk and ire, fell away with a satisfied look and guided them into the ruins. Curiously, there was a gap in the disorderly ruins that they could walk through. After walking for a while, a passage leading down to the basement appeared. ¡°Hmm... Whoo, whoo...!¡± ¡°Calm down, ire.¡± ¡°What?! Yes!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmed down the overly excited ire. Shin Eunah, who was trying not to explode from jealousy, frowned at the waste materials covering the passage. ¡°It¡¯s all covered in magi.¡± ¡°Yes, auntie.¡± Shin Eunah wondered if she would explode Vita for that. ¡°Call me Thunder.¡± ¡°Then, Thunder, this magi is hiding the existence of the passage safely from them.¡± ¡°Them... Those who deal with magic? Demons?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if they are demons, but they are ones who deal with magic. For more information, let¡¯s go into the hideout.¡± They had to walk the underground passage for quite a long time, but they were all superhumans. In an instant, the distance was shortened, and they came out into an open cavern in just two minutes. They were still underground, but halogen lights hung from the ceiling to spread artificial light. Looking around the ce, there was an old sofa with cotton bursting out, a bookcase with a few old books, and an unsafe-looking bed. There were also several bottles on a table that looked like a bartender¡¯s table. ¡°This ce, what the hell...¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the refugees¡¯ hideouts. Until a few months ago, I had a colleague here too.¡± ¡°...¡± Vita¡¯s words implied several things. Along with the fact that she served as a rebel, she moved with the others here... And that they were gone now. ¡°The rescue request you sent earlier, then.¡± ¡°Earlier? ...Did it happen again? That was sent three months ago.¡± ¡°Three months?¡± -It looks like the ratio of time has been disturbed. It was good to set coordinates beforeing. Kang Shin-hyuk was stunned by the words Vita calmly spoke, so the administrator added a supplementary exnation. As if listening to them, Vita looked up and reached out to grab his hand. ¡°Three months ago, my colleagues got caught by them. I want to save them. Can you help?¡± ¡°A coworker from the slum...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s half and half. In addition to me, the survivors of the slums joined the insurgents who were originally active. They tracked down the owner of that magi, who ruled this world, and found them here in Neorust.¡± More and more settings that fit the apocalypse popped up. ire looked sadly at Vita, who must¡¯ve suffered a lot. ¡°If I had known, I would¡¯vee out to help early.¡± They weren¡¯t empty words; it was just that Earth had been busy for a while. By the time the gate situation barely stabilized, Shin-hyuk had been sent on the African expedition. However, if they had thought of crafting using the time here, they would¡¯ve noticed sooner. It was a mistake that he didn¡¯t think of actively utilizing the dimensional quest. ¡°It¡¯s okay, ire. I should¡¯ve contacted you first, but it took some time to hack Gaia¡¯s system...¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I hacked into the contaminated Gaia system to find out how to contact the Hero Universe and borrowed that line to send a message. It was very difficult.¡± ¡°Administrator, what the hell is she talking about?¡± -It means she inherited her mother¡¯s abilities well. He wasn¡¯t convinced at all, but he decided to nod along. Looking at the carefree administrator, it seemed there were no other problems caused by that hacking... ¡°In the process, Gaia¡¯s system detected my location, but at the time, it was an emergency...¡± ¡°You made such a request for your colleagues. So, how did you avoid it after that?¡± ¡°With their help, I managed to escape, but...¡± -From the moment we arrived here, the passage to the contaminated Gaia system has been cut off, but the ce where she was must¡¯ve been traced. The admin took over to exin Vita¡¯s words. Vita, who had been pursued ever since sending the rescue request, was able to remove the tail with the administrator¡¯s help only after joining Kang Shin-hyuk and the others. Seeing that she brought them to the hideout without hesitation, she seemed to be aware of that. -Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean much. ¡°Why?¡± -Because the amount of energy that you three gather now is enormous. The Gaia system may not be able to track it down, but if there is a patrol unit running nearby, you will be caught soon. ¡°Okay.¡± Shin Eunah answered this time, a golden bolt of lightning in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to charge head-on from now anyway.¡± ¡°Calm down, Eunah.¡± ¡°No, Eunah is right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and sided with Shin Eunah. ¡°You said your colleagues were caught? Maybe he was dragged there, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Shin-hyuk.¡± The skyscraper that stood firmly amidst all the decaying buildings. It was thergest building in the city, connected to the sky. ¡°The resistance forces were also making it their final goal. The source of the magi is that building.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± In fact, from the moment they first came to the city, he thought this would happen. Of course, his ability at that time wouldn¡¯t have been enough. But now... [Kang Shin-hyuk: SS+ Rank] (Synchronization rate 75.5%) [Trait] Guardian Golden Dragon (SS) [Physical ability] Strength: SS+ Agility: SS+ Stamina: SS+ [Special ability] Spiritual Power: SS+ Golden Dragon Fighter: SSS- [Skill] Golden Dragon (SS+): SS Wind Mastery (SS+): S+ Light Mastery (SSS): S- Fire Mastery (SSS): S+ Soul Poison (SSS): SS Space Coordination (SSS): B- Metallurgy: SS Emotion: SS- Repair: S+ Over the past two months, only one of his physical stats had increased, but that had brought them all to SS+. That was the difference between the sky and the earthpared to the first time he visited this city. Here, if he took ire¡¯s potion, all his stats would reach the current limit. It would give them a chance of victory even if they charged head-on to that building. -Probably your work will be there as well. The administrator¡¯s words stopped him. It was what was on his mind. He had been hoping that the things he made in the past wouldn¡¯t be involved with the horrors of this world. But, if it were in that building, he couldn¡¯t deny it anymore. ¡°Then... What is it?¡± -It is a sword. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly. Perhaps sensing his heart, the administrator continued hesitantly. -It is a sword that you abandoned before without being able to sell it. Why didn¡¯t he sell it? He lifted his head while guessing the reason, but suddenly a dull vibration rang out. -Koooung ¡°They¡¯re looking for us.¡± Vita spoke calmly, and Shin Eunah nodded as she created lightning spheres in both of her hands. ¡°Then, let¡¯s move. Now.¡± Chapter 269 - Rusted Rhapsody (2)

Chapter 269 - Rusted Rhapsody (2)

They had decided to move in teams. In fact, this proved to be unavoidable because Shin Eunah, who was connected to the source of mana, was a unique entity in this world. Because of that, it was almost impossible for her to move covertly, and Shin Eunah strongly insisted she would go head-on to draw all attention to her. ¡°Why do you want to charge so much?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was also aware of the need for an assault group to distract one side so that the others could sneak in and try to save the resistance. However, Shin Eunah¡¯s strong attitude was too much. ¡°I don¡¯t like this ce. I want to destroy everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Eunah originally hates magi. Then, I¡¯ll stick to Eunah.¡± ¡°What?! No!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was frightened when ire said she would share that dangerous role, but ire simply pinched his cheek. ¡°You looked like a kid now. Are you trying to hug me and not let go, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem; ire is weak.¡± Few could affirm that a high ranker in the world¡¯s top 500 was weak. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to say it without hesitation, as his concept of power had changed through dimensional quests. Only a year ago, his view was the opposite. ire red at him. ¡°You¡¯ll die after this.¡± ¡°But ire...¡± ¡°ire is helpful, and two people will be able to move quickly. I¡¯ll protect her, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Shin Eunah was sticking to her calm attitude. Her battle switch had already flipped, and when that happened, there was nothing that could be done. Kang Shin-hyuk was forced to nod. ¡°I want to help you, but the inside of the building seems to be dangerous, so I can¡¯t stick next to Vita.¡± ¡°I thought it through; it might be more dangerous. As my junior is now, I can trust you to go.¡± ¡°Right. Because Shin-hyuk¡¯s very strong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable.¡± ¡°The growth is amazing, but now even if I look at it in numbers...¡± ¡°Okay, stopplimenting me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, forced to take a step back under the praise pouring out from the two, tapped hismunicator. ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous, call me right away. I¡¯lle running.¡± ¡°The same goes for you.¡± ¡°Yes, then before we set out...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reached out to them, holding each of their hands in turn, and expressed his trait. His eyes sparkled a brilliant gold as his Golden Dragon was absorbed into them. Normally, he maintained his trait for 24 hours at a time, but its strength could be adjusted. He added spiritual power to it now, raising his trait to the highest level. It was a buff that couldn¡¯t have been done before, but it was possible when his spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter grew. ¡°Oh, it seems to be getting stronger and stronger.¡± ¡°Look, here.¡± The power settled in their bodies, engraving itself on them as a mark. ¡°If I use a lot of power these days, it bes like this. Probably nothing bad will happen.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a growth-type trait. You¡¯re gradually heading towardspletion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting... I feel good. It must be because of you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk interrupted Shin Eunah, who was trying to say something while blushing. ¡°It¡¯s okay because you said thatst time. Vita, let¡¯s start now.¡± ¡°Yes, I think we should start right away.¡± Vita broke down the bartender table, which had probably been used to serve magi resistance cocktails to members of the Resistance, and revealed a secret passage in the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just talk normally?¡± ¡°No, but if you let me call you dad, I too...¡± ¡°No.¡± The two started down the passage while having a pointless conversation. Shin Eunah and ire, who remained in ce, exchanged a nce. The two looked at the golden dragon tattoos on each other¡¯s cheek. ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then, we too...¡± ¡°Yes.¡± However, the two sat on a half-broken sofa as if they had made an appointment. This was because they had something to solve before departing. ¡°Eunah, what do you mean by what you said earlier?¡± ¡°Ugh, uh...¡± Of course, she understood what ire meant. The reaction she made after hearing ire¡¯s request to go on the dimensional quest. There were no misunderstandings, and if the two weren¡¯t close friends, the atmosphere would¡¯ve be irreparable. No, it could be said that their rtionship was solid enough to be able to think like that... If it weren¡¯t for the dimensional quest being urgent, she would still be rolling on the floor and yelling. ¡°I can¡¯t just get over it, yeah?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... Well...¡± ire frowned, then suddenly turned back to Shin Eunah. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°Can you be satisfied with that?¡± ¡°Satisfied? What does that...¡± Shin Eunah blushed and looked away, but ire ruthlessly pursued her. ¡°Eunah, are you going to be by his side? You can find someone else.¡± ¡°I... I...¡± Even with their unique rtionship of three people, there was the firm belief that one would not be pushed out. Shin Eunah, who hesitated, pouted her lips and mumbled as she felt disgusted at herself. ¡°But, I don¡¯t need anyone else... No matter how much I think about it, yes.¡± ¡°Well, I think so too.¡± ¡°Do you understand my heart?¡± ire had a contemtive expression as she regarded Eunah, who spoke sorrowfully. ¡°Yes, all our thoughts are simr. Believing that our first love will be ourst.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Shin Eunah sank at ire¡¯s relentless words. However, it was the same for ire that she considered Kang Shin-hyuk herst love, and she knew that especially for Eunah, that this wouldn¡¯t end as such a flimsy first love. Theirplicated rtionship wouldn¡¯t end neatly as good memories. ire sighed. ¡°Eunah, take it seriously.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The psychological issues you will feel from the fact that you can¡¯t be his first.¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes went wide, and ire avoided her gaze. ¡°I just said it, but I¡¯m confident I won¡¯t be pushed back. Then you will continue to be the second.¡± ¡°Yes...?¡± ¡°I would think it ridiculous if it weren¡¯t you, Eunah, but... Because you are still precious.¡± That was the truth, without a doubt. Their rtionship, born through the Hero Universe and their frustrating youth, was so special that it was impossible for anyone to intervene or disrupt. It was changed by one man now, but maybe, rather... Sometimes, ire wondered if it was fortunate that they hade to love the same person. Little by little, she kept thinking so. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see it like that.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°So Eunah, think really deeply, and if you think you can handle it, let¡¯s talk again then.¡± ¡°ire...?!¡± Eunah¡¯s eyes went wide again at the incredible possibility in ire¡¯s words, but ire herself let out another sigh. ¡°Then let¡¯s start now. We have to run wild to draw their attention.¡± ¡°ire!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hug me!¡± ¡°ire!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t allowed it yet! I haven¡¯t talked to Shin-hyuk yet!¡± ¡°I love you!¡± -...I knew it would be like this, but it isn¡¯t good. All you need is to show off your ability, but will you keep ying? As Shin Eunah¡¯s feelings continued to grow, the administrator sent a message expressing his feelings outright. Shin Eunah jumped up from her seat. Now was the time to fight. *** Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita were moving through the secret passages used by the resistance. ¡°All the enemies outside will probably gather around Shin Eunah. We¡¯ll be safe until we infiltrate the building.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little upsetting to think we left after she took an explicit bait role.¡± Shin Eunah was the master of infinite mana. In this world, no matter how well she kept it down, her presence was like a white stone on a board full of ck stones. Shin Eunah also knew that, so she agreed, but he was worried about how she would fare against the unusual enemies here. ire being with her especially worried him. ¡°Your ability will protect them.¡± ¡°Ah, can I do it for you too?¡± ¡°Can I ask you?¡± Vita, having been deeply envious after seeing him use his ability on the others, reacted strongly as soon as he offered. ¡°Because I was able to be born with your spirit... The effect of the buff will probably be much better.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk used his trait on Vita while wondering some rude things. Was whether his trait that strengthened her now was an expression of his ability to strengthen people or artifacts... ¡®No, do I really need to distinguish?¡¯ Guardian Golden Dragon greatly strengthened whatever it was cast over, regardless of whether it was living or not. Kang Shin-hyuk became a little dazed as he considered it. He realized that his trait evolution would be soon as he had that sh of inspiration. ¡°Shin-hyuk? Dad?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay now. We¡¯ll arrive soon.¡± What? Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head at that. Either this city wasn¡¯t too big, or they were moving at a speed that surpassedmon sense for them to reach their destination within minutes. Looking around, he saw the secret passage blocked 200 meters ahead. Even if it was blocked, it seemed easy to break through as only nks, and metal drums were piled up... ¡°This will take us out to the second basement level of the building. I once secretly tried to enter, but Gaia¡¯s spearmen attacked, and I had to retreat. They stopped following once a crossed a certain area.¡± ¡°I guess they are only active at a certain range.¡± They had attempted to break in before, which was probably the purpose of this passage. It felt strange and sad that Vita had been working as a member of this unknown group, alone for ten years. Kang Shin-hyuk cleared his head and pushed on. ¡°Let¡¯s move while the assault team causes a distraction.¡± ¡°Yes, but I thought they¡¯d be arriving right away, but it seems that they are moving slower than us.¡± It urred to Kang Shin-hyuk btedly that if ire was ming Shin Eunah for what happened before... -You can rest assured, member. ¡®Did you read my heart?¡¯ -The administrator is deeply desperate as he realizes the mystery of predetermined harmony. Reading your mind is simple to a master administrator. He had no clue what the administrator was talking about, but it seemed something had happened between the two! Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to run to them and ask what was happening, but before he could even whisper to one of them, there was a loud bang that made the entire passage vibrate. -Come out! Shin Eunah¡¯s magic continued to vibrate the passage. It seemed that she was flying straight to the building and using her magic. ¡°...She seems to be in a good mood. Is her job on Earth a bomber?¡± ¡°Yes... Well, it¡¯s simr.¡± The building shook. Vita nodded, sensing the mechanical reaction inside the building was moving outside. ¡°Thanks to that, I think we can enter right now.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Let¡¯s go to save your friends.¡± What the hell did they talk about for Eunah to feel so good? No, was she feeling so bad that this was happening? Either way, he was afraid. Kang Shin-hyuk broke down the barricade in front of him with Vita, and their infiltration began as they entered the basement full of magic. Chapter 270 - Rusted Rhapsody (3)

Chapter 270 - Rusted Rhapsody (3)

There was a thick fog inside the building. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately noticed that it was high-density magic. Not only that, he felt some sort of willingness inside of it... ¡°Is it alive?¡± ¡°It is a nanobot.¡± Vita exined calmly. ¡°There are countless nanobots produced by the contaminated Gaia system spread in the air, so they try to invade us and inject us with magi.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He had heard that it was difficult to manufacture a magic machine at the nano level, no matter how precise the design, but here they were. Shouldn¡¯t ire, not him, be here? ¡°After the connection to the Gaia system¡¯s main body was disconnected, the robots established a more enforced dominance in a narrower range. Most of the insurgents copsed here. The reason I held up...¡± ¡°Is because you¡¯re an android?¡± ¡°Yes. The Gaia system cannot control all nanobots individually, so I only had to hack the ones that contacted me. That¡¯s how many of them were subjugated to me.¡± ¡°Is it possible to turn all of the nanobots in here into yours?¡± ¡°After securing the nanobots like that, the Gaia system won¡¯t touch me. Actually, even now, magi hasn¡¯t invaded me.¡± Was that the reason there was no fog in a 30cm radius around her? Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk was also safe from it, as he covered himself in spiritual power. He applied Light Mastery to it, causing a crackling sound like insects striking amp as it rejected the fog. If he could, it would be nice to take a sampleter to show to ire, but it was probably impossible. ¡°So, where are your colleagues?¡± ¡°Be on the lookout; it will being soon.¡± The situation suddenly changed in her words. The fog, realizing it couldn¡¯t invade Kang Shin-hyuk or Vita¡¯s body, began to coalesce into a certain shape. Specifically, it formed a thick, round cylinder like a cannon. ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly drew Phoibos and fired a light bullet. The bullet mmed into the cylinder and scattered it. When it was spread out into the form of fog, there wasn¡¯t much that could be done, but if it were united, it could be annihted with a single bullet. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Shin-hyuk...!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go; I think more areing.¡± As they moved forward, oddly enough, the fog that filled the basement was retreating behind them. Gaia¡¯s system, realizing that the nanobots couldn¡¯t fight, retreated. Instead, there was a loud thud of something heavy hitting the floor above them. Periodically, the sound grew louder. -An object with a higher security level is approaching. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what that is.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt rather excited as he loaded another light bullet into Phoibos, concentrating his spiritual power and Light Mastery in it. He added his Golden Dragon to it, carving the image of a dragon onto the light bullet. ¡®Certainly, my ability has grown. Before, I couldn¡¯t engrave it onto other energies.¡¯ Before his trait evolved, it would only reveal itself against strong enemies or when his emotions were elevated, but he could handle it as naturally as breathing now. That wasn¡¯t all, either. These days, whenever he used his abilities, he could feel a strange tickling sensation. It seemed that if Shin-hyuk could only take one more step, he would evolve, but he was feeling stifled that he couldn¡¯t yet. There was nothing more he could add now; he was manifesting them at its peak. Yet, something was still missing. ¡°Shin-hyuk, are youing?!¡± Vita¡¯s sharp voice rang out, and the ceiling thumped again. Then, it was pierced with a roar. Falling down was an android simr in feature to Vita, but with an enormous difference in size. Additionally, the de and gun attached directly to its body reinforced the inhuman impression, but the surprising thing was that the fog scattered in all directions began to flock to it. [Intruder found, immediate sanctions!] ¡°What, shit!¡± It shot the gathered magi in the form of aser at Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita. He took out a huge square shield prepared for situations like this, set it up to cover Vita and himself, and poured his spiritual power in it. The magi concentrated on it and tried to melt through it, but the spiritual power covering the shield turned to soul poison to eat at the magi. ¡®I¡¯m d I made a shield.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t be relieved. The SS-rank shield was being pierced gradually by theser. It felt humiliating, even though the shield had no skill and was lessplete than his other works. It even had soul poison coating it! ¡®Even if I scatter the magi with a light bullet, it can gather again. I have to split it up myself.¡¯ Would absorbing it work instead? It was worth a shot. First, he pulled out the Great Heavenly Spirit and put it in his belt as he organized his thoughts. ¡°Now ready to hack, Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Vita?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Vita stretched one hand forward from behind the shield. A lump of tiny particles emerged from her hand with a whitish glow ¨C it was the nanobots she had secured so far. He was sure he could feel spiritual power in them too. ¡®No, now¡¯s not the time to sit still and look.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk steadied the shield to cover Vita and then jumped into the air. The android was aiming for him rather than Vita, so theser twisted to where he was moving. It drew a line vertically through the building¡¯s interior, but before it reached him, it suddenly scattered. That was because the nanobots fired off by Vita started to hack it right away. ¡°Synthesis!¡± A re fired off from Phoibos hit the android¡¯s muzzle. Immediately after the explosion, it stopped firing and pulled out the de attached to its body, right as a hedgehog raised its thorns at it... Hedgehog? ¡°Onyx!¡± -Myuu! Kang Shin-hyuk put away Phoibos and drew the Growing Scythe as he called out to Onyx. The android pointed its de at the hedgehog, but Onyx bit it as if he had been waiting. ¡°Shin-hyuk, I will stop it from moving... Now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The enemy stopped with exquisite timing as Kang Shin-hyuk jumped up and swung the scythe into its head. Of course, the enemy wasn¡¯t human, so sticking a scythe through its head wouldn¡¯t kill it. He had to give it his all and pull the scythe as it was! -Quickly! He drew a straight line through the torso of the giant android. When Kang Shin-hyuknded, the android¡¯s torso had split in half and fallen onto the floor. -Myuuuuu! ¡°Now, wait... Nanobots!¡± Onyx started eating the android¡¯s body in earnest, starting with the de, while Vita recovered all her nanobots from the android. The amount she collected had clearly increased. ¡°You hacked it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been thinking about it since the first time I took out the nanobots, but thanks to you, I was able to seed.¡± ¡°Thanks to me?¡± ¡°Yes. I was able to drive away from the magi, thanks to your light powers.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded and bowed. Vita seemed to deal with spiritual power as well, so the only difference was the power of light in Phoibos. ¡°I haven¡¯t even had a chance to experiment so far. I wonder if the Gaia system will strengthen it for me...¡± ¡°In other words, you had some determination to see it to the end today.¡± ¡°Yes. If you help me a little, it would be possible to stop all objects in this building like this.¡± Listening to a little bit more, it seemed that it was impossible to fully take over a robotrger than a nanobot from the Gaia System, and the degree to which she could halt them was limited. ¡°So, eat it all, Onyx.¡± -Myu! The machine created by the contaminated Gaia system was a delicacy that Onyx had never experienced before. It ate the robot in a craze, filtering out the parts that weren¡¯t metal. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll move forward, Shin-hyuk. We need to before Gaia strengthens its defenses.¡± ¡°Wait, before that...¡± He reached out to Vita, and she instinctively held out her head to him. ¡°...No, that, nanobots.¡± ¡°Yes?! Oh, I see!¡± Could it be that she wanted him to pet her? Kang Shin-hyuk once more agonized over whether this android was really a machine, but she quickly produced the group of nanobots she had umted. He covered them with light. ¡°This kind of reinforcement is also possible! It can effectively drive out magi and stop the enemy.¡± ¡°No, wait.¡± That was just a taste. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t try to recognize the countless nanobots as individuals but decided to consider them all as his allies. With his hands wide open, he activated his trait. The results were astounding. Chapter 271 - Rusted Rhapsody (4)

Chapter 271 - Rusted Rhapsody (4)

-Bang! The noise rang out through the building. Even though the windows were shattered by the shock, the main structure was surprisingly fine. Terrible shocks continued to spread throughout the building, but it only converged from the inside and didn¡¯t burst out. ¡°Damn, if I had known it was on the top from the start, I wouldn¡¯t have started in the basement.¡± ¡°However, thanks to that, my troops have increased.¡± Now Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita were on the 5th floor of the building. After breaking through the 7th floor of the basement and realizing what they were looking for wasn¡¯t there, they immediately turned around and started running upward. If Kang Shin-hyuk could¡¯ve grasped the entire space with his spiritual power, they wouldn¡¯t have wasted that time, but the building filled with magi was the worst environment for extending his spiritual power. Although, that magiid out like a protective shield was also keeping the building standing. Thanks to the rapid increase in the number of nanobots Vita could handle as they explored the underground, the speed that they were progressing at was gradually increasing. The contaminated Gaia system was now actively responding by sending out strange monsters, realizing that they were growing stronger from the nanobots it sent. -The enemy ising! It¡¯s a metal ghoul! Immediately after the administrator issued a warning message, such a monster that was a corpse covered in cold metal appeared. It was the fusion of undead and machine. If the evil android, which was the prototype of Vita, had a body in the machine, then this monster was a machine imnted into an undead. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at it with narrowed eyes. ¡®I knew right away that this world was ying ording to the will of the contaminated Gaia system, but this isn¡¯t right.¡¯ Until the world copsed, what had been the meaning of human life, which was divided into cities and slums? Perhaps the contaminated Gaia system tried to reproduce the confrontation between humanity and monsters with its own power. Giving meaning to and even trying to imitate Jormungand, which indiscriminately attacked humanity! ¡®It created a threat, thereby selecting and controlling humanity... It was like that, using the world as a stage for its clumsy y.¡¯ The experimentation had ended in failure. The rusty civilization copsed as nned. The only thing left in this world was the Gaia system, which was forcibly holding the dead and the few who had yet to die. -Kyaaaaah! -Human... Are you alive?! -Alive, a living human. A living human! A crowd of metal ghouls ebbed towards them through the corridors. ¡°Vita, alright?¡± A golden mist had wrapped around her. The group of nanobots reinforced by his trait had gathered to the point where they became visible. They converged and overflowed around her, the result of them exploring the basement. Vita sent some of the nanobots to grasp the enemy¡¯s information and responded immediately. ¡°I believe Gaia has noticed this trick and started preparing for it!¡± ¡°Then, Onyx! I choose you!¡¯ -Myu! Onyx jumped off of his shoulder excitedly. To be precise, he was sent forward with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s Wind Mastery, using his stealth to remain in hiding as he rocketed forward. -Ah! -Kiii?! Onyx flew like a missile and quickly hit the leading ghoul. At that moment, all of the groups stopped. It was because Onyx synchronized with all of their movements. -Myuuuuu! He picked only the machine part of the ghouls and stopped it. He didn¡¯t even need to bite into it himself anymore. He emitted his soft and silent gold magic that covered the ghouls and melted down the mechanical devices in them. -It¡¯s already a great boss monster. ¡°I think so too.¡± As long as the target is made of metal, it could stop them and destroy the metal... The result was as cruel as a ghost story. The ghouls were twisting bizarrely and then fell over as holes formed in their bodies. -Kii, kii... -Kua... Onyx¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t originally that powerful. Rather, it could be said that he wasn¡¯t very good at handling his magical powers yet. However, as they continued to battle with monsters made of metal, Onyx began to grow ustomed to their metal properties and adapted to the use of his gold magic so that now he could eat and kill enemies at this ridiculous speed. -Myu! ¡°Oh, good job.¡± The metal ghouls breaking through the walls and corridors made it seem like the climax of a zombie movie, but it took less than a minute to put them all down. Of course, if the enemy moved under the Gaia system¡¯s direct control, Onyx couldn¡¯t easily use his magic, but then, they only had to hack it with Vita¡¯s nanobots. ¡°Go. We still have some time left!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The party broke through the building in a hurry. If they listened closely, they would be able to hear a faint popping sound from the outside. Shin Eunah and ire were fighting. Even though they had defeated so many enemies, it was just a drop of bloodpared to Shin Eunah, who was running wild outside. ¡®Her magical power is infinite, but her stamina isn¡¯t. I have toplete the mission as soon as possible...¡¯ The reason they entered the building was to rescue Vita¡¯s colleagues, who were held by the guards of the Gaia system. However, Kang Shin-hyuk realized something halfway through them exploring the building. That Vita¡¯s colleagues were already dead. There was nothing in this building for life to survive. Even under the best conditions, if one were constantly exposed to the dark magi filling the interior of this building, they would die quickly and be undead. ¡®...Vita.¡¯ However, Vita¡¯s expression, though she probably realized that fact sooner than him, didn¡¯t change. No, maybe she had known it from the start, but she came anyway. Was she really trying to get revenge for her deadrades? If so, it was really stupid... But it was also very human. ¡°Why do you look like that, Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°...No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk swallowed back what he wanted to say. Whatever awaited them on the top floor, he would be with Vita. That was the least sincerity he could show, having left her alone for ten years. *** They soon entered the 6th floor, then the 7th and 8th. They advanced by defeating all the mechanical undead they encountered without wasting time. It was like they were a heroic party climbing the tower to level up. More and more nanobots followed Vita, and the gold magic that Onyx handled was constantly increasing. However, at this rate, they would run all day without reaching the top. When Kang Shin-hyuk considered that, suddenly, the whole building shook with a terrible roar. ¡°Shin-hyuk, look!¡± ¡°Uh, ah, wow...¡± The ss windows of the building burst out. Vita sent some of her nanobots to look outside, then shouted loudly again. ¡°Magi is going outside rapidly...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could also feel the magi in the hallway leaking out. ¡°Shin Eunah has forced their hand.¡± ¡°But if such arge amount goes outside, the undead who absorb it will be stronger...¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay because it¡¯s Eunah. My senior probably prefers it that way.¡± And thanks to her strength, they could pick up the pace. Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out Phoibos and looked at Vita. ¡°How about it, can you break the ceiling now?¡± ¡°Ah...! Yes, I will help!¡± It wasn¡¯t easy to harm the building due to the magi filling the space, but an opening was created by Shin Eunah. Vita, who recognized it a secondter, sent nanobots to the ceiling. They absorbed the remaining magi to weaken the ceiling. ¡°We will go through several in a row. You know what I mean?¡± ¡°I am preparing.¡± ¡°Okay, then... Go!¡± -Bang! The light bullet smashed the ceiling and soared forward. The debris began to pour down, but Kang Shin-hyuk ignored it and continued to fire off Phoibos. Vita worked with him and fired off nanobots to weaken the ceiling. Their breathing naturally synced up as they worked together. -Kyaaaah! -Kiiii! -Remove the threat! -Identifying threatening objects that pose a threat to management facilities! 9th floor, 10th, 11th... Whenever the ceiling copsed, the monsters gathered on it fell together with terrible screams, but they were quickly disassembled and destroyed by Onyx and Vita¡¯s nanobots. -Bang! 13th, 16th, 20th. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to fire bullets without tiring. His energy right now was infinite because of the Great Heavenly Spirit in his belt. It was constantly sucking up the magic that was everywhere around them. However, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s intent to prate the top floor of the building this way soon failed. -Serious damage to the entire management facility. Pause the managed systems and perform recovery operations. A mechanical voice could be heard throughout the building. Subsequently, destroyed pieces of the building were slowly knitting themselves back together. It was as if this building was the body of Gaia. ¡°Ha.¡± Naturally, the density of magic in the building began to increase again, weakening his bullets. Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly grabbed Vita and Onyx and spurred through the air to rush through the repairing ceiling. Of course, due to the energy filling the building, it was impossible to understand the space properly, let alone move through it. ¡®Did I break through to the 30th floor? Before Eunah reaches her limit, somehow reaching up there...¡¯ He thought it would be difficult, but it felt so stuffy that it was annoying. Kang Shin-hyuk even considered looking for an answer on the trading board after a long time. -Myuuuuu! Onyx, who had absorbed all the machines that fell down in the process of breaking through to the 30th floor, roared cutely and stretched out his thorns. It seemed that they were growing longer. No, they actually were flickering and stretching out! ¡°Hm?¡± -Myuuu! Kang Shin-hyuk grew nervous that maybe he had eaten too much, but Onyx¡¯s thorns stretched out like electric wires to stick to the wall. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk.¡± Suddenly, the wall cracked open to reveal a hidden elevator. -Myu! Onyx cried out proudly. Now he had learned some hacking skills. Chapter 272 - Rusted Rhapsody (5)

Chapter 272 - Rusted Rhapsody (5)

¡°It¡¯s an elevator.¡± Vita tilted her head as Kang Shin-hyuk spoke nkly. ¡°What is it? Ah, I see now.¡± ¡°What was that pause?¡± Vita seemed shy as Kang Shin-hyuk insisted on prodding. ¡°Elevators don¡¯t exist today. So, I searched for information in the database ire made.¡± ¡°What is she teaching you...? Onyx, is it okay to ride this?¡± -Myu! Onyx nodded confidently. He elongated his thorns as if to prove he had evolved into a super hacker. ¡°Oh, I think it will be okay. Until now, the building wasn¡¯t hackable, but this elevator can be essed with nanobots.¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk struggled with Onyx, Vita approached the elevator and used her nanobots to inspect it. However, Kang Shin-hyuk looked at her suspiciously as well. ¡°You can that if you put the word hacking in front of it, you can exin anything?¡± ¡°As you can see, the building is the Gaia system itself. It isn¡¯t wrong to assume that the system is built into each brick.¡± Otherwise, there was no way this elevator would have appeared... But, to put it in a cool way, it felt more like a living creature. ¡°So it¡¯s possible to hack?¡± ¡°It was impossible so far, but this hedgehog.¡± -Myu! Onyx¡¯s self-assertion today was intense. Was he getting too big for his britches? Well, he could trust him here anyway. ¡°This isn¡¯t dealing with metal.¡± -ording to my guess, Onyx was also influenced by your trait and evolved. It was a convincing statement. Well, Onyx had been receiving the effects of his trait for the longest, so that wasn¡¯t an unreasonable assumption. He was still a small ck and white hedgehog, but now he was a powerful force that none can ignore. Maybe ire, who had simr abilities, would like it a lot. When he thought of her reaction to this, a smile yed on his lips despite the urgent situation. ¡°Shin-hyuk, hurry up. If my predictions are correct, this elevator... It¡¯s better to rush before there is interference from the Gaia system.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± -Myu! They climbed straight into the elevator. Only then did the system notice the hole in its body, sending all kinds of mechanical undead towards them, but the door closed before they could get inside. One metal ghoul had its arm outstretched, but Kang Shin-hyuk neatly erased it with Light Mastery. -Vwooom The elevator immediately began to rise. Kang Shin-hyuk looked around the interior, feeling like it looked too familiar. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the elevator in Shinyoung¡¯s dorm?¡± -Myu! ¡°Then you made this?¡± -Myuuuu?!?! Onyx replied that he just customized the interior by using the system, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no clue what that meant. Now his ability was beyond the range of what he could imagine! -Thud! ¡°Huh?¡± Then, the elevator ceiling was crushed with a loud sound that shook the elevator. It stopped suddenly, and the sound of something battering it soon came. Something had fallen onto the elevator! ¡°...I saw this in a movie.¡± -Myu?! Onyx stretched out his thorns to the wall, and the elevator that was reinforced on the fly started to rise again. However, the enemy didn¡¯t give in and continued to beat the roof harder and harder, until finally, a small hole was made, and a jagged sword like a saw de popped out over their heads. ¡°Wait a minute, that sword...?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his soul connector¡¯s threads to hold the sword. He could clearly grasp it with his spiritual power. Although it was rough, this sword was made with Anvil¡¯s technique! ¡®But it¡¯s clumsily made, not by Anvil himself, and it has a strange artificial beauty...¡¯ Could it be that the contaminated Gaia system made it? Did they pick up the sword that Anvil had discarded and mass-produced it? He groaned because he couldn¡¯t figure out what it was, but the monster easily cut off the threads and used the sword like a saw to cut a hole in the ceiling. -Kaaaaa! It was a monster dressed in ck metal armor and equipped with a fierce mechanical skeleton that rivaled a burning Terminator. Several magical engines inside its body drove it, giving it a terrible level of physical force. ¡°Ghost Rider?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a metal death knight!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great name, though I did see the metal ghouls there!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately thought of death metal after hearing that name. However, instead of screaming while shredding on a guitar, he swung that grotesque saw-de sword. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately lifted the Growing Scythe to stop him, but the opponent was stronger than expected. ¡°Kh...!¡± His power was strong enough that he needed both hands to hold it back. Kang Shin-hyuk showed his light mastery to the maximum, injecting it into the scythe as he swung it, but the knight reacted sharply to block it with his saw de. -Keeek! -Myu! Due to the two colliding, the inner walls of the elevator were scratched up, and a hole was torn into them. Onyx was reinforcing them, but at this rate, the elevator would fall. Kang Shin-hyuk realized that was his foes¡¯ goal right away. ¡®Onyx!¡¯ In all horror movies and games, the elevator was a deadly ce where many people died, so why did they overlook it? Kang Shin-hyuk was careful not to hurt the elevator, but its speed was gradually decreasing. ¡°Vita, hack this guy?!¡± ¡°Sorry, Shin-hyuk! The nanobots cannot prate its magi!¡± It might¡¯ve been possible with Onyx¡¯s help, but he was desperate to keep the elevator from breaking. Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his jaw and thought it over. The Great Heavenly Spirit was absorbing his magic, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. ¡®Damn, I should¡¯ve used the branches Halo gave me right away... I was toote, waiting for the best timing.¡¯ No, but there must be a way. What was there... Buy Dark Mastery? Could doing that protect the elevator? ¡°Haaaaah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately transformed the energy generated by the Great Heavenly Spirit into spiritual power and Golden Dragon energy before scattering it everywhere. No, it was absorbed into the elevator! -Kyaaaaah! The Metal Death Knight was pushing him back, shouting as much as the vocalist of a metal band. At that point, since most of his energy had been invested in the elevator, he was temporarily pushed back, but he continued to inject his energy into the elevator, focusing on only keeping it intact. As a result, the elevator, which was ascending with uneasy smoke, shed gold for a moment then soared at a terrifying speed. -Kiaaahh! ¡°It can¡¯t be stopped, idiot!¡± The knight screamed and swung his saw-de sword, but Kang Shin-hyuk calmly focused on stopping him. Rather, he used his threads to imprison him and make it more difficult to move slowly. Within a few seconds, the elevator stopped. ¡°We¡¯re on the top floor, Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± -Myu! Vita jumped out first, followed closely by Kang Shin-hyuk and Onyx. The knight ripped off the thread that tied him down and tried to take control, but the Growing Scythe flew in and stuck him to the elevator. ¡°Go to the ends of hell!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes shed gold as his spiritual power burst out. epting his trait, the elevator moved ording to his well and began to fall. -Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah! His screaming grew further and further away. Onyx quickly filled the empty space where the elevator had been with a wall. ¡°I will inherit your fierce rock-soul...¡± -You are surprisingly rxed, member. A 500,000HP bonus for your movie-like battle scene! It seemed the administrator was also rxed. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to think about recovering the Growing Scytheter (having a vague worry that the knight might appear again). ¡°So, Vita, it¡¯s the top floor, but...¡± When he turned around after that short but intense battle, he noticed Vita standing nkly without doing anything. Kang Shin-hyuk looked around first. The ceiling was covered with transparent ss, revealing the foggy sky above, and on one side of the room was a wall covered in monitors, entangled wires, and pipes. Gloomy energy emanating through them all- magi. Some of the pipes were rising into the sky, forming fog and clouds, and some of them flowing through the walls to supply it to the building¡¯s interior. However, what was most impressive was the sword stuck in the monitor at the very center of the wall. ¡°...That.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned and rubbed his face. ¡°Mokowood, Skoba...¡± Vita muttered weakly. Kang Shin-hyuk vaguely remembered the names she spoke as his eyes followed where she was looking. There were twisted corpses with pipes plugging into their bodies as well. But before he could consider it further... -Nice to meet you, Anvil. The monitors on the wall lit up all at once as a mechanical sound assaulted his ears. -Wee to the heart of the Gaia system. As Kang Shin-hyuk took a step forward, the bodies connected to the pipe wriggled and stood up. Among them were Vita¡¯s past colleagues, whom they hade to save. ¡°Kuh, myrades...! Gaia!¡± -It seems that it wasn¡¯t magic that contaminated Gaia¡¯s system, but a different disease. What do you think, member? ¡°Just don¡¯t say anything, administrator.¡± Chapter 273 - Rusted Rhapsody (6)

Chapter 273 - Rusted Rhapsody (6)

It was an important fact to note that the contaminated Gaia system was a seriously sick patient, but Kang Shin-hyuk quickly noticed Vita¡¯s fierce attitude. ¡°My dear friends...!¡± ¡°Vita, what are you nning to do by rushing the front?¡± ¡°But...!¡± Throughout their operation until this point, Vita had maintained a cool and collected appearance, though her logic sometimes had leaps, and her behavior with Kang Shin-hyuk was difficult to understand. He had been judging her while they moved together. Of course, he didn¡¯t think she had a bad heart inside her. No matter how much she looked like a human, she couldn¡¯t act against Kang Shin-hyuk and ire. But he was interested in what she thought and how she behaved, and what her own purpose was. What had happened to her during those ten years? To put it openly, he was curious about her heart. But now, he was able to get a feel for her. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive...! I will kill you!¡± ¡°She was just a kid.¡± -It took a long time to realize that. But you realized it toote, so 1,000,000HP bonus! Vita burned with pure anger by the Gaia system, which turned her friends into ghouls. Although he had been deceived by her adult appearance and attitude, her ego was still young. Upon realizing that, he could understand why Vita said they had to attack the building as soon as she saw him and why she could run all the way here. She was a child that moved with emotion rather than reason, not an android. ire created a great existence he couldn¡¯t even imagine. No, had his influence yed that big of a role? ¡®Administrator, will it be okay?¡¯ -If it weren¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have stood by. Vita obviously has an emotional personality, but she also had a reason to wait quietly for you toe. It can be said that this child managed to grow up wonderfully. ¡®I¡¯m like a trash parent who had irresponsibly abandoned my child...¡¯ The situation felt so serious that he didn¡¯t think he was wrong to say it about himself. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to reflect honestly. The good thing was he realized it now so that he wouldn¡¯t make any more mistakes. -You don¡¯t need to back down, member. Rather, now that Onyx has awakened, it will be easy to clean things up. ¡®I know.¡¯ It was pointless to let your blood boil and run to this point if they didn¡¯t have a countermeasure. It was up to the parent to embrace their child and take responsibility. ¡®It¡¯s creepy.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but think that as he stepped forward and put his hand on Vita¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Just say dad.¡± Tears filled her eyes at that point; her expression shaken for the first time. ¡°Ugh, ah, dad...!¡± He smiled bitterly as he stepped in front of the crying Vita. ¡°I will take care of the revenge for you; you and Onyx take care of the Gaia system somehow.¡± ¡°Yes, yes...!¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s get started.¡± -The Gaia system sincerely wees Anvil, who has contributed greatly to the creation of this system. The contaminated Gaia system took action before they were even done talking. The metal ghouls made from the corpses of herrades united and moved forward. The powerful magi united the metal ghouls, sprinkling rotten blood in all directions as they surged towards Kang Shin-hyuk. -It¡¯s like a boss monster from a game. ¡°I¡¯m serious right now?¡± ¡°Huh...!¡± Vita shook with anger at the sight of the ghouls, but Kang Shin-hyuk silently lifted Phoibos up and fired a single bullet. Before the holy light that Phoibos fired, empowered by the Great Heavenly Spirit, the metal ghouls melted and vanished. -Light Mastery (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to S-rank! You can create brilliant light, even in spaces where there is no light at all! Kang Shin-hyuk fired several more bullets without pause, aiming at the sword embedded in the central monitor. The pipes all over the wall swung to block it before it could connect, however. ¡°And now those pipes wille together to create a new Metal Death Knight.¡± -Mr. Anvil, in order to ess the center of the Gaia system, you must first authenticate as an administrator. From now on, we will perform the authentication process. ¡°Uh...¡± His prediction was wrong, as the pipes instead started to snake toward him. ¡°Administrator authentication?! That¡¯s the authentication?!¡± -I wonder if this makes you the new Metal Death Knight. ¡°Dad!¡± Vitaunched her nanobots, but it was nonsense to try and hack into a pipe that the system was directly controlling. Instead, Onyxunched his thorns at them. Vita¡¯s eyes lit up as the pipes caught by Onyx¡¯s thorns intertwined with the others. ¡°Dad, cover me!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out Erebos. Unlike Phoibos, which scattered darkness and erased it, it could concentrate it together. Of course, that was also true of magi! -We will repel the intruders other than Anvil! As Vita and Onyx began to move in earnest, the floor lit up red, and Gaia¡¯s response became fierce. Emergency rms red on the monitors, and wires began to protrude from the walls and floors to move with the pipes. ¡®It¡¯s obsessed with me, but what the hell is it trying to do?¡¯ ording to this administrator¡¯s spection, I think it expects you to fulfill the role of the new creator of this ruined world. ¡®The creator?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk fired bullets all over the room, tying down the electric wires and purifying the magi as he responded. ¡®I just have some cksmithing skills, but what could I make to make them think like that?¡¯ -The Gaia system is rted to the Hero Universe. It is natural that this independent system, which has gained poor knowledge from the main body, is trying to make you the backbone of the new world¡ªyou, who have created artifacts that have affected many worlds. ¡®I think there¡¯s some information missing in the middle. It¡¯s trying to do it simply because I create good artifacts? Are you kidding me?¡¯ -Gaia¡¯s judgment is radical but notpletely wrong. Someday, you will understand your true abilities. Now the administrator was talking about hisck of ability and qualifications. Kang Shin-hyuk pouted slightly as he wondered if he would be able to talk openly when his synchronization reached 100%. -No, you have to go beyond that and reach a level you never did before. ¡®Okay, okay.¡¯ The administrator¡¯s attitude was unprecedented. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and shook off those pointless thoughts. ¡°Shall I think about itter? Whatever happens, happens.¡± -Repelling intruders! Repelling intruders! The annoying red warning lights and loud rms continued. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to fire both guns to constrain the Gaia system. On that battlefield where dark and light intersected, Vita and Onyx were trying to touch the body of the system. ¡°Can you hack it if you touch it directly?¡± -Myu! ¡°Okay, dad opened the way, so let¡¯s go!¡± The Erebos bullets passed over their heads, blocking the wires and pipes, and the res that flew in immediately after erased all darkness. -Myu! Using that opportunity, Onyx released his abilities to stop the movement of all the metals and created a path. As if waiting for that, Vita picked him up and threw him at the monitor! -Myuuuu! ¡°Hack it!¡± Onyx¡¯s thorns stuck through the monitor and began to dig into it. Vita sent all the nanobots she had secured so far to assist him. The two of them quickly broke down the system¡¯s barrier and reached its core. However, just when Onyx was about to start hacking, the pitch-ck sword suddenly began to vibrate. -Member! ¡°I know!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his jaw and fired another bullet, ignoring all the pipes trying to wrap around his body. The bullet used all the energy left in the Great Heavenly Spirit, creating a path of light between him and the sword. Because of that, the pipes grabbed hold of him, but he had already achieved his goal. -Spatial movement...?! Heughed at the horror of the Gaia system. -Space Coordination (SSS) skill proficiency has increased to B+ rank! You will be able to move more urately, ignoring the interference of others, and you will be able to exercise stronger control within a 50-meter radius around you! Kang Shin-hyuk traveled tens of meters in an instant along the path of light he created. He had struggled so far to move through space with the magi filling it, but now he could move through that area he had cleared out. ¡°It¡¯s checkmate!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the ck sword in front of him that was constantly emanating magic and pulled it out. It came out easily. -This. The contaminated Gaia system sighed. -To consume the master of life, you¡¯ve earned it. And the pitch-ck sword swallowed him. Chapter 274 - Rusted Rhapsody (7)

Chapter 274 - Rusted Rhapsody (7)

It seemed like all the bodies of the world were gathering there, or so ire had thought. Of course, they were erasing most of them. ¡°Why does this disgusting world exist?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I came to erase it.¡± Shin Eunah replied calmly as she spewed lightning in front of her, but her cheeks were still a little red. It was obvious that she was conscious of what ire had said earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. The amount of magi emanating from the source is terrifying. Maybe our junior is already in danger.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re stopping here, it¡¯ll be okay.¡± ire responded by releasing a drone with a shooting function and swept away all the zombies and ghouls flocking to them like bees. For her, monsters of A-grade or lower could be wiped out at a speed that she wouldn¡¯t be pushed around by Shin Eunah, though she struggled with stronger ones. This time, Kang Shin-hyuk and Lee Na-hee also helped her develop drones, further enhancing their capabilities. ¡®No, maybe Shin-hyuk will solve it alone.¡¯ Unlike Eunah, who looked down on him from the viewpoint of the absolute, ire had carefully watched Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s growth. Of course, she thought it was very regrettable she couldn¡¯t be with him for the whole process... Still, she was able to figure out how his growth was going and where he was headed. Wasn¡¯t that proved just by looking at the improvements of her drones? ¡°Whatever the trait is, there are areas that are specialized, and there are limits...¡± His trait was so free and strong that it seemed like he hade alone from another world. Even Shin Eunah, who was firing off thousands of lightning bolts without a drop of sweat, had a weakness, but Kang Shin-hyuk was beyond the standard that even she transcended. It was obvious by his level of growth from just one year after he awakened in earnest. Even now, he was No. 2 in the world rankings. Not only him, but a radical change urred in everything and everyone that had to do with him. To exaggerate it a little, he was a man who could change even the world. And... Regrettably, soon everyone would know it. ¡°ire, magi is running out of the building. Let¡¯s go to it now!¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems like this ce has been organized... Go.¡± ¡°Oh, I want to see my junior soon...¡± ¡°Keep that inside.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± No matter how close a friend Shin Eunah was, it was impossible to allow her own man. But Kang Shin-hyuk... He was too great to be monopolized by her alone. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could fully support him by herself. She should¡¯ve noticed it when she saw all the beings of the Hero Universe hanging around him. He was important not only on Earth but across all dimensions. ¡°The building is shaking... I guess our junior is doing well.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°ire?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± When she thought of the future that would await Kang Shin-hyuk, she felt terrified. More than a fear that he would abandon her, she feared that the day woulde when she wouldn¡¯t be able to help him as his partner. Seeing him return from the expedition to Africa, she thought it wouldn¡¯t take long. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t a concession or love for a friend that brought Eunah into their rtionship, but rather, it was a measure to keep her by his side. ¡®That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to meet a man who was so handsome.¡¯ If she were an ordinary woman, she might¡¯ve given up on him neatly here, but ire wasn¡¯t gentle enough to retire so smoothly. She had no intention of losing the man she had taken. Above all, she didn¡¯t think anyone other than herself would be able to monopolize him, not even that annoying fox. Breaking up with Kang Shin-hyuk? If his arms were too wide to handle herself, she only needed to bring one or two more. He loved her the most anyway. Yes, that was it. It was embarrassing, but she was determined to be with him. For the past few months, she¡¯d been thinking like that. ¡°ire, look.¡± ¡°Huh? ...Ah.¡± Shin Eunah called out to ire, who wasn¡¯t paying attention as she was lost in her thoughts. Only a few hundred meters were left between them and the building?? and in front of that building was a massive dark object. It was wearing armor and carrying a huge sword. It looked like a knight. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve seen this scene before in a game.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get angry.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s say in a book.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of problem.¡± It was spewing dark energy from its body, but for some reason, all the surviving undead were rushing to it. Shin Eunah fired off her thunderbolts, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of all the magi that spread every time one died. It was being absorbed into the knight. ¡°If only we had the Great Heavenly Spirit from Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°ire, don¡¯t be idle, attack.¡± ¡°I already am, but there¡¯s no way to stop it.¡± She had already called out all the drones she had stockpiled and was pouring out all her mana but to no avail. The mechanical undead flocked to the ck knight with a desperate speed. Even if a hundred of them died, one of them sessfully reached him. The mass of the ck knight was increasing as more magi fused with his body. Thousands of the hundreds of thousands of undead were fusing with it, and even those who died couldn¡¯t be prevented from delivering their energy to it. Perhaps the contaminated Gaia system had directly intervened. Was it to prevent Shin Eunah from reaching the building? It was unknown, but not even Eunah could ignore the oue of that fusion. ¡°Eunah, sorry. I need to retire.¡± ire consumed all the bullets she had stockpiled in her inventory. She hadn¡¯t been expecting a situation where she would face the whole world. ¡°Any mana left?¡± ¡°Yes, and a little spiritual power... Enough to make a cocktail.¡± Her ability to deal with spiritual power had grown rapidly with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s assistance. Now, it had risen to the level that she could check and handle it within herself. Yes, that was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s influence on another person¡¯s very soul. ¡°Make it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She had cocktails in stock, but the taste was bound to be different from ones made fresh. And when the taste was different, so too was the effect. Although the environment was worse, her movements were fast as she produced the ingredients, put them in a shake, then strained it into a nice cup. ¡°Did you need a cup?¡± ¡°Yes, that way, the spiritual power is well contained.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shin Eunah smiled and drank the finished cocktail. The knight in front of her was now almost the size of a building, but she seemed refreshed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first!¡± Shin Eunah felt her magic rising and opened a gate into the far sky. It was a magical passage, and the door she used to draw out infinite magic. Magical power poured out of it like a waterfall, turning into golden lightning by her power that fell on the knight¡¯s head. -Bang! There was no time to defend himself with his sword. Shin Eunah¡¯s lightning continued to pour down onto the knight. He was forced to kneel under her power as the ground vibrated, and the building titled a little. -Oh, ah, ah, ah! As he was continuously struck by lightning, even his screaming was broken. He tried to escape or swing his sword, but even that didn¡¯t help. Shin Eunah dropped a few more sts of lightning at its maximum output, limiting his movement. ¡°I¡¯m strong.¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re beating it unterally, but what is stronger?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± ire nodded inadvertently. The lightning that she created now had a level of power that could harm an X-ss being. However, even though he was hit by more than ten lightning bolts, he just knelt and didn¡¯t fall. What was even scarier was that his lightning resistance was growing by the second. The first few hits had staggered him immensely, but now he was moving despite the attacks. ¡®Still, that can¡¯t be...¡¯ ire focused her remaining bit of spiritual power in her eyes. It consisted of an enormous amount of dead bodies and machines, and each time it was struck by lightning, the metal sparked and changed in appearance. Rather than being destroyed, it seemed that it was beingpleted into a certain shape. As evidence, his movements were growing more natural! ¡°Maybe it¡¯s simr to the Heavenly Spirit?¡± ¡°There should be a limit.¡± Shin Eunah clenched her jaw as the giant pointed a massive sword at them, standing up despite the lightning. ire, however, shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s that mass. Even if it¡¯s less efficient than the Heavenly Spirit if the amount is enormous...¡± ¡°Then what do we do? ire, as you say, nothing can beat that.¡± ¡°No.¡± ire analyzed it quickly before she was exhausted. ¡°I think it¡¯s the metal parts that are simr. So, you know?¡± ¡°Yes. I can cut them off.¡± Shin Eunah immediately closed the gate andpressed her magic into the form of a sword made out of lightning. ¡°Melee?¡± ¡°No.¡± The moment after, her sword vanished. The next moment, the corpse knight, the body of the giant Metal Death Knight burned as the lightning struck the gaps in the metal. -Khaaaahaaaah! Heshed out with his sword as he screamed. Even Shin Eunah wouldn¡¯t be able to escape death, but before that, the sword vanished. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not just the sword, Eunah! That!¡± All of the corpses inside the knight were being pulled into the building! ¡°I won... No, our junior!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± The two rushed into the building without another second of hesitation. Chapter 275 - Rusted Rhapsody (8)

Chapter 275 - Rusted Rhapsody (8)

Kang Shin-hyuk opened his eyes, only for his vision to meet darkness. He had been expecting as much, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t able to open his eyes properly right now. That wasn¡¯t all. All of his senses seemed to be missing. Even trying to yell wouldn¡¯t work, as it didn¡¯t feel like his mouth could move. ¡®I feel so weird because my body has no sensation. Administrator...administrator?¡¯ He tried it just in case, but the connection with the Hero Universe was also cut off. At this point, it was more reasonable to think that he didn¡¯t teleport to a dark space but that he was hallucinating from some magic. Originally, this kind of ability could be defended against using his spiritual power, so he wasn¡¯t used to it. ¡®Huh... Nope. Huh, huh...! Oh, no.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t feel his spiritual power. Golden Dragon Fighter was working slightly, so he wrapped his body with that, moving by instinct. ¡®It can¡¯t be that my spiritual power would disappear in an instant, so it¡¯s definitely a hallucination. But why does Golden Dragon Fighter work?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk felt it was strange as he examined himself. Even though most of his abilities were nullified, he wasn¡¯t very nervous. Was it because of his growth over the past year? He believed in himself that no matter what, his efforts wouldn¡¯t be in vain. ¡®It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have any sensations; it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t move my body.¡¯ With that thought, he moved his body hard and stimted himself with his Golden Dragon, so he felt his senses return very little by little. His strong will was rejuvenating him after defeating something ugly, trying to control him. However, at the same time, he wanted to open his eyes; it suddenly became dark again. No, rather, new darkness had arisen in a space where there was nothing. ¡®This...¡¯ How he knew it even without his vision was that he could feel it. It was pure darkness itself. It flew in and hit Kang Shin-hyuk without giving him a chance to escape, and even more, darkness unfolded. ¡®What is this? It¡¯s like Tsukuyomi.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk felt like it was ridiculous. He felt his senses slipping from him again. He could try it once more, but the darkness woulde back and reset it. A different approach was needed. A way to resist this darkness... ¡®Huh?¡¯ He felt something new approach. He couldn¡¯t avoid it, so he decided to ept it. He wondered if it was more darkness, but it wasn¡¯t. The energy was absorbed into his mind, and a small theater opened inside his closed eyes. The screen was shaking like it was out of focus, then it became clear, illuminating a ck and white image. ¡®This... Ahh.¡¯ It was a memory of his days as Anvil. He thought it was the memory of when this sword was made, but rather it was a memory of the days when it was created. It was the memory of the death of his precious wife and daughter. To Jormungand, the enemy who invaded the peaceful world...No, they were sacrificed because of the desires of humans who were busy quarreling among themselves even though their country was in crisis. ¡®...¡¯ He was a talented cksmith since his youth, and he had been asked to create good weapons. The cksmith eagerly beat metal, believing that the weapon he made would save the world, but he realized that he was mistaken only after losing his family. Amid the increasingly diminished human realm, the humans struggled to survive, and his family died in vain. Still, until then, he remained innocent. The death of his family and the destruction of the country were all attributed to the invaders, and he held his hammer again for the warriors trying to save the world. However, in that world, his weapons were valuable objects that people fought over. It wasn¡¯t monsters, but people aiming weapons at other people. The concept of country or world no longer remained with humanity. Even the meaning of family was blurred, the only thing important being ¡®me.¡¯ The cksmithter realized he was wrong, that it meant nothing if he didn¡¯t protect himself and his family first. However, that enlightenment came toote, and the man, tired of everything, fled alone from the monsters. And everyone died, leaving him alone. After several years of miraculously surviving, he found a shelter for himself. -What¡¯s really funny is that I picked up the hammer again even then. ¡®This... This is really bad.¡¯ Though he couldn¡¯t confirm the message, Kang Shin-hyuk felt that the synchronization rate between himself and Anvil increased significantly at that moment. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be saddened by the family he had already lost. Until now, he hadn¡¯t recalled much of his previous family. Perhaps because it was the essential part of Anvil, that had been dyed until he could naturally ept it, but this damn sword took that memory and stuck it in him. To adversely affect his mind. ¡®This is aplete magic sword.¡¯ Among the swords he made, this was the darkest of his hatred, anger, and despair. The cksmith realized it and abandoned it, but it somehow found its way to Cy Xenon. Because it contained so much spiritual power, it gained an ego... The Gaia system was influential on it. It made sense that it affected the Gaia system, as the originally Cy Xenon was probably rich in magic. Maybe that¡¯s why it ended up there. He didn¡¯t know whether it contaminated the system or the system acquired it, but the dark sentiment in and of the sword made the system dominate the world in the wrong way. ¡®This must be why it recognized me. The unexined parts... There are still a few, but it¡¯s not something I can worry about now.¡¯ It felt like he was in a book when he should¡¯ve broken the sword in half, but instead, it fell in the hands of an ordinary rural boy or girl who became his new enemy. Because of that sword, the faces of his wife and daughter, which were faint, came to mind. ¡®But still, how ridiculous.¡¯ Now that the synchronization rate had risen from that memory, countermeasures had begun toe to his mind. ¡®I hate it for some reason; it feels like the administrator¡¯s will...¡¯ It still couldn¡¯t be helped. Kang Shin-hyuk took in a deep breath... And began to ept all the darkness. He was literally epting all of it in himself. The space wasn¡¯t empty; it was just filled with the dark. Recognizing it, it was simple enough to absorb it. ¡®Haaaaah!¡¯ Of course, an ordinary person would only be controlled by the sword by doing so, but Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t only its creator, but also the master of spiritual power. ¡®There¡¯s a lot... It¡¯s too much.¡¯ Except for the negative energy it held, this sword was one of his best works. Moreover, as it had been stuck at the pinnacle of the world for many years, it¡¯s spiritual power had even increased. So, the amount of darkness was bound to be massive. His body would burst had he epted it defenselessly, but ironically, the sword¡¯s ability helped him control it better. ¡®I made it, but it¡¯s hard to believe.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyukughed bitterly. At the time, he needed to pour out all his emotions. Immediately after making it, he thought he could never sell it. All he could do now was tighten the reins to make sure it didn¡¯t leave again. Absorb it,press it, refine it, and make it his own by repeating that countless times, he epted all the darkness inside the sword and this world. His vision began to brighten after he felt like a few hours passed. No, it probably wasn¡¯t long. This darkness had the power to distort space and time. He thought it was an extension of the power the Jormungand guys used to create guys. ¡°Ah.¡± His eyes opened to the top floor of the building. The pitch-ck sword was in his hand, and tears were rolling down his eyes though he didn¡¯t know if they were tears of joy or sorrow. He could no longer feel any magi around him; it was all inside him. -You learned Dark Mastery (SSS). The rarity has grown to X-rank under the influence of the environment and the skills and traits you are learning! Skill proficiency has increased to SS-rank. Spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter will grow to SSS-rank! ¡°Tell me.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quietly spoke to the administrator while everyone remained silent. ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you.¡± -Oh, I knew. The administrator confessed frankly. -3,000,000HP bonus...? ¡°Don¡¯t think that will solve it.¡± Because he had absorbed all the darkness in the world, the dawn was arriving now, even though the world had perished. -System error! System error! ¡°You be quiet too.¡± -... Chapter 276 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (1)

Chapter 276 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (1)

¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°Junior!¡± Shin Eunah and ire broke through the window and jumped inside as strange tranquility begun to settle over the hall. Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita had made it to the top from the basement, though it was impossible to know what they had been through. Now, the Gaia system and this building... No, maybe all the magic of this world was being absorbed into the sword and handed over to Kang Shin-hyuk. Which meant that the building¡¯s defense had be zero, and thanks to that... -Kooong! ¡°Uh, huh? Tilting?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll copse right away; let¡¯s get out!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put the sword in his inventory and turned to the party. Vita was quickly packing only the belongings of her friends. ¡°Uh?! Is it copsing? Wait, we need to analyze the Gaia system...¡± ¡°Onyx!¡± -Myu! -Wait, Anvil...! The contaminated Gaia system tried to convey a message to Kang Shin-hyuk, but he already knew everything he wanted to know, thanks to Onyx. The mistake of the Gaia system was that it brought down the system that originally epassed the whole world into the physical realm. Onyx swallowed up all the facilities in its providence, and now this was thest of its power. It was a far cry from dominating the world. ¡°Okay, now, if you ask Onyx, he¡¯ll give you the details.¡± ¡°What the hell is he?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out first!¡± Then, the building¡¯s copse began to elerate, and Kang Shin-hyuk pulled along the wordless Shin Eunah and ire to escape together. By the time they safelynded on the ground with the power of the wind, the building had already copsed. ¡°Ah, that too... You have to take that too.¡± In the ce where Shin Eunah and ire faced the giant Metal Death Knight, only a portion of its armor remained. As the sword absorbed all the magic, all the unclean energy that formed the bodies vanished, and only pure power remained. ¡°Junior, a gift.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head and epted the iron te from Shin Eunah. It was a b of pure metal, perhaps because all the magic had disappeared, that was slightlyrger than his fist. Kang Shin-hyuk naturally stretched out his spiritual power to look at the metal, and at the same time, sparks of gold sshed out of it. ¡°Wait a minute, this...¡± ¡°The world.¡± ¡°Wow, ah...¡± However, as he tried to continue to look into the metal, the world titled. His senses were broken, and the earth and sky cracked. The rules of the world were beginning to break down one by one. Things were emerging, going extinct, randomly duplicating, and fusing. All his thoughts went away like smoke at the sight before him. -With the absence of the Gaia system, the world will soon disappear. It would be better to go right away. Meanwhile, the calm voice of the administrator resonated through everyone¡¯s ears. Shin Eunah, realizing the situation, immediately took Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand. He activated his space coordination skill with her help, moving them to his My Room. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Somehow...¡± ¡°Yes!¡± -Myu! Everyone couldn¡¯t feel sane after such a series of shocking events. At the same time, only Onyx, who evolved after eating plenty of metal, seemed to be full of energy. How many people have observed the moment when a world perished? If the administrator didn¡¯t tell them to set coordinates in advance, there was a chance they wouldn¡¯t have made it. ¡°Something... I think I got stronger.¡± Then, suddenly, Shin Eunah spoke up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I feel like I got to know space and time better as I watched the world fall.¡± ¡°ire, this one is talking ridiculous, what do you think?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ignore it.¡± She¡¯s not the main character of a novel, yet she gained strength from that? However, there was a positive change in her magic, so she wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Hmm... Ah?¡± Putting aside Eunah¡¯s embarrassing words, he could see that a small change was taking ce in his My Room. There was a tool hanger next to the furnace, with tongs and the like hung up. ¡°...This.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk approached it silently and hefted the handle of the hammer. Traces of time could be seen on the torn and newly-applied pieces of cloth on the handle. He wondered if it was a copy of the stuff from his memories, but putting his spiritual power in it, he confirmed that wasn¡¯t the case. It was the same thing. ¡°...¡± ¡°Junior?¡± ¡°Shh, let it go.¡± He stood there and chatted with the hammer. Perhaps it was more meaningful for him to obtain this hammer as a reward than to obtain Dark Mastery. It contained all the memories and experiences of his time forging as Anvil in his previous life, so it would be helpful for Kang Shin-hyuk to engrave that into his body...But more than that, he just wanted to know more about Anvil¡¯s life. ¡®...I came at the right time. I hate to admit the administrator¡¯s sense.¡¯ If he had acquired that when he first entered My Room, he might¡¯ve been swept away by Anvil¡¯s memories and abilities. However, he gradually formed himself by increasing his synchronization rate until now and training his spiritual power. Thanks to that, even if he received a hammer with such an enormous source, he could ept everything in it naturally. Rather, it was helpful to him now, as it helped harmonize the memories and information the sword had mixed up. -Synchronization has elerated at an incredible speed- current rate of 92.9%. How much time had passed like that before he hung the hammer back up and turned around to notice Shin Eunah and ire watching him? ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look at you questioning us. You¡¯ve been there for thirty minutes.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry. I got too much information.¡± From his look at that moment, ire knew that he had changed a lot in a short moment. His face hadn¡¯t changed, but now she felt a strangely calm atmosphere. From the start, he was a mature person for his age, but now she felt something more exciting. ¡®Am I just fitting Shin-hyuk to my taste...? No, he¡¯s definitely more attractive, but I can¡¯t exin what changed or how...!¡¯ If so, her love was clearly severe. ire shook her head and continued. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No problem. Right, Onyx? Show ire what you got.¡± -Myu! Onyx, who was on his shoulder, walked to ire and held out his back. Then, some of the thorns stretched out like electric wires. ire watched it with a tilted head, then touched her phone with an expression of lingering sorrow. In no time, an enormous amount of data was downloaded to her phone. ¡°...When did he be aputer?¡± ¡°Perhaps today?¡± -Myu! Onyx¡¯s message was delivered to her in the form of a text message. ire looked up at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Give him to me.¡± ¡°Take him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± -Myu?! Onyx, who had been sold in no time, opened his eyes wide, but ire smiled and hugged him. ¡°It¡¯s a joke, but I¡¯ll borrow you asionally. I think you¡¯ll work well with me.¡± ¡°You can take him.¡± -Myuuuuuuuuu! ¡°He has a surprisingly strong loyalty.¡± That was probably because his loyalty had reached 100 in the process of eating. ¡°Dad, is this earth?¡± Vita spoke up this time. This was the first time she had left her world, and the atmosphere of My Room was so unique. ¡°This is a space attached to the Hero Universe. Strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I see...¡± ¡°Want to head there?¡± ¡°Ah, no...¡± Vita smiled awkwardly, then lowered her head. ¡°Today, there are so many sad things...I want to calm down a little, so I¡¯ll stay here for a minute.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± ire carefully approached Vita and hugged her. Vita cried quietly in her arms. Shin Eunah watched the scene in disbelief, then turned to Kang Shin-hyuk and checked in with the admin. ¡°What time is it on Earth now, sir?¡± -It¡¯s still Thursday night. You don¡¯t even need to miss school tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± For a moment, he had forgotten about the ratio with Cy Xenon. He told Baek that he would be absent and ran out... Before, he might¡¯ve been scared or embarrassed by it, but Kang Shin-hyuk, having grown mentally by epting those memories, no longer was concerned about it. ¡°Are you really going to stay here?¡± ¡°Here, in dad¡¯s room? Then I¡¯ll only be here for tonight. Um, can I do that?¡± Vita motioned in the air as she looked at Kang Shin-hyuk, asking for permission. After a second, she nodded to herself.¡± ¡°Thank you, administrator, sister.¡± ¡°Sister...¡± ¡°Sister...¡± ¡°Sister...¡± The voices of Kang Shin-hyuk, ire, and Shin Eunah ovepped in harmony. The administrator replied right away. -If you have anything to say, please do it yourself. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Attacking the administrator here would lead to a difficult situation, so he decided not to. There was something he used the administrator about earlier, so he decided to leave it there today. The three left Vita in his My Room and returned to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s dorm room. It was only 1 A.M. Kang Shin-hyuk first decided to message Baek In-ha. [I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be gone tomorrow.] [Baek In-ha: Premature ejaction?] [You serious?] [Baek In-ha: No, it¡¯s over very quickly, but you also took two of them.] [Don¡¯t think about that. See you tomorrow, anyway.] Looking up, he found the two sitting on his bed. Kang Shin-hyuk began to grow embarrassed by the strange atmosphere circting around them. ¡°Huh? Why are you both... Wait a minute. What are you doing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sitting?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ire was holding onto Shin Eunah. ¡°Senior, no.¡± ¡°No, I can.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°ire...¡± Shin Eunah looked at ire, her eyes asking for help. ¡°I was thinking of telling youter...¡± ¡°I know roughly what you¡¯re thinking, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you hate me?¡± ¡°This is another matter. Even if it is possible to love two people at the same time, no.¡± ¡°Ugh, huh...¡± He didn¡¯t know what kind of conversation they had, but it was clear that ire decided to ept Shin Eunah. But even so, Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t ept it. Even more so now, that Anvil¡¯s memories and experiences were almostpletely present. ¡°I have so many things I want to say to my junior...¡± ¡°Eunah senior, let¡¯s talk next time. I think I need to punish ire a little today, so next time, not today.¡± Shin Eunah also realized that he had changed as his resolute attitude, his will, had no way of breaking. While ire blinked nkly, she vanished, using her space movement to leave. As soon as Shin Eunah disappeared, ire quickly turned on Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°No, how are you rejecting this? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°ire, I think you seem crazy...¡± What was she thinking, to bring another woman to him? That was like the way Bridget thought! ¡°Thank you so much for thinking of me, but I have my own thoughts...¡± ¡°Then, can you tell me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your thoughts.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down on the bed and motioned for ire to join him before speaking up quietly. ¡°Tell me; I¡¯ll listen to everything. Then let¡¯s talk. I want to know what kind of thoughts came to this conclusion.¡± ¡°Ah, uh...¡± ire anguished for a moment before meeting his unshaken eyes; then, she quickly sat down beside him. ¡°Aren¡¯t youughing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not smiling.¡± ¡°Will you kick me off?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then...?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ire wriggled for nothing and leaned into him. Then, they started talking... Chapter 277 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (2)

Chapter 277 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (2)

The next day, Kang Shin-hyuk saw ire and Vita off. Last night, after hearing her story, he began to understand her thoughts. He was delighted to know that she was taking it seriously. However, her actions were too violent and hasty. Maybe it was even more clumsy because this was their first love. -Being clumsy? ¡®Don¡¯t think about it.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t fully alleviate her fundamental anxiety, so they ended it by agreeing to think about the future. The problem proved to be Shin Eunah, however. The conflict with ire had been neatly resolved, but since she leftst night, they hadn¡¯t been able to contact her. Even though Kang Shin-hyuk messaged her several times, she ignored them. It was only natural that her pride had been hurt after Kang Shin-hyuk firmly refused her... ¡°I think it would be good for Eunah to organize things like this quickly...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk continued to think as he red at the messenger screen where no answer came. He wondered why he had to suffer from this problem, but his beloved granddaughter... No, she was his dear friend, so he couldn¡¯t pretend he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Why are you looking at that screen like you had a fight with your girlfriend?¡± A voice popped up from the side. Turning his head, Karen¡¯s brightly smiling face filled his eyes. ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned his head back to his phone, but Karen grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Ah? Ah? I heard everything from the captain; she said you secretly partied without me yesterday! That¡¯s right, and now you show me this kind of attitude!¡± ¡°After you shoot at an average of S-rank, you can join.¡± ¡°Oh, you tell me really honestly...¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped. Karen already knew their identity, and she could be trusted more than anyone as she followed Eleanor, but her abilities were stillcking to be active as a part of Masked Bhus. ¡°But Oh Hye-na? And Baek?¡± ¡°They¡¯re stronger than you.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped Karen from making an obscene hand gesture as he spoke the facts. Karen took a deep breath, her face dyed red either from the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk held her hand or the weight of the truth she encountered was too heavy. ¡°What a minute, I think you¡¯re right. Take a breath...¡± ¡°Why open Pandora¡¯s box?¡± Karen¡¯s face grew redder as he patted her back with a sorrowful expression. She spoke desperately to hide her emotions. ¡°No, I knew she was strong, but that much?¡± ¡°Yeah. She grew even faster.¡± Not all of Oh Hye-na¡¯s status had reached above S-rank yet, but her magic and agility were already S-rank. Her growth was at a simr rate as Baek In-ha, which meant she would grow to a level where she was iparable to the students at this school within a year. However, Karen, as well as her trait, were still between A and B ranks, even though her skill ranked in the top ten within the second years. ¡°Last year, you were simr to me... Are you leaving me alone and going away?¡± ¡°Please, that won¡¯t work... Hmm.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and tapped her shoulder. At that moment, a flow of gold from his hand quickly spread throughout her body. ¡°...Huh? What?¡± At that moment, she could feel her body reaching the unknown beyond her limits. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his finger to his lips and nkly looked at Karen. ¡°A secret.¡± ¡°Yes, secret!¡± She didn¡¯t know much about his traits, but she noticed that he did something good for her. As her expression quickly brightened, Kang Shin-hyuk also smiled a little. It was good for him to develop this trust. Moreover, just a while ago, both his spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter reached the SSS-rank, so it was easy to buff her too. ¡°Hey... Thanks. Shin-hyuk, you¡¯re very different too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m even better, right?¡± ¡°Yes, very...¡± It was difficult for him to react to her affirmation. However, he couldn¡¯t respond with nonsense like ¡®don¡¯t fall in love with me,¡¯ so instead, he tried to get away, but Karen stuck by his side, unable to control her joy. ¡°Come with me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s too close.¡± ¡°This is what a Tsundere is, right? I know everything. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way I can do this!¡± ¡°I did that for Baek.¡± Karen stuck to him after receiving his buff, but Kang Shin-hyuk, afraid of any more rumors, went into the ssroom first. As Karen followed with a smirk, Do Woojin was waiting inside with an unsure expression. ¡°What, what happened to Do Woojin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Why is he doing this again?¡± Probably he saw the two outside, so Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he received Do Woojin¡¯s piercing gaze. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault; just know that.¡± ¡°?¡± During the ss that day, Kang Shin-hyuk was challenged by Do Woojin after a long time, but apart from the fact he wasn¡¯t interested in Karen, he decided to beat him soundly. Do Woojin seemed sad, but his youth wasn¡¯t so fragile. It would probably be fine. *** Notices about the athletic meet were made that afternoon. Of course, he couldn¡¯t participate in the rookie exhibition because he was a second year. ¡°The students participating in the Two Crown games are Kang Shin-hyuk, Baek In-ha, Do Woojin, and Karen Stringfield, right?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Okay, so only those who are participating in the battles will remain; everyone else, go home.¡± Their homeroom teacher was Ji Min-hye. She was a young woman in her thirties with a ss A trait in the striking ss, and she was one of the strongest teachers at Shinyoung. She was selected as an outstanding teacher to teach those with outstanding talents, but there was no way for her to help Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha. Ji Min-hye also seemed to quickly realize that fact through their practical skills training, and in her dueling sses, she used those two as assistants. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t win, you can¡¯t ignore the benefits of things like schrships just by ranking. In addition, a student who wins either championship will live in the royal ss. If the student in first already lives in the royal ss, the second ce will inherit those benefits.¡± She left Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek aside and exined the contest to Do Woojin and Karen. Perhaps it was up to the teachers to decide how many people in their ss entered the royal ss? It was a random hypothesis he suddenly thought of, but it sounded likely. As he wondered those things, Ji Min-hye suddenly looked at him. ¡°By the way, Shin-hyuk, are you sure you¡¯re not participating in the Knight Crown?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± ¡°Just the one?¡± ¡°Baek In-ha, you¡¯re doing both?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to be a Two Crown and the Knight Crown.¡± ¡°Yeah, yes, that¡¯s what nonsense is. Oh, Shin-hyuk, you can go now.¡± Ji Min-hye¡¯s eyes twinkled as she sent him away. As he headed back first, a message from Baek immediately arrived. [Baek In-ha: I resigned from the Two Crowns.] [Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.] [Baek In-ha: Can I hit you? I¡¯ll hit you as many times as I can.] [Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.] [Baek In-ha: At least fifty times.] [Are you counting it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.] Perhaps Ji Min-hye wanted both the Two Crowns and the Knight Crown toe from her ss, and it seemed that Baek was forced to resign from one so he could focus on the other. Of course, no matter how much she rmended it, it would¡¯ve been impossible had his will been strong. In the first ce, Baek signed up for both because of his childish pride. That was why he pretended to concede to the teacher. [But the Knight Crown won¡¯t be easy. Ji Min-hye doesn¡¯t seem to know our Eli¡¯s skills yet.] [Baek In-ha: You don¡¯t know, but I will beat Eleanor noona.] Between Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor, Baek had a better chance of beating Eleanor, but... [Baek In-ha: So, special training.] [Yeah, dude, I¡¯ll train you until you die. But not today.] [Baek In-ha: Is it a woman? It¡¯s a woman! Abandoning your friend to see a girl at this critical point? Are you still human?] [I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.] Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh after he finished talking with Baek. Howfortable it would be if he were going on a date with ire. However, there was a problem that needed to be solved somehow before that. [I¡¯ming to see you now.] [Go somewhere without people. I¡¯m going to move through space.] So, after sending those two lines, he prepared to trigger his space coordination. The reply came sooner than he thought. [Senior Eunah: Wait, wait 30 minutes!] [5 minutes.] [Senior Eunah: I haven¡¯t washed!] [Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re pretty even if you don¡¯t.] [Senior Eunah: 20 minutes!] [Okay, 20 minutes.] [Senior Eunah: I hate you!] Kang Shin-hyuk let out a satisfied sigh. Then, he suddenly wondered if his personality had changed a little. -That¡¯s because you learned the Dark Mastery. It was mild when you learned Light Mastery, but not a spicy taste was added to it. ¡°No, that¡¯s a lie.¡± -It is. ¡°I¡¯d rather you¡¯d just give an HP bonus as usual!¡± -It¡¯s real. ...No, no way. Anyway, twenty minutes passed, and he immediately moved over to Eunah¡¯s side. She was, of course, in a hotel. Next Chapter Chapter 278 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (3)

Chapter 278 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (3)

It seemed easy to obtain thanks to the Hero Universe, but skills that dealt with the attributes were as rare as traits. It was evident in how surprised Oh Hye-na was to see Kang Shin-hyuk use both wind and fire simultaneously. Since it was such a rare thing, it wouldn¡¯t be that strange even if it did affect something like a personality. ¡®No way, one of the reasons you rmended it so much...¡¯ -That¡¯s right. Because of your innocent personality, we judged that it was impossible to get through the tough universe... Kang Shin-hyuk felt his timidity and consideration gradually fade. It was easy to notice when he contemted his actions today and the message she had shared with his friends. ¡®No, what am I going to do with this?¡¯ -This is beyond the judgment of the administrator. No way would I think that you would be reborn as a Casanova after giving up your timidity and morality... ¡®No?¡¯ Coming back to the present moment, Shin Eunah, her cheeks red, was lying on the bed in a light outfit, and it was then that he realized it. ¡°This, twenty minutes came just right.¡± ¡°Ha...¡± ¡°Why is this atmosphere already being created?¡± If it had been him before, he would¡¯ve run right away, but now he was approaching Shin Eunah, pretending to be calm on the outside. It was a surprising change for himself. ¡°Why a hotel?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here since yesterday.¡± ¡°What about work?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Shin Eunah pouted and looked up at him, and he noticed her eyes were a little red. ¡°Because of someone, I got depressed.¡± ¡°Well...¡± She was clearly ming him. It seemed like she was crying, but if someone else had done this, she would¡¯ve chased them all the way to the ends of hell. However, she couldn¡¯t because it was him. Now he had no choice but to trust himself and charge forward. With the feeling of a father trying to appease his daughter, he approached her. ¡°I heard what you talked about with ire.¡± He sat next to Shin Eunah and patted his knee. She looked disgusted. ¡°Another childish treat...¡± ¡°If you look at what you¡¯re doing right now, you¡¯re totally a kid. So, no?¡± ¡°I hate it so much.¡± Despite herints, sheid down on his knee. He stroked her hair as he smiled quietly. ¡°Are you rxed?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Shin Eunah was frowning despite her answer. ¡°I was very upset a little while ago, but now I¡¯m mad because I felt so relieved just by you stroking my hair.¡± Heughed at her honest response, and she looked dissatisfied. ¡°Are you going to call me a kid again?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Still, it seemed like she had grown a littletely, but was the shock of yesterday putting her back into trouble? It had been a disaster. It was incredible even now that he had talked with ire. Suddenly, ncing down, he noticed Shin Eunah was staring at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you kiss me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stroked her hair. ¡°You were told to think about it from a distance the other day.¡± ¡°So, I thought about it long and hard.¡± ¡°Is this the result?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah nodded seriously with a blush before speaking up. ¡°Would you believe me if I said I fell in love from the start?¡± ¡°From the first time you essed the Hero Universe?¡± ¡°No!¡± She yelled then, as if surprised by her voice, covered her mouth with one hand as she hesitated. She carefully spoke up again after a moment. ¡°I had a consultation with ire.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It seems like I¡¯m in love...¡± ¡°...With someone eight years younger?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes; I couldn¡¯t say it!¡± Shin Eunahined again. ¡°But I never imagined you would be taken by ire.¡± ¡°No, I went for ire first. Somehow, it didn¡¯t go easily because of you.¡± ¡°I hate you!¡± It was not easy to close the distance at the start, but now it was feeling good. Shin Eunah tapped his chest with her fist. It was a blow that used mana, but now Kang Shin-hyuk felt the attack was soft. ¡°Anyway, listen to me. I¡¯m saying you should listen.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen, so tell me.¡± He was able to hear the behind the scenes only after Shin Eunah calmed down. She was feeling more and more like a child. ¡°I was relieved when Iter found out you were my grandpa. I instinctively felt that you were.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The reason why Shin Eunah liked him was that she mistook her heart and the deep rtionship with Anvil in his previous life. Rather, it was surprising that she finally came to such a conclusion. ¡°But I soon realized that was a mistake. From the beginning, I just liked you.¡± When was it? When she stopped calling him grandpa? Probably from the time Kang Shin-hyuk was in his second semester, she realized it. Kang Shin-hyuk refuted her word, slightly frowning as he couldn¡¯t keep hold of what she was saying. ¡°It¡¯s your love for ¡®Anvil,¡¯ right? It¡¯s not a rtionship between a man and a woman, but more of a familial love...¡± ¡°It may be, too, though...¡± She turned her body around and pressed her face against his stomach as if she were embarrassed. He tried to respond, but the next moment the bomb fell. ¡°With that alone, I couldn¡¯t be thrilled like this...¡± ¡°...¡± -Member, please don¡¯t be silent! Don¡¯t be beaten back! Now is the time to fight back! Kang Shin-hyuk looked down at Shin Eunah while ignoring the message from the insane administrator. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but he could see that her ears were red. She spoke in a whisper. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t change my mind...I like you...¡± -Respond firmly! Unleash the power of Dark Mastery! Throw away your patience and consideration and reveal your honest heart now! I hate this annoying woman! It was even more difficult to respond because of the administrator. Honestly, the administrator was more annoying now, but if he said that, the admin would be outraged, so he held back. ¡°Now, I can¡¯t call you grandpa...¡± ¡°That¡¯s... Thank you.¡± A bitter smile came to his mouth. In fact, it was somewhat disappointing for him now that he was aware of most of his previous life. However, it was natural for a child to grow. Although the way she grew was shocking indeed, if she said she waspletely free from the binds of her past... He couldn¡¯t help but congratte her. ¡°You wanted to be a good person, but you grew up really bad. Coveting a man who has a girlfriend...¡± ¡°I got permission from ire...¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even consider my heart. Is there such a bad person?¡± ¡°Well, that... Sorry... Somehow, my mind was focused on only conveying my heart...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk continued to smile bitterly and stroke her hair. Shin Eunah stuck to him, dissatisfaction and joy warring inside her as he continued to treat her like a child. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll take it seriously.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± In the end, Shin Eunah raised her head at his answer. However, she quickly turned her gaze away from his face. She was embarrassed by saying everything she couldn¡¯t say before, and Kang Shin-hyuk flicked her forehead. ¡°Why are you avoiding me now?¡± ¡°Kh.¡± ¡°Anyone who feels shame wouldn¡¯t be able to do that yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Shin Eunah smacked his shoulder in return. Anyway, it seemed they had seeded in releasing her worries with that. There was still much to solve in their rtionship, but that was a problem to be considered with ire as well. ire¡¯s own anguish and determination couldn¡¯t be neglected... The same went for Shin Eunah. ¡®Well, she seems to have taken a while to distinguish between her emotions.¡¯ He wondered what their rtionship would¡¯ve been like if Shin Eunah had sorted her emotions sooner, or if ire had been less bold, or if his synchronization rate had been slower. His thoughts quickly becameplicated, as he wondered how he fell into such a third-rateedy situation. ¡®Is it all the administrator¡¯s fault?¡¯ -It ismon for the owners of Dark Mastery to me others naturally. ¡®I¡¯ll really scold you this time around.¡¯ -That is what I was hoping for. As a bonus, his rtionship with the administrator was gradually turning into something akin to chaos. -But if I were to say something. ¡®Yeah?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk was still patting Shin Eunah as the administrator sent a sincere message. -If you are worried about districtws, I would like to tell you that it has no meaning to you. ¡®...¡¯ -You¡¯ve already be a member of the Hero Universe and are active on a cosmic scale. The system of monogamy isn¡¯t based on human emotion, but it is an adopted system that is more advantageous in maintaining modern society. However, since Earth is already changing into a different environment and a different world. Even now, all kinds ofws are nothing more than illusions. The only problem you need to address is your mental and physical benefits. ¡®...Good advice, thank you.¡¯ -You are a member of the Hero Universe. The administrator sent a really reassuring message. -But after all, I want to burn all the foxes. If all of them were killed by Gaia... By adding these useless words, he destroyed the trust that had just been built. Chapter 279 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (4)

Chapter 279 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (4)

¡°No way! Sharper!¡± Eleanor raised her voice in a shout. The freshmen at the ckwood Training center were battling one-to-one. ¡°If this year¡¯s grades are lower thanst year, all of you will be eliminated! If you want to wear a cloak, be prepared to go to the quarterfinals of the rookie game!¡± ¡°No,st year, the vice-captain took the Rookie King title, but what a challenge...¡± ¡°Your answer!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± She was shorter than 155 centimeters tall, but he was amazing at how such a rumbling sound came out. Kang Shin-hyuk stood behind her with Karen, helping supervise the freshmen, but he disregarded the nces towards him. In truth, Kang Shin-hyuk was more Spartan than Eleanor. ¡°It was said that the official joining would be done after the athletic meet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like everything is already done, but that¡¯s the formality. Moreover, we have to work to capture the excellent wild students who are active in the exhibitions.¡± ¡°Ha, so after the athletic meet...¡± Had Karen and Kang Shin-hyuk been such studentsst year? ¡°Hah, back then, I was still best friends with Shinyuk....¡± Karen also was reminiscing about the previous year, her gaze vague as she went through her memories. Kang Shin-hyukughed. ¡°Why do you look like a college student who received a wedding invitation from a childhood friend? And don¡¯t call me Shinyuk.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use such a realistic example!¡± Karen gloomily hit Kang Shin-hyuk, and the eyes focused on them. Do Woojin and Eleanor nced at them from the side, so Karen carefully moved away. ¡°...Did the captain take it from me?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh, still conscious of Do Woojin¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re worried that you don¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, if you¡¯re flirting, could you warn me? I also need to prepare a little bit...¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it?¡± Now he was even ying rival with Do Woojin in a bad way? Kang Shin-hyuk no longer needed a youthful romance. -That¡¯s right. Now the nasty morning drama suits you... ¡®Be quiet.¡¯ -500,000HP bonus! ¡®Now you¡¯re back to your usual self.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk smiled to reassure Do Woojin, but what came back was an intense gaze. Why didn¡¯t he tell Karen he liked her? Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and looked at the freshmen. ¡°Kh!¡± ¡°Kah, I surrender!¡¯ ¡°Winner, Oh Hye-na! Jin, ten moreps!¡± ¡°Whoo... Next!¡± Of course, Oh Hye-na was the most striking among the first years. She was still under the buff from Kang Shin-hyuk, and therefore wore artifacts that restricted her movement as she didn¡¯t want to achieve victory if it wasn¡¯t through her own skill. They were handcrafted by Kang Shin-hyuk as auxiliary equipment for anyone who would want to train their body. ¡®Winning the rookie game doesn¡¯t seem difficult now that she¡¯s not going for the Two Crowns.¡¯ In fact, she was a talent who could win the Two Crowns battle. She had surely inherited the genes of a man who was once No. 1, and added to that; she had artifacts Kang Shin-hyuk created. The problem was that the talent level of Shinyoung this generation was going crazy. The majority of Masked Bhus¡¯s members were Shinyoung students! Even Lee Na-hee, the weakest of Masked Bhus, would show a good fight against her. ¡®In that way, it¡¯s just the wrong time.¡¯ No, maybe she had the best luck because she caught Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eye and took the opportunity to grow under his influence. He was observing her carefully with those thoughts. ¡°...Hye-na, is it like that?¡± This time Eleanor spoke up. She stepped back from the battlefield, speaking quietly enough that only Kang Shin-hyuk could hear it, but her lips were already pouting. Kang Shin-hyuk red at her to not be so obvious. ¡°You¡¯re having a private conversation despite being in the middle of training them?¡± ¡°Do you have a personal rtionship with Hye-na?¡± ¡°Are you worried about her now?¡± ¡°Then what?¡± Unexpectedly sharp words flew in. Eleanor was looking at him nervously, and he was worried that others would notice. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll keep watching.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was a little touched by her words, but thinking about it, it was just like a stalker. Moreover, it was something he couldn¡¯t tell Eleanor about, so he justughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not serious. It¡¯s not worth mentioning to others.¡± ¡°Okay... Anytime, though, I¡¯m fine.¡± After saying that, she reached out and grabbed his hand firmly for just a moment before letting out. It seemed that she was transmitting her warm heart directly to him, and Kang Shin-hyuk eventuallyughed. Eleanorughed too, embarrassed. ¡°Captain?¡± ¡°Ah, the captain and the vice-captain!¡± ¡°What about the vice-captain¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°The captain tricked me! I was only aiming for the vice-captain!¡± Of course, they were caught. *** ng! ng! The sound of the hammer filled the narrow workshop. After school, he was working with Lee Na-hee. ¡°So the schoolmunity is on fire again.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk felt calmer as the hammer rang out. However, Lee Na-hee looked at him as if he were ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯re stupid. Are you doing it on purpose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me, but Eli.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head as heined, then avoided Lee Na-hee¡¯s gaze as he noticed her skimpy outfit. No matter how warm it was from afar, she was wearing only a bra top, and thanks to her radical proportions, it boasted a terrible power. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Look more confident. Here, here.¡± ¡°No, I asked you to dress properly. Are you doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°I was born with a pretty body; it¡¯s a waste to live in hiding.¡± Lee Na-hee said that and boasted about her smooth armpits and abdomen. Kang Shin-hyuk pushed her out and sighed. ¡°If you want to show off your body like that, do it elsewhere.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a pervert who does this outside.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put his hammer down as Lee Na-hee made an enemy of every woman who wore a bra top. ¡°Dress carefully.¡± ¡°...If that¡¯s what you do, then I think it¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°I was already convinced, but you¡¯re a pervert.¡± She resembled Bridget at this point. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered what he should do as Lee Na-hee suddenly grew more serious. ¡°So, that¡¯s the main point.¡± ¡°No, you mean there was a point?¡± He just wanted to go back to his work, now. ¡°Do you have any problems with her?¡± ¡°...¡± He felt an intense sense of d??j? vu. He wondered what ire had said to her. No. No matter what, ire wouldn¡¯t do something crazy like telling others about her rtionship with Shin Eunah. His eyes narrowed at her. ¡°There¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°No, your face says it¡¯s a woman¡¯s problem. Please be honest with me.¡± ¡°Really, there isn¡¯t one with ire.¡± ¡°Ah, then with Shin Eunah.¡± No, after evolving her trait, did his senior be a fortune-teller? Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Tell me, I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Lee Na-hee, seeing it was hopeless, withdrew with a pout. She tried to cross the line from time to time, but she knew that the really important line shouldn¡¯t be crossed for them to work together. Thinking so, he lifted the hammer again, but she continued cautiously. ¡°But if that happens... Should you give me a chance first? I¡¯m fine anytime.¡± ¡°...Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly realized what Eli meant earlier. The answer was very difficult... No, now was the time for Dark Mastery to activate! His mouth moved by instinct. ¡°Eli made a reservation first.¡± ¡°What?! She decided not to cut in!¡± No, weren¡¯t you going to cut in too?! ¡°I¡¯ll kill her right now; then I¡¯m number one!¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re working together now...¡± However, Lee Na-hee hurriedly put on her uniform top and ran out. She seemed really intent on fighting Eleanor. While Kang Shin-hyuk looked after her, the administrator chimed in. -With this, you drove the fox off. That¡¯s a great strategy. ¡°No, it looks like it¡¯ll be a big dealter.¡± -It¡¯s a reservation, isn¡¯t that something anyone can hang up on? Although the seats will never be vacant. ¡°You¡¯re strangely confident.¡± Why was the administrator discussing his rtionship with ire? No, there had been signs before, but these days weren¡¯t they more explicit? -It seems that Vita is waiting at the bar. Are you going to go? ¡°To even tantly dismiss it...¡± However, he couldn¡¯t let go of her standing alone at the bar. Kang Shin-hyuk looked down at the metal he was beating, then sighed and stored it away. In any case, Lee Na-hee put in her rune so he could finish itter in his My Room. As a result of dealing with light and darkness together, Kang Shin-hyuk had finally reached a new level of crafting... Beam weapon! Chapter 280 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (5)

Chapter 280 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (5)

¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that when you have guests.¡± As soon as Vita, who was making cocktails under ire¡¯s supervision, saw Kang Shin-hyuk, she called out for him with arge smile. It was undeniably cute how her attitude had changed just because he had allowed her to call him dad. ¡°It¡¯s okay because we don¡¯t have one now. Please stroke my hair.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put down the ss and shaker and patted Vita, who flourished her bartender¡¯s outfit. She was wearing the exact same thing as ire. ¡°Cute.¡± How happy and cute was this child to resemble her parents? If only she looked younger, he could admit it. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a bit too difficult to see her as a daughter.¡± ¡°I thought the same thing.¡± ¡°I am your daughter.¡± Vita¡¯s cheeks puffed up as she asserted herself. ¡°So, how is it?¡± ¡°Yes, she seems to make them better than you.¡± ¡°You lie...¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been making them for ten years in Cy Zenon. Other than that, shooting and shing.¡± ¡°The cyberpunk world?¡± There was no change in Vita¡¯s face as she spoke of Cy Xenon. It wasn¡¯t because she was an android, but that she seemed to havepletely regained herposure. ¡°What about the nanobots?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in control of them. I gave them to my mom too.¡± ¡°Woohoo, you can expect it. You¡¯ll probably be surprised.¡± Cy Xenon left deep darkness for Kang Shin-hyuk but a legacy of ultra-high technology for ire. For ire, who originally created and controlled machines with her alchemy, nanobots brought about a change like attaching wings to a tiger. It would be difficult if others discovered the existence of the nanobots, but she could pretend it was her own kind of ability. ¡°How¡¯re you? That sword...¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m worried that it will pollute your mind.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s contaminated.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± Vita¡¯s eyes went wide, and ire grabbed onto his shoulder with a panicked expression. ¡°Tell me, how can I help you...!¡± ¡°Calm down, ire.¡± He exined to them that in obtaining the sword, he absorbed all the magic of Cy Xenon and acquired Dark Mastery that exceeded the current limit. And, ording to the administrator, that Dark Mastery had some influence on his personality... He also mentioned the possibility that he had been influenced by Light Mastery as well. ¡°So you were so determined to Eunah because of that.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Eun... Oh, Shin Eunah. She is strong, but a little strange.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of her.¡± Shin Eunah wouldn¡¯t react well. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s open it now. Oh, did you eat?¡± ¡°I came after eating.¡± ¡°Okay, then, stay in the hall today.¡± Since Vita said she was better than him, he couldn¡¯t evenin about it. The day he was freed from this bar job had finallye. That was great since he decided to open an artifact shop with Lee Na-hee after graduation. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to do all that and keep up with Masked Bhus. ¡®Besides, ire wasn¡¯t the one who originally wanted to run a bar here.¡¯ If her own desire to open the cocktail bar was about 30%, the remaining 70% was worrying about Eunah or her interest in Kang Shin-hyuk. And now that most of it had been resolved, that 30% was the only thing holding her to this bar. Now she had an agent that could protect and run the bar for her. While thinking about that, he changed into his Shin Eun-hyuk outfit and headed to the door. ¡°Then, open?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not ready yet.¡± ¡°Yes? Mom?¡± As Vita clenched her fists to express her determination, ire tied her hair into a ponytail, then approached Vita and tied her hair into a twin tail for some reason. Maybe she wanted to divide them into bartenders 1 and 2? He was afraid if he got close now, she would tie up his hair into thirds, so he changed the sign to open and sat a little farther from them. ¡°It¡¯s my first time taking on the hall. Should I clean it up?¡± Vita, who was alternating between touching her twin-tails, replied with a slight smile. ¡°If it¡¯s cleaning, it¡¯s already been done perfectly. I¡¯ve used nanobots to make the environment morefortable for humans...¡± ¡°It feels like they¡¯re more and more versatile, but can you cook with it?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°It was really all-around useful.¡± However, this level wasn¡¯t possible from the start, and after receiving reinforcement from Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait (it became permanent), a secondary mutation urred from Onyx¡¯s gold magic. Finally, ire changed her traits. Such a universal machine could only bepleted after the structure of the nanobot was repaired. Kang Shin-hyuk thought about it, and after confirming no customers wereing, he turned to ire. ¡°Would that be better for Na-hee senior with her runes?¡± ¡°Engraving a rune? It¡¯s too small to be easy.¡± ¡°So let¡¯s try it.¡± ¡°Nanobots are something on the marketce... Of course, I was thinking about it too.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s trait was quite simr to ire¡¯s in how it was used. Going into the details, it was different, but they could use simr tactics because the expression of their abilities was simr. Lee Na-hee¡¯s rapid growth hadn¡¯t just been because of his trait, but also because she learned many things from ire. ¡°But the official handing over will be after Na-hee graduates.¡± ¡°Yes, that would be great.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t easy to handle. In the meantime, I have to teach... Ah.¡± -Tingle ¡°Unnie, I¡¯m here!¡± As they talked, Lim Ha-yeon, a regr at the bar, opened the door and entered. Young men and women were rushing in behind her, apparently members of the guild she belonged to. ¡°Eun-hyuk is here today! One French kiss... Oh, wait a minute!¡± Lim Ha-yeon tilted her head and looked over at Vita. ¡°There¡¯s another beautiful unnie?¡± ¡°Oh, there is.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t rush. Maybe this one doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend? Please tell me it¡¯s so.¡± ¡°All those who came to hit on the bartender, leave.¡± ire protected Vita carefully from their guests. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly while he forced the guests to sit down. ¡°As everyone knows, I¡¯m going to be a little busy in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; he became the No. 2 in the world.¡± ¡°No, why are you here? You¡¯re No. 2.¡± ¡°Ah, I almost forgot.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sometimes had to field the same questions Shin Eunah received. ¡°In the future, Vita will be here when I¡¯m not around?¡± ¡°Vita? It¡¯s an exotic name.¡± ¡°What is your rtionship with the Empress?¡± ¡°No way, is this bar getting stronger again? What the hell are you doing here?¡± ¡°Is that a new member of Masked Bhus?¡± Among those with ck hair and gold eyes, Shin Eunah was the most famous, so it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think of her upon seeing Vita. ¡°No, I have nothing to do with the Thunder Empress. If you are looking for something with a rtionship to me...¡± Vita nced at Kang Shin-hyuk, refraining from calling him by his name since she noticed that the guests were using a different one for him. The reaction of the guests was spectacr. ¡°No, again? Again!¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± ¡°Bridget Poulsen, and now this?!¡± ¡°Bartender, the new bartender is aiming for your boyfriend!¡± ¡°Did you two break up? Then, can¡¯t I-¡° As Vita¡¯s eyes widened at their reaction, ire used her alcoholic jellies to hit the customers. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, so order. And since we haven¡¯t broken up, don¡¯t aim for my boyfriend.¡± ¡°The guard is hard.¡± ¡°Then, a vodka martini! Shaken!¡± ¡°Vita, shoot him in the head.¡± It was still early evening, but the tension was like everyone already had been drinking. When Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and looked at Vita, she looked happy. ¡°I like this bar.¡± ¡°Huh, thank you.¡± ire began tough too. Kang Shin-hyuk was relieved to see Vita act so skillfully. He was like a parent seeing his child off to kindergarten for the first time. -Hmm... 700,000HP bonus! ¡°What else are you evaluating?¡± So when thest guest left, and it was time to close the bar, ire realized an important problem. Usually, the two of them organized things and went up to the room on the second floor... She couldn¡¯t have a good time with Kang Shin-hyuk with Vita there like this! ire became a bit impatient as she realized this. ¡°Uh, Vita, aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± ¡°No? Mom, I don¡¯t need to sleep...¡± ¡°ire...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as ire¡¯s botched containment operation continued. However, as Kang Shin-hyuk wondered how to behave with Vita, Vita¡¯s face suddenly turned red. ¡°I just got sleepy. I¡¯ll go to bed first.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk and ire were just as red. ¡°Vita seems to be ruined already, but she needs to learn a lot ofmon sense.¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± When ire gave up on excusing herself, someone suddenly appeared in the middle of the bar. ¡°ire, a drink.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Junior,e and listen. Today, I was very upset at the association...¡± ¡°No, why did youe thiste and startining about work...?¡± The reward for kicking out Vita vanished before them. Chapter 281 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (6)

Chapter 281 - The Strongest Equipped with both Light and Dark (6)

The next morning, Kang Shin-hyuk called Lee Na-hee, who had left to chase down Eleanor the day before. ¡°Hey, wait, did you say we¡¯re going to make something?¡± Lee Na-hee opened her eyes as she rubbed her forehead and asked, but instead of answering, Kang Shin-hyuk burst intoughter. ¡°Did you find her? Did you lose to Eli?¡± ¡°Ah?! I¡¯ve cured everything!¡± It seemed that Eleanor had taken out Lee Na-hee with some technique that left a bump on her head. If the whole school had known the cause, it would¡¯ve been a realugh. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Huh? ...Oh, uh...¡± However, if Eleanor had known that Kang Shin-hyuk would apply a potion to her to heal it, she never would¡¯ve done it. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes... Still, this is all your fault.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lee Na-hee shook herself awake before she melted at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s touch. She was trying to hide her shame, but Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t let her. ¡°Why me? Didn¡¯t I make it clear from the beginning?¡± ¡°Oh? Oh, oh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he pressed her forehead with a finger. Lee Na-hee stiffened like she had been struck by lightning. ¡°Won¡¯t you answer?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lee Na-hee urgently pulled away from him. ¡°This, huh? You¡¯re acting like this!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes, you made me do it!¡± With a sigh, he moved away from her, but she urgently called out to him. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You call her Eli.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°Well... Hee?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die, really.¡± It didn¡¯t seem any different from calling Eleanor Eli, but he decided not to argue. ¡°Let¡¯s try it again.¡± ¡°Na-hee? How can I say that out loud...¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ah, alright.¡± In the end, Lee Na-hee pushed him into referring to her more casually. Only then was he able to start production. ¡°So, what is this?¡± ¡°A weapon that produces high energy by emitting a singr light.¡± ¡°It¡¯s aser!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call it a beam.¡± Just having light mastery wasn¡¯t enough to create a beam weapon. Since the beam¡¯s attack came mainly from the heat it produced, fire mastery was also important. In addition, in order to make it a weapon, understanding the opposite side of light, darkness, was necessary. Three mastery skills had to go into this one weapon that could be called the strongest. Moreover, Kang Shin-hyuk could add a function to control and amplify the light by utilizing wind mastery. ¡°No, where on earth did you acquire those trait-like skills? Light and darkness? Also, fire and wind!¡± ¡°If you evolve your trait a couple more times, I¡¯ll exin it then.¡± ¡°Well, what is that...?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk hid his face as Lee Na-hee examined the object on the work table. It was emitting a faint light from the spiritual power and Golden Dragon energy it had been receiving. ¡°I have to start working now.¡± ¡°But I have no clue... I¡¯ll leave it to you, so tell me what kind of rune you want.¡± ¡°I want one that fixes and maintains the form of energy.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see. You want to make a lightsaber.¡± Well, those used high-temperature sma fixed into a certain shape and not actually light. The light it emitted was simply caused by the sma¡¯s high heat. Kang Shin-hyuk could also make that if he wanted to; in fact, he could since he learned fire mastery. However, he wanted a true sword made of light! That was why he only considered making it after acquiring both light and dark mastery. ¡°If the light is fixed into a specific shape with your rune, it will work.¡± ¡°Hah... It is certainly possible with my rune¡¯s magical power. What sort of pseudo-science is this?¡± ¡°When science and magic intersect, artifacts are born.¡± ¡°Oh, I suppose that works.¡± The powers of wind and dark mastery worked together to create an artificial vacuum along the path of the light, so whether he wielded it like a sword or used it to fireser beams, the light would remain in perfect shape. ¡°Wow, wouldn¡¯t this be a big deal if Jormungand got their hands on this? It¡¯d be easy to annihte the general public if you could create a vacuum.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay; it can¡¯t be made without mastery anyway.¡± You would need at least two or three mastery skills with at least SS-rank! They weren¡¯t only rare in the hero universe, but it was also difficult to master them unless their rarity was high, so having more than one was difficult enough. Yes, unless you were a VIP member. -Moreover, you learned Dark Mastery yourself. ¡®Not by myself.¡¯ He needed to look into that swordter... For some reason, it felt like it was elerating his middle school delusions each time he held it, so he avoided it. That was why he was trying to make a sword of light now. ¡°I think I just need to finish the shape. Now, help me.¡± ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s do this first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± There were two weapons he was going to make today. One was a drone-type auxiliary armament that flew around the owner and shotsers, and the second was the sword of light. It was a drone and a sword of light,pletely free of judgment by international copyrightws. Out of the two, Lee Na-hee was particrly interested in the drone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s impossible for others to handle this. I can¡¯t make it something those without mastery skills can use yet.¡± ¡°But someday, you¡¯ll make it something I can handle?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the goal.¡± It wasn¡¯t for Lee Na-hee, but ire, but he decided to hide that away as he saw the shine in her eyes. ¡°Okay, then...¡± ¡°Alright.¡± A spark of magic began to burn, and the sound of iron rang out in that small studio. ¡°Yes, a little down. Little by little... Yes, yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk assisted Lee Na-hee by shaving down the surface of the drone by using the light-emitting from his hands, not a hammer. It was made possible by the increase in rarity and proficiency of his light mastery. He pulled out a thread from soul connector, covered it in light, and amplified that energy with his fire mastery. Due to the durability of the thread, it was difficult to create a sword or beam that extended more than a hundred meters. ¡°Junior, I feel like this is welding.¡± ¡°I have toplete both today, so even if it hurts your eyes, be patient.¡± Since most of the work was done in advance the day before, the drone work was ended by securely setting the rune. The drone¡¯s programming had also been made with ire and Vita¡¯s help, and its durability was so excellent (with the added bonus it could create a shield of light), so it could be used as a flying shield. It looked like a sharp crystal, and as soon as it waspleted, it began to shine and rise into the air. -In coboration with many colleagues, you created a magical engineering weapon [Ra¡¯s Guardian (SSS+)] that transcends modern technology! This work that embraces the realm of all-craft will inspire admiration from all in the universe! -The rarity of the artifact [Ra¡¯s Guardian (SSS+)] exceeds the current limit due to the groundbreaking design and production that none can match! -Further works that are not unique will lose some of the power of mystery. However, it won¡¯t apply to the first object. -Metallurgy skill proficiency has increased to SS+ rank! The Gaia system sent its usual notification, as if it noticed that he was nning on mass-producing this drone. Until now, he had been making unique products, mainly as a cksmith, but the machine seemed to be special for the first one, and the rest were relegated to mass-production quality. However, the power of the mass-produced products wasn¡¯t greatly reduced. [Ra¡¯s Guardian] [X-rank] [Special Abilities: Ra¡¯s Spear, Ra¡¯s Shield, Diamond, Light God)] * Ra¡¯s Spear: Resonates with the wielder¡¯s ability to emit waves of light that endlessly extend in a straight line. Strengthens the breaking power of light by 50%. * Ra¡¯s Shield: Resonates with the wielder¡¯s ability to create a shield of light centered on the body. The size of the shield can be controlled, and the defensive power of light is strengthened by 70%. *Diamond: Defense is greatly enhanced, and this applies to the wielder of the artifact. *Light God: The product of a miracle. The power of God dwells in the light handled by this weapon, causing its power is greatly strengthened. ¡®In that case...perhaps [Light God] is a specially endowed ability. I shouldn¡¯t bezy and keep repairing it in the future.¡¯ ¡°Ooh.¡± Lee Na-hee let out a cry of surprise as she watched Ra¡¯s guardian, nowpleted, circle around Kang Shin-hyuk. She could tell it was special evenpared to ire¡¯s drones. ¡°I think it¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to youter.¡± ¡°Is there anything special besides the attributes you mentioned earlier? Actually, I feel it every time I work with you, a strangely tickly feeling...¡± Lee Na-hee asked if this was love. To put it openly, it was just that she was feeling Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power stimting her before she awakened it. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s make the other one.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it quickly.¡± The finished object was X-rank, which was unknown to Lee Na-hee¡¯s emotion skill. Nevertheless, she could intuit how outstanding the object they had created was. On that day, Kang Shin-hyuk sessfully created a beam... A sword of light. However, he decided only to use it when he worked as Shin Eun-hyuk. Chapter 282 - The Last Athletic Competition (1)

Chapter 282 - The Last Athletic Competition (1)

[Abyssus] [???] [???] ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned as he looked at the longsword quenched by darkness and despair, made by the Anvil of the past. How could he use this armament, whose ability was unknown? Although it was in a previous life, the fact that he didn¡¯t know its ability despite making it meant that not only had it exceeded the current limit, but it hadpletely transformed or evolved into something new. Of course, the initial stats it had when hepleted it could be recalled from his memories. It was... [Dispalor] [SSS] [Special Abilities: Dream, Dark Stain, Demon] *Dream: Bring everyone in contact with the sword into an inescapable dream. The more they fall into their dreams, the more reality rots. *Dark Stain: Everything bes dark. You can use the power of darkness freely and be stronger than anyone in the dark, but when it is over, you will bepletely stained with darkness. *Demon: Cultivates the evil in the heart. It greatly weakens all perceived enemies and makes them mentally vulnerable. It eats when the mind ispletely broken. ¡°Kahak!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to think back to those memories, but he had to. He could tell how serious Anvil¡¯s mental state was when making this weapon, but what was even scarier was that the weapon had undergone such a transformation that even its name changed. He couldn¡¯t dare to imagine what sort of advanced abilities it had now. ¡°But it¡¯s clear that I can¡¯t use this in thepetition...¡± It would result in someone¡¯s death. This sword was a monster that had the potential to create magi at any time. It was too harsh of a weapon to use against humans, although it might be effective against demons. Kang Shin-hyuk quietly put it back into his inventory and thought of the Excalibur that Oh Joo-young had left behind. He had collected two of them while he was in Africa. He still hadn¡¯t been able to conquer Despair yet, as Oh Joo-young¡¯s will still remained strong in it, but the other one was rather easy to handle. ¡°Hmm... Let¡¯s make a new one with this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down, grabbing the fragment of theva greatsword as he concentrated. He could feel the power of Oh Joo-young contained in it. A faint thought outstretched from it to pollute him, but it was a fun challenge for someone who possessed SSS-rank spiritual power. He scoured the roots of the sword with no difficulty. At its base, Oh Joo-young¡¯s trait was a typical fortification-based trait that had some connection with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s Guardian Golden Dragon. Although it was limited to swords, it evolved them beyond their limits. In particr, that power was strengthened to exceed the current limit after it mingled with the demons. ¡®No, but I want both.¡¯ Excalibur, the holy sword of light created by Oh Joo-young as a human, and Excalibur, the sword of despair, twisted by the one who became a demon. Both of them were abilities inscribed in his soul, so Kang Shin-hyuk would be able to draw them out. Not now, but it would be possible by collecting more of the swords that had been imbued with Excalibur. ¡®The power in this sword is the heat from an erupting volcano, the pure spirit of fire... Even with this, it won¡¯t be difficult to aim for SSS+ rank.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk entered his My Room. The Furnace of Nephritis was too huge and colorful for him to put anywhere else. He set it up, putting in all the orbs. He was nning on making a sword of fire, so using the brazier would lead to an incredible result. He ran his hand over the anvil a few times before raising the hammer. ¡°Whoooo...¡± -Would you like to ask the young fox for a rune? I don¡¯t like it, but her skills have grown remarkably. ¡°She might get overwhelmed by Oh Joo-young¡¯s thoughts. I took control, but she¡¯s different. So, after smelting it and removing all traces of him, I¡¯ll ask her.¡± -You already nned it out. After thinking about how to work the material, a spark shed in his mind. Wasn¡¯t there a peculiar metal he had acquired from Cy Xenon? It was given to him by Shin Eunah. It was originally a metal imbued with magi, but it had mutated from her lightning. Taking it out of his inventory, it sttered golden sparks in his hand. [The Palm of the Thunder God] [SSS] [Originally a collection of mighty magi, it absorbed an absurd amount of lightning and mutated. It is a very heavy and hard metal that absorbs energy and converts it into electricity.] It was simr to the Great Heavenly Spirit, but its limitations were clear. Still, there was no better weapon material. -That sword piece has the property of fire, and this metal has the property of lightning. Are you thinking ofbining them? ¡°It¡¯s okay to keep the fire, but that¡¯s no fun. Electricity also contains enormous thermal energy. At least, it won¡¯t hurt it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk blindly threw the two objects into the furnace and pulled out his other materials. The bones and blood of the giant fire lizards would go in. He had the heart he had acquired too, but it still wasn¡¯t usable. ¡°Just that too... No, no. I can¡¯t beat myself up.¡± Compared to then, his skills had increased a lot, but he wasn¡¯t capable of dealing with it yet. He nned to use the crest obtained from the basilisk before, too, so he decided to leave it be. What mattered now was the bones and blood of the fire predator that would enhance the sword handle and protect it from heat. Having prepared all the materials, Kang Shin-hyuk started working. The metals were durable, but they melted easily in the Furnace of Nephritis. ¡°Okay then, in the meantime...¡± With a hammer and chisel, he trimmed the bones. Some went into the furnace to enhance the materials, while thergest bone was used to create the base of the sword. It made a sleek handle of about 50 centimeters, with a sharpened guard. Kang Shin-hyuk, having put in plenty of spiritual power and Golden Dragon energy into it, ced it in a mold and poured molten metal over it. When the sword was properly hardened, he quenched it in blood. On the outside, it seemed like he was simply forging a weapon, but he was expending a tremendous amount of power. The me of Nephritis was even more important, as it continued to spew out power as he worked. Kang Shin-hyuk was sublimating the various different materials together into something new using that me. -Hwaaah! By the time the quenching was finished, the de had be blood red. It had a mysterious look to it, as the asional sparks sputtered off of it, also depicting a dark, reddish color. However, the work wasn¡¯t over. Kang Shin-hyuk started grinding down the sword, not using a grinder by his light mastery. The sword¡¯s strength was excellent, and it absorbed all types of energy as a result of the metal Shin Eunah had made. No matter how fine the mana stone, even a magic polisher wouldn¡¯t be capable of sharpening it. Therefore, he had to use a light powerful enough to surpass its absorption. -Jiiyiiing! The room was filled with violent sounds as he ground the de. It couldn¡¯t be helped as he had to use that much energy to work on the sword. The work continued for hours, and Kang Shin-hyuk deliberately collected the debris that fell off during the polishing process. He could ask Lee Na-hee to use it during the rune enchantment. Finally, the light disappeared from his hand, and only a crimson-edged greatsword remained. -Kzzzt, kzzt! The red sparks became more intense, and Kang Shin-hyuk was vaguely worried that it could ignite the entire area if not controlled. He still had a deadline to work with Lee Na-hee... He first called up the system message to check out the ability of the sword. ¡°Uh...¡± Depending on the result of the enchantment, he recognized this sword might also not be usable in thepetition. Kang Shin-hyuk left his My Room with a half-cry. Time passed, and the athletic meet eventually started in full force. Chapter 283 - The Last Athletic Competition (2)

Chapter 283 - The Last Athletic Competition (2)

¡°So, what happened?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tied the blue band around his head as Baek In-ha seemed worried, doing the same. ¡°Let¡¯s say that it¡¯ll be a half-sess.¡± ¡°You mean a half-failure.¡± Today, they had to y in the ry and horseback fighting. In the end, the core of the old-generation athletic meet remained intact! Everyone knew that they ran wild in the battlest year, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that everyone was already focused on the pair. The funny thing was that the first-years had the sharpest gaze. ¡°Hey, they¡¯re together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing it.¡± ¡°Baek In-ha is obviously better.¡± ¡°Ah, damn it. Our Shin-hyuk is much more handsome.¡± ¡°Anyway, those two,st year...¡± They must¡¯ve heard of Baek and Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s skills, so today was the best day to check them out. From Baek¡¯s point of view, today was the best chance at attracting those with promising talent to the guild. But why was the horseback fighting such a spectacle? They had to y the clown again for the entertainment of so many people! ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the old game would bepletely abolished and reced with a hot explosive game? Hm?¡± ¡°Even if the high-ranking people die, we have to see these two.¡± ¡°Why the hell is there ry and horseback...?¡± ¡°Well, the soul of youth...?¡± ¡°Ha...¡± As Baek said, there had been half a sess, but there were significant changes made for the rest of the games. A speed run topete for clear time by clearing an artificial dungeon, a virtual raid ofrge monsters made of holograms... The program was packed with games that really suited an elementary school. Also, because there was talk of giving points that were conducive to grades as a reward, the students were burning up. In the case of ss A, which held many excellent students, the number of games they could y was limited. Despite those restrictions, they were overwhelming the other sses. ¡°Are there any special sses in the magic department?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Still, there were a lot of prospects in the Knight Departmentst year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same this year.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly and looked over the game unfolding in the center of the stadium. The game currently yed in the great yground was a hurdle cut in which the first-years, led by Oh Hye-na, were participating. It was a game where small andrge obstacles flew by, and they had to be intercepted or avoided before they hit. ¡°Is it just a magicpetition? Can¡¯t you see the Magic Department kids staring at me? We would¡¯ve been able to do that if we had a lot of magical power, it¡¯s that kind of look.¡± ¡°You idiot, control is important. It¡¯s impossible to block all the obstacles just with a lot of magic.¡± No, it didn¡¯t seem like she was taking care, as any obstacle that came close to her became frozen... However, he decided to remain silent as Baek In-ha was protective of Oh Hye-na as always. Moreover, she did have a lot of magical power at her age, so her ability would appeal to the other students and the audience. ¡°That child of the New Sword...¡± ¡°She¡¯s pretty. Fortunately, she looks like her mother.¡± ¡°But... Is she done with Vanguard? Oh Joo-young¡¯s daughter... Is it okay to leave it like that?¡± As he watched the game with Baek, Kang Shin-hyuk could hear the people¡¯s voices in the audience. It wasn¡¯t so good that his status was transcendentally high in this case. The more he tried to stop hearing them, the more it felt like the voices got stuck in his ears. ¡°Huh? Ah...¡± Baek also seemed to notice where Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s gaze was headed. ¡°Do you still mind her being your disciple?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t really like things like that.¡± ¡°Is it aplication?¡± Baek In-ha smiled bitterly and pped Kang Shin-hyuk on his shoulder. But that was right; Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t grow angry or denied it. No matter how much his new memories had oveid his old ones, that underlying character from his childhood that had to endure the contemptuous eyes of many people remained. Since Oh Hye-na was in a high ce from the start, the fall had to be painful, but after struggling with Kang Shin-hyuk, she seemed to have developed the strength to withstand it to some extent. ¡°Ah, as expected, Hye-na won.¡± ¡°Even if you look at the whole school, there aren¡¯t many humans who couldpare to her.¡± Oh Hye-na raised her hand and boasted that she was the best. There was nothing to do about that pride, so Kang Shin-hyuk just looked on with a smile. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Uh, ah.¡± The next event was the one in which he would be participating, and the one most were excited to watch. Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek had been banned from most events except for horseback fighting and this one. However, even with that penalty, the second-year A-ss scored the highest. How could they not pay attention to those who overwhelmingly won despite their small numbers? ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bounce too much.¡± ¡°I want to do that too.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk snorted at Baek¡¯s joke. Given how many disturbing things had happened at the start of the new semester, he just wanted to leave school. ¡®It would be nice if our country had an early graduation system like others.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh, realizing that it was bing more difficult to fit himself into the framework of society as the days passed. When he headed out into the middle of the arena, he could feel that everyone was paying attention to him. Last year, he had been trying so hard to catch their attention, but now it felt burdensome. ¡®Rather, revealing that I¡¯m Shin Eun-hyuk... No, no.¡¯ He quietly stood by with the iron practice sword given to him. The name of the event was ¡®Breakthrough.¡¯ It was a game yed on arge set of virtual environments and real sculptures with the goal of getting out of the environment as quickly and safely as possible. Of course, for one with spiritual power, it was easy to see past what was real and what was an illusion, though that didn¡¯t matter since he had to act like it was all real. In extreme terms, it was just an obstacle run for a superhuman school. ¡®Even if these are real...¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes at the illusion of boilingva before him, as well as the magical stctites shaking threateningly from the artificially-made cave ceiling. ¡®It¡¯s not high by Earth standards, let alone other worlds.¡¯ He thought about how much he should show off, but looking at the level of the game, he felt like an idiot. His mind calmed down as he waited for the signal. [Last year¡¯s rookie king, 2nd-year A ss yer Kang Shin-hyuk is on the start line! Will the aces be taken over by him? All yers in ce, ready...start!] Kang Shin-hyuk held back his spiritual powers and hit the floor running using only his Golden Dragon Fighter. However, he now also had SSS-rank in Golden Dragon. Golden energy swirled all over his body as he flew through the air. [Kang Shin-hyuk is by far the leading yer! But, he¡¯s avoiding the traps flying in from all directions!] The voice of a student he had heard before during thestpetition hit his ears. He remembered them being a part of the Knight Department, but he wasn¡¯t able to recognize who it was. The stctites falling from above were nothing but eye-catching; the real thing was the fireballing up out of theva field and the stgmites rising. However, since he was naturally reading the airflow through wind mastery, he could step through the air and avoid them. [It looked as though Kang Shin-hyuk just stepped in the air! I wonder if that was an illusion- ah! He got a mid-point bonus and stepped through the air! Artifacts are forbidden in this game! Oh, they say it¡¯s not an artifact!] Kang Shin-hyuk passed the goal quickly with the help of wind-mastery. The person in second ce still hadn¡¯t reached the halfway point. [Oh my god, I wonder if this tournament was made for Kang Shin-hyuk! It¡¯s andslide!] The inside of the hall heated up in an instant at his performance. Even though it was only a small fraction of his abilities, what he showed was alone to be treated as a quality superhuman. ¡°Is it a trait?¡± ¡°No, I heard his trait is specialized in martial arts.¡± ¡°Then, is that a special martial art?¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°How was the datast year?¡± What was the reason why so many people came to see thepetitions at Shinyoung? Wasn¡¯t it just to discover new prospects? Whereas a year ago Kang Shin-hyuk was a talented person who was sprouting, now he was a brilliant flower. At the time, many people knew that the association and Vanguard had their sights on him, but now that he showed growth beyond expectations, many people thought it was possible to poach him from the association or, moreover, Vanguard who had lost its leader. Kang Shin-hyuk returned to ss after leaving those people behind. ¡°Hey, Kang Shin-hyuk, what was that?¡± ¡°Wow, you were hiding such a technique? Can you just run around in the sky?¡± Even students in the same ss bothered him, but as always, he coolly ignored them. From the beginning, he hadn¡¯t consistently discussed his abilities. He hated being despised at first, but now there were so many secrets to keep hidden. ¡°Ha, I¡¯ll tell you the name of the ability... Uh, it¡¯s the next team match.¡± ¡°Who will be the first to die?¡± Even Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek turned to look at the homeroom teacher, Ji Min-hye, but soon the atmosphere returned to normal. Her gaze was so bloody that it seemed like she was going to kill someone. It was clear that she was obsessed with winning the MVP. ¡°She is a greedy person.¡± ¡°She is in charge of this ss.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been aware of it since she forced me to resign.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked over at Baek, who was sighing with regret. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be angry with Elieter.¡± ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, you...¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you save that power for someone else?¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fight right now.¡± While the two struggled, Karen intervened between them, imitating a miserable heroine. Suddenly, he felt that those surrounding them were watching them keenly. Kang Shin-hyuk felt the anticipation in their eyes. The horseback fighting would begin soon. Chapter 284 - The Last Athletic Competition (3)

Chapter 284 - The Last Athletic Competition (3)

[From now on, the horseback fight for all grades shall begin!] The cheering of the audience increased as the broadcast sounded out. Kang Shin-hyuk thought only middle-aged people would respond, but surprisingly, superhumans and non-superhumans of all ages were cheering. Looking at it, Kang Shin-hyuk realized how this old-fashioned sport had survived this long. ¡°Is this interesting for those watching...?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Burning youth!¡± ¡°You hated this a little while ago, but now you¡¯re fully enjoying it.¡± In a sense, it could be said that Baek¡¯s ability to ride the atmosphere had reached the limit. In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk was simr, so he moved forward with Baek while hiding his reluctance. ¡°Hye-na was the back team, yeah.¡± Baek In-ha mumbled as he suddenly noticed Oh Hye-na on the other side. Originally, male students participated mainly because of the close-quarters contact, but Oh Hye-na, who liked to look strong outwardly, dered she was the strongest first-year. The appearance of Oh Hye-na was pitiful and sober amongst the others, but Kang Shin-hyuk spoke in a stern voice to her. ¡°The teacher should always exist as an insurmountable wall to their disciples. I will crush you.¡± ¡°Shinyuk...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use a weird nickname.¡± In the horseback fights, abnormalities urred every year. For example, three years ago, Dous Payne swept away all the enemies by himself and quickly became the Knight Department¡¯s ace. Two years ago, that same Dous Payne somehow turned upside down by himself and lost. He had been embarrassed at the time to see Eleanor, who was a freshman, on the enemy team. Like Oh Hye-na now, Eleanor also confidently fought. Last year, Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha had been the main contenders, and this year, despite Oh Hye-na, they threatened to sweep it away again... ¡°But that surprise will remain in history.¡± ¡°Oh, stop it.¡± [The battle begins!] The game started. Kang Shin-hyuk kicked off from Baek¡¯s back and ran through to air to collect every headband closest to him. Magic triggered around him to pull at the band around his own head. Direct attack magic wasn¡¯t allowed, but so long as it targeted his headband and not him, it was fine. Kang Shin-hyuk analyzed the magic with his spiritual power and then ran toward its source. ¡°Hey, what is that?! We¡¯re riding horses, but he¡¯s running alone in the sky!¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll fly too! Fly!¡± The rule was that if you left the horse¡¯s back and fell to the ground, you were out. In order for students from the Magic Department to fly, they needed a timely casting, and even once they made it, it was difficult to return to the back of their horse. While Baek was still embarrassed by the unexpected situation, Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed the headband of the Magic Department student who dared to steal his. Then, hended right back onto Baek a momentter. [Ah, the Rookie King! He¡¯s surrounded!] What? When Kang Shin-hyuk looked up, the other team, including Oh Hye-na, were pushing toward them fast. Moreover, the magic continued to pull at his headband. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What should I do, should I jump?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same asst year. We¡¯ll break through head-on!¡± Unlikest year, when he was quite reliant on Baek, this time, he had the confidence to make everyone kneel before them. ¡°Run, Baek!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± It was impossible to rely on wind mastery to run through the sky because of the magic pulling at him from all sides. Then, he just had to move in unity with Baek! Reading his mind, Baek rushed the nearest team. Kang Shin-hyuk lightly avoided their rider, reaching out, and took their headband before Baek rushed to the next team. Now that they were surrounded by a dozen riders, they were trying to break each individual. [Oh my god! The Rookie King is trying to individually break them! Very reckless... In the meantime, he has already defeated five, no, six!] Thementary became a machine that counted Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s number of victims. The line was copsing quickly, and the entire siege began to shake. And, in the gap, the horsemen of the same team rushed in from the outside- they were the horses of ss A with Do Woojin at the lead! ¡°All off!¡± ¡°When the A-ss guys die, they have to fight!¡± ¡°Go, Woojin, I choose you!¡± ¡°Woojin, Woojin!¡± ¡°Who are you right now?¡± As if waiting for the two to be focused upon, the A-ss horsemen rushed through with a sharp spear formation. Kang Shin-hyuk realized that from the start, his ssmates were thinking of making them the bait. [Oh my god, the back team is confused! Surprisingly, most of the 2nd and 3rd-year horses are already retired! Horsemen are flocking to the outside to prevent the spear... Oh, the Rookie King has taken down dozens more!] But their calctions were wrong because Kang Shin-hyuk alone could break the siege. And... ¡°100 years is early, disciple.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Oh Hye-an clenched her jaw and activated her ability in response, as Kang Shin-hyuk had already taken down all the horses gathered around her. Her ability to freeze everything around her had progressed fast as she learned with him for the past half a year, reaching the point where it could stop everything around her at a ridiculous speed. It was at the point of being considered a direct attack and would¡¯ve disqualified her, but it was a truly astonishing growth. Unfortunately, Kang Shin-hyuk had already fully grasped her abilities and was able to get rid of them only with the flow of Golden Dragon Fighter in his body without having to use his spiritual power. ¡°Ah.¡± Oh Hye-na¡¯s freezing ability still had a significant drawback, in that it didn¡¯t distinguish between enemies and allies. She stopped all the targets around her, including her own horse, so she had no other way except to use her hands to stop Kang Shin-hyuk from flying away. Kang Shin-hyuk knocked her hand away and removed the headband from her head. [Oh my god, the siege waspletely broken, and the captain of the back team had their headband stolen!] -Woaaaaaahhhhh! The audience let out a loud cheer. Kang Shin-hyuk waved his hand at them as he still rode on Baek¡¯s back. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Were you excited?¡± -A 1,000,000HP bonus for your impressive performance! ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, just, I feel good.¡± ire must be somewhere out in the audience. If ire were happy to see it, Kang Shin-hyuk would be rewarded for his hard work. ¡°Dad is cool!¡± ¡°Fool.¡± At that time, he could hear the voice of Vita. Her eyes went wide as people around her looked at her. Her refreshing features were very beautiful, but of course, it would be surprising if a grown-up adult woman were yelling about her dad being cool. Soon after, ire, seated next to her, struck her and said, ¡®You said say older brother, not dad!¡¯ Many still questioned who she called her father, but the most active in the battle was Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek, so the candidate had to be one of the two naturally... Baek In-ha slipped away from Kang Shin-hyuk, but Vita continued to wave at him as she shouted. As the subject became clear, countless eyes focused on Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Hey... Who is that beauty?¡± Baek, having clearly defined Kang Shin-hyuk as the enemy, looked at him as if he might stab him right then and there. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at him with a rapidly tiring expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you see she¡¯s with ire? It¡¯s okay; it¡¯s not like that...¡± ¡°Shin Eunah also is with ire noona, but she¡¯s aiming for you.¡± ¡°No, not anymore.¡± Although Vita caused more attention to be drawn to him, he had won the battle anyway. There was still a ry, but that was left to Baek, so Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s work ended there. It was still the morning, but Kang Shin-hyuk had spoken to his teacher in advance and was allowed to act freely. He wanted to prepare for the preliminary round for the Two Crowns tomorrow, or at least that was the reason he gave, but in fact, he was nning on meeting ire. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go, run well.¡± ¡°No, you should introduce me to that beauty!¡± ¡°Know that I will never give her to you.¡± ¡°Is that beauty your daughter?¡± He was needlessly sharp about pointless things. Kang Shin-hyuk neatly ignored him and headed to join Vita and ire. But, before he could join them, Oh Hye-na caught him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, today. Can I visit you?¡± If anyone heard it, they would think it was a date request, but Kang Shin-hyuk understood what she meant. It was obvious that she was tense about the rookie exhibition. Maybe she had grown anxious at being defeated by Kang Shin-hyuk in the horseback fight. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head firmly while making an understanding expression. ¡°No, I¡¯m going on a date with my girlfriend today.¡± ¡°Die!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk lightly stopped Oh Hye-na from fleeing with a bloody smile. ¡°In this case, try to appeal to Baek. Hold him while showing your anxiety.¡± ¡°My brother has the Knight Crown tomorrow...¡± ¡°I have the Two Crowns, damn it.¡± ¡°Senior... That¡¯s a preliminary battle. The Knight Crown¡¯s battle will be held tomorrow.¡± Not that Kang Shin-hyuk was likely to lose anyway. He smiled bitterly and nodded. ¡°Thene along, let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish it quickly in the afternoon. I don¡¯t have to go on a date.¡± ¡°Anyway...¡± Oh Hye-na followed along whileining. ire had narrowed eyes as she saw hering up behind Kang Shin-hyuk, but she soon smiled and weed them. Chapter 285 - The Last Athletic Competition (4)

Chapter 285 - The Last Athletic Competition (4)

The following day, thepetition for the Crowns began in earnest. The finals of the rookie matches and the Two Crowns would be the following day, but the Knight and Magician battles would end that day. Kang Shin-hyuk had won all his matches in the morning and advanced to the final round safely. Bridget was, somehow, next to him. ¡°You, why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to go on a date with Eun-hyuk.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked around, but no one was listening to their conversation. She was the fourth in the world, so she chose a time no one could listen to them, but... Kang Shin-hyuk turned on his improved sound collector (it had reached the realm of being miniaturized, so it was on his school uniform¡¯s pocket) to prevent any unforeseen events. ¡°Say that one more time.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Bridget quietly apologized as she wilted under his cold gaze. Of course, that attitude didn¡¯tst long. He crossed his arms and stared her down. ¡°Angry? I¡¯ll give you a kiss, so don¡¯t be mad, yes?¡± ¡°Ha...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk unfolded his arms and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that, just don¡¯t call out my name. I¡¯m already getting a lot of attention for being close to ire, but if they knew you¡¯re close to me, people wouldn¡¯t doubt it.¡± ¡°No, you can say that you are a target for recruitment by Masked Bhus.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That sounded good, actually. Given how many guilds were interested in him, it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for a group of young superhumans like Masked Bhus to approach him. He was also sponsored by ire, so it made perfect sense. ¡°So, pretending to be joining, like that...¡± ¡°But don¡¯t do anything unreasonable.¡± ¡°No, I just gave that to you, but I can¡¯t take anything? Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re always overconfident.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed and entered the gym. Fortunately, because a game was going on, not too many eyes were focused on the pair. Bridget quickly caught up with a pout and pretended to cry. ¡°It¡¯s so chilly, it¡¯s sad. I will cry in your arms this evening.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good if lightning won¡¯t hit you.¡± ¡°Yes, I know too well...¡± Bridget made a spiteful expression despite saying that. ¡°Because it¡¯s just us two, let¡¯s speak openly, okay?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat down while ignoring her, but she continued steadfastly. ¡°Have you noticed your mood has changed these days? Until a while ago, there were many times when the atmosphere was depressing...of, was that my taste too? Rather, seeming lonely like you would want to hug me tightly...¡± He continued to ignore her as he watched the match. Baek was down below, without any weapons. Nowadays, he mainly used the gun that Kang Shin-hyuk had made, so it would be difficult to see his ability at this stage. ¡°These days, the atmosphere has changedpletely, it¡¯s definitely the same expressionlessness, but my cheeks are red. Is this love?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk focused on Baek¡¯s opponent, who he knew wouldn¡¯t be a difficult match. Suddenly, Bridget pressed her face close to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Did you do it with your noona?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, crazy.¡± He couldn¡¯t handle it and ended up responding loudly. She nodded, looking satisfied with that response. ¡°Then, it¡¯s a triangle.¡± ¡°Ha...¡± He was afraid to deny it, but he was convinced that it would make things more annoying. He finally shook his head. ¡°If you know, get to know someone other than Eunah.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Bridget pped with admiration at his response. Having quickly won his match, Baek waved his hand at the apuse he thought was for him. If Oh Hye-na had been here, she would¡¯ve red daggers at Bridget, but fortunately, she was in a preliminary match for the rookie games. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Mr. Puppeteer would tell me that. Eunah was burdened, and I thought you would tell me to flirt with her.¡± ¡°What nonsense that is.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you feel like that until some time ago?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s...¡± It waspletely undeniable. He thought it would be nice if Shin Eunah could have a deep rtionship with someone other than him or ire. Bridgetughed at the now silent Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°You¡¯re trying to walk the path of Sura.¡± ¡°Where did you learn that? Stop looking at Japanese animation.¡± ¡°No, I saw it in the Koreanmunity... Oh, no.¡± He flicked her forehead with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m at fault for Eunah doing that. I just want to take responsibility.¡± ¡°Love?¡± ¡°I hate love too. There is, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s that kind of love.¡± However, it was certain that Shin Eunah was an irreceable existence to him. The memories and emotions of Anvil were mixed with his own, so it was difficult to grasp the exact emotions he had towards her. It could be said that Kang Shin-hyuk had a deep love for Shin Eunah, however. And ire, who he loved most, was the most active in this... He decided to give up and ept reality. ¡®Well, Eunah¡¯s family rtionship was fatally bad... Here, if ire leaves Eunah to form a family alone, she may once again feel abandoned. That¡¯s... Yes, definitely not good. It¡¯s the worst for Eunah. I should¡¯ve thought about it.¡¯ Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell Bridget about his past life or of Shin Eunah¡¯s family matters, so he just pretended that their rtionship, and hers with ire, was deeper than others thought. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± But Bridget didn¡¯t move easily; it even felt a little obsessive. Maybe she truly did love Shin Eunah. ¡°Mr. Puppeteer, the first time you met either of them wasst year, right? How did you develop such a deep rtionship with them? I¡¯ve thought about it, but I don¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to understand.¡± ¡°Wow... But I like it.¡± ¡°Please just hate me.¡± ¡°No, I like you more and more.¡± Bridgetughed yfully. ¡°So you can¡¯t put me there too? Huh?¡± ¡°Yes, no.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of Eunah noona? The Puppeteer is also very good, and ire noona... Actually, she¡¯s not my type, but when I¡¯m with you, I think she¡¯s attractive enough.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± He felt it before, but Bridget was a genius at absorbing Korea¡¯s bad culture. He sighed and pushed her away. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re annoying, but I think you¡¯re a good friend. Of course, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°No, think about it.¡± She spoke seriously. ¡°At first, you hated me, right? But now, hasn¡¯t it developed this far? Then, depending on what I do in the future, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for it to develop more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain that it will never happen.¡± ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t there a saying about leaving all possibilities open? Wow~¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sing.¡± But, to his fear, she was skilled at melting down his defenses. In fact, Kang Shin-hyuk, as well as ire and Shin Eunah, were weak against this type. It was then... ¡°Come on, noona!¡± ¡°Oh, In-ha!¡± Baek In-ha quickly came up into the audience, perhaps having some free time after the match. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched the two high five like they were the best of friends. He had many questions, but... ¡°You, Baek, are acting easily.¡± ¡°Without Eleanor noona, there¡¯s no one to watch out for. Bridget noona, are you here to see me?¡± ¡°Yes? No way, I didn¡¯t know you were ying today. I¡¯m here to pick up the Death Puppeteer.¡± In many ways, he was fortunate that the sound collector was working properly. ¡°You¡¯re so honest, but that¡¯s attractive!¡± ¡°Of course, ahahaha!¡± The twoughed as Kang Shin-hyuk turned his gaze back to the stadium. It was time for Eleanor¡¯s match to start. ¡°Baek, can¡¯t you just watch the game?¡± ¡°No, I have a beauty right before me, so why should I look away?¡± ¡°Yes, then maybe.¡± Maybe even Baek was nervous? He knew how strong Eleanor was, after all. He was sticking to Bridget now as a way to relieve his tension. ¡®Ah, she¡¯sing out. Can she see me? She can.¡¯ Eleanor smiled shyly and waved at Kang Shin-hyuk as she entered the stadium. He was a bit shaken as he waved in response. It was just a friendly greeting, but others around the stadium were paying them a bit too much attention. He regretted that Shinyoung was like this. Next to him, Bridget pouted. ¡°In other words, if you do a 4P, it¡¯s not with me, but her...? I¡¯m disappointed, Mr. Puppeteer.¡± ¡°Do you really know why you¡¯re so bad?¡± ¡°Huh? 4P? What are you talking about...?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to realize anything and lose quickly.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed Baek into a seat. In the finals, which took ce two hourster, Baek In-ha and Eleanor fought fiercely, but Baek was unfortunately defeated as his speed was not enough to prate Eleanor¡¯s defense. ¡°Oh, carry this.¡± Baek came back with a smile. Though his attitude was the same as usual, telling what he was thinking was impossible. Kang Shin-hyuk tapped his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay; Eli will be gone next year.¡± ¡°Shinyuk, can I hit you really hard?¡± ¡°No, no. I have to meet ire again today.¡± ¡°I want to hit you more after I heard that, really...¡± The championship of their ss and the Knights had been safely confirmed. He was sorry for Baek, but from the perspective of the Wyvern Knights, it was good their captain had won. Now, the only big events left were the Two Crowns and the rookie matches. Or so Kang Shin-hyuk had thought. Chapter 286 - The Last Athletic Competition (5)

Chapter 286 - The Last Athletic Competition (5)

The two crown battle was, unfortunately, not much to see. Because Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability had grown excessively, and Baek In-ha and Eleanor, the only talented people who could fight him on an equal level, were driven to the Knight Crown, he steamrolled thepetition. Not to mention that the Magic Department¡¯s talent was poor this year after the death of Nathan Bodin, the prior Mage Crown. Perhaps it was the most pitiful Two Crowns battle in history, Kang Shin-hyuk thought to himself. However, ire didn¡¯t seem to think so. ¡°It was really cool!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even show anything worthwhile.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one thinking that way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, dad. It was enough to appeal to people. Especially...¡± Vita smiled faintly and pointed to the sword still in his hand.w ¡°Because everyone knows that it¡¯s an ordinary iron sword.¡± ¡°Oh, they were looking at it.¡± Up to two artifacts were allowed to be brought into Shinyoung¡¯spetition. That was because it was important for a superhuman to find supporting artifacts that matched their trait and skills. However, because Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t create an appropriate artifact before thepetition, he was forced to participate with an ordinary iron sword. The soul connector had to be left behind, too, due to its connection with Shin Eun-hyuk, so he went without any artifacts. ¡°I had no idea.¡± ¡°Everyone must¡¯ve realized you could defeat an elite from each grade with just that iron sword.¡± ¡°Yes, it was cool.¡± It was something he hadn¡¯t done in the rookie gamest year, but he had stood out for taking the rookie king titles with two C-ss artifacts. Kang Shin-hyuk looked at his sword and thought it was lucky; without those conditions, the value of this battle would¡¯ve declined. ¡°Then, what are you doing now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for the finals for the rookie of the year. Oh Hye-na wille out.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°No. If she makes a mistake, I¡¯ll correct it.¡± ire burst intoughter at his ominous words. She thought it was cute how he spoke so strictly despite how he really felt. She wanted to hug and kiss him, but unfortunately, too many people were around. She wished that he would graduate in various ways, and, after ncing around, she gently grabbed his hand without anyone noticing. Vita smiled a little and moved into a position to cover the two of them. She was a clever daughter. ¡°Aren¡¯t the sportspetitions over?¡± ¡°Yes, the final of the rookie matches is thest stage.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, a bit embarrassed by holding ire¡¯s hand, immediately rememberedst year¡¯s athletic meet and answered vaguely. ¡°Aha, that¡¯s why all the interest was on the finals of the rookie match.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s more to see, it¡¯s the Two Crowns final, but this year...¡± Well, all the matches Kang Shin-hyuk fought ended too quickly. It was because he wanted to see Oh Hye-na¡¯s match, so he defeated his opponents in a hurry. ¡°You are a good master.¡± ¡°No...¡± Eleanor and Karen joined the trio as they headed toward the gymnasium. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Hand...¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± There were so many people around, so it was difficult to hide with only Vita. ire regretfully let go of his hand, but Eleanor squeezed his empty hand. ¡°Huh? Yes?¡± ¡°Vice-captain, escort your captain.¡± ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°I also wanted to hold hands.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even hide it anymore, honey.¡± ireughed shyly as she grabbed his other hand again, and Vita stood on her other side. ¡°Then, I want to hold it too.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, do whatever you want.¡± ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gave up. ire was clearly a little relieved, while Eleanor and Karen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Vita was quick to grab his now free hand. ¡°So, Shin-hyuk, who is this pretty noona? Where did shee from?¡± ¡°You were there yesterday, but what the hell...?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know.¡± Eleanor held back from a fight while ire kept Vita in check. He thought it was fortunate that it ended without attracting attention, but by the time he was surrounded by four beauties, he was already at the center of that storm. It was easy to see them even in a crowd. ¡°Shinyuk!¡± ¡°Ah, Baek. You haven¡¯t gone in yet?¡± ¡°I was talking to the student council. Senior, thenter.¡± Baek In-ha was talking with members of the student council in front of the gymnasium, but he quickly turned to Kang Shin-hyuk upon discovering him. The student council members pulled at his sleeves to get his attention again. ¡°In-ha, are youing today?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t go, I won¡¯t either!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting, senior.¡± The three women threw out messages that sounded more appropriate for a game, and Baek was quick to answer them appropriately. Kang Shin-hyuk started to wonder if they were all programmed robots. ¡°They are people.¡± ¡°Stop reading my mind, Vita.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I thought the same thing.¡± Was it because she was born of his spiritual power? But that felt more like the administrator. ¡°Shinyuk, what is this harem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask... Ah.¡± After realizing that he was still holding Eleanor and Vita¡¯s hands, he immediately let them go. ¡°So, when will you introduce me?¡± ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Noona, your boyfriend is trying to cheat, is that okay? Yeah?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. And you, don¡¯t approach Vita.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± They pushed Baek away and entered the gym. Both yers were up on the stadium stage, but the game hadn¡¯t started yet. A gorgeous blonde girl, elegant and charming like a princess, stood opposite of Oh Hye-na. Despite the fact she wore the same uniform as everyone else, she had an aristocratic atmosphere and a sharp gaze. Kang Shin-hyuk had no idea who she was, but she seemed familiar... ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s from the Magic Department.¡± ¡°I know that from the uniform, but she looks like an international student...¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡± The answer came from someone else. Looking back, Lee Na-hee stood behind him. ¡°Adide Bodin, a French student he entered this year.¡± ¡°...No?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Na-hee sighed with a nod. ¡°Nathan Bodin¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°Holy sh-.¡± ¡°I¡¯m French.¡± ¡°Crap.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I think you will do well in France.¡± Lee Na-heeughed happily at his French before continuing. ¡°I heard about it in the Magic Crown war; she fought there too. Of course, I won.¡± ¡°Hey, Rookie of the Year and the Magic Crown?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural? The only schedules that ovep are the Two Crown and the rookie matches.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head as Lee Na-hee continued to puff out her chest proudly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I won?¡± ¡°You won?¡± ¡°The Magic Crown.¡± ¡°...Eh?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe it, but he decided to confirm. ¡°You say that my senior is the Magic Crown?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°No, motherfucker.¡± Lee Na-hee tried to curse Kang Shin-hyuk, but she turned her gaze away after receiving ire¡¯s piercing gaze. ¡°Nathan Bodin is dead.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°And honestly, I¡¯ve grown a lot over the past half-year, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± However, he thought it had been limited to runes, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Shinyuk, you too. She¡¯s the weakest of the Masked Bhus, but her magical power has increased tremendously while fighting on the front lines.¡± ¡°Baek, you¡¯re back. Anyway, there was that.¡± Lee Na-hee nced at him, and Kang Shin-hyuk immediately realized that she had always been receiving his buff. ¡°Is that why you became the Magic Crown?¡± ¡°Well, I was lucky in many ways... Anyway!¡± ¡°Congrattions on joining the Royal ss.¡± ¡°Although I only have one year... Heh.¡± Lee Na-hee had a clear smile as Kang Shin-hyuk gently offered his congrattions. ire was still narrowing her eyes. ¡°Na-hee, you know that Shin-hyuk shouldn¡¯t sneak into your room?¡± ¡°Of course, my unnie is correct.¡± ¡°Royal ss, I can monitor them all.¡± ¡°Unnie did that...¡± Adide Bodin could only be discussed after they sat down. ¡°Somehow, I felt like I had seen her before because she was Nathan Bodin¡¯s sister. She¡¯s been well received here.¡± ¡°Well, her brother became a traitor, but she¡¯s very talented.¡± ¡°You mean...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he watched Adide face off against Oh Hye-na. In a way, she was in a simr situation to her. Like Oh Hye-na, maybe she hated Shin Eun-hyuk who killed Nathan Bodin on that day...? But what was surprising is that he hadn¡¯t heard her name before. ¡°This year, things were so noisy, and it seems that she had been quiet. Until now.¡± ¡°So, do you think Oh Hye-na will lose?¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯ll be a close win.¡± Lee Na-hee looked grim as they spoke since she didn¡¯t have the confidence she could beat Oh Hye-na. He thought she had only greed as an artifact crafter, but he was a little surprised to learn that she was also greedy for fighting ability. ¡°You will be stronger.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t soothe me so gently; I want to hit you.¡± Her eyes were sincere, forcing Kang Shin-hyuk back. ¡°I really hate this person.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay; I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Unnie? Unnie, joke, wait a second?!¡± But it was then. It was just for a moment, but he felt like Adide Bodin¡¯s eyes were right on him. Did she recognize him? Did she realize his identity? No, she couldn¡¯t. He thought that couldn¡¯t be, and it wasn¡¯t from the start. The final stage of the rookie match finals, the moment when the match started, in that ce where all of Shinyoung¡¯s teachers and students, as well as superhumans from around Korea and the world, gathered... A massive gate that hadn¡¯t ever been seen in Earth¡¯s history now opened. Chapter 287 - The Last Athletic Competition (6)

Chapter 287 - The Last Athletic Competition (6)

The fact that Jormungand could control gates was now recognized by any who had been in the full-scale battles with them. However, even so, it didn¡¯t mean that they could form gates wherever they wanted. The exact conditions weren¡¯t known, but civilizations would¡¯ve certainly copsed if the gates could be formed at will. The most promising proposal for random gate generation was that Jormungand summoned the gate using a specific tool or person at the ce where they wanted to call it. Previously, in Paris, there were Oh Joo-young and Mizushima E Yuki, traitors to humanity. Even in Africa, there was the mercenary guild, Zeus, so that theory was almost certain. And today, it was a historic day in which it was revealed that a specific entity, not a tool, was the catalyst for calling out the gate. ¡°Wait, you, what...?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out about it soon!¡± [Bodin, revealing magic before the match... Huh?! A gate!] ¡°Crap, gate?!¡± ¡°Protect the students!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s toote...!¡± It was then, a ck hole opened around Adide Bodin in the center of the stadium. It quickly expanded to cover the whole area, erosion taking ce without offering a chance of resistance. The massive modern gymnasium was suddenly covered in a red rock that emanated ominous energy and a cloud of thick smoke. As the concentration of magical power lowered, the energy that harmed humans by its sheer existence increased. Just by entering this realm, the power of all humans dropped below 50%. ¡°Erosion gate!¡± ¡°Hye-na!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha, who grasped the situation in an instant, ran to the center of the gate at the same time. However, by the time they got there, Adide had already captured Oh Hye-na and pulled her to her side. In the center of the gate, a huge amount of magic was erupting, forcing Oh Hye-na to hold on. The strange thing that was Adide Bodin, who should suffer the same fate as Oh Hye-na, looked too intact, but seeing as the gate originated from her, it was foolish to think about. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯ll take her.¡± As Baek stepped forward, Adide calmly responded and aimed at Oh Hye-na¡¯s head with her wand. Her other arm was wrapped around Hye-na¡¯s neck from behind, pressing against her. While just a moment ago, it had been the arm of an ordinary human, now it was deformed and protruded with ogre-like muscles. ¡°Now, back down...!¡± ¡°Hye-na...!¡± Baek clenched his jaw as Oh Hye-na struggled. On the other hand, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched the hordes of monsters appearing around them. Goat¡¯s horns and head, brass-colored muscr body, and breath that stunk of sulfur. They were the same guys who appeared in the middle of the irregr gate in Africa, Chaos Soldiers with an average rank of SSS. Even the teachers of Shinyoung couldn¡¯t dare fight them. ¡®...Are we ruined?¡¯ They were rising everywhere. Kang Shin-hyuk was able to clearly grasp the situation at this point, as heterogeneous energy different from Adide¡¯s began to resonate with the gate in order to elerate the erosion. It seemed to be infesting her internal magic... And not with a good effect on the human body. ¡°You seem to notice something, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m already not human.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried about you. It¡¯s a bad illusion.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded calmly and put on his gloves. No idiot could watch the enemy arm themselves quietly, but for some reason, none could stop Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Shin-hyuk, you!¡± ¡°Senior...!¡± It was an opportunity created by his high spiritual power. His enormous presence distorted others¡¯ perceptions, giving him an absolute priority in his actions... The power to reach into the realm of maniption. When spiritual power reached its peak, it was possible. Only after Kang Shin-hyuk armed himself did Adide manage to open her mouth as she stared at him breathlessly. ¡°You...?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As expected, did she know? It seemed that Jormungand knew his identity early, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for those on their side to know. Kang Shin-hyuk looked around. Everyone was confused about the sudden turn of events, but he was still at the center. Expecting not to be caught as overkill. It was possible not to use Shin Eun-hyuk¡¯s armaments, but even then, he would already be outside a student¡¯s standard of power. In fighting, he would exhibit a top ranker¡¯s power. ¡°You made the situation like this.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk spat out the words and produced a sword from his inventory. It was a beautiful greatsword, crimson red from tip to handle. It was endlessly passionate yet strangely tranquil, with runes engraved on the de, and it periodically emitted a golden glow and divine energy. The peculiar thing was that there was a hole in the center of the guard, with a red-bead embedded in it. Of course, it was the Orb of Nephritis. It was modeled after the Godyer, and the power of the orb was supplied to the whole weapon to strengthen it greatly. [Astrafe] [X rank] [Special Abilities: Blessing, Burning Lightning, Advent, Deity] * Blessing: Punish opponents with divine lightning. Inflicts fatal damage to beings with dirty energy. *Burning Lightning: A lightning strike like a me falling from the sky. This weapon constantly produces a me with the properties of lightning, umtes it in the sword, and amplifies its power. * Advent: The whole body is turned into Burning Lightning. *Deity: The owner of the weapon is amplified in all abilities and will give in unless the weapon is broken. [A sword forged from lightning that overwhelms mortals. Those who are not qualified to handle the sword will be ashes just by holding it.] It really wasn¡¯t a sword that could be used in the schoolpetition. Kang Shin-hyukughed lowly, recalling how Lee Na-hee trembled after she finished her rune work. She, as well as the rest of them, were now with Bridget. When he saw her earlier, he thought another annoying one had appeared, but given how it turned out, he couldn¡¯t thank her enough for being here. ¡°Baek In-ha, I¡¯ll fight, so you save Oh Hye-na and run.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took his stance with the greatsword at that. He thought of attacking Adide, but surprisingly, her posture was stable enough to be iparable to her brother. What¡¯s more, because of resonating with the gate, the magi was swelling up. Kang Shin-hyukughed. No matter how strong Jormungand was, it was impossible to make humans suddenly strong. In other words, Adide had been with them for a long time...maybe longer than Nathan. It was even possible she was the one who brought him into Jormungand. ¡°You...!¡± Despite enemies surrounding him, Kang Shin-hyuk seemed rxed, and the wand aimed at Oh Hye-na aimed at him. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can stand like that... Go!¡± A ck me bloomed at the end of the wand and burst into Kang Shin-hyuk. He ran without worry as the me swallowed him... Then it was absorbed and vanished as Kang Shin-hyuk turned into a red me. Red mes sparked across the ground as Kang Shin-hyuk, integrated with burning lightning centered on the greatsword, struck Adide with blinding speed. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Baek!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Baek, who was waiting for his chance, immediately secured Oh Hye-na the moment she was freed. The chaos soldiers everywhere aimed at him, but Baek had also grown ridiculously strong after starting his special training with Kang Shin-hyuk! In particr, his agility, which was his strength from the start, had reached a level close to the current limit with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s buff. Baek was lightning itself as he moved through the chaos soldiers. ¡°Oppa, senior...!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Baek focused only on protecting Oh Hye-na. Meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk swung his greatsword with enough force to end Adide Bodin. However, the sword was blocked by a longsword that protruded through the air. ¡°Hi.¡± A drowsy female voice tapped at his eardrums. ¡°The grace is over; it¡¯s time for a reversal.¡± ¡°You...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively stepped back. Because of the strength of his opponent and her sword? No, it was because he realized the gate was opening further. As he took a few more steps back, he could clearly see what was happening before him. More gates were blooming in the air, ovepping with Adide Bodin as the catalyst. A bunch of flowers of death, in full bloom in a flower garden. Big ck dots spread like mold, eroding away reality. ¡°I like being here, Anvil. You have to kill a lot to reach your bnce. So, yes? Should we do it together?¡± The woman who appeared with a sword in handughed slowly as she watched him. She seemed to know him well, but before he could respond... ¡°I kept my promise. Now it¡¯s your turn, Janus.¡± Adide, having survived by a hair, stretched her shoulders and insisted, her forehead covered in sweat. ¡°Oh, I did.¡± The woman called Janus nodded, then stuck her sword through Adide¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Oh, huh...?!¡± ¡°Sorry, the promise was a lie. Because If I don¡¯t kill you here, the gate will close in vain.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quietly contacted the administrator. ¡°What about a dimensional quest?¡± -Sorry, member. The response came quietly. -It seems that the connection has been lost. ¡°I was so confident...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and raised his sword. Now, it was no longer a matter of being discovered. This was a matter of life and death. Chapter 288 - Dissipation (1)

Chapter 288 - Dissipation (1)

-The connection with the Hero Universe has been temporarily disconnected due to interference from an internal member. The administrator will begin repairing the system from now on. She will never aim for your life, but please note that we cannot guarantee the safety of anyone else... ¡°Administrator, it¡¯s very noisy. I¡¯ll read them when I¡¯m done, so close it now.¡± The administrator¡¯s message in his retinas was blocked, and Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head. Before him was a woman who was so strong that she gave the illusion that time itself had stopped. When Kang Shin-hyuk first obtained the Godyer sword and examined it with his spiritual power, he had seen that figure performing that beautiful sword dance. It was a movement of a dimension he couldn¡¯t understand, and it was a powerful way to deal efficiently and powerfully with spiritual power. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s growth began the moment he awakened his spiritual power and entered the Hero Universe, but hisbat skills began to develop properly when he met that sword. ¡°...Huh? Sorry, Anvil. Did you want to kill this? You don¡¯t have to worry about these bugs.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced as he saw the motion of the sword being pulled out of the dead Adide¡¯s head. She was definitely the one who danced with the Godyer. He couldn¡¯t be sure even when he saw the Godyer in her hand, but surprisingly, he became naturally convinced with that one move. It was really sad, but she was Janus. Perhaps Tsukuyo also knew about Janus¡¯s present appearance. ¡®At the time, I only heard they were safe and pretended to be relieved, and I didn¡¯t push for more information... I was already anticipating this to some extent, but I thought there wouldn¡¯t be a direct collision with me, so I turned away.¡¯ The meaning of the name Janus, taking the Godyer... Even the changes that took ce in Jormungand. Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Janus was now representing Jormungand, and Jormungand would never have anything to do with the Hero Universe. From the start, even the administrator didn¡¯t tell him everything; they just said that someday he would know. Maybe now was that time. Personally, he thought it was the worst timing, but this was also a result of Kang Shin-hyuk tricking himself and taking afortable path. ¡°Anvil, I¡¯ll say it again. I¡¯m going to kill everything here. I¡¯m going to loosen up a bit, so get out of here. And let¡¯s talk againter.¡± ¡°...Janus.¡± ¡°Come on,e on.¡± She called him Anvil and herself Janus. She took a light step forward, and with just that, a heavy vibration reverberated through the area. -Kooooung ¡°Kahak?!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°E... Earthquake...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk managed to regain his footing by raising his spiritual power to resist the feeling that he was being strangled, and then he realized that the vibration came from someone¡¯s great spiritual power. Just as Kang Shin-hyuk himself could use his enormous spiritual power to overwhelm his surroundings, this person could do the same. They suppressed all beings in the eroded space just by being that. Only Kang Shin-hyuk, who had spiritual power himself, could vaguely guess how ridiculous it was. ¡°Haha.¡± He justughed, feeling very pathetic. Just because he had some rtionship with Janus from before, there was no need to me Janus for appearing here. However, it must¡¯ve been his mistake for not recognizing Adide¡¯s existence in advance. Given that Nathan¡¯s journey to Jormungand was unclear, his past should¡¯ve been fully considered. Could it have been that he was intoxicated with that sense of omnipotence because he became strong? Compared to other Hero Universe members, he was still iplete, but he had been too excited. It could¡¯ve been prevented... But now, Janus was here. ¡®She was right there; if I was even a little interested, I could¡¯ve known.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk readied his sword as he confronted Janus. The sword in her hand was engulfed in darkness. Inside, he could feel Oh Joo-young¡¯s energy. Jormungand had used him to strengthen the Godyer. ¡°Anvil, we can fightter. But not now. It¡¯s annoying, but... First of all, we have to finish this.¡± In the past, Janus and Anvil had conversed using the whisper system. It wasn¡¯t like this at all back then, that feeling of boredom Janus had. What was scary was her energy, which didn¡¯t give out at all, was overwhelming everyone in that space. Even the monsters that appeared from the gate were immobilized. No, that may have been fortunate, but... Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his jaw and took a step forward in response. ¡°I can¡¯t let it go like that.¡± ¡°No, it will surely be that way.¡± Janus swung her sword regardless of his determination. -Saaah As soon as she swung it, Kang Shin-hyuk moved desperately to block it, but her speed was so fast that he could barely block her sword only after it had struck about 70%. -Saaaaah ¡°Kh...!¡± The moment their swords collided, Kang Shin-hyuk felt a terrible pressure on his body. They were colliding with their weapons, but his very soul felt twisted. It wasn¡¯t a special skill, but this was probably the true power of that dance. His opponent was overpowering him with her existence, her physical strength, and her spiritual power. The only reason he didn¡¯t fall was that Janus pulled back the sword the moment they collided. ¡°Anvil, no. If you interfere...¡± ¡°...You.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who barely stood in ce, was able to see what sort of result that 70% caused. Following the path drawn by her sword, a de of invisible dark spiritual power had down everything in its path. Both humans and monsters had fallen, and the ceiling had copsed to reveal the bloody sky. They hadn¡¯t been released from the erosion, however, and the energy of the gate continued to expand outside the gym. ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s nice to meet you, Anvil, but I don¡¯t have much time here. So, don¡¯t disturb my work, okay?¡± ¡°Work?! You¡¯re killing people...!¡± The damage caused by that one attack she threw out yfully was far more than what the gate erosion caused. ire seemed alive, but it was hard to expect all of his friends were in the same state. ¡°If you want to talk more with me, I¡¯m very sorry, but I can¡¯t help but neutralize it.¡± ¡°Janus!¡± They meant nothing now. Kang Shin-hyuk ground his teeth as she raised her sword to swing it again. Astrafe was a whopping X-rank weapon, but it had little bite against the Godyer. Perhaps his sword of light would do a little better. Both of his armaments broke the current limit, so they didn¡¯t fall too shortpared to the Godyer. The problem was not the armament, but the user. The reason why Kang Shin-hyuk became a VIP was that he was a skilled craftsman... ¡®No, even so.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out the branches of Halo he had been keeping. Without worrying that Janus¡¯s eyes went wide, he put them in the Great Heavenly Spirit. It wasn¡¯t something he could pull off just because he was pushed to the brink, but now was the time he needed it most. The branches gave off explosive magical power, but he immediately packed them into his belt, converging all that energy to himself. If not used immediately, his whole body would explode, but fortunately, he already had several weapons to use that enormous energy. ¡°Anvil.¡± ¡°Where do we go?¡± As he held Astrafe in one hand and the sword of light in his other, he knew very well his swordsmanship wouldn¡¯t reach his foe. If they collided once more, he would be neutralized. So, in order to tie down his opponent as much as possible, he was nning to explode the power of the source of the artifact. He could stimte the armament with spiritual power, allowing their ability to be exercised to the limit. [Fragarach] [???3333] [Special Abilities: Milky Way, Annihtion,???,???] * Milky Way: Controls the power of the countless stars in the sky with the power of the god embedded in the armament to bind enemies. *Annihtion: Light is fired to destroy the enemy. *??? *??? In fact, it was a sword that he couldn¡¯t even confirm the rank of, so he didn¡¯t want to use it until his skills improved. However, the situation reached this point, so he had no other option. Even Janus¡¯s eyes went wide as Kang Shin-hyuk raised his power with the two swords in hand. ¡°It¡¯s the power of God, the ability to create God. So I guess you could¡¯ve made my new sword... I hope you can hold it again. I can¡¯t fill the hole of the Godyer with this lowly soul.¡± ¡°Be careful, Janus.¡± Not because he didn¡¯t want her to die. It was so they could make the most of the time. ¡°Anvil, why is it so hot?¡± ¡°Milky Way!¡± ¡°Oh...!¡± The moment the power of the sword of light, Fragarach, was activated, countless lights sparkled from beyond the reddish sky, and dozens of chains fell down. The eroded gate¡¯s power was reduced as the stars embedded in the sky prated the gate and bound Janus¡¯s body. He poured out all the energy overflowing in Astrafe and Fragarach to trigger both of their special abilities. -Kwaaaang! A god who destroyed the enemy with electricity and one that brought about annihtion with light: Astrafe and Fragarach vanished from his hands, turning into lightning and light, to rush at Janus from above and the side. Janus, who was already bound by Fragarach¡¯s ability Milky Way, seemed to have no way of avoiding it. However, Janus¡¯s response far exceeded his expectations. ¡°Anvil, I don¡¯t think this ispletely yours yet.¡± When the two attacks were about to collide with Janus, she realized her spiritual power and caught Fragarach, which reached her first. It was propelled with the Great Heavenly Spirit¡¯s tremendous energy, using Kang Shin-hyuk as a conduit, but Janus took control of it and used it to knock Astrafe out of the sky. A beat after, she manipted the Godyer in her hand to unleash the chains. ¡°I¡¯ll give it back. It seems a little bit unusable.¡± Astrafe and Fragarach returned to his hands. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a sense of copse as he suddenly noticed something. Janus¡¯s spiritual power was in the sword. ¡°Kh?!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, never.¡± Janus spoke with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s trickier than I thought, Anvil. I¡¯m a little sleepy.¡± The two swords straightened and flew towards Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s abdomen. His eyes went wide at the attack he couldn¡¯t react to. A ¡®real¡¯ lightning strike descended from the sky to hit both swords directly. ¡°You, I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk saw the boundary of the eroded gate tear as Shin Eunah descended inside. Rather than feeling reassured, his anxiety grew for some reason. Now, all the leading roles had gathered. Chapter 289 - Dissipation (2)

Chapter 289 - Dissipation (2)

¡°Eunah.¡± Janus spoke up in a weing voice. However, Shin Eunah was still ring at her, a golden thunderbolt in both hands. A thunderstorm of extraordinary magical power was swirling around her. Shin Eunah was strong from the start, but especially these days, she was growing stronger and stronger as she struggled with strong people. The lightning she created now seemed to prove her growth. ¡°It¡¯s fast. Eunah is, after all, on our side, so I can¡¯t kill her¡­ I still can¡¯t. I¡¯m going to erase everything here.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Janus swung again, and a thunderstorm erupted from Eunah¡¯s hand at the same moment. Even Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t capable of stopping the thunderbolt that Eunah fired at the sword, which she stopped. ¡°Huh?¡± Janus¡¯s eyes opened a little wider. She was looking at the sword in her hand with a strange expression. Then, as if she found the answer, she looked at Shin Eunah with eyes narrowed and a smile. ¡°Sure, you had it.¡± ¡°¡­Hm?!¡± Shin Eunah also felt it. Kang Shin-hyuk realized what was holding Janus in check as she touched her bangs. Shin Eunah was wearing a headband made with part of the dragon heart used in making the Godyer. Even when Kang Shin-hyuk held it, the Godyer had resonated with her headband. Though he didn¡¯t like it, now that it was held in the hands of Janus, its original owner, it was resonating even stronger. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cause any harm, but as long as it¡¯s like this, I¡¯ll have to get it back. I¡¯m sorry, Eunah.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you.¡± ¡°It was mine originally. Think of it as you borrowed it, and now you¡¯re giving it back.¡± Janus smiled a little as he took a step forward. A storm of spiritual power swept across them. However, as Kang Shin-hyuk guessed, Shin Eunah was only learning how to resist spiritual power. She was floating in the air and enduring Janus¡¯s pressure. In the meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t quiet. While Janus focused on Shin Eunah, he recovered the two swords deflected by Eunah¡¯s lightning. He used his spiritual power to conquer the swords againpletely. It was his first time fighting an opponent who handled spiritual power better than him, so he made a mistake. But in the end, these two couldn¡¯t fight Janus¡­ If so. ¡°Eunah!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk threw both swords to Shin Eunah. The swords, imbued with spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter, flew as if they understood hismand, and the moment they reached Shin Eunah, they began to circle around her protectively. Then, Shin Eunah felt a new power building up in her body. The two swords were temporarily maneuvering with Shin Eunah as their master, and in particr, the power of the lightning she was using was amplified. Fire, light, and lightning. All three of these were included in her power, so simply equipping the two swords more than doubled her power. ¡°Junior, it¡¯s great¡­!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was unable to show off his own abilities; from the start, his ability was to give wings to the tigers who had power. Janus raised her sword with a frown as if predicting the oue of thebination of Shin Eunah and those swords. ¡°Ah, Anvil. Doing such annoying things.¡± ¡°Janus¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk opened his mouth as he saw Janus, who didn¡¯t show hostility to him until the end. ¡°Can I back off?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you know that? Everything made like this¡­ it¡¯s you!¡± Negotiations broke down. The moment Janus swung, Shin Eunah emitted lightning much stronger than before to block Janus¡¯s movement. However, both Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah knew from the start that Janus¡¯s limit wasn¡¯t so little. Janus had been looking after them all this time. ¡°It might hurt a little, but I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Janus concentrated his spiritual power in the sword he held. Kang Shin-hyuk felt as if he could hear Oh Joo-young screaming from that sword. Obviously, due to his ability, the Godyer had gained new powers and evolved, but Oh Joo-young couldn¡¯t dare ovee Janus. He was taking Oh Joo-young¡¯s ability and using his soul, skillfully handling his own spiritual powers to burn the fragments of Oh¡¯s soul! Ironically, Kang Shin-hyuk was gaining a new realization on how to use spiritual power as he observed it. ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± Then, someone else unexpected happened. A small student flew furiously toward Janus. It was an unexpected situation, and Kang Shin-hyuk urgently tried to stop them, as they would die on their own. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Then, he stopped helplessly in front of the power to stop everything in the area, including himself. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t work against Janus, but just like that¡­ ¡°Oh Hye-na?!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Yes, only Oh Hye-na had the power to ¡®freeze¡¯ or ¡®stop,¡¯ but how could she stop Kang Shin-hyuk? Although he had expended plenty of energy in his battle with Janus, the Great Heavenly Spirit, imbued with Halo¡¯s branches, was still giving him infinite energy. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to stop him by herself. ¡°Hye-na!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡¯ He soon realized the answer. It was the blue greatsword she held, that artifact Oh Joo-young had gifted her. She always brought it to important ces, and, of course, she brought it out today as well. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t even move his fingertips, and as a result of looking at it with spiritual power, he didn¡¯t interfere as he felt no problems. Who would¡¯ve known that Oh Joo-young¡¯s power was contained in it? ¡®No, it definitely wasn¡¯t there. Are you sure?¡± Even so, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t that stupid. There was no problem with her greatsword, at least until she went onto the final stage of the rookie match, surely. ¡®Adide Bodin¡­¡¯ He only realized it now, why she had taken Oh Hye-na hostage. She had already been hard at work. ¡°Shin-hyuk, please!¡± Oh Hye-na froze everything around her and ran straight towards Janus. Baek was also unable to move properly because of her ability. ¡°She¡¯s a fool.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­!¡± He fully understood Oh Hye-na¡¯s actions. It was probably because Oh Joo-young¡¯s thoughts held in the Godyer sword were sending out a rescue request. Through Adide Bodin, his thoughts had gone over to Oh Hye-na¡¯s greatsword, and now they were encroaching on Oh Hye-na, forcing her to run without considering her physical limitations. Janus, who was fully distracted by Shin Eunah, soon realized she was approaching. Janus grasped the situation in an instant with her spiritual power andughed. ¡°It¡¯s the same wavelength as this one. Should I kill you?¡± ¡°Who!¡± The moment Janus pointed her sword at Oh Hye-na, Kang Shin-hyuk managed to release the power on him and blocked her, and Shin Eunah, seeing it, summoned the greatest lightning she could create on Janus. And Oh Hye-na stabbed Kang Shin-hyuk, who had blocked her, without hesitation. ¡°I thought this would happen.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt the alien thoughts flowing through his body as he cursed. Nothing went well with this damn kid. But in the end, well, it was a good thing. ¡°Junior!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so stop, Janus!¡± Shin Eunah screamed as if the world was ending as she saw Kang Shin-hyuk getting stabbed, but he hurriedly stopped her with a shout. Oh, but there was someone else who would be even more surprised right now. It was scary to think about what ire might be doing right now. [This, what is this¡­!] But right now¡­ It was time to devour the ghost who dared to try to devour his soul. [Huh?! It¡¯s the same as that monster!] ¡®You found the wrong number.¡¯ It was worth knowing what Oh Joo-young was looking for in Jormungand. It looked like he was trying to work with Janus, but now he was about to disappear. The entity that was his main body was also destroyed by Kang Shin-hyuk, and now it seemed he was trying to flee to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s body¡­ Indeed, ironically, Kang Shin-hyuk also had a way to mimic the spiritual power Janus used. Of course, Janus had much better spiritual power than him, but he also had Golden Dragon Fighter¡­! -Thanks to the destructive realization of the energy itself, your spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter will grow to SSS+ rank! -The skill proficiency of the Soul Poison skill has increased significantly to the SSS-rank! [Kh! Ahhhhh?!] He transformed his spiritual power into poison and dissolved the thoughts seeping into him, then enveloped it with Golden Dragon Fighter. In the end, he devoured it. Kang Shin-hyuk handled Oh Joo-young¡¯s thoughts in the way he learned from Janus, or rather, in a much more radical way. The moment Oh Joo-young¡¯s thoughts were neatly digested, and they vanished from inside of him, he realized the source of his abilities like he did when he examined Excalibur. Now, with one step, he realized the essence of Oh Joo-young¡¯s ability and could apply it to his own. And Kang Shin-hyuk already had what he needed for that step. ¡°Anvil, are you okay?¡± Janus was looking anxiously at him. A gate had opened in the middle of the gym, and countless people had died by her hand, but she was looking worried that he had been stabbed in the stomach. No, it wasn¡¯t just her. The other members of the Hero Universe¡­Yes, Tsukuyo. Those who treated the deaths of humans and other beings extremely lightly were especially polite to him, and specifically, to Anvil. He had thought it was all good as a result, but maybe some of them casually did things like Janus now. Even if not, it wasn¡¯t able to affirm what he saw and judge what they were¡­ ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied shortly as he shook off the countless thoughts he had. The greatsword in his stomach slipped away, and with it, Oh Hye-na fell to the ground. ¡°Me, what am I¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not at fault, don¡¯t react so clich??ly. If you¡¯re ready, stay behind me.¡± She had just stabbed him, so maybe she was a yandere? ¡°Senior, I¡­ Dad¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too cliched, you damn disciple.¡± In fact, the wound she had dealt with him was already healing rapidly due to the Golden Dragon Fighter. Golden Dragon Fighter was initially a regeneration power he obtained from a troll. Considering that it was SSS-rank, such a wound was easy to deal with. Of course, it also depended on the magical and spiritual power of the person who hurt him, but Oh Hye-na was no such master. ¡°Senior¡­¡± ¡°Later. Now isn¡¯t the time for you to intervene.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk checked the wound as he responded coldly. He wasn¡¯t fully cured yet, but now he could move around a bit. Shin Eunah and Janus kept an eye out for each other, but they were both concerned about him. Since all of them were carefully watching him, wasn¡¯t this like anotheredy? If it were just like amonedy, it was okay to quit at this point, and no one would get hurt. No, a lot of people had already died or been injured. ¡°Janus, do you have to ask again?¡¯ ¡°Yes, Anvil. Sorry, I¡¯m really in a hurry now.¡± Janus raised the energy of her body even further to liberate herself from Shin Eunah once more. The entire gate that had been eroded only by her presence was roaring. Kang Shin-hyuk calmly epted the pressure and took out hisst hope to confront Janus. Funnily, it had the name of despair and hell. Chapter 290 - Dissipation (3)

Chapter 290 - Dissipation (3)

Excalibur ¨C Despair. It couldn¡¯t be said to boast the highest destructive power among the swords Oh Joo-young had made on Jormungand¡¯s side; however, it could be said to contain most of his abilities as he used it himself. Rather, should it be said that it had thergest fragment of his soul? As proof of that, the moment he took it out, hatred for Janus flowed out of the sword and tried to dominate Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡®You betrayed everyone to be stronger, and in the end, this happened to you. You were too stupid.¡¯ No, could this be a great sess in a sense? His main body was dead, and only a few swords remained, but the Godyer that was in Janus¡¯s hand effectively showed off his ability. Moreover, even though it felt ridiculous, Kang Shin-hyuk would also face a big change due to Oh Joo-young. Though he died, he left an irrefutable mark on Jormungand and the Hero Universe. ¡®So go with ease.¡¯ Now, just like he did before, he would draw up both his spiritual power and Golden Dragon Fighter to swallow up the sword¡¯s thoughts. Though the power contained in [Excalibur ¨C Despair] was as different from Oh Hye-na¡¯s greatsword as the sky from the earth, the basics were the same. By injecting soul poison, he could suppress and dissolve the soaring hatred and murderous rage, then bite into the weakened energy. [Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!] He felt like he heard a lot of Oh Joo-young¡¯s screams today as he hefted the sword, Abyssus, in his other hand. The de that Janus swung at a speed that surpassed Shin Eunah¡¯s response was blocked by it. Janus¡¯s goal was Oh Hye-na. ¡°Anvil! To protect that lowly thing!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s solve it ourselves, huh?¡± ¡°She was trying to kill you!¡± ¡°I wonder who is worse?¡± While trying to kill everyone else, she showed unchanging favor only to Kang Shin-hyuk. Even he was against it. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t you trying to hurt me too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m moving to protect you.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t work, really!¡± There was no insanity. No, it was like she was two people, so she was insane. Janus wielded her sword with an expression that she truly didn¡¯t understand why Kang Shin-hyuk blocked the attack with Abyssus. He was uneasy because he didn¡¯t know the sword¡¯s ability yet. Fortunately, it was superior to any other weapon he had dealt with so far, and he was able to stop Janus¡¯s sword several times. Above all, Abyssus was raising all his senses beyond the limit just by holding it. Had it not, it would have been possible to respond with such agility to Janus¡¯s speed that transcended cognition. ¡®Eunah¡­ Now!¡¯ ¡°Haah!¡± Somehow blocking Janus¡¯s sword and ncing at Shin Eunah, she nodded and rushed Janus again. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°?!¡± However, Janus¡¯s energy exploded as if she were waiting for Eunah to approach. Looking at the huge energy gathered in an instant, it seemed she was ready to attack Eunah just like she had Oh Hye-na. -Kwaaaaang Janus¡¯s energy spread out like paint on water, unparalleled in its density. On the other hand, Shin Eunah¡¯s output remained the same, so she was pushed back. ¡°Kahak!¡± ¡°Eunah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Shin Eunah bounce away from Janus and hit the wall, but he couldn¡¯t run to rescue her right now. His work wasn¡¯t finished! ¡°Okay, then.¡± Janus flew to Eunah¡¯s side with a satisfied smile on her lips. She reached out to grab the golden jeweled headband adorning her bangs. ¡°I¡¯ll take this as I said earlier.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was the birthday present Anvil gave to the seven-year-old Eunah. She hadn¡¯t stopped wearing it the moment she received it. Although she had met the reincarnated Kang Shin-hyuk and changed, she had lived with this headband. The moment Janus took it, Shin Eunah literally exploded. ¡°Give mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Ugh, Eunah¡­?!¡± Even Janus was surprised to see Shin Eunah¡¯s fierce mana reaction, but their voices immediately got lost in the chaos as the golden magic that erupted from her body took away everyone¡¯s senses. It was a torrent of power that even Eunah couldn¡¯t properly control that swallowed up everything. Janus knew that if it went on like this, everything would be swept away. ¡®Kh¡­ Quickly!¡¯ [Huh¡­ Haaaaaaah!] It was then that Kang Shin-hyuk seeded inpletely consuming the remains of Oh Joo-young in Excalibur. -You¡¯ve acquired fragments of the trait [Excalibur]. Because it has been contaminated and deteriorated, it is impossible to restore them, but due to its simr wavelength, the trait [Guardian Golden Dragon (SS)] has absorbed all the fragments of the trait! -Talent [Guardian Golden Dragon (SS)] has met all conditions for evolution. The trait will evolve! Oh Joo-young¡¯s strong trait wasn¡¯t just strengthening swords, but also strengthening oneself through training with the sword. It was very simr to the Guardian Golden Dragon, but it had a much narrower range. Essentially, both were the ability to change things, but the gaps eachckedplemented each other, leading to a huge change for Kang Shin-hyuk¡­ A greater change that he couldn¡¯t even dream of. ¡®Done! Now I understand, I can see¡­!¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had been vaguely expecting it, but it was only then that the Guardian Golden Dragon met all the conditions to soar even higher. Breaking everything in the way, going higher and higher! -You¡¯ve awakened the trait [Royal Dragon (X)]. It would be meaningless to meet Earth¡¯s standards, but it was the moment when a human being awakened to a second trait thatpletely exceeded the current limit. -You¡¯ve gained the authority to interfere with variables in all situations. All stats are strengthened by breaking the limit. Most skills will grow significantly. -Skill [Wind Mastery (SS+)] has evolved to be [God Wind (X)]. The skill level has increased to SSS-rank. -Skill [Spatial Coordination (SSS)] has evolved to [Space Domination (X)]. The skill level has increased to SS-rank. -Golden Dragon Fighter has changed to Breaking Machine. It has be X-rank. All his skills and stats changed, but he didn¡¯t have time to look closely at it. Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively brought all his energy to bear, injecting it into the two swords he held. Not only [Excalibur ¨C Despair], but even Abyssus, which rejected him so far, couldn¡¯t dare stand against his power. ¡°Janus!¡± It was possible now. He couldn¡¯t overpower Janus, but at least he could hold her back for a while. Considering from the start she said she had a limited amount of time she could stay here, that would be enough. Most of all, considering Shin Eunah was at the center of that golden magic power, it was impossible to withdraw. ¡°Wow, even you!¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk entered the runaway magic without hesitation, Janus immediately cried out. She was confronting Shin Eunah and him simultaneously, and she felt horror as the magical power Eunah emitted shook the entire space. Janus already held the golden jewel, and Shin Eunah went even more berserk as she put it in the center of the Godyer sword. ¡°Give meahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Eunah!¡± Recovering the jewel from Janus was secondary. Kang Shin-hyuk hit the floor running after judging the situation. Moving at a speed unlike before¡­Janus instinctively retreated from the sword attack, that appeared as if he had moved through space. ¡°Anvil, you¡¯re good at fighting?¡± ¡°Thank you so much for admitting that now!¡± But now wasn¡¯t the time for chitchat. Kang Shin-hyuk stepped forward, but surprisingly, Janus stepped back. ¡°Well, if I leave like this, all will die. I got the gem back.¡± ¡°Youhhhhh!¡± ¡°Eunah!¡± Shin Eunah grew angrier as Janus tried to run away after stealing something precious from her, but Kang Shin-hyuk urgently stopped her. If Shin Eunah ran out of energy this way, not only her but everything would end. He couldn¡¯t leave it at that! Kang Shin-hyuk had to stop her, and it would be possible with his ability. ¡°Janus, if you¡¯re going, disappear quickly.¡± ¡°No, if I go, you¡¯ll stop Eunah, right? So I can¡¯t go, sorry.¡± Janus smiled bitterly like she was really sorry, then bounced her finger against her sword. It made a gentle sound, but at that moment, an absurd amount of energy flowed toward Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah, sparkling with various colors. ¡®ck? Scattered and divided, the sword is aimed at Eunah¡­!¡¯ With the power of Royal Dragon, he grasped the meaning of that movement and responded to it. By activating his evolved skill, Space Domination, he identified the position and speed of the sword and suppressed them, while at the same time exploding all the energy he could handle to erase the sword attacking Eunah. But it was stillcking. For Kang Shin-hyuk, who had just awakened his ability, it was impossible topletely block Janus, who had reigned as absolute power for a long time. ¡°Anvil, you showed me something really cool in the end. Okay, if that¡¯s the case, I can look forward to our next meeting.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± There was no time to catch Janus¡¯s words as her sword stuck into Shin Eunah¡¯s back. He urgently tried to infuse Eunah with energy to heal her, but he wasn¡¯t used to dealing with the changed energy¡­! ¡°Anvil¡­ When the battle is over, you have to work on the Godyer again. Then, next time.¡± Janus disappeared like she hadn¡¯t been there from the start as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk look over Eunah. However, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her. The sword left by Janus was stabbed into Shin Eunah¡¯s body and inducing her energy to go berserk, so he tried to calm it down. However, something unexpected happened. The Great Heavenly Spirit, reinforced by Halos¡¯ branches, came out of his belt in response to the violent flow of energy. ¡°No, no.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk eximed briefly. However, the orb resonated with Shin Eunah¡¯s magical power and emitted a bright light. The gate reacted violently to it, causing an explosion! ¡°Huh?!¡± Eunah was dangerous! With only that thought filling his head, Kang Shin-hyuk held mindlessly onto her. He didn¡¯t know the details as he had just acquired the skill, but the Breaking Machine was a force that interfered, changed, or evolved everything. Of course, he could stop this berserk magic! The problem was time. He couldn¡¯t do it all. Holding the Great Heavenly Spirit, stopping the gate explosion, and protecting Shin Eunah¡¯s body at the same time¡­ It was impossible. As he struggled with that choice, Shin Eunah opened her eyes and pushed Kang Shin-hyuk away. He couldn¡¯t resist her strength. ¡°You¡­?!¡± Was Kang Shin-hyuk the only one whose trait evolved? Yes. The moment the headband was stolen, Shin Eunah¡¯s trait had also evolved. Needless to say, because she was given a buff¡­ It was because she couldn¡¯t properly handle her magical power at that moment it went berserk¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t like grandpa.¡± Shin Eunah said so as she stopped Kang Shin-hyuk. Contrary to that, she smiled and jumped into the gate before her magic ran out. Two terrible and great energies collided¡­ Leaving nothing behind. The gate vanished, and Shin Eunah vanished. Other than those two things, nothing else disappeared. Kang Shin-hyuk looked down at the Great Heavenly Spirit, which had lost what it was resonating with and had fallen silent. Chapter 291 - Dissipation (4)

Chapter 291 - Dissipation (4)

The erosion vanished, but not all the monsters. However, they were visibly weakened as the eroded gate empowering them was destroyed, and it became possible for the hurried superhumans to y them. ¡°Mr. Puppeteer!¡± Bridget ran through the air towards Kang Shin-hyuk, who felt everything was lost. After killing most of the remaining monsters, the situation wasing to an end. ¡°What about unnie?!¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie, right? Both of you are so strong¡­¡± Even in that urgent situation, Bridget managed to observe Kang Shin-hyuk and Shin Eunah fighting against an unknown beauty. In fact, their fight had been so intense that she couldn¡¯t help but see them. And the two, who were already strong, grew stronger as they fought that beauty. Maybe we could make it through- they exhibited such a force that it made those who were there feel that optimism. ¡°But why did¡­ Huh? Where is she?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk spoke emptily as he stared at the Great Heavenly Spirit. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this¡­¡± How long had he thought of it as a simple battery that only supplied energy? Had he even thought of the possibility of it going berserk while he put Halo¡¯s branches in it? No, of course, he thought it might be dangerous. However, if he hadn¡¯t done it, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight against Janus. It wasn¡¯t rational, but in that situation, he made the best choice he could¡­ As a result, the gate had exploded with Shin Eunah. Wordless and motionless, Kang Shin-hyuk sat on the cold ground as a calm message appeared in his retinas. -No, she isn¡¯t dead. ¡®¡­ That¡¯s great timing, administrator.¡¯ Heughed unbidden at the exquisite timing of the message. -Janus vanished with the gate, and reconnection was possible. I tried to get her out as quickly as possible¡­ ¡®With your power, Janus¡¯s expulsion was elerated¡­ Something like that?¡¯ -That¡¯s right, but¡­ As if guessing at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s mood, even the administrator hesitated. He didn¡¯t know how hard the admin actually worked to force Janus out, but the situation was already terrible. ¡®It¡¯s okay, more than that¡­¡¯ -Yes, member. For the first time, Kang Shin-hyuk felt negatively towards the administrator who had been consistently devoted to him as there was some doubtful corner in his mind. But for now, he suppressed it. ¡®She isn¡¯t dead?¡¯ -That¡¯s right. The magical explosion that took ce was created by the Heavenly Spirit¡¯s involvement and resulted in the creation of a very small dimension. Eunah was trapped there. Well, it was a massive explosion. The gate going berserk wasn¡¯t too serious, but the magic of Shin Eunah, who literally boasted infinite magical power and had even evolved¡­ On the surface, it seemed that Shin Eunah had rushed to the gate alone, but the Great Heavenly Spirit was already resonating with both of them. Not only did it have an effect on that magical explosion, but that was influencing the orb as well. ¡®That dimension¡­ Can you ess it?¡¯ -That isn¡¯t possible with the power of the Hero Universe. However, the administrator had some good news. -But, there is a possibility that the Great Heavenly Spirit is still connected to that dimension. Anotherugh came out of him at the admin¡¯s words. Kang Shin-hyuk watched the slowly changing orb carefully before hefting it in his hand. He thought it might take a while for it to bepleted. ¡®It means to wait.¡¯ -That¡¯s right. She will be safe, so rest assured. ¡®It¡¯s as if you know she is safe.¡¯ -Sorry for not being helpful in time, member. In response to the polite apology, Kang Shin-hyuk was suddenly aware of how openly he had spoken to the administrator. Even if the admin was involved in this matter, his only option was to trust the administrator for now. Kang Shin-hyuk felt truly foolish. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I know you¡¯re on my side.¡¯ -I¡¯m very sorry, member. For the administrator¡­ It was unstoppable. That was right. Kang Shin-hyuk shook off the myriad of emotions arising in him and slowly opened his eyes. ire¡¯s face was right in front of him. ¡°Okay¡­?¡± She probably already knew about Shin Eunah. Just as Eunah was precious to Kang Shin-hyuk, she was also an irreceable person to ire. However, she was trying to hide her heart out of concern for him. Perhaps that was an attitude befitting of a real adult. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ire. I should¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡°I know you did your best. I, because Ick ability¡­¡± The two shared the feelings only they could. Shin Eunah meant different things to each of them, but that sense of loss wasmon. They didn¡¯t say anything further as they hugged each other and stood still for a while. ¡°Mr. Puppeteer¡­ What should I do¡­¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ But she¡¯s still alive¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, having barely calmed down thanks to ire, spoke quietly. Who wasn¡¯t dead? Shin Eunah? As Bridget¡¯s eyes widened, he continued urgently. ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter. There are other things to take care of now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ire must¡¯ve heard the exnation from the administrator, too, as the two exchanged a meaningful nce. Kang Shin-hyuk turned around after putting the Great Heavenly Spirit in his inventory. Everyone was recovering the bodies and taking care of the injured, but many eyes were ncing at him even in the midst of that. He let out a sigh. ¡°Shall we help too?¡± ¡°Yes. Fortunately, the damage is limited to the gym.¡± ¡°All of the key talents were concentrated here¡­¡± The damage had been great. When the rookie matches were over, the presentation ceremony was scheduled to be held there, so most of the students were in the gym. It wasn¡¯t just students, either. Many key personnel from the world¡¯s leading guilds were there as well to observe future talent. And although the members of Masked Bhus struggled with all their might, about 40% of them had been lost forever. Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed that most of the people he was close to were safe and felt a little disgusted with himself at the relief it brought. ¡°Shin-hyuk¡­¡± When the work of confirming the casualties was mostly finished, Baek In-ha approached. His gloomy disposition, which he¡¯d never seen before, proved the seriousness of the situation. ¡°Oh Hye-na?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡± Dominated by Oh Joo-young¡¯s thoughts, she had stabbed Kang Shin-hyuk, so she must¡¯ve been doing badly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think, but in the end, she helped me a lot¡­ And you did well.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Junior¡­ That, let¡¯s take a break first and talkter. Huh?¡± The members of Masked Bhus flocked to him, following behind Baek In-ha. They also saw Shin Eunah vanish, but they didn¡¯t want to mention it as they knew Kang Shin-hyuk only looked alright on the outside. Kang Shin-hyuk felt his frozen heart warming up as his colleagues tried tofort him in their own clumsy manner. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± However, one of those watching them opened his mouth. He was a scout who belonged to the No. 10 guilds in Korea, and Kang Shin-hyuk remembered seeing him in his first year. ¡°Is Kang Shin-hyuk the Death Puppeteer, Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, unable to hide it any longer. A wave of surprise spread around the survivors. ¡°No, how did that happen¡­ Did you hide your age and sneak into this school¡­?¡± ¡°The fake status is Shin Eun-hyuk, but¡­ Can we discuss itter?¡± ¡°Oh, that, excuse me.¡± The scout, full of admiration and disbelief, urgently stepped back. Everyone was eager to ask about Kang Shin-hyuk, especially to take their minds off the situation around them. ¡°No, really, Shin Eun-hyuk¡¯s a minor? Wait, he¡¯s now No. 1?¡± ¡°Shut up, idiot!¡± ¡°Rather, what about the association? This happened in Shinyoung. Does it make sense that they haven¡¯te?¡± The people didn¡¯t dare bother him further and withdrew as Kang Shin-hyuk cleared the situation. He, wanting nothing more than to retire with his colleagues, stopped listening to them. It was natural there was no interference from outside while the gate had been eroded, but it was strange that there was no one from the outside when the gate was destroyed. No, didn¡¯t Shin Eunahe to support them in the middle? So, shouldn¡¯t the association already have noticed? It was natural for them to arrive by now, but¡­ ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°Well, why suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± At that moment, a superhuman who took out his phone to check the situation let out a cry. Gradually, amazement and silence spread among the people who gathered around him. Kang Shin-hyuk also frowned and tried to listen from a distance, but suddenly a great sound rang out from somewhere in the distance. -Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! It was such a massive explosion that, even though it wasing from far away, the sound didn¡¯t quiet down at all. Kang Shin-hyuk urgently climbed the half-copsed gymnasium to take a look. A huge building located a few kilometers away was being consumed by arge me. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Wait, there¡­¡± Baek, who had followed hastily, muttered quietly as he saw it. ¡°No, you¡¯re joking¡­ that¡¯s the association HQ¡­!¡± Chapter 292 - Dissipation (5)

Chapter 292 - Dissipation (5)

-ng! ng! ng! The sound of a hammer striking metal resonated throughout the workshop, which was neitherrge nor small in size. Kang Shin-hyuk kept tapping the sword before him. The identity of it was none other than Abyssus, its shape having crumpled under the weight of his hammer. -ng! ng! ng! Abyssus was the only masterpieceparable to the Godyer among the works Anvil had produced in the past, though it had been twisted. Who would dare melt it down, and who could melt it down even if they wanted to? He was casually destroying an item that Earth¡¯s superhumans couldn¡¯t dare dream of. -ng! ng! No¡­ Rather, the higher the difficulty of the work, the better. To be dominated by emotions that were useful to no one, only exhausting himself¡­ He had experienced that enough in his previous life. ¡°¡­Next.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who turned Abyssus into a lump of metal, produced the sword Excalibur ¨C Despair. It was the supreme magic sword created by Oh Joo-young after he turned to Jormungand. It was an object that couldn¡¯t be easily broken or melted down. -ng! ng! ng! Kang Shin-hyuk thought ofbining the two to form a new sword. They weren¡¯t enough on their own to reach Janus¡¯s divine sword, so he wondered if putting them together would be. Fragarach and Astrafe were out of the question. Both were very good weapons, but their properties were already fixed, so it was impossible to refine them. Moreover, it was unlikely thatbining them could surpass Janus. If Shin Eunah had been ustomed to them, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be different, but she¡ª -ng! ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk slowly closed his eyes and opened them again as if he were in pain frombining the two swords. He was able to preserve the powers of the two swords and condense them into one monster, but his mind grew heavy, and he couldn¡¯t concentrate on his work anymore. If he continued like this, a new ¡®Abyssus¡¯ would be born that wouldn¡¯t ovee the Godyer. Convinced of that, his hammer stopped. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± -Member¡­ A cautious message appeared before him. -There is a visitor request to your My Room. ¡°Who is it?¡± -¡­It¡¯s Tsukuyo. Laughter came out of him. Considering how she ran to Earth for the dimensional quest, the administrator couldn¡¯t help but be resigned. It was a little funny given how vehemently the administrator had previously tried to stop her, but now he was gently informed of her request. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡± -Okay. Soon, Tsukuyo appeared before him. She was dressed in traditional clothes as usual, but her expression was so quiet that the mood was quite different than usual. ¡°Anvil¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a face that came despite knowing there is only bad news.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always happy just because Anvil exists. If you feel relieved reprimanding me, please do so.¡± If anyone else heard it, they might think she was making fun of him, but he knew that Tsukuyo had no intention of doing such. But that wouldn¡¯t help at all. If he grew angry at her for this situation she wasn¡¯t responsible for, he would be the fool. As Kang Shin-hyuk cleared his face of all expression and grew silent, Tsukuyo looked into his eyes. ¡°Anvil, can I get close to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After confirming that he had finished his work, Tsukuyo¡¯s eyes widened for a moment as she noticed the metal on the anvil that radiated a terrifying sense of anticipation. It went away quickly as her expression became calm, and she approached him. She carefully reached out, gently taking the hammer from his hand, and hung it on the wall. Then, as if he would reject her, she trembled as she slowly pulled him into her arms. Kang Shin-hyuk thought if ire knew, she would be mad, but he didn¡¯t think Tsukuyo would push any further, so he decided to stay there. Honestly, he didn¡¯t have the energy to resist. ¡°Anvil is, after all, Anvil.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tsukuyo continued as she looked down at the lump of metal on the anvil. ¡°No, seeing this reminded me of some of the weapons you forged in the days when you first essed the Hero Universe. Rough, unrefined, violent¡­ This feels like the weapons you forged at that time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even in his memories from his previous life, there were scenes of Tsukuyo reacting excessively to any weapons that contained Anvil¡¯s deep thoughts. At that time, Anvil was still a little shy about Tsukuyo and became a bit wary of her¡­ Kang Shin-hyuk was suddenly d he didn¡¯tplete any more work today, and Tsukuyo looked slightly sad. ¡°In fact, it was those works that I admired you for, but you soon managed to control your emotions. Of course, what you¡¯ve made since then is also very good, but I can¡¯t forget them¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you thought while looking at it, but¡­ Armaments with those emotions cause bad things.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded quietly. It was something he had seen after he solved several dimensional quests. ¡°I see¡­ Weapons with strong thoughts arouse evil by their existence alone, sometimes they oppress the living, and even destroy civilizations.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to her. Tsukuyo hugged him a little harder as if she knew what he wanted to say. ¡°But, Anvil, it¡¯s natural, not bad as you said.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Think about it. You have also done a dimensional quest, so you know how many worlds there are.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. His experience was a bit dustypared to Tsukuyo¡¯s, but it was enough to realize the vastness of the universe. ¡°Then imagine that all those worlds won¡¯t perish, but develop infinitely¡­What do you think will happen?¡± ¡°What will happen? They will only keep improving.¡± ¡°Anvil, you shouldn¡¯t avoid what you already know. A world that has developed enough will eventually expand in other directions. Yes, to another world¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt something catch his mind at that. Why did he bother with her words now? Oh, right. ¡°That¡¯s what Jormungand does.¡± ¡°What if there was no Jormungand? Would it not happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The correct answer is no.¡± Tsukuyo looked sorrowful as she spoke. It was like she had seen it herself. ¡°The dimensional movement ability of Jormungand is definitely great, but you can¡¯t say that it¡¯s only for them, right? Right now in the Hero Universe¡­ Anvil, you also.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk flinched. His space coordination skill had evolved into space domination in the fight with Janus. It was impossible to go beyond dimensions, but the skill certainly had that potential. No, if his traits constantly evolved, someday, his strength alone would surely make that possible¡­ To recognize that talent meant that Tsukuyo herself could travel through dimensions alone. ¡°Would there not have been such a thing in the past? Were there no people who wanted to invade other worlds?¡± ¡°No, but that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯spletely like Jormungand!¡± Tsukuyo responded calmly despite his shouting. ¡°Yes, if the appearance changes ording to the civilization¡­ It would be meaningless to distinguish them from Jormungand, right? If all those worlds stood still, this universe would be terrible.¡± Tsukuyo nced at Kang Shin-hyuk. After saying it, she wasn¡¯t sure if he had understood everything. He did. He felt dirty. ¡°So, what? The weapons I create spread through space and negatively affect many worlds¡­ Good job?¡± ¡°If you get it into the hands of a good being, even a weapon with dark thoughts cannot run wild. Your armament will only emerge when the world deserves to be destroyed.¡± Tsukuyo hugged him harder as she could tell his emotions were ring up. ¡°To say that armaments born from human hands can control and destroy worlds¡­ Anvil, you alone are the one who can bnce the universe.¡± ¡°You.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed her away and pointed at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who left the weapons you bought on other worlds?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just me, Anvil¡­ I didn¡¯t buy all your armaments, right?¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed. He couldn¡¯t trust thismunity he was in at all. Even so, if they asked if it was wrong, he couldn¡¯t confidently argue against it. In Tsukuyo¡¯s words, there was deep karma that an inexperienced human couldn¡¯t ever know. ¡°Wait¡­ So, what about Jormungand?¡± He suddenly thought of it. ¡°Does Jormungand work the same as the weapons I made? Is that why Janus went to them?¡± ¡°I would prefer you not to put such lowly things on the same level as your power. Anvil¡¯s graceful and understated workspared to those misceneous things.¡± Although Tsukuyo showed a strong dislike for theparison, she didn¡¯tpletely deny it. ¡°Earth¡­ Is the Earth too advanced? So this time¡­¡± ¡°On Earth, they have you.¡± Tsukuyo¡¯s voice quieted a little. ¡°Imagine if you continued to create powerful weapons like this so that one day millions of superhumans were armed by you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t. But what if someone, someone with excessive desire, could open doors to other worlds? More resources, wealth, workforce¡­ What if they wanted to target those and invade?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t believe in human goodness all that much. It was true that the armaments he sold through Lee Manwoo had been given to superhumans at the frontlines, increasing their power immensely. Tsukuyo¡¯s words were a great leap forward, but¡­ It was so undeniable that he felt his heart being stabbed. ¡°¡­So.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly grew tired and sat down. He felt like an idiot for hitting metal for hours to calm down. ¡°Because of me, the attack from Jormungand intensified. Because of me, Eunah¡­¡± ¡°Anvil and Eunah are fine. Really. Janus wille back sooner orter¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t respond. Maybe the administrator brought in Tsukuyo to exin what he couldn¡¯t, but Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to know this truth. As humans grew stronger, the attacks from Jormungand would worsen? So no matter how strong you grew, there was no chance? Just fight and die, spinning the wheel¡­ From the moment mana bloomed on Earth, its fate had been decided. ¡°If.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked up at Tsukuyo, who remained silent. ¡°What if we really end Jormungand?¡± ¡°They are our mirror. If we grow in strength, a new shadow will be born.¡± He heard it before, but¡­ ¡°I¡¯m asking despite that. Somewhere, there must be a starting point and source for Jormungand. What if I break it?¡± ¡°Source.¡± Tsukuyo probably already knew its existence. He nodded with a slightly brighter expression as if he finally understood what he said. ¡°If you¡­ You may be able to find it. If we really get rid of it, it might be possible to destroy Jormungand.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He had received several hints before, but now it was clear. Jormungand was a system different from the Gaia system but with a simr function. If so, destroying the core of that system would stop it. It was enough to know that. ¡°Work together. Eunah and Jormungand.¡± ¡°If you want.¡± ¡°Good. Then return¡­ I have a lot of work to do outside.¡± ¡°Yes, Anvil. Before that.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­¡± Tsukuyo responded politely as if she had be his subordinate, but she left a mark on his cheeks and lips before disappearing. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and opened the door from his My Room. Despite his feelings, it was time to return to reality. Chapter 293 - School is a Legion (1)

Chapter 293 - School is a Legion (1)

Kang Shin-hyuk suffered from theplication of Janus¡¯s appearance and Shin Eunah¡¯s disappearance, but in fact, the crisis hadn¡¯te only to him. On that day, not only Shinyoung and the Korean Superhuman Association HQ, but also superhumans around the world were attacked by Jormungand. Jormungand had devoted all its energy to bombing superhuman training institutions and associations around the world. The damage was the worst it had ever been. [Heroes] from the United States, one of the world¡¯s top three educational institutions, was destroyed, and associations around the world lost nearly 30% of their superhumans. The Korean Superhuman Association, in particr, had been blown away by a huge magical explosion inside the HQ. Shin Eunah¡¯s biological parents, who were among those detained by the association, were being pointed at as the main offenders, but the dead couldn¡¯t hold me. Their daughter, Shin Eunah, was known to have been blown up while protecting everyone from the terrorist attack that took ce in Shinyoung, so it had ended there. Due to the destruction of their association HQ, Korea, the strongest superhuman country in the past few years, had lost much of their force at once. Compared to other countries, the blow to them had been more severe. Fortunately, Shinyoung, who held the talented people responsible for Korea¡¯s future, suffered rtively little damage. Shin Eun-hyuk, who had revealed his identity as Kang Shin-hyuk, with the Thunder Empress¡¯s sacrifice had protected them. Of course, just because the students were alive didn¡¯t mean it was possible to conduct normal sses. They were forbidden from leaving the dormitory, and everyone was gathering together to discuss what to do going forward. What was Kang Shin-hyuk doing in the midst of that? ¡°I hope the tea suits your taste.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, what?¡± He had interviews with the school principal and the other teachers. The principal and vice-principal, as well as the third-year manager and the second-year manager, his homeroom teacher Ji Min-hye, and even Siara Bertrand, were all there. Meanwhile, the person sitting next to Kang Shin-hyuk was, of course, ire. The loss of a precious person remained for both of them, but she was admirably hiding her feelings. ¡°So¡­ I hope you can get to the main point.¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk had heard from Tsukuyo earlier, so it was impossible to pretend to be calm. The principal flinched away at his cold tone and exchanged nces with the teachers around him. Then, for some reason, he stared at Ji Min-hye, who noticed that the principal was asking her to speak. ¡°Shin-hyuk¡­ No, we have something we would like to request from the Death Puppeteer, Shin Eun-hyuk formally.¡± ¡°Am I expelled from school? I¡¯ve tricked you in many ways so far¡­¡± Honestly, it didn¡¯t matter if he was. The only reason he was nning to graduate was to get the name of a superhuman officially. But now that Shin Eunah had vanished and he had learned some of the secrets of the Hero Universe and Jormungand, he felt foolish for obsessing over titles and status. The title of a superhuman was meaningless. Wasn¡¯t that what Shin Eun-hyuk had been created for? ¡°No, no, not that!¡± However, at that, Ji Min-hye and the others jumped up and shook their hands. Their feelings were so clearly revealed thatughter came out of him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you straight, so there are no misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°We want you to be a battle instructor for Shinyoung¡¯s students.¡± ¡°Battle instructor¡­¡± Kang Shin-hyuk frowned at the cold impression the words left. Shinyoung cultivated superhumans who would be active in the future, but it was still a school. They had students, not soldiers. However, what she said now reminded him of thetter. ¡°Are students entering the gates likest year?¡± ¡°Last year, we had the chance to select and put them only in safe ces in advance.¡± Of course, except for extremely special cases like Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha, most students were put into gates that matched theirbat ability or were at a level somewhat lower than them. ¡°But now that has changed, right? Shinyoung can no longer remain an educational institution.¡± ¡°Then what kind of military facility will it be?¡± ¡°If I say it privately, yes.¡± Shin Yun-hak, the principal, responded. ¡°It¡¯s very unfortunate, but we can¡¯t wait for the future of our students anymore. That is what we are asking for. Not only for Korea but the world that is in this situation.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± He had been in the gym during the attack, and he had lost his left arm while defending the students, despite having withdrawn from active duty a long time ago. Among the teachers, quite a few had lost their lives in the defense, so it was rather lucky that he had only lost an arm. Of course, he had watched Kang Shin-hyuk tear through SSS-ranked monsters like they were pieces of paper and confront Janus. However, the biggest reason he respected Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t for that strength¡­ ¡°I heard the story.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°They say you¡¯re teaching Oh Hye-na, a freshman student.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We were also paying attention to her rapid growth. I just never thought that would be rted to you. It turned out to be simple. Not only her, but most of the people associated with you grew fast.¡± Yes, he thought it might be spotted someday. To put it inly, he could induce growth by giving Do Woojin an asional buff, so it was no exaggeration to say that most people close to him had benefited from his trait. It would be odder if the school didn¡¯t notice it. As Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, Ji Min-hye chimed in. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to deepen my own abilities. However, I would like to use that ability a little for the students. Please. Most of the students will die if they are pushed to the front lines like this. You know that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why an instructor.¡± Certainly, if they wanted to use his abilities properly, the title of the instructor was suitable. Of course, it was unreasonable to apply a 24-hour buff to all students as he did those close to him, but it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to promote their growth for a shorter period of time. But¡­Kang Shin-hyuk gently bit his lip, remembering Tsukuyo¡¯s words. He wondered if what she said woulde true like this. ¡°If possible, I would like to ask for weapons the students will use. Oh, of course, I¡¯ll pay any price! I¡¯ll have Mr. Lee Manwoo discuss that part.¡± ¡°These are the conditions we¡¯ve devised, so will you examine it? You will probably be the first beneficiary of the new superhumanw special provisions.¡± While Kang Shin-hyuk was immersed in thought, ire took the document on his behalf and scrutinized it. ¡°With this, you¡¯ll recognize Shin-hyuk as an official superhuman. However, in this case, it would be okay to think of Shinyoung as his guild. Are the teachers really okay with that?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± ¡°For the safety of the students, it doesn¡¯t matter what others see it as. In fact, for the next few years, or maybe even decades, normal superhuman education will be impossible, so if Shinyoung remains until then, it would be a good idea.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ There¡¯s nothing bad here for Shin-hyuk.¡± Naturally, the people around them smiled bitterly as she represented Kang Shin-hyuk. If anyone else saw it, they might think she was his guardian, but in reality, the two were in love. ¡°Shin-hyuk, what would you like to do?¡± ire, having read the provisions and thought it over, looked back at Kang Shin-hyuk as she asked that. Kang Shin-hyuk realized that she wished to ept this offer. ¡°I think your thoughts are set.¡± ¡°If you do, I¡¯ll be there to help. Still, it¡¯s impossible to run a bar in this situation.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± If Kang Shin-hyuk could strengthen the students and provided them with weapons, the school would be an army. Surely, the students would be stronger (maybe more than the teachers thought) and would be able to fight against Jormungand, but then Tsukuyo¡¯s words would be a reality. If Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t control it, their power would only grow¡­ ¡°Is it a leap?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook off Tsukuyo¡¯s words that remained in his mind to harass him. They weren¡¯t only a possibility but also a suggestion to him, who wanted to get rid of Jormungand. ¡°Okay, I will.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Finally, the teachers¡¯ faces brightened as he nodded. ¡°But I need plenty of holidays. I would also like to discuss discretion.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll give in to your will as much as we can.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll make us strong, but can you ept any conditions?¡± He was surprised by the respectful attitude of the principal and Ji Min-hye. ¡°¡­Us?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes, Siara Bertrand was the one to respond. ¡°Actually, we wanted to ask you to help not only the students but also the teachers who will be on the frontlines.¡± ¡°No¡­ What?¡± ¡°Shinyoung¡¯s future is as amunity. We don¡¯t want to differentiate between students and teachers and teach all equally¡­ It¡¯s all the same to us to be strong.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk grew agitated as he realized all the teachers gathered there were looking at him seriously. Yes, of course, his ability could strengthen them too, no, really¡­? ¡°Please take care from now on, instructor.¡± ¡°Please believe in instructor Kang Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all acting like big kids.¡± ire sighed and mumbled as Kang Shin-hyuk watched nkly. It was the moment that he took off his mask and was promoted to an official superhuman. Chapter 294 - School is a Legion (2)

Chapter 294 - School is a Legion (2)

¡°Please take care of us from now on, instructor Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Please speakfortably just like before, Mr. Bolton.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly as he regarded the middle-aged man, Emil Bolton, sitting before him. Was it only the bitter smiles that had increased these days? Emil Bolton, Mencius, who was once in the top 300, retired and now served as the male dormitory director. Now that Shinyoung was being transformed into abat group, he also decided to defend the students and fight alongside them. So, in the end, Emil epted the help of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability. ¡°No, as long as you¡¯re in a teaching position, I can¡¯t treat you as before. You¡¯re no longer a student but an instructor. We must make a distinction so that your disciples will know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... There¡¯s nothing to be done.¡± The two were in the private lounge of the royal ss. Since Kang Shin-hyuk was no longer a student, he needed to receive new amodations, so a new ce had been prepared for him. ¡°After that, I made a promise to share the sword with you, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t. But, I was able to keep my promise like this.¡± ¡°Promises like that...¡± Honestly, he had been so busy for the entire year. Nowadays, when he thought of the past, he thought of things that tormented him. But it wasn¡¯t something he could get rid of. ¡°Instructor Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I have a rough idea of what you¡¯re thinking. In that sense, I think the title given to you will help... Goodness.¡± It looked like he wanted to continue. Instead, he tapped on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder and changed the topic. ¡°The conversation with the principal is over. Keep using your old room. Is that alright with Boyle?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± ¡°Good... At times like these, it¡¯s good to have a lover.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything further and just left with a nod. Kang Shin-hyuk had a strange sense of appreciation for Emil, and then suddenly remembered he had never confirmed his status after evolving his trait. He had been blown around like in a storm since the trait evolved, so he had been distracted. [Kang Shin-hyuk: SSS+ Rank] (Synchronization rate 97.5%) [Trait] Royal Dragon (X): A dragon who has been given the authority to intervene by destroying the sky and climbing up to interact with the heavens. Having mastered the power to awaken the self and change others, he is now taking the first steps to change the world. [Physical ability] Strength: SSS+ Agility: SSS+ Stamina: SSS+ [Special ability] Spiritual Power: X- Breaker: X- [skill] Royal Dragon (X): SSS God Wind (X): SSS Space Domination (X): SS Dark Mastery (X): SS+ Light Mastery (SSS+): SS+ Fire Mastery (SSS+): SS+ Soul Poison (SSS+): SSS Metallurgy: SS+ Emotion: X Repair: S+ Although he had prepared for it, the change was extreme. It was ridiculous that all of his physical statuses had reached the current limit, but he was confident it was evidence he would soon exceed it. His special ability, Spiritual Power, and the new form of Golden Dragon Fighter had already reached X-rank. Those two had exceeded the current limit, so was there any reason his physical abilities couldn¡¯t? Even some of his skills had reached the X-rank for rarity and were nearing the current limit in proficiency. This wasn¡¯t just because of his awakening, but because he had gained overwhelming experience in his fight with Janus. That had especially helped his spiritual power. The rarity and proficiency of his other mastery skills had risen, but it was surprising that his wind mastery had transformed further. A skill that mastered the winds and rains was the most appropriate for a dragon that ascended to the heavens. ¡®But, this isn¡¯t just a skill to call the wind and rain.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk still remembered the moment when Janus arrived. They had overwhelmed the entire area with spiritual power andpletely changed the battlefield to fit them. God wind was a skill that could bring about a simr effect. In other words, it was magic that affected the entire battlefield. It was a tremendous ability that manifested Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability to strengthen allies and weaken enemies. With that skill, he could be seen as taking a step forward as a transcendental person suited for the Hero Universe. Of course,pared to Janus, he was still starting out, but with his trait, he would grow faster and stronger there. That had to be the case. If there was something else unexpected, it was that his emotion skill had reached X-rank. Was it because the level of his existence had been raised? Was it because of the change that hade over his eyes? He faced some physical changes as a result of his traits evolving. It was normal that he became a little taller and more refined, but the change that came to his eyes was a bit severe. Now his pupils were vertical, like a reptile¡¯s, and they shone five colors when he activated his Royal Dragon ability. However, because of that, his eyesight had improved remarkably. His ability to grasp the flow of energy was originally excellent, but it had only grown after his evolution, and he wondered if it was possible even to find and cut off the weaknesses in other¡¯s flow of energy. Perhaps that was why his emotion skill grew. ¡°How maic.¡± ¡°Oh, ire.¡± The lounge door opened, and ire walked in. Perhaps today was the first time she entered the royal ss with official approval. It was fortunate that it was originally a dormitory that didn¡¯t distinguish between men and women. If it were an ordinary male dormitory, Kang Shin-hyuk would¡¯ve had to meet her outside. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I had a little talk with Mr. Bolton. The paperwork has been processed.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been talking with the female teachers too.¡± ire sat next to him with a small smile, then leaned on his shoulder and pressed her forehead against his cheek. ¡°They really gave it to me; how can you flirt with a minor?¡± ¡°Ah, no way.¡± ire shared a nce with him before smiling once more. ¡°I mean, all I heard was, ¡®Wow, I was really surprised!¡¯, ¡®You work so well together!¡¯, ¡®The couple of the century!¡¯ They even asked me if I knew your identity from the start.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so noisy...¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it normal?¡± Their rtionship with each other, and even with Shin Eunah, couldn¡¯t be easily exined. ¡°That¡¯s why they were jealous of me for no reason. One even mentioned if they just weren¡¯t a teacher...¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t even want to know who that is.¡± He hoped it wasn¡¯t someone he knew. While Kang Shin-hyuk showed a disgusted face, ireughed then continued quieter. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not okay.¡± ¡°...Yes, actually me too.¡± ¡°But if we stop, it¡¯ll be how they want it.¡± In fact, the two weren¡¯t as depressed by Shin Eunah¡¯s death as others thought since the administrator confirmed she was alive. However, he felt frustrated that he was being pushed by Janus and the Hero Universe. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a potion that can break that damn bitch. Of course, you have to take my revenge for me.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m going to fix the whole system.¡± ire quietly pledged so as she buried her face in his chest. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but he knew what she was feeling. ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°Last time, you did a good job bringing me to that world.¡± ¡°Cy Xenon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded quietly. ¡°Because I¡¯ve grasped the idea of being able to change the system that manages the world with human hands. Of course, I¡¯ll need help.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Yes, help me. Jormungand, I hate ying with those strange things now.¡± ire stretched out her arms and held him tightly. It was the first time they had a chance to really talk since that day, so Kang Shin-hyuk felt a little nervous, but now it seemed to be okay. The two would continue to work well as partners in the future. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s themon room here, but it¡¯s a little bit...¡± Karen was staring at the two through the door that suddenly opened. Kang Shin-hyuk, having sensed her approach with his excellent emotion skill, responded eloquently. ¡°Everyone does this much.¡± ¡°No, I think her Majesty will cry, so why don¡¯t you take care?¡± The couple sighed and stood up. However, Karen didn¡¯t retreat as more members came in one after another. At that point, he knew that everyone had been listening in (though he had blocked the noise with his artifact), but why did they alle in? ¡°What do you mean why?¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°We want to discuss Masked Bhus.¡± Baek In-ha went to respond, but Lee Na-hee cut him off. Eleanor stuck behind them and nodded. She decided to pretend she didn¡¯t see them flirting. ¡°Now, it won¡¯t be like it used to; I want to go confidently. Maybe it¡¯d be more beneficial to remain here than to go lead Baekyang.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a radical judgment.¡± ¡°I-¡° Eleanor¡¯s voice sounded stiff. ¡°I¡¯ve already bet my fate on you. Even if you don¡¯t want to go to Ennd, you have to be firm.¡± ¡°Ah... Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk realized something as he listened to her. ¡°Will you ever go back to Ennd?¡± ¡°I refused, but it won¡¯t be over easily, so I need your help.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°All international students must be in a simr situation now. By the way, if Shinyoung said they were transforming into a battle guild, they have to leave and go home to be a soldier.¡± Karen smiled at Kang Shin-hyuk as she added to Eleanor¡¯s exnation. ¡°So, this is a situation where international students have to offer the merit of not returning to their home country... What do you think, Shin Eun-hyuk?¡± ¡°Hey, first, let¡¯s kick her out.¡± ¡°Ahhhhh! Don¡¯t! Let me stay!¡± Chapter 295 - School is a Legion (3)

Chapter 295 - School is a Legion (3)

Due to the attacks, the number of superhuman troops in each country had decreased as little as 20% and to as much as 50%. Superhuman powers such as the United States and Russia had suffered less damage because of therge number of guilds they had, but many were at the level of barely running superhuman associations and had no additional support from guilds. And, even in countries such as Ennd and France, the situation was serious. Of course, as in Korea, they decided to operate their own training institutions to confront the monsters. Many of them were calling back their international students as well. ¡°Since Shinyoung¡¯s ratio of international students is 60%... All those kids are leaving little by little.¡± The same could be said for the international students at Shinyoung, so the faculty convened to discuss it at dawn. Kang Shin-hyuk, who heard the stories yesterday from Baek In-ha and Eleanor, also participated with ire. The teachers were ncing at them asionally, but he understood. ¡°You can¡¯t even hold onto them. They¡¯re acting for their country.¡± ¡°Shall we talk to the government? Not only the students but also their family members will be given Korean nationality and brought to Korea.¡± ¡°No, will their countries let that stand?¡± Among Shinyoung¡¯s faculty and staff, there were quite a lot of foreigners, but most of them had naturalized to Korea, so they all decided to remain at Shinyoung. Rather than patriotism towards Korea, they felt like they belonged to a group called Shinyoung. ¡°What sort of patriotism is there for the students?¡± Gong Joonpyo, the teacher in charge of the non-technical training course, responded profoundly. Kang Shin-hyuk personally hated him, but he thought he was correct. The era of blindly imposing patriotism on people had long passed. In this era of widespread individualism, a sense of belonging was limited to the family and groups that benefited the individual. In other words, Shinyoung would be their home as long as it could benefit them. ¡°I think it¡¯s too extreme...¡± ¡°All you have to do is let them know that those who remain at Shinyoung will benefit. Of course, as said earlier, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to bring their families here. At least, the students who belong to countries with less power than Korea will be likely to ept.¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°I have to advise.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk spoke up, all eyes turned to him. Kang Shin-hyuk looked directly at Gong Joonpyo, who tantly turned away from him (they hadn¡¯t been able to talk since some pointst year) and smiled. ¡°All the students will be insecure. Like the terror that urred in the gym, students and teachers were killed and injured... So, why don¡¯t we make it clear how Shinyoung will change and protect the students?¡± ¡°Then, is it possible for you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Since Kang Shin-hyuk held the merits that could be presented to the students, he couldn¡¯t fall into that kind of work. What ire previously told the principal wasn¡¯t a joke. The moment they brought Kang Shin-hyuk in, it was as if they made him the center of Shinyoung. ¡°Actually, I spoke with some students yesterday.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± ¡°As we¡¯ve done in ss so far, we score points for students who are active in the field... They can get mileage.¡± ¡°Mileage?¡± ¡°It allows you to get rewards ordingly. It could be one-on-one training, a skill stone, or an artifact I created.¡± ¡°Ooh...¡± Some of the teachers muttered it was like a game, and Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t deny it. To earn points by actively fighting against enemies, then equipping yourself with skills or items you bought with those points...What was it if not a game? ¡°It¡¯s a very good suggestion for young students. The problem is readying the product...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it, but the teachers will need to help. You¡¯ll also need an agreement with the government.¡± ¡°Shinyoung¡¯s students already have a level of ability simr to or even exceeding those of superhumans on the frontline. The government will spare no expense to protect them.¡± Then, Kang Shin-hyuk coughed and nced over at Lee Manwoo, who was still in the corner. He nodded and emerged at the signal. ¡°Shin-hyuk will be exhibiting at the World Prize.¡± ¡°For... Are you talking about that World Prize, Mr. Lee Manwoo?¡± ¡°Is there more than one World Prize?¡± World Prize. It was the adult version of the rookie¡¯s creator contest heldst year, and it was a global artifact contest held once every five years. It was apetition that aimed to create stronger and more innovative artifacts, regardless of means or purpose, with artisans from across the world. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the title of World Prize champion make Shinyoung a more attractive ce?¡± ¡°But, Lee Manwoo, with the current state, will it be held...?¡± Siara Bertrand asked carefully. However, Kang Shin-hyuk briefly hallucinated that he saw a tail fluttering excitedly behind her. This woman followed Lee Manwoo out of great respect. If someone else saw it, she might be misunderstood! However, Lee Manwoo had a confident smile. ¡°I came after a discussion. When the world gets tough, the value of weapons increases.¡± No, with who?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively asked the question, and Lee Manwoo shrugged. ¡°The 3333 sponsors, who else? I asked them to open it in the US and France, but in the end, they did it in the country that paid the most.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t tell me because I think I know the end, sir.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remembered Eleanor¡¯s words yesterday pass through his mind. However, Lee Manwoo bulldozed on heartily with the answer he expected. ¡°It¡¯s in Ennd.¡± ¡°I knew it...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt everything fall into ce. One of the sponsors for the artifact contest was the British royal family! Thinking about it, it was clear that they did. That was why Eleanor had been there, wasn¡¯t it obvious? Then, the people who worked with Jormungand invaded and aimed at Eleanor... No, wait. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ -There is a possibility it will be aimed at. He wanted to ignore it. However, pretending not to know while already possessing a clear idea didn¡¯t fit his nature. He had the feeling he needed to go to Ennd at least once if he wanted to make a decision with those guys woven with himself and Eleanor, so oddly, it was a good chance. ¡°By the way, are all the weapons used by you made by yourself?¡± While he was thinking deeply about what to do, a teacher came up with that question. ¡°Yes, what?¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk gave that definite answer, the atmosphere in the office heated up. They didn¡¯t know the exact rank of the armaments he used, but they knew those weapons were incredibly powerful. ¡°Then, our weapons will be...!¡± ¡°They will depend on the mileage the teachers earn.¡± ¡°...Yeah?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes at their confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of discriminating against teachers. The mileage system should be charged equally to everyone. Oh, of course, I¡¯ll make basic equipment, but if you want that kind of gear, you¡¯ll have to try.¡± For reference, the basic equipment was still in the A+ to S ranks. It was of a level that even high-level guilds struggled to supply, rather than being basic. However, the faculty and staff, still unfamiliar with his abilities, had bright eyes as they thought of acquiring these great artifacts. It would be a good thing for Kang Shin-hyuk anyway. ¡°So, Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± Lee Manwoo looked at Kang Shin-hyuk with a strange face at his politeness, but he quickly recovered. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be humble about thispetition.¡± ¡°Will it be crazy?¡± ¡°More than this?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± If Kang Shin-hyuk really devoted himself to creating an artifact, he would probably break through the current limit, though Lee Manwoo couldn¡¯t predict that far. However, if he wanted to publicize his abilities and promote Shinyoung, he had to show off his skills to some extent. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded at Lee Manwoo, who was looking serious. ¡°Okay. Even if I kill Na-hee by drying her out, let¡¯s make something right.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, probably not drying but steamed... Huh.¡± As always, Lee Manwoo made a dangerous joke as he tried to put Lee Na-hee onto Kang Shin-hyuk, but then suddenly he froze. It was because of ire, who was ring at him. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m kidding, hahaha.¡± ¡°There are jokes you can make and ones you can¡¯t, huh? It¡¯s annoying because Na-hee doesn¡¯t know how to cover the front and back...¡± ¡°Oh, it looks like my granddaughter is doing very well... Hick, ah, no, no.¡± There was no other person who could protect Lee Manwoo. *** ¡°...So, in the future, I will serve as a battle instructor. Shinyoung will be the world¡¯s stronger superhuman organization. From the moment you step on the frontlines, you will be treated as one of the superhumans, and you will be given a dangerous but fair price for the honor of standing at humanity¡¯s forefront.¡± That afternoon, Kang Shin-hyuk stood before all the students. Their meeting ce was the gymnasium that had been attacked by Jormungand before. All the students attended the event, including the international students. The fact that they showed up meant they were weighing Shinyoung against their homnd. However, it would be difficult for them to abandon their home countries as it was, so Kang Shin-hyuk confidently revealed the relief measures Shinyoung prepared in consultation with the government to help them make their choice. Looking at their eyes now, the efforts Shinyoung and the Korean government put in didn¡¯t seem to be in vain. And... ¡°Students showing amazing achievements will be given a chance to join Masked Bhus.¡± That was the biggest merit he had thought of after talking with Karen and Baek In-ha the day before. The moment he said it, Kang Shin-hyuk himself had no clue what the response would be like. The gym had gotten overrun. Chapter 296 - School is a Legion (4)

Chapter 296 - School is a Legion (4)

¡°If you don¡¯t have the ability anyway, it¡¯s meaningless. Why do humans like fighting spirit so much?¡± -Kuoooo! The wyvern¡¯s cry carried concern over what he was feeling. Kang Shin-hyuk responded by feeding the Hell Spike Wyvern ¡®Hell¡¯ a snack he had purchased from the Hero Universe. ¡°It¡¯s like wearing a crown. It¡¯s cool, but a definite burden.¡± -Kooooo! Hell¡¯s head twisted around, and Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if those red horns were some feelers. ¡°Wow, woaahh...¡± ¡°It¡¯s real; it¡¯s the wyvern the Masked Bhus member was riding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so cool... Is it a male?¡± -Krrrr! Hell sounded disgruntled as the members of the Wyvern Knights murmured to each other. Kang Shin-hyuk stroked the wyvern¡¯s neck as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a girl.¡± ¡°No, that appearance ispletely male.¡± ¡°If you say that, you may be stabbed by Hell.¡± ¡°You understand it?!¡± ¡°When did you hear what we were talking about?¡± The ce where they were was the wyvern barn, a facility affiliated with the ckwood Training Center, exclusively used by the Wyvern Knights. The facility wasrgely expanded, and once were only two wyverns had been able to enter, now all the spike wyverns led by Hell were kept. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s identity was now known, so Hell, who recognized him as a master, didn¡¯t need to be set aside, so she was brought here. In addition, he had calcted that if a powerful riding monster called a spike wyvern was set out as a product, it could boost the students¡¯ enthusiasm. ¡°So, where has this wyvern been so far?¡± Do Woojin asked what all the members wanted to but couldn¡¯t. Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head as he replied. ¡°Africa, of course.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t Africa...¡± ¡°What bullshit. Didn¡¯t you see it flying?¡± Do Woojin silently touched his forehead and stepped back. Kang Shin-hyuk admired the Michael Jackson-like movement, but Karen spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous that you¡¯ve been left on that dangerous continent so far, but now you tell me it flew from there to Seoul?¡± ¡°Right.¡± In addition, although Africa was dangerous, Hell was a local monster living well there with the spike wyverns in the first ce. Moreover, due to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait, Hell had even evolved, so there wasn¡¯t much chance that such a monster would die. ¡°Besides, flying from Africa to Seoul... How long were you flying?¡± -Koooooooo! ¡°We flew for about five hours and rested for a bit in the middle. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Fast!¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been much faster if Hell was alone.¡± -Krrrrah! Hell naturally responded to his words. The cries were overbearing, even though it didn¡¯t intend for them to be, so those who didn¡¯t have high resistance were forced to step back. ¡°Ah, Kang Shin-hyuk is really Shin Eun-hyuk...¡± ¡°Only Shin Eun-hyuk could have such a ridiculous pet...¡± ¡°Then, is that really our leader? R?¡± As the third-years spoke, Kang Shin-hyuk and Karen quieted down. Yesterday, he had officially revealed the list of Masked Bhus members, but it was a little embarrassing to affirm it. On the other hand, Do Woojin, who had nothing to do with Masked Bhus, nodded confidently. ¡°I thought it was the boss from the start. That movement with the spear was the same, but the heels were too high.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be caught with something high-heeled, why wear high-heeled shoes?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she wanted to look tall?¡± ¡°Damn, captain!¡± Eleanor appeared at that point, her bright face red. ¡°How are you? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, you just decide you haven¡¯t heard.¡± Someone murmuring caught Eleanor¡¯s bitter nce, and everyone quieted down. No one wanted to be pierced by Eleanor¡¯s spear, who was now recognized as No. 6 in the world. ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s okay. Except for Mars and Meloy being scared of the neers.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded ordingly (Mars was the name of the me wyvern they had tamed before). Now, even though the two were talking inly, no one dared interrupt. This was because they learned the two were associates of an armed group that had been active together for more than half a year. ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Eleanor seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere that spread, as people acknowledged her rtionship with Kang Shin-hyuk. Karen stepped forward and covered Eleanor¡¯s face as she was showing a grimy look. ¡°But Mars is brave. He won¡¯t do anything forcefully, but he¡¯ll try to protect Meloy.¡± ¡°Oh, that...¡± The appearance of the A+ rank me wyvern trying to protect Meloy from the SS-rank spike wyverns was a little touching. Of course, they didn¡¯t have any intention of harassing Meloy or Mars, and if they really wanted to, it would take them less than three seconds to swallow them both up. ¡°Is it because Meloy is pregnant?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± At Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s words, all the people around him froze. ¡°What are you saying now?¡± ¡°Because Meloy is pregnant, Mars is trying harder.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That... pregnant...¡± No one could believe his shocking remarks. No, he was suspicious that he was the only one who knew. Shin-hyuk knew the second he examined Meloy with his spiritual power. ¡°What the hell...?¡± ¡°No, these guys are intelligent, but they wouldn¡¯t want to show us that. Secretly...¡± ¡°Oh, hey.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Then will the number of wyverns possessed by the knights increase?¡± ¡°Well, I like the spike wyverns.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the member who made thatst remark. He turned his head away quietly. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that... Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hopeless. If you umte a lot of mileage, you can be recognized as the owner of a spike wyvern. It¡¯ll be difficult because everyone wants one.¡± ¡°Just tell me honestly, there¡¯s no hope.¡± ¡°But spike wyvern...¡± Everyone was surprised. In the past, if a wyvern had grown pregnant, it would have been surprising if the whole school went crazy. ¡°The spike wyverns are resting here, but they aren¡¯t members of the Wyvern Knights. In that respect, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to be happy with the birth of the wyvern who is a member?¡± ¡°Can I see that as belonging to the knights?¡± ¡°Mars is a member, so what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°If you keep breeding like this...¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s clear there are three wyvern riders in the Wyvern Knights.¡± ¡°How old does a wyvern need to be to ride?¡± The members who had silently given up on their dreams began to chatter about their delusions. Kang Shin-hyuk thought the day woulde for these people to join as new members of Masked Bhus but decided to provide an independent congrattory speech for Meloy and Mars. ¡°Well, as a bonus...¡± He decided to put a buff on them as well, as he stretched out his hand and stroked the wyverns while infusing them with strength. He was nning on buffing the spike wyverns as much as possible, so he needed to stop that gap from widening. ¡°So, Eli.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What was the royal family¡¯s answer?¡± ¡°Come, but...¡± Eleanor made it clear she had no intention of returning to Ennd. When she returned, she was treated unfairly and would be pampered. Had she nothing to do with the royal family, she might¡¯ve gained tremendous poprity, but Eleanor was royalty. Unless she were seated as the next queen, she would be a thread. As a princess, she had enough pride and affection for her country, but nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t tolerate the way her life was controlled. Therefore, by discussing it with Kang Shin-hyuk, she decided to go out of Ennd and work independently with him, to give a firm answer to those who called her. At the same time, a public announcement was made by the Masked Bhus member R. Eleanor and R revealed that the British royal family couldn¡¯t hold onto them. ¡°I just knew...¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s suspicious.¡± ¡°For the time being, it might be better not to set foot on British soil... I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t.¡± Of course, Eleanor knew that. Kang Shin-hyuk had already made up his mind to submit to the World Prize, and... ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°Yes, well, you probably want her there.¡± ¡°What is it? What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°I really want to kill you.¡± ¡°Now, everyone go. The wyverns say they hate you for being noisy.¡± -Kooooooooo! Kang Shin-hyuk beckoned for the members who flocked to the wyverns to leave, and after checking their condition, withdrew himself. The spike wyverns had strengthened Shinyoung¡¯s position once more. ¡°Will there really be talents who can join Masked Bhus?¡± ¡°Here I am!¡± ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s a porter, it might be okay.¡± ¡°A porter?! You...¡± ¡°That¡¯s too real!¡± Karen, who had constantly been appealing to join, ran out angrily. Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed her without difficulty and looked back at Do Woojin, who flinched. ¡°Because your ranks are simr, I think you two will act together. Do well together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do well even if you don¡¯t say it. I¡¯m not interested in this Masked Bhus or whatever.¡± ¡°Really? Karen is joining?¡± ¡°...You said you wouldn¡¯t let me.¡± ¡°Huh? If Karen joins, will you join too?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± What youthful energy. Kang Shin-hyuk fussed over Do Woojin while holding onto him. Eleanor sighed anxiously as she followed behind. There were ten days until thepetition. Chapter 297 - School is a Legion (5)

Chapter 297 - School is a Legion (5)

¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk roughly waved his hand at Lee Jinseok, who had shouted at him. Yoo Hye-na and Jo Woon-hyung, standing next to him, seemed to be calmer. ¡°Please take care of us from now on, teaching assistants.¡± ¡°Being assistants, we¡¯re weaker than most students.¡± Lee Jinseok shook his head with an expression of disbelief at Kang Shin-hyuk. They had grown up together in the orphanage with him, fought together with him on the Africa expedition, and had awakened traits as superhumans under the influence of his trait. Lee Jinseok, a boy the same age as him, had acquired a B-rank trait called [Sharp der] that wrapped his sword in the wind to strengthen it. Likewise, Yoo Hye-na, a girl his age, had a B+ rank trait that fired off a powerful fireball named [me Shooter]. Finally, Jo Woon-hyung, a year younger, gained the A-rank trait called [Guardian], which could cause the earth to rise and strengthen his body. ¡°The traits are good, but, well, it must be weak.¡± Looking at the trait itself, they could be seen as ahead of a lot of Shinyoung¡¯s students, but the application of the ability itself was weak as they had just acquired the traits a few months prior. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and agreed; then Lee Jinseok shook his head again. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to focus on the strengths that only we have?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say about it. You¡¯re in charge of the practice. It¡¯ll be perfect for students who are still less experienced.¡± Although his intention was to grow his friends by keeping them close quickly, Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t have thought of using those unqualified. Although it hadn¡¯t been long since they started working, the students would be able to see and learn a lot from the mercenaries. ¡°More than that, he...¡± After greeting him, Lee Jinseok had a grimy expression as he struck Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shall we have a drink?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit. He¡¯s spent a lot of money since bing a mercenary.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying that.¡± ¡°Hyung, that...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s okay. Woon-hyung and Hye-na too.¡± He knew what they were worried about. It was enough to take care of it, and in fact, they didn¡¯t even need to interfere. Kang Shin-hyuk patted Lee Jinseok and Jo Woon-hyung on the shoulder, then frowned at Yoo Hye-na, who was behind them. ¡°Ah, Hye-na, there¡¯s a kid with the same name as you... Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Do you think I haven¡¯t met a kid with the same name once or twice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very famous kid.¡± Yoo Hye-na immediately realized what he meant. The name of Oh Hye-na had been confirmed as one of those joining Masked Bhus. Not to mention, she was now the Rookie King for the year and also his disciple. ¡°Senior, you...?¡± Oh Hye-na, who came up after noticing Kang Shin-hyuk, nced at Lee Jinseok with an odd expression. Kang Shin-hyuk could guess what she was thinking. ¡°Teaching assistants. They¡¯ll be in ss today.¡± ¡°Huh... Ouch!¡± Oh Hye-na regarded them with cold blue eyes, making a face that said she couldn¡¯t understand but was promptly flicked in the forehead by Kang Shin-hyuk. She quickly calmed down and bowed her head. Kang Shin-hyuk opposed corporal punishment, but there were times when he could sympathize with those old Spartan teaching methods. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Then...¡± As soon as Oh Hye-na finished greeting them, she ran away, afraid of what trick Kang Shin-hyuk might try next. Lee Jinseok looked on nkly as she escaped. ¡°Pretty... Ooh!¡± And he was hit by the fireball that Yoo Hye-na made and was blown away. Did this guy really want to do well with Yoo Hye-na? Kang Shin-hyuk and Jo Woon-hyung sighed together as they watched. *** ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start ss.¡± Today was the first day that Kang Shin-hyuk would teach a ss. Of course, Shinyoung would¡¯ve been satisfied if he only just reinforced the students with his ability (they hadn¡¯t figured out what kind of ability it really was), but Kang Shin-hyuk actually wanted to teach them something. sses A and B of the first years werebined to conduct a joint ss. The students had to be reinforced as much as possible, so the sses were conducted without breaks in the morning. ¡°I thought a lot about the content of the ss, but exploring a mock dungeon, every ss isn¡¯t possible...¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Crazy...¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk flicked his fingers, the artifacts that the students had equipped floated in the air. In fact, it was the first time Kang Shin-hyuk had done anything like it. The armaments of the enemies he faced were usually strongly bound by their magical power, so it was difficult to manipte at such arge scale no matter how well he handled his spiritual power. However, it was possible to manipte the artifacts the students handled with only a basic application of his trait. ¡°The only route for me is the cheapest, so let¡¯s see if you improve if you fight me. Attack me with all you got. If an attack hits me, I¡¯ll give you mileage.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be done, ahhh!¡± Oh Hye-na spoke up for the wordless students and promptly received a sound hit to her forehead as Kang Shin-hyuk flicked the air at her. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll try to match your level. So, go ahead and fight.¡± ¡°What does this ss mean?¡± A courageous male student spoke. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, acknowledging it was a good question. At the same time, the armament the boy held struck him in the back of the head. ¡°Kahak, kah...¡± ¡°Youck actual practice. Duels and actual battles arepletely different. You allck the ability to cope with unforeseen surprises in particr.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah...!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I intend to have you deal with as many weapons and abilities possible in order to reproduce the environment of the battlefield as closely as possible.¡± Various abilities and weapons... Honestly, he thought he could be confident in this field. With the various masteries he learned through the Hero Universe and his skillful mastery of weapons, he could give the students a wide breadth ofbat experience. ¡°I¡¯ll do this over and over again. It¡¯ll be a sess if you grow even a little in your ability to resist.¡± ¡°That just means we¡¯ll keep being beaten by senior... Ah!¡± Oh Hye-na, who bravely criticized Kang Shin-hyuk, leaned over to avoid the surprise attack as her greatsword rotated toward her rapidly. ¡°Kh!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± However, the moment she evaded sessfully, the sword rotated back around and struck her back. She grew upset at her inability to escape. ¡°That movement was fine, but in ss, call me teacher.¡± ¡°Ha...¡± ¡°What is it really? Is that all?¡± ¡°I saw you fighting in the gym... That swordsmanship is real.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ruined...¡± All of the students hadn¡¯t realized so far how Kang Shin-hyuk controlled the dozens of weapons at once. Which was, of course, his intention. The image of Kang Shin-hyuk was strong for them, perhaps even more so than his image as Shin Eun-hyuk. ¡°Okay, everyone seems to be ready. Then... Shall we start? First of all, the assistants.¡± ¡°Yes... Huh?¡± It was the moment Lee Jinseok realized what was happening, having assumed prior that he would be able to take it easy as an assistant. ¡°Students should watch and see how the assistants cope. You¡¯re simr in ability, but watch and learn how those ahead of you act.¡± ¡°Ultimate...¡± ¡°No, if you put this pressure on us...¡± ¡°Then go.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± For Kang Shin-hyuk, there was no difference in who needed to be stronger between the teaching assistants and the students. Lee Jinseok and Yoo Hye-na were soundly beaten and forced to roll on the floor. Jo Woon-hyung, with his special defense trait, did much better, but as he was used to moving in a team, he struggled harder as he diligently tried to help his friends. ¡°Kehek, haha...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die, I¡¯ll really die!¡± ¡°Energy, overflowing, but... Fuu.¡± ¡°After roughly three minutes of battle, the assistants were barely released from their suffering. Kang Shin-hyuk instilled his trait in them to encourage natural healing and looked back at his students with a smile. ¡°Now, did you get a sense from their movement?¡± ¡°It only looked like they were barely surviving, but I guess!¡± That student was soundly beaten. He did worse than the assistants in that he didn¡¯t even know how he was beaten. The students didn¡¯t want to say anything else, but Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s bright smile forced them to. ¡°Uh... Something... Desperately...¡± One finally spoke up. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good answer. Then do you know what makes them different from you?¡± ¡°Well...¡± ¡°Intuition?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk admired the words that followed. ¡°Right. It¡¯s the same that they were beaten in the end, but these guys keep getting nervous so they can react quickly to my attacks. Being able to sense and respond in a realm of intuition is the first step towards surviving on the battlefield.¡± At that moment, the weapons floating in the air flew at their masters. Some students, like Oh Hye-na, had the intuition that something was happening and managed to avoid it, but most of them found themselves on the floor. ¡°Intuition is the body¡¯s direct warning that involves all your stats. Of course, working in a dangerous environment will develop that intuition. But there¡¯s one more answer that hasn¡¯te out yet...¡± That was teamwork. The assistants clearly divided their roles and tried to respond even in the midst of fighting systematically. However, expecting the young students who were desperate to develop their own abilities toe together was too much. Kang Shin-hyuk thought that cultivating teamwork would be the most effective way to increase their chances of survival. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll realize it after a few more times.¡± ¡°Senior... Sir, just let us know... Shit!¡± ¡°During ss, use honorifics.¡± ¡°Ughhhhhhh.¡± And so, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ss began in earnest. It was the moment his power covered the whole school. Chapter 298 - School is a Legion (6)

Chapter 298 - School is a Legion (6)

While Kang Shin-hyuk was directly facing the students, ire joined Shinyoung¡¯s system support team. She was the core developer of the Royal ss management system, as well as an expert on magic-based programming, which created artifacts with machines as well as alchemy. If she had worked on the system of the first gymnasium, it could¡¯ve ended without such a big sacrifice from Jormungand¡¯s attack. Now, she had the task of reforming Shinyoung¡¯s system. In particr, in both security and early warning, ire¡¯s full intervention was urgent. ¡°Up until now, even though I was asked, I refused because it was a bother.¡± ire was leaning against Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s chest with her eyes closed as she discussed her new job with a bitterugh. ¡°I must¡¯ve made a mistake. Until now, there must¡¯ve been something else I could¡¯ve done while running a bar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. It¡¯s arrogant to take responsibility for everything because you have the ability.¡± ¡°Well... Yeah, I think Eunah did it.¡± Shin Eunah didn¡¯t hesitate to use her abilities to protect others. Sometimes, she even seemed to have a sense of mission. There were times when it went as far as an obsession that dominated her. Kang Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t yet fully realized that it was an effort to remain a good child until the day she met Anvil again. ¡°Every human has to live for himself... I really don¡¯t like the way of life that throws yourself out for others.¡± ¡°Huh... I¡¯ve lived thinking that way too. When I saw Eunah this time, I wondered if I was wrong.¡± ¡°ire and Eunah are different.¡± ¡°Yes, I know, but uh, that¡¯s annoying. It¡¯s like a curse.¡± ire, looking like she wasn¡¯t convinced, pouted. ¡°What do you think about Eunah in this situation where we can¡¯t y well because of her?¡± ¡°From the outside, it looks like a couple of cockroaches.¡± When the two talked, Shin Eunah naturally came up, and the atmosphere subsided. But, even considering that, the two of them were too sticky. Perhaps it was because they couldn¡¯t stick to each other very much because of their identities, so they took the chances they could. ¡°No, but it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough?¡± ¡°Yes. Hug me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his arms and hugged her from behind, but ire shook her head firmly. ¡°Hold me a little tighter.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Yes... Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, feeling yful, hugged her so tight that she couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Kah, now, it tickles, kk.¡± He blew on her nape, having no intention of letting go even if she got annoyed. ire began to wriggle as he used his God Wind to carry his breath. ¡°Hah, don¡¯t, stop, weak there...¡± ¡°Hey, are you two doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bridget Poulsen spoke up; the woman sat across from them with several beers as she watched the lovey-dovey couple. She was sittingfortably in her casual clothes. Despite radiating the aura of a model, her expression was a mess. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you two sticking together too much? Besides, I haven¡¯t even talked about it.¡± ¡°So, who wants to interfere when this happens?¡± They had been able to calm their minds after a few days barely, and now they were just about to spend some alone time together. However, Bridget, who had vanished after Shin Eunah¡¯s disappearance, appeared now to interfere with them! That¡¯s why they had a desire to show off intentionally. ¡°It¡¯s really too much; if you¡¯re not going to talk about it, you can insert something else! Oh my, it looks good...¡± ¡°Do you have a disease that you¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t say stuff like that?!¡± They worried about her leaving for a few days, but they weren¡¯t ready for her to return. ¡°Then, will you talk to me now?¡± ¡°Whoo, we said everything we couldst time.¡± ire said this with a displeased look, having no intention of leaving Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arms. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what, right.¡± Immediately after the incident, Kang Shin-hyuk gave a short exnation of the current situation to Bridget. He couldn¡¯t tell her of the Hero Universe, so he lied that Shin Eunah had an artifact made by Kang Shin-hyuk that served as a locator. In fact, considering the existence of the Great Heavenly Spirit, it wasn¡¯t really a lie. When it finished evolving, it was possible to use it to find Shin Eunah. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something you¡¯re still hiding, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll tell me that far.¡± ¡°That also gave me a hint. You need to be strong?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Bridget nced at Kang Shin-hyuk sulkily, but he wouldn¡¯t tell her. Bridget was someone who could be trusted, but that wasn¡¯t enough. He had to wait for her to be a member of the Hero Universe. Even the administrator said it wouldn¡¯t be too long. ¡°Well, I came here to do that, though.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s what I was talking about today.¡± Bridget threw the can of beer in her hand down on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve retired. ¡°From Hollywood?¡± ¡°No, all of my original work.¡± ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and ire had the same shocked expression. She wouldn¡¯t let go of it even when she became a top ranker, but now she quit it? What the hell was Shin Eunah to her? ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much? ire quit bartending too.¡± ¡°Yes? No, if I talk about my bar, it was half my greed, and half that Shin-hyuk tried to flirt with... Besides, now¡¯s not the time to leisurely y as a bartender.¡± ¡°I thought so too.¡± Bridget raised her head. It seemed that the decision wasn¡¯t that easy for her either as she opened her second can of beer. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the two of you think, but I was sincere about my unnie. Oh, as a bonus, even for the Death Puppeteer.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s done now.¡± ¡°By the way, after I saw my unnie that way and seeing such an uproar in each country... I feel like I can¡¯t be a fool forever. To put it openly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going back to Hollywood.¡± It was very straightforward, making Bridget look like a normal person. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if it was because of the shock she faced from losing Eunah. ¡°Besides, the Puppeteer tells me to be strong if I want to meet her again. You weren¡¯t kidding; I know it¡¯s not a joke. I think I have no choice but to live as a real superhuman now.¡± ¡°Then, what you were gone for...¡± ¡°Ah... Yes, it is.¡± Bridget calmly revealed that she had been filming all night the past few days. ¡°All the work that could be finished was forcibly finished, and what I didn¡¯t want to do was discarded at a penalty. Ipletely said goodbye to my manager.¡± ¡°You even had a manager.¡± ¡°She was pretty and good at working, but still not better than Eunah.¡± ¡°Why did the standard be Eunah?¡± ¡°Because the manager fucks with me...¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± Some dangerous words came out if you were off your guard. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head as ire regarded Bridget. ¡°You, have you finished talking with Shinyoung?¡± ¡°Oh, how¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve been licensed here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. Come to think of it, Bridget couldn¡¯t enter the Royal ss if she were an outsider. Yet here she was, which meant she had received permission from the school. ¡°To be strong, I have to stick to the Death Puppeteer, right? Give it to me too, ire.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t do that. Tonight, the three of us in the same bed...¡± ¡°No.¡± They let in this walking obscene broadcast! ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the way it happened, so please, Mr. Puppeteer!¡± ¡°Huh. So what are you doing at Shinyoung? Teaching?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± Bridget giggled and opened up her third can of beer. She was kicked out by ire and forced back to her room in tears. *** The next day, Kang Shin-hyuk clearly discovered what her work was. ¡°Come on, show a dignified face here.¡± ¡°Ha...¡± The camera on the head of the drone reflected sunlight as it floated in the air. For some reason, Kang Shin-hyuk was asked to pose alongside Bridget. ¡°I don¡¯t think there was anything like this in my job.¡± ¡°Well? You said Ms. Poulsen promised to take a poster together.¡± ¡°Bridget...¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Bridget grimly, she responded with a cute face. ¡°Oh, that makes me excited.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m very excited too! My blood¡¯s boiling!¡± ¡°Oh, you look really good now! Now! Take it now!¡± Bridget quickly turned to the camera and shouted, and the drone quicklyplied. What followed was a fight against Bridget, but the result was really great. ¡°The era of movies and dramas ising now. The world is tough, but who¡¯s watching it? Instead, the video of superhumans fighting against monsters will be a huge hit! Videos of attractive superhumans bravely conquering the gate and defending humanity! Shinyoung¡¯s reputation will increase!¡± ¡°Yes, I see very well that your essence remains the same...¡± It seemed that she was changing the stage! It was a pretty good idea, but...! On that day, posters of the two were spread on the inte. Bridget¡¯s Metube ount, which had been transformed into Shinyoung¡¯s official promotional channel, featured a video of her and Kang Shin-hyuk. It surpassed 50 million views in just ten hours. The times were changing... Chapter 299 - Chiral (1)

Chapter 299 - Chiral (1)

After school, Kang Shin-hyuk was fully tired of people calling him ¡®Puppeteer¡¯ and ¡®instructor¡¯ as he headed for the workshop. In the past, he felt a little ufortable to be with Lee Na-hee for hours in that narrow room, but nowadays (because she was afraid of ire), Lee Na-hee was refraining from being a nuisance. Moreover, it had been a long time since he had a chance to work with her, given how busy things had been since the incident. ¡°Junior, look at this. More than 1 million followers on your social media!¡± But when he opened the door and entered, Lee Na-hee had her phone out to him unexpectedly. ¡°SNS...do you enjoy doing that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk gave her a thumbs-up as Lee Na-hee smiled brightly, still pushing the phone screen towards him. ¡°Yeah, do your best, Senior Na-hee. Senior is number one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard like that. Eli is still at 970,000. My lead is overwhelming...!¡± ¡°Eli is doing social media too?! No, it¡¯s not that overwhelming of a difference?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not number one.¡± Today, Lee Na-hee¡¯s expressions were really worth seeing. It was like adjusting the brightness on a TV with how quickly her face shifted from bright to dark and back. She was excited to have alone time with Kang Shin-hyuk after a while, but he didn¡¯t try to understand her feelings. ¡°Who¡¯s your target? You¡¯re not trying topete with Bridget, right? She was a Hollywood actress.¡± ¡°You crazy? Bridget unnie has more than 200 million followers.¡± ¡°200 million...¡± Though he knew she was a world-ss celebrity, he wasn¡¯t interested in the entertainment industry by nature, so Kang Shin-hyuk just considered Bridget an annoying older noona who kept hitting on everyone. However, when he heard that her number of followers was that many, he was forced to realize it. That¡¯s why Shinyoung¡¯s name had risen drastically in value among not only superhumans but regr people. Although he felt a bit resentful, he had to admit that Bridget¡¯s presence was a tremendous help. ¡°Huh? Then who is it? Not Eli... Is it ire?¡± ¡°ire isn¡¯t doing social media. She did it before... I think it stopped when she met you- Uh...¡± The atmosphere became a little strange. Kang Shin-hyuk took care to search for a way to switch the topic, but Lee Na-hee answered first. ¡°Vita unnie.¡± ¡°Vita?!¡± The Masked Bhus members who didn¡¯t know she was an android just treated her normally. Vita would often tell them not to call her unnie or noona, but they couldn¡¯t dare counter the mature mood she exuded. Kang Shin-hyuk took the phone from Lee Na-hee and checked Vita¡¯s SNS ount. It really was Vita herself! Her shyly blushing face was immediately recognizable, and she already had more than 5 million followers. Shinyoung was originally an institution that received worldwide attention, and Vita upied a very special position as an acquaintance of Kang Shin-hyuk and ire, so it made sense on further thought. ¡°I heard that the caf?? is exploding in poprity.¡± ¡°Not that much. When I go to the caf??, there¡¯s no idol concert.¡± Vita started operating a caf?? on the first floor of the Unyu hall. It was one of the conditions proposed by Kang Shin-hyuk and ire while working at Shinyoung. Since they couldn¡¯t separate from Vita, it was a brilliant job that was just right for Vita, who was originally a bartender in Cy Xenon, so she epted it with great joy. And the pictures she posted were... ¡°...It¡¯s justtte art.¡± ¡°There are also many cocktail drinks.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± When Vita took over as the manager, the caf?? was renovated and expanded significantly, now selling cocktails as well as coffee and tea. Of course, they were strictly non-alcoholic cocktails that students could drink. The non-alcoholic cocktails were put in cheer packs (a container that was easy to carry) and sold inrge quantities. However, there were also potions essential forbat being sold. Despite having a fairly high cost, they were being sold like hotcakes. In fact, if ire wanted to, she could¡¯ve dealt directly with Shinyoung under the Alchemist¡¯s name, but she instead pushed for selling potions in the caf??. Mainly because she thought it was a fun RPG-like scene as the students searched the suburban dungeons and bought potions sold by the school. ¡°And other than that, portrait photography.¡± ¡°Yes, no matter how much I look at it, that is it.¡± In addition to Vita¡¯s shy selfies, there were photos of ire and Kang Shin-hyuk, and there was explosive interest in those photos in particr. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that Vita¡¯s ount actually reflected the interest in Kang Shin-hyuk and ire. Plus, she was rapidly gaining more and more followers, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to eventually hit the 10 million mark. ¡°Junior, take a picture with me.¡± ¡°I know why.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± Lee Na-hee looked in disbelief after asking. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled. ¡°You¡¯re also Masked Bhus. You¡¯re afraid you need to show off that you¡¯re close to me.¡± ¡°Then, should you kiss my cheek while we¡¯re doing it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°A real man of the Joseon dynasty...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took a selfie with Lee Na-hee, who managed to hide her timidity. Sure enough, it was cute to see her so restless, but she was quick to upload once the picture was taken. ¡°Oh, as soon as I uploaded it, Elimented. I¡¯m scared where she is now, so I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± After Lee Na-hee put away her phone, the two started working. The object they made to exhibit at the World Prize was none other than a shield. ¡°Since the shield has a wide panel, it¡¯s easy to use runes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re writing with all your might.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to show off.¡± ¡°Yes, as a result, it would be nice to settle into the SS+ rank.¡± Lee Na-hee looked stunned at his words. Considering that the highest rating among the artifacts that won the Prize before was the SS-rank artifact Lee Manwoo created, his remark was indeed arrogant. However, Lee Na-hee knew of his true abilities. His words that he would be able toplete it with SS+ rank wasn¡¯t a bluff. ¡°Hey, you know, if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can I make one separately?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes opened wider as he took out the email that had been prepared in advance by Lee Manwoo. ¡°You mean you want to make something and submit it yourself?¡± ¡°Yes. You know that I used to create essory-type artifacts by myself.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°So if you make the shape... I want to do all the rest. No?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pondered it for a moment. He knew well of Lee Na-hee¡¯s desire to create artifacts, born from the wish to follow her parents. However, because she didn¡¯t have the talent of a cksmith... ¡®It¡¯s already been more than half a year since her trait evolved. Then, I think we can try to take the next step.¡¯ This might be a great opportunity to develop her skills. If she could create a great artifact on her own...Kang Shin-hyuk happily agreed. ¡°So, let¡¯s do that. One as a team, and one under your name.¡± ¡°No, you can enter up to two entries per team, so let¡¯s go with the team name. Besides, even if you only make the shape, your ability will enter it a lot... You don¡¯t have to remove your name. Because we¡¯re a team.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it now, but since I¡¯ve decided to go with you all my life, I don¡¯t intend to sell artifacts under my name. All of ourokay?¡± Lee Na-hee emphasized the team very much because of the mood. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed, thinking about the meaning she put in that name. Gradually, he felt like he was sliding into a pit, but he hoped it was just an illusion. *** Despite his initial worries, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to adapt to his changed position at Shinyoung quickly. Thinking about it, it had been the samest year. How quickly did those around him change when he awakened his spiritual power? Now that he was revealed to be the world¡¯s No. 1, the students quickly epted Kang Shin-hyuk as their instructor. And, something he didn¡¯t expect was that the fact he was in a rtionship with ire produced even better results. His poprity exploded in Shinyoung now, given his close ties with her. How shallow was human perception? Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he gained a new understanding of humans. ¡°You said it¡¯s going to start in a few days?¡± ¡°Three. I¡¯m sorry, we can¡¯t go together. Staying here must be frustrating.¡± After ten o¡¯clock in the afternoon, right after finishing work with Lee Na-hee, Kang Shin-hyuk was talking with Vita in the closed caf??. Unlike ire, who shared a room with Kang Shin-hyuk, Vita usually stayed in the dorm attached to the Unyu hall. So, today he hade to talk to her. ¡°No, dad. I like this ce.¡± Vita seemed to be telling the truth as she smiled with sincerity. For Vita, who was born in a perished world and had only been able to talk to a handful of people, having the chance to talk with countless people every day was a great help. ¡°Here... It feels simr to that ce. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sad sometimes, but, should I say, I¡¯ve be more familiar...¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Vita muttered as she swept the counter with one hand. When Kang Shin-hyuk frowned and asked, she nodded. ¡°Supporting people leaving for the battlefield and serving drinks... Waiting for them to return safely.¡± ¡°Ah, um... Yes, maybe it is.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s expression twisted slightly as he observed Vita¡¯s bitter expression. Vita put her hand on his. ¡°Dad, will youe back safely?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m going to get an award.¡± ¡°Woohoo, I¡¯ll be waiting then.¡± After Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trusty response, Vita approached him carefully and touched her cheeks and lips. When Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes widened slightly, she looked dissatisfied. ¡°I want a kiss, but my mother says you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes, I see.¡± ¡°We¡¯re father and daughter.¡± ¡°Yes... I still can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Cheh.¡± Seeing Vita pretend to be spiteful, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like it was the right decision to bring her here. As a bonus, he decided to ask ire about her strict mandates. She decided that perhaps it would be fine to kiss with supervision. Chapter 300 - Chiral (2)

Chapter 300 - Chiral (2)

They departed for London, Ennd. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh at Eleanor, who seemed to have no intention of moving away from him. ¡°Are you really going?¡± ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t fail.¡± The suspicion that he had been two-timing, which gradually disappeared after his identity was discovered, was once more on the rise. However, from his point of view, it was actually helpful for Eleanor toe along. It would be a good way to keep Lee Na-hee in check! ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay here? I don¡¯t know if there will be more issues because of Eli.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll happen anyway, so I¡¯d better go. As a bonus, I can also get rid of the fly around Shin-hyuk.¡± ¡°Once upon a time, a philosopher said, to know yourself...¡± ¡°That is something Na-hee must keep in mind.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed at the two fighting before they even left school. It was then... ¡°Hey, do well.¡± ¡°Okay... Ah.¡± ire, who hadn¡¯t been in physical contact with him in public because of the people¡¯s gazes, kissed Kang Shin-hyuk as the two were arguing. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ah, aah!¡± ¡°Unnie!¡± The two, as well as all the faculty members and students who came to see them off, froze in unison as ire smiled with satisfaction and quietly ced her index finger to his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve put a lock on your lips now. You can¡¯t do this with other women.¡± ¡°Yes, please believe in that part.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk held her hand in reply. ire nodded with a slightly relieved expression. It wasn¡¯t like this before, but after Shin Eunah disappeared, ire¡¯s obsession had grown slightly. Since a close friend disappeared in front of her, he thought she might be doing this unconsciously to fill that emptiness with Kang Shin-hyuk. However, he couldn¡¯t say that out loud out of fear that he might hurt her. Next to them, Lee Na-hee¡¯s cheeks went red as she pointed at ire. ¡°How could you do that in front of everyone, unnie?!¡± ¡°Is this an elementary school? We can say goodbye.¡± ire responded with faint anxiety that only Kang Shin-hyuk was able to recognize. Lee Na-hee pouted at her leisurely appearance. ¡°Is that just a goodbye? Then can¡¯t I do it too? Every morning and night with my junior...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a goodbye; it¡¯s one only we do because we¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°And Na-hee, despite not dating in Parisst year...¡± ¡°Ahhh! I can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°...What sort of cartoon is this?¡± ¡°Explode...! Please explode!¡± The party was able to set off barely after that. Surprisingly, they took a light aircraft from the school¡¯s new airfield directly to the Heathrow airport. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty big?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny to see that the school has an airfield.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the trend. Maybe your influence will be great.¡± ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s go in. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The reason why the airfield was created was simple. Due to the decrease in superhumans in each country, it was difficult to maintain routes, and the number of aircraft operations had reduced to a tenth of their previous number. As such, it became difficult to obtain tickets and to control timing, so in the case ofrge institutions, they turned towards operating their own aircraft. Of course, the new airfield and nes Shinyoung had were thanks to support from the government and variouspanies. Among them, many foreignpanies had to assist out of a desire to show off to Kang Shin-hyuk. He increasingly felt that his existence was having arge influence on Shinyoung, and now he was growing somewhat anxious about whether he would remain there. But he couldn¡¯t turn back now. ¡°Eli, are you really not going to ride?¡± ¡°Yes, because I¡¯m an escort.¡± Lee Manwoo and Lee Na-hee already went inside while Eleanor climbed onto Hell¡¯s back, iming to be Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s guard. Ever since the battle in Africa, Hell had not only been following Kang Shin-hyuk but also Eleanor, having grown closer to her as well. ¡°I don¡¯t need any other escort personnel with you here...¡± Even without that, there would be a way. For example, he could assimte Onyx with the airne¡¯s fusge to raise its defense to the extreme or borrow drones from ire to use as an escort. However, Eleanor wouldn¡¯t step back, saying she would defend the ne. ¡°That¡¯s why no one knew you were a princess.¡± ¡°Hell, please take care of it.¡± -Kuruuuuu The hell spike wyvern was no slower than an airne, so it seemed like a safe flight. In the first ce, they all could have flown wyverns, but that was a bad way to enter Britain without any warning. ¡°Then please, Eli.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to me. If Na-hee tries to do something inside, shout.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay?¡± May those two never break their friendship themselves. Kang Shin-hyuk boarded the ne with a sigh to find Lee Na-hee lying down. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been working hard since morning, and I¡¯m tired...¡± ¡°Who¡¯s to me for that?¡± ¡°Me...¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m d.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and wrapped a nket around her shoulders. Even though he knew such careful consideration would make her greedy, it was impossible to be deliberately rude. ¡°I¡¯d also like a good night kiss.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Cheh, I hate you.¡± ¡°Just me me.¡± ¡°No, my unnie is bad.¡± Not that ire was great in the first ce for engaging in excessive affection in front of everyone, but Lee Na-hee might¡¯ve been worse. It was pointless to say that to Lee Na-hee, though. Instead of kissing, he gently stroked her forehead. ¡°Uh?!¡± ¡°Maybe there will be a lot of disturbing things where we¡¯re going. Rest now.¡± ¡°Treating me like this... Please pet me more.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll really leave.¡± The ne soon took off. Hell, having already taken flight, swung over the sky to announce it was safe. Kang Shin-hyuk prayed that the British royal family wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid as heid down himself. Lee Na-hee turned to face him, whispering. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t it feel like we¡¯re lying together?¡± ¡°Grow up a little.¡± *** A few hourster, the nended safely at Heathrow airport. Around them, people were surprised to see a brave wyvern escorting the airne alone, but even more surprising was the identity of the girl on that wyvern. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the princess?¡± ¡°Why is the princess on a wyvern...?¡± ¡°Ah, Shin Eun-hyuk!¡± ¡°The Puppeteer!¡± He was expecting it, but there was no privacy to be found. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed at the shesing from all directions before they even left the terminal. The British wanted to make Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor theirs, not only the royal family. ¡°Just one interview, please!¡± ¡°Can you see me? This way!¡± They tried to approach them and capture the two together, but Lee Na-hee¡¯spetitive spirit was ring. If she hadn¡¯t heard ire before they left, she might¡¯ve taken his arm. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t Eli more dangerous than me?¡± ¡°Are you really sticking with that sort of excuse?¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± With Hell on her shoulder, Eleanor caused all the reporters to scatter as she approached him and Lee Na-hee. ¡°Na-hee, get away. You have to be especially careful about anything that merits a photo.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a remark from an experienced person?¡± -Murrrr Hellughed as she pped her wings and moved over to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. Wait... ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Afternding, she suddenly got smaller.¡± ¡°I know she¡¯s smaller.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk petted the mini Hell and looked at her with his spiritual power. Despite being smaller, there was no change in ability. It seemed that this dramatic change was possible due to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability. ¡°You¡¯ve be cute.¡± -Myuruuu Because it grew smaller, its crying became cuter. Eleanor and Lee Na-hee looked at Hell sternly as he petted her. As Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed at them, they turned away quickly. Surely they weren¡¯t jealous of Hell? Lee Manwoo, ahead of them now, called out. ¡°Don¡¯t y around; let¡¯s go quickly. Still, shouldn¡¯t we do some sightseeing?¡± ¡°The tourist attractions are empty due to the attacks.¡± ¡°So, won¡¯t it be more fun to y?¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s different for someone who¡¯s lived a long time?¡± ¡°Granddaughter, I know you¡¯re excited, but do it in moderation.¡± Lee Manwoo walked in the lead, with Kang Shin-hyuk following behind, with Lee Na-hee and Eleanor quarreling in the back for who walked next to him. As they tried to exit the airport, a group wearing shiny armor lined up in front of them. ¡°Oh, they showed up at the time I expected.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk mumbled as the man in the most colorful armor came forward and bowed politely to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I sincerely wee your visit to the UK. I want to have Kang Shin-hyuk meet the royal family. Would you pleasee with me?¡± ¡°Even my party?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± His face changed little, even with Eleanor put right in front of him. He had well anticipated this. But, Kang Shin-hyuk began to mumble vacantly. ¡°Hmm, what to do? Will it be better than the hotel we booked?¡± ¡°Ah, of course.¡± Perhaps his attitude was unexpected, as the man¡¯s voice trembled. He pretended to think for a moment before nodding happily. ¡°Okay, then. We¡¯ll do some sightseeing and go in the evening.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just check in now?¡± At Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s prickly question, the man stiffened. Instead, Lee Na-hee spoke up. ¡°We¡¯ll see everything on our own, so just tell us your address.¡± ¡°Well...¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you in the evening.¡± The armored men trembled, but the party neatly ignored them and passed by. Eleanor looked relieved. Chapter 301 - Chiral (3)

Chapter 301 - Chiral (3)

The moment Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor entered Ennd, it could be seen that the royal family had no chance to ignore them. So far, they had been having their fun with the media, but now, if they pretended they didn¡¯t know of their existence, wouldn¡¯t the public doubt them? Despite what might happen, the royal family had to pretend they were still maintaining good rtions with the two. So no matter how rude they were, they wouldn¡¯t be able to pull out a knife. ¡°I think it was too daring, though. Especially that one, check-in and whatever.¡± As they walked along the Thames, Lee Na-hee suddenly spoke up with a tremble. ¡°Are you scared of the royal family?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you whatever happens.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded casually as he nced at the dirt river and the world¡¯s most famous clocktower, while Lee Na-hee¡¯s face turned red in an instant. ¡°I¡¯ll record it, so say that one more time.¡± ¡°Shaddup.¡± ¡°By the way. Are you really okay? It¡¯s like getting into a tiger¡¯s mouth.¡± Lee Manwoo, having nothing to do with it, asked as though he were interested. Didn¡¯t he understand he was also in the tiger¡¯s mouth? No, he had to. ¡°When we flew to Ennd, there was already no way to escape attention. Moreover, I can be sure if there are any unfair movements on their side. It would be better to observe it closely than to wait for them. You know, in moderation.¡± In that sense, his response to that royal knight (probably a knight) was appropriate. Whatever the general public thought, the royal family already knew that Kang Shin-hyuk and Eleanor didn¡¯t like them. If they tried to deceive them, they would be more persuasive by having an attitude of hatred than to act overly friendly. ¡°Acting like that and then spying on them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re 007. Martini, shaken not stirred-¡° ¡°I¡¯ve heard that from a customer who¡¯de to the bar.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk said that, Lee Manwoo¡¯s eyes sharpened. Kang Shin-hyuk could intuitively feel it at that moment that this grandfather was a drinker. ¡°Hoh, can I ask you tonight?¡± ¡°Grandpa, what are you doing to a high schooler?¡± ¡°What about you, granddaughter? I¡¯m not saying he should drink; I¡¯m asking him to make a cocktail.¡± ¡°That¡¯s worse!¡± However, as Lee Manwoo expected, there wouldn¡¯t be an exciting scene. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s abilities and artifacts were far superior to those of 007. They were even better than those who cooperated in creating them knew, in fact. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head as he inspected the spy devices he made this time. He could see the Westminster Pce, half-burned down and under reconstruction. ¡°Less than half is left.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a miracle Big Ben is safe.¡± Westminster Pce was one of the most important buildings in Ennd, so it had been targeted by Jormungand. The British Superhuman Association had installed a space expansion magic inside Big Ben to use it as a secret base in protecting the pce, but the monsters had overrun the pce despite them. ¡°But, there are still secret troops hidden inside.¡± Eleanor spoke up. Kang Shin-hyuk recently realized that as the distance between them closed, she was more likely to speak her mind. Still, what she said was interesting enough. ¡°That setting is full of romance.¡± ¡°It really does.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped moving and used his spiritual power as he stared at Big Ben. He could see there really was a hidden space, with hundreds of humans inside. It was even more surprising that it was so subtly concealed that even he, with his spiritual power, had trouble finding it. He had to evaluate Britain¡¯s magic a bit higher. ¡°But isn¡¯t this ssified? You¡¯ll tell me so casually?¡± ¡°I can tell everything to you. Everything.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± Lee Na-hee, feeling the atmosphere changed, quickly approached and removed Eleanor. The two were staring each other down as Kang Shin-hyuk pushed on. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s eat some fish and chips and move on.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on British cuisine.¡± ¡°Ah...?!¡± He honestly apologized as the tea and cakes at the caf?? Eleanor brought them too was delicious. Dinner was likely to be had at the pce, so they finished their sightseeing early. *** That evening, Eleanor led the group to Buckingham Pce. He had purposely asked for an address despite knowing where they would be heading to embarrass the knights. ¡°Hmm, definitely here too.¡± Even Buckingham Pce had changed significantly before and after the countercurrent. Therge garden had been greatly reduced, and a new pce called the Royal Guardian was in its ce. Of course, it was where the royal guards stayed. ¡°Why not name it the Red Lake Pce?¡± When they reunited with the man in shy armor from before, Lee Na-hee suddenly asked him that as he guided them inside the north side of the pce. The man looked at her carefully for a moment, then coughed and turned away because of her beauty. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anyone that question because it¡¯ll seem ignorant.¡± ¡°In fact, it might be okay to change the name.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk agreed with her words (actually, he didn¡¯t know the reason), and Eleanor smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s the Westminster Pce, but it¡¯s also copsed here... They look fine now, but most of it is new.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not very practical, but it¡¯s been restored as it was.¡± ¡°In the first ce, the higher the person, the more they are obsessed with the imusible.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded with a sigh to Lee Na-hee before looking over at Eleanor. ¡°Did you also live here?¡± ¡°No, not all royalty stays here. Especially me. If I did, I would¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°I have a room.¡± ¡°You have a room.¡± It seemed that the royal family had changed a lot since the start of the superhuman era. Most of the elite British troops were staying in the Guardian pce for the sake of safety. Of course, in the case of someone like Eleanor, they would freely choose the outside even if it meant not being protected. What had changed more than anything else was that the inside of the pce no longer epted civilians. Only high-ranking guests were allowed inside even the guest pce, and it was usually impossible to enter the building where the royal family usually stayed. ¡°They¡¯re hikikomori...¡± ¡°It¡¯s pathetic. Are they saying they believe in the Guardian that much?¡± ¡°The royal family is eager to recruit strong superhumans. And among them, the elite bes royal guardians...¡± ¡°Boyd Taylor too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was clear from Olivia¡¯s attitude towards Kang Shin-hyuk. Their attitude towards superhumans felt like it bordered obsession. ¡°It¡¯s distorted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it works.¡± ¡°You still act like an old man.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed at Lee Manwoo¡¯s words as Eleanor suddenly stopped. ¡°I was familiar with it and then forgot... Here, not the guest pce. For royalty.¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± The man walking ahead heard her voice and replied, looking back. However, he still didn¡¯t treat her as an English princess. Thinking about it, it was strange. Knowing her strength, Britain would want her to return no matter what. But why were they pretending not to know her existence? ¡°Since Kang Shin-hyuk is a very important guest, he guided us to where the royal family usually stays.¡± ¡°Well... Well?¡± ¡°Okay? Thank you.¡± Maybe it had already begun. Thinking so, Kang Shin-hyuk pretended nothing was strange at all. ¡°The ce where the royalty stays.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s arguably the safest and mostfortable amodation in the UK.¡± ¡°It¡¯s reliable. Good job canceling the hotel we booked.¡± ¡°...¡± The corridor they were led into was wide. Kang Shin-hyuk knew there was space expansion magic on the entire building, but Shinyoung had something simr. What came to mind, however, was the internal structure of Big Ben that he had seen from the riverside. The British style of magic architecture was so great that the whole world would be envious. He honestly thought their superhuman power was weak for a powerful country, but he might have to change his mind. ¡°This is the ce.¡± The man stopped. Protection magic was hung over each entrance, so one couldn¡¯t meet other people unless they came out into themon hallway. Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Manwoo, Lee Na-hee, and Eleanor were each assigned different rooms. Opening the door, each of them was greeted by a huge space and three bedrooms in their rooms. ¡°Please have afortable rest. When it¡¯s time for dinner, I¡¯lle to pick you up. Your Majesty is also very excited.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenlyughed bitterly as he remembered that he had indeed be the No. 1 in the world rankings. He was now in a position to make even the monarch of an entire country wait. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it okay to use the same room?¡± ¡°The men and women are separated.¡± ¡°...Junior, will youe to our room?¡± Lee Na-hee whispered in his ear with an alluring smile. He turned his head to look at Lee Manwoo, asking him to say something for him. ¡°Teacher?!¡± ¡°Eli, are you okay with it too?¡± ¡°Wait a minute; I have a question.¡± However, Eleanor called out to the knight. The man tried to return back the way he came, but he turned around politely. ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°Before dinner, can I meet Olivia for a while?¡± He was surprised, but then he quickly smiled. ¡°Sorry, but Princess Olivia is not currently allowed to visit.¡± ¡°Visit?¡± ¡°Then,ter.¡± He disappeared without offering any additional answers. Eleanor gave up as he left, but Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head. ¡°...Visiting?¡± Chapter 302 - Chiral (4)

Chapter 302 - Chiral (4)

Eleanor, unable to gather any additional information from the knight, hurriedly started scouring the British news and the inte. Meanwhile, Kang Shin-hyuk carefully scanned the room with his spiritual power and explored the magic around them, especially for taps and cameras. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s overflowing.¡± ¡°Perverts. Did they want to secure an affair scandal of my junior?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lee Na-hee muttered in fright as she looked at the cameras in the secretly installed magic circle. ¡°?¡± ¡°?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk tilted his head as he looked at her, feeling some intention in her words, but she greeted him with a simr expression. Kang Shin-hyuk could use her, but it would¡¯ve been more annoying, so he raised his hand with a sigh. Radiant energy began to well up around his hand. ¡°Then, should I break it?¡± ¡°Ah, wait a second.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to try something.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s hand shone blue, a result of her trait being activated. Originally, it could temporarily increase her own or her party members¡¯ abilities or give temporary and permanent effects to items... But now, she was holding onto a camera that had nothing to do with magic. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°I was going to try some of the magic coding I learned from my unnie.¡± ¡°Magic-based programming?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s runic ability was as excellent as ire¡¯s alchemy at interfering with and manipting objects (maybe even more so), and it didn¡¯t discriminate between artifacts, ordinary objects, or machines. It was because of enchanters that magical based programming started in the first ce, so it wasn¡¯t strange that ire decided to teach Lee Na-hee the technique. Wasn¡¯t that the reason Kang Shin-hyuk thought of giving her a nanobot? Since joining Shinyoung, ire hadn¡¯t been participating in regr sses, but she took the time to teach Lee Na-hee. ¡°Now, then, like this...¡± He heard from ire that the only difference from general programming was that she coded without going through aputer, but seeing Lee Na-hee move her fingers around and put mana threads into the camera; he wanted to ask what kind of programming it was supposed to be. It seemed she had learned her master¡¯s skill very well. ¡°Does it seem like ire unnie?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Na-hee seemed to recognize his thoughts as she looked back at him. ¡°Hahah.¡± Lee Na-hee returned to her work, now energized by his affirmation. He knew what she was thinking, but the point of focus seemed to be a long way off. Should he point that out? As he grew worried... ¡°Oh, Oliva...¡± ¡°They said she was sick of some serious illness?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather that were it.¡± ¡°If it were like that, it would be okay.¡± Eleanor manipted her phone and floated a small hologram in the air. It was said that nearly three months ago, Olivia Theodora Alexis, the prince¡¯s eldest daughter, was hospitalized in an ident. ¡°Huh? Uh, huh?¡± ¡°This is ridiculous. How was your sister pushed out of the race for session? Even if they were, there¡¯s no history of treating the royal family so violently...¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes were shaking. It seemed obvious she wasn¡¯t epting the news as it was, and Kang Shin-hyuk was the first to respond. ¡°But it was an ident.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. My sister is a fairly strong superhuman, and she always has an escort... What¡¯s more, it¡¯s more suspicious that this news hadn¡¯t spread.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk himself was convinced by that. Though who was next in line wasn¡¯t immediately known to the public, Olivia was a strong candidate to be the next queen, and of course, she was a person under the public eye. If she had an ident, at least Eleanor, who was an enemy of the British royal family, would¡¯ve been aware of this, as would Karen. ¡°But it was hidden. I managed to find this news. Starting from this day, all British media refrained from mentioning her...¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The positivements about my brother Wilford started to increase.¡± ¡°For reference, who is that?¡± ¡°My big brother, who participated in the African expedition.¡± Wasn¡¯t that the same person who left Oliva and her superhumans alone to die? He remembered Eleanor saying that person was over. The depravity he showed in Africa would lower his authority to the ground and raise Olivia¡¯s... ¡°But it was like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird. What happened in Africa wasn¡¯t even mentioned...¡± Wasn¡¯t that a typical media y? Eleanor predicted that Olivia, having captured Wilford¡¯s weaknesses, should¡¯ve made sure the session structure was assured, but somehow, Wilford had buried the brutality he hadmitted in Africa. Now he was in the lead. ¡°Well... I¡¯m cautious about saying this. Oliva, she may already be dead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also possible.¡± Eleanor ground her teeth. She hated her like an enemy, but she didn¡¯t want to see that happen to her blood rtives. Of course, she had also fled from the throne to Korea out of fear. ¡°It¡¯s such a dirty tactic. I can¡¯t forgive it.¡± People were cunning. After you have the power to fear no one, strangely, your vision bes useless. Kang Shin-hyuk did not have the courage to say that to Eleanor right now, however. He wondered if Wilford might be connected to other things, like Jormungand¡¯s attack on thest artifact contest. ¡°Hey, but isn¡¯t that weird?¡± In the meantime, Lee Na-hee, having finished her work, squeezed between the two. ncing back, Kang Shin-hyuk noticed all the taps and magic circles were active... No, they radiated too much magical power. It was like a high school student running out of the school the day exams were over. ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, I¡¯ve made rough dummy data flow. So whatever you do to me at night is fine.?¡± ¡°More than that.¡± ¡°More than that?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded to Lee Na-hee, who made a bewitching expression and deliberately spoke provocatively. ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± ¡°Ignore...¡± ¡°Na-hee, tell me. Quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, ow, ow.¡± Eleanor poked Lee Na-hee in the cheek, forcing herself between her and Shin-hyuk. Lee Na-hee quietly opened her mouth as she was poked with the power of Crab Volg. ¡°It says the ident was three months ago.¡± ¡°If you believe this news. That would be around just after we returned from the African expedition....¡± ¡°Then, the knight who revealed your identity in March... Was that also Wilford?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± It was a sharp point. Kang Shin-hyuk just thought that Olivia had disregarded their warning, but maybe that wasn¡¯t it... ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Eleanor nodded as her eyes widened. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the case; he was trying to get mepletely out of Ennd.¡± ¡°Can you tell me in detail?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the premise that Wilford didn¡¯t know our identity.¡± Now there wasn¡¯t a word missing between them. ¡°In that case, the only thing that person got was a picture of us getting along well. We¡¯re all famous people at school, but honestly, it¡¯s not worth the attention from a British standpoint.¡± ¡°Well... Things like those happen too.¡± Given that Eleanor was directly affiliated with the British royal family, it was a fact that bringing her to Ennd would make herpete for the throne. If you be a top ranker, you would be able to see the public¡¯s attention from the position of royalty. Olivia, who knew her identity, promised power and honor to the two to attract them, but if it were someone who didn¡¯t know their abilities... ¡°It¡¯s not trying to bring Shin-hyuk and me to Ennd, but it¡¯s propaganda that I¡¯m trying to settle down in Korea...¡± Eleanor bit her tongue as she spoke. Kang Shin-hyuk listened to her as he recalled the report a few months ago. Apparently, the British royal family supported the union between them. Kang Shin-hyuk thought that it was Olivia¡¯s masterpiece, but in general, it was... wasn¡¯t the intention to put Eleanor in the view of the general public? ¡°If you think so... I¡¯m convinced.¡± ¡°Certainly, if you didn¡¯t know our junior was so capable, that would be a likely interpretation.¡± ¡°Then, what was that summons this time? Eleanor turned out to be a top ranker, so they wanted her back? But wait a minute, didn¡¯t it happen before she was revealed as a member of Masked Bhus?¡± ¡°The intention is the opposite.¡± Eleanor scoffed at that. After searching several times, an article from a third-rate site had appeared. ¡°Eleanor Rosalyn Reke, studying in Korea, refuses summons... Revealing an intention to remain in Korea. Aha.¡± ¡°Yes. By deliberately inducing me to reject the order, they promoted that fact... They weren¡¯t trying to get me back to Ennd.¡± In fact, shortly after she rejected the summons, the British media was flooded with articles about it. However, unfortunately, Eleanor, unable to read Ennd¡¯s intentions, immediately asked Kang Shin-hyuk for help, and he believed that this was a good opportunity, so he revealed the status of himself and all of Masked Bhus. That mysterious top ranker 6 was Eleanor Rosaline Reke. Naturally, the royal family hurried, collecting the articles that had been scattered all over the ce... But they couldn¡¯t get all of it. ¡°Then, the royal family was supposed to reject Elipletely.¡± ¡°Yes... I¡¯m grateful for it.¡± Moreover, they were now a little more convinced of the reason they had invited them to the pce. From their perspective, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s private life had been exposed a few months ago, and his rights were trampled. At the time, it was a disregard for Kang Shin-hyuk, who was merely an outstanding person in school, but the fact that he was actually No. 1 in the international rankings was now known. Therefore, it was necessary to reconcile with him. The treatment of Eleanor that followed was certainly strange, but it was also not odd to him when he thought of the image of her that had run through Ennd those past months. ¡°They¡¯re idiots.¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re idiots...¡± -Knock, knock! That moment, the sounding of knocking was heard. ¡°Dinner is ready.¡± It was the voice of the knight from earlier. Kang Shin-hyuk exchanged a nce with the party, then stood with a smile. Interesting things were already happening within the pce. Chapter 303 - Chiral (5)

Chapter 303 - Chiral (5)

Kang Shin-hyuk, having entered the dining hall, felt surprised ¨C not because the queen of Ennd was waiting there, nor was it because the royal family (ten in number) was around here. It was that he had heard her reign was about 45 years, and this year she had already turned 72... Yet, the British queen appeared to be only in her early fifties. Thinking about it, Karen had exined that since the start of the superhuman era, the British royal family had attracted superhumans to their bloodline. It was only natural for a queen with the blood of superhumans to look that much younger. ¡°Good to see you, Death Puppeteer. I¡¯m Catherine; please call me Cathy.¡± That¡¯s too unreasonable, and don¡¯t call me that, Kang Shin-hyuk answered only in his head. ¡°I am Kang Shin-hyuk. So... Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Cathy.¡± ¡°Ah, um...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nced at Eleanor sitting beside him to see if he could really call the queen by name. However, Eleanor was very tense, her gaze locked on the te in front of her, and she was holding onto his arm tightly under the table. It wasn¡¯t scary anymore; she was probably suppressing the endless emotions springing up from being at this table. ¡°Whoo...¡± As he thought he heard the sound ofughter, he turned his head to see the queenughing as she watched the two. He knew what the misunderstanding was, but the queen seemed to view her rtionship with Kang Shin-hyuk positively. But the things that they had done so far against Eleanor were strange. ¡°This is Prince Bill.¡± ¡°William.¡± The prince was also very polite, and Kang Shin-hyuk reaffirmed his own greeting. Honestly, he was treated with courtesy from even the oddest of the Hero Universe, so it didn¡¯t feel particrly special to be treated that way by Earth¡¯s leaders. It was a strange feeling meeting them in person, but looking at them, he automatically thought, ¡®Oh, they¡¯re not that great.¡¯ ¡°I heard you helped our Guardians a lot in Africa. I want to express my gratitude.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. They also worked hard.¡± That one looked like he was in his early 40s, but Eleanor had told them in advance that his actual age was around 50. Kang Shin-hyuk greeted him and looked to the next one, but the seat next to him was empty. ¡°?¡± ¡°Olivia couldn¡¯te because she¡¯sid up in bed right now.¡± Even though Olivia was a woman, the reason she had a strong voice here was not only because she was a high ranker who gained strength at a young age, but because she was also the eldest daughter of the prince. So, Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced that the seat next to the prince was left deliberately vacant. ¡°If you have time, see herter...¡± ¡°I will leave it up to you. I¡¯m Wilford.¡± The moment Prince William made that suggestion, there was a man who cut him off and shoved his hand over the table, his grey eyes focused on Kang Shin-hyuk. It was Wilford h h h Reke (all those royal family members had simr middle names, but Kang Shin-hyuk was annoyed, so he decided to remember only the first andst bits). The biggest reason why the royal family invited him was this man. ¡°Oh, the one who ran away and left the superhumans behind?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to try him a bit. He deliberately made a provocative remark and ignored the handshake. However, Wilford chuckled, his expression unchanging as he smiled. ¡°Running away, that¡¯s a misunderstanding. I was fighting in a different ce than Olivia from the start. Everyone who fought under her would know that.¡± Did he think that would work, knowing that Kang Shin-hyuk was active in Africa? The moment he said that Kang Shin-hyuk secretly nced around. The queen and prince and the other members of the royal family didn¡¯t respond very much to it. The prince felt especially strange. The others might not know, but the prince was Olivia¡¯s father. ¡°Ho, did you? It¡¯s different from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Haha, it must be a misunderstanding. The situation was very urgent at that time, was it not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, haha.¡± At the time, all those fighting under Princess Olivia were cursing this child. Nevertheless, the fact he was so bold meant he had bought or killed them all off. But if he had killed them, he would¡¯ve already been caught. And, it made no sense that he could buy off that many people. If so... ¡®Thest option is... Something like brainwashing.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t heard of any brainwashing abilities. However, among monsters, there were rare entities capable of it. It was still only spection, so it was impossible to conclude immediately, but... ¡®Looking at the queen and the prince, it makes me even more suspicious...¡¯ Even though he was the strongest member of the royal family (excluding Olivia and Eleanor), he had too much power. And, the surprising thing was that he held his hand out despite Kang Shin-hyuk ignoring his request for a handshake. ¡®This much... He¡¯s like a golf pro.¡¯ With a firm will to shake hands even if it killed him, Kang Shin-hyuk gently removed Eleanor¡¯s from his arm and shook Wilford¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you. Maybe there¡¯ll be a lot to see in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, well, thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could clearly feel the secret and disgusting energy emanating from Wilford alongside his voice. That¡¯s right; it was easy to tell what he was nning when he acted so obsessed with shaking hands. ¡®Well, it¡¯s easy enough to deal with it with light mastery. I don¡¯t even need to use spiritual power.¡¯ Perhaps because he had acquired spiritual power first, Kang Shin-hyuk had more abilities rted to the mind than the body. Not only his light mastery, which could erase negative energy but even now, his God Wind, which had evolved from wind mastery, had an excellent ability to interfere with external energy. Even if his enemy had the abilities of Janus, it would be impossible to harm Kang Shin-hyuk with mental abilities. There was especially no way an idiot that imitated a monster¡¯s ability could affect his mind. ¡®But it¡¯s no fun to erase it right away. Let¡¯s see it first.¡¯ The funny thing was that the moment they shook hands, his expression said, ¡®As nned!¡¯ It was amusing enough to try this kind of trick against the world¡¯s No. 1, but he wasn¡¯t even afraid of revealing it on his face. ¡°Brother, I would like to greet the Puppeteer.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. This is my brother.¡± ¡°Well, yes. I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡± Surprisingly, however, none of the attendants or other royal family members paid attention to it. It meant that everyone was brainwashed. Of course, they couldn¡¯t touch Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s personnel, but they hadn¡¯t been worried about it in the first ce. ¡®What should I do then?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk shook hands with the royals, in turn, exploring them secretly with his spiritual power and seeing magi wriggling like a worm inside them. ¡®Shall I kill it?¡¯ -Please be patient, master. ¡®Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve been waiting for this!¡¯ -The administrator always wants to consider how you feel. 1,000,000HP bonus! Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the administrator and continued to think. It was likely that the brainwashing would be automatically released if the caster was killed. So just taking care of Wilford might be enough, but the issue was if he were really in control. Besides, even if it did work, he would¡¯ve just in a member of the royal member in the middle of the pce. But, ultimately, Eleanor would be sad at the loss of a family member, so he didn¡¯t take that method. ¡®Yeah, it won¡¯t work. If Jormungand is connected... Well, Jormungand has to be involved, given that magi. But did he really think this would work? Jormungand... No, Janus should know that brainwashing me with this wouldn¡¯t work.¡¯ Then was Wilford testing him with this? It was possible, but there was also a high likelihood this guy was being used without even knowing it. Kang Shin-hyuk organized his thoughts and raised his head as Wilford spoke up again. ¡°Can you please give me a moment after dinner? I have something important to discuss.¡± ¡°Is it about the World Prize?¡± ¡°Haha, of course not. Considering the World Prize, that¡¯s just the level of a toypared to the artifacts excavated from the dungeon. I couldn¡¯t have invited the world¡¯s No. 1 superhuman to talk about such trivial things.¡± That meant the British royal family didn¡¯t think anything about the fact that he was participating in the World Prize. They had only used it as bait to bring him to Ennd. During his conservation with Wilford (Eleanor¡¯s grip on his hand grew over the night), the food came in earnest. Fortunately, there were no sardine pies. ¡°Ouch.¡± Eleanor pinched his hand. ¡°Just ignore it again.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°What do you mean?! I know everything!¡± Inevitably, Lee Na-hee, who couldn¡¯t sit next to Kang Shin-hyuk, saw the two whispering and went at her, while the queen and royal family onlyughed. It was so creepy that they couldn¡¯t even recognize Eleanor right before them. Perhaps the situation was more serious than he had originally thought. But, right then and there, he tasted something far more terrifying than brainwashing. ¡®Yes, this tastes...¡¯ The dishes ced in front of him one after another were incredible. Whoever the hell said British cuisine was bad surely had never been treated by the royal family! Chapter 304 - Chiral (6)

Chapter 304 - Chiral (6)

¡°It¡¯s called Chiral.¡± Speaking confidently, Wilford pointed to the table in front of Kang Shin-hyuk. Two small fragments were ced atop it, both very sharp, harboring the luster of ss and as smooth as a mirror. They clearly reflected Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes as he looked down at it, those golden reptilian pupils. ¡°Chiral. I don¡¯t know exactly what it is, but it feels great.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked down at the fragments of the ck mirror and said that. Wilford looked satisfied at his attitude. ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, those ranked first in the superhuman ranking seem to have an eye for things. I haven¡¯t exined it all yet, but when I see you look so interested...¡± Was this man really this stupid? Kang Shin-hyuk looked nkly at him. ¡°I am also an artisan.¡± ¡°Ah, ah, right.¡± In the first ce, he hade here for the World Prize. Had he forgotten? Or maybe Wilford was a simple soldier who only did what he was told. Either way, it was stupid, but the object before him wasn¡¯t that funny. Chiral... It refers to the rtionship in a mirror image that face-to-face like left and right hands, but they neverpletely ovep. The word tickled at his mind, bringing memories of Tsukuyo¡¯s mention of the mirror to humanity, Jormungand. ¡°So...I want to hear an urate exnation.¡± He had decided to crawl into the royal pce to find out about Jormungand, but he didn¡¯t think it would be so easy. Or perhaps it was all Jormungand¡¯s intention, this one, and Janus... Kang Shin-hyuk forced himself to stop thinking of Janus, who didn¡¯t show any hostility towards him in that fight and took Shin Eunah away. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to do it on my own, but I need the help of someone strong like the Death Puppeteer to produce Chiral continuously.¡± ¡°Who even calls me that?¡± ¡°Me.¡± He decided to erase all traces of that name from this Earth, but that wasn¡¯t a concern for now. This chiral crystal contained a high level of energy that his spiritual power couldn¡¯t grasp all at once. ¡°It had the ability to enhance the potential of existence greatly. It¡¯s a piece that even increases the extent of its own reinforcement.¡± Wilford exined the chiral more enthusiastically, whether or not he knew what Kang Shin-hyuk was thinking. ¡°So is it like a potion?¡± ¡°No. Would you like to see?¡± Wilford smiled brightly as he picked up the chiral and stabbed it into his own forearm. Kang Shin-hyuk remained quiet as the chiral crackled and slowly melted, absorbed into his body. It reacted with the energy Wilford originally had, transformed it... Eventually, it waspletely absorbed into his body. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed... The fact I just strengthen my abilities.¡± ¡°Exactly... I see.¡± Previously, he had heard from Eleanor that Wilford was, at best, simr to Olivia, or even weaker. But when they met at dinner, he thought it was odd as he seemed so much stronger than Oliva. Such a secret was hidden behind that. ¡°How is it possible? It¡¯s a smooth eptance of energy crystals that have properties different from our own.¡± ¡°Haha, of course, it wasn¡¯t easy. But with endless effort and experimentation, we finally figured out how to fully absorb this chiral into our bodies.¡± ¡°To develop your abilities.¡± ¡°To evolve our traits.¡± With a voice that was honey-sweet, Wilford responded. Kang Shin-hyuk felt the deadly de lurking in it. ¡°Chiral makes it possible.¡± Let¡¯s make an assumption. If Kang Shin-hyuk were suspicious and wary from the moment he first met Wilford, then he already would¡¯ve known he had no intention of meeting him separately after dinner or giving in. Nevertheless, Wilford had been convinced he could pull Kang Shin-hyuk to him by showing off the power of this material known as chiral. ¡®That magi he had seems to be linked to this chiral. Using the chiral to convince me, or powering himself up to brainwash me... Or both?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk smiled only on the outside. Since the start of the superhuman era, countless studies had been conducted on traits, which were the biggest factor that separated superhumans. Not only the potential of each trait but how they grew and evolved, many people had wasted sleep at night thinking about it. However, no one had made significant discoveries about the evolution of traits yet. If there was an entity that could artificially cause traits to evolve, it was none other than Kang Shin-hyuk. Until now. ¡®Is this my fault? Because my abilities can evolve traits, did thise out? No, this is more fundamental... Fundamental?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk, still thinking, turned to Wilford as he picked up the other piece of chiral. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Wilford tilted his head with a slight tremble. ¡°Chiral¡¯s ability, there seems to be something else.¡± ¡°Aah, that¡¯s what you meant. It didn¡¯t mean much to us, so I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± Wilfordughed deeply. Perhaps this was the main point. Wilford drew close and whispered it in his ear, though no one else was around. ¡°It makes it possible to copy traits.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± ¡°It can awaken those who don¡¯t even have traits. That¡¯s right.¡± Wilford spoke confidently as he saw Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s face. ¡°Chiral is the product of miracles that can create superhumans.¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk faced him head-on. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve told me about this for nothing. Let¡¯s hear what you want.¡± ¡°I told you I needed your help, right?¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk showed a positive attitude, Wilford¡¯s momentum increased. At first, he didn¡¯t expect much from the British royalty, but then this had appeared. ¡°I need a lot of monster mana stones. If possible, the magical stones of intelligent monsters.¡± ¡°There are many intelligent monsters among those with magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡¯ Wilford didn¡¯t seem to be acting. ¡°There¡¯s a gate I¡¯ve secretly secured. You need to go inside and secure a mana stone. How about it?¡± ¡°In secret? I don¡¯t know when the gate will run out. You have to keep it controlled...¡± ¡°I can affirm that there is no worry about it going berserk. I want to talk about how to make and use Chiral... Do you n to work with me?¡± Wilford spoke meaningfully as he handed the Chiral to Kang Shin-hyuk as if to say this was a down payment. However, Kang Shin-hyuk, having grasped its structure, knew it wasn¡¯t a down payment but a shackle to trap and bind him. He epted it, knowing that. At the same time, he was convinced. ¡®I guess Janus isn¡¯t involved in this.¡¯ She knew that Royal Dragon couldn¡¯t be influenced by such small fragments. *** Chiral was an intriguing thing. As soon as he received it, he tried to put it in his forearm as Wilford did, but he told him about the correct usage, saying that there could be side effects if not done correctly. For Kang Shin-hyuk, it was basic work, like properly taking drugs. But when he finally gently absorbed the Chiral, Wilford began to treat him veryfortably as he did the other royalty. Kang Shin-hyuk gently adjusted to his rhythm and talked a bit more before heading off. ¡°Ah, junior is here!¡± As soon as Kang Shin-hyuk entered the room, Lee Na-hee attacked him. He didn¡¯t think she would do anything unusual, so when he epted it, Lee Na-hee groped his body with a slightly teary face. ¡°Hey! I was really worried!¡± ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m first in the rankings.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you too cocky?! What if you get stabbed?¡± He wanted to answer that stabbing him wouldn¡¯t do anything, but he just smiled instead. Then Lee Na-hee, who was groping his body, stepped back. ¡°Weird, it doesn¡¯t look like anything is wrong...¡± ¡°How was it?¡± Meanwhile, Eleanor, who was still sitting down in a chair, looked at him with those peculiar purple eyes as Lee Na-hee released him. Kang Shin-hyuk spoke up softly out of concern for her. ¡°I caught the tail, roughly.¡± ¡°What is it?!¡± Lee Na-hee jumped up, but Eleanor quietly reached out and grabbed her. ¡°I wish you could tell me... What happened to the royal family?¡± ¡°They were seized by Jormungand.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was expecting it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know they would be so helpless.¡± ¡°With an enemy inside, anyone will easily copse.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk replied with a bitter smile as he sat down on the bed. Hell, who was sleeping On his bed, opened her eyes and climbed on his shoulder. He let out a sigh as he tickled the wyvern¡¯s chin. He had a rough understanding of Chiral. At the same time, unintentionally, he found little hints about Jormungand¡¯s origin. ¡°Hey...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll figure it out somehow. It¡¯ll take a little time... Maybe I can save Olivia.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get it done before he even starts.¡± But before that, the World Prize would arrive. Grabbing the snake¡¯s tail would be the next thing they had to do. Chapter 305 - Lizard Tail (1)

Chapter 305 - Lizard Tail (1)

The World Prize was arge-scale event in the superhuman society. As much as the powerful superhumans each country had... Perhaps even more than that, artifacts influenced national power, and unlike superhumans, they endured through the generations to steadily exert their power. Therefore, securing quality artifacts was important to each country. This was why Lee Manwoo was revered for his grandiose name, the Great Chief, and there were superhumans who were prestigious for the artifacts they possessed rather than their own name. ¡°The atmosphere seems bloody.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because if we¡¯re attacked at this point, the pride of mankind will hit rock bottom.¡± The World Prize was held at the Theater Royal William hall in South Kensington, London. Originally, it was scheduled to be held in Hyde Park, but the location was suddenly changed, as there was a high risk of a raid in open areas. Superhumans from all over the world visited to watch the contest and defend the pride of mankind. Of course, the number of people was strictly controlled and except for those participating; only the fierce superhumans who passed the screening could stay. The elite troops of humanity were gathered there. With only thirty minutes left before the contest started, there was an odd tension inside the theater. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the teacher?¡± ¡°This guy... I¡¯ve seen him since then, but it¡¯s the former Great Chief.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk admired that they could speak so openly. However, Lee Na-hee wasn¡¯t still. ¡°So, what is the highest rank among the artifacts that grandpa made?¡± ¡°The one being carried on their junior¡¯s back is bold.¡± In this contest, Lee Na-hee imed confidently that she had made an essory by herself that would be in the final round of the contest. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored the meaningless fight between the two and turned to Eleanor, who stood still behind him. She held a small spear in one hand, faithful to her role as Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s escort. Hell sat above her, relieving the serious mood she projected. ¡°Eli, this is also a magical building, right?¡± ¡°I heard that it is. I don¡¯t know in detail...¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve learned quite a bit about the British style of architecture for the past few days.¡± They had been staying in the pce, after all. No matter howplex the structure, with a few days to explore it with his spiritual power, it was possible to grasp it. Of course, he saw there was nothing except the experimental facilities rted to Chiral. ¡°There are troops hiding in a secret space.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Like Big Ben?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he sensed the presence of troops hiding in the secret theater space. In Buckingham Pce, no matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find her as much as he tried, but she had been here. He turned to Eleanor with a bitter smile as he could sense her tense breathing. ¡°Who did you say changed the contest venue?¡± ¡°...Prince William.¡± No matter how strong Wilford¡¯s influence was, it seemed that it was still up to the queen or the crown prince to host these official events. Wilford had used this as bait, but he wasn¡¯t interested in the World Prize itself so that he wouldn¡¯t have interfered much with it. Had William had some self-consciousness and judgment left... ¡®But if I let it out here, what will I do afterward? Oh, yes, is that right?¡¯ The conclusion came quickly. In other words, leave it all to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡®Ha. Royalty is royalty.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyukughed as he recalled the image of Prince William, who was as quiet as a new bridge in front of Wilford. He¡¯ll have to ask him directlyter... Kang Shin-hyuk picked up his phone and made a call. He was calling ire, his lover, who was waiting for his return in Korea right now. [Yes?] ¡°I think I need to change my n a little. Is the analysis done?¡± He had sent the chiral he had secured in cooperation with Wilford over the past few days to ire using the Hero Universe¡¯s gift function to analyze. [Yes...I don¡¯t know the source yet. As for its infectious nature, roughly. It won¡¯t be easy to return with a human¡¯s ability right now. I don¡¯t know if anyone else will be able to resist it like you...] ¡°Then your ability?¡± [Of course, it¡¯s possible.] ¡°ire is the best.¡± [Compliment me more, see how high my nose goes.] Kang Shin-hyuk continued to praise her, but then a gaze came from his side. Eleanor¡¯s unfeeling look gave him a bit of anxiety, so he quit messing around and got to the point. ¡°Then, ire, can youe over here? To me.¡± [Shall we go!] ¡°Okay, then look a little bitter.¡± [Yes, I want to see you soon. I love you.?] ¡°I love you too.¡± Hanging up the phone, Lee Na-hee was regarding him coldly as Eleanor was after returning from the battle with her grandfather. ¡°Is it necessary to act so sickly sweet while everyone¡¯s listening?¡± ¡°It was an operational meeting. Besides, ire is having a hard time these days.¡± ¡°A pathetic woman...¡± It didn¡¯t personally feel bad for ire to depend on him more. In their early days of dating, he was worried he might be too dependent on her, so now was the time to find bnce. Thinking like that, Lee Na-hee pouted and shouted at him. ¡°Ah, I want a boyfriend too! A boyfriend like Kang Shin-hyuk or Shin Eun-hyuk or the Puppeteer!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak so loud, stupid!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pretended not to know Lee Na-hee and turned his head away, but Eleanor called out to him. ¡°Who is among those secret troops?¡± ¡°Your sister.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s in good shape.¡± ¡°Thank god... Thank you.¡± ¡°No, what for?¡± Eleanor hugged him with a sound of relief, but Lee Na-hee was quick to push her away wordlessly. Kang Shin-hyuk backed up from both of them. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get Prince William¡¯s help. And I¡¯ll expose Wilford... You must be thinking like that.¡± ¡°In fact, he hasn¡¯t been brainwashed.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost impossible to get a person to be fully subservient. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to dig a trap if you had any free will left.¡± What¡¯s more, Wilford¡¯s behavior had been wless from the start. Even if he seeded in brainwashing, would he be able to control his targets properly? At first, he doubted whether Wilford deliberately induced this situation, but in that case, he wouldn¡¯t have approached Shin-hyuk like this. ¡°Then what¡¯s your n? For the time being, you pretended to cooperate and got inside.¡± At first, that was his thought. However, looking at it calmly based on his experiences over the past few days... ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already figured out everything I can from Wilford, and maybe there isn¡¯t anymore more toe out of it...¡± To be precise, what was it... Wilford had an odd atmosphere around him. He knew of chiral, but he wasn¡¯t sure where it was from or why it was named chiral in the first ce. Even in the experimental facility which Kang Shin-hyuk carefully examined, nothing seemed to be going on. Wilford was busy moving about, securing chiral and increasing absorption efficiency, but he didn¡¯t do anything except attract Kang Shin-hyuk (as far as he knew). ¡®It¡¯s a feeling like the more active he is, thexer he is...¡¯ There was also the gate that maintained the chiral supply. The gate was a whopping SSS-rank with a high internal mana density. If Kang Shin-hyuk hadn¡¯t entered it, it would go berserk. He could manage one of those gates, but his organization wasn¡¯t working properly. There was only one conclusion to be drawn. It was that Wilford, who was barely creating chiral with Jormungand¡¯s support, had been disconnected from them due to something. ¡®And what¡¯s going on... I can tell, even if I don¡¯t ask.¡¯ Perhaps Janus thought if Jormungand was allowed to devastate Earth more than this, the bnce might be skewed? So this project they were implementing was thrown out... Ah! ¡°Eunah¡¯s parents.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The masters of Zeus. They were working on a superhuman project.¡± ¡°Surely... Is it with chiral?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a high probability that they were working together. Moreover, it must¡¯ve been the result of absorbing chiral, that magi.¡± They also certainly had a link to Jormungand. However, they died in the midst of that major explosion... What if that wasn¡¯t their will? What if Jormungand had only abolished the useless humans? If so, Wilford, who was partnering with them, wouldn¡¯t have been left alone. He first met him and thought he had caught the snake¡¯s tail, but it turned out it was a tail of a lizard that had already been cut off and abandoned. ¡°No, but...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk remembered Janus¡¯s face and thoughts. Then why didn¡¯t Jormungand, or Janus, deal with Wilford at the same time? It would¡¯ve been possible to sort him out when they attacked Ennd. What meaning was there for leaving Wilford... Other than for him? Just imagining it made him sick, and Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t stand it anymore as he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. ¡°Do you feel bad...?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed Lee Na-hee to the side and drank the water Eleanor handed to him. The rumbling inside him subsided, although only slightly. ¡°Thank you, Eli.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± However, Lee Na-hee suddenlyughed at Eleanor, who took back the water bottle with a bashful smile. ¡°Eli, you, indirect kiss!¡± ¡°Who are you supposed to be?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s very rxed.¡± When the tensionpletely disappeared, a cold voice spoke up from behind. Looking back, there was a slim blonde beauty standing behind Kang Shin-hyuk. She looked vaguely familiar, but before he could ce it, Lee Na-hee shouted again. ¡°Ebiger Hammer!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°You know, the German kids who won goldst year. I can¡¯t see the boy, so I guess you¡¯ve changed partners.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°This...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded along. ¡°Regardless of whether or not you¡¯re No. 1, this time, our work will be even better!¡± ¡°Ah...yes, what do you expect?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only now that you can be so cheeky!¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± The woman provoked him, but he didn¡¯t pay any attention to her. Now that there was the problem of Jormungand and chiral, there was no way he could bother with this blonde beauty. Being so uninterested, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t even realize until the end that she had spoken to him in Korean with a unique ent. Chapter 306 - Lizard Tail (2)

Chapter 306 - Lizard Tail (2)

¡°Next up, I will introduce the artifacts produced by Tim Fantasia from California, USA.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Oh, already...¡± The contest had begun smoothly. The World Prize was also a ce to select the world¡¯s greatest artifacts, but its true purpose was to show the abilities of artisans from each country and broaden each other¡¯s knowledge. By the time the contest finals were being introduced, the ranking was already confirmed, which was the presentation order. In other words, theter one was presented, the higher the ranking, so every time a piece of work was released, different teams were sighing with relief and disappointment. ¡°The chairman was so dazzling, but it remains the same.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded withughter to Lee Manwoo¡¯s words. ¡°Where is humanity going?¡± ¡°Junior, what¡¯s the rank of the one that came out now?¡± ¡°A-. Wasn¡¯t it more thanst year¡¯s contest level?¡± Originally, it belonged to the level of luxury if it even exceeded B-ss, but with so many high-ranking gates, the level of artifact materials had naturally increased. The artifacts being submitted were of a higher level than before. However, among the craftsmen, many weren¡¯t convinced of the rankings and voiced resentment as they thought they were the only ones to produce such artifacts. ¡°They still need mental training.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of mental training in creating artifacts?¡± ¡°My senior still needs some too.¡± ¡°That attitude pisses me off a little.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head lightly at Lee Na-hee running at him. He knew for sure that mental cultivation was important for the creation of artifacts because of his experience as Anvil, but he couldn¡¯t tell Lee Na-hee about that. ¡°You¡¯ll know someday too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...! I have a longer career!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk was a better craftsman than you from the moment he first picked up the hammer.¡± ¡°Well... Be prepared because I¡¯ll show you my work isn¡¯t an easy opponent.¡± Lee Na-hee hadn¡¯t shown him the final process of her work. She couldn¡¯t have surpassed his level alone, but he wondered what he could expect to see when she shouted so loudly. And another surprising fact was that Ebiger Hammer hadn¡¯te out yet, even though more than half the participating teams had been called. Certainly, the team won goldst year, but that was apetition for rookies, and they had only created a C-rank artifact. However, the fact that their name hadn¡¯t been called so far when the works that approached A-rank were being announced meant that they had exceeded that level... ¡®I guess their potential was great, given their growth in just one year...¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk smiled as he felt the gaze of that blonde beauty on him from across the room. But if Lee Na-hee knew his thoughts, she would¡¯ve started yelling at him. ¡°Ah.¡± Eleanor, who was sitting on his left, let out a single exmation. The reason was easy to see, as Wilford and Prince William were entering the theater. Of course, not only that. He could feel the royal knightsing in as if to guard his back and the energy scattering all over the theater. They were superhumans with the ability to move in secret. Moreover, the negative energy they exuded was simr to that of Wilford and the superhumans from Zeus they had met in Africa. ¡®Somehow...¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk looked at William¡¯splexion. Although he was pretending to be calm, he was unable to hide his emotions. Then it was clear that Wilford had caught on to today¡¯s ns, or at least made him think there was something suspicious. Kang Shin-hyuk looked into the secret space of the theater, where Olivia was hiding. She, too, seemed to stiffen as she realized that Wilford had brought troops that were beginning to search the theater. She seemed to be struggling to see if they could detect the secret space she was stowed in. It was only a matter of time, however. They would be familiar with the royal pce¡¯s secret facilities, so finding her before the convention was over would be simple. ¡®If I don¡¯t interfere.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk quietly sent out his energy. It wasn¡¯t his spiritual power, but the energy of the Royal Dragon. Eleanor, noticing his eyes were stained with five colors, was clearly relieved as she gently leaned over to him. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very jealous of your secret exchange... Can¡¯t you include me?¡± ¡°Concentrate on the stage.¡± It wasn¡¯t bad that Kang Shin-hyuk had been interested in British magic construction, as it had given him a thought on how to apply it to his own energy. By moving energy, hiding or revealing things, it was an ability that perfectly matched him, and he was skilled enough to apply it after just a few days. -Saaahhh As a result, his energy permeated the threat and created new distortions. Barriers that couldn¡¯t be easily found oveid the secret spaces that already existed. It would take someone of Janus¡¯s skill to pierce them. Along with that, a few traps were set up to trick those who searched those secret spaces. Kang Shin-hyuk was surprised by himself at his capability. ¡®Isn¡¯t thispletely like magic?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk justughed. Previously, Golden Dragon Fighter had been unparalleled in strengthening himself, but Royal Dragon was of a different level entirely. After fully grasping and evolving oneself, he gained the power of authority to intervene. It was the ability to change everything in the world, starting from one¡¯s own viewpoint and gradually moving onto others. It was amazing as it was, but he would eventually be capable of astonishing results. If he used Royal Dragon like he had Golden Dragon Fighter, it would¡¯ve decayed its value. ¡®If I could¡¯ve used this like this when I fought Janus...¡¯ Even if preventing the explosion was impossible, he could¡¯ve distorted its direction. It would¡¯ve been possible to cut off the synchronization so that Shin Eunah hadn¡¯t disappeared. But thinking about that didn¡¯t give him the ability to turn back time. He just had to believe that one day they would reunite and do his best until then. ¡°Well?!¡± It was then that Wilford eximed as he looked for a seat, horror in on his face. The reason was obvious, as all the men he had sent out were trapped by Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s barrier. It had been so secret and swift that Wilford couldn¡¯t dare track down its source, but he figured out that the signals from his men were cut off. ¡°Your Majesty, why are you doing this?¡± One of the staff at the World Prize approached Wilford. He had screamed loudly enough that even with the ceremony in full swing, he had drawn attention. Wilford shook his head, saying it was okay with an ambiguous smile as he felt everyone¡¯s gaze. -Death Puppeteer, are you listening? Then, pretending to be calm, he sat down andmunicated with Kang Shin-hyuk. He was using amunicator prepared with the Chiral, and, of course, it was an object that had been properly taken by Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded naturally as if he hadn¡¯t noticed what was happening around him. -Demons are hiding in the theater. I¡¯m nning on raiding the theater, so you have to help me. ¡°I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t brainwashed in the first ce, so he wasn¡¯t sure, but after all, this ability didn¡¯t seem easy. If it wasplete, why bother making such excuses instead of ordering him to find and kill Olivia? It was evident that there was a gap in the ability, supporting the idea that William was attempting to save Olivia. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to move because the contest is in progress.¡± -Wouldn¡¯t it be fine to make an excuse to go to the bathroom? I want you to show your ability as No. 1 in the world rankings. ¡°Hmm, then I will.¡± After finishing themunication, Kang Shin-hyuk thought about how to act from now on. Now that he had given up on getting more information by sticking to Wilford, the only question was when to reveal Wilford¡¯s identity and kill him... ¡°ire?¡± -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Huh? ¡°Come now. Hide.¡± -Bartender¡¯s whisper: Okay. Immediately afterward, a pleasant sense of weightnded on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s knee. It was ire, having used nanobots to make herself transparent. ¡°What can I do?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, prepare for treatment. When I send the signal, first of all, Prince William over there.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the idiot next to him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to die today.¡± ¡°Hey, uh, yeah.¡± ire, who kept her heart as a middle schooler, sent a signal that she liked what he said, but he would be treated as a fool if they kissed now. Lee Na-hee and Eleanor, sitting beside him, couldn¡¯t be fooled, however. ¡°Oh, unnie?¡± ¡°Unnie...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud. I¡¯ll move for a moment.¡± ¡°Hey, but it¡¯s the second half.¡± Obviously, only ten teams were remaining. However, Kang Shin-hyuk spoke lightly as she looked at him with a worried expression. ¡°Your name will be called first anyway. I¡¯ll go out first and take some time.¡± ¡°I really want to hit you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, unnie, that¡¯s not it.¡± While she expressed her condolences, having forgotten ire was there, Kang Shin-hyuk got up very quietly, using light and dark mastery little by little. ¡®I think I can use [Dawn] now. Should I thank the Godyer?¡¯ As he made fun of himself, Wilford¡¯s voice came into his ear. -The demons are pretending to be Olivia. Don¡¯t listen to it and kill it for sure. ¡°I see.¡± Yeah, this way, William was a bit out of the brainwashing. Really, this stupid guy... Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he started to move. First of all, those who were trapped in the barrier were pulled together and neutralized. And likewise, those hiding in the secret space were forced to unite with Olivia. ¡°Cha?!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Your Majesty?!¡± It was a secret space created with magic, with perfected soundproofing equipment. Kang Shin-hyuk softly appeared in front of Olivia¡¯s bodyguard, forced to the ground somewhat coercively, and Oliva was looking down on them with wide-open eyes. ¡°Shin Eun-hyuk! ¡°Now, pretending to be amazed. Didn¡¯t you mean to give your life to me when I came here today?¡± ¡°If you know that far, I¡¯ve nothing more to say.¡± ¡°The people in the search team have been taken care of, so rx.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s great.¡± Oliviaughed as she watched him; she looked a lot more fragile than thest time they met. ¡°Should I first give you a kiss of gratitude? Honestly, I could manage something more if you feel like it..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that too loud, or you might end up getting killed.¡± If she were caught by ire, it wouldn¡¯t end as a joke. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and looked down at the stage. The blond beauty of Ebiger Hammer, who won third ce, left the stage resentfully, and Lee Na-hee, in second ce, was called alone. ¡°You have to wait a bit. Soon it will be over.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°First ce. The artifact I created.¡± Then Olivia, who turned her attention to the stage, shouted in astonishment. ¡°No way, did you know the situation here from the time you were in Korea?!¡± ¡°No.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged. ¡°Originally, all games have a second stage¡ª or something along the lines of that.¡± Chapter 307 - Lizard Tail (3)

Chapter 307 - Lizard Tail (3)

¡°It¡¯s amazing; how¡¯d you grow up like that in a year?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I can¡¯t believe I lost like this...¡± Ebiger Hammer¡¯s representative descended from the stage, the same blonde beauty (She looked like a mature woman in her twenties, but considering her participation inst year¡¯s contest, she was still in her teens) they had seen before. She bared her teeth in response to Lee Na-hee. ¡°No, just pure admiration? Last year it was C-rank, but this year¡¯s work was S+ rank.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... Because I received support in many ways.¡± When Lee Na-hee heard that, she looked behind her, but there was no one there. Their team name was the same, but she was the only one who hade up to the stage. The fact she received support seemed rted to materials... Lee Na-hee turned her gaze to the ck colored sword they had made. ¡°I want to ask you in detail about that, but I¡¯m in a hurry now, soter.¡± ¡°...I have something to ask you too.¡± Lee Na-hee climbed the tform at that. The object revealed along with her appearance was none other than a pendant, and an impressive one with multipleyers of square-shaped rings at that. ¡°Everyone has been waiting for it, Shinyoung¡¯s artifact produced by Kang Shin-hyuk, the Death Puppeteer...oh, there was a teamname of this work is called the Infinity Moon! Completed with an SS-rank rarity. It is a ridiculous artifactparable to the work of the former Great Chief Lee Manwoo. Oh, by the way, Kang Shin-hyuk...?¡± ¡°I focused on this work, so I decided to exin it myself.¡± Lee Na-hee responded calmly to the moderator, who seemed a little embarrassed she hade up alone. But at this point, everyone was already aware. That there was one more work to be announced, and that it was probably Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s team¡¯s work. ¡°I see! Then may I ask you to exin it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lee Na-hee epted the artifact from the moderator and hung it around her neck. Lee Na-hee had been making essories for several years, so while the performance itself was good, it was also incredibly well designed. The moment the moderator asked a question, she disappeared from the spot. The next moment, the presenter saw Lee Na-hee¡¯s hand on their shoulder and shouted. ¡°Ah?!¡± ¡°The artifact¡¯s ability is simple. It is a spatial movement.¡± Lee Na-hee exined with an ted smile as the moderator shouted in surprise. ¡°Spatial movement!¡± ¡°Of course, it could only travel very short distances. But it is capable of doing so continuously and allows for the ability to walk in the air for a short time. Its most important feature, however, was its activation time, which allowed for practical operation. As Lee Na-hee demonstrated its function, amazement sounded out throughout the hall. The face of the moderator also gradually changed. ¡°Spatial movement-rted artifacts were rare items only avable at gates, unable to be reproduced by human abilities!¡± ¡°Yeah. Although the announcement was made before. In fact, the production was sessful thanks to the coboration between the Alchemist ire Boyle and Kang Shin-hyuk.¡± In fact, it was gradually known that the top rankers had the means to move through space. Since their mobility had drastically increased after acquiring thosemunication devices, it was inevitable someone would notice. In particr, their appearance while solving the situation a little while ago was especially noticeable. Since the timing was good, they announced the existence of the spatial movement artifact. Of course, requests for them flooded in, but all of them were rejected by saying that they would ept reservations in order of world ranking as they weren¡¯t easily made. But such an artifact appeared here! ¡°Is that so...?¡± ¡°Yeah. The Alchemist was also here today...¡± When Lee Na-hee pointed to where Kang Shin-hyuk was originally, ire waved back at her. It had been all nned out in advance. ¡°Oh my god! The invitation must¡¯ve been sent secretly!¡± ¡°Yeah. In fact, our team has a close rtionship with the Alchemist...¡± Lee Na-hee briefly exined that she had studied with ire on how to create the spatial movement artifact. Of course, that was also true, but such artifacts could only be produced when technology and the source worked together. In other words, they required the materials Kang Shin-hyuk processed with all his power. ¡°If so, will this artifact also be sold to high-rankers?¡± ¡°Oh, this is what I made to use.¡± ¡°Yes, I see.¡± The artifact contest was a ce for artisans to advertise their work, not to sell it. However, it wasn¡¯t surprising to see many were disappointed by Lee Na-hee¡¯s reaction, as it was rare for artisan craftsmen to use their own goods on the battlefield. ¡°The spatial movement artifacts for high rankers will continue to be led by thesupplied to the Shinyoung Guild, which is based in Shinyoung, a superhuman training school in Korea.¡± ¡°Shinyoung Guild...? Aha!¡± The moderator¡¯s eyes widened as he noticed it. Why was she talking about Shinyoung here? Yes, it was to increase the value of its name and clearly reveal their merit so that those who belonged to Shinyoung couldn¡¯t be easily taken away. ¡°I know that the Shinyoung Guild hasn¡¯t yet revealed its debut to the public, yet after all, it was reorganized with a focus on Korea...?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question, but no.¡± It was unexpected, but the moderator was strangely matching Lee Na-hee¡¯s words. It really looked like this ce was designed to promote Shinyoung! Of course, that was the result of Lee Manwoo¡¯s preparations. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the influence of Lee Manwoo on the industry really was extraordinary. ¡°Shinyoung Guild is epting everyone who wants to join. Since the new guild name, the recruitment for Masked Bhus is also being made.¡± It was like aedy that had been nned in advance, but it wasn¡¯t at all funny from the perspective of those watching. Everyone listening decided that this was dangerous. The Death Puppeteer Kang Shin-hyuk, No. 1 in the world, was staying in Shinyoung. Their quality was already high, but they had such artifacts too? They weren¡¯t just an influential guild; they could easily be vicious predators that steal the elites from each country! ¡°Not this...¡± ¡°This... Still, spatial movement...¡± Surely, who would¡¯ve known that this team would¡¯vee under the name of that school and announce a spatial movement artifact? At this point, even if they hadn¡¯t made the grand prize, she and Shinyoung were the main characters on the stage. Kang Shin-hyuk thought just having a high rank would be enough to dazzle them, but Lee Na-hee had clearly seen what artifacts might stimte the peoples¡¯ hearts. ¡°I heard it well. Maybe it¡¯ll make headlines around the world today.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s move on to the announcement of the grand prize.¡± ¡°I think everyone¡¯s expecting it, so shall we?¡± It wasn¡¯t rehearsed; the moderator and Lee Na-hee worked off each other perfectly. From the start, they grabbed and pulled down the white tablecloth that was draped over the table in the center of the stage. What was below it was a pure white shield without a single spot. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s beautiful. However, this isn¡¯t just beauty. Everyone, you will probably be surprised. The rarity of this work is a whopping SSS- rank!¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°SSS- rank...?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s said there is a minus, but how is it that high...!¡± It was a really good response. Perhaps Lee Manwoo had even nted a person in the crowd? Lee Na-hee thought that as she saw the response bursting out from the crowd. At the same time, she saw Kang Shin-hyuk appear and walk up to the stage. All of his business had been concluded in that short time, and now her lovely partner had returned. work, Athena! It¡¯s a bold name that upholds the name of the goddess Athena, but it isn¡¯t arrogant at all being at a whopping SSS- rank!¡± The moderator praised it with all his might and nodded satisfied when he saw Lee Manwoo give him a thumbs-up. However, they had originally nned toplete this artifact at the rank of SS+. Kang Shin-hyuk pledged to do so but failed in the final adjustment because his light mastery had grown steeply over the past few months. However, he didn¡¯t have enough time to create a new work, and he didn¡¯t think that the SSS-rank was great enough to need hiding. ¡°Now, Kang Shin-hyuk ising up! May I ask for an exnation of the work?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded heavily as he approached the center of the stage and hefted the shield in one hand. Countless people were paying attention to him. In particr, Wilford¡¯s gaze was strong, as if to ask why there hadn¡¯t been reports of Olivia¡¯s death. ¡°This shield, Athena, is the result of sublimating light into the will to protect everything. It possesses strong light and sacred attributes and effectively reduces the power of distorted beings, typically demons.¡± ¡°Wow! Are you talking about an artifact specialized to fight demons? You created it with your own strength?!¡± ¡°It depends on the material, but it is possible. Everyone knows that Jormungand has been raiding ustely. It was created with the desire to defeat the demons that lead them.¡± ¡°If so, this work also...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not this work specifically, but I¡¯m indeed thinking of making attributed weapons to distribute to Shinyoung.¡± ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Unlike Lee Na-hee, Kang Shin-hyuk quickly realized the moderator was speaking to them, but it wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°Then, Kang Shin-hyuk, is it possible to demonstrate?¡± ¡°Yeah. The right target is in front of us, so I would like to demonstrate the power of light purification the shield possesses.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The moderator didn¡¯t seem to understand, but luckily Wilford did. Kang Shin-hyukughed at him, looking at him with wide eyes. Then he held the shield forward and shouted loudly. ¡°Uncover and purify all distorted things! Light purification!¡± Of course, there was no need to shout, but it was unavoidable anyway. Chapter 308 - Lizard Tail (4)

Chapter 308 - Lizard Tail (4)

[Athena] [SSS-rank] [Special Abilities: Baptism, Purification of Light, umtion of Light, Deity] * Baptism: ces a holy curtain on yourself and your allies. Increases resistance and attack power against demons. * Purification of Light: Uses the power of light to reveal the true appearance of all unclean things and inflict divine damage. * umtion of light: The moment the seeds of light bloom, the shield reveals its true form. *Deity: The product of a miracle. The power of God dwells in the light handled by this weapon, and its power is greatly strengthened as a result. [A work created by the world¡¯s best cksmith with a talented new rune wizard. After trying to hide their overflowing abilities, they created new possibilities.] Athena had four special abilities, thetter three which weren¡¯t revealed by Kang Shin-hyuk. It wasn¡¯t possible to properly appraise the artifact without an emotion ability that exceeded SS-rank, so there was no problem with hiding it. Thest special ability appeared when he had created the drone, Guardian of Ra. But even more problematic was the third special ability... [umtion of Light] As a result of his failure to take into ount his own abilities, Kang Shin-hyuk ended up creating an artifact that contained too much light. Due to this, it ended with the overall grade of SSS- rank, but that resulted in the creation of the highest-grade growth-type special ability that hadn¡¯t been seen before. -That¡¯s a good thing. In the future, you¡¯ll be able to apply this experience to create growth-type artifacts. A 100,000HP bonus for this member who has decided to walk backwards! ¡®Definitely, it has created that possibility instead of making a finished product from the start...¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t that be the miracle of the all-craft that could be created when Kang Shin-hyuk worked with Lee Na-hee? Of course, it was strange that such a miraculous work was born as a result of trying to hide its abilities somehow. Anyway, if the results were good, everything was good. Kang Shin-hyuk neatly arranged his unsettled mind and turned his gaze forward. ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Rain, light... Chiral¡¯s power!¡± ¡°Your Majesty Wilford?!¡± ¡°The knights¡¯ bodies are changing!¡± The scene before him was so funny he had to turn away. The power of light purification was greatly amplified due to the effect of that third special ability and the divine power it contained. The group with Wilford started dancing on the floor, emitting ck smoke. ¡°Kahak, kaaah!¡± ¡°Treason! The Puppeteer has rebelled against the royal family!¡± ¡°The nonsense these kids spout is perfect. Should I match their beat?¡± But the next moment, Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes turned to them. Changes that couldn¡¯t be ignored appeared on the bodies of those suffering from the purifying light. ¡°This, as expected...¡± *** Meanwhile, the moment he activated it, ire found those who were forced into the Chiral and started the work of extracting the magic from their bodies. She had received a sample from Kang Shin-hyuk she had continued to study, sessfully creating a technique that used nanobots to extract only the twisted energy. ¡°There you are.¡± ¡°Kaha...! Ugh, huh?¡± Prince William, who appeared tormented the moment he was exposed to the light, strangely felt like all the magic in his body was sucked into one point. And, when that feeling waspletely gone, he could tell the haze over his mind had cleared up. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s nice. Then I¡¯ll send your daughter right away, so get rid of this!¡± ¡°Woman... The Alchemist?¡± William was stunned by the red-haired beauty in front of his eyes. ¡°The demons, the demons! Wilford has a hand with Jormungand! All those loyal to the royal family must subdue this evil!¡± Guardians unrted to Chiral quickly gathered, and those rted to Chiral instinctively united around Wilford. The spectators who realized that the situation was serious moved to get out of the theater. In the meantime, ire quickly headed towards the ce Kang Shin-hyuk directed to. ¡°Oh, here it is. You¡¯ve suffered.¡± ¡°Huh, all, you...!¡± That was Olivia¡¯s party. Wilford had been nning on using Olivia as well, but the first time he tried to use Chiral on her, she had rebelled severely. William, who noticed, set up this stage using the gap in the brainwashing. However, even so, Olivia wouldn¡¯t be able to face Wilford head-on, so the work was left to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared a price for taking on the bother, then.¡± Most of her skin was dyed ck and blue and was smoking, but Kang Shin-hyuk had taken care not to directly hit them with the light purification. However, some light was necessary to weaken them enough for ire¡¯s nanobots to take care of the Chiral. ¡°Shall we start the treatment?¡± ¡°Treat...ment? Ugh!¡± From the backpack ire wore, a fog of nanobots moved out and into Olivia and her knights. It was rather violent, but since Kang Shin-hyuk was in an annoying situation because of her, ire thought she should be grateful. ¡°This, this... Take out that mirror fragment... There?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr. It hurts more if you move, so stay still.¡± ¡°Khhh...!¡± The nanobots moved in unison under ire¡¯smand like an army under a queen. Olivia stared at her nkly as she felt the negative energy gradually exiting her. The was the result of the foolish self-destruction of her half-brother, who had fallen into Jormungand¡¯s hands. It was iprehensible to Olivia, who thought none could resist that darkness. ire¡¯s face wasn¡¯t even visible because of the light flooding in, but she could see ire¡¯s dignified stance in that light, and Olivia was convinced. To be the Death Puppeteer¡¯s lover, you had to be like this. *** The distorted and fragmented world in the mirror. The appearance reflected on the mirror¡¯s surface must have been of an endlessly distorted and terribly twisted world. Wilford, who couldn¡¯t ovee the power of Chiral, was just that. He failed to maintain his human form and copsed, and was now a monster. ¡°Puppeteer...! Yes, how!¡± ¡°No, you tell me that, idiot.¡± The purification was over. Kang Shin-hyuk gently swung the shield and lowered the curtain of light onto those confronting Wilford and his knights. Whenbined with his own trait, it wasn¡¯t difficult to amplify the power of light contained in Baptism. ¡°My ability! You resisted it!¡± Even though he became a terrible monster, Wilford still spat out an eerie voice as he stared at Kang Shin-hyuk with the eyes of a beast. However, his opponent was the world¡¯s No. 1. He replied with augh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve never been hit by your abilities in the first ce. It¡¯s a shame. Your intelligence that is.¡± ¡°Wilford, look at you now. Isn¡¯t it a shame to borrow the power of monsters!¡± ¡°William, even you...!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say my name so casually! You don¡¯t qualify as a human, much less royalty!¡± Fully recovered from his brainwashing, William quickly led the Guardians to push Wilford to one side. Originally, the Wilford group could subdue them easily, but the light was too weakening, and the Baptism was now reinforcing their ability to resist demons. ¡°I can¡¯t... Why is Chiral¡¯s power...!¡± ¡°You are really stupid to the end.¡± ¡°Olivia!¡± Even Olivia, who returned in good shape with ire¡¯s help, joined William in leading the knights. All the people who had heard Wilford¡¯s story were astonished to see her. ¡°Wilford James Graham Reke, you¡¯ve sphemed against the dignity of the royal family and undermined our authority with your wicked greed! You will be deprived of all rights, your name, and be summarily arrested!¡± Oliva shouted with determination as she pointed her sword at Wilford. Kang Shin-hyuk thought it was nonsense to say against a monster as he watched the scene, but soon sensed a change that couldn¡¯t be left to Oliva and Prince William. ¡°Puppeteer?¡± ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°No, I think Chiral¡¯s real purpose is about to be revealed.¡± ¡°Real purpose?¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°What?!¡± A sudden change urred in Wilford at that. The bodies of the knights around him distorted and popped as if they were water balloons. ¡°It¡¯s too gory.¡± ¡°What is that...?!¡± ¡°Wilford?!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡± The knights¡¯ bodies burst out at once, and Wilford¡¯s voice went low as he yelled. ¡°My God... Is he dead...?¡± ¡°Perhaps from a philosophical point of view. Biologically, well...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sensed energying from Wilford¡¯s body, which absorbed all the chiral energy into a realm he didn¡¯t know. Surely, the secret of the gates had gotten entangled there. ¡°But it¡¯s difficult to open a gate here.¡± He raised his hand towards Wilford, who looked like a creature from a Lovecraftian nightmare. Above him was a crystal-shaped transparent drone, the Ra¡¯s guardian. ¡°Shoot.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had given a simple order. The result wasn¡¯t as simple, however. Chapter 309 - Lizard Tail (5)

Chapter 309 - Lizard Tail (5)

Ra¡¯s guardian pulled the power of light from Kang Shin-hyuk, condensing it into a single point it fired out like a spear of light. It flew in a straight line, quickly prating Wilford and smashing the connection between Earth and the gate, perhaps even going beyond. The problem was that Wilford¡¯s corpse, twisted inside, was about to explode. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous; it¡¯ll explode!¡± ¡°Evacuate... Evacuate everyone!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately silencing those causing panic. He was quite familiar now with the magi reaction. It felt like the explosion at the association HQ that had urred during Janus¡¯s attack. However, now Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t let such a catastrophe ur. As he exuded his spiritual power, dozens of crystal-shaped drones waiting in his inventory popped out. ¡°How many are there?!¡± ¡°I worked diligently on them whenever I had time, so now I have thirty-seven. Ra¡¯s Guardian Corps bombardment!¡± The first Ra¡¯s guardian he created gained a special ability and was reborn as an X-rank artifact, whereas the copies were below the current limit. Nevertheless, Ra¡¯s spear, which dozens of drones fired at once, had enough power to suppress and extinguish the massive explosion of vile energy. -Saaaaah The magi were washed away by the bombardment of light. All the energy vanished, leaving behind only a small mirror united into one. Due to the concentrated energy, only a piece of pure chiral that not even Jormungand couldplete remained. -It is the product of all craft. It was made jointly by you and Jormungand, using Wilford and the knights as materials. ¡°Ha...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk carefully approached the object and picked it up after storing all the drones back in his inventory. Of course, this wasn¡¯t something that humans could use. It was an object that contained the power to connect dimensions, and subsequently, the secret of the gates. ¡®It¡¯s a mirror... Okay. Did Janus want to give me this from the start?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk trembled with displeasure as he felt all the more than he was being entangled with Janus. What did Janus want? It kept feeling like they were ying on both sides. However, the fact was that going beyond the dimension was what he aimed for, so he had no choice but to ept it. -Member, it¡¯s enough to postpone getting angry until your reunion. ¡®The administrator also seems suspicious.¡¯ -The administrator follows the member¡¯s will. That only added to the suspicion. However, the days would be fleeting if he spent them all examining said suspicious points. Kang Shin-hyuk turned around with a sigh. Prince William and Princess Olivia, as well as those who participated in the contest, stood there nkly. ¡°What¡¯s left?¡± ¡°No, you solved it so quickly... What the hell was that?¡± ¡°It was a tremendous magical response, enough to warrant a total evacuation of London... But it vanished.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem. Oh, will I get in trouble for killing Wilford?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Prince William shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not only clear that he was brainwashing the royal family with a suspicious ability of unknown fortune, but that shield endowed with light and divine power revealed him in front of so many people. No one will me you, Death Puppeteer.¡± ¡°No, please call me by name.¡± ¡°And... Thank you for helping my daughter.¡± Prince William bowed his head deeply. The inside of the theater, which was growing noisy, immediately grew silent. ¡°If I had lost my child...¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking of getting paid for it. I am the first in the world rankings.¡± ¡°I¡¯m prepared. How about my daughter?¡± ¡°Ah, father!¡± Olivia jumped and began to blush at the prince¡¯s quick response. It really wasn¡¯t the best price for the UK to pay, especially when the princess was almost certain to seed the throne, but it was the only appropriate for the No. 1 in the world. Marriage, after all, was the equivalent of exchanging half of one¡¯s life. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Haha, it can¡¯t be helped. It seems that there is already another...¡± ¡°Ah, father. Excuse me. I am...¡± At his firm refusal, the princeughed sadly, and even Olivia seemed a little regretful for some reason. Eleanor¡¯s eyes narrowed at that. ¡°...Sister? No way. Shin-hyuk is at least ten years younger than you.¡± ¡°Oh, no! No, so don¡¯t stare at me so scarily!¡± ¡°What are you guys doing? The beat is good, at least.¡± While the siblings bickered, ire came up with a snort and folded her arm with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at the warm touch and spoke quietly to only her. ¡°ire, are you all done?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already solved it with the nanobots. At least everything in London will be recoverable.¡± ¡°As expected of you.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the royal family that had been contaminated with the chiral, but also countless others. Wilford had been quite busy preparing himself. But it was then... ¡°Ah, aah...¡± ¡°Well?¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk turned his head at the voice, he noticed a woman had not yete down from the stage. Ebiger Hammer¡¯s representative. He didn¡¯t remember her name, but it was that young blonde beauty. ¡°The sword we made...¡± ¡°Ah... Indeed, there were also some there.¡± On the other side of the stage were the remnants of a sword that had melted away. It was done by the divine light emitted by Athena. What that meant... Perhaps the person who made it realized it. With ire beside him, Kang Shin-hyuk approached her with narrow eyes. ¡°It looks like magi were mixed in?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know... At least until right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you didn¡¯tmunicate properly with the materials.¡± ¡°You can do that?! ...I would¡¯ve said that isn¡¯t possible. Uh...¡± Somehow, the words he nonchntly spoke seemed to tear her heart apart. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a little guilty, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to push on. ¡°Where did you get the materials? As you might¡¯ve noticed, it¡¯s not a simple matter.¡± ¡°I will cooperate... I¡¯ve figured out the situation...¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude.¡± ¡°Instead... I don¡¯t mind saying, but I want to ask for something.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even asked what it is yet; why?!¡± That was because he could feel Lee Na-hee¡¯s gaze from behind her. Besides, he clearly knew what kind of favor she wanted to ask a cksmith. ¡°ept me as a disciple! Let me sharpen my abilities under you, and one day I will surpass you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, no!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it! I refuse!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk resolutely refused her and turned away. She seemed to have lost her mind because her life¡¯s masterpiece had melted in front of her, but she was clinging fiercely to Kang Shin-hyuk. Lee Na-hee and Eleanor joined forces to remove her. ¡°What if there were more rivals than this?! Even if you die, don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Blonde German beauty? No!¡± ¡®No, actually, there was a blonde beauty who liked me in another world.¡¯ If he said that, he would be killed, so he kept quiet. Still, these days, since it was known that the Bartender was Anvil¡¯s lover, he was able to watch Bartender¡¯s battles against new members such as Water Fox and Hwaho on the Hero Universe freeboard. Members like Tsukuyo and Shu often intervened and caused a mess, while other members enjoyed it. He wanted to beat everyone. ¡°Woah, it¡¯sfortable to have them around.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Still, you¡¯re very popr, but it¡¯s nice to have kids like Na-hee and Eleanor to get rid of those who want to stick to you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk trembled in fear at ire¡¯s remarks. He didn¡¯t understand why she was so kind to them, but he wasn¡¯t expecting such a role! He realized that despite his growing poprity, many people were crushed by the two before they coulde close. ¡°Well, then let¡¯s fly to Germany right away.¡± ¡°What, right away?!¡± Prince William, who was watching the skit, intervened with embarrassment at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s words. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded without hesitation. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that something simr is happening in Germany. I have to catch Jormungand¡¯s tails before they all run away, not just take a cut off tail like this one.¡± ¡°But we haven¡¯t been able to pay you back and show our gratitude properly yet...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ept it next time. Send the payment to Korea, no, Shinyoung. As a bonus, I hope the treatment of Eli will change a little.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had been determined to do that from the start. He wanted the royal family to restore Eleanor¡¯s freedom and rights. However, as Wilford asserted himself as an obvious viin, Shin-hyuk was able to naturally establish a smooth rtionship with the crown prince and the other royals. ¡°Shinyuk...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± Eleanor had a moved expression upon hearing what he said. The prince nodded tensely after confirming their strong rtionship. ¡°...I see. Eleanor, I think we have a lot to discuss.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of returning to Ennd... But I don¡¯t want to be a runaway.¡± At Eleanor¡¯s determination, Kang Shin-hyuk thought it would be good toe to Ennd. In the end, Kang Shin-hyuk left Eleanor, Lee Na-hee, and Lee Manwoo in Ennd for a while and headed straight to Germany with ire. But unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much to acquire there. Even worse, the blonde beauty... Rachel Elma Wirt had directly applied for membership to Shinyoung. Chapter 310 - Exhibits (1)

Chapter 310 - Exhibits (1)

¡°So it¡¯s not enough to add a local woman. You had to bring in a new one?!¡± Bridgetughed and pped, making a stupid voice before Kang Shin-hyuk promptly applied a dispassionate hand-de to her head. ¡°Why hit me?!¡± ¡°I only have one? Besides, princess Olivia is the next queen of Ennd, so don¡¯t joke.¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s true that my big sister fell in love with you.¡± ¡°Eli, please be quiet.¡± Just as it seemed Bridget was quieting down, Eleanor poured oil on the fire. Kang Shin-hyuk had also noticed Olivia¡¯s gaze towards him had changed. In Africa, she had decided she wanted to attract him to Ennd, but this time it felt like she wanted to follow him. That¡¯s why he left Ennd so quickly... -There¡¯s no reason to mix words with an old virgin whose attributes only slightly ovep with the spear fox. You¡¯ve very good at it. 1,000,000HP bonus! ¡®I know who the spear fox is pointing to, but don¡¯t say that again; it could cause a disaster. And you¡¯re forbidden to say old virgin while we¡¯re at it.¡¯ Even if the administrator¡¯s message was always a joke, there were plenty of people who were connected to it. ire was ire, but when Shin Eunah returned, they would have to be careful. ¡°But honestly, isn¡¯t it worth falling in love? Saving her and her family, killing that selfish bastard... You even showed off some cool special moves, revealing the identity of those tainted...¡± ¡°Senior, don¡¯t do that, really.¡± It was cool at the moment, but thinking about it now was embarrassing. Kang Shin-hyuk desperately moved to cover Eleanor and Lee Na-hee¡¯s mouths as Bridget pouted at him. ¡°That sounds great. I also want to hang out with the Puppeteer.¡± ¡°I only do that with ire? Tell me what happened in the meantime.¡± ¡°Have you not received the report already?¡± He had received a report on Shinyoung¡¯s first appearance. Shinyoung¡¯s military grouping took ce immediately, but it was too harsh to throw the students right in, so they had been practicing at low-grade gates with teachers. However, justst week, while they were in Ennd and Germany, a team of only students finally took part. ¡°They went out with some poignant faces like they were in some army.¡± ¡°It is an army.¡± Usually, four to eight people went into small gates, and eight to sixteen went intorge ones. The school considered teamposition to be as autonomous as possible, but everyone formed teams ording to that maximum number. Some teams hadn¡¯t gonest week, so that they would be entering this one. That was because there was a provision for each team to be in charge of at least one gate every two weeks. ¡°So, how was it actually? I just confirmed that there were no deaths.¡± ¡°Sorry, but there were some serious injuries. There were many irregr gates. In fact, half of the gate incidents that ur these days are irregr.¡± ¡°At this point, they¡¯re bing regr...the superhuman association that originally detects and identifies those urrences has been cut in half.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed the image that Bridget showed on her phone. TI was the report Kang Shin-hyuk had received from the teachers. F ss 5, E ss 7, D ss 13, C ss 21, B ss 2, A ss 2. It was the number of gates that the students attacked over the past week. In fact, the figure was considerably lower than he thought. The reason was that the fatigue of students who finished their gate expeditions was greater than he expected. ¡°Everyone¡¯s not too great at endurance...?¡± ¡°Looking at you, that¡¯s understandable, but most people don¡¯t go into gates in such a rapid-fire manner.¡± -Even if you ignore this negligent fox, it¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t understand the young students. When you started exploring the gates in earnest, you already had the regeneration power of a troll. ¡®Ah, is that so?¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk finally realized that he was arrogant. As the administrator said, the work didn¡¯t tire him because of the troll¡¯s regenerative power, and that ability had given him almost infinite stamina in the process of evolving. So, after exploring the gates, he couldn¡¯t objectively recognize how heavy the fatigue was for the general superhuman. ¡°But you¡¯re a top ranker, so it¡¯s different. I know it can¡¯t be afforded in the future.¡± ¡°...Can you say that one more time while looking down at me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t figure out the limits of your perversion...¡± So, the mileage the students had earned over the two weeks was less than expected. The teaching team, consisting of the three members from Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s orphanage and led by Lee Jinseok, had the highest points. Their trait rank wasn¡¯t low, but there were quite a few students with stronger traits than them... It seemed that the training wascking. ¡°What about the teacher team?¡± ¡°Because almost half of the teachers always have to stay at school...excluding the team that¡¯s out now, we¡¯ve targeted about ten.¡± ¡°Since the TA team has attacked two, a total of 62.¡± At this level, arge guild wouldn¡¯tugh at them. They were mainly low-rank gates, but the teacher¡¯s team had also targeted B and A-rank dungeons. However, considering they had about 1,000 students and teachersbined, he felt it was a little inadequate. ¡°We need to train the students who can only enter the F and E level gates as soon as possible. We have to make it so they can clear three of those lower gates a day.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they great enough now?¡± ¡°Not that much. We¡¯re not aiming for the level of arge guild, but the world¡¯s strongest armed group.¡± ¡°Then, what do we do?¡± ¡°I have to work more.¡± In fact, it could be said that the students of Shinyoung were still trying to attack rtively safe gatespared to other superhumans. This was because every team entered the gate with at least one drone made by ire Boyle. The drone was able to observe and record everything in the dungeon and even transmit some of it to the control room. Originally,munication couldn¡¯t be sent outside gates, but this miracle was aplished by the nanobots and special metal directly cast by Kang Shin-hyuk. Real-time reporting and rescue were separate matters, but teams that sent rescue signals could be defended by the drone directly from the control room. Those drones had been deployed to all the teams, and all future production was expected to be sold at a ridiculously high price. ¡°I also thought about handing out Ra¡¯s guardians one by one...¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s like you.¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± That afternoon, Kang Shin-hyuk gathered all the students at the great yground, gave them buffs again, and held a group exhibition. He boldly beat them all, offering no forgiveness. ¡°It hurts! It hurts, but I can¡¯t fall down...!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t lie down until you fall!¡± ¡°What is this? It¡¯s scary!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait hung over the entire yground. By activating his god wind skill, he moved the world¡¯s magical power into the bodies of the exhausted students. The energy that boiled inside of them was iparable to the tonics and recovery magic they used before. No matter how badly they were beaten, they were able to stand back up. ¡°Should I do this once a week?¡± ¡°Never, I hate it...!¡± ¡°I want to go home...¡± Unfortunately, there was still a limit to his skill, so he couldn¡¯t pull too much energy from the world. The tremendous energy that covered the area vanished after about an hour, and before Kang Shin-hyuk copsed, the students did. Among them was the team of teaching assistants. ¡°Ooh, we¡¯re together... I cleared two gates...!¡± ¡°Lee Jinsu, are you thinking of receiving a weapon from me? Did you bezy when you became a mercenary?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Jinsu in front of the students, motherfucker... Kahak.¡± The TA team attacked two gates, so Kang Shin-hyuk presented a B-rank essory-type artifact to the TA team in return. The same artifacts were presented to the team where the elite members of each grade gathered to attack the A-rank gate, and the one-man team of Oh Hye-na, who couldn¡¯t work as Masked Bhus while Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t present. Although they were beaten down, the students who saw those rewards were rekindled. ¡°Then, the teacher team next.¡± ¡°Us too?!¡± The teachers watching the training jumped in fear. Kang Shin-hyuk continued while staring down Gong Joonpyo, the teacher he didn¡¯t like the most. ¡°...I want to train like this, but it¡¯s difficult to activate that ability right now, so let¡¯s do it tomorrow.¡± ¡°If you enter the gate tomorrow...?¡± ¡°Then you go into the gate and will have a private lesson with me.¡± What a thrilling reverberation that the idea of a private lesson with the No. 1 caused. Gong Joonpyo and the other teachers decided to give up on running away. *** The blonde German beauty, Rachel Elma Burt, was officially licensed as a member of Shinyoung. She ended up as an assistant like Lee Jinseok, as she had graduated from a German production school earlier that year. Not only Kang Shin-hyuk but also Lee Na-hee opposed her recruitment until the end, but there was no choice. She was a talented craftsman and invaluable help against Jormungand. ¡°This is master¡¯s workshop.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me master.¡± If Lee Jinseok was abat assistant, Rachel was a production assistant. It was expected that she would help Lee Na-hee and Kang Shin-hyuk produce the products that would be given over to students who umted mileage. ¡°Well, overall, it may not be that bad. It¡¯s possible to coborate even with our schedules... Also, it seems like she has roughly the same skills as Na-hee.¡± ¡°Wow, my dear junior. That hurts a little.¡± ¡°Master, I also feel like I¡¯m being ignored. I¡¯ve no intention of losing to a woman who can¡¯t properly handle iron.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at both of them. ¡°Then you canpete with your skills, Burt.¡± ¡°Please call me Rachel, master.¡± ¡°I hate it. In Korea, that name is a symbol of betrayal.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you?!¡± After a lot of tears, anger, and anguish, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to call her by her middle name, Elma. As a bonus, the artifact production battle resulted in a tie, as he expected, with both making an A-rank artifact. Chapter 311 - Exhibits (2)

Chapter 311 - Exhibits (2)

Thanks to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s dedication to intensively training Shinyoung¡¯s members, the number of gates they attacked increased by 20%, despite the high proportion of training. As a bonus, a knight and student who had an A-rank trait in the third year evolved his trait into the S-rank while assaulting a gate. It was the moment that Shinyoung turned over. This was because the S-rank was a level that became possible for those aiming at the high ranks, assuming they put in the effort. ¡°I thought that one of them would burst.¡± He thought the first would be Baek In-ha. That was because, among those who hadn¡¯t experienced trait evolution yet, he had spent the most time with him. However, whether it was because originally his trait was S-rank, or the growth had been concentrated on his status, there was no news of a trait evolution yet. ¡®Well, that guy will figure it out.¡¯ Meanwhile, with Elma¡¯s recruitment, they were picking up speed in the creation of armaments. Elma and Lee Na-hee were simr in age and skill level, so they fit well together working. Moreover, since Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s metallurgy enhances everything he made, it was important to have two who could create intermediate artifacts inrge quantities. These days, Kang Shin-hyuk was vaguely annoyed with himself, who couldn¡¯t even control the quality of his work. -It¡¯s because the standards of your abilities are aligned with the Hero Universe. Even if the members of the Hero Universe moved slightly, it would be like a major earthquake urred to the humans on Earth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± If the coboration between Elma and Lee Na-hee worked well, Kang Na-hee seemed always to want to run a store with him, but considering the path he would take in the future, it was unreasonable. -That¡¯s right. It¡¯s 10 million years too soon for a young fox who doesn¡¯t even satisfy the Hero Universe¡¯s membership conditions to dare spit on your daily life. ¡®Saying that, it seems like she will soon join the Hero Universe.¡¯ -The administrator disagrees! I would have to think of a new name again! ¡®Now, I think it¡¯s better to give up.¡¯ Anyway, with a stableposition established in the field of battle and production, Kang Shin-hyuk had unexpectedly reduced everything he was in charge of to a minimum at Shinyoung. As the students attacked the gates in earnest, there were almost no sses. As long as he imbued the students with his power every day or two, his job as an instructor wasplete. In the case of armament production, he was done as long as he made arge number of magic alloys for Na-hee and Elma. He got away from his student status and became an office worker, but how much more rxing had it been as a student! ¡°For the time being, be aware we n to reduce our activities as Masked Bhus.¡± ¡°Uh, why?¡± That night, Kang Shin-hyuk made a firm deration as the members met up. ¡°I have something to study. Still, there won¡¯t be much of a problem with power. I¡¯ll send these out.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk called out dozens of the guardians of Ra. He was able to manipte the other aircraft from a distance using the original X-rank entity, and he had already been making more of them in his free time. Since he already confirmed he was able to manipte them beyond dimensions, he was able to use them at will and y on Earth where he was! ¡°No, with this, I would conquer a country...¡± Lee Na-hee muttered contemtively as she had already seen their capabilities in Ennd. However, Kang Shin-hyuk justughed. ¡°No matter how many I make, the mass production type is the same. Even if I collect so many, I can¡¯t go crazy with Astrafe or Fragarach yet. Not yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when that... No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Astrafe was an item that easily exceeded the current limit to reach the X-rank, and Fragarach had yet to reveal all of its abilities, so it was probably a higher-level item. In Shin Eunah¡¯s hand, it was a novelty that let her fight Janus on equal footing. However, Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced that it couldn¡¯t exceed Janus at the time, and he wasn¡¯t even shaken by an X-rank item. Didn¡¯t he talk about rank X2 with Halo one day? Of course, Halo was more than that, and maybe Janus too. ¡®If Ibine Abyssus and Despair into a proper product... Maybe with that...¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had always felt the necessity of training. Not only in terms of strength but also as a cksmith. He had been busy working on Earth for thest few weeks to strengthen the people there andy down a foundation. Strictly speaking, he wasn¡¯t sharpening himself. The administrator also said as much, but he clearly realized it this time. He had exceeded the level ofparison with earthlings, and the area he looked at couldn¡¯t be reached from Earth. ¡®Even with Chiral in hand, it doesn¡¯t mean I can run right to Eunah. Just getting there isn¡¯t enough to ensure her safety.¡¯ He had to be strong for that. Shouldn¡¯t he be at least stronger than Eunah? He couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time. He had to be strong. ¡°Well, I thought we could move together, but this is it?¡± ¡°Please, Bridget. It¡¯s also because of you joining here that this won¡¯t fall apart.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s not allowed to kiss me while you say that!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it because I have a lover, yes.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk looked back at Baek In-ha as if to offer him up instead. Bridget, frightened, kicked him as if she had been waiting. Baek avoided it at an rming rate but couldn¡¯t avoid Eleanor flying in from behind him. ¡°Shinyuk, why... I am... doesn¡¯t this seem weird...¡± ¡°That¡¯s all because you don¡¯t have a girlfriend. Make it right.¡± ¡°Is that really so...¡± ¡°...Oppa, is there anyone who can do that?¡± Oh Hye-na made an expression that she might kill. Whether Baek didn¡¯t notice or deliberately ignored it, he began to list the names of women who recently expressed interest in him. Kang Shin-hyuk stood up, hoping desperately that no serial murder cases would ur in Shinyoung. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave early today. I might not be able to contact you for a few days. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll send drones when I leave.¡± ¡°Oh, then me too.¡± ire nodded and stood up with him as she noticed he would be out of contact for several days. Lee Na-hee pouted at the sight of them. ¡°Unnie, can¡¯t you stop that?¡± ¡°Yes~ If you¡¯re ufortable, find a boyfriend too~.¡± Although it had changed a lot, the rtionship between the members of Masked Bhus was stable. Of course, someplicated politics were going on underneath the surface, but for now, he decided to ignore that. Kang Shin-hyuk left with ire and headed to his dorm. ¡°Shin-hyuk, are you thinking of going to another world?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll need time now.¡± He needed time to study chiral and elevate his own abilities, to train as a cksmith and create a sword made from Abyssus and Despair. Now that Earth had some time to survive against Jormungand, he had to make time for himself. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Woohoo!¡± ire hugged his arm and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder to show she was satisfied with that answer. When she acted like this, she seemed like a cat. Since Kang Shin-hyuk was solidly a cat person, he had noints. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to Vita, but I¡¯m going to have to ask her to take on my role now.¡± ¡°Because you brought her to Shinyoung with that intention.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be sad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy her a present.¡± Vita, who waited for them in their room, was sad that the two were leaving but was soon convinced it was very important. But instead, she detonated a big bomb. ¡°Are you going to make it with him?¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll try!¡± ire, having thought it over for a beat, nodded with determination, and Kang Shin-hyuk stiffened. But the next moment, he regained his senses and shouted. ¡°You¡¯re trying what?!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be okay? You¡¯re no longer a student too!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it still an issue?! I¡¯m still underage!¡± ¡°Think about it, we¡¯re trying to get her back, but she doesn¡¯t know. So, for a small surprise project...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not...¡± He decided to keep in mind that ire was thinking of making a child. Kang Shin-hyuk, who had Anvil¡¯s memories, knew that it woulde someday. ¡°Child, you mean...¡± However, the word child was also synonymous with loss for him, so it reminded him of an unbearable fear that he couldn¡¯t face. Now that his synchronization rate was nearing 100%, any word or event that reminded him of his previous life was never light. As he closed his eyes to clear up those revived memories, ire spoke up anxiously. ¡°That, don¡¯t bother too much. I¡¯m kidding...¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯ve no intention of passing over it as a joke.¡± Realizing that she was worried, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and gently took her hand. Now, ire sometimes felt like a cute younger girl and sometimes like that strong adult. And now, maybe thetter. His mature expression made her chest pound, but at the same time, she felt somewhat anxious. She put strength into her hand, holding his, feeling that if she didn¡¯t, he might disappear. As if her heart was conveyed, Kang Shin-hyuk began to look determined. ¡°But now, I want a little time.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay anytime.¡± ¡°But certainly, Na-hee and Eli would be very surprised to see our child.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk received a new dimensional quest with ire and began his activities as a VIP member in earnest. Half a year passed as such. A member of the Hero Universe had been added from the district. Chapter 312 - Exhibits (3)

Chapter 312 - Exhibits (3)

¡°What, I could¡¯ve set my ID?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was deceived by the administrator! I should¡¯ve known something felt weird!¡± Having been deceived by the administrator¡¯s scheme to set her ID as Rune Fox, Lee Na-hee was sincerely upset as she continuously stomped her feet. ¡°Besides, when I entered the free bulletin board, suddenly I was being treated as a set. Who is Water Fox and Hwaho?!¡± ¡°Both of them are stronger than you, so let it go.¡± ¡°Why are you flirting with such people?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not? Don¡¯t say anything weird in front of ire.¡± Just yesterday, Lee Na-hee¡¯s trait evolved again. [Rune of Blooming (SS+)] It had grown three ranks at once, reaching the current limit. Of course, the members of Masked Bhus heard the news and gathered to celebrate her evolution. Then, the other members secretly invited her to their room after that celebration. ¡°But I really didn¡¯t know about it, unnie. So, you two belonged to this pan-cosmological organization...¡± ¡°Eunah was also in it.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, so...¡± However, if there was something unexpected, Eleanor, who had [Crab Volg (SSS-)], had yet to acquire the qualifications to join the Hero Universe, but Lee Na-hee had. Obviously, the Hero Universe seemed to have preferential treatment for magical and production-rted traits overbat-rted ones. After all, ire had joined with her SS-rank trait. ¡°Then what¡¯s the reason you brought me here today? I was looking forward to my junior providing some personal service...¡± ¡°Someone, the tension suddenly dropped...¡± Although it was winter, Lee Na-hee was wearing a transparent blouse and a shortce skirt. Maybe she had been half-anticipating why Kang Shin-hyuk called her today. Her approach now felt like a half-promised joke. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Hero Universe yet, but I wanted to tell you about it properly.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard the basics from the administrator, so I was convinced in many ways. Where in the world were you distributing those nonsensical weapons? Why was it that sometimes you would vanish from the face of the world?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk while we eat.¡± When ire moved into the same room as him, the dorm¡¯s internal structure was lightly changed to amodate them. It now included a kitchen, although the three of them, including Vita, were the types that actively cooked, and instead, they usually went to the restaurant at Unyu hall. ire, however, often cooked when she wanted to show off or when she wanted to spend time leisurely with Kang Shin-hyuk. No, not just that. As the two of them performed several dimensional quests, their cooking skills increased as they cooked more outside. ¡°Today¡¯s Japanese hotpot. I made plenty, so eat as much as you want.¡± ¡°...Unnie. It¡¯s no joke how guilty I feel about interrupting the newlyweds¡¯ home without notice.¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s eyes went wide as she saw ire carrying a pot while wearing a cute apron. Na-hee knew ire well, and she had never had such a familial atmosphere about her before. And though it¡¯s resentful, didn¡¯t it seem like her feminine charm was different from before? Kang Shin-hyuk definitely preferred her... Ahhhhh! Lee Na-hee screamed in her heart and covered her red-stained face with both hands. ire, who guessed her thoughts, had a warm smile. ¡°In the first ce, love is the way to change people.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve also changed.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± They ate and talked about the Hero Universe in earnest. Of course, Lee Na-hee¡¯s interest was focused on dimensional quests. ¡°Can I follow that too?¡± ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s too dangerous for you.¡± ¡°But unnie...¡± ¡°I know there are times when it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ire smiled bitterly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact she could handle nanobots, Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t have been able to bring her every time. ¡°What, then, the Hero Universe means nothing.¡± ¡°Why not? In the future, I can contact you even when we¡¯re in another world.¡± ¡°Yes, try to collect points. There are a lot of rare materials on the trading board.¡± ¡°Somehow, among the materials that my junior has sued, there are many I haven¡¯t heard of yet.¡± Lee Na-hee took the advice from her seniors seriously. From Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s standpoint, he was very happy that Lee Na-hee was reborn as a member of the Hero Universe. He felt his rtionship with his friends gradually stretching out as he spent more of his time in the Hero Universe, so he couldn¡¯t help but be happy that it could continue unbroken with her joining. ¡°It would be nice if Eli could join quickly.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been in the lead, so why are you saying such pointless words?¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯ll soon understand my heart.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for Na-hee to know your feelings?¡± ire, who knew what Kang Shin-hyuk felt, spoke up. The hot pot was very delicious, and the three emptied it quickly as they talked then sipped at the tea. Through the window in the living room, they could see snow piling up over Shinyoung¡¯s main building in the darkness. The first snow this year hade early, in October, as the Earth suffered from the gate erosion this year. ¡°But now, it¡¯s the season for it. It¡¯s already December.¡± ¡°It seemed like the world would end around May, but another year will pass.¡± ¡°I wondered if Shinyoung would vanish, but how did we end up here?¡± The three weren¡¯t that young, but they were still thrilled at the snow falling down. It was a truly turbulent year. Compared to thest one, there had been more changes, and somehow it felt like it had passed even quicker. Probably, no, obviously, that was because Eunah wasn¡¯t there. ¡®Are we ready?¡¯ Shinyoung¡¯s guild had been focused on reinforcing the young superhumans and mass-producing high-quality artifacts. The year, everything he had done on Earth had established itself. Kang Shin-hyuk once thought the battle with Jormungand would be on Earth, but after the incidents in London and Germany, Jormungand... To be precise, shes with the head of Jormungand no longer urred. Kang Shin-hyuk had been vaguely guessing since about then, as the events that took ce urred with traitors on the human side who had suddenly lost their connection with Jormungand. In other words, Janus¡¯s attack in May was thest one by Jormungand to bnce the Earth. Now that Earth was strengthened, they mayunch a counter-attack, but it would take a while for that to happen. -At least, you had no intention of waiting quietly until then. ¡°Junior?¡± As he gathered his determination, Kang Shin-hyuk was brought back from his thoughts by Lee Na-hee¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is the broadcast for SS-ss gates. Are you going to watch it?¡± ¡°Oh, it was tomorrow.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t even care?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s Baek. Actually, he should also be out.¡± ¡°No, maybe that¡¯s a bit...¡± Lee Na-hee shook her head, but ire nodded next to him. The SS-ss gate attack. Okay, after seeing that, he would definitely be relieved. Kang Shin-hyuk finished off the rest of his tea with a nod, and ire refilled his cup with a gentle smile. Apparently, she recognized his determination. As the two exchanged a smile, Lee Na-hee noticed she couldn¡¯t dare intervene and began to pout. *** Communication with people inside the gate was impossible. That wasmon sense, but the joint research between the Puppeteer and the Alchemist shattered that perception. At first, it was just at the level of sending in a drone that could transmit a one-way signal, but with gradual development, it had reached the level of two-way videomunication a month ago. ire and Kang Shin-hyuk, already wealthy, had be ridiculously rich due to the development of that technology. However, the only problem was that it was still impossible to skip the use of spiritual power in the production process. So without Kang Shin-hyuk or ire, it couldn¡¯t actually be created. In other words, they made money not by selling the technology, but by sellingmunication drones made with it. ¡°But Na-hee is also feeling spiritual strength little by little now, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Whenever I see you, something rumbles inside. I think it¡¯s affection for you or sexual desire...¡± ¡°Eli.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No!¡± Eleanor smacked the back of Lee Na-hee¡¯s head as she spouted this bullshit. It was an attack mixed with resentment for her entering the Hero Universe first. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Eli also began to feel spiritual power, so I thought she¡¯d be joining before you, so I gave her a rough exnation.¡± It was obviously not possible to discuss the Hero Universe with anyone. Still, since the administrator recognized Eleanor as a semi-prospective member, they were vaguely telling her about the Hero Universe¡¯s existence. But, no doubt, Lee Na-hee joined first. ¡°I will join within a week.¡± ¡°Eli, don¡¯t do what the administrator tells you; ID is a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your brain that¡¯s a big deal.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and his party sat in the audience seats of the first gymnasium, where Janus¡¯s attack had taken ce before. Not only them but also students and teachers upied arge number of seats, all looking at therge screen installed in the center of the gym. The scene reflected nothing other than the scenery inside an SS-ss gate. Eight members of Shinyoung¡¯s elite team gathered to release the captured video of the gate in real-time. ¡°When I see the gate attack like this, it feels like the times have changed... Oh, It¡¯s Oh Hye-na.¡± ¡°Baek In-ha, you¡¯re thoroughly faithful.¡± Excluding Baek In-ha and Oh Hye-na, who were Masked Bhus members, the team was made up of only Shinyoung¡¯s students. Even then, Baek only yed the role of protector in the case of an emergency, so the actual attack was led by Oh Hye-na and the seven students. ¡°Looks like no problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the case because they have Baek. The kids aren¡¯t bad either.¡± ¡°When did Oh Hye-na be so strong?¡± It was the will of Kang Shin-hyuk and Shinyoung to create a team this way. For the past few months, Shinyoung had firmly established itself under his leadership, but in the end, the evaluation of the armed forces was not made for that sole reason. This strategy video was to be broadcasted not only here but through news channels in each country. The attack on an SS-ss gate where most of the main members of Masked Bhus were omitted would be able to change the existing perception firmly. ¡°Ah.¡± It would be even more surprising if it had been an attack on an irregr gate, but this time it to prove how well the young superhumans were trained at Shinyoung and how excellent their teamwork was, so they targeted a well-known gate. The attack proceeded as intended, and the students calmly dealt with the SS-rank monsters as a group while Oh Hye-na froze and crushed the monsters with her overwhelming skill. Cheerful yet firm, anyone who watched the video would think of that. ¡°Hm.¡± There was no chance for Baek. It was a small gate known to need an average attack time of seven hours, but Oh Hye-na shortened it to three. In particr, the sight of her breaking the boss monster swiftly with her frosted greatsword was enough to leave an unforgettable impression. ¡°I told her to work with the team, but she won¡¯t.¡± However, the results weren¡¯t very satisfactory for Kang Shin-hyuk, who wanted to show off the abilities of the other students.¡± ¡°Look. She probably wanted to show off herself.¡± ¡°I know that heart, but punishment is separate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very strict...¡± As Lee Na-hee shook her head, ire spoke up with an ambiguous smile. ¡°But you can be relieved with this much, right?¡± ¡°Yes... Well, it is.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded and stood up. He was going to start the next dimensional quest right after he confirmed that this was over. The destination was Merba. Chapter 313 - Exhibits (4)

Chapter 313 - Exhibits (4)

The administrator rarely expressed concern about him, but he did when Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed his intention to go to Merba. -Member, would you really like to? ¡°It¡¯s time to go now. There aren¡¯t many dimensional quests you can find these days.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded calmly. There weren¡¯t many because Kang Shin-hyuk had been quickly going through them. He hadn¡¯t been able to meet Janus, but he met and fought many monsters from Jormungand. With the help of other Hero Universe members, he was able to defeat and route them. There were quite a few situations that risked his life and ire¡¯s, but he promised to find Shin Eunah with her. -Clearly... I also said that one day. When was it when he first received a dimensional quest? He hesitated a little, but certainly. Compared to then, My Room had changed a lot. He had failed a few dimensional quests as well, but as a result of diligently moving for half a year, the space of his workshop had been steadilypleted. The ratio of time to reality had also increased to 1:5. Rather than performing dimensional quests, he could benefit a lot from staying there. That wasn¡¯t the only thing to change, either. [Kang Shin-hyuk: SSS+ Rank] (Synchronization rate 97.5%) [Trait] Royal Dragon (X) [Physical ability] Strength: X Agility: X Stamina: X+ [Special ability] Spiritual Power: X+ Breaker: X2- [skill] Royal Dragon (X): X- God Wind (X): X Space Domination (X): X- Dark Mastery (X): X- Light Mastery (SSS+): SSS+ Fire Mastery (SSS+): SSS Soul Poison (SSS+): X- Metallurgy: SSS+ Emotion: X2- Repair: SSS+ For nearly half a year, his status had grown to the point where he barely received recognition as a VIP member of the battling type in the Hero Universe. Basically, all the members of the battle series belonging to the Hero Universe were strong, but VIP members usually had hundreds or thousands of years to reach the level of breaking a single stat at the minimum. Although Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait interfered with energy rather than having raw destructive power, it would certainly be a simple thing to destroy the Earth by interfering with its energy flow. However, his true value was in creating artifacts. If one equipped all the weapons he made, they would be at a surprisingly strong level that slightly exceeded the average of VIP members of the battling type. ¡°It¡¯s still very annoying that I¡¯m not strong enough for Janus.¡± He thought about it for a moment but then shook his head. He didn¡¯t know how much she had grown in the meantime (it had been half a year), but her power... His power was still a little insufficient to ovee the violence her power was capable of, and he didn¡¯t know what the Godyer would be like either. -In Merba... Janus will note. ¡°I know. If I¡¯d known where Janus was waiting, I would¡¯ve gone right there instead.¡± ¡°Ha, Shin-hyuk. Please hold my hand.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ire, who had never before interfered with his conversations with the administrator, took in a tense breath and reached out to him. He ended up talking to her about Merba. Perhaps she was tense not because of the monsters there, but because he was reaching the root of himself. Still, it was time to find out. The rate of synchronization hadn¡¯t progressed for three months after reaching 99.7%. He was hoping it would rise naturally over time, but it was fixed in ce. Now was the time to recover everything from his previous life and move forward. In fact, from the moment he confronted Janus, he felt that the moment he would face the source of Jormungand, and the Hero Universe was approaching. ¡°Then, shall we go. Administrator, can you tell me about the dimensional quest?¡± -Merba is... It is a perished world. The flow of time there is 100 times faster than Earth. The most severe dimensional quest he had been through yet was only 30 times the earth. It had been one he did with Loki, another VIP member, and if it weren¡¯t for him, he might¡¯ve been killed by the monsters there. Even Loki had to give up onpletely defeating them, and they ended the quest by defending the root of the world and moderately reducing enemy forces... But Merba was 100 times that. -But for the current member, it may not be so dangerous. ¡°Is it that you¡¯re not aware of it in detail?¡± -In fact, Merba is a world where Jormungand hasn¡¯t been very active. Dimensional quests never urred, and the member, the only one in the world, never went outside... ¡°The information wasn¡¯t obtainable.¡± -That¡¯s right. There is a limit to what the Gaia system can learn. The administrator¡¯s words suggested various facts, but he didn¡¯t dare push it. -But in that world, there are a lot of things you made in your previous life. Even after you enter the bunker, the items absorbed the passion of countless people, and as a result of the seeds of spiritual power, they developed in directions you didn¡¯t intend. It¡¯s apletely closed off world, but the link with you remains strong. ¡°Only I can step into that closed-off world.¡± -That¡¯s right. This is a dimensional quest only you can challenge. The world had been closed off from all other dimensions. It didn¡¯t even have a proper shape, so the moment he arrived, it might copse and converge into a single point... Yes, just like the world Vita was born in. However, there were various forms of destruction, and some worlds weren¡¯tpletely destroyed, but were instead left behind. Kang Shin-hyuk could guess the reason why Merba had remained like that. ¡°...My weapons?¡± -That is correct. Now that his synchronization rate had risen so high, there was no sense of incongruity in calling himself Anvil. It was even more embarrassing to admit it, but Anvil had aplished so much as a production-based talent, producing resultsparable to the creation of a new creature. Even though he hadn¡¯t beenpletely aware of his spiritual power, his weapons that contained those seeds spread throughout this world, they were used in battle, and the energy they emitted had grown. Those armaments had gathered in one ce, producing enough energy to support a world. ¡°It¡¯s be a grand story.¡± ¡°If you actually face it, it might not be. It might be annoying to face your ego.¡± -Would you really like to? ...You may face something you don¡¯t want to see. ¡°I¡¯m prepared.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was convinced that in order toplete his synchronization, he had to go to Merba. Thatst.3% of memory had to be locked there. He couldn¡¯t move forward as Anvil unless he collected the fragments of memory he didn¡¯t want to be revealed. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ire nodded firmly before looking at him cautiously. ¡°If youe back, let¡¯s make a child.¡± ¡°...Okay, I¡¯ll be prepared too.¡± ¡°Good response.¡± She seemed to want to get married before reuniting with Shin Eunah. He thought about taking out the ¡®I¡¯m underage¡¯ card again, but considering the time he had spent in other worlds as part of the dimensional quests, he had already long since been an adult. Moreover, he thought if he kept saying that, ire would be hurt. She might¡¯ve begun to feel a little anxious about his tireless efforts to reunite with Shin Eunah. Thinking that this was why a woman¡¯s heart was difficult, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly and moved to Merba. -Tsukuyo wants to visit My Room. -Super Ultra Gxy Fist wants to visit My Room. -Would you like to ept the two¡¯s request to visit? ¡°Huh?¡± However, an unexpected notification arrived. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Is it okay?¡± -It¡¯s very frustrating, but the administrator decided that even one more unconditional stakeholder was needed for members who want to face the past. ¡°I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who could sense the regret in that message, tried to determine why the two appeared before he could. It was the birth of a four-person party that none could imagine. *** -You¡¯ve evolved your trait and be the master of [Jin Crab Volg (X-)]. By gaining the ability of transformation to bring out the false powers engraved in history into reality, the conditions for essing the Hero Universe have been achieved. -Wee to new connections! Please write your ID! ¡°...Ah? Ahhhhhh!¡± -Sorry, but it¡¯s a step toote, Spear Fox. ¡°What? Eli?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, first, choose ID, ID first!¡± -For the ID, we rmend Spear Fox. Anyhow, it¡¯s toote. ¡°I¡¯m notte! Now I¡¯m the same as Shin-hyuk!¡± -If so, would you like your ID to be Spear Fox? ¡°Never!¡± Chapter 314 - Merba (1)

Chapter 314 - Merba (1)

Now he had weed two visitors ahead of the dimensional shift. The sound of wind and soft rain pelted the outside of his My Room¡¯s window- there weren¡¯t weather conditions in My Room, and there wasn¡¯t even a window, but he felt that way. It was the calm before the storm. No one said anything as they watched each other quietly, in the midst of a fierce mental battle. Then, Shu, the most impatient and short-sighted of them, decided to take action first. ¡°Grandpa, I missed you!¡± ¡°Huh? Hey!¡± The image of the girl rushing up to kiss his cheek with a lively voice was the very image of a granddaughter who came down to the countryside to see her grandfather during summer vacation. It was usible, ignoring the fact that Kang Shin-hyuk was still only a minor. ¡°Who¡¯s this kid?!¡± ¡°Whoo, how vulgar...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore! Right, grandpa? Aren¡¯t I older?¡± It hadn¡¯t been a year since hest saw Shu, but her height had grown to about 150 centimeters. In addition, her body subtly looked more mature. Although she was shorter than Eleanor still, it could be said to be a great development, considering that she looked like a ten-year-old before... Specifically, she had undergone a dramatic change from being an elementary school student to a middle school student. ¡°Yes, you grew up a lot.¡± ¡°Hehe, all thanks to you! Ah.¡± She tried to kiss his cheek again, but he separated from her. He couldn¡¯t show such a sight in front of ire, even if she were just a child. Kang Shin-hyuk patted Shu before turning to Tsukuyo. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you too... I¡¯m sorry aboutst time.¡± ¡°No, Anvil, you called me like this today. Rather, I want to say hello to you too...¡± Tsukuyo¡¯s gaze caught on Shu. ire, who knew what she wanted to do, guarded Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Even though Shu was on the younger side, she was, in fact, too fast to be stopped. If Kang Shin-hyuk had a more insincere personality... No, if he hadn¡¯t remembered his previous life, he might¡¯ve been tempted. She believed in his innocence but ignoring this woman was a separate matter. No matter how sincere he was, he might make a momentary mistake if she continued to woo him so proactively! ¡°Little children have a lot of monopolies. How about facing each other with a more generous heart in terms of loving the same man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you don¡¯t have a seat. Right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± For Kang Shin-hyuk, he had no choice but to agree with ire. In addition, it was true that after her argument with Tsukuyo the other day, she felt awkward. ¡°To Anvil... But it¡¯s okay. In the end, it will be me who will be the closest to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult to receive such a confession.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s listen to it. You always pretend to be rxed, but you know that all you actually do is sexual harassment?¡± ¡°Grandpa, can¡¯t you hold my hand?¡± ¡°Somehow, the person concerned doesn¡¯t even say anything... Whoo, that¡¯s cute. Yes, really.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed at the sight of the three growling at each other before they even departed. These two were called for some unconditional understanding? Although they considered his need unconditionally, the administrator didn¡¯t consider what they thought of each other. -Administrator¡¯s mistake! A 1,000,000HP bonus to you! ¡®It¡¯s noisy.¡¯ After reprimanding the administrator, he pped his hands to focus their attention. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to hang out. We need to start soon.¡± ¡°The world where Anvil was born... I¡¯ve been very interested in it.¡± ¡°Right. Merba? Even the Jormungand guys can¡¯t go there.¡± ¡°Except for me, pretending to know anything...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know, so I¡¯m relieved, ire.¡± ¡°Ah, the two of you stick together and get killed!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt something bother him when she said that even Jormungand couldn¡¯t enter, but he set that thought aside and started moving to the dimension. However, there was something surprising there, so it was impossible to go using the administrator¡¯s power alone. Using the power of the Hero Universe, Kang Shin-hyuk, who had contact with the weapons he created in the past, pierced the passage with his ability to dominate space and expanded it with Tsukuyo¡¯s magical power. Nevertheless, the safety of the passage was too low, but there was someone in the party who could make the probability be 100%, which was Shu. She, who could reach the result without causality, could make adjustments to acquire the best results at all times in all actions. ¡°Of course, it should be fine with the four of us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, Shu.¡± ¡°Hey... Grandfather. Praise me more!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous to hear Anvilplimenting you because of the race you were born as.¡± ¡°Huh? I think that goes for thedy who¡¯s lightly waving her tail behind her ass?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly thought about stopping the two VIP members who couldn¡¯t stand not fighting. At first, he thought about why the administrator invited these two among the many candidates of the Hero Universe, but the answer was simple. It had to be them. Tsukuyo was a bit subtler, but she probably had another reason he didn¡¯t know about. -You¡¯ve entered the perished world of Merba. It is a world where the power of the Gaia system cannot reach. Please be careful. ¡°Ha.¡± The moment they finally arrived at Merba with the power of three VIP members, a bloody message came to his retinas. Even if Gaia¡¯s power didn¡¯t reach them, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference. They wouldn¡¯t learn of increases in their skill or trait or receive early warnings about sudden gate urrences, but that wasn¡¯t a meaningful difference at the level of skill Kang Shin-hyuk possessed. The problem was the Hero Universe... ¡°How is it?¡± -No need to worry. The Hero Universe is different from Gaia. It¡¯s not Gaia. Did he say it twice because it¡¯s important? Kang Shin-hyuk sighed at the administrator¡¯s rant and looked around. First, check the number of people. Everyone was holding onto him in preparation for the event, but all of them seemed to havepleted the dimensional movement. However, even now, in Merba, they were rubbing up against him like cats. ¡°It¡¯s all gone!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worn out.¡± ¡°The fabric is worn out.¡± He was worried there might be an issue with their minds, but physically, they were okay, so he left them alone and looked around. But no matter where he looked, only sandy desert spread out around them. ¡°This... It¡¯s terrible. Even if I try to expand my energy, I can¡¯t feel it.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a much wider world than Earth. If there are no traces of civilization within sight, there¡¯s nothing strange.¡± He shouldn¡¯t take Tsukuyo¡¯s words as they were, as the party there weren¡¯t at the level of ordinary people on Earth, but each one possessed one of the best abilities in space. They could scan half the Earth in an instant, with their enhanced eyesight and detection capabilities. Yet, even with that, they couldn¡¯t detect anything other than the desert. ¡°Shall we move forward until we see something?¡± ¡°We have no choice but to.¡± The problem arose again when Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out the blue cow without much thought. The blue cow was a one-seater. Maybe a two-seater at best, and the three women were preparing to fight over who would ride behind him. Kang Shin-hyuk called Onyx out while worrying this would repeat until the dimensional quest was over. ¡°Onyx, use your realization.¡± -Myu! The change was dramatic. When Onyx assimted into the bike, activated his ability and the blue cow suddenly changed from a bike into a four-seater sports car. What was surprising was that its performance and options remained the same. Rather, its abilities were raised even further by Onyx. Of course, the car wasn¡¯t made of pure metal, but that part was possible by coordinating with the blue cow¡¯s ego. ¡°Oh my, this is...¡± Tsukuyo, who had called out a few fox fires around her, first recognized the change and let out a shocked voice. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Anvil...! Hey, is it possible to transform anything rted to metal at will?¡± ¡°No, it looks like he changes it based on what he ate before. They even put together the best parts on their own.¡± ¡°How...? With this ability alone, he could be a member of the Hero Universe.¡± It was only upon eating the Gaia system in Cy Xenon did Onyx realize this power. Until then, he was grasping it as assimtion with metals to improve or slightly transform them. Now it was reborn as transforming thempletely. ¡°So, everyone, get on, and don¡¯t fight. No, why is ire trying to fight already?¡± ¡°You know, there are fights you can¡¯t back down from even though they¡¯re meaningless.¡± ire, the most normal of the three, was already conforming to these idiots after just a few minutes! Kang Shin-hyuk sighed, putting ire in the passenger seat as he hopped into the driver¡¯s. Tsukuyo and Shu were forced into the back seat with their loss. However, both expected that this quest would be longer, so they decided to work hard not to miss their opportunity. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. For reference, the seats are fixed as they are.¡± ¡°Grandpa, a man shouldn¡¯t notice a woman like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my request, so let¡¯s go quietly.¡± ¡°Chi, I also want to make a child.¡± ¡°Why, this little girl said some vulgar words.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re no different?¡± The blue metallic sports car then started running through the desert. It was when a new track was engraved in the sand that had umted for many years. Chapter 315 - Merba (2)

Chapter 315 - Merba (2)

-Myuuuu! -Oooh! The blue cow resonated with Onyx¡¯s yful voice. Should someone trante the conversation between the two into human words, they would be saying things like, ¡®I hate sand because I can¡¯t eat it!¡¯ or, ¡®It¡¯s dry and it¡¯s making my skin crack!¡¯ ¡°Skin?! Isn¡¯t it metal?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it likely to wear out regardless?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a really wide world. Witchcraft...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay because it¡¯s not necessary to rush? The time ratio is also rxed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also true. I¡¯m wee to spend more time with Anvil.¡± ¡°Huh, I mean.¡± ire now maintained a bold attitude towards Shu and Tsukuyo. Specifically, she was dealing with them, simr to how she dealt with Lee Na-hee and Eleanor. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to have a handsome boyfriend.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay; the sense of superiority is also difficult.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled at her honesty and held onto the steering wheel. He didn¡¯t have to, as the blue cow could move on its own, and even Onyx was helping. However, its performance increased greatly if he directly contacted it and imbued it with his spiritual power. Plus, it felt good to drive, even though all he could see through the window were ins of endless sand. Sometimes, sand pirs rising from the ground could be found too. ¡°It¡¯s a of sand.¡± How far was this desert originally? Had it widened because all vegetation had lost its vitality? However, whenever he performed a dimensional movement in the past, he was usually immediately tossed into the deep end, so why did they end up in the middle of the desert? ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done a dimensional quest like this.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s not a quest? If I have to say... It¡¯s like a homing instead.¡± ireughed at his sentimentality, but he did feel like he hade home. Indeed, he was d he could return home with ire. For the past half-year, Kang Shin-hyuk took care of Shinyoung¡¯s work and did dimensional quests with ire in his spare time. Because the time ratio with Earth was different, it had been at least as long as five years. Since he had been with ire all the while, they must¡¯ve seemed a bit unusual to the people around them on Earth. Their amazingly strong rtionship had developed over that length of time they spent together, but to those on Earth, they had only been together for a year or so. It was a bit embarrassing for him to admit, but it was just an extension of what ire had been saying before about a child. Others might ask if she were crazy, but to ire, it was already to the point of, ¡®I¡¯ve waited long enough.¡¯ ¡°...¡± ¡°...Hee.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk thought that and quietly moved his hand towards the passenger seat, ire took it gently as if she was thinking of the same thing. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Then me too.¡± Immediately after, two more hands reached out from the back seat and were ced on top of theirs. The two in the back seat reacted as if it were natural. ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t mean to fight, grandpa?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes, Anvil. Bullying is bad.¡± ¡°...Honey, are these two really VIPs? Have they lived for hundreds of years more than we do?¡± ¡°Oh, ire. Please don¡¯t talk about age. Because if these people get angry, they¡¯re really scary.¡± He felt like he saw a few ck tails waving menacingly behind Tsukuyo, so he quickly quieted ire. But when he thought about it, it was ridiculous to think of the age difference between the two and Kang Shin-hyuk, especially when they thought his age difference with ire was a big deal. He decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. ¡°By the way, Anvil, I noticed something.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it, Tsukuyo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved, Anvil. For your unpleasant thoughts, I¡¯ll give you my own reward when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be left alone.¡± ¡°This sand...¡± Tsukuyo, lighting disregarding ire, pointed to the ins of sand. ¡°I thought it was strange, so I was examining it, but this is artificially created.¡± ¡°It¡¯s artificial? The whole desert?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Rather, the whole is covered in sand.¡± Even searching with two transcendental beings, they had found nothing, so the thought had urred to them before. But he had ignored it, as if it were true, it would be toorge. ¡°No, then, did we even need to move in the first ce?¡± ¡°Well, it would¡¯ve been more difficult to detect the flow of energy had we not. Besides, maybe... No, I will tell you again when I actually see it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped the car. However, when Tsukuyo said it would be better for the car to be floating in the air in case of an emergency, the nervous Shin-hyuk brought the blue cow about a kilometer up. ¡°Tsukuyo, are you going to do what I think?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right... I¡¯m excited.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand why she was excited, but he decided to quit while he was ahead. Tsukuyo opened the car door and stepped into the air as if the ground was right under her feet. Of course, Kang Shin-hyuk could do that himself, but in the case of Tsukuyo, she naturally exceeded his skill proficiency by doing so naturally as walking on the ground. He couldn¡¯t feel any energy moving around her. ¡®Tsukuyo¡¯s ability to appear and disappear suddenly is because she has such a horrifyingly perfect control of her energy.¡¯ When he met her before, Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t aware since hecked in ability, but now it was different. He could read her ability in each movement and even learn from them. From energy control to body movement, it was possible since his trait had evolved thus far. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s test my idea.¡± Tsukuyo breathed out a sigh and stretched her fan into the air. Dark red mes gathered into an borate orb at a point in the air. Shu began to tremble at the sight. ¡°Ooh, you control bloody energy like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Shu.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just overwhelmed with controlling causality, grandfather. It¡¯s just the nature of our people.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know your kind, but I understand roughly.¡± Maybe he could understand something from Shu as well... No, it was impossible since she omitted causality. Wait, if so, couldn¡¯t he learn that? Previously, he thought it would be impossible, but now that he had grown in so many ways, Kang Shin-hyuk thought of a very good way, but the moment he tried to say it out loud, he forgot himself. ¡°Go.¡± Tsukuyo whispered quietly and let the me drop, like milk into a cup of coffee. It fell down and touched the ground. A momentter, a tsunami of sand rose up from the ground, covering the me orb. The next moment there was a terrible explosion, but no changes could be detected outside the sand. ¡°Of course, I was right.¡± Tsukuyoughed happily and looked back at Shin-hyuk. ¡°Did you see the sand move right before the explosion, Anvil? It obviously moved to stop it, right?¡± ¡°...Yes, I saw.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear now that the sand was artificially made. Perhaps it¡¯s on the lookout for magic... Huh, or is it violence or change?¡± While Tsukuyo was thinking about it, a column of ss-like material began to rise from the center. It was probably the result of the explosion that was prevented. It was a ss column at least ten meters in diameter and 1 kilometer in height. ¡°Oh my.¡± Tsukuyo herself was surprised, her eyes widening at sight. ¡°The purpose is to protect the ground beneath the sand and to retaliate against outside intruders who try to harm it. Then, I wonder what happened to what was under it.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve analyzed it right away. I¡¯ll try it now.¡± ¡°Anvil, isn¡¯t that difficult?¡± It really was. He tried to explore the ss column that was slowly approaching them with his spiritual power, but it seemed to be blocked by something. Perhaps it was the spiritual power of the person who created the sand, or energy equivalent to it, but now Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t retreat just because his ability wasn¡¯t working. ¡®Breaking boundaries with soul poison.¡¯ The soul poison he had obtained from a skill stone with the absurd rarity of SSS+. As he mastered it through various quests, he reached an X-rank proficiency that went beyond its rarity. It was unlikely for the skill level to surpass rarity, but it happened very rarely, and the members of the Hero Universe called it ¡®enlightenment.¡¯ Perhaps it was influenced by his traits that constantly grew everything. His own growth was elerating more than those who were under his influence. ¡®Okay, I can. I erased some of the intentions of others left on it with soul poison and pushed my spiritual power...¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s annoying, so I should remove that as well.¡± While looking at the ss pir that was gradually closing in, Tsukuyo formed a ball of dark energy in her palm. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Anvil, you don¡¯t need to analyze it. If we take out all the sand, what was under it wille out.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk tried to stop her, Tsukuyo smiled. ¡°Are you stupid? Don¡¯t you know why the sand is covering the ground? It means what¡¯s underneath is dangerous.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what¡¯s down there? I¡¯ll protect you. Moreover, this is a rtively safe ce.¡± Tsukuyo¡¯s thoughts were surprisingly optimistic. While Tsukuyo argued with Shu, Kang Shin-hyuk infused the pir with spiritual power and acquired control over the sand in the area. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m out of spiritual power.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°I need a potion, ah.¡± ¡°Oops, the sandy desert...¡± The energy of Kang Shin-hyuk spread throughout the whole area. Despite his intentions, his energy caused a change. Specifically, the distant years they were sleeping in the sand... No. The weapons that were forced to sleep by the mass of sand felt their creator¡¯s energy and had awakened. Chapter 316 - Merba (3)

Chapter 316 - Merba (3)

Why was sand covering this world in the first ce? It was thest means chosen by the humans who were struggling against each other and sprinting toward destruction, having realized that if they continued, there would be nothing left. The official name of the sand was [Luby]. It deactivated all energy and reacted violently toward energy reactions that never faded away. True to its namesake, sooner orter, everything would fall into a quiet sleep forever. It was different from those who made it. Merba¡¯s unique alchemy, metallurgy, magic, and all their techniques developed through the endless war were mobilized to create this sand that divided infinitely, connecting it to a strong spiritualwork so that it moved like a body. It was a miracle that gave birth to it, and mankind didn¡¯t understand how they hadpleted it, and, of course, failed to reproduce it. In fact, thepleted Luby was quite different from the intent of those who wanted to make it, as the person who named it wasn¡¯t its creator. What they initially wanted was an artifact that reacted only to the objects they wanted. They wanted to control it. Even if thend was devastated by war and civilians died from monster attacks, humans wanted to gain the upper hand over others and be rulers. If they could control the enemies¡¯ magic, wouldn¡¯t it be simple to annihte them while protecting your allies? Not only that but wouldn¡¯t it also be possible to exterminate all those monsters? The project, which started with that idea, ultimately failed. Mankind couldn¡¯t deal with spiritual power with their own strength, and they only knew of its existence because armaments made by famous cksmiths in the past manifested their spiritual power during the war. There was nothing else in the world with it, except for the little hairpin found in the country where the cksmith lived. Merba¡¯s survivors were convinced it was the work of Anvil and tried to create a system that controlled other armaments by using the hairpin that didn¡¯t awaken. Contrary to their intent, the spiritual power contained within that hairpin didn¡¯tply with the will of humanity, and thepleted [Luby] began to divide and amplify all energy-bearing entities. From then, it took only two months for the world to end. Thus, the world remained quiet until Kang Shin-hyuk had arrived, such a long time after. ¡°So, are all the weapons that have woken up flying to greet you?¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk briefly exined what he had obtained from the sand, ire posed that question, looking at the dark red weapons appearing out of the sand. Based on her expression, she already knew the answer. Even so, Kang Shin-hyuk decided to answer it. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so!¡± ¡°These children!¡± Dozens of weapons flew through the air, clearly aiming at him. Swords, spears, axes, and even bits of armor and shields of different sizes were speeding through the air. In terms of the Gaia system, the weakest seemed to be at least the SSS-rank. They were connected to each other through spiritual power, just like [Luby], amplifying each other¡¯s energy. ¡°Oops, children who don¡¯t know their father should be educated.¡± ¡°Please wait, Tsukuyo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tsukuyo calmed down at his words and stepped back behind him. Kang Shin-hyuk continued to grasp and deal with the sand he just gained control of, expressing his trait¡¯s power. What was the reason why [Luby] suddenly couldn¡¯t control the weapons? Needless to say, it was because Luby, which was active without a master, recognized him as its master and was in the process of being attributed to him. It was the product of a miracle that possessed a tremendous performance, but in the process of devolving, its energy purification couldn¡¯t be used. Even now, as his spiritual power spread throughout the spiritualwork, the sand zoneing into his control was expanding. Naturally, the artifacts buried in it were running wild, but there was no need to panic. The automatic activity of the artifacts was still working to thest, but it was possible for him to deal with them directly. ¡°Shin-hyuk, they¡¯reing!¡± ¡°Grandpa, should I stop it first?¡± ¡°No... I¡¯m ready now!¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk shouted, the pir was dismantled in an instant, bing a storm of ss crystals that rotated rapidly around them. The dark red weapons that flew in from all sides were struck by the storm. A momentter, they were absorbed into it and vanished. ¡°Wow?!¡± ¡°Wow, grandfather! What is this?¡± ¡°Huh, thank you. I thought it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± Originally, Luby had a function to absorb energy, but not to dpose and absorb matter. But now, with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s royal dragon energy changing and evolving it, it¡¯s quality had risen at least one step. ¡°Anvil, it seems like it was a good choice to move to this ce. A great number of weapons are flying in the direction we came from.¡± ¡°Oh, wait a second. It¡¯s a little hard to move things that are still far away.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, growing impatient at Tsukuyo¡¯s report, strengthened his mind with his spiritual power and Breaker. Luby was an enormous artifact that covered the entire. Even if Kang Shin-hyuk, the master of the spiritual power that was its source, took possession of it, controlling it wasn¡¯t so simple. He began to increase his control, using himself as the center. However, the energy of the Royal Dragon was gradually encroaching on the Luby to help him regain autonomous movement. As a result... ¡°Woaahhh...!¡± ¡°If anyone sees this, they¡¯d think grandpa can handle the magic of sand.¡± In addition to the crystal storm raging around them, tornados of sand rose up in all directions. Dozens of tornadoes rotated rapidly around them, protecting the group. Unable to withstand the impulse, ire took out her drone to capture the scene. Even with billions of dors of CG, there wasn¡¯t anything more exciting than this!¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s moving just like a swarm of bees.¡± ¡°Gradually, the sand is gathering around here. How much did you umte...?¡± It was fortunate that the party was staying in the air now. The sand moved out, revealing a valley of more than 100 meters below it. There was old metal building debris scattered under it, but no traces of humans. Kang Shin-hyuk, hastily moving his eyes from the destruction that reminded him of Cy Xenon, twisted his lips as he saw countless weapons flying through the air. ¡°No matter how many weapons were supplied, this is ridiculous.¡± ¡°Huh? Did you make all of them in your past life?¡± ¡°Yes... I remember a little now.¡± -Synchronization has weakly elerated- current rate of 99.8%. A message appeared to support his words. He controlled Luby, frowning as fragments of memory loomed in his mind. The sandstorm caught and crushed all the weapons that approached. He wasn¡¯t in a good mood about destroying the weapons he made, even if they had evolved their own egos... ¡°And... It¡¯ll all be one anyway.¡± The Luby, evolved by the Royal Dragon, was no longer a quiet thing that calmed down energy. It evolved using the energy it had umted over countless years, bing a predator that could crush and consume. It vaguely resembled Onyx¡¯s ability. ¡°That¡¯s a little scary...¡± ¡°It¡¯s really sad!¡± ire felt some fear at the sight of the evolved Luby, while Tsukuyo seemed genuinely saddened by the sight of the weapons being smashed. It was natural for her to react that way, given how much she loved the weapons consumed by negative emotions that Anvil made. However, she seemed to have no intention of gathering these weapons together and just watched them consumed. -Your spiritual power has grown one step further and has be X2-rank. At the end of thatrge-scale spiritual event, his power had set foot into what deserved to be called a true transcendental person. His range of control gradually widened, and the weapons that had already entered the area of the sandstorm were quickly absorbed. The Luby¡¯s original protective power waspletely restored. ¡°Oh, Anvil...¡± ¡°Tsukuyo?¡± Amid that storm that was constantly absorbing the thousands of armaments bombing them, Tsukuyo opened her eyes and let out a gentle sigh. ¡°...I think I¡¯ve found your mark.¡± Chapter 317 - Merba (4)

Chapter 317 - Merba (4)

Even though they found the destination, they couldn¡¯t move right away. An army of artifacts was flying in towards Kang Shin-hyuk, and the work of controlling [Luby] wasn¡¯tpletely finished. He could also feel strong energy condensing from a distance. ¡°... That¡¯s where your traces are. Maybe these weapons were instinctively looking for traces of you.¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think it was out of filial piety.¡± A group of weapons flew at him with terrible energy, focusing only on him despite there being others with him. Kang Shin-hyuk, who ripped them apart with the sandstorm, felt no danger. ¡°Come, Anvil.¡± ¡°Wow... I might have to work hard on that too.¡± With Tsukuyo¡¯s quiet whisper, even Shu looked tense. Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head and looked ahead. He saw something like tentacles with dozens of red metallic des emitting weird light. The moment it appeared, it felt like the temperature had dropped. Whatever it was, it was growing a little bit bigger by eating the other artifacts in the area. ¡°X... No, more than that...¡± ¡°There seems to be a trait that has the edge over all weapons. Uh, isn¡¯t that a little dangerous?¡± ¡°Absolutely Anvil¡¯s work. It¡¯s the best masterpiece you¡¯ve ever made in this world.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t call it a masterpiece.¡± Certainly, when he first made it, that weapon would¡¯ve beenmon. But how much had it gone through? Kang Shin-hyuk was unable tough or cry, but ire expressed it briefly and urately. ¡°It looks like you should check your sanity level first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was originally.¡± ¡°Yes, maybe that¡¯s why it became so strong. It looks like it¡¯s eating randomly.¡± The power of the so-called ¡®Predation¡¯ series, which had grown in strength by eating things, proved to be very famous. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s pet, Onyx, had that ability, as did the Dark Spirit Pearl. However, such power wasn¡¯tmon. If it were, the whole universe would be over. At least, the Anvil from before entering the shelter wouldn¡¯t have the ability to create such artifacts. However, at this point, even the [Luby] on this had that power. It was a result of the seeds nted by Anvil beingpleted with the addition of human greed. That was it. Those weapons, forced to sleep for many years, may have stolen power from it. ¡°Should I stop it, grandpa?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could not move while manipting the sandstorm, so Shu tried to step out, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and stopped her. ¡°No, that¡¯s a good fit.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± -Myuuuuu! Before Kang Shin-hyuk could answer, Onyx emerged from the blue cow and bounced into the air. As hemunicated with spiritual power, Onyx already understood his will and took action. Heughed at the little guy¡¯s aggressive spirit before using the wind to float him lightly. Then, he aimed him at the stupid-looking mythical creatures flying towards them and fired him off. -Myuuuuuuuuuuu! Kang Shin-hyuk used his God Wind to fire off Onyx like a shell. While everyone watched, Onyx rushed in a straight line to sh with the terrible weapon. What resulted was really fierce predation. ¡°Oh, wow...¡± ¡°I thought it had great potential, but I didn¡¯t know...¡± It was rare to see Tsukuyo surprised. Kang Shin-hyuk watched Onyx with a bloody smile. He was devouring the whole thing by spreading his own magic power. They probably had simr abilities, but the difference was that Onyx wasn¡¯t made of metal. Thus, he could unterally eat his target. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible for Onyx to eat everything from the start?¡± ¡°He can eat weapons, but he¡¯s not immune to them. If he was exposed to countless weapons, he¡¯d be injured.¡± If every problem could be solved like that from the start, he would have. However, the reason it was possible now was that Onyx¡¯s foes were also only using his predation ability. Simply, he won the rock, paper, scissors fight. ¡°Besides... Yes, I thought it was my responsibility to deal with these guys. In the end, I had to borrow Onyx¡¯s power.¡± A bitter smile appeared on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s lips. It was true that he tried to solve it with his own strength. However, while the other artifacts could be devoured by the Luby, that artifact which copied Luby¡¯s power wasn¡¯t so easily dealt with. It was true he wanted to strengthen Onyx as well, so it worked out. -Myu! ¡°Oh, you suffered. And don¡¯t do that.¡± After eating, Onyx let out a lively cry and returned to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s side. The problem was that by expressing the ability of what he had just eaten, his body began to radiate red light, turning all the thorns on his back into desparable to the one he ate. -Myuuuu! ¡°No, I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Don¡¯t think about eating more and stay quiet.¡± -Myu?! Onyx had various abilities, but his attack power wasn¡¯t strong. However, this time, he was able to express his ability aggressively against a well-matched opponent. Specifically, it wasn¡¯t enough to judge Onyx himself as an X-rank monster. If you considered the special abilities only he had, he was already at a level beyond quite a few Hero Universe members. ¡°No other VIP has this kind of family.¡± ¡°After all, grandpa makes the best no matter what.¡± ¡°Make? What? Well, yes. Let¡¯s say I made it.¡± -Myu?! After that, Kang Shin-hyuk took control of the sands and sorted all of the remaining artifacts in that ruined world. ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk closed his eyes and silently apologized to all the children he had created in the past, but who had grown up improperly because he threw them away. Whether it was [Luby] or the weapons, everyone had been waiting for him to arrive. ¡°Okay, then.¡± ¡°Shall we go right away, Anvil?¡± ¡°No, please wait a second. I can¡¯t leave the Luby like this.¡± Large holes had pierced the sand desert, revealing the terrible sights beneath it. It might¡¯ve just been better to cover it, but the Luby was also a child of Anvil. He couldn¡¯t leave it there. ¡°Since amplification and splitting are possible, so ispression.¡± No, to be precise, the moment Tsukuyo fired her attack, the Luby hadpressed to absorb it. The result was that ss crystal (he wondered if it turned to ss from the heat, but it was slightly different). Now, the sand moved around Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s party. ¡°Compression.¡± The moment he reached out a hand and muttered that all the sand connected through the spiritualwork began to collect at a point in front of his palm. The unfamiliar covered under it... The cemetery revealed its real form. ¡°Wow...¡± ¡°This...¡± Even Tsukuyo, who had lived through many years and had been through many dimensions, frowned. As it had been covered with hundreds of meters of sand and been preserved by it, the appearance of the Merba was a bleak and nakedndscape of destruction. Kang Shin-hyuk ignored it and focused only on the sand gathering in front of him. It was beingpressed into a single point, at first in the shape of a sphere, but as more sand gathered, it morphed. ¡°Huh...? Shin-hyuk, this.¡± ire¡¯s eyes went wide at it. Yes, she would respond that way, as close to Eunah as she was. The sand converging in front of him took the form of a tiny hairpin. ¡°This... Wasn¡¯t it the hairpin you gave Eunah?¡± Yes, it looked exactly like the hairpin Anvil had given Eunah, the same one she had always worn. ¡°No. This... I made it before that.¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head firmly. -Synchronization has weakly elerated- current rate of 99.9%. A face came to his mind, that of a small child who danced with joy while holding that hairpin. He already knew it was an immutable past, and he already knew that it had happened in a previous life. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t stand that distorted face. ¡°This... It¡¯s the hairpin I made for my daughter in my previous life.¡± ¡°...Ah.¡± That¡¯s why he thought of making one for Eunah¡¯s birthday. That¡¯s why he gave the child a hairpin and cursed himself for being stupid. Perhaps Kang Shin-hyuk, having regained those memories, couldn¡¯t ept Shin Eunah because of that. She had worn that hairpin, which looked exactly like the one his daughter had. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive... They tried to create a weapon using an object with such precious memories...¡± Tsukuyo was outraged, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and held her back, seeing several ck tails rising behind her. ¡°If you¡¯re angry, there¡¯s no one to take it out on... They werepletely destroyed. Yes, it¡¯s all over, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Anvil...¡± ¡°Grandpa, are you okay?¡± Only then did everyone notice why Kang Shin-hyuk had been in contact with [Luby], and why his expression was soplicated. ire nowpletely understood thoseplex feelings behind his interactions with Shin Eunah. But even then, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t know the secrets of the hairpin in detail... ¡°...But Anvil.¡± Tsukuyo, hesitating, spoke up. ¡°Why take your daughter¡¯s belongings? Did the humans have it?¡± ¡°...¡± ording to his memories, he heard that his daughter and wife died after a monster attack, and not even a body was left behind... So why did this hairpin that had no special powers remain? ¡°Maybe the hairpin was separated and kept safe.¡± ¡°...Anvil.¡± Tsukuyo regarded him coolly. ¡°Why not read the memories of [Luby] deeper?¡± Tsukuyo didn¡¯t hesitate to bring up the possibility he tried to deny. Was this the reason the administrator had sent her along? As Tsukuyo said earlier, she found traces of him. If so, maybe... ¡°Tsukuyo... First of all, it would be better to go to the ce where you found traces of me.¡± ¡°If you mean to, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll keep sticking with you.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really fiery. Honey,e on.¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks.¡± ¡°Then I... Ouch!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help it.¡± Onyx and the blue cow turned back into a car, and they began to head into the direction Tsukuyo led them. It was the smithy where he had stayed after entering the shelter. Chapter 318 - Merba (5)

Chapter 318 - Merba (5)

It was overly clean and calm. ¡°It feels like this ce has escaped destruction.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the remnants of Anvil¡¯s spiritual power. So even those artifacts...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded quietly, feeling a strange mood at Tsukuyo¡¯s words. Spiritual power was flowing gently throughout the forge. It not only protected the building and interior objects from the passage of time, but it also attracted artifacts seeking their master¡¯s spirit. The reason why the smithy was so fine was probably that items with powerful spiritual energy were staying there. ¡°After all this, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Well, Tsundere?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmly epted ire¡¯s joke as she tried to release the stiff atmosphere. She giggled at his grumbling, then nced inside again. In truth, it didn¡¯t feel all that familiar. The memories from his previous life reached nearly 80 years, but most of them were from after he joined the Hero Universe, yet... ¡®...No, I don¡¯t want it to feel familiar.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t recall them; it was just that it was difficult as Anvil tried hard to forget his painful past. However, as the synchronization progressed, Kang Shin-hyuk recalled those memories he didn¡¯t want to know. ¡®And all those memories... It remains so dark here.¡¯ He could feel a strong spiritual power in all things inside the forge. At the time, he probably didn¡¯t even feel the fragments of his spiritual power, but this underground bunker had clear traces of him. As if they thought he woulde back here, those sources of spiritual power opened and delivered the memories of those years to him. Information overflowed his mind, passing through memory and consciousness to quickly subside somewhere deeper. The memories of the times shared by these tools and fixtures remained vivid there. He gently closed his eyes and epted everything he tried to turn away from. He was a young man who started as an apprentice to a family cksmith, sweaty and desperate to remember the basics. When he met his young wife, made love, and she became pregnant with his child. When he took on the weight of fatherhood. The smithy was born as he grew out of being an apprentice. He remembered the impressiveness of the world changing as his child was born... Yes, he remembered it. The first time his child opened her eyes and looked at him. When she first started walking, when she first called his name. The appearance of her weing him with a bright smile with his wife, and jumping with joy after receiving a present. All the while, the threat of the monsters grew worse and worse, and a war broke out between humans. At that time, as a somewhat influential man in the country, he couldn¡¯t return home and was constantly working metal for days at a time. When he barely met the order and was about to go home, that was the moment he heard about the death of his wife and daughter, having been attacked by monsters that suddenly appeared in the civilian residential area. He remembered. His family, as the family of a cksmith, was well-treated by the country. They lived in a safe cepared to ordinary citizens. However, due to the war, the troops that protected the streets were gone, and the monsters that appeared couldn¡¯t be quickly defeated. The state made that excuse and ordered him to work harder to produce weapons in order to defeat such monsters. From that point, terrible confusion and despair overwhelmed him, making it difficult to recall even now, when the memories of his previous life had been almostpletely restored. No, he didn¡¯t want to reflect on it. But now, in order to take a step back and recover his past life, He had to. And for that, it was necessary to read the memories of the hairpin, which contained the truth of that time. ¡°Anvil, are you okay? If you use your spiritual power excessively... Still, it¡¯s too dark in this space. It will be a burden.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Perhaps... if I put it off, I won¡¯t even want to think about it.¡± ¡°Anvil...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sat into the nearby chair. The slightly lower chair was made for when his daughter came to the smithy to y. She would sit in this chair and watch him work. She wouldugh and shyly smile at the customers who woulde by; she was the very image of his wife. ¡°...ire, can I hold your hand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tsukuyo looked envious of ire, who sat next to him. Kang Shin-hyuk held the hairpin in his other hand. All the sand covering this had condensed into it, and it possessed more energy than the Great Heavenly Spirit with Halo¡¯s branch inserted. Once again, he extended his spiritual power to the source of the object until he explored where it was first made. The first thing that came to mind was his daughter¡¯s smile. The next was the distorted face of his wife. ¡°...¡± ¡°Anvil, Anvil! Are you okay?!¡± Everyone there could recognize Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power. Lee Na-hee or Eleanor, who had just opened their eyes to spiritual power, were likely to lose their minds if they came into contact with the enormous power of the hairpin, but he seeded in finding the source within it and read the memories there. It was so simple to find that he wanted to know what he turned away from. ...Ah, obviously, they wanted to hide it from him. -Synchronization has elerated. 100% synchronization rate has been achieved, and all VIP privileges will be regained. -Various items have been added to the Hero Universe store. Please confirm! -VIP member login bonus has been enhanced, and roulette has been improved. -You can now ess VIP only secret bulletin boards! Discuss the operation of the universe with them! -You can now perform the dimensional movement without performing dimensional quests. Contact the administrator for details. -You became a being outside one world. Remember that your power is attached to many people and how you use it. -Recovered 120 billion HP. It was the moment he got back thest piece he didn¡¯t want but needed. Kang Shin-hyuk recovered all of his memories and became a full VIP member. While regaining the privileges of a VIP, the information he learned was both something expected and unexpected. Actually, he wasn¡¯t surprised at all. No... The facts he had to bear were so overwhelming he couldn¡¯t pay attention to anything else. ¡°Anvil...¡± ¡°My wife and daughter...¡± His voice became a whisper. ¡°They were killed by human hands.¡± ¡°...Sorry, grandfather. I was expecting it.¡± ¡°Me too, Anvil... I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Honey...¡± Yes, everyone must have guessed it. Maybe all the members who knew Anvil before knew it. ire must¡¯ve realized it aftering here and thinking of his past actions. ¡°I was more important than I thought then. The state wanted to conceal my existence, but when the war situation changed due to my weaponry, the enemy nation recognized and investigated me.¡± Anvil was a simple human. He loved what he made but never imagined they would be treated as such. He underestimated his own existence, and that elerated the tragedy. Starting with the conclusion, the enemy country pursued information about him and found his family¡¯s whereabouts. They didn¡¯t try to kill them; rather, they wanted to bring the cksmith to their side. So, they tried to kidnap them. There weren¡¯t many guarding his family, and they weren¡¯t that strong. They decided that they couldn¡¯t stop the enemy soldiers and realized that if it were left as is, his family would be kidnapped, and the cksmith would follow them. -So they killed his family. Before they could be kidnapped, Anvil¡¯s family was killed by soldiers. Did Anvil really not know this? No. He thought he was going crazy at first, but he soon realized that he had his suspicions. He thought hard and reached the truth he didn¡¯t want to admit. The moment he reached it, he stopped making weapons for humans. They said they would use weapons to bring peace to this world, but it was their greed that killed his family. They were lunatics who would stab other humans to expand their position in this world of monsters. As a result, even if their position narrowed as the monsters¡¯ territory expanded, they didn¡¯t stop their foolishness. The cksmith began to doubt whether humans really should survive. Even monsters were able to join forces against humanity, yet humanity couldn¡¯t stop fighting each other even until the moment they were destroyed. If so, won¡¯t humanity perish someday anyway? What¡¯s more, the weapons he made were the best tools to elerate it. Then, he¡¯d rather, instead of going around and around like this, wouldn¡¯t it be simpler to create a tool with the sole purpose of killing humans? What was established was a group called Jormungand. It was after the cksmith Anvil disappeared from the human world. Chapter 319 - Coordinator of Time and Space (1)

Chapter 319 - Coordinator of Time and Space (1)

Why did the monsters of Jormungand call Kang Shin-hyuk their father? Previously, he had heard from Tsukuyo and others how the artifacts he created affected worlds and dimensions, but he thought that exnation was somehowcking. Indeed, if Jormungand were the other side of the mirror, not only Kang Shin-hyuk but many others could be called that. Of course, his former life had amazing skills as a cksmith, and they had advanced in some senses now that he had reincarnated, but Jormungand was a huge group that spanned countless worlds. Why would only he be treated as their father? That was only part of the reason, and now that he had recovered all the memories of his previous life, he realized it. The situation was so absurd he had never assumed it. ¡°This is what I made.¡± He took the chiral fragments left behind and checked them. Now that his memories had been restored, he could tell it was Anvil, not anyone else, who first created it. To be precise, what Anvil made was a huge mirror, and the chiral he had in hand now was only a fragment of that mirror. The huge mirror itself was called Chiral. What it contained was the ability to increase the power of monsters by giving them a system, order, and new energy called magi. It had the ability to move across dimensions, and as a result, the monsters united with a central point to make attacking worlds more effective. Coming to a rather hasty conclusion, it could be said that even the death of Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s parents was attributable to him in his previous life. ¡®¡­Ha.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t intend on epting such a fragmented and silly conclusion, but nor did he intend to deny his karmapletely. In this situation where it felt like his head would burst, he was able to endure it because he hadpletely acquired the memories of his previous life and a more mature mind as a result. ¡°Administrator¡­ How many know this information?¡± Anvil created Chiral just before joining the Hero Universe. The cksmith, who didn¡¯t know how to fight but only how to craft, was then chased by uncontroble monsters and buried in a bunker. Then he just knocked on metal without knowing what was lost or what was left, without knowing what terrible consequences his works would have on every dimension. And he joined the Hero Universe, a pan-spatial organization created to cope with Jormungand. -Because he was the one talented enough to create Jormungand, it would¡¯ve been natural; he was qualified to enter the Hero Universe. -Only very few VIP members know it. Even though his tone and attitude changed, the administrator responded as if it were natural. Very few. Yes, it seemed so. Right now, Tsukuyo was looking gloomy, while Shu seemed to be in disbelief. ire was wordlessly holding his hand tight. He couldn¡¯t figure out what she was thinking, but if it weren¡¯t for her warmth, he might¡¯ve copsed on the spot. ¡°But¡­ There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand yet.¡± Even though the synchronization rate only increased by 0.1%, too much had changed in an instant. A greasy headache hung like ominous clouds over his head. Even though his analysis was done, the hairpin kept letting out the memories and emotions from his previous life as he barely removed it with a frown. ¡°Since Merba¡¯splete destruction, the time flow with Earth could¡¯ve changed significantly. However, it¡¯s strange that the period between joining the Hero Universe is too short since I created the stuff that was the basis of Jormungand in my previous life. From the time I joined¡­ It felt like they had been fighting against Jormungand for a very long time. It certainly wasn¡¯t in the measure of years or decades.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, grandfather. Certainly, our people have been aware of Jormungand¡¯s existence for a long time and have produced members of the Hero Universe from generation to generation to fight them.¡± Yes, the time gap was strange. It was odd that Jormungand was organized by his previous life, as the Hero Universe had existed long before that. But obviously, the Hero Universe wasn¡¯t an organization against them. The logic didn¡¯t fit. ¡°Anvil, do you know what Jormungand means?¡± It was Tsukuyo who answered his question. In fact, he had been waiting for her to do so. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is like in other worlds, but on Earth, it is a monster from Nordic mythology, a child of Loki¡­ It wrapped around the human world and bit its own tail.¡± ¡°Loki was the first to name the group of monsters as Jormungand.¡± ¡°If so, maybe Loki too?¡± His head started to pound again. He met Loki once during a dimensional quest. He was a very pleasant young man who enjoyed joking around, but at the same time, he was very considerate of Kang Shin-hyuk. But¡­ Yes, he felt like Tsukuyo and maybe Janus somewhere. Tsukuyo slowly nodded as she exined. ¡°The Hero Universe protects the bnce. Between human and monster, light and dark, good and evil. Because of your growth, the bnce had greatly shifted, so Janus had to change¡­¡± It was his first time hearing so, but he nodded along. Janus¡¯s change was so dramatic; it was clear such a reason would be behind it. ¡°If the bnce breaks more than now, then Loki¡­¡± ¡°You mean Ragnar?k will happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved, Anvil. It¡¯s been a while since even Janus changed.¡± Now, it seemed unbelievable that the Hero Universe was against Jormungand. If members like Janus or Loki had a dual affiliation with both of them, didn¡¯t it seem more like they had a close rtionship? Or rather, it was like Jormungand was a subgroup belonging to the Hero Universe. ¡°I was expecting a bit from my previous life because of your suspicious attitude.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hide the facts from you, Anvil¡­ But I couldn¡¯t say¡­!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. That¡¯s it for now.¡± There were several things he wanted to discuss, but the important thing right now was Jormungand. ¡°I understand the meaning of Jormungand, why Loki gave it that name. It¡¯s also a group connected to the Hero Universe¡­ So, what are you saying? In the end, the riddle rted to time remains unsolved.¡± ¡°You probably know the symbol for Jormungand.¡± ¡°You mean an ouroboros?¡± Ouroboros was the snake that bit its own tail, symbolizing infinity and eternity. Tsukuyo confirmed with a nod as his face shifted, thoughts of the possibilities emerging in his mind. ¡°The Chiral created by Anvil had that kind of ability.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk bit his lip gently. No, but surely¡­ If so, how unbearable had been the acts in his previous life? ¡°Jormungand has no start or end, so it doesn¡¯t matter when it was created. Transcending the world the moment of birth, intervening, distorting, and adjusting phenomena. Anvil, haven¡¯t you already picked up fragments of that power?¡± Chiral? No, she was referring to his very trait, Royal Dragon. Though he was still inexperienced, he had certainly awakened the power to interfere with and change causality. But this wasn¡¯t¡­ Could it surpass even space and time? ¡°The body is different, but the soul is the same. Anvil, it¡¯s no coincidence you acquired that trait.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± The long exnation was over. There were certain assumptions he couldn¡¯t understand, but it made enough sense. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a long sigh. ¡°Certainly, I didn¡¯t think it was a battle trait from the start.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk closed his mouth, everyone became quiet. Chiral, transcending the interference of time and space, resulting in overturning the history of all dimensions. No, the moment Chiral was born, Jormungand had already be a natural existence. There wasn¡¯t even a time that recorded a reversal of history. ¡°¡­Honey.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry too much¡­ I¡¯m just a little tired. I¡¯ve no intention of doing anything to concern you.¡± It could interfere with causality. ire, having figured out what they were talking about, had an expression of half-sorrow as she stuck to him. However, he hadn¡¯t specifically developed such abilities, and he had no record of making anything simr to that. Even if it became possible¡­perhaps what he should do isn¡¯t a trivial, tragic attempt to change the past. -Now, you must¡¯ve realized everything. No, not all of it. Only the most important secrets rted to the Hero Universe¡­ ¡°Okay. Okay.¡± What to do in the future, what he would do in the future¡­ He knew now. Chapter 320 - Coordinator of Time and Space (2)

Chapter 320 - Coordinator of Time and Space (2)

[Luby] [X3 Rank?] [Special ability: Luby?] *Luby?: Puts everything to sleep. ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s no exnation at all.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed at the system message that appeared before him. After returning to Earth and the realm of the Gaia system, he tried to disy the status of the Luby but saw only that. Besides, what was with the question marks? He¡¯d rather it would just say it was impossible to interpret. ¡®It¡¯s not because of myck of ability. No matter my skill, it¡¯s the Gaia system that eventually trantes it into text to show me. Of course, there¡¯s no way to know if the system¡¯s capabilities are insufficient.¡¯ Originally, for items that exceeded the X-rank, the exnation given tended to be much cruder than the one he directly perceived through his skill. This made it clear. Now, to him, the Gaia system didn¡¯t make much sense. ¡°Huh, when you be transcendent, this is something everyone experiences. Rather than rely on Gaia, it would be more urate for you to just feel it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, as I tried using the bracelet I got from grandpa, my rank went up at will. Gaia¡¯s not very reliable.¡± Tsukuyo and Shu were chewing into Gaia as if they were used to it. Only then did it sound like Gaia was a real person, not just a system that controlled the entire universe. No, wasn¡¯t that new? The administrator used to talk like that. ¡°By the way, why are you guys here?¡± ire spoke up in displeasure. In any case, the work in Merba hade to an end, and they returned to My Room safely before Merba disappeared (as the artifacts keeping it alive were recovered, it was only natural). ire, who judged that he was exhausted physically and mentally, immediately dered a dissolution and returned with him to their room in Shinyoung. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried about Anvil. Have you forgotten that¡¯s why the administrator called for us?¡± ¡°I also want to do something with grandpa...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I admit it was helpful, but you guys, now-¡° When ire tried to say something more, Kang Shin-hyuk grabbed her hand to calm her down and looked at Tsukuyo and Shu. ¡°Thank you both for thinking of me, but first of all, I want to have some time alone with ire. Let¡¯s talkter.¡± ¡°Okay, Anvil. Where can I stay?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk paused at Tsukuyo¡¯s response. She was thinking of staying here for a while, and the administrator didn¡¯t even try to touch it. No, it would be correct to see it as Kang Shin-hyuk had be a full VIP member, and his authority had increased. If Tsukuyo and Shu wanted to, it was probably okay to have them stay on Earth for a while. If so, Kang Shin-hyuk turned on his phone. ¡°Wait a minute; I¡¯ll get a room for you two.¡± ¡°Wait for a second, you mean I have to stay in the same room as this ck fox?¡± ¡°Please be patient.¡± ¡°Yes, if grandpa asks this of me, I can¡¯t help it....¡± ¡°No matter how that¡¯s a little pitiful.¡± ¡°...You¡¯ll leave me alone but talk quite freely to everyone else?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk contacted the principal, and less than five minutester, he had permission to use another room in the Royal ss. ¡°There aren¡¯t many students who¡¯ve obtained the right to move into the Royal ss yet, so you¡¯ll be free for the time being.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten better at using this power myself.¡± ¡°What power is that? This is just promoting my friend¡¯s convenience.¡± When ire left the room for a while, and the three went out into the hallway, by coincidence, Baek In-ha, having just left his own room, opened his eyes wide at the sight of them. ¡°Shinyuk, you, such beauties...!¡± ¡°Muchter, if you qualify, I¡¯ll tell you then.¡± ¡°What about introductions? Shouldn¡¯t I introduce myself?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a cute kid, but I¡¯ve always been into Anvil.¡± Tsukuyo smiled alluringly and pressed her chest against Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm. Even through her clothes, her contours were clear. Baek was quick to grasp how far away she was with that and carefully turned his gaze away. ¡°Hey, you, that, ire noona.¡± ¡°I already know. Don¡¯t worry about it; let¡¯s talkter.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s also listen to what Anvil is then.¡± He had nothing to lose having a good friend. Kang Shin-hyuk felt a little guilty for not being able to exin everything to Baek and promised to talkter. ¡°Then, you can stay here. Do you need an exnation of the facility?¡± Tsukuyo looked inside the room assigned to them and shook her head. ¡°No, I can see it roughly.¡± ¡°Because you have spiritual power.¡± ¡°...Grandfather.¡± Unlike the imposing Tsukuyo, Shu, who often showed a wandering expression all the time, turned to Kang Shin-hyuk with an expression of great determination. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Cheer up.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk turned to face her, she uttered that and then approached quickly, raising up on her toes slightly to kiss his cheek. ¡°Thanks to you, I can kiss even if I don¡¯t run. Heh.¡± -... Kang Shin-hyuk was at a loss for words, so he settled for gently brushing Shu¡¯s hair. ¡°Thank you, Shu.¡± ¡°Grandpa is my benefactor, so that I can do anything for you.¡± ¡°Kid... Well, let¡¯s take a look.¡± Tsukuyoughed at Shu¡¯s humble behavior and approached Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Anvil, do you remember what I said earlier about your abilities and Jormungand?¡± ¡°You mean that the members of the Hero Universe are doing something simr to Jormungand?¡± Thinking about it, Tsukuyo was the one who gave him almost all the exnations. Since he joined the Hero Universe, many of the weapons he created had spread to many worlds by the hands of its members and yed a role in bncing the world. He hated to admit it, but Jormungand was simr. If there was a difference, was it that Jormungand wasrge and out of control? ¡°In fact, even the weapons made then weren¡¯t perfect. After all, it is nothing more than a weapon that has meaning only when held in human hands. As a result, some weapons have destroyed worlds different from the original intention. Fundamentally, it wasn¡¯t that different from when I created Jormungand.¡± ¡°But Anvil, you keep going. So next time, you¡¯ll definitely be able toplete it.¡± ¡°...Yes, I know that too.¡± But could it be called perfection in a true sense? Now Kang Shin-hyuk had the illusion he was walking on a fixed path to a future he already knew the results of. Even when it waspleted, the result would be what he saw now. ¡®It¡¯s terrible to deal with causality. What¡¯s really annoying is that I have no way or n to avoid it.¡¯ The moment he realized he had be a transcendent; ironically, he realized his helplessness. Then, as he tried to turn around... ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t stand it...!¡± ¡°Ah, boooo!¡± ¡°Hm?!¡± Tsukuyo closed the distance between them at an unrecognizable speed and pressed her lips against his as hard as she could. The castle quickly copsed in an irresistible onught as a tongue slipped through. It was the first time he had such an aggressive and ignorant kiss in his life. After struggling to gather his senses, he barely managed to push Tsukuyo away and shout, his eyes wide open. ¡°I really can¡¯t be relieved! Do you have to satisfy your needs in this situation now?¡± ¡°But all the mishaps are gone, right?¡± Tsukuyo asked as if she licked her lips. Her absurd actions and words made all his thoughts fly away. He wondered if that was her intent, but it was helpful to him. ¡°Ah... I won¡¯t say thank you, Tsukuyo.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to. I¡¯m Anvil¡¯s woman; it¡¯s only natural for me to kiss you.¡± ¡°You, you fox!¡± Instead of the calm Kang Shin-hyuk, Shu was the one to shout. ¡°I put up with it! I limited myself to the cheek!¡± ¡°Who told you to be patient?¡± If he left it alone, a monstrous war would take ce here. As Kang Shin-hyuk hurried to calm them down, Tsukuyo smiled at him. ¡°Anvil, you¡¯re still mistaken about one thing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Obviously, you know the finished product. But that¡¯s only one oue. You still don¡¯t know what will happen to yourself after that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t even ept your reincarnation at first. I couldn¡¯t even imagine that you in the past life wouldn¡¯t have been finished yet...¡± Since Tsukuyo already knew the result, she couldn¡¯t convince herself that Anvil had gone through the cumbersome process of reincarnation. However, she realized that the order was opposite, that the result and process were reversed, and was able to ept him as Anvil. Perhaps she had reached the truth faster than anyone else. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded without a word, and she smiled again. ¡°So think about it, Anvil, whopletely dominates causality and creates the system on which the world is based. Who would dare predict the behavior of such a person?¡± With that said, Kang Shin-hyuk felt his hazy mind clearing. Tsukuyo, noticing the change, seemed happy. ¡°Now, may this not solve some of your worries?¡± ¡°...After all, you are a fox.¡± ¡°Sure. Not just a fox, but one with nine tails.¡± Nine ck tails grew behind her and fluttered. That was the sum of her power. Had it been the Kang Shin-hyuk of before, he would¡¯ve fainted just by looking at it. ¡°Yes, I knew that.¡± ¡°Then you also know that I will never miss my target.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my first time hearing about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to be prepared. For a time beyond human senses, I only missed you...¡± Tsukuyo licked her lips and tried to close the distance again. Kang Shin-hyuk rushed out of the room quickly, fearing for his life. ¡°Ha, grandfather, give me a separate room too!¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Shu was sacrificed. The sacrifice that followed... With that sacrifice... *** The new year was bright, though there was no progress in finding Shin Eunah yet. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability to break through limits was developing at an astonishing pace after visiting Merba. ire had achieved her goal as well. The next day, Halo got in touch. Chapter 321 - Coordinator of Time and Space (3)

Chapter 321 - Coordinator of Time and Space (3)

That day, oddly enough, a dispatch request had gone to Kang Shin-hyuk. It was because, for the first time in the world, there had been an irregr gate that couldn¡¯t be measured. Naturally, the superhumans¡¯ abilities on Earth for the past half-year...it was because of their exponential growth that it was happening. In particr, Masked Bhus members (nowadays, it was being abbreviated as MaB) had grown splendidly. ¡°Now, the people of Earth are also starting to notice, but the stronger they are, the higher the gate level will be.¡± The gathering time was in ten minutes at therge yground. After checking the message, he was preparing to go out leisurely, but suddenly the administrator responded to his self-talk. -No way. Mankind will forever roll the wheel. He just sighed. Previously, he had just considered it a vicious circle, and he would destroy the source of Jormungand. However, the Chiral he had created in the previous life served as its source, and even if he destroyed it, he would face his destruction. ¡®Before Jormungand, monsters just urred. Now Jormungand controlled them. As I intended, humans are efficiently fighting back, so they have no time to fight each other...¡¯ That alone wouldn¡¯t have been enough to ensure their survival, though. That was why a group called the Hero Universe had checked on them and allowed civilization to continue. There was a reason why the Hero Universe members were hostile to Jormungand but didn¡¯t chase them down to their roots. Now that he hadpletely recovered the memories of his previous life and matured a little... Kang Shin-hyuk hated to admit it. ¡°It¡¯s a breathtaking tightrope.¡± -That¡¯s how the world operates, member. Everyone is just trying to grow, and you have driven them in a very positive direction. ¡°... You¡¯re still a little calm today, administrator.¡± -I¡¯m so excited I¡¯m trying to suppress it. 5,000,000HP bonus! ¡°Yes, I said it for nothing... Yesterday, you sent out more than that.¡± -The administrator has been in a good mood since yesterday! That¡¯s right. Yesterday, he heard of a certain event that deserved to bememorated... And some would be furious to hear about it. ¡°Yes. Leaving?¡± ¡°Gate. I¡¯ll finish it as soon as possible ande back.¡± ¡°Then, I too...¡± ire woke up to find Kang Shin-hyuk getting out of bed. However, Kang Shin-hyuk hurriedly ran back to her andid her back down. ¡°No, keep sleeping.¡± ¡°Still...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Huh...¡± ire let her head fall back into her pillow, but Kang Shin-hyuk still couldn¡¯t be relieved. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo anything, understand?¡± ¡°Ah, what are you doing? It¡¯s only three weeks now.¡± ¡°If something goes wrong, it¡¯ll go wrong anyway.¡± ¡°Yes. Okay, then, kiss.¡± He kissed ire and left a momentter. As soon as the door closed, a sigh left him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s really a child...¡± -You are fortunate to have obtained a formal diploma and a superhuman certificate in negotiations with the schoolst year. ¡°It¡¯s not such a problem; it¡¯s that I¡¯m still a minor under Koreanw...¡± Yesterday, he learned about ire¡¯s pregnancy. If Kang Shin-hyuk had still belonged to Shinyoung as a student, it would¡¯ve caused an uproar. Even in the early days of his inauguration, there were parts of the world that didn¡¯t know how to deal with him, but now his position as an instructor and the world¡¯s No. 1 had been firmly established. ire knew it too, so she said she wanted to have a child. No, not only that, but he wondered if she wanted to have a deeper connection with him. ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about it, but like a fool... No, I am a fool.¡¯ It was his fault if he couldn¡¯t reassure her. He had suffered a failure in his previous life, but this time, he wouldn¡¯t leave it that way. Now he had the ability to fight, not just to craft. But losing someone precious was an awful thought. ¡®...Yes, Eunah too.¡¯ He would definitely find her. For that reason, he was steadily growing stronger. [Kang Shin-hyuk: X2 Rank] [Trait] Royal Dragon (X) [Physical ability] Strength: X2 Agility: X2 Stamina: X2+ [Special ability] Spiritual Power: X2+ Breaker: X3- [Skill] Royal Dragon (X): X+ God Wind (X2): X2- Space Domination (X): X2 Dark Mastery (X): X Light Mastery (X): X Fire Mastery (X): X Soul Poison (X2): X2 Metallurgy: X2- Emotion: X2 Repair: X2 ¡°...Okay.¡± -You have far exceeded the average strength of a VIP member. In essence, the stronger they are, the slower the growth rate... As Kang Shin-hyuk had mastered Luby, he had suffered from two major mental changes as he recovered all of his past life. And, naturally, it led to the evolution of his abilities and their explosive growth, so he had reached an average of X2 rank. Members of the Hero Universe had to undergo 200 years of hardship to match his growth level, based on the stories he heard from VIP members in the secret bulletin board. It was said that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s trait had a utility that exceeded even the years of other talented members. -It would be okay to judge that your trait is the most effective in evolving yourself. ¡°Can you also see the results?¡± -Of course, but as I previously said, only you can urately determine your abilities. It was important to know them exactly because he could develop his ability quickly only when he fully understood himself. However, sometimes knowing could lead to less than desirable results. ¡°Oh, I really can¡¯t do it...¡± ¡°To do nothing...¡± ¡°Ha...¡± ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk put a hand to his head as he watched Lee Na-hee and Eleanor just lying down on the yground. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no motivation at all. No matter how good I am, you¡¯ll be going back to eunni anyway. Ha...¡± ¡°Haah, everything is fleeting...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spectacle.¡± A filming team was already on standby, but fortunately, people knew that they could trust MaB, even despite this pitiful sight. Bridget looked like she might startughing at any moment as she moved next to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°They couldn¡¯t admit it until now. They were dragging their feet, and now they know she¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°By the way, at this kind of timing? When I have to enter a gate of unknown rank?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go together.¡± Bridget folded her arm with his while spouting nonsense, and he flicked her forehead without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re the first to go.¡± ¡°Ah-oh, this iron wall is really so beautiful!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a spectacle.¡± This time, it was Oh Hye-na as he looked back. Only she was wearing the formal uniform of MaB. Actually, it seemed that she was somewhat over-formal. ¡°Have you been infected by the middle schooler virus too?¡± ¡°No? I¡¯m trying to get as strong as I can to stop this evil.¡± ¡°No, thank you...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Baek In-ha, who appeared a second after, let out a cheerful yell. He knew they came from the same room anyway, but they were trying to hide it like that. ¡°Wait, ire¡¯s seat is avable, so take Vita with you.¡± ¡°Huh? Why is your noona... Ahh, yes...¡± ¡°Baek, die!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Baek survived the wrath of Lee Na-hee and Eleanor by using Oh Hye-na as a shield, while Oh Hye-na¡¯s valiant attempts to protect MaB¡¯s image failed. It was just then that Vita arrived. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, Eleanor, Lee Na-hee, Oh Hye-na, Baek In-ha, Bridget, and Vita. A total of seven people had gathered together, put into position by Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°The gate¡¯s in America? You should go greet her parents.¡± ¡°Puppeteer, it is said there are signs of erosion. I think you need to hurry.¡± The cameraman, who had been still until then, urged Kang Shin-hyuk forward, showing a rather rxed attitude. ¡°Ah, I get it.¡± He nodded and motioned for the cameraman to get closer. The inventions made by him, ire, and Vita had brought about a huge change in superhuman activities. One of them was a cameraman who entered the gate with the superhuman team to document their performance. The role of the cameraman this time was also important as this gate was a first on Earth. ¡°This will be my first time to film Masked Bhus. Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Then, let¡¯s go right away.¡± ¡°Yes? The helicopter...¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go to a gate that urred in the US by helicopter.¡± ¡°What?! Come to think of it...?!¡± Perhaps the cameraman wasn¡¯t that quick. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he activated his space domination ability. In the blink of an eye, the group was in front of a crack in space. ¡°Oh, we were sucked in as soon as we moved? It looks like a ridiculouslyrge gate.¡± ¡°Are we in already?! It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± ¡°The cameraman is talking a lot.¡± ¡°Sorry, but he¡¯s with us.¡± Baek responded to Lee Na-hee¡¯s grievances with a smile. It was a dangerous gate that didn¡¯t have an identifiable rank, and normally a cameraman wouldn¡¯t be brought to such a dangerous ce. The reason why he was there was to show that MaB could do the impossible casually. ¡°Oh, but this much.¡± The system message hadn¡¯t appeared even after entering the gate. Nevertheless, he expanded his spiritual power to explore all directions of the gate, immediately deciding an emergency exit wouldn¡¯t be necessary. ¡°But... It¡¯s a little weird. No matter how high the rank, the Gaia system still usually responds.¡± -...I don¡¯t know what happened. The administrator replied hesitantly to Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s murmuring. He learned a littleter what had happened to the Gaia system. Chapter 322 - The Bearer (1)

Chapter 322 - The Bearer (1)

¡°I¡¯ll die, I¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not dying, so just hold on!¡± Most of the monsters that appeared were chimeras with mold all over their bodies. Every time they were hit, they would spread filthy spores that lowered their enemies¡¯ defenses and absorbed their magic (I.E., they were a vicious monster that gave all sorts of debuffs!). ¡°What can you do with this debuff?!¡± ¡°Vita is analyzing it; first, drink the potions!¡± ¡°Damn, it¡¯s notpletely returning...Watch out for spores!¡± They looked as if countless monsters had been mashed together, mixing not only forms but abilities. They could be faced one-on-one, but those debuffs were serious. Even Bridget and Eleanor were disgusted by the spores. -Kyahak! ¡°Haah! Oh my god!¡± -Kiii! Eleanor speared through three chimeras at once, energy exuded from the head of her spear to destroy the spores around her. She was doing great, but Kang Shin-hyuk, who was analyzing her spiritual power as he stretched his throughout the gate, shouted as he read her aura. ¡°Don¡¯t fight while shouting my name!¡± ¡°But this is more powerful!¡± ¡°Ahhh?! Eli, that¡¯s sexual harassment!¡± ¡°Na-hee senior too!¡± The level of monsters was high, but that was a given as the gate couldn¡¯t be ranked. It wasn¡¯t a big deal for Kang Shin-hyuk, but it was a bit overwhelming for MaB¡¯s other members. Or at least, it would be without the buff Kang Shin-hyuk gave them. The passive buff boosted their energy and growth rate, but the active buff concentrated energy to a level that almost doubled their power. ¡°Huh...hah!¡± Baek In-ha, who felt his power amplified as he struggled with the chimeras, stepped firmly on the floor and kicked his enemies. The chimeras, unable to withstand the strong shock, burst out and poured spores on him, but the strong wind he created moved them away. He drove the chimeras back and began to defend Oh Hye-na, taking care of her safety first. ¡°Shinyuk! If you could strengthen us, do it quicker!¡± ¡°No, if you¡¯re always used to the buffs I give you, you¡¯ll be in trouble when they¡¯re not around. This is all to help you stay vignt at any time.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not vignt enough at an unknown gate?!¡± Everyone seemed to be shaken at the fact that they couldn¡¯t check their enemies¡¯ rank, but in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes, these monsters were strong, but he didn¡¯t feel them transcendentally strong, peculiar to monsters beyond the current limit. To put it inly, if they were really X-rank or higher, the rest of the team would¡¯ve had to focus down one to kill it. ¡°I guess there¡¯s a problem with the Gaia system as well.¡± -It certainly seems that way. As Kang Shin-hyuk pushed his buff, the members of MaB paid back the humiliation they had suffered from those monsters. Once the ranks stabilized, Bridget switched to buffing herself to elerate their subjugation of the gate further. ¡°Vita, how is it?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk used nanobots to purify the chimera spores while Vita analyzed them. He could grasp the enemy¡¯s level with his own spiritual power, but that resided in the realm of intuition. For precise data, Vita was more urate and reliable. ¡°Yes, dad is right. At best, it has reached the current limit.¡± ¡°There are only these weird chimeras. In other words, ranking it, the current limit level...¡± That meant SSS+ rank. Of course, that alone was intense; it was the same level as the monsters that appeared with Janus the previous year. However,pared to the performance of his team members, it wasn¡¯t so scary. ¡°Oh, the spore vine isplete. I¡¯ll give you a vine, so now everyone can ignore the spores!¡± ¡°I absolutely hate it! What other ability do the spores have...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because you have aplete picture. And, I already injected it~.¡± ¡°Vita?!¡± Vita injected thepleted vine into all her allies with the nanobots. Nevertheless, the attack no longer had to be dyed because they were wary of the enemy¡¯s spores, so Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and soothed his teammates. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be overly vignt. They won¡¯t be getting any stronger than this so that you can push ahead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said the rank is unknown!¡± ¡°I figured it out now; it¡¯s SSS+ level.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the worst one?!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s one we know.¡± As a test, Bridget smashed in a chimera¡¯s head, but the spores really had no effect on her. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really okay?¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s organize here and move on. It¡¯s been 30 minutes since we entered the gate.¡± ¡°But this gate is a little weird. Should I say the structure is too simple?¡± That¡¯s what he had thought from the start. It was a wide space, with no traps orbyrinthine structuresmon to high difficulty gates. It was like a part of a huge, artificially constructed building had been torn apart. ¡°This is a real gate...? Maybe you¡¯re hallucinating.¡± ¡°The monsters are real, be sure to kill them.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who was trying to analyze the gate further, wasn¡¯t able toe to a satisfactory conclusion. There was only one thing he found, and it was that this gate had a hold leading to another one. -That¡¯s Jormungand¡¯s technique. ¡°What is it? An invitation?¡± If the gate was intentionally created, it would¡¯ve been predictable that the strongest of humanity, Kang Shin-hyuk, would enter. Then what was beyond this gate...? Kang Shin-hyuk felt his heart pounding with anxiety and excitement. ¡°I feel like Janus is calling.¡± -Would you like to go? ¡°I have to go.¡± The situation was cleared up. Kang Shin-hyuk adjusted his performance so that it wasn¡¯t conspicuous as he attacked the gate with his party, asionally ncing at the cameraman. ¡°What, I was scared because the rank was unknown.¡± ¡°Is it over already?¡± ¡°Ah, an exit.¡± ¡°Everyone, it was wonderful! The video footage is awesome too!¡± The cameraman, who had only taken care of himself and the camera from start to end, raised his thumb to them. The media had emphasized it was a gate of unknown rank beforehand. ¡°Without Masked Bhus, it would¡¯ve been impossible to fight those unknown monsters without any sacrifices! What viewers want is this overwhelming power!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, so let¡¯s finish shooting now. It¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a nice picture of everyoneing out of the gate...¡± ¡°So go out and wait.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pushed the cameraman out of the exit and looked back. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s still a little bit left, so I¡¯ll clean it up.¡± ¡°Maybe, something suspicious?¡± Bridget, who only became sensitive to pointless things, looked at him with bright eyes, but Kang Shin-hyuk started to push her out too. ¡°Everyone go back first; it¡¯s really nothing. Oh, Vita, will you stay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Aah, wait for a second, junior. If I don¡¯t stay, you¡¯ll be very sorry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, so go back.¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go out and reassure people. It¡¯s okay if I leave first.¡± When Kang Shin-hyuk entered the gate, the external gate would also probably disappear- its goalpleted. Everyone looked at him with narrow eyes, but they couldn¡¯t pursue him anymore. Even Lee Na-hee and Eleanor, recognized members of the Hero Universe, weren¡¯t allowed to apany them, so what else could be said? ¡°Well, in this case, I don¡¯t want to feel alienated. I worked so hard, but in the end, it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find something we can do togetherter.¡± At that, Lee Na-hee turned on him with shining eyes, as if unsatisfied with that much. ¡°If you get hurt ande back, I¡¯ll hit you.¡± ¡°I have toe back for my child.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll make one with me too!¡± Yes, she was also a nonsensical person. ¡°Eli, take this criminal and leave quickly.¡± ¡°Uh... Don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± Eleanor defeated Lee Na-hee and dragged her out. Baek sighed and left with Oh Hye-na right after. ¡°Have you found traces of our unnie?¡± ¡°Different, but it¡¯s rted.¡± ¡°Then me too!¡± ¡°Wait outside, so you don¡¯t lose your life.¡± ¡°Wow...¡± Bridget, having remained until the end, was also thrown out the exit. ¡°Dad, can I stay?¡± ¡°Vita... I¡¯m sorry to ask you this, but I wanted to leave a connection with ire in case of an emergency.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. That was my role from the beginning...!¡± Vita replied with a wide smile. ¡°Okay, thanks. Then, let¡¯s go.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk patted her head and then took her hand. It was that moment a call from Halo arrived. -Halo¡¯s whisper: You can¡¯t go there, Anvil. ¡°Halo...?¡± -Oh, Halo...?! He hadn¡¯t heard from Halo in a while. It was even more surprising that the administrator seemed to be embarrassed by it. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Again, you can¡¯t go there. Janus is doing something difficult. Hmm, it¡¯s a little bit worse this time. You could end up doing something wrong. ¡°Why do you know that?¡± -Halo¡¯s whisper: Anvil... Yes, I see. Then I know better. If you go to Janus now, something bad will happen to Janus as a result. Halo, who grasped what had happened to him with just that short exchange, spoke as if it were good. Kang Shin-hyuk had a premonition that his rtionship with Halo would change immensely, but he couldn¡¯t pick up spilled milk. ¡°...So what am I supposed to do? Ignore this?¡± -Halo¡¯s whisper: That¡¯s correct. Beyond that gate is the territory of Jormungand. ¡°I still have to go. I want to talk to Janus at least once.¡± -Halo¡¯s whisper: Is that so? Silence flowed like an eternity before he responded again. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Then there is no choice... But you¡¯ll have to choose carefully, Anvil. You know what to do as you are now. -Halo¡¯s whisper: Then,e on. The gate copsed. Kang Shin-hyuk then grabbed Vita and hurried through the gate. Chapter 323 - The Bearer (2)

Chapter 323 - The Bearer (2)

It was a world of light. What awaited him was a world full of pure light that couldn¡¯t even cast a shadow. Janus wasn¡¯t there, but he still seeded in finding traces of existence he knew well in the hot light that surrounded him. [You¡¯re here, Anvil.] ¡°...Halo?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was speechless at the scene before him. It neither had a beginning nor an end. It was neither material nor mind...it was just light. The moment he realized what it meant, the answer had arrived. [Yes, I¡¯m Halo.] ¡°I think so. But, I think... I think you have a different name now.¡± What did Kang Shin-hyuk previously think Halo was? Did he think he was a man or a tree? Some other unknown race? It was all wrong. He was wrong the moment he thought he had a certain shape in the first ce. [Yes... Mortals also call me Gaia.] ¡°Gaia...¡± A world full of light... No, maybe that whole ce was just the inner space of the being called Halo and Gaia. The moment he realized it, Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. Who could¡¯ve imagined that the master of the Gaia system would be a member of the Hero Universe? But yes, there were hints. The administrator and even Tsukuyo, the master of great power, referred to Halo respectfully. Only now did he realize the true reason. However, the administrator, who wanted to find out why, was in a situation where they couldn¡¯t be connected. [The administrator has no authority to interfere with this space, Anvil.] ¡°...¡± Although he had been to a world where the Gaia system was jammed, he had never been to one where the Hero Universe was. Therefore, it was natural for Kang Shin-hyuk to feel out of his depth. Were it not for the synchronization of his previous life; he would¡¯ve been panicking. [Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ve no intention of harming the administrator; our position is fundamentally simr.] ¡°Simr to the Hero Universe...¡± [Not so surprising. Isn¡¯t the Hero Universe a group that affects whole worlds? Even I couldn¡¯t control it, nor could I ignore it or destroy it. After talking with the administrator, I decided to be a member.] ¡°Ha...haha.¡± His mind was filled with confusion. In the meanwhile, he recalled that Vita had plunged into the gate with him, but she was nowhere to be found. ¡°What about her?¡± [If you are referring to the child who came here with you, you probably know better than I.] ¡°What is that? Hm?¡± He was confused by Halo¡¯s words, but he tried to spread his spiritual power out. Then, he felt her presence in the subspace connected to him, the very same one that Onyx usually resided in. Even though it was originally a garbage warehouse, no garbage was left because Onyx had eaten all of it. Now it was used as a sub-space separate from the inventory...unlike the inventory, it had the advantage of holding people. ¡®Administrator...no, did Halo interfere?¡¯ [No, it is the result of the manifestation of your own nature. In this space, you know she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it, so you moved her instinctively. I¡¯ve no authority to interfere in your sub-space.] He understood right away that only a transcendent being could endure this extreme light. Even Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t have been able to stand it if it hadn¡¯t been for his light mastery. But, more than that... ¡°Are you reading my thoughts?¡± [It¡¯s something you can do as well. Reading other¡¯s feelings or superficial thoughts with spiritual power.] ¡°No...¡± Of course, if he focused his spiritual power, he could faintly read other people¡¯s feelings. However, he had never thought of trying to use it to read others¡¯ thoughts, even fragmented. Halo¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t evenparable to his own. There was a difference in existence that could never be crossed between the two. ¡®It¡¯s not so pleasant to read thoughts. Ha...¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk had a strong mind alongside his body that could endure Halo...no, Gaia. ¡°You...what are you? The creator?¡± [Well, I can tell you now.] Maybe he hadn¡¯t been able to say it so far. The existence of Gaia wouldn¡¯t be easy to ept, even as a member of the Hero Universe. Maybe some of the VIP members didn¡¯t even know Halo¡¯s identity. [Unfortunately, I am not the creator. I¡¯m just another type of administrator.] ¡°Another type.¡± [Yes. Anvil also knows the Gaia system, right? You have also seen my terminals. I manage my powers, spread across many dimensions, to control the worlds that have contact with mana.] ¡°Ha.¡± It felt like he was struck by lightning. He hadn¡¯t recognized it because of its different shape, but the terminal in Cy Xenon! It had the same basic structure as the tree in Mirotoz! If he had analyzed the tree in Mirotoz even a bit more aggressively, maybe he would¡¯ve realized it earlier. Of course, Halo wouldn¡¯t have allowed it... [So is it correct to say that I¡¯m the senior? Or maybe it¡¯s right to say I¡¯m the only administrator of a universe without the Hero Universe. Though, now it¡¯s moving with it.] Some might ask what bullshit he meant, but Kang Shin-hyuk grasped the truth. He was discussing the distinction between before and after the birth of Jormungand. Halo, an ancient transcendent being, built the Gaia system to protect the order on countless worlds. However, with the Hero Universe built beyond thews of time and space, he was no longer unique. [So... I¡¯m not nearly the great being you think I am. I¡¯m just the administrator of an iplete system.] ¡°Halo...¡± Halo¡¯s words were an affirmation of the future Kang Shin-hyuk had foreseen. Even though he had forbade it, Halo¡¯s words shocked him far deeper than he anticipated. ¡°Is it...?¡± [Yes.] Honestly, it was so great that it was unbearable. Still, he had one more thing that he had to ask. ¡°Halo, it¡¯s great to be able toe here and hear about your secrets, but... Why am I here after jumping through Jormungand¡¯s gate?¡± [That¡¯s...] ¡°I wanted you toe here.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk quickly turned his head to the new voice. He already knew who it was, but Janus was standing right there. ¡°That¡¯s why I opened the gate, Anvil.¡± [That.] ¡°Janus.¡± ¡°Anvil...! I really missed you.¡± She was still beautiful, with a touch of transcendence, but her presence alone didn¡¯t diminish him like it hadst year. Probably because he had grown at such an absurd pace...no, perhaps it was better to see it as a recovery rather than growth. Tsukuyo spected that the spiritual power lying dormant inside him had begun to find its ce due to his synchronization. ¡°Absolutely magnificent. Now you have a power that is difficult to find not only on Earth but in any other world.¡± Despite having foughtst they met, Janus just seemed happy to see his growth. ¡°Thanks to you, I needed to be strong quickly.¡± ¡°Well, we have no reason to fight.¡± Janus responded with a bitter smile to his thorned words. He felt like she might hold some resentment after what happened before, but he sensed no poison in her. She remained calm, but perhaps that was because this world was heavily influenced by Halo? Kang Shin-hyuk thought so for a moment, but as he saw Janus turn toward the center of light that was Halo, that thought copsed. ¡°Halo...no, Gaia.¡± Janus began to pour out all the words she had hidden inside her. ¡°You were preventing Anvil and me from meeting again. Even though Earth wasn¡¯t supposed to be kicked out that soon!¡± She wanted to meet with Kang Shin-hyuk, but couldn¡¯t? Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed as he heard her rant. Thinking about it, he had many meetings with Jormungand¡¯s other demons, but not one with Janus after that. Janus had appeared on Earth but then quickly vanished. But what if it weren¡¯t voluntary, but somebody had forced her out? [You¡¯re talking silly. Now you¡¯re in a temporary form, but you wanted to meet another child?] ¡°It must¡¯ve been you who made me such an idiot!¡± [Janus, there is noplete system in the world. That is why we need many people to manage them...it was you, not anyone else, who applied for it.] Again, he sensed some difference in Halo¡¯s attitude toward himself and Janus. Maybe it was the appearance of Gaia as the master of the system. But, even more, shocking was the content of the conversation between the two. ¡°Look at it, Halo. What did you say just now?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk faced Halo in disbelief. Since he was made of light, there was no way to note changes in expression, but Halo exuded an atmosphere like he was in trouble. [Ah... that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want you toe here.] ¡°How long did you think you could fool him? Sooner orter, all will be revealed.¡± [If I had allowed Anvil to grow a little more, he would¡¯ve be a friend who understood and shared my grievances as a fully transcendental person.] ¡°That¡¯s just your delusion.¡± Janus ground her teeth and pulled her sword. It had the dragon heart fragment embedded in it again, and it emitted both dark magic and pure white light. Yes, it looked like both sides of a mirror. ¡°Thanks to retrieving the dragon¡¯s heart fragments, I was barely able to resist. Anvil, thank you.¡± ¡°...Are you saying you haven¡¯t been doing the crazy things you¡¯ve done on Earth thanks to the Godyer?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed. It was only now he knew why Janus and Jormungand¡¯s interference had disappeared from the Earth the moment that fragment was recovered. So, it wasn¡¯t that the bnce was right. It was just because Janus found themselves. Otherwise, it made no sense that they didn¡¯t directly attack Earth as their power grew exponentially. ¡°Until then, yes. It was all just the way they wanted it. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to inflict such a wound on Eunah...¡± [Janus...] ¡°Anvil, it¡¯s that guy.¡± Janus pouted like a child telling their parents that their friend harassed them. ¡°He was the one who hated the sight of the Hero Universe and Jormungand more than anyone else. He couldn¡¯t admit that the Gaia system alone wasn¡¯t enough to sustain the universe, so he tried to put it under his control by ying both sides.¡± [Janus... You¡¯re talking stupid again.] ¡°That¡¯s why you put Chiral in us and made us such an idiot, right? For you to control both the Hero Universe and Jormungand.¡± Chiral in Janus¡¯s body? Gaia tried to control both systems? Unfortunately, it was too convincing. However, it didn¡¯t take long for Kang Shin-hyuk to consider their conversation. ¡°That¡¯s why I tried to kill Eunah.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk raised his head. [Janus!] ¡°Yes.¡± Gaia emitted light to mask Janus, but the sword she swung split it apart. ¡°Anvil...in other words, what do you think is the reason Eunah¡¯s parents did the research for Jormungand? It was just one of Gaia¡¯s ways to monitor Eunah.¡± ¡°Why Eunah?¡± ¡°Because her ability is exactly the same as Gaia¡¯s.¡± [Janus...] ¡°Yes, so you¡¯ve been interested in her since she was a child. If you saw the possibility she would surpass you, you had to deal with it somehow.¡± Infinite magic. Infinity was already a concept close to godhood. The infinite light emitted by Gaia was also the same. Eunah had the potential to show off god-like power as long as her ability to ess it expanded. ¡°Since Eunah met you and grew too fast, I was used to kill her. I somehow seeded in retreating without killing Eunah. Rather, I was able to regain my reasoning by recovering some of the dragon heart.¡± [Janus!] An even bigger explosion of light rang out, but it was destroyed under the path the divine sword carved out. Janus seemed to be holding and swinging a ck hole. She defeated Gaia¡¯s attack and looked back at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know Gaia had already ced a trap on you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Janus. I fully understand now...¡± ¡°Branches.¡± His breathing stopped, and his body stiffened as he recalled the branches he had put into the Great Heavenly Spirit. Looking at it, why did he try that? That¡¯s because of Halo. Why hadn¡¯t he questioned that fact so far? Whether Janus hurt her or not, in the end, she vanished because he put Halo¡¯s branch in the Great Heavenly Spirit. ¡°It¡¯s funny, Gaia. Did you try to kill Eunah with that? But just before that, Eunah had transcended, so you couldn¡¯t prevent her from creating a new dimension with her power. As a result, there is a disconnected dimension that even you, who ims to be the administrator of all the world, cannot find.¡± ¡°Eunah¡¯s in it.¡± ¡°Yes. So, Anvil...¡± Janusughed. It was an extremely bewitching and eerieugh. ¡°From now on, let¡¯s kill ourmon enemy.¡± [Janus!!] Gaia radiated light towards Kang Shin-hyuk. In enduring it, though there was a notification from the Gaia system, Kang Shin-hyuk felt his light mastery grow beyond its limits again. His pace of growth had reached an area that even Gaia, the administrator of the world, could no longer predict. Janusughed as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk pull out his sword. ¡°Let¡¯s live together.¡± Chapter 324 - The Bearer (3)

Chapter 324 - The Bearer (3)

The first emotion Kang Shin-hyuk felt at that shocking revtion was sorrow. Thest thing Anvil had made was the Godyer, and what had helped awaken him to his past life was that very same sword. Janus had only wished for one, but he couldn¡¯t get it right until the end due to hisck of ability. As a result, Janus had been able to fight against the gods with a patchy and imperfect sword. He was upset as a cksmith that he couldn¡¯t properlyplete the request. [Anvil, forgive me foring out a bit rude.] Then the light whispered to him. ¡°Despite all that...?¡± [I think I will have to use some unexpectedly rough means in my conversation with you.] He could feel the light filling the world, increasing in density. Was that what it felt like to focus on his hostility? However, Kang Shin-hyuk noticed that Gaia¡¯s murderous intent was concentrated on Janus. [There are still things to be said between us, but I think this bad guy will let it be. Rather, they are trying to create unnecessary misunderstandings.] ¡°The bad guy, that expression is good. Ha!¡± As the light bombarded Janus, she absorbed and split it with the sword as she sarcastically responded. A wave of tumbling light also went toward Kang Shin-hyuk, but it was an attack he had already received, so he could see what ability it had. ¡®Are you trying to put me to sleep?¡¯ It was infinitely intense, but at the same time, oddly cozy, like just entering it would purify the soul. He would¡¯ve been put to sleep by now if he hadn¡¯t resisted it violently with his Light Mastery. ¡®But why?¡¯ Gaia had not aimed for his life even though there were many chances for him to kill Kang Shin-hyuk. If so, was there really a misunderstanding between them? No, but even if there were, Kang Shin-hyuk wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive Gaia until he resolved the matter of Gaia trying to kill Shin Eunah. ¡°Anvil, Gaia is trying to trick you.¡± It was then. Janus¡¯s eyes shed like a beast as the bombardment of light pouring out was extinguished. ¡°The reason Gaia acts favorably to you is that there is still something they need to get from you.¡± ¡°What to get...¡± ¡°Hero Universe.¡± Augh came unbidden from him. Certainly, assuming the story Janus had been telling so far was true, whatever Gaia¡¯s sincerity was, he had to be in a position where he couldn¡¯t reach Kang Shin-hyuk. He felt like he was bludgeoned in the back of the head by so much that he couldn¡¯t figure out what to believe. Gaia tried to silence Kang Shin-hyuk with an endless stream of light, but Janus continued to move. [Janus! Poor child, I can¡¯t hear your delusions anymore! I am already the administrator of all things; how do you keep misrepresenting my will!] ¡°Gaia, you were always passed by. Interfering with what you shouldn¡¯t and leaving what shouldn¡¯t be left alone. If you get it into your hands, even a system built for bnce will go back to its origin.¡± [It¡¯s not so. I¡¯ve watched and learned from the Hero Universe and Jormungand, and the result is you now!] ¡°That¡¯s worse!¡± The battle grew fierce. Janus had gained the ability to cut and kill even gods with the Godyer, but the scale of power in this space... No, it was Gaia, who could be seen as the very space around them. He hadn¡¯t answered all his questions, but Kang Shin-hyuk decided to do what seemed to be the most rational given current circumstances. ¡°You said you¡¯re an administrator, Gaia. Unfortunately, I have simr abilities.¡± He interfered with the power of the Royal Dragon to weaken the light and strengthen Janus. The change was dramatic as the light shrank away, and Janus¡¯s incineration of the world sped up. ¡°Anvil!¡± [Anvil!] Their voices echoed at the same time, one with anger and the other with joy. [It¡¯s embarrassing, Anvil. Did you think my power would be enough to be invaded by you?] ¡°Ha, as much as you can! The only thing you need to do, Anvil, is take mana from him!¡± Janus mocked Gaia as she responded. Something else he couldn¡¯t hear came out, but he ignored it. ¡®What else can I do?¡¯ Use Light Mastery to reduce Gaia¡¯s light? No, it took all his ability to resist the light on him. No matter how much he used it, it would be impossible to inflict damage directly on Gaia. If so, what about Dark Mastery? It would be more effective than light... ¡®No, let¡¯s see it.¡¯ What he needed to do now was maximize the power of his trait to fight against Gaia; he didn¡¯t need to inflict direct damage himself. [Anvil, are you serious?] ¡°Please do it, Halo. No, Gaia.¡± [Anvil... I think you¡¯ve spent too much of your mind on this peculiar thing¡¯s bullshit. I¡¯ll help you wake up.!] Blink. The light that filled the world vanished for an instant before exploding once more, hitting both Kang Shin-hyuk and Janus. Kang Shin-hyuk used everything he had. Light and Dark Mastery minimized the light¡¯s influence while he resisted the power of the world, pressing on him with his ability to dominate space. At the same time, he strengthened Janus, helping her to rip Gaia¡¯s light apart. [Anvil!] ¡°You don¡¯t have time to care about that!¡± Even though she was against a god and the entire world, Janus was unstoppable. Kang Shin-hyuk watched her back, sweat dripping down his forehead as the pressure bearing down on him increased as he exerted his abilities. ¡®It¡¯s hard.¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been a year since he gained the Royal Dragon ability. However, Gaia had been reigning as the absolute for many years. If he had one advantage, it was that his ability was growing at a remarkably fast pace as he confronted Gaia¡¯s power. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of it forever! I won¡¯t let you pretend to be the master of the world anymore!¡± [Are you really okay? Can¡¯t you guess what will happen if I disappear? How stupid, how stupid.] ¡°Nothing will happen.¡± [Everything will fall.] Janus¡¯s attitude remained strong, but Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t feel that Gaia¡¯s words were empty. However, that didn¡¯t mean they could stop now. Gaia had yet to offer any reasons or excuses for trying to kill Shin Eunah. If Gaia was truly confident, wouldn¡¯t it have given priority to exining over everything else? ¡®Then, what should I do...?¡¯ As the control on his abilities loosened, the light burst out again. -Shaaaaaaa Thousands of des made of light formed in the air to rush in, trying to tear Janus apart, but she cut them all down. ¡°I can¡¯t do it alone, Anvil!¡± Then she clicked her tongue and looked back to Kang Shin-hyuk. Suddenly, the distance between them seemed to increase endlessly, but it was questionable from the start whether distance meant anything in the world. Elevation, distance, and proximity were all rtive. If you, you could define them yourself. The moment Kang Shin-hyuk recognized it and stepped forward, the gap between them narrowed endlessly. The intense vibration that rocked the space around them seemed to prove that Gaia was greatly surprised by it. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut down the core at once. With your help, I can find it.¡± [It¡¯s impossible.] Gaia continued to bombard them, but Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively controlled the space to create an opening for Janus as he explored the root of that force. As Janus fought and interfered with Gaia, he forcibly revealed the reality of their enemy. Part of the veil of the world, filled with light, seemed to be lifted, and something faint appeared behind it. [?!] ¡°It¡¯s like that.¡± He connected the strings with his spiritual power and poured his energy into them. That was the correct usage of his power. Ironically, it wasn¡¯t until he met with a being with more power that he finally realized it. There was no message to inform him of his skill growth, but he didn¡¯t need it anymore. [Even though I said it was impossible!] ¡°No, it¡¯s possible!¡± Gaia¡¯s words were like his power. By expressing his intent clearly, he reinforced his power and tried to eradicate them, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no intention of missing out on what he had caught onto. Vivid vertical lines were drawn down both his pupils, shining five colors. ¡°If you¡¯re met by a guest, it¡¯s polite you show your face!¡± Countless threads of spiritual power moved out, dyed in five colors. With them, he surpassed the world¡¯s master, Gaia, with the aid of Janus. [Anvil! You want me...!] The result... In the middle of the world, a woman with a round halo of light was revealed. Her face looked a little like Janus. ¡°Die!¡± Janus swung her sword without dy. She performed the sword dance that was prepared only for this moment, to kill a god. However, just before the sword cut off her head, another de interjected. ¡°Janus, you can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± A man wearing ck armor with arge scythe in hand was now there. Unfortunately, both the armor and the scythe were familiar to Kang Shin-hyuk. The armor was the same as what the demons had worn before, made by him in his previous life. The scythe was made for Loki, another VIP member when Kang Shin-hyuk had been performing a dimensional quest a little while ago. ¡°...Loki.¡± Had it not been for the incredible growth shown by Kang Shin-hyuk, Gaia would¡¯ve never invited people to this space again. However, having been revealed by Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s ability, and with Janus¡¯s de sharper than expected, she had to open the space once more. ¡°Is Anvil there too? Well, I would¡¯ve expected you, Janus. But why I guess you couldn¡¯t afford to re-smelt the Godyer sword.¡± ¡°Loki, get out of here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t. We need some bnce now. And, unlike you, I actually like my change.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk could sense that Loki purely agreed with and followed Gaia¡¯s will, without any need for coercion or reversal. ¡°Anvil, I roughly know what happened. But now I¡¯d like you to step back.¡± Loki said so with a bitter smile. The situation was happening so fast it felt like he was reading his mind. As Kang Shin-hyuk remained silent, Janus ground her teeth. ¡°So, how long will you continue this skit, Loki?¡± ¡°I said, I like it now. Today¡¯s Hero Universe, Jormungand, Gaia system, the bnce is perfect... But if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll free you.¡± Loki¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the devastating energy gathering in his scythe showed he was just as strong as Janus. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. Go find a new administrator with Mirang or Tsukuyo!¡± The scythe was swung. Janus confronted him, but at the same time, Gaia¡¯s light gathered behind her into a huge spear de. No matter how strong Janus was, it was impossible to deal with two transcendental people at once. Kang Shin-hyuk reached out urgently, but his ability couldn¡¯t prevent it now that Gaia¡¯s light had increased once more. ¡°Quickly.¡± The spear of light struck her in the back, tearing her insides to pieces. She groaned and steadfastly received Loki¡¯s scythe, but it was obvious she would die if it continued. [Anvil, it¡¯s not toote. You made a momentary mistake. As long as you help punish this child...] Gaia¡¯s feeling of coercion increased further. It felt ufortable how she spoke in the tone of an old man but how the visage of a woman, but on the other hand, it felt oddly divine. Nevertheless, Kang Shin-hyuk had defined her as an enemy without hesitation. He had no need for further calctions. ¡°Gaia, I¡¯m over talking. Trying to correct what went wrong, saying this or that was bad... It¡¯s something I was tired of when I was a child.¡± With that, Kang Shin-hyuk approached Janus¡¯s side. Loki was still aiming for her neck, but his eyes went wide at Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s unexpected behavior. However, it seemed that he was following Gaia¡¯s will not to harm him. That would be their mistake. ¡°So how about the majority vote, a majority vote.¡± [Majority vote...?] ¡°Anvil, don¡¯t be funny.¡± ¡°Anvil...?¡± Due to the many abilities that grew in his battle with Gaia, and by capturing the moment when space opened and Loki appeared, Kang Shin-hyuk was able to try one thing he hadn¡¯t thought of until entering this small world. ¡°Yeah, let me call all my friends.¡± He reached out with one hand and concentrated his power. God Wind, Space Domination, and even Soul Poison allbining to poke a hole through that space. Kang Shin-hyukbined all of them together and instilled his own trait into it. [Anvil!] ¡°No way, are you kidding?¡± Gaia tried to stop it, but Janus quickly moved to protect him with the Godyer. Her power fended off Gaia¡¯s light and drove back Loki. ¡°Anvil, try it as much as you like...!¡± Because of that, she lost her strength and was forced to lean on Kang Shin-hyuk. Thanks to that, she had earned enough time. A door opened to that closed world. The administrator, who was waiting only for that moment, responded right away. -Dimensional quest has urred. -All VIP members of the Hero Universe have dered their participation in the quest. Chapter 325 - The Bearer (4)

Chapter 325 - The Bearer (4)

-This is a wonderful awakening, member! The administrator¡¯s message was cut short, as there was more for him to do than just have a conversation. Kang Shin-hyuk was doing his best to keep the door he opened from copsing as the administrator got VIP members through as soon as possible. [Anvil, how are you already...! No!] ¡°If you were going to use the Hero Universe, Gaia, you should¡¯ve been prepared to face it head-on...!¡± Janus, injured after defending Kang Shin-hyuk, leaned against him as she breathed heavily. ¡°Cheh!¡± At the same time, Loki aimed to cut off Janus¡¯s head with his scythe. However, a ck me rose gently in the air to deflect it. ¡°Tsukuyo...!¡± ¡°Loki, I didn¡¯t know I would face you like this. By the way, it was worth waiting near Anvil.¡± ¡°I just wanted to be with my grandfather; I have no good excuse.¡± Tsukuyo and Shu were the first to arrive, as if to say staying on Earth had been helpful. The two were among the strongest of the VIP members; they wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated by Gaia or Loki. ¡°I was aware of Janus¡¯s kidnapping, but I didn¡¯t know it would be where Halo¡¯s body was.¡± Tsukuyoughed as she spread the iron fan (that had been reinforced beyondparison during her stay on Earth) and covered her mouth. Janusughed weakly as she clung to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Tsukuyo... Long time no see.¡± ¡°Janus. The unlucky look is still there. I particrly don¡¯t like you leaning on Anvil, pretending to be a woman.¡± Then, Janus casually revealed a bombshell. ¡°I¡¯m originally a woman? The male side was caused by Chiral.¡± ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t know. All the more reason to kill you.¡± [Tsukuyo, if you really care for Anvil, you have to help him make a rational judgment.] While Tsukuyo and Janus had some idle chit chat, Gaia intervened. Gaia¡¯s tone had changed once more. However, Tsukuyo smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of it before. Anvil¡¯s ability is perfect, but why does imbnce continue? I guess it was your fault, Halo. No, Gaia.¡± No matter how great Tsukuyo was, it seemed she didn¡¯t see through all the Hero Universe¡¯s secrets. She didn¡¯t even know of Halo¡¯s identity as Gaia (though she had her suspicions), and she hadn¡¯t confirmed it until she knew that Janus was associated with Gaia. The fan was unfolded, and Tsukuyo pointed it at Gaia, who looked like a mannequin without a face. ¡°Gaia, you were too greedy. If you wanted to coexist, at least you shouldn¡¯t have interfered with the Hero Universe. You may have been a decent administrator before then, but now you¡¯re disqualified.¡± [It¡¯s cheating. It¡¯s because it was the first time you gained power.] ¡°No way, are you undermining my power? I control my abilities.¡± Nine tails protruded from behind Tsukuyo¡¯s back as if a fan were spreading out. The dark purple energy fluttering from her felt a little different from magical and spiritual power. ¡°You¡¯re only interfering with everything based on magical power. You don¡¯t impart it but only interfere with those who have it. So you¡¯re just an administrator.¡± [Cheeky!] ¡°By the way, you don¡¯t really understand anything other than magic. If that¡¯s not the case, why not intervene in my powers?¡± A ck me erupted in the air. The me seemed to eat away the light as it quickly invaded Gaia¡¯s realm and exploded. Gaia twisted the entire space around it to extinguish the me. [Tsukuyo!] ¡°It looks like the others areing. It would be better to talk with them about who is right.¡± At that moment, a huge wolf filled the space. After that, a man with a spear and enormous armor, as well as a fairy small enough to fit in Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s palm, a person that looked like a hawk man, and a shadow that appeared clearly in the light... ¡°Mirang... Ascaldin, Miyang, Horus, Cycatus.¡± Mirang was the first VIP member who had helped him. Following that, people he knew not only by ID but also their real names appeared. ¡°Anvil, it¡¯s hard to find you. In the end, it made me follow you to this ce!¡± [You said you were going to help, Anvil. It took longer than expected, but the time has finallye.] ¡°Milia... Kwati? They aren¡¯t VIPs?¡± ¡°It seems the administrator has summoned all those with the ability to survive in this space.¡± Tsukuyo added that exnation. Milia had the ability to reach the extremes of one attribute the moment she awakened, and Kwati could withstand even this light before she had awakened. Considering that their time flow was different from Earth, they must¡¯ve been training for longer than him. The important thing, though, was that they were probably unconditionally on his side. [Ha, how tiresome. What did you hear from the administrator to gather so noisily like this?] ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do except listen to the administrator. I¡¯ve onlye to swallow the sun that¡¯s trying to burn the whole world.¡± Mirang, still in his wolf form, was the one who replied with a growl. ¡°The sun only deserves to exist when it is illuminating everything in its ce. Wouldn¡¯t everything be burned if it tried to descend? Gaia, that¡¯s exactly what you did to Janus.¡± The space shed, and he could feel Mirang¡¯s energy being amplified. Gaia hurriedly tried to suppress him but soon quit, knowing there were too many. [Long time... you¡¯ve been hiding your ws for a very long time.] ¡°It was one of the reasons why the VIP system existed. Gaia, you didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Gaia, you have more sins than one.¡± Horus, a man wearing a hawk¡¯s head, stepped forward in agreement with Mirang. ¡°At first, I thought that the Gaia system looked at all fairly and gave strength, but that was only control. I couldn¡¯t stand that... I found out the biggest sin you¡¯vemitted recently. You¡¯ve twisted the flow of mana that should be given to all fairly.¡± [...] ¡°There are people who didn¡¯t obtain the benefit of mana because of that. If it weren¡¯t for my innate spiritual power, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to grow safely.¡± Horus clearly looked back at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°After prying through the weapon I bought, I realized that the spiritual power had no mana in it. Isn¡¯t it weird? If you didn¡¯t birth mana, how did you artificially block its flow?¡± Janus also spoke up. Gaia had taken mana from Kang Shin-hyuk. When he looked at the mannequin of light for an answer, Gaia responded confidently. [It was all for Anvil, to help his awakening and to achieve rapid growth of his spiritual power.] ¡°What...?¡± It was surprisingly positive. The reason he couldn¡¯t handle mana was because of the Gaia system? ¡°It¡¯s obviously efficient in terms of the time it took to reach the status of a transcendent person, except that it feels like you making choices for Anvil.¡± Miyang, the palm-sized fairy, added that while sitting over Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head. This one who alwaysined that there wasn¡¯t an Anvil-made weapon for them. ¡°No, is that true? I was trying to grow and eat Anvil as quickly as possible. An Anvil with greater potential...¡± ¡°What? Eat Anvil?! This, unscrupulous!¡± [Water Fox, you seem to be mistaken about something. Fall back.] Kang Shin-hyuk kept his mouth shut as Gaia didn¡¯t deny Mirang and Horus¡¯s bold usations. As the tension gradually increased, centering on Gaia and Kang Shin-hyuk, the armored Ascaldin and the shadowy Cycatus spoke up in embarrassment. ¡°I know roughly what¡¯s going on...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is still it? Are you guys trying to break down the system that supports this world? That¡¯s what Jormungand would do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite.¡± At Cycatus¡¯s words, Janus responded with sarcasm. ¡°Jormungand doesn¡¯t directly invade Gaia because Gaia is controlling them.¡± ¡°Oh, Janus, you¡¯ve gotten better in the meantime.¡± ¡°Anvil cured me.¡± Suddenly, Janus stood on with her own feet. The wounds left by the spear of light had healed, and the energy contained in the Godyer seemed amplified. No one added anything, but everything had the same thought as Kang Shin-hyuk at that moment. His ability was simr to that of Gaia. ¡°Then let¡¯s start again. Anvil said he wanted a majority vote, so let¡¯s try that, Gaia.¡± Janus wielded the Godyer lightly, and a dull vibration ran through the entire space to extinguish the silence around them. Now it felt so tense that it might explode at any moment. ¡°Janus, I knew you were suffering from your fate. However, it¡¯s unreasonable to cut down Gaia. It¡¯s like killing your parents.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my parent.¡± ¡°Have you imagined a world without Gaia? You don¡¯t think Anvil will rece her, right?¡± ¡°One thing is certain: Gaia no longer deserves to sit there.¡± As expected, Ascaldin and Cycatus went to Gaia. Including Loki, that was a total of four VIP members. But, in fact, that was expected. Including Tsukuyo and Shu, then Horus, Mirang, and Miyang (also Millia and Kwati, who were strong but not VIPs yet), that was seven. Nine, including Kang Shin-hyuk and Janus. ¡°Gaia, even with your power, it seems difficult to expect a favorable situation. What would you do?¡± [Yes, I¡¯m not willing, but I have to change the ce. Anyway, as long as all VIP members are gathered, staying in this space is meaningless...!] -Bang! A huge hole suddenly opened in the bottom of the world, and a horrifyingly powerful pressure pushed down all of them. [This is deportation. I will deal with you in a ce that suits you, in a way that suits you...] ¡°Gaia!¡± ¡°Where!¡± At that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk instinctively reached out and fired a projection at Gaia. It was filled with the power of the Royal Dragon, and spiritual power covered it in five thick chains to bind the reality of Gaia. [Anvil, you are me!] ¡°I can¡¯t let you go!¡± Gaia tried to cut it off, but Tsukuyo and Janus quickly added their own spiritual power to the chain. Loki tried to help, but Mirang blocked him. Eventually, Gaia, revealed by Kang Shin-hyuk, couldn¡¯t escape and was dragged by the chain down with him. [You¡¯re pulling me out of my world?!] ¡°You should¡¯ve been preparing that far from the start!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Yes, in the end, this is...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk clenched his jaw as he saw the ground below them. A massive mirror formed the world, with numerous pieces of ck dew forming monsters on it. Perhaps this was Jormungand¡¯s home. Chapter 326 - The Bearer (5)

Chapter 326 - The Bearer (5)

One time, Kang Shin-hyuk had talked to Tsukuyo about Jormungand¡¯s home. Even Tsukuyo, who knew the secrets of the Hero Universe and Jormungand deeply, was skeptical about the possibility of visiting it. It was because Gaia hid the world ¨C the sub-worldposed of Chiral. Gaia had put Chiral into Janus and Loki, so it was natural that the world was thoroughly controlled by no one other than Gaia herself. ¡°Monsters!¡± ¡°Gather together!¡± The moment they fell into that world, countless attacks flew in like the monsters had been waiting in advance. However, Mirang¡¯s thick tail wrapped around the party to form a protective barrier. -Bang! Shortly after, they fell with a heavy sound, and Gaia joined the monsters, unable to escape the chain. Even though each of them had the status of a transcendent, the world made of mirrors embraced their energy. ¡°Chiral...¡± ¡°This is what Anvil made.¡± ¡°Hahahaha... It¡¯s really nonsense.¡± Even the transcendental beings there became dizzy by the calm and gloomy magic of that world. In Gaia¡¯s sub-world, they had to use their power to block Gaia¡¯s light, but in this one, the mental exhaustion that invaded them despite their vignce was serious. However, Milia and Kwati, who weren¡¯t VIP members, seemed to be morefortable. At that moment, Kang Shin-hyuk realized something. But before he could shout, Gaia cut off his threads. [Anvil, I can¡¯t go over it anymore! I considered you my only friend andpanion!] ¡°Ha, friend andpanion? As you did whatever you wanted...¡± Horus stuck to Mirang as she revealed herself, reflecting through the countless mirrors around her. ¡°If you im to be the administrator of all worlds, you shouldn¡¯t do anything more, Gaia. I¡¯ve no choice but to hold you ountable.¡± [No one can hold me ountable. Could a child hold his mother responsible?] ¡°Who¡¯s the mother, you dystopian bitch?¡± Gaia was trying to maintain her noble attitude, but Janus was quick to respond. [Janus, how long will you keep up that foolish struggle?] ¡°Hey, it¡¯s too egotistical.¡± A world covered in Chiral. Perhaps the start was the big mirror created by Anvil. But just as [Luby] had the ability to divide and amplify constantly, that mirror was also constantly expanding and covering one world. The only difference was that [Luby] absorbed and calmed all energy, and Chiral epted all that was born outside of it and produced a monster in response. It was a really clever device, a perfect mirror that bnced everything. It birthed stronger monsters in some worlds while it prevented the disappearance of humanity in another. It granted rule andw to monsters and prevented humanity¡¯s self-destruction. In fact, it could be said to be far from Anvil¡¯s original intention to punish the foolish humanity. ¡°Good job, Gaia. Then, let¡¯s run wild.¡± It was Loki who received the most power in that environment. He transformed into a giant several meters tall as the magi of the world flowed to him. [Ha, I feel good. How much are you going to go berserk in the main camp?] ¡°Fuck, Loki. Are you really going to kill me?¡± On the contrary, Janus wasn¡¯t in good shape since falling into this world. The magi were having a negative effect on Janus that the fragments of the dragon heart couldn¡¯t keep fully at bay. [I like the bnce now, Janus... Even if I don¡¯t kill you, I think beating you a little will work. Or perhaps breaking that sword?] ¡°Loki, you¡¯d dare say you¡¯ll destroy the weapon Anvil made for me...?¡± [Oh, you¡¯re really angry. After all, you look best when you¡¯re angry.] ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt choked by the swelling of magic and energy around him. Even now, monsters were constantly being created as Gaia created light in the air. [Be prepared; it¡¯ll hurt a little.] ¡°Ugh, on the same side, but the light is reluctant.¡± ¡°To fight with monsters... I feel dirty, but as a member of the Hero Universe, I have to bear it. You guys have to wake up.¡± Cycatus melted into the darkness, and Ascaldin joined the monsters with the greatsword he purchased from Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try it.¡± When Shu snorted and stretched out her arms, the thousands of monsters were erased in no time. It seemed she had be stronger. ¡°Yes, this would be perfect as a warm-up exercise.¡± ¡°It seems like my name has be too light. Just because they¡¯re VIPs, I hope they don¡¯t think they¡¯re on the same level.¡± [I¡¯m ready too. Fortunately, I think I can defeat those monsters.] ¡°A battle with Anvil...?¡± Not only Tsukuyo, but Kwati and Milia were burning with fire to fight beside Kang Shin-hyuk. His trait, which naturally recognized them as allies, entwined over them to strengthen their abilities and their armaments to a level close to evolution.¡± ¡°What is this? Isn¡¯t this level of differenceparable to bing a transcendent?¡± Miyangughed while holding a flower-stalked bow, fluttering onto Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s head. Mirang and Horus also held armaments made by Kang Shin-hyuk, so it was like their power had almost been doubled. [Okay, let¡¯s start.] ¡°You¡¯d try to suppress us with just this number? You won¡¯t even be able to touch Anvil.¡± However, Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t hold a weapon. He just stretched out his spiritual power to sense the world. Gods, humans, transcendentals, monsters. With everyoneing together and bing a mess, Chiral reacted to all of them and created a giant mirror. Did Gaia not know that? Yes, it seems like she didn¡¯t. It would be like that, as Gaia controlled Chiral but wasn¡¯t its owner. [As I said before, I¡¯ve no intention of killing Anvil. But even if the others die, it won¡¯t be a big problem.] ¡°Psycho.¡± If she seemed to be the master of this world, it was only because she tricked them into injecting Chiral fragments into Janus and Loki, indirectly controlling Jormungand through them. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Gaia has a spine!¡± ¡°Stop Cycatus, Tsukuyo!¡± ¡°Are you going to get me to do that much? Hwaho, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± [Are you telling me to be a VIP member?!] However, Kang Shin-hyuk had realized it after entering that world. Even though it was in his past life, and it was made with resentment and despair, Chiral was an object that recognized him as its parent. ¡®Then, even if I don¡¯t know about the monsters, it is birthing. It would be possible to control the release of pure magic.¡¯ Kang Shin-hyuk took out a piece of metal from his inventory and lifted it. It was [Abyssus] and [Excalibur ¨C Despair] that had been melted together to form the sword [Dispalor]. The detailed abilities of Despair and Abyssus had been unknown to the end, but he knew quite a bit of Dispalor. [Dispalor] [SSS] [Special Abilities: Dream, Dark Stain, Demon] *Dream: Brings everyone in contact with the sword into a dream that cannot be escaped. The more you fall into the dream, the more reality rots. *Dark Stain: Turns everything dark. Grants the user the ability to use the power of darkness freely and be stronger than anyone in the dark but willpletely stain the user with darkness if not used carefully. *Demon: It fosters evil in the heart. It greatly weakens all perceived enemies and makes them mentally vulnerable. It eats when the mind ispletely broken. Dispalor had been strongly influenced by Chiral. Abyssus had evolved because of it, and Despair was created by Oh Joo-young after he went over to Jormungand. Since the two had beenbined, it¡¯spatibility with Chiral was outstanding. It was an energy he alone couldn¡¯t bear, but now the world was full of energy that supported it. He didn¡¯t know why he hade here in this way, but it was still a great opportunity. He tried to connect with Chiral, and immediately, the mirror world reacted violently towards the dark metal in his hand. [...Anvil?!] ¡°Anvil¡¯s doing something; protect him!¡± ¡°Block him... Kahak!¡± [Ha!] Cycatus, who rose from the shadow of Kang Shin-hyuk, was captured and burned. Although it was Kwati, who had just joined the Hero Universe rtively recently, who attacked him, she was the best in dealing with fire. Her me, which had grown so much even after joining, had the power to scatter the shadowy Cycatus. ¡°Attack Anvil!¡± Of course, if that could kill him, he wouldn¡¯t have be a VIP member. As Cycatus retreated to a nearby shadow, Loki, now a giant, trampled on Janus and Ascaldin, who ran towards Mirang with a spear in hand, turned his head. And Gaia, more than anyone else... [Anvil... Trying to make something up at this point is really like you.] Sheughed in a way that didn¡¯t suit the situation at all. [But no. I won¡¯t allow it.] Sheunched a spear of light that had the power to split the world in half. ¡°Huh?!¡± Cycatus was the first to respond. Cycatus tried in vain to escape as Kwati clenched her jaw and created a barrier of mes. However, the spear broke through it before it waspleted and hit the metal that Kang Shin-hyuk was holding. It was like it had been maically attracted to the metal. Even Gaia, who shot it, was suspicious of her own eyes. Of course, she thought it would be blocked by other VIP members on the way. [Water Fox, what are you doing?!] ¡°I was blocking a monster!¡± Milia replied with tears in her eyes at Kwati, but Kang Shin-hyuk had no care for the two, given the current situation. ¡°Anvil, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, Miyang.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes shone brightly. ¡°Because it is as intended.¡± The power of light condensed on the metal that was going berserk with the power of darkness, melting as a result. Now was the time to start forging. Chapter 327 - The Bearer (6)

Chapter 327 - The Bearer (6)

Spiritual power didn¡¯t have the power to hit things directly, but it was possible to forge the materials by hitting it with Breaker and spiritual power. A translucent hammer of five-colored light struck the chaotic metal that had emerged in front of Kang Shin-hyuk. -ng! ¡°That sounds good to hear.¡± [Anvil!] With Gaia¡¯s scream, a bright light arrived in that world of darkness. Immediately, however, the darkness was pulled into the metal with the light. -ng! [It¡¯s absorbing all my light! Ah! Anvil, you, maybe!] ¡°The monsters aren¡¯t springing up?¡± ¡°Is this... Is Anvil in control of the Chiral?¡± ¡°You mean the whole world?!¡± Following Gaia, the other members quickly realized what was happening. Kang Shin-hyuk was forging the metal while using it as a medium tomunicate with the Chiral. -ng! Since Kang Shin-hyuk was using up all the magi in that world, new monsters wouldn¡¯t appear, at least until his work stopped. Additionally, since arge number of magi was concentrated around him, even when Gaia exerted her power, it was all absorbed into the metal. It wasn¡¯t exactly what Kang Shin-hyuk intended, but it was as natural as if the north and south prities of a ma stuck together. -ng! Each time the hammer struck, the metal quickly changed its shape. There was no me that could melt this metal, so there was no need for a furnace. Kang Shin-hyuk melted it using the reaction of the energy of darkness rising from the world and the light flowing from Gaia, striking it as those two energies collided and injecting his spiritual power and breaker energy into it. Now, no physical interference was needed. All it needed was a strong will to shape the metal and focus on revitalizing the energy. It was true All-craft. Kang Shin-hyuk hadpletely restored the state of his previous life and was trying to surpass it with apletely new way of forging. -ng! Spirit and Breaker, light and darkness collided inside the metal. At first, it was little more than a lump of pure darkness, but now it had morphed into something resembling an elongated club. When he was working alone, he had been swept away because he couldn¡¯t handle the malice of Abyssus and Despair. -ng! Would the armament bepleted just after a few more strikes? He could sense that the moment it wasplete, he would no longer need to fear Gaia. However, Gaia seemed to notice that too. -ng! [It¡¯s a clever trick, Anvil. But I, too, am in charge of the whole world. You may be able to deal with Chiral yourself, but monsters born from Chiral will not do what you want...!] ¡°Oh, finally.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk muttered to himself, and at that moment, the world opened up. [Loki!] [Kh...okay!] That was no exaggeration. Like the small world where Gaia had stayed, there were suddenly innumerable gates opening in Jormungand¡¯s home, which had beenpletely disconnected from other dimensions. Loki, who had control of Jormungand, was calling in the monsters that had spread to all other worlds by Gaia¡¯s order. ¡°Gaia! Have you finally gonepletely crazy?!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an opportunity!¡± Countless monsters were appearing. In that situation where even transcendental people couldn¡¯t help but be confused, only Kang Shin-hyuk shone. He continued to use his hammer. -ng! ¡°Shu, bring in members through the gate!¡± ¡°Aha, okay!¡± Opening the door to the outside meant they were prepared to wee uninvited guests. Using that brief gap tomunicate with the administrator, Shu summoned all Hero Universe members to that world. It¡¯s not that it was possible to proceed so quickly just because the gate was open, but Shu could skip all the steps so long as the results were possible. As a result, beyond the limitations of the administrator¡¯s ability, she could summon all the Hero Universe members at once. -ng! ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°Dimensional quest? Why was it forced? Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± In fact, most of the Hero Universe members were talented members of their worlds, but they didn¡¯t know the deep secrets of Jormungand of the Hero Universe. But, they were part of the Hero Universe¡¯s outer purpose- to be the heroes of justice that eagerly killed the monsters of Jormungand. -ng! ¡°Everyone fight back the monsters!¡± ¡°We¡¯re here at Jormungand¡¯s home? Fight! Kill them all!¡± ¡°Haaaah! Wouldn¡¯t it be fatal to bring them into a world of monsters? Even though they weren¡¯t VIPs, most of them had statuses that had reached the current limit (SSS+) or were just slightly below it. They were the right level to deal with the general monsters, and many of them had talents or skills that were superior to even his ability, so there were cases that they were superior to VIP members in massacring monsters. -ng! ¡°What, the sound of hammering from before...¡± ¡°Oh, are you Anvil? It¡¯s Anvil!¡± ¡°The power of Anvil flows into us. What? Wasn¡¯t he just a cksmith?¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a good chance to acquire a lot of HP!¡± And, most of those members had weapons Kang Shin-hyuk had made. The hundreds of members could soon feel their abilities and their armaments amplified by Kang Shin-hyuk. [Kh...!] If you were a member of the Hero Universe, it was natural to be hostile to monsters. So, Gaia couldn¡¯t say anything in the current situation. Kang Shin-hyuk, Tsukuyo, and Shu were quite the celebrities in the Hero Universe, and the members who recognized them and epted the buffs from Kang Shin-hyuk quickly established a center around them. -ng! If Gaia, the one who summoned those monsters, confessed her identity there, who would treat her as a god? So, she quieted down and stepped back a little. Instead, it was Loki, who was now a giant. [The number of members has increased too much. I figured I needed to reduce it!] Some of the monsters pouring out were being absorbed into Loki. It wasn¡¯t aplicated or intensive process like Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s forging work, but rather it was a violent act that absorbed the monsters through the Chiral embedded in Loki¡¯s body. However, it had a simple and dramatic effect that resulted in Loki¡¯s height growing more than three or four times. ¡°Monster?!¡± ¡°Huh, huh...¡± Loki¡¯s transformation had one other consequence. It was pressing down on Janus¡¯s energy, which was struggling to suppress the magi inside her. It began to react like crazy, trying to consume her. -ng! ¡°Hold up a little more, Janus.¡± ¡°Anvil...!¡± ¡°Junior!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk?!¡± It was then that Lee Na-hee and Eleanor appeared. Perhaps it was set in the order in which members joined, as they appearedst. But, in fact, Kang Shin-hyuk was also waiting for this moment. ¡°Na-hee senior, wee.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m graduating, call me noona, not senior... Wow, what are you doing during this uproar?¡± -ng! They had heard a rough exnation from the administrator, so they hade with fierce determination, but the sight of him forging metal alone while a battle raged on around him was too surreal. ¡°Attach a rune quickly!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Let¡¯s do it!¡± Despite this, Lee Na-hee approached with a smug look of superiority and satisfaction, seeing that he needed her help. Eleanor, on the other hand, joined the fray quickly. Loki, who was absorbing monsters and gaining power and mass on the way, was running in a straight line toward Kang Shin-hyuk, ignoring everything else. -ng! ¡°Everyone, stop Loki!¡± ¡°We just have to hold him back until the weapon isplete!¡± [VIP members can¡¯t even fight me now! I¡¯ll exinter, so behave yourself!] Loki swung the giant scythe that grew to match his size. Everything that was in its path suffered a curse that decayed and weakened all. [Come on,e on,e on,e on!] ¡°Cheh!¡± ¡°No, step back.¡± It was difficult for the other VIP members to deal with him one-on-one, so that the general members couldn¡¯t have done much more. The scythe gave off a terrible light as it moved through the air, but the paths it carved didn¡¯t disappear as they moved along the flow of magi, inflicting additional blows on the members. They screamed out in pain as their armor and weapons were corroded, and their limbs were cut off. It was good that Eleanor managed to block the scythe with her spear, but she couldn¡¯t withstand the power difference and was forced back. A secondter, a huge wolf flying in from the side bit the scythe. [Lokiiiiiii!] [Mirang, will it be okay if you look away? There are Cycatus and Ascaldin.] [Ha, there are members here too.] However, it was true that the situation was disadvantageous. Janus couldn¡¯t move at all while enduring the magi¡¯s impulse, and Shu was on the verge of retiring due to the excessive use of her abilities. Horus couldn¡¯t keep Ascaldin in check, and Tsukuyo was creating foxfires to find Cycatus in the shadows. -ng! ¡°Trust me, Anvil!¡± ¡°Thank you, Miyang.¡± Miyang, a small fairy with a delicate appearance but a master of magic and bow. The fairy hovered over his head and intercepted anything that came near with arrows made of mana. As Miyang was the closest to Kang Shin-hyuk, they were the ones obtaining the biggest buff, going far beyond their original ability. If there were a reason that Gaia¡¯s calctions were wrong, the most critical issue was that she hadn¡¯t considered his buff ability. -ng! [Huh...! I can¡¯t help it!] The moment she was convinced it would go wrong if left to the others, Gaia finally revealed her true colors. [Would you like to test how much light I have, Anvil!] ¡°Ahhhhh?!¡± There was no sound, but Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t describe the moment in any other words than it was like a bomb exploded. The light converged, condensing into an ultimate point, with the determination to destroy the metal he was holding. The light flowed in with nothing to stop it... As Gaia had anticipated, it would cause a terrible explosion that couldn¡¯t be controlled. -ng! Kang Shin-hyuk, having suffered a terrible blow, knelt down. -ng! However, the hammer was controlled by his will and his spirit power and Breaker, regardless of his body. -ng! ¡°Alright, junior!¡± Lee Na-hee, safe thanks to him receiving the light strikes (Although she was blinded, that could be recovered with products sold on the trading board), let out a scream of joy. ¡°Whoo! Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± [This... No!] Kang Shin-hyuk, breathing weakly on his knees, raised his head with a small smile. A bastard sword slowly floated in front of him. Light and darkness mingled inside it, harmony in chaos, with a shape that ordinary people couldn¡¯t even recognize. The finished sword was floating there after attracting all the monsters and transcendentals in the universe. Chapter 328 - Deity’s Death (1)

Chapter 328 - Deity¡¯s Death (1)

When the item waspleted, he habitually tried to open the information window andughed. The Gaia system didn¡¯t work here, and even if it did, it was no longer something to believe. However, he fully grasped the abilities of the artifact the moment it waspleted. ¡°The name of the sword is Lucifer.¡± The morning star that brought light, and the master of hell in the deepest darkness. So, this sword held both the power of light and darkness at the same time. ¡°I can activate this special ability without borrowing the power of the Dark Spirit.¡± ¡°Dark Spirit? Special ability?¡± [Anvil.] Gaia¡¯s voice trembled a little, perhaps in recognition of the sword¡¯s potential. [Do you really mean to see the end of me?] ¡°After all this, did you think everyone would go home quietly? Gaia, that¡¯s too greedy.¡± In the past, when Kang Shin-hyuk dealt with the Godyer, there had been a special ability that he couldn¡¯t manifest. That was the ability [Dawn], born frombining the Sacred Sword originally possessed with the Sword of Chaos. He had been unable to use it due to ack of his own ability, yet it had been born from the miraculousbination of the Godyer and the Dark Spirit. How easy would it be to mix them together andplete the power of a god? However, when he learned that it was the peak that the armament he created could reach, Kang Shin-hyuk continued to devote himself without forgetting about it. When he lost the Godyer, he was discouraged by it at the same time; he felt refreshed. The Godyer had been made for Janus, and the Dark Spirit was nothing more than a devil he acquired by chance. It wasn¡¯t possible for him to treat Dawn as his own ability or achievement... And he couldn¡¯t handle it before he acquired the Royal Dragon. ¡°Anvil... That sword...¡± [...It¡¯s weird. Anvil, what did you do? I can¡¯t move.] ¡°It¡¯s like the world has stopped.¡± And, eventually, they reached this power. Although he added Gaia¡¯s ability and Chiral¡¯s power as materials, in the end, he hadpletely molded those materials with his intent and created them into a perfect shape. ¡°Dawn.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk whispered that one word. It was the light of dawn that came in bright to push away the darkness. It was the power to change the world. In other words, it was the power that overwhelmingly buffed his trait, Royal Dragon! ¡°Junior...!¡± ¡°Whoo...¡± The moment the special ability, [Lucifer], was activated, his energy resonated with it. Lee Na-hee, the closest one who had seeded in capturing it even for a moment, and all the rest, including Gaia, looked at him unblinkingly as if time had stopped. In that stopped time, only Kang Shin-hyuk could feel the berserk energy and the transformation of his body and mind. ¡®It¡¯s hot...!¡¯ His trait reacted to it once more. Perhaps for thest bit, he was evolving. It wasn¡¯t simply because of the weapon¡¯s special ability being expressed. Dawning meant understanding the special ability, creating it himself, andpletely triggering it. Because of that, in the truest sense, the dragon took back his pearl, which had been stolen, and reached the sky. ¡°Ah...¡± And time started to flow again. The evolution that went on for an eternity ended in an instant, and everything changed for Kang Shin-hyuk. He no longer had an ability that couldn¡¯t handle mana. Probably, from the moment he awakened, he had thrown away all the conditions that were suppressed and were able to exchange and control mana with his own authority. ¡®Maybe it was a little possible before the trait evolved. Royal Dragon was a force that could interfere with the world, but I blindly thought I couldn¡¯t use mana, so I didn¡¯t even try. It was stupid.¡¯ What he was capable of right now wasn¡¯t just dealing with mana. It was more fundamental than that, and it was possible to intervene in and take control of a muchrger area. He had been able to take back what had been stolen, and the moment he did, the god who finally recovered to the passing of time opened her mouth. [It doesn¡¯t make sense.] Gaia used the words that would go into the best three lines before a viin¡¯s death. However, it was natural as she saw the ck mirror piecesing out of Janus and Loki¡¯s back. ¡°This...!¡± [Uhh?] Both changes were dramatic. Janus immediately started to jump around full of energy despite wilting away a moment before, and Loki quickly shrunk like a balloon in the air. The two fragments that escaped from them melted into the ck mirror floor. ¡°Anvil grandpa...!¡± ¡°Janus, are you okay now?¡± ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m great!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I never doubted it.¡± However, now that the Chiral was gone, her once bewitching mood hadpletely reversed. Feeling purer now, he was convinced this was the Janus he always talked to in the Hero Universe. ¡°Wow... I don¡¯t have any energy. Ha...!¡± [How? It had united with the soul!] Gaia shouted in disbelief at the sight of Loki,pletely helpless on the floor. The situations hadpletely reversed from when Janus had Chiral in her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be willing to handle other peoples¡¯ things, Gaia. But I got it back so that I won¡¯t say anything more about it.¡± [Anvil, the armament in your hand looks very dangerous...!] When Kang Shin-hyuk responded to Gaia sarcastically, she ground her teeth and red at the sword in his hand. ¡°So you were trying to stop it, right? Unfortunately, it¡¯s toote. Even if you break my arms, it can¡¯t stop me.¡± Anvil had been a transcendental person in his past life. Where would the karma from countless years of hammering metal and creating many miracles, curses, and god-killing objects go? All of it remained in Anvil¡¯s soul, raising him endlessly. It would be natural that his soul didn¡¯t go through a normal reincarnation. For the cksmith named Anvil, the act of making weapons was also a practice to enhance his character. And as his noona had thought, his trait, which wasn¡¯t a militant-trait, grew along with his metallurgy to eventually reach ascension. ¡®However, in the previous life, only the soul was powerful, and the bnce wasn¡¯t right. This life was able to reachplete transcendence by adding physical training.¡¯ After reaching the summit, he could see how natural it was to hold and swing the sword himself. When he had first regained his memory, there were times when he was worried about the gap between the young warrior and the old cksmith, but in the end, it was what it was. It seemed like he came back a little bit because of one disturbance... ¡°Now that we have it all back, let¡¯s finish this.¡± [Loki, stand up!] ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible. Did I fight hard? I want to stop soon... Guys, what if I surrender?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe cut a leg off?¡± [Loki!] Gaia screamed at Loki¡¯splete change in attitude. That was right. Since Janus said she was a woman, not a man, they had already deteriorated the moment Chiral was embedded. In other words, neither Janus, who was active in Jormungand, nor Janus, active in the Hero Universe, was the original hero. It was the same for Loki, who had changed due to the Chiral. ¡°Now it¡¯s like this: what will you guys do? Ascaldin, Cyactus...¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Anvil. Cycatus is already dead...¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Cycatus belonged to the darkness, meaning he was naturally weak to light and fire. However, the ones who dealt with him were Kwati, who wouldn¡¯t be pushed around by anyone when it came to fire, and Tsukuyo, who even surpassed Kwati. Since Gaia had only been aiming at Kang Shin-hyuk, her allies¡¯ defense became weak, and Cycatus was destroyed. ¡°Really... Crazy. Are you really going to kill Gaia?¡± Ascaldin remained calm as he stared them down. ¡°Be mindful. This is Gaia! If you kill the goddess, the order of the worlds will be messed up! You will no longer be able to show humans the way to grow!¡± ¡°But, let¡¯s put it inly, the Gaia system is also a tool used to promote trouble in advanced worlds.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that mana will disappear because there¡¯s no Gaia system...¡± ¡°Eh? Gaia? Since when has Gaia been with the monsters?¡± Some people had noticed Gaia¡¯s identity by looking at the atmosphere of the battlefield so far, but all the members gathered became aware of the facts by Ascaldin¡¯s words. Of course, they fell into confusion as he shouted at Gaia. ¡°Run away!¡± [Huh... Are you saying I should run from here?] ¡°Or you¡¯ll die. It would be better to talk in a calmer ceter.¡± [...I see.] When Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s forging had beenpleted, Gaia had recognized that there was a high chance her head would fall off with that sword, so she finally epted Ascaldin¡¯s words and decided to escape. However, the moment she created a gate to her small world, she felt cold metal touching her neck. [Janus, this is a stupid choice.] ¡°No, I live this way.¡± The moment her body recovered, Janus¡¯s power was arguably the strongest there, except for Kang Shin-hyuk. At a speed none could register, Janus reached Gaia in an instant by breaking through the many monsters and humans, trounced Ascaldin who tried to attack her from behind and put a de through the gate. With it, the gate had been destroyed. ¡°To think why I was caught by you. I had one purpose from the start.¡± [One...!] The Godyer was swung. Kang Shin-hyuk could¡¯ve intervened in it or twisted cause and effect, but he decided to leave it alone. As a result, the god¡¯s head fell. ¡°It was a god.¡± Chapter 329 - Deity’s Death (2)

Chapter 329 - Deity¡¯s Death (2)

Janus was the first to awaken an SSS+ rank. At the age of five, she became the master of the mythical era, trampling on countless enemies to reach the top of the world. She was strong, talented, and her growth knew no limits. But... that¡¯s why she became arrogant. ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ An absolute person who had the chosen one¡¯s traits and informed mankind of the monsters¡¯ threat. A being who had been around her since birth and who dared to escape no matter how much she grew. Gaia. Unlike the vast majority of humans who epted and purely followed it, she questioned it. Therefore, she tried hard to escape the influence of the Gaia system and became a transcendental person. Finally, as a result, she was able to escape a little from it. ¡®I can¡¯t do this.¡¯ However, everyone but her was still under the influence of the system, and through interaction with them, she was also indirectly under its influence. What was most uneptable to Janus was the Gaia system¡¯s secret that she naturally realized in bing a transcendent. Originally, mana naturally sprung up and wasn¡¯t controlled. However, the Gaia system was able to artificially control it to affect the urrence of monsters or awaken certain people. The Gaia system, Gaia, used it to change the world to her tastes. Of course, it was controlled for the survival of humanity, and it had been a great help to them by awakening those capable and creating monsters in less dangerous ces. But, what if Gaia felt different at some point? Or what if it were all camouge, and in fact, this was just the preliminary work to control the mana of the entire universe? The Gaia system was perceived as too natural among humans, which meant they were too dependent on it. If it suddenly vanished one day, then there would be a lot of trouble. However, if it went the opposite way, the world would copse without any chance to resist. Janus¡¯s suspicions, having not liked Gaia in the first ce, swelling up at that thought, and eventually, she arrived at the idea that Gaia should be punished. That existence of mankind should be under the control of mankind¡¯s power; they couldn¡¯t entrust their fate to other absolutes. As the world¡¯s representative, Janus came to that conclusion. Those who were already living well under the Gaia system might not understand her feelings, but some of the humans on the cultured worlds must¡¯ve understood. Wasn¡¯t that the very heart of Lex Luthor, who wanted to kill Superman? ¡®Kill.¡¯ Janus, who embraced the will of god, trained even more intensely from that moment on. It took quite a long time, but her traits evolved over and over until she finally reached a point where she could not understand herself. After training, she finally seeded in crossing the dimensional wall and traced the connection with the absolute who had interfered with her the moment she awakened to find Gaia. And then, she stabbed her. *** ¡°You killed her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk narrowed his eyes at Janus, who quietly nodded. Time had stopped for all but Janus, himself, and the now-dead Gaia. His trait had evolved, and [Dawn] was still active, but stopping time wasn¡¯t easy. If Janus hadn¡¯t urgently asked him to, he wouldn¡¯t even have tried to. ¡°But you spend that time to tell your own past?¡± ¡°Did I really kill her? These memories remain so vague. The problem is what happens next. Gaia has already reached the realm of myth. She can make herself pure light and won¡¯tpletely perish even when she dies...¡± ¡°How much do you want to kill her that you even dreamed about it?¡± ¡°No, you stuffy grandfather, think about it!¡± Janus raised her hand and banged it on her chest, but Kang Shin-hyuk, who already had a girlfriend with a better chest than Janus, wasn¡¯t shaken at all. ¡°Did you ever wonder why I asked you to make the Godyer? It was because I concluded I couldn¡¯t kill a god without one! I even caught thest dragon left in the world, and I... Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was difficult to tell whether she was telling the truth or not, but given how resentful Janus seemed, he decided to pretend to ept her words. ¡°So, what? Did she not really die?¡± ¡°Right. She¡¯s not dead. Besides, you may know now, but with the birth of Jormungand and the Hero Universe, the universe had beenpletely transformed.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°In the process, instead of the past where I killed Gaia, a new one emerged.¡± Janus showed her bare back to Kang Shin-hyuk. The clothing was torn from the Chiral that hade out. ¡°The past that I met with Gaia and divided into two by Chiral.¡± ¡°It was the moment you joined the Hero Universe under the name of Janus.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly when, but maybe that¡¯s it.¡± She challenged the gods in the past, and in return for her defeat, she became a subordinate who moved ording to Gaia¡¯s will to spy on the Hero Universe. Loki, who named Jormungand himself, was probably in a different situation, but honestly, he didn¡¯t know. ¡°So Grandpa, I cut her neck, but it¡¯s hard to kill her.¡± ¡°Is that why you asked me to stop time...?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk calmly measured the limits of his abilities. He couldn¡¯t get the perfect jewel and copse the sky, but he finally realized his harmony and ascended to heaven. Yet, even with that unmeasurable ability, it was difficult to stop time blindly. Well, especially since he just acquired the trait. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll release it now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh. He wouldn¡¯t have bothered if he had known what she was asking for. It was too unreasonable for this difficult to control ability. ¡°No, wait a minute, grandfather! Are you listening to me?¡± ¡°Did you cut everything without thinking? I¡¯m sorry, but I wasn¡¯t.¡± He turned away and swung his sword lightly, causing the passage of time to flow again. The others around them noticed Kang Shin-hyuk by Janus. ¡°Did you stop time, Anvil?¡± ¡°Tsukuyo, don¡¯t let anyone interfere.¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Even though the Godyer was made with the intent of killing a god, it couldn¡¯t easily destroy Gaia¡¯s existence. Since Gaia was a being that transformed itself into light, and the Godyer was in an imperfect state. Nevertheless, the sword still remained and was preventing Gaia¡¯s resurrection. ¡°Now, it¡¯s done.¡± Ascaldin muttered in vain as he saw the copsed Gaia. ¡°Have you ever thought about how much confusion wille if the Gaia system copses? A few worlds manye to our transcendentals, but many other mortals? What do you mean for those who can¡¯t handle power? Janus, Anvil! Because of your personal greed, countless worlds wille to an end!¡± ¡°The Gaia system won¡¯t copse.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded lightly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t you have to leave it under the name Gaia system? I can just put it together.¡± ¡°Now, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean the Hero Universe. Everyone here is a member.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk reached out and gathered the light emanating from Gaia¡¯s body. Lee Na-hee was looking for a way to help, but unfortunately, there was no room for her in this craft. As he had done a few times in the past, it was morefortable to work alone with Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Have you ever thought ofcking somewhere?¡± ¡°Lacking... What?¡± ¡°To be honest, there are so many features.¡± ¡°Anvil, what are you saying?¡± Each VIP member, who guessed the one who was more closely rted to the Hero Universe than anyone else was Anvil, seemed confused. Miyang, who was still on his head, pulled on his hair. ¡°Exin, Anvil.¡± ¡°Wait a minute; this task requires focus.¡± ¡°What, wow...¡± Gaia¡¯s body, which had transformed into a mass of light, was united in his hands. Was that all? A gate opened on its own, and light spilled onto Gaia¡¯s body. Anyone who was aware of it noticed that the gate led to Gaia¡¯s subworld. ¡°What. Are you uniting the world now?¡± ¡°There will be no other world that can handle this light except here, the source of all darkness. Gaia¡¯s processing work can only be done here.¡± ¡°Processing...?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll exin.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded calmly as the body of god was united together. ¡°For transcendental people, the Hero Universe is nothing more than a y space. But why does the Hero Universe have so many convenient features? It can even have a great influence on a capable person¡¯s growth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± ¡°I can say so with confidence because I was born again and started from the bottom. The Hero Universe wasn¡¯t created for the purpose of amunity of transcendental people. That means it¡¯s iplete.¡± How much help had he received from the Hero Universe? Of course, he had received even more due to his VIP status, but it would greatly help the growth of those talented even if they had just the general trading board function of the Hero Universe. And, in short, some of the features meant nothing to the transcendentals. Today¡¯s Hero Universe still felt like it was in beta, but it couldn¡¯t be reborn into aplete form because someone had interfered with it. ¡°You mean Gaia?¡± ¡°Gaia always hated the Hero Universe invading her realm. It makes sense.¡± ¡°Does that mean that the target of the Hero Universe isn¡¯t only for those who have the qualifications of transcendence, but also other capable people?¡± ¡°If there is no Gaia system.¡± Kang Shin-hyukughed lightly as he lifted up the lump of light that had beenpleted in the form of a single orb. Everyone around was overwhelmed to see it and fell silent. ¡°The Hero Universe could be a system that oversees the entire universe.¡± Aplete and independentmunity separate from the Gaia system. Now was the time toplete it. Chapter 330 - Deity’s Death (3)

Chapter 330 - Deity¡¯s Death (3)

¡°Everyone, hold on for a little. After it¡¯s finished, everything will probably go back to normal.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the way it was.¡± ¡°Yes, everyone will go back to a perfect and happy system.¡± ¡°That sounds a little dangerous...¡± After Gaia had died and the Orb of Light (working name) waspleted, the noise finally returned to the world of Chiral, which had been dominated by silence. Kang Shin-hyuk was in control of the world, but he couldn¡¯t prevent the monsters from being born forever, and it was necessary to turn the flow of the world back bypleting the Hero Universe as soon as possible. Kang Shin-hyuk, with his own hands... What was more, was he wondering about now? He was ready to do it. ¡°But this is a little unfair. I worked hard to join.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you the right to change your ID.¡± ¡°Only that much! I¡¯ll take it!¡± Lee Na-hee, anxious to change her ID from Rune Fox, asked for it, but Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head with a bloody smile. ¡°I have to change the membership system. I mentioned that the Hero Universe helps people grow, but some parts are too much, and some are not enough. If everyonees into contact with it, we¡¯ll have to tweak the current structure greatly.¡± ¡°Then, what about ID?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t change that.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The Hero Universe had to be reworked to make it useful to all humanity. It was highly liked that Gaia, who interfered with the original Hero Universe, twisted it to make it easier to manage and interfere with the few elites. However, that was a thing of the past, and as Kang Shin-hyuk created the Hero Universe now, it would no longer be interfered with by Gaia. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He briefly exined it because he didn¡¯t have much time, and most around him looked at him nkly like Lee Na-hee. Kang Shin-hyuk quieted down instead of trying to exin more. What more could he say? ¡°Know it is. You won¡¯t even remember it anyway.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who tried to organize the situation as simply as possible, was also at a loss to exin the current situation. It if proceeded ording to his idea, the moment it waspleted, memories of the previous Gaia system and the Hero Universe would be reorganized not only for the existing members but also for all humanity. Unless they could read the previous world line, there would be no confusion. ¡°If you create the Hero Universe, everything will be solved, right? Gaia¡¯s power will be added to it.¡± ¡°Yes, well, this isn¡¯t enough.¡± As soon as the battle was over, he had to shove Tsukuyo, who was sticking to him, away. No matter how much Gaia¡¯s power had been condensed together, it couldn¡¯t rece the living Gaia. Furthermore, he wanted to create a system that existed in a realm beyond Gaia. It couldn¡¯t be created with only one power. [How about adding the treasure from our world? There¡¯s the orb from the volcanic spirit!] ¡°Right.¡± He nodded as if he had been waiting for Kwati¡¯s words. Not only the Orb of Nephritis, but the orbs of different attributes he had. In fact, that was why Gaia¡¯s body had beenpressed into an orb. The Orb of Light, the Dark Spirit Pearl, the Shinfeng Orb, the Orb of Nephritis, the Orb of Water, the Orb of Earth, and even the Great Heavenly Spirit, which was one of the reasons for this. If he brought out the synergy of the seven orbs to the limit, he could create the basis of a system that supported all the worlds. ¡°But, of course, not here.¡± Gaia subscribed to the Hero Universe with the ID Halo and managed various worlds, both directly and indirectly. But her body had always stayed in that sub-world of light, not because she was a coward, but simply because she couldn¡¯t leave it. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous to build a system to manage the entire universe in this Chiral world.¡± Chiral had already been altered by Gaia once; if it epted the aftermath of another enormous system, who knows what could happen. ¡°And the same is true of other worlds.¡± ¡°Why Gaia never revealed her main body... Today, everyone realized the reason.¡± Gaia was aplete and wless being buried in her own world. However, because of the double spy named Janus that she nted, acting only for her own desire, an uninvited visitor named Kang Shin-hyuk was brought in. With the intentions of several transcendental people and the timely support of the Hero Universe administrator, Gaia was sentenced to death. Without the conviction that he could create a more objective and perfect administrator, Janus would¡¯ve copsed. ¡°So we need a different world. One that transcends the boundaries of time and space, only for the system and notmunicating with other ces.¡± Until now, there was only one such world, and that was Gaia¡¯s sub-world. However, there was one more now, and it was the world where Gaia had been driven out for her greed. Ironically, she, who wanted to be the universe¡¯s only ruler, became thest and great piece for Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s work. ¡°Anvil, are you really going alone?¡± ¡°Junior...¡± ¡°Anvil.¡± All the remaining members, especially the female ones close to him, hung onto Kang Shin-hyuk. Perhaps the task wouldn¡¯t be simple and might take a long time, but he didn¡¯t have such a ridiculous harem. ¡°I¡¯m d the administrator can¡¯t look into this space.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, muttering that joke, thenughed bloodily while looking at the many people around him. ¡°It¡¯s a world beyond the boundaries of time and space. Maybe it won¡¯t take that long.¡± ¡°But it might take a ridiculously long time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need my runes? Junior, you can take me too.¡± ¡°Wait, Anvil. There¡¯s a woman on Earth with your child. Are you going to leave her as is?¡± ¡°Yes, grandfather! Make me pregnant before you go- kahak!¡± Civil war broke out between those who couldn¡¯t let him go. Honestly, fighting each other felt less like a burden to him, so he decided not to stop them. ¡°Yes, junior. What are you going to do about unnie?¡± Lee Na-hee had worry in her eyes as she asked that question. However, he was heading to a ce where his safety wasn¡¯t ensured, so he couldn¡¯t take ire. ¡°There is a means ofmunication.¡± ¡°How? It¡¯s apletely disconnected ce.¡± ¡°Because I have Vita.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Vita had been in the subspace all this time, and she would remain safe there until he confirmed it was safe where he was going. But if it were, he couldmunicate with ire through her. The spiritual connection between the two was iparably deeper than that of Kang Shin-hyuk and Onyx, and there were times he wondered if ire was talking through Vita. Real-timemunication might not be possible, but at least exchanging messages wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± He already bid his farewells to the other members. Although he knew he didn¡¯t have a lot of time, he made sure to say goodbye to each of the VIP members who remained by his side until the end (and the members particrly close to him, like Lee Na-hee). Now, the orb that had swallowed Gaia¡¯s branches was exuding mysterious but auspicious energy. Until now, it was impossible to understand, but now he could understand and handle mana, one of the fundamentals of the world; he had the confidence to create a door to the world connected with that orb. ¡°Wait, Anvil. Are you going like this? You won¡¯t say today is thest meeting, right?¡± [I hope you won¡¯t say you¡¯ll nevere back.] ¡°I¡¯m not Gaia.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly. ¡°When youe to your senses, there will be a fair and perfect administrator that will take care of everyone.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not very reliable.¡± Tsukuyo, who had been blocked by the administrator 3333 times and prevented from having a strong rtionship with Kang Shin-hyuk, pouted and muttered to herself. Then Janus, who looked liberated afterpleting the Godyer¡¯s task, tilted her head at him. ¡°The administrator doesn¡¯t interfere... Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s interfered a lot so far.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that your fault?¡± Tsukuyo didn¡¯t respond. Seeing Janus and Tsukuyo staring off, the other members were clearly thinking the bulletin board confrontations were right there in front of them. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll be leaving too, so everyone go. It¡¯s not good to stay long in this world.¡± As Kang Shin-hyuk waved his hand, a gate that would allow them to escape formed. The gate, created by his power, was of a truly strange nature that adapted to the flow of the world while interfering with its logic. ¡°Howe Anvil can learn magic so easily?¡± ¡°Miyang, it¡¯s toote, so go quickly.¡± ¡°There are too manypetitors now.¡± ¡°Who are youpeting with?¡± ¡°Anvil, please do it as soon as possible! Before someone mes you for Gaia¡¯s death!¡± ¡°Ah, I can really help out our junior... Guys, Eli, don¡¯t push!¡± While chatting noisily, the other members went through the gate. Some, including Tsukuyo, wished to stay until the end, but he drove them all away, saying it wouldn¡¯t take long. In an instant, calm hade over the world of Chiral. Only then did Kang Shin-hyuk rx his control so monsters could be born again. ¡°Oh, I have to work quickly. This is a big deal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather.¡± He heard someone else¡¯s voice. It was none other than Janus. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Yes. I mean, I missed your face.¡± If she was a master of power over Tsukuyo, it was her ability to deceive Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s attention and hide. At least, she thought she hid. ¡°I will prevent the world from perishing before that.¡± ¡°What a ridiculous sound.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because I have Loki.¡± ¡°Kahk.¡± Loki also remained, still weakened after losing the Chiral. For reference, the way Janus hid was by using Loki¡¯s power. ¡°It¡¯s because of Gaia¡¯s mischief that they moved with him anyway. Don¡¯t worry and go home.¡± ¡°Oh, I hate it, but if I don¡¯t, Janus will kill me... I can¡¯t help it.¡± Loki shrugged his shoulders in disgust but didn¡¯t rebel any further against Janus. Kang Shin-hyuk was curious about what had happened between the two. ¡°Yes, then go back. Before that.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk took out the [Luby] infused with his spiritual power and threw it to Janus. ¡°I¡¯ll only leave it to you until Ie home. If you have it, it¡¯ll help you control the monsters.¡± ¡°Grandpa... Yes. Come on. Thank you so much.¡± Janus received Luby with a sullen smile. She was more proficient in spiritual power than him, so she quickly learned how to handle it. ¡°Then.¡± He made another gate appear by using the Great Heavenly Spirit. The gate was hazy, so it was impossible to explore even with his spiritual power. He didn¡¯t doubt that Shin Eunah was in it, but he felt like he¡¯d have to wander for quite a while. Swallowing back his saliva, he gathered his confidence and took a step forward. Just before he went through, unable to stand his curiosity, he turned his head back. ¡°So, what is Loki after all?¡± ¡°Thest dragon that barely survived by turning into a human before being killed by me.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Indeed, it seemed that they had an odd rtionship after all. ¡°What about your heart?¡± ¡°Oh, I tried to get it before, but I¡¯ve already given up. Still, if his whole body is condensed, it could be a new core for the Gdoyer...¡± ¡°Hey, ahh!¡± ¡°...When you return, let¡¯s think about the core of the Godyer.¡± Loki tried to hide, and Janus chased him. Kang Shin-hyuk turned away and threw himself into the gate before him. Chapter 331 - Artificial God (1)

Chapter 331 - Artificial God (1)

He was expecting it, but the moment he entered, Kang Shin-hyuk momentarily lost consciousness. A world that transcended the boundaries of time and space couldn¡¯t be ordinary. The blowing wind, the hazy dust, and the moving earth all vehemently rejected him. It was simply because it was uneptable for Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s existence, who ignored the independent rules of this world ¡ª thews that went beyond time and space to still remained subordinate to the outside world. However, if he conformed to the currents of this world, he would lose his ego and be scattered. He had to endure it. ¡°Hoo-woo, hoo...¡± It was only after what felt like a long time he could even open his mouth to breathe. He had to be quite prepared to stay sane even after breathing in the air of this world. However, Kang Shin-hyuk learned the ability to perceive the passage of time through his body after his spiritual strength had grown to a certain extent. Two months had passed. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± This way, it would be no wonder if about 100 years passed by the time he found Eunah, and 1,000 by the time the Hero Universe waspleted. The flow of time outside waspletely separated from this ce, so there was no need to worry, but at this point, his mind would be torn apart. ¡®Is Eunah okay? I¡¯d like to believe she is because she¡¯s much better at handling energy than me.¡¯ If he let his guard down, he would lose consciousness. Kang Shin-hyuk got his mind upright and spread his spiritual power throughout the world. At the same time, he activated his trait with his full power to interfere with the world and twist his senses. It was a miracle possible from the power of the Heavenly Dragon. ¡®This is my first time working alone.¡¯ This tragic work interfered with the whole world and beat the legitimacy of one¡¯s existence. After reincarnation, even when he was doing something on his own, he always felt the presence of the administrator, but now that even that was blocked, he truly felt alone. Even when he was asleep, a merciless passage of time came to distract his concentration and dissolve his mind. He was lonely, but not even Tsukuyo or Janus would¡¯ve been able to withstand it. He was fortunate to be alone now. ¡°Whoo, whoo...¡± He didn¡¯t eat or sleep, no. He spent a year using only the Heavenly Dragon. That¡¯s how much time he was able to recognize, and it was also the time it took to secure a unique area that wasn¡¯t restricted by anything. However, whether it was the reward of his suffering or not, it became the power to divert not only himself but those he wanted from the currents of the world. Only then was he able to call out Vita and Onyx. ¡°Dad, are you okay?¡± -Myu? He felt better to see their anxious gazes after fighting alone for so long. He responded by patting them both, neither of whom knew how dangerous the world was. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Rather, it should be considered the peak.¡± Although his trait grew and became the Heavenly Dragon, he didn¡¯t have a chance to reveal his power against Gaia properly. However, since he entered a world that waspletely disconnected and engaged in a spiritual struggle for existence, it could be said to be the optimal condition for his growth. ¡°Now I have to go find Eunah. Oh, don¡¯t go too far from me.¡± ¡°Eunah? Is she here? But apparently, a person named Janus...¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s resolved. Janus didn¡¯t do anything bad as I had thought, but rather, she yed a role in preventing the bad guys from interfering in the world...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk briefly summarized what had happened to Vita, and her face gradually became distant. The owner of the Gaia system who oversaw the entire universe died, and Kang Shin-hyuk would create a system to rece it. -Myu! While Vita¡¯s mind whirled, Onyx quickly began to search for Shin Eunah¡¯s presence. He never expected such an animal-like movement from him, but maybe he remembered Shin Eunah¡¯s smell like a trained dog? No, he was following the traces of metal she had on her. -Myu! ¡°Yeah, yeah, go.¡± He felt like he wanted to hear himself, but he had already put too much effort into creating the unique domain. In this world, each object, from the wind on his cheek to each grain of sand, was too powerful, so it wasn¡¯t easy for him to prate through their resistance and search for Shin Eunah¡¯s presence. But the story proved to be different for Onyx, who had mastered only one thing. He led Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita by collecting and analyzing information on all kinds of metal in the world using the thorns on his back like an antenna. ¡°Only the wastnd...¡± ¡°Nothing else can stand here. There¡¯s no life or death. If we hadn¡¯te, it would¡¯ve been that way.¡± ¡°Ah, dad, I received it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s footsteps stopped moving. Vita had just received a message from ire. Maybe she had received more than that. ¡°Mom said that now, the child kicked her stomach.¡± ¡°Already?!¡± He had thought there would be a gap between outside and their time, but now really couldn¡¯t go back until the child was fully grown...! ¡°She¡¯s kidding. It¡¯s punishment for going on a date with only your daughter...¡± ¡°...¡± Vitaughed bashfully in a way that resembled ire. But, no way could they say this situation was a date. Still, it felt like he was having a direct conversation with her, so he felt a little rxed. ¡°If theye in, tell them I¡¯ll be healed after seeing them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Then, Vita seemed to realize what he meant. She frowned at him but didn¡¯t say anything more as she looked at him expectantly. Kang Shin-hyuk felt that expression was dangerous, but he didn¡¯t know why, so he decided to avoid talking more about the topic. -Myu! ¡°Yes, he found it. Then it will be soon.¡± -Myu! It was impossible to know how wide the world was or how fast they were moving, but under Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s domain, it was meaningless. Even if it were one step away, it couldn¡¯t be reached even if it took a lifetime. Even if it were on the other side of the world, it was possible to reach in an instant. Like now. -Myu... When Onyx stopped crying out, Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita¡¯s steps also subsided. The world was still only red soil and wind, but there was one thing that was decisively different from their surroundings, and that was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s party that had invaded the quiet world. ¡°Ah.¡± What was before them now was a huge golden crystal in which Shin Eunah slept. Trapped inside a crystal of manapletely cut off from the outside. No, she must¡¯ve locked herself up. Otherwise, she knew she would be caught up in the flow of the world. -Myu! ¡°No, how did you find her sealed like this?¡± -Myu! It would¡¯ve taken a long time if it weren¡¯t for Onyx. Kang Shin-hyuk took a deep breath while watching the motionless Shin Eunah, trapped inside that crystal, then carefully extended his hand. The moment his finger touched it, ripples arose as if water on a calm surface. Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes opened. ¡°You cane out now.¡± Did his voice reach her? Shin Eunah nodded a little and stepped forward. The golden crystal copsed, and she was right in front of him without being swept away by the world¡¯s currents. Only then did he realize she was not influenced by his domain. ¡°...You can stand alone?¡± ¡°Yes. I was too bored being alone, so I sealed myself.¡± ¡°No matter how...¡± She had ced a seal on herself that wouldn¡¯t be released unless there was an external stimulus. However, did it make sense that she had sealed herself not because she was in danger but because she was bored being alone? ¡°Because I don¡¯t like being alone.¡± Shin Eunah spoke quietly and grabbed his hand. The smooth and cool texture confirmed her existence. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore.¡± It felt like a nail was stuck in his heart. Kang Shin-hyuk set aside everything he wanted to say and quietly covered her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah shook her head firmly at his words and fell into his arms. ¡°It won¡¯t fall now.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it.¡± She was a little surprised when he agreed to the subject she had hoped for all this time. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a small enough guy toe this far and quit.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re a little different.¡± Shin Eunah examined him for a moment, pulling away, before quickly embracing him again with a satisfied expression. ¡°Yeah, I like it.¡± That moment, he felt the world change. It was still disconnected from the outside, but the cold air was transforming into a subdued warm wind, and little sprouts wereing out of the dull red soil. The jumbled flow of time and space were neatly established as the heart of the world began to beat. ¡°Eunah, you...¡± She was the master of a disconnected world that even Gaia couldn¡¯t manage. She was more like a god than a human, which had to mean something. ¡°You could¡¯vee out on your own!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt it was absurd as she nodded calmly. ¡°But why were you sealing yourself? If I couldn¡¯t find you, it would¡¯ve been a big deal...!¡± ¡°I said it before; I don¡¯t like being alone.¡± She said it like it was extremely natural. Her cheeks puffed up, and she pushed her head against his chest. ¡°If you didn¡¯te to find me, it was meaningless to go back...¡± ¡°...You confessed strongly and went to hide because you were scared?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t like grandpa; I said that.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± It seemed like that was the right track. He thought she had grown up mentally, but apparently not as much as he thought. No matter how scary the reaction, she had sealed herself in a disconnected world and waited for him toe... Kang Shin-hyuk sighed. ¡°Yes, now I¡¯m trying to stop with grandpa.¡± ¡°...!¡± Instead of flicking her, he swept her hair away and kissed her forehead. It was the moment when what had started when he met that five-year-old young girl in his previous life came to an end that no one would be ashamed of. Chapter 332 - Artificial God (2)

Chapter 332 - Artificial God (2)

When he finished finding Eunah, he felt like the words ~Fin~ would appear, but when he pondered it, the true purpose of entering this dimension hadn¡¯t even started. ¡°Then, time to work right away.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes went wide as she watched Kang Shin-hyuk clear his mind to challenge the work of the century. ¡°Wait a minute, wait a second.¡± ¡°Why? I have something important to do from now on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± Shin Eunah stomped her feet in frustration. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed each other¡¯s hearts now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s an old-fashioned expression.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed!¡± It wasn¡¯t at a volume an ashamed person would produce, but he decided to keep quiet lest lightning struck him. Shin Eunah suddenly noticed Vita beside him. ¡°Anyway, time outside doesn¡¯t flow much anyway, but it¡¯s good to have time alone for the two of us now, I think...¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± In summary, Eunah was saying, ¡®can¡¯t you turn it off for a while?¡¯ While Vita seemed embarrassed, Shin Eunah¡¯s gaze shifted to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°...What do you think?¡± ¡°Honey...¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. Indeed, a change in the rtionship started with a change in title. Still, there were many different expressions to look for, and he needed to consider ire. As expected, there was still a long way to go. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Really...?¡± ¡°Then.¡± Now was the time to heal Shin Eunah¡¯s heart, who was before him. It feltplicated in many ways, but he decided to put aside his worries about ire for a while and focus only on the lovely woman in front of him. ¡°Hey, then you know...¡± Her mood seemed to improve, but it was then that Vita opened her mouth. ¡°[You seemed to have found her, thank you.]¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The moment they heard the familiar voice, both of them turned quickly. As Vita was created by ire, she certainly resembled her, but Vita¡¯s voice had her own uniqueness. But the voice they just heard was definitely ire¡¯s. ¡°[Oh, I¡¯m dizzy, even though we¡¯re slowing the ratio as much as possible. What the hell is this world?]¡± ¡°ire...?¡± ¡°ire?¡± Vita¡¯s eyes shed periodically, and then her mouth opened again, her own voiceing out. ¡°Since we found her, I immediately brought mom.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s really like that...?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt astonished, and Shin Eunah blinked in confusion. Soon, ire spoke up again. ¡°[Ah, it¡¯s okay now...yes, I¡¯ve tried several things with Vita and the nanobots. This is one of those results. Synchronization that shares all senses can be a bit dangerous, so I tried to refrain from it, but I have left you two alone.]¡± ¡°ire, if it¡¯s dangerous, stop. I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡± ¡°[It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not alone, and I don¡¯t move while thinking just about myself. The administrator is assisting me.]¡± ¡°ire... ire!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk stopped to think while Eunah ran straight to Vita and hugged her. Was that hug for ire? Seeing Vita¡¯sughing face, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°ire, I missed you...!¡± ¡°[Yes, Eunah. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯te directly; it¡¯s difficult to move right now.]¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, but...¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s hands embracing Vita gained strength. ¡°What are you talking about not being alone...?¡± ¡°[It¡¯s what you imagined.]¡± ¡°...Hey.¡± ¡°Ah, it hurts. Eunah?!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt that the world was freezing. He had grown so much that he could call himself a transcendent, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel like he could beat Eunah. This entire world was under her control. He wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee that power unless he used his trait to seize dominance of the world. ¡®Her mental state still seems dangerous.¡¯ He seriously thought about it, but fortunately, she quickly calmed down. ¡°Time has passed while I wasn¡¯t there...¡± ¡°[About a year?]¡± ¡°Wow?! You didn¡¯t wait long!¡± ¡°[What could we do when we love each other, Eunah. Do you understand my heart too?]¡± ire was choosing some provocative words. The possibility that Vita was imitating ire just dropped to zero. Kang Shin-hyuk was nervously prepared to demonstrate his trait right away, but the next moment, Vita¡¯s words stopped his ability to think. ¡°[So don¡¯t worry about me. Make a kid ande back.]¡± ¡°...Is it really okay?¡± ¡°[Now, we don¡¯t care about that. I thought that I was a little sorry for cutting-in too... This will be enough.]¡± ¡°ire...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk managed to regain his senses as their friendship deepened. ¡°Wait a second.¡± -Myuu, my! Onyx cried up at Kang Shin-hyuk, who stood up because he sensed a very dangerous deal was being made. He intuited that if his master stepped out and said pointless things, it would be even more dangerous. ¡°[Yeah, instead, I¡¯ll intervene a little when I can¡¯t stand it either.]¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ire continued without exining what she meant to either of them. ¡°[Then, I¡¯ll go first. Honey, call me when you start working.]¡± ¡°Yes, your ability is indispensable for this job... But wait, interrupting what?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s gone.¡± Vita¡¯s expression quickly returned to her usual self. Kang Shin-hyuk, feeling shy and blushing, wanted to ask what that conversation was about, but he stopped as he sensed the danger in it. ¡°Then I got permission too!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, okay! Let¡¯s build a house first.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who held Shin Eunah back and tried to calm her, decided to adjust the order of his work. Yes, creating a Hero Universe wouldn¡¯t end in a short period of time. Now he had to challenge it with the mind of a marathoner, not a sprinter. The matter was too serious about allowing for impatience considering external circumstances...most of which were the fault of Janus and Kang Shin-hyuk. *** By creating the ultimate sword, Lucifer, Kang Shin-hyuk had reached the realm of perfect all-craft. It was the pinnacle of all production line abilities, and it was the kind of power that could easily cut down trees and build houses. It took only about 30 seconds to build a houserge enough for three people to stay, plus Onyx. Shin Eunah¡¯s awakening had created several high-level resources in the wastnd world, and Kang Shin-hyuk gathered them to build a wonderful house. After that, he spent a lot of time with Shin Eunah before starting his full-scale work. ¡°That... Can I make a structure that looks like it was in Cy Xenon?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to stick to form. Eunah needs to provide me with the energy of this world.¡± ¡°Battery...¡± It wasn¡¯t wrong. At first, he thought about how to control the energy of the world by twisting itsws, but it was arrogant to do such a terrible thing while constructing the Hero Universe. It was best for Shin Eunah to take full control of the energy while he focused on creating the system with ire. ¡°[I thought there would be some mythical creation process.]¡± ¡°At least it¡¯s more mythical than creating Jormungand was.¡± As ire participated in the work through Vita¡¯s body andined, Kang Shin-hyuk responded calmly. When creating Chiral, he had just worked with the improvisational idea of creating a huge mirror to illuminate the minds of the ugly humans. On the other hand, what about now? Except for ire, who could reach him through Vita, even the administrator of the Hero Universe couldn¡¯t invade that space. Shin Eunah was the one recognized as the master of that dimension, and he was a cksmith who could overturn all reason. There was also Vita, born as a monster but reborn as an android, who was coborating while sharing her consciousness. Of course, there was also Onyx, who was in charge of being cute, so they had truly a perfectposition. ¡°[...Surprisingly, it might not have been much to see when looking at how it was created.]¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk answered with a smile, and waves of terrible energy emanated from him to fill the world, converging at a point in front of him. ¡°But this is neither a structure nor a mirror.¡± Seven orbs spontaneously appeared from his inventory, resonating with the energy he created as they rotated around it. The resonance became more and more intense, and Shin Eunah began to absorb the mana he extracted. The ball of energy was growingrger andrger, to a size simr to the other orbs. Shin Eunah felt thrilled as she sensed the infinite possibilities within it. ¡°You can create an even life.¡± ¡°This system is what we¡¯ll make from now on. There¡¯s no substance.¡± ¡°[Hey, I heard about programming, but what is this?]¡± ¡°It will resonate with the nanobots. Have you already done a lot of programming through them?¡± ire was able to get a rough idea of how the future work would proceed as she listened and soon let out a deep sigh. ¡°[Ah...Vita, I¡¯ll have to be prepared.]¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready, mom.¡± ¡°[Even if you ask the administrator... Oh, it doesn¡¯t work.]¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Actually, even the administrator didn¡¯t know. Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t dare say that, but he stretched out his hand with a side look at Shin Eunah. She was already focusing on the energy in the resonating sphere before her. ¡°Then let¡¯s start in earnest.¡± The sphere resonated with the world that would be the core of the Hero Universe system. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power bloomed around it, creating a hammer. It embodied the power to twist all causality and form newws. It was the moment when he took the first step towards his great destiny Chapter 333 - Artificial God (3)

Chapter 333 - Artificial God (3)

-Three months have passed since the sudden disappearance of the Gaia system. Humans now have to judge the gate¡¯s grade without help from the system, and they cannot visually see their growth. -It¡¯s not just that. You cannot check product information nor receive system assistance in production operations. -Amid the panic sweeping the world, there are guilds supporting humanity with even greater sess than before the system¡¯s disappearance. It is the Korean guild [Shinyoung]. -Then, let¡¯s watch the video of Shinyoung¡¯s team fighting erosion-gates in battle. The footage on the TV was from inside a gate. Shinyoung¡¯s superhumans, led by Oh Hye-na, were busy fighting. It was an elite group organized by selecting only those with excellentbat skills, with Oh Hye-na leading them despite the others being teachers (now they felt more like executive guild members rather than teachers). It was truly amazing. ire turned it off after watching for a bit. ¡°Noona, then you¡¯re still thinking...?¡± ¡°Yes, maybe?¡± ire shrugged at Baek In-ha, who sat across her. She was four-months pregnant, and her stomach had begun to swell. Her attitude felt absurd to Baek. ¡°No, why are you so carefree when you don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll return?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying he¡¯s not next to me.¡± In Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s absence, Baek was managing Shinyoung. It was appropriate for Baek¡¯s aptitude, who was the strongest in Shinyoung except for the members of the Hero Universe, so there wasn¡¯t a better representative. However, Baek knew that Shinyoung¡¯s current position was unstable without Kang Shin-hyuk, so he came to ire to ask for news that there was a means tomunicate with him. ¡°But it¡¯s okay since I¡¯m doing everything. Rather, it might be nice because it feels different.¡± ¡°...Yeah?¡± ¡°In the first ce, I also need to think about the use of bitters... Oh, I don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°Well, then, noona, it¡¯s different.¡± Baek In-ha, who instinctively felt he shouldn¡¯t push the topic, quickly changed it. Rather, this was his main point. ¡°Can you convince them to cooperate? The damage will be serious worldwide.¡± ¡°Those two? Are you talking about Tsukuyo and Shu?¡± ire¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected request. Three months ago, Tsukuyo and Shu, having escaped through the gate Kang Shin-hyuk created, return to Earth. They could return to their own world had they wanted, but their worlds weren¡¯t so low-dimensional ces that the disappearance of the Gaia system could affect them. So, Kang Shin-hyuk had them waiting on Earth for his return. ¡°Yes, that colorful sister and the cute little girl. Both are very strong.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ire was ufortable with those two, but that didn¡¯t mean she could drive them out by force, and as the woman Kang Shin-hyuk had chosen, she decided to treat them with confidence. Then what was Shin Eunah and Vita? Shin Eunah was already like her own family, and Vita didn¡¯t count because she was like another self. Tsukuyo and Shu, she didn¡¯t know what they were imagining by remaining on Earth, but it wouldn¡¯t be the way they wanted. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to ask for that kind of thing?¡± But one thing she knew for sure is that just because Tsukuyo and Shu were left on Earth, they couldn¡¯t expect their help in defending it. ¡°And I¡¯m in no position to ask them anything.¡± ¡°But they listen to Shinyuk, right? So, you received a message from Shinyuk...¡± ¡°No.¡± ireughed his proposal off. ¡°He¡¯s basically in the same position as them. They would never ask other transcendental people.¡± ¡°But now, I don¡¯t have any problems.¡± ¡°So I have no choice but to leave it as is.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ire turned on the TV again, saw the video of Shinyoung¡¯s team clearing the gate, and changed the channels. Indeed, what Baek had said wasn¡¯t wrong. Since Shinyoung was located in Korea, and more specifically Seoul, the damage to the capital had been almost zero, but foreign countries had been suffering. Countries without strong superhumans had already given up most of their local regions and concentrated on their capitals, and powerful countries like Russia, China, and the US dered that nearly 20% of theirnds couldn¡¯t be retaken. The bridgeheads on the African continent had been destroyed immediately. ¡°It will get worse in the future.¡± ¡°It will. Soon, food problems will erupt.¡± ¡°People are going to die. Well, they always have.¡± ¡°Noona...¡± Baek sighed. ire realized herself that way of thinking was contrary to the general sentiment of Earth. ¡°Don¡¯t take it too seriously. Those two aren¡¯t forces we could handle in the first ce. In fact, the power he nted on Earth was too much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... ah, I see.¡± Now the topic in superhuman society was that only those who borrowed Shinyoung¡¯s power could survive. The seeds sprinkled with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s spiritual power bloomed brilliantly, and Shinyoung¡¯s superhumans had be elites with the ability to survive anywhere. Moreover, they had two weapons: the potions and machinery that ire made, and the weapons that the disciple of Lee Na-hee and Kang Shin-hyuk (self-proimed), Elma, produced. Compared to others, the items from Shinyoung were always reliable and of high quality. It was natural since the hero Universe was behind it, but unfortunately, the supply of any goods was limited despite the demand being close to infinite. ¡°After humanity ovees this crisis, it would be no wonder if a new republic was created.¡± ¡°Well, we have to ovee it now, noona...¡± ¡°...¡± ire thought of trying to get rid of him for a moment, as he worried over others. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a hint.¡± ¡°Hint?¡± ¡°The reason they stay here. It¡¯s to keep the ce where he¡¯lle back. Think about that.¡± ¡°That...¡± It was an excessive hint. Tsukuyo and Shu had been stuck inside Shinyoung¡¯s dorm since they returned, but ire, who was realizing her spiritual power, could read their thoughts dimly. They didn¡¯t care about Earth, but they wanted to keep the ce where Kang Shin-hyuk stayed in the same shape as it was. Even though they seemed to be still, they were constantly exploring the area with their energy. ¡°Noona! I wanted an answer like that; I love you!¡± ¡°Oh, and make sure not to show off as much as possible. You might get scoldedter.¡± ¡°Yes, of course! Let¡¯s move right away!¡± Baek headed off right away, but right after he disappeared, someone else suddenly appeared. ¡°Huh, did that happen?¡± ¡°What a surprise!¡± ire was amazed at who it was. ¡°Going around with such ir, you¡¯ll surprise the baby!¡± ¡°Whoo, you¡¯re just like a concubine.¡± ¡°What bullshit. If you dare to think about it, I¡¯m the main wife!¡± ¡°Huh...¡± Tsukuyo, who appeared in a ck me and sat down where Baek had been, looked at ire with a disgusted expression. ¡°¡®The baby will be surprised.¡¯ The child who has the blood of Anvil couldn¡¯t be so excitable, so if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s your fault.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored you came to see me...¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll pretend not to notice the rudeness you justmitted to us.¡± Tsukuyo ended up halting her words, but ire understood what she meant and quieted down. Seeing her nervous, Tsukuyoughed. ¡°I was prepared to be used to some extent. Rather, it should be said that the people here were far less rude than we thought. Perhaps it¡¯s due to the strict information control.¡± That remark was even more surprising as Tsukuyo was a person who didn¡¯t seem to care about humanity except for Kang Shin-hyuk. But, it made ire even more alert as it was all to win Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s heart. ¡°...It¡¯s a big mistake if you think I¡¯ll give him to you after you pretend to be generous now.¡± ¡°Is there nothing to be conceded by you? The only love affair with Anvil is with me.¡± ¡°Perhaps it will be impossible while you think so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see a person so full of confidence. Though you¡¯re a mortal who will wither in the next 100 years or so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really envious of your age, though I¡¯m not sure Shin-hyuk will like it.¡± The atmosphere sharpened as the barbed words flew between them. ¡°Both are here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Suddenly again!¡± But then, Shu suddenly appeared and intervened between the two, causing that atmosphere to dissolve. ¡°Tsukuyo, you¡¯ll only hurt each other. And Bartender... Did you say your name was ire? As long as you¡¯re with Anvil, you¡¯ll one day rise above the transcendental, so it¡¯s good to learn their senses.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Tsukuyo quieted down, but ire didn¡¯t. ¡°Transcendental senses? If you¡¯re talking about setting up some kind of housekeeping here or there, I probably won¡¯t understand it even with a lifetime.¡± ¡°Wow... As expected, it¡¯s not something we can do now.¡± Shu looked at ire with eyes that said, ¡®She¡¯s still young, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ On the outside, she looked a good ten years younger than ire. ¡°I want to ask you something more than that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°All the damages that happened now that the Gaia system is gone, and Shinyoung emerging as mankind¡¯s hope... How is this causal rtionship adjusted when the Hero Universe ispleted?¡± ¡°Are you asking that if the Hero Universepletely reces the Gaia system, will thisary chaos go back to nothing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Tsukuyoughed at her question, but Shu shook her head quietly. ¡°If such an absolute change of history were possible, it would¡¯ve been impossible for Gaia to intervene in the Hero Universe in the first ce.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± ¡°It is the future, not the past, that grandfather can change. So you have to think about what you will get, not what you lost. Just watch the results.¡± Shu¡¯s words, as one who was immersed in the ability to deal with causality, had a different weight to them. ire, vaguely aware of it, nodded as if relieved. ¡°Okay, then that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°It looks heavy.¡± ¡°Well, yes... I¡¯m also in charge of one part. It¡¯s heavy.¡± The importance of the system to bepleted... She felt scared every time she encountered what was happening outside. It would¡¯ve been nice if she could¡¯ve been there herself. ire sighed and gently patted her stomach. Tsukuyo, who took it as a provocation, summoned her tail and went into battle mode, but Shu hit her in the back of the head to calm her down. They still had quite a bit of time left before Kang Shin-hyuk returned. Chapter 334 - Artificial God (4)

Chapter 334 - Artificial God (4)

Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head strictly like a referee pulling out a red card. ¡°Not today. I¡¯ll be working.¡± ¡°Oh, but dad!¡± No matter how wide the world was, it made them only more dependent on each other that there were only three people in it. Kang Shin-hyuk had his memories of working metal alone for 20 years in his previous life, so now that Shin Eunah and Vita were there, he had the mental power to work for several years. Shin Eunah, who had just been rewarded for her feelings, and Vita, who longed for his affection from the moment they were reunited, weren¡¯t as ready. ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant yet. ire¡¯s is already 17 weeks in. She said she was getting sick because the child was kicking.¡± ¡°Eunah...¡± For that to be possible at week 17, that child must already be a force to be reckoned with. He didn¡¯t know if it was a daughter or a son, but Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t want his child to destroy humanity. ¡°But!¡± ¡°Dad, Eunah said this too!¡± ¡°Really, this is to the degree of being sabotaged. Are you not nning to go out?¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s not bad having three here... it would be better with two.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same here... Oh no, not dad!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had arrived in that world with a great sense of mission. He had contributed to Gaia¡¯s extinction and created a controlled disaster known as Jormungand in the past. Now, he had the destiny of creating the Hero Universe. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to focus too much on work. Sometimes I¡¯m tired of using so much magic.¡± ¡°Such a bold lie for one who draws all the mana out of this world.¡± ¡°Dad...¡± However, these guys had a great sense of mission in just sleeping and enjoying the sweet life of an enclosed world. Shin Eunah had been somewhat restrained after the first few months of indulgence, but in Vita¡¯s case, she tried to stick to him as much as possible. ¡°We¡¯re resting together today, dad. Yeah? Mom, too. She said she wanted it, so...¡± What did ire want, and what could he do to her on Earth? It was embarrassing for him to say, but Vita and ire could fully share their senses, and anything he did to Vita would be transmitted to ire as well. At first, Vita, who was modest, seemed to have been talking with ire, but from some point, it was like she wanted him to treat her as if she was ire... Anyway, it was clear that ire had given Vita that sensory function (and certain sexual functions) for that purpose. That woman was a pervert full of adventure and romance. No, not a normal pervert; she was an SSS-ss pervert. ¡°Looks like it. You liedst time.¡± The problem was that Vita was a pervert like ire. The day before, she had tricked him by acting as if she was aligned with ire. She was a really scary pervert, beyond the current limit. He was scared of how she had concealed her nature to trick him. No, was that simr to ire? ¡°Oh, no. Not this time.¡± Even now, Kang Shin-hyuk avoided her eyes and let out a sigh. Maybe the anecdotes of the creation of the heavens and the earth talked about in various myths were simr to this. The reason why so many new gods were born in the process was clear! He realized how patient he had been in his past life, to forge for twenty years without any desire. ¡°Let¡¯s do a little more. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± ¡°...So, I¡¯m going to rest.¡± Shin Eunah grumbled at Kang Shin-hyuk, who maintained his strength despite the temptations of the two. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled bitterly, and the next moment flicked the foreheads of Vita and Shin Eunah. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°You are precious, but so are the people outside this world. Stop being foolish.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± They would be serious, too; they just needed a moment to rx since they were more dedicated than anyone else. In fact, the hard work of building the system must¡¯ve affected them. ¡°Shall we go then? I think... I¡¯d like to be done in half a year from now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let ire have a child alone. Please cheer up.¡± ¡°Half a year... to get ahead, somehow quickly...¡± ¡°...¡± Without a word, he dragged them both outside. There was a sphere of lighting floating above the center of the world. It looked like a big ball of light from a distance, but if one could see through the light, they could see seven orbs rotating around a single orb in the middle. It was the source of all energy, the universal machine capable of resonating with the world and generating infinite energy. ¡°Ah, the core is perfectly positioned. The system was also established.¡± If they wanted to create a weapon instead, they would¡¯ve been able to destroy several worlds at once or even create a new god. In fact, since Kang Shin-hyuk was working to create a system that managed several worlds, it wasn¡¯t wrong to call it an ¡®artificial god.¡¯ If it had a difference from the Gaia system, it didn¡¯t have Gaia¡¯s specific weakness of actively controlling everything itself. ¡°Now an artificial intelligence to manage the system, it¡¯s time to create an ¡®administrator.¡¯¡± The Hero Universe was able almostpletely to solve the Gaia system¡¯s shorings. By cing the core in a disconnected world, it¡¯s safety was assured. And by setting it to move ording to its parameters rather than the desire of any individual to the point even Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t modify it, it built an objective and fair structure. Of course, there was the side road called the VIP system, but it didn¡¯t vite the fundamental rules of the system. In fact, wasn¡¯t it impossible for the administrator to discourage or sanction those who qualified as members? If the administrator had acted ording to his world, Tsukuyo would¡¯ve never met Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°But you know, honey.¡± ¡°Honey is still forbidden.¡± Once the limit was released, Shin Eunah increasingly used the bold title. ¡°Then.¡± ¡°Yes, tell me.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better not to have an ego in apletely fair system? Even if it¡¯s okay now, there¡¯s no guarantee another Gaia won¡¯t be born one day.¡± It was a valid point. Since the administrator of the Hero Universe already existed, he knew that couldn¡¯te true, but he decided to exin it as easily as possible for her to understand. ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned it before, but... setting up the administrator is to prevent another Gaia from appearing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± No way, like the Termina-¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. If I don¡¯t set one, I¡¯ll end up as the owner of the system.¡± No system ranpletely alone without someone¡¯s control. So if he didn¡¯t create one, Kang Shin-hyuk had to manage the system, and he would be the new Gaia. The administrator was a buffer between him and the system. Because of the administrator¡¯s presence, he couldn¡¯t control the system and will, and the administrator would also ensure he couldn¡¯t break the system¡¯sws. As a bonus, ire and Shin Eunah, who was helping build it, could¡¯ve also tried to control it. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m not sure yet. Is it like separation of power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different... yes, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s simr.¡± ¡°Ergo... the administrator is my sister!¡± ¡°What?¡± ire¡¯s ability to create an ego like Vita¡¯s was once again unfolding in this world through Vita¡¯s hand. Now, he felt like he was caught up in another myth. ¡°Is ire ready?¡± ¡°[Yes, I¡¯m waiting.]¡± ¡°Good. Eunah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Vita?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The world resonated with the system and let out a dull vibration. Now, the work of breathing a soul into the finished body would begin. Kang Shin-hyuk raised a trembling hand and formed a hammer of spiritual power. Shin Eunah rose in the air, wrapped in light, and Vita nervously pulled out nanobots. He grabbed Lucifer in his empty hand; it was the armament that would help him manifest his abilities. Kang Shin-hyuk started his All-craft. *** The first to detect the change was Janus and Loki. They felt the vibrations through the disconnected world of Chiral as they stopped the berserk monsters. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°What is it? Have you ever thought to stop?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Her eyes were on the gate, pulling in monsters that had just formed. ¡°The gate is discharging monsters to the outside.¡± ¡°What? Wait a minute... really?¡± The Gaia system vanished, and the Chiral allowed no external interference as chaos asserted itself. However, as new rules began to govern the gates, they were forming again. And the moment they recognized it, a familiar message appeared before their eyes. -Re-login to the Hero Universe. -You are currently connected to a dimension that is disconnected from the outside world. It is possible to return to your original dimension. Would you like to move? ¡°Administrator!¡± -The dimension where the member Janus is currently staying in a space prone to bugs due to external factors, so long-term ess isn¡¯t allowed. If no appropriate response is taken, you will be automatically discharged to an external dimension. Yes, those pointless messages were definitely the administrators. However, it was surprising that the administrator was able to interfere with Chiral casually. ¡°Okay, now that Gaia is dead, is the Hero Universe taking control of Chiral?¡± ¡°Haha, who really manages everything is god in the true sense. Now is the time for us to retire.¡± Janus sighed as Loki spoke up joyfully. She was envious of Loki¡¯s ability to not worry much about the changes happening. ¡°But... okay. Now I can go to see Anvil grandpa.¡± -...You want to see my dad? ¡°Administrator, what did you say?¡± Janus had an expression of disbelief. The administrator responded by immediately creating a gate in the air. -I said he was my dad. It means that the administrator can say that too. ¡°Do you have an older brother too?!¡± -...There is an older sister. Janus was horrified and tried to say something else, but she was pulled into the gate. An unwarranted peace returned to Chiral. Chapter 335 - Artificial God (5)

Chapter 335 - Artificial God (5)

-It is time to look at the issues of superhuman society. I heard that there is some surprising news today. -Yes, the awakened already know. It is said that the interface system provided by the Hero Universe has only begun restarting. -Oh, my goodness! In the meantime, many casualties have urred because of it! -Yes. ording to the notice recently confirmed on the information bulletin board by US high ranker Juno Valentine, who acquired the status of an intermediate member of the Hero Universe, the system was disrupted in many other worlds besides Earth, making it impossible to view status, items, and gate information. And in line with Earth, other worlds are also normalizing. -If so, does this mean there is a problem with the Hero Universe? -Not quite. Why doesn¡¯t the site be avable when the inte server is extensively inspected? I think what happened this time will fall into the category. It happened, unfortunately, during a system overhaul once every thousand years. -That means that you don¡¯t have to worry about this situation for at least a thousand more years. But, it¡¯s different from having no problem at all, right? Do any others there have concerns? -The Hero Universe is like a god to the awakened. It¡¯s impossible to doubt it. More than anything... -More than anything? -There is no substitute for the Hero Universe. What we can do is pray the system won¡¯t have a problem again. And... -And? What is it? -To increase your membership level to grow closer to the secret of the system. Tsukuyoughed and turned the TV off. Just three hours ago, humans hadn¡¯t even known of the Hero Universe¡¯s existence, and now they were admiring it. ¡°But it can be said that Anvil is so great.¡± ¡°Now I don¡¯t have to work here anymore, right?¡± Shu was leaning against the sofa as she mumbled. Just today, they had been going through an S-ss gate when the urrence had happened. When the other top-level members hear that these transcendentals were doing these chores, they willugh at them. ¡°Obviously, Anvil will greatly appreciate us. If Anvil has a conscience, he should.¡± ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s make a pretty child.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great race to make a child alone. It seems possible to go beyond the process and only produce the result.¡± ¡°Together! I will make it! With grandfather! Together!¡± The two were still going at each other. Even transcendental people be shortsighted in matters rted to their emotions. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s fun. There¡¯s a new membership system in the Hero Universe.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the funniest thing for regr members to be top-notch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because those who belonged to the existing Hero Universe were those who had the potential to transcend in some way.¡± Tsukuyo, having opened the interface of the reorganized Hero Universe to check the various bulletin boards, smiled as she looked at them divided by member rank. ¡°After going through novice and beginner, it¡¯s only apprentice. It¡¯s a system that makes sense for the people of Earth.¡± ¡°But is this the right way? The Hero Universe embraces all superhumans and manages gates on behalf of Gaia...¡± ¡°The Hero Universe shouldn¡¯t be left as the exclusive secret property of superhumans. You have to show off on the top so even the wicked will fuss less. Moreover, the distinction between sses is strict, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the case when you say that only 0.1% of Earth¡¯s superhumans barely reach the intermediate level.¡± Shu seemed a little anxious that the Hero Universe had been released to everyone, but Tsukuyo wasn¡¯t worried at all. Wasn¡¯t this a system created by Anvil? If a problem arose, then this universe was destined to perish. She could ept it calmly. ¡°Hey!¡± At that moment, the door sprang up, and ire cried out. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Shin-hyuke back when his work is finished?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to ask. Wasn¡¯t it that you couldmunicate with Anvil anytime you wanted?¡± ¡°No, Vita came back first.¡± Tsukuyo looked behind her and noticed a woman with ck hair and golden eyes standing behind ire. Tsukuyo was surprised, but Vita had grown used to people being surprised. ¡°Ah, that was because my dad helped me a lot.¡± Vita responded shyly; however, Tsukuyo didn¡¯t like how she twisted her body along with those words. Helped how? ¡°...Should I kill that?¡± It was Shu who said that. Tsukuyo sighed and pped her. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re a woman, you¡¯ll have topete with your own charm. It¡¯s no good to use force.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t understand what you think.¡± ¡°Then, does it mean Anvil is alone with Eunah?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ire pouted and touched her swollen stomach. ¡°Eunah also wanted to spend some alone time with Shin-hyuk. It¡¯s regrettable, but I should look away from this just once.¡± ¡°Some alone time... I envy her.¡± ¡°More than that...¡± ire continued on, ignoring Shu¡¯sments. ¡°So in the end, I don¡¯t know where they went.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much to say on the VIP member board. Didn¡¯t Anvil tell you?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯ll be back soon after sending Vita first.¡± It was Kang Shin-hyuk who always said he wouldn¡¯t let ire have the child alone, so he wouldn¡¯t be gone long. ¡°Ah.¡± While searching through the VIP member¡¯s bulletin board, Shu found something. ¡°Loki.¡± ¡°Loki?¡± It was the ID of a man who took Gaia¡¯s side in the incident, as well as a man who barely survived by shifting to crying on the ground at the end. ¡°Loki doesn¡¯t have a home.¡± ¡°I heard that he wanders across multiple dimensions using superior spatial mobility.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°The dimensional wanderer. Those who¡¯ve lost their homeworld and wander through different nes are called dimensional wanderers, and there are a few more besides Loki. It¡¯s just that most of them can¡¯t move easily and stay for a while in one dimension, but Loki doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It was Janus who smashed Loki¡¯s world, as a bonus.¡± ¡°Ah... So why Loki?¡± ¡°He said he met grandpa.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Immediately, Tsukuyo opened the VIP member board, and ire forced Shu to switch the screen to full public view so she could confirm it. [Loki ¨C Anvil¡¯s survived, so report your own survival, haha. How¡¯re you all?] [Ascaldin ¨C Loki, you¡¯re alive!] [Horus ¨C Are you saying that? Both of you were spared by us.] [Ascaldin ¨C My conviction was also firm!] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C So where is grandfather?!] [Tsukuyo ¨C Talk about Anvil, please.] [Loki ¨C The Hero Universe has changed greatly, Anvil had a big hand in it this time! The frequency of messages has reduced since the administrator is busier.] [Tsukuyo ¨C Loki... if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll kill you myself.] Loki¡¯s next message was rather quickly written. [Loki ¨C No, you know, when I randomly move, I sometimes move to worlds originally destroyed. Sometimes I go to a world where Jormungand forces are so strong that I have to organize myself. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have the No. 1 dimensional quest performance rate.] [Tsukuyo ¨C Loki...] [Loki ¨C It seems like he¡¯s carrying out armament retrieval with Eunah.] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C Ah... Thinking about it, he didn¡¯t recover all the weapons.] [Miyang ¨C Is he not going to make weapons in the future? Now that the Hero Universe has beenpleted, there is no need for additional adjustments by making weapons, that kind of feeling.] [Horus ¨C I can¡¯t. I haven¡¯t gotten an armament with his true ability.] [Loki ¨C Oh, haha. So, what is the maximum number of Anvil-grade weapons do you have?] [Miyang ¨C He¡¯s still not alert.] [Janus ¨C Anvil grandfather said that when hees backter, he¡¯ll talk about the new core for the Godyer... Shall I pick it now?] [Horus ¨C What?] [Janus ¨C Loki¡¯s heart.] [Loki ¨C Ha, I¡¯ve nothing to say to myrades who¡¯ve fought together with me for years.] [Super Ultra Gxy Fist ¨C I can¡¯t imagine grandfather letting go of his hammer.] [Miyang ¨C However, it¡¯s true that Anvil¡¯s armaments have too much power. With thepletion of the Hero Universe, all the worlds have been normalized... Oh, but I don¡¯t like it.] [Horus ¨C Anvil...] [Administrator ¨C You¡¯re worried about nothing.] At that moment, the bulletin board froze. [Miyang ¨C?!] [Loki ¨C???] [Janus ¨C What is it? Who signed up as an administrator? No, this is a VIP member board!] [Horus ¨C No way... real administrator?] [Administrator ¨C Yes. The Hero Universe has been reorganized, and the administrator has been granted notification and chat functions.] [Loki ¨C Ha, I liked that there was a bulletin board that only VIPs could use...] [Administrator ¨C Anyway, everything that happens in the Hero Universe is under the administrator¡¯s supervision. It seems a screw is missing, like a lizard that couldn¡¯t figure out how a mirror fragment was stuck in it.] [Loki ¨C Hey, can someone kick the administrator out? Please.] The VIP members were embarrassed by the appearance of the administrator. But even then, there was a strong person, Mirang, who pushed on. [Mirang ¨C I was wondering if Anvil was trying to hide. Administrator, do you know his intention?] [Administrator ¨C Of course. Dad just went out to recover his previous failures.] [Miyang ¨C Dad?!] [Administrator ¨C That reaction has already been seen. Dad is nning to melt all his failed works to make new ones, so there is no need to worry.] [Horus ¨C Good...] [Administrator ¨C And he ns to sell them ording to membership level.] [Mirang ¨C It feels good that I became a VIP.] [Administrator ¨C Oh, it looks like he¡¯s returned to Earth.] [Miyang ¨C Can you give me a dimensional quest for Earth?] [Administrator ¨C No, unfair.] [Miyang ¨C Unfair?!] [Janus ¨C The administrator is really jealous.] ire suddenly raised her head. She hurriedly ran to the door, but before she reached it, the door swung open. Her lover, who was a little taller than before, stood there. ¡°ire!¡± ¡°Shin-hyuk!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here too.¡± ¡°...Eunah, you...¡± With a friend that seemed to be emphasizing her stomach. The best cksmith in any dimension had returned, his workplete. Chapter 336 - Epilogue. An Imperfect World

Chapter 336 - Epilogue. An Imperfect World

About a year had passed since then. ¡°This deserves to represent America.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was looking at artifacts that had grown beyond the originals after more than a decade of experience in the hands of outstanding talent. They were a pair of pistols, and on each barrel was written ¡®Valentine¡¯ in neat cursive. Kang Shin-hyuk could feel the sprout of spiritual power faintly in them. When was this seed nted? It must¡¯ve been influenced by the spiritual power that Kang Shin-hyuk used in the terrorist attacks in Paris. Juno Valentine had yed an active part at that time. ¡°But it was very weak, so there was no immediate change. What¡¯s really great is that as the years passed, since the gun was constantly energized and cared for, these seeds grew.¡± ¡°Give it back!¡± Juno Valentine, who was on his knees, had begun to beg, but Kang Shin-hyuk tapped the barrel on his palm andughed. ¡°No, you madman, you should be grateful you didn¡¯t die for showing up at the wedding hall and firing this.¡± ¡°I knew right away you wouldn¡¯t die from it, so I shot it!¡± Wasn¡¯t he recognized as the world¡¯s No. 1? Opinions had been divided on who should be No. 1 due to Shin Eunah¡¯s return, but it was clear that no one on Earth except for Eunah could harm Kang Shin-hyuk. And then this guy had shown up as soon as his wedding with ire was over, brandishing a gun. ¡°I thought you were really crazy.¡± Baek In-ha, who had overpowered Juno, checked the torn sleeve of his suit and mumbled vaguely. Kang Shin-hyuk had been prepared to beat him, but Baek had stepped in instead. He was a famous superhuman representing Shinyoung, but he wanted to reveal his prestige as an individual by defeating Juno Valentine, the US top ranker. ¡°No, if you knew I wouldn¡¯t die, then why?¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s why you¡¯re just a savage. Kahak!¡± Juno was beaten down again for hisment. ¡°Of course, kahk! To appeal to ire, uh... I did it! To show my one-sided spirit and supreme dignity of not giving up until thest minute...!¡± ¡°What should I do, sir?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly felt like his necktie was choking him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you feeling alright to have such a man try his best?¡± ¡°Then, Shinyuk.¡± ¡°Kill him, really.¡± Juno¡¯s attack on the wedding hall had just been an appeal to ire. If it hadn¡¯t been for his uncanny shooting ability that wouldn¡¯t harm any other than Kang Shin-hyuk, he wouldn¡¯t have left with his limbs attached. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help it! It was thest way to convey my heart to her!¡± ¡°How many women have you flirted with using such insane means?¡± ¡°Two hands aren¡¯t enough!¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t done such stupid things, then maybe you¡¯d have better chances.¡± It was a real headache. The marriage between Kang Shin-hyuk and ire Boyle was an issue of the century. But this crazy cub had jumped into the scene and made a mess! Before Kang Shin-hyuk, the prestige of the United States meant little. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s get rid of him quickly and go.¡± ire, wearing her wedding dress, leaned on Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s shoulder. It wasn¡¯t even half a year after she gave birth, but she had regained her slim form due to her rich spiritual power and magic, plus the private help of the administrator of the Hero Universe through login bonuses. ¡°Right, Ian? Do you want to y too?¡± ¡°Fuah¡ª¡° Kang Shin-hyuk and ire¡¯s son, Kang Ian, an incredibly big boy despite only being half a year old, struggled in his mother¡¯s arms. He had already clearly inherited his parents¡¯ handsome features and golden eyes, but he didn¡¯t look like a 6-month old baby. Rather, he seemed more like a toddler. ¡°But ire, this isn¡¯t just a matter of kicking him out; the diplomatic issues between Korea and the US...¡± ¡°If international rtions are a problem, just naturalize them as Koreans and have them join Shinyoung.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk wondered the moment he heard that if his wife was a genius. ¡°Like that, just naturalize?¡± ¡°What?!¡± The issue of bringing another country¡¯s top ranker to Korea was no joke, but it was different if their target was a crazed criminal who came to Korea to shoot people. Most of all, the shooting had been aired all over the world! This gunman hadmitted an incident even the US couldn¡¯t shield! ¡°Baek In-ha, I have a request for you. A humiliating nickname.¡± ¡°Kwon Jong-ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect, Walter!¡¯ Baek already recognized his intent and presented a stunning proposal. Indeed, he was Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s best friend. ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Yeah... bloke!¡± Valentine was forced to naturalize and was even renamed while ireughed. However, he looked away from Kang Shin-hyuk with the intent to kill and turned to ire. ¡°ire, are you really okay with that?!¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°What...!¡± Juno trembled as he pointed at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°This kid is unsatisfied with you! He¡¯s so trash that he¡¯s trying to marry another girl! I can¡¯t entrust you to him!¡± ¡°Oh, was that why you came to Korea and pulled this shit?¡± ¡°Yes! At least if it were a man who only cared for and loved you, I would¡¯ve been able to withdraw, but not this kid! No!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he had be the viin this madman was trying to y. Yes, three months after his honeymoon with ire, he had a wedding with Shin Eunah. It had been possible due to a revision of Korea¡¯sws. Not only in Korea, but in other powerful countries, these kind of events were taking ce. The era hade when certain types of marriage were no longer a crime. Of course, although monogamy or polygamy was possible, multiple marriages were prohibited, but with Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s family, there was no need to worry. ¡®Social notions don¡¯t vanish easily, and there are still many who oppose it like this... though usually less violently.¡¯ He had thought simrly up to a few years ago, so he didn¡¯t fully understand how it happened. Yes, it was probably because of the different mindsets a transcendental had. There were also probably the memories of Anvil, which made him determined not to lose anything precious to him again. ¡°Hah, this is a stupid wall to the end. I was the one who persuaded him to ept Eunah as well.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ire¡¯s response made his eyes go wide. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged as Juno looked at him nkly. Then, Juno knelt in ce. ¡°Uh... why?¡¯ ¡°Should I tell you, a stranger? Anyway, we are happy, so there is no need for outsiders like you.¡± ¡°Hmm... Still, if you expand your horizons a little, you may be able to grow.¡± Suddenly, Kang Shin-hyuk said that, and everyone focused on him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°And to broaden your horizons, you¡¯ll have to go through various things and grow.¡± ¡°You mean joining you eventually.¡± ¡°You have good ability. There are a lot of ces on Earth who could use skilled people.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Yes, that woman is also there...¡± ire smiled as if she hade up with something good, but Juno Valentine shouted in confusion. ¡°What? What is it?! I¡¯m in no position to be admonished by you, who lives with several women! What¡¯s more, it doesn¡¯t mean you can do anything to me!¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s now your decision, Kwon Jong-ah.¡± ¡°Yeah, Kwon Jong-ah.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me by such a strange name!¡± Juno felt uneasy about Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s obscure words, but he noticed that the eyes of those looking at him held sympathy. ¡°Good. Juno Valentine, I¡¯ll return this.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Not only that, I¡¯ll strengthen it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk let an enormous amount of spiritual power and Heavenly Dragon flow into it, changing the pistols¡¯ appearance. They became slimmer, slightly elongated, and the metal hardened as a new dragon figure was carved onto the barrel, covering Valentine¡¯s name. The spiritual power that had sprouted inside it increased explosively. ¡°Nonsense...¡± ¡°Huh...¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Those who watched his work were stunned at the sight. He had eliminated even the process of creating with a hammer. Yes, he had be a Heavenly Dragon who could freely intervene in all cause and effect, omitting the process to go straight to the result. An artifact that could buy a country was born. As Juno watched with his mouth hanging open, Kang Shin-hyuk held the gun handle out to him. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°You... you¡¯re...¡± ¡°I believe you know the meaning of taking this. This gun is a contract between us. Since the power of our souls inhabits it, there will be no harm.¡± ¡°Oh...!¡± People began to murmur as Kang Shin-hyuk confirmed that he dealt with the power of the soul. No one knew it was the key to the Hero Universe, but everyone knew its power couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Juno impulsively grasped the pistol, his superhuman instinct for strength suppressing his reason. ¡°Okay...well done.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes narrowed. There would be constant disputes through many worlds, yet he didn¡¯t move directly anymore. Knowing that the world couldn¡¯t be perfect, it was fine to watch. ¡°Then you are now my subordinate, and publicly, you¡¯ve be a naturalized superhuman assistant under Shinyoung.¡± People die, and monsters die. If he had to fix it all, it wouldn¡¯t be life but a puppet show. Losing important people and gaining many others. Killing those who were too greedy and fulfilling their greed in the process. It was a truth that he barely admitted when he realized he couldn¡¯t be perfect himself. ¡°Then, your first job. Kill Yuki Mizushima E, who is hiding in Africa and creating a viinous organization.¡± ¡°What?! What can I do with Bomber Girl!¡± ¡°Go, I choose you!¡± Nevertheless, he would continue to forge and interfere indirectly in the world. Even knowing he would never reach perfection, this process had great significance. -A 1,000,000HP bonus for dad¡¯s cool ughter! Added 2,000,000HP hard-boiled bonus! ¡°No, I won¡¯t kill him.¡± And that was how he lived in that imperfect world. [Thank you for the support! The rest of the chapters are side stories!] Chapter 337 - Extra Chapter 1 – VIP Member Information Viewing (1)

Chapter 337 - Extra Chapter 1 ¨C VIP Member Information Viewing (1)

He could still remember the day his parents died. His father had died before his eyes. His mother made him run away and became bait. Kang Shin-hyuk, who ran without hesitation, hid in the cracks of a ruined building, holding his breath and crying until the superhumans found him. It was when the Superhuman Association was still inexperienced, and Korea¡¯s countercurrent was one of the top ten disasters in human history. Those days when a superhuman could be counted as representing a country just by bing S-rank... Power was insufficient, and people¡¯s perception was still easy, but the monsters were unchanged. It was natural that enormous damage urred as a result. Would that have happened if the Hero Universe wasplete at that time? Could it be that not only Kang Shin-hyuk but also his parents would all be saved? Maybe so, both of them might have survived. However, since superhuman power isn¡¯t infinite, there must have been some sacrifice elsewhere. The world isn¡¯t perfect; not everyone can be happy. That was no exception for the creator of the Hero Universe. ¡°I think Shin-hyuk is right. The image of that time remains. It was a very breathtaking moment, and there were C-ss monsters nearby....¡± ¡°Well, maybe so. Meeting today was fun. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°No, wait a minute. I¡¯m really sure. At that time, through the rubble of the copsed buildings, there was a ce where a child could enter, right? What was there, obviously the orcs in Hyehwa-dong...¡± ¡°I think you can go back.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah...¡± They were in the living room of a house in Jongno-gu, where Kang Shin-hyuk and his family resided. The middle-aged superhuman, who might have been in his forties, let out a sigh and left. Kang Shin-hyuk grumbled and went to rub his shoulder but felt a hand there. ¡°Are your shoulders tight, Anvil? I¡¯ll massage them.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Tsukuyo, who hade behind him without any sound, began to rub his shoulders. However, rather than trying to loosen the muscles, it felt like a caress. ¡°I guess things didn¡¯t go well, but it¡¯s okay, Anvil. Please let me loosen anything that¡¯s umted. Anywhere in my body...¡± -Fox! Fox! Kang Shin-hyuk could feel a plump part of Tsukuyo pushing against his back. Sure enough, the administrator¡¯s fox call had already started. ¡°...Tsukuyo, how long will you be here? It¡¯s okay to go back to your original world.¡± ¡°Anvil¡¯s side is where I¡¯ll be.¡± -Fox! This stalker was dangerous, even more so since she was a being that couldn¡¯t be dispelled. ¡®While I¡¯m away, Seoul... she¡¯s protecting Earth. Her excuses are very clever.¡¯ Fighting with Gaia, and even staying on Earth, he thought it had been her n all for this moment. Maybe she had coborated with Shu, who had the power of causality, but still, there was no need to be afraid of Tsukuyo¡¯s approach. Kang Shin-hyuk had a steel-like spirit from recovering all his previous life¡¯s memories. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too close?¡± ¡°Oh my...¡± The golden lightning that flew in without warning collided with the ck mes blossoming from Tsukuyo. Although she wasn¡¯t hurt, she had no choice but to back down. ¡°Oh, anyway, fox.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who is reporting who, Eunah.¡± It was Shin Eunah who quickly filled the gap left by Tsukuyo. The sight of Shin Eunah, sticking to Kang Shin-hyuk and eying Tsukuyo, really couldn¡¯t be said to be very motherly. She really didn¡¯t grow up either. Well, it would be enough if the administrator didn¡¯t have to exin why he taught her that phrase. ¡°Honey, are you okay?¡± Shin Eunah, who was growling at Tsukuyo, changed in an instant as she looked at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°It might not be okay now.¡± ¡°Because of that scammer too.¡± From the window of the living room, he could see the back of a man being driven out of the mansion and walking through the garden. That middle-aged superhuman, no, that scammer who imed to be the one who rescued him during the third countercurrent in Korea. Shin Eunah¡¯s golden eyes shed dangerously as she watched him leave. But, the reason he wasn¡¯t feeling well wasn¡¯t because of that scammer, but because of those two growling in front of him. Not that he dared to say it. ¡°It¡¯s not just one or two, and I can¡¯t take it anymore. All those who lie should be deprived of their superhuman license!¡± ¡°Maybe he really believed he rescued me. To put it inly, I wouldn¡¯t have been so noticeable at the time, and it would be true at least that superhuman was working on the rescue at the time.¡± ¡°No, Anvil must¡¯ve been a remarkable little boy even then.¡± Suddenly, Tsukuyo interrupted, and Shin Eunah¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Tsukuyo, maybe somethings wrong with your eyes?¡± ¡°The person I fell in love with is iparably handsome.¡± What sort of excuse was that? But in Tsukuyo¡¯s case, it couldn¡¯t be denied... ¡°Actually, I fell in love with Anvil before even seeing his face.¡± ¡°Unrequited love from start to finish.¡± ¡°If you dare to distort the love of Anvil and me, even Eunah, you cannot...¡± ¡°Do it in moderation.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk separated the two as they geared up for their second match. ¡°Now, I have to stop looking. It was enough to ask questions.¡± ¡°But that wasn¡¯t what you wanted to find?¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably dead.¡± Tsukuyo and Eunah stopped moving. Kang Shin-hyuk shrugged in response. ¡°I had a premonition it would be like that. It¡¯smon that things in the world don¡¯t work like a drama.¡± Reuniting with the benefactor who helped him as a child and repaying their grace... It was really dramatic, but also hard to see in reality. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a brief sigh. ¡°I just wanted to organize my feelings, and now they¡¯re sorted out in some way. So, this is the end.¡± ¡°Uh, well... should I go to the bedroom?¡± ¡°You can onlyfort me that way?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk felt some sympathy for Tsukuyo. It was good that Eunah¡¯s personality had changed, but it hadn¡¯t really matured. Perhaps that was because they had been together for a long time in that disconnected world... ¡°What about the kids?¡± ¡°Shu is watching them.¡± Eunah immediately answered. The fact that Shu was caring for the children in this mansion wasn¡¯t unusual at all. If Tsukuyo was only obsessed with her rtionship with him, Shu was obsessed with everything he valued. In other words, she showed a great interest in his family ties. He vaguely imagined it might have something to do with the innate abilities of the race. Anyway, Shu loved his children and spent as much time as possible with them. ¡°Shall we go see the kids?¡± ¡°Well, no. I don¡¯t think I can today if I go now.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡¯ ¡°Ossuary.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± Unlike Tsukuyo, who sensed his feelings and quietly retreated, Shin Eunah tried to apany him regardless. Today ire was also working, so he was going alone, but there was no chance he would go alone as he looked at Shin Eunah. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± -You really don¡¯t notice. ¡®No, I didn¡¯t.¡¯ -Isn¡¯t this the worst one? Interfering with the daughter and father¡¯s date... ¡®The administrator has no intention of leaving me alone, so.¡¯ Despite being the owner of the Hero Universe system, the administrator¡¯s attitude towards Shin Eunah was still cold. No, otherwise, the administrator wouldn¡¯t have allowed Eunah to be with Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Anvil, I will prepare something delicious for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± He faintly smiled at Tsukuyo before leaving the house with Shin Eunah. Shinyoung, which had grown into arge guildhall, was a 30-minute walk away, but if they went near, they would suffer from the young superhumans who wanted their attention. ¡°Are they in Jongno-gu?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His parents were enshrined with all the others who lost their lives during the third countercurrent. In fact, he didn¡¯t see them often. That was because until now, all sorts of feelings of regret had prevented him from facing them. However, even though those unresolved emotions remained steady in his heart, he was able to ept them and face his parents. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about the kids. I have a lot to talk about.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shin Eunah, who nodded quietly, looked back as if something suddenly came to mind. ¡°Will you go to the Starlight Orphanage?¡¯ ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°I just thought so.¡± Shin Eunah, having sessfully grasped his intent, pretended to be proud as she clung to him. ¡°I visited alonest time. I gave them a gift, and they really liked it, and all the kids ate sweets, and...¡± Seeing her talk about how well she had behaved in the orphanage brought augh from Kang Shin-hyuk. It was clearly an act, but he didn¡¯t hate it. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Wow...!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk regretted saying the words out loud immediately as he couldn¡¯t ovee the momentary impulse, but Shin Eunah was delighted. ¡°Thank you. I love you too...!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°...Shall we make a second?¡± ¡°Eunah... whatever you say, is the endpoint the same?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it... hehe.¡± Shin Eunah stuck to him, and Kang Shin-hyuk justughed. He felt a small object wriggling in his inventory. It was the hairpin, Luby. He had given to Janus to keep safe. At first, he thought of giving it to Shin Eunah. Then, they decided to give it to their daughter, Sia, as a gift when she grew up. But suddenly, the face of one who smiled brightly as he saw the child with the pin came to his mind. ¡°...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh...¡± There were still feelings that hadn¡¯t been cleared up. Faces from his old life came to mind as Kang Shin-hyuk walked with Eunah. *** And Tsukuyopletely upied the kitchen. ¡°No, it¡¯s my turn today? I¡¯ve been learning a new recipe...!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make concessions today. Okay, Alchemist? There are moments when a woman cannot back down.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an outsider!¡± She stood firmly in the kitchen despite ire. ¡°Today, Anvil is going to need my cooking, so forgive me.¡± ¡°Ha, you really...¡± ire let out a sigh as she saw Tsukuyo, who didn¡¯t seem like she would back down. Nine-tails fluttered behind her back. ¡°Wearing a mask thoroughly in front of him, but you¡¯re a liar like this.¡± ¡°Yes, I am a liar.¡± Perhaps there was something funny about ire¡¯s assessment, as Tsukuyoughed and affirmed it. ¡°Really, a terrible liar.¡± Falling in love before even seeing his face was a perfect lie. Okay, everything was from start to finish. Chapter 338 - Extra Chapter 1 – VIP Member Information Viewing (2)

Chapter 338 - Extra Chapter 1 ¨C VIP Member Information Viewing (2)

¡°Maah.¡± Shu smiled kindly as she held the hand that stretched out to her. It belonged to a newborn baby with dark hair and golden eyes. ¡°Mom is here~.¡± ¡°Mah!¡± ¡°She¡¯s naturally ying.¡± ¡°Oh, grandfather!¡± Even with Kang Shin-hyuk suddenly appearing behind her, Shu maintained a proud posture. However, he couldn¡¯t say anything as she clearly loved and cared for the child. Shu had been given a bracelet that took the burden of her cause and effect from Kang Shin-hyuk. Since then, she had grown steadily, and now she was eighteen-years-old, old enough to be seen as an adult. ¡°Wee, grandpa. There was something I wanted to ask for.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ll listen.¡± ¡°Ooh, you look rxed! It¡¯s a different look.¡± ¡°Now, wouldn¡¯t I have to be a little rxed too?¡± To put it openly, he was feeling idle these days. Humans were most active in adolescence and adulthood, and when they enter old age, don¡¯t they usually quit working and enjoy a leisurely retirement? For Kang Shin-hyuk, he was in that situation right now. In terms of age, he had just be a young man, but for the few years after essing the Hero Universe, hadn¡¯t he been running so crazy that two bodies wouldn¡¯t have been enough? Even though he was only twenty by Earth¡¯s standards, he had not only his memories of his previous life, but also his activities in worlds that had a different flow of time from Earth. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s strange that I¡¯m too involved with Earth¡¯s affairs, so I¡¯m just taking a break. Not long ago, Valentine... He¡¯s directly moving.¡± ¡°He said he caught her?¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s still fighting. But once all routes outside are cut off, she won¡¯t get out of Africa.¡± Mizushima E Yuki. That woman, previously nicknamed Bomber Girl, was a traitor to humanity when she joined Jormungand. They had been under Gaia¡¯s control, whether they knew it or not, as they worked for Jormungand. However, the problem was that from there, she acquired Chiral and chose a path to bing a part of Jormungand herself. No doubt she and Oh Joo-young felt helpless in front of a huge force. Having stopped caring about good or evil, they ceased to feel resistance against attacking humanity and eventuallymitted treacherous acts too shocking. It was only now that Kang Shin-hyuk, having be transcendent, could understand their motive. But the idea that they were stupid still didn¡¯t go away, especially for Oh Joo-young, who had left his family behind. ¡®Anyway, Oh Joo-young paid the price. But Mizushima E Yuki...¡¯ In short, she felt a little vague. It was certain that she was strengthened by Chiral, but her abilities didn¡¯t work at all on those who used something other than magic. If she honed and polished that ability, maybe she could beparable to Shin Eunah. There could be no such talent for one who turned to Chiral and abandoned their humanity. ¡°So the problem is that everyone forgot her existence...¡± ¡°Januster looked into it and said a sword made by the new sword had disappeared.¡± ¡°If I go out, I could find it soon.¡± Bomber Girl had fallen silent early on once she realized that things were going wrong. The problem was that when Gaia died, and the world was reorganized, she started to dream. Gaia was dead, and Janus and Loki had left. If so, couldn¡¯t she be the head of Jormungand? What a false dream. Fortunately, as Jormungandpletely escaped Gaia¡¯s influence and began to move normally, it became almost impossible to ess the world where the Chiral was. Annoyingly, she could transform magical power, and now that she had be a demon, she could transform others into demons. It was like she was carrying several bombs that no one knew when they might explode. ¡°Aren¡¯t you really going?¡± ¡°Are you testing me? There¡¯s no way I can. It was enough to strengthen those superhumans¡¯ abilities and give them a hint.¡± The bnce of the world was so terrifying that even if he moved lightly, the other side would sway and fluctuate. How many people had been sacrificed in the process? The stronger you were, the more cautious you had to be about moving, the more you had to consider the impact it would have on others. Moreover... ¡°People now depend on me too much. More than this will be difficult.¡± ¡°Grandfather made it that way, right?¡¯ ¡°It was to build order... Don¡¯t stare at me like that; I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s a bit overkill.¡± From Merba to recover all the fragments of his previous life and ending Gaia¡¯s life, Kang Shin-hyuk had grown mentally. Only then did he realize that his actions on Earth had been excessive. Now, most of the products produced by Shinyoung were by his pupil, Elma, and Lee Na-hee was trying to withdraw her hand from Shinyoung, saying that she had earned enough and wanted to calm down in the future. He had no way to turn back those who had already been strengthened by his abilities, but he could minimize the confusion. ¡°And now the Hero Universe supports all superhumans. So it will be fine... Maybe.¡± ¡°Everyone was asking how to be a top-notch member to buy your armaments.¡± ¡°Was it so easy to join?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s friend, Baek In-ha, had not yet reached the highest level. In other words, he was a member of the Hero Universe ording to the previous world¡¯s standard. Moreover, since the non-tradeable enchantment was firmly engraved on all armaments sold now, it could be said that the confusion that might ur due to the release of his armaments had been minimized. ¡°Hey, so my grandfather has be firm.¡± ¡°So? What¡¯s your request?¡± It wasmon for older people to forget about the subject, but since Kang Shin-hyuk wasn¡¯t old, he never forgot. ¡°Let¡¯s go see my parents.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Sia.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk saw her eyes twinkle at the mention of Shu¡¯s parents. Kang Shin-hyuk picked up Sia in his arms and kept a little distance away from Shu. ¡°Why should I meet your parents?¡± ¡°They were supposed to meet you once, and this bracelet...¡± Shu stuck out the bracelet she wore on her left arm with a sparkle in her eyes. It was made using her hair, but it wasn¡¯t at a level beyond the current limit when he made it. Now it had increased to a level of absurdity that he couldn¡¯t make even if he wanted to. ¡°For this, our race would pay anything in return. There must be a lot of ancient objects that grandfather might be interested in!¡± ¡°No. Honestly, I am, but... is it okay to make those bracelets in bulk?¡± ¡°Of course! Grandfather will be our savior! It¡¯ll change our race¡¯s history!¡± That was no exaggeration if all of Shu¡¯s rtives were in the form of a ten-year-old. Moreover, at a nce, it seemed she wasn¡¯t an elder among the tribe, and she belonged to the Hero Universe because of her outstanding performance. It was also true he was attracted by the new materials they could provide. But. ¡°Is that all?¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± Now the face of Shu, who had a smile to show off her mature charm, cracked very slightly. ¡°Is that really all? No ulterior motives in having me meet your parents?¡± ¡°Eh, ah. Not like that. Grandfather! Are you saying I¡¯m lying to you? I¡¯m not that kind of person!¡± Then why was she awkwardly avoiding his gaze? ¡°I¡¯m asking, how do I go meet them?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good question! First, I¡¯d have to exin the world in which our people live. It¡¯s a world separated from the outside, like the world of Chiral we went to before.¡± ¡°Well, I roughly guessed it.¡± There wasn¡¯t just one dimension that had been disconnected. Had her dimension not been, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if all the members of her tribe were working in the Hero Universe. ¡°But holes sometimes open so that outsiders can enter!¡¯ ¡°So you¡¯re taking me? ...Huh?¡¯ ¡°What?¡± ¡°How do you go in and out?¡± ¡°You were worried about that?¡± Shu smiled and raised her thumb. ¡°You know that our race controls causality? Anyway, it¡¯ll make sense when you go. It¡¯s possible to travel to the past by interfering with space and time the moment a hole opens!¡± ¡°That is... I can¡¯t go at any time.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He was surprised that she casually talked about the possibility of time travel, but ultimately it meant she would take him. Of course, he could create his own gate, even to a dimension like that, so he eventually headed to her home. Chapter 339 - Extra Chapter 1 – VIP Member Information Viewing (3)

Chapter 339 - Extra Chapter 1 ¨C VIP Member Information Viewing (3)

The world where the special race Set lived (their expression, as this wasn¡¯t their home) turned out to be thend of Undon. It was neither Earth nor heaven nor hell, which meant thews that made up the world were different from any other world that Kang Shin-hyuk knew. If he hadn¡¯t be transcendent, he might¡¯ve lost his ego and dposed the moment he entered that world, but his power was already at the level it could twist the providence of a world, so he could adapt and endure it without difficulty. In that world where the top couldn¡¯t be separate from the bottom nor front from back, he first had to firmly recognize himself as separate from others and create his own domain to make general actions possible. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be so different from other worlds.¡± ¡°Grandpa, can you see my face properly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow, this is the first time an outsider has gotten a hold of their senses so quickly. It¡¯s not easy even for transcendent people.¡± From a distance, the world appeared as a huge disc, and everything on it appeared as small sparkling dots. Any person who couldn¡¯t firmly establish themselves would only judge things by their total amount of energy. No, Kang Shin-hyuk was also aware of everything ording to his own standards, so he couldn¡¯t guarantee that it was actually the way it was. The most important thing there was a flow of energy and causality. Since Kang Shin-hyuk was well versed in both, he was able to regain hisposure quickly. ¡°Then, take my hand and go there...¡± ¡°Huh, Loki?¡± ¡°Wow, Anvil¡¯sing.¡± However, the moment Kang Shin-hyuk tried to step forward with Shu hand in hand, Loki appeared before his eyes. He was able to transform himself freely, but now he was in the form of a dark-eyed man with red hair in his mid-tote twenties, as he met during the previous dimension quest. ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Loki, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wandering here and there, you know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± They had collided with each other before, so while they exchanged greetings in embarrassment, Shu suddenly intervened with her eyes twinkling. ¡°Ah, it looks like my parents had it. Right?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Her gaze was on a ck metal choker on his neck. Loki confirmed it with a nod. ¡°Because I was aching a little too much.¡± ¡°But how¡¯d you get in? The door is open now.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was also curious about that. He heard that the door to Undon didn¡¯t open at any time. However, Loki had a truly mysterious skill. ¡°There¡¯s no way to enter a closed world without going through such a gate. Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to find this ce, but I have to say I was lucky.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad luck, looking at the results now?¡± ¡°What is it? Even after doing this, I couldn¡¯t get what I wanted...¡± Loki nodded with a bitter smile. Looking at it, had something simr happened in the dimensional quest with Loki before? He had been wandering in search of something, but he couldn¡¯t achieve it due to the turmoil that urred in that dimension. ¡°...Well, let¡¯s go anyway.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, suddenly remembering the trip they were on, looked away from Loki. Suddenly, a wand with a sharp tip, created in one hand, pointed to a small path in front of them. ¡°Come on... Oh, did your parents tell you to wait for us?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Loki guided them down the road, humming in anguage that Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t understand. The road before them was gradually changing, from a narrow street to a wide road. It felt like the energy was simr to the ability Shu dealt with, which was different from magical and spiritual power, and it became denser as they progressed. ¡°I guess mom and dad are together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tiring energy.¡± We were originally living in an area unaffected by Gaia, grandfather. Do you understand that now?¡± Looking at it, Shu never trusted Gaia the first time they met. A race with such power would¡¯ve fully been aware of the Gaia system¡¯s purpose and would¡¯ve naturally not believed it. ¡°I¡¯m getting stronger.¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re actively weed. We need to walk for another twenty minutes.¡± In a world where distance and time didn¡¯t make much sense, what they were doing now was the preliminary work to stepping into another¡¯s realm. It was like knocking on a door and waiting for a response. However, as Shu said it wouldn¡¯t end quickly, he decided to get rid of the troubles on his mind. ¡°Loki.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That was an honest conversation with Loki. ¡°What the hell are you searching for?¡± ¡°...¡± Kang Shin-hyuk thought that Loki¡¯s unprecedented wandering was out of faith to his mission, given his initial hostility under Gaia, but it wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t his will that he had moved ording to Gaia¡¯s will; he was mostly purely moving ording to his purpose. So, was it the result of hostility towards Gaia, like Janus? That said, it wouldn¡¯t exin why he wandered until Gaia died and the entire universe regained order. Particrly, the fact he had stopped in the same world now meant he had a clear meaning. ¡°Hmm...¡± He didn¡¯t expect it to be something that was easily said. If that were the case, he would¡¯ve already told him. However, Loki couldn¡¯te out strongly, so he nodded after counting the number of steps left to where Shu¡¯s parents awaited them. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I was a dragonst time?¡± ¡°Janus did.¡± ¡°Janus... Janus was the butcher who killed all the dragons other than me, and I was thest one left.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shu hung onto Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm and her ears raised in interest. Loki might¡¯ve thrown her out to talk with him alone, but now he recognized her as Shin-hyuk¡¯s woman, so he gave up on that idea and continued talking. ¡°The reason why Janus and I used the Chiral was actually that Gaia attacked us when he lost our strength fighting each other.¡± ¡°Well, she did such a cowardly thing.¡± ¡°Right. She had such a first impression, and her presence changed every time.¡± At that time of the decisive battle, everyone seemed to know. ¡°So Loki, why did Janus try to cut you down? Because she¡¯s crazy?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s true Janus is crazy, but there were the sins of our people.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk decided to remember what he said about Janus. ¡°Dragons are lost and perfect beings. But that¡¯s why I said too much. To be precise, I think they were trying to realize what Gaia was trying to do on a smaller scale.¡± ¡°Ruling all worlds?¡± ¡°Simr. But unfortunately, they collided with Janus, the strongest of the transcendentals from a pure human species.¡± Janus had cut down many dragons and raised herself. Meanwhile, Loki inherited the power of those dragon spirits and gained the power to fight Janus. The two collided, destroying several worlds in the process, and were defeated by Gaia when they were weakened. ¡®It¡¯s a bit different from Janus¡¯s story of him running away and turning into a human... Well, both have probably adapted their memories in a way that favored them.¡¯ That¡¯s how memories often worked. Unless there was a record, all memories were exaggerated to be more morous when you looked back. So, in reality, it was probably true Loki abandoned a dragon¡¯s body to avoid Janus¡¯s de, but it was also true that his power was enough to threaten Janus. And Gaia beating them both by surprise was an unfavorable memory for both of them. ¡°So? How does it rte to your purpose?¡± ¡°I mean, Anvil... Since then, I¡¯ve been looking for a newborn dragon.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± It was obvious but also the clearest purpose. There were many monsters that fell under that ssification, but perhaps the dragon he referred to wasn¡¯t such a beast. ¡°I think it¡¯s my mission to find them, take care of them, and guide them.¡± ¡°So you came here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve looked through countless worlds, so I¡¯ve no choice but to look through the remote ones. And, these people¡¯s abilities and traits...¡± ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Everyone stopped walking; a huge building appearing in front of them with an open door. Kang Shin-hyuk immediately grasped the existence of the two people before them and admired the tremendous ability they possessed. He had known iting into this world, but they were transcendentals among the transcendent. However, they looked younger than Shu. [It¡¯s surprising to see it in person.] However, it seemed they were also surprised by Shu. [The warped causality and umted price aren¡¯t small, but that is rather absurd. This is a pass without even needing to undergo an examination from us.] ¡°I told you!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk immediately wanted to turn away as he grasped what test they had passed. [Please wait, young transcendental. There¡¯s no need to think so urgently about work. You and our daughter, Orchiena, will live for infinity in the future. The fates of the two who now seem as parallel lines will someday cross.] A man who resembled Shu stepped forward and said that. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted to go back home as he thought of all the women he was connected to. However, the girl who read the rejection on his face ¡ª no, Shu¡¯s mother spoke quickly. [You¡¯re the one who¡¯s acting urgently. You said it was Anvil, right? Pleasee in first. I¡¯ll guide you. I¡¯ve something to ask of you.] Perhaps this world wasn¡¯t soplicated after all. ¡°...I came to do that from the start. Then, let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Hey, grandfather...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, okay?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sighed and moved forward with Shu, and Loki stayed a step behind. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look before that. Tell me how to meet the dragon. If not, can you guide me back to the days of dragons?¡± [Hmm.] Shu¡¯s parents looked back at Loki. The father, Ani Shu, nced at Kang Shin-hyuk. [As we said before, we don¡¯t have that way. I can¡¯t figure out why you cling to us, leaving much clearer possibilities in front of you.] ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shortly as the two let out those nk noises, Loki looked at Kang Shin-hyuk. [But, please resolve it after our business is over.] ¡°No, sir!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and the others disappeared as if they were sucked into the building. The door closed in front of Loki¡¯s eyes. Chapter 340 - Extra Chapter 1 – VIP Member Information Viewing (4)

Chapter 340 - Extra Chapter 1 ¨C VIP Member Information Viewing (4)

He thought this world would originally be like that, but this was beyond that mark. Looking down, thend underneath him expanded and caught his eyes after he had gone through the door. ¡°Are you god?¡± How much time had passed before the tour, which was both a moment and an eternity, was finished? When Kang Shin-hyuk, liberated after literally looking over all of the world of Undon, spoke in an exhausted voice, Shu¡¯s... No, Orchiena¡¯s father (that was her real name, Shu was only a nickname)ughed. ¡°You¡¯re still not using your abilities properly. If you¡¯ve made up your mind, couldn¡¯t you use this power as much as you want not only here, but in your own world?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... maybe so.¡± The voices of Shu¡¯s parents echoed in his mind when they were outside, but after entering their home, they began to converse normally. ¡°I became a transcendent in a tight spot, yet my senses are close to an ordinary mortal¡¯s.¡± ¡°Well, it was nice to invite you too. If you stay that way, you may have a very bad influence on other beings.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Were they trying to say that if you were transcendent, don¡¯t interact with mortals like one? Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s expression sharpened, but he soon recovered hisposure. He knew they didn¡¯t invite him here just because they wanted bracelets simr to the one Orchiena had. And, now that he had be transcendent, he couldn¡¯t be swept away by his emotions so easily. ¡°Maybe you are feeling it to some extent. Have you refrained from meeting with the general public since you became such a being?¡± It was Orchiena¡¯s mother who asked that. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s also because I didn¡¯t want others to lean on my existence. I was advised by another transcendent person.¡± Tsukuyo and Janus were the ones who gave him that advice. Tsukuyo had been sincerely saying that he could influence the world just by being there, so he had to know the weight of his steps. Janus had mentioned Chiral and advised him of the reactions he could cause. Since he could understand what they had said, he epted their words and was hiding in his home. ¡°You have good acquaintances. They¡¯re right. That¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to say. Transcendent people cause countless phenomena only by their existence, which is why controlling your abilities is important. Moreover, you seemed to have mastered the ability to interact with all things.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say it this way. It can be said to be the nemesis of us. It could immediately detect and stop any interference in causality.¡± ¡°Well.¡± The Heavenly Dragon¡¯s power to rise above the sky and grasp all phenomena, dominate, and control was beyond merely interacting with them. In fact, after awakening, he realized how Orchiena¡¯s power came to fruition, and he knew if he wanted to, he could find where her ability began and cut it off. However, there was no reason to do that, and he hadn¡¯t mentioned it in case it depressed her. ¡°What, grandfather! Is that possible?! Then our children would bepletely invincible!¡± However, her response was the opposite of what he expected.¡± ¡°Shu, stop that.¡± ¡°Now you know my real name so that you can call me Ena!¡± He thought she was obsessed with her ID, but that wasn¡¯t it. However, he wondered if using her real name had some special meaning, especially when he saw her parents smiling andughing while they watched. ¡°Yes, then, how about Ena?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good nickname that seems like you¡¯d be good at spearing and kicking.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Then, shall we get back to it?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Ena¡¯s mother coughed. ¡°Probably so. Even though you¡¯ve be transcendent, you are still not using your abilities properly.¡± ¡°Because there are people who are affected by it.¡± ¡°Your ability is naturally controlled, not suppressed.¡± In his free time, he was using his energy to make weapons by himself in his My Room, after all. ¡°That¡¯s why we invited you. To help the rookie, who has an impact on our world, to control his power properly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel something in this room? If you learn it here, controlling your abilities will be easier from then on.¡± ¡°But this world...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already felt it, right? This world diffusely reflects every force¡¯s action. The distinction between time and space is ambiguous, and all force isn¡¯t distributed. Even the price for reversing causality.¡± Indeed, so the Set lived in this world? They had settled in Undon to reduce the side effects of their ability as much as possible, and as they gradually used their abilities in it, the power of the world itself grew. It was inevitable since it was cut off from the outside. If some of thews that made up this world influenced the world outside, it would cause an iparable disaster. ¡°Then, this mansion...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s blocking the power of this world. After spending time here, you¡¯ll be able to move freely outside.¡± ¡°Hmm, until then, you¡¯ll stay here. After that, I want you to ept our request.¡± Their gaze had been stuck on the hair bracelet as they spoke. Kang Shin-hyuk had to hold backughter as their appearance didn¡¯t match their serious tones. ¡°Thank you for the great opportunity. I¡¯ll make your bracelets.¡± ¡°Really?! Oh, but it¡¯ll take time to deal with that ability. There is no need for impatience.¡± ¡°Well, yes, I see.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk didn¡¯t disagree with their words. The way he had dealt with his abilities so far was throughbat and production. However, despite his confidence in his talent, he couldn¡¯t go against what the two suggested. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait in another room.¡± ¡°Huh, do I have to go too? I want to y with my grandfather!¡± ¡°You keep saying you have such a young man as a grandfather?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve no conscience, Orchiena.¡± ¡°Dad... It¡¯s been a while...¡± A dispute broke out as Kang Shin-hyuk focused. ¡°I think both should go.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk was already concentrating, so he didn¡¯t even notice them leaving. Although his ability was the Heavenly Dragon, he had never experienced the feeling of rising above the sky to contemte the earth. In that sense, those two¡¯s experiences could¡¯ve already said to be an indispensable help to him. Perhaps their ability to omit causality included even predictions of the future? ¡®Let¡¯s concentrate.¡¯ In this world, he had no need to worry about the reaction of force. He opened his power, which he had limited so far, and sent his mind to the sky, just as Orchiena¡¯s father had. The main thing was imagination and confidence. He had just experienced it, so he could vividly recall that sensation. ¡®...Seems to be. Faster than he said, ...No, maybe a lot of time has already passed outside.¡¯ His sight shed quickly, and he felt he had reached the air, as high as he could. His spiritual power resonated with all external energy and received information from them, analyzing it, and transmitted it. He had a strong conviction he would be able to freely change everything in the world by using his Heavenly Dragon. ¡®It¡¯s my strength... It¡¯s a really violent force.¡¯ It was different from what Orchiena¡¯s father showed. Now that he controlled his energy himself, he rose above the sky to contemte all below it. He wasn¡¯t just looking at every corner of the world; he was able to grasp and control them all fully. ¡®I used my strength to the fullest before, but... is it? I¡¯m not a Heavenly Dragon for nothing. When the viewpoint changes, everything else does as well.¡¯ He had a simr feeling in creating the Hero Universe. At that time, he had to receive Shin Eunah¡¯s help to energize the world and make the system run forever. But now, he realized he didn¡¯t have to. No, paradoxically, Shin Eunah had to be there. If he hadpleted the Hero Universe this way, he would¡¯ve been able to interfere with the Hero Universe more than now. ¡®And conversely, I can hold my strength in check because there is the current Hero Universe.¡¯ His actions had been right at the time. Had he realized this potential, he might¡¯ve unconsciously intervened inpleting the Hero Universe. The Heavenly Dragon contemted the earth from the sky. The harmony created by his enormous spiritual power and Heavenly Dragon, which contained his spirit, captured all beings living in the world of Undon. The other Sets, who had heard about the visitors, noticed his strength. And before he came back, he also noticed Loki, a guest who had visited in a somewhat ignorant way. ¡°Ah...!¡± Loki, who felt the power of the dragon to interact with and contemte everything, raised his head and opened his mouth. ¡°I had a feeling from the start... Oh, do I have tomit a taboo when this happens?¡± He really didn¡¯t want to do it, but if he wanted to seed in the dragon¡¯s generation...! [No, just thinking about it is terrible, so don¡¯t imagine that.] ¡°Ah?!¡± He raised his head at the voice of Kang Shin-hyuk, which seemed to resonate with his mind. Above the sky, a giant heavenly dragon was looking straight at him. [I think I can help you in a different way, so don¡¯t change and wait. Okay?] ¡°Hey, but if I change my mind and do...¡± [Don¡¯t.] ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk had seeded in grasping and controlling his traits. It was a feat that he managed to aplish in just one day aftering to Undon. Chapter 341 - Extra Chapter 1 – VIP Member Information Viewing (5)

Chapter 341 - Extra Chapter 1 ¨C VIP Member Information Viewing (5)

¡°It¡¯s an amazing structure. I didn¡¯t even notice how something like this could¡¯ve been made.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who quickly grew in dealing with his abilities, soon came out and made a bracelet for the transcendent couple. The two were surprised he had mastered his ability so quickly, and while they were contemting it, he took their hair and wove their bracelets. ¡°Is it okay if I don¡¯t make them for other Sets?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s awkward to say to you who made this, but the power of this bracelet is too dangerous for Set.¡± ¡°Actually, when I learned that Orchiena got it, I considered it. Originally, this bracelet eliminates the cost of causality that our people deserve. I was worried that my daughter would go in the wrong direction...¡± ¡°I deserve it! Because the hardships I¡¯ve been through are enough!¡± Orchiena shouted as she hung onto Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s arm. ¡°These people, I¡¯m worried that if I just make these bracelets for others, it will be difficult to control in the future.¡± ¡°Even the transcendent is narrow.¡± ¡°Ugh, your words stab me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t give it up. It¡¯s a bit hard to see my daughter be more mature than me...¡± The two¡¯s gazes were fiercely focused on Orchiena. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and rescued Orchiena from the two. ¡°I understand the reason, anyway. I also think that we should prevent this transcendent race from being freely released without any restrictions. But you two, will you do well on your own?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way we can abuse the things our son-inw made.¡± ¡°You got a really good man, Orchiena.¡± He was naturally treated as a son-inw. However, Kang Shin-hyuk knew there would be more problems if he denied it. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me. I¡¯ve made an appointment with another friend so that I will go there.¡± ¡°Are you leaving? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to make a child and go to Orchiena¡¯s home?¡± ¡°Ah? Dad, for some reason...¡± ¡°Ena, you came to your home, so stick around. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk used the special move he had prepared to have Ena stay. ¡°Aaaah! No, no! I¡¯m sorry! Let¡¯s go together!¡± The effect was powerful. ¡°Uhhh, it¡¯s far away.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk turned around while ignoring the heartwarming gaze from the couple, dragging Ena, who was clinging to him all the way back into the world. Right before him was a beauty lying t on her face. ¡°I told you not to change. I¡¯ll really kill you.¡± Of course, it was Loki transformed. His hair was almost the same color as ire¡¯s, and just seeing him made him feel bad. However, Loki didn¡¯t back down. ¡°It¡¯s like business attire! I¡¯m asking for a favor, so a woman is better than a man!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean anything since I know the contents?!¡± ¡°No, doesn¡¯t it? Hey, my transformation skills are so fucking perfect? Look closely, Anvil. Here and here,pletely reproduced...¡± ¡°Shall we go home?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a dragon¡¯s joke, of course!¡± Loki quickly returned to his original form and apologized. Kang Shin-hyuk first made a merciless straight punch to his stomach before he continued. ¡°Kuh!¡± ¡°It was good to see why the dragons went extinct. Then, I can.¡± ¡°Just this once...¡± ¡°...It¡¯s thest time. First, let¡¯s draw blood.¡± It wasn¡¯t a joke to say he would draw blood. Kang Shin-hyuk collected 500 milliliters of blood without Loki¡¯s resistance and instilled his spiritual power into it to pull out the source. ¡°Hmm, let me tell you. You can¡¯t turn back into a dragon yourself.¡± ¡°...I wasn¡¯t expecting to.¡± A bald-faced lie. Loki, forced into giving up his own identity in an urgent situation, always med himself for doing so. But in the end, he believed he had no choice but to be a dragon again in order to revive them. That was why he visited this ce. Not to look for another dragon, but rather, he was hoping they could turn him back into a dragon by reversing cause and effect. And his feelings were understandable. Loki had been wandering in search of other dragons for a time that Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t even guess at. Yet, he found nothing. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable to believe there was no more hope. ¡°But it¡¯s possible to create pure dragons from your genes.¡± ¡°...¡± But then that hope suddenly appeared before him. Loki was wordless at the bomb of a deration Kang Shin-hyuk casually spat out. Kang Shin-hyuk decided to give the rest of the exnation while Loki sorted out his feelings. ¡°I can feel the source of various beings in you. It¡¯s probably the legacy left by the dragons who died before you. New dragons can be born from their traces. Of course, it will diminish your power. Well, your power mightpletely disappear. I mean, you might no longer be transcendent in the end.¡± ¡°...¡± But perhaps he could eventually reach that point again. Kang Shin-hyuk thought it would be possible but didn¡¯t say so. It wasn¡¯t necessary now. ¡°What do you think? Will you do it anyway?¡± ¡°...¡± Loki, who remained silent for a long moment, knelt down. ¡°Please...¡± He could see the weight around Loki was different now. He didn¡¯t dare look up at Kang Shin-hyuk as he bowed his head down. ¡°Anvil. My body, even my soul, can disappear, so bring them back to life...!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not reviving them. A perfect soul doesn¡¯t remain, but their traces. It is a new dragon that will be born in the future. You can¡¯t die because you have to protect them.¡± ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t die.¡± Loki nodded. ¡°I will keep them safe and raise them.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult alone. Let¡¯s add one more. How about Janus?¡± ¡°Why...¡± ¡°Because she didn¡¯t seem to have anything else to do. They always call for freedom, but if they don¡¯t control themselves, it will only end in indulgence.¡± The achievements of Janus were truly great, but her irresponsibility had also resulted in her and Loki being captured by Gaia. She was overly powerful, so she needed to understand responsibility. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a chance to finally face her karma? When she raises dragons herself, she may realize something. It¡¯ll be good for all of you, not just Janus.¡± ¡°You...¡± Loki, feeling some great providence he didn¡¯t understand, looked up at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Have you be a god?¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk sniffed and ignored him. ¡°Then let¡¯s start right away. It¡¯s too dangerous to do outside, so let¡¯s get it out here.¡± ¡°Uh, uh...¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the material ire left for android research? ...Found it.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk pulled out dozens of tiny spheres. He applied Loki¡¯s blood to them and began to transform and evolve them with his spiritual power and the Heavenly Dragon. He analyzed the traces of the dozens of dragons at the source of Loki and engraved their individual traits onto each sphere. The spheres started to sparkle brightly and float in the air. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°No, you need the most important thing.¡± ¡°What... hey, is it...?¡± Loki, who noticed that Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s gaze was on a specific part of his body, urged him with an expression hoping it was a hoke. Kang Shin-hyuk nodded with a kind expression. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you for a moment, so do what you think.¡± ¡°No, wait a minute! Anvil! I¡¯m really sorry, so some other way!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only way. Ena, shall we take a walk?¡± ¡°Ah, a man needs time alone!¡± Orchiena, who realized what was going to happen, smiled broadly as she delivered the killing blow and stuck to Kang Shin-hyuk. Loki continued to shout as the two left. ¡°Blood! Isn¡¯t more blood fine?! I¡¯ll even remove flesh?!¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t work.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk smiled kindly back at him. ¡°Then, I hope you have a good time.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± *** To start with the conclusion, the dragons had been safely resurrected. Despite originating from Loki, they all had different appearances, personalities, and powers. If there was something unexpected by Kang Shin-hyuk, it was that an individual who was strongly influenced by his trait appeared. [Dad!] ¡°...¡± He had put the burden on Loki as much as possible, but this was a miracle. Faint spiritual power and potential had sprung up out of the Heavenly Dragon and grew by eating Loki¡¯s power. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t refuse the baby dragon with golden scales and five-colored eyes clinging to him. ¡°Now, that¡¯s great.¡± Loki, buried among the dragons, continued to tease Kang Shin-hyuk as heughed. ¡°Anvil, take that child and raise it. It¡¯s a love decision between Anvil and me, oops...¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t go against causality.¡± He was enlightened. Kang Shin-hyuk vowed not to revive an extinct race again as he returned to Earth with Orchiena. Since then, he had been in the position to restore ruined races. Chapter 342 - Extra Chapter 2 – Still the Earth Goes On (1)

Chapter 342 - Extra Chapter 2 ¨C Still the Earth Goes On (1)

Lee Na-hee, who had heard the story of the resurrection in the world of Undon, looked on in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°If you admire me, just honestly say you admire me.¡± ¡°Admire what? He said it¡¯d take 500 years to be an adult.¡± At this, Lee Na-hee threw the decoration she was holding at Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Then, it means I may not be able to see such a dragon that would make my heart magnificent just by looking at it until after I die!¡± ¡°If you have your ability right now, senior, it is possible you can transcend someday.¡± ¡°You¡¯re banned from calling me that. Call me your noona.¡± ¡°Oh, but my noona¡¯s heart is still magnificent...¡± ¡°Baek In-ha, die, really.¡± Baek, beaten by the raging magic after he interrupted, became quiet. At the scene of that assault, the dragon seemed interested in the magical power her rune emanated. [Mom?] Critical hit! ¡°What, huh? Uh... that, ah, baby. So, I am.¡± ¡°Every woman this one sees is called mother, so don¡¯t get it wrong.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Lee Na-hee, tantly disappointed as her shoulders drooped, was pitiful to see, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. It was only a little while ago it learned how to distinguish human gender. Since then, it had been asking every girl it met if they were its mother, so Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t take it out for a walk outside. In the first ce, he couldn¡¯t help but talk about the misunderstanding of the baby dragons that happened before he left Loki... ¡°There was aplicated situation. Understand me.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Lee Na-hee tapped her cheeks as if she had been energized. ¡°Then help me refurbish the store. We¡¯ll decorate the front door.¡± ¡°Even if I do well, you¡¯ll throw things at me.¡± ¡°Count on it. My heart.¡± ¡°...I won¡¯t take it.¡± [Mom!] ¡°No.¡± They were in a shabby shop located in the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Lee Na-hee, the young craftsman who was preparing to speak, was performing the critical task of cleaning and decorating the store. Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek usually were too powerful to help with such chores, but as they had nothing to do, they were helping out and chatting with Lee Na-hee. ¡°Senior, how about Eli? She said she¡¯sing today.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°...Oh, yeah. Eli, Eli.¡± Lee Na-hee took a moment to respond to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°Eli... well? She said she might be a littlete because there¡¯s someone she has to meet. You know? Dous Payne.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know that person.¡± When he was a first-year, he was the strongest (ha) of the third year knights and also the captain of the Wyvern Knights. After fighting Eleanor in a one-on-one duel and losing, people had begun to acknowledge her status. Suddenly curious, he searched for Dous Payne¡¯s ranking to find he was among the 1,000th internationally. That was truly great, as the growth rate of Shinyoung¡¯s superhumans had gone crazy so that hundreds of their superhumans were in the top thousand, leaving fewer ces for superhumans outside of Shinyoung. Some said that Shinyoung¡¯s superhumans should be treated separately, and the idea that high rankers should be recognized up to 1000 instead of 500 was rapidly gaining strength. This meant that this man had the capability equivalent to a high ranker. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re teasing.¡± ¡°No, I have to admit what¡¯s great. Let¡¯s judge objectively.¡± ¡°How unfortunate, our Shinyuk...¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Lee Na-hee intervened with a frown. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, are you okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Eli.¡± It was hard to tell if he wanted to talk about it or not. Lee Na-hee had an expression full of anger. ¡°Going to meet with Eli today? Hearing that, I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Noona?¡± It only then did Baek realize Lee Na-hee¡¯s atmosphere was growing strange. In fact, he knew that Lee Na-hee and Eleanor were upset these days, but today they were regrettinging here with Kang Shin-hyuk. He wanted to run away, but it was toote. ¡°What are you thinking... I think Eli also suffers a lot.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded the same, whether he couldn¡¯t detect the strange mood or not. ¡°I knew at first that Eli would need the power of the Payne family, and I wasn¡¯t sensitive enough to deliberately encourage them... It¡¯s a mistake to think about it now.¡± ¡°...Sigh.¡± ¡°If I knew that if she would go ahead and it would be solved, then I would¡¯ve just made it clear for Eli... So, is that the answer you wanted?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lee Na-hee pulled out a chair and sat down with a sigh. ¡°Should I bet that Eli won¡¯t go over to him? His ability may look ridiculouspared to yours, but you¡¯re not giving Eli a chance. By the way, that man chases Eli with a single mind, so...¡± ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk cut to the point as she continued to talk pointlessly. Then, Lee Na-hee replied with her lips pouting. ¡°I, too, nickname...¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°???¡± Baek couldn¡¯t understand why that was the conclusion, and question marks appeared clear on his face. Weren¡¯t they talking about Eleanor right now? But where did that go, and suddenly what did they mean about a nickname? However, it was a simple problem when he figured out why Lee Na-hee was outraged. It was Eleanor and Lee Na-hee, not Kang Shin-hyuk, who were clinging to this bizarre rtionship, so it didn¡¯t mean anything to Kang Shin-hyuk. In other words, she wasining brilliantly. ¡°By the way, senior, you know what? There is only one person around me that I call senior now.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m special?¡± ¡°Do you really know what to say? It¡¯s awesome to see you today and help out.¡± ¡°But that, I don¡¯t feel like a woman at all...¡± [Mom!] Sensing Lee Na-hee was depressed, the baby dragon flew into her arms. The beauty groaned timidly before petting the dragon. ¡°...Ah?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk watched as the scene in front of him changed. He saw Lee Na-hee petting a child who was older than the dragon now. -After that, it really worked, as you said. I thought you were teasing me back then. A very realistic illusion apanied that hallucination. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s lips twisted into a smile. Was it perhaps a future possibility presented by the power that was acquired in Undon? It was a short moment when the flow of causality was shown to him. ¡°Do your feelings change with the title? Don¡¯t be nervous about pointless things because we¡¯re in a tough rtionship anyway. Even if I want to quit, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re not saying you want to quit?¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s mood seemed to be much better than before. Kang Shin-hyuk wanted her to quit, but he decided not to say that. Thanks to her and many others, he had been able to improve himself. He was also a man who knew how to give thanks. ¡°Vice-captain!¡± ¡°Eleanor noona!¡± At the moment the mood was growing odder and odder, the door of the store opened, and Eleanor entered. She was dressed in abat uniform like she was to be dispatched immediately and called Kang Shin-hyuk vice-captain like it was natural. She looked over at Lee Na-hee and shrugged as if she had heard her. ¡°I¡¯m the same as that.¡± ¡°Really...?¡± ¡°Huh? What? Oh, more than that!¡± [Mom!] ¡°Huh?!¡± Lee Na-hee¡¯s eyes went wide at the betrayal as the baby dragon flew out of her arms to be hugged by Eleanor. ¡°Dragon? Is it a monster?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin itter.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! Then!¡± Eleanor shouted as she petted the baby dragon, her face blushing. ¡°Dous Payne! He¡¯s giving up!¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°I heard that he came to apply for a marriage proposal, so I hurried in and beat him up...!¡± Eleanor took a striking posture that would be very painful to be hit by. She was rather excited. ¡°He gave up cleanly after being hit! So I told him to meet a good girl ande back!¡± ¡°...Eli, he had no choice but to give up, right?¡± It wasn¡¯t that he meant to give up Eli, but in session, right? However, since Eleanor smiled and didn¡¯t answer, Kang Shin-hyuk, bing a little scared, decided not to ask more. Next to him, Lee Na-hee¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why again?¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t think of it from the start as a real option. I knew he was such a guy, but I can¡¯t give him a chance.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Eli, save me.¡± ¡°Okay? ...I think it¡¯s somehow cooler.¡± Eleanor blushed. Kang Shin-hyuk, Lee Na-hee, and even Baek knew that she deliberately flubbed her speech now; it was no ident. But, they didn¡¯t hate it. ¡°Eli, I¡¯ve already done something about it, so take your time. This guy...¡± ¡°Oh, um. But I.¡± Unlike Lee Na-hee, Eleanor was much more adept at dealing with Kang Shin-hyuk. She picked up the baby dragon to cover her red face. ¡°I¡¯m just happy being able to like the vice-captain.¡± ¡°You, then what am I? let¡¯s end everything today!¡± ¡°Na-hee?!¡± Lee Na-hee kicked her chair and stood up. Kang Shin-hyuk, who had suffered for many years, knew that intervening here would make it moreplicated, so he quietly left the store with Baek. It was an artifact shop that Lee Na-hee had inherited from was neatly written on the new sign, proiming its presence. ¡°Shinyuk, but what¡¯s the little R next to it? Rachel?¡± ¡°Ignore it.¡± ¡°Master! You¡¯vee!¡± [Mom!] ¡°...Ignore it.¡± Chapter 343 - Extra Chapter 2 – Still the Earth Goes On (2)

Chapter 343 - Extra Chapter 2 ¨C Still the Earth Goes On (2)

It was an early summer afternoon with a clear sky in Hong Kong¡¯s famous A-rank continuous gate, Ice House Garden. Kang Shin-hyuk had been sitting down at a stand. ¡°Kaah!¡± [Heavy! Heavy!] The baby dragon was carrying his child and flying in the sky. In all actuality, he didn¡¯t have much power yet, so he was floating at the height of one meter rather than flying in the sky, but Ian was having fun. ¡°Higher, higher!¡± [Heavy! Pig! Can¡¯t fly anymore!] ¡°Ian¡¯s not a pig, nor is he heavy!¡± ¡°Hey, look over there.¡± ¡°What? Magic tool? Is that a monster?¡± ¡°It¡¯s with a child?¡± The kids were ying and making noise, so it was unavoidable the superhumans waiting to enter the gate noticed them. ¡°It¡¯s the guest zone.¡± ¡°Selling cocktails? Go into the dungeon with a cocktail that has a buff effect!¡± Vita, dressed as a waitress, shouted in a lively voice to pull the customers¡¯ attention to her. For reference, Kang Shin-hyuk wore a waiter¡¯s outfit as well. ¡°Uh, what? Isn¡¯t that Kang Shin-hyuk?¡± ¡°Puppeteer? Why is the Puppeteer at an A-rank gate? Ooh, there¡¯s the Alchemist too?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk and Vita were eye-catching, but today¡¯s main sight was the Bartender. People soon discovered ire¡¯s presence at the stand with a shaker. It was no exaggeration to say they were the hottest couple in the world, so interest in them gathered. ¡°What the hell is going on? Are you experimenting with potions?¡± ¡°I heard that the Alchemist opened a bar in Seoul before.¡± ¡°If you can drink a cocktail made by the Alchemist, I don¡¯t care! One ck Russian!¡± Before long, one of the braver superhumans approached and ordered a cocktail. However, Kang Shin-hyuk smiled and shook his head. ¡°If we were thinking of selling regr cocktails, we wouldn¡¯t do business here. What we¡¯re selling here is a cocktail specifically tailored to the nature of the gate you¡¯re going into.¡± ¡°It fits the gate...?¡± ¡°Yes. The cocktail name is... Honey, what did you say?¡± He already knew, but it was on purpose. Today, ire, who maintained the silent concept, shook the shaker politely and poured a fiery blue liquid into the ss before speaking. ¡°The Frozen Heart. $50,000 per cup.¡± ¡°Have you heard?¡± ¡°50,000?! No, but okay!¡± $50,000 for a cocktail was a scam that wasn¡¯t worth thinking about. Most of all, the man and the other superhumans who flocked to this neighborhood were trying to enter an A-rank dungeon so they could pay the price without difficulty. ¡°Oh, what is this? Drinking it is very strange... Is this fire? Should I drink it?¡± ¡°Just drink up.¡± The man who paid the 50,000 dors coolly took a quick sip of the blue med cocktail. Immediately after, a message window appeared before his eyes to inform him of the change of condition. ¡°No, what is this... is it true? Then... hey! Everyonee here!¡± He immediately yelled for his party members.¡± ¡°Come and drink one! Come quick!¡± ¡°No, I hate alcohol...¡± ¡°Shut up and drink!¡± The man immediately paid $250,000 for his party members and ordered five more. ire skillfully prepared five servings of the cocktail, as if it were expected. Again, today¡¯s ire went for the silent concept, so Vita handed over the cocktails to their guests with a smile. ¡°Ooh, thank you.¡± ¡°Can I really drink this?¡± ¡°It was made by the Alchemist, so you have to drink it even if it¡¯s poison.¡± The man¡¯s party members drank them at once, and then a simr appearance was repeated. Barely freed from the hectic flood of messages, they bowed their heads to ire and ran toward the gate. Vita opened her mouth as she watched them run as if they were on fire. ¡°Itsts for eight hours, so they don¡¯t need to rush like that.¡± ¡°Because this gate is a ce they can hunt for a few days inside, I guess they want all they can get.¡± The Ice House Garden was an area with monsters and traps that used extreme cold. The Frozen Heart, developed by ire, gave high resistance to cold temperatures for a certain period of time and even increased attack and defense power in cold regions. Those who drank it were probably 1.5 times stronger when they were in the Ice Garden. ¡°What, why are they doing that?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Did they change after drinking that? It looks like it¡¯s not an ordinary potion.¡± ¡°If it were, it wouldn¡¯t hurt... Huh?¡¯ ¡°Custom-made?¡± The superhumans, realizing what had happened, ran to the stand. Surprised by the crowd rushing forward, the baby dragon pped his wings and quickly moved back. ¡°Give me one drink!¡± ¡°Everyone in the party, so eight people, 400,000 dors, right?¡± However, despite the numerous requests, ire held her index finger up. ¡°$100,000 per cup.¡± ¡°Yes? Previously, those people paid 50,000 per cup...¡± ¡°Eight sses cost 800,000 dors! Here you go!¡± Next to the man who dumbly questioned the price jumping up, another superhuman quickly grasped the situation and handed over his card. Kang Shin-hyuk took it quickly, and ire made eight cocktails. ¡°Hey, how is this...!¡± ¡°Quick, let¡¯s get in!¡± Those who drank the cocktail showed a more intense reaction than the previous party and threw themselves into the gate. ¡°What the hell? 100,000 is okay, so give me a drink!¡± ¡°$150,000 per cup.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I knew it...¡± The price went up to $300,000. There was no way that the superhumans would be concerned over the price, and since the ingredients were limited, this method was a way to avoid overcrowding. Despite the ever-increasing price, the superhumans didn¡¯t back down and plunged into the gate all the more desperate for the money they spent. ¡°Whoo, business is over.¡± ¡°Oh, now your voice is back.¡± ¡°It was fun!¡± ire, who lived and died by her aesthetic, seemed to be truly satisfied with business today. Kang Shin-hyuk held Ian over to her, who was sleeping in his arms. ¡°Oh, how cute. Who are you like to be so cute?¡± ¡°He was running around all day, but he¡¯s tired of ying with Heimdall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a dragon. Did you really name it Heimdall?¡± Heimdall was the name of the god who killed Loki and died in Ragnar?k. The intention that Kang Shin-hyuk had in giving the dragon that name was clear. However, he replied brazenly even to ire¡¯s gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong. Heimdall is the chief of the Bifrost and the god of light. How good is it for this shining dragon?¡± ¡°Hey, I know the Korean proverb, Blindfolded Aung.¡± [Mom!] Heimdall rushed to ire, jealous of seeing Ian be hugged. Instead of ire, Vita picked him up and hugged him. ¡°By the way, is it okay to show the existence of a dragon like this, dad?¡± ¡°Now, only ire is called mom.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem...¡± The baby dragon pped his wings in Vita¡¯s arms. [Sister!] ¡°Look, his education is perfect.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s fine to call me mother too.¡± Heimdall, who had been educated by Kang Shin-hyuk and cured of his habits, trembled. [...Mom?] ¡°Yes. Well done.¡± [Mom!] Oh, it was dark. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed as he felt as if he needed to re-educate Heimdall again. ¡°Anyway, we don¡¯t have any active duty anymore, and people won¡¯t pay much attention. Besides, Onyx¡¯s existence is way more different.¡± ¡°Then dad,ing out like this today and having a cocktail stand...?¡± ¡°Business trip! It¡¯s a business trip to the Frontline Bar!¡± ire, unable to tolerate the name stand, shouted. Kang Shin-hyukughed and nodded. ¡°Yes, a business trip at the Frontline Bar. It was a performance that we held to show even if we don¡¯t do full-scale activities; we can help superhumans in each country this way. The superhumans will see the virtue of it, and people will realize we can¡¯t be swayed.¡± ¡°You mean, they just have to take advantage of the benefits but not expect anything else?¡± ¡°Eunah has already pulled away from the association. Instead, it seemed she started something else...¡± ¡°School.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk responded as he used the stand¡¯s equipment to make simple cocktails for all three of them. ¡°School? Shinyoung was doing well at educating neers, right?¡± ¡°Shinyoung starts as a high school. What Eunah is thinking is a facility like a gifted education center.¡± ¡°Ah, a gifted education center.¡± Shin Eunah¡¯s childhood might have influenced the nning. ire felt a bit sad that Eunah hadn¡¯t consulted her as she listened to Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°It¡¯s true that some of Earth¡¯s gate conditions have stabilized as Shinyoung has increased, but in the end, the world order was reorganized around Shinyoung. Eunah seems to have decided to resolve that imbnce.¡± ¡°What, she¡¯s just hiding behind her husband.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Shin Eunah was angry at Janus, Jormungand, and all the humans who had frustrated her... -1 million HP bonus from the administrator admiring dad¡¯s heart! ¡®No way, you mean my conscience, right?¡¯ Yes, he had to admit it. Shin Eunah was more obsessed with Earth than himself and was trying to normalize it on his behalf, who easily let go of his feelings of belonging when he became transcendent. ¡°The Gifted Education Center... I think it¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use that name.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to evolve and make a cocktail with me?¡± Kang Shin-hyuk shook the shaker as he spoke. After making a share for all three of them, he put it down. ¡°One more drink, please.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Not Heimdall¡¯s voice, but the clear voice of a girl. Looking back, there was Shin Eunah with Sia in her arms. ¡°How did you know toe here? I didn¡¯t even feel your power searching.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on SNS. Honey, make it fast.¡± Shin Eunahughed at his question and hurried to him. Kang Shin-hyuk smiled faintly, recalling memories of something simr a few years ago. ¡°Dad, I want to drink too...!¡± ¡°Eunah, she¡¯s holding on tightly.¡± ¡°ire, you didn¡¯t give Sia a cocktail, right?¡± ¡°Non-alcoholic is okay?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk prepared a cocktail for Eunah and decided to ask Siater what cocktail she had before. It was a Virgin Pina Cda, thankfully enough. Chapter 344 - Extra Chapter 2 – Still the Earth Goes On (3)

Chapter 344 - Extra Chapter 2 ¨C Still the Earth Goes On (3)

After Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s wedding and Baek In-ha¡¯s qualification, it took another ten years until a new top-level member of the Hero Universe (pre-catastrophe membership) appeared on Earth. Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s influence could be seen when several top members had appeared from earth, but it was Oh Hye-na, Baek In-ha¡¯s wife, who became newly qualified after ten years. Interestingly, a new qualification emerged on earth at that moment, which was the ability to invite other top-level members of the Hero Universe to earth. Originally, VIP members were able to visit other worlds on a limited basis through the My Room function, but the world¡¯s stability had improved as many top-notch members were created, so now even other top-notch members could visit. In fact, it was a function Kang Shin-hyuk added, but the administrator added conditions on top of it. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s a world that has developed in a very strange MANNER.¡± [There are so many people. Ufortable. Don¡¯t they know how to be polite?] ¡°I think it¡¯s because you look unusual?¡± [Is it that I¡¯m ugly?] ¡°No.¡± So, two of his friends came to visit as soon as earth opened, namely Milia and Kwati. The two people, who could be said to be absolutes of different worlds because of the attention they attracted, arrived. ¡°Kwati, you look so different from earthlings, and news of your visit has spread so much.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk, who was acting as a guide for his friends today, sighed and regretted that he pretended not to know. The rumors had spread with tremendous speed from the VIP to the introductory bulletin board, all discussing the same topic. As soon as it became known that members of other worlds could visit earth, the members were very noisy, saying they would go. The mess even brought the administrator into it. Of course, Anvil was being discussed, and there were even rumors saying that his wives couldn¡¯t be counted on your hands. The two people chosen after an endlessly annoying selection process were these two looking at the city of Seoul like it was a wonder. Even now, he wondered if it was luck that those two were chosen. Maybe if the word fox was included in their ID, the probability would have increased? -Cheh, I hate these two¡­ No. Given the honest reaction of the administrator, that didn¡¯t seem to be it. -Dad must be upright. It¡¯s been over ten years since these two aimed for you! ¡®I hope you don¡¯t think everyone has such a militant and savage rtionship.¡¯ Both of them were special friends to him, as they had shared a time when they were all weak. Most of all, they were there to defeat Gaia even though they weren¡¯t VIP members. ¡°Let¡¯s move on. We¡¯ll tour the famous tourist destinations in this world.¡± ¡°Well? No, I don¡¯t really need to see anything like that. I want to see Anvil¡¯s house.¡± [It would be nice to see where you spent your childhood.] ¡°School? I heard you were in such a ce before.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk apologized to the administrator, seeing as the two quickly started surveying his family. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, administrator. You were right.¡¯ -At least you¡¯ve admitted it, so a 2 million HP bonus! Now that their purpose is clear, your guard must be firmly raised. He wondered in that sense if his guard had been lowered when he invited these two to earth. Kang Shin-hyuk guided the visitors to where they wanted to go without showing off. He decided to start with the Starlight Orphanage, his elementary school, and then the Shinyoung guild HQ, leaving home forst. The two caught the attention of people everywhere and were talking to each other without a worry. ¡°It¡¯s a statue of Anvil!¡± [You¡¯re holding a sword. Huh? It¡¯s different from the sword I knew.] ¡°Ah, there are statues of me everywhere in our world too. After surrendering the throne to Zeke and resigning, I try not to affect the world as much as possible, but my ability isn¡¯t so easily hidden¡­¡± [Anvil, what is that? It looks like a thin and long cylinder.] ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Kang Shin-hyuk¡¯s guests were being filmed live to broadcast in more than ten countries. The two¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t only a meaningful event for themselves, but also for Earth. ¡°Kang Shin-hyuk, wait for a second! I¡¯m from the KOS broadcasting station! Can I have a brief interview with the two aliens who found earth?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Kang Shin-hyuk arrived at his house with the two while rebuking the ruthless reporters who tried to follow behind swiftly. Jongno-gu, Seoul¡­it was arge mansion donated by the government in that area. The mansion had dignity and authority that none other could easily see, and it had been granted to them in exchange for a secret agreement to protect the Korean government. ¡°Oh, more splendid than the pce built in our country¡¯s heyday¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± There was a person waiting for him at the gate, Tsukuyo. ¡°You came back with your friends, Anvil.¡± The image of Tsukuyo weing him back home was very old-fashioned. Kang Shin-hyuk sighed when he realized Tsukuyo hade out with the intent of meeting the two guests. ¡°I decided to invite them anyway, but this pretense.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± [Well?!] Milia and Kwati¡¯s expressions distorted as they noticed Tsukuyo. ¡°Tsukuyo? Why is this woman here, Anvil?¡± [Okay. Were not only the two of us invited this time?] One of those questions felt extremely cold, and the other was vividly hot. Maybe they already guessed the answer, but they didn¡¯t dare confirm it with Kang Shin-hyuk. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you meant. I have been staying with Anvil since the day he came back. It¡¯s been twelve years.¡± And Tsukuyo, whose purpose was to provoke them from the start, didn¡¯t miss the chance to make the worst remark she could! ¡°What?!¡± [Nonsense!] The response was intense anger that seemed to be able to freeze and burn the whole world simultaneously. ¡°How much HP did I use to get a ticket?!¡± [How much did I have to sell pure ore to take this opportunity¡­!] ¡°Now I know how hard you worked toe to earth. And Kwati, is your world okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why if you don¡¯t have the ability, you¡¯ll have a lot of trouble. You don¡¯t have the ability or qualifications, so isn¡¯t that much to meet Anvil a given?¡± Tsukuyo didn¡¯t retreat. In the blink of an eye, Milia and Kwati, who looked defeated, looked at him. ¡°No, even if you look at me with those eyes, there¡¯s nothing that can be done. Tsukuyo and Ena¡­ Shu had good timing, so the administrator was forced to back down.¡± ¡°Shu? Are you talking about Super Ultra Gxy Fist?!¡± [Do you mean she¡¯s also on earth?!} ¡°Huh? Did you call?¡± Orchiena popped out of the house with that. She had be an attractive adult woman who looked like she had just turned twenty. ¡°Ah, Fireball! Also, Water Fox is here!¡± However, her behavior and tone were still the same, which waspounded by her outfit. She wore a party cone on her head, with a basket of sweets in one hand and a sword with light rising out of it in the other. In other words, she was holding a beam saber. [You¡­ you! You kept hiding so far¡­ no, that sword more than that!] Still, Kwati, who believed (all alone) that she was building a pretty goodpanionship with Orchiena, felt a sense of betrayal. She then noticed the sword in her hand was the same as the one in the statue of Kang Shin-hyuk they saw earlier. ¡°Huh? Did you find out the value of this sword too? Do you want it?¡± [I feel the power of strong fire and light¡­! But how do you do it without the talent of fire and light?!] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Kwati, who used fire, had good focus. Kang Shin-hyuk couldn¡¯t prevent his mouth from slipping. ¡°I struggled quite a bit in making a sword of light that anyone could use¡­¡± ¡°Mom, why did you suddenly go? Dad!¡± It was then a young child who must¡¯ve followed Orchiena found Kang Shin-hyuk, and ran to him. ¡°Dad!¡± Her arms were decorated with bracelets of hair simr to Orchiena. Her name was Takiena, a beautiful girl turning seven this year. Among the children of Kang Shin-hyuk, all who had excellent potential, she was the one with the most dangerous abilities when it came to power she could exert right away. Fortunately, the risk was rtively low because she was obsessed with the beam sword over using her own abilities these days. ¡°Hey, I said it was dangerous to run around with a sword.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay; no one was hurt!¡± ¡°¡­¡± [¡­] That was enough for the two to grasp the situation. ¡°Anvil¡­¡± Milia¡¯s expression changed dramatically. From the empress whomanded an entire world, she quickly looked like a grad student who identally inserted a screenshot from an AV into her thesis. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in doubt, believing I could be your second wife if not the first¡­¡± [Second, I can¡¯t agree with that.] ¡°What?! I gave my first kiss to Anvil when I was a girl¡­!¡± ¡°Please wait, my friends. I can¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s dad!¡± ¡°Dad?!¡± It wasn¡¯t only Takiena that jumped out. More little ones, each holding a sword of light, popped out to embrace him and his friends. ¡°Guys, these are Dad¡¯s guests. Say hello.¡± The worst fox ever cast the final blow. ¡°Ah, hello!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Auntie!¡± ¡°Hello, Auntie!¡± The children bowed their heads at once. A girl resembling Tsukuyo, a boy resembling ire, a girl resembling Shin Eunah, a girl resembling Eleanor, and a boy resembling Lee Na-hee¡­ ¡°Auntie!¡± Milia screamed. ¡°Now! I don¡¯t want to be an auntie! I¡¯m here! I!¡± [Whoo, whoo¡­ it¡¯s a really amazing surprise party.] ¡°Milia, Kwati¡­? Quite a few years have passed. Calm down, and let¡¯s talk¡­¡± ¡°Time?! Stand up!¡± [Whoo, whooo¡­.?!] On that day, two new VIP members were created in the Hero Universe. Kang Shin-hyuk clearly witnessed with his eyes that the theory that people became stronger as they grew angrier was true, and decided to research it¡­ That was, if he could survive the wrath of two VIP members. Complete. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!