《Trapped in a Webnovel as a Good-For-Nothing》 CH 1 Five minutes before Choi Yu Seong broke the Barrier. Kim Do Jin, whose body was covered with wounds while continuing the battle against Ghost, suddenly thought. ¡®Choi Yu Seong¡­ Did he run away?¡¯ When Choi Yu Seong suddenly started running somewhere while he continued the fight, he thought there would be a plan. Kim Do Jin¡¯s Skill, Sixth Sense, which maximizes intuition said so. So, there was nothing to doubt. But he doesn¡¯t come back after quite a long time. ¡®I was wondering what he was up to.¡¯ The frowning Kim Do Jin pointed his sword to the ground and stopped in place. A short silence flowed then a voice that seemed to resonate from somewhere was heard. ¡°Have you finally given up?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that you couldn¡¯t speak. Is it a Voice Amplification Skill? Kim Do Jin smiled strangely as he heard a voice spreading out of nowhere. It is a Skill that is not used often because it is not very useful for ordinary Hunters, but it is different for Ghost, whose main ability is stealth. Considering that it is also an ability to select Skills that suit one¡¯s aptitude, Ghost was definitely a fairly skilled Hunter. ¡°I just thought there was no need to say it out loud. Because my mission is to convince you. I just waited for you to get tired first.¡± ¡°Convince?¡± ¡°Godfather of the Organization wants you. Kim Do Jin. Come with us.¡± ¡°Organization, huh. So, it must be quite big.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details¡­ But, it can be said that it is possible to overthrow a small country like this.¡± At Ghost¡¯s words, Kim Do Jin¡¯s eyes lit up with a faint light. ¡®It¡¯s at the level that can overturn Korea?¡¯ It¡¯s just so so because surrounding countries are so powerful geographically, but Korea is one of the Top Ten Awakener powers when viewed globally. Many predicted that Korea would be in the top five in the next few years as there are a lot of talented Hunters and cream of the crop rookies. From the viewpoint of Kim Do Jin, who is directly among the rookies, of course, he thought Korea would soon become the best. Anyway, Korea has a formidable power right now. However, one organization just quite lightly spat out about overthrowing such a country. ¡®It means that there are a lot of people who are fighting with me right now.¡¯ Kim Do Jin, who had guessed the size of the organization with a few words of conversation, had a fishy sneer on his lips. There was no particular reason. He just got a little angry all of a sudden. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t lost my strength when returning, I wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about these trivial things.¡¯ And this painstakingly planned revenge would have been much easier. However, of all things, most of the power he had was scattered in the process of crossing the dimension from the Aliod Continent. The extremely trained body returned to the normal body while he was on Earth and the gentle yet heavy accumulated mana disappeared without leaving a single trace. The emptiness and frustration when he first realized that were indescribable, but he felt at ease thinking that was the price for returning afterward. He was also excited to think that he could be stronger when he gained new abilities following awakening. However, he couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed when a time like this came. ¡°Kim Do Jin, I knew your skills well. It¡¯s definitely incredible. I know I won¡¯t be your match in about a year. That¡¯s why Godfather himself nominated you. But, just give up. You can never get out of here.¡± ¡°Why do you decide that?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t decided by me. I¡¯m just saying the obvious outcome.¡± Ghost felt both admiration and astonishment in the fight with a severe difference in Rank as well as Level against Kim Do Jin, who was only at the beginning of the C-Rank. A sense of crisis that he might lose to Kim Do Jin. He had never felt this way toward a Hunter with a lower Rank than himself since he gained dark mana from joining Demon King Worshipper that allowed him to maintain invisibility almost indefinitely. But still, it couldn¡¯t be like that. ¡®The moment that monster comes out, Kim Do Jin dies.¡¯ Ghost trembled without realizing it when he recalled Slaughterer Queen Rachel, who was like a demon with a beautiful appearance and distinct crazy personality. Perhaps Kim Do Jin could grow into existence no less than her. But that¡¯s the story when he survived. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Come to our organization. With that alone, you can have an entirely different level of power than you do now.¡± ¡°A different level of power?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ghost closed his mouth tightly. If he led the story further, he would give too much information. He was not such an idiot that he couldn¡¯t even think of that. ¡°There are very few ways to strengthen power other than Rank-Up and Level-Up¡­ I see. You guys were Demon King Worshipers.¡± The problem was that Kim Do Jin was a person excellent enough to see through the situation with that brief clue. Ghost was startled but did not give any answer. There was no reason to show agitation here. ¡°I understand. Demon King Worshiper, not bad. It would be easy to regain strength there. Good. I¡¯ll accept the offer. But, there is something I also want.¡± Tilting his head at the vague word of regaining strength, Ghost opened his mouth. ¡°What do you want? Money, beauty, authority, we have a lot of things. Maybe you can achieve most of what you want.¡± Ghost was confident. Whatever desires Kim Do Jin has, the organization called Demon King Worshiper can satisfy them all. Mission accomplished. A smile crept to his lips without realizing it. However, Kim Do Jin¡¯s following words were really unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m the leader¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I mean, when I enter the organization, all Demon King worshipers must follow this body.¡± Ghost¡¯s brain stopped for a moment. ¡®What nonsense did I just hear?¡¯ He had never heard of such a proposal while convincing numerous Hunters. ¡°Oh, for your information, the Demon King must also be under this body¡¯s feet. So, the name of the organization should be changed.¡± A dejected laugh escaped from the red-faced Ghost¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hoho, hohoho.¡± He felt a bit more understood now. ¡°How dare you play with me? The sin of insulting the Godfather and the Demon King can only be repaid by death.¡± Anger soared to the top of his head. Now Ghost erased the command from his head. ¡®This kind of guy is only harmful to the Godfather.¡¯ He will be somewhat reprimanded, but he decided not to mind. First of all, he would beat him until neither die nor live and make him beg for his wrongdoings under his feet. After that, he will decapitate the weeping Kim Do Jin with a snort and throw him away. Otherwise, his anger would not go away. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. I¡¯m serious though.¡± Kim Do Jin tilted his head. Instead of answering, Ghost approached Kim Do Jin¡¯s side and swung his toes. Kim Do Jin, who avoided it by tilting his neck, laughed. ¡°It seems you¡¯re not very pleased with my proposal.¡± ¡°From now on, I will do my best to kill you. Don¡¯t expect me to give you some slack as before.¡± Ghost followed Kim Do Jin and kicked him frantically. Subsequently, he aimed for Kim Do Jin¡¯s neck or heart using a throwing tanto, which he had never taken out for some contingency in his hand. Ghost¡¯s Specialization Skill, Invisibility, is to make everything that directly touches his body invisible. Therefore, the thrown dagger was bound to be exposed, but the direction of the attack became much more diverse instead. Kim Do Jin will not be able to hold out for a long time as his attacks will be several times more colorful than before. In fact, Kim Do Jin¡¯s wounds increased rapidly. Nevertheless, fatal injuries are still avoided. The movement did not become any faster. Rather it felt like he was gradually adapting to Ghost¡¯s attacks even though he was slowing down a bit. And in the meantime, the occasional counterattacks are still sharp. Barely escaping a crisis that almost cut his front by stepping back, Ghost clenched his teeth. ¡°This guy¡­!¡± ¡°Who gave slack to whom? You¡¯re very mistaken.¡± Kim Do Jin snorted while listening to that voice. Then, he raised the sword and cut his left wrist long. At the sight of a handful of blood gushing out, Ghost felt puzzled. ¡®Self-harm?¡¯ He doesn¡¯t seem like a person who does something like that, so why? The question was for a moment. ¡°What are you doing. Coward. Don¡¯t have the courage to fight now?¡± At the ensuing provocation of Kim Do Jin, Ghost rushed forward in anger. With a cool smile, Kim Do Jin received the following Ghost¡¯s attacks with his bare body in his place. Kim Do Jin, who did not flinch at all even in the burning sensation that extends from the upper left chest to the shoulder blade, swung his left arm wide. ¡®Blood? No way¡­¡¯ Ghost came to his senses as he saw the blood splattered all over the place in front of him. ¡°If I do this, I can see it clearly.¡± Kim Do Jin speaks coolly. The blood he sprayed was all over Ghost¡¯s face and over the clothes he was wearing. As mentioned, Ghost¡¯s Invisibility makes everything that directly touches his body invisible. But what if the blood is splattered over the already invisible clothes? Got tricked. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Just take off the clothes!¡¯ Unfortunately, Kim Do Jin had no intention of waiting anymore. Toward the bewildered Ghost, Kim Do Jin now swung the sword accurately. Ghost twisted his body to take his foot off his shoulder, but this time he couldn¡¯t completely avoid Kim Do Jin¡¯s sword attack. ¡°Keaargh-!¡± The screaming Ghost realized that the sensation on one of his legs below the waist had completely disappeared. ¡°My, my leg, my leg! Aaargh!¡± Flair-type users are bound to have poor physical protection abilities. In the case of Ghost, who slaughtered the weak through Invisibility, it was even worse. Kim Do Jin pulled the heavily stuck dagger in his shoulder and slowly walked toward the screaming Ghost. He still maintained Invisibility, but his bloody hem clearly exposed his position. The option of taking off clothes has already been erased from his mind. Death is coming. That fact made Ghost¡¯s mind go blank. ¡°Do, don¡¯t come! Don¡¯t come here!¡± Ghost, who retreated slowly using his butt, shouted with full desire to just live. Kim Do Jin ignored him and slowly approached with the face of the Death God and raised his sword. He then said with an indifferent look. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you know this one thing. It wasn¡¯t you who gave me slack, but I just waited because I was curious about what Choi Yu Seong would do.¡± Is he saying that the pride issue is important in this situation? ¡°Un, understood. Admit. I admit it. I lost and you wo¡­!¡± Ghost nodded like crazy and said with desperate eyes, but his figure was not seen by Kim Do Jin. And even if it was seen, the results would not have been different. The sword swung in a beautiful trajectory in the empty space. The head of Ghost, who had been praying with both hands together and eyes wide open, fell to the floor. CH 2 Ghost¡¯s body, which Invisibility has been lifted after death, collapsed vainly to the floor. When Kim Do Jin, who looked at it with indifferent eyes, snorted. Crakakack-! With the sound of glass cracking, the quiet surroundings began to become noisy. It was an unexpected situation, but Kim Do Jin, who looked around, quickly guessed how this situation happened and drew a smile on his lips. ¡®¡­So, you didn¡¯t run away. Choi Yu Seong.¡¯ Kim Do Jin didn¡¯t know what he did, but it was clear that Choi Yu Seong solved a problem he was unaware of. ¡®As expected, you don¡¯t disappoint me.¡¯ The more he thinks about it, the more he likes him. As time goes by, his desire to more and more own things that he coveted is getting stronger. ¡®The problem is that he¡¯s a more blessed guy than he looks, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy.¡¯ In Kim Do Jin¡¯s burning eyes, he could see figures crossing the night sky through the broken cracks. None of them came to find Kim Do Jin. Because he didn¡¯t have any colleagues yet. In other words, it means that all of them who have appeared now are Choi Yu Seong¡¯s people. There are already quite a few competitors. ¡®It¡¯s hard.¡¯ Kim Do Jin had to meddle between them and win Choi Yu Seong¡¯s complex heart. Even Kim Do Jin is planning to kill Choi Yu Seong¡¯s father, Choi Wu Jae. There were too many obstacles in any way. Still, he thought it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡®Because I already want him.¡¯ Kim Do Jin has strong self-esteem and a greedy personality which will be satisfied only when he wins what he has decided to have by any means. It is no exaggeration to say that thanks to that, he survived on the Aliod Continent and was even able to defeat that world¡¯s Demon King. ¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Treasure that is originally difficult to obtain is more attractive. Kim Do Jin¡¯s eyes were filled with longing. *** It is a green meadow. A rabbit runs on it. No, a strange human wearing a rabbit mask is running around. Choi Yu Seong had no choice but to wonder about the very bizarre sight. ¡®What is that?¡¯ The question is just for a moment, the rabbit mask that flew like skipping stands right in front of Choi Yu Seong. Then it lifted a blood-dripping claymore and said. ¡°Die.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The moment Choi Yu Seong answered. A huge claymore fell over his head and Choi Yu Seong screamed out in fear. ¡°Aargh-!¡± Choi Yu Seong, who opened his eyes wide, shook his head while waving his arms in the air. Jin Do Yun, who was watching it from the side, asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Did you even have a nightmare?¡± Jin Yu Ri, who was on the other side, quickly brought a wet towel and wiped Choi Yu Seong¡¯s sweaty forehead. It was only then that Choi Yu Seong realized that the bizarre and terrible progress was a dream and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Oh well, a mysterious human wearing a rabbit mask and wielding a claymore? How can someone like that exi¡­¡¯ There is. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes widened as he recalled the rabbit mask he last saw before losing consciousness. ¡°Oh my gosh. Choi Mi Na.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± At the suddenly mentioned dangerous name, both Jin siblings looked at Choi Yu Seong at the same time and asked. ¡®Come to think of it, these two don¡¯t know about it.¡¯ Choi Mi Na wearing a rabbit mask and working in the Martial Guard Corps is a top-secret that very few people know about it. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong was raising a topic from the two¡¯s viewpoint as he suddenly brought up the name of Choi Mi Na who is the group¡¯s most mysterious person. ¡°No, nothing. It¡¯s just that Mi Na noonim came out in my dream.¡± As always, half of the lies must be true. ¡°Why is it the Second Lady suddenly?¡± Jin Yu Ri asked with a suspicious gaze. ¡°Huh. Seriously. Anyway, what happened? I¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong¡¯s gaze headed first to his right foot with a splint which was raised on the bed. As he looked at it, he felt the pain again. ¡°It broke neatly, fortunately, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to put it back again. The same goes for other injuries. The most severe thing was bleeding¡­ But since you opened your eyes safely, it should be okay.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Come to think of it, bandages were wrapped around his shoulders and all over his body. It would be accurate to say that there is no place where the limbs are uninjured. Choi Yu Seong let out a bitter smile inwardly. Even thinking about it again, surviving that situation itself was really the realm of luck. ¡®Because I met that Slaughterer Queen¡­¡¯ She was even caught in a certain madness and tried to kill Choi Yu Seong at the end. It would have been kidnapping and murdering exactly, but he escaped that crisis anyway. A sigh of relief came out. ¡°So, I¡¯m alive.¡± When he thought of the crisis at that time, he now can greatly feel the reality. That was a moment of a very great danger that was incomparable to before. ¡°It¡¯s because the opponent was Demon King Worshipers who even had Barrier Scroll. Even that¡­ Slaughterer Queen.¡± As if Jin Yu Ri understood, she bit her lower lip and nodded. ¡°I also did not help much this time either.¡± On the other hand, Jin Do Yun looked so upset while clenching his fists. Although she didn¡¯t express it, perhaps Jin Yu Ri also felt miserable. Choi Yu Seong smiled and shook his head at the two. ¡°It¡¯s not the fault of you both. Whether the Demon King Worshiper or the Barrier Scroll are too big variables.¡± Considering the order of the novel progression in the first place, it was not a crisis of the degree that would already appear. This is because The Master Who Return To Modern Times is close to a screwed-up genre where the OP main character acts coolly, so things that cannot be handled do not come quickly. However, this world that became Choi Yu Seong¡¯s reality was different. If so, then what to do? ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself too much. I survived anyway. And this kind of thing is really rare. Let¡¯s just assume that I was unluckily struck by lightning while walking on the street. Haha.¡± Choi Yu Seong smiled as brightly as possible and comforted the two. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Barrier Master that we can hire through Jenny. Because we don¡¯t want the same thing to happen again after this incident.¡± Said Jin Yu Ri. It won¡¯t be easy. As mentioned, there are only around 10 Barrier Masters even when searching all over the world and they do not reveal their identities externally. This is because there are so many people who want to secure them as their abilities are quite useful. Of course, Choi Yu Seong, a complete reader of the original novel, knew one of those Barrier Masters. And he was already moving to hire him in preparation for a time like this. ¡®Yoo Jin Hyuk.¡¯ Jin Yu Ri had no idea that the person she was looking for at the request of Choi Yu Seong was that valuable Barrier Master. Of course, Choi Yu Seong could not say that we were already looking for the Barrier Master. If it¡¯s like that, he will surpass the level of foresight and become a complete prophet. It was best for Choi Yu Seong currently to soothe her appropriately because he was not confident in handling that aftermath. ¡°Don¡¯t rush too much. They¡¯re not easy people to find and they¡¯ll show up when the time comes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jin Yu Ri smiled instead of answering. Just saying it, but she wouldn¡¯t back down easily as she was that stubborn. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong also chose to change the topic of conversation in a different direction rather than persuading more. ¡°So, can you tell me the situation in detail?¡± Choi Yu Seong¡¯s gaze turned to the still gloomy Jin Do Yun. ¡°A person named Myo from the Martial Guard Corps gave me Young Master to protect. He said that he couldn¡¯t relax because the opponent was the Slaughterer Queen¡­¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I ran straight to the hospital to save Young Master.¡± Jin Do Yun made a troubled expression. So it meant that he didn¡¯t know anything about the situation at the time. Perhaps he was distracted by the thought that Choi Yu Seong was in an emergency. ¡°Thanks, I survived thanks to you.¡± In any case, there may be a problem somewhere in the body if the treatment is delayed. Fortunately, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s condition seems to have no problem as long as he recovers well. That alone showed how reasonable Jin Do Yun¡¯s action was. ¡°I was not there, but I will tell Young Master in summary. First of all, it¡¯s been a half month when Young Master woke up.¡± ¡°What¡­? So, what¡¯s the date today?¡± ¡°To be exact it is January 3rd, 2030.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡± That meant Choi Yu Seong was no longer 20 years old. He also blew away Christmas, the biggest event at the end of the year, in vain. In fact, none of these were very important. ¡®My goal was to achieve D-Rank before I turned 21!¡¯ When he woke up, he automatically grew older as the new year came.1 Unlike Levels and Ranks that stagnate if you don¡¯t try on your own, age has an unreasonable summation rule that goes up on its own over time. ¡°And a lot of Martial Guards were dispatched to the scene beside Myo, who saved Young Master. According to the news, it was such a mess. Several buildings were destroyed and there were quite a few injuries. There are still many people hospitalized in this hospital because of the incident at the time.¡± Fortunately, there were no casualties thanks to the quick action of Hunters from the Awakener Association who were stationed at the scene and Martial Guardian Corps dispatched on time. ¡®Should it be said as expected of Slaughterer Queen.¡¯ No matter how strong Choi Mi Na was, Rachel was too strong to conclude the fight 1:1. A situation where problems inevitably occurred after fighting for quite a long time. The most important things here were two things. ¡°As a result, Slaughterer Queen ran away. No matter how strong she was, she couldn¡¯t handle three Martial Guards alone.¡± ¡°Who was dispatched with Myo?¡± ¡°I heard they were In(Òú) and Hae(º¥).¡± ¡°Tiger and pig huh¡­¡± Rachel was missed despite the dispatch of In, who is in the top 5 in terms of force alone among Martial Guard Corps¡¯ Twelve Zodiac, and Hae, who even has a lot of miscellaneous abilities though his force is somewhat lacking , besides Myo. Likewise, Rachel was first thought of as a monster. ¡°Although they are still tracking her, it¡¯s said there¡¯s a high possibility that she has already left the country. It¡¯ll probably be hard to move for a while. Thanks to the discovery that the S-Rank Hunter, Slaughterer Queen, belongs to Demon King Worshiper, the World Awakening Association has designated her as a Disturbance grade Villain.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± With Jin Yu Ri¡¯s explanation, Choi Yu Seong realized that Rachel had not yet been designated as a Villain until just before this point. This incident transformed her from a dangerous person with some experience as a war mercenary into a Villain at once. It was originally scheduled to happen, but it can be said that the time has been moved forward somewhat. ¡®By the way, Disturbance grade¡­ Is it just below the Catastrophe?¡¯ Among Villains, especially powerful and dangerous beings are graded separately to increase the risk and focus on pursuing them. And up to this point, the maximum realm that human Villains can reach, rather than the powerful beings from another world like demons, is the Disturbance grade. Of course, this common sense will soon be broken. What is important is that Slaughter Queen Rachel has acquired the worst danger for Villains at the moment, which has caused considerable restrictions on her movement. ¡®Fortunately, I don¡¯t have to worry about her for a while.¡¯ CH 3 Considering Rachel¡¯s madness at the last moment, it was not strange if she suddenly appeared in front of Choi Yu Seong a second later. However, it seemed that the power of the World Awakener Association was so formidable that even after running away, she had not appeared until 15 days passed. ¡®Well, that¡¯s why even Demon King Worshiper can¡¯t come out under the sun recklessly.¡¯ It¡¯s a fortunate situation. Now Choi Yu Seong asked the most curious question personally. ¡°What happened to Kim Do Jin?¡± In fact, as he was the main character with so many cheating abilities, Choi Yu Seong didn¡¯t think he would have died unless he was very unlucky. Because even his opponent was not the Slaughterer Queen like Choi Yu Seong. ¡°He was also hospitalized with injuries.¡± ¡°Injury? Is it serious?¡± When Choi Yu Seong asked a serious question, Jin Yu Ri¡¯s expression slightly hardened. ¡°Yu Seong oppa. Personally, I¡¯m very anxious about the relationship between you both that is getting closer.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You know, but why¡­¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s necessary.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who answered briefly, looked at Jin Yu Ri. ¡°What is it that you are hiding?¡± ¡°I can explain that even tomorrow.¡± By meeting Choi Ji Ho, he has already heard of his future. He will be able to tell Jin Yu Ri a convincing story without having to lie. ¡°First of all, let me know Kim Do Jin¡¯s condition right away. The injury is¡­¡± ¡°There was a lot of bleeding, but he was in a much better condition than Young Master. He was in the next room just a few days ago¡­ But he has been discharged now.¡± At the explanation of Jin Do Yun, who had a similar dislike expression, Choi Yu Seong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯ Everything is normal. A crisis came due to this incident, but the big stem has not changed. The moment he was completely relieved, the fatigue that he had forgotten when he woke up from the dream flooded back to the whole body. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m definitely not in good shape yet.¡± The two siblings smiled at his words and nodded their heads. ¡°Rest well. No matter what, recovery comes first.¡± ¡°We will be by your side. So, no one can touch Young Master anymore now¡­¡± At the words of Jin Do Yun following Jin Yu Ri, Choi Yu Seong smiled and closed his eyes slowly. Although they have been unable to use their power recently due to various serious situations, the two were the people Choi Yu Seong trusted the most as always. ¡®As expected¡­ They¡¯re reliable.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who closed his eyes with that thought, had to face an unexpected person when he opened his eyes again. ¡°What are you looking at like that? If you have opened your eyes, speak up.¡± A woman with ebony black long hair, a rather tall height, and a sharp cat-like figure spoke coldly toward Choi Yu Seong. It¡¯s my first time seeing him, but she¡¯s not unfamiliar. ¡®Is it a dream again?¡¯ To say so, the sense of reality that can be felt is too vivid. ¡°Is it possible that you can¡¯t even recognize noonim anymore?¡± Choi Mi Na asked sharply. His hazy mind flashed awake. ¡®Choi Mi Na came to see me? Why?¡¯ This is an unexpected development. Choi Yu Seong calmly tried to understand the current situation. ¡®Jin Do Yun and Jin Yu Ri are¡­¡¯ When his eyes swept the surroundings, Choi Mi Na, who sat with a crossed leg, drew a grin as if she had been waiting. ¡°I kicked out the two puppies you raised. Because I¡¯m uncomfortable.¡± ¡°¡­ The two people just accepted it?¡± ¡°So what if they don¡¯t accept it?¡± Choi Mi Na clenched her fist and lifted it in front of Choi Yu Seong, shaking it left and right. Well, being reckless is originally Choi Mi Na¡¯s way. However, Choi Yu Seong had no choice but to click his tongue. ¡®These two are actually desperate about strength these days, but¡­¡¯ She had properly touched their reverse scales. In the future, it would be difficult for Jin siblings and Choi Mi Na to get along well in many ways. ¡°It¡¯s not time to worry about useless things. Are you not curious why I am here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t guess at all.¡± Choi Yu Seong said with a serious look. ¡°Oho, tell me.¡± Choi Mi Na nodded with a somewhat dissatisfied look. If he made a tongue slip, she would break one of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s arms regardless of his injury. Wiping a drop of cold sweat flowing through his temple, Choi Yu Seong opened his mouth with a slightly awkward smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get a request from Ji Ho hyungnim?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to Choi Ji Ho, but he said something weird. But that doesn¡¯t mean I have a reason to visit you.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be the basis. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a lot. When Father asked to visit me, noonim just created enough justification inwardly that there¡¯s no particular reason to refuse. Maybe that¡¯s all about it.¡± She was requested to protect him, but Choi Mi Na does not have to show her face in front of Choi Yu Seong. Even if other siblings in the family run wild enough to have no time to care about Choi Yu Seong, her attention on Choi Ji Ho¡¯s worries will disappear. So, he felt confused at first because she visited Choi Yu Seong. However, when the name Choi Wu Jae was put into it, the puzzle was completed at once. ¡®Because he came to visit even when I was hurt before.¡¯ This means that the cold-blooded Choi Wu Jae also cares about the injuries of his children. Perhaps Choi Wu Jae himself had already come when he was unconscious. Choi Mi Na looked quite surprised despite the simple logical speculation he made from these thoughts. ¡°I thought you were just lucky, but¡­¡± She then muttered to herself. A slightly different smile than before appeared on her lips. Perhaps she was thinking about what made him survive from Rachel. Of course, Choi Yu Seong should not act that he knows about that. ¡®Who¡¯s in front of me right now is not Myo of Martial Guard Corps but the second of Hyesung Group owner family, Choi Mi Na.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t want to let anyone in the house know that she is working in the Martial Guard Corps. It was a matter of course. When Choi Wu Jae finds out about this, she must immediately stop her Martial Guard Corps¡¯ activities. Perhaps the organization called ¡®Martial Guard Corps¡¯ itself may disappear from this country. It would be reborn as a plausible organization with a different name, but Choi Wu Jae¡¯s eyes and ears would already be filled in there. Choi Mi Na doesn¡¯t even care about small controversies, but she hates not being able to do what she wants. Kim Do Jin and Choi Mi Na. One of the most similar points between the two. ¡®I have to do what I want to do, and I don¡¯t want to lose even if I die.¡¯ She has strong self-esteem simply put. She probably doesn¡¯t want to reveal secrets or even talk related to them. ¡°Hey. I heard you survived after meeting the Slaughterer Queen?¡± Such Choi Mi Na spoke out her thoughts first. Well, it¡¯s not at the degree where there¡¯s a need to be suspicious if it¡¯s this far. Slaughterer Queen is probably the hottest keyword in the world right now. ¡°I was lucky.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s luck. But there¡¯s a saying like that in the world. Luck is also a skill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know, but I hate Villains very much. In particular, indiscriminate killers such as Slaughterer Queen are even more hateful.¡± Choi Mi Na¡¯s words were slightly wrong. There are actually some fairly convincing principles in Rachel¡¯s murder, which seems reckless when reading the original novel, The Master Who Return To Modern Times. However, Choi Yu Seong nodded unconditionally. ¡®It¡¯s hard to see good things if touched her feelings for nothing.¡¯ Come to think of it, there were also several narratives in the original novel that Choi Mi Na was chasing Rachel. As a result, there was no win or lose between the two. ¡®Maybe it was a deeper relationship than expected.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong did not think deeply about the later matters. It is dangerous if his thoughts continue and lead to a tongue slip. As soon as Choi Mi Na realized that Choi Yu Seong knew that she was active in Martial Guard Corps, she would try to shut his mouth regardless of means and methods. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have time, let¡¯s ask two short questions. Did you plan some kind of secret deal to survive Slaughterer Queen?¡± ¡°Noonim can think it like that.¡± Choi Yu Seong could not stop himself from spewing out the admiration he had in his heart. If you think about it, it was obvious logic. Only an E-Rank Hunter Choi Yu Seong survived after meeting with S-Rank Villain Slaughterer Queen belonging to Demon King Worshiper who is now designated as a Disturbance grade. In a way, it was common to think like Choi Mi Na rather than think of mere luck. And in fact, Choi Mi Na¡¯s words were not wrong. ¡®Because I seduced Rachel with money.¡¯ However, what Choi Mi Na suspected was one step ahead of that. ¡°Noonim thinks I might have joined the Demon King Worshiper, right?¡± ¡°The possibility is not completely absent.¡± Choi Mi Na asked in a crooked posture. Her slowly coming out momentum is quite threatening. ¡°Then I¡¯ll explain it like this. Let¡¯s say I belong to Demon King Worshiper. How long do you think it¡¯ll last?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unknown whether I can fool noonim and other siblings¡¯ eyes, but have you forgotten who is above my head?¡± Choi Yu Seong did not necessarily ask for trust and faith in himself. It would be great if he could persuade Choi Mi Na, who is full of suspicion enough to be called a walking distrust, in that way, but it would not work. So, he sold Choi Wu Jae. ¡°It won¡¯t last a month at the longest. There are only a handful of people in Korea who can fool Father¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s no exaggeration to even say that it¡¯s impossible among our siblings.¡± While trying to say something, Choi Mi Na frowned and was lost in thought. ¡®It will be. If she says she¡¯s fooling him well, she¡¯ll be in trouble.¡¯ This was also intended by Choi Yu Seong. If Choi Mi Na says that it might be possible to deceive Choi Wu Jae, she is giving herself an excuse. This might not have worked if she was very stupid, but fortunately, Choi Mi Na is quite clever. This is not emphasized much in the original novel because it focuses on the main character Kim Do Jin, but if you think about it a little, it can be seen that Choi Mi Na also had a quite good brain. For example, her eccentricities and recklessness that others would not understand are absurd, but the results alone always showed favorable results for Choi Mi Na. Is this just a simple realm of luck? Choi Yu Seong thought it was not and was convinced of Choi Mi Na¡¯s subsequent agreement. ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­ That¡¯s right. Okay. I¡¯ll trust Father, not you.¡± At Choi Mi Na¡¯s answer with a slight smile, Choi Yu Seong also responded with a smile. But he didn¡¯t relax. Choi Mi Na still has one more question left. ¡°Okay then, the second question. You, why did you hide yourself all this time?¡± CH 4 This question is also unexpected. However, it was not unexpected in a difficult sense. ¡®I¡¯m rather embarrassed because she¡¯s been preparing too much.¡¯ A lout and libertine Choi Yu Seong changed overnight. It seems like it was just a simple whim at first, but it was not like that the more you see him. Anyone would have any doubts. And the most reasonable doubt that can be found, there is no choice but to lead toward the direction that he has been hiding. He thought it was just the obvious and common clich¨¦ that appears most in the usual regression novels. But as Choi Yu Seong himself possessed a novel, it seemed to make sense. ¡®Because no one has ever experienced this kind of soul possession or regression.¡¯ Opening up possibilities with imaginary stories is impossible not only for common sense but also for smart people. Therefore, he was always on the lookout for someone who came to this conclusion and would ask him a question someday. However, it was definitely unexpected that the first target was Choi Mi Na. ¡°Don¡¯t think about passing it over because there¡¯s a reason why you can¡¯t talk. I didn¡¯t mean to, but I¡¯ll be in charge as your nanny for a while so I need a convincing reason for that. Otherwise, it¡¯s bound to be quite insincere even if I keep the promise. You know, I never do what I don¡¯t want to do, even to death.¡± Choi Yu Seong sighed deeply deliberately toward Choi Mi Na, who showed a confident smile. ¡°There is nothing I can do when noonim says it like that. I will be honest. I am¡­ afraid of dying.¡± Start sincerely. As always, scams work only when truth and falsehood are half mixed. Choi Yu Seong spoke his words while acting with a sentimental voice and eyes regretting the past as much as possible. ¡°As you know, my mother passed away early in an accident. Honestly, I cannot even remember my mother¡¯s face now. But suddenly, I had that kind of question. Was my mother¡¯s death really an accident?¡± Choi Mina¡¯s mother also had a sudden death due to the attack of Villains. She will be able to reach some consensus. In fact, her eyes have become quite serious at a different level than before. ¡°I was born in the owner family of the Hyesung Group. It may be a very envious realm for some but from my viewpoint inside of it¡­ It felt like I was alone in the jungle.¡± ¡°So, you hid yourself to survive? If it¡¯s like that, you should have been stuck somewhere without even thinking about breathing.¡± ¡°Because I am a coward. I had no confidence to let go of everything I already had and live a normal life. In a way, I become more defenseless when that happens, right? It was the same with attracting people¡¯s attention in a rather bizarre way. I am just a useless good-for-nothing at home, but everyone knows me outside. If someone tries to harm me, wouldn¡¯t they have no choice but to pay attention to those gazes? I think noonim will understand my way.¡± ¡°Then, why did you suddenly change your attitude?¡± It worked. Choi Yu Seong raised his head as he sensed that Choi Mi Na, who is called a nutcase throughout the family, was quite sympathetic to him. Cold and calm eyes. In a way, she seems to resemble Choi Wu Jae endlessly, but the emotions reflected between them are not just fierce. ¡°I have been thinking about the days after Father passed away that will come one day.¡± Choi Wu Jae is an absolute ruler that encompasses the whole family and is respected by many powerful people around the world now, but he is also a person. No one thinks his life will last forever unless he finds an elixir plant. ¡°The ninth, who is far from the family, a lout who only makes accidents. Even if I say I don¡¯t want wealth or power, there are probably more people who won¡¯t believe me than people who will.¡± ¡°Is that why you suddenly changed your stance?¡± ¡°Yes. Because I do not want to die. A limited life where I just hung in there, that wasn¡¯t something to do for a long time.¡± Choi Mi Na quietly looked at Choi Yu Seong, who calmly finished his sentence. Soon after, she suddenly got up with an unknown expression, whether she was angry or sad, and threw something at Choi Yu Seong. As he reached out and received the object dazedly, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes grew bigger. An unknown object in the form of a bracelet worn on the arm. Unless he was an idiot, he had no choice but to know the answer quickly. ¡°An ancient relic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t have the eye to see.¡± Choi Mi Na did not deny that fact. ¡°But actually, I also don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for.¡± Choi Mi Na¡¯s following words were somewhat absurd. ¡°¡­Does it mean that noonim don¡¯t even know what kind of ancient relic this is?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t that curious.¡± Choi Yu Seong stared at Choi Mina. Can he take her word as it is and believe it? ¡®Probably not.¡¯ It¡¯s an ancient relic no matter what. When it¡¯s not enough to figure out how to use it by any means if she has it, but she left it alone because she wasn¡¯t very curious? It didn¡¯t make sense. It would be better to believe in the word that people made soybean paste with poop. In other words, two speculations can be thought of here. ¡®Research is done, but even Choi Mi Na doesn¡¯t know how to use it.¡¯ Or she already knows but pretends not to know. Either way was good. It¡¯s an ancient relic, so it will be enough to think about the use later and just rejoice for now. ¡°Thank you. Noonim.¡± ¡°I can hear the sound of the brain running all the way here. Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent, Kkomaengi1.¡± The smirking Choi Mi Na continued to talk with her arms folded. ¡°The matter of dropping interest in you within the family, the limit is a year at most. No matter how aggressive I am, the rest of them are not idiots. That is if I had done it roughly, it wouldn¡¯t last a month. Also, I can¡¯t block everything. How can I cover the sky with one hand? I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be some loose guys.¡± To interpret Choi Mi Na¡¯s words, it means that she liked Choi Yu Seong quite a bit. It was a short conversation, but what was supposed to take about a month increased to a year because of that. Her last words were also not so light. No matter how outstanding Choi Mi Na¡¯s ability is, she is not Choi Wu Jae after all. She doesn¡¯t hold and wield all the power of the family, so it is impossible to block all the actions of the siblings. That¡¯s why the best thing that Choi Mi Na can do is to avert attention. Of course, it would be nice if she could block all threats that come like a real nanny, but if she did that, she would go against Choi Wu Jae¡¯s nerves. Since it could cause a bigger problem, Choi Yu Seong also did not want that much protection. Anyway, just by what Choi Mi Na promised now, the intensity of interest and checks that should have been directed to Choi Yu Seong would be reduced several times. In other words, he will be able to use time much more leisurely. Is there any reason to express dissatisfaction? ¡°That is enough.¡± At the words of the smiling Choi Yu Seong, Choi Mi Na nodded and said. ¡°And in the future, stay around Itaewon when you go outside if possible.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I often go there to play, you know.¡± What kind of random words do those mean? Choi Mi Na, who turned her head hard whether Choi Yu Seong was flustered or not, strode toward the door with her cheeks dyed red. ¡°Father has already come here. So, you don¡¯t have to be unnecessarily nervous. Kkomaengi. Noonim is leaving.¡± Like that, Choi Mi Na left the hospital room. Left alone, Choi Yu Seong looked at the blackish gray bracelet that seemed to have been burned for a long time. ¡®A gray bracelet¡­ I¡¯m sure there was a mention of similar words in the original novel.¡¯ He can¡¯t remember well. After tilting his head over and over again, Choi Yu Seong ruffled his hair randomly and lay on the bed. ¡®Oh, whatever. I¡¯ll remember it.¡¯ If you can¡¯t think of it even if you try it forcibly, it¡¯s hard to find the answer no matter how hard you try. Rather, there are times when an important memory comes to mind while being absent-minded. ¡®Let¡¯s rest for now.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong needed a break. *** After leaving Choi Yu Seong¡¯s hospital room, Choi Mi Na briefly met and greeted Jin siblings then left the hospital alone. There was no such thing as a fancy procession or a limousine that other family members would be waiting for. Some may enjoy such scenery and treatment, but Choi Mi Na found all of it cumbersome. ¡®Honestly, it¡¯s faster to run if you make up your mind and move. I don¡¯t understand why people drive cars.¡¯ No matter how great a Hunter is, they commonly prefer the use of transportation to keep out of people¡¯s eyes. However, for Choi Mi Na, who values efficiency above all, all of those thoughts felt cumbersome and useless. However, today¡¯s Choi Mi Na did not run fast toward her next destination contrary to that thought. She chose to get on a bus although it is public transportation, sat down, and thought deeply. There was no need to pay much attention to people¡¯s attention. As mentioned, Choi Mi Na has never appeared in public events officially. Thanks to this, only people in the family, a small number of political and business giants, or a few fearless reporters knew her face. The probability of the former two groups getting on a bus was extremely low. No, there is no one. Fearless reporters? Sadly(?) they are all scared now. In the name of social experience, Choi Mi Na directly informed them what is the fear of the world. If not, how can she openly operate a lounge bar then? Anyway. She doesn¡¯t know if he did it consciously or not, but Choi Yu Seong said a lot of pretty shocking things in his conversation with her. To organize all those things, she couldn¡¯t afford to walk or run as usual. ¡®It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s hiding something about Rachel.¡¯ Choi Mi Na was not stupid. It could be a weakness for himself, so it was passed on somewhat sloppily, but she did not completely dispel her doubts about Choi Yu Seong. Rather, she felt suspicious of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s confident attitude, but most of the reasons that came to her mind were absurd. ¡®There¡¯s no way that Kkomaengi guy knows that I belong to the Martial Guard Corps.¡¯ Choi Ji Ho seems to like Choi Yu Seong, but he would not have even told Choi Mi Na¡¯s secret. In the first place, Choi Ji Ho is not that light-mouthed man. ¡®If he made fun of me cheaply, I should chase him tomorrow right away and pull out his tongue so that he can¡¯t talk again.¡¯ Having a terrifying imagination in her mind, Choi Mi Na¡¯s eyes became sharp. In fact, she could find the answer roughly through investigation if she spent a little time on this part. What complicated Choi Mi Na¡¯s head and heart was none other than the story of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mother. ¡®Kkomaengi¡¯s mother¡­ It was that woman, right? Baek Yu Ri.¡¯ CH 5 Although she was very young, Choi Mi Na had also seen Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mother. She was a woman with shoulder-length black hair and a fairly gentle impression resembling a puppy, but there is no special memory. Her family was not great and her academic background was not significant either. Her appearance was as amazing as she was Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mother, but except for that fact, she was ordinary. Rather, she was a strange woman because she was too ordinary. How on earth did such a person fall into Choi Wu Jae¡¯s heart? Biting her lower lip slightly, Choi Mi Na¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®It was so natural that people missed it.¡¯ It seems that Choi Wu Jae is not picky about this woman or that woman because he has a lot of children, but it is the exact opposite in reality. Rather, Choi Wu Jae chooses and makes his women thoroughly. Whether it is a political position, economic ideal, or future investment perspective. It is ultimately the process of creating a successor to him, so he has never chosen his pair easily. But a woman who just pretty took the place of Choi Wu Jae¡¯s wife? Everyone didn¡¯t even care since Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mother, Baek Yu Ri, died suddenly at a fairly young age, but it was obviously strange. ¡®There¡¯s something. Definitely.¡¯ Now that she looked at it, only Choi Yu Seong noticed it throughout the family. That fact was absurd, yet interesting, and surprising. ¡®He was the only one who thought about something that no one in the family, no, no one in Korea cared about.¡¯ It may be considered natural because it is his mother¡¯s matter, but not doubting an incident that someone, perhaps Choi Wu Jae, tried to bury directly is close to an unwritten rule within the entire Hyesung Group owner family. However, the timid ninth Choi Yu Seong is paying attention to that matter. Does Choi Wu Jae not know that? ¡®Nevertheless, Father doesn¡¯t hide that he pretty cares about this Kkomaengi brat.¡¯ This is actually because Choi Yu Seong has not even tried to investigate his mother Baek Yu Ri, but it looked completely different from Choi Mi Na¡¯s viewpoint. The circumstances in the family are changing. Perhaps the ninth Kkomaengi, who no one cared about, has become a big variable and is digging in, but the majority have yet to notice him. But it¡¯s only a matter of time. ¡®Like awl in the pocket1. In the end, it¡¯s bound to stand out.¡¯ The moment the awl pops out of the pocket, other siblings will press it so that it will never come out again. Or, the awl itself will be broken or thrown away somewhere in resentment of being stabbed by the protruding awl. Now she could understand why Choi Ji Ho asked to take care of Choi Yu Seong. ¡®Kkomaengi is neither a fool nor a coward.¡¯ Rather, he is courageous enough to break the unwritten rules of the family. He is also a sensible person who has been hiding his true purpose for a while but can stretch when he sees the time. And Choi Wu Jae is watching the ninth, which may be somewhat cheeky, with a cute view. Choi Mi Na couldn¡¯t even understand how that iron-clad stubbornness, which could not be broken stubbornly, was gently melted. ¡®He¡¯s a stiff geezer that doesn¡¯t even eat my aegyo2.¡¯ Lightly tapping the bus window with her index finger, Choi Mi Na smiled. ¡®Very good.¡¯ There was no kid she liked among the stupid siblings who just feel conscious of Choi Wu Jae and keep a low profile, but for the first time, the ninth caught her eyes. Choi Mi Na was uninterested not only in the chairman¡¯s position but also in the family¡¯s affairs. However, Choi Ji Ho, who was the most likely candidate for the next chairman, was eliminated in an unexpected accident and the next focus naturally shifted to her. Even if she tries to hand it over to other siblings because it is annoying, Choi Wu Jae blocks it. As a result, the atmosphere within the group was being created so that Choi Mi Na could take over the chairman naturally as time passed. ¡®It was a shitty situation.¡¯ From Choi Mi Na¡¯s viewpoint, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s sunlight suddenly came in a state where she didn¡¯t like anything. Of course, it could be. Empathy arose from a sense of similarity that both lost their mother at a young age. It cannot be denied that Choi Yu Seong, who she looked badly at, may have entered a corner of her heart because of that. It¡¯s not that she completely doesn¡¯t have any doubts, but she is willing to help a little more actively after it¡¯s resolved. Because of this, she even handed over unexpected items to Choi Yu Seong out of temper. Ancient relics, Fragments of Destruction God. Choi Mi Na has never used it herself, so she doesn¡¯t know the exact effect. However, as can be guessed from its name, it is clear that it is an ancient relic with considerable power. ¡®It¡¯s a bit of a pity since I gave it according to my mood, but it¡¯s something I can¡¯t use anyway¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, most of Choi Mi Na¡¯s abilities are the strength that is located at opposite ends of the Gods, so Fragments of Destruction God cannot be used at all. Still, she kept it because it was a pity to give it to others, but she handed it to Choi Yu Seong because of her sudden change of heart. Looking out the window with her index finger lightly twisting her side hair, she thought. ¡®When will Kkomaengi notice the bracelet¡¯s identity?¡¯ He would have to come and say thank you more than a thousand times after knowing it, but Choi Mi Na was already looking forward to that day. *** Choi Yu Seong was only able to be discharged 15 days after Choi Mi Na visited. It was said to be a great resilience as expected of Awakener from the doctor¡¯s view, but it was frustrating days for Choi Yu Seong, who pitied the waste of every minute and every second. After overcoming that half month, Choi Yu Seong got into a car driven by Jin Do Yun to go back to the dungeon. He felt that it was time to answer the concerns he had put off. ¡®Although I thought it might be like this.¡¯ An exciting situation has come. -[Private] Prankster Who Likes Jokes marvels at you. 200 Karma Points are sponsored. He says he has a Skill that really suits you. Will you learn the Skill? Y/N -Oldest Hunter is really fond of Awakener Choi Yu Seong. 300 Karma Points are sponsored. He says he wants to give you a Skill so much. Will you learn the Skill? Y/N -Noble of Magnificent Beard pays tribute to Awakener Choi Yu Seong. 250 Karma Points are sponsored. He wants to transfer a very strong Skill. Will you learn the Skill? Y/N -Sacred Divine Empress refers to Awakener Choi Yu Seong as the most excellent man she has recently seen. 300 Karma Points are sponsored. She wants to give you a Skill that suits you. Y/N -Red Fangs Through The Dark Night feels a strong longing when seeing Awakener Choi Yu Seong. 100 Karma Points are sponsored. He threatens that you will regret it if you don¡¯t receive the Skill. Y/N -Cullan¡¯s Hound judges that Awakener Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spearmanship has a very high potential. 500 Karma Points are sponsored. He promises that if you learn the Skill, you will be able to become the strongest spearman. Will you learn the Skill? Y/N After the incident of Demon King Worshiper along with Rachel, all the Gods watching Choi Yu Seong sent messages to pass on their Skills. And these messages were probably poured at the end of the fierce battle with Rachel. ¡®At the time, I wasn¡¯t in my right mind that I couldn¡¯t even think of checking the messages.¡¯ If he had the mind to do that, he would have recognized Choi Mi Na at a glance. Therefore, it was when he was hospitalized that he checked the messages properly. Since then, Choi Yu Seong has fallen into thoughts. As mentioned, the reason why the lofty Gods give Karma Points and Skills is that the achievements made by humans they sponsor are returned to their karma figures and then copied to help raise their status. Obviously, God¡¯s stake in a human increase more when they pass on Skills that are equivalent to their ability than when sharing some of the Karma Points they have. And if it is possible, the first one to transfer a Skill will gain an advantage in the battle for shares among Gods. That¡¯s why Loki begged Choi Yu Seong from the beginning to learn his Skill. Choi Yu Seong has been ignoring Loki¡¯s messages for a while, but now all six Gods have put up their Skills. It was too much for Choi Yu Seong to ignore him anymore when this situation came. Even for those who are waiting, he has to make a definite choice at this point eventually. Choi Yu Seong made the most optimal route for his growth through a long period of thought and decided to notify the results now. ¡°There is no bad intention.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who spoke to himself, smiled somewhat apologetically and replied to the six Gods¡¯ Skill transfer messages. There were two things Choi Yu Seong had to worry about for 15 days before he could decide his current answer. First, be sure of the true names of the Gods who are sponsoring. Second, it is necessary to guess the Skills that Gods will give through their true names. The first was relatively easy. Except for only one God with a rather difficult and unknown nickname, all the others were using nicknames that were mentioned at least once in the original work or were easy to guess. Except for Loki, Guan Yu, and Cu Chulainn with already clear answers, the remaining three Gods are left. Among them, the first God that Choi Yu Seong found the answer to was Sacred Divine Empress. ¡®This one has never come out in the original, but it¡¯s actually easy to find the answer.¡¯ As can be seen from the nickname of Sacred Divine Empress, the opponent was a monarch of a country during her lifetime. In the end, it was inevitably easy to know the answer if you did a little research on ruler titles. ¡®Sacred Divine Golden Empress Zetian.¡¯3 The nickname used is only an abbreviation of this, and the part that Choi Yu Seong should pay attention to was the last word. ¡®Zetian, Wu Zetian.¡¯ Commonly known better by the name of Ze Tian Wu Hou4, was China¡¯s first female emperor to ascend to the throne at a late age and hold power for a long time. It is true that she has achieved great achievements and has a reputation enough to reach Divinity, but Choi Yu Seong was not going to choose her skill unfortunately. ¡®There are some Skills that I can guess roughly, but it¡¯s not the kind that I want.¡¯ What comes to mind when thinking of Wu Zetian is strong power5 and dignity that holds people down so that no one can surpass her. It was certain that her intangible power would be formidable as she ascended to the throne at a late age and was in emperor position for a very long time. Perhaps Choi Yu Seong may have as much pressure and atmosphere as Choi Wu Jae with the power of her Skill. In other words, however, Choi Yu Seong can have such ability without using a Skill when the time comes. ¡®I¡¯m sure there are a few other great abilities since she had risen to Divinity, but¡­¡¯ Anyway, out. Sacred Divine Empress was the object of rejection at the time her true name was revealed. Recalling the memories of that time, Choi Yu Seong sent the most first refusal to Sacred Divine Empress¡¯s message. CH 6 -Sacred Divine Empress is very displeased. She says there will be no way to watch Awakener Choi Yu Seong in the future. At the same time, she left Choi Yu Seong. He felt sorry, but he wasn¡¯t disappointed. ¡®The seat is empty.¡¯ Therefore, other Gods, who stepped back in the seemingly already overheated competition and secretly coveted Choi Yu Seong, may also plan to take a step forward in the stake fight. And the second, Red Fangs Through The Dark Night. This one did not use a nickname that revealed himself openly like Wu Zetian. So, it was somewhat difficult to find out through investigation. But fortunately, Choi Yu Seong remembered reading the name of this terrifying being in the original novel. ¡®Vlad ?epe?.¡¯ When he started the investigation through this, a much more famous and straightforward name existed. It¡¯s literally Vlad III Dr?culea. The origin of humanoid bloodsucking monsters that are commonly seen in classical Western horror movies. It was this Vlad ?epe?, also known as the origin of vampires in modern times. He was human in the beginning, like Wu Zetian, Guan Yu, and Cu Chulainn. However, the legend and achievements were twisted in a completely different way from ordinary figures and eventually called an extraordinary being, the First Vampire. For reference, countless races other than humans appear in Master Who Return To Modern Times as the novel progresses. One of them is the vampire clan and the god they serve is ¡®Red Fangs Through The Dark Night¡¯. That is Dracula. Dracula¡¯s power and abilities were incomparable to other people who rose to Divinity from humans, as he gave birth to a powerful race called vampire. ¡®Although considering his influence on Earth, he can be a stronger supporter than Loki¡­¡¯ Choi Yu Seong swallowed his saliva and sent a reply of rejection to Dracula as well. -Red Fangs Through The Dark Night leaves Awakener Choi Yu Seong with a cool smile. He did not run wild like the Sacred Divine Empress. However, it was much scarier. As mentioned, Dracula has a stronger influence on Earth rather than Loki. The vampire race who followed him couldn¡¯t be seen, but it was expected because they were active in the dark. Dracula even threatened in the message that Choi Yu Seong would regret it. He only sent a message that he was smiling, but it was more likely he would retaliate in some way. To be honest, he was scared to the point of trembling slightly, but he couldn¡¯t accept Dracula¡¯s offer no matter how many times he thought about it. It¡¯s not because his Skill doesn¡¯t match him. Rather, the reason for rejecting this one was simpler. ¡®Because if I learn Dracula¡¯s Skill, I¡¯ll become a vampire too.¡¯ Even if not immediately, slowly but eventually Choi Yu Seong also becomes a vampire. It had no choice but to become like that. To put it bluntly, considering Dracula¡¯s first Skill he will give to Choi Yu Seong is likely to be ¡®Bloodsucking¡¯. Even if you are sane, you have no choice but to keep in mind the situation in which you naturally turn into a vampire if you suck and eat the opponent¡¯s blood. This was because Dracula¡¯s ability was as strong as that, but to be clear, Choi Yu Seong wanted to remain a human unless he was in a very unavoidable situation. ¡®Even if you become a vampire, you can¡¯t see the sunlight for a while.¡¯ Is that all? Powerful Demon Hunters from the Vatican will follow for the rest of your lives. Now that he is working hard for lifelong safety, there was no reason to put another tag that would threaten his life. ¡®And the third, The Oldest Hunter. It was really hard to find this one.¡¯ The God with the longest time to track the identity while he was hospitalized was The Oldest Hunter, Scathi1. ¡®Although I¡¯m actually still half doubted¡­¡¯ There were also quite a few parts that were accepted as facts. And if The Oldest Hunter is Scathi, it is no exaggeration to say that she is the strongest of the four remaining Gods except for Loki. ¡®The God of Hunting who rules the Isle of the Dead.¡¯ Scathi, a god not well known to people, is rumored to be the sister of Freya, a goddess of beauty that often appears in Norse mythology, and there was also a story that she was once a lover of Loki. Whatever it was, her name was not well known but it was highly likely that she had strong enough power to form ties with prominent Gods in Norse mythology. ¡®Because even Odin offered a deal to control her anger in the mythical story. No more words needed.¡¯ Such a great figure paid attention to Choi Yu Seong before anyone else. The reason is unknown. However, it was known that Scathi liked men a lot. And the more handsome he is, the more she likes him. It was a bit absurd, but it meant that Choi Yu Seong¡¯s appearance might have led her. Furthermore, it was understandable that Loki approached Choi Yu Seong faster than other high-ranking Gods. ¡®What Loki and Scathi have in common is that they are half-god and half-giant.¡¯¡¯ The mythical story may not be all about the relationship between the two. If there was any close relationship between the two Gods, it could be understood that Loki approached Choi Yu Seong at a high speed. In that sense, the answer to Scathi, The Oldest Hunter, was put aside. ¡®Scathi isn¡¯t bad either if I can get a stable and powerful Skill.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong looked at Guan Yu and sent a message of rejection as he had already decided. No matter how powerful the Skill is, it is meaningless if it doesn¡¯t match. -Noble of Magnificent Beard smacks his lips out of regret. He gets up from his seat wishing good fortune in battles for Awakener Choi Yu Seong. Indeed, as a figure called the Chinese god of war, the attitude of leaving is also polite. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong felt more sorry, but he could not reverse the decision he had already made. By the way, there were three Gods left. ¡®Loki, Scathi, Cu Chulainn.¡¯ Prankster Who Likes Jokes, The Oldest Hunter, and Culann¡¯s Hound. Somehow, only the Gods of Nordic descent remained. It could be a simple coincidence, but Choi Yu Seong found this situation also interesting. And of course, in terms of God¡¯s status alone, Cu Chulainn was the most lacking. ¡®However, he¡¯ll be a great help to my spearmanship.¡¯ The Skill that Cu Chulainn will pass on will be unconditionally related to spearmanship. Scathi¡¯s side was also known as the witch¡¯s guardian, so it was highly likely to pass on Skill that was close to flair-type, especially magic. ¡®And Loki is¡­¡¯ Honestly, it couldn¡¯t be guessed. Shouldn¡¯t he be just fairly versatile so it can be guessed? Loki¡¯s abilities were enormous enough to be called the best talent in Norse mythology, and it was more difficult to guess than Odin in a sense. Just to guess, it was a fact that he would not give up a powerful ability that could be his signature. ¡®I¡¯m an inferior that¡¯s not enough to reveal his roots from the beginning, and it¡¯s not at the level I can handle.¡¯ The powerful ability that goes beyond the level must be sealed and cannot be used, only neglected. Wasn¡¯t this the reason why Choi Yu Seong first rejected the offer of Odin(though it was surely Loki in disguise)? Anyway, after much consideration, he was sure of his true name and finished guessing about his Skills. Choi Yu Seong, who compressed the candidates so far, carried out the bold decision he had made. ¡®All three. Okay.¡¯ Sending a message of consent in the order of Scathi, Cu Chulainn, and Loki, Choi Yu Seong swallowed his saliva. The Skills transferred by Gods are not affected by Fusion¡¯s empty Skill slots. In other words, it is possible to be given the Skills of various Gods at the same time in this way. However, the above method may feel undesirable only from the standpoint of the Gods who want to take the lead rather than other Gods in stake fight for Choi Yu Seong¡¯s Karma figures. If so, there are two options the Gods can choose. ¡®One is to simply withdraw their will to transfer skills and leave me.¡¯ The second method is to transfer a Skill as they wanted, even if it is a little unpleasant. As long as Choi Yu Seong responded to the messages, the decision-making authority is now reversed. What kind of answer will the three Gods send? Perhaps, at this moment, Loki¡¯s message was not hidden and shown to the other two Gods. Once a Skill is transferred, it cannot be given to another person again. Therefore, if they don¡¯t think they¡¯ll get as much stake as they want, they have the right to leave here and the private message must also be disclosed. This was an unbreakable rule set among the Gods. Inside the car, there was a God who answered first among the particularly tense silence. -The Oldest Hunter says it is an excellent choice and is delighted. Transferring a Skill exclusively for Awakener Choi Yu Seong. As always, ¡®The Oldest Hunter¡¯ Scathi reached out first. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes nods with a look full of dissatisfaction. Transferring a Skill. Loki followed suit accepting the offer. Up to this point, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s plan could be considered successful. ¡®Because it¡¯s no different than saying that two powerful Norse Gods became my sponsors.¡¯ However, Cu Chulainn seemed to have no choice but to give up in this case. ¡®Because he lacks strength and influence compared to the two Gods¡­¡¯ ¡®Culann¡¯s Hound¡¯ Cu Chulainn has a weak name value to greedily fight for the stake. The best result Choi Yu Seong wanted was for Cu Chulainn to transfer his Skill first. ¡®He¡¯ll probably give up.¡¯ If it is a rational judgment, it is right to give up. However, Cu Chulainn seemed to have a little different idea. -Culann¡¯s Hound snorts and is willing to accept your arrogance. Transferring a Skill. ¡°Awesome.¡± Choi Yu Seong unknowingly burst into an exclamation inside the silent car. Jin Do Yun, who was holding the steering wheel, tilted his head. ¡°Young Master?¡± There was no time to get an answer. Suddenly, three lights of purple, black, and blue began to swirl around Choi Yu Seong¡¯s chest and brain. Choi Yu Seong is accepting it with his eyes closed. There was no way that Jin Do Yun could not understand the situation from the standpoint of experiencing it once. ¡®The Gods are transferring their Skills to Young Master.¡¯ And the number is as much as three. Jin Do Yun held the steering wheel tightly while looking straight ahead in case of a traffic accident, but his head was filled with joy and thrill. ¡®Oh my gosh. Who learned the Skills of three Gods during E-Rank? Madness Bernard? Time Walker Christian? Who else is there?¡¯ The names of Hunters discussed as the world¡¯s strongest passed by in his mind. The point was that Jin Do Yun didn¡¯t have that good head. Therefore, he decided to send a message to ask Jin Yu Ri as soon as he got out of the car. CH 7 ¡®I don¡¯t know for sure, but at least there will be only a few even if I search the whole world. No, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be in the top 10!¡¯ Choi Yu Seong complained that he seemed stagnant because his level didn¡¯t rise, but it was not like that at all. At least in the eyes of Jin Do Yun, Choi Yu Seong was growing faster and certainly than anyone he knew. The heart of Jin Do Yun, who was thrilled, beat like crazy. The eyes facing straight ahead turned red even though it was unintended. ¡°Such a sloppy mess. Get your mind together. Jin Do Yun.¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t shed any tears perhaps because he was focused on driving. *** At 3 am, two days after Choi Yu Seong received the Skills of The Three Gods. Two men wearing thick long padding jackets and even hats stood near the entrance of a Dungeon Square connected to the entrance of 2nd Grade Dungeon, Goblin Fortress, located in Sinwol-dong, Seoul. What was unusual was that both men were clutching large titanium-based black bags with thick fur gloves on their right hands. It is reasonable to draw attention to the somewhat suspicious appearance, but no one was passing by since it was a time when the floating population was so small. A man among them with a rather small physique and a stubborn mouth located on the left, Reporter Park Jin Hwan, frowned slightly as he looked at the long road with his back against Dungeon Square. ¡°Reporter Kim. Do you know what time it is?¡± At his self-talk, another reporter on his right, Kim Jin Young, put his hand without a bag in his pocket and took out a handphone before checking the time. ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands or feet? Reporter Park. It¡¯s currently 3:03. Was the appointment time 3:10?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did we come 30 minutes earlier in vain? He said he might come 10 minutes earlier, so we got ready first, but.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking forward to it uselessly. Reporter Kim, did you forget who the opponent is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Choi Yu Seong.¡± No matter how quiet he is without causing any accident recently, his good-for-nothing image does not come off easily. ¡°It¡¯s already fortunate if he comes on time.¡± Kim Jin Young scratched his cheek at the words of the smirking Park Jin Hwan. ¡®As you said that, I think I¡¯m also looking forward to it in case he comes early.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have to spit out what was inside his mind. And it was when they naturally put aside any expectations. Three human silhouettes appeared over Kim Jin Young¡¯s foggy glasses filled with steam from his breath in the cold wave. ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Sure enough, Park Jin Hwan rejoiced. Then, he took out his cell phone, checked the clock, and drew a strange smile on his lips. ¡®Arrived five minutes early. Faster than expected.¡¯ Is it because they don¡¯t have high expectations? He felt better for no reason even with this trivial thing. Meanwhile, Choi Yu Seong approached the two at a fast pace and greeted the two reporters first. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Choi Yu Seong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Park Jin Hwan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kim Jin Young.¡± ¡°I look forward to your cooperation today.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who spoke politely, smiled. Seeing Choi Yu Seong like that, Park Jin Hwan felt his reporter¡¯s instinct wriggling. ¡®Ah, I should¡¯ve shot it now.¡¯ He felt a bit regretful not taking out the camera since he thought the filming was a little later. The cold wave was so severe that even the Awakener Choi Yu Seong had a red face, but as he already felt when taking pictures the other day, the person himself is so amazing. ¡®Choi Yu Seong, even the dawn cold wave of January melts down with his smile. Straight to women¡¯s hearts. Ugh, it¡¯s a good picture just by imagining it.¡¯ Is it because of thinking like that? ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be a model? Aigo, I am sorry.¡± He said half-empty words without realizing it. For a moment, he thought Choi Yu Seong would be offended, so he apologized quickly. But Choi Yu Seong just shook his head calmly. He then looked at Jin Do Yun and Jin Yu Ri who followed and said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. Wait for a little. If it¡¯s cold, go to the car and rest.¡± ¡°It is not cold at all.¡± ¡°Me too. Compared to the snowy Dungeon, it¡¯s not cold at all.¡± Jin Do Yun¡¯s words are followed by Jin Yu Ri. Choi Yu Seong, who smiled at the two¡¯s confident appearance, nodded and looked at Park Jin Hwan again. ¡°Let¡¯s we go.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else other than that. That wasn¡¯t a particularly unpleasant expression or action, but Park Jin Hwan sensed a strange difficulty in it and felt cold sweats running down his back. Why? Isn¡¯t there something like that? When that leisure itself makes people difficult and looks up to them. That¡¯s exactly how Park Jin Hwan felt right now. Looking at the silent Choi Yu Seong, awe came at one side of his heart without realizing it. ¡°Reporter Park. Take good pictures. Got it?¡± Jin Yu Ri, who called Park Jin Hwan from behind, said quietly. Park Jin Hwan turned his head at her and agonized. If it was the usual Park Jin Hwan, he has a saying he practices like a habit. ¡®I¡¯ll work as much as I get paid.¡¯ But today was different. ¡°I will do my best.¡± When he remembered Choi Yu Seong¡¯s back, it felt like he had to say that. ¡®Well, although it¡¯ll be pointless effort if the results don¡¯t come out¡­¡¯ Park Jin Hwan grabbed a black bag containing a magic tech drone that can do filming inside the Dungeon. The reason why Park Jin Hwan and Kim Jin Young came here today is because of Jin Yu Ri. Of course, no matter how much money they give, if no incident could be an issue, they wouldn¡¯t even try to wait for people from dawn in this cold wave. ¡®Choi Yu Seong¡¯s first Boss attack. The target is the most difficult 2nd Grade Dungeon, Goblin Fortress.¡¯ As he followed Choi Yu Seong who first entered Dungeon Square after showing his Hunter Dungeon Pass, Park Jin Hwan felt his heart pounding for some reason even though the results have yet to come out. ¡®Usually for Goblin Fortress, a Hunter will be recognized as a rookie the moment he succeeds Boss attack by Solo Playing before Rank D Level 50.¡¯ The information shows that Choi Yu Seong is currently at Rank E Level 90. This was undoubtedly expected as it had been less than 3 months since he obtained the Hunter License. Rather, the speed of Level increase is quite surprisingly fast. Even so, failure should be considered first of course, but somehow it seems that he will definitely succeed. ¡®The important thing is the record, but¡­¡¯ There are only five people in Korea who officially attacked Goblin Fortress before E-Rank Max Level at a similar period as him. ¡®If narrowing them down to the person who made the most recent record¡­ Kim Do Jin, there¡¯s only him.¡¯ Kim Do Jin and Choi Yu Seong. Choi Yu Seong and Kim Do Jin. Suddenly remembering his published article ¡®The Good-For-Nothing Who Deceived The World, Lit The Super Rookie Kim Do Jin¡¯s Desire To Win!¡¯, Park Jin Hwan clenched his fist as soon as he entered Dungeon Square after showing a Special Access Pass. ¡®If this went well, I might be able to post a proper series of stories.¡¯ It was a situation where his heart was impossible to not race. *** The scenery that Choi Yu Seong saw as he entered Goblin Fortress Dungeon could be described in one sentence. It is green and full of a grassy smell. There is nothing that is not green, from unidentified sharp leaves that rise to the height of a person¡¯s waist like a pole, small hills covered with vines popped out all over the field, and even small flying insects passing by at high speed. ¡®Even Goblins occupying this place are green.¡¯ A world of one color unified enough to feel somewhat monotonous. Even if Goblins do not try to hide their appearance here, they melt into the surrounding colors and become naturally hidden. This is the reason this Dungeon was called ¡®Goblin Fortress¡¯ despite there being no building structure to be called an actual fortress. ¡®I can see why this place is called 2nd Grade with the worst difficulty.¡¯ Late hours, an unpreferred high-risk Dungeon, the sound of insects among bushes that would have cut the skin if not wearing suits transformed from Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, and the settled darkness because it was a world without sunlight. Due to various factors, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s muscles tightened at the surrounding scenery without any other presence. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I already looked around once yesterday. It¡¯s not that unfamiliar.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who entered the Dungeon a day before in advance to grasp the environment and difficulty for today, let out a short breath and gave strength to his hand holding the spear. Second Grade Monster Goblins were actually a rather weak entity to be called Monster in general. To put it simply, it would be enough for an ordinary adult man, not an Awakener, to deal a 1:1 match under the premise he had his mind straight. A little more simply, they can be easily overwhelmed by any average man in terms of strength alone. Nevertheless, the reason Goblins are classified as Second Grade, higher than the First Grade Monsters that Hunters can meet and hunt for the very first time, is that they have risks that can overshadow their weak physical abilities. The first of them, needless to say, is aggression and ferocity toward humans. Goblins had a more violent nature than most fierce wild beasts for subjects that are very small and weak in power. In particular, the aggression reflected on humans is exceptionally strong among Monsters of similar Grade. It would be so rough that the brain would be dizzy if a general person encountered them for the first time. Then, they would be scared that could lead to serious injury or death in the short period they stiffened up if facing it without any defense. ¡®I was also surprised to see them for the first time yesterday.¡¯ When Choi Yu Seong was reading web novels on Earth of the original world, the description and depiction of Goblin came out so funny that he looked down on them, but his thoughts completely changed after meeting them for the first time yesterday. ¡®If you are careless, it will lead to injury immediately.¡¯ As he went through the bushes little by little, Choi Yu Seong recalled other dangers Goblins had in his head. ¡®Secretive and moves fast.¡¯ And unlike ordinary Monsters, Goblin knows how to handle small tools. However, there was something else that was more dangerous than all the facts listed above. ¡®They never move alone.¡¯ Goblins are smart enough to handle tools, so they know well that it is dangerous to move alone. They are socialized like humans and they gather together to hunt humans in their respective roles. As these social factors made humans the top predators in the world without Dungeon, Goblin¡¯s collective action was bound to be quite dangerous. ¡®Goblins are hiding throughout this Dungeon.¡¯ Between the grasses, between the vines of the rising hills, and even below the feet underground. Amid such threats, Choi Yu Seong entered the Dungeon alone to attack the Boss Monster which is regenerated once a month. He wasn¡¯t very worried about threats within the Dungeon, such as the previous kidnapper incident. He believes in Choi Mi Na. CH 8 ¡®What happened at that time was something that someone among my siblings did.¡¯ As Choi Wu Jae confirmed, there is no doubt about it. In such a situation, he has nothing to worry about his siblings as Choi Mi Na said that she would take responsibility and make it so that there would be no eyes on him for about a year. Of course, unexpected threats can suddenly emerge somewhere. Just like the Itaewon incident a while ago. Then, should he move with all these situations in mind? Of course, that¡¯s right. However, being cautious and hiding like a coward are completely different things. ¡®Just because you have that in mind, you can¡¯t just sit and crouch down inside the room.¡¯ Anyway, Choi Yu Seong has to grow. The further he goes and the stronger he becomes, the more naturally he will be free from these threats. ¡®I can¡¯t help it until then.¡¯ Therefore, the path Choi Yu Seong chose was to catch more and more people¡¯s eyes. ¡®Star disease? Attention seeker? Anything¡¯s good. I need it anyway because of Star Quality Skill.¡¯ The more people pay attention, the more careful those who want to pose a threat are. Since there will be a lot of eyes paying attention to Choi Yu Seong. Conversely, the easier that work can be done the more he hides. ¡®Now I¡¯m showing myself completely.¡¯ Of course, Choi Yu Seong is already famous. However, it is the conglomerate Choi Yu Seong. From now on, he planned to continue to inform about Hunter Choi Yu Seong separately. As a result, more people pay attention and look at him wherever he is and whatever he does. The gazes that follow to the inside of the Dungeon. There will be no inconvenience caused by this. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have any trouble choosing, but in conclusion, he thought this was the best. Jin Yu Ri also supported Choi Yu Seong¡¯s choice. That¡¯s why two reporters who can shoot with magic tech drones were called in today, just in time, on the day Goblin¡¯s Boss Monster is respawned. Although the money was pretty broken by mobilizing expensive manpower personally, it could have a very great effect on promoting Hunter Choi Yu Seong. Because, as mentioned, Goblin Fortress has a particularly bad level of difficulty among Second Grade Dungeons. Would it even be called a gateway, a credential for rookies who want to raise their ransom or enter a well-known guild? If you can¡¯t attack Goblin Fortress alone before Rank D Level 50, you can¡¯t even be called Rookie. Because of this name-value, Choi Yu Seong is solo attacking such a Goblin Fortress today. For reference, the time when Kim Do Jin attacked Goblin Fortress was when he was Rank E Level 85. ¡®Time Attack record is 2 hours 28 minutes¡­ How many seconds was it?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who recalled the world¡¯s record at the time, smiled strangely. He doesn¡¯t need to be greedy. ¡®Kim Do Jin is the protagonist of the novel in the first place. Even if I¡¯m confident in this attack, it¡¯s unreasonable to keep up with that level.¡¯ Of course, even so, it did not mean that he was not interested in the record at all. ¡®Anyway, the faster the running record, the better it would be to attract attention.¡¯ Hunting the monthly respawned Boss Monster is an important task to prevent Dungeon Brake, which is equivalent to natural disasters on Earth, so many people are bound to pay attention. The first focus of attention, needless to say, is security. No matter how low level a Dungeon is, the casualties and property damage will inevitably be serious once Monsters are poured out due to Brake. Therefore, hunting must be successful within a week before the Dungeon Brake occurs after Boss Monster respawn. Therefore, the country, which usually gives priority to the growth of Hunters, actively intervenes and attacks the boss before the fifth day passes when the attack period exceeds four days. If it was only a fairly general perspective of thinking until the early days of Dungeon Creation, there was one more perspective added in modern times. Commonly referred to as Dungeon Racing on the Internet. The so-called record-setting. A somewhat bizarre view has arisen toward some Dungeons which have become somewhat easier to attack and do not feel threatening because Brake has not occurred for nearly 10 years. The public now began to pay attention to how quickly and cleverly excellent Hunters Clearing the Boss Monster was and used it to compare them with famous Hunters who have already passed it. It¡¯s like enjoying a sports event. Naturally, the elderly who went through the early days of Dungeon Creation, scholars and politicians or Associations who still consider Dungeon a threat, hate this Dungeon Racing very much. However, as the number of Hunters who use those gazes to make their names known has increased exponentially and even fans supporting them are emerging, there was no other way to rectify the situation. ¡®Because a democratic country can¡¯t forcibly prevent Dungeon Racing¡­¡¯ It was also true that the culture of Dungeon Racing itself felt somewhat absurd from the perspective of Choi Yu Seong, who knew the future of this world. ¡®Even in the novel, there are several accidents caused by Dungeon Brake¡­¡¯ Thanks to that, other countries, where the situation occurred, suffer tremendous damage and struggle to overcome the crisis by asking for help from the Republic of Korea, to be exact, the protagonist Kim Do Jin. As a result, it would have been a somewhat inevitable choice for the writer to use a lot of the so-called ¡®jingoism¡¯1 directing. But despite such a crisis, it was also strange that the culture of Dungeon Racing itself did not disappear until the completion of the first part of the original novel. ¡®Are uncomfortable feelings and entertainment different matters.¡¯ Anyway, Choi Yu Seong decided to fully utilize the culture of Dungeon Racing in such a situation. ¡®This world is different from the original novel.¡¯ As he has already experienced, any insufficient gap must be filled in some form. When Choi Yu Seong tried to challenge Solo Play to set a record, he had to go through more procedures than expected. ¡®Although Jin Yuri took care of most of it¡­¡¯ In addition to her competence, the recommendation of ¡®Iron Wall¡¯ Park Cheol Ho, one of the decision-makers of Dungeon Racing or formally called DBB (Dungeon Brake Block), had a significant influence in allowing exclusive use from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the respawn day of the Goblin Fortress¡¯ Boss Monster. In other words, the country is already aware of the damage that may occur due to atmosphere overheating of Dungeon Racing and is fully prepared for it. You can make your name known without harming others, ensure safety, and raise your Skill Level. If this performance was pretty good that it surprised even overseas, the national prestige or the so-called ¡®jingoism¡¯ would have been filled too. ¡®There¡¯s no reason not to do it.¡¯ It was not for nothing that skilled Hunters chose Dungeon Racing as a means of making their names known. Under the feet of Choi Yu Seong, who lightly shakes off useless thoughts, a sharp dagger flew under the chin where the suit¡¯s thickness is relatively thin. Already feeling the movement, Choi Yu Seong took a light step back and swung his spear wide. As the silver flash left a thin crescent-like shape and cut the sharp bushes, purple blood rose high into the air through the gap. ¡®Two.¡¯ After confirming the number of corpses, Choi Yu Seong had a fishy smile. ¡®As expected, their feet are quite fast.¡¯ There was only one visible dagger that came up to stab under his chin, but there were also others who were aiming for his waist and ankles. There were three Goblins who attacked Choi Yu Seong, but only two corpses remained. In other words, there is still one left. ¡®No.¡¯ Shaaa-! Beyond the wind that makes the tall bushes tremble roughly. -Kikig. -Kikikig! -Kigigigigi. Goblin¡¯s laughter, which seemed to laugh at Choi Yu Seong, was heard here and there. ¡®The number who are hiding is at least 10.¡¯ Maybe more than that. Anyway, whatever. They¡¯re quick and clever, but still Goblins. Not even elite Monsters. ¡®It feels a little bad when these nothing-to-see guys see me as a hunting prey.¡¯ And he has no intention of waiting for the Goblins who are looking for an opportunity. Choi Yu Seong recently decided to use the Skill he inherited from three Gods, the first of which he liked the most. ¡ºInheritance Skill, Magic Spearmanship (E++)¡ú(D-) Fusion is not possible. ¡®Culann¡¯s Hound¡¯ Cu Chulainn was a hero who excelled in both spearmanship and magic. The basic Irish Royal Court style is melted into the user¡¯s spearmanship. Due to the low Rank, many additional effects are sealed. ¡´¡´Skill exceeds the limit grade due to Specialization Skill, Spearmanship Prodigy (E).¡µ¡µ One of the sealed abilities is unlocked in an unstable form. When using Magic Spearmanship inherited from Cu Chulainn, you can choose one of the four major elemental attributes (fire, water, wind, earth) to make it stay in the spear. The usage time is limited. 3 seconds. The number of uses is limited. 5 times a day. Other abilities are sealed. Please raise the Rank to unlock the sealed ability.¡» Goblin Fortress is filled with green bushes. As soon as he remembered the peculiarity of this Dungeon, it was the first Skill that Choi Yu Seong thought of. ¡®Attribute, fire.¡¯ Kicking off the ground at once and rushing, Choi Yu Seong swung the window widely and swept away the entire surrounding area. The transparent light that started from his fingertips flowed through the spear and soon became a flashy red light and sparked when it reached the blade tip. ¡®Just try to escape to the end. Goblin guys.¡¯ 3 seconds. The duration of the fire spark was very short, but the range of the spear was never narrow. Centered on Choi Yu Seong, fire sparks began to dance splendidly on the bushes cut down by half-moon shape. The green world is quickly dyed in red resembling the sunset. The Flaming Fire, which was a disaster for Goblins who used these bushes as their best shield, spread wildly. -Kieeee-! Without even glancing at the Goblins who were screaming and running away, Choi Yu Seong watched the gap in the rising Flaming Fire and ran forward using Wind Stance. ¡®No need to pay attention to each normal Monsters. Only one goal.¡¯ It was the Boss Monster, Hobgoblin. *** ¡°Reporter Kim! Get your mind straight and raise Unit 3¡¯s altitude!¡± Sitting right next to Park Jin Hwan and looking at the monitor together, Kim Jin Young hurriedly launched a drone that was lowering its altitude into the air at his urgent cry. The drone, which was almost swallowed by the flaming fire that covered the surrounding area and exploded, rounded halfway through the air as if relieved and quickly chased Choi Yu Seong who ran like the wind. CH 9 ¡°Any guesses about the Skill just before? Elemental type?¡± ¡°It looks like firelight came out of the spear, but¡­¡± Questions arose for a moment at the activation of a splendid Skill. With their mouths closed, the two reporters had to focus on the drone¡¯s controller which they clenched with both hands. ¡®Faster than I thought!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll miss it if I¡¯m careless.¡¯ Chasing Choi Yu Seong, who was moving in a blurry way in the splendid large flame, the talkative reporters couldn¡¯t even open their mouths for a while. But that moment wasn¡¯t very long. Park Jin Hwan and Kim Jin Young. Both were pro even among reporters who could handle magic tech drones and had more experience chasing Hunters who were much more agile than Choi Yu Seong. As the carelessness and fluster went away, the movements became calm, and thoughts were organized at a rapid pace. ¡°Reporter Park. Choi Yu Seong, wasn¡¯t there a rumor he is an Irregular?¡± ¡°He has never acknowledged it himself, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s not an Irregular officially.¡± They said so, but the two reporters had similar smiles as if they had already concluded. ¡®Choi Yu Seong is definitely an Irregular.¡¯ ¡®Can this be used as an article?¡¯ At first, the two thought that Choi Yu Seong was not very interested in the record as he was seen looking around for a short time after entering the Dungeon. Common Hunters turned into record crazy at once since they were impatient to reduce it by even a second. However, their thoughts completely changed as soon as Choi Yu Seong rushed forward and set the fire. ¡°If it¡¯s like this, he has no choice but to run fast. Since he¡¯ll be roasted if slow.¡± At Kim Jin Young¡¯s words, Park Jin Hwan¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Choi Yu Seong. Such a very crazy guy.¡± The two started this job for money, but in a situation where there is no listener, a king also gets cursed. Above all, the silent Kim Jin Young also did not differ greatly from Park Jin Hwan. Rough winds blow every day in the Goblin Fortress Dungeon. This windy sound was also a nuisance that made Hunters who went into the Dungeon unable to read the movements of Goblin. And the wind was now spreading the fire sparks that Choi Yu Seong had lit up throughout the Dungeon. Flaming fire does not discriminate between sides. It could even swallow the fire starter himself, so Choi Yu Seong had no choice but to look ahead and run. The advantages of this are two things. That there are only a few disturbers because Goblins, who should have originally jumped out of the bushes and interfered, are scattered and fleeing in all directions. And Choi Yu Seong accumulated Experience every time Goblin dies swallowed up by fire anyway. ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s Leveling Up by eating Experience even while running right now. Choi Yu Seong.¡¯ Park Jin Hwan once again thought Choi Yu Seong was quite smart. ¡°Reporter Park. There¡¯s a situation I just assumed, want to hear it?¡± ¡°It seems I¡¯m thinking about something similar, but tell me.¡± ¡°So Choi Yu Seong is Leveling Up by killing Goblins with fire he lit up right now, and thanks to that, minor injuries suffered while running are treated quickly. It looks somewhat dangerous, but in fact, he could maintain the best condition until he enters the Boss Room.¡± ¡°Same thought.¡± ¡°¡­Reporter Park, has Choi Yu Seong ever been on something like a talent tv show when he was young perhaps?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. Silly. Kekek.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m joking.¡± The two reporters shook their heads exchanging useless jokes, but they were feeling similar inwardly. ¡®At Rank E Level 90, it¡¯s just right. Since it¡¯s a time when you can try to raise Level even with normal Monsters. Choi Yu Seong started Dungeon Racing by calculating Experience from the beginning.¡¯ In general, there are three benefits from rising Levels. First, strengthening physical ability. It¡¯s a simple matter. Faster, stronger, and sharper eyes. Second, the increase in the amount of mana. It is not expressed in exact figures, but it is clear that each Awakener possesses different mana. In addition, this figure steadily increases every time the Level rises. And lastly, the recovery effect occurs immediately after the Level rises. In general, stamina and mana are filled up whenever you Leveled Up in games and it has a similar effect. ¡®The difference is that it¡¯s not at the level of full blood immediately in the instant death state.¡¯ When the Level rises, most of the small things are healed except for major injuries such as a body part being cut off, bursting internal organs, and bones bending in reverse. ¡°That must be a very expensive battle suit. It¡¯ll probably filter out serious burns.¡± In reality, it was the transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, an ancient relic that cannot be obtained even with money, but the two reporters could not even know that far. However, one thing was certain. Unlike other Hunters, Choi Yu Seong can reach the Boss Room in almost the best condition. ¡°This is a trick that supposedly can¡¯t be done¡­¡± Park Jin Hwan nodded at Kim Jin Young¡¯s self-talk. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a trick. Unless already applied for a DBB exclusive attack like now, how do you set fire to the entire Dungeon when there are a lot of people? ¡° ¡°You¡¯ll be reported right away. If someone gets caught and couldn¡¯t afford the fine, it¡¯ll even be a prison sentence.¡± Dungeons made of forest areas including Goblin Fortress were one of the most reluctant places for Hunters with flame-type flair abilities due to this problem. ¡®The most important thing is that even the people who set the fire can¡¯t handle it.¡¯ Most flair-type Awakeners are naturally quite poor in physical ability. So, no one in Korea has practiced the idea of setting fire in Goblin Fortress and running until now. ¡®By the way, can¡¯t he reach the Boss Room entrance before Dungeon Restoration at this speed?¡¯ The principle of Dungeon Restoration. All Dungeons return to their original form after an hour no matter what natural disasters occur. Anyway, considering that Choi Yu Seong¡¯s movement is incredibly fast, chances are high that he would arrive at the Boss Room entrance before that no matter how wide the Field of Goblin Fortress was. ¡°Insanely clever and daring. Choi Yu Seong. How did he come up with this idea and put it into action? No matter how much calculation was made, you¡¯ll kick the bucket if you make a mistake. Is he not afraid of death? That can¡¯t be. A conglomerate is also a person, no, he shouldn¡¯t want to die even more because he has a lot. Damn. But he burnt his bridge like that and ran? Is it possible? Crazy, you¡¯re crazy. Choi Yu Seong!¡± Park Jin Hwan talks a lot when his emotions are greatly agitated. Kim Jin Young looked sideways and said with a strange smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t someone write an article around a half year ago about Choi Yu Seong, the worst idiot in the history of the conglomerate family?¡± ¡°That jerk is dead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He died just now. Stupid jerk. I can¡¯t help it since I don¡¯t have enough eyes to see people.¡± Insulting himself, Park Jin Hwan¡¯s lips wriggled in a way that was unknown whether he was angry or pleasant. Of course, Kim Jin Young, who has seen Park Jin Hwan from the side for a long time, knew exactly what that feeling was. ¡®Reporter Park. He must be so excited enough to die.¡¯ When something really interesting and exciting happens, Park Jin Hwan makes that expression so as not to show his feelings. ¡°Leave the dead alone. Hey, Reporter Kim. How long did it take for Kim Do Jin to reach the Boss Room?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see the record¡­ I think it was close to an hour and 20 minutes¡­¡± The two reporters predicted that Choi Yu Seong, who just has to run forward recklessly, can take up to an hour until reaching the Boss Room. ¡°Won¡¯t Choi Yu Seong be at least 20 minutes faster? Isn¡¯t that the best record in Korea?¡± Kim Do Jin holds the best record in Korea for reaching the entrance of Goblin Fortress Boss Room. And Goblin Fortress Dungeon also exists abroad in a very slightly different form. Representatively, five in China, three in the entirety of North America, and two in Europe. Come to think of it, it did exist overseas. A figure who used a similar strategy to Choi Yu Seong. It was so long ago that they forgot, but they suddenly remembered at this moment. Park Jin Hwan and Kim Jin Young looked at each other and shouted. ¡°Flame Emperor1!¡± ¡°Exactly an hour!¡± The two reporters recited the name and records of one of the Chinese heroes, who are considered one of the top five flair type Awakeners, and looked at Choi Yu-sung. ¡®Flame Emperor¡¯ Lin Xiao Nuo is a person who is granted the title of Emperor as a nickname, which is rare in China. No one can bring titles such as Emperor and King in China recklessly without the permission of the President, which can be regarded as the country¡¯s absolute power. Naturally, those with the title of Emperor rather than King are treated more highly and they enjoy more respect and awe. It was not a lie to say that the benefits and power that ¡®Flame Emperor¡¯ Lin Xiao Nuo enjoys in China is second only to the absolute President. Now, Choi Yu Seong was moving toward a record that could be comparable, no, perhaps a better record than Flame Emperor during E-Rank. ¡°Choi Yu Seong is an all-rounder type Hunter.¡± ¡°It will definitely be faster than Flame Emperor.¡± Paying attention to the monitor again, the two were convinced. ¡°Although it¡¯s unknown until Boss Clear¡­¡± ¡°For now, isn¡¯t it definitely breaking the world record until reaching the Boss Room entrance?¡± Kim Jin Young received Park Jin Hwan¡¯s words. The eyes of the two reporters looking at the monitors to the extent that their eyes turn red are full of interest and expectations. The moment Choi Yu Seong reached the Boss Room entrance heading underground, the two reporters checked the stopwatch that was turned on as soon as Choi Yu Seong entered the Dungeon and opened their mouths without saying a word. After such a brief silence. ¡°Hey, get a grip!¡± Kim Jin Young was so surprised that he almost dropped the drone controller he was holding to the floor. He shook his head at Park Jin Hwan¡¯s shout to awaken his mind and covered his mouth with one hand. What else needs to be said? ¡°Holy shit! Crazy man. Choi Yu Seong!¡± For reference, Kim Jin Young studied abroad. *** 49 minutes 38 seconds. The one-hour record of ¡®Flame Emperor¡¯ Lin Xiao Nuo, which was chosen as the best record for reaching Boss Room entrance among the past world records related to Goblin Fortress, literally collapsed overwhelmingly. It was no wonder that the two reporters, who rushed after Choi Yu Seong who entered the Boss Room through drones, cheered for a moment as if watching a goal in a Korea-Japan soccer match. And Choi Yu Seong, who entered the Boss Room, also felt excited at one side of his heart. ¡®I don¡¯t know the exact time, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be the fastest so far.¡¯ Set fire throughout the Dungeon Field and run without looking back. CH 10 He imitated ¡®Flame Emperor¡¯ Lin Xiao Nuo¡¯s attack strategy, which was briefly mentioned in the original novel. Perhaps because of that, he didn¡¯t think this method would fail although he had never experimented before. And since he was in the position running the Dungeon, he could not measure the exact time. But he was confident that the basic record would be definitely faster than the flair type Lin Xiao Nuo. ¡®Because Lin Xiao Nuo isn¡¯t like Rachel who put all his Skills to physical abilities despite being a flair-type.¡¯ On the other hand, Choi Yu Seong is an all-rounder Awakener and his entire body naturally strengthened whenever the level rose even if he did not have related Skills. He¡¯s bound to be faster than Lin Xiao Nuo even if it¡¯s the same method. However, above all, there was a separate fact that made Choi Yu Seong excited. ¡®At least at this moment, I¡¯m ahead of Kim Do Jin.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter that the record so far was better than Lin Xiao Nuo. The important thing is that even Lin Xiao Nuo will kneel after being overwhelmingly defeated by Kim Do Jin in the national competition that will be held in about six years. In the end, the one who was originally decided as the protagonist of this world is Kim Do Jin. And for a while, he was ahead of such Kim Do Jin. It¡¯s nothing much, but Choi Yu Seong also knew the source of this strange feeling. ¡®For some reason, I¡¯m feeling a little competitive¡­¡¯ Obviously, he thought it would be okay even if it wasn¡¯t a good record. But if it¡¯s already like this, it¡¯s good if he does well. No. He doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s next after coming this far, but he wants to set a better record than Kim Do Jin at least in Goblin Fortress where he has gained an advantage. Perhaps thanks to the Stylish Skill that he activated on the way after burning the entire Dungeon, his condition felt exceptionally good. ¡®I want to win at least once.¡¯ Thoughts soon lead to action. Entering the Boss Room, the basement of Goblin Fortress, Choi Yu Seong began to run forward and cut through the green grass that rose above the stone floor for some reason. In this world, the Dungeon¡¯s Boss Rooms are usually divided into two forms. The first is the fundamental basic form of the Boss Room where the Boss appears in front as soon as you enter. And the second is in the form of a passage that requires running to the place where the Boss is even after entering. As can be seen from the appearance that Choi Yu Seong had to run, Goblin Fortress belonged to the latter. It was another reason why Goblin Fortress¡¯ Clear Time is much longer than that of normal Second Grade Dungeons. ¡®You can¡¯t even set fire here.¡¯ A one-way narrow passage that keeps going down underground. Of course, if you set fire carelessly, you will have no choice but to die in this dark and narrow place with no place to escape. ¡®Did it take an hour for Flame Emperor to enter the Boss Room and then more than two and a half hours until the final clear?¡¯ So, the final Clear Time goes well over 3 hours and 30 minutes. The fact that flame type is his main offensive ability somewhat hindered him after entering the Boss Room. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter to Choi Yu Seong. He is an all-rounder-type Hunter. He can also demonstrate his ability through Skills such as Magic Spearmanship, but fundamentally, his physical abilities are not inferior anywhere. Well, he prided himself that he has a much better physical ability compared to his Rank and Level, perhaps because of the constant training and the characteristics of an Irregular. ¡®Currently Rank E Level 93.¡¯ The Level has risen by two so far right after entering with the Experience gained from burning the entire field of Goblin Fortress. The growth gained in a short time is overflowing excellent. So, Choi Yu Seong thought his physical combat ability was not lacking compared to Rank D Level 20. After dealing with the Elite Monsters ¡®Goblin Assault Crew¡¯ and three Goblin archers alone in less than five minutes on the passage, Choi Yu Seong ran forward without calming his breath. ¡®Kim Do Jin would have taken less than 3 minutes.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just a guess. In the narrative attached to the original novel, there was a part where Kim Do Jin lightly slaughtered a group of Goblin Fortress¡¯ Elite Monsters in 2-3 minutes. Starting with this event that shows his overwhelming fighting power, Kim Do Jin begins to make his name known in South Korea and the world. The time difference between Choi Yu Seong¡¯s and Kim Do Jin¡¯s arrival at the Boss Room entrance is about 30 minutes. It was safe to say that if the time is delayed more than 10 times in this state, he will be effectively overtaken. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s senses were also sending similar signals. ¡®In general, the group of Elite Monsters encountered on the way down the passage is around five times. If I meet Elite Monsters more than six times before even seeing the Boss, it would be unreasonable to break Kim Do Jin¡¯s record.¡¯ No, maybe the time is running out to not even get close to the record. In other words, there is enough room to break the record if he meets below that. ¡®Certainly only within this Goblin Fortress¡­¡¯ An opportunity that may never come again. Choi Yu Seong, who went down the underground passage at a high speed and faced a total of five battles, felt the rather steep ground getting flat. He was approaching the end of the underground passage, which felt quite long. It¡¯s a very short distance, but there¡¯s still no information about encountering a group of Elite Goblins from now on. Although he knows future information, Choi Yu Seong did not enter this room without any investigation. Like everyone who challenged Dungeon Racing did, Choi Yu Seong also conducted a thorough preliminary investigation that he could do, so it was known information. ¡®In the end, the average number of battles was filled. Still, is it comforting to Leveled Up at the end and speed up a little.¡¯ A little further, he will be able to meet Goblin Fortress¡¯s Boss Monster, Hobgoblin. There was only one hurdle to overcome before that. ¡®Crossroads of Choice.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong stopped for a while, looking at the two forked paths in front of him. ¡®It¡¯s okay to say that I¡¯m still about 20 minutes ahead so far.¡¯ It¡¯s an estimated figure, but Choi Yu Seong¡¯s thoughts are almost right. The time elapsed until Choi Yu Seong arrived at the Crossroads of Choice now was 1 hour and 15 minutes, and when Kim Do Jin stood in this position was 1 hour and 36 minutes. ¡®Two roads. And both sides are bound to reach the Boss Room.¡¯ He has already found out through preliminary investigation, but there are no other pitfalls. But there was one peculiarity. ¡®The left passage is extremely far away. It is said that it takes at least 50 minutes for a D-Rank physical-type Hunter to run with all his might.¡¯ Truly a long journey around the Boss Room. It¡¯s a direction he doesn¡¯t really want to choose from a position to set a record like Dungeon Racing. However, it was not without any advantages. ¡®There are no Elite Monsters, all you have to do is run.¡¯ In other words, there are no variables. ¡®On the other hand, the right passage is short but there are a lot of Elite Monster groups.¡¯ If anyone wants to set a record and is confident in fighting power, most choose the right path. Choi Yu Seong was also confident that he would make a pretty good record if he chose the right path. ¡®However, I won¡¯t be able to break Kim Do Jin¡¯s record.¡¯ If he chooses the right passage, he will meet the Elite Goblin group about 10 times on average. The match against Kim Do Jin should have been seen as a game over effectively. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ The troubled Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes quickly turned to the two passages. After a short silence of less than 10 seconds passed. Having concluded, Choi Yu Seong took a step. *** Park Jin Hwan and Kim Jin Young, the two reporters continued to check the stopwatch rather instinctively while filming Choi Yu Seong made his way through the Boss Room from various angles. The moment when 1 hour and 15 minutes have passed and heading towards 16 minutes. Seeing Choi Yu Seong stop in front of the Crossroads of Choice, Kim Jin Young had a strangely relaxed smile. ¡°I guess it¡¯s up to here. Even if he was definitely superior to Flame Emperor, it was too much for Kim Do Jin.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nevertheless, Park Jin Hwan, who he thought would answer it couldn¡¯t be helped alike, kept his mouth shut and looked at the monitor. ¡°Reporter Park?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± Thinking about Park Jin Hwan¡¯s words for a while, Kim Jin Young had a bitter smile. ¡°I admit that Choi Yu Seong is amazing. If you hunt Goblin Elite Monsters at the same speed as E-Rank, not even D-Rank, there are only about 10 names in my head. Still, Kim Do Jin is overwhelming in battle. Whichever way he goes, he¡¯s bound to catch up.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Kim Jin Young suddenly wondered at Park Jin Hwan, who responded somewhat indifferent while watching the monitor showing video inside the Dungeon filmed with drones. ¡®Is there something on the monitor?¡¯ The question is for a moment. The stopped Choi Yu Seong took steps forward. Kim Jin Young, who had somewhat lowered his expectations, had no choice but to draw attention back to the monitor at that moment. ¡®Where are you going? Choi Yu Seong.¡¯ Far but stable left or short but full of variable right. Kim Jin Young inwardly hoped Choi Yu Seong would choose the right passage. He definitely thought that Choi Yu Seong would do that if he was greedy for the record. ¡®If he still has more hidden abilities, he¡¯ll probably show it this time.¡¯ Park Jin Hwan¡¯s expectations were not incomprehensible. Choi Yu Seong is still hiding something. Kim Jin Young was also feeling this way. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± However, the moment Choi Yu Seong stepped forward and checked his chosen passage, Kim Jin Young had no choice but to sigh of regret without realizing it. ¡®He¡¯s going to the left passage.¡¯ A long but stable road. In the end, Choi Yu Seong gave up breaking Kim Do Jin¡¯s record. ¡®Tch, unfortunately, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ By the time Kim Jin Young smacked his lips with regret, the eyes of Park Jin Hwan, who was still staring through the monitor while controlling the drone, sparkled. Something hazy flowed out of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s hand and began to crawl on the wall. ¡°Reporter Kim. That, can you see that?¡± ¡°Huh. But what Skill is that?¡± A form of Skill never seen before. At first glance, it was not intended for combat. Above all, Choi Yu Seong is not running even though he just entered the left passage. Naturally, questions turned into curiosity and then expectations. ¡®What if Choi Yu Seong hasn¡¯t given up yet?¡¯ If that action has any meaning they haven¡¯t predicted until now! Holding the drone¡¯s controller tightly from one point, Kim Jin Young was also looking at Choi Yu Seong as if falling in love with his appearance. And to the amazing scenery that soon unfolded, the two reporters had no choice but to open their eyes the most for the first time in their lives. Kim Jin Young, who declared Choi Yu Seong¡¯s game over before, shouted loudly once again. ¡°Holy, god damn! What the heck is Choi Yu Seong!¡± Kim Jin Young was planning to designate today as his most surprising day of the year. CH 11 During Part 1 of the original novel, The Master Who Returned To Modern Times, Kim Do Jin is on a roll almost every time as a character in the position of the returnee protagonist. However, when you ask if such Kim Do Jin had never lost, that was not the case either. ¡®About three times? Once to the Demon King, once in the Tower, and¡­¡¯ Once for the last time to a person who can be said to be the final weapon of mankind, who could not even exceed the protagonist Kim Do Jin until the completion of Part 1. In fact, the last defeat was not a crisis but an opportunity for growth. ¡®Anyway, she also played the role of Kim Do Jin¡¯s teacher.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong also may have to meet ¡®her¡¯ someday. But at least not now. Things to think about only after being ready in the distant future. ¡®Since she¡¯s not a good person to stimulate thoughtlessly. ¡® In any case, it is rare to stimulate Kim Do Jin¡¯s mood after excluding these few defeats. One of them was an episode that suddenly passed through the mind of Choi Yu Seong, who was agonizing at the Crossroads of Choice. Three years later, a super rookie named Arnold appears like a comet in the United States. In the not too far future, he will be so successful to earn the nickname ¡®Dungeon Master¡¯ that it is said that there is no rival in Dungeon Racing in the entire United States. That was thanks to one great Skill that only Arnold had in the world. ¡®Specialization Skill, Map Master.¡¯ This ability is often simply described in the form of a map window floating in one corner of the screen when playing simulation games on the computer. The difference is that you have to move at least once directly to grasp the terrain to check the complete shape of the map in common simulation games, but Arnold¡¯s Map Master Skill did not have the above penalty. If he unfolds the Skill as soon as he enters, a map of the entire Dungeon opens immediately letting him see the way even in a maze-like labyrinth at once, and he can also find secret spaces or hidden paths. Simply put, Arnold¡¯s Map Master is the ability to grasp all-terrain as soon as he enters the Dungeon. Needless to say, it was natural his Dungeon Clear speed increased significantly through this. There are even times when he comes out finding Ancient Relics or another world¡¯s treasures hidden in the secret room of the Dungeon that no one could find when he is lucky. Although the location of the traps or monsters is not known unfortunately, no one could deny the fact that it was a fairly unique and excellent ability. At this moment at the Crossroads of Choice, it was of course no coincidence that Arnold¡¯s name and his ability passed through Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®When Arnold was an E-Rank, he boarded a plane to Korea himself to show off.¡¯ Then he comes all the way to Sinwol-dong, requests an exclusive attack during the Boss Respawn Season, and brags that he will break Kim Do Jin¡¯s record, which has never been officially broken. As a result, Arnold cannot break Kim Do Jin¡¯s record of 2 hours 28 minutes 33 seconds. ¡®Arnold¡¯s record stated in the original novel is 2 hours 28 minutes 38 seconds.¡¯ Only 5 seconds difference. Afterward, Arnold admits his shortcomings and leaves Korea lonesomely. Looking closely, it¡¯s a rather meaningless episode to express the pride of the country through Kim Do Jin. It was a bit boring content without much expectation, so Choi Yu Seong also forgot about it, but the content suddenly passed through his mind at this moment. ¡®I¡¯m glad I made a habit of remembering the contents of The Master Who Returned To Modern Times every night before going to bed and writing them down on my phone notepad.¡¯ The contents of the original novel, which were clear as he initially thought, were surely becoming blurred day by day. ¡®Now, these kinds of trivial episodes don¡¯t come to mind without stimulation.¡¯ As expected, it was a good thing to start documentation. Thanks to that, the time when memory is blurred is delayed and it is possible to recall immediately at a time like this. ¡®In the original novel, Arnold told in an interview that he eventually failed even though he used the trump card at the Crossroads of Choice.¡¯ Arnold¡¯s trump card? There is no reason to think about what it is. Map Master¡¯s ability must be that great for Arnold, who is overwhelmingly disadvantageous compared to Kim Do Jin in terms of combat power, to set such a remarkable record. ¡®If it¡¯s not in the left passage, then in the right passage.¡¯ Either way, the shortest way to encounter the Boss is somewhere. In other words, there is a third route. The only problem is that the original novel did not express detailed location as it was such a trivial episode. Nevertheless, the reason why Choi Yu Seong came to the left passage first was simple. ¡®If there¡¯s a secret passage, wouldn¡¯t it be more likely that it exists in the long one?¡¯ Even for Choi Yu Seong now, this issue was not a big concern. ¡®If not, I can quickly go back to the other side and check. Thanks to Scathi. Without this Skill, I would have to give up here.¡¯ The second Skill that Choi Yu Seong recently inherited from the three Gods. ¡ºInheritance Skill, Twin Snakes Biting Tail (E) Fusion is not possible. ¡®The Oldest Hunter¡¯ Scathi has never missed a single target when it comes to opponents. Summons translucent twin snakes that are not easily visible to the eyes to track the opponent. Try to think of the name and appearance of the target as accurately as possible in your head. Additional effects are sealed due to low Rank. The ability is limited. It cannot pass through walls or obstacles. If the tracking distance is outside a 2km radius, the twin snakes automatically disappear. Reuse waiting time exists. 3 minutes.¡» In fact, it was a Skill that he thought would just be left sealed for a while because he thought it would be of no use right away. ¡®But it¡¯s different now.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong does not have Map Master ability like Arnold. However, the unleashed twin snakes will somehow find the Boss Monster Hobgoblin that Choi Yu Seong thought of in his mind, even by finding a hidden path. ¡®It¡¯d be nice if I could find it at once¡­¡¯ Hopeful Choi Yu Seong looked at the two snakes like a haze that had left his hand. And, one of them pushed its head toward a gap somewhere in the wall where Choi Yu Seong was looking around. ¡°Good.¡± Afterward, Choi Yu Seong, who confirmed the appearance of the snakes disappearing like mollusks, jumped into the wall and began to grope around. ¡®If there¡¯s a secret space, somewhere around here¡­¡¯ Just as expected? Clank. Part of the wall where Choi Yu Seong¡¯s right palm touched went deep. It was the moment when the third path opened with the sound of the engine operating. *** Secret passage. Choi Yu Seong ran through a path that no one had thought of. A wide dome-shaped cavity that stretches through a secret path with no monsters in the way. Standing at the end of the path which is like a cliff located somewhat high, Choi Yu Seong looked down. Elite Goblins that flock together sometimes and Hobgoblin leaning on a chair like a king at the end of it, find Choi Yu Seong and scream violently. Goblins with poisoned needles or bows pose a threat by aiming with each weapon. A threatening attack poured right in front of his eyes. A noise following that spread randomly and reflected that makes your head dizzy just by hearing. Choi Yu Seong laughed in the scene full of commotion and murder intent. ¡®At least the time has been reduced by two times!¡¯ The actual time spent is 25 minutes. Finally reaching the real Boss Room with the best record ever, faster than anyone else in a total of 1 hour and 41 minutes, Choi Yu Seong grabbed the spear. Arrived on a rather high hill? There was no need to worry about the gap caused by the landing. ¡®It¡¯s rather good. The Dungeon Racing record is set the moment the Boss Monster dies.¡¯ Just hit the Boss¡¯ head from the beginning. Choi Yu Seong jumped high without hesitation and used Wind Stance. After hitting arrows flying toward him with the spear, he spread his palm. The gazes of the Boss Monster Hobgoblin and Elite flock bodyguards, who were raising their heads with angry eyes, looked at Choi Yu Seong slowly like slow motion. ¡®Loki, I¡¯ll use the Skill you gave with a bit of grunt well~¡¯ The last Skill that the three Gods handed down through inheritance. The completed Skill handed down from Loki, who wasn¡¯t lacking to be counted as one of the strongest in Norse myths, unfolded through Choi Yu Seong¡¯s palm. *** Choi Yu Seong also felt tremendous excitement, just as Jin Do Yun did when the three Gods first handed over their Skills at the same time. After his consciousness returned, he felt thrilled when checking the Skills with his own eyes. ¡®Magic Spearmanship! Cu Chulainn was very generous!¡¯ Was it because he was aware of his lack of Status compared to the other two Gods? Cu Chulainn passed on one of his representative Skills from the beginning. He did not even raise the standard with greed and refined the Skill into a perfect form for the still low-ranked Choi Yu Seong to use. ¡®Ireland¡¯s Prince of Light indeed! Like his nickname, he¡¯s just shining.¡¯ Expressing admiration from the bottom of his heart, he tilted his head when he saw the second Skill ¡®Twin Snakes Biting Tail¡¯. ¡®Likewise, it¡¯s a growth-type Skill, but it¡¯s ambiguous where to use it right now.¡¯ It¡¯s not bad, but somehow the practical use didn¡¯t come to mind right away. As it felt good it could be used faster and remarkably than expected as he ran for Dungeon Racing. And lastly, the third one. Choi Yu Seong had no choice but to click his tongue at the first moment of confirming Loki¡¯s highly anticipated Skill as he was the most famous of the three Gods. ¡®Woah, this cheap God, seriously. Did he give me this Skill because I called him last?¡¯ ¡ºInheritance Skill, Disturbing Dance Moves F(MAX) Fusion is possible. It¡¯s a Skill passed down by Prankster Who Likes Jokes to test you. Spread out your palm to emit a flashing light about 100m in front. The light dances and disturbs the opponent¡¯s vision.¡» The title is Inheritance Skill, but it actually had the same effect as a Normal Skill. There is even a label that the F Rank is at the Max Level to tell that there is not even any possibility of growth. ¡°Loki, you one-eyed1 jerk. As narrow-minded as Odin.¡± -Prankster Who Likes Jokes finds the abusive language very unpleasant. Sends a direct message toward Awakener Choi Yu Seong, ¡®It¡¯s just that your vision is narrow. You idiot!¡¯. Loki¡¯s message was sent in a way that was several times more flashy than usual when he spitted out the self-talk without realizing it. A direct message that he never experienced before. The letters in the part that appeared to be Loki¡¯s own words were burning as if they were on fire. CH 12 It was not incomprehensible that he felt bad when he compared and mentioned the name of Odin, whom he hates so much. ¡°My words were too harsh. Sorry!¡± Do those who ascended to Godship always hear the voice of the Hunter they are watching? Although he didn¡¯t know the answer, Choi Yu Seong gave a short, sincere apology. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling that came out without thinking. Through the message, Choi Yu Seong could immediately realize that he was missing something. ¡®Fusion possible.¡¯ Inheritance Skills are generally often not possible to fusion as was the case with Magic Spearmanship and Twin Snakes Biting Tail. It was because of the strong personality of the God who gave it is that much, but Disturbing Dance Moves didn¡¯t seem to be that kind of thing. ¡®It looks similar to Gorgeous Dance that I acquired and discarded in the very early days¡­¡¯ The difference is the emission type. Emission type, the most preferred among flair-related offensive Skills. ¡®Where to use it¡­ Well, the answer is already set.¡¯ At that time, Choi Yu Seong, who smiled brightly, immediately activated his Fusion Skill. And among the Skills Choi Yu Seong currently possesses, a Skill that can be called ¡®the strongest¡¯ in terms of the general-purpose offensive was born. *** Choi Yu Seong¡¯s Dungeon Racing is over. The two reporters, who checked the records and finally reviewed them once again, packed their bags and left Dungeon Square, heading to their respective media outlets. Then, they scrambled the article like crazy throughout the dawn, attached a video, and pressed the update button early in the morning when employees were just about to go to work. A reporter for the Minguk Daily, Park Jin Hwan, immediately checked the main screen of the Daeguk Daily, one of the rival media outlets. Then, he breathed a short sigh with a fairly relieved look. ¡°It hasn¡¯t come up yet.¡± ¡°What is it? No way, Senior. Did you stay up all night to write an article?¡± Seo Ye Rim, a junior of Minguk Daily in her third year, approached and asked him, who was as ugly as a bum. ¡°Of course. It doesn¡¯t feel good to be pushed to second place in an opportunity to report such a big issue.¡± It was the moment when Park Jin Hwan, who had a deep winner¡¯s smile as if he didn¡¯t care, once again pressed the refresh button on the main homepage of Daeguk Daily. ¡ùUnbelievable! Goblin Fortress DBB Overwhelming New Record Break! Who¡¯s The Main Character? -Reporter Kim Jin Young. ¡°I would¡¯ve been a minute faster. The article title of mine is also better. It¡¯s my victory. Kim Jin Young. Huhu.¡± ¡°So, you competed with Reporter Kim of Daeguk Daily. But, is Goblin Fortress Dungeon Racing¡¯s record broken? Uh¡­ Who was the first place?¡± ¡°Kim Do Jin.¡± ¡°Is that broken? By whom?¡± It was the moment when Seo Ye Rim, unable to contain her curiosity, grabbed Park Jin Hwan¡¯s mouse and headed over the article posted by Kim Jin Young. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Oho, not that one. Don¡¯t increase the views of the report by a competitor.¡± Park Jin Hwan, who slapped the back of her hand, naturally took the mouse away and clicked on his report posted on the main homepage of Minguk Daily. ¡°I made a mistake. Anyway, the article content is¡­ Oh my gosh, is this real?¡± Opening her eyes roundly even though only checked the title before reading the main text, Seo Ye Rim covered her mouth and asked. ¡ùFool of Conglomerate Group? No, Talented Conglomerate! Choi Yu Seong Beats Kim Do Jin and Breaks ¡®Overwhelming¡¯ New Record ¡°Do you think I put this on the main page as a joke? Everything is filmed with drones.¡± ¡°Awesome. Choi Yu Seong, that person I think of, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the most incompetent, good-for-nothing, and drunken man in the Korean business community until not long ago, that friend is right.¡± Opening her mouth wide as if she still couldn¡¯t believe it, Seo Ye Rim clicked on the video at the top of the article. Then she checked the time the most first. ¡®1 hour 59 minutes 26 seconds.¡¯ Reading her gaze, Park Jin Hwan showed a sharp smile. ¡°For reference, this is the full version. No editing. There¡¯s no time for that.¡± ¡°¡­What was Do Jin¡¯s record?¡± ¡°2 hours 28 minutes 33 seconds.¡± ¡°Then the difference is¡­ Almost 30 minutes?¡± ¡°Crazy, right?¡± What can he say. ¡°Lie!¡± Unconsciously screaming as if can¡¯t believe it, she pressed the video play button. As if attracted by that, just arriving reporters of the Minguk Daily began to flock behind Park Jin Hwan¡¯s monitor. ¡°What, something¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Reporter Park, did you get another big one?¡± ¡°A hundred words won¡¯t be enough. Everyone, watch the video.¡± Leisurely tilting his chair back and opening the monitor screen for employees to see comfortably, Park Jin Hwan looked at the back with his arms crossed. Those who came a little late and couldn¡¯t make it in between urgently turned on their computers and checked the video by clicking an article from their newspaper company that is already securing the main spot on the portal site. A long silence passed. A time that was certainly long but never felt that way, eliminating the rather sluggish morning work. ¡°Woah, awesome!¡± ¡°Is that really Choi Yu Seong?¡± ¡°His level when entering was E-Rank 91? Isn¡¯t this a situation where you have to go buy Hyesung Group stocks?¡± ¡°Hey, Reporter Park. Did you distribute this to foreign press?!¡± The editor-in-chief of the Minguk Daily, who was watching the video silently among the employees, urgently asked. ¡°Of course, I did.¡± Raising two fingers and drawing a V-shape, Park Jin Hwan smirked. ¡°Well done. It¡¯s really awesome. Awesome. Really great job, Reporter Park!¡± ¡°Woah¡­ It would be no joke if this was distributed to the foreign press.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t Choi Yu Seong get a nickname right away?¡± ¡°Now, how about we follow him?¡± The atmosphere was boiling like seeing Kim Do Jin¡¯s Dungeon Clear for the first time. Enduring the office atmosphere full of enthusiasm after a long time, Park Jin Hwan also jumped in. ¡°The progress itself is quite intelligent and it is also very surprising that he found a hidden secret passage.¡± ¡°That second Skill, right? At first glance, it looks like a tracking type, but maybe isn¡¯t it some kind of sensory Skill? I don¡¯t think he found the secret passage with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to see him as a normal Hunter if he has a super-sensory Skill.¡± ¡°But the strange thing is¡­ Choi Yu Seong¡¯s behavior was natural as if he knew there is a secret passage.¡± ¡°Was there any information?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s information that hasn¡¯t been revealed yet, it should be regarded as personal ability.¡± Park Jin Hwan pulled his chair back slightly and smiled as he saw reporters who were proud to be Hunter experts express their opinions randomly once he opened his mouth. Without realizing that Park Jin Hwan was missing, conversations between reporters continue. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s one of the two. It was Choi Yu Seong¡¯s plan from beginning to end. Or his super sense instinctively led him to the optimal path.¡± ¡°It is crazy either one, but I feel it is the former for now.¡± ¡°Were there any Hunters in Korea who could plan and do all those things during E-Rank?¡± For a moment, the silenced reporters looked at each other and shook their heads firmly. ¡°Kim Do Jin also does not feel like he does such an intelligent play since the force itself was just overwhelming.¡± ¡°Actually, Kim Do Jin looks a bit like a beast. It should be said as instinctive and wild. Nevertheless, his swordsmanship is artistically elegant. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so popular.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s see. In our opinion, it is safe to say that Choi Yu Seong is one of the top, no, the best strategist-type among the current domestic rookies. Kim Do Jin is¡­ the definite pinnacle of instinctive-type with no one to follow, perhaps.¡± ¡°Do we really need to classify? Looking at the results right away, Choi Yu Seong won in Goblin Fortress for now, right?¡± A record of 1 hour 59 minutes. Quietly listening to the words of a reporter who once again confirmed the short time of less than 2 hours, the editor-in-chief stroked his chin and said. ¡°It¡¯s not just about having a plan. There must have been some bone grinding effort. If you look at it, the movement of using the Skills is quite natural and the mana application is also incredibly great. He must be repeating practice every day.¡± ¡°They called him the lazy grasshopper1 Choi Yu Seong¡­¡± ¡°Completely deceived all this time.¡± Pushing his chair between reporters who laughed bitterly, Park Jin Hwan asked. ¡°Everyone must have been very surprised, but everyone must think that one is the highlight, right?¡± ¡°Ah, I think I know what that is, Senior. You¡¯re talking about ¡®that!¡¯, right?¡± Seo Ye Rim raised her hand with sparkling eyes and pulled the scroll bar of the already finished video slightly forward to replay. The point is just past 1 hour 41 minutes. The moment when Choi Yu Seong escaped from the secret passage and encountered a group of Elite Goblins. Flying into the sky, Choi Yu Seong spread his palm and used a Skill that left a strong impression in the mind of everyone who watched the video. *** Rewind time again to dawn. Flying over a flock of fierce-eyed Goblins, Choi Yu Seong spread his palm and emitted a surge of dazzling lights. Never thought the surge of lights would be a disaster for them, the Goblin flock screamed and swung their weapons at the surge of lights. And at that moment, the surge of lights that seemed to have split on the weapons began to dance like crazy and released electric shock in all directions. ¡ºSpecial, Inheritance Fusion Skill Dancing Electric Doll (E) Fusion is possible. Spread your palm to emit Dancing Electric Doll within 100 meters in front. Electric Doll releases Electric Spark 12 times per second around while dancing. Duration 5 seconds. No waiting time for reuse. It is a Skill that consumes quite a bit of mana.¡» A combination of Spark, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s one and only flair-type offensive Skill just before, and Disturbing Dance Moves, Loki¡¯s Inheritance Skill, has become Choi Yu Seong¡¯s best existing offensive Skill. Choi Yu Seong used that Skill three times in a row in the air. ¡®This is the limit. If I try to trigger the next, I will get a mana overload.¡¯ In the last chamber of Goblin Fortress, elite Monsters are clustered in groups. Already knowing the information, Choi Yu Seong had saved a powerful Skill that consumes a lot of mana, Dancing Electric Doll, for this moment. The Goblin Elite flock, who gathered inside the chamber and prepared to attack Choi Yu Seong at once, also twisted as if dancing along and burned in pain thanks to that. Looking at that with a somewhat haggard face, Choi Yu Seong drew a smile. When fighting with a spear directly without Electric Doll, he had to barely catch two to three Goblins over five minutes or so. However, dozens of Elite Goblins die at the same time within 3 seconds when Dancing Electric Doll starts to run. He really liked the force even considering the excessive mana consumption rate, which is difficult to use once a day if it wasn¡¯t for Choi Yu Seong who drinks mana juice every day like a tycoon. At the same time, he was somewhat unsatisfied. ¡®If bushes were spread out like other terrains, they would have been annihilated with this.¡¯ CH 13 Electric spark basically has the lightning attribute, but it also has the fire attribute as it ignites sparks. If it had been a battlefield full of bushes like the terrain so far, even Elite Goblins with good physical strength would not be able to withstand and instantly die in this attack. The chamber of Goblin Fortress¡¯ final battleground, where Hobgoblin is located, is like the inside of a cave made of pure stone. It was a pity for that fact, but it could be said as fortunate in a way. ¡®If this place all burns down, I would have had a hard time escaping.¡¯ Otherwise, he would have had to wait an hour for the Dungeon to be restored naturally by hiding at the end of the secret passage without bushes. In any case, Choi Yu Seong landed at a rather safe spot even before the 5 seconds duration of Dancing Electric Doll was over. ¡®It¡¯s tingling!¡¯ Despite wearing a battle suit with a fairly high electricity cutoff rate, a tingling sensation from the back of the head instantly filled his entire body. But that time was a moment. Choi Yu Seong unfolded Wind Stance rushed towards Hobgoblin, who didn¡¯t know what to do with Electric Doll¡¯s sudden attack and jumped up from the throne. ¡®Stylish is at its best.¡¯ Once again turning red by wrapping the fire attribute using Magic Spearmanship, the spear of Choi Yu Seong pierced through Hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder. A cool sensation of tearing flesh and breaking through bones. The mixed disgusting smell of Goblin¡¯s meat roasted and the fishy smell of blood came in through the nose in various forms. At the same time, Hobgoblin grabbed Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spear with one hand even with a pain-stained face, and shrieked. -Keeeek-! The guy who boasts a thick forearm as he was one head bigger than most Goblins pulled out the spear tearing his shoulder, swung a rather unusually shaped curved sword, and hit Choi Yu Seong¡¯s abdomen. Although it could not break through the battle suit, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body stumbled for a moment at the intense blow that was transmitted like a blunt weapon. Did not miss the gap, Hobgoblin¡¯s curved sword flew toward Choi Yu Seong¡¯s neck. Escaping the crisis by unfolding Wind Stance, Choi Yu Seong wiped the blood flowing down his lips with the back of his hand. ¡®You¡¯re still a Boss Monster, that¡¯s it? Quite a tough guy.¡¯ Eventually, all the Electric Dolls disappeared. The number of Elite Monsters left is about five. And a somewhat wounded Hobgoblin. ¡®Not bad. I can do it.¡¯ Catching his breath, Choi Yu Seong immersed himself in the battle like crazy, and as a result. After about 20 minutes of bloody battle, he was able to put the long spear blade in the center of wide-eyed Hobgoblin¡¯s neck. Your Level Has Risen. Your Level Has Risen. Your Level Has Risen. Your Level Has Risen. Your Level Has Risen. E-Rank MAX Level Has Been Reached. Please Challenge The Promotion Evaluation! Seeing the messages that made his whole body gain strength, Choi Yu Seong swept up his sweaty hair and smiled brightly as he looked at the drone filming himself in the air. ¡®That¡¯s great.¡¯ Isn¡¯t the ending going to be a masterpiece no matter how you make it? *** South Korea, no, the world was turned upside down after Choi Yu Seong¡¯s Goblin Fortress Dungeon Racing video was released. The article itself was one step slower than Park Jin Hwan, but the video edited much faster by Kim Jin Young surpassed 50 million views in less than a week on NewTube. Everyone was expecting it to achieve 100 million soon. Park Jin Hwan was also not pushed watching Kim Jin Young¡¯s good performance. Less than half a day after receiving an exclusive press video obtained from a well-known trusted sasaeng fan(?) of Choi Yu Seong, he edited, wrote a report, and released it on both the website and NewTube. ¡ùChoi Yu Seong Already Won Against A Boss Monster Of 2nd Grade Dungeon Before? Feat. Sand Officer Half a day after the second video posted by Park Jin Hwan was released, the first and second most popular videos on NewTube were all covered by Choi Yu Seong¡¯s name. Naturally, attention from all over the world poured on Choi Yu Seong. United States, CNL. ¡ùWho Is Choi Yu Seong Who Broke The Record Of Top Prospect Kim Do Jin? ¡ùGenius Millionaire Hunter! United Kingdom, BBD. ¡ùDiscovered South Korea¡¯s New Talent ¡ùFearless Rascal, Revered As A Genius Japan, NHN. ¡ùKim Do Jin and Choi Yu Seong, A Dragon And A Tiger ¡ù¡®Inwang1¡¯ Yamamoto Kyosuke. Korean Talents Are Only At The Starting Point. You Never Know When The Bubbles Will Burst, Don¡¯t Make Hasty Judgments Media outlets from the world¡¯s leading countries reported news and articles, flooding requests for interviews. It wasn¡¯t just that. Sitting in the chairman office of the company rather than the mansion¡¯s home office after a long time, Choi Wu Jae was reading press releases from each country and smiled when he suddenly remembered receiving a call from Chinese President Wang Kai last night. He then picked up the telephone and made a quick call somewhere. The never-short ringtone rang several times and time went by. It would have been quite surprising if there were other people nearby. The supreme Hyesung Group Chairman Choi Wu Jae calls and waits for a long time. It was a rare case. Then, along with a click, a husky voice mixed with laughter came from over the receiver. -Who¡¯s this? What was the reason the busiest gent in Korea calls me all the way? ¡°Hohoho¡­ Even if I¡¯m busy, do what I have to do and live. You¡¯ve been quiet lately. Is everything okay?¡± -Thanks to you, I¡¯m spending my latter years very peacefully. ¡°Your grandson is pretty cute, so when will you show his face?¡± -Ah, I have to show him! Whose request is it. Isn¡¯t this Baek Joon Kyung doing this well now because of you. Baek Joon Kyung. If Choi Yu Seong had heard this name, he would have been surprised yet also understood Choi Wu Jae¡¯s unfamiliar appearance. Former President of the Republic of Korea from an S-Rank Hunter. He led the team in the most front when Choi Wu Jae was in his prime as a Hunter. Although he stepped back and retired from the political and Hunter jobs, he was still called one of the nation¡¯s living legends. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me. By the way, we haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time, so let¡¯s play golf? Also to show your grandson¡¯s face at the same time.¡± -Golf? Perhaps it was Choi Wu Jae¡¯s unexpected words, but Baek Joon Kyung across the phone expressed a strange tone. -Aah¡­ This friend. Now that I see, you called me to brag about your kid brat! Yeah, didn¡¯t Choi Yu Seong have a big accident in a clever thing this time? At the words of the quick-witted friend, Choi Wu Jae shook his head from side to side. ¡°What bragging, it¡¯s just a little something to talk about. Ah, but there¡¯s a little bit of trouble. Well, I was going to sleep last night, but suddenly I got a call. Has it been 10 years? There is that gent, right. Wang Kai.¡± -Chinese President? Are you talking about that old snake? Come to think of it, he was still alive. But why is that friend? ¡°Ah, well. If I send Yu Seong to China, he said he will drive about 30 trillion won in sales to Hyesung Group every year.¡± -That stingy man gave a big generosity. I think he likes your son quite a lot. So? ¡°What¡¯s with so. Does 30 trillion make sense?¡± -Of course. If the snake said that much, he would have asked you to transfer your ninth kid¡¯s nationality, so there is no chance. I¡¯ve heard a bit of rumor, but that Yu Seong guy. He is the treasure of the country, a treasure. Don¡¯t even think about letting him go anywhere. Then I won¡¯t forgive you. Choi Wu Jae¡¯s lips twitched as Baek Joon Kyung¡¯s stern voice made him feel better for no reason and nodded. ¡°Such a given sound. Not just 30 trillion, I don¡¯t even care about 300 trillion. And to give some king or something, oh dear¡­¡± -Harharhar! This friend, it seems you have a lot to brag about now. Yeah, golf. Let¡¯s play it. When would be a good time? ¡°If you¡¯re okay, right away is nice too.¡± -Right now? Here is Goseong, though? Isn¡¯t it afternoon when you arrive? ¡°Ah, it doesn¡¯t matter. It would be perfect if I go by car, eat lunch, then play golf.¡± ¨C Harhar¡­! Who said this friend isn¡¯t active, very energetic. Yeah, see you when you arrive. ¡°Then wait a little bit.¡± Hanging up the call, Choi Wu Jae got up from the chair wrapping him, and connected the intercom to the secretary¡¯s office. -Yes, Chairman. ¡°I¡¯m going to Baek Joon Kyung. Tell them to get ready immediately.¡± -Alright, sir. While the intercom was cut off, Choi Wu Jae dressed in sportswear that looked several times lighter than the outfit he wore to the company and a thick padding jacket over it. Then as he hummed, he suddenly stopped and trembled. ¡°¡­This. If that friend Pil Du was nearby, he would have said something again.¡± Choi Wu Jae shrugged, briefly remembering his right arm who was out in England for work. ¡®These days, there are many things that make me feel good thanks to Yu Seong brat.¡¯ I¡¯ll have to think of a gift to give to Choi Yu Seong while playing golf today. Making such a decision, Choi Wu Jae left the chairman¡¯s office with light steps. *** A shabby eight-story building without sunlight located somewhere in Jongno, Seoul. A new sign was hung on the fifth floor which can only be reached by climbing the high stone stairs directly with two legs since there was no elevator. Hunter Guild, Eclipse. Inside, Kim Do Jin tilted his head as he entered a space just over 30 pyeong that was not even organized yet. ¡°Is this all?¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Immediately behind such Kim Do Jin, Baek Ah Rin, who was putting her hands together like a sinner, replied with a weak voice. ¡°I remember exactly that you wanted an office building.¡± ¡°¡­That was the goal. But this damned land price in Seoul is very expensive. The building I was aiming for was exactly 10 times more expensive than here! Wahaha!¡± Bursting into big laughter, Baek Ah Rin scratched the back of her head and cried out. ¡°So, did you only buy one floor of this building?¡± ¡°No. I just bought this room. Still, I can see my goal out of the window here.¡± Looking around the inside of the room once again at Baek Ah Rin¡¯s detailed explanation, Kim Do Jin nodded lightly. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Yeah. For my greed, I¡¯m sor¡­ What?¡± ¡°There must have been quite a few places that offered to support if you had hung our names. Isn¡¯t starting in a small place like this means you rejected everything?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true but¡­ Since it¡¯s usually more preferred to start with support.¡± ¡°Good job. Once you start borrowing someone else¡¯s hand, you have to repay them in some form. And the work I¡¯m going to do myself can¡¯t be valued with such a penny.¡± ¡°The price of the building I want to buy is over 80 billion, though?¡±. ¡°I¡¯m Kim Do Jin. In the future, my ransom will be 10 times higher than that.¡± ¡°Hhm¡­ So arrogant.¡± Whether Baek Ah Rin looked at him angrily or not, Kim Do Jin stood in front of the window with the best sunlight in the room and looked at the city landscape filled with quite a few somewhat suffocating buildings. ¡®An area where purchases are not allowed unless for guilds¡­¡¯ It was roughly predicted where it would be. But that¡¯s all, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. ¡®Baek Ah Rin is a good colleague. This much is not a losing business.¡¯ Anyway, the two are now on the same boat. CH 14 Kim Do Jin was planning to create a kingdom to help him fight as he had achieved in another dimension in this somewhat shabby and insignificant place. ¡°And there¡¯ll be no worries about money soon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Baek Ah Rin tilted her head at Kim Do Jin¡¯s sudden words. ¡°The friend I¡¯ll bring to our guild soon has pretty much money.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± Baek Ah Rin tilted her head and asked. Most people in the world are being deceived. Kim Do Jin who appears on TV media is quite friendly, smiles well, and looks humble. However, the real Kim Do Jin experienced by Baek Ah Rin directly, although for a short time, was quite different. ¡®Full of confidence, shameless, narcissistic. Just thought that the center of the world is himself. Also has a bit of a psycho temperament too. This is for sure.¡¯ Such Kim Do Jin said that he was a friend to someone. Honestly, she even starts to doubt whether her ears heard it wrongly. ¡°It¡¯s a name you also know well. It¡¯s Choi Yu Seong.¡± ¡°Choi Yu Seong? Could it be that New Star of Hyesung Group?¡± ¡°¡­Not the good-for-nothing of Hyesung Group?¡± This time, Kim Do Jin expressed surprise at Baek Ah Rin¡¯s unexpected response. ¡°Ah. Come to think of it, you¡¯ve been stuck in the Dungeon for over a week until this morning and came out. So, you don¡¯t know. Choi Yu Seong, hm, what¡¯s that. He broke your record for Goblin Fortress Dungeon Racing?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still in an uproar, did you not even see the news as soon as you came out?¡± ¡°No time to see it. I washed up and came here straight to keep the promise with you.¡± ¡°I see. Anyway, it was incredible. A NewTube video also came up. What¡¯s it, it¡¯s almost 30 minutes faster than your record¡­¡± ¡°30 minutes?¡± With his thick black eyebrows wriggling greatly, Kim Do Jin erased his relaxed expression and hurriedly took his phone from his arms. The expression of Kim Do Jin, who opened the NewTube app and played the video from searching Choi Yu Seong¡¯s name, changed from time to time. ¡®This is amusing. What¡¯s the relationship between the two?¡¯ Kim Do Jin¡¯s never seen shaking appearance. Looking at his appearance as if appreciating for a while, Baek Ah Rin said in a playful voice. ¡°I saw the video and it was no joke. Isn¡¯t Choi Yu Seong surely going to overtake you like this?¡± ¡°¡­Nonsense.¡± Responding lightly and clicking his tongue, Kim Do Jin who silently watched the video smiled brightly. ¡°Choi Yu Seong¡­ The look you have shown me is not everything, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Uh? Kim Do Jin, are you mad?¡± Not answering Baek Ah Rin¡¯s question, Kim Do Jin immediately opened the closed window. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Go to the Dungeon. Wherever Boss is created currently.¡± ¡°Suddenly? It just came out, right?¡± ¡°I have to show it again.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That I¡¯m the best.¡± ¡°What¡­ This crazy narcissism¡­ Hey?!¡± Showing light warm-up motions before Baek Ah Rin¡¯s words were over, Kim Do Jin jumped from the five-story building to the ground without any regrets. Baek Ah Rin shouted at Kim Do Jin, who was moving away, from the window. ¡°You crazy guy, we have to submit the guild creation registration certificate by tomorrow-!¡± Fortunately, Kim Do Jin and Baek Ah Rin¡¯s guild, Eclipse, was able to be established on the scheduled date. *** In this era, the most direct way to feel your popularity is rather simple. The number of Social Media followers. Ferguson, a famous soccer coach of the Earth where Choi Yu Seong lived before, used the expression ¡®wasting life¡¯ while looking at Social Media, and in fact, many people made mistakes and spent useless time through it, but Social Media¡¯s popularity did not intend to fade. ¡®This world isn¡¯t that different.¡¯ In the afternoon after morning training, Choi Yu Seong returned to his room for a short break, abruptly launched Outstagram app on his phone. There was no need to install. ¡®He already registered, huh.¡¯ Well, the original Choi Yu Seong himself was an attention seeker, so it would be rather strange if he hadn¡¯t done such Social Media activities. ¡®The number of followers¡­ 30? A lot less than I thought.¡¯ This is the first time Choi Yu Seong directly came in contact with Social Media, but he knew how small 30 followers were. ¡®Even a little bit famous people among the general public had more than tens of thousands, though.¡¯ It is a fairly small number of followers for Choi Yu Seong, who was well-known in his own way even if he was a ruffian. The reason was soon known. ¡°Ah, the account is private.¡± At most, one photo was posted on Outstagram. It was also just a selfie of himself that came out pretty well in front of the mirror. Even the ID was created in such a way that could not be recognized at all that he was Choi Yu Seong. ¡®Then what did the original Choi Yu Seong guy usually do on Social Media?¡¯ If he installed Social Media, it means he wanted to get attention, but it is too quiet for that. Fortunately, it was not difficult to find the answer to Choi Yu Seong¡¯s curiosity. There were several direct messages, the so-called DM, on Outstagram sent by Choi Yu Seong as a means of 1:1 conversation. ¡®Kim So Ra, Min Hye Rin, Jung So Young¡­¡¯ All of them are beautiful female celebrities or Awakeners who have performed quite well in the present or not-too-distant past. Choi Yu Seong of the past had a 1:1 conversation with such women and left quite a lot of messages that clearly showed his black heart, asking if they had any thoughts on meeting him. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s face turned red as he looked at that because it was practically what he did although it wasn¡¯t something he did. ¡®What the hell has this crazy guy been doing.¡¯ It was to the point he was envious of the original work¡¯s world where the setting hole was everywhere at least at this moment. ¡®What kind of setting is so detailed for a starting villain role who gets killed after hunting is over by the protagonist.¡¯ A crazy situation that made his mind turn around. Fortunately, there were few cases where it was replied. ¡®About three people replied.¡¯ Surprisingly, 3 out of about 20 women replied. Of course, there was nothing with good sense. ¡°Crazy guy or nutcase is very gentle¡­¡± There was even a case where dozens of incomplete letters ¡®?¡¯ were received. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the family that he hasn¡¯t been sued until now.¡± Although it became the body he possessed, the original Choi Yu Seong was quite a trash. ¡®And now this shame is mine. By the way, this punk also sent a message to Jo Yu Ri. He¡¯s a very fearless guy in a different way. Jo Yu Ri was a famous S-Rank curse-type Hunter who rose to the status of a Guild Master of Black Magic Society, one of Korea¡¯s top 10 guilds with a woman¡¯s body. She wears very strong-looking makeup and is even actually famous for her spiteful personality. There were quite a few rumors that some male Hunters who actually flirted with her have become disabled for the rest of their lives. ¡®It was even said that one man was also one of the top 10 Guild Masters.¡¯ Anyway, he sent a message to such Jo Yu Ri asking if she had any thoughts about meeting him once seriously. The reply didn¡¯t come back, so it was even scarier. ¡®I¡¯m glad I know even now. Now, I have to run away if I see Jo Yu Ri even from afar.¡¯ Feeling a part of his lower body was getting numb for no reason somehow, Choi Yu Seong coughed and closed the message window. Of course, it is meaningless to send a message once again now to explain the story and make excuses that he had wised up. ¡®This is just one more reason to become stronger.¡¯ After giving one more clear motivation to his goal, Choi Yu Seong headed for the real first purpose of turning on the Social Media app. ¡°Let¡¯s see. This is the search bar and the ID is¡­¡± While Choi Yu Seong was focusing on morning training, Jin Yu Ri, who was looking at her phone next to him, suddenly burst into a big laugh. The curious Choi Yu Seong asked why, so Jin Yu Ri was going to show her phone immediately but wrote an ID on a paper and told him to find out for himself instead. Before entering the account, Choi Yu Seong smiled bitterly when checking the profile picture after opening the white paper folded in his pocket and searching for ¡®@H_Mohammmed¡¯ on Outstagram. ¡®What the. It looks like he¡¯s an Arabian prince, but he also does Social Media like this. But why is this person?¡¯ With that thought, the hand moved to enter the account details. Surprisingly, the picture at the top of Mohammed¡¯s account was none other than Choi Yu Seong. ¡°¡­Me?¡± Choi Yu Seong pressed on his photo out of expected curiosity, and then coughed in vain instead of picking up the water that was on the table at Mohammed¡¯s caption in English. ¡°Ahem¡­!¡± ?@H_Mohammmed He is a favorite Hunter. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking about it. How much do I have to call to have him? hmm¡­1? Fortunately, Mohammed didn¡¯t have the dangerous taste that Choi Yu Seong first worried about. He is just a Saudi Arabian prince who has so much money (maybe more than Choi Wu Jae) and enjoys investing in quite a variety of ways for his hobby. For example, buying one of the American Major League teams and rebuilding the team with a vast amount of money was a typical case. ¡®Someone like Mansour of the Earth where I lived.¡¯ As he got to know Mohammed little by little, the meaning of wanting to have Choi Yu Seong also became clear. ¡®He¡¯s setting up a Hunter team for Dungeon Racing. After all, many gentlemen regard this side as some kind of sport these days.¡¯ He knows the intention, but there was no reason for Choi Yu Seong to be shaken by that. ¡®It¡¯s not as much as Mohammed, but I also have quite a lot of money.¡¯ Around that time, a new message was posted on Mohammed¡¯s Social Media feed. ?@H_Mohammmed About $1,000,000,000?2? One billion dollars exceeds about 1.1 trillion in Korean currency. If Choi Yu Seong could use that money at his disposal, it could be seen that the things he could do would increase considerably. ¡°I will. I want to join that team. Prince.¡± Instinctively speaking out loud without realizing it, Choi Yu Seong was trying to activate the 1:1 chat window when. ?@H_Mohammmed If he¡¯s a S Rank Hunter. 3? ¡°¡­This naughty gentleman is making fun of someone.¡± Upset for no reason, Choi Yu Seong checked the time after closing Outstagram app. It¡¯s already been an hour. The break he had in mind ended in a flash. ¡°This is really a time-consuming ghost. I shouldn¡¯t open it if possible.¡± It was Choi Yu Seong who felt the danger of Social Media for the first time. CH 15 Afternoon. It would have been time to head to the Dungeon to hunt if it had been the original schedule, but Choi Yu Seong had been focusing on training from some time ago. In particular, the afternoon hours are spent several times more intensely than in the morning, so it was impossible to do anything in the cohousing multiplex home1 and had to rent an entire hunter-use gym located nearby. The gym that Choi Yu Seong first visited with Jin Do Yun before getting Hunter License must have invested quite a lot of money to build as it had a mana barrier that could withstand all the mana below A-Rank, so it was pretty expensive to use per day. But thanks to its privacy and quietness, there were few places better than this to focus on training alone. Having been practicing spear and mana operation for about two hours inside by raising extreme concentration, Choi Yu Seong soon lay on the floor pouring out thick drops of sweat. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± Rough breaths that reached far poured out continuously and the pain continued like a sharp needle stabbing his lungs, but a smile appeared on his lips. This was because he did not doubt that the pain he had now would be a rope to save his life in a dangerous moment. ¡®It¡¯s good, but. If possible, I want to build a large mansion like Father¡¯s and make a training center like this in my house¡­¡¯ Isn¡¯t it true to say that there is no end to human greed? Once he began to enjoy the convenience, the next step naturally came to Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mind. The problem was that if money was poured out to that extent, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s bank account balance would become quite poor right away. The amount of money that he thought was truly a lot at first started to ran out in an instant as he spent it. As expected, the saying that money is hard to make and easy to spend is exactly right. ¡®It would be okay if the land price was relatively cheap somewhere near Gyeonggi-do, but¡­¡¯ Considering the time it took to get to and from Seoul ahead, it could be seen that the damage would occur. ¡®There should be more plausible sources of income. It would be good if Magic Stone comes out well, but that¡¯s all about luck.¡¯ Even the lowest Magic Stone grade, Gray Color, is priced at least 10 million won. The top Red Color is 100 million won. Fortunately, he got a Red Color Magic Stone in the last Hobgoblin hunt, but he was not very pleased. ¡®The money went out in a day is not normal.¡¯ Even though he thought so, Choi Yu Seong smiled bitterly. ¡®Choi Yu Seong, you¡¯ve changed a lot.¡¯¡¯ Let alone 100 million won, he would have felt good for more than a month just to win the second prize in the lottery worth 50 million won when he was an ordinary office worker. However, it is not satisfactory to just earn 100 million won as the situation changes and spending naturally increases. It was a somewhat inevitable situation, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel as if he were living in a different world. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped because my position has changed.¡¯ In a way, all the money consumed now is to escape the fate of ¡®death¡¯ set in the future. No amount of money can be more valuable than life. And if the probability of survival increases by using it a lot, it is natural that the value of it is not a waste. As he was organizing his thoughts, his rough breathing naturally subsided. By then, Choi Yu Seong recalled the system message window that had been put off for over a week. ¡¶Awakener Choi Yu Seong is currently at E-Rank MAX level. Please challenge the Promotion Evaluation and move on to the next step! The evaluation is divided into two. Normal difficulty. Extreme difficulty. On Normal Difficulty, the number of retry attempts is infinite unless you die. Go for it! In the case of Extreme Difficulty, you cannot retry even if you luckily survive. If you¡¯re ready, please challenge it!¡· Compared to usual, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s path has already been set at the options of a rather friendly system message. ¡®Hard mode, of course. Extreme Difficulty.¡¯ The system is not a fool, would it divide difficulty levels for no reason? Obviously, he will receive a bigger reward if he passes the Promotion Evaluation with a higher difficulty than normal. The path to go is decided, so why is he worried about it? ¡®Because it¡¯s impossible to retry. I should go in when I¡¯m certainly prepared to clear it.¡¯ In fact, there was nothing special about the preparation. No one knows the contents of the extreme difficulty Promotion Evaluation. Promotion Evaluation is given differently for each individual and the method is arbitrary, so it is impossible to use any data or future information. In other words, Choi Yu Seong had to pass only with his wits and skills in this Promotion Evaluation. To do that, he draws out the best ability he can achieve at the current standard Rank and Level, and challenges it in the best condition. ¡®About the day after tomorrow? I think I¡¯ve finally adapted to the physical conditions of E-Rank Max Level, so it¡¯ll be okay to take a rest tomorrow then challenge it.¡¯ In other words, by today, the body is certainly drawn out to the maximum through extreme training. The determined Choi Yu Seong jumped from his place, raised his body, and grabbed the spear again. Feeling his heart settled down thanks to Cold Headed (E) triggered by Spearmanship Prodigy effect, he calmly contemplates his condition. ¡®I can go a little further.¡¯ Time flies quickly as he continues training mindlessly. And two days later. Choi Yu Seong challenged the Promotion Evaluation he had decided to do. *** 7 a.m. on the chosen day to challenge Promotion Evaluation. Choi Yu Seong, who woke up early in the morning, warmed up his body lightly with a spear near the yard in front of the house as usual. It was quite expensive as it was a spear made by the best craftsman on earth, but the blade survived well with a small change even though it went through quite severe situations and the feeling and balance on his hands were also quite good. Choi Yu Seong would normally have fallen into training as if drunk on such a spear, but today was certainly different as an important task was scheduled. ¡®Slowly, lightly, with the feeling of warming up.¡¯ After spending about an hour and a half in the morning with stretching and light training, Chae Ye Ryeong was on the way to work 30 minutes earlier as usual. ¡°Hello, Boss!¡± Still covering her face with shaggy hair, she loudly greeted Choi Yu Seong who was breathing heavily in the yard. It¡¯s a daily routine, but today it was a little different. This is because the short conversation with Jin Yu Ri last night suddenly passed through Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®She said that it seems the reawakening materials I asked for will all gather soon.¡¯ Because of this, he grabbed Chae Ye Ryeong who was about to enter the house after the energetic greeting. ¡°Chae Ye Ryeong ssi. Can we talk for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± There is no question. As if it were natural, she tilted her head in front of Choi Yu Seong. In fact, he didn¡¯t have much to talk about. It is because he had already talked about ¡®reawakening¡¯ with Chae Ye Ryeong last year. ¡°Do you remember what we talked about in the hospital room before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The preparations are almost done. As I said, it can be quite dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you have any other questions or doubts? If you want to quit even now, it is okay to stop.¡± He is confident to some extent as it is based on novel information. He will also take precautions, but in fact, it is not without danger. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong asked with a serious expression. And this time, there was a brief silence as if Chae Ye Ryeong hesitated to answer. No, a long silence continues. ¡°Chae Ye Ryeong ssi?¡± In the end, Choi Yu Seong, who couldn¡¯t hold back, opened his mouth first. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°Did you not hear me just now, perhaps?¡± ¡°I heard it, sir.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really have any questions or doubts. Hmm, to be exact. This is a bit embarrassing, but¡­¡± Chae Ye Ryeong, who had a red blush on her white skin under her hair, scratched her cheek lightly with her finger. ¡°Boss told me back then, too. It¡¯s dangerous, but I will gain a lot of strength if I do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡± ¡°Boss said there would be a better life and a lot of rewards waiting, but I am not really interested in that. No. Rather than not being interested, I think I am very grateful and satisfied with my current life.¡± Chae Ye Ryeong¡¯s eyes twinkled as she slightly looked up at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t different from when they first met. She never loses easily in any desperate situation. ¡®To think that this kind of person becomes a Catastrophe in the original novel.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even imagine how bad terrible things that she had gone through. ¡°It is all thanks to Boss.¡± ¡°Hmm, to say so¡­¡± It was just simply an investment in the future value of Chae Ye Ryeong. Before Choi Yu Seong could say anything out of embarrassment, Chae Ye Ryeong bowed her head once again and said. ¡°So I would rather ask Boss a favor. Please let me give it a try! If I reawakened, I can be of greater help to Boss, right?¡± ¡°It would be a truly huge help.¡± Chae Ye Ryeong is a talent that can be seen as a future Catastrophe and a minimum growth potential of SS+ Rank. ¡°That¡¯s all I need. I want to be a person who is more helpful to Boss and all family members in this house. I will work hard and become a person who pays for what I get!¡± Shouting energetically, Chae Ye Ryeong raised her head and now looked like she was clenching her fists tightly. What else needs to be said? ¡°All right. Then I will tell you again as soon as it is ready.¡± ¡°Yep! I will be waiting for it. Boss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, so go in. Cheer up.¡± ¡°Fighting too for Boss today!¡± Waving her hand with a lively greeting, Chae Ye Ryeong entered the house. When she encountered Jin Yu Ri, who came out of the front door at that time, she greeted energetically once again. After smiling and nodding, Jin Yu Ri lightly stroked Chae Ye Ryeong¡¯s hair. ¡®Come to think of it, these two must be the same age¡­ Chae Ye Ryeong also calls her Unnie. And looking at them like that, they look like sisters.¡¯ Jin Yu Ri approached Choi Yu Seong, who looked at their appearance with a puzzled yet a quite pleasant expression. ¡°When are you going to reveal your age to Chae Ye Ryung ssi?¡± And before Jin Yu Ri could say anything, Choi Yu Seong asked a question first. ¡°I think I¡¯ve said it, though?¡± ¡°But she still calls you ¡®unnie¡¯?¡± ¡°She does whatever she likes. Fufu. She is a cute kid.¡± Well, Jin Yu Ri certainly feels much like an older sister looking at the atmosphere alone. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re going to challenge the Promotion Evaluation this afternoon, right?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°As you know, declare renounce immediately if it is dangerous. Someone said that dying in the Promotion Evaluation is the most foolish thing.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Promotion Evaluation is called evaluation, so it is not held easily. However, if a person who is being evaluated declares renounce, they can escape quickly. In a way, it seems that there is no death at all, but there are quite a few people who die in this Promotion Evaluation. The reason is literally greed. The feeling that you can be promoted if you just go a little bit further, the moment you were lucky enough to see hope after dozens retry but repeated failure, when you tried to go one step further, an Awakener dies. As it is a death that everyone knows the reason for, it is difficult to receive good condolences for a death in the Promotion Evaluation. CH 16 ¡®In particular, Extreme Difficulty has a slightly higher death rate than Normal Difficulty due to the risk that you can¡¯t re-enter once you give up.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Jin Yu Ri¡¯s worries were very incomprehensible. Choi Yu Seong also wants to enter Extreme Difficulty and get the best results. ¡°You seriously know that, right?¡± ¡°Trust me. I¡¯m someone who values my own life the most.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something that Oppa should say as someone who had thrown his life away many times.¡± What happened in the past was all acting and a show. To say that he never intended to throw his life recklessly, Jin Yu Ri¡¯s expression was not an atmosphere to believe with her arms folded in a stiff posture. ¡°Ukhm¡­¡± Therefore, Choi Yu Seong, who covered up the situation with a dry cough, quietly looks elsewhere. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Do Yun Oppa hasn¡¯t been home for days because he¡¯s about to reach the promotion level. If he was here, he would also have said something harsh together.¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Lightly glared at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s determined words, Jin Yu Ri unfolded her arms and said. ¡°Actually, even if I say this¡­ I will believe in Oppa. And I¡¯m rooting for you. In fact, there¡¯s nothing else I can do besides this.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Ah, and the important thing is, Yoo Jin Hyuk that Oppa mentioned before.¡± Choi Yu Seong¡¯s head, which was spewing tantrums, snapped and turned toward Jin Yu Ri. ¡°Found him?¡± Along with Chae Ye Ryeong, the Magic Beast Master1 Yoo Jin Hyuk is a very important figure in Choi Yu Seong¡¯s future plan. The ability to summon, tame, and handle Magic Beast from another world is rare and highly versatile, but Yoo Jin Hyuk even had the rare ability of a Barrier Master. He appears as a Villain and faces a tragic death in the original novel, but he is truly rare among rare, a unique grade talent if he can keep him by his side. ¡°Yes. As Oppa said, he was reported as dead.¡± In a way, it can be heard as discouraging words, but Choi Yu Seong was not very discouraged. ¡°That¡¯s not the end, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. He was reported dead with both parents, but the peculiar thing is that his older brother is alive. His name is Yoo Jin Hwan¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s Yoo Jin Hyuk.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯re really sure?¡± ¡°Huh. You know, I have the Skill.¡± In fact, he knows from the original novel. Villain Yoo Jin Hyuk uses a pseudonym, Yoo Jin Hwan, in the early scenes of his appearance. He didn¡¯t know they were brothers, but it was enough to put the puzzle together in Choi Yu Seong¡¯s head anyway. ¡°Anyway, please investigate where Yoo Jin Hyuk, no, Yoo Jin Hwan is at the moment. If possible, I¡¯d like to ask you to investigate everything including what kind of accident happened. I¡¯m going to visit there right after the Promotion Evaluation. As soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry. It is already in progress.¡± ¡°As expected. Jin Yu Ri. The ace of this house.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just say empty words and give me a reward vacation soon. I feel like I¡¯m the only one falling behind because Do Yun Oppa is working hard to level up by himself.¡± ¡°If you go on a dungeon hunt on vacation, doesn¡¯t the reward mean nothing?¡± ¡°It depends on what you think. My morning report is over and Oppa training is also over, right?¡± ¡°Huh. That¡¯s all for today. I¡¯m going to wash up, eat lightly, and go straight to the Promotion Evaluation.¡± ¡°Eat well and go. Because there are people who can¡¯t come out for a month once they enter the evaluation site.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be me. I¡¯m lucky in this kind of thing, you know.¡± Choi Yu Seong answered lightly, and he resented the flag he had set up exactly three hours later. *** ¡¶Awakener Choi Yu Seong, E-Rank MAX Level. Entering D-Rank Promotion Evaluation, Extreme Difficulty. Wishing you good luck.¡· As soon as he accepted the Promotion Evaluation, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s vision was covered in darkness with a short message and a damp sensation wrapped around his whole body. For a moment he felt anxious as if he was being swallowed by a large whale. With a flash of light in front of Choi Yu Seong, a rabbit who looked 190cm tall with longer legs than most human adults went ¡®ta da-!¡¯ and appeared in a tuxedo. Literally, ta-da. ¡°Ta da-! Nice to meet you. Awakener Choi Yu Seong ssi. I am Mr. Nice Guy who served as your evaluator. You can shorten it and call me Mister Guy.¡± In fact, the appearance itself is a form of clich¨¦ that he has seen a lot somewhere, but for some reason, the expression of smiling broadly with arms wide open and tone when appearing are unfamiliar. ¡®Isn¡¯t that kind of doll in a tuxedo supposed to hold some weight or something2.¡¯ Or get a head start by showing great magic tricks with the hat or the black cane in his hand. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes twinkled for a while in anticipation of that, but Mr. Nice Guy, so-called Mister Guy, made the mistake of dropping his hat while returning from doing ta-da with his arms wide open to an attentive posture. ¡°Aikko-! This is a new hat I bought. So precious, what do I do.¡± Mister Guy, who picked up the hat that fell in a hurry, looked embarrassed as he saw Choi Yu Seong and lightly swept his long mustache. For some reason, the area around the white fur is flushing red. ¡°Hong hong! It seems you are someone who doesn¡¯t talk much. Usually, those who come here for the first time show a lot of curiosity.¡± ¡°Because I roughly knew about it.¡± Upon entering the Promotion Evaluation, you will meet the evaluator assigned to the individual. This evaluator assignment is like the Promotion Evaluation, so there are no special rules or information. Literally, a random draw. The direction of the Promotion Evaluation varies depending on the personality of the evaluator, but he couldn¡¯t even guess what kind of style Mister Guy in front of him would be like. ¡°From Awakener people I¡¯ve met so far, usually they still ask even though they knew it¡­ Uhm, Choi Yu Seong ssi is a very interesting person. For example, don¡¯t you have a question like this. The curiosity of where I came from, who made the system, and why this happened to Earth? Don¡¯t you have it?¡± There is no way he doesn¡¯t. Choi Yu Seong smiled inwardly and shook his head. The existence of the evaluator is, in a way, conclusive evidence that an absolute being intervened and artificially created the Awakener System. Therefore, people who encounter the evaluator for the first time will ask even trivial questions regardless of who they are. It¡¯s a question with the expectations of probability, but there¡¯s no answer coming back. ¡°Let me tell you in advance, I don¡¯t know anything. There¡¯s just a very, very, very high person up there, and I¡¯m just doing what a slightly higher person who¡¯s far below him ordered a long time ago. Hong hong hong!¡± Mister Guy answered his own question. Thanks to this, Choi Yu Seong knew one thing for sure. ¡®I wondered what that hong hong thing was, so it was a laugh.¡¯ It seems he met a quite manic judge. ¡°What is my promotion test?¡± With that thought, Choi Yu Seong asked the first question. The face of Mister Guy, who was talking excitedly alone, turned subtle at that. There is no sound of hong hong laughter, but a clear smile. ¡°That is a very good and wonderful question. Awakener Choi Yu Seong. However, it is impossible to believe even with a hundred words! Rather than hearing it, please see it with your own eyes and experience it.¡± Leaving behind the impression of Choi Yu Seong who felt that appearance was somewhat creepy for some reason, Mister Guy once again stretched out his arms. Then, the darkness of this space, which seemed to be full of darkness except for the surroundings of Mister Guy and Choi Yu Seong, slowly receded as if rolling a tent and spewing out a splendid light. Choi Yu Seong somehow felt quite dizzy when he saw the light. Inside the sensation as if hypnotized, his mind calmed down and everything reflected in his eyes was becoming very distant. ¡°Choi Yu Seong ssi. When you wake up from sleep, a very bad thief would have stolen something very precious to you. What does this mean? Yeah. That is right. The first Promotion Evaluation of Awakener Choi Yu Seong is¡­ Du du dung! It is thief catching-! Mister Guy¡¯s hallucinations-like voice was engraved into the mind, and Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body relaxed and his eyes began to close. ¡°Ah right, Awakener Choi Yu Seong¡¯s Promotion Evaluation is very special! I put a lot of effort into it as much as Prankster Who Likes Jokes God asked to pay attention and requested support. I hope you get good results.¡± If Prankster Who Likes Jokes God then it is none other than Loki. ¡®Suddenly?¡¯ In fact, it was not surprising as Gods, who are interested in Awakeners they sponsored, intervening in the Promotion Evaluation was mentioned several times in the original novel. However, if that happens, the difficulty will increase by one grade. Therefore, even the original novel protagonist Kim Do Jin encountered this kind of situation in the Promotion Evaluation after D-Rank. Of course, the reward gets better that much. ¡®Still, isn¡¯t this too fast?¡¯ His complaint could not escape from the mouth because his consciousness was blown away at the same time. *** When he opened his eyes again, Choi Yu Seong felt that his body was quite heavy. A feeling as if a heavy bear was sitting on the shoulder, or as if someone had full sandbags on both arms and legs. Thanks to that, it took a considerable amount of time to get up after opening his eyes. ¡°Whoo¡­ It¡¯s bullshit that I¡¯m lucky in this kind of thing. Playing with me from the start, huh. Damned Loki guy.¡± Forcibly raised his body by giving strength to his legs with a deep sigh, Choi Yu Seong regretted the flag he had uttered and at the same time poured out complaints that he could not do before losing consciousness. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes laughs mischievously. He wished you good luck. ¡°Such a really bad guy.¡± Well, come to think of it, the character Loki was unpredictable and difficult to say that he had a good personality even in Norse mythology. ¡®There¡¯s no answer to what¡¯s already happened¡­ Let¡¯s figure out the situation first.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong was standing alone in a room with a rather bright atmosphere. However, it was not that cramped even to call it a room. It was a square shape and felt like it was over 50 pyeong based on Earth standards. In particular, the ceiling was quite high and it is so large even at a glance that there is no problem even if a dozen male adults are put vertically. The answer to why such a high ceiling is needed was given by the huge doors on the front, left, and right of Choi Yu Seong who was in the center of the room. ¡®The height of the door alone must be at least 30m high.¡¯ The width is barely caught with around five or six adult men with their arms stretched wide. Anyway, it¡¯s huge. If he had to pick something more peculiar here, it was the engraving on each door. ¡®Star on the left, sun on the center, and moon on the right.¡¯ Smirking, Choi Yu Seong recited to himself. ¡°I can call them Star Room, Sun Room, and Moon Room then.¡± The second thing to do after grasping the surroundings was to understand his own condition. ¡¶Awakener Choi Yu Seong is currently in the process of Extreme Difficulty+ Promotion Evaluation. As a result, you will receive a reduced ability penalty. Mana is extremely decreased. Stamina and strength are extremely decreased. Movement becomes sluggish. Awakener Choi Yu Seong can declare ¡®renounce¡¯ Promotion Evaluation at any time.¡· Turning on the system message window and checking the current state, Choi Yu Seong spat out a high praise unknowingly. CH 17 ¡°Wow, such a great situation!¡± Of course, it was a pure expression spit out to suppress the swearing. If there was Loki or Mister Guy right in front of him, he might have punched without realizing it. ¡®It became meaningless that I¡¯ve been taking care of my condition for a week.¡¯ Thinking that he was in a situation no different than a cold patient, Choi Yu Seong checked the next main message to be checked, that is, the contents of the promotion evaluation. ¡¶THIEF CATCHING! DIFFICULTY ++ VERSION A very bad and wicked thief has stolen half of your soul and ran away to hide. Find the thief hiding somewhere and get your soul back! You only have two chances to choose the door! If you¡¯re lucky, maybe you will find a hint somewhere? SPECIAL¡ï Part of the penalty can be alleviated by defeating the thief¡¯s minions scattered in each room. The current condition of Awakener Choi Yu Seong is 30%.¡· Mister Guy said that the thief stole Choi Yu Seong¡¯s very precious thing, so it certainly didn¡¯t seem wrong. ¡®Half of my soul. I don¡¯t know how, but I¡¯ll die soon if I don¡¯t have that, right?¡¯ The question was answered by a system message that popped out suddenly in red light. ¡¶SPECIAL¡ï Part of the penalty can be alleviated by defeating the thief¡¯s minions scattered in each room. Please hurry up! Because half of your soul has disappeared, your condition deteriorates rapidly over time. The current condition of Awakener Choi Yu Seong is 29%. When the condition reaches 0%, Awakener Choi Yu Seong dies.¡· ¡°Truly very nice!¡± Once again exclaiming praise, Choi Yu Seong moved his body right away instead of sighing. Thanks to that, the order of what to do has been decided. ¡®First of all, let¡¯s start with sorting out the wicked thief¡¯s minions. It is unconditionally a priority to raise my condition.¡¯ There was no need to think about where it would be. ¡®If I open the door, it¡¯ll be rushing, right.¡¯ Sun, moon, and star. Choi Yu Seong first opened the door of Sun Room, which is located in the center. ¡®It¡¯s said I had two chances.¡¯ In other words, somewhere among the three rooms, there is a thief who stole Choi Yu Seong¡¯s soul, and the probability is about 33.3%. In this situation, why did he choose the Sun Room first? ¡°If you¡¯re a man, go straight.¡± Rattle. The big door opened easily. *** The place where Choi Yu Seong encountered after opening the large door was not a harsh natural environment such as a wide plain, a damp and humid cave, or a clifftop where a rainy wind blew. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just a mansion hallway.¡± Choi Yu Seong was trapped in a room in a large mansion until just now. To pick out something somewhat special, there are only colorful windows with large paintings reminiscent of Catholicism, quietness without any presence, and cleaning tools that seem to be discarded here and there. ¡®Is the cleaning tool becoming garbage.¡¯ There was no curiosity about who the hell lived in the mansion and what purpose it was built for. ¡®It¡¯s just a test site anyway. There must be monsters somewhere, and I might get a hint if I¡¯m lucky.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong walked out of the hallway without hesitation. He felt listless for no reason since his body felt a little heavy, but his eyes scanned sharply at the surroundings. ¡®I¡¯m sure there must be something, but¡­¡¯ Behind Choi Yu Seong, who was walking amidst doubt, a broom that was laying like garbage trembled and slowly rose into the air. Choi Yu Seong did not feel any suspicion at the silent movement with no presence, and the broom that already approached behind him swung heavily. ¡°Ugh-!¡± Choi Yu Seong, who was hit on the head, screamed, turned around then quickly grabbed and broke the broom that attacked again. He was hit in the head, but there was no particular pain because it was an ordinary broom. It¡¯s more like the feeling of being surprised rather than in pain. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ The question is for a moment. ¡¶SPECIAL¡ï The current condition of Awakener Choi Yu Seong is deteriorating due to the damage. 27%. When the condition reaches 0%, Awakener Choi Yu Seong dies.¡· Seeing the message flashing in front of him and the appearance of the fallen cleaning tools in the hallway he passed by trembling and rising into the air, Choi Yu Seong quickly changed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a suit and spit out great praise once again. ¡°Hiya, is this the Korean difficulty I¡¯ve only heard of? Really, so exciting!¡± It was a curse too radical to translate directly. *** The fierce battle, which was short but never easy, ended. The floor was littered with the scattered cleaning tools that were split in half or broken vainly. What was surprising was that only a part of the wallpaper was torn even in such a battle, but Choi Yu Seong focused more on knocking down the many cleaning tools without allowing any more blows with quite good movements even in a heavier body. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s good that I¡¯ve been training steadily.¡¯ The body remembers even if his movements were slower and his mind was fuzzy than usual. If it was not for the body¡¯s memory that reacts somewhat instinctively rather than consciously in the crowded attack of cleaning tools, Choi Yu Seong would have already died or in an extreme situation where he had to declare renounce. ¡¶SPECIAL¡ï Displays the current condition of Awakener Choi Yu Seong. 32%¡· ¡®This certainly improved my condition. 2% more than the original.¡¯ Approximately 50 cleaning tools have been knocked down. ¡®Is it 1% for 10?¡¯ Something doesn¡¯t seem to be very efficient, but anyway, he can recover his condition by knocking down only cleaning tools that move strangely like that. Above all, he realized one certain information due to the first battle. ¡®You can¡¯t just walk by without thinking.¡¯ Since even the cleaning tools are moving, each item in the mansion is very likely a hidden risk. In such tension, Choi Yu Seong carefully crossed the hallway. Thanks to that, he was able to defeat quite a lot of cleaning tools, picture frames, suddenly flying toilets(?), and others without repeating the same mistakes as the first. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel like fighting a monster. It¡¯s strange, but¡­¡¯ What was important was the surprising fact that Choi Yu Seong¡¯s condition rose to 48% by the time he reached the end of the hallway. About half recovery. It is not a bad result compared to the first worst situation. ¡®For now, here is the end of the hallway. And is this the stairs going downstairs.¡¯ There is no option to go upstairs. Choi Yu Seong carefully went down the stairs that spread out just like the open hallway as if asking to come. Fortunately, the stairs were not very long, and there was no ambush. However, when he almost reached the first floor. Choi Yu Seong felt chills and fear when he saw a huge armor knight that looked over 3m tall in the center of the spacious living room. ¡°No way. Is that one also moving too?¡± The shield it is holding is as big as Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body and the great sword it is carrying on its shoulder seems to be a combination of two Choi Yu Seong. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to fight such a huge armor monster in his current condition, but as always, the effect of the interrogative type flag was clear. Kkikikijik-! A huge iron armor turned toward Choi Yu Seong with a rusty iron cry. ¡°Ah¡­ Damn it.¡± What else needs to be said? Choi Yu Seong flew from the top of the stairs, quickly climbed up the armored knight, and stabbed the spear into the helmet with the only gap. He did it just in case there would be any sensation in his hand he could feel, but it¡¯s empty. Instead, a red flame burst in the dark black space and rose to form pupils. Looking at that, Choi Yu Seong smiled awkwardly and greeted it. ¡°Hi?¡± Kugugugung-! The answer was replaced by the trembling of the huge body. Choi Yu Seong could feel it intuitively. ¡®I never can win in my current state.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even think about what would happen if he fought for life. Didn¡¯t Jin Yu Ri say it, too? ¡®It¡¯s the stupidest thing to die in the promotion evaluation.¡¯ Therefore, after confirming that the armored knight had let go of the shield and reached its hand out to him, Choi Yu Seong used Wind Stance and jumped up the stairs without hesitation. Whoosh-! The hand of the huge armor knight passed through the place where Choi Yu Seong was standing just before in vain. ¡®Fortunately, the movements aren¡¯t that fast.¡¯ If so, there was only one way for Choi Yu Seong to choose. ¡°You, give up. See you later if I can.¡± Choi Yu Seong climbed the stairs he had passed without hesitation, walked back through the hallway, and returned to the large room where he first opened his eyes. The result was not bad. ¡®As expected, it doesn¡¯t follow me to the second floor.¡¯ The situation went as he predicted to some extent. In addition, it was also confirmed that the once opened door of Sun Room did not close. ¡®That armor knight is probably a thief or a guy with a hint.¡¯ It would not be lacking to call it the boss of this promotion evaluation. ¡°Then push back that guy for now, and my current condition is¡­ 46%.¡± Certainly, the rate of decrease in condition was accelerating over time. ¡®There¡¯s no room to hesitate.¡¯ The remaining places are the Moon Room and the Star Room. This time, Choi Yu Seong opened the door of the Star Room and was welcomed by the same spreading hallway. The only difference is the fact that the only thing seen in the hallway is nutcracker wooden dolls instead of cleaning tools. ¡®For now, they¡¯re just the right opponent to recover my condition.¡¯ With its large body, it was easier to deal with than cleaning tools. It was in an instant that Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spear cut the wooden dolls into pieces like a storm. And the stairs going down to the first floor that he encountered again. ¡®Is downstairs here also ¡­¡¯ There is. After checking the appearance of an armored knight and quickly returning to the original room, Choi Yu Seong checked his condition. ¡°66%.¡± Of course, it¡¯s not the best. Even the decreasing speed is getting faster. ¡®I have already opened two doors.¡¯ The room with three doors that he returned to. Sitting quietly in the center, Choi Yu Seong held his chin and pondered. ¡®Let¡¯s think objectively. Can I win over the armored knight if I¡¯m in 100% condition?¡¯ Since he was holding the spear with one hand, the effect of Cold Headed (E) Skill continued naturally. Thanks to that, his mental composure did not shake much even in an urgent situation. Although somewhat slow, Choi Yu Seong calmly compared and analyzed his strength with the armored knight. The conclusion is drawn from that. ¡®¡­ Impossible.¡¯ This means that the monsters were not left to catch in the first place. ¡®So, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Extreme Difficulty+.¡¯ It has been a long time since he erased complaints such as whether it would have been less difficult than this without Loki¡¯s intervention. Rather than dwelling on the spilled water, he has to get results in this situation. CH 18 ¡®Is there any way to knock it down? A spacious living room. Tools or situations that could hurt the armor knight¡­¡¯ It¡¯s hard to make. The empty living room was literally just the perfect environment for a fair 1:1 head-to-head match. ¡®Then next. A weapon that only I can use. If there¡¯s something special that was used at this time in the original novel¡­¡¯ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have it. However, it is necessary to consume a lot of Karma points that are somewhat saved in preparation for the upcoming future. ¡®Now is the time to save Karma points. It may be better to bypass the general difficulty level promotion review.¡¯ Condition 56%. It seemed that the situation was naturally getting worse due to prolonged consideration. ¡®Why make a monster that I can¡¯t even catch? It¡¯s a promotion evaluation.¡¯ Of course, it may mean to suffer as much as the difficulty is high. In the end, is it right to give up at this point? You don¡¯t have to risk your life to clear extreme difficulty. It¡¯s not bad to go back and choose normal difficulty. Condition 48%. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Choi Yu Seong shook his head inwardly. It¡¯s ridiculous, but even ¡°Prankster Who Likes Jokes¡± Loki intervened. If you clear, the reward is certain. There may still be opportunities left somewhere. Condition 39%. The numbers fell exponentially rapidly, and reflecting them, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s brain rotation speed only slowed down. 30% condition again. At that moment, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes, which had been agonizing over and over, sparkled for a moment. ¡®Hold on. You¡¯re not making this monster to catch, right?¡¯ And he said that if he was lucky, he could find a hint. Choi Yu Seong, who suddenly realized something, jumped out of place and escaped toward the open door of Sun Room and ran down the stairs on the first floor at a high speed. A huge armor knight and a wide living room that is blocked on all sides. After checking everything, the remaining condition is 29%. After recalling all the structures at a glance, he returned to his original place and checked the structure of the first floor of Star Room, and then Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes shone. Choi Yu Seong no longer continued his worries. ¡®If my condition falls below 20%, I can¡¯t afford to do anything anyway.¡¯ It¡¯s time to make a winning move. On the stairs going down to the first floor of the Star room, Choi Yu Seong, who regained his breath, stood in front of the armor knight again. Kkikikijik-! As if waiting, red flames rise splendidly in the eyes of the armor knight screaming. ¡°Hi.¡± Actually, we are not in a relationship to say hello. In response, a huge sword quickly hit the spot where Choi Yu Seong was standing until just now. Looking at the large boom, dusty clouds rising, and slightly cracked ground, Choi Yu Seong clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®Even if it¡¯s slow, it¡¯s also close to avoiding it in front of my eyes.¡¯ First off, it¡¯s too big. With one movement, Choi Yu Seong surpasses the distance he has to move more than 10 times, so it is not efficient to face it. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong thought that even if he was in 100% condition, he could not knock down the monster. ¡®I don¡¯t know what would happen if I know its weakness clearly. I¡¯ll eventually lose your stamina first while fighting.¡¯ So even at this moment, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s goal was clear. I have no intention of fighting in person and knocking down the armor knight. He narrowly avoids a series of attacks and continues to induce armor knight. In the end, the wall touched Choi Yu Seong¡¯s back. ¡°Whoo¡­¡± As if looking at an unavoidable, cornered mouse, the arm of the armor knight who lifted the sword with both hands quickly swings. ¡®Wind Stance, Illusion.¡¯ Tired of the enormous pressure, Choi Yu Seong, who passed between the legs of the armor knight with maximum movement, turned his head and borrowed the force of gravity to clearly look at the power of the sword falling faster. Choi Yu Seong then smiled at the moment the sword hung at the end of the wall. ¡®Broke.¡¯ Baaang-! Big explosion. Subsequently, the cracked wall collapses as if lightning had passed by. ¡®It¡¯s my specialty to break something with the strength of others.¡¯ I can¡¯t see beyond it because the dust cloud happened deeper than the fog. However, I clearly saw an armor knight wriggling his shoulders, who was unable to easily pull out a sword due to the collapse of bricks. ¡®As I thought, here¡­¡¯ There will be another change. Choi Yu Seong stepped back a little more just in case and prepared to fly his body to the side at any time. As if waiting for the preparation move, the loud roar of iron and iron hitting rang throughout the room. Then, right next to Choi Yu Seong, a giant armor knight flew in the air in a space less than 10m apart. Babababang-! The sound of something breaking and collapsing. Subsequently, a huge doll appears with red naturalization blooming in its eyes between the thick dusty clouds that spread out as the wall collapsed. The second armor knight. In a way, it should be dark, but Choi Yu Seong thought differently. Rather, he looked around and quickly ran up the stairs on the second floor, paying attention to the movement of the armor knight who appeared for the second time. ¡®According to the rescue, he broke the right wall, so he¡¯s an armor knight in Sun Room.¡¯ Since the right wall of the separate room on the left was broken, it must lead to the liberation in the center. What matters is the following situation. The rules of armor articles that have been confirmed so far are clear. ¡®If you don¡¯t feel movement in your area, you¡¯ll return to your original position and solidify again.¡¯ The question here is, does the armor knight work even if it is non-living, not living things? It¡¯s this part. If it only responds to life, Choi Yu Seong has returned to the second floor, so if it is the same, he must return to his original position and stop. ¡®Because I can¡¯t feel the movement anymore.¡¯ What will happen to the result? Soon, the armor knight of liberation, who appeared for a short time, turns his back as if he had nothing to see and returns to his position. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Naturally, sighs flowed out of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mouth. ¡®Operation name, is eating raw a failure?¡¯ However, there were still variables left. As if responding to Choi Yu Seong¡¯s sad sigh, the armor knight in the separate room, who flew into the air first, seemed to be slowly raising his body, and soon began to thump and run. Subsequently, according to the original rules, the armor knight of sun, who is trying to return to his place, is hit with his shoulders. Kugung-! This time, there was an article about the armor of liberation. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s it?¡± Wait, while Choi Yu Seong, who did not understand the situation, tilted his head, the armor knight of liberation, who rolled sadly in the middle of the room, jumped up. Then, he holds his sword and charges toward the armor knight in the separate room. Babang-! The full-fledged clash of the two armor articles began, and Choi Yu Seong, who saw the spectacular view alone on the stairs, was excited with a seal clap. ¡®Just in case, the armor knight is not an object made by assuming a specific goal.¡¯ In other words, basically, when an armor knight enters his or her territory, he or she moves to kill the opponent, and fights back when attacked under the judgment that it is within the territory. And it could be said that the area recognizes the entire open first floor space. If the armor knight had recognized and moved Choi Yu Seong, he should have tried quite hard to induce the two to hit and receive, but there was no need for that. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes blames Awakener Choi Yu Seong. Ask you to show your bravery to go out and fight! At that moment, Loki¡¯s message came into the air. Naturally, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s reaction to seeing him was simple. ¡°Hiya-! That¡¯s a very wise idea. But I like it better when I¡¯m sitting down and drinking honey.¡± It is an operation to catch enemies using the enemy. ¡°Anyone please wins! I¡¯m on the winning side!¡± ¨C Prankster Who Likes Jokes is regretful and clicked his tongue at Awakener Choi Yu Seong¡¯s tricks. Choi Yu Seong, who created the desired honey sucking situation and nicknamed the knight of the separate room a star knight and the sun knight with excitement, suddenly smacked his lips with regret. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. But Loki. It feels like I¡¯m watching a robot cartoon. Can I have popcorn?¡± He responded with a pleasant look to Loki, who had suffered for him, but there was no answer back. ¡®Are you upset? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s just have fun.¡¯ It was Choi Yu Seong, who enjoyed it as if he had returned to his childhood after a long time. *** The fight between the two armor knights, similar in specifications, no, and completely the same, lasted quite a long time. Choi Yu Seong expressed admiration, feeling the passion and romance of the man in the appearance of armor knights who exchanged fists with each other even when their teeth were all broken and their whole bodies were in a state of exhaustion. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s not easy. Not easy.¡± I really wanted to see who would win, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t afford it. ¡®Condition 18%.¡¯ I have to organize it. Above all, I can¡¯t yield the last hit.¡¯ They fought among themselves, but their experience is mine. Choi Yu Seong, who had unconscionable thoughts, swung a counter punch at each other and approached the ¡®Sun Knight¡¯ first among the knights who went backwards with their heads bent. He was struggling to force his upper body, but the speed was quite slow. Thanks to this, Choi Yu Seong, who was quite comfortable and climbed over the knight¡¯s head, asked. ¡°Are you Star Knight?¡± To be honest, I couldn¡¯t remember it properly because I was confused from the middle because it looked so similar. ¡°Anyway, this is my power now.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who spread his palms toward the red pupils blooming in the black darkness, shouted quietly. ¡°Skill, Dancing Electric Doll.¡± I was worried that it might not have much effect because it was a metal ball, but the moment Dancing Electric Doll inside the black pupil glazed at the light, the armor knight trembled all over, and soon the red flame shining softly in the pupil completely disappeared. ¡®I got you.¡¯ There was no doubt. It lost all my strength because I used a skill that consumes a lot of mana in a little condition, but my physical strength quickly returned. ¡®Actually, my condition level¡­ 53%. Wow.¡¯ I caught only one, but it recovered about 45%. ¡°As expected, last hit is the best!¡± Excited Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes are now directed at the second armor article that caused half the upper body. ¡°Hi. Sun Knight? No, is it Star Knight? Anyway¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong, who jumped from a dead, perhaps Sun Knight¡¯s body and approached the trembling star knight on the other side, opened his palm toward the black darkness under his helmet. Perhaps because of his conscience, he was Choi Yu Seong, who felt that the armor knight shook his head from side to side, but he did not intend to stop what he was trying to do. ¡°Dancing Electric Doll, activate.¡± It was when the second armor knight danced with shaking all over his body, and after that, a smile spread around Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mouth, who confirmed the highest level of 98% condition. Whoong-! Between the two fallen knights, a gray portal opened where one person could pass by. CH 19 ¡°Ah, so there¡¯s no real thief here, that¡¯s it? Hang on. Then perhaps these guys were the middle bosses?¡± Somehow, he was anxious at the silent Loki, but Choi Yu Seong wanted to believe. Now beyond that portal, rewards will be waiting. ¡®No way, the Korean difficulty will be that far¡­¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who thought so, smiled in vain and took a step toward the portal. *** It¡¯s a field. There are no high reeds or grass leaves. So to be precise, a very wide lawn just right to play soccer spread out in front of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes. ¡®What am I supposed to do here?¡¯ It was when Choi Yu Seong tilted his head for a while in the open world beyond the portal. ¡°Hong hong hong, Awakener Choi Yu Seong. You knocked down the toy friends I prepared in a really ingenious way. This Mister Guy was touched and touched again.¡± Mister Guy, who ¡®poof¡¯ appeared next to Choi Yu Seong, shouted with his arms wide open. Looked at that with a rather absurd gaze for a moment, Choi Yu Seong asked. ¡°Is the promotion evaluation over?¡± ¡°There is no way. Then, the completed message should came up, right?¡± ¡°Damned Korean difficulty¡±. ¡°It¡¯s right to refrain from harsh swear words. I get hurt, too. Above all, Awakener Choi Yu Seong ssi hasn¡¯t caught the thief yet, right?¡± In the end, there were no thief anywhere in Sun Room, Moon Room, or Star Room. From the beginning, the three rooms belonged to the path to come to this field. ¡®In the meantime, he brought monsters like armor knights right.¡¯ If the difficulty is constructed in this way, the number of people who will fall without even passing the first gate is like dictionary. Even if the promotion evaluation has been organized step by step like this, the advantage is clear. ¡®The promotion evaluation is supposed to be returned as a reward as much as you have suffered.¡¯ Maybe he can hope for something greater than expected. Choi Yu Seong asked Mister Guy in anticipation of that. ¡°Then do I have to find a needle in a haystack from now on?? ¡°Find a needle in a haystack. That¡¯s quite an interesting expression. It may be similar, but it¡¯s different. Awakener Choi Yu Seong ssi. There, open your big eyes and look towards where I pointer.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong groans as he looks close to the horizon of the field along Mister Guy¡¯s index finger. ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If you look closely, it¡¯s very small and cute¡­¡± ¡°Rabbits?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. There are rabbits.¡± At first, it was not visible, but shadows were gradually blooming over the horizon. ¡°¡­ It keeps increasing.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t counted them, but they¡¯ll be about 5,000.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a cute friend I¡¯ve been raising. His name is Tori. It is a child with white eyes-like fur, and to teach you the characteristics, there is a star-shaped dot at the bottom of the stomach. But, what to do. I took care of him well, but he ran away from home a few hours ago and hid in that crowd?¡± Choi Yu Seong¡¯s thin eyes headed for Mister Guy. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s the wicked thief who stole half of the soul of Awakener Choi Yu Seong and ran away. Hong hong hong.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense¡­ Didn¡¯t Mister Guy give it to that guy?¡± ¡°Well, does it matter. Right now, it¡¯s just that our cute Tori is the thief.¡± ¡°Then my promotion evaluation means that I should find the child named Tori before my condition runs out here.¡± Choi Yu Seong warmed up right away. ¡®The remaining condition is 98%.¡¯ Perhaps due to the high condition level, the falling number is noticeably slow. ¡®You have to catch the rabbits and flip it all over.¡¯ It was rather heavy labor, but I thought it was not impossible. But it¡¯s not enough to relax. We have to move up the time even a little bit. It was the moment when Choi Yu Seong, who made up his mind, was about to run forward. Mister Guy, who stood up with a long index finger, continued to say the latter words. ¡°Ah, wait. It¡¯s true that the rules you¡¯re thinking about are basic. However, there is a difference. There is another rule in this second evaluation following the room escape.¡± ¡°Since I don¡¯t have time, let¡¯s get to the point, quickly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such in a hurry. To briefly explain, this evaluation is a match between me and Awakener Choi Yu Seong.¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about finding our cute Tori, but I can¡¯t just keep watching, right? Let¡¯s cheer up together.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m at a disadvantage. I felt like that somehow Mister Guy already knows which one is Tori¡­¡± ¡°Hong hong hong, it¡¯s not completely wrong. I can roughly tell the location of our Tori by its smell.¡± Mister Guy, who swept his long beard once again, said. ¡°So as a penalty, I¡¯m leaving in exactly 30 minutes. Isn¡¯t this a fair match?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair, but I can¡¯t ask you to extend the time, right?¡± ¡°If it is like that, wouldn¡¯t the name of promotion evaluation be meaningless?¡± ¡°Such a really reasonable evaluation! Choi Yu Seong, who laughed and praised Mister Guy¡¯s words, looked straight ahead. ¡®The time limit is 30 minutes.¡¯ Within that time, you have to find the pet rabbit Tori of Mister Guy, a rabbit human. ¡®Among about 5,000 rabbits in there, that¡¯s it.¡¯ No matter how many times I thought about it, there was no way I couldn¡¯t get a high praise. Lawns? ¡®No, rabbit field.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong scratched his side of the head while watching a huge feast of rabbits. ¡®It may not be a problem to find each of these by hand.¡¯ But can that be faster than Mister Guy, who leaves in 30 minutes? Even when these rabbits first appeared, they seemed to be clustered in one place, but now they are scattered randomly everywhere. ¡®Just looking at it, there are more than 1,000 rabbits with white fur.¡¯ Mister Guy never even said that Tori ¡®only¡¯ has white fur. ¡®If the baseline set like that, I have to check about 3,000.¡¯ If it¡¯s the same thought, I want to put the rabbits in the air at once with a great magic spell and just check the ship and pass by. Of course, it was not something that Awakener Choi Yu Seong who was scheduled to enter the D-rank could do. ¡°Instead, I can do things like this. Dimensional Merchant, Summon.¡± Ping Pong, who appeared after opening the dimensional door, walked out with his arms folded and raised his hand toward Choi Yu Seong. ¡°Choi- Ha!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It means ¡®Choi Yu Seong hai¡¯. It¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°Do you learn things like that?¡± ¡°It is a popular greeting among dimensional merchants these days.¡± Who made it popular probably seemed to have seen the Earth¡¯s Internet a lot.1 ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll give 10 lollipops on the next summon and now I have things to ask you to do quickly.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s 10, I have to show everything except for the ones I don¡¯t have!¡± Ping Pong, who had a big nose blow, spread a bundle from his chest pocket, and Choi Yu Seong¡¯s hands, who purchased some items he had in mind, became busy. *** In 15 minutes. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s shadow approached Mister Guy, lying on the field and relaxing while looking at the blue sky. ¡°Huh? Did you give up already? It¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s a reminder, but it is such a pity if you give up now.¡± In the meantime, a smile flowed through Mister Guy¡¯s mouth, who turned his head slightly and confirmed Choi Yu Seong, who returned in a mess, running around a lot and fell down. ¡°Rabbits are quite quick, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Because you have to catch other guy other than the one caught once.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who sighed deeply, turns the pen on his left hand around. ¡°Well, you summoned a merchant to buy a pen! If you don¡¯t want to repeat the mistake of catching the same guy, it¡¯s a bit primitive, but it¡¯s not a bad way. Is it time to relax like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time to relax, but I want to get a promise.¡± ¡°Are you talking about a promise¡±? Mister Guy tilted his head as if he had question. ¡°This promotion evaluation ends as soon as you find Tori. Whether it¡¯s Mister Guy or me. Either way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like that.¡± ¡°But if Mister Guy finds it first and I¡¯m kicked out of the promotion evaluation when I¡¯m wandering around looking for Tori for a long time, I think it¡¯ll be so unfair.¡±¡± ¡°Hmm, I understand. But the law of the test is inevitable.¡± Mister Guy, who stroked the long beard once again, looked at Choi Yu Seong. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be eliminated, why don¡¯t you run with all your might?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. However, as I said before, let¡¯s make a promise.¡± ¡°Oh no, I hope Awakener Choi Yu Seong will somehow pass the promotion evaluation. It¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re wasting your time like this.¡± Mister Guy, who looked at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mole with a sideways glance, nodded as if he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Please tell me.¡± ¡°If Mister Guy finds Tori first, promises to let me know, too. Don¡¯t I deserve to know at least what Tori looks like?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well¡­¡± ¡°And Mister Guy¡¯s pet rabbit would be really cute, right?¡±¡± Complimenting children and raising animals is quite rare. It was no different to say Mister Guy. ¡°Of course. I bet Tori is the cutest rabbit in the world.¡± He gave off a nose blow and nodded his head loudly, and soon smiled and responded with a smile. ¡°I promise. If I find Tori first, I will show the child¡¯s beauty to Awakener Choi Yu Seong. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that the results of the evaluation will be overturned, so it would be good to know in advance.¡± ¡°Of course. Then, promise?¡± Choi Yu Seong smiles and gives out his black little finger with a lot of soil dust. Mister Guy, who looked at him with a rather strange look, soon hung his little finger on Choi Yu Seong¡¯s dirty finger. ¡°Unknowingly, you have an innocent side. Awakener Choi Yu Seong ssi.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Hu hu. Mister Guy ssi.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who took off his finger after showing similar smiles toward each other, turned his back. ¡°Then, see you later.¡± ¡°Work hard. Then I¡¯ll lie down again to enjoy the rest of my rest.¡± 13 minutes are left. Mister Guy lay in place and enjoyed his relaxation again, and Choi Yu Seong ran toward the rabbits with all his might. CH 20 13 minutes was very long for someone and quite short for someone else. ¡°Hmm¡­ Shall I move on now.¡± A short sigh flowed from the mouth of Mister Guy, who confirmed the appearance of Choi Yu Seong struggling alone in the distance, catching and numbering rabbits. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. There must have been a good growth as it was a special test. Well¡­ But isn¡¯t the rule still the rule?¡± Towards the other side where Choi Yu Seong is running, Mister Guy stepped up his long leg. ¡®It seems you got it wrong. Mister Choi Yu Seong. Unfortunately, you must have been unlucky.¡¯ In fact, this rabbit-hunting, the real thief-catching test boasted difficulty too harsh even by Mister Guy¡¯s opinion himself. Without Karma point support of the quite powerful God Loki and another God, who has yet to reveal himself, it would have been impossible to create a test of this difficulty in an E-Rank promotion evaluation. ¡®Setting aside Prankster Who Likes Jokes nim, I didn¡¯t expect that person would already pay attention to him.¡¯ Anyway, excessive compensation was imposed as two big hands intervened, so the difficulty of the test was also increased vertically. No matter how it is an extreme difficulty in the first place, it should have already ended the moment when the armor knight was knocked down. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Our pretty Tori, where are you?¡±¡± Mister Guy, who walks with his big ears pricked up and his nose open, swings randomly from place to place in the field with wide legs. There have been quite a few small groups of rabbits reflected in his eyes, but there have been no pet rabbits sought by Mister Guy anywhere. ¡°It¡¯s roughly this way, though¡­¡± Walking slowly after the smell, Mister Guy¡¯s gaze shone. Less than 300m to the east, a group of about 10 rabbits gathered together, and among them, it smelled so familiar and lovely. ¡°Hong hong, my Tori. So, you were there. Hurry and come to my arms. All I have to do is keep the ¡®promise¡¯ to Awakener Choi Yu Seong and the test is ov¡­¡± It was when the excited Mister Guy approached the rabbit group, swinging his arms. A group of lights surrounded him at once, and instead, the surprised Choi Yu Seong came out of the gap. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± The question is for a moment. After identified a rabbit group with about five white rabbits among them located not far from the changed landscape, Choi Yu Seong ran forward. ¡®Worked.¡¯ It is a matter of course, but Choi Yu Seong did not only purchase one pen by summoning the Dimensional Merchant Ping Pong. ¡®Spell, Double-Sided Mirror Promise. I don¡¯t have many karma points to buy things to hunt armor knights, but enough for this.¡¯ In fact, Double-Sided Mirror Promise is one of the most common spell in dimensional stores, and the price was about 500 karma points per unit. The method itself was rather simple. After invoking the spell and hanging the coming out thread on your little finger, make sure to set the keyword agreed with the other person as ¡®promise¡¯. Finally, hang each other¡¯s little finger as a seal to confirm the promise. The effect is that if a promise is made through this process, the two can reverse each other¡¯s positions as if they were located on the other side of the mirror through spell only once in an agreed situation. What was important here was that the opponent had to clearly spit out the keyword, that is, the word ¡®promise¡¯. In a way, the invocation itself is simple, but it is quite tricky to apply it secretly to the opponent. Double-Sided Mirror Promise is basically an invisible spell, but once invoked, pink lights shine one after another on the threaded fingers. To the point where you can feel something strange if you look at it just a little carefully. In the meantime, you have to secretly hook your pinky and promise, and make sure that keywords come out of the opponent¡¯s mouth. Therefore, Double-Sided Mirror Promise was originally a spell that was frequently used in the original novel to confuse opponents by changing the positions of allies. ¡®Of course, that¡¯s after Double-Sided Mirror Promise spell was revealed to the world¡­¡¯ Double-Sided Mirror Promise is still a spell before it became known to the world. ¡®The first time it come out was in a year or so in the setting of a novel¡­¡¯ Until then, it is a spell no one on Earth had ever looked for. When Mister Guy heard that he was participating in the test, it was the first way that came to mind in Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®It¡¯s close to impossible for me to find it myself. So, borrows the opponent¡¯s hand again this time.¡¯ In fact, it was an operation that could have failed if the opponent was not Mister Guy, a rather talkative evaluator. ¡®But still, I thought if it¡¯s Mister Guy, he would spit it out at least once in a fatal situation.¡¯ In other words, he will surely spit out the word promise when he finds Tori, the situation assumed as the spell. The prediction was completely correct. Of course, it would have been better if it was just before catching Tori, but the situation is not bad now. ¡°See. It¡¯s my victory. Loki. No matter how many praiseful situations you¡¯re going to throw in, I also have all the means.¡± When Choi Yu Seong said to himself, Loki, who had been silent since he began tracking Tori, sent a message as if he had been waiting. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes laughs. But it¡¯s somewhat strange. ¡°Laughs?¡± Perhaps, is he also felt happy together? The doubtful Choi Yu Seong, who confirmed that there was no star-shaped dot as a result of flipping the first rabbit¡¯s belly, marked it with a pen and jumped toward the second, feeling anxious for some reason. ¡®Just in case, but the distance between the fields is quite wide, so it will take time for Mister Guy to run in.¡¯ The skills of the evaluator in charge of promotion evaluation vary widely. Some of them are monsters that even play with Earth¡¯s S-Rank Hunters, while others are embarrassing even to D-rank hunters. ¡®Just by looking at how Mister Guy looks¡­¡¯ Just in time, he is running from afar beyond that horizon, leading a huge dust cloud like a whirlwind. There was no reason to think about it. ¡®He¡¯s a monster.¡¯ Mister Guy with a serious stiff look shouted. ¡°Hong hong hong! Awakener Choi Yu Seong ssi! You fooled this body well!¡± It seemed to be speaking quietly, but the volume of the voice was enough to make his head cry. Naturally, the rabbits around Choi Yu Seong also began to run in all directions, freaked out. Surprised together, Choi Yu Seong looked at it and freaked out and flipped the second rabbit¡¯s belly. ¡®Not this guy too!¡¯ The movement naturally continues to the third. ¡°Why it¡¯s not!¡± As if disproving that he has been somewhat lucky so far, his luck is also unacceptable. ¡°Hong hong, this is because I let my guard down, but I admit that you surprised this body! But if you fail the promotion evaluation, everything is meaningless!¡± Mister Guy, who is just around the corner, jumps up and flies in the air as if swimming. In that short time, he barely caught the fourth. A bright smile spread around Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mouth, who lifted the rabbit and confirmed his belly with a feeling that it was really the last time. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes rolls on the floor with a stomachache at Awakener Choi Yu Seong¡¯s luck. ¡®See! This is the luck of a game company employee in Joseon. No. A son of a conglomerate family!¡¯ Then Mister Guy, who was falling right in front of him, quickly held out a rabbit toward him. ¡°Tori! I found it first!¡± Boom-! Creating a huge cloud of dust on the ground, the fallen Mister Guy¡¯s hardened face began to twist little by little. The eyes draw a bright smile, and a heart is drawn in the pupil. ¡°Ooh! My love, cutie Tori! So, you were here!¡± Then, he snatched Tori from Choi Yu Seong¡¯s hand at once, holds it in his arms, and starts rubbing the cheeks. ¡°Hong hong hong¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong sighed with relief as he watched him laugh in a good mood. At the last minute, he gave up Tori, but he didn¡¯t worry much. ¡¶THIEF CATCHING! DIFFICULTY ++ VERSION You have recovered half of your lost soul from a very bad and wicked thief(Tori)! Congratulations! Awakener Choi Yu Seong will be promoted to D Rank! Promotion compensation is paid after settlement through the system. User¡¯s consciousness is returning to Earth.¡· Done. While Mister Guy was drunk on his pet rabbit, Choi Yu Seong was also feeling joy as he saw the message flashing golden. At one point, a certain energy oozing from Tori surrounds Choi Yu Seong¡¯s whole body and permeates into him. ¡®By the way, that Mister Guy, he really cares about Tori¡­¡¯ Apart from that, the white rabbit Tori was actually really cute. Mister Guy, who took his eyes off Tori he had rub his cheek so much, looks at Choi Yu Seong, who is gradually losing consciousness. ¡°Seriously, to think of Double-Sided Mirror Promise. How did you know a thing that no one has used yet? Oh no, you are not in a situation to answer. Anyway, I will never make promise to Awakener Choi Yu Seong ssi again. I¡¯ve suffered from being hit in the back above that upsetting cool wits. See you again. Awakener Choi Yu Seong. Hong hong hong.¡± The last thing he heard was Mister Guy¡¯s somewhat sulky voice yet felt warm from some point on. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes suggests a reward with a somehow joyful expression. -¡®The Gracious Blue-Eyed¡¯ God who get the suggestion thinks. Agrees with the reward. -A Hidden Piece occurs from the agreement of the two gods. A special Skill is forcibly passed on to Awakener Choi Yu Seong. Following that, there were little more messages that would make Choi Yu Seong surprised if he had heard it. *** Choi Yu Seong¡¯s consciousness also slowly emerged into the air from a very low place, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep and then became weak all over his body. Choi Yu Seong, who opened his eyes, looked around like a habit. Soon, he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Bed. Return to where you first entered the promotion evaluation.¡¯ When an Awakener enters a promotion evaluation, his body disappears without a trace on Earth. Afterwards, when the evaluation is over, he returns to the location where he entered. What was surprising was the fact that in the process, no manifestation of super power or signs of magic was felt anywhere. Some scholars fell deeply with research because they felt mysterious about that miraculous ability, but it has not yet been revealed what principles Awakener disappears and appears. ¡®Even in the original novel, there are only rough hints.¡¯ Movement of consciousness through the absolute power of the system maker. There are two facts that can be guessed from this word. ¡®First, the promotion evaluation itself takes place at a different dimension.¡¯ And the second, maybe the body of the Awakener itself is hidden somewhere on Earth during the promotion evaluation. Of course, there is no exact answer, so he doesn¡¯t know. ¡®Even above reasoning is originally made by Kim Do Jin.¡¯ After Choi Yu Seong shrugged, he decided to leave the difficult problem behind. ¡®It¡¯s not something I can know right away.¡¯ CH 21 In fact, he also don¡¯t want to know much about it in the distant future. Ignorance is bliss, and if you know such a secret, won¡¯t you be more likely to get involved in a dangerous event? It belonged to Choi Yu Seong, whose goal is to support Kim Do Jin, who saves the earth by living comfortably after establishing a stable position, from behind. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong spilled the stream of consciousness by opening his cell phone to find out the current date and time. ¡°The date is February 3, 2030. I started the promotion evaluation around January 28th¡­ It¡¯s been about five days. I really don¡¯t understand the flow of time, just like someone said.¡± He thought he had completed the promotion evaluation shorter than expected, but in reality, five days have passed. ¡°It¡¯s three o¡¯clock in the morning. It¡¯s time for everybody to sleep.¡± Of course, if Choi Yu Seong makes a slightly bigger sign in the midst of this, the Jin siblings, who will be waiting in the nearby room, will run scary. ¡®Do I really have to do that?¡¯ Sufficient rest is also important for growth. Choi Yu Seong did not bother to show any more signs, but opened a notepad on his cell phone to check what he had written down according to his habits, and even wrote down events that he had not yet recorded due to their relatively less importance. ¡®Now that if I don¡¯t look at the memo, I can¡¯t think of anything except the important episodes of the original novel.¡¯ Still, when he first possessed to a novel, he was glad that the contents of the novel came to mind as if it were imprinted in my mind. If it hadn¡¯t been for it, he wouldn¡¯t have even recorded properly so far. ¡®Let¡¯s not forget this habit. It¡¯s as important as training.¡¯ Good habits are hard to get in once, but easy to get out of. Choi Yu Seong had no intention of taking a break from this process, even if it was a bit troublesome and cumbersome. Anyway, this world was now Choi Yu Seong¡¯s reality. And he also backed up the contents on a secret hard-drive in case the phone breaks. As he said before, he thought it was foolish not to write it down because he was afraid that someone would know the secret. ¡®It doesn¡¯t mean anything if I forget before others know it.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who finished his habit of writing a diary by himself every night, sighed briefly and sat down on the bed. He acted leisurely, but after completing the promotion evaluation, he returned to Earth and the most important thing remained. ¡®Check the reward.¡¯ It felt like that he will scream as he was too happy, so he needed to calm himself down. Therefore, he spent time doing this and that, but as expected, his heart is still pounding like a 5-year-old child in front of a Christmas gift. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡®When you open a gift box, you¡¯ll feel the same way as a child or an adult.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong first opened his status window. ¡´Right before promotion evaluation¡µ ¡ºName: Choi Yu Seong Age: 21 Series: All-rounder type Rank: E Level: 100 History Possessed: 1 Specialization Skills: Star Quality (E), Fusion (E), Spearmanship Prodigy (E) Normal Skills: Stylish (E), Duplicate Eyes (E), Spark (E), Insight (E), Sight Enhancement (E), Protective Shield (E) (Delete) ¡úMuscle Enhancement (E), Stamina Enhancement (E) Special Skills: Wind Stance (E), Dancing Electric Doll (E), Tail Biting Twin Snakes (E), Magic Spearmanship (E++)¡ú(D-) Currently Inactive Skill Slot: There is no space left. You can delete or overwrite normal skills other than initial skills if necessary.¡» ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡´Present¡µ Name: Choi Yu Seong Age: 21 Series: All-round type Rank: E¡úD Level: 1 History Possessed: 1 Specialization Skills: Star Quality (D), Fusion (D), Spearmanship Prodigy (D) Normal Skills: Stylish (D), Duplicate Eyes (D), Insight (E), Sight Enhancement (D), Muscle Enhancement (D), Stamina Enhancement (D) Special Skills: Wind Stance (E¡ü), Dancing Electric Doll (E¡ü), Tail-biting Twin Snake (E¡ü), Magic Spearmanship (E++)¡úD+(¡ü), Trinity Cultivation Method (E) (NEW) Currently Inactive Skill Slot: There are currently 2 empty spaces for normal skills. Please learn new skills and add them!¡» The obvious fact that you can feel just by looking at the interface window was finally the letter D-Rank. Above all, after using all Protective Shield stolen with Duplicate Eyes, the basic maintenance skills such as Muscle Enhancement, Stamina Enhancement, and Sight Enhancement, which had been re-learned to lay down as a basic base, rose to the D-Rank. ¡®I felt like I could do about 300kg of bench press with just strength, but now I feel like 400kg is easy.¡¯ The same was true of Sight Enhancement. ¡®I deleted it once when I was in a hurry, but it¡¯s good to have it.¡¯ As if confirming that it is the D-Rank, the surrounding field of view was quite clear even in the dark. Just in case, he checked the video taken adjacent to a car running about 100km per hour through phone without much effect, and it seemed as if Choi Yu Seong was an ordinary people like when he was a regular game company employee can see a fist wielded was flying. ¡®Before, 100 kilometers per hour was like a fist wielded by a martial arts player.¡¯ It was clear that this effect would probably be felt more clearly during an urgent battle. There was no way to check Stamina Enhancement through any media immediately. ¡®I had no problem staying up all night for two nights before¡­ If I compare the growth figures roughly, wouldn¡¯t three night be no problem?¡¯ In fact, these physical abilities vary greatly as levels rise. Skill only adds additional help beyond such a level rise. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s gaze, which summarized his mind on physical skills while leaving only speculation, was directed at the initial abilities that made him who he is now. ¡®First, let¡¯s take a look at it all¡­¡¯ ¡ºSpecialization Skill, Star Quality (D) The more attention people receive, the faster the level growth rate is. When the degree of interest exceeds a certain value, the additional ability is opened (50/100) ¡ú (86/100). D-Rank privilege ¨C When exposed to video media such as cameras, attention is increased. (NEW) Current acceleration value +70 ¡ú +90%¡» ¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ºNormal Skill, Stylish (D) It¡¯s impossible to merge. Additional effects are applied when you show off your gorgeous, gorgeous appearance. You will receive an additional effect of regular application due to the Ranking. E-Rank privilege ¨C Increased resilience. D-Rank privilege ¨C increased pain tolerance. (NEW)¡» ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ºSpecialization Skill, Fusion (D) Except for the initial skill, combine the two general skills and transform them into new skills. Depending on the lucky action, the content of the creative skill may change slightly. Once used as a fusion material, the skills cannot be reused. D-Rank privilege ¨C Increase the additional deactivation skill space to 5 ¡ú 7 (NEW) You can delete or overwrite only those skills that can be merged listed in the Additional Disabled Skills column.¡» ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ºGeneral skills, Duplicate Eye D It¡¯s impossible to merge. Copy a skill with a lower grade than that skill. The number of times the copied skill is used and the capability coefficient is different according to the grade. If you copy a skill once, you cannot use it for 3 months. Reproduction of skills with the same name also requires a three-month free period. D-Rank privilege ¨C The number of times copied skills are used and the capability coefficient is increased.¡» In a way, small but essential growth has been achieved little by little. ¡®It¡¯s just the first time I¡¯ve been Ranked up.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong left some regrets behind, recalling that he couldn¡¯t be full at the first sip. ¡®The important thing are¡­¡¯ Special skills with arrows that still remain in the E-Rank. ¡®As expected. It¡¯s exactly what the original novel is about.¡± Specialization skills, normal skills, etc. follow the growth immediately on the premise that the skill level is sufficient when the Rank rises due to the unique ability of the awakener himself. However, the most special skills were different. ¡®It need to eat Karma points to grow.¡¯ For this reason, Choi Yu Seong thought that he should save some of the Karma points he had collected until recently. ¡®I Ranked up, but I can¡¯t do without skill points, right?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong immediately pressed the Rank-up button of Wind Stance, one of the most frequently used skills. ¨C Awakener Choi Yu Seong¡¯s special skill, Wind Stance (E) ¡ú Wind Stance (D) required 2,500 Karma points to rank up. Do you want to rank up? Y/N Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body slightly stiffened after checking the message. ¡®2,500?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong¡¯s current Karma point was exactly 1,850. ¡®I used to have 2,350¡­¡¯ This figure was achieved with additional Karma Point 600 sponsored by the gods during dungeon racing. But the problem is that in the promotion evaluation, 500 Karma points were spent to deceive Mister Guy. Thanks to this, his current Karma points are 1,850. ¡°¡­that¡¯s a long way to go.¡± It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s a pity, but it was not incomprehensible considering the ability of Wind Stance. ¡®Because skills that are inherently strong consume more karma points¡­¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who thought he could raise other skills, identified the second skill and another additional skill. ¡°¡­Seriously? The cheapest Tail Biting Twin Snakes is 1,900.¡± It was because his special skills were very strong, but it was so unfair for Choi Yu Seong, who diligently saved Karma points. ¡®Is this not the time to cheer for joy, but to go hunting right away and somehow draw out sponsor?¡¯ It was only for a moment that he laughed out of disappointment. ¡®Wait, the promotion reward is¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes turned to the special skill ¡®Trinity (E)¡¯. ¡ºSpecial skill, Trinity Cultivation Method (E) It¡¯s impossible to merge. It¡¯s a basic way of breathing that all Moorim Gods have heard of. If you use your skills in a sitting position, the maximum mana will continue to rise. When you move or speak, the skill is automatically canceled. If you use skills in other positions, you can increase the strength by injecting mana into the weapon. If the Rank rises, you will be given a privilege. You are the 168th person on Earth to acquire Mana breathing skills. Special ¡ï There is some kind of divine protection. ¡» ¡°Wow¡­! That¡¯s awesome! Is this really the reward for the promotion evaluation?¡± Choi Yu Seong¡¯s expression, which praised highly, naturally hardened. ¡®You made me suffer like that, but you¡¯re only giving me this raw?¡¯ CH 22 Of course, he is well aware that Mana breathing skills themselves are quite rare and incredible in this world. Even if it seems nothing much right away, the higher the Rank, the more distinct the difference between those who have mastered Mana breathing and those who have not learned it. Therefore, it is also true that Choi Yu Seong thought it was an essential skill to acquire someday. ¡®The sooner I get it, the better.¡¯ In any case, the maximum mana continues to increase without spending much money or ability, so the sooner you get it, the better. ¡°Really Loki, isn¡¯t this too much?¡± He tried talking to myself, but no answer came back. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t expect Moorim Gods¡¯ highest level of breathing skills such things as Cheonmashingong, Taegukilgigong, and Cheonjoshingong. Isn¡¯t it conscientious to give at least the level below that for all that hardwork? But Trinity Cultivation Method? The most basic method?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who was about to say something to himself, who should not have been easily upset, shook his head while holding his forehead. ¡®Well, how did you get Mana¡¯s breathing method in the D-Rank?¡¯ It¡¯s better than nothing. And as said before, it is unconditionally beneficial to learn as quickly as possible. ¡®But Trinity Cultivation Method is a guy that no match when changes to another Mana breathing technique. It must have been handed over to me to slowly pile up the stairs, and if I see Loki bastard in person one day, I¡¯ll grab him by the collar and slap him in the face.¡¯ Above all, there were considerable expectations for the special message, God¡¯s blessing. ¡®It¡¯s not just an ordinary Trinity Cultivation Method, but there might be a great secret hidden in a martial arts novel that becomes very strong when it¡¯s successful, right?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who had half regret and half expectations, invoked Trinity Cultivation Method. The blue energy that moves as if attracted from the surroundings flows through Choi Yu Seong¡¯s nose and mouth and follows into the body. ¡®This is the sense of magic breathing¡­¡¯ This ability, commonly referred to as Naegongsimbeop, was certainly unique when passed down by the Murim gods. It makes you feel at peace, refreshed, and refreshed. It was time for Choi Yu Seong¡¯s expression, which had been somewhat hardened by a fairly fresh and pleasant sensation, to gradually ease. Crackackack-! He heard something crack or cracked somewhere. ¡®Suddenly?¡¯ At the same time, mana that seemed to be swimming leisurely in Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body began to run fiercely toward somewhere. ¡°¡­?¡± For a moment, Choi Yu Seong clearly saw where his magic was headed. ¡®Bracelet?¡¯ The magical power that ran arbitrarily toward the gray bracelet presented by Choi Mi Na is sucked in like a flood. Following it, the black bracelet began to spit out a colorful light mixed with red and blue, floating a letter in front of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes. ¡®What¡¯s this¡­?¡¯ The unexpected change and the confusion of the words that he couldn¡¯t understand were also for a moment. The swirling words were drawn horribly between Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyebrows. ¡®Uuugh-!¡¯ He wanted to scream, but it didn¡¯t come out of his mouth. In the midst of confusion that made his mind dizzy, Choi Yu Seong thought he could hear a bell or a wooden table somewhere. After that, his consciousness gradually faded. ¡®Again?¡¯ Before the question of fainting was over, a brilliant message flashed in front of him. ¨C Prankster Who Likes Jokes sends a direct message to Awakener Choi Yu Seong saying, ¡®Originally it was too much to prepare right away the reward you should get after suffered for a long time, so be grateful, you idiot who doesn¡¯t know anything.¡¯ Of course, Choi Yu Seong, who had already half unconscious, could not reply. *** When Choi Yu Seong opened his eyes again, it was about time the bright morning sun covered his eyelids. ¡°Uhmm¡­ 12:15.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who woke up and habitually checked the time, smiled bitterly and checked his right arm. He felt very empty because the bracelet he wore every day disappeared without knowing what effect it would have. ¡®I didn¡¯t find out the name after all?¡¯ But it didn¡¯t seem to have no effect. ¡®It must have been the last time that Loki even sent me a message himself¡­¡¯ He doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s normal. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong opened the system interface window with an excited face like a child receiving a Christmas gift and checked the special skill column. Other skills didn¡¯t get into his eyes. ¡®So, this is it.¡¯ Newly added special skills! ¡ºSpecial skill, God¡¯s Chakra (D) It¡¯s impossible to merge. The possibility of hidden in the skill was awakened by the remnants of a highly named god. All mana of the Awakener Choi Yu Seong is replaced by Chakra. Skill is constantly acting on the Awakener¡¯s body. This increases the absolute capacity of the chakra. This effect applies when you speak or move, and even when you are unconscious. Currently, the Chakra 730/730 replacement of the Awakener Choi Yu Seong has been completed. The rate of increase is +1. The first chakra woke up with D-Rank. D Rank ¨C Mooladhara Chakra. With the action of Mooladhara Chakra, the physical abilities of the Awakener Choi Yu Seong will grow to be the same level as those of Physical Awakener type. Special ¡ï The application of God¡¯s Chakra further strengthens the effect of Mooladhara Chakra. If the Rank rises, the second chakra will wake up. You are the eighth person in the world to acquire chakra skills.¡» His mouth opened wide. ¡®What¡¯s this? Chakra?¡¯ For a moment, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s brain was confused. It seemed to be a different ability from mugong Kim Do Jin will learn in the near future. ¡®Is it the power of Indian gods? But as far as I know, as a reward Loki gave me¡­¡¯ The confusion was brief, and Choi Yu Seong calmly settled his thoughts. ¡®I think I¡¯ve seen it in the original novel if it¡¯s such a special ability.¡¯ This is why human memory is a problem. If you don¡¯t write it down, you¡¯ll forget it. The rush of frustration was brief. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s gaze again flowed with a brilliant skill explanation. ¡°It¡¯s a crazy skill anyway,¡± As the skill name suggests, it was a skill that would suit the main character Kim Do Jin rather than Choi Yu Seong, who was actually a good-for-nothing villain. No, in a way, he acquired skills that Kim Do Jin did not even get in the original novel. ¡°God¡¯s chakra?¡± He feels something proud in the middle of my chest. ¡®This is real.¡¯ It was clear that it was a skill that was much higher than the clumsy inner core method and was as good as the Shingongjeolhak, which boasts the best in Moorim. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It was a time of admiration and admiration. -Prankster Who Likes Jokes snorts at the Awakener Choi Yu Seong. -The Oldest Hunter looked at the Awakener Choi Yu Seong with a pleased look. -Culann¡¯s Hound supports Awakener Choi Yu Seong. -The God of graceful blue-eyes nodded. Sends a direct message ¡®I look forward to the day when I come back.¡¯ to Awakener Choi Yu Seong. Leaves from your side. As usual, the messages of the gods poured out. The names of the three gods, who are now familiar to Choi Yu Seong, and one more. ¡°The god of graceful blue-eyes?¡± Since Choi Yu Seong did not see the first message that came to mind at the end of the promotion evaluation, he briefly tilted his head to the name of the new god who checked the message himself from the first. ¡®Why left? The God of graceful blue-eyes¡­¡¯ The question is for a moment. Soon Choi Yu Seong jumped out of place in astonishment. ¡°My gosh! God¡¯s chakra! The God of graceful blue-eyes!¡± The voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the room. Naturally, Jin Do Yoon, who was guarding Choi Yu Seong¡¯s room outside, ran in. ¡°Young master!¡± The fact that Jin Do Yoon is here means that he also passed the promotion evaluation and reached the A Rank. However, Choi Yu Seong had no time to pay attention to him. ¡°Wait, let me think for a minute.¡± Choi Yu Seong, who sat back in place and was lost in thought, could not stop his heart from pounding. ¡®My gosh. So, it¡¯s like that. Gray bracelet¡­ It was a destruction god¡¯s piece.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mind is finally filled with all the right picture. Choi Mi Na¡¯s present is a destruction god¡¯s piece. It was an ancient relic used by D-Rank Villain ¡®Dalsim¡¯ in the original novel. The problem was that in the original The Master Who Returned To Modern Times, it came out as a tool to strengthen Chakra¡¯s ability, and the weight was not large because Villain Dalsim died quite vainly. ¡®Nevertheless, Kim Do Jin took the destruction god¡¯s piece as if it was a very important tool.¡¯ However, the bait has not been recovered and the first part is completed. In fact, this part was not very important because it was only a small episode that he even had forgotten. However, when connected with the name of The god of graceful blue-eyes, the meaning is quite different. In fact, if you look at the nickname The god of graceful blue-eyes alone, it feels quite good and kind-hearted, and the god that reminds you of an angel. However, there was an exact nickname for him more commonly. and the name was far from holy and benevolent. ¡®Destruction God.¡¯ Therefore, it was connected to the destruction god¡¯s piece, and his blessing¡¯s ability was passed on to Choi Yu Seong. What does this mean? ¡®Chakra is deeply related to Hinduism. And the destruction god from there¡­¡¯ In other words, The God Of Graceful Blue Eyes is Shiva, one of the three major Hindu gods. Then, he left after confirming that his skills were safely passed on to Choi Yu Seong. It wasn¡¯t that his interest disappeared. ¡®He said that he was looking forward to the day he came back¡¯ Shiva will be back. However, Shiva still thinks he is not an existence to put all his care into. ¡®It can be seen as arrogant, but it¡¯s understandable.¡¯ It is said to be one of the three major gods, but Shiva¡¯s combat capabilities are actually more than the main god, Brahma. In fact, it was not unfamiliar to the story that if all the Hindu gods joined forces and Shiva fought individually, they could achieve an equal match. ¡®No matter how many times Loki flies and runs in Northern Europe, if he runs head-on, he will fly to the other side of the globe with only Shiva¡¯s fist.¡¯ Of course, it was a pretty exaggerated opinion, but somehow Choi Yu Seong thought it was quite enjoyable just by imagining it. In any case, Shiva has become no different from making sufficient Karma Point investments in Choi Yu Seong by presenting God¡¯s Chakra as a reward for promotion evaluation. And Shiva wasn¡¯t the only one who put a lot of effort into making this skill. Loki joined in together. ¡®No, is it right that Loki called Shiva from the beginning, knowing that I had a Destruction God¡¯s piece?¡± His head rolled at a high-speed trying to deduce the situation again. ¡®No matter how the promotion evaluation is extreme difficulty, it¡¯s too much for E-Rank¡­¡¯ Loki and Shiva. The collaboration between the two gods was not incomprehensible at all. The compensation was at a reasonable level. ¡®It¡¯s enough to give up the reward and go back to normal difficulty?¡¯ Fortunately, Choi Yu Seong in the past did not make such a foolish mistake. ¡®Loki bastard, now that I see he had the personality that can¡¯t tell honestly.¡¯ He seemed to enjoy bothering him quite a bit, but he prepared such a big gift. There must be some greed to increase his stake, but he could not have gone this far without the willingness to help Choi Yu Seong. ¡°Thank you, Loki,¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± In response to Choi Yu Seong¡¯s summary of his thoughts, Jin Do Yoon replied. ¨C Prankster Who Likes Jokes looks at Awakener Choi Yu Seong and snorts. Then Loki sent a message. CH 23 Jin Do Yoon still looked suspicious looking at the message, and Choi Yu Seong smiled and waved his hand and checked his cell phone again. ¡®It¡¯s half past twelve. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to go to the gym.¡¯ If you have new abilities, you should use them and make them completely yours. At the fighting desire for the first time in a while, the body of Choi Yu Seong, which was opening its mouth to Jin Do Yoon, stopped. ¡®Text message?¡¯ To be exact, it was a message sent on a coconut talk, and in fact, most of them didn¡¯t even look at it properly, but the name that just passed by was not so negligible. ¡°Jin Do Yoon. Does Father know how to use coconut talk?¡± ¡°I know that he sends messages from time to time.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± At least it¡¯s not spam. Looking back on his memory, there was information that Choi Wu Jae handled new technologies quite well although Choi Yu Seong had never received it directly. ¡®Kim Do Jin also sent me a coconut talk the other day.¡¯ Before opening Choi Wu Jae¡¯s message, he briefly checked it but the contents were videos and Internet articles. ¡®I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll answer you later. It¡¯s nice to be quiet these days.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who casually let go of the thought that Kim Do Jin eyes would have been flipped if he had known it, subsequently confirmed Choi Wu Jae¡¯s message. It wasn¡¯t a long content. -Father: Is there any present you want? Choi Yu Seong briefly agonized over the face-open message. ¡®If it¡¯s a gift, there¡¯s a lot I want to get.¡¯ But neither too much over the line nor too little. Choi Yu Seong, who slightly scratched the cheek when asked by Choi Wu Jae, who was easy in a way and difficult in a way, wrote down exactly what he needed and sent it. ¡®Because it must not feel like I¡¯ve read but ignored it.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who confirmed that a message had been sent to the coconut talk screen, now got out of bed. ¡°Jin Do Yoon, you¡¯re A-Rank now, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s schedule?¡± ¡°There is nothing much.¡± Perhaps Jin Do Yoon had read Choi Yu Seong¡¯s thoughts roughly, a smile came to his mouth. ¡°I guess you got a good reward from the promotion evaluation.¡± ¡°Huh. It¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t let the A-Rank hunter do all he can to the D-Rank beginner. Let¡¯s warm up moderately.¡± ¡°Then I will have to be careful not to get too excited.¡± They were two men, laughing and chatting, naturally heading to the hunter-only gym. *** Fortunately, the gym was vacant for about 6 hours, and Choi Yu Seong and Jin Do Yoon, who rented the entire building as a rental, changed into uniforms as usual and warmed up lightly by exchanging hands and feet with each other. Not too slow or too fast, Jin Do Yoon smiled during this process. ¡°Your condition looks very good.¡± ¡°Is that so? I think I¡¯m definitely feeling light because of the promotion effect. Shall we get started?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After about an hour of warm-up time, Choi Yu Seong held a wooden stick for training, and Jin Do Yoon stood at an angle with his two fists rolled up and clenched. At first glance, putting both feet back and forth reminds me of the kickboxing posture, but Jin Do Yoon¡¯s fighting style was far from a sport with such set rules. ¡®It¡¯s very instinctive.¡¯ rough and ferocious, without hesitation. It is basic that the movement of the body itself is extremely anomalous, and is it that people are generally reluctant to attack without hesitation? Still, when competing with Choi Yu Seong, he seems to be suppressing himself with reason, but in the middle, he could clearly see movements trying to stretch out his hands or feet without realizing it. ¡®He even once tried to bite.¡¯ It feels a little threatening, but in fact, he enjoyed a fight with Jin Do Yoon. ¡®I have a good sense of practice. It¡¯s only a little funny how he breathe out killing intention like common monsters.¡¯ Perhaps if he had separate skills such as killing intention immunity, it would have naturally become a D-Rank by now. Today¡¯s fight was no different. No, it was rougher than the other day. Although Jin Do Yoon, who became the A-Ranked player, showed signs of restraint as much as possible, he has stabbed Choi Yu Seong¡¯s whole body more fiercely and sharply. Even though he was just looking into the eyes of Jin Do Yoon, who entered the training, he could feel his body stiffening. ¡®It¡¯s not comparable to Rachel¡¯s killing intention, but¡­¡¯ Considering that Jin Do Yoon was not doing his best in the first place, it was evidence that he made great progress due to the promotion. ¡®In the first place, Jin Do Yoon is an extraordinary strong man in the same Rank.¡¯ He is not an Irregular, but by ordinary standards, two or three hunters in the same Rank can handle it by himself. Likewise, it is because of the efforts to constantly grind and polish oneself, and the great talent. In that sense, there was something else that was curious about. ¡®I¡¯m sure Jin Do Yoon is still strong.¡¯ Even though he is using less strength considering Choi Yu Seong¡¯s Rank, it is difficult to even block him and it is more difficult to find an opportunity to counterattack. If you are fighting intensively, there are often moments when sweat forms at the end of your eyebrows and your vision becomes blurred. However, for some reason, the burden felt on the whole body was much less than before the promotion evaluation. ¡®I¡¯m D-Rank, but Jin Do Yoon is A-Rank, so our gap should remain the same¡­¡¯ Somehow, he feel that the gap is filled in. And such a sense was not just felt by Choi Yu Seong alone. During the fast-running battle, Jin Do Yoon, who grabbed Choi Yu Seong¡¯s stick and jumped into the air as if performing a trick, extends his fingers. Choi Yu Seong, who pulled out a few pieces of hair, bowed his head and swung the stick at Jin Do Yoon¡¯s ankle. ¡®What¡¯s it? I¡¯m sure Young Master is Rank D Level 1¡­?¡¯ Even as Jin Do Yoon remembers, Choi Yu Seong certainly had a somewhat unrivaled aspect within the same E-Rank. In fact, Choi Yu Seong after Rank E Level 50 showed considerable combat power above Rank D. However, the walls of the D-Rank and C-Rank are different. There is a saying in the world of hunters. ¡®The wall of E-Rank and D-Rank is a sheet of paper¡­¡¯ However, there is a wall of reality that cannot be overcome in the difference between the D-Rank and C-Rank. It¡¯s like going beyond one big stage. As if to prove it, there were quite a few hunters worldwide up to the D-Rank, but the number decreased by about half from the C-Rank hunters. About 6.5 out of 10 D-Rank Max level hunters who are actually on the threshold will remain in the same place forever because they fail to pass the normal difficulty level promotion evaluation. A space where one wall exists enough to make such a difference. But now, the wall felt somewhat faint in the battle against Choi Yu Seong. ¡®With just one rise in Rank¡­ He become this strong?¡¯ Of course, when discussing the world¡¯s strongest hunter, there was always a story that a person like William Rothschild, who is always one of the top five, weighed down C-Rank hunters alone two or three even when he was just in the D-Rank. But it¡¯s just like a city legend full of rumors. There was no way to know the truth because so few people actually confirmed it. ¡®If that story is true, then Young Master is of the same grade as such a monster.¡¯ Even if not, it was certain that Choi Yu Seong¡¯s growth was beyond the level of what Jin Do Yoon understood. While he was happier than anyone else at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s growth, Jin Do Yoon even wondered at the unbelievable situation. Jin Do Yoon, who grabbed Choi Yu Seong¡¯s wooden stick, which flew in rough air, asked, feeling that his palm was aching. ¡°Young Master, have you raised your level since the promotion evaluation?¡± ¡°No way. I first woke up at dawn.¡± He knows it. Nevertheless, the reason why he had to ask questions was because of the incredible gap in growth. Also, due to the short conversation, Choi Yu Seong was convinced of one fact. Jin Do Yoon feels the same way. Choi Yu Seong said with a smile. ¡°Jin Do Yoon, can you raise the tension more?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯ll be a little dangerous.¡± So far, Jin Do Yoon has refrained from transforming as much as possible. When the werewolf wakes up, it becomes many times harder to suppress it with reason. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, so let¡¯s raise it.¡± But he still wants to confirm it. Choi Yu Seong needed confidence in the searing growth he felt in his body now. It was clear why he became so strong with only one level of promotion. ¡®God¡¯s chakra.¡¯ The new skill, which is always applied, has made Choi Yu Seong¡¯s physical ability no different from that of general physical type Awakener. ¡®That¡¯s not it. The special effects made me stronger than those physical awakeners of the same Rank and level.¡¯ When he just looked at the message, he didn¡¯t think much. Although he was placed in a somewhat ambiguous position as an all-rounder type, there was no reason to be dissatisfied with his much stronger and sleeker physical ability than when he was an ordinary person. However, when God¡¯s Chakra was activated and the stylish skill was activated, the feeling was completely different. ¡®That¡¯s why, talented physical awakeners like Jin Do Yoon lived in this kind of world.¡¯ It¡¯s on a different dimension. It was not for no reason that ordinary all-rounder Awakener were told that they were neither good in this or that. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± While Choi Yu Seong was organizing his thoughts, Jin Do Yoon also groaned and agonized. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. How do you feel about me right now?¡± ¡°In fact, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that you¡¯re above Rank D level 50. I recalled the talent Young Master showed me when you were in E-Rank. As you know, it¡¯s just a bit of a sensual figure, but¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. There¡¯s no need to doubt how good your instincts are.¡± In terms of mere intuition, Jin Do Yoon¡¯s instinct is not as good as Kim Do Jin¡¯s. But, he believed it. ¡°So, don¡¯t worry about it, do it. You have to learn to control the beast to some extent. If I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s trained, there¡¯s no point in training. And above all, I am not yet to show all of my too.¡± As the training is overheating, there are more and more additional effects on the stylish skill. And in fact, Choi Yu Seong has not even used skills related to super power. ¡®That¡¯s not it. If you really want to see the end¡­¡¯ Insight. Even using the skill he was trying to save as much as possible now that there are only four times left, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes were filled with blue will-o¡¯-wisp. ¡®There are three times left.¡¯ It was a pity, but he thought it was necessary. ¡®I need to know exactly what¡¯s my current state.¡¯ As can be seen from Chungmugong¡¯s famous saying, ¡°If you know the enemy and know me, it is not dangerous to fight a hundred times,¡± Choi Yu Seong thought it was also important to grasp his limitations. Naturally, rough hairs began to grow on both arms of Jin Do Yoon, who confirmed it. CH 24 Sharp fangs are revealed between the neat teeth, and the eyes turn fierce. It is not complete, but it has been partially water-printed. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Jin Do Yoon, who uttered a low, animal cry, jumps in. Even though only a part of it has been water-printed, it feels at least twice as fast as just now. And Choi Yu Seong, who read even a little of the movement with insight, avoided Jin Do Yoon¡¯s attack with only one step, completely like a lie. ¡®My gosh.¡¯ It¡¯s a surprising physical reaction even for myself. Before the kick of Jin Do Yoon, who followed, the clothes were torn, but he couldn¡¯t believe it no matter how much he thought about it. ¡®It¡¯s a real skill of God. God¡¯s chakra!¡¯ Indeed, it was no exaggeration to say that Shiva, the most powerful Hindu fighting god, directly blessed. In fact, the subsequent battles were somewhat one-sided. Transformed Jin Do Yoon was frighteningly driven, and in response, Choi Yu Seong poured out all his skills and power he could do, but all he could do was brush his collar. Eventually, in less than five minutes, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s clothes became rags while exchanging fast blows, and a number of scratches and torn scars occurred on the body where the fine muscles were properly. However, Jin Do Yoon did not stop and Choi Yu Seong did not shout to quit. As a result, after about eight minutes, Choi Yu Seong lay back, missing the stick he struggled to hold with both hands. ¡°Too much! That¡¯s it!¡± At the same time, Jin Do Yoon¡¯s movement, which was literally wild like an animal, stopped like a lie. It was literally just a twist that he was worried that he might not be able to control it. ¡®As soon as I heard the young master¡¯s voice, my reason returned.¡¯ Jin Do Yoon, who quickly released the transformation, approached Choi Yu Seong. ¡°Are you all right? I¡¯ll apply the medicine right away.¡± ¡°¡­whoo¡­whoo¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong, who couldn¡¯t answer anything because he was out of breath, closed his eyes and nodded. It was a short time, but it really pushed him to the limit. Thanks to this, Choi Yu Seong was able to be confident about how strong he is now. ¡®Maybe already the strongest in D-Rank.¡¯ The strongest in the Rankings from the start. In fact, it was a ridiculous thing, but it didn¡¯t seem impossible at all with Kim Do Jin¡¯s C-Rank at this point. ¡®I was just trying to survive¡­ I¡¯ve come all the way here.¡¯ It felt strange, but it didn¡¯t feel so bad. No, he had a lot of fun. ¡°Whoo¡­ Whoo¡­¡± ¡°You may misunderstand because of the gap now, but young master has shown me great skills.¡± Jin Do Yoon says, applying disinfectant and scar medicine throughout Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body, who tries to calm his breath. At his opinion, he was afraid that Choi Yu Seong would be disappointed, so he seemed to speak out. ¡®No, I¡¯m not disappointed. I¡¯m really happy, tho?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong wanted to answer like that, but he was really out of breath and couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°I¡¯m not joking or flattering. I once told you that you are the strongest of all the E-Ranks I know.¡± Perhaps he had no idea of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s feelings or was too excited, Jin Do Yoon, whose face turned red, continued in an excited voice. ¡®Of course I remember.¡¯ It was not long after he became possessed, and it was before he took the hunter test. Indeed, it has improved a lot compared to that time. ¡®It¡¯s a short time, less than half a year.¡¯ There is a long way to go, but what has been done so far is a satisfying situation. ¡°At that time, we talked except for Kim Do Jin. In fact, I don¡¯t know him very well during his E-Rank days.¡± But suddenly an unexpected name came out. ¡°I¡¯ve seen videos of Kim Do Jin fighting in D-Rank several times. To the point I was amazed.¡± ¡°That¡­ Whoo¡­¡± The moment he tried to say that he was overreacting, he was out of breath once again. ¡°This is my opinion¡­ It seems that Young Master currently is stronger than when Kim Do Jin was in D-Rank. You may not understand what this means, but¡­¡± He knows it well. ¡°Perhaps within ten years you will be called the world¡¯s best hunter. It will be stronger beyond the chairman. Do you understand?¡± He knows it well. ¡®But what is he talking about?¡¯ The title of the world¡¯s strongest? In fact, it¡¯s not a bad thing. It is to surely acquire the ability to protect his one body that he wanted. But if he has such a title, what kind of gaze will catastrophes have toward Choi Yu Seong when they appear on this earth someday and the demon king ascends? ¡®The expectation that I will somehow come forward and stop them.¡¯ If he turns a blind eye to this, he will face a tremendous look of persecution. Perhaps someone surrounded by hatred is chasing Choi Yu Seong to kill him. Just imagining it gives me goosebumps. ¡°I¡¯m so happy. I wish the real world would know more about Young Master¡¯s value.¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯d be better not know that much.¡± Jin Do Yoon, who made a questionable expression for a moment at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s real intention, barely catching his breath, nodded as if he understood. ¡°Will you choose to be a sleeping dragon this time, too? Well, you need to be careful until you¡¯re fully grown. I¡¯ll be absolutely careful and keep my mouth shut. Of course, but if something happens to you, with my life¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have¡­ to. Just be careful for now.¡± Choi Yu Seong smiled and said to Jin Do Yoon, When he solved his misunderstanding, he couldn¡¯t speak long. Above all, there was one thing that Jin Do Yoon, no, even everyone in the world was mistaken about. ¡®That the appearance Kim Do Jin seen so far is everything.¡± For your information, Kim Do Jin usually uses a sword and acts as if he is a physical Awakener, but in reality, he is completely different. ¡®That bastard¡­ He¡¯s a fraudulent all-rounder.¡¯ Kim Do Jin is the ruler of another world who mastered both magic and sword. Therefore, in the system window he is displayed as flair type all rounder. But why is he stronger than any other physical Awakener? The moment he first got the Chakra of God, Choi Yu Seong thought. ¡®It¡¯s a protagonist grade skill.¡¯ The reason why he thought that was a simple reason. Kim Do Jin had been dealing with a power, which Choi Yu Seong have with the acquisition of God¡¯s Chakra, without any penalties due to his specialized skill ¡®genius¡¯ from the beginning of the novel. In fact, at this point, Kim Do Jin can use magic. But he doesn¡¯t use it. ¡®He keeps it hidden. As a secret weapon.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong broke Kim Do Jin¡¯s record at Goblin Fortress. ¡®That¡¯s because Kim Do Jin hasn¡¯t mastered magic yet.¡¯ And even if he had learned it, Kim Do Jin would not have used magic. Perhaps about a year later, Kim Do Jin would hide the fact that he could use magic. ¡®In the end, it will be revealed, but¡­¡¯ Anyway, it is absurd to compare with such a fraudulent returnee protagonist, Kim Do Jin. ¡®It¡¯s up to Kim Do Jin to protect the earth. I just want to be known to be moderately strong, cheer from behind, and live moderately and safely.¡¯ He hoped that he will grow to just that level by attracting gaze and people¡¯s attention. ¡®How much do I have to control so that I don¡¯t be misunderstand too much like Jin Do Yoon?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong drew his own goal line. ¡®Has a dignity that is hard to overcome, but rarely come to the fore and do dangerous things. Yeah, right just like father. What do you mean by regulation? For now, you have to live and die. You just have to show them how bad you are in the middle. That¡¯s the best I have to do.¡¯ In fact, even that was a difficult goal, so until then, it seemed okay to go on a somewhat steep path. Of course, no one knew whether everything would turn out the way Choi Yu Seong wanted it to. While he was thinking like that, lightning suddenly flashed in Choi Yu Seong¡¯s head. ¡®Oh, wait. But isn¡¯t God¡¯s Chakra a part of Mana¡¯s breathing technique? If I do this well¡­ I think I can do something fun?¡¯ He wants to live in moderation. Saying it once again, it was hard to tell whether this wish would come true. *** Choi Wu Jae, who checked the message program application coconut talk, soon burst into laughter after opening a mobile phone that can be worn on the wrist like a watch, switched to a wide screen thanks to the development of technology. ¡°Hohoho¡­!¡± ¡°Chairman?¡± Kim Pil Du, who was next to Choi Wu Jae, asks back with a surprised look. ¡°Oh, dear. I thought I had forgotten how to smile brightly, but I¡¯ve had a lot of fun lately. You make me laugh a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? But may I ask what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you play golf with old man Baek the other day?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard you went there on a business trip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I went and asked old man Baek. The ninth is so cute these days. What should I give him? What is your opinion? I asked him this. He suddenly got angry, why I ask him what others want. I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯m a wise man.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly like Mister Baek.¡± ¡°Oh, so I thought it was right, and I asked that kid in a cell-phone message a while ago what he wanted.¡± Kim Pil Du¡¯s eyes grew sharp. Choi Wu Jae¡¯s suggestion seems light, but it is by no means ridiculous. If you hope for a disappointing careful reward or more hard work than you have done, you¡¯ll get a bad feeling and scream instead of a gift. However, considering Choi Wu Jae¡¯s reaction, Choi Yu Seong seemed to have pointed out the middle point well. ¡°Do you know what his answer is?¡± ¡°Did he ask to give him someone?¡± In general, Choi Wu Jae, who cares about talent, enjoyed the above answers. That¡¯s why he made a guess. Choi Wu Jae, who smiled, said something unexpected. ¡°He asked pocket money.¡± ¡°¡­yeah?¡± ¡°A son doing good job, there¡¯s nothing better to praise him than with pocket money. That¡¯s not wrong saying. That¡¯s why I started laughing. Hohoho¡­!¡± ¡°I know that Young Master Yu Seong has quite a lot of money in your personal account.¡± ¡°Foolish! Money is a thing that makes you want to be greedy. Why would we sit here and think now, if we were to stop because there were so many?¡± ¡°This time chairman gave me a wise answer to my post.¡± ¡°Secretary Kim please take care of it. It¡¯s a gift in my name, so don¡¯t make him disappointed.¡± ¡°Alright. Chairman.¡± Following Choi Yu Seong, Kim Pil Du also took the test. The horse said to do it on its own, but Choi Wu Jae is the one who will take away Kim Pil Du¡¯s authority if he makes a mistake even with this amount. Therefore, Kim Pil Du¡¯s daily life was as if he were walking on a blade every day, but he still wanted to be here. ¡®You can¡¯t learn anything from a distance.¡¯ And you can¡¯t even stare at the seat. ¡°Go back. You can get off work now.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Mr. Chairman.¡± Smiling Choi Wu Jae beckoned, and Kim Pil Du, who bowed, stepped down and left the office full of books. As soon as he opened the door of his office, there was a person he had encountered frequently recently. ¡°The second lady is here. Chairman is inside.¡± ¡°I know, no need to tell me.¡± The sitting Choi Wu Jae smiles again at Choi Mi Na that casually passed Kim Pil Du, who replied lightly and bowed his head. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± Nowadays, she has become one of the few people in the family who make Choi Wu Jae laugh. It is surprising to think of the small(?) rebellions of Choi Mi Na that she has shown so far. CH 25 It just looked like a madman cutting the air because the opponent was not hit, but the movement itself is elegant and antique. Taking advantage of the gap, Choi Yu Seong breathed out and swept up his messy hair due to the sudden movement. ¡®I really thought I was going to die.¡¯ To be honest, if he couldn¡¯t recall the conversation Kim Do Jin had to secretly raid the enemy that appeared behind Baek Cheol from one of the original novel scenes, he would have flown to another place even before Kim Do Jin moved. And the most dangerous thing was the fact that the opponent who appeared from behind definitely tried to kill Choi Yu Seong. There was no hesitation in the enemy¡¯s move wielding the hidden blade protruding from the tip of the shoe. ¡®So, I¡¯m even more upset.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong had already guessed the invisible opponent¡¯s identity through his ability and weapons. ¡®Demon King Worshipper, Ghost.¡¯ The Demon King Worshipper is the name for the evil organization that appears expectedly in the novel. Ghost is the nickname of Villain, who is probably currently listed as B-Rank Max Level. What they are aiming for is none other than Kim Do Jin. Strictly speaking, the goal is to convince Kim Do Jin. Kim Do Jin had a natural talent and level-headed cold reason. One of the figures with everything that Demon King Worshipper wanted. Finally, the reason why Ghost, one of Demon King Worshipper, came here now is to convince Kim Do Jin, and in the process tried to kill unnecessary Choi Yu Seong. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if Choi Yu Seong hadn¡¯t met Kim Do Jin in the first place. Although he survived, the fact that the situation itself felt unfair is inevitable. What¡¯s more absurd is that even in the meantime, admiration for Kim Do Jin arose. ¡®Besides, how does he find and follow someone that can¡¯t even be seen? Proving that he¡¯s the main character. That¡¯s too much.¡¯ Ghost¡®s invisibility ability will not be able to be penetrated even with Insight, the burning will-o¡¯-wisp that Kim Do Jin has in his eyes. The reason was simple. ¡®Because Ghost is a B-Rank Hunter.¡¯ With C-Rank Insight, it is impossible to identify the higher B-Rank invisibility ability. That¡¯s why one of the nicknames of flair type Villain Ghost, whose main talent is invisibility, is Yakjamujeok(ÈõÕߟo”³)1. There is no way for a lower-rank Hunter to find Ghost, as even the main character¡¯s skill, Insight, cannot see through it. However, Kim Do Jin was fighting Ghost not through Skill¡¯s ability but his sense as a returnee or some subtle changes and sounds around him. Of course, Kim Do Jin was not fine either. It was a close call to be exact. He is avoiding fatal injuries, but it is visible that the number of injuries is increasing. In a way, it was a matter of course. Basically, Ghost is a B-Rank Max Level Hunter who is one step above Kim Do Jin and the invisible enemy is difficult to deal with no matter how good his senses and skills are. Ghost, who was bewildered by Kim Do Jin¡¯s first surprise and not able to show his skill, is looking for his own pace. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous over time.¡¯ It is not the time to watch with admiration. Choi Yu Seong bit his lower lip slightly. In fact, the current situation was definitely a variable. ¡®Originally, Demon King Worshipper should have appeared only after Kim Do Jin reached B-Rank Max Level.¡¯ Therefore, Ghost that appeared in the original novel is much easier than now and more easily overpowered by Kim Do Jin. In other words, it was Ghost¡®s role as an extra to show the strength of the main character. But now Kim Do Jin is C-Rank. ¡®Variables created by me.¡¯ Nothing more to say. Choi Yu Seong has changed too many things since he possessed into this world. And that change even affected Kim Do Jin. This situation was not good in any form. ¡®If Kim Do Jin is overpowered or killed by Ghost here¡­¡¯ It could lead to a completely different story from the original novel. It is very unlikely, but in the worst case, Kim Do Jin may be reborn as a Villain after being brainwashed by the Demon King Worshipper. This is a very terrible case. ¡®Heukhwa(ºÚÑ¥)2 Kim Do Jin¡­¡¯ How much faster would Kim Do Jin, the main character who has yet to burst his potential, grow if he gets stronger without feeling any moral and conscience by being mixed with Villains? ¡®It would be better to make enemies with the Demon King.¡¯ And as always mentioned, Kim Do Jin should not die in that sense. ¡®If Kim Do Jin dies, who¡¯s gonna stop those crazy cults and Demon King?¡¯ Choi Yu Seong himself? That¡¯s nonsense. The Demon King who will appear in this world in the coming future is a terrifying existence that even made Kim Do Jin, who has such deceptive abilities, has to fight desperately. Those guys wield cruel and terrible power to ravage humans and destroy their minds. It is something that should be avoided absolutely for Choi Yu Seong, whose goal is to eat well and live well moderately, live to the point where he won¡¯t die, then enjoy life in peace and die as the ninth son of a conglomerate family. There should be Kim Do Jin. ¡®That damned guy. Is a hero who will save this world.¡¯ Therefore, you have to think soberly. It would be stupid to step in between and attack Ghost together. Choi Yu Seong, who is still only an E-Rank from the beginning, has no help in the fight between Ghost and Kim Do Jin. It is fortunate if he is not a burden to Kim Do Jin, who is already struggling. ¡®Jin Do Yun is¡­¡¯ Not coming yet. It should have been said that there was a problem. Weekend Itaewon street where people suddenly disappeared. Jin Do Yun, who would have been the first to run if he had seen a crisis, was missing. Choi Yu Seong quickly found the answer. ¡®It¡¯s a barrier.¡¯ The question is how the barrier activated? The first is to hire one of the flair-type users, Barrier Master, and the second is to use the Barrier Scroll produced by that Barrier Master. Barrier Master is not common even among Awakeners throughout the world. About 10 people at most. Thanks to that, the price of Barrier Scroll is also at an enormous level. ¡®There are 2 Barrier Masters among Demon King Worshipper.¡¯ It¡¯s still too early for those precious talents to move. Even in the original novel, Barrier Master of Demon King Worshipper appeared only after the middle of the fifth volume. Therefore, the possibility was inevitably tilted to Barrier Scroll. ¡®If they used the Barrier Scroll, there must be a Gate of Life somewhere.¡¯ Among the contents of The Master Who Return To Modern Times, there is a setting that says Barrier is a kind of Battle Formation and that it can be broken up if you find the Gate of Life. Currently, it was clear what Choi Yu Seong had to do in a situation where external help was desperately needed. ¡®I have to find the Gate of Life.¡¯ Having decided what to do, Choi Yu Seong threw off his heavy coat and began to run. *** There are several laws in the Barrier. First, Barrier is a virtual space to begin with. The entire building and objects that existed in Barrier seem to be moved, but they are all ¡®fakes¡¯. In other words, it is a plausible form of illusion. If you are aware of this fact and have the ability to see through the phenomenon, it is not difficult to find the Gate of Life. Most of the fakes will be passed through like holograms and you will be able to find the actual force, the Gate of Life, at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, Choi Yu Seong could not use this method. If it is a Barrier Master that can produce Barrier Scroll, it means that he is an Awakener who is at least B-Rank. ¡®It can¡¯t be found even with Kim Do Jin¡¯s Insight, so of course not with my duplicate Insight.¡¯ Then you should focus on the second law. There is a limited number of people and space that can be accommodated by the Barrier. Also, it is impossible to pinpoint and lock-on only one person precisely. This is also why the nearby Choi Yu Seong was involved when the target was Kim Do Jin. It is a penalty that can be taken for granted as the Barrier itself has such a complicated structure, but some parts could be guessed through this. ¡®There are at least three people, there may be more but that¡¯s it for now. Then the size of the space itself is not that big either.¡¯ If the scale of the Barrier was quite large, people other than Choi Yu Seong and Kim Do Jin would have been caught up. However, there was no disturbance or miracle from the surroundings. And Gate of Life is the starting point of the Barrier, it will be located in the center basically. Therefore, what Choi Yu Seong had to do was decided. ¡®First of all, I need to figure out the exact size and shape of the Barrier.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a form of a spear while running and left traces of different forms everywhere. There is always a wall at the end of the Barrier. An invisible wall that can¡¯t be crossed! And exactly 2 minutes later. In front of the traces of his spear, Choi Yu Seong was sure. ¡®This block is the end of Barrier.¡¯ Any step forward will lead to another space inside the Barrier. After repeating the process over and over again, Choi Yu Seong was able to roughly grasp the scale and shape of the Barrier. ¡®Circular shape, the scale is within a 2km radius.¡¯ It is just the right level when compared to the number of people. This allows Choi Yu Seong to enter the work of finding the center, a process for the actual breaking of the Barrier. It is not that difficult to draw a map and shape in your head. ¡®Can I say it¡¯s around that building.¡¯ The error range of several buildings located on both sides and front-back may occur, but the perimeter is certain anyway. Choi Yu Seong turned back Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a ring and headed to the building he thought was the center at first. ¡®It¡¯s not like Subspace as there is no real thing, but it¡¯s clear that Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice is also a hard to notice variable.¡¯ The maximum capacity of the circular space of 2km is about four people. If there was one more person, there¡¯s no reason not to show up at the battle of Ghost and Kim Do Jin, but isn¡¯t it something unknown? There may be someone who keeps the center of the Barrier. In preparation for that, it is better to hide the weapons as much as possible. ¡®It¡¯s quiet.¡¯ Entering a five-story building with a rather dark atmosphere, Choi Yu Seong felt a cold sweat running down his cheek. ¡®This must be the center of the Barrier.¡¯ It has a strangely heavy feeling pressing down on the shoulder. Although it felt somewhat unrealistic, that made it more certain on the other hand. It was because the air itself was different from other spaces inside Barrier where Choi Yu Seong was busy running around. Stepping on the stairs with hasty steps, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s movement paused for a moment. ¡®Let¡¯s be careful. As long as Kim Do Jin doesn¡¯t overdo it, there¡¯s still time.¡¯ Of course, there isn¡¯t much room for that. There was also no guarantee that Kim Do Jin would not overdo it. Kim Do Jin hates losing more than dying. If the fight against Ghost began to flow in an overly unfavorable direction, there was a high probability that he would do kamikaze where you die I die. There were many concerns, but Choi Yu Seong struggled to demand inner calm. It¡¯s an emotion he didn¡¯t feel when holding the spear. ¡®It¡¯s this obvious again when the Skill effect disappeared. I still have a long way to go.¡¯ Feeling pity for the lack of Cold Headed (E) which was an additional effect of Specialized Skill Spear Prodigy, Choi Yu Seong smiled bitterly. The more urgent and difficult situations, the better you have to control your mind. But maintaining such a solid mental power is not as easy as it sounds. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. Because I¡¯m also an ordinary human.¡¯ Whenever a life crisis comes like this, he feels it greatly. The setting of a conglomerate family, Irregular with excellent possibilities, and others are only a background after all. Human Choi Yu Seong does not have great mental power or a particularly strong heart like Kim Do Jin. He felt unsatisfied as it was a shortcoming, but he felt that there was nothing he could do. ¡®I¡¯m still inexperienced. Rather, being good at it from the beginning is like a monster.¡¯ The best thing Choi Yu Seong can do is to fight against such fear and anxiety to grow more and more mature. After thinking this or that and a few deep breaths, Choi Yu Seong regained his composure on his own, not Skills, and quietly climbed the stairs even with his breathing hidden. CH 26 As mentioned, it doesn¡¯t hold water for Choi Yu Seong to fight and win if there is another Demon King Worshiper. ¡®Villains belonging to the group of Demon King Worshiper are at least B-Rank.¡¯ This is because most of them are those who gained strength through contracts with the Demon King, who is still crouching in another world. In other words, even Ghost who can kill Choi Yu Seong right now is only a soldier from the standpoint of Demon King Worshiper. Therefore, Ghost is merely a role that appears when Kim Do Jin has grown to some extent and vainly dies in the original novel. Choi Yu Seong forgot the original novel is Kim Do Jin¡¯s point of view, which he read lightly. For him now, any Demon King Worshipers are Death God without exception. As he climbed the stairs thinking like that, the sweat that had cooled down with a deep breath began to form all over his forehead again. ¡®It¡¯s just not a feeling, but I think there¡¯s really one more person.¡¯ As he went up the stairs one by one, the heavier the weight pressing on his shoulders. Is this simply because of the sense of gap with reality? Choi Yu Seong walked up the stairs even while doubting. By the time he reached the third floor, it was difficult to even breathe. His vision was dizzy and he was filled with the feelings of wanting to run away immediately. He was scared, but not awkward. Choi Yu Seong has already fought against similar fears over and over again. As he thought, he is growing through experience. 4th floor. ¡®Only?¡¯ It definitely feels like he was going up for quite a long time, but it seems to have been an illusion. Seeing the number written in the dark and damp hallway, Choi Yu Seong clenched his fist tightly, bit his lips, and stepped on the next stairs. Then he passed the fifth floor and climbed the stairs leading to a higher place. Beyond the wide-open rooftop door, a yellow amulet floating in the air and the strange patterns spreading around it caught Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes. The center of Formation to use the Barrier Scroll. ¡®It¡¯s the Gate of Life!¡¯ Found. It was at that moment that the sweat that had filled his face with tension fell to the floor of the quiet hallway. Drop. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body hardened at the not loud sound but obviously ringing in his ears. Silence. In it, Choi Yu Seong hoped. ¡®Is there¡­ No one?¡¯ There may be only some unknown threat and momentum. With that in mind, the moment when he took courage again and went outside the rooftop door. Woosh-! A hand popped out of somewhere and grabbed Choi Yu Seong¡¯s neck at once. ¡°Kek-!¡± Choi Yu Seong¡¯s face turned white as he was pushed to the wall. ¡®Where the hell¡­?¡¯ In front of the questioning Choi Yu Seong, a red-haired woman holding his neck with one hand tilted her head. ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s this? I was looking forward because someone broke through my killing energy and came up here, but it¡¯s a greenhorn.¡± Gazes mixed with disbelief and curiosity. However, those feelings are only superficial. Choi Yu Seong read the latent emotions deep in her red eyes somewhat instinctively. ¡®Killing intent and anger.¡¯ The problem is that the feelings are too much. Horrible might be a more accurate word. Just facing her alone is enough to cause his whole body to tremble without realizing it. It was completely different from the momentum that Choi Wu Jae gave off. More essential and wilder than that, an unrefined kind of emotion was swirling around the woman as if to explode. ¡°He¡¯s going to die like this.¡± With a bright smile, she released her hand from holding Choi Yu Seong¡¯s neck. The woman tilted her head as she looked down at Choi Yu Seong, who slumped helplessly on the floor like a doll with broken threads. ¡°Seriously, how did you come all the way here? You kid can¡¯t even breathe properly.¡±1 To tell the truth, Choi Yu Seong was suffocating as if he was submerged in the water despite the freed neck. The fear of death immediately surged in his mind and he covered his shoulders with both arms without realizing it. It feels like a child meets a tiger in the wild. The torrent of emotions is so violent that it is difficult to even make eye contact. Nevertheless, Choi Yu Seong forced himself to raise his head and look at his opponent. What kind of determination and tenacity? Courage? It wasn¡¯t those cool kinds. ¡®If you don¡¯t raise your head, you die.¡¯ The momentum of the red-haired woman was telling that. It is only her curiosity that keeps Choi Yu Seong alive now. ¡°You¡¯re quick to catch on. And¡­ You haven¡¯t given up yet. The eyes are alive. I like it very much.¡± With a smile, she slowly bent her knees and made eye contact with Choi Yu Seong. ¡°Those are pretty eyes. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Choi¡­ Yu Seong.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Rachel. Rachel Lopez.¡± Rachel shed a smile and held out her hand. Looking at her with a rather blank gaze, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s dry lips fell. ¡°Slaughterer Queen.¡± An S-Rank Villain at this point, one of the future Disasters was in front of his eyes. *** It was somewhat ironic why Rachel Lopez, also known as Slaughterer Queen, became part of Demong King Worshiper. ¡®Will it feel different to cut the Demon King¡¯s head from killing humans?¡¯ This pure curiosity and desire were always wriggling deep in her heart. Going back to the beginning, it was the part where ¡®would I feel at ease if I kill the stepfather who beat mother every day and treated me mercilessly?¡¯. On her 13th birthday, she was able to answer the question after cutting the neck of her stepfather, who crawled into her bed like a worm, with a kitchen knife she hid under the bed. ¡®It¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Seeing her mother, a much bigger adult than her, rubbing her hands without even rebelling, she thought her father was a fairly scary and strong human being. But when she cut his neck with a knife, he just vainly died. It wasn¡¯t without some danger at all, but it was a lot easier than she thought. Her curiosity about the Demon King was similar. She was curious about how he looks, how strong he is, and she wants to kill him. The guys of Demon King Worshiper say that Demon King will ascend from another world someday to destroy this world and that the appearance of the dungeon is the beginning, but it¡¯s unknown until you experience it in person. Therefore, Rachel entered Demon Lord Worshiper. Isn¡¯t it only when the Demon King appears her curiosity will be satisfied? Even that Demon King Worshiper can meet the Demon King before anyone else. Except for the fact that she killed her stepfather as a child and was an Irregular upon Awakening, the rather ordinary(?) Hunter Rachel¡¯s only reason to join the nonsensical organization called Demon King Worshiper was truly curiosity. The way she looks at Choi Yu Seong now was not so different. ¡®This kiddo is interesting.¡¯ Rachel came to Korea under the organization¡¯s order to convince Kim Do Jin, but she didn¡¯t want to do anything directly. Making colleagues is tedious for her. Even in the entire Demon King Worshiper organization, she was a loner who acted alone. She feels comfortable alone and also feels much easier to get things done. This made her somewhat unrivaled even within Demon King Worshiper. It¡¯s annoying to keep pace with someone. Yet it¡¯s not to fight and kill. But to convince? It¡¯s inevitable but for her to not like it. However, there was also no justification to refuse the request of the leader Godfather, her only favorite figure in the entire group of Demon King Worshiper. Previously, Rachel didn¡¯t fulfill three of the missions suggested by Godfather himself. This is because none of the missions given recently were to her liking. If she refused another request by this point, Godfather¡¯s honor would be disgraced. Also, there will be a lot of talk from the Presbytery, who does not like her. From the viewpoint of Rachel, who wants to fight the Demon King first than anyone else, she could not completely ignore such words of the Presbytery even if she was annoyed. It was a somewhat forced trip to Korea. What she thought was a good thing was she heard that Ghost, one of the moderately easy-to-manage soldiers, was in Japan just in time. So, he summoned him. Anyway, if she goes out on a half-forced mission that¡¯s to convince Kim Do Jin in person, she could kill him if he doesn¡¯t listen to anything and bothered her. Rachel was convinced that the right person for this job was Ghost, not herself. Of course, she will have to pretend that she does some work as well. Only then will the Presbytery, who may be monitoring somewhere, close their mouths. Therefore, she played the role of opening the Barrier Spell and protecting him. Of course, she explained it like that but she didn¡¯t mean to keep the Barrier Spell with all her heart and soul. Practically, Rachel was just lying and rolling about on the rooftop, eating Korean snacks after ordering Ghost. But it didn¡¯t matter. Even when Rachel lies down and idly relaxes, most Hunters don¡¯t dare to approach her. ¡®It should be an A-Rank Hunter at least to break through my killing energy, though.¡¯ This was largely influenced by one of her skills, Killing Intent¡¯s Wave (S). It is not to the extent that ordinary people cannot bear it mentally and physically, but just approaching it closely drives them crazy in fear. As mentioned, even Hunters were not much different except high Ranks. However, Choi Yu Seong, who is visibly just an E-Rank no matter what, broke through her Killing Intent¡¯s Wave. It is impossible in the first place to avoid the effects of Killing Intent¡¯s Wave with luck. In fact, Choi Yu Seong, who came up to the rooftop, was already full of fear even before he met her. ¡®It looks like he¡¯s going to suffocate right now. Pretty cute.¡¯ Rachel smiled inwardly, tilted her head, and asked. ¡°Shake hands, won¡¯t you do that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong reached out his trembling hand and held her white but full of calluses hand. ¡°Seeing that you understand what I¡¯m saying, you know how to speak English. Good. I¡¯m going to ask questions now. I hope you answer sincerely. How did you come up here?¡± ¡°¡­By foot.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been easy, though?¡± No, it is normally impossible. Choi Yu Seong looked at Rachel¡¯s eyes instead of answering. What more is there to say? Rachel nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying. So the second question. What do you think will happen to you in the future?¡± Slaughterer Queen is a nickname Rachel got while working as a mercenary for the U.S. Department of Defense. Those who met her on the battlefield at the time, including soldiers, Hunters, and civilians, all died horrifically. According to the records, those who fought Slaughterer Queen were torn to pieces, tossed to the ground, and turned into corpses in a very rough form. Can Choi Yu Seong be different? ¡°I want¡­ To live.¡± At the words of Choi Yu Seong, who bit his lower lip tightly, Rachel tucked her red hair behind her ears. ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you. Any human doesn¡¯t want to die. But Choi Yu Seong, you seem to have a much stronger will. Nevertheless, you came this far ignoring my Killing Intent¡¯s Wave. Is this something possible?¡± While Rachel was engulfed in curiosity and questions alone, Choi Yu Seong gradually regained stability in the suffocating fear. To be precise, he began to use his brain to survive from her. CH 27 ¡®Slaughterer Queen, Irregular Rachel.¡¯ She is one of the few powerful Villains in the original content, practically starting an active role only in the second half of the original novel. There is no need to talk long. In the original, Rachel really kills one of the Demon Kings with her own power. It was possible because Rachel, who was seeking a chance, launched a surprise attack when Kim Do Jin¡¯s party killed all Demon King¡¯s servants. But in terms of balance, it was an achievement that even the main character Kim Do Jin could not achieve at the time. In return, of course, Rachel met her death. Rachel is a Villain who appeared in the second half of the play and was quite popular in many ways in the original novel. It was the readers¡¯ opinion that she had reached the level of Great Disaster not just Disaster after crossing the wall in a fierce battle with the Demon King. And because of that, there were quite a few readers who were sad about Rachel¡¯s death. Those small numbers of perverts who want to see the overpowered main character Kim Do Jin struggle when meeting the proper opponent. Very ironically, Choi Yu Seong also belonged to those perverted readers. Of course, in this situation, he wanted to slap his cheek in a row at the time. You¡¯re a fan of Rachel as a reader? It¡¯s something you can say because you haven¡¯t experienced it yourself. ¡®Rachel is really dangerous.¡¯ Perhaps even the author could not handle it and ended her death in such a way. Her personality and characteristics themselves are too intense and intimidating. The only downside is that she is a bit lazy in things that are not interesting for her, the somewhat excessive curiosity and that she is a little unlucky although she likes gambling a lot. If Rachel had continued to be alive, it couldn¡¯t even be imagined how much tougher the journey of the first part that Kim Do Jin finished would have been. After recalling Rachel¡¯s strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and personalities, Choi Yu Seong organized the weapons she could use. ¡°Oh my, the gaze is slowly coming back now.¡± ¡°Rachel.¡± If you get caught up in her pace, you can¡¯t find the answer. Choi Yu Seong quickly opened his mouth first. ¡°Let¡¯s talk. Baby who doesn¡¯t want to die yet puts his head in the lion¡¯s mouth.¡± ¡°I want to suggest a game.¡± ¡°Game?¡± Interest glistened in Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡®What is this cutie saying right now?¡¯ He spoke quite well for someone who shook his shoulders in fear. ¡°If I win the game¡­ Do me a favor.¡± ¡°What if I win on the contrary?¡± Rachel¡¯s face, which was already full of curiosity, now even added with excitement. Choi Yu Seong thought. As he told Choi Woo Jae, risking his life is meaningless. Rachel had already held Choi Yu Seong¡¯s life. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ Like money?¡± She needs money to gamble exactly. But she often lost due to bad luck. Therefore, Rachel is surprisingly often found in a poor wallet situation. ¡°Pfft¡­ Baby. I don¡¯t know where you heard my rumors, but the scale is different. Do you know how much money I spend on gambling? If you think it is at the level that E or D-Rank Hunters can handle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Choi Yu Seong.¡± ¡°I know. Cute baby, Choi Yu Seong.¡± ¡°Do you know Hyesung Group?¡± ¡°How I couldn¡¯t. The boss there is quite a scary geezer¡­¡± After talking to herself for a while, Rachel¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°So, you¡¯re that Choi Yu Seong? Now that I see it, you¡¯re not just a baby, but a cute gold nugget.¡± Recognizing Choi Yu Seong¡¯s identity, she slowly got up from her seat laughing. Her cold gaze sweeps Choi Yu Seong from head to toe as if he were evaluating a pig. ¡°I don¡¯t think that geezer will give money for threatening him with you, so there¡¯s a way, right?¡± Choi Yu Seong nodded silently. ¡°If you break your promise, I won¡¯t just kill you. I will take out all the intestines alive and stuffed them.¡± Not just words, but she actually could do such a terrible thing. Necromancers who are afraid of Rachel are widespread all over the world. Instead of answering, Choi Yu Seong gave strength to his trembling thighs and raised his body. *** The rules of the game were suggested by Choi Yu Seong. Rachel was confident she would win no matter what method he used. ¡°Let¡¯s check it. Rule number one, our cute gold nugget wins if I get out of this circle.¡± Rachel looked around at a small circle, which a person could barely stand, that she drew directly at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s suggestion. Surprisingly, she made a circle by piercing the thick concrete floor with a single index finger. Seeing that, Choi Yu Seong felt his calming down body trembling again. How the hell can she scoop a concrete floor like cream with a finger that mana can¡¯t be even felt from? He already knew that S-Rank Hunters were monsters, but it felt like Rachel was one step higher than that. In terms of S-Rank, she feels like an unrivaled S+. He was even able to feel how strong a surviving Irregular was by looking at her. ¡°Secondly, I¡¯ll use only this finger.¡± Rachel lifted her left index finger and waved it lightly. ¡°Not¡­ Confident?¡± Asking a quite impactful question, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°It¡¯s cute. I won¡¯t kill you. Don¡¯t tremble too much. Our gold nugget. You wanted to live so much, but in the end, you got the right to survive, right? Whether you win or lose. Because you¡¯ll survive in this place. How did you roll your brain so well in that short time? Huhu.¡± Rachel was right. In the game suggested by Choi Yu Seong, he can get out of this place whether he loses or wins. Although it will not be able to stop her from beheading Choi Yu Seong after taking the money. ¡®Anyway, I have to live.¡¯ However, Rachel doesn¡¯t know that Choi Yu Seong has a second goal. He has to save Kim Do Jin. Rachel is a strong player incomparable to Ghost, who is currently fighting Kim Do Jin. Even if Kim Do Jin leads the fight against Ghost to victory as expected of the main character, everything is pointless when Rachel comes forward. No matter how overpowered main character he is, how could he handle Rachel at this point? Eventually, Kim Do Jin would be taken to the Demon King Worshiper. Initially, Rachel¡¯s early appearance was too big of a butterfly effect. ¡®I don¡¯t know what form and how the future I changed worked¡­¡¯ But he didn¡¯t want Kim Do Jin to get caught up in that typhoon. That¡¯s why this type of game was proposed. He thought that Rachel, who likes gambling, had no reason to refuse. The problem is the odds. Rachel has a huge limitation on her movement and uses only one finger. Nevertheless, the winning rate in Choi Yu Seong¡¯s mind infinitely converges to zero. Rachel¡¯s thought probably wasn¡¯t much different. Choi Yu Seong had to take advantage of her confidence. The gap in her mind that she believes she will not lose no matter what he does. ¡°And¡­ Can I prepare a little?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± Rachel shrugged and answered lightly. She looked quite relaxed. To be more specific, she was enjoying the situation itself. What interesting thing will Choi Yu Seong, who has already surprised her enough, do this time? The beginning was the summoning of the Dimensional Merchant. ¡°This body has come-! Where¡¯s the promised lollipop?¡± Regardless of the Barrier space, Ping Pong popped out of a small pink door and asked Choi Yu Seong while looking at him. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have it now.¡± ¡°You traitor!¡± ¡°Our cute gold nugget even signed a contract with an adorable kid for the Dimensional Merchant.¡± Rachel burst into laughter at the appearance of Ping Pong, which did not match the desolate atmosphere around. Then her gaze briefly turned to a distant place. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you have time to relax. Is it Kim Do Jin? That cheeky brat also seems at a quite close call, you know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Kim Do Jin will lose.¡± ¡°Hm, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if Ghost dies?¡± From the conversation with Rachel, Choi Yu Seong felt a part of his heart getting creepy. ¡®She knows what I¡¯m thinking.¡¯ Rachel already knew clearly why Choi Yu Seong suggested the game. While Choi Yu Seong was thinking, it was clear that she also thought about it in many ways. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Nevertheless, it means that she accepted all of his suggestions. ¡°Ping Pong-nim. I promise. Next time you come, I¡¯ll prepare 10, no, 50 free lollipops. So please get me some stuff quickly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying this time, right?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± The gaze of the smirking Ping Pong turned to Rachel, who was making an interesting expression. ¡°Human woman! My contractor made a sacred promise to me. If you kill him, this Ping Pong-nim won¡¯t forgive you!¡± ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s scary. But I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t kill him.¡± The smiling Rachel waved her hand. Ping Pong looked at her and snorted. ¡°I need spears. Whether it¡¯s wood or iron, cheap ones. If it¡¯s possible, a lot of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good item to buy with Karma Point¡­¡± ¡°Because I urgently need to use it now.¡± Choi Yu Seong smiled bitterly. Wooden spears or ordinary iron spears can also be found easily on Earth. Consuming Karma Points is a waste of waste. But there was no other way because he needed it right away. ¡°How many do you need?¡± ¡°As many as possible.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the Dimensional Store doesn¡¯t have so many items of the reference point you want. Just trying to put out expensive items¡­ About 30 will be the limit.¡± ¡°The price?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s the minimum, 1 Karma Point is needed per unit.¡± These are items that are not special just because they are purchased at the Dimensional Store. What a waste. It was such a waste that his insides hurt, but there was no other way. ¡°Give me all.¡± That¡¯s how he bought 30 spears. Even 10 of them were wooden spears. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t die. You¡¯re the first contractor of this body.¡± Ping Pong opened the pink door with a rather strange expression and went back to its own world that no one knew. ¡°I saw it for the first time. What is it like when a Dimensional Merchant threatens someone. You really have a lot of interesting points.¡± Rachel, who was watching that scene, spoke to Choi Yu Seong. Choi Yu Seong did not answer anything while putting down 30 spears on the floor. In fact, Choi Yu Seong himself was surprised as well. ¡®In principle, Dimensional Merchants pay no attention to their relationship with contractors other than transactions.¡¯ In other words, whether the contractor dies or lives, suffers or not, it is of no interest to the Dimensional Merchant. Anyway, the role of Dimensional Merchants is to purchase and sell, nothing more. It was a matter of course. It is said that within The Master Who Return to Modern Times, those who use Dimensional Merchants are widespread throughout the universe. It was a short and sloppy description, but that sentence alone showed that Dimensional Merchants did not have to be obsessed with one simple customer. Even Choi Yu Seong has not known Ping Pong for quite a long time. ¡®I¡¯m also not a VIP buyer.¡¯ As always, the point is he is still infinitely short of Karma points. It is difficult to make a deal that can satisfy the Dimensional Merchant. Perhaps the first contractor may be quite meaningful for Ping Pong, but even so, it was clear that it was something mysterious. Anyway, thanks to Ping Pong, the pressure on his mind was relieved a little more. His stability increased as the effect of the Cold-Headed Skill was activated the moment he held the spear although it was made of wood. ¡®Maybe I can do it easier than I thought.¡¯ Of course, that thought disappeared the moment he met Rachel in the eyes. CH 28 Despite feeling the effect of Cold-Headed Skill, his head spun immediately. After taking several deep breaths to calm down, Choi Yu Seong transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into the form of a battle suit. ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s amazing. I was wondering what that ring was¡­¡± It¡¯s urgent, but things shouldn¡¯t be done in haste. Choi Yu Seong was planning to slowly prepare as much as he could one by one. He glanced at the Gate of Life, with Barrier Scroll1 inside, behind Rachel. As mentioned, Barrier consists of quite complex forms. Even if only a part of the pattern drawn in the scroll was distorted, problems would arise throughout the Barrier, and the Gate of Life would open the way. ¡®It would be better if it could be completely crushed.¡¯ But likewise, the possibility of him being able to do it is extremely low. It was an area of impossibility to reach the Barrier Scroll past Rachel, who proudly blocked the way. ¡®The only way is to use the Blink Ring, the second ancient relic I received from Ji Ho hyung.¡¯ Blink Ring is one of the gifts from Choi Ji Ho. An ancient relic containing the ability to take a short leap of about 10m, which can only be used once. If this is used, even Rachel won¡¯t be able to prevent Choi Yu Seong from reaching the Barrier Scroll. Unfortunately, however, the probability of opening the Gate of Life was extremely low even if he arrived at the Barrier Scroll. ¡®Considering Rachel¡¯s abilities¡­ Likewise, it should be seen as impossible.¡¯ As if reading Choi Yu Seong¡¯s thoughts, Rachel shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think about useless things. If you aim for that, I might get a little angry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all ready. Let¡¯s start.¡± Along with that, Choi Yu Seong grabbed the bunch of spears gathered on the floor and threw them at Rachel as vigorously as possible to scatter them. There was no significant offensive meaning. It was literally work to spread weapons all over the place. After repeating the above work several times in a row, Choi Yu Seong ran to the front. No. He pretended to run, picked up the closest fallen spear, and threw the spear toward the Gate of Life behind her. Rachel, who lightly hit him with the tip of her index finger and floated him into the air, smiled at Choi Yu Seong, who was throwing out a spear at her. ¡°Are you scared or are you not scared. Well, shall I look forward to seeing how much fun you¡¯ll make for me?¡± Rachel lightly received Choi Yu Seong¡¯s attack with one index finger. She didn¡¯t use any strength. First of all, it was due to her curiosity to see Choi Yu Seong¡¯s skills. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She confirmed that Choi Yu Seong immediately gave up the spear and touched the floor, then she stretched her index finger. It was an attack aimed at Choi Yu Seong¡¯s shoulder. However, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s body, which was stabbed in the shoulder, was blurred. It was Wind Stance, Illusion. ¡°Oh my.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes became round as she received the attack leisurely and made her first counterattack. On the other hand, Choi Yu Seong couldn¡¯t afford that. ¡®Although it¡¯s good to save Illusion of Wind Stance as much as possible¡­¡¯ Speaking of it, that was one of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s groundworks. However, there was no room to fight against the S-Rank monster Rachel while hiding that. And, Choi Yu Seong expected her to watch his skills with some ease at first. For Rachel, this game was just a game, something she could enjoy while Ghost doing the mission. Thanks to that, he was able to do it easier than expected. ¡®Like the first plan¡­¡¯ The positions of Rachel and Choi Yu Seong have changed. While she was focused on the Illusion, Choi Yu Seong once again used Wind Stance to pass her side at once and took the back. Now Rachel can¡¯t guard the Barrier Scroll behind her back. ¡®Up to here.¡¯ Nevertheless, Choi Yu Seong did not run toward the Barrier Scroll. No, he couldn¡¯t run exactly. Rachel¡¯s hatchet, which was unknown when it was taken out, was above Choi Yu Seong¡¯s head and even passed right in front of his forehead. If he had taken even one more step, his head and the whole body would have been split in half and died instantly. The line was well kept properly. While Choi Yu Seong, whose forehead was drenched in cold sweats, sighed with relief, Rachel smiled with cold eyes. ¡°Gold nugget, that was dangerous. You know, right?¡± Instead of answering, Choi Yu Seong took out an index finger and waved it in front of Rachel¡¯s hatchet. ¡°You just broke a rule.¡± ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m a little sorry. Instead, I¡¯ll also close my eyes as a penalty.¡± Before Choi Yu Seong said anything, Rachel closed her eyes tightly immediately. ¡®How cunning¡­¡¯ How can a skilled person like Rachel not be able to read Choi Yu Seong¡¯s movements just because she closes her eyes? Rather, even the mistake of confusing Illusion as before would have disappeared. She even naturally melted it into the game as if it were a penalty. ¡°And hereafter, I will swing this ax whenever you try to cross the line. Anyway, I still promise to use only one finger in the sparring game with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. But how about something like this? For example¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong swiftly picked up a spear on the floor, rotated his body, and threw it away. At the same time. No. Even faster than that, Rachel¡¯s hatchet flew, halving the spear thrown by Choi Yu Seong, and stuck to the ground. A surprising thing happened right after that. Kwajik-! With a destructive sound, the hatchet stuck on the floor of the rooftop returned to Rachel¡¯s hand when she lightly reached out her hand. ¡°This is what happens.¡± Rachel smiled and said. Choi Yu Seong swallowed his saliva. ¡®I knew it, but it¡¯s like Thor¡¯s hammer.¡¯ Mjolnir, the hammer used by the battle god in Norse mythology, Thor, has the characteristic of returning to the user¡¯s hand like a boomerang. Unfortunately(?) Rachel¡¯s ax was not a special weapon like Mjolnir. ¡®Specialization Skill, Thread of Destiny.¡¯ Many people think that the Slaughterer Queen is a physical-type Awakener because she engages in intense melee combat. But surprisingly, she was a flair-type user who led the battle based on Thread of Destiny Skill which deals with transparent threads that could not be seen with normal Skills. Of course, no one in the world knows this truth except Rachel herself. Excellent Hunters hide more than 30% of their abilities. This is to draw the opponent¡¯s oversight and cut the opponent¡¯s life using a trump card at the decisive moment. The more similar the Skills, the bigger the difference between knowing the opponent¡¯s abilities or not in determining the life-or-death outcome. So, it was a matter of course. In that sense, Rachel¡¯s fighting style was very useful to confuse the opponent. ¡®Basically, it makes people mistake her as a physical type. And it doesn¡¯t matter if someone is lucky enough to find out about the thread.¡¯ It is not just inanimate objects that Thread of Destiny can control. As the Skill name suggests, Thread of Destiny can control even human movement. However, if you think of her wielding the ax, you can¡¯t even imagine that Thread of Destiny has such ability. ¡®She is a scary woman the more you know her.¡¯ She is cunning enough to make people creeped out. Rachel enjoyed the nickname Slaughterer Queen to deceive her Specialization ability, the most powerful weapon she owns, and set up most of her Normal Skill composition into physical reinforcement type. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong thought it was useless to approach the Barrier Scroll. ¡®I¡¯m already lucky if I don¡¯t get caught by Thread of Destiny and taken back to this position.¡¯ Perhaps Rachel, offended by Choi Yu Seong crossing the line, will cut off his neck right away. Rachel is different from Kim Do Jin. She doesn¡¯t have a strong sense of pride and she is not very competitive. She enjoys playing games but considered breaking the rules insignificant. Excluding the fact that Kim Do Jin receives buff thanks to his position as the main character, she might be a more demanding enemy than him. ¡®Nevertheless, the first goal has been achieved, so all I have to do is just to safely complete the next step.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong swallowed his saliva and picked up a fallen spear again. Rachel leisurely waited for his movement with her eyes closed and even arms folded. ¡°Gold nugget. Shall this sister give one piece of advice? Sometimes too deep thoughts are rather poisonous.¡± At the same time, Rachel¡¯s hatchet flew through the air once again. The target this time was Choi Yu Seong, who had stopped trying to organize his mind. The hatchet narrowly cut the tip of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s ear as it passed. The moment blood splashed into the air, Choi Yu Seong felt his heart frightened and bowed his head. Whiririk-! The hatchet, which cut Choi Yu Seong¡¯s hair just before, flew back to the opposite direction by Thread of Destiny and returned to Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°Adding the third rule. If you bore me from now on, this ax will keep flying.¡± Rachel smiled brightly as she spread three fingers exactly in the direction Choi Yu Seong was standing with her eyes closed. There is no more time to think. Choi Yu Seong did not hesitate and rushed toward Rachel, picking up a spear and aiming at Rachel¡¯s ankle. Jumping lightly and turning over in the air, Rachel held out only one index finger at the end of the spear that Choi Yu Seong wields and said. ¡°And from now on, I¡¯m going to use some strength too.¡± ¡°Keeuk¡­?!¡± Along with those words, a direct breaking force came into the wrist of Choi Yu Seong who was holding the spear. Choi Yu Seong did not hesitate again this time, put down the spear, and picked up another. Then, he stabbed in the middle of Rachel¡¯s forehead as she fell back to the floor. The spear seemed to dig in between, but there was no feeling of getting caught in her hand or digging into the flesh. ¡®Illusion?¡¯ No. He just felt that way because she was moving too fast. ¡°Our gold nugget, it¡¯s going to hurt a little.¡± Standing upright again, she used the tip of her index finger to flick the end of the spear. The vibration flowing through it shook Choi Yu Seong¡¯s whole body. ¡°Cough-!¡± In the end, a handful of blood burst out from the mouth of Choi Yu Seong, who couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m bored.¡± At the same time, Rachel let out a sullen voice. Choi Yu Seong intuitively felt what those words meant. Choi Yu Seong turned his head sideways even in a dizzy state, and he could see a hatchet tearing his shoulder and passing by right next to him. There was no time to hesitate. Choi Yu Seong rolled on the floor without hesitation and threw out a spear. On his back, a cool yet hot feeling swept fiercely and passed. Holding the hatchet that returned after tearing Choi Yu Seong¡¯s back with her left hand, Rachel removed his spear with an index finger and nodded with a gaze full of madness. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more fun now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one having fun! Damn it!¡± Feeling the adrenaline rush into his head as the battle reached its extreme, Choi Yu Seong even forgot his fear somewhat and cursed. CH 29 Rachel let out a giggling laugh. In the meantime, Choi Yu Seong picked up two spears with both hands at the same time. Then he threw one straight toward the Barrier and ran head-on. ¡°This crafty gold nugget!¡± Rachel threw the hatchet once again toward the thrown spear and blocked Choi Yu Seong¡¯s attack with her index finger. Clang-! Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spear bounces high into the air with the sound of iron rings. Choi Yu Seong felt the sensation of his stomach shaking again due to the shock from the counterattack. However, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spear did not stop. He tried to hit Rachel¡¯s head using the spear while winding it straight inside from the lifting direction. Of course, it was a trick that didn¡¯t work at all. Rachel recovered the hatchet with her left hand and struck Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spear with her index finger once more. ¡°Kueeek-!¡± It was at the same time that Choi Yu Seong spilled blood. Even though the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice has turned into a battle suit and reduced the shock, it¡¯s this bad. ¡®If I had received it with only my body, I would have already died. Damn!¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who cursed inwardly, picked up the spear and threw it at the Gate of Life once again even in a blurry vision. At the same time, he stretched his right foot toward Rachel and tried to hit her chin. ¡°Still crossing the line? You should get punished. Our gold nugget.¡± Rachel smiled and lightly flicked the tip of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s toe with her index finger. Crakakack-! Choi Yu Seong¡¯s heel was tattered and twisted with the sound of bones breaking. His eyes became very wide. Rolling on the floor in the pain that heated the brain, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s scream rang loudly. ¡°Keaaargh-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, gold nugget. Humans don¡¯t die because they can¡¯t use their limbs.¡± Rachel said as she retrieved the hatchet that was stuck on the floor again. ¡°But if you lie down like that, I want to throw this again because I¡¯m bored. Ah, for reference, you won¡¯t die easily even if your limbs get cut.¡± ¡°¡­uck. It¡¯s like shit!¡± Choi Yu Seong swore and raised himself. He had to stand on one leg due to the bent ankle and was in an awkward posture, but he couldn¡¯t lie down. His red bloodshot eyes glared at the happily smiling Rachel as if he would tear her to death. ¡°Cool.¡± The moment Rachel exclaimed. Spark spewed out from Choi Yu Seong¡¯s whole body. ¡°Huh? You still have a hidden ability.¡± Choi Yu Seong used Wind Stance after that and rushed toward Rachel. Because he rushed on one leg, he didn¡¯t get a proper speed. ¡°Uwaaah-!¡± Rachel¡¯s index finger stabbed into the shoulder of Choi Yu Seong, who reached to hit Rachel with a scream. Then, a hot and sharp touch stirred his shoulder indiscriminately. ¡°Keaargh¡­¡± While struggling with pain, that sensation was pulled out and disappeared. In the bloodshot eyes of Choi Yu Seong, Rachel¡¯s face was seen licking her index finger soaked in dark red blood. ¡°Hmm¡­ Sweet.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Choi Yu Seong clicked his tongue. She received Choi Yu Seong¡¯s Spark head-on as if she didn¡¯t feel anything. ¡®I expected it, but¡­¡¯ It was an extremely huge gap. The idea of fighting and winning against such a monster is also absurd. It was something impossible in the first place. Rachel tilted her head as she saw Choi Yu Seong, who knelt and bowed his head deeply as if drooping on the floor. ¡°Giving up here?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Choi Yu Seong raised his head and laughed. And he lifted a spear on the floor with his still intact right hand and used Spark again. Then, he threw the spear toward the Gate of Life once more and gave strength to his kneeling knees. ¡®I never expected I¡¯m going to actually do this.¡¯ Doing a stance reminiscent of a powerful attack that gains momentum by bending the knees seen in a certain comic on Earth, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s head brushed past Rachel¡¯s chin. Rachel¡¯s eyes full of madness showed off her deep murderous intent as she saw Choi Yu Seong. ¡®His eyes are alive even in the midst of this. Cute gold nugget.¡¯ Suddenly, she felt very regretful. ¡°Aah, I should¡¯ve killed you right away if it¡¯s not for the money.¡± Rachel threw the ax once again with her left hand toward the flying spear and felt her heart beating. ¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve been this excited? Money or whatever, I just¡­¡¯ Wanna kill him right away and check his brain. How can he still have that gaze after being beaten that much? Generally, people might feel quite scared or desperate at this point. ¡®It¡¯s so amazing!¡¯ The moment Rachel unknowingly aimed the tip of her finger at the center of Choi Yu Seong¡¯s forehead. Crakakack-! There was a loud sound that everyone could hear. ¡°Huh?¡± First of all, Rachel¡¯s gaze turned in the direction of the sound. Choi Yu Seong, who soared high with his head stretched in a rather ugly position, also turned his head. The hatchet, which flew cutting Choi Yu Seong¡¯s spear half and strongly stuck to the ground, was causing a lot of cracks like lightning. It¡¯s collapsing. Rachel¡¯s mind, which was filled with curiosity about the recklessly rushing Choi Yu Seong, flashed as soon as that thought came to mind. ¡°You¡­ No way. From the beginning?¡± Rachel looked at Choi Yu Seong with surprised eyes. The first thing that came to her mind was when he scattered a large number of spears at a level that seemed useless after purchasing them. Spear throw attacks, which have little meaning, were following after that. Every time, Rachel herself threw the hatchet to keep the Barrier Scroll. ¡®Since I¡¯ll lose If I go out of the circle.¡¯ She didn¡¯t mean to keep it, but she was adjusting to the flow to enjoy it. But now, it seems her position was the opposite. ¡®I wasn¡¯t playing, but just moving according to the will of this crafty gold nugget guy.¡¯ The thick concrete floor cannot be broken with Choi Yu Seong¡¯s ability. But for Rachel, it was easier than a piece of cake. It was a very simple and ridiculous matter that an indifferent and lightly thrown hatchet broke the ground. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t care at all. The carelessness created this situation. Rachel¡¯s surprised gaze turned toward Choi Yu Seong, who was already smiling. Choi Yu Seong thought from the moment he first talked to her. The Barrier cannot be broken from the outside unless by the same Barrier Master. But outside, there must have been people waiting to help Choi Yu Seong. For example Jin Do Yun, Jin Yu Ri who may have been contacted, people who follow her, or countless people who will flock after hearing the fuss. Therefore, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s goal was not to win the game against Rachel. Choi Yu Seong¡¯s goal did not change even a bit from the first moment Ghost appeared. ¡®Break the Barrier and open the Gate of Life.¡± It was close to gambling actually. If the arrogant but clever Rachel had noticed Choi Yu Seong¡¯s intention in the middle, all plans would have been in vain. However, Choi Yu Seong¡¯s plan was successful as a result. What else do I need to say? ¡°I was lucky.¡± Or as always, Rachel¡¯s gambling luck was bad. At the end of those words. Kwakwakwang-! A loud thunder sound rang out then the floor began to collapse and pour down. Then, a distortion phenomenon that seems to sway the space occurred briefly and the Barrier began to break. At the same time, a roar like glass breaking was heard. Starting with the area where the Barrier Spell was drawn, the rooftop collapsed. But in front of Rachel¡¯s toes, it stayed still as if scared and could not move on any further. At the chaotic and destructive scene, Rachel went crazy. ¡°Ahaha, hahahaha-!¡± There was no more reason left in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fun! Choi Yu Seong, I¡¯m having so much fun!¡± Rachel lifted the collar of Choi Yu Seong, who was on the verge of falling due to standing right in front of her, and looked straight into his black eyes with a mad gaze. ¡°Wanna live, right? So, you really want to live?¡± Should he say it. He only thought about that even when he felt like he was going to fall off the collapsing rooftop. Rachel¡¯s cheeks reddened when she saw Choi Yu Seong¡¯s eyes. The mad eyes scatter as if they had witnessed the most beautiful artwork in the world. ¡®Like it, like it, like it, I like it so much. They¡¯re such gorgeous eyes that I want to dig them whole and use them as a decoration at home.¡¯ I can¡¯t. Rachel could no longer stand her raging instinct. ¡°But what to do? I want to kill you so much. Of course simply, I won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯m already looking forward to the moment when you ask me to kill you, you know? Before that, how much fun you¡¯ll make me! How much fun will it be? Kyakyakya!¡± It was at that moment that a silver flash flashed over the right wrist of Rachel, who burst into laughter from madness. Slash-! It got cut off. The monstrous and untouchable Rachel from Choi Yu Seong¡¯s point of view got her wrist cut in vain. Because of that, Choi Yu Seong thought he would fall like a broken kite again. That would have happened without the hand holding him in the back of his neck, dangling not much different than Rachel. In the blurry vision that seemed to be far away, Choi Yu Seong struggled to turn his head to the side and looked at the person who held him like a mother cat lifting her baby. ¡°This foolish guy. What kind of rag is this?¡± The other spoke quite bluntly and had a rather odd appearance. ¡®Rabbit mask?¡¯ It is not the expected support like Jin Do Yun or Jin Yu Ri. However, he definitely saw the word ¡®rabbit mask¡¯ in the original novel. The problem was that he didn¡¯t remember clearly. It was difficult to even maintain consciousness to be precise. The Rabbit Mask, a figure also known with the code name Myo belonging to the Martial Guard Corps, Choi Mi Na faced Rachel, who was looking at her with a gaze full of anger that contradicted with the bizarre wide smile. Regardless of the heart-fluttering expression likely to be seen in any horror movie, Choi Mi Na didn¡¯t care much while lightly stretching her stiff neck and said. ¡°Still, you did well. It¡¯s weird to say this is a gift and I don¡¯t really like you, but don¡¯t worry. From now on, this noonim will protect you.¡± Was there ever a time when the word ¡®noonim¡¯ and the sound of bones rubbing and cracking were so reliable? ¡®Please¡­ I leave it to you.¡¯ Choi Yu Seong, who thought he felt quite at ease for some reason, replied with his eyes and then went unconscious. Clearly, it was the limit. Prologue In the middle of a quiet pub, Choi YuSeong quite sharply looked at the man tilting his beer mug who sat across him. Not to mention the first impression. Handsome. Despite obviously man¡¯s, the elegant jawline that couldn¡¯t be called pretty and the deep immersive dark eyes would bring so many women in tears. Then how about his body? The firm board shoulder, solid chest, and abs from exercise were work of art despite only wore a tight leather jacket. But what¡¯s the reason for this much interest toward another man? That couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡®Kim DoJin¡¯ This handsome friend just from his name was the main character of The Master Who Return To Modern Times1, a web novel that Choi YuSeong had been reading very interestingly until the night before. But the main character of that novel was personified, alive and breathing in front of him. It was impossible not to be interested. What did this mean, you ask? This was also an ordinary common story. ¡®I was transferred into the novel.¡¯ The role was a good-for-nothing that was used and thrown by Kim DoJin, the handsome returnee in front of his eyes, to cooperate in killing his father, with the unlucky fate of being abandoned by his family and became prey to monsters inside the crack in the aftermath. That said, it was a pretty obvious story. However, he was going crazy because he belongs to that common position. ¡®¡­ How should I solve this?¡¯ Choi YuSeong, who sighed in his heart, recalled a few days ago when he possessed the good-for-nothing body. CH 30 ¡°Yu-Seong, you brat. Are you possibly feeling envy and jealousy toward Kim Do-Jin?¡± Choi Woo-Jae frowned deeply and asked. Considering that Yu-Seong had shown inferiority complexes before, Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s guess was not strange. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Yu-Seong shook his head, Woo-Jae quietly stroked his beard. He didn¡¯t try to hide the small anger in his eyes. Before Woo-Jae became properly furious, Yu-Seong had to convince him. He spoke up. ¡°Father, there are two problems with having Kim Do-Jin under me.¡± Choi Woo-Jae looked piercingly at Yu-Seong, who gulped unintentionally from the tension, before speaking. ¡°Interesting. Fine, I¡¯ll listen, but if you can¡¯t convince me by the end¡­¡± Woo-Jae tapped the end of Yu-Seong¡¯s bed with his index finger, as if he was deep in thought, then nodded. ¡°Yes, yes if you can¡¯t convince me, I will take away one of those kids under you,¡± said Woo-Jae. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Woo-Jae had tried to give him a person, but since Yu-Seong refused, he would take away one of his people as a penalty. There were only two of Yu-Seong¡¯s people Woo-Jae could think of. ¡®Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon.¡¯ The Jin siblings were the ones that Yu-Seong had the most faith in. Thus, as much as the two cared about Yu-Seong, there was a possibility that they would have to follow Woo-Jae¡¯s coercion and make inevitable choices. ¡°¡­¡± Choi Woo-Jae had a calm but heavy look. His eyes were like a tiger¡¯s as he leaned on the chair in silence. Yu-Seong licked his dry lips with the tip of his tongue and stood more upright. ¡®If I can¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer, they¡¯ll be taken away.¡¯ It felt as if he were walking a tightrope above a ground full of sharp spears. ¡®Although it¡¯s scary to cross¡­¡¯ The way back was already blocked. Yu-Seong cleared his mind, then took the first step on the tightrope. ¡°First, the time isn¡¯t right yet. I have just become a hunter, finally standing on the starting line to chase after my brothers and sisters. It is too risky for me to embrace a talented person like Kim Do-Jin at this point.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get anything good without a fight. The more precious it is, the more people will want it. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t have it if you don¡¯t have the power and wisdom to protect it. Apparently, you don¡¯t have the courage,¡± Choi Woo-Jae responded ¡°Courage and temerity are different, sir. If I get in over my head and just take anything recklessly, I would be no different than a brute. I said I would risk my life, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I want to die meaningless by placing my neck in the path of an approaching knife. I am not capable of embracing Kim Do-Jin at the moment.¡± ¡°You mean that you will stay quietly cooped up in your room? Because you know your place? Am I understanding it right?¡± ¡°That is not it. That leads me to my second reason¡ªI do not know Kim Do-Jin¡¯s capabilities yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s another interesting thing to hear.¡± ¡°Father, I investigated Kim Do-Jin. I know about his birth, his growth, his family relationships. I found something strange after investigating. He is an orphan born in Russia and naturalized in Korea, where he received a new identification card. But there are no acquaintances who knew him well in Korea, Russia, nor anywhere else in the world.¡± Truthfully, Yu-Seong had never investigated Kim Do-Jin after he was possessed. After all, why make an extra effort? He already knew of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s complete circumstances through the original novel. Kim Do-Jin had been sent to another world as he stared blankly at the tide of monsters in the chaotic Dungeon Break, which had been caused by the failure to clear the Boss Monster. Thus, obviously, the first thing that Kim Do-Jin did after returning was to find out what time period he was in and to investigate his family¡¯s whereabouts. Thirty-one years in another world was the same as eight years in the current reality. In addition, fortunately, or rather unfortunately, his family had survived during the Dungeon Break. However, his mother fell ill with an unknown disease and now lived in a comatose state. His only younger brother had worked day and night to cover their mother¡¯s hospital bills and had died the day before Kim Do Jin returned from an unavoidable rebar that fell overhead at a construction site. It was a desperate situation for Kim Do-Jin and it was impossible to dream of a hopeful future with his family. He despaired but did not give up. Instead, he thought of revenge. When he was a child, the company owned by Kim Do-Jin¡¯s father had been destroyed by the Comet Group¡¯s rampage. Naturally, the family fell into despair. His father could not bear the disappointment and the sense of failure he felt as the head of the family, and had chosen to commit suicide. That would not have happened if there weren¡¯t the aggressive mergers and acquisitions of Comet Group that Choi Woo-Jae had led at the time. In Kim Do-Jin¡¯s memory, that was when everything had started to go wrong. That was why, at the beginning of the novel, Kim Do-Jin had made a new identity by pouring out all the money earned from selling some of the treasures he had brought from another world. He also became an anonymous donor for his mother, who had no one to pay for her hospital bills due to his brother¡¯s absence. He then hid himself as much as possible to deal with the monster Choi Woo-Jae. Choi Yu-Seong knew this situation and rooted for Kim Do-Jin¡¯s revenge when he had read the novel. Of course, it was different now. Now that his life was at stake, he could not root for Kim Do-Jin¡¯s revenge anymore. Yu-Seong took a deep breath before continuing on, ¡°So, going back to the first reason, I think it is not the right time. Yes, I agree that a talented person should be valued. It is a waste to give him to others, so I should make him my person. But I still know very little about Kim Do-Jin. I cannot let him in without knowing whether he is a coyote or a wolf, right?¡± Suddenly, Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s calm but dull gaze changed. He pointed out, ¡°I thought you had him by your side without knowing anything.¡± Choi Yu-Seong gulped. ¡®As expected, he knew it already.¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae was greedy for talented people, just as he always said. Wouldn¡¯t he already have paid great attention to Kim Do-Jin, who the entire world was paying attention to? Perhaps he had investigated Kim Do-Jin immediately after Kim Do-Jin had appeared as a super rookie, like a comet. ¡°Kim Do-Jin¡¯s records could be called clean. There¡¯s not even a speck of dust or a single blemish to be seen. That¡¯s why it¡¯s suspicious. That means there¡¯s definitely something he is hiding, and naturally, those who have a lot to hide are dark inside.¡± Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s lips twisted scornfully. At that moment, Choi Yu-Seong felt goosebumps all over his body. ¡®So that¡¯s why he wanted to keep Kim Do-Jin near me!¡¯ It was hard to see what Kim Do-Jin was hiding if he was kept an arm¡¯s length away. By keeping him close, it would be possible to find a weak spot or two. That was why Woo-Jae was trying to keep Kim Do-Jin near Choi Yu-Seong and keep his eyes on him. That could put Choi Yu-Seong in trouble, but it was obvious that Choi Woo-Jae would simply think that was Yu-Seong¡¯s limit if he couldn¡¯t handle the task. Woo-Jae would have such thoughts because he did not know that Kim Do-Jin was a returnee from another world. If Choi Yu-Seong was sacrificed in this way, chances were high that he would end up in the same state as the original novel. ¡°It seemed like you were trying to get closer to him anyway, so I¡¯m just trying to help you.¡± ¡°¡­I am not disappointed by that.¡± If Choi Yu-Seong had not read the original novel, or if he was not quick-witted, he would have faced a terrible situation. But so what? As mentioned, the Comet Group was originally like this, and Choi Woo-Jae did have as many as ten children. ¡°If you know the situation, you must have your own thoughts.¡± It was clear what Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s words meant. ¡°I won¡¯t ask more since it already sounds interesting. I will leave the matter regarding Kim Do-Jin to you..¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Thank you.¡± Choi Yu-Seong felt he had barely come down from the tightrope. He let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. Meanwhile, Choi Woo-Jae was in another dilemma. ¡®Shall I give a big gift or a small gift for my quick-witted Ninth child?¡¯ He had originally come to give a gift to Yu-Seong. However, the answer that his son had given was remarkably praiseworthy that he found it hard to make a decision. But, he also felt it was a bit excessive to give the big gift that just came to his mind. ¡®The small gift is not enough, but the big gift is too much¡­ I¡¯d better do this then.¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae made a choice after much consideration and spoke again. ¡°Do you know where the guys who attacked you came from?¡± Yu-Seong looked at Woo-Jae when he heard the sudden question. ¡®It¡¯s different from the sloppy novel with a lot of plot holes.¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae¡ªthe meticulous chairman of a large corporation¡ªwas alive and breathing in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. So why was someone like Woo-Jae suddenly asking such a question? ¡°Father, I guess you already know who they are.¡± ¡°Indeed, I do know. If you want, I¡¯ll call that wicked guy to this place right now. And I¡¯ll make him bow and apologize to you. Think of it as a special gift for what you¡¯ve done recently.¡± A gift. Choi Yu-Seong did not act rashly, although Choi Woo-Jae once again said something that he found difficult to hear. He felt a rather strange vibe in the conversation, but he was unsure as to why. Strictly speaking, it was a feeling. However, Choi Yu-Seong did not want to ignore his feelings. Thus, he asked Woo-Jae a question. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Is it one of my older brothers or sisters?¡± Choi Woo-Jae did not answer, offering a silent affirmation. It was silent, but it was an affirmation after all. ¡®It¡¯s not Choi Min-Seok since it wasn¡¯t an unfledged attempt. If one of my older brothers or sisters apologizes to me¡­¡¯ It would be an apology right in front of Choi Woo-Jae. As a result, one of his siblings would lose their rights to Choi Yu-Seong. Considering how important such rights would be in the upcoming succession fight, it would be no exaggeration to call it a gift as Woo-Jae had said. Yu-Seong could feel his heart beating. Rights could be a debt. He could think of countless ways to use this. He was happy with the pleasant choices he could make for a while. However, he shook his head. ¡°It¡­it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it is my problem. If I cannot get through it myself and just lean on you, then I will remain as a spoiled child in the family.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go find them myself and make them pay for what they have done to me. This is what a member of the Choi family should do.¡± In an instant, a scene from the distant past unfolded in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. There was a middle-aged man talking to a small child sitting on his lap. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ It was not a memory from the original novel. More vivid than that, it felt like an old memory that he had experienced in person. ¡®Is this the real Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s memory?¡¯ As if it was a memory from a long time ago, it was as blurry as a channel on the wrong frequency of a black and white TV. Having questions and feeling confused, Choi Woo-Jae suddenly stood up from his seat and turned his back. ¡°If that''s your intention, then I¡¯ll respect it.¡± ¡°Are you leaving, Father?¡± ¡°I have to go. I¡¯m busy, but this took more time than I thought.¡± Although Choi Yu-Seong could not see it, Woo-Jae¡¯s lips were twisted into what seemed like a pleasant smile. ¡°Ah, then¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get up and just sit down! It¡¯s cumbersome.¡± Choi Woo-Jae shook his hands as if annoyed, and strode out of the hospital room before Yu-Seong could do anything. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°As I said, I¡¯ll be watching you.¡± Yu-Seong urgently called out to him while trying to leave the bed. However, Choi Woo-Jae gave an answer and left the hospital room. Yu-Seong was left alone in the room once more. ¡®He really just left. I refused because I thought it would be a test.¡­ Was it a mistake?¡¯ Yu-Seong smacked his lips with a strange expression as he looked at the closed door. *** Choi Woo-Jae couldn¡¯t stop his lips from twitching up into a smile while he leaned comfortably in the back seat of the Maybach sedan, often called one of the world¡¯s top three luxury cars. He left behind several officials from the prestigious university hospital rushing out and bowing their heads. Kim Pil-Doo was sitting in the passenger seat right in front of him. He looked at Woo-Jae and asked, ¡°The Ninth Young Master must have made you feel happy again, master.¡± ¡°Can you tell?¡± ¡°The corners of your lips are constantly twisting up like this. How about just laughing aloud? There¡¯s no one watching.¡± ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no one? You¡¯re here, and the driver is here.¡± Choi Woo-Jae spoke bluntly and leaned his arm against the window frame. He felt awkward, looking at his face reflected through the splendid cityscape of downtown Seoul, so he slightly pulled his cheek with his index finger. ¡°It¡¯s awkward.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not used to smiling and it doesn''t look good if I force myself to. Anyways, when will Yu-Seong be discharged?¡± asked Woo-Jae. ¡°December 13th¡­. I have confirmed that there¡¯s about a week left,¡± answered Pil-Doo. ¡°Then around that time¡­¡± Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s voice became softer. To be exact, the voice was sent only to Kim Pil-Doo¡¯s ears by skipping the space inside the vehicle. The driver was quite used to this. Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s voice always got softer like this when the two people spoke about secrets. As both of them were high-ranking hunters, the driver could tell by the fact that they were communicating in a special way. ¡®It¡¯s always amazing when I see it,¡¯ thought the driver. And today, the driver had another mysterious experience. ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Kim Pil-Doo was known for his cool-headedness as he resembled Choi Woo-Jae. However, he raised a rather foolish question. ¡°What do you mean ¡®pardon?¡¯ Did you not hear me?¡± said Woo-Jae. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Choi Woo-Jae raised his voice. Kim Pil-Doo quickly bowed his head with trembling eyes. ¡°As you wish, sir.¡± Kim Pil-Doo thought it was a rather exaggerated gift, but what could he do? It was Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s order after all. CH 31 Three days later, Jin Yu-Ri entered Yu-Seong¡¯s hospital room looking very upset. She gave a light sigh and bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t find them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I could not find the real culprit of the incident from a few days ago. I was looking for the mastermind but¡­my request was blocked by the Mercenary Exchange.¡± ¡°That would have made it even more difficult to chase after them,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri bit her lips and bowed her head deeper. Yu-Seong smiled and patted Yu-Ri on the shoulder. ¡°You said they are from the Mercenary Exchange. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Don¡¯t be so upset.¡± The Mercenary Exchange was a global organization frequently used by players who did not belong to any particular group. Their commissions ranged from very petty errands, such as helping with housework, to large wars between guilds or countries. The Mercenary Exchange was enormous and their capital was great. As such, many countries wanted to have government agencies take on the Mercenary Exchange¡¯s role, but none of them had managed to do so. Although it was not clear whether they were also involved in trafficking and other similar things, most of the world¡¯s leading countries allowed the existence of the Mercenary Exchange. Even China, which was practically a dictatorship, had accepted their existence. Yu-Seong also did not know how the Mercenary Exchange had independently taken root in this world. This was because the novel did not describe the details of it in the first place. However, he knew who the real owner of the Mercenary Exchange was, which had remained a secret until now. According to current rumors, the owner was among the UK¡¯s SS-rank hunters. ¡®The rumor is not entirely wrong.¡¯The identity of the Mercenary Exchange¡¯s owner would be revealed in the future. He was a British man named James Rothschild. He wasn¡¯t an SS but an EX-Rank hunter. In fact, he was one of the big wheels controlling the underground economy. ¡®I remember that he and Kim Do-Jin have a bad relationship, but¡­¡¯ That was also a thing of the distant future. ¡°Just because it''s the Mercenary Exchange doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s impossible to track them at all. There are several factions within the Mercenary Exchange and there are parts being kept in check by the country. But I couldn''t find them. After I tracked them through the Mercenary Exchange, their traces disappeared like magic. There must be someone helping them. Otherwise, this speed is just ridiculous.¡± Yu-Ri clenched her fists tightly as if she was angry. However, it didn¡¯t matter. Yu-Seong had a rough guess as to who the helper was. ¡®Fa¡­ No, I mean Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯ Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. In any case, if he continued tracking them down, he would eventually find one of his siblings at the end. It wasn''t made specifically to keep Choi Yu-Seong in check, but rather made to keep everyone away.. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to spit while laying down.[1]¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s put that aside for now. It¡¯s a waste of time and energy to keep looking for such a trivial thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Yu-Ri felt calmer after listening to Yu-Seong¡¯s words. She touched her forehead before nodding in agreement. Then, she retrieved a file from the briefcase she was carrying. ¡°You spoke of Yoo Jin-Hyuk, born in 2009 at Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. There were several people with the same name, so I collected all of their data. Sorry, I was concerned about the other issue, so this took longer than I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Yu-Seong took the file and went through the names, faces, family relationships, and characteristics of the people. Then, he shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°These are not it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°None of the people here is the Yoo Jin-Hyuk who I¡¯m looking for.¡± Yu-Seong had known that it would not be easy from the start because Yoo Jin-Hyuk from the original story wouldn''t easily reveal his traces. ¡°But oppa, based on the information of Yoo Jin-Hyuk that you mentioned, these are the only relevant profiles found.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes it tricky. Maybe he is using an alias¡­ Or¡­¡± Yu-Seong briefly tapped the file with his index finger. ¡°Find out if there is any Yoo Jin-Hyuk whose resident registration has been revoked within the last 1 year¡­ No, 3 years.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I will look for it.¡± With a serious look, Jin Yu-Ri received the file from Yu-Seong. She then said, ¡°These days, Do-Yoon oppa is basically stamping his attendance card in the Dungeon. I think he has been thinking a lot since the last incident.¡± ¡°Tell him not to overdo it.¡± ¡°Has he ever listened to me? And by the time he gets back, I might be away for a while too.¡± There was no way that the Jin siblings couldn¡¯t think of what Yu-Seong had realized himself. He hadn¡¯t been the only one who was jolted awake by this incident. ¡°Good. And I have another favor to ask.¡± ¡°Just tell me what you need, oppa. Whatever it is.¡± ¡°I need some mana stone, at least orange. And¡­more than 50 pieces of them.¡± ¡°¡­That much?¡± Jin Yu-Ri sounded surprised. ¡°Yes, would it be possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of possibility. It¡¯s a matter of money.¡± Yu-Seong momentarily recalled the remaining balance in his bank account. ¡®I have a little over 130 billion.¡¯ There were 130 billion won of personal assets in cash alone, which he used to regard as a huge sum. But now, about one-sixth of it would be blown off if he tried to buy orange-colored mana stones, which had a ridiculous price tag of 300 million won per piece. Nevertheless, what could he do? ¡°I really need them. If possible, I want some yellow-colored ones along with that as well.¡± Yellow-colored mana stones were at least twice the cost of the orange ones because they were much harder to get¡­ It was safe to say that the minimum transaction price would be around 800 million won. ¡°Oppa, then you¡¯ll be penniless in no time.¡± ¡°You can always make more money,¡± Yu-Seong said, knowing that for a fact. He only knew that the same rule did not apply to people. Jin Yu-Ri nodded after seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s strong intention. She said, ¡°How could I say no to you? But I still want to save some money if possible, so it might take a while.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°I¡¯ve let you down twice. I won¡¯t disappoint you a third time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been disappointed.¡± Jin Yu-Ri was slightly embarrassed by Yoo-Sing¡¯s sincerity. She avoided eye contact and scratched her cheek. ¡°Ah, by the way. Chae Ye-Ryeong asked if she could come to visit.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to stop her. Rather, it¡¯s good. I have something to tell her.¡± ¡°Then, what time¡­¡± ¡°Tell her to come by any time. It¡¯s not like I have a severe problem to take care of right now.¡± Yu-Seong made a circling motion with his arms. Yu-Ri smiled and nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell her that.¡± Now that she has organized her thoughts, she found that she had a lot to do. *** The next afternoon, Chae Ye-Ryeong took the afternoon off and came to visit Yu-Seong. She talked with him for a short time before returning home. She left the hospital room with a determined expression on her face. Three days later, it was December 13th. Just as Yu-Seong had officially gone through the discharge process, and left the main gate of the hospital¡­ "It''s a gift. The Chairman told me to give it to you." Kim Pil-Doo approached Yu-Seong and handed him a round tube as he spoke with a blunt expression, ¡°Honestly, I am not sure about this.¡± Then, Kim Pil-Doo simply left after leaving such cryptic words behind. Looking at his retreating back, Jin Do-Yoon said, ¡°Something is different from usual.¡± Do-Yoon had taken a day off from the dungeon and his training to help with Yu-Seong¡¯s discharge from the hospital. ¡°What the heck is this? What made that cold-blooded guy say such a thing?¡± continued Do-Yoon. ¡°I can''t make any sense of it,¡± said Yu-Ri. She shrugged and looked at Yu-Seong with a confused expression. In fact, Yu-Seong had thought that the gift was off the table after the first visit and he had been feeling bitter about it. He never even imagined that this would happen. Looking around, he then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first, then check it out.¡± Whatever it was, there were a lot of wandering eyes around them. Since Kim Pil-Doo had acted unusual about the gift, they couldn¡¯t treat the gift lightly and recklessly open it in a public place. Jin Do-Yoon went out first to find the car that had been parked by the valet. Once Yu-Seong got into the back seat, the car headed out and Yu-Ri quickly looked back from the passenger seat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush me like that. I¡¯m also curious.¡± Yu-Seong smiled at Yu-Ri. He slowly removed the lid of the tube. ¡°At least it¡¯s not a bomb. Let¡¯s see.¡± Yu-Seong made a joke and put his hand into the barrel before taking out the contents. It was a rolled-up piece of paper. ¡°A map?¡± asked Yu-Seong. He unfurled the paper while tilting his head in curiosity. Yu-Ri turned her head back from the passenger seat to take a look. Her eyes sparkled. ¡°Is it a treasure map?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think it¡¯s similar.¡± The map clearly depicted South Korea and had a circle around a location that was slightly outside of Seoul. There were also letters written in rough and hard handwriting. ¡°It says to go here. And the writing¡­ It looks like the Chairman''s handwriting.¡± Yu-Seong nodded at Yu-Ri¡¯s words. He asked, ¡°Goyang City¡­ It¡¯s not far. Shall we go?¡± ¡°Right now, oppa?¡± Yu-Seong nodded at Yu-Ri. *** The car which followed the route of returning to Hannam-dong Apartment changed its direction. It got on the Gangbyeon expressway and sped toward the highway. The map was not detailed. It was drawn awkwardly, and the circle marking encompassed a rather large area as well. Thanks to this, they wandered for more than 3 hours over a distance that would have taken just an hour and a half to arrive at. When the three finally arrived at their destination, they got out of the car. ¡°No matter how hard I look at it, this is the right place¡­¡± said Yu-Seong. When Yu-Ri handed back the map, Yu-Seong looked at it with a wry smile. ¡°Did he really want the Young Master to go on a treasure hunt?¡± asked Do-Yoon. ¡°It¡¯s a mountain. Oppa, I have never even heard of a mountain being here.¡± The Jin siblings¡¯ reactions were also not much different from Yu-Seong¡¯s. ¡°It''s an unnamed hill... But it''s too big to be called a hill.¡± The bushes were also dense. ¡°First. We need to check it out a little bit¡­¡± Yu-Seong tilted his head and approached the mountain to take a look when¡­ ¡°Young Master!¡± Jin Do-Yoon rushed to seize the map from Yu-Seong¡¯s hands. Right after that, the map sparked and burned up with a huge flame. Do-Yoon asked urgently, ¡°Are you all right, Young Master? And your hands?¡± He held the blazing fire with one hand and did not budge, and looked at Yu-Seong. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine¡­ How about you¡­?¡± In response to Yu-Seong¡¯s question, Do-Yoon stretched out his hands. His tough hands full of calluses showed no scratches. He then said, ¡°As soon as the map got near the mountain, a special ability was suddenly activated on the map.¡± Yu-Ri followed them and asked with a serious expression, ¡°So, we should say this is the right place?¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Then what else can we do? We have to go up there,¡± said Yu-Seong as he stroked his chin. When he started to walk ahead, Do-Yoon blocked his path forward. ¡°I will take care of the front, and Yu-Ri will take care of the back.¡± Do-Yoon nodded. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± In a potentially dangerous situation, Yu-Seong did not refuse the siblings¡¯ protection. *** It was a quiet hanok mansion [2] Considering that there were several buildings inside the compound, there were not many signs of people. To be exact, most of the people inside were moving quietly while suppressing their presence. In the mansion¡¯s backyard, a man was sitting in front of a pond where carp swam. The man had tightly closed eyes, long flowing black hair, and wore a neat, white hanbok. Then, another man in a black suit approached and lowered his head in front of him. The man in a black suit reported, ¡°Master, there are intruders who entered the mountain.¡± The long-haired man shook his head without opening his eyes. ¡°They are not intruders. Rather, they are guests.¡± ¡°Ah, perhaps. Is he the one you mentioned the other day¡­ Your destiny¡­¡± ¡°No. It is not him.¡± The man shook his head and scratched his cheek. ¡°Even so, it is true that he is a guest who shares a deep destiny with me.¡± ¡°Is it¡­¡± ¡°It is my brother. Father probably sent him here.¡± 1. It means that the consequences of your bad behavior come back bad to you ? 2. A traditional korean structure ¡°A hanok is a traditional Korean house. Hanok were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon Dynasty. Korean architecture considers the positioning of the house in relation to its surroundings, with thought given to the land and seasons. The interior of the house is also planned accordingly.¡± - wikipedia. ? CH 32 Hearing the words ¡®sibling¡¯ and ¡®father,¡¯ the man who bowed felt his gaze falter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s not the time to be concerned.¡± The man with closed eyes then tilted his face toward the distant sky. There was simply no way he could actually see something high in the air, but he seemingly stared at the sky for quite a long time. The tips of the man¡¯s closed eyelashes trembled. He murmured, ¡°However¡­the sibling that has arrived is an unexpected one.¡± ¡°Did you see it?¡± Baek Chul gulped nervously. His master was a man who could see and feel many things even with his eyes closed. ¡°He is a pitiful child. Of all the siblings...¡± ¡°Then what should I do about the test?¡± ¡°For the first hurdle, do as you wish, Captain Baek. As for the second one¡­ Let¡¯s wait and see for a few days. I will make a decision later.¡± Baek Chul pondered because it had been a long time since the man had looked this confused. However, Baek Chul did not express his feelings. He simply bowed and slowly stepped back. ¡°I will do anything you say, sir.¡± Left alone once again, the man swept down his long hair and remained in his chair. He lowered his head with a profound expression. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, the ninth¡­¡± The man¡¯s troublesome young brother had many rumors surrounding him. The young boy had grown up and arrived at this place. Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s intention was clear, but it only deepened the man¡¯s agony. ¡®Of all the siblings, you are the first to come here.¡¯ The man sighed. He felt his heart softening, but he could not change his decision. In the future he saw, only an outrageous and inevitable consequence would follow the wrong choice. ¡°How could fate be so cruel...?¡± Choi Ji-Ho sighed once more. He was the first child of the Comet group¡¯s Choi family, the one who was once called Korea¡¯s greatest New Divinity 10 years ago. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. *** Choi Yu-Seong and his party did not climb the hill hastily. Rather, they climbed the hill as carefully as possible, thinking that there could be some danger or traps lying in wait. Only after an hour-long climb did they manage to find Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s hanok mansion. ¡°Who knew there was a house in a place like this,¡± Jin Do-Yoon commented with a surprised look. ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing, but¡­ First of all, we are certain that the Chairman has directed us to this destination, right?¡± Jin Yu-Ri was talking while she looked around. Then, she suddenly stretched her hand and pulled out a whip that was condensed with energy. At that moment, a black figure suddenly appeared from thin air in front of the party. Yu-Ri¡¯s whip flew as if dancing and Jin Do-Yoon instinctively sent his fist rushing forward, trying to hit the figure. Baek Chul, the man who grabbed Yu-Ri¡¯s whip with his left hand and Do-Yoon¡¯s wrist with his right, smiled. He praised, ¡°You have pretty good skills and senses.¡± Choi Yu-Seong narrowed his eyes. ¡®He blocked Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri¡¯s joint attack effortlessly. Who is he?¡¯ Although neither of the siblings had shown their full power, theirs had been a surprise attack. However, Baek Chul had stopped the two¡¯s attacks quite easily. For such a thing to be possible, he needed to be incredibly strong. ¡°He is an S-rank hunter.¡± Baek Chul nodded gently at Yu-Seong¡¯s small self-talk, then shook off both hands. Yu-Ri¡¯s whip bounced and flew into the air, and Do-Yoon was greatly pushed back. ¡°My master did not give me any specific instructions, but to enter this house, you have to prove your worth. I¡¯d say that I am the gatekeeper. Just so you know, the two of you passed. But the other one¡­¡± Baek Chul¡¯s gaze turned to Yu-Seong, who was standing still and silently watching him. When Yu-Seong stepped forward with a faint smile, Baek Chul addressed the siblings. ¡°You two can stay there.¡± When Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri naturally tried to follow, Yu-Seong stopped them. ¡°Are you trying to show off your skills?¡± ¡°Technically, yes,¡± said Yu-Seong. He laughed gently and slowly approached Baek Chul. ¡°As a warning, my standards are quite harsh. It means that at least you should be as good as the two people in the back,¡± said Baek Chul with a smile. ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong stepped near Baek Chul without saying anything. ¡®One more step.¡¯ As if a line had been drawn, Yu-Seong was convinced that Baek Chul would strike if he crossed a certain line. To be exact, Yu-Seong even thought that he might die if he crossed the line, so he stopped right at the edge of that supposed line. ¡°Likewise, you also have a good sense. It hasn¡¯t been long since you became a hunter, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°You are confident. I like your attitude. As a special case, if you avoid my attack just once, I will open up the path.¡± ¡°Does that mean I, who is only an E-rank, have to avoid the fist of an S-rank hunter once?¡± ¡°If you are not confident, you can turn your back and go home now.¡± ¡°How could I be¡­?¡± Yu-Seong smiled gently and stepped forward, crossing the line. He placed his toes slightly forward. Just the mere imagination of entering the arbitrary space made him feel an intense pressure, causing goosebumps all over his body. But Yu-Seong did not hesitate for long. ¡®I¡¯m going in.¡¯ As soon as he stepped forward, something split the air with an explosive sound. Yu-Seong thought it would probably be Baek Chul¡¯s fist, which in fact tore through the air and grazed his ear. His cochlea ached from the intense sound. All of that happened in a flash. Baek Cheol stopped his fist right next to Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s face and burst into laughter. ¡°You had no intention of avoiding my attack from the beginning.¡± ¡°Likewise, you had no intention of attacking me from the beginning.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°I could tell from your eyes and your energy.¡± Yu-Seong did have that speculation, but his courage mostly came from the conclusion he had come to in his mind. ¡®It¡¯s too unreasonable¡­to have my father''s gift in a place where I can¡¯t even get into unless an S-rank hunter recognizes my fighting ability.¡¯ It was not about how difficult it was for Yu-Seong to show the performance of Yu-Ri or Do-Yoon, because that would be an impossibility. Of course, going beyond his limits could have been Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s test. Woo-Jae was so eccentric and unique in personality that that would have been within the realm of possibility. However, even so, Yu-Seong thought it did not matter. ¡®After all, if this guy is Father¡¯s person, he would never kill me.¡¯ Coming to that simple conclusion, Yu-Seong was able to move beyond the line even though his heart was frightened by the possible fatality. ¡°Even so, crossing the Death Line is not an easy task. It is not something that can be done with strength and wisdom. It can be done only with the heart, a courageous one.¡± Baek Chul called the line that Yu-Seong had felt threatened by the Death Line. It was certainly a plausible name. If Baek Chul had really made up his mind, Yu-Seong would have died the moment he crossed that line. ¡®Honestly. When the fist passed by, I went weak at the knees and I almost fell over.¡¯ Fortunately, Yu-Seong was able to withstand it by flexing his thighs with his strong willpower. ¡°My greetings are late, I am Baek Chul. I am currently managing this mansion. Please forgive me for daring to judge a descendant of a great family. Well, I have to say that I am very impressed.¡± Baek Chul bowed deeply, looking at the upright Yu-Seong. Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon breathed a sigh of relief, but Yu-Seong was greatly shocked by the revelation. Baek Chul was a man not yet known to the public. He was originally one of the secret guards directly under Choi Woo-Jae. Only about five people in the entire Comet Group knew about him. However, the Baek Chul that Yu-Seong remembered was slightly different from the one standing before him. ¡®Baek Chul? Baek Chul, the Lion King?¡¯ Baek Chul was the strongest of the physical-reinforcement type hunters. He later became Kim Do-Jin¡¯s colleague and took charge as the party¡¯s vanguard¡­ Yu-Seong knew how Kim Do-Jin became colleagues with Baek Chul. Yu-Seong turned his gaze to the hanok-style mansion¡¯s tightly shut doors. ¡°Then this is Ji-Ho hyung-nim¡®s hideaway¡­?¡± Baek Chul, who was bowing his head, could not hide his inner feelings of surprise at Yu-Seong¡¯s small self-talk. ¡®Is it just his gut feeling? Or did he have any information related to me?¡¯ Yu-Seong had realized who the mansion¡¯s owner was without Baek Chul¡¯s direct input, but he had appeared completely ignorant until Baek Chul had given his name. Baek Chul couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Yu-Seong¡¯s sixth sense or intelligence, but it was not an ability that could be ignored. ¡®It is said that a dog is not born to a tiger¡­ He is indeed my master¡¯s younger brother!¡¯ Naturally, Baek Chul¡¯s lips rose into a smile. In addition, goosebumps crawled up his back. *** Based on the original novel ¨C [Modern Master Returns] ¨C Kim Do-Jin would meet Choi Ji-Ho about three years from now, after climbing an unnamed mountain on the outskirts of Seoul. Choi Ji-Ho knew the truth that Kim Do-Jin was the one to kill Choi Woo-Jae, but he did not blame him much for that. It was described in the novel that forgiveness was possible because Choi Ji-Ho had stepped down from the frontline anyway and had gone into hiding, training his mind like a hermit. However, it was obviously an episode with many things that were hard to understand. Naturally, Choi Yu-Seong thought a little differently now. ¡®There must have been a specific reason.¡¯ Just as it was with Choi Woo-Jae, the characters of this world were quite colorful and rich, unlike the original novel. So would Choi Ji-Ho have forgiven Kim Do-Jin without reason? ¡®Perhaps Choi Ji-Ho knew that Kim Do-Jin was a warrior who would save the world.¡¯ One of Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s abilities that were showcased in the novel was his ability to predict the future, and Choi Yu-Seong thought it was likely that this was the case. Regardless, it was most important that Choi Ji-Ho ordered Baek Chul to follow Kim Do-Jin in the episode. Baek Chul had been somewhat reluctant, but he obeyed Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s orders. He cleared dungeons together with Kim Do-Jin and developed respect and a sense of comradery with the man as they prevented disasters together. Afterward, Baek Chul faced one of the demons¡¯ commanders in the final act of chapter 1 and sacrificed himself to allow Kim Do-Jin to stab the heart of one of the seven demon kings. Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong knew that Baek Chul was fit to be called one of the strongest physical-reinforcement players. And now, Baek Chul was guiding Yu-Seong into the mansion. There were other people in black clothes who followed them, but they were all sent away. Baek Chul personally wanted to bring Choi Yu-Seong, whom he found brilliant and courageous, around. He commented, ¡°I was really surprised. You possess both courage and wisdom. I can¡¯t believe you noticed with but a few clues after looking around that the mansion belonged to the master¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t really call it wisdom. It was just a gut feeling. Even when he was in Seoul, he was famous for being a free spirit. I just assumed it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he had settled down in a place like this.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Of course, we can leave it at that.¡± Baek Chul simply nodded with a meaningful expression after hearing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s excuse. ¡®It¡¯s just like what I read in the original novel. Baek Chul, this guy is very insistent once he gets hooked on something.¡¯ It was very unexpected and contrary to Baek Chul¡¯s appearance, but Choi Yu-Seong decided to not point out such misunderstandings any longer. ¡®Anyway, there¡¯s no harm in getting in the good books of Baek Chul, the Lion King.¡¯ And in fact, Baek Chul¡¯s impression of Choi Yu-Seong was growing even greater in the silence that the two shared. CH 33 ¡®The Ninth Young Master¡¯s voice clearly contained conviction, not prediction. He said it was just a feeling, but he probably gathered the evidence in a single glance even during the moment of crisis.¡¯ Only bad rumors about Yu-Seong circulated in public, but Baek Chul thought that the rumor-mongers had bad judgment when it came to people. His train of thought continued, ¡®If he continues to grow in this direction, he might one day be on the same level as Master, but¡­¡¯ It placed Yu-Seong¡ªthe ninth young master¡ªin a somewhat disadvantageous position because of his belated start and the accumulated defamation toward him in society. Baek Chul had the thought of wanting to help Yu-Seong, but he had no way to. ¡®My duty is to protect my Master.¡¯ No matter how much he liked Yu-Seong, he couldn¡¯t leave Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s side. ¡°Unfortunately, my master is not present at the moment. If he had known that you, the ninth young master, was visiting, this would not have happened¡­ Recently, he said he wanted to be alone and has left for somewhere.¡± ¡°I see. Then, should I wait a few days?¡± ¡°Yes. It will probably take about that long. He¡¯s away often, but not usually for very long.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Although Yu-Seong answered calmly, he did not speak his mind. His mind held onto different thoughts. ¡®It¡¯s probably a lie that he is not here.¡¯ According to the original novel and known incidents, it was said that Ji-Ho became paralyzed and that he could not move. It was possible that he could move, considering his awakening ability¡ªWind Control Execution¡ªwhich dealt with the wind. However, even so, it did not make sense that Baek Chul¡ªwho was no different than a guard¨Chad completely left his side. ¡®He is in the house, but he won¡¯t see me yet.¡¯ Yu-Seong did not know the reason, but he did not question the man¡¯s decision. ¡®Because there must be a reason why he doesn¡¯t want to meet me right away.¡¯ Choi Ji-Ho of the original novel was initially a rather relaxed character. He was not bad-tempered or wicked, thus Yu-Seong thought waiting wouldn¡¯t be a bad decision. Obviously, that did not mean that he would completely let his guard down. ¡®I¡¯ll wait about three to four days, and then go back if he doesn''t show up.¡¯ Yu-Seong thought that discovering Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s hiding place was enough as a gift. There were still many people in the group looking for Ji-Ho and wanting his help. The fact that Yu-Seong knew his location was no different from him having one more ace in his deck of cards. ¡°I can help you avoid boredom while you wait. First of all, you can choose to train by sparring with the people in this mansion. And there is also a 2nd-grade dungeon in this mountain that would be perfect for you, ninth young master. Of course, if you don¡¯t like both options, you can just rest comfortably,¡± suggested Baek Chul. ¡°Oh, that''s good to hear,¡± exclaimed Yu-Seong sincerely. Yu-Ri was listening to the story with her arms folded. She said with a smile, ¡°I will refuse both. I want to rest a little.¡± ¡°Then I would like to ask for sparring. If it is possible¡­ I want to be taught directly by Baek Chul sunbae-nim[1],¡± said Do-Yoon. Yu-Ri chose to observe without showing off her ability while Do-Yoon chose his own way to spend the time. Yu-Seong could guess their individual intentions, and asked Baek Chul, ¡°Oh, are there any hunters at about E-rank among the people here?¡± ¡°Not many, but there are a few trainees,¡± confirmed Baek Chul. Yu-Seong nodded. He had been secretly observing the movements of the people in the mansion. They had been hiding their presence while moving about busily. ¡®I assume it¡¯s some kind of a ¡®step technique¡¯?¡¯ Moreover, seeing that everyone was using the same skill, Yu-Seong guessed that it was a rare transferable skill that could be passed on to others. Obviously, they wouldn¡¯t give out the skill method at the request of an outsider, even though it was Yu-Seong of the Choi family. Yet, did it matter to Yu-Seong? ¡®I have the Eye of Replication.¡¯ It was time to say goodbye to Dodge Roll. Yu-Seong no longer needed to roll on the floor with a rather sloppy appearance. ¡®I also have the Stylish skill, so it¡¯s better to have a skill that looks cool.¡¯ A big smile tugged on Yu-Seong¡¯s lips after he got off that train of thought. ¡°That¡¯s great. Then I¡¯d like to ask to compete with people who are at my level. As you know, I¡¯m still an E-rank.¡± Yu-Seong had come into a huge, unexpected windfall. It was a natural opportunity to learn skills by stealing them. *** Although it was short, sparring for only about three hours, Yu-Seong had gained a lot. ¡ºGeneral Skill, Flow of Eight Steps. The First Three Steps (F) Fusion possible. Inheritance possible. At the end of the eight steps that flow like a wave, there is a path of wind flowing through the clouds. This is a skill that has not been completely inherited. If there is no next inheritance, the skill grade will not increase. You can only use three out of eight steps. You can hide some of your presence. For three steps after skill activation, you can instantly accelerate your movement. Penalties are applied for Replication skill. The number of times ability can be used is 10. You can only use two out of three steps. ¡» There were also some minor skills, but Yu-Seong abandoned them all. This was because he thought there was nothing better he could gain if he gave up his current skills. However, Flow of Eight Steps was something he had been aiming for from the beginning, and it was different. ¡®Even if it¡¯s only the first three steps, it¡¯s a different level of evasion technique than the Dodge Roll.¡¯ It was a real evasion technique he had been hoping to learn for so long. ¡®Oh, but even if Flow of Eight Steps itself is awesome, what if something strange comes out after Fusion?¡¯ It was the same reason why Yu-Seong had not attempted Fusion for his skill, Insight. Although the abilities produced by Fusion were partly affected by the base skills, there was no guarantee that it would only improve. Rather, it was important to keep in mind that it could be downgraded. After a short deliberation, Yu-Seong made a decision. ¡®Let¡¯s try.¡¯ Unlike Insight¨Cthe hardest skill to obtain since it could be only gained by nagging at Kim Do-Jin again¨Cthe Flow of Eight Steps could be copied whenever he visited this mansion. Of course, there was a three-month waiting time if he duplicated a skill with the same name, but it was safe to say that he could get it again someday. Therefore, Yu-Seong decided to merge Dodge Roll (E) and Flow of Eight Steps, The First Three Steps (F). Shortly after the Fusion skill was activated, Yu-Seong felt a certain intuition when he saw the gorgeous golden light covering his eyes. A light different from the light of normal fusion covered his field of vision. Considering that the Awakener system resembled a game to some extent, the more spectacular the effect, the higher the probability of a better reward. ¡®This is definitely a jackpot!¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s prediction was not far off. ¡ºSpecial Skills, Wind Control Execution (E) Fusion not possible. Inheritance not possible. At the end of 18 steps that flow like a wave, a dragon that catches the wind travels through the clouds. This is a skill that has been completely inherited. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. You can only use five out of eighteen steps due to the current low grade. You can kill some of your presence. For five steps after skill activation, you can instantly accelerate your movement. Immediately after skill activation, you can instantly create a short illusion using all five steps. If you use illusion 2 or more times in a row, re-use waiting time (30 minutes) will occur. ¡» ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± Yu-Seong sat in place with his mouth wide open. ¡®Wind Control Execution¡­!¡¯ There were some penalties, such as Fusion and inheritance not being possible, but that was not a problem. Yu-Seong has gained one of the signature abilities of Choi Ji-Ho¨Cwho was once the most likely successor to the Comet Group. It was truly like a mega jackpot. *** A new dungeon appeared near Unjeong, Paju of Gyeonggi. The appearance of a new dungeon after a long time had put a short emergency alert throughout the country. This was because it was remarkably close to Seoul¨Cthe capital city¨Cand the dungeon¡¯s internal ecosystem was not known at all. An investigation team was dispatched and led by Park Chul-Ho¨Cthe Iron Wall¨C an S-rank player from the Association. When the dungeon was found to be level six, everyone breathed sighs of relief. It was common sense that level six dungeons could be cleared easily if ten or more people with rank B level 80 based on general hunter standards worked together to attack. It was a dungeon that didn¡¯t pose a great danger for South Korea, which had many players of the S-rank and even SS-rank. When these reassuring facts were revealed, the system was designed to assign the first boss to the player with a matching rank and level or to the rookies supported by the country. This was because players gained more experience points by attacking new bosses on Earth. Because of this manual, Do-Jin became part of the attack team after he recently climbed to become a C-rank player. This was understandable in some way but also a factor that inevitably caused complaints. ¡®C-rank is no big deal. He is not even at level 10 since he just recently became C-rank.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re not babysitters and no matter how promising he is, it still feels bad to carry a greenhorn.¡¯ ¡®If someone gets hurt or dies because of a newbie while we hunt the boss monster, they will give only several bucks as compensation. Are they really going to send just anyone?¡¯ Many people had complaints, but none of them expressed their dissatisfaction out loud. Anyway, Kim Do-Jin was currently a promising prospect that the world was paying attention to and his hunting record proved it. Even more, a short while ago, he had solo cleared Orc War Chief, a named boss monster of a rank four dungeon. He cleared the dungeon alone which usually required ten people at rank D level 80, so it was safe to say that he already had the combat power of a high-level C-rank at that point. However, the problem was that the dungeon that appeared now was as strong as rank six. That was how his dungeon-clearing process started. The attackers included hunters with at least rank B level thirty up to level ninety at the highest except for Kim Do-Jin. They attacked the dungeon with an irresistible force. It was a party with enough prospects to support the first clear of the dungeons in the country, even if they were dissatisfied inwardly. Everyone would carry their own weight even if they were slightly below the normal threshold. Kim Do-Jin did not really stand out within the group. It felt like he was only doing as much as his part. In that sense, it was certainly somewhat extraordinary. Although he had just climbed to rank C, he showed movements and performance that were not lacking compared to the top-ranked B-rank prospective hunters. Naturally, most of them accepted him, thinking that he would not be a burden. However, on the other hand, many of them were worried. ¡®He definitely has a high-level ability, but he is still just a C-rank, right? It won¡¯t be easy to follow our pace.¡¯ ¡®If he already showed everything he has, it¡¯s going to be hard when facing the elite monsters.¡¯ As you broke through the dungeon and approached the boss room, powerful enemies called ¡®elite¡¯ monsters appeared in addition to normal monsters. Elite monsters were not as powerful as the boss but were considered three times more powerful than average monsters. However, the meaning of ¡®three times¡¯ here didn¡¯t mean simply dealing with three normal monsters. As one monster was as strong as three normal monsters, what was actually felt was much more difficult. In fact, all of them who were gathered here were conserving their strength little by little in consideration of the fierce battle against elite monsters. Though, what about Kim Do-Jin, who was still only at the beginning of C-rank? The attackers somewhat changed their thoughts when they started to battle some elite monsters they encountered near the boss room. 1. A Korean word that refers to a far more experienced person within the same school, company, or group ? CH 34 In general, it was widely believed that the elite monsters¡ªwhich usually appeared in rank six dungeons¡ªcould only be hunted by over three players of rank-B level fifty. However, Kim Do-Jin appeared to hunt the elite monsters rather leisurely, despite having only two and not even three psychic-type players to support him. ¡®Yeah, Kim Do-Jin. He is different from just a typical prospect.¡¯ ¡®We certainly underestimated him.¡¯ Although they were surprised and some even changed their minds about him, the majority expected Do-jin to be this good since he was called a super rookie. He also had the support of an entire country. Thus, the ten attackers reached the Boss Monster room easily. They wrestled against the Knight of Darkness and succeeded in driving their swords into its neck. In the meantime, Kim Do-Jin had done more than enough for one person. Naturally, all of those who had been filled with complaints changed the way they looked at him. ¡°Good job, Kim Do-Jin. You did better than I expected. I understand why the country counts on you.¡± The man in his thirties, who was the leader of the attack team and also a tanker, spoke to Kim Do-Jin for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s coming. Everyone, prepare yourselves,¡± said Do-Jin with sharp eyes. Even though they felt doubt, the majority of the attackers took on a defensive posture, as expected from veterans of B-rank or higher. At that moment, the Knight of Darkness who they assumed was dead rose and emitted red sword energy all over the place. The inside of the boss room was filled with dust, along with an explosion and the confused attackers¡¯ screams. ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°It definitely was dead, wasn¡¯t it?¡± In fact, the Knight of Darkness had died and the attackers had received the corresponding experience points. However, the given points had been somewhat small for the first clear of a boss monster. The confusion was only momentary. The dust clouds settled, revealing the attackers¡¯ stiffened faces. There were initially ten of them, but¡­ ¡®Three are dead?¡¯ Three attackers who had ignored and did not respond to Do-Jin¡¯s words were now cold corpses rolling on the ground. Right at the front, Do-Jin was fighting the resurrected Knight of Darkness alone. While they observed the Knight of Darkness randomly scatter its sword energy, everyone was thinking the same thing. ¡®That¡¯s the power of the rank six boss monster?¡¯ ¡®¡­Is there also such a thing as the elites of the boss monster?¡¯ The resurrected Knight of Darkness emanated a much stronger momentum than before. It wasn¡¯t as strong as the general rank seven, but it was still overwhelmingly strong among the rank six boss monsters the attackers had ever seen. The word ¡®elite¡¯ came to mind for a reason. Elite monsters were three times stronger than their counterparts. For the first time in history, the attackers were faced with a different pattern from the investigation team¡¯s initial investigation and prediction. It was a situation that could lead to annihilation if things went wrong, but the confusion did not last long. ¡®Kim Do-Jin. He¡¯s not falling behind even when fighting with that boss monster.¡¯ With minor injuries from the continuous fierce battles, Kim Do-Jin was drenched in blood, but he was unbelievably calm as he continued to attack. It was an equal match. ¡®That Knight of Darkness versus the hunter who just reached rank-C¡­¡¯ They were fighting at an almost equal level. This clearly went beyond the realm of outstanding¡­and went to the point of making absolutely no sense. However, it was happening right in front of the attackers¡¯ eyes. ¡®Did that guy hide his skills the whole time before the boss match?¡¯ After entering the dungeon, Kim Do-Jin had displayed quite a bit of skill, but it had not been as good as what the attackers were seeing right now. Kim Do-Jin was even smiling with a red glimmer in his eyes. It appeared like neither defeat nor death was on his mind. The surreal appearance sparked the word ¡®hope¡¯ in all of the attackers¡¯ minds. ¡°Hey, healer, what are you doing?! Wake up! Give Kim Do-Jin a Heal!¡± A man in his forties¡ªwho had initially been the least pleased with Do-Jin joining¡ªclenched his fist and shouted. There was a little admiration and awe in his eyes while he drew his main weapon¡ª the bow¡ªand pulled the bowstring. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the front!¡± A man in his thirties, who was also the team leader, ran out shouting to play the role of a tanker. The sword that was swerved toward Kim Do-Jin¡¯s heart momentarily bent away from him and towards the tanker. The tanker felt a heavy shock from the raised shield and was pushed back. ¡®Even a tanker like me is being pushed back by this much¡­¡¯ Do-Jin was an attacker but he didn¡¯t retreat even a step while facing the boss monster¡¯s sword. ¡®Isn¡¯t he the real monster?¡¯ Of course, this wasn¡¯t a criticism and more of a compliment. Certainly, Do-Jin was fundamentally different. He was the future New Star that would lead the Republic of Korea, which was somewhat ignored among other developed countries. ¡®I¡¯ll protect you by any means.¡¯ The man shouted again and ran forward determinedly. Soon, the 30-minute battle ended. Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword pierced the Knight of Darkness¡¯ neck. This was the first boss that created the word ¡®Phase two¡¯. The black blood poured down to the floor. A black glimmer had been emitting from inside the Knight of Darkness¡¯ helmet. The monster¡¯s knees were bent. The boss monster¡ªwhich drove the entire attack squad to fear for their lives¡ªwas completely dead. ¡°Whoo¡­¡± Do-Jin let out a short sigh and withdrew Insight skill amid countless level-up notifications and messages from the gods. Simultaneously, the surviving attackers around Do-Jin shouted along with cheers. ¡°Kim Do-Jin!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best. That was stunning!¡± ¡°Thanks to you, we survived. I¡¯ll never forget what you have done.¡± ¡°How the hell did you know about the change in boss monster?! You¡¯re amazing!¡± It had simply been intuition since the airflow had felt different from the usual. Do-Jin had intuitively known that it would have been dangerous if he didn¡¯t spare any strength. All Kim Do-Jin did was believe in his skill¡ª¡®Sixth Sense¡¯¡ªbut he did not bother to explain it. He wasn¡¯t even listening to the surrounding cheers. Do-Jin was born to be a leader who knew how to lead and gain followers, so he didn¡¯t reject those who crowded around him and rejoiced. However, his thoughts lay somewhere else as he smiled. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong, soon I¡¯ll make you like them.¡¯ There was another person he had been coveting lately. *** There was a rank two dungeon located in a mountain. Somewhere in the desert field, entering through a crypt with Baek Chul¡¯s guidance, Choi Yu-Seong scratched his ear. ¡®Ah, my ears are itchy. Is there someone swearing at me?¡¯ Although he felt so itchy that his nerves were on edge, he soon started to grin at the level-up message window floating in front of him. ¡®It feels like I¡¯ve already received all the presents.¡¯ Yu-Seong was surrounded by corpses of rank two monsters¡ªTusks Moul¡ªbut there was no other hunter except him in the area. It was a monopoly of the hunting ground! He was enjoying the privilege that any low-rank hunter¡ªstruggling to level up¡ªwished for. ¡®I should enjoy it now. It¡¯ll be hard to monopolize dungeons by myself like this when I become a higher rank.¡¯ As his rank went up, Choi Yu-Seong had to go to a higher-grade dungeon in order to get as many experience points as he wanted. The problem was that the dungeons¡¯ difficulty rose sharply every time they crossed certain boundaries. Therefore, the higher the rank, the number of people who hunted alone decreased dramatically. In fact, except for some of the world¡¯s leading players, it was safe to say that it was necessary to organize parties or attack teams. Anyway, the current situation was unexpectedly somewhat sweet for Choi Yu-Seong. Fortunately, there was a rank two dungeon in the mountain that matched his level. Thus, he came to try out the Wind Control Execution and level-up. However, he had gained more than he expected from monopolizing the hunting ground by himself. ¡®Maybe they didn¡¯t even register this dungeon to the association.¡¯ It was originally illegal if a dungeon was found and not registered to the Association. However, for Choi Ji-Ho, if he informed the Association of the dungeon¡¯s location, his hiding place could be revealed. Since it was just a rank two dungeon, it would not be as difficult to manage. Therefore, it was entirely possible that Ji-Ho could have concealed the dungeon¡¯s existence. Of course, it was a bit tricky to catch Tusks Moul crawling underground. Even so, it wasn¡¯t that disappointing because Yu-Seong was quite satisfied with monopolizing the hunting ground. ¡®I think I¡¯m going to get drunk from the glee of dungeon monopoly.¡¯ There was nothing more to say about this. It was easily proven by the results. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Age: 20 Series: All-Rounder Rank: E Level: 60 Retention History : 1 Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E General Skills: Stylish F, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Vision-reinforcement F, Physical-reinforcement (overwrite) ¡ú Protective Shield E Special Skill: Wind Stance (E) Current Disabled Skill Space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite normal skills except for the initial skills. ¡» Choi Yu-Seong drank the Hunting experience boost potion without hesitation since he was monopolizing the dungeon. And as a result, he was able to level up more than 20 times in just three days. Obviously, there was also a risk that no one could save Yu-Seong from danger since he was alone. So, Jin Yu-Ri entered the dungeon and watched Yu-Seong from a distance. It was not impossible for her to enter together with him since the dungeon was not exactly registered with the Association. ¡®She looked a bit disappointed when I told her to stay so far away, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ In fact, Yu-Seong had initially placed Yu-Ri nearby, but she kept trying to help whenever Yu-Seong seemed to be in even a little bit of danger, so he asked her to keep a further distance from him. There had been as many as twenty Tusks Mouls killed by Jin Yu-Ri at the beginning of the hunt. ¡®Because while I was catching about twenty of them, Yu-Ri caught them at a similar rate.¡¯ It was not that good for Yu-Seong¡¯s growth in many ways. Therefore, Yu-Seong pretended not to notice Yu-Ri¡¯s disappointment and made her stay a distance away. In addition, he sternly warned her not to step up until he gave a signal. ¡®If it¡¯s not to the point of really dying, it¡¯s good to be in a situation where I can feel a certain degree of danger even for the sake of real-life experiences.¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong did not completely kick Yu-Ri out because he had already experienced a big incident once due to his mistake. ¡®It would be difficult for criminals or other power influences to affect the dungeon that Ji-Ho hyung-nim is managing, but¡­¡¯ No one knew what went on inside a dungeon. In this case, Jin Yu-Ri was a strong safety device that could replace the role of a trusted colleague made to watch Yu-Seong¡¯s back, which was what Yu-Seong desired. Anyway, except for such large variables, a moderate threat to monster hunting was essential for maintaining and developing a sense of battle. Of course, Yu-Seong did not like pain either. In addition, he didn¡¯t want to feel the thrill of risking his life. However, he thought he had no choice but to carry the minimum risk considering the various threats ahead. ¡®Although it would be nice to have a skill similar to Sixth Sense like Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯ Not long ago, Yu-Seong had obtained Wind Stance that was as good as Kim Do Jin¡¯s protagonist grade skills. Although he clicked his tongue in regret, he decided not to be too greedy. In fact, it was already much easier to dodge attacks by Tusk Mouls that suddenly popped out of the ground than ordinary hunters thanks to Wind Control Execution. After about twenty more minutes immersed in hunting, Yu-Seong rose another level and checked the watch that worked even in the dungeon. ¡°Shall I call it a day?¡± It was soon time for the sun to set. At that moment, Yu-Seong caught strange movements in the corners of his eyes when he was about to return from hunting at a similar time as usual. ¡®Something just now¡­¡¯ Some of the dungeon landscape that had been familiar after seeing it for a few days was distorted. CH 35 It was a pretty big change, so it wasn¡¯t hard to notice even if Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t pay close attention. Then, in a blink of an eye, part of the space distorted and spread out wide as if it were vomiting. The first thing that popped out from the mysterious phenomenon was a sand statue in the shape of a human. It was about 2m tall with red gem-like eyes, and it was holding a spear and a thick shield made of sand. It moved its head in a rather awkward motion and looked at Yu-Seong. Then, it opened its rather small mouth, crumbling rocks and causing dust to fly around. Caeeeee-! Soon, it roared, which caused the ground to tremble. With glowing eyes, Yu-Seong used Wind Control Execution to quickly widen his distance. It was a sudden, mysterious phenomenon. Moreover, a strange monster had appeared in a hunting ground filled with only Tusk Mouls. To him, it was clear what this represented. ¡®It¡¯s the boss monster!¡¯ The monster kicked off the sandy ground and rushed toward Yu-Seong. The finest spear that was worth over 2 billion won and made by craftsmen, collided with the boss monster¡¯s sand spear. Claang-! A thundering noise was heard. Yu-Seong trembled from the impact that shook his eardrums. He immediately wrapped Spark around his right foot and turned his waist to hit the boss monster¡¯s head. The boss monster¡ªthe sand officer¡ªtried to lift the shield and attack Yu-Seong. However, its head exploded and sand scattered everywhere. Yu-Seong could feel the grainy texture of having sand sucked into the lung. He wanted to cough but he did not even have time to do so. He immediately used Wind Control Execution at once. ¡®The First Step.¡¯ The sand officer¡¯s shield struck the spot where Yu-Seong was standing just a moment ago. Soon after, some of the scattered sand returned to its original place and formed the sand officer¡¯s head once more. ¡°Cough, cough. Owww, my throat.¡± Obviously, the sand officer showed no consideration to wait for Yu-Seong while he was coughing. Without delay, its spear flew up from the ground and aimed at Yu-Seong¡¯s head once again. Yu-Seong fended off the attack by using Block, pushing his shield forward. He used the subsequent momentum and turned his body slightly, then used Seize to shut down the shield that was coming from below. Yu-Seong looked into the sand officer¡¯s red eyes and used Wind Control Execution to move to the creature''s back. He stretched his spear forward and used Sting, piercing through the sand officer¡¯s chest and reaching near its heart. However, the sand officer continued glaring at Yu-Seong with red eyes. ¡®So, it won¡¯t die even if I smash the head or stab the heart.¡¯ This made sense since the creature was made of sand. Fortunately, this time, Yu-Seong did not have to eat sand since he was quite far away. He then calmly wielded his spear while distancing himself from the attacking sand officer. As soon as he saw the chance, he fired Spark to stop the sand officer¡¯s movement and even cut off all of its four limbs. Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes glistened when he found a fist-sized stone wrapped in red light in the gaps of the sand officer¡¯s body. ¡®That is¡­?¡¯ In the original novel, there was no scene of hunting the sand officers. Therefore, Yu-Seong had to think about how to kill the monster since he didn¡¯t have any information. And the moment he saw the red stone, he had a strong intuition from being a maniac of games and genre novels for a long time. ¡®That¡¯s definitely the Core!¡¯ In general, the only weakness for monsters of that kind was the Core. Yu-Seong immediately came to the conclusion that he could defeat the monster by breaking the red stone. Even if all the other parts could be regenerated, the core would not be restored. He tried to quickly stab with his spear once again. However, when the limbless sand officer screamed, a sudden gust of sand blew forth and blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s view. It pushed him away, stopping him from ending the fight. Yu-Seong stepped back and calmly moved on, but his heart was racing. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I still have time.¡¯ He was doing okay. He was fighting well against the boss monster of a rank two dungeon alone. A rank two dungeon was generally hunted by a five-member E-rank party above level fifty, and with his performance, Yu-Seong was pleased. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. Originally, Choi Yu-Seong was an ordinary man, an employee of a game company. There had been various changes after he was possessed by the novel, but to be honest, he never thought that he was particularly outstanding. Simply, he thought that he had achieved such results from possessing prior information and had unique spite and tenacity. However, his feelings had now changed. Yu-Seong moved naturally, being guided by the flow of the air and the spear tip quivered. As he immersed himself in that feeling, he pushed back the attacks of the fully regenerated sand officer and swung his spear down to cut off one of its legs. Then, he pulled his spear upward and thrust it forward to pierce even the sand officer¡¯s shield. ¡®Something¡¯s changed,¡¯ Yu-Seong thought. Now he was not Yu-Seong, the ordinary game company employee. However, he was also not a villain belonging to a chaebol[1] family in the novel. ¡®It¡¯s like¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong felt like he was similar to Kim Do-Jin, the main character of the novel he read. Sweat drenched his hair and ran down all over his body, but he didn¡¯t feel heavy. All he felt was a sense of thrill. *** After Yu-Ri found out that the dungeon¡¯s boss monster had appeared from within the distorting space, she immediately kicked the ground. She thought that she had to save Yu-Seong. Although only a short time had passed, a boss monster could pose a much greater threat to him. ¡®I knew I should¡¯ve been closer to him.¡¯ She regretted it for a moment. She felt her heart beating loudly as she approached the battlefield. Everything came into view. ¡®Yu-Seong oppa is¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong was fighting alone in an equal, no, advantageous battle against the sand officer. He dealt with the emergency situation by avoiding and widening the distance between the sand officer and himself, using the acceleration skill which Yu-Ri was seeing for the first time. Spark was used to block the opponent¡¯s movements or to land a powerful blow that led to fatal opportunities. But Yu-Ri was most surprised by Yu-Seong¡¯s Spearmanship, which flowed through space like water. It was sharp and untamed, dangerous. The spear tore, crossed, and penetrated through space. When the boss monster was blown off by a direct hit and the sand dust scattered away, his sweat drops sprinkled through them and stained the surroundings. Yu-Ri could not help but open her mouth and express admiration at the battle¡¯s rather surprising outcome. It felt as if she were looking at a piece of art. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The abnormality of the player¡¯s world¡ªIrregular¡ªwas known as someone who would grow stronger as long as they survived. Today, once again, Yu-Ri was reminded of the fact that Yu-Seong was Irregular. However, she thought that was not the end. ¡®It¡¯s not something that¡¯s possible just because he is lucky.¡¯ Yu-Seong being an Irregular was not the only reason for his strength. The Spearmanship that he was currently using to balance the battle contained only basic skills¡ªBlocking, Seizing, and Piercing. Pushing away, swirling in, and stabbing¡­ Yu-Seong had practiced the three basic skills of Spearmanship day and night without skipping a single day. Despite the infinite repetition of the same movements, he never even seemed to be tired of it. Of course, it was not that the Jin siblings did not ask Yu-Seong if he would want to learn more advanced Spearmanship. Their intention was that it would be nice if he could get a strong spear skill, but since it was literally the realm of luck to hope to learn a strong skill, they wanted him to develop his martial arts in any way possible. Even if they had to hire an expert, they would do it. However, Choi Yu-Seong had rejected their request. This was because he thought he was not good enough in martial arts yet. Many people¡ªincluding the Jin siblings¡ªsaid he had quite the talent, but he had told them that he didn¡¯t want to forget that he was still at the starting point. Evidently, the result of that was seen in the battle against the boss monster¡ªsand officer. Yu-Seong¡¯s Spearmanship was beautiful even though it wasn¡¯t fancy or special. It was authentic. Yu-Ri admitted that Yu-Seong had made the right choice. ¡®Just because it¡¯s basic doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s weak.¡¯ If someone could use it as well as that, a basic skill would be better than any other skill. For a moment, Yu-Ri simply observed the battle as if she was lost in thought. She created a whip in one hand, just in case, and took out the action camera that she had brought with the other hand. ¡®I have to shoot this for sure!¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s battle was too beautiful for her to enjoy alone. *** After falling into a bit of a trance from repeatedly stabbing, cutting, and breaking the sand officer with Spearmanship, Yu-Seong was able to try to identify the location of the sand officer¡¯s core several times. The problem was the sandstorm that erupted with the sand officer¡¯s scream whenever he made an attempt. Because the sandstorm was too tough and powerful, it was hard to even think of breaking through it and destroying the core. Eventually, he needed to effectively pierce the core after confirming its location. ¡®So far, I have used all five steps of Wind Control Execution.¡¯ Yu-Seong did not know exactly how much mana he had remaining, but he estimated that he had about one-third left. Since the Wind Control Execution was powerful, the mana consumption with each usage was quite high. ¡®Perhaps there are two times left before I reach the limit, considering the remaining mana.¡¯ Yu-Seong needed to seize the opportunity this time. He avoided the sand officer¡¯s attack based on his acute sense, and not sight, and immediately used Wind Control Execution. Afterward, he immediately threw the Hail Mary. ¡®Create illusion.¡¯ An illusion could be created by activating Wind Control Execution and using all currently available five steps. When he activated the skill, a strange feeling came to Yu-Seong as if his body was splitting into two. The sand officer, crazily chasing after Yu-Seong, stabbed its spear to the illusion¡¯s head. A mere irrational monster, the sand officer tilted its head as if it intuitively sensed something strange. At that moment, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s spear, which was wrapped in Spark, popped out from under the illusion that dispersed like smoke rising in the air. Yu-Seong thrust the spear right into the crotch of the sand officer. He was convinced this was the right place. ¡®Gotcha.¡¯ Along with the noisy ¡®jjouk-!¡¯ sound, the sand officer¡¯s red eyes turned to the tip of Yu-Seong¡¯s spear. It opened its mouth to scream, but there was no shriek or sandstorm like before. Its physical form returned to its original appearance and was blown away by the wind. Like real sand, it disintegrated and spread throughout the desert. Hunting was a success. ¡°I did it-!¡± Yu-Seong felt relaxed, feeling relieved. He was about to sit down. Your level has risen. Your level has risen. Your level has risen. Your level has risen. Your level has risen¡­ The level-up notifications that he exceedingly loved were heard constantly. Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t bring himself to count them all. The fastest way was to directly check the system information window and see how much his level had risen. ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Age: 20 Type: All-rounder Rank: E Level: 88 Retention History: 1 Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E, Spearmanship Prodigy E (additional) General Skills: Stylish E, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Sight Enhancement E, Protective Shield E Special Skills: Wind Control Execution E Current Disabled Skill Space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite normal skills except for the initial skills.¡» After checking, Yu-Seong exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°Oh my goodness¡­¡± 1. one of the several large, powerful groups of companies in South Korea that are involved in various different types of business ? CH 36 Yu-Seong¡¯s level was 61 before hunting the boss monster, which meant his level had risen by 27 levels. There were only 12 levels left until the Max Level of E-Rank, and that was not the end. ¡®I gained one more special skill?!¡¯ Yu-Seong had already been surprised when he had not one, but two, skills. But now, there was even a third one. He wondered, ¡®Is it a bug?¡¯ Obviously, it couldn¡¯t be a bug. Such a thought was ridiculous since this was reality and not a game. However, it wasn¡¯t strange for Yu-Seong to think it was a bug at this point. ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, Yu-Seong oppa¡­!¡± Yu-Seong felt all the strength leaving his legs. Just as he was starting to fall, Yu-Ri ran to his side while shouting and supported him. ¡°Uh, what?¡± ¡°Can you hear me now?¡± ¡°Ahh, yeah. Sorry, I was a little distracted.¡± Due to the pleasure of successfully hunting the boss monster alone and acquiring a reward far beyond his expectations, Yu-Seong had not heard a single thing Yu-Ri had said. He asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that was incredible! It was extremely amazing. I¡¯m not really the type of person who gets carried away like this, you know. But this is so, seriously, excessively great. What the hell just happened? Why didn¡¯t I know that Yu-Seong oppa was such a great person?¡± ¡°¡­Stop it. It¡¯s really embarrassing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be embarrassed! I¡¯ve been this surprised only twice in my life. Why, why! Do you keep trumping our expectations? Seriously, you give us goosebumps sometimes!¡± exclaimed Yu-Ri. ¡°...¡± Just as Yu-Seong failed to hear her just a moment ago, Yu-Ri also did not seem to be in a state that allowed her to properly communicate with him. She excitedly repeated her words as they exited the dungeon. In the meantime, Yu-Seong checked the other messages and rewards. ¡®Let¡¯s look at the new special skill first.¡¯ ¡ºSpearmanship Prodigy E Has a very good understanding and proficiency in pole weapons, and spears. Get the effect of the normal skill ¨C Cool-headed E ¨C when using the spear. Attack power increases when using the spear. When learning techniques related to spear, the learning rate will be faster. When acquiring skills related to spear, the starting point will be set at a rank one higher.¡» As expected of a special skill, it had a significant effect. Even without the several additional effects, the special skill itself included a normal skill - Cool-headed E. Cool-headed was one skill that was highly regarded by high-ranking hunters because it increased concentration, improved composure, and lessened one¡¯s agitation during combat. ¡®I was hoping to get it someday¡­¡¯ But Yu-Seong managed to easily acquire it along with the special skill. The skill¡¯s effect overlapped with Insight E, which he had gained from Kim Do-Jin, but he didn¡¯t find this to be detrimental at all. ¡®Now, the penalty for using Insight fully would be slightly lessened.¡¯ Of course, the real outstanding ability of Insight lay in its capability to allow the user to see through some of the world¡¯s data, but what Yu-Seong currently needed most was mental power. He had such an impression upon first killing someone. If he couldn¡¯t properly control his agitation, it would one day lead to his death. Yu-Seong knew he could easily deal with such agitation without the help of skill one day, but it was impossible to deal with it right away. Until then, he definitely thought it was okay to borrow the skill¡¯s effect. ¡®By the way¡­ I guess I actually have a talent for spears.¡¯ In the first place, a special skill was an ability that was close to one¡¯s essence. Therefore, it would not have appeared without the talent that was imprinted on the soul or perhaps the body of the player. ¡®Wait, even so, what¡¯s going on with these three special skills?¡¯ It could be simply because of the sloppy setting of the original novel, but if possible, Yu-Seong wanted to know the clear reason for this situation. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t mean there was an immediate answer. ¡®There¡¯s no way for me to find out right now, so it¡¯s just piquing my interest for now. And it¡¯s actually good for me, just by looking at the results¡­¡¯ It was inevitable to sweep the questions under the rug until the opportunity came. Other than that, the message from the gods was also plentiful. -[Private] The Joke-loving Prankster sends you a seductive look. Fifty karma points are sponsored. He is asking you to inherit the skill quickly. Y/N -The Oldest Hunter smiles at the player Choi Yu-Seong. Sixty karma points are sponsored. -The Silky Beard wants to transfer a skill to the player Choi Yu-Seong. Fifty karma points are sponsored. Y/N -The Emperor of Great China wants to have the player Choi Yu-Seong. Thirty karma points are sponsored. -The Red Fang of the Dark Night is smacking their lips, looking at the player Choi Yu-Seong. Ten karma points are sponsored. -The Culann¡¯s Hound sponsored one hundred karma points to the player Choi Yu-Seong. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes twinkled when she checked the non-stop messages with Yu-Seong. She commented, ¡°Even the gods have completely fallen for Yu-Seong oppa. By the way, ¡®the Silky Beard¡¯ wanting to give skill to you is¡­?¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the one you are thinking of.¡± ¡°The Chinese God of Martial Arts¡­¡± Guan-Yu¡ªthe courtesy name ¡®Yunchang¡¯¡ªwas more famous as a general of the Three Kingdoms period and was called ¡®the Chinese God of Martial Arts¡¯ as Yu-Ri mentioned. However, unfortunately, Yu-Seong intended to reject the offer although Guan-Yu was known as the God of Martial Arts. `In the first place, there are so many yangbans[1] called the God of Martial Arts in China that their influence is not special. And that gent¡¯s weapon is guandao[ref]Guandao is a large sword shaped like a crescent moon, and it is famous that it was used by Guan-Yu in the Three Kingdoms.[\ref], right?¡¯ Guan-Yu seemed to admire Yu-Seong¡¯s spearmanship and even wanted to transfer his skills to Yu-Seong. However, the guandao and the spear had quite different ways of being utilized even though they were both pole weapons. It could be said that the spear was a little sharper while guandao was heavier¡­ In any case, Yu-Seong decided to reject Guan-Yu¡¯s offer after a little while, thinking that they were not very compatible. ¡®There are a lot of gods watching right now, so I have to think about saving his face.¡¯ Yu-Seong was also still thinking of ignoring Loki, who was still trying to seduce him or whatever. Rather, a new name appeared in the message of the gods sponsoring many karma points. ¡®Culann¡¯s Hound. Cu Chulainn.¡¯ He was a hero more popular than King Arthur in Ireland. He was handsome enough to be nicknamed the Prince of Light and was also a genius in spearmanship who dealt with a magic spear called Gae Bolg. In fact, his spearmanship was one of the abilities Yu-Seong coveted. Though he seemed to have no intention of transferring skills, Yu-Seong had to be satisfied by confirming his presence for now. Anyway, it could be said that Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s battle was significant enough to attract the attention of Cu Chulainn. ¡®By the way, there are already six gods watching.¡¯ Cu Chulainn was originally a hero like Guan-Yu, but he had become a god after his death. It was not just that. The background of the novel [Modern Master Returns] was that those who achieved great achievements or left their names deep in history became gods and could support others with karma points and raise their status as they were doing now. The problem was that only up to about five gods could share karma points by sponsoring one human. In other words, from now on, the gods who wanted to support Yu-Seong would inevitably become cautious. Since there were gods who already settled and supported him, it was a difficult contest between them. And even though the other five gods did not know, there was also Loki. ¡®The seats are actually full, but it¡¯s a shame to let go of some of the powerful gods I see there.¡¯ There were gods with rather low in name-value or status. Yu-Seong had already noticed the identity of all the gods who sponsored him. ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do. It¡¯s not like I can choose the gods.¡¯ Rather, humans were in a position to be chosen. In addition, considering the situation just a while ago, it was certainly a hopeful situation that six snobby gods supported him. Especially since Choi Yu-Seong was still in the process of growing. When he got out of the dungeon completely with Yu-Ri¡¯s support, Yu-Seong could see the scenery of the mountain that was completely darkened. Looking at such scenery, Yu-Ri seemed to have come to her senses quite a bit; she turned to looked at Yu-Seong. ¡°Can you walk alone?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve used up too much energy. Though, tonight might be a little dangerous¡­¡± Ji-Ho¡¯s people had been kind to Yu-Seong and his companions so far, but he could not be completely off guard. Therefore, the Jin siblings took turns being on watch every night. Yu-Seong expressed his desire to be on the lookout too, but he had nothing else to say when the siblings said that he was excluded because he was less sensitive than the two. ¡°Both of us won¡¯t sleep and be on watch tonight.¡± ¡°Uhm, that would be great. And if Ji-Ho hyung-nim doesn¡¯t come back tomorrow morning, let¡¯s just go home,¡± said Yu-Seong. He didn¡¯t know what gift Choi Woo-Jae had prepared, but Yu-Seong had already gained satisfactory results after coming here. Therefore, he thought it was okay to receive the gift a little later. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s try to be safe and aim for the next time.¡± Yu-Ri agreed with Yu-Seong, and the two went back to Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s house to spend the last night. *** Late at night, Yu-Seong heard a noise and woke up from sleep. He instinctively got up and picked the spear he had placed next to him. However, he failed to react further. That moment when he thought he saw long straight black hair fluttering, a pure white hand was placed against his nape. His eyes blurred in an instant. ¡®Who¡­?¡¯ Bam-! Yu-Seong collapsed to the floor. He was unable to even utter a question. The long-haired man floated in the air above Yu-Seong after he passed out. A bitter smile appeared on Ji-Ho¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like giving you the ordeal, but I can¡¯t help it. I hope you don¡¯t blame me too much.¡± Complex emotions were indiscriminately mixed in his pensive face. *** Experiencing a severe headache, Yu-Seong slowly felt the sensations of his body return as he came around. First, he moved his fingertips and opened his eyes only a while later. He thought he could feel something cold and hard, but it turned out he was lying face down on the stone floor. For a moment he felt a bit creeped out. Yu-Seong quickly got up and looked around. ¡°¡­?!¡± Soon, Choi Yu-Seong found something that filled his eyes with surprise. The room looked like a spacious enough square for even ten people to lay down on the ground. However, the ceiling was so high and dark that it could not be seen, and only a few lights were shining inside the room. The problem was the rooms on either side of Yu-Seong¡¯s room. He could see the other rooms since the walls were made of glass rather than stone. Yu-ri and Do-Yoon were hanging from the wall with their arms and legs chained up. They looked like tortured prisoners. While a mixture of bewilderment and anger overwhelmed his mind¡­ [You¡¯re awake.] ¡­a tampered voice was heard from a speaker somewhere. 1. Basically ¡®yangban¡¯ refers to the status of the ruling class during the Joseon Dynasty, but it is also used as a term to refer to a person who is decent and polite. It is also used as a term to refer to a man commonly or rudely. ? CH 37 Yu-Seong clenched his fist and shouted toward the ceiling. He could not see the ceiling¡¯s end, but he knew that the voice had come from above. He yelled, ¡°What did you do to them, you bastards?!¡± It was a sharp cry, but the figure beyond the speaker continued to speak calmly. [At least they¡¯re still alive. And it¡¯s about time for them to wake up.] Yu-Seong bit his lower lip and took a deep breath. It felt like he was losing his reason and his mind filled with only anger, but he knew that he needed to stay calm. ¡®Calm down, Choi Yu-Seong. You need to think of a way to get out of this situation now.¡¯ He could not find an answer if he was swayed by emotions. [You react more rationally than I expected. I thought you¡¯d be trying to break the wall right away.] ¡°I don¡¯t even expect that the wall is thin enough to be wrecked by a fist. There may be a mana barrier. I know that it¡¯s not a good idea to waste my power,¡± said Yu-Seong. [Exactly. The mana barrier on the glass wall can¡¯t be broken even by an S-rank player. So, it¡¯s better for you to not have useless thoughts.] ¡°Now, answer my question. Who are you and where is this? Why did you kidnap us? Is this also one of Father''s tests?¡± Yu-Seong asked several questions, but he had already found answers to some of them. First, he already discovered the identity of the suspect who kidnapped him and his companions. ¡®Choi Ji-Ho or Baek Cheol. Or even both.¡¯ There were no other explanations, and it was almost impossible for others to intervene. Yu-Seong had been staying at Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s mansion. No matter how many teeth were missing, a tiger was still a tiger. Even Baek Cheol¡ªan S-rank player¡ªhad been staying in the mansion. It was extremely unlikely for a third party to swing by, get involved, and kidnap three people. This also made it easy to find the answer to the third question. ¡®If Choi Ji-Ho and Baek Cheol are involved, this must be Father¡¯s test.¡¯ However, the situation was very different from before. ¡®I don¡¯t feel good about this.¡¯ A voice responded from above. [This is ¡®The Room of Sacrifice.¡¯] ¡°I don¡¯t think you answered all of my questions.¡± [In addition, as you said, this is a test. However, many things are going to be different from before. What have you come to get from this place?] ¡°I don¡¯t know! He didn¡¯t even tell me about it in the first place.¡± Yu-Seong was somewhat deliberately angry and he nibbled his lower lip. This was to induce the opponent¡¯s vacancy by showing his nervousness and anxiety. ¡®Maybe they would let their guard down and show some clues without realizing.¡¯ And in fact, Yu-Seong was feeling quite anxious and threatened. If this was the test of Choi Woo-Jae or someone else from the family, it wouldn''t be a big threat to Choi Yu-Seong. At least, they would have no intention to kill or maim him. However, it was different for Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon. Choi Yu-Seong cared about them a lot, but the Jin siblings were nothing more than just one of the many common soldiers from the Choi family¡¯s perspective. ¡®The name ¡®The Room of Sacrifice¡¯ and this whole situation¡­ It certainly feels nasty.¡¯ Yu-Seong found the situation especially annoying since it was happening on their last day; they had made the decision to return and go back. While he was frowning, the voice continued. [The value of the treasure you will obtain is significant. It is too precious to be obtained without any sacrifice or cost.] ¡°Do we need to talk about the cost? This is what Father was supposed to give me as a present in the first place,¡± said Yu-Seong. [There¡¯s no rule that I have to follow the Chairman''s words. The value of the thing is determined by me, the owner.] ¡°And so, who are you?¡± [¡­You seem to have roughly understood the situation, so let¡¯s begin the test, Choi Yu-Seong. You can choose only one of the two people behind the glass walls in this room.] The voice answered all other questions quite sincerely but still did not reveal who he was until the end. The speaker was clearly reluctant to reveal their identity. He even tried not to have unnecessary conversations with Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong could feel that the opponent was trying to prevent any unexpected situations. In any case, he could only grind his teeth in anger. [You have three chances to open the glass wall. Enough chances for you to open each of the doors once to speak with them once to make a final choice.] As the voice continued speaking to Yu-Seong, Jin Do-Yoon slowly raised his head as if he had regained consciousness first. However, he was busy figuring out his situation and where he was at. It was as if Yu-Seong could not be seen through the glass wall. [It is okay not to use all three chances. There is a key on the left wall inside the room. And the moment you pick it up, poison gas will be sprayed in the room where you did not choose. It is extremely strong that even an elephant will die in three seconds after taking a single breath.] As if responding to the voice, Jin Do-Yoon raised his head and looked at the ceiling. ¡®Even if he can¡¯t see me from the other side, he can hear the voice,¡¯ thought Yu-Seong. He was stranded in place in deep agony. [Choi Yu-Seong. Through the sacrifice of one follower, you will get a very valuable treasure. So, that means your gift from the Chairman would be delivered safely. That is all. Is there any rule you don¡¯t understand?] ¡°I understand everything. In short, it¡¯s simply to¡­¡± Yu-Seong looked at the ceiling in a rather crooked manner and shouted in a slightly agitated voice. ¡°I am to determine the death of someone right this instant. The unchosen one will die.¡± [Exactly. You can say that I¡¯m cold-hearted, but this much determination is essential to protect the treasure and also to stand beside the Chairman.] ¡°Is there no option to give up? For me, those two are more precious than the gift.¡± [Chairman has already decided to give you a present. It¡¯s one of those rules that can¡¯t be broken.] ¡°...Shit.¡± Yu-Seong smirked and asked with both hands in his pockets, ¡°By the way, why do you hate to identify yourself?¡± [Let¡¯s start the game.] ¡°I guess it¡¯s true that things get overshadowed by the years,¡± Yu-Seong murmured as if talking to himself. Then, with slow steps, he first approached the room on the left where Jin Yu-Ri was in. ¡°As far as I know, Ji-Ho hyung-nim wouldn¡¯t enjoy this kind of cruel game, right?¡± Yu-Seong bit his lips tightly and stared at the high ceiling sharply. *** A bitter smile appeared on Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s face while he leaned against the chair. He was pressing the microphone¡¯s power button. It was not visible, but he could feel it. Beyond the monitor, his younger brother was looking at himself with great resentment. ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡± asked Baek Cheol in a worried voice while watching the situation from the back. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is something I have decided to take on and handle it myself.¡± ¡°Yu-Seong, young master¡­ He is very different from what I had heard.¡± ¡°Originally, he¡¯s been smart since young. He seemed to become warped as he got older, but it would not be a strange thing for him to change back. But still, I didn¡¯t know¡­ I never thought Yu-Seong would be the first child to come here.¡± Baek Cheol looked away from Yu-Seong to gaze at Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon, who were both captured in different rooms. He commented, ¡°The relationship between the three seemed quite strong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the reason that I prepared this test for him.¡± ¡°Young Master, Yu-Seong, will¡­¡± ¡°He will blame me a lot,¡± said Ji-Ho. ¡°He will understand that it was an inevitable choice for you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be certain about that. However¡­I can¡¯t stop here even for the sake of Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The place called Comet Group, where I also belong, is in fact a really terrible place. It¡¯s not just the siblings who would sell their souls to the devil if they could take over Father¡¯s position, right? To survive in such a place, Yu-Seong has to throw away the clumsy mindset that he can choose everything,¡± said Ji-Ho. His two eyes that could not even be opened recklessly and his limbs that would not work no matter how hard he physically tried were both evidence of this fact. ¡°Master¡­¡± ¡°It is fine if Yu-Seong doesn¡¯t understand me. Now that it has come to this point, I hope that Yu-Seong will survive to the end inside this family.¡± Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s face turned to the monitor again. ¡°Captain Baek, Yu-Seong chose the woman''s side first.¡± ¡°She is clever, sir. She rejected all the sparring requests that were demanded to find out her abilities in advance. Therefore, she was quite difficult to suppress. I assume that Yu-Seong, the young master, may think that she could play some tricks.¡± ¡°Well. Perhaps that will make it easier for her to understand and give up on the contrary.¡± In the monitor where the two were looking, Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri were looking at each other and they began talking. *** Yu-Seong entered through the thick glass wall that opened slowly. He then first explained the situation to Yu-Ri, who was surprised. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what happened. I¡¯m sorry. I should have made the decision faster. I told you to stay alert but continued to stay here for too long.¡± Looking at Yu-Seong lowering his head, Yu-Ri shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not Yu-Seong oppa¡®s fault. We were in a situation where we had to wait. Also, there wasn¡¯t much of a threat here. We were just worried about any unexpected situation. Rather, I and Do-Yoon oppa were suppressed without being able to fight back¡­ This is miserable. We¡¯re disqualified as your guards.¡± With a deep sigh, Yu-Ri raised her head from the hanging wall and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to break through the glass wall. The end of the ceiling¡­looks blurry even with my own eyes. Perhaps, it¡¯s going to be over 30m? Even if Do-Yoon oppa jumps, he wouldn¡¯t be able to jump over it at once. It¡¯s not just a stone wall. It¡¯s also covered with steel, so it¡¯s impossible to go over there. Digging this ground would be the fastest way? Did you bring a spoon, perhaps?¡± ¡°You can still joke in this situation,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°What can we do? Crying doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get a solution.¡± Jin Yu-Ri grinned and pulled the chain that tied her arms greatly. ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary restraint, it¡¯s a seal that blocks my ability. You said that your first hyung-nim is the culprit, and I see clearly that the whole family has a lot of money as expected. Comet Group, Haha.¡± ¡°Of course it is. Besides, there¡¯s no way they use ordinary restraints to bind an A-rank hunter.¡± ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, no, young master.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Why are you calling me like that suddenly?¡± ¡°Choose Do-Yoon oppa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it. I think there could be a way to escape somehow if I¡¯m alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie. The moment I release Jin Do-Yoon, a poisonous gas that can kill an elephant instantly will be released. How can you escape from it?¡± ¡°I also have a knack at holding my breath, you know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think ridiculously and just wait. There¡¯s got to be a way to save both of you somehow.¡± ¡°Probably not. I think I know why the first young master made a room like this.¡± CH 38 Jin Yu-Ri gave a slightly sad smile. ¡°I thought I could finally serve our young master who became awesome and cool, but now this happens. Please open my email inbox when you get out of here. Do-Yoon oppa knows the ID and password. If you look through that, you will find a sender named Jenny. Please contact her¡­¡± ¡°Stop. Did you think that I came here to hear your will?¡± Yu-Seong interrupted her with an annoyed voice. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. If you can¡¯t think of anything, it can¡¯t be helped. Who knows, Do-Yoon might have an idea. Even if he doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll find the answer on my own. So don¡¯t give up. Never think about dying. Got it?¡± ¡°Yu-Seong oppa.¡± Yu-Ri shook her head, her hair hanging low. ¡°Jin Yu-Ri. I actually still don¡¯t know why people like you and Jin Do-Yoon care so much and follow a drunkard idiot like me. So, you can¡¯t be killed until I find out the reason.¡± ¡°What kind of silly¡­¡± ¡°Enough, just remember one thing. Don¡¯t give up. Because I won¡¯t either.¡± Choi Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and returned to his room. Yu-Ri watched his back with a strange gaze and smiled. ¡°Seriously. What am I going to do if he keeps getting cooler? This will make it difficult for me to choose the right woman for him when he decides to get married¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri had simply spoken the best idea that came to mind in the helpless situation. However, her eyes started to fill with a strong will and determination. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust anyone else, but I trust you, Yu-Seong oppa! You have to save me! Okay? You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Jin Yu-Ri gathered all of her strength and shouted. Beyond the slowly closing glass wall, Yu-Seong turned as if he heard her voice. Then, he gazed at Yu-Ri and nodded hard. *** After hearing Yu-Ri¡¯s supportive shout, Yu-Seong returned to his room and contemplated for a short while. He was very flustered by the unexpected situation that was not even in the original novel, but it seemed natural when he thought about it. ¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯m not Kim Do-Jin but Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ Also, he made completely different decisions from the original Choi Yu-Seong. And since many things were changing, unexpected events would happen more and more frequently in the future. There was nothing more foolish than falling into confusion every time he ran into an unexpected variable. Yu-Seong believed that he could do well. Wasn¡¯t the sand officer he met yesterday a monster that did not appear in the original novel too? ¡°The transparent glass wall is about five meters high. Above it is a stone wall, but there must be some mana barrier covering it.¡± Yu-Seong started talking to himself. In fact, he muttered to himself, convinced that someone was listening to him. ¡°The ground¡­ Well, it can''t be dug into unless I can summon a real forklift.¡± Yu-Seong intentionally laid on the floor, put his ears on the ground, tapped them with his fingers, and talked to himself. ¡°Why is the ceiling so high? Won¡¯t it be too much even for a rank S physical type hunter to jump at once?¡± [You talk a lot. It¡¯s foolish to give the enemy a lot of information.] ¡°In any case, it¡¯s a trap that you¡¯ve made.¡± Yu-Seong smiled at the returned answer, and looked at the ceiling. ¡°Where did you hide the camera? It looks like it¡¯s beyond the wall, but you can¡¯t break through the mana barrier, so there must be a gap.¡± [I don¡¯t deny it.] ¡°After all, you don¡¯t mind that as it¡¯s just a small gap that can only fit a camera and a microphone.¡± [Are you not going to open the man¡¯s room?] ¡°I shall go, open the door.¡± Yu-Seong smirked and headed for the glass wall where Jin Do-Yoon could be seen this time. The ground rumbled before the huge glass wall slowly lifted into the air like a blind. ¡°You are safe as expected, young master!¡± Jin Do-Yoon was looking around with his head up. He uttered a cry of relief. ¡°Huh. But things aren¡¯t so good. To explain it ¡­¡± ¡°I understand roughly. When I listened attentively, I could hear a voice that¡¯s been altered.¡± ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t hear mine?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Obviously, the voice coming out of the microphone was much louder than Yu-Seong¡¯s voice. Even so, if Do-Yoon was able to hear the voice, it meant that the person behind the microphone was closer to him. ¡®Although, it may also be because Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s ears are that much sharper,¡¯ thought Yu-Seong. In any case, it was more likely that the eyes and ears of the Physical-transformation type Jin Do-Yoon would be much sharper than the Psychic-implementation type Jin Yu-Ri, even though his rank was lower. ¡°This room is exactly the same as Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s room. My side is invisible and the stone walls are tall and rectangular. On the ceiling¡­¡± ¡°It is steel. It¡¯s quite thick. I¡¯ve developed my own special move recently, but honestly I don¡¯t have the confidence to jump that far,¡± replied Do-Yoon. ¡°That¡¯s something you should have been a bit more careful to say. They¡¯re listening from over there.¡± Jin Do-Yoon looked surprised by Yu-Seong¡¯s words, and closed his mouth tightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As you said, it¡¯s a height too high to reach. Since it¡¯s already spilled milk, let¡¯s just check the situation. If you can reach it, can you break it?¡± Instead of answering, Do-Yoon glared intensely at Yu-Seong. ¡®It¡¯s worth a try, right?¡¯ thought Yu-Seong. However, it would take a considerable lot of energy. It was also an overplaying move when also thinking about rescuing Jin Yu-Ri after a successful escape. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± asked Yu-Seong. ¡°I am afraid not,¡± replied Do-Yoon. Choi Yu-Seong continued to talk with Jin Do-Yoon while checking the room. ¡°Please save Yu-Ri and not me. She pretends to be strong, but she is a weak-hearted kid.¡± ¡°I heard the same thing in the other room. To put it the same way, I refuse your request. I¡¯m gonna save you both.¡± ¡°There is no appropriate way, young master.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t have any appropriate way, we should make one.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. That¡¯s why I am here to think about it.¡± ¡°¡­I believe in you.¡± Yu-Seong smirked and approached Do-Yoon after going around the room. He asked, ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°It is not bad.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just break that off by force, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jin Do-Yoon showed a deep smile instead of answering. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. What are we going to do if you get seriously hurt after doing everything I tell you to? Lower your head a little bit.¡± Yu-Seong scratched his own cheek and whispered something in Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Choi Yu-Seong smiled slightly and stepped away from Jin Do-Yoon. [Know that if you try some useless transparent trick, both of them could be sacrificed.] ¡°How unsympathetic. The rules get tougher as time passes by,¡± Choi Yu-Seong replied gruntingly. He moved farther away from Jin Do-Yoon. Then, he stood on the lower-left corner of the room and muttered quietly, ¡°Summon Dimensional Merchant.¡± Space became distorted and a small pink door was formed. ¡°Where¡¯s the lollipop for this body?¡± Pingpong of the Lion Bear Clan walked out from the door and asked his first question. He was looking at Choi Yu-Seong. *** Baek Cheol frowned and looked at the monitor where Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s figure had disappeared. ¡°It seems the young master, Yu-Seong, has found the camera¡¯s blind spot, sir.¡± ¡°It seems like he has noticed that there¡¯s no blind spot in his own room. That¡¯s why he chose the room Jin Do-Yoon is in,¡± said Ji-Ho. ¡°How did he know it?¡± ¡°Instinctive sense. Or he might have felt the camera¡¯s gaze. After all, Yu-Seong is also a hunter.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even know it was a trap¡­ It is a foolish thought to think that. He doesn¡¯t know that you, master, don''t see him with eyes.¡± Choi Ji-Ho nodded at Baek Cheol¡¯s words, then commented, ¡°He summoned a Dimensional Merchant. I think he is buying something, but I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for.¡± ¡°I heard that it has not been long since he just became a hunter. Even if he received a lot of attention from the gods, what he can do with such karma points would be limited.¡± ¡°It¡¯s limited, but he can cut corners.¡± ¡°He should not be permitted to use future seeing eye.¡± Baek Cheol quickly took the lead. The use of future-seeing eyes was also a big burden for Choi Ji-Ho. Although the test was important, it was Baek Cheol¡¯s wish for Choi Ji-Ho not to overdo it. ¡°I don''t mean to do that much. But¡­ Shall we surprise him once?¡± Ji-Ho grinned and took the microphone to his lips. *** [I suggest you cancel the summon of Dimensional Merchant right now. Choi Yu-Seong. This is the last warning.] Yu-Seong had summoned Ping Pong and was quickly buying some items from him. Yu-Seong shuddered. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a blind spot?¡± [That could be your misunderstanding. I¡¯ll count from three. Three.] Yu-Seong shed a bitter smile. ¡®There wasn¡¯t much information about Choi Ji-Ho in the original novel. It¡¯s not strange that he has a skill I don¡¯t know of.¡¯ While he was thinking hard, Ji-Ho¡¯s voice was heard once again. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. [Two.] Yu-Seong sighed deeply and looked at Ping Pong. ¡°Next time you come, I¡¯ll give you three lollipops for free. Thank you for helping me when I¡¯m in a hurry, Mr. Ping Pong.¡± [Two.] ¡°What a very touching story. I hope to see you again alive. Choi Yu-Seong,¡± said Ping Pong. [One.] Ping Pong saluted with its short arm, reopened the door, and returned to its original world. Left alone, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I definitely thought this was a blind spot, but I guess my feeling was wrong.¡± [What did you buy?] Instead of answering, Yu-Seong took out a palm-sized square box and waved it upward. He walked naturally to Do-Yoon. Of course, Choi Ji-Ho would not watch him to the end. [Stay in place. No further move is allowed.] ¡°How cruel.¡± [What¡¯s in the box?] ¡°I will show you. I will just show you then.¡± Yu-Seong held the bottom of the box with his left hand and slowly opened the lid with his right hand. Inside the box was a strange tree root that resembled a human. [What is that¡­?] Before Ji-Ho even asked a question, the tree roots trembled before a hard ringing erupted. Beeeeep-! There was a power outage. ¡°Jin Do-Yoon!¡± Choi Yu-Seong covered his ears tightly and raised his voice. Do-Yoon turned around, along with the sound of the chains breaking. At the same time, the light in the room began to turn on again, and Do-Yoon clenched his fist and punched the wall where he was initially tied to. A part of the wall collapsed like a lie with great vibration. Yu-Seong checked on Do-Yoon after rushing to get the key. He shouted, ¡°Run!¡± CH 39 This method, the so-called Mana Resonance, was a shocking phenomenon. It was revealed in the original novel about two years later when the Pandemonium, the largest villain camp in the US, collapsed. The ingredients used were the Mandrake¡¯s roots sold by Dimensional Merchants at 200 karma points, and they had to be stimulated by mana vibration. It was not enough to simply infuse mana. Mana must be infused accurately to shake up the Mandrake¡¯s roots and bring out the resonance in its soul. This technique was discovered in an experiment of a certain lunatic villain, and it surprisingly disabled the function of the few magical engineering items such as powerful mana barriers or sealing restraints humans had developed in conjunction with scientific civilization. It was just temporary, but still. To put it bluntly, the power breaker was turned off only for a very short time. Of course, the effect was maximized when using the main body and not just the root. However, Yu-Seong could not purchase the main body because the price was ridiculously high. But more importantly, because he was nearby, hearing the real Mandrake¡¯s scream would cause him to vomit blood and die. In conclusion, the range of Mana Resonance made using mana and the Mandrake root that Yu-Seong could use was about 180 ft and one second at most. He had to work during that short gap. Therefore, Yu-Seong had asked Ping Pong to put the Mandrake root in a box and then hand it over to him. Yu-Seong thought that the quick-witted Ji-Ho might impose sudden sanctions if he saw what the item was. Ping Pong provided good services and had granted his request. And thanks to that, Yu-Seong was able to quickly move to where his Mana Resonance could reach Jin Do-Yoon. Knowing the plan through Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s whisper, Jin Do-Yoon broke the chain without hesitation and hit the wall that he was tied to. The reason was simple. ¡®Because that¡¯s the entrance.¡¯ Would they just throw people into a place with high ceilings and where it was blocked on all sides like this? That could not be true. Choi Yu-Seong obviously thought there would be an entrance so he had tried to find its location by looking around the room while pretending to have a conversation. It wasn¡¯t on the floor nor anywhere on the wall in his own room, and so he looked around with all his attention but it was the same for Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s room. Only belatedly did Yu-Seong consider the wall where Do-Yoon was tied up. He knocked and checked the walls here and there. However, there was nowhere he could feel the gap beyond the space, which was the characteristic of the entrance or exit. Then, where would they hide the entrance? After much consideration, Yu-Seong approached Do-Yoon while pretending to whisper, and carefully checked the wall behind. He became convinced that this particular wall was the entrance and exit. It would be nice if they could successfully rescue Jin Yu-Ri in the short time when Mana Resonance had occurred, but there was not enough time to run to the other room. Thus, they could not just ignorantly break down the wall but find the entrance, escape, then rescue Yu-Ri. The plan so far has been quite successful. *** Since it was before the existence of the Mana Resonance was revealed, Baek Cheol was confused by the sudden power cut-off. Just in case, even the simple lights inside the room were made using mana, so Baek Cheol could not know the internal situation through the ordinary monitor that was connected by regular electricity. Although his vision could see through the darkness, the cameras and monitors connected by regular electricity could not do so. However, Ji-Ho was much more surprised than Baek Cheol. He could ¡®see¡¯ exactly what was happening in the dark. Jin Do-Yoon had broken off the sealing restrain, accurately found the entrance, and destroyed it. Choi Yu-Seong had grabbed the key and ran to escape. The series of actions had taken place so quickly that while they watched without saying anything, all mana supply that had been turned off was soon restored. ¡°No way¡­ Master. They have escaped.¡± Baek Cheol opened his eyes wide and expressed a short exclamation. He saw the broken entrance, and understood that Yu-Seong and Jin Do-Yoon had disappeared. However, that confusion lasted just for a moment. He added, ¡°It was a stupid choice. This way, we have no choice but to spray the gas.¡± Ji-Ho nodded calmly while pressing the gas spray button. He also turned on the other monitor for Baek Cheol. There, Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon were seen panicking by the towering spiral stairs in the dark passage. ¡°I understand your choice well, Choi Yu-Seong. You must have realized this by now. Even if you try a clumsy rebellion, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to change the outcome.¡± After a short sigh, Ji-Ho spoke through the microphone. *** [¡­Even if you try a clumsy rebellion, you can¡¯t change the outcome.] Choi Yu-Seong bit his lips at that voice. He had just escaped through the entrance and had used the key to quickly dismantle the sealing restraint that was binding Jin Do-Yoon. ¡®Every second counts.¡¯ Yu-Seong even used the Mana Resonance to cause mana discharge, buying time by surprising Choi Ji-Ho with such an unknown factor. Given that the room was clearly bright but the lighting¡¯s location was nowhere to be seen, he thought it was a good move that could also achieve the blackout effect. However, his face became stiff the moment he saw the snaking spiral stairs outside the entrance. ¡°It is a structure that makes jumping impossible. Even if I just run and go alone, it takes a minute,¡± said Jin Do-Yoon, clenching his free hands. Judging from the high ceiling, it was unsurprising that they were being held underground. However, they didn¡¯t even imagine that the entrance would be made of stairs. ¡®What era is this? There¡¯s not even a lift¡­¡¯ If it was an elevator, there would have been a lot of places such as ropes or connecting parts to grab or step on. Thus, it would have been much faster to go up. Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes flashed when he thought that far. He asked, ¡°Jin Do-Yoon, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve made something like a special move before?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Do-Yoon. ¡°Destroy it. The whole thing.¡± At Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s words, Jin Do-Yoon nodded as if he understood the situation. After that, he rushed forward with only one hand covered with thick fur. In an instant, mana wrapped all around and condensed into a clenched fist. A single, simple strike was sometimes heavier than even a mountain. ¡®Great Mountain Strike! So, that''s the ability he gained throughout the novel.¡¯ The special move that Jin Do-Yoon said was a powerful ability that even blew away Kim Do-Jin, who heartily rushed toward him by about 2km in the original novel. There was no explanation in the novel, so Yu-Seong had thought it was Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s original ability. He didn¡¯t know it would be something newly gained. ¡®No, maybe it is a lot faster than the original novel?¡¯ Yu-Seong thought that it might be the case, and he quickly witnessed the results for himself. The Great Mountain Strike that Do-Yoon threw slammed the thick pillar holding the center of the spiral stairs. The ceiling and stairs began to collapse like hail. Yu-Seong no longer needed to raise his voice. Do-Yoon had already understood Yu-Seong¡¯s intention, so he grabbed his waist at once and jumped toward the pouring debris. Jin Do-Yoon used those falling pieces like stairs and quickly soared toward the ceiling. There were five run-ups in total. Each required him to traverse a wide distance, but Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s face hardened. ¡®Not yet¡­¡¯ There was still quite a distance to the ceiling. However, there was no more falling debris. He had to jump at once. It was a critical moment, but it was not the time to think of impossibilities. ¡®From the start, I¡¯m not the type who uses my brain like a young master.¡¯ Do-Yoon emptied his mind of any thoughts and flew off with all the strength in his thighs. He had to do his best. Then, he wrapped Yu-Seong with his right arm and stretched out his left to grab the end of the collapsed ceiling. ¡°Caught it¡­?¡± Do-Yoon thought he had barely caught the edge. However, his face hardened in an instant. With a cracking sound, the edge held by Jin Do-Yoon broke down like sand. He exclaimed, ¡°No!¡± ¡°Protective Shield! Jump, Do-Yoon!¡± At that moment, Yu-Seong raised his voice and created a protective shield under the falling Do-Yoon¡¯s feet. Jin Do-Yoon flexed his legs without hesitation, feeling support on his feet amid the panic. He was like a bullet. ¡®About 10 seconds.¡¯ It took a short time to get above the ground after escaping. However, it was already dangerous to return to the room where deadly poisonous gasses were being sprayed. ¡®Now I can only use the shield ability just once more.¡¯ The duplicated ability by the Eye of Replication had a limit on the number of trials unless combined by fusion. The same was applied to the Protective Shield that was stolen a while ago during the dungeon battle. It was a trump card of its own, but there was only one more usage left. Yu-Seong thought quickly as he climbed the ceiling and rolled on the floor. He gazed away. ¡®The entrance to the room where Jin Yu-Ri is confined is¡­¡¯ Fortunately, there were unusually bulging floorboards inside the huge hanok room. ¡°There!¡± Yu-Seong shouted. Do-Yoon ran. At that moment, the closed-door shattered open and someone jumped toward them. The black figure showed a wind-like movement, swinging its arm. Do-Yoon stretched out his hand to counter it, but the result was clear. ¡°¡­?!¡± Do-Yoon couldn¡¯t even scream. He floated into the air and was caught on the ceiling. Accompanied by a creaking sound, Do-Yoon fell with part of the ceiling. ¡°Cough-!¡± Yu-Seong nibbled his lower lip while he Looked at Do-Yoon vomiting blood and Baek Cheol who appeared in front of him. He called out, ¡°Baek Cheol.¡± ¡°Please give up, young master, Yu-Seong. You can¡¯t go any further.¡± ¡°I thought you were a good person.¡± ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s impossible to be a good person for everyone.¡± Baek Cheol apologized and blocked the bulging floor and clenched his fist with a stance. It meant that he had no intention to be sloppy. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Do-Yoon now had completely become a werewolf and let out the low cry of a beast. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°You already know that form doesn¡¯t work, right? It¡¯s nothing but helping me to hit at ease.¡± Baek Cheol¡¯s eyes turned to Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s shoulder, which was pushed back by his fist. His recovery speed was so fast that the swollen shoulder had visibly subsided and returned to its proper place. Jin Do-Yoon arched his back with deep anger. He had a strong fighting spirit in his brown eyes. Noticing his strong and sharp momentum coursing through his entire being, Baek Cheol smiled bitterly in his heart. He thought, ¡®Was it not his best strength the last time we fought? Or does he change depending on the situation? He has become much stronger.¡¯ Of course, that did not mean that Jin Do-Yoon was now an opponent for the completely adapted S-rank hunter, Baek Cheol. ¡°It will only be painful if you try to rush. Give up,¡± asserted Baek Cheol. ¡°Both of you, stop.¡± Baek Cheol¡¯s gaze suddenly looked past Jin Do-Yoon to look at Choi Yu-Seong. CH 40 Baek Cheol had missed Yu-Seong¡¯s movement while focusing on Do-Yoon. He just found that Yu-Seong now stood at the end of the entrance of Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s room that had collapsed. Naturally, Baek Cheol¡¯s face stiffened as he asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see it? I¡¯m risking my life.¡± With those words, Yu-Seong then stared at Do-Yoon as if he could read his mind. ¡®How could I¡­¡¯ thought Do-Yoon. He momentarily had complicated thoughts after reading Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts. ¡°This is an order, Do-Yoon. Forget about me from now on. Your only purpose is to rescue Jin Yu-Ri,¡± said Yu-Seong. The forceful words made Do-Yoon nod as if he were possessed by something. He was influenced by Yu-Seong¡¯s dignified presence and not by any physical power or superpower. Steeling himself, Do-Yoon ran toward Baek Cheol without hesitation. At the same time, Yu-Seong fell back toward the darkness like the mouth of a terrifying monster. He was falling into the bottom of the abyss. Baek Cheol had his eyes wide open. He stared at Do-Yoon, who was running. Do-Yoon had turned into a wolf beast, and was not looking back at the falling Yu-Seong. It was as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Damn it!¡± Baek Chul spit out a curse and ran forward. He had an uncomfortable feeling, but he didn¡¯t have time to deal with Do-Yoon. There were many other reasons, but Baek Cheol had two big reasons why he could never let Yu-Seong die. ¡®Master will be very sad if young master Yu-Seong dies.¡¯ Above all, Baek Cheol himself liked Choi Yu-Seong very much. He found it a pity to let Yu-Seong, a man of ability, die at this moment and in such a place. Baek Cheol urgently threw himself into the dark pit. His gaze was fixed on Yu-Seong, who was falling down in an apparently unconscious state¡­ He only became suspicious when he tried to hold Yu-Seong¡¯s back to relieve the shock as much as possible by reaching out his hands with all his might while falling. Then, as if it were a mere mirage, Yu-Seong¡¯s figure was blurred, shattered, and disappeared. ¡®Illusion? This is¡­Master¡¯s Wind Control?¡¯ Baek Cheol was surprised for a moment. Then, he saw Yu-Seong holding a stone that was barely protruding from the near ceiling and jumping into the air by forming a transparent shield as a foothold. Yu-Seong looked back for a moment and smiled mischievously. After Baek Cheol landed stably on the ground, he had no choice but to laugh while watching Yu-Seong. The underground floor was at a depth that even he, an S-rank player, couldn¡¯t cover in one jump Of course, it was possible if he hit the wall several times, but Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon would have reached Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s room by then. At this moment, Baek Cheol had no choice but to admit the result of this altercation. ¡°¡­They¡¯ve got me.¡± *** Baek Cheol was completely unaware of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s abilities. This was because Yu-Seong also did not show his full ability, like how Yu-Ri had been cautious during her sparring sessions. This was an obvious choice for Yu-Seong, whose primary purpose was to collect skills. Thus, Baek Cheol had no idea about Yu-Seong¡¯s shield skill. In addition, the Wind Control that Yu-Seong had obtained later on also added to the unpredictability. ¡®It¡¯s fortunate. Baek Cheol didn¡¯t turn back to look in the middle of that.¡¯ It was probably because Baek Cheol had difficulty making the right decision at that moment, since his surroundings were mostly shrouded in darkness. Most importantly, his thoughts were mostly preoccupied by Yu-Seong falling down. He was worried about the young master. ¡®If you were going to play the bad guy, you should have been more thorough.¡¯ Unfortunately, Baek Cheol was a good person, and Yu-Seong could tell this fact even when he read the original novel. Even so, it would have been impossible to fool Baek Cheol in such a neat manner if it had not been for the illusion of Wind Control. Overall, luck and circumstances went hand-in-hand in many ways. Meanwhile, Jin Do-Yoon had placed his confidence in Yu-Seong from exchanging that single look and ran straight ahead. He opened the entrance, broke the stairs, and fell straight down. Yu-Seong did not chase after Do-Yoon. ¡®I¡¯m not like Do-Yoon. I¡¯ll die if I jump down there.¡¯ Thinking that was why Baek Cheol had come to save him, Yu-Seong took a quick breath and thought, ¡®Would Baek Cheol come up faster? Or Do-Yoon?¡¯ Soon, Do-Yoon once again jumped through the collapsing pillars, stairs, and gaps in the ceiling. In his arms was an unconscious Jin Yu-Ri, who was still tied to the seal. ¡°Awooo-!¡± Do-Yoon settled safely on the ground with much more stability than before, perhaps because he already had experience. Then, he howled. His face quickly returned to its human form. His eyes were full of relief when he saw that Yu-Seong was safe. On the other hand, Yu-Seong¡¯s mind was all focused on Yu-Ri, who had just been rescued. It took approximately twenty seconds to escape to the ground. ¡°What about the gas?¡± asked Yu-Seong. Jin Do-Yoon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think she inhaled it, but she probably absorbed some through the skin¡­¡± ¡°She needs to get treatment.¡± Yu-Ri was partially immune since she was an A-rank Hunter, but she would not be able to last long. Knowing that it was an urgent situation, Yu-Seong rose to his feet. Do-Yoon carried Yu-Ri on his back and followed him. At that moment, they heard a thundering roar, as if the ground were collapsing. ¡°Baek Cheol is coming,¡± said Yu-Seong. Soon, Choi Ji-Ho might also appear. Although Ji-Ho had lost a lot of his power, his abilities would still be threatening for Yu-Seong. Would it be possible to get rid of Ji-Ho and Baek Choi and successfully run away? Yu-Seong grabbed a sharp stone from the collapsed ceiling. ¡®I really don¡¯t want to do this, but¡­¡¯ Since this was the most effective way, Yu-Seong had no choice but to provoke the opponent once more. He said, ¡°Jin Do-Yoon. You take Jin Yu-Ri and escape. I will try to intimidate them as much as I can. Even if I do that, they can¡¯t kill me.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it! If you feel bad about it, get stronger to stand up for me in the future. Train and hunt. Don¡¯t let anything like this happen again. Okay?¡° Do-Yoon bit his lower lip strongly. His eyes turned red, as if he was about to burst into tears while he nodded. ¡°I am not good enough to¡­¡± Boom-! At that moment, Baek Cheol jumped up to the ground. As if to prove that he was an S-rank hunter, he eventually overcame the height that even Do-Yoon was not necessarily able to cross. He was covered with clouds of dust and he made a fierce smile. ¡°Thanks to you, young master, I had a hard time.¡± ¡°Go.¡± Yu-Seong spoke in a low voice to Do-Yoon while placing the sharp stone to his own throat. ¡°Do you think I will be slower than you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong did not answer. He thought he might miss his opportunity to slit his throat when speaking to Baek Cheol. Baek Cheol¡¯s thoughts were clearly read by him. Do-Yoon lowered his head and slowly stepped back. Baek Cheol shook his head at Do-Yoon and said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s that easy to escape? My team members are waiting outside the building.¡± ¡°Call everyone here,¡± Yu-Seong said at that moment. As Baek Cheol¡¯s shoulders twitched, red blood flowed down Yu-Seong¡¯s neck. ¡°Young Master!¡± Do-Yoon raised his voice in surprise. However, Yu-Seong had no time to bother with Do-Yoon. Even a tiny miscalculation would allow Baek Cheol to rush in like a fierce tiger and subdue him. That was not the only thing that he was worried about¡­ Ji-Ho may be coming here right now. Yu-Seong had managed to rescue Jin Yu-Ri, but there were still so many mountains to climb. ¡®I have to draw all their attention to me. Would I be able to do it?¡¯ Yu-Seong gulped. He met Baek Cheol¡¯s harsh gaze. *** The moment he saw Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon break down the stairs and escape, Baek Cheol lightly pressed Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s shoulder and ran outside without delay. Left alone, Ji-Ho pondered for a short time, no longer looking at the monitor. He headed out in a wheelchair. However, he was not under as much pressure as Baek Cheol. Ji-Ho knew that Baek Cheol eagerly pressed his shoulder to stop him because he was worried. Ji-Ho did not want to give in regarding this, so he ignored Baek Cheol¡¯s care. ¡°I will take you out, sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Ji-Ho left the room, followed by an aide left by Baek Cheol. He refused to let the aide come with him, however, and wheeled himself out of the building. It was a rather chilly and windy December night. Ji-Ho left the building alone. He did not want to be disturbed by anyone. As he concentrated through the flowing wind, he could see Yu-Seong¡¯s movements and listen to his voice in detail from quite a distance. The wind told him about Yu-Seong with a lot more clarity than what he could gather from being underground. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Ji-Ho revealed a bitter smile. In the dire situation, Yu-Seong had used Illusion to fool Baek Cheol while Do-Yoon had rescued Jin Yu-Ri¡­ ¡®Choi Yu-Seong. You clever guy.¡¯ Ji-Ho looked at his younger brother, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. Ji-Ho had honestly hoped that Yu-Seong would get stronger and more determined from this test. The fragile and gentle boy that he remembered would not be able to endure the hurricane created by the greedy people. Yu-Seong would get terribly hurt. Perhaps a shocking death may await him, like the future Ji-Ho had seen in the distant past. ¡®Death¡­ His death¡­¡¯ Ji-Ho saw the death of Yu-Seong. It was a terrible future, but Ji-Ho had no power or ability to change it at that time. He could give a little help, but this would only be possible if Yu-Seong listened to him. What about Choi Ji-Ho at this time? It didn¡¯t make much of a difference. As said, it was up to Yu-Seong himself to change his own fate in the end. In that sense, it was surprising that Yu-Seong had come here instead of the person who should have arrived here first. ¡®Maybe his death could be prevented.¡¯ Ji-Ho was surprised, and he sincerely hoped this to be the case. However, this disgraceful younger brother kept playing with his life without knowing his thoughts. Baek Cheol was swayed by Yu-Seong recklessly putting a knife to his own throat in order to let Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri escape. In fact, Ji-Ho knew that Yu-Seong¡¯s behavior was due to the desperate situation with Jin Yu-Ri, who had fainted behind him. He thought, ¡®I guess it¡¯s time to tell them that it was actually not poison gas but just a bit of strong sleeping gas.¡¯ From the beginning, Ji-Ho had no intention of killing any of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s people. The test in the Room of Sacrifice was literally just that: a test. A test that should have been taken no matter who came and wanted the treasure. Everyone would have different ways of finding the answers in the process. Of course, Ji-Ho had felt uncomfortable throughout the entire process. In fact, he had felt even more uncomfortable because the person in question was Choi Yu-Seong of all people. It would have been much easier for him to produce the desired results if it had been most of the other Choi siblings instead, who were cruel and heartless. ¡®Since the original answer to the Room of Sacrifice is to prove trust or dignity¡­¡¯ The person chosen to be sacrificed should not blame the person who abandoned them, even in death. When they woke up from the drug effect and showed confidence that their choice was not wrong, the person who took the test could receive the treasure. Perhaps Ji-Ho guessed that most of the siblings would make this decision and prove that they were not only worthy of the treasure, but also worthy to be at the heart of the company. Even if it was a somewhat coercive loyalty, Ji-Ho intended to respect that. Therefore, he had created the Room of Sacrifice that forced people to make a rather terrible choice. However, if possible, Ji-Ho hoped that the person who took the treasure would naturally be trusted and respected by those around them, rather than someone who forced people into being loyal. There must have been such a person among the Choi siblings. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong had chosen a method different from the fixed answer. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®I thought it would be impossible to escape in the first place¡­¡¯ After the Mana Resonance that had been yet to appear in the world and the choice of breaking down the stairs, Yu-Seong had even gambled with his life. His actions had been completely outside Ji-Ho¡¯s expectations. ¡®I should stop at this point. I lost.¡¯ CH 41 Choi Ji-Ho wanted to clear up the situation. In fact, judging from the Jin siblings¡¯ choices and Yu-Seong¡¯s behavior, his test had gone far beyond the level of ¡®acceptable.¡¯ He felt like it was still not enough even if he gave Yu-Seong an additional gift as an apology. Of course, he didn¡¯t expect that Yu-Seong would forgive him after Ji-Ho had stirred his heart up like this and made him feel awfully desperate. In fact, Ji-Ho would be pleased enough if Yu-Seong didn¡¯t go all-out in anger. With this thought, Ji-Ho pushed the wheelchair forward with his quick hands. For some reason, he felt somewhat uneasy watching Yu-Seong pushing a stone knife into his own neck. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t actually have the intention to die. But¡­ What if things go wrong?¡¯ Ji-Ho suddenly opened his perpetually closed eyes. In the pure white eyes, where no black pupils were left, the scenery around him was reflected very clearly. A lake of red blood stained his view and Yu-Seong was falling in vain. Looking on, Baek Cheol roared in surprise. It sounded like a scream. From the eyes of the wolf that jumped over the moonlight, blood tears flowed. ¡°¡­?!¡± Ji-Ho trembled as he quickly closed his eyes. ¡®Oh, my gosh.¡¯ Ji-Ho¡¯s clairvoyance was not an ability that would only activate when he wanted it to. Sometimes, when he thought deeply about someone, a short but intense vision could show up like this. The process was completely unknown to him, but the results he had seen were extremely terrible. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong. You vicious brat!¡¯ After activating his future-seeing eye, Ji-Ho shivered from the painful and chilly coldness. It felt even more freezing than the north wind. However, he had no time to hesitate. ¡°Cough¡­!¡± Ji-Ho threw up blood that stained his white clothes. He activated Wind Control and lifted his body into the air. There wasn¡¯t enough time for him to try reaching Yu-Seong by rolling the wheelchair. ¡®There¡¯s¡­not much time left!¡¯ For Choi Ji-Ho, it was a night when he felt extraordinarily frustrated with his body, which was different from how it used to be. *** In order for Do-Yoon to get out of the building safely and quickly, Baek Cheol¡¯s men had to retreat. ¡°That threat no longer works, young master.¡± However, Baek Cheol was somewhat laid back despite Yu-Seong¡¯s threats. He continued, ¡°Put the knife down. I know you do not intend to die anyway. Haven¡¯t I been fooled once already?¡± Instead of answering, Yu-Seong showed a smile. Then, he brought the sharply pointed stone knife deeper into his neck, feeling the burning pain. Now it wasn¡¯t just a sting anymore but he couldn¡¯t hesitate if he planned to save Yu-Ri. ¡®Skill, Insight activate.¡¯ Blue energy bloomed in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. It would be foolish to save his skills worrying about the usage limit when facing an S-rank hunter like Baek Cheol. Baek Cheol wriggled his thick eyebrows and looked directly into Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes, which were lit with blue flames. ¡°It¡¯s a skill called Insight. It allows me to predict the opponent¡¯s movements in advance. It¡¯s on a level that can¡¯t even be compared to the vision-reinforcement skill. I hope you don¡¯t judge recklessly.¡± It was usually rare for hunters to reveal their own abilities during a fight. Most abilities inherently had strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, an excellent hunter could predict movements and behavior patterns just by knowing their opponent¡¯s abilities. Therefore, it was taboo for a hunter to reveal their abilities unless having a good enough relationship to entrust their life to the other. However, Yu-Seong revealed some information about the blue flames¡ªhis Insight skill¡ªthat Baek Cheol had doubts about. He hoped that this would somewhat limit Baek Cheol¡¯s choice of action. ¡®In fact, there¡¯s no way I can predict the moves of an S-rank hunter who is trying his best no matter how powerful Insight is.¡¯ Of course, it would actually become possible as Yu-Seong¡¯s rank and abilities developed. As always, deceit was a mixture of truth and lies. ¡°Young master, do you really think I¡¯ll believe your words?¡± ¡°Do not sound me out. I know you tried to hit me by kicking the rock on the floor just now, right? This is the first and last warning. Call your men back.¡± And fortunately, Yu-Seong could at least read the movements that were careful and slow. A smile appeared on Baek Cheol¡¯s lips. At that moment, Yu-Seong was convinced that his deceit had worked and smiled as well. ¡®What an amazing man.¡¯ Baek Cheol was feeling impressed, despite trying to hide it. During the conversation with Yu-Seong, he glanced away and took a step back from the two while confirming the location of Do-Yoon, who was ready to jump up at any time. ¡®How should I do this?¡¯ Baek Cheol¡¯s worries deepened. With a small test, he realized that Yu-Seong¡¯s Insight was as powerful as he said. On the other hand, Baek Cheol was now certain that Yu-Seong had no intention of dying. ¡®There¡¯s no way someone this thorough would take his own life so easily.¡¯ Now, Baek Cheol seemed to have a grasp on Yu-Seong¡¯s character. The young master was cool-headed, calculating, and had never suffered a loss. Baek Cheol had encountered several people like this. A common personality type in the Comet Group. If there were some differences between them and Yu-Seong, it would be the innate bloodline and the inherent charisma, namely, dignity. ¡®He is the villainous hero of the era.¡¯ Baek Cheol couldn¡¯t help but be prepared for an unexpected possibility. As if he had concluded his contemplation, Baek Cheol loosened his stance to run toward Yu-Seong at any time. He then placed his hand into his inner pocket. Yu-Seong furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Baek Cheol¡¯s movement, but no longer pressed the stone against his throat. Baek Cheol pulled out the wireless communicator with a smile, pressed the reception button, and opened his mouth. ¡°Test test, this is Alpha. Omega, withdraw everyone.¡± ¡ª Omega, proceed to withdraw. ¡ª Withdraw. Several voices were heard one after another over the communicator. As if to reassure the young master, Baek Cheol raised both arms toward Yu-Seong. ¡°Is this enough?¡± Yu-Seong nodded instead of answering. At the same time, Do-Yoon, who was standing back, jumped high into the sky. It was at that moment when Yu-Seong¡¯s Insight showed Baek Cheol throwing the communicator in his hand, like a surprise attack, just as he was feeling relieved. ¡®You dare¡­!¡¯ When Yu-Seong frowned at that, a small piece of stone flew rapidly across his vision. ¡®It¡¯s fake¡­!¡¯ It was a trick. Baek Cheol had merely moved his shoulder as if he were about to throw the communicator. It took advantage of the fact that a person¡¯s eyes had no choice but to see what was flying toward them first. Due to this fact, Baek Cheol had picked exactly the right moment to strike. Choi Yu-Seong looked at the flying stone and thought, ¡®If I get hit by that stone here¡­¡¯ He would lose the stone knife he was holding onto. The result after that was obvious. He would be overwhelmed by Baek Cheol and the escaping Do-Yoon would also be surrounded. It was all going to be over. ¡®It can¡¯t be like that.¡¯ Yu-Seong had promised to save Yu-Ri. He couldn¡¯t give up. If so, would he really risk his life and actually stab himself? Of course, he didn¡¯t want to do that. ¡®I want to live.¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to live somehow. That was why he had been enduring all this time. He had to come up with a way in a short time. Yu-Seong¡¯s mind spun wildly. Baek Cheol would truly panic if he died, and this was an undisputed fact. That meant that pretending to be dead could also be effective. He could buy time for Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri to run away. Of course, if he was to fake his own death, he couldn¡¯t half-ass it. ¡®I¡¯ll be in quite a lot of pain, but¡­there might be a way.¡¯ Yu-Seong wracked his brain like crazy and decided to let the flying stone hit him first. Of course, this would also be very painful, but that pain was negligible compared to the pain that would follow. Just as Yu-Seong had made his decision, the stone thrown by Baek Cheol hit his wrist. Yu-Seong deliberately turned his right wrist so that the stone knife faced down to the left. With superhuman grit, Yu-Seong withstood the pain and used the force of the hit to point his improvised knife at his own chest, aiming at the upper left side. ¡®Because the human heart is lower than most people think, I¡¯m not actually going to die.¡¯ However, there would be a lot of blood. And from the standpoint of an observer, it was bound to be a big surprise. Obviously, Yu-Seong would be in great pain, since he would have a knife in his chest. He even got ready to bite the tip of his tongue to cope with the burning sensation. ¡®It¡¯s no good if there¡¯s not enough blood¡­¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong was about to execute his own meticulous plan of faking death. When Baek Cheol saw through what he was doing, he darted at Yu-Seong with a surprised look in his eyes. Harsh energy swirled up as the wind tore through the gap between Baek Cheol and Yu-Seong. In an instant, the wind shattered the stone knife that Yu-Seong was holding onto. The stone knife crumbled into powder. ¡®My gosh!¡¯ Yu-Seong was briefly surprised. The wind energy was definitely strong, but it only destroyed the stone knife and left no injury on his body. The skill of handling the energy was surprisingly precise and made him feel goosebumps. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡®Who the hell is it?¡¯ Yu-Seong did not have to search for the answer to the question. A hand paler than white jade flew in from where the wind had gone and snatched Yu-Seong¡¯s wrist. The owner of the hand, a young man with his eyes closed, was facing Yu-Seong with an angry look on his face. The opponent had his eyes closed, but Yu-Seong felt like he was clearly looking at him. ¡®Choi Ji-Ho.¡¯ It was his first time meeting the man, but Yu-Seong could easily tell who he was. The man¡¯s soft, smiling face¡ªunlike the facial expression he had now¡ªcame to his mind as a very vague memory of the past¡­ Yu-Seong felt strange as Ji-Ho¡¯s caring and tender image in his memory overlapped with Ji-Ho¡¯s current red face full of anger. ¡°You insolent guy. Who told you to treat your life so recklessly?!¡± Choi Ji-Ho yelled fiercely. CH 42 Watching Ji-Ho screaming angrily, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡®Why is he angry?¡¯ In fact, he wanted to ask that question first. He didn¡¯t actually mean to die, but it was Ji-Ho who drove him to such a desperate situation that made him decide to pretend to do so. However, he struggled to ask that question when he saw Ji-Ho¡¯s sincere expression and the man¡¯s tears flowing from his closed eyes. ¡®What the hell is it?¡¯ Rather, Yu-Seong was confused. Was the owner of the voice, who was tormenting him in the room of sacrifice, and the Ji-Ho in front of him really the same person? Actually, when thinking of the character in the original novel, this one seemed more suitable. Choi Ji-Ho was a righteous, good, and upright character. He was like a pretty flower that was forcibly cut by someone¡¯s hand even before he fully bloomed. However, he was a person whose personality did not stray far even though he was buried in ashes. ¡®Rather, the one in the room of sacrifice was more strange.¡¯ Therefore, it was quite shocking that Ji-Ho had changed a lot from the original novel. Of course, Yu-Seong did think it was possible for Ji-Ho to change. The butterfly effect of Yu-Seong¡¯s possession into the novel was already spreading everywhere. However, what if Ji-Ho¡¯s change was impossible as expected? ''Maybe I was fooled from beginning to end.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to the blood-red stain on the pure white front of the modern hanbok. ¡°If you take your life like that, how would I, your hyung-nim dare to continue to live? Why on earth did you make that choice? How come?!¡± As Ji-Ho shouted harshly, a solid red line flowed out from the corner of his mouth. He was holding it in, but it was clear that his condition was quite bad. ¡°Master!¡± Baek Cheol ran to Ji-Ho with a surprised look. ¡°Captain Baek, please wait. This is a conversation between brothers!¡± Ji-Ho made an angry expression and waved his hand. He looked at Yu-Seong. ¡°Why, why did you choose to die? Did you think you¡¯d be satisfied if your death saved them? It was a foolish choice that others would not even think of. You silly little brother.¡± Ji-Ho poured out his words and then started to cough repeatedly. ¡°Cough, cough, blaargh-!¡± Baek Cheol quickly caught Ji-Ho, who vomited blood and fell from the air. ¡°If you die¡­ No, you must not die. Yu-Seong¡­ Please, I am begging you¡­ Please¡­¡± Ji-Ho seemed half unconscious as he trembled and talked by himself. ¡°I am sorry, young master¡ªYu-Seong. I cannot afford to explain the situation in person, so I will send someone else soon. Please trust me and wait here for a little bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong nodded lightly instead of answering. In his mind, he was already drawing a picture of the situation to some extent. ¡®It looks like I¡¯ve made an unnecessary fuss.¡¯ Still, he felt relieved. Now that the situation has turned out like this, he was certain of one thing. ¡®Jin Yu-Ri would be fine.¡¯ Yu-Ri would not die since she had gone down this mountain on Do-Yoon¡¯s back. ¡°What a relief,¡± Yu-Seong spoke quietly to himself, then collapsed in place as if he loosened up his exhausted heart and body at once. *** The next day, Yu-Seong woke up in the afternoon when the sun rose high. He could then hear all the explanations of the current circumstances that he had not heard last night. The only difference was that other people were by his side, not Baek Cheol¡¯s men as he had expected. ¡°¡­After all, the gas I tried so hard not to inhale was just a sleeping drug.¡± Jin Yu-Ri¡ªwho had returned to the mansion in the morning¡ªscratched her cheek as if she was embarrassed. She finished explaining to Yu-Seong by repeating what she had heard earlier. ¡°Is it a placebo effect? If I had known it was a sleeping drug, I think I could have opened my eyes in an emergency.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s a pretty powerful sleeping drug, so it couldn¡¯t be helped,¡± said Do-Yoon as if to comfort Jin Yu-Ri. Yu-Seong was lying on the bed. He looked at the two sitting on the left and right. He slowly raised his body and smiled. No matter how many times he thought about it, there was only one thing he wanted to say now, putting the various problems aside. ¡°Jin Yu-Ri.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Of course. I believed that Yu-Seong oppa would save me.¡± ¡°If I couldn¡¯t save you, you¡¯d blame me a lot, right?¡± ¡°I want to say yes, but no.¡± Yu-Ri was definitely ready for her death at that moment. She had hidden that feeling quite deep inside her eyes and smiled. ¡°I will never blame Yu-Seong oppa, probably until the moment I die. This is for sure.¡± ¡°Seriously, why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because if there was no help from the young master, neither of us would be alive until now,¡± answered Do-Yoon. He gave a strong gaze with a strong will. ¡°You mean I saved you two?¡± If so, the memory may remain in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind in some form, similar to the case of Choi Woo-Jae and Choi Ji-Ho. There was a high chance that memories would come to mind if there were small clues from past experiences. ¡°That was¡­ When was that?¡± asked Yu-Seong. Likewise, he was curious about the story of the two which did not appear in the original novel. It was actually something he was very curious about. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? When the young master was young¡­¡± However, maybe Yu-Seong was out of luck because a big figure came over from the closed door at that moment. Naturally, the two people on alert turned around and raised their momentum. ¡°Keum, keheum¡­ Can I come in?¡± It was Baek Cheol. It was too bad for Yu-Seong to not hear the story from the two siblings, but it was very expected behavior for them to react sensitively. Even Yu-Seong stiffened for a moment. ¡°You can come in.¡± Baek Cheol carefully opened the door when he was given permission. He looked around at the three people, then knelt and bowed his head to Yu-Seong who was sitting in the center. ¡°First of all, I would like to offer my apologies to the young master, Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°Get up, please.¡± Yu-Seong no longer felt threatened by Baek Cheol and spoke in a polite tone. He knew very well that Baek Cheol had acted out of loyalty to Choi Ji-Ho. Even if Yu-Seong resented someone, the target would not be Baek Cheol. ¡°Master is not the one to blame. Rather, my side had suggested the test. I thought it was that much necessary to qualify for the treasure.¡± ¡°Alright. I understand, so please get up now.¡± ¡°Mr. Jin Do-Yoon, Ms. Jin Yu-Ri. I apologize to both of you. I understand you¡¯ve been hurt a lot by me.¡± Baek Cheol continued his apology while keeping his head bowed. However, neither Yu-Ri nor Do-Yoon opened their mouths to answer. Unlike Yu-Seong, they seemed to have a much stronger sense of vigilance and hostility toward Baek Cheol. ¡®Perhaps this is an expected response for them?¡¯ Clearly, the two people thought that the situation like the room of sacrifice had happened because they couldn¡¯t handle Baek Cheol. In other words, their anger was quite deeply intertwined with themselves and Baek Cheol. Perhaps Baek Cheol was now a goal for the two people. ¡®A-rank and S-rank¡ªThe difference is not just one rank.¡¯ And moreover, Baek Cheol would later be called the Lion King, the strongest physical type player. Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri had excellent talents, but they were definitely half a step below Baek Cheol. As such, it would be extraordinarily difficult if they set their goal as Baek Cheol. Of course, it was a good thing for Yu-Seong. ¡®It¡¯s great if the two do as well as Baek Cheol. And even if they can¡¯t, they¡¯ll get stronger very quickly.¡¯ It was a mutually beneficial thing in many ways. "And I dare... I will accept it if you punish me¡­for trying to judge master Yu-Seong with my own eyes." ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The moment young master Yu-Seong really tried to take your own life, I felt like the sky was falling. How great could my judgment and insight be to dare to grasp such a great caliber? If it weren¡¯t for Master, I would have lived with irreparable regret.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Baek Cheol was now talking about Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s suicide attempt. Come to think of it, this fact seemed to make Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon¡¯s anger and resentment against Baek Cheol stronger. Then, should Yu-Seong confess now that he was just trying to just pretend to be dead? Of course, it was impossible for him to do that. ¡®Anyway, I was really trying to feel the dying pain.¡¯ Yu-Seong made the excuses inside his heart and waved his hand. He said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve forgotten about it.¡± At those words, Baek Cheol shuddered with his head down. ¡®Ah¡­! Young master Yu-Seong is a man of virtue, a truly great man.¡¯ When Baek Cheol held admiration in his heart, Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri also looked at Yu-Seong with surprised eyes. ¡®What, why? Is this such a big deal?¡¯ Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want to say that he had tried to pretend to be dead, but it seemed that his words had caused quite a stir. He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. ¡°And I beg you. I hope you do not blame my master too much.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Yu-Seong was just about to say that he needed time to think when another figure came by the door. He could hear the sound of the pulling wheel along with the quiet and indifferent presence. Everyone¡ªincluding Yu-Seong¡ªcould only feel the presence over the door, but could easily guess who had come. ¡°May I come in for a moment?¡± It was a small but serene voice, the one belonging to Ji-Ho. ¡°Yes, hyung-nim.¡± Yu-Seong also replied in a calm voice. *** Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. In the room where everyone left except only two people. The brothers sat facing each other, and remained silent for a long time. It was Ji-Ho who broke the long silence first. ¡°¡­You can forget what Captain Baek said. Most of what he said was just made up for me.¡± ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t say much though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that the room of sacrifice was built by me. And it was my choice to call you, Yu-Seong, to that room.¡± Yu-Seong already knew that Baek Cheol¡¯s loyalty toward Ji-Ho caused him to lie. He nodded insignificantly. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°If you want to resent someone, you can resent me. If you really hate me enough to kill, I¡¯m ready to accept even that.¡± ¡°You told me not to die like that, but I guess you take your own death so lightly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s face hardened at Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s sharp words. CH 43 ¡°I don¡¯t blame hyung-nim too much. But that doesn¡¯t mean I like you. Honestly, I thought it would be okay, but when I look at you, I do feel angry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A slight sadness passed by Ji-Ho¡¯s face. He kept his mouth shut as if he had nothing to say. ¡®As expected, he is not a harsh person like the one in the original novel.¡¯ Yu-Seong could guess Ji-Ho¡¯s innermost thoughts and continued saying after a short sigh in his heart, ¡°Nevertheless. I thought about it and tried to find the reason. And after making my own guess, I can understand why this happened. I don¡¯t know what the gift from father is, but it must be something great enough to be called a treasure, and so many people would be after it. In case such a thing is given recklessly and causes problems, there must be an agreement to not give it out to people who are not ready and could cause useless risks.¡± Yu-Seong drank the tea brought by Ji-Ho and wet his throat. The scent was quite deep and clear, and so honestly he felt like his swayed mind was calming down. ¡°That¡¯s probably what you were thinking.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I was right. It was a middle ground found after some struggle just because I could not just refuse father¡¯s orders.¡± This meant that, originally, the room of sacrifice was not a test prepared by Woo-Jae for obtaining the gift. However, Yu-Seong thought somewhat differently. ¡®Perhaps Father expected Ji-Ho hyung-nim would prepare for such a test?¡¯ If one could not pass this test, then one did not even deserve to have the treasure. Doesn''t this truly sound like something that Choi Woo-Jae would have thought of? Yu-Seong laughed inwardly and threw out doubts and questions that he had in his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you straightforwardly. Hyung-nim, do you simply hate the fight between our siblings?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Ji-ho lifted the tea cup with a short silence. After drinking tea quietly, he soon nodded heavily. ¡°You are right. What father wanted was for the siblings to grow through strife, but I did not agree with that. This is something that I¡¯ve been thinking about since I was young and I¡¯ve tried a lot to make it come true. But in the end¡­¡± Someone who used Ji-Ho¡¯s soft touch had caused his downfall. ¡°Who is it? The one who made hyung-nim like this.¡± The original novel did not tell the story in detail. ¡®There¡¯s a lot of missing information.¡¯ This was actually because the Comet Group¡¯s story fell by the wayside of the novel after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s death. Therefore, even Yu-Seong could not complain that there was a gap in the setting. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll tell you?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Even if the result is like this, my thoughts are the same as before. I think it would be nice if we stopped fighting meaninglessly without anyone getting hurt or hurting each other. You could say it¡¯s silly. That choice eventually made me like this¡­ But it looked like your choice last night was the same as mine.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Again, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t say that he didn¡¯t really mean to die. ¡°I hope you¡¯re different from me. And also¡­¡± Ji-Ho also wanted Yu-Seong to be different from other siblings, but he couldn¡¯t say anything more. Yu-Seong shouldn¡¯t follow after him. Moreover, Ji-Ho also didn¡¯t want Yu-Seong to be cold-hearted like other siblings. Then, what should he be like? It was unreasonable and excessively greedy for Ji-Ho to expect Yu-Seong to find the answer to a problem that even he did not know. ¡°My goal is just to live a moderately good life, but¡­¡± Speaking of which, this also made no sense considering what Yu-Seong was like last night. Yu-Seong had no choice but to keep making awkward faces. ¡°No. Sorry for nagging you. I do not deserve to do so, since I am a sinner.¡± ¡°As I said, I do not like you, but I don¡¯t resent you hyung-nim. Of course, I don¡¯t even think of you as a ¡®sinner.¡¯ That¡¯s hair-raising.¡± Yu-Seong could understand more about Ji-Ho, who did not appear in the original book, now that he was facing the man in person. ¡®He is a fragile but strong person.¡¯ Ji-Ho was weak-hearted, so soft and good that he hurt himself. However, he had no regrets about his choice. Perhaps he still wanted to change the family¡¯s manner if he had a chance. However, he was afraid that someone else would follow his way. He must be thinking that the sacrifice he made was enough after all. In a different sense, Ji-Ho was an impressive person. ¡®As a person, he¡¯s more like bamboo rather than a flower.¡¯ This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Bamboo could be broken, but it would not bend. Even yet, the bamboo called Ji-Ho had not been completely broken. ¡°Thank you for saying that. But before I give you the treasure, can you promise me one thing?¡± ¡°Can I hear it first and decide?¡± asked Yu-Seong. Ji-Ho smirked. ¡°At least you seem smarter than me. Seeing that you don¡¯t recklessly make decisions.¡± ¡°Please tell me what you want first.¡± ¡°Do not handle your life recklessly. That thing should never happen again by any means.¡± That was for sure. From the beginning, Yu-Seong had no intention of dying. So he gave a bright smile and sincerely answered Ji-Ho, ¡°Of course. I absolutely do not want to die, so I¡¯ll live a long life.¡± "You''re a good speaker." ¡°That¡¯s something I hear quite often. So, where is the gift?¡± Looking at Yu-Seong urging him, Ji-Ho thought that Yu-Seong slightly resembled Choi Woo-Jae. ¡®If he is someone like this, maybe I¡¯ve been worrying too much about him.¡¯ Yu-Seong had a good and upright heart, a personality that could be trusted by the people around him. Also, he knew how to calculate like Choi Woo-Jae and make bold decisions. Finally, Ji-Ho could understand why Woo-Jae had sent Yu-Seong to him first than anyone else. ¡°The treasure is not far away. It¡¯s right here.¡± Choi Ji-Ho stretched out and extended his hand to Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong initially had a rather skeptical face, but soon became surprised. ¡°This¡­ Is this real?¡± He looked at Ji-Ho and asked. His voice unconsciously quavered. *** The player¡¯s equipment in this world was broadly classified into three categories. The first was the items made on Earth that were generally the easiest to obtain. Of course, even those items varied in price depending on performance. In the case of the handmade products made by the equipment manufacturer-type players, the price was raised to a ridiculous level. The equipment currently worn by Yu-Seong belonged to this category. The second category was the treasures from another world that were purchased from the Dimensional Merchants. Although there were also many items with unknown origins, their ability often exceeds those of items made on Earth. These items could only be purchased with karma points, cannot be transferred to others, and even had a rank restriction when wearing the item. In fact, the scariest thing about owning the treasure from another world was that it was impossible to transfer to others but it was possible to rob others. And this robbery was not possible for a living person. A treasure with powerful power that could be stolen by killing! It was like a double-edged sword. Thus, those who actually use the treasures of another world were known to be at least A-rank or higher. And third and the last, there were the equipment called ancient relics. These items were found very rarely in Earth¡¯s old remains, ruins, or dungeons but it was known to be as rare and effective as the treasure of another world. However, there was a great advantage that was very distinct from the treasures of another world. These equipment were transferable. ¡®Other kinds of equipment will also appear as time goes on, but¡­¡¯ Currently, for Yu-Seong, it was a rather distant story. However, the ring on Ji-Ho¡¯s ring finger of his right hand was none other than that rare ancient relic. Therefore, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Ji-Ho had an odd face when he saw Yu-Seong¡¯s reaction. ¡°From your reaction, it seems that you already know what this ring is.¡± At Ji-Ho¡¯s words, Yu-Seong came to his senses as if cold water poured on his head. His face turned red. ¡®Oops.¡¯ He made such a mistake because he was so excited as the doubts led to some degree of certainty. ¡®I always make mistakes in the end.¡¯ Like when Yu-Seong did it in front of Chae Ye-Ryeong, it seemed to be his kind of habit to eventually make mistakes after doing everything else pleasantly. ¡°No need to panic. Rumors that I have this ring have been circulated in the family for a while, so a clever kid like you might already know it.¡± It was the first time Yu-Seong had ever heard of such news. As said, his information was from just a scrappy story from the original novel. Even so, many things went wrong due to the butterfly effect. ¡®At first, I thought I could easily go through everything because I already knew the future¡­¡¯ In this state, the advantage of knowing the future seemed to soon disappear as time passed. Therefore, it was necessary to secure maximum safety requirements before too many things changed. The ring on the ring finger of Ji-Ho¡¯s right hand¡ªnow in front of Yu-Seong¡ªalso belonged to such items. ¡°Your prediction is right. This ring, the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, is one of the ancient relics that our entire Comet Group officially owns about only ten.¡± Ji-Ho clarified about the ring with a calm voice. Whether he read the confidence in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes or thought that it didn¡¯t matter to let him know remained to be seen, because it was a gift to be given to Yu-Seong anyway. He slid the ring out of his finger and placed it on his own palm. ¡°I was in charge of it for a while and now it¡¯s yours.¡± Choi Yu-Seong gulped and looked at Ji-Ho with a trembling gaze. He could understand anew why Kim Pil-Doo had spoken so sharply and why Choi Ji-Ho had even prepared a test to determine if he deserved the gift. ¡®Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice! It comes out in the original novel as Choi Mi-Na¡¯s treasure, but this must be originally received from Ji-Ho hyung-nim.¡¯ Choi Mi-Na was the second child of the Choi family, and was an enigmatic woman like a beam who would later succeed the Comet Group after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s death. Her personality was simply¡ªcrotchety. Even Choi Woo-Jae¡ªwho could be regarded as the absolute ruler of the family¡ªcould not easily control her due to her unpredictable fickle personality. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Choi Woo-Jae did not particularly suppress her. ¡®She is too strong.¡¯ Although it had not been revealed at this point, as a hunter Choi Mi-Na already rose to the same level as Choi Woo-Jae, who was considered the strongest in the family. Not as a business owner, but just purely as a hunter with more than Choi Ji-Ho. Choi Woo-Jae might have already fully recognized her as his successor and put his hands off if it wasn¡¯t for her reckless unpredictable personality. ¡®Because originally she¡¯s a monster whose growth potential is within five fingers of the entire worldview in the novel.¡¯ When the entire Comet Group was busying themself to catch Kim Do-Jin after he killed Choi Woo-Jae, there was only one time she went into the battle herself. And in the battle, Kim Do-Jin surprisingly faced a near-death crisis which was a rare thing in the novel. CH 44 Of course, the final winner was Kim Do-Jin. No matter how powerful Choi Mi-Na was, she could not surpass the main character buff of the novel. From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective as a reader, there was a small question left¡ªwhether Choi Mi-Na perhaps could really defeat Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Because it didn¡¯t seem strange even if Choi Mi-Na won, based on the descriptions or narratives at the time.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin was A-rank when he killed Choi Woo-Jae, while Choi Mi-Na was already described as a high-leveled S-rank at the beginning of the novel. As it was the story of about two years later from that time period, maybe Choi Mi-Na had reached SS-rank. Obviously, the original novel did not mention this part at all. Perhaps it was a choice to eliminate the separation between the story and the reality for the readers. Of course, Yu-Seong was not the only one who had doubts. Many readers did question whether the main character¡¯s adjustment was excessive. ¡®Yeah, it was a little too much at that point.¡¯ Five years later, Kim Do-Jin was definitely stronger than Choi Mi-Na. This was because even after the fight with Mi-Na, he had grown by overcoming many other crises. He surpassed SS-rank from A-rank, achieved an EX-Rank which was the rank for ones beyond the ordinary people, and became the perfect superhuman. Moreover, he regained all the power he had accumulated in the other dimension before returning. However, a thought suddenly came to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®Possibly, Choi Mi-Na heard something from Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡¯ In the novel¡¯s scenario in which the Comet Group mainly hindered Do-Jin¡¯s move, there were only two people who had somewhat taken an unexpected step back, Choi Ji-Ho and Choi-Mi Na. Also, ancient relics such as Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice were the symbol of Choi Mi-Na. A picture came to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind at once, but it was too blurry. As Yu-Seong shook his head inwardly, Ji-Ho tilted his head while bringing the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice closer to him. He asked, "Do you feel pressured or something, now that you are actually receiving it?" ¡°That is not it. Since now it¡¯s mine, of course I have to take it.¡± Yu-Seong no longer hesitated and quickly grabbed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. Then, he put it on his right palm. The cool yet cold touch of metal seemed to calm him down. He had to contain his excitement. ¡®I should let go of something that¡¯s not even certain and enjoy the present. Anyway, this precious thing has really come into my hands.¡¯ Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was a B-rank ancient relic item. In a way, it seemed to be rather low-grade, but it was no exaggeration to say that it is the best treasure that can be obtained right now for Yu-Seong. ¡®Because Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice has at least three functions.¡¯ The first function was regarding transmutation. Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was basically in the form of a ring, but it could be anything that belonged to inanimate objects according to the will of the wearer. It could be changed merely into a book or glasses, or even be changed significantly into a weapon or clothing. ¡®On top of that, it also can save the appearance I imagined.¡¯ The second function was the self-repair ability. Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was never worn out or broken completely. As it was an ancient relic, its durability was much higher than that of the general items made on Earth and it did not take long to return to its original form even if it was damaged. From these two abilities alone one could conclude that Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was certainly a magnificent equipment, but the most important part for Yu-Seong was the third ability. ¡®One of the few ancient relics with no wearing restrictions.¡¯ The problem with most of the equipment of both another world¡¯s treasure and ancient relics was that the limit of the rank for wearing it was quite high. This was the most troublesome part for Yu-Seong as he was only a level eight E-rank player. ¡®As far as I can remember, the lowest ancient relic¡¯s wearing limit was around rank-C level sixty¡­¡¯ That was not even close to the current rank and level of Yu-Seong. However, there was no such limit on Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. The mere fact that it had such advantages as the ancient relic with powerful performance made it valuable enough. Yu-Seong picked the ring with a slightly shaky hand and slowly inserted it into his right ring finger like Ji-Ho. The strange trembling sense of mana wrapped around his whole body like scanning and quickly disappears. There was no doubt about it. This sense was proof that this ancient relic was genuine. Yu-Seong was somewhat lost in the thrill. Ji-Ho looked at the dazed Yu-Seong with a satisfied gaze. ¡°The Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was a gift from father. I also prepared a few more gifts as an apology.¡± This was not the end? Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he thought that he already had received a full and overflowing reward with Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice alone. ¡°I will gratefully receive it, hyung-nim. Thank you.¡± Obviously, he had no intention of rejecting the gift. *** Since the solo face-to-face meeting between Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Ji-Ho began, the three who got kicked out of the room were standing along with a cold vibe. If one had to pick the most uncomfortable person here, it would definitely be Baek Cheol. Baek Cheol felt like he was going crazy as he, walked on eggshells around the two people in front of him and worried about what would happen inside the room. However, it was alright for him to feel a little uncomfortable, he just had a small wish. ¡®I hope the young master, Yu-Seong, is not too angry with my Master¡­¡¯ Fortunately, there was no loud voice in the room yet. Perhaps the conversation must be continuing smoothly and quietly. Actually, Baek Cheol could eavesdrop on the talk if he concentrated, but he didn¡¯t want to. This was because he thought it would be rude to both Ji-Ho and Yu-Seong. Baek Cheol struggled to suppress his desire to jump up and down in anxiety and instead, calmly talked to the two in a cold manner. ¡°The more I know about Young master, Yu-Seong, the more he seemed like a person of greater caliber.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Obviously, there was no answer coming back. Baek Cheol continued to talk alone, even in a somewhat awkward situation. ¡°I know these words will not comfort both of you. However, sadly, there is not much time left for my master to live. On the day the end comes, I will go to the young master¡¯s side and serve him for the rest of my life no matter what happens. Please understand that I can only apologize in this way because all I have is this one body.¡± Baek Cheol bowed his head deeply and clenched his fists. It did not matter how his words sounded to them. He sincerely felt sorry for the two and Yu-Seong and greatly admired him. ¡®How magnificent he looked when he nonchalantly said that he had forgotten about everything even though I almost drove him to death¡­¡¯ He was ashamed of the word ¡®villainous hero¡¯ that he came up with no matter how many times he thought about it. At least to Baek Cheol, Yu-Seong was a hero with a noble personality with great cause he could not dare even to imagine. A real man of virtue who knew how to sacrifice himself for others. Baek Cheol wanted to be with Yu-Seong for the rest of his life after Ji-Ho rested in peace. If he did so, he could be confident that he lived an unashamed life on the day he died. He would not be able to console them with just a few words. Contrary to Baek Cheol¡¯s expectations that they would remain silent, Yu-Ri opened her mouth to speak. ¡°¡­Do not forget.¡± She turned her eyes and looked at Baek Cheol¡¯s firm brown eyes. ¡°The promise you made just now, you must keep it. When that time comes, you must definitely become Yu-Seong oppa¡®s supporter no matter what.¡± ¡°I, Baek Cheol, had never broken any promise before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe you.¡± As Jin Yu-Ri nodded with a strange smile on her lips, Ji-Ho came out from the tightly closed door with a more relaxed face. The first thing that Ji-Ho did after opening the door was to bow deeply toward Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I would like to apologize to both of¡­¡± Before he completed his saying, the Jin siblings hurriedly tried to stop Ji-Ho, flustered. ¡°There is no need to say more,¡± said Yu-Ri. ¡°Apologizing to the young master is enough, sir.¡± The Jin siblings were not the only ones to be flustered. ¡°Master.¡± Baek Cheol¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected situation. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t stop me. How much heartache have you two suffered to merely overcome my standards?¡± ¡°But you, the first young master, are Yu-Seong oppa¡®s older brother. How could we receive your bow?¡± Yu-Ri shook her head in front of Ji-Ho with a flustered expression. ¡°As my brother said, the apology to Yu-Seong oppa is enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please raise your head, sir.¡± Ji-Ho sighed deeply at Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s request, and slowly raised his body. ¡°Cough.¡± At the same time, blood splattered as he coughed. ¡®How bony.¡¯ Do-Yoon suddenly looked at Ji-Ho¡¯s shoulder. Just as Baek Cheol mentioned, the skeleton without any flesh indicated that there was not much time left in his life. ¡®I heard he had lost most of his abilities after the incident... Is it the aftereffect?¡¯ Although Ji-Ho¡¯s representative abilities were Wind Control and future foresight, he had many more abilities that supported him to such a position. However, many of them disappeared on the day Ji-Ho got into an accident in a dungeon. Ji-Ho suffered limb muscle vein loss, vision loss, and even mana reflux, and disappeared from the Choi family and the entire Comet Group. It was also surprising that he was hiding in such a remote place, but it was even more shocking to look at the reality that he had only heard of. ¡°Cough, I am sorry. I am truly sorry.¡± Ji-Ho continued to show his respect as much as possible even while coughing up blood. Then, he slowly leaned on the wheelchair. It was because he had moved directly again when the aftermath of last night¡¯s excessive movement still remained. Baek Cheol wanted to dissuade Ji-Ho, but he didn¡¯t dare. ¡®He won¡¯t even listen to me anyway.¡¯ The Choi family¡¯s stubbornness was not just expressed by Choi Woo-Jae. When Baek Cheol was sighing inwardly, Yu-Seong came out as if running at the sudden cough and looked at Ji-Ho. ¡°Hyung-nim, are you alright?¡± ¡°After resting¡­a bit¡­ I¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. This is not a good place to stay for a long time.¡± Ji-Ho waved his hand and left as if running away. Baek Cheol hurriedly bowed his head deeply to Yu-Seong and Jin siblings then quickly followed him. ¡®Is he really alright?¡¯ Ji-Ho in the original novel would die after three years. However, looking at his back now, Yu-Seong was worried that the time might come sooner than he thought. Yu-Seong had to go through a big test and hardship, but he thought it was not easy to hate Ji-Ho when he saw the man¡¯s tearful face in front of him. Though, it seemed that it was not simply because of just that. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡®¡­He is the only person in the family who cares about me with a pure heart.¡¯ To Yu-Seong, the weight of that was by no means shallow. ¡®I don¡¯t want him to die¡­ Would there be any way?¡¯ It seemed that one more concern was added today, though Yu-Seong didn¡¯t dislike that fact at all. CH 45 On the way home, Yu-Seong thought in the silent car. ¡®I¡¯ve gained a lot from this journey.¡¯ Ji-Ho¡¯s gifts and the stories about him, which continued on after handing over Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, were surprising enough to make Yu-Seong feel that the ancient relic was somewhat incidental. Ji-Ho said that he would make sure that no one in the family could hinder Yu-Seong¡¯s growth or threaten him for a while. To be precise, it would be Choi Mi-Na¡¯s help rather than Choi Ji-Ho himself taking action. Ji-Ho was the only one in the family, other than Choi Woo-Jae, who was not estranged from Choi Mi-Na. In addition, Mi-Na had promised to unconditionally comply with three requests from Ji-Ho. From this, Yu-Seong could assume their rather civil and polite relationship. Anyway, if Mi-Na, the second oldest, stepped up in some way and blocked the dangers toward Yu-Seong, the other siblings wouldn¡¯t dare to step out. As mentioned, she had a fairly powerful force since no one knew how she would behave and when she would act out. In a sense, she was more difficult than Choi Woo-Jae, so none of his siblings wanted to confront her directly. This allowed Yu-Seong to overcome the penalty of lagging behind his other siblings as a result. ¡®Although he said it would last only for about a year.¡¯ However, considering Mi-Na¡¯s unpredictable character, even a year was considered a long time for her to be tied to such a request. And with that, Yu-Seong was already confident of building skills and infrastructure, as well as dealing with his other siblings. ¡®And also, Yu-Ri seems to have already prepared to some extent.¡¯ From Yu-Seong¡¯s ability as a game director originally, he could picture his direction to move on other than leveling mapping in more detail. Secondly, Yu-Seong received one more ring as a gift. Surprisingly, the second ring he received was also an ancient relic. It was a hidden trump that Ji-Ho personally had, not belonging to the family nor the Comet Group. It was a type that had no rank limitation when wearing it, like the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. ¡®It¡¯s actually more valuable than Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice.¡¯ The ring was called ¡®Jump Ring¡¯. Its rank as an ancient relic was S+, which allowed the wearer and person within a 10cm radius to jump through space up to 1km, but the number of uses was limited to two times. ¡®And hyung-nim said one of the trials was already used when he had to escape from that dungeon accident.¡¯ Thus, there was only one time left. It could be seen as one insignificant use, but it could also be used as a means to save Yu-Seong¡¯s life at an extremely dangerous moment. This was Ji-Ho¡¯s gift of apology in his own way. And in fact, the last gift that shocked Yu-Seong the most was information regarding the future that Ji-Ho had seen. ¨C Kim Do-Jin. That person will kill Father. And I also saw the future of your terrible death. It¡¯s a very sad thing, but I don¡¯t dare to stop him. Yu-Seong, a great threat is approaching this world. And the person who can stop it is¡­ ¡°Kim Do-Jin.¡± ¡°Yeah? What about him all of a sudden?'''' asked Yu-Ri. She was surprised by Yu-Seong¡¯s sudden self-talk. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± It was a story that Yu-Seong already knew since that had always been destined. It was a scenario written in the original novel. Would it still be the same now? ¡®Possibly, it¡¯s different now.¡¯ However, there was no certainty that the large parts had changed. What if Kim Do-Jin kills Choi Woo-Jae without Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s help? Just thinking like this meant that Yu-Seong¡¯s death could also come from somewhere unexpected. Of course, he also wanted to ask Ji-Ho. The future may have changed now, so he wanted to ask him to check it. However, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t ask. Ji-Ho said that he had lost most of his remaining life in exchange for seeing the distant future that he did not even want to know. If he tried to see another distant future like that, Ji-Ho may die at that moment. Yu-Seong did not want that to happen. ¡®Let¡¯s not dwell on it. Knowing the future that was supposed to happen was only a part of my capabilities anyway.¡¯ It would be nice to use that capability as much as possible to create the future he wanted, but he did not have to rely entirely on it as if that was his only capability. To do that, he had to make sure he had a relationship with someone really important. ¡®It would be nice if I could assuage his resentment.¡¯ It had been a long time since he gave up on the comfy thought that he had at the beginning that he should simply stay away from Do-Jin. He needed something more definite than that. ¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ Yu-Seong recited that name once again inwardly and opened his cell phone. He could see Do-Jin¡¯s message from a week ago but it had not yet been read. Yu-Seong checked and sent a message. ¡®Do you have time tomorrow? Let¡¯s have a light drink.¡¯ Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to find an answer unless he took the time to talk with the man. *** B-rank hunter Baek Ah-Rin was the talent that everyone wanted, not only by parties but also by guilds and the Player Association. Some guilds even wanted her more than Kim Do-Jin, the current hottest rookie. In a way, it was a matter of course. Baek Ah-Rin was a person with both heal-type and support-type abilities which were rare even among Psychic type players. Even hunters who risked their lives to go to the dungeon did not mean that they were not afraid of death or pain. Naturally, the existence of heal-type healers and support-type buffers became inevitably precious. Healers could not only heal minor injuries but also could reattach even a hand if cut off, and Buffers could provide a protective shield or lead strong ability improvement that increased the stability of the attack. Those two were recognized as indispensable for both parties and the team of attackers, but Baek Ah-Rin could do both of those roles alone. Moreover, some even described her as a Saintess because her beauty was beyond those of decent celebrities. Whether her beauty or her ability, Baek Ah-Rin was one who was fascinating enough to be coveted by everyone. ¡°But how could you not like me?¡± Baek Ah-Rin cried out with a face full of dissatisfaction while she looked at the back of Kim Do-Jin, who just slaughtered five sixth-rank Great Ants alone. Even though it was quite a fierce battle, there was no single tarnish in his outfit. Such appearance of Do-Jin became more attractive to Baek Ah-Rin. "Why are you following someone who doesn''t like you?" Kim Do-Jin sighed deeply and said with a frown as if he was annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s because I like you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re casually saying something that will make your fans cry when they hear it.¡± Baek Ah-Rin frowned at Kim Do-Jin¡¯s cold words and pouted her lips. ¡°Did I ask you for a date? I¡¯m just asking you to set up a guild together.¡± ¡°You are being too loud. That¡¯s all for today.¡± Kim Do-Jin shook the blood off the sword and put it in the sheath. He then walked toward the dungeon exit. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you hear me? Let¡¯s make a guild together. I¡¯ll let you be the vice president,¡± chattered Baek Ah-Rin who quickly chased after him. It was this part. ¡°No need,¡± Kim Do-Jin frowned once more and said. ¡°Seriously, why not?¡± Kim Do-Jin stopped walking for a moment. His eyebrows wriggled then he showed a grin. ¡°How many times have I told you? It¡¯s because I¡¯m not the president.¡± ¡°Ah, what¡¯s important about that? Hey hey, Kim Do-Jin. How about a co-representative?¡± "I refuse. It''s not my thing to collaborate with anyone." ¡°Wow, are you really going to be like this? It¡¯s already confirmed that we can be good partners.¡± ¡°Not sure about that, yet.¡± Unlike unemotional Do-Jin, Baek Ah-Rin got a hunch the moment she came across him in the dungeon a few days ago. ¡®This guy is the one.¡¯ He was the suitable person for the guild she was planning to create after ignoring the pouring love calls from all over the place. He was the charismatic figure who could bridge her gap¨Cher lacking experience and ability to discern¨Cand keep the balance of the guild. She liked him a lot more than what she heard on the grapevine. However, Kim Do-Jin fiercely rejected her proposal. She followed him and tried to show him her abilities that forcibly possessed numerous guilds and the association chairman to chase her, but it did not work. On the contrary, Baek Ah-Rin seemed to be the one falling for Kim Do-Jin as time went by. Eventually, she wanted to be the position of guild president but had no choice but to declare giving up. ¡°Ah, fine. President! You become the guild president. Instead, do me a favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kim Do-Jin stopped walking. ¡®It¡¯s needless to say that she is at the top among the same rank as a support-type user. Besides, her reaction speed and self-defense ability are pretty good. Much better than a decent D-rank physical-type player. She¡¯s indeed useful.¡¯ He reacted to her, just because deep down, he thought that her ability was quite excellent, although he did not easily recognize others. ¡°Continue on.¡± ¡°We can talk about it after the guild is built¡­¡± Ah-Rin spoke quickly. Her face completely lit up at Do-Jin¡¯s response. ¡°What a useless conversation.¡± Kim Do-Jin blew the cold wind and soon found the escape portal. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not a big request, seriously. I mean, it¡¯s just there are things I really want to do after creating a guild.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think it could be a useless nuisance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a nuisance! Just buy the guild¡¯s office building that I desire! I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Again, Do-Jin stopped his steps. ¡°A building?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a place I really want to buy, you know. But it¡¯s in an unauthorized area unless it¡¯s a guild¡­¡± Ah-Rin sighed deeply and continued to talk. ¡°I¡¯d like to do it under my company¡¯s name if possible. That¡¯s why I suggested a co-representative. If not, I¡¯ll be satisfied as vice president. But I just want you to use the office building that I have chosen, not anywhere else.¡± Do-Jin finally understood why she did not move even though there were love calls from numerous guilds and the Association. ¡°Office building, huh¡­ How about any other cost of creating the guild?¡± ¡°Once I buy the company building, I won¡¯t have that much money. Above all, you¡¯re the President. That''s just daylight robbery!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Text me the location of the office building.¡± ¡°Ah, hey?¡± When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Kim Do-Jin went out of the portal after his last words. Ah-Rin chased him out of the dungeon, but he was already entering the storage room quite far away. ¡°You¡¯re so fast!¡± Do-Jin moved his feet quickly while ignoring Ah-Rin¡¯s shout from behind. Do-Jin¡¯s expression changed strangely as he opened his locker and took out his cell phone. There was a message. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s asking to meet tomorrow?¡¯ Do-Jin finally got the time for a rendezvous with him, after Yu-Seong pulled out awfully many times. This was a rare opportunity. At that moment, an idea flashed through Do-Jin¡¯s mind. ¡®Guild, huh¡­ It might not be bad if it went well.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin was already looking forward to tomorrow. CH 46 Late dawn, a crocodile man covered with thick leather and scales was speeding along the Gangbyeon north expressway. He moved hastily, from running on the road with his two feet, crossing the enormous Han River bridge with a single leap, to even occasionally jumping into the river to hide. However, his movement was much faster than most of the vehicles running at around 100 km/h late at night. After running for a long time, the crocodile man submerged in the dark shade under the bridge. Only the top of his head and eyes could be seen just above the water¡¯s surface. ¡®At this point, he can¡¯t chase me anymore, right?¡¯ There was a mixture of fear, worry, and anger in the crocodile man¡¯s eyes. These emotions were rather inappropriate and odd for someone who was very much like a wild predator. ¡®Fricking Korean Special Police Force bastards!¡¯ The crocodile man was a foreigner. His real name was Yevgeny, a Russian mafia who was recorded as an A-rank Villain by the WPA, the World Player Association. Fifteen days ago, he had fled to Korea after a massive murder case due to conflict between organizations in Vladivostok. He had intended to stay under the radar for a while in Korea as he had entered through a disguised identity and fake visa. After all, the moment he got caught by the Russian Militsiya (the Soviet police in the past, the villain hunter group in the novel), things would become troublesome. As with all his problems, this one took place at a small lounge bar in Itaewon¡¯s [1] business district when he began flirting with a woman with the intention of taking her to bed. The bar owner was quite a beauty, so Yevgeny was overwhelmed by a desire to sleep with her somehow as soon as he saw her. Although Yevgeny had traveled to quite a few countries, such as Italy, France, the United States, Japan, and his home country Russia, he could bet there were only a handful of women as beautiful as her. He easily drank an entire bottle of vodka, lowering his inhibitions and intensifying his inner conflict. He soon decided that, even if he had to leave Korea, he would not be afraid to mess up. In fact, the task wasn''t difficult for him. Unlike his usual self, Yevgeny ignored the other women who shot curious looks at his blond hair and blue eyes, and waited until the owner of the bar got off work¡­ By the time the bar closed, there would always be dark alleys no matter how bright downtown was. Yevgeny hid in a dark alley while waiting with a gloomy gaze for the beautiful owner to leave work. However, an unexpected event occurred. From the back of the dark alley where Yevgeny was hiding, someone quietly approached, swinging a huge Claymore that aimed to cut his head in half. ¡°What the?!¡± Yevgeny shouted with wide eyes when he avoided the attack somewhat instinctively. However, the mystery person wearing a mask of a big-eyed rabbit character¡ªthat was quite like the characters in old animations¡ªdid not answer. The person simply swung the great sword suddenly once again. Yevgeny was frightened by the movement, which he couldn¡¯t even follow, and had no choice but to transform his appearance and flee without thinking about anything else. He couldn¡¯t understand it at first, but as he ran, he could soon guess that the mystery man was from the Korean Special Police Force that he had heard on the grapevine. ¡®I remember hearing that they act while wearing a strange mask to hide their identity¡­¡¯ Yevgeny trembled. The big eyes of the rabbit mask¡ªwhich might seem cute to someone else¡ªfelt creepy to him. ¡®He must have given up by now, right?¡¯ While the opponent¡¯s attacks were fast, the pursuit seemed to be slower. Yevgeny could not sense his opponent¡¯s movement from the middle of the run. Still, Yevgeny remained quiet just in case. However, even after 10 minutes, Yevgeny could not sense the bizarre rabbit mask anywhere. ¡®I should leave Korea now that my identity¡¯s been revealed.¡¯ The fact that the hunters from the Special Police Force, who was in charge of Villains, chased him meant that both his identity and situation had already become known to the Korea Player Association. Although, it was very regrettable that he couldn¡¯t do anything about the lady owner he last saw in Itaewon, the pleasure of his lower part was not more precious than his life. ¡®I¡¯ll just hide for another five minutes and then start going out slowly.¡¯ He planned on running straight to Incheon Airport right after that because he didn¡¯t want to see the terrible rabbit mask ever again. ¡°The water temperature must be quite low, but you¡¯re good at putting up with it. Is it because you¡¯re a cold-blooded animal transformation type? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. A rather low-pitched female voice was heard above Yevgeny¡¯s head. ¡°Damn!¡± Yevgeny hurriedly rushed out from the water when the river he had been hiding in soared like an explosion. The thick claymore split the river. He gasped inwardly at the opponent''s tremendous strength and burst into laughter pretending to be relaxed. ¡°Puhaha! Zayats(§Ù§Ñ§ñ§è). Shall we see if you can play well inside the water too?¡± ¡°You''re in Korea. Speak Korean, you trash.¡± As Yevgeny spoke in a mix of Russian and English, the rabbit-masked person once again swung the sword, grumbling as if she didn¡¯t like that. Along with a loud ¡®bang¡¯, the water rained down on the roofs of cars that were driving on the Banpo Bridge. In the meantime, Yevgeny chose to dive deep into the Han River while cursing inwardly as he saw the impact of the water splitting in half right in front of his nose. ¡®I did expect it, but she was truly a monster.¡¯ His animal instinct did not choose to escape in vain. However, wouldn¡¯t it be a different story if it was underwater? Yevgeny was a crocodile man. To be more precise, he inherited the power of Porosus, the sea crocodile that could even swim in the sea. He wasn¡¯t sure about fighting on land, but he was quite confident that he would not lose no matter how great the monster was if they fought in the water. The fearless rabbit mask plunged into the water of the Han River following Yevgeny. ¡®How cheeky!¡¯ Yevgeny had been planning to run away from her by swimming but now changed his mind. The eyes of the sea crocodile that were once trembling with fear now had the anger of a predator. Regardless of that, the rabbit mask jumped into the water with the Claymore slung on her back, spreading out her hands. ¡®Although I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do¡­¡¯ Yevgeny¡¯s wide crocodile mouth smiled cruelly. The bite force of the sea crocodile was considered the most powerful among the naturally occurring predators in the ecosystem. How powerful could it be if an A-rank Hunter dealt with that bite force that was several times more powerful than the bite force of a hippo that was generally thought to be terrifying? Once bitten, even an S-rank hunter could be impossible to escape. ¡®I¡¯ll chew and swallow her whole.¡¯ It was the moment when Yevgeny rushed through the water and opened his mouth wide. The rabbit mask clapped her outstretched hands. That was it. It was impossible to believe it, but the water fluctuated while causing waves, and soon a vacuum space that was large enough to see the bottom of the deep Han River water was created. Yevgeny was also nearly swept away by the immense monstrous strength, but the rabbit mask quickly reached out and grabbed his long snout that was unique to crocodiles. The surrounding area was still flowing with the water of the Han River, but it was somehow strange as if only the two were on the ground. The rabbit mask threw the crocodile toward the park at once and ran. The split water of the Han River quickly found its original place and filled up the space again. Yevgeny flew through the darkness of the night in that short gap when the water was filled back, smashing the stone wall stairs in the park and getting stuck between them. ¡°Kuahuk-!¡± The rabbit mask scattered her wet long black straight hair and thrust a fist into Yevgeny¡¯s abdomen as he vomited blood. ¡°Kueeek-!¡± With a scream, the entire thick stone wall stairs collapsed as if they had been hit by an earthquake. Even if he was a physical type A-rank player, he had no way to withstand such monstrous strength directly hit on his abdomen. Yevgeny¡¯s transformation has been released. His eyes rolled over and his tongue was pulled out. The rabbit mask waved the stone powder and dusty clouds in all directions as if it was annoying. She grabbed Yevgeny¡¯s head with her left hand and lifted him. ¡°What? Are you dead?¡± The rabbit mask tilted her head and strongly slapped Yevgeny¡¯s cheek from side to side. ¡°Keok, kukeok¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive, huh.¡± Along with those words, the rabbit mask slapped Yevgeny in the face once again with her right hand. Crackack-! The A-rank Villain¡¯s neck turned widely to the other way along with the breaking sound of the bones. ¡°Just how nice it would be if you were obedient when I tried to kill you in one shot without pain. You Villain Crocodile punk.¡± The rabbit mask casually verified the death of the notorious A-rank Villain, and looked around. It was utter chaos. After such a fuss was made, rumors must have already spread all over the place. ¡°I¡¯ll probably get a phone call soon.¡± With a frown, she scratched the back of her damp head as if she was annoyed, took off the cumbersome rabbit mask, and threw it into the Han River. Surprisingly, the face revealed from beneath the mask was the Itaewon lounge bar¡¯s beautiful owner who Yevgeny had lewd feelings for. Speaking of the devil, her cell phone rang just in time. ¡°Uh, what?¡± - A disturbance around Banpo Bridge, Han River Park has been reported. Did the Crocodile Villain¡­ ¡°I had no choice but to kill him due to his excessive resistance during the process of suppression.¡± -¡­killed again, huh. Myoî[2], what do you think of my words as a leader? ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I had no choice? Nevertheless, he¡¯s still an A-rank.¡± - It doesn¡¯t make sense that you had no choice with your skills, Myo. I respect you a lot and fully understand your situation. However, this Crocodile was a special request from the Russian Militsiya. He had to be kept alive and sent to Russia. She looked at the grotesque corpse of Yevgeny that was hanging loosely on her one hand with a bent neck insignificantly. She expressed her annoyed feeling as she swept her wet and heavy bangs. ¡°Ah, so what? If you¡¯re calling to nag me, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± - The Banpo Bridge¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t break it. I just broke down some stone stairs in the park. I¡¯ll cover the repair cost on my own. You know, I have a lot of money, right?¡± - Myo, accepting you into the Special Police Force was also a very dangerous adventure for me. And the adventure is not even over. At the somewhat threatening remarks, the woman called Myo frowned greatly. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting a lot of money from me, it¡¯s nominally the risk allowance. Leader, don¡¯t be mistaken. Our relationship is clearly made through business interest. If you say something like you¡¯re making a sacrifice¡­¡± Myo clicked her tongue shortly as her gaze turned toward the crowds who gathered after hearing the commotion in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. People are flocking. I¡¯m going to withdraw now.¡± -¡­Okay, Myo, I¡¯m just asking. But can¡¯t you listen to me at least once a year? ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. But this guy, he called me zayats.¡± - Zayats? ¡°It¡¯s Russian. Don¡¯t be a finger prince [3], search it on your own. The corpse will be at the usual place.¡± Myo jumped naturally into the air to avoid the crowds and hung up the phone. She got annoyed and hit Yevgeny¡¯s head once more. Then, she looked at her chest, which was somewhat flat because she was wearing a battle suit. ¡®XXck. It¡¯s ridiculous of him to treat me like a man, though.¡¯ The Russian word ¡®Zayats¡¯ was a noun referring to male rabbits. Myo felt quite nasty. Though in the meantime, her cell phone rang again. 1. A foreigner-friendly international district, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. ? 2. The sign of the hare or rabbit, the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac ? 3. A Korean slang used to describe people who don''t search by themselves despite a very simple problem and ask others instead ? CH 47 Myo answered the phone without checking who the caller was. She raised her voice in annoyance, swearing, ¡°I told you I¡¯m done talking about this case, damned bugger¡­¡± - Choi Mi-Na. It¡¯s me. ¡°Uh?¡± Myo quickly lowered her voice. It had been a while since she heard this person¡¯s voice over the phone, but she clearly recognized who he was. ¡°Choi Ji-Ho?¡± - I certainly am happy to hear your voice and learn that you still have no manners. ¡°Kekeke, why? Want to be called oppa?¡± - I refuse. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. ¡°Good choice.¡± Myo, better known as Choi Mi-Na, smiled and made herself comfortable on a pillar above Banpo Bridge. - Your relationship with the Special Police Force¡¯s leader seemed to be the same as before. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Just because you initially helped doesn¡¯t mean you deserve to meddle. You know that, right? - Mi-Na. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know how much you hate villains, but¡­ ¡°Why do all men act the same? I¡¯ll hang up if you¡¯re going to nag. Tell me the main point in three seconds. Three...¡± - I¡¯m thinking of using one of the three wishes. ¡°Glad to hear that. Go ahead and tell me.¡± As Mi-Na calmly continued the call with Ji-Ho, she gradually frowned. After ending the short call, she hit the head of Yevgeny''s corpse again and sighed. ¡®My gosh, so he wants me to be the nanny for that ninth brat, the troublemaker?¡¯ She already felt dizzy thinking about it; she felt like throwing up. *** Yu-Seong made an appointment with Kim Do-Jin for late afternoon the next day. Around noon, Jin Yu-Ri headed to the dungeon to train and further develop her skills. Even though she had hurriedly made a schedule, any hunter with an ability like hers was welcomed in any party or attacker team. Yu-Ri was going to leave the house first. Before she left, she gave Yu-Seong the contact information of the so-called ¡®Jenny¡¯ that she had mentioned when they had been trapped in the room of sacrifice. ¡°When I¡¯m away, feel free to contact her if you need anything. She¡¯s a smart kid, so she¡¯ll do a good job for a lot of things, oppa.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she your friend who you tried to keep in secret?¡± ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, that¡¯s when you liked to flirt with girls too much. Jenny is quite a beauty, you know.¡± ¡°How about now? I still don¡¯t hate women.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not like you¡¯re flirting with anyone. And, you¡¯re clever enough,¡± said Yu-Ri with a smile. Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders. Yu-Ri was speaking rather indirectly, but it was obvious why she finally gave Yu-Seong Jenny¡¯s contact information. ¡®It¡¯s because I can be trusted now.¡¯ A secret organization was a secret for a reason. It should be as untraceable as possible even to those who had a large influence, such as Woo-Jae. To do so, the fewer people who were aware of them the better. Also, they should not reveal a secret organization¡¯s information to foolish people who could easily expose them. If it was the original Yu-Seong, there was a high probability that he would have quietly bragged to even a bar woman that he even knew about a plausible secret organization. It would have soon become a secret that everyone knew about. Wasn¡¯t this a common story? Yu-Ri didn¡¯t want to easily reveal the card in her sleeve. Also, as mentioned, now that she believed in Yu-Seong, she could inform him of their existence. He felt proud and happy that he now had one more secret weapon for himself. In the afternoon, Yu-Seong headed to the meeting place¨CItaewon¨Cwith Do-Yoon as an escort and driver. He thought it wouldn¡¯t take too long because it was close to home in Hannam-dong. However, when they got closer to the downtown area, there was so much traffic that he thought it would take longer than expected. Yu-Seong took out his phone and texted Kim Do-Jin that he would be a little late. Then, he spoke to Do-Yoon. ¡°It would be faster to just walk from here.¡± ¡°¡­I forgot that it was a busy weekend,¡± replied Do-Yoon as he grabbed the steering wheel with a stumped look. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not your fault. I didn¡¯t know today was Saturday either.¡± After losing track of time for a while, Yu-Seong did not even realize the day of the week. He looked at Itaewon street, which was full of green and red decorations, with a strange gaze and smiled. He commented, ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s Christmas soon.¡± ¡°This year is coming to an end. Time seems to go pretty fast. There¡¯s been a lot of things recently¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be even busier in the future. By the way, don¡¯t you want to date someone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I am qualified yet, young master.¡± Do-Yoon¡¯s face stiffened at the rather insignificant question. He grabbed the wheel tightly. This was because the fight with Baek Cheol from a few days ago had come to his mind. ¡®¡­I think I have just uselessly woken up a sleeping wolf. Do-Yoon is the type of person who¡¯s too serious about certain things.¡¯ In fact, it was the same for Yu-Seong, who had no intention of dating himself, so it felt like he had been swept off by the word ¡®Christmas¡¯ and had asked a useless question. ¡°Too much is as bad as too little. There¡¯s nothing to worry that much about all the time.¡± ¡°I will take your words to heart.¡± Do-Yoon¡¯s personal thoughts couldn¡¯t be discerned from his face, but he gave Yu-Seong a good answer. That did not mean he could be persuaded by long talk, so Yu-Seong decided to shut up. Just in time, a text notification came on his phone. - You are already 5 minutes late. Are you kidding me? - I¡¯m not kidding, there''s really a lot of traffic. - ¡­I¡¯ll head over there. Where are you at? Yu-Seong closed the messenger window on his phone and looked at Do-Yoon. ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. Just drop me off on the side at the red light.¡± ¡°Are you going alone?¡± ¡°We''re downtown in the evening. It¡¯ll be hard to cause trouble in this kind of place unless they are certainly crazy. Perhaps I¡¯m sure the Special Police Force is also dispatched there just in case.¡± It was common for the Special Police Force¨Cthe hunters in charge of Villains¨Cto be on standby in downtown areas, hiding their identity in case of sudden events or acts of terrorism. ¡°I understand, young master.¡± There were many talented people in the Special Police Force. And in fact, it was quite rare for big incidents and accidents to take place in these downtown areas. ¡®I¡¯ve now decided not to let my guard down, but¡­¡¯ It did not mean that Yu-Seong was going to hold his breath without doing anything, as if he were scared. If he ever had that mindset, he would not be able to hunt dungeons. The important thing was to be always aware of the fact that accidents could occur and to be fully insured. Before getting out of the car, Yu-Seong checked the location tracker that was attached to the pocket inside his coat and it was working properly. He nodded. ¡°My location will be sent on a real-time basis anyway, so come to me after you park the car.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Do-Yoon stopped the car on the side road, dropped off Yu-Seong, and then left. It had been a while since Yu-Seong went out onto the street alone, and was in a somewhat strange mood. ¡®Now that I think about it, I was always with Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon.¡¯ How long had it been since they had been so far apart from him like this? It felt awkward, but Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡®At least, I am in Itaewon.¡¯ He had many safeguards in place, but there was one thing that would assuredly keep him secure. ¡®There is the lounge bar that Choi Mi-Na uses as a hiding place.¡¯ Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. It was a simple reason why the second daughter of the Comet Group¨Calso famously known as a monster¨Cwas hiding in Itaewon. ¡®Because she belongs to the Special Police Force and she hates Villains.¡¯ At this point, she seemed to have a terrifying personality which no one could stop. However, she also had her own pain. It happened when Mi-Na was about 5 years old. Villains invaded the mansion where Mi-Na and her mother lived together after they had moved out of Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s place. As Choi Woo-Jae was abroad at the time, he had no time to deal with it. Thus, it was an incident that resulted in many victims. Above all, the memory that remained intensely in Mi-Na¡¯s mind was the death of her mother. She had died while Mi-Na could only watch while hiding in a secret space behind the closet Mi-Na hadn¡¯t even been able to burst into tears and could only crouch down holding her breath. At that point, she had been too young, weak, and miserable. It was a rather natural step for her to join the Special Police Force. Surprisingly, Choi Woo-Jae did not know that Mi-Na was currently in the Special Police Force. If he had known, he would have strongly opposed it, saying not to do useless things. And no matter how famous Mi-Na was for doing whatever she wanted in the whole family, she would not be able to completely go against Woo-Jae¡¯s will. In fact, this was Choi Mi-Na¡¯s position or perspective: She wanted to catch Villains, but they were so clever and vicious that it was too much to pursue without any information. However, if she ran a private organization that could deal with such information, it would certainly be seen by Choi Woo-Jae. Therefore, Mi-Na joined the Special Police Force. The identity and affiliation of each individual within the Special Police Force were known only to one person in the country ¨C the Leader of the Special Police Force. The information of members in the Special Police Force was strictly abided by the principle of confidentiality even to the chairman of the Korea Player Association just in case. The strange thing was why the Leader of the Special Police Force accepted Choi Mi-Na. Even though it was clear that if Choi Woo-Jae found out about this, the risk of the Leader of the Special Police Force would be severe. As always, there was no detailed description of this setting in the original novel. ¡®Choi Mi-Na is the last resort anyway.¡¯ Fortunately, Yu-Seong was not very curious about what the truth would be. In fact, it was better not to bump into her. Mi-Na hated evils, and so she disliked Yu-Seong who usually used to act like a rascal. He did not expect that her thoughts would have now changed much from then. `Rather, it¡¯s a relief if she doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m worse because she thinks I¡¯m just acting for my reputation.¡¯ Anyway, the last resort was Choi Mi-Na. Just in case the future has changed, last night he also investigated the lounge bar run by Mi-Na which appeared in the original novel. ¡®Fortunately, nothing has changed here.¡¯ Both the lounge bar and Mi-Na were still in Itaewon. No matter how much she hated Yu-Seong, she would not let him die when a dangerous situation came. That was the reason why he dared to choose Itaewon as the place to meet Do-Jin. ¡®By now, Ji-Ho hyung-nim would have asked her about that. Oh, come to think of it, how related would the Special Police Force be with hyung-nim?¡¯ His thoughts wandered here and there as he walked on the street. No one recognized Yu-Seong because he deliberately wore a hat, glasses without lenses, and even a mask to hide his appearance. ¡®I feel like I am a famous celebrity for some reason.¡¯ In fact, almost everyone knew about Yu-Seong in Korea¨Cthis world¨Cso he could be called a famous celebrity. ¡®I indeed have the skill of an attention seeker, but I don¡¯t need to draw useless attention for a day like this.¡¯ The important thing was the conversation with Kim Do-Jin. Yu-Seong thought Kim Do-Jin was probably thinking the same thing. His thoughts continued on until he faced Do-Jin who grandly appeared on the other side of the crosswalk with a huge crowd behind him. ¡®That crazy guy. He''s quite an attention seeker as well if you get to know him.¡¯ Come to think of it, Do-Jin never hid his appearance when heading somewhere even in the original novel. Thanks to this, there were always accidents and incidents regarding him, but he did not care at all. Rather, he just used all of those things as a stepladder for his growth. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, isn¡¯t it meaningless for me to cover my face?¡¯ Would Do-Jin recognize him in this state? Yu-Seong continued thinking about it, because he felt it was rather burdensome to approach and talk to Do-Jin. CH 48 Yu-Seong was confident that he was completely disguised but, in front of the crosswalk, Kim Do-Jin was staring at Yu-Seong with blazing eyes. ¡®Did he recognize me?¡¯ After the light turned green, Yu-Seong got an answer. Do-Jin immediately approached Yu-Seong with big strides, directly faced him, and said, ¡°Follow me, Choi Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sharp. How did you recognize me at once?¡± ¡°I can tell it¡¯s you even from a kilometer away.¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t such a sloppy disguise, though.¡± In the first place, no one except Do-Jin recognized Yu-Seong. Even now, most of the crowds taking pictures of them were asking who the masked man beside him was. The only reason Yu-Seong could think of was that Do-Jin was the original novel¡¯s main character. ¡°It¡¯s noisy here. Why did you ask to meet me on the weekend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just because it was yesterday when I asked you to meet and you said yes. You also didn¡¯t know it was the weekend, right?¡± Do-Jin paused his steps, his earlobes turning red at Yu-Seong¡¯s words. ¡®This guy, he¡¯s flustered.¡¯ When Kim Do-Jin was flustered, the tip of his earlobes turned red. Yu-Seong was suddenly reminded of Do-Jin¡¯s description, which mentioned this fact about three times in the original novel. ¡°You really didn¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Yes I did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bad at lying.¡± ¡°I just said I knew.¡± ¡°Anyway, where are we going now?¡± asked Yu-Seong. ¡°Restaurant, I made a reservation.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Even in the original novel, there was no scene where Do-Jin did something like making a reservation. It was because places that needed reservations were mostly ordered by others. Come to think of it, it was likely that the reservation Do-Jin just mentioned was also ordered by someone who followed him. ¡°Because it¡¯s an important meeting.¡± Do-Jin turned back to Yu-Seong and smiled lightly. It wasn¡¯t a smile of anger, but Yu-Seong flinched without realizing it. ¡®¡­How bloody.¡¯ The place that they arrived through the crowds was a franchise budae-jjigae [1] restaurant. ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like budae-jjigae?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I do. Come to think of it, you really loved food such as ham.¡± ¡°Have I ever said that to you?¡± Do-Jin tilted his head and climbed the stairs with an indifferent look. It was an ordinary franchise house, but there were no other customers inside. Also, the people after them were not allowed to enter. ¡°Did you reserve the entire budae-jjigae restaurant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better that way so that it¡¯s easier to talk.¡± Do-Jin talked lightly as they sat face-to-face with a round table with a burner in the center. After a while, a budae-jjigae with plenty of ham was placed on the top of the burner. ¡°Enjoy,¡± the owner said with a wide smile as she disappeared to the kitchen. ¡®What should I start talking about?¡¯ thought Yu-Seong. ¡°Kim Do¡­¡± The moment Yu-Seong opened his lips after some thinking, Do-Jin interrupted him. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°Ah, go ahead,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°I won¡¯t refuse,¡± said Do-Jin confidently. His gaze was even more intense than the blue flame heating the boiling budae-jjigae. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong. I¡¯m thinking of making a guild.¡± So what? Yu-Seong tried hard to filter the words that came to his mind. He took off his mask and hat, then scooped the soup of budae-jjigae for himself. His gesture signaled for Do-Jin to continue talking. ¡°Come into my guild. I promise to treat you the best.¡± ¡°Cough-!¡± In the ensuing words, Yu-Seong had no choice but to cough up the soup roughly in front of Do-Jin. After that, he rejected Kim Do-Jin¡¯s offer right away. Yu-Seong was a bit concerned that his rejection might offend Do-Jin, but surprisingly, Do-Jin took it lightly while he wiped the soup that splashed onto his face with a wet tissue. ¡°Considering your family situation, I understand that it may be a difficult offer for you to consider. I know that I say this often, but it¡¯s just that¡­I quite like you. It¡¯s to the point where I want to be with you for a very long time.¡± It had changed. Yu-Seong had thought that there would be some changes, but Do-Jin was treating Yu-Seong so differently from the original novel. He looked much more relaxed and calm. To be specific, it could be said that Do-Jin tried to look that way? If Yu-Seong was a woman, he might have thought Do-Jin was seducing him. ¡®Actually, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s trying to seduce me.¡¯ However, the meaning in this context was just slightly different. Anyway, due to this situation, Yu-Seong was aware that he should not continue the conversation with Do-Jin thinking of the Do-Jin he knew from the original novel. ¡®He is treating me like this, despite the fact that I am a member of his enemy¡¯s family. Then maybe it would be easier than I thought to resolve his grudge?¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong was aware that this was a complacent thought. Thinking a little deeper, it was highly likely that this process itself was Do-Jin¡¯s trap from the beginning. ¡®It¡¯s because I have changed. He''s trying to seduce me in a different way. Let¡¯s not forget. For Kim Do-Jin, I¡¯m just a bridge to Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯ If Yu-Seong was placed within Do-Jin¡¯s field of view in a guild, it would inevitably be comfortable for Do-Jin in many ways. ¡®It¡¯ll be easier for him to get closer to me.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes sparkled at the word that suddenly crossed his mind. ¡®By the way, father told me to keep Kim Do-Jin by my side.¡¯ This was because one should always keep their opponents close, just like the saying ¡®take the bull by the horns¡¯. From that perspective, joining Do-Jin¡¯s guild would not be bad for Yu-Seong. ¡®Since Do-Jin doesn¡¯t know that I have knowledge of his goal.¡¯ Of course, it was dangerous. Kim Do-Jin was quick-witted and skilled at getting things done, so he would quickly establish the evidence and circumstances and if any doubts were raised about Yu-Seong¡¯s actions. Then he would slash his throat at once. Wasn¡¯t that the reason he initially tried to keep his distance from Kim Do-Jin? ¡®It¡¯s a high-risk high return sort of situation.¡¯ Although he intended to consider it, Yu-Seong refused Do-Jin¡¯s offer for now. After they finished their meal at the budae-jjigae restaurant, the two went out for a drink. In fact, Yu-Seong had been the one to invite Do-Jin to drink together, and also it was necessary for him to have more time to feel out Do-Jin. He also asked Do-Yoon, who had come nearby, to keep an appropriate distance. ¡®If Jin Do-Yoon is too close, I think this guy will try to hide his true feelings even more.¡¯ Do-Jin and Yu-Seong roamed the Itaewon streets for a longer time than they expected. Fortunately, it was late and the number of people chasing Do-Jin had decreased a lot, so they did not feel like the environment was too disruptive. Originally, it was said that there was a bar that Do-Jin had picked just like the eating place. However, Yu-Seong firmly refused after he saw the sign of the name of the lounge bar, Luna. ¡®Out of all the other bars, how could he choose the very bar that Choi Mi-Na owns.¡¯ Mi-Na had never appeared in public, so the general public did not know her face properly. Thanks to this, she quite actively acted as the lounge bar¡¯s owner and roamed around the store. What if she and Yu-Seong accidentally bumped into each other in the store? A fairly difficult situation could have occurred. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you disliked that store.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t feel good.¡± Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid 500,000 won[ref] about $400 in usd [\ref] to reserve.¡± Even though it was a weekend, how could it cost as much as 500,000 won to rent a normal bar room overnight? Originally, Yu-Seong was an ordinary citizen so he smiled bitterly inwardly. ¡®How could the business be that prosperous and there are still many customers who are willing to pay that much?¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong now belonged to a conglomerate family. Like what had been shown, he could easily spend much more money than that as long as it was meaningful. ¡°Give up. I¡¯ll give you that money. Don¡¯t be grumpy and let¡¯s go anywhere except there.¡± ¡°I think your celebrity disease[ref] a condition in which the celebrity becomes too aware of their fame and status that they start taking it for granted[ref] will be quite a problem if we just go anywhere, though?¡± Do-Jin snorted as he stared at Yu-Seong who was wearing a mask, a hat, and even sunglasses. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not a celebrity disease. It¡¯s because a lot of people recognize me, seriously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually called celebrity disease. And even if it¡¯s not you, the eyes will still be drawn because of me anyway.¡± Kim Do-Jin pointed behind them with his index finger. Although it had decreased, there were still crowds chasing after the two. However, the crowd rarely came close enough to bother them. ¡°So can¡¯t you also cover your face?¡± ¡°Why should I? I didn¡¯t commit any crime or anything. They are all adults who know manners. Rather, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s too sensitive.¡± Do-Jin shrugged. ¡°You want to befriend me, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m behaving like this because I want to befriend you. I don¡¯t pretend in front of my friends.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so generous when you¡¯re on a magazine or TV.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not in front of my friends. Again, I like you quite a lot, Choi Yu-Seong.¡± Do-Jin smiled at Yu-Seong. Many people would exclaim or scream at that handsome magnificent smile, but Yu-Seong always thought his smile was indeed bloody. ¡°Don¡¯t smile. It¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°Why? Afraid to get attached?¡± ¡°No way.¡± In the end, Yu-Seong sighed and took off his uncomfortable hat, sunglasses, and mask. At that moment, the number of surrounding gazes doubled. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°He is crazily handsome. Who is that?¡± ¡°Seems like Kim Do-Jin.¡± ¡°No no. Look at the person next to him. Wow¡­¡± ¡°Choi Yu-Seong? It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong!¡± It was a moment where the confusion and questions turned into conviction. A burst of exclamation mixed with lamentation came from here and there. Also, there were voices of people who immediately picked up their phones and made calls. ¡°Hey, Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong couple appeared in Itaewon!¡± ¡°Seriously, this view is a masterpiece, I mean it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any regrets if I die today.¡± ¡°My gosh. I¡¯ll sleep without washing my eyes today.¡± Yu-Seong being next to Do-Jin, whose handsome appearance stood out even when he was alone, was truly eye-catching for people around them. Amid the fuss, a smile bloomed on Yu-Seong as he checked the skill window with his expectations. ¡°Oh my, flowers just bloomed!¡± ¡°He¡¯s crazy. Choi Yu-Seong is truly so handsome¡±. ¡°Hey hey, I¡¯ll hang up, so hurry up and come here. If you miss seeing them, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± On the other hand, Yu-Seong could not even hear the people¡¯s voices. ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor E The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level accelerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (35¡ú48/100). Current acceleration rate +50% ¡ú +70%¡» It was because of the explosive growth of Star Factor skill, which had been slow for a while. ¡°Now that you look more comfortable and it¡¯s much better to see.¡± At Do-Jin¡¯s words, Yu-Seong nodded without hesitation. In other words, Yu-Seong was an attention seeker himself. He rather suppressed his instinct by thinking too much. ¡°Let¡¯s just go to the nearest pub.¡± Being more relaxed, Yu-Seong led Do-Jin. 1. Spicy sausage stew that is a type of Korean jjigae (stew), made with ham, sausage, Spam, baked beans, kimchi, instant noodles, and gochujang. It is also associated with the army as it was created after the Korean War, a Korean stew made with American ingredients. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/budae-jjigae ? CH 49 The lounge bar Luna was actually one of the most famous places in the entire Itaewon. The only disadvantage was having to climb a fairly steep hill road to get there, but there were many other advantages to make the trip worth it. First of all, it was built on the hillside and was eight-story high, so the scenery of downtown Itaewon could be seen at a glance when standing by the window. Also, the desserts and snacks were made by a patissier scouted from a five-star hotel in France, and the bartenders also consisted of handsome men and beautiful women. Nevertheless, if one used the lounge and not the room, the price was not that expensive. It was great to take pictures to post on social media, and people were always excited and refreshed just from coming by and taking a look around. There were even rooms for VIPs, with interior designs that cost hundreds of millions won. Thus, there were inevitably many guests regardless of weekdays or weekends. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that Kim Do-Jin tried to bring Choi Yu-Seong to Luna. However, Mi-Na did not really care about how popular her store was. She did not open it to earn money. Itaewon had many foreigners, and most importantly, it was one of the places where foreign Villains usually hid in Korea. ¡®Well, she¡¯s just looking for Villains here.¡¯ The store''s growth was unexpected, and it was due to the enthusiastic work of the professional manager, who had been hired with a lot of money. Mi-Na did not put any direct energy, physically or mentally, into managing the lounge bar Luna. Nothing was that different even now, though she had to go to work almost every day as the owner unless things related to the Comet group or her family got too busy. Most of the time, she played the part of a wallpaper and looked for Villains in the store or observed the outside world through the window to look for Villains in Itaewon. ¡®Who would be today¡¯s Wally?¡¯ It was when Mi-Na sat on a window watching that she would think of ¡®Where¡¯s Wally?¡¯, something that she used to enjoy as a child. ¡°Hey, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin are in the Frozen Pub right now!¡± Mi-Na heard an unpleasant name. ¡°Those two are together?¡± ¡°I heard that it looks extraordinary when they both are together.¡± ¡°Any pictures?¡± ¡°I just received some from my friend¡­ But, are you going?¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Of course!¡± Rumors spread in an instant. The store full of guests was emptied at an unbelievable speed. The employees seemed bewildered by the unusual situation. However, despite looking out the window as if she was not interested, Mi-Na¡¯s mind filled up with even more complicated thoughts than usual. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong. That kid is here now?¡¯ She remembered the request she had received on the phone from Choi Ji-Ho last night. She did not think that something might go wrong, but she was concerned about Yu-Seong somehow. ¡®Should I go and see him? Just to see his face.¡¯ Choi Mi-Na leaned against the window, nervously tapping a fairly high heel on the floor, and soon shook her head. ¡®I can¡¯t be bothered.¡¯ Originally Yu-Seong was not the Wally she was looking for. ¡®Is there any Villain standing out today?¡¯ Mi-Na yawned while she looked out the window again. *** Humans were indeed excellent at adapting. At first, Yu-Seong was not used to the gazes and interest pouring into the pub. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t express his inner thoughts through conversation. However, as he had a conversation with Do-Jin, who was quite calm, he was able to easily bring up what he wanted to say. For example, the conversation was about such topics¡­ ¡°Why are you making a guild suddenly?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a woman who keeps asking me to make it.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± At that moment, a name passed through Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®Baek Ah-Rin.¡¯ Even in the original novel, Baek Ah-Rin had played a big role in getting Kim Do-Jin to create a guild. She would play a pivotal role among Do-Jin¡¯s colleagues along with Baek Cheol in the future. Her potential was, of course, an EX-rank. ¡®By the way, Baek Ah-Rin and Kim Do-Jin are already in contact?¡¯ Time had flown faster than Yu-Seong thought. He felt like something was moving forward, but Yu-Seong did not take it too seriously since there was no big loss for him. Other than that, their conversation was not overly deep. It was just the process of getting to know each other slowly. ¡®Because I should not poke too deep from the start.¡¯ In the original novel, Do-Jin was depicted to have a rather deep grudge. As he didn¡¯t think it would be easy to solve from the beginning, Yu-Seong tried to find the answer slowly rather than being impatient. And for that, his first step was to make Kim Do-Jin warm up to him so that he could be honest with him. ¡®Somehow, I¡¯ve come to this point where I need to get closer to Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ The flow of the conversation became more and more comfortable as they had the same goal. When they finished drinking and went back out to the street to walk for a while, Yu-Seong came up with one thought. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for the original novel, he might have been a really good friend¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong had such a thought, but he shook his head vigorously to clear his head. ¡®Let¡¯s not forget. This guy is a reaper who would drive me to death if anything goes wrong.¡¯ The conversation continued even while they were walking through the bustling Itaewon streets, which seemed to overflow with people even though it was already quite late at night. ¡°I actually thought you were quite a fool.¡± ¡°Is that a confession? It¡¯s quite unpleasant.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because now I think differently.¡± ¡°No, it matters. Why did you come to befriend me if you thought I was a fool at first?¡± ¡°Because you have a lot of money.¡± Of course, even though Yu-Seong knew Do-Jin¡¯s real purpose, it seemed like a pretty plausible answer. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re hiding inside, but I¡¯ll trust that you¡¯ll tell me someday.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when the time comes.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Was it because of alcohol? Or maybe it was because there was a change of heart? Yu-Seong was already talking quite comfortably with Do-Jin. Even though he was surprised to admit it himself, Do-Jin also seemed to feel the same way about Yu-Seong. Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong with surprised eyes and soon hardened his face. His silent and deep black eyes looked straight at Yu-Seong as if to see right through him. Then, Do-Jin¡¯s red lips slightly twisted into a crooked smile. ¡°¡­It would be nice if you weren¡¯t a Choi.¡± At the end of those words, a heavy, strange, short silence passed between the two. ¡°Why are you upsetting the mood? Do you have any grudge against the Choi family?¡± Yu-Seong tried to calm the vibe down with an awkward smile. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ He crossed the line spontaneously. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®How crazy. Why do I always make mistakes while things go well like this?¡¯ Yu-Seong continued to smile awkwardly to calm his pounding heart. On the other hand, Do-Jin did not loosen his stuffed face. His two dark eyes looked darker than the night. A question suddenly passed through Yu-Seong¡¯s mind as he was trying to get out of this situation. ¡®¡­Why is it so quiet?¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t feel the crowd around him anymore. Although they entered a somewhat deserted road, there was always a crowd passing by from time to time until a minute ago. However, all of the sudden, the crowd had disappeared. Do-Jin, still having a stiff look on his face, reached out to the air. Then, a phenomenon appeared where space seemed to have collapsed. ¡®Subspace!¡¯ Yu-Seong recognized which skills Do-Jin had performed at a glance. As the name suggested, the Subspace skill, used to create one¡¯s own secret space, was an ability created for the main character Kim Do-Jin¡¯s convenience. It was so that he could be equipped at any time even though he was occasionally unarmed. ¡®By now, since he would be about C-Rank, this should be a space about thirty-six square feet large?¡¯ Later, when he would become beyond the S rank, Do-Jin would store food, water, and other supplies, as well as installable bunkers purchased from the dimensional merchants in the subspace. In any case, Do-Jin did not show his subspace ability recklessly except for his supporters. As much as it was not visible to others, it would be fatal if more people didn''t know about it. Choi Woo-Jae was also caught off guard when he saw Kim Do-Jin unarmed and was killed by a weapon he took out from the subspace. Looking at this skill right in front of his eyes, Yu-Seong felt somehow shameful. ¡®Oh, that looks so cool. Though, what a shame.¡¯ Yu-Seong desired to duplicate this skill. Even if there was a limit to the number of uses, subspace ability would be quite useful. The problem was that Kim Do-Jin¡¯s subspace skill was a C-rank skill as mentioned and was not a skill that could be obtained by Yu-Seong¡¯s Eye of Replication, which was only an E-rank. And in fact, there was a separate fact that he had to focus on now. Do-Jin did not show his subspace skill unless it was to his supporters. To be precise, there was one more exception. ¡®He just shows it to his enemy who would be killed by him anyway.¡¯ Of course, he won¡¯t kill someone just by swearing once. Moreover, Do-Jin seemed to want to get along with Yu-Seong¡­ At least Yu-Seong felt this was real. However, the road was quiet with no one else around. Do-Jin¨Cwith a stuffed face¨Cdrew a sword and pointed it at Yu-Seong. ¡°Why are you suddenly acting so scary?¡± Yu-Seong asked. He looked directly at Do-Jin. The momentum seemed to rise from the tip of Do-Jin¡¯s sharply forged sword. Yu-Seong¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple, the sword¡¯s target, greatly trembled. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, trust me.¡± The cool winter wind passed between the two. ¡®Hey, you nutcase. What kind of madman would trust you while being pointed with a sword?¡¯ Yu-Seong swallowed what he wanted to say quite heavily as a silver light flashed in front of him. ¡®That was really fast.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a matter of believing or not in the first place. It could be seen obviously, but he couldn¡¯t see the shape perfectly. A silver flash passed right next to Yu-Seong¡¯s neck and dug into the air. The gap between them was so close as a sheet of paper. ¡°Hup¡­!¡± Along with the voice of someone swallowing air, there was a long tearing sound. At that moment, Yu-Seong used Wind Control to create an illusion and flew himself sideways. A disorganized human figure, as if popped out of old television, leaned back and stabbed the heart of the illusion with a hidden blade rising from the tip of his toes. If Yu-Seong was still there, he would have died immediately without knowing anything. ¡°That was a quick response,¡± said Do-Jin after licking his lips with the tip of his tongue. He cut off the toes of an unidentified figure¨Cwho split Yu-Seong¡¯s illusion in half¨Cjust before. In that short time, the opponent who seemed to be counterattacking in a precarious position completely hid his appearance. Then, there was silence. Yu-Seong frowned at the sticky yet stinging sensation felt from his left hand, and swept the side of his neck. ¡®Blood.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s palms were stained with dark red. This was because Do-Jin¡¯s sword that narrowly passed him actually injured his neck as well. ¡°You told me to trust you, you jerk.¡± Yu-Seong tried not to swear, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Ah, slipped,¡± Do-Jin said calmly and looked around with a cold gaze. Although it could not be seen, he must be convinced that the person who had attacked him was still here. Then, Do-Jin suddenly ran toward somewhere and swung his sword again. CH 50 Do-Jin looked like a madman cutting through the air because no one took a hit. However, his movement itself was elegant and antique. Meanwhile, Yu-Seong breathed out and swept up his hair which was messed up by the sudden movement. ¡®I really thought I was going to die.¡¯ To be honest, if Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t recall the conversation between Do-Jin and Baek Cheol from the original novel scenes¡ªwhere Do-Jin tried to secretly attack the enemy that appeared behind Baek Cheol¡ªYu-Seong would have flown to another place even before Do-Jin started moving. In fact, the most dangerous thing was the fact that the opponent who had appeared from behind Yu-Seong definitely tried to kill him. There had been no hesitation in the enemy¡¯s move wielding the hidden blade protruding from the tip of the shoe. ¡®That makes me even more upset.¡¯ Yu-Seong had already guessed the invisible opponent¡¯s identity through his ability and weapons. ¡®It¡¯s the Demon King Worshiper, the Ghost.¡¯ The Demon King Worshiper was the name for the evil organization that unsurprisingly appeared in the novel. Ghost was the nickname of the Villain, who would probably be a player currently listed as B-rank Max Level. Their target was none other than Kim Do-Jin. Strictly speaking, their goal was to convince Kim Do-Jin to join them. Do-Jin had a natural talent and was cold-hearted, which made him one of the figures with everything that Demon King Worshiper valued. Finally, the reason why Ghost ¨C one of the Demon King Worshipers¡ªhad come here now was to convince Do-Jin. In such a process, they attempted to kill Choi Yu-Seong who was considered an unnecessary obstacle for them. This was the conclusion that wouldn¡¯t have happened if Yu-Seong hadn¡¯t met Do-Jin in the first place. Although he survived, Yu-Seong certainly felt that the situation was unfair. The more absurd feeling followed because admiration for Kim Do-Jin arose inside him even in that meantime. ¡®Besides, how did he find and follow someone that can¡¯t even be seen? I knew that he¡¯s the main character, but he is beyond my expectation.¡¯ Ghost¡®s invisibility ability would not be able to be penetrated even with Insight, which was the burning blue flames in Do-Jin¡¯s eyes. The reason for this was simple. ¡®Because Ghost is a B-rank hunter.¡¯ With the C-rank skill Insight, it was impossible to identify the higher B-rank skill, invisibility. That was why one of the nicknames of Ghost¨Cthe Psychic type Villain, whose main talent was invisibility¨Cwas called ¡°the invincible underdog.¡± There was no way for a lower-rank hunter to find Ghost, since even the skill of the main character, Insight, could not see through it. However, Do-Jin was fighting Ghost not through the ability of his skill but with his sense as a returnee or some subtle changes and sounds around him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy for Do-Jin either. It was like skating on thin ice. He was avoiding fatal injuries, but it was clear that he was sustaining more and more injuries. In a way, it was a matter of course. Basically, Ghost was a B-rank Max Level hunter who was one rank above Do-Jin. Also, the enemy who was not visible would be difficult to deal with no matter how great their senses or skills were. Ghost was bewildered by Do-Jin¡¯s first surprise attack and was initially unable to show his skill, but he was now regaining his rhythm ¡®It¡¯ll become dangerous over time.¡¯ Yu-Seong should not just wait and watch Do-Jin with admiration. Yu-Seong slightly bit his lower lip. In fact, the current situation was definitely unexpected. ¡®Originally, the Demon King Worshiper should have appeared only after Kim Do-Jin reached B-rank Max Level.¡¯ Therefore, Ghost that appeared in the original novel was much easier than the current Ghost in front of them and had been more easily suppressed by Do-Jin. In other words, it was Ghost¡®s role as a supporting character to help showcase the main character¡¯s strength. However, Kim Do-Jin was still currently a C-rank. ¡®Variables are created because of me.¡¯ There was nothing more to say. Yu-Seong has changed too many things since he entered this world. Moreover, that change even affected Kim Do-Jin. This situation was not good in any way. ¡®If Kim Do-Jin is overpowered or killed by Ghost here¡­¡¯ It could lead to a completely different story from the original novel. It was very unlikely, but in the worst case, Do-Jin may be reborn as a Villain after being brainwashed by the Demon King Worshiper. That would be an extremely terrible case. ¡®Heukhwa[1] Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯ How much faster would Do-Jin¨Cthe main character who has yet to transcend his potential¨Cgrow if he got stronger without having any conscience by being among the Villains? ¡®It would be better to become the Demon King¡¯s enemy.¡¯ And as mentioned, Do-Jin should not die in that sense. ¡®If Kim Do-Jin dies, who¡¯s gonna stop those crazy cults and Demon King?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong himself? That was nonsense. The Demon King who would appear in this world in the coming future was terrifying. He even made Kim Do-Jin, who had such deceptive abilities, desperately fight. Those guys used cruel and terrible powers to ravage humans and destroy their minds. It was something that Yu-Seong should absolutely avoid, since his goal was to eat well and live well moderately, and live to the point where he won¡¯t die, then enjoy life in peace and die as the ninth son of a conglomerate family. For him to reach that goal, Kim Do-Jin had to remain alive. ¡®That damned guy is the hero who will save this world.¡¯ Therefore, Yu-Seong had to think soberly. It would be stupid to step in and attack Ghost together. Yu-Seong was still only an E-rank from the beginning, and was likely to be unhelpful in the fight between Ghost and Kim Do-Jin. It would be fortunate if he avoided being a burden to Kim Do-Jin, who was already struggling. ¡®Jin Do-Yoon is¡­¡¯ Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Do-Yoon still wasn¡¯t here, so Yu-Seong had to assume that there was a problem. People had suddenly disappeared from Itaewon street on the weekend and Do-Yoon should have been the first to run if he had seen a crisis. Choi Yu-Seong quickly found the answer. ¡®It¡¯s a barrier.¡¯ The question was, how did the barrier activate? The first plausible method was to hire the Barrier Master, one of the Psychic-type players. The second was to use the Barrier Scroll produced by that Barrier Master. Barrier Master was not common even among players throughout the entire world. It would be about ten people at most. Thanks to that, the price of Barrier Scroll was also at an enormous level. ¡®There are 2 Barrier Masters among Demon King Worshippers.¡¯ However, it was still too early for those precious talents to move. Even in the original novel, Barrier Master of Demon King Worshiper appeared only after the middle of the fifth volume. Therefore, inevitably, there was only one possibility left¨Cthe Barrier Scroll. ¡®If they used the Barrier Scroll, there must be a Gate of Life somewhere.¡¯ Among the contents of [Modern Master Returns], there was a setting that said the Barrier was a kind of Battle Formation and that it could be broken apart if the Gate of Life was found. Currently, it was clear what Yu-Seong had to do in a situation where they desperately needed help from the exterior. ¡®I have to find the Gate of Life.¡¯ Having decided what to do, Yu-Seong threw off his heavy coat and began to run. *** There were several laws inside the Barrier. First, the Barrier was a virtual space. The entire building and the objects that existed in the Barrier seemed to be real, but they were all ¡®fakes¡¯. In other words, it was a plausible form of illusion. If one were aware of this fact and had the ability to see through the phenomenon, it was not difficult to find the Gate of Life. Most of the fakes would be passed through like holograms and he would be able to find the actual force, the Gate of Life, at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, Yu-Seong could not use this method. If it was a Barrier Master who could produce Barrier Scroll, it meant that he was a player who was at least B-rank. ¡®It wasn''t found even with Kim Do-Jin¡¯s Insight, so of course, it would not be found with my duplicated Insight.¡¯ Thus, Yu-Seong should focus on the second law of the Barrier. There was a limited number of people and space that could be accommodated by the Barrier. Also, it was impossible to pinpoint and lock-on to only one person precisely. This was also why Yu-Seong being near Do-Jin was involved as well when the target was Do-Jin. It was a penalty that could be taken for granted as the Barrier itself has such a complicated structure, but some parts could be guessed through this. ¡®There are at least three people, there may be more but that¡¯s it for now. Then the size of the space itself would not be that big either.¡¯ If the Barrier was of a quite large scale, people other than Yu-Seong and Do-Jin would have been caught up. However, there was no disturbance or miracle from the surroundings. Also, the Gate of Life was the starting point of the Barrier. Basically, it would be located in the center. Therefore, Yu-Seong could easily make his decision as it was the only choice he could make. ¡®First of all, I need to figure out the exact size and shape of the Barrier.¡¯ Yu-Seong transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a form of a spear while running, and left traces of different forms here and there. There was always a wall at the end of the Barrier. An invisible wall that could not be crossed! And exactly two minutes later, in front of the traces of his spear, Yu-Seong was convinced. ¡®This block is the end of Barrier.¡¯ Any step forward would lead to another space inside the Barrier. After repeating the process over and over again, Yu-Seong was able to roughly grasp the scale and shape of the Barrier. ¡®The barrier is Circular, and the scale is within a 2km radius.¡¯ It was just the right level when compared to the number of people. This allowed Yu-Seong to start finding the center, which was a process for the actual breaking of the Barrier. It was not that difficult to draw a map and shape in his head. ¡®I¡¯ll say it¡¯s until¡­somewhere around that building.¡¯ The error may occur in the range of several other buildings located on both sides and front-back of that point, but it would certainly be around that surrounding area. Yu-Seong returned Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice back into a ring and headed to the building that he thought was the center. ¡®Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice could also be a hidden variable for the enemies, even though it''s not as unnoticeable as Do-Jin¡¯s Subspace that is not even visible.¡¯ The maximum capacity of the circular space of 2km was about four people. If there was one more person, there was no reason not to show up at the battle of Ghost and Do-Jin, however, this was something he could not be certain about. There may be someone guarding the center of the Barrier. In preparation for that, it was better to hide the weapons as much as possible. ¡®It¡¯s quiet.¡¯ Entering a five-story building with a rather dark atmosphere, Yu-Seong felt a cold sweat running down his cheek. ¡®This must be the center of the Barrier.¡¯ Yu-Seong had a strangely heavy feeling pressing down on his shoulder. Although it felt somewhat unrealistic, that made it more certain on the other hand. It was because the air itself was different from the other spaces inside Barrier where Yu-Seong was busy running around. Climbing the stairs with hasty steps, Yu-Seong¡¯s movement paused for a moment. ¡®Let¡¯s be careful. As long as Kim Do-Jin doesn¡¯t overdo it, there¡¯s still time.¡¯ Of course, there wasn¡¯t much time. There was also no guarantee that Do-Jin would not overdo it. Do-Jin hated to lose the fight more than to lose his life. If the fight against Ghost began to flow in an overly unfavorable direction, there was a high probability that he would do kamikaze and bust his ass. There were many concerns, but Yu-Seong tried hard to demand inner calm. It was an emotion he didn¡¯t feel when holding onto the spear. ¡®How could it be this different that the skill effect disappeared? I still have a long way to go.¡¯ Feeling pity for the lack of the skill Cool-headed (E), which was an additional effect of the skill Spearmanship Prodigy, he smiled bitterly. The more urgent and difficult situations, the better he had to control his mind. However, maintaining such a solid mental power was not as easy as it sounded. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped. Because I¡¯m also just an ordinary human.¡¯ Whenever a life crisis came like this, this particular thought always resurfaced. Some of the settings regarding him such as being a member of a conglomerate family, being an Irregular with excellent possibilities¡­were a mere background after all. Yu-Seong did not have great mental power or a particularly strong heart like Do-Jin. He felt unsatisfied as it was a shortcoming, but he felt that there was nothing he could do. ¡®I¡¯m just still inexperienced. Rather, being good at it from the beginning is like a monster.¡¯ The best thing Yu-Seong could do was to fight against such fear and anxiety to grow more and more mature. After thinking this or that and a few deep breaths, Yu-Seong regained his composure on his own¡ªwithout using the skill¡ªand quietly climbed the stairs while holding his breath. 1. literally means ¡°become darker¡±. Thus it means fallen, corrupted, depraved ? CH 51 It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. As mentioned, it would be illogical for Yu-Seong to fight and win if there was another Demon King Worshiper. ¡®Villains belonging to the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ group are at least B-rank.¡¯ This was because most of them had gained strength through contracts with the Demon King, who was still crouching in another world. In other words, even Ghost who could kill Yu-Seong right away was only a trivial soldier 1 from the Demon King Worshiper¡¯s standpoint. Therefore, Ghost was merely a role that appeared and died a vain death in the original novel when Do-Jin had grown to some extent. Yu-Seong let go of the original novel written from Kim Do-Jin¡¯s point of view that he had lightly read in the past. For him at this point in time, all the Demon King Worshipers were the Grim Reaper. While he climbed up the stairs, he took a breath and wiped his sweat away. However, his troubled thoughts made him sweat all over his forehead again. ¡®It¡®s not just a feeling, but I think there¡¯s one more person for sure.¡¯ As he went up the stairs one step at a time, the weight on Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulders gradually became heavier. Would this simply be because of the dissonance between knowledge and reality? Yu-Seong walked up the stairs, feeling suspicious. By the time he reached the third floor, it was difficult to even breathe. His vision was blurred and he was filled with an intense desire to run away immediately. He was scared, but he was used to this. He had already fought against similar fears over and over again. As he expected, he was growing through experience. Yu-Seong arrived on the building¡¯s 4th floor. ¡®That''s it?¡¯ It definitely felt like Yu-Seong had been going up the stairs for quite a long time, but it seemed to have been an illusion. Checking the number written in the dark and damp hallway, Yu-Seong clenched his fist, bit his lips, and stepped on the next stairs. Then, he passed the fifth floor and climbed the stairs leading to a higher place. Beyond the wide-open rooftop door, Yu-Seong found a yellow amulet floating in the air and the strange patterns spreading around it. It was the center of formation to use the Barrier Scroll. ¡®It¡¯s the Gate of Life!¡¯ Yu-Seong found it. It was at that moment that the sweat on his tense face fell to the floor of the quiet hallway. ¡®Drop.¡¯ Yu-Seong stiffened at the quiet sound that clearly rang in his ears. Then, there was silence, a silence that gave Yu-Seong hope. ¡®Is there¡­no one?¡¯ Maybe the unknown threat and the momentum was the only thing present. With that in mind, he took courage again and went outside the rooftop door. Then at that moment, ¨C ¡®Woosh-!¡¯ ¨C a hand popped out of nowhere and grabbed Yu-Seong¡¯s neck. ¡°Kek-!¡± Yu-Seong¡¯s face turned white as he was pushed to the wall. ¡®What the heck¡­?¡¯ A red-haired woman was holding Yu-Seong¡¯s neck with one hand. She tilted her head in front of Yu-Seong, who did not know what was going on. She commented, ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s this? I was looking forward to seeing the one who broke through my threatening energy, but it¡¯s just a greenhorn.¡± The woman¡¯s gaze was mixed with disbelief and curiosity, both of which were superficial. Yu-Seong read the latent emotions deep in her red eyes somewhat instinctively. ¡®Intentions of murder and anger.¡¯ The problem was that such feelings were superabundant. ¡®Horrible¡¯ might be a more accurate word. Just facing her alone was enough to cause him to tremble without realizing it. It was completely different from the energy that Woo-Jae emitted, since hers was more essential and wilder than his ¨C rather an unrefined kind of emotion. It was swirling around the woman as if about to explode. ¡°Oops, almost killed this kid.¡± With a bright smile, the woman released Yu-Seong¡¯s neck. She tilted her head as she looked down at Yu-Seong, who slumped helplessly on the floor like a doll with broken threads. ¡°Seriously, how did you come all the way here? You kid, are not even breathing properly now.¡± To tell the truth, Yu-Seong was suffocating like he was submerged in the water despite the freed neck. He covered his shoulders with both arms unconsciously, with the fear of death surging in his mind. He felt like a child who met a tiger in the wild. The torrent of emotions was so violent that he struggled to even make eye contact. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong forced himself to raise his head and look at his opponent. How did he dare to do that? Was it because of his determination or tenacity? Or did he have a lot of courage? Honestly, it wasn¡¯t from those cool feelings at all. ¡®If I don¡¯t raise my head, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ This was what Yu-Seong could read from the momentum of the red-haired woman. It was only her curiosity that was keeping Yu-Seong alive right now. ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted. And¡­you haven¡¯t given up yet. The eyes are alive ¨C and I like that very much.¡± With a smile, the woman slowly bent her knees and made eye contact with Yu-Seong. ¡°You have pretty eyes. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Choi¡­Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Rachel, Rachel Lopez.¡± Rachel smiled and held out her hand. Looking at Rachel with a rather blank gaze, Choi Yu-Seong parted his dry lips and said, ¡°The Slaughterer Queen.¡± An S-rank Villain ¨C one of the future Disasters was standing in front of his eyes. *** It was somewhat ironic why Rachel Lopez ¨C also known as the Slaughterer Queen ¨C had become part of Demong King Worshiper. ¡®Will it feel different to cut the Demon King¡¯s head from cutting the head of the humans?¡¯ This pure curiosity and desire were always wiggling deep in Rachel¡¯s heart. Going back to the beginning, it started with a thought - ¡®Would I feel at ease if I killed the stepfather who beat my mother every day and treated me mercilessly?¡¯ On her 13th birthday, Rachel was able to answer the question after cutting the neck of her stepfather ¨C who crawled into her bed like a worm ¨C with a kitchen knife she had hidden under the bed. ¡®It¡¯s nothing.¡¯ Seeing her mother ¨C who was an adult much bigger than her ¨C wringing her hands without even rebelling, Rachel had thought her father was a fairly scary and strong human being. However, when she cut his neck with a knife, he just died in vain. There had also been some danger that followed, but it had all been a lot easier than Rachel had expected. Her curiosity about the Demon King was similar. She was curious about how he looked, how strong he was, and she wanted to kill him. The Demon King Worshiper guys said that Demon King would ascend from another world someday to destroy this world and that the dungeon¡¯s appearance was the start of it. However, everything was unknown until Rachel could personally experience it. Therefore, Rachel entered Demon Lord Worshiper. Certainly, the only way for her curiosity to be satisfied was for the Demon King to appear. Moreover, Demon King Worshipers could meet the Demon King before anyone else. Except for the fact that she had killed her stepfather as a child and was an Irregular, Rachel was a rather ordinary(?) hunter. Her only reason for joining the nonsensical organization called Demon King Worshiper was truly curiosity. The feeling she had while looking at Yu-Seong now was also curiosity. ¡®This kiddo is interesting.¡¯ Rachel had come to Korea under the organization¡¯s order to convince Do-Jin, but she didn¡¯t want to do anything directly. Working together with her colleagues was tedious for her. Even in the entire Demon King Worshiper organization, she was a loner who played alone. She felt comfortable alone and also found it was much easier to get things done. This made her somewhat unrivaled even within Demon King Worshiper. It was annoying to keep pace with someone. Even so, this time, she was told not to fight and kill but to convince. She did not like it at all. However, she had no justification to refuse the request of the leader Godfather ¨C her only favorite figure in the entire group of Demon King Worshipers. Previously, Rachel didn¡¯t fulfill three of the missions suggested by Godfather himself. This was because none of the missions given recently were to her liking. If she refused another request by this point, she would be disgracing the Godfather¡¯s honor. Also, there will be a lot of talk from the Presbytery ¨C who did not like her. Since Rachel wanted to fight the Demon King first than anyone else, she could not completely ignore such words of the Presbytery even if she was annoyed by it. Thus, this trip to Korea was somewhat forced. The one good thing was her hearing that Ghost ¨C one of the moderately easy-to-manage soldiers ¨C was in Japan just in time and had summoned him. Anyway, if she went out on a half-forced mission that was to convince Do-Jin in person, Rachel could kill him if he didn''t listen to anything and bothered her. She was convinced that the right person for this job was Ghost, not herself. Of course, she would have to pretend that she did some work as well. Only then would the Presbytery ¨C who may be monitoring somewhere ¨C have nothing to say. Therefore, she played the role of opening the Barrier Spell and protecting it. Of course, she would still have to pretend to work to some extent¡­ Rachel was just lying and rolling about on the rooftop, eating Korean snacks after sending out Ghost. Even so, it wouldn¡¯t cause any problem for her. Even if Rachel laid down and idly relaxed, most Hunters would not even dare to approach her. ¡®It should be at least an A-rank Hunter to break through my threatening energy, though.¡¯ This was largely influenced by one of her skills, Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave (S). Not only could the ordinary people not bear it mentally and physically, but just approaching it closely would drive them crazy in fear. As mentioned, even hunters were not much different unless they were a high rank. However, Yu-Seong, who looked just about an E-rank player in all directions, broke through her Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave. It was impossible in the first place to avoid the effects of her skill -- Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave with just luck. In fact, Yu-Seong ¨C who came up to the rooftop ¨C was already full of fear even before he met her. ¡®It looks like he¡¯s going to suffocate right away. That¡¯s pretty cute.¡¯ Rachel smiled inwardly, and tilted her head. ¡°Won¡¯t you shake hands with me?¡± Rachel asked. ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong reached out his trembling hand and held Rachel¡¯s white but calloused hand. ¡°Since you seem to understand what I¡¯m saying, I guess you can speak English. Good. I¡¯m going to ask questions now. I hope you sincerely answer. How did you come up here?¡± ¡°¡­By foot.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been easy, though?¡± It wasn¡¯t even about how easy it was. It was generally impossible to do so. Yu-Seong looked at Rachel¡¯s eyes instead of answering. What more could he say? Rachel nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying. So let me ask you the second question. What do you think will happen to you in the future?¡± Slaughterer Queen was a nickname Rachel got while working as a mercenary for the U.S. Department of Defense. Those who had met her on the battlefield at the time ¨C including soldiers, Hunters, and civilians ¨C all died in terrible looks. According to the records, those who fought Slaughterer Queen were torn to pieces, tossed to the ground, and turned into corpses in a very rough form. Could Choi Yu-Seong end up different? ¡°I want¡­to live.¡± At the words of Yu-Seong biting his lower lip tightly, Rachel tucked her red hair behind her ears. She commented, ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you. Everyone desires to live. But Choi Yu-Seong, you seem to have a much stronger will than others. Nevertheless, you came this far ignoring my Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave. Is your request possible?¡± While Rachel was overwhelmed with curiosity and questions, Yu-Seong gradually began to calm down from the suffocating fear. To be precise, he started to rack his brain to survive her. CH 52 ¡®Slaughterer Queen Rachel, the Irregular.¡¯ Rachel was one of the few powerful Villains in the original content, playing an active role only in the second half of the original novel. It went without saying. In the original, Rachel killed one of the Demon Kings with her own power. That was made possible after Do-Jin''s party had killed all Demon King¡¯s servants and she had made a surprise attack. However, it was an achievement that even Do-Jin ¨C the main character ¨C could not do at the time. Of course, it came at a price ¨C she died. Rachel was a Villain who appeared in the second half of the story and was quite popular. It was not just a disaster, but the Great Disaster when she died after crossing the wall in a fierce battle with the Demon King. And because of that, there were quite a few readers who were sad about Rachel¡¯s death. There were small numbers of the readers who wanted to see Do-Jin, the main character, meet his proper opponent and be overpowered and struggle. Very ironically Yu-Seong also was one of those readers.Obviously now in this situation, he wanted to slap his cheek in a row at the time. ¡®A fan of Rachel as a reader¡¯ ¨C was something that could never be said after experiencing her in person. ¡®Rachel is really dangerous.¡¯ Perhaps even the author could not handle Rachel and had ended her life in such a way. Her personality and characteristics themselves were too intense and intimidating. Her only weakness was that she was a bit lazy in things that did not interest her, the somewhat excessive curiosity and that she was a little unlucky although she liked gambling a lot. If Rachel had continued to be alive, it couldn¡¯t even be imagined how much tougher the completed journey of the first part that Do-Jin would have been. After recalling Rachel¡¯s strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and personalities, Yu-Seong recalled the weapons she could use. ¡°Oh my, your gaze is coming back now,¡± said Rachel. Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to find a way out if he got caught up in her pace, so he quickly opened his mouth and said, ¡°Rachel.¡± ¡°Tell me, sweetie¡­Remember that you¡¯ve pushed your head into the lion¡¯s mouth, yet you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°I want to suggest a game.¡± ¡°Game?¡± Interest glistened in Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡®What is this cutie pie saying?¡¯ Yu-Seong spoke quite well for someone whose shoulders shook in fear. He then said, ¡°If I win the game¡­ Do me a favor.¡± ¡°What if I win?¡± Rachel¡¯s curious expression suddenly showed a hint of excitement. Yu-Seong took time to think. As he had told Choi Woo-Jae, it was meaningless to risk his life. Yu-Seong¡¯s life was already up to Rachel. Then, Yu-Seong asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­like money?¡± To be exact, Rachel needed money for gambling. She often lost because of her bad luck, so, surprisingly, Rachel often suffered from poverty. ¡°Pfft¡­ sweetie. I don¡¯t know where you heard my rumors, but the amount is out of your league. Do you know how much money I spend on gambling? If you think E or D-rank Hunters can handle such an amount¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°I know. Cute sweetie, you¡¯re Choi Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°You know the Comet Group, right?¡± ¡°How couldn¡¯t I? The boss there is quite a scary old man¡­¡± After talking to herself for a while, Rachel¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°So, you¡¯re that Choi Yu-Seong? Now that I see it, you¡¯re not just a sweetie, but a cute gold nugget.¡± Recognizing Yu-Seong¡¯s true identity, she started laughing while slowly getting up from her seat. With her cold gaze, she studied Yu-Seong from head to toe as if she were evaluating an animal. ¡°I don¡¯t think that geezer will give money for threatening him with you, so there¡¯s a way, right?¡± Yu-Seong nodded silently. ¡°If you break your promise, I won¡¯t just kill you. I will take out all your intestines while you¡¯re alive and stuff them.¡± Rachel¡¯s threat wasn¡¯t an empty one. She actually was capable of doing such a terrible thing since there were Necromancers who were afraid of Rachel all over the world. Instead of answering, Yu-Seong increased the tension in his trembling thighs as he raised himself up. *** The rules of the game were suggested by Yu-Seong. Rachel was confident she would win no matter what method he used. ¡°Let¡¯s go over again. Rule number one, my cute gold nugget wins if I get out of this circle.¡± Rachel looked around at a small circle that she drew after Yu-Seong¡¯s suggestion. It was small, and a person could barely stand within it. Surprisingly, she made a circle by piercing the thick concrete floor with a single index finger. Seeing that, Yu-Seong started to tremble again. How the hell could Rachel manipulate a concrete floor with a finger using a small amount of mana he could not even feel? The concrete floor was like whipped cream to her. He already knew that S-rank Hunters were like monsters, but it felt like Rachel was one step above that. He felt like she was an unrivaled S+ rank among the S-ranks. He was even able to realize how strong a survived Irregular was by simply looking at her. ¡°Secondly, I¡¯ll have to use only one finger.¡± Rachel lifted her left index finger and waved it lightly. ¡°You¡­are not confident?¡± Asking a quite impactful question, Yu-Seong¡¯s voice quivered. ¡°How cute. I won¡¯t kill you. Don¡¯t tremble too much, my gold nugget. You wanted to live so much, but in the end, you got the right to survive, right? Whether you win or lose. Because you¡¯ll survive at least at this point. How did you roll your brain so well in that short time? Huhu.¡± Rachel was right. In the game suggested by Yu-Seong, he could get out of this place whether he lost or won. Although it would not be able to stop Rachel from killing him after she took the money. ¡®Anyway, I have to live.¡¯ However, Rachel did not know that Yu-Seong had a second goal. He had to save Do-Jin. Rachel was a strong player incomparable to Ghost, who was currently fighting Do-Jin. Even if Do-Jin led the fight against Ghost to victory, as expected of the main character, everything would be pointless if Rachel was involved. No matter how overpowered a main character Do-Jin was, there was no way he could handle Rachel at this point. Eventually, he would be taken to the Demon King Worshipers. Initially, Rachel¡¯s early appearance on the stage was a big butterfly effect. ¡®I have no idea what the future I changed has caused but¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want Do-Jin to get caught up in that typhoon. That was why he suggested this type of game. He thought that Rachel ¨C who liked gambling ¨C had no reason to refuse. The problem was the odds. Rachel had a huge limitation on her movement and had to use only one finger. Nevertheless, the winning rate in Yu-Seong''s mind converged to zero. Rachel¡¯s thought probably would not be much different from his own. Yu-Seong had to take advantage of her confidence. Her only weak point was the gap in her mind, thinking that she would not lose no matter what he did. ¡°And¡­can I have some time to make slight preparations?¡± ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Rachel shrugged and answered lightly. She looked quite relaxed. To be more specific, she was enjoying the situation. What interesting thing would Yu-Seong do after already surprising her this much? In the beginning, Yu-Seong summoned the Dimensional Merchant. ¡°This body has come-! Where¡¯s the lollipop you promised the last time?¡± Regardless of the Barrier space, Ping Pong popped out of a small pink door while he asked and looked at Yu-Seong. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have it now.¡± ¡°You traitor!¡± ¡°Even the Dimensional Merchant you signed is adorable, my cute gold nugget,¡± Rachel said as she burst into laughter at the appearance of Ping Pong, which did not match the desolate vibe in the place. Then, her gaze briefly turned to a distant place. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you have time to relax. Is it Kim Do-Jin? That cheeky brat also seems to be on the line, you know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Kim Do-Jin will lose.¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Hm, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if Ghost dies as well?¡± From the conversation with Rachel, Yu-Seong felt an unexplainable creepy feeling. ¡®She knows what I¡¯m thinking.¡¯ Rachel already clearly knew why Yu-Seong had suggested the game. While Yu-Seong was thinking, it was clear that she also thought about it in many ways. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Nevertheless, Rachel had accepted all of Yu-Seong¡¯s suggestions. ¡°Mr. Ping Pong. I promise. Next time you come, I¡¯ll have ten ¨C no ¨C fifty free lollipops ready. So please get me some stuff quickly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying this time, right?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Ping Pong smirked. Then, his gaze turned to Rachel, who seemed to be interested in them. ¡°Human woman! My contractor made a sacred promise to me. If you kill him, this Mr. Ping Pong won¡¯t forgive you!¡± ¡°Oh my, how scary. But I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t kill him.¡± When Rachel smiled and waved her hand, Ping Pong looked at her and snorted. ¡°I need spears. Whether it¡¯s wood or iron, cheap, I need a lot of them if possible.¡± "I think it''s a waste to buy those with Karma points..." ¡°I urgently need to use them now.¡± Yu-Seong bitterly smiled. Wooden spears or ordinary iron spears could also be easily found on Earth. Consuming Karma Points for those was a huge waste, but he needed them right away. He had no other choice. ¡°How many do you need?¡± ¡°As many as possible.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the Dimensional Store doesn¡¯t have that many items of the reference point you want. Since we try to put out mostly those expensive items¡­ There would be only about thirty of them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s the minimum price, it¡¯ll cost at least one Karma Point per unit.¡± There wasn¡¯t anything special about the items just because they were purchased at the Dimensional Store. What a waste. It was such a waste that even Ping Pong felt bad about it, but there was no other way. ¡°Give me all of them.¡± Yu-Seong bought thirty spears. Among those, even ten of them were wooden ones. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Hum, don¡¯t die. You¡¯re the first contractor of this body.¡± Ping Pong opened the pink door with a rather strange expression and went back to its own unknown world. "I''ve never seen a dimensional merchant threatening someone. You have a lot of interesting aspects to you¡­" Rachel commented to Yu-Seong after watching them. Yu-Seong did not answer while he placed all thirty spears on the floor. In fact, Yu-Seong himself was surprised as well. ¡®In principle, Dimensional Merchants pay no attention to their relationship with contractors other than the transactions between them.¡¯ In other words, whether the contractor died or lived, suffered or not, it was of no interest to the Dimensional Merchant. In any case, the role of Dimensional Merchants was to purchase and sell, nothing more. It was unsurprising, of course. It was said that within [Modern Master Returns], those who contracted with Dimensional Merchants were widespread throughout the universe. It was a short and sloppy description, but that sentence alone showed that Dimensional Merchants did not have to be obsessed with one simple customer. Moreover, Yu-Seong had known Ping Pong for quite a short time. ¡®Also I¡¯m not a VIP customer.¡¯ As always, currently, Yu-Seong was infinitely short of Karma Points. It was difficult for him to make a big deal that could satisfy the Dimensional Merchant. Perhaps the first contractor may be quite meaningful for Ping Pong, but even so, it was clear that it was something quite mysterious. Anyway, thanks to Ping Pong, the pressure on Yu-Seong¡¯s mind slightly lessened. Even though the spear he held onto was just made of wood, he felt more stable as the effect of the Cool-headed skill was activated the moment he held it. ¡®Maybe it''ll be easier than I expected.¡¯ Of course, such thoughts disappeared the moment Yu-Seong made eye contact with Rachel. CH 53 Despite the effect of Cool-headed skill, Yu-Seong immediately felt light-headed. After taking several deep breaths to calm down, he transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into the form of a battle suit. ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s cool. I was wondering what that ring was¡­¡± Yu-Seong was pressed for time, but he couldn¡¯t be hasty about things. He was planning to carry out his preparation slowly, one spear at a time. He glanced at the Gate of Life behind Rachel with the Barrier Scroll inside. As mentioned, the Barrier was made up of quite complex forms. Even if only a part of the pattern drawn in the scroll was distorted, problems would arise throughout the Barrier. As a result, the Gate of Life would open the way. ¡®Though, it would be better if it could be completely crushed.¡¯ But likewise, the possibility of Yu-Seong being able to do it was extremely low. It was impossible to reach the Barrier Scroll by passing Rachel, who was blocking the way. ¡®The only way is to use the Jump Ring, the second ancient relic I received from Ji-Ho hyung.¡¯ Jump Ring was one of the gifts Choi Ji-Ho had given Yu-Seong. It was an ancient relic containing the ability to take a short leap of about 10 meters and it could only be used once. If this was used, even Rachel wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent Yu-Seong from reaching the Barrier Scroll. Unfortunately, however, the probability of opening the Gate of Life was extremely low even if he arrived at the Barrier Scroll. ¡®Considering Rachel¡¯s abilities¡­ Likewise, it¡¯s impossible.¡¯ As if reading Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts, Rachel shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think about useless things. If you aim for that, I might get a little angry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all set. Let¡¯s start.¡± With that, Yu-Seong grabbed the bunch of spears gathered on the floor and threw them at Rachel as vigorously as possible to scatter them. There was no significant intention of using it as an offense. He was literally trying to put weapons all over the place. After repeating that several times in a row, he ran to the front¡­ No, he pretended to run, then picked up the closest fallen spear, and threw the spear toward the Gate of Life behind Rachel. Rachel lightly hit Yu-Seong with the tip of her index finger and floated him into the air. She smiled at him as he threw out a spear at her. ¡°I can¡¯t tell whether you are scared or not scared. Well, shall I look forward to seeing how much you could entertain me?¡± Rachel easily blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s attack with one index finger. She didn¡¯t use any strength. First of all, it was due to her curiosity about Yu-Seong¡¯s skills. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Rachel saw that Yu-Seong immediately gave up the spear and fell back to the floor. She stretched her index finger, aiming an attack at Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s body blurred after being stabbed in the shoulder. It was an illusion, the Wind Control. ¡°Oh?¡± Rachel widened her eyes in surprise, but she still received Yu-Seong¡¯s attack easily and gave her first counterattack. On the other hand, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t afford to rest. ¡®Although it¡¯s good to save Illusion of Wind Control as much as possible¡­¡¯ Speaking of it, Yu-Seong¡¯s attack and the Wind Control was one of his groundworks. However, there was no room to fight against Rachel, the S-rank monster, while not using it. Also, Yu-Seong expected her to watch his skills in the beginning with ease. For Rachel, this was all just a game, something she could enjoy while Ghost was doing the mission. Thanks to that, he was able to do it easier than expected. ¡®As planned¡­¡¯ Rachel and Yu-Seong''s positions changed. While she was focused on the Illusion, Yu-Seong once again used Wind Control to pass her side at once and got behind her. Now, Rachel could not guard the Barrier Scroll behind her back. ¡®Up to here.¡¯ Nevertheless, Yu-Seong did not run toward the Barrier Scroll. To be exact, he couldn¡¯t run to it. Rachel¡¯s hatchet ¨C which suddenly appeared ¨C was above Yu-Seong¡¯s head and even passed right in front of his forehead. If he had taken just one more step, he would have been split in half and died instantly. He did not quite cross the line. Yu-Seong''s forehead was drenched in cold sweat as he sighed with relief. Rachel smiled with cold eyes. ¡°Hey, gold nugget, that was dangerous. You know that, right?¡± Instead of answering her directly, Yu-Seong took out an index finger and shook it at Rachel¡¯s hatchet. ¡°You just broke a rule.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame. Instead, I¡¯ll also close my eyes as a penalty.¡± Before Yu-Seong said anything, Rachel shut her eyes immediately. ¡®How cunning¡­¡¯ Would a skilled person like Rachel be unable to read Yu-Seong¡¯s movements just because she closed her eyes? Instead, she would not make the mistake of being confused by an Illusion as she did before. She even naturally treated it as part of the game, as if it were a penalty on her part. ¡°And hereafter, I will swing this ax whenever you try to cross the line. Anyway, I still promise to use only one finger in the sparring game with you.¡± ¡°All right, but how about something like this? For example¡­¡± Yu-Seong swiftly picked up a spear on the floor, rotated his body, and threw the spear away. At the same time, or actually even faster than that, Rachel¡¯s hatchet flew, halved the soaring spear, and stuck to the ground. The real surprising thing happened shortly after that. Kwajik-! With a destructive sound, the hatchet that was stuck on the rooftop floor returned to Rachel¡¯s hand when she lightly reached out for it. ¡°This is what happens.¡± Rachel smiled. Yu-Seong gasped. ¡®I knew it, but it¡¯s like Thor¡¯s hammer.¡¯ Mjolnir, the hammer used by Thor, who was the god of battle in Norse mythology, had the characteristic of returning to the user¡¯s hand like a boomerang. Thankfully, Rachel¡¯s ax was not a special weapon like Mjolnir. ¡®Special Skill, the Thread of Destiny.¡¯ Many people thought that the Slaughterer Queen was a physical-type player because she engaged in intense melee combat. However, surprisingly she was a psychic-type user who led the battle based on Thread of Destiny skill which dealt with transparent threads that could not be seen with normal Skills. Of course, no one in the world knew this truth except Rachel herself. Skilled hunters hid more than 30% of their abilities. This was to draw the opponent¡¯s oversight and cut the opponent¡¯s life using a trump card at the decisive moment. The more similar their abilities were, the larger the difference was in knowing the opponent¡¯s abilities or not in determining the life-or-death outcome. Thus, it was a matter of course. In that sense, Rachel¡¯s fighting style was very useful to confuse the opponent. ¡®Basically, it makes people mistake me as a physical type. And it doesn¡¯t matter if he is lucky enough to find out about the thread.¡¯ It was not just inanimate objects that the Thread of Destiny could control. As the Skill name suggested, Thread of Destiny could control even human movement. However, if only paying attention to Rachel wielding the ax, one couldn¡¯t even imagine that the Thread of Destiny had such ability. ¡®The more I know her, the more I¡¯m scared of her.¡¯ Rachel was cunning enough to make people creeped out. She enjoyed her nickname ¨C ¡®Slaughterer Queen¡¯ to deceive her Special ability ¨C the most powerful weapon she owned ¨C and set up most of her General Skills composition into physical reinforcement type. Therefore, Yu-Seong thought it would be useless to approach the Barrier Scroll. ¡®It¡¯s a relief if I don¡¯t get caught by the Thread of Destiny and get taken back to this place.¡¯ Perhaps Rachel ¨C offended by Choi Yu-Seong crossing the line ¨C would behead him right away. Rachel was different from Kim Do-Jin. She did not have a strong sense of pride and was not that competitive. She enjoyed playing games and didn''t care about breaking rules. If Do-Jin did not take advantage of being the novel¡¯s main character, she might be a more demanding enemy than him. ¡®Nevertheless, the first goal has been achieved, so all I have to do is just to complete the next step safely.¡¯ Yu-Seong gasped and picked up a fallen spear again. Rachel waited for Yu-Seong to make his move in a relaxed manner with her eyes closed and arms folded. She said, ¡°Hey gold nugget, shall this noona[1] give one piece of advice? Sometimes having too deep thoughts is rather poisonous.¡± At the same time, Rachel¡¯s hatchet flew through the air once again. This time, the target was Yu-Seong who had stopped trying to organize his thoughts. The hatchet narrowly cut the tip of Yu-Seong¡¯s ear as it passed. The moment blood splashed into the air, Yu-Seong felt his heart clench and bowed his head. Whiririk-! The hatchet that cut Yu-Seong¡¯s hair just now flew back in the opposite direction by the Thread of Destiny and returned to Rachel¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m adding a third rule. If you bore me from now on, this ax will continue to fly toward you.¡± Rachel smiled brightly with her eyes closed as she spread three fingers exactly in the direction where Yu-Seong was standing. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. There was no more time to think. Yu-Seong did not hesitate anymore and rushed toward Rachel. He picked up a spear and aimed at Rachel¡¯s ankle. Jumping lightly and turning over in the air, Rachel held out only one index finger at the end of the spear that Yu-Seong wielded and said, ¡°And from now on, I¡¯m going to pull some strings too.¡± ¡°Keck¡­?!¡± Along with Rachel¡¯s words, a direct breaking force was applied to Yu-Seong¡¯s wrist that was holding the spear. Yu-Seong did not hesitate again this time, putting down the spear and picking up another. Then, he stabbed in the middle of Rachel¡¯s forehead as she fell back to the floor. The spear seemed to dig into her forehead, but Yu-Seong could not feel anything getting caught in his hand or digging into the flesh. ¡®Illusion?¡¯ No, it wasn''t an illusion. Yu-Seong just felt that way because Rachel was moving too fast. ¡°Our gold nugget, it¡¯s going to hurt a little.¡± Standing upright again, Rachel used the tip of her index finger to flick the end of the spear. The vibration of her movement shook Yu-Seong entirely. ¡°Cough-!¡± In the end, Yu-Seong coughed up an entire mouthful of blood. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m bored.¡± Rachel let out a sullen voice. Yu-Seong intuitively felt what those words meant. He turned sideways, even though he was in a dizzy state, and he saw a hatchet tearing his shoulder and passing right next to him. There was no time to hesitate. Yu-Seong rolled on the floor and threw out a spear. On his back, a cool yet hot feeling swept fiercely and passed. Holding the hatchet that returned after tearing Yu-Seong¡¯s back with her left hand, Rachel removed his spear with an index finger and nodded with a gaze full of madness. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more fun now!¡± Feeling the adrenaline rush into his head as the battle reached its extreme, Yu-Seong even forgot his fear somewhat and cursed, ¡°You¡¯re the only one having fun! Damn it!¡± 1. "Older sister" in Korean if the speaker is male ? CH 54 Rachel giggled. In the meantime, Yu-Seong simultaneously picked up two spears with both hands, then threw one of them straight toward the Barrier and ran head-on. ¡°You crafty gold nugget!¡± Rachel threw the hatchet toward the thrown spear once again and blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s attack with her index finger. Clang-! Yu-Seong¡¯s spear shot high into the air with a metallic sound. He felt a shock in his stomach from the counterattack again. However, his spear did not stop. He tried to hit Rachel¡¯s head using the spear while winding it straight inside from his lifting action. Of course, the trick did not work at all. Rachel recovered the hatchet with her left hand and struck Yu-Seong¡¯s spear with her index finger once more. ¡°Kueeek-!¡± cried Yu-Seong. He spat out blood, feeling extreme pain even though he was wearing the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice which had turned into a battle suit that reduced the shock. ¡®I would have already died if I did not wear this battle suit. Damn!¡¯ Yu-Seong cursed inwardly and picked up the spear. He threw it at the Gate of Life once again, even though his vision was blurry. At the same time, he stretched his right foot toward Rachel and tried to hit her chin. ¡°You¡¯re still crossing the line. You should get punished, my gold nugget.¡± Rachel smiled and lightly flicked the tip of Yu-Seong¡¯s toe with her index finger. Crakakack-! Yu-Seong¡¯s heel was tattered and twisted with the sound of bones breaking. His pupils became wider than a lamp. His scream rang loudly while he rolled on the floor in extreme pain, as if his brain was burning up. ¡°Aaaaaagh-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, gold nugget. Humans don¡¯t die just because they lose each one of their limbs,¡± Rachel said as she retrieved the hatchet that was stuck on the floor again. She purred, ¡°But if you lie down like that, I¡¯ll want to throw this again since I¡¯m bored. Ah, for reference, you won¡¯t die easily even if your limbs get cut.¡± ¡°¡­uck. Shit!¡± Yu-Seong swore and got up. He had to stand on one leg because of the bent ankle, so his posture was quite awkward. However, he couldn¡¯t lie down. He glared at the smiling Rachel with bloodshot eyes, as if wanting to tear her to death. ¡°Marvelous!¡± Rachel exclaimed. Spark shot out from Yu-Seong¡¯s entire body. ¡°Huh? You still have a hidden ability.¡± After that, Yu-Seong used Wind Control and rushed toward Rachel, though he didn¡¯t get a proper speed since he had to rush on only one leg. ¡°Uwaaah-!¡± Using her index finger, Rachel stabbed into Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder when he reached to hit her with a scream. Then, a hot and sharp touch stirred his shoulder indiscriminately. ¡°Ahhhhh¡­¡± While he struggled with pain, his sensation of touch disappeared. Through his bloodshot eyes, Yu-Seong could see Rachel licking her index finger which was soaked in dark red blood. ¡°Hmm¡­ Sweet taste.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. Rachel had received his Spark head-on as if she did not feel anything. ¡®I did expect this, but¡­¡¯ This was an extremely huge gap. The idea of fighting and winning against such a monster was also absurd. It was something impossible in the first place. Rachel tilted her head. She saw Yu-Seong kneeling and bowing his head deeply as if drooping on the floor. She asked, "Are you giving up now?" ¡°No way.¡± Yu-Seong raised his head and laughed. Then, he lifted a spear on the floor with his intact right hand and used Spark again. He threw the spear toward the Gate of Life once more and gave strength to his kneeling knees. ¡®I never expected I¡¯m going to actually do this.¡¯ One would have seen this in a comic on Earth, a stance reminiscent of a powerful attack that gains momentum. Likewise, Yu-Seoung¡¯s head brushed past Rachel¡¯s chin by bending the knees. Rachel¡¯s eyes, both full of madness, showed off her deep murderous intent as she saw Yu-Seong. ¡®His eyes are alive even in the midst of this. Cute gold nugget.¡¯ Suddenly, Rachel felt very regretful. ¡°Aah, I would¡¯ve killed you right away if it wasn¡¯t for the money.¡± Rachel threw the ax once again with her left hand toward the flying spear. She could feel her heart beating. ¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve been this excited? Regardless of how much I get¡­¡¯ She desired to kill Yu-Seong right away and be able to observe his brain. How could he still have that gaze after being beaten this much? Generally, people might feel quite scared or desperate at this point. ¡®This is fascinating!¡¯ Rachel unknowingly aimed the tip of her finger at the center of Yu-Seong¡¯s forehead. Crakakack-! There was a loud sound that everyone could hear. ¡°Huh?¡± First of all, Rachel turned her gaze in the direction of the sound. Yu-Seong ¨C who soared high with his head stretched in a rather ugly position ¨C also turned his head. The hatchet flew, cut Yu-Seong¡¯s spear in half, and heavily struck the ground. It caused many cracks like lightning. It was collapsing. Rachel¡¯s mind was first filled with curiosity about Yu-Seong recklessly rushing toward her. However, a thought suddenly came to her mind. She exclaimed, ¡°You¡­There¡¯s no way. Did you plan this from the beginning?¡± Rachel looked at Yu-Seong with surprised eyes. The first thing that came to her mind was the time when Yu-Seong scattered a large number of spears, which she had thought was a completely useless action. Then, she remembered him throwing the spear that seemed like it had little meaning. All that time, Rachel was focusing on keeping the Barrier Scroll and threw the hatchet toward him. ¡®Since I¡¯ll lose If I go out of the circle.¡¯ This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Rachel didn¡¯t mean to keep the rule, but she kept it to enjoy the game with Yu-Seong. But now, it seemed her position was the complete opposite. ¡®It wasn¡¯t me playing with the kid. Instead, I was following the path this crafty gold nugget guy planned.¡¯ The thick concrete floor could not be broken with Yu-Seong¡¯s ability. In contrast, for Rachel, it was easier than a piece of cake. It was a very simple but ridiculous matter like how the lightly thrown hatchet broke the ground. That was why she didn¡¯t take it seriously¡­ Her carelessness had led to this situation. Rachel turned toward Yu-Seong in surprise, spotting the smile on his face. This had been Yu-Seong¡¯s first thought from the moment he had first spoken to Rachel. The Barrier could not be broken from the outside unless by the same Barrier Master. However, on the outside, there must have been people waiting to help Yu-Seong. For example, Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri who may have been contacted, people following Rachel, or countless people who would flock after hearing the fuss. Therefore, Yu-Seong¡¯s goal was not to win the game against Rachel from the beginning. His goal did not change even a bit from the first moment Ghost appeared. ¡®To break the Barrier and open the Gate of Life.¡¯ Actually, it was close to gambling. If Rachel ¨C who was arrogant but clever ¨C had noticed Yu-Seong¡¯s intention in the middle, all plans would have been in vain. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s plan was successful right now. What else could be said more? ¡°You were lucky.¡± Or as always, Rachel¡¯s gambling luck was bad. Kwakwakwang-! A loud thunder sound ranged out then the floor began to collapse and pour down as she ended her words. Then, a distortion phenomenon that seemed to sway the space occurred briefly and the Barrier began to break. At the same time, a roar like glass breaking was heard. Starting with the area where the Barrier Spell was drawn, the rooftop collapsed. However, in front of Rachel¡¯s toes, the building stayed still as if afraid and could not move on any further. ¡°Ahaha, hahahaha-!¡± At the chaotic and destructive scene, Rachel burst into a crazy laugh. There was no more rationality left in her eyes. ¡°How fun! Choi Yu-Seong, I¡¯m having so much fun!¡± Rachel lifted Yu-Seong, who was on the verge of falling due to standing right in front of her, by the collar. She looked straight into his dark eyes with a mad gaze. ¡°Wanna live, right? So, you really want to live?¡± Seriously. That was Yu-Seong¡¯s only thought even when he felt like he was going to fall off the collapsing rooftop. Rachel¡¯s cheeks reddened when she saw Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes, responding as if she had just witnessed the most beautiful artwork in the world. ¡®Like it, like it, like it, I like it so much. They¡¯re such gorgeous eyes that I want to dig them out whole and use them as a decoration at home.¡¯ She couldn''t bear it. Rachel could no longer stand her raging instinct, laughing. ¡°But what should I do? I just want to kill you so much. Of course, I won¡¯t kill you easily. I¡¯m already looking forward to the moment when you beg me to kill you, you know? Before that, how much fun could you make me! How much fun will it be? Kyakyakya!¡± It was at that moment that a silver flash flashed over Rachel¡¯s right wrist. Slash-! Rachel was monstrous and untouchable to Yu-Seong, but her wrist was cut in vain. Because of that, Yu-Seong thought he would fall like a broken kite again. That would have happened if there wasn¡¯t the hand holding him at the back of his neck, dangling not much different than Rachel. In the blurry vision that seemed to be far away, Yu-Seong struggled to turn his head to the side and looked at the person who held him like a mother cat lifting her baby. ¡°You idiot. You are messed up like a rag.¡± The person spoke quite bluntly and had a rather odd appearance. ¡®A rabbit mask?¡¯ Yu-Seong had expected support from someone like Jin Do-Yoon or Jin Yu-Ri, but the person who had shown up was completely unexpected. However, he definitely saw the word ¡®rabbit mask¡¯ in the original novel. The problem was that he didn¡¯t remember it clearly. To be exact, it was difficult to even maintain consciousness right now. The Rabbit Mask was a figure also known by the code name ¡®Myo¡¯, belonging to the Special Police Force. Choi Mi-Na faced Rachel, who was looking at her with a gaze full of anger. It was quite a contrast from Mi-Na¡¯s bizarre wide smile. Regardless of Rachel''s heart-fluttering expression that was likely to be seen in any horror movie, Mi-Na didn¡¯t seem to get affected by it. She lightly stretched her stiff neck. ¡°Still, you did well. It¡¯s weird to say this is a gift, and I don¡¯t really like you, but don¡¯t worry. From now on, this noo-nim [1] will protect you,¡± Mi-Na said. Was there ever a time when the word ¡®noo-nim¡¯ and the sound of bones rubbing and cracking were this reliable? ¡®Please¡­ I leave it to you.¡¯ Yu-Seong thought he felt quite at ease for some reason. He replied with his eyes and then went unconscious. Clearly, he had reached his limit. 1. The respectful form of noona, which guys call their older sisters ? CH 55 It was about five minutes before Yu-Seong broke the Barrier. Do-Jin, who was wounded all over, suddenly had a thought while continuing the battle against Ghost. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡­ Did he run away?¡¯ When Yu-Seong suddenly ran elsewhere while Do-Yoon was fighting, Do-Jin thought that Yu-Seong had some kind of plan. Do-Jin knew it by his skill¨CSixth Sense¨Cwhich maximized his intuition. This thought initially brought about no doubts, but¡­Yu-Seong did not come back even after quite a long time. ¡®I wonder if he¡¯s up to something.¡¯ Do-Jin frowned and stopped in place while pointing his sword at the ground. After a short silence, he heard a voice that resonated from some other place. ¡°Have you finally given up?¡± ¡°So it wasn¡¯t that you couldn¡¯t speak. Is it a Voice Amplification Skill?¡± Do-Jin smiled strangely while hearing the voice spreading out of nowhere. Voice Amplification Skill was a skill that was seldom used since it was not beneficial for ordinary hunters. However, it was quite useful for Ghost, whose main ability was stealth. This showed that Ghost was a fairly skilled hunter since he had the ability to select skills that suited his aptitude. ¡°I just thought there was no need to talk with you because my mission is to win you over. I just waited for you to get tired first.¡± ¡°Win me over?¡± ¡°The Godfather of the Organization wants you, Kim Do-Jin. Come with us.¡± ¡°Organization, huh. So, it must be quite big.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details¡­ But, it can be said that it is powerful enough to overthrow a small country like this.¡± At Ghost¡¯s words, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes slightly lit up. ¡®It¡¯s at the level that can overturn Korea?¡¯ Though Korea was surrounded by powerful countries, it was still globally considered one of the Top Ten player powerhouse. Many predicted that Korea would be in the top five in the next few years since there were a lot of talented hunters and cream-of-the-crop rookies. Do-Jin, being one of those rookies himself, obviously believed that Korea would soon become the best. Anyway, Korea currently had a formidable power, despite Ghost¡¯s casual comment that his organization could simply overthrow this country. ¡®It means there''s a bunch of them who are like this guy fighting against me.¡¯ With a few words of conversation, Do-Jin had guessed the size of the organization. He sneered bitterly. There was no particular reason, but he felt a bit angry all of a sudden. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t lost my strength when returning, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about these trivial things now.¡¯ When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Not only that, but this painstakingly planned revenge would be much easier for Do-Jin. However, of all things, most of his initial power had been lost in the process of crossing the dimension from the Aliode Continent. His body, which was extremely trained, had returned to its regular form while he was on Earth and the pure yet heavily accumulated mana had disappeared without leaving any. When he first realized this change, Do-Jin had felt indescribably empty and frustrated, but he did feel at ease thinking that was the price for returning afterward. He had also been excited to think that he could be stronger when he gained new abilities as an awakened player. However, he couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed whenever he faced a situation like this. ¡°Kim Do-Jin, now I get how powerful your skills are. It¡¯s definitely incredible. I know I won¡¯t be your match in about a year. I guess that¡¯s why Godfather himself nominated you. But for now, I recommend that you just give up. You can never get out of here.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are to decide that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my decision. Rather, I¡¯m just telling you the obvious outcome.¡± Ghost felt both admiration and astonishment in the fight with Do-Jin. It was because Do-Jin was only at the beginning of C-rank, which was severely different in rank with Ghost himself. He felt a sense of crisis that he might lose to Do-Jin. This was a feeling Ghost had never felt before toward a lower-rank hunter since he had gained dark mana from joining the Demon King Worshiper, which allowed him to indefinitely maintain invisibility. However, he could not back off. ¡®Kim Do-Jin would die the moment that monster comes here.¡¯ Ghost unconsciously trembled as he recalled Rachel, the Slaughterer Queen who was like a demon with a beautiful appearance and a distinct crazy personality. Perhaps he felt like Do-Jin could grow into an existence no less than her. Though that would only happen if he survived. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, come join our organization. Just by joining us, you can have an entirely different level of power than you have now.¡± ¡°A different level of power?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ghost shut his mouth. He was smart enough to know that if he led the story any further, he would be giving too much information. ¡°There are very few ways to strengthen power other than rank-up and level-up¡­ Hm¡­I see. You guys are Demon King Worshipers.¡± The problem was that Do-Jin was a person excellent enough to see through the situation with that brief clue alone. Ghost was startled but he remained silent. He had no reason to show agitation here. ¡°Now I understand. Demon King Worshiper¡­ Not bad since it would be easy to regain strength there. Good, I¡¯ll accept your offer. But there is something I¡¯d like to request for as well.¡± Ghost tilted his head at Do-Jin¡¯s vague words about regaining strength. He asked, ¡°What do you want? Money, beauty, authority, we have a lot of things. Maybe you can achieve most of what you want.¡± Ghost was confident. Whatever desires Kim Do-Jin had, the organization called Demon King Worshiper could satisfy them all. Mission was accomplished. A smile crept to his lips. However, Do-Jin¡¯s following words easily caught him off-guard. ¡°I¡¯ll be the leader.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°What I''m saying is, when I enter the organization, all Demon King worshipers must follow me.¡± Ghost¡¯s brain stopped for a moment. ¡®What nonsense did I just hear?¡¯ He had never heard of such a proposal while convincing numerous hunters before. ¡°Oh, for your information, the Demon King must also be under my feet. So, the name of the organization should be changed.¡± A dejected laugh escaped from the red-faced Ghost¡¯s mouth. ¡°Haha, hahaha.¡± Ghost was now convinced that Do-Jin was fooling him. ¡°How dare you play with me? The sin of insulting the Godfather and the Demon King can only be repaid by death.¡± Anger soared to the very top of Ghost¡¯s head. Instantly, He got rid of the command from his head. ¡®This kind of guy would only be harmful to the Godfather.¡¯ Ghost would be somewhat reprimanded, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for him anymore. First of all, he would beat Do-Jin until the man became a half-dead person and make him beg for his wrongdoings under his feet. After that, with a snort, he would decapitate Do-Jin, who would be weeping by then, and throw him away. Otherwise, his anger would not go away. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. I¡¯m pretty serious, you know.¡± Do-Jin tilted his head. Instead of answering, Ghost approached Do-Jin¡¯s side and swung his toes. Do-Jin avoided the attack by tilting his neck and laughed. He said, ¡°You¡¯re not very pleased with my proposal, then.¡± ¡°From now on, I will do my best to kill you. Don¡¯t expect me to cut you some slack as before.¡± Ghost followed Do-Jin and kicked him frantically. Subsequently, he aimed for Do-Jin¡¯s neck or heart using a throwing tanto, which he had never taken out unless for contingencies. Ghost¡¯s Special Skill¨CInvisibility¨Cwas to make everything that directly touched his body invisible. Therefore, the thrown dagger was bound to be exposed, but the direction of the attack became much more unpredictable. Kim Do-Jin would not be able to hold out for a long time, since Ghost¡¯s attacks would be several times more varied than before. In fact, Do-Jin¡¯s wounds increased rapidly. Nevertheless, he managed to avoid fatal injuries despite the unchanging nature of his movement speed. In fact, he was seemingly adapting to Ghost¡¯s attacks and even slowing himself down. And in the meantime, his occasional counterattacks were still sharp. Barely escaping a crisis that almost cut his front by stepping back, Ghost clenched his teeth. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Who gave slack to whom? You¡¯re very mistaken.¡± Do-Jin snorted while listening to Ghost. Then, he raised the sword and cut his left wrist, making a long wound. At the sight of a handful of blood gushing out, Ghost was puzzled. ¡®Self-harm?¡¯ Do-Jin did not seem like a person who would do something like that, so why? The question lingered in the air for a mere moment. At Do-Jin¡¯s ensuing provocation, Ghost rushed forward in anger. ¡°What are you doing, coward? Don¡¯t have the courage to fight now?¡± With a cool smile, Do-Jin blocked Ghost¡¯s following attacks with his bare body. He did not flinch even at the burning sensation that extended from his upper left chest to the shoulder blade. He swung his left arm out. ¡®Blood? There¡¯s no way¡­¡¯ Ghost came to his senses when he saw the blood being splattered in front of him. ¡°If I do this, I can see you clearly,¡± said Kim Do-Jin coolly. He had sprayed blood all over Ghost¡¯s face and clothes. As mentioned, Ghost¡¯s Invisibility made everything that directly touched his body invisible. However, what if the blood was splattered over the already invisible clothes? Ghost had fallen into Do-Jin¡¯s trap after all. ¡®It¡¯s not a big problem. I can just take the clothes off!¡¯ Unfortunately, Do-Jin had no intention of waiting anymore. Toward the bewildered Ghost, Do-Jin swung the sword accurately. Ghost twisted his body to take his foot off Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder, but he couldn¡¯t completely avoid Do-Jin¡¯s sword attack this time. ¡°Keaargh-!¡± After screaming, Ghost realized that one of his legs had lost all feeling. ¡°My, my leg, my leg! Aaargh!¡± Psychic-type players tended to have poor physical protection abilities. For Ghost, who mostly slaughtered the weak through his Invisibility skill, had an extremely poor defense. Do-Jin pulled out the heavily stuck dagger in his shoulder and slowly walked toward the screaming Ghost. Ghost still maintained Invisibility, but his bloody hem clearly exposed his position. His thought about taking off his clothes had already been erased from his mind. He was dying. This fact made Ghost¡¯s mind go blank. ¡°Do- don¡¯t come! Don¡¯t come here!¡± Ghost retreated slowly by using his butt while shouting with a desperation to live. Do-Jin ignored Ghost and slowly approached with a face similar to that of the Grim Reaper. He raised his sword and said with an indifferent look, ¡°Please be aware of this one thing. It wasn¡¯t you who cut me slack. I just waited because I was curious about what Yu-Seong would do.¡± Was it important to have such pride in this situation? ¡°Un- understood. Admit. I admit it. I lost and you wo¡­!¡± Ghost crazily nodded. He spoke with desperate eyes, but his expression couldn¡¯t be seen by Do-Jin. And even if his expression could be seen, the results would be no different. The sword swung in a beautiful trajectory in the empty space. Ghost was praying with both hands together and eyes wide open, but¡­his head still fell to the floor. CH 56 Ghost¡¯s Invisibility lifted after his death, so his limp body could be seen collapsing vainly to the floor. Kim Do-Jin looked at the figure with indifferent eyes and snorted. Crakakack-! At that moment, with the sound of glass cracking, the quiet surroundings began to get noisy. It was unexpected, but Do-Jin could quickly guess what had happened after looking around. He drew a smile on his lips. ¡®¡­So, you didn¡¯t run away. Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ Do-Jin did not know what Yu-Seong did, but it was clear that Yu-Seong had solved a problem that he had been unaware of. ¡®As expected, you did not disappoint me.¡¯ The more Do-Jin thought about Yu-Seong, the more he liked him. Yu-Seong¡¯s every behavior was so favorable that, as time went by, Do-Jin¡¯s desire to possess him increased. ¡®The problem is that he¡¯s a more blessed guy than he looks, so it won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ With his burning eyes, Kim Do-Jin could see the figures crossing the night sky through the broken cracks. None of them had come to find him, because he didn¡¯t have any colleagues yet. In other words, it meant that all of those guys were Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s supporters. ¡®Already, there are quite a few competitors. How hard.¡¯ Do-Jin had to meddle between them and win Yu-Seong¡¯s tricky heart. Moreover, Do-Jin was planning to kill Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s father, Choi Woo-Jae. There were too many obstacles in the way, but still, Do-Jin thought it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡®Because I already want him.¡¯ Do-Jin had strong self-esteem and a greedy personality, so he was only satisfied upon getting his hands on what he had desired. He would use any means necessary to achieve that. It was no exaggeration to say that, thanks to this determination and personality trait, he had survived on the Aliode Continent and had even defeated that world¡¯s Demon King. ¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ The harder the treasure was to obtain, the more attractive it would be. Do-Jin¡¯s eyes were filled with longing. *** In a green meadow, there was a rabbit running. No¡ªit was a strange human running around in a rabbit mask. Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to wonder about the very bizarre scene. ¡®What is that?¡¯ The question popped up just for a moment. The person wearing the rabbit mask skipped across the meadow as if flying. Then, the person lifted a blood-dripping claymore and said, ¡°Die.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± After Yu-Seong first answered, a huge claymore fell over his head and he screamed out in fear, ¡°Aargh-!¡± Yu-Seong opened his eyes wide and shook his head while waving his arms in the air. Jin Do-Yoon, who was watching him from the side, opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± asked Yu-Ri who was on the other side. When Yu-Ri quickly brought a wet towel and wiped his sweaty forehead, Yu-Seong realized that the bizarre and terrible scene was a dream. He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Oh well, a mysterious human wearing a rabbit mask and wielding a claymore? There''s no way such a person exists¡­¡¯ There was. Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he recalled the rabbit mask he last saw before losing consciousness. Then, he murmured, ¡°Oh my gosh. Choi Mi-Na.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At the sudden mention of such a dangerous name, both Jin siblings simultaneously looked at Yu-Seong and asked. ¡®Come to think of it, these two don¡¯t know about her.¡¯ Mi-Na wearing a rabbit mask and working in the Special Police Force was a well-kept secret that very few people know about. Therefore, the two would naturally be surprised when Yu-Seong suddenly brought up the name of Choi Mi-Na, who was the family¡¯s most mysterious person. ¡°No, nothing. It¡¯s just that Mi-Na noo-nim appeared in my dream.¡± As always, half of the lies had to be true. ¡°The Second Lady suddenly appeared in your dream?¡± Jin Yu-Ri asked with a suspicious gaze. ¡°Yeah, really. Anyway, what happened? I¡­¡± Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze first drifted to his right foot, which was raised on the bed with a splint as support. As he looked at it, he could feel the pain again. ¡°Fortunately, it broke cleanly, so they said it wasn¡¯t difficult to fix it up. The same goes for other injuries. The most severe thing was the bleeding¡­ But since you opened your eyes safely, it should be okay.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Come to think of it, his shoulders and the rest of his body were wrapped in bandages. It would be accurate to say that his limbs were entirely injured in many different places. Yu-Seong let out a bitter smile inwardly. Even thinking about it again, him surviving that situation itself was really based on luck. ¡®Because I met the Slaughterer Queen¡­¡¯ The Slaughterer Queen, Rachel, was even caught in a certain madness and tried to kill him at the end. To be exact, he would have ended up being kidnapped and murdered. Anyway, he had now escaped from that crisis. Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°So, I¡¯m alive.¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Now that he recalled the crisis of that time, Yu-Seong knew that it had been real life and not a mere dream. That had been a moment of exceedingly great danger that was incomparable to any danger he had ever experienced before. ¡°It¡¯s because the opponent was Demon King Worshipers who even had a Barrier Scroll. What made it worse ¡­ The Slaughterer Queen.¡± Yu-Ri bit her lower lip as if she could understand it, and nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t very helpful this time either.¡± On the other hand, Do-Yoon looked so upset while he clenched his fists. Although she didn¡¯t express it, perhaps Yu-Ri was also feeling miserable. Yu-Seong smiled and shook his head at the two. ¡°It¡¯s not either of your fault. It''s too big a variable, whether it''s the Devil Worshiper or the Barrier Scroll.¡± Considering the order of the novel progression in the first place, this was too severe a crisis to already appear. This was because the novel [Modern Master Returns] was close to a genre where the munchkin main character actively showed great performance. Thus, difficult things that could not be handled easily shouldn¡¯t have come quickly. However, this world, which was Yu-Seong¡¯s reality, was different from the novel. If so, then what could he do? ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself too much, guys. I survived anyway. And this is a really rare situation. Let¡¯s just assume that I was unluckily struck by lightning while walking on the street. Haha.¡± Yu-Seong smiled as brightly as possible and comforted the two. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Barrier Master that we can hire through Jenny. That¡¯s because we don¡¯t want the same thing to happen again from now on,¡± said Yu-Ri. It wouldn¡¯t be easy. As mentioned, there were only around ten Barrier Masters even after searching all over the world. Also, they did not externally reveal their identities. This was because there were so many people who wanted to secure them due to their useful abilities. Of course, Yu-Seong, being a complete reader of the original novel, knew one of those Barrier Masters. He was already in the process to hire him in preparation for a time like this. ¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯ Yu-Ri would have no idea that the person she was looking for at Yu-Seong¡¯s request was a Barrier Master. Of course, Yu-Seong could not say that they were already looking for the Barrier Master. Otherwise, he would surpass the accepted level of foresight and become a complete prophet. It was best for Yu-Seong to soothe Yu-Ri within appropriate boundaries for now because he was not confident in handling that aftermath. ¡°Don¡¯t rush too much. They¡¯re not easy people to find and they¡¯ll show up when the time comes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering, Jin Yu-Ri smiled. Yu-Seong knew that Yu-Ri was stubborn and wouldn¡¯t easily back down even if she answered. Therefore, he simply changed the topic of the conversation rather than persuading her. Turning to Do-Yoon, who still looked quite gloomy, he asked, ¡°So, can you tell me the situation in detail?¡± ¡°A person named Myo from the Special Police Force brought you to us, saying that there¡¯s no time to delay as the opponent was the Slaughterer Queen¡­¡± said Do-Yoon. ¡°Then?¡± asked Yu-Seong. ¡°I ran straight to the hospital to save you, young master.¡± Do-Yoon looked perplexed, suggesting that he didn¡¯t know anything about the situation at the time. Perhaps he was distracted by the thought that Yu-Seong had been in an emergency. ¡°Thanks, you saved my life.¡± In any case, if the treatment had been delayed, Yu-Seong could have faced health complications. Fortunately, his condition seemed to have no problems as long as he recovered well. That alone explained how reasonable Do-Yoon¡¯s action had been. ¡°I was not there, but I can summarize what had happened. First of all, it¡¯s been half a month since you woke up, young master,¡± said Do-Yoon. ¡°What¡­? So, what¡¯s the date today?¡± ¡°To be exact, it is January 3rd, 2030.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± That meant Yu-Seong was no longer twenty years old. He also blew away Christmas¨Cthe biggest event at the end of the year¨Cin vain. In fact, none of these were very important. ¡®My goal was to achieve D-rank before I turned twenty-one!¡¯ When he woke up, Yu-Seong automatically aged upon the arrival of a new year. Unlike levels and ranks that stagnated without his effort, age had an unreasonable summation rule that went up on its own over time. ¡°And a lot of the people from the Special Police Force were dispatched beside Myo, who saved you, young master. According to the news, it was such a mess. Several buildings were destroyed and quite a few people were injured. Many people are still hospitalized because of that incident,¡± revealed Do-Yoon. Fortunately, there were no casualties thanks to the quick reaction of the Player Association¡¯s hunters who had been stationed at the site and the Special Police Force¡¯s members who had been dispatched on time. ¡®Indeed, it¡¯s the Slaughterer Queen.¡¯ No matter how strong Mi-Na was, Rachel was too strong to make a 1:1 match. It had been a situation where problems had inevitably occurred after fighting for quite a long time. The most important things here were two things: ¡°As a result, the Slaughterer Queen ran away. No matter how strong she was, she couldn¡¯t handle three from the Special Police Force alone.¡± ¡°Who was dispatched with Myo?¡± ¡°I heard they were the Inn [1]and Hae [2].¡± ¡°Tiger and pig, huh¡­¡± Rachel was missed despite the dispatch of Inn, who was in the top five in terms of force alone among the Twelve Zodiac of the Special Police Force, and Hae, who even had a lot of miscellaneous abilities though his force was somewhat lacking, alongside Myo. Likewise, Yu-Seong had to admit that Rachel was certainly a monster. ¡°Although they are still tracking her, it¡¯s said there¡¯s a high possibility that she has already left the country. It¡¯ll probably be hard to move for a while. Since it became known that the Slaughterer Queen¨Cthe S-rank hunter¨Cbelongs to Demon King Worshiper, the World Player Association has designated her as a Disturbance grade Villain,¡± explained Yu-Ri. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yu-Seong realized that Rachel had not yet been designated as a Villain until just before this point. This incident had changed her from a dangerous person with some experience as a war mercenary into a Villain at once. It had originally been scheduled to happen, but it could be said that the time has been moved forward somewhat. ¡®By the way, Disturbance grade¡­ Is it just below the Catastrophe?¡¯ Among Villains, the especially powerful and dangerous beings were graded separately to increase the risk figure and to focus on pursuing them. And up to this point, the maximum realm that human Villains could reach¨Crather than the powerful beings from another world like demons¨Cwas the Disturbance grade. Of course, this common sense would soon be broken. What was important was that Rachel, the Slaughterer Queen had acquired the worst danger level for Villains at the moment. This had led to considerable restrictions on her movement. ¡®Fortunately, I won¡¯t have to worry about her for a while.¡¯ 1. Sign of the tiger, the third sign of the Chinese zodiac ? 2. Sign of the pig, the twelfth sign of the Chinese zodiac ? CH 57 Considering Rachel¡¯s madness at the last moment, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she suddenly appeared in front of Yu-Seong right away. However, it seemed that the World Player Association was so formidable that, even after she ran away, she had not appeared even after fifteen days had passed. ¡®Well, that¡¯s why even the Demon King Worshiper can¡¯t come out into the open recklessly.¡¯ Blessed by the rather fortunate situation, Yu-Seong then asked the most curious question, ¡°What happened to Kim Do-Jin?¡± In fact, since Do-Jin was the main character with so many stunning abilities, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t think he would have died unless he had been very unlucky. Moreover, his opponent hadn¡¯t been the Slaughterer Queen, who Yu-Seong had personally faced. ¡°He¡¯s also hospitalized with injuries.¡± ¡°Injury? Is he seriously injured?¡± Yu-Ri¡¯s expression slightly hardened at Yu-Seong¡¯s rather serious question. She replied, ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, personally I¡¯m very anxious about the relationship between you two. You guys are getting closer.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You say that, but why¡­¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s necessary,¡± Yu-Seong answered briefly and looked at Yu-Ri. ¡°What is it that you are hiding?¡± asked Yu-Ri. ¡°I can explain that tomorrow. It¡¯s fine.¡± Having met Ji-Ho, Yu-Seong was already aware of his own future. He would be able to tell Yu-Ri a convincing story without having to lie. ¡°First of all, tell me how Kim Do-Jin¡¯s condition is. How is the injury¡­?¡± ¡°There was a lot of bleeding, but he was in a much better condition than you, young master. He was in the next room just a few days ago¡­ But he has been discharged,¡± explained Do-Yoon. He didn''t appear to be satisfied either. Yu-Seong nodded while sighing in relief. ¡®Good.¡¯ Everything was alright. This event had been greatly threatening, but it didn''t change the overall flow of events. Yu-Seong felt completely relieved. At that moment, the fatigue that he had momentarily forgotten when he woke up from the dream rushed back to him. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m definitely not in good shape yet.¡± The two siblings smiled at Yu-Seong¡¯s words and nodded. ¡°Rest well, oppa. No matter what, recovery comes first.¡± ¡°We will be by your side. No one can bother you, young master, from now on¡­¡± Hearing the words of Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon, Yu-Seong lightly smiled and slowly closed his eyes. Although they had recently been unable to use their power due to various serious situations, as always, they were the two people he trusted the most. ¡®As expected¡­ They¡¯re reliable.¡¯ Yu-Seong closed his eyes. And when he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a completely unexpected guest. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? If you have opened your eyes, speak up,¡± a woman with long black hair, a rather tall stature, and a sharp cat-like figure said coldly. It was Yu-Seong¡¯s first time seeing her, but he didn¡¯t find the meeting awkward or uncomfortable. ¡®Is it a dream again?¡¯ However, Yu-Seong felt like this moment was too realistic and vivid to be a dream. ¡°You can¡¯t even recognize your noo-nim anymore?¡± Mi-Na asked sharply. Yu-Sung¡¯s mind immediately cleared, no longer feeling hazy. ¡®Choi Mi-Na came to see me? Why?¡¯ This was totally unexpected. Yu-Seong tried to calmly understand the current situation. ¡®Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri are¡­¡¯ When his eyes swept the surroundings, Mi-Na¨Cwho was sitting with a crossed leg¨Cgrinned as if she had been waiting for this moment. She said, ¡°I kicked out the two puppies you raised. ¡®cause I was uncomfortable.¡± ¡°¡­They just accepted that?¡± ¡°What if they don¡¯t accept it?¡± Mi-Na clenched her fist and shook it in front of Yu-Seong. Well, she had always been reckless. Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. ¡®But those two are already upset enough about not being strong these days¡­¡¯ Choi Mi-Na had properly touched their reverse scales. In the future, it would be difficult for Jin siblings and her to get along well in many ways. ¡°It¡¯s not time to worry about useless things. Are you not curious why I am here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t guess at all,¡± Yu-Seong said with a serious look. ¡°Oho, let me hear that.¡± Mi-Na nodded with a somewhat dissatisfied look. She would seemingly snap off one of Yu-Seong''s arms if he misspoke, regardless of his current injuries. Wiping a drop of cold sweat from his temple, Yu-Seong revealed a slightly awkward smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get a request from Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to Choi Ji-Ho, but he told me something weird. But that wasn¡¯t enough to make me come and find you, obviously.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be at least the basis of it. I agree that it''s not enough. I am guessing that it would simply be just enough reason for you to not refuse when father asked you to visit me.¡± Ji-Ho had requested Mi-Na to protect Yu-Seong, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to show her face in front of Yu-Seong. If she ran just wild enough so that the other siblings in the family had no time to care about Yu-Seong, Ji-Ho¡¯s worries would naturally disappear without her directly helping Yu-Seong. Thus, Yu-Seong felt confused at first because Mi-Na was here visiting him. However, when the name Choi Woo-Jae was mentioned, the entire puzzle took form in front of him. ¡®Because he came to visit even when I was hurt before.¡¯ This meant that the cold-blooded Woo-Jae also cared about his children getting injured. Perhaps Woo-Jae himself had already come to see Yu-Seong when he was unconscious. Despite it being just a simple logical assumption, Mi-Na looked quite surprised after Yu-Seong spoke. She muttered to herself, ¡°I thought he was just lucky, but¡­¡± Mi-Na revealed a smile that was somewhat different from before. Perhaps she was thinking about what made Yu-Seong survive from Rachel. Of course, Yu-Seong should act like he didn¡¯t know about that. ¡®Who¡¯s in front of me right now is not Myo of the Special Police Forces but the second child of the Comet Group family, Choi Mi-Na.¡¯ Mi-Na did not want to let anyone in the house know that she was working in the Special Police Force. This was only natural. If Choi Woo-Jae found out about this, Mi-Na must immediately stop her Special Police Force activities. Perhaps the organization called ¡®Special Police Force¡¯ itself may disappear from this country. It would be reborn as a similar organization with a different name, but Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes and ears would already have infiltrated then. Mi-Na did not even care about small controversies, but she hated not being able to do what she wanted. That was a similarity both Kim Do-Jin and Choi Mi-Na shared. ¡®They have to do what they want to do, and they hate losing even if they could die.¡¯ To put it simply, they had strong self-esteem and a sense of independence. Mi-Na probably wouldn¡¯t want to reveal secrets or even talk related to them. ¡°Hey, I heard you survived after meeting the Slaughterer Queen?¡± Mi-Na voiced her thoughts. Well, by now, this particular topic wasn¡¯t suspicious to talk about. Slaughterer Queen was probably the hottest keyword in the world right now. ¡°I was lucky.¡± ¡°Of course, it was luck. But there''s a saying in the world that luck is also a skill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know, but I hate Villains very much. In particular, indiscriminate killers such as Slaughterer Queen are even more hateful.¡± Choi Mi-Na wasn¡¯t exactly right. There were actually some fairly convincing principles in Rachel¡¯s murder, which seemed reckless when reading the original novel, [Modern Master Returns]. However, Yu-Seong nodded unconditionally. ¡®It¡¯s hard to see good things if touched her feelings for nothing.¡¯ Come to think of it, there were also several narratives in the original novel that Mi-Na was chasing Rachel. As a result, there was no win or lose between the two. ¡®Maybe they were in a deeper relationship than I thought.¡¯ It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Yu-Seong did not think deeply about the later matters. It was dangerous if his thoughts continued and led to a tongue slip. As soon as Mi-Na realized that Yu-Seong knew that she was active in the Special Police Force, she would try to shut his mouth regardless of means and methods. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have time, let me ask you two short questions. Did you have a secret plan that would help you survive the Slaughter queen?¡± ¡°That could be a possibility.¡± Yu-Seong could not stop himself from gaining some level of validation. Mi-Na¡¯s line of questioning was completely logical. Yu-Seong, who was only an E-rank hunter, had survived a meeting with the Slaughterer Queen, who was the S-rank Villain who belonged to Demon King Worshiper and was now designated as a Disturbance grade. In a way, it was understandable for someone like Mi-Na to think that Yu-Seong¡¯s survival was due to mere luck. And in fact, Mi-Na¡¯s words were not wrong. ¡®Because I seduced Rachel with money.¡¯ However, what Mi-Na suspected was one step ahead of that. ¡°Noo-nim, you think that I might have joined the Demon King Worshiper, right?¡± "It''s not impossible,¡± Mi-Na stated with a shrug. Yu-Seong¡¯s aura felt rather threatening. He asked, ¡°Then let me explain it like this. Let¡¯s say I belong to Demon King Worshiper. How long do you think it¡¯ll last?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unknown whether I can fool noo-nim and other siblings¡¯ eyes, but have you forgotten who is above my head?¡± Yu-Seong did not necessarily ask for trust and faith in himself. It would be great if he could persuade Mi-Na who was full of suspicion in such a way, but he knew that it would not work. So, he brought up Choi Woo-Jae instead. ¡°It won¡¯t last a month at the longest. There are only a handful of people in Korea who can fool Father¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s no exaggeration to even say that it¡¯s impossible among our siblings.¡± Before she could speak anymore, Mi-Na frowned and became lost in thought. ¡®She would have to accept it. If she refutes and says she is doing a good job fooling him, she¡¯ll be the one in trouble.¡¯ This was also Yu-Seong¡¯s intention. Saying that it might be possible to deceive Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t be favorable for Mi-Na herself. Yu-Seong¡¯s excuse might not have worked if she was stupid, but fortunately, Mi-Na was quite clever. Mi-Na¡¯s intelligence was not emphasized much in the original novel because it focused on the main character Kim Do-Jin. However, if the reader observed closely, they would see that Mi-Na also was quite smart. For example, her eccentricities and recklessness that others would not understand looked absurd, but the results alone always were favorable for herself. Was this just a simple realm of luck? Yu-Seong thought it was not. And with Choi Mi-Na¡¯s subsequent agreement, his belief was only reaffirmed. ¡°Impossible¡­ You''re right. Okay. I¡¯ll trust Father, not you,¡± answered Mi-Na with a slight smile. Yu-Seong smiled back, but he didn¡¯t let his guard down since Mi-Na still had one more question left. ¡°Okay then, the second question. You, why have you been hiding yourself all this time?" CH 58 The question was unexpected but not difficult. ¡®I¡¯m rather surprised since it¡¯s a question I¡¯ve always prepared to answer.¡¯ Yu-Seong, the rascal, had completely changed overnight. At first, it was seemingly a simple whim, but they could easily tell that it was something beyond that the more they saw him. Thus, anyone would have doubts about him. Most likely, among other doubts, they would think that he had been hiding his abilities until now. In the past, he had thought that it was an obvious clich¨¦ for a person to be possessed by the novel since it was a typical storyline in ordinary regression novels. Now that Yu-Seong was personally experiencing it, it made sense that no one would even imagine his truth. ¡®Because no one has ever experienced this kind of soul possession or regression.¡¯ It was impossible to open up possibilities with imaginary stories, for both common sense and smart people. Therefore, Yu-Seong was always on the lookout for someone who came to this conclusion and would ask him a question someday. However, it was definitely unexpected that the first person to ask him was Choi Mi-Na. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to avoid giving a clear answer, such as saying that there¡¯s a reason you can¡¯t tell me. Despite my lack of intentions, I¡¯ll be playing your nanny for a while, so I need a convincing reason to carry out my duty. Otherwise, I have no reason to try so hard at keeping my promise. You know, even to the day of my death, I never want to do what I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Mi-Na with a confident smile. Yu-Seong deliberately sighed deeply. ¡°I have no choice but to answer since you are asking me that seriously. I will be honest with you. I am¡­afraid of dying.¡± Yu-Seong had to start sincerely. As always, scams worked only when truth and falsehood were half-mixed. He continued talking while acting all sincere, with his voice and eyes expressing as much regret as possible for his past. ¡°As you know, my mother passed away early in an accident. Honestly, I can¡¯t even remember my mother¡¯s face now. But suddenly, a question arose in my mind. Was my mother¡¯s death really an accident?¡± Mi-Na¡¯s mother also died suddenly from the Villains¡¯ attacks, so Mi-Na could relate to Yu-Seong¡¯s concerns. In fact, her gaze had become quite serious, which was different from before. ¡°I¡¯m born to the Comet Group¡¯s founding family. It may be a very envious realm for some, but for me¡­ It feels like I¡¯m alone in the jungle,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°So, you plan to hide to survive? If that¡¯s the case, you should have stuck yourself somewhere without even thinking about breathing.¡± ¡°Because I am a coward. I don¡¯t dare to let go of everything I already have and go live a normal life. In a way, I¡¯ll become more defenseless when that happens, right? It¡¯s the same with attracting people¡¯s attention in a rather bizarre way. I am just a useless troublemaker at home, but everyone in the world knows me. If someone tries to harm me, wouldn¡¯t they have no choice but to pay attention to those gazes? I think noo-nim should be able to understand.¡± ¡°Then, why are you suddenly changing your attitude?¡± It worked. Yu-Seong raised his head once he felt that Mi-Na, who was called a nutcase by the entire family, was quite sympathetic to him. She had cold and calm eyes. In a way, she seemed to strongly resemble Woo-Jae, but the emotions reflected in her gaze was more than just fierceness. ¡°I have been thinking about the days after father passes away, which would come one day.¡± Choi Woo-Jae was an absolute ruler who encompassed the whole family and was respected by many powerful people around the world now. However, like everyone else, he was just a person. No one thought that his life would last forever unless he found some kind of an elixir plant that existed only in the imagination. ¡°The ninth child, who is far from the family and a lout who only causes accidents. Even if I say I don¡¯t want wealth or power, there would probably be more skeptics than believers.¡± ¡°Is that why you suddenly changed your stance?¡± ¡°Yes. Because I do not want to die. Just hanging on to a limited life¡­ That¡¯s not something I can continue to do for a long time.¡± Mi-Na quietly looked at Yu-Seong, who calmly finished his sentence. Soon after, she suddenly got up with an unknown expression of perhaps anger or sadness, and threw something at Yu-Seong. When he reached out and received the object in a daze, Yu-Seong widened his eyes. It was an unknown object in the form of an arm bracelet, which was recognizable by all but idiots. He commented, ¡°An ancient relic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have eyes to see for yourself.¡± Mi-Na did not deny Yu-Seong¡¯s guess, but her following words were somewhat absurd. She revealed, ¡°But actually, I also don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for.¡± ¡°¡­Does it mean that noo-nim don¡¯t even know what kind of ancient relic this is?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t that curious.¡± Yu-Seong stared at Mi-Na, wondering if he should take her word as it was and believe her. ¡®Probably not.¡¯ It was an ancient relic, after all. If one got it, wouldn¡¯t they want to know its properties and use? How could she never try to find out just because she wasn''t curious? It didn''t make sense. Yu-Seong would rather believe that people could make bean paste from shit. In other words, two speculations could be thought of here. ¡®Research has been done, but Mi-Na still can¡¯t find out how to use it.¡¯ Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Or it could be that Mi-Na already knew but pretended she didn¡¯t. Either way, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. It was ¡®the ancient relic¡¯, so it would be enough to think about the use later and just rejoice for now. ¡°Thank you. Noo-nim.¡± ¡°I can hear the sound of your heart thumping in excitement. Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent, kid.¡± Mi-Na smiled and continued talking with her arms folded, ¡°I can only help you, for a year at most, decrease the family¡¯s interest in you. No matter how aggressive I am, the rest of them aren¡¯t idiots. According to my rough calculations, it wouldn¡¯t last a month. Also, I can¡¯t protect you from every single thing. There¡¯s no way for me to cover the sky with one hand. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be some guys approaching you through the gap.¡± To interpret her words, Mi-Na seemingly liked Yu-Seong quite a lot. It was a short conversation, but it was enough to change her mind about helping him for a year rather than just a single month, which had been her original plan. Yu-Seong thought that Mi-Na¡¯s last words were sufficient. No matter how outstanding her ability was, Mi-Na was not Choi Woo-Jae after all. She didn¡¯t hold and wield all the family¡¯s power, so it would be impossible to block all of the siblings¡¯ actions. That was why the best thing that Mi-Na could do was to avert attention. Of course, it would be nice if she could block all threats that came, like a real nanny, but if she did that, she would go against Woo-Jae and get on his nerves. That would cause a bigger problem, so Yu-Seong also did not want such extreme protection. Anyway, with Mi-Na¡¯s renewed promise, the intensity of interest and contaminants that should be directed toward Yu-Seong would be greatly reduced. In other words, he would be able to use time in a much more relaxed fashion. Why would he be dissatisfied by this? ¡°That is enough,¡± Yu-Seong said with a smile. Choi Mi-Na answered with a nod, then said, ¡°And in the future, if possible, stay around Itaewon when you go outside.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I often go there to play, you know.¡± Without any further explanation of her cryptic words, Mi-Na turned her head hard and strode toward the door with her cheeks dyed red, regardless of whether Yu-Seong was flustered or not. ¡°Father has already come. So, you don¡¯t have to be unnecessarily nervous. Kid, say bye to your noo-nim.¡± With that, Mi-Na left the hospital room. Left alone, Yu-Seong looked at the blackish-gray bracelet that seemed to have been burned for a long time. ¡®A gray bracelet¡­ I¡¯m sure there was a similar mention in the original novel.¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t remember well. After tilting his head this way and that, he ruffled his hair and laid on the bed. ¡®Oh, whatever. I¡¯ll eventually remember it.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t think of it even if he forcibly tried to, it would be hard to find the answer no matter how hard he tried. Rather, there were times when an important memory would come to mind while being absent-minded. ¡®Let¡¯s rest for now.¡¯ Yu-Seong needed a break. *** After leaving Yu-Seong¡¯s hospital room, Mi-Na briefly met and greeted the Jin siblings before leaving the hospital alone. There was no such thing as a fancy procession or a limousine waiting for her, unlike the other family members. Some might enjoy such privileges and treatment, but Mi-Na found all of it cumbersome. ¡®Honestly, it¡¯s faster to run than to drive if they tried hard enough. I don¡¯t understand why people drive cars.¡¯ No matter how great a hunter was, they commonly preferred transportation that kept them out of prying eyes. However, for Mi-Na, who valued efficiency above all, all of those considerations were useless and irrelevant. However, today, Mi-Na did not run fast toward her next destination. Contrary to her typical thought, she chose to get on a bus even though it was public transportation. She sat down and thought deeply, not caring about drawing other people¡¯s attention. As mentioned, Mi-Na had never officially appeared in public events. Thanks to this, only people in the family, a small number of political and business giants, or a few fearless reporters knew her face. The probability of the former two groups getting on a bus was extremely low. Strictly speaking, it would be zero. How about the fearless reporters? Unfortunately, they had become similar to cowards these days. In the name of social experience, Mi-Na directly taught them the true fear of the world. If not, how could she openly operate a lounge bar then? Anyway, she didn¡¯t know if he did it consciously or not, but Yu-Seong had said a lot of pretty shocking things in his conversation with her. To organize all those thoughts, she couldn¡¯t afford to walk or run as usual. ¡®It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s hiding something about Rachel.¡¯ Choi Mi-Na was not a fool. She didn¡¯t interrogate Yu-Seong in detail since it could also reveal her weakness. However, she did not completely dispel her doubts about Yu-Seong. Rather, she felt suspicious of Yu-Seong¡¯s confident attitude, but most of the reasons that came to her mind were absurd. ¡®There¡¯s no way that the kid knows that I¡¯m a member of the Special Police Force.¡¯ Choi Ji-Ho seemed to like Yu-Seong, but he would not have revealed Mi-Na¡¯s secret. In the first place, Ji-Ho was not a man with loose lips. ¡®If he made fun of me lightly, I would chase him down tomorrow and pull out his tongue so that he can¡¯t talk again.¡¯ With that terrifying thought in her mind, Mi-Na¡¯s eyes became sharp. In fact, she would be able to find a brief answer through investigation if she spent more time thinking about this. What made it complicated for her was none other than the story of Yu-Seong¡¯s mother. ¡®The kid¡¯s mother¡­ It¡¯s that woman, right? Baek Yu-Ri.¡¯ CH 59 When she was very young, Mi-Na had seen Yu-Seong¡¯s mother before. Yu-Seong¡¯s mother was a woman with shoulder-length black hair and a fairly gentle look like a puppy, but Mi-Na did not have any special memory about her. She wasn¡¯t from a great family and her academic background wasn¡¯t significant. She was a normal woman except for her beautiful appearance, which was obvious since she was Yu-Seong¡¯s mother. Everything about Yu-Seong¡¯s mother was too ordinary, which made her rather strange. How on earth could she become a woman after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s heart? Mi-Na narrowed her eyes and slightly bit her lower lip. ¡®It was so natural that people didn''t even bother.¡¯ Some might think that Woo-Jae was not picky about women since he had a lot of children, but that couldn¡¯t be further away from the truth. Woo-Jae thoroughly chose and selected his women. Whether it was because of political position, economic ideal, or future investments, since it was ultimately the process of creating another successor of his, he had never chosen his wife easily. So, how did an ordinary woman, who had no other special factor but beauty, become Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s wife? Everyone didn¡¯t even care about the sudden death of Yu-Seong¡¯s mother, Baek Yu-Ri. She had died at a fairly young age, so obviously something strange had happened. ¡®Something¡¯s definitely fishy.¡¯ Now that Mi-Na thought about it, Yu-Seong was the only one who had noticed this throughout the family. That was absurd, but interesting and surprising as well. ¡®He¡¯s the only person who felt suspicious about it, while no one in the family or the entire country cared about it.¡¯ Since the matter involved his own mother, this might not be considered a strange thing. However, it was an unspoken rule within the entire Comet Group¡¯s founding family that no one should doubt an incident that Choi Woo-Jae tried to keep the lid on for himself. But Choi-Yu-Seong, that timid ninth child of the family, was paying attention to that matter. Then, wouldn¡¯t Choi Woo-Jae know that? ¡®Nevertheless, father¡¯s not hiding his favoritism toward that small brat.¡¯ This was actually because Yu-Seong had not even tried to investigate his mother Baek Yu-Ri, but Choi Mi-Na¨Cnot knowing the truth¨Cthought completely differently. Things were changing within the family. Perhaps the ninth kid, who no one cared about, had become a big variable but the majority had yet to notice him. However, it was only a matter of time. ¡®Like awl in the pocket. [ref] It means that a person with great talent will stand out even if they are hidden. [\ref] In the end, it¡¯s bound to stand out.¡¯ The moment the awl popped out of the pocket, the other siblings would press on it to prevent it from coming out ever again. Or, the awl itself would be broken or thrown away by a resentful someone who got stabbed by its protrusion. Now Mi-Na could understand why Ji-Ho asked to take care of Yu-Seong. ¡®This kid is neither a fool nor a coward.¡¯ Rather, Yu-Seong was courageous enough to break the family¡¯s unwritten rules. He was also a sensible person who had been hiding his true purpose for a while to only reveal it at the proper time. Woo-Jae was watching the ninth kid¨Cwhich may be somewhat cheeky¨Cand regarding him as cute. Mi-Na couldn¡¯t even understand how Yu-Seong had gently softened that iron-clad stubbornness, which could never be broken stubbornly. ¡®To think that he¡¯s a stiff geezer that doesn¡¯t give a single reaction to my aegyo[ref]denoting a Korean cultural style that emphasizes the quality of cuteness though cute voice or actions[\ref].¡¯ Mi-Na smiled as she lightly tapped the bus window with her index finger. ¡®Very well.¡¯ Before, there was no kid Mi-Na liked among her stupid siblings, who were always just conscious of Choi Woo-Jae. For the first time, her ninth sibling had caught her eye. Mi-Na was uninterested not only in the chairman¡¯s position but also in the family¡¯s affairs. However, after Ji-Ho was eliminated from being a candidate for the next chairman because of the unexpected accident, everyone else had naturally expected her to be the most likely candidate. Even though she was annoyed and had tried to hand the position over to the other siblings, Choi Woo-Jae had blocked her from doing so. As a result, as time passed, the people in the group collectively expected Mi-Na as the next chairman. ¡®It¡¯s a shitty situation.¡¯ For Mi-Na, Yu-Seong was a light that suddenly appeared in her annoying and displeased situation. Of course, it could just be the empathy that arose from their similarity of losing their mother at a young age. She couldn¡¯t deny that Yu-Seong¨Cwho she once had poor judgment of¨Cmay have entered a corner of her heart because of that. It was not that she completely trusted him, but she was more willing to actively help him after things got resolved. Because of this, she even unexpectedly handed over items to Yu-Seong out of goodwill. It was an ancient relic called ¡®the Fragments of Destruction God¡¯. Choi Mi-Na had never used it herself, so she didn¡¯t know the exact effect. However, as could be guessed from its name, it was clearly an ancient relic with considerable power. ¡®It¡¯s a bit of a pity since I gave it away according to my sudden mood, but anyways, it¡¯s something that I can¡¯t use¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, most of Choi Mi-Na¡¯s abilities had the opposite property of power compared to the ones of gods, so she couldn¡¯t use the ¡®Fragments of Destruction God¡¯ at all. She had kept it, initially thinking that it would be a waste to just hand it over to someone else. Though she did decide to hand it to Yu-Seong after her sudden change of heart. Mi-Na looked out the window, with her index finger lightly twisting a lock of her hair. ¡®When will that kid discover the bracelet¡¯s purpose?¡¯ Thinking Yu-Seong would have to come and say thank you more than a thousand times once he figured it out, Choi Mi-Na was already looking forward to that day. *** Yu-Seong was only able to be discharged fifteen days after Mi-Na had visited. The doctor greatly praised Yu-Seong¡¯s resilience; he was a player indeed. Though for him, it was full of frustration because he didn¡¯t want to waste his time in the hospital. After spending half a month stuck in the hospital, he headed back to the dungeon and got into the car that Do-Yoon was driving. He felt that it was time to give an answer about concerns he had put off. ¡®This meets my initial expectation exactly.¡¯ This was a pretty exciting moment. - [Private] A Joke-loving Prankster marvels at you. 200 Karma Points are sponsored. He says he has a skill that really suits you. Will you learn the skill? Y/N - The Oldest Hunter is really fond of player Choi Yu-Seong. 300 Karma Points are sponsored. He says he very much wants to give you a skill. Will you learn the skill? Y/N - The Silky Beard pays tribute to player Choi Yu-Seong. 250 Karma Points are sponsored. He wants to transfer a very strong skill. Will you learn the skill? Y/N - The Emperor of Great China refers to player Choi Yu-Seong as the most excellent man she has recently seen. 300 Karma Points are sponsored. She wants to give you a skill that suits you. Y/N - The Red Fang of the Dark Night feels a strong longing when seeing player Choi Yu-Seong. 100 Karma Points are sponsored. He threatens that you will regret it if you don¡¯t receive the skill. Y/N - The Culann¡¯s Hound judges that player Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s spearmanship has a very high potential. 500 Karma Points are sponsored. He promises that if you learn the skill, you will be able to become the strongest spearman. Will you learn the skill? Y/N After the incident of Demon King Worshiper along with Rachel, all the gods who were watching Yu-Seong sent messages about passing on their skills. Most of these messages would have been sent at the end of the fierce battle with Rachel. ¡®At the time, I was so out of it that I couldn¡¯t even think of checking the messages.¡¯ If he could afford to be laid-back then, Yu-Seong would have recognized Choi Mi-Na at a glance. He properly checked and looked through the messages while he was hospitalized¡­ Since then, Choi Yu-Seong had fallen into deep thought. As mentioned, the reason why the lofty gods gave Karma Points and skills was that the achievements made by their sponsored humans were returned to their Karma figures and then copied to help raise their dignity. Obviously, god¡¯s stake in a human increased more when they passed on skills that were equivalent to their ability than when sharing some of the karma points they had. Also, if it was possible, the first god to transfer the skill to the human would gain an advantage in the battle for shares among the other gods. That was why, from the very beginning, Loki had begged Yu-Seong to learn his skill. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Yu-Seong had been ignoring Loki¡¯s messages for a while. But now that all six gods had put up their skills, he could no longer continue to ignore this request anymore. Even for those who were waiting, he eventually had to make a definite choice. Now that Yu-Seong had taken the best route for his growth after much consideration, he finally decided to announce his decision. ¡°I have no bad intentions,¡± Yu-Seong spoke to himself and smiled somewhat apologetically, and replied to the six gods¡¯ skill transfer messages. There were two things Yu-Seong had worried about for fifteen days before he decided his current answer. First, he had to be sure of the sponsoring gods¡¯ true names. Second, he had to guess the skills that the gods would give through their true names. The first one was relatively easy. Except for only one god with a rather difficult and unknown nickname, all the others were using nicknames that had been mentioned at least once in the original novel or had nicknames that were easy to guess. Except for Loki, Guan-Yu, and Culann, all of whom with already clear identities, there were three remaining gods left. Among them, the first god that Yu-Seong found the answer to was the Emperor of Great China. ¡®This one never came out in the original novel, but it¡¯s actually easy to guess.¡¯ Since the nickname was ¡®the Emperor of Great China¡¯, Yu-Seong could guess that it was the name of a country¡¯s monarch during her lifetime. In the end, it was inevitably easy to know who she was after a little research about the rulers¡¯ titles. ¡®Sacred Divine Golden Empress Zetian.¡¯ The nickname being used was only an abbreviation of this, and the part that Yu-Seong had to pay attention to was the last word. ¡®Zetian, Wu Zetian.¡¯ Better known by the name of Ze Tian Wu Hou, she was China¡¯s first female emperor to ascend to the throne at a late age and had held power for a long time. It was true that she had great achievements and had a reputation enough to reach Divinity, but unfortunately, Yu-Seong was not going to choose her skill. ¡®There are some of her skills that I can roughly guess, but it¡¯s not the kind that I want.¡¯ What had come to mind when thinking of Wu Zetian was the strong power and dignity that held people down so that no one could surpass her. It was certain that her intangible power would be formidable since she had ascended to the throne at a late age and had remained in emperor position for a very long time. Perhaps Yu-Seong might have as much pressure and vibe as Choi Woo-Jae with the power of her skill. In other words, however, Yu-Seong could have such an ability without using this skill when the time came. ¡®I¡¯m sure there are a few other great abilities since she has risen to Divinity, but¡­¡¯ Anyway, she was removed from Yu-Seong¡¯s options. The Emperor of Great China was one of the candidates that he had decided to reject at the time her true name was revealed. Recalling the memories of that time, Yu-Seong sent the very first refusal to the Emperor of Great China¡¯s message. CH 60 -The Emperor of Great China is very displeased. She says she will never give Yu-Seong a second chance in the future. At the same time, Wu Zetian left Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong felt sorry for her, but he wasn¡¯t disappointed by the outcome. ¡®The seat is empty.¡¯ The other gods who had stepped back from the seemingly already overheated competition and were still secretly coveting Yu-Seong could now take a step forward in the stake fight. The Red Fang of the Dark Night also did not use a nickname that openly revealed himself, which was similar to Wu Zetian. Thus, it was somewhat difficult for Yu-Seong to investigate and find out more information. Fortunately, Yu-Seong remembered reading the name of this terrifying being in the original novel. ¡®Vlad ?epe?.¡¯ When he began investigating the name, Yu-Seong had come up with a much more famous and straightforward name. It was ¡®Vlad III Dr?culea¡¯, which was the origin of humanoid bloodsucking monsters that were commonly seen in classical Western horror movies. This name was also known as the origin of vampires in modern times. Vlad ?epe? was initially a human, like Wu Zetian, Guan-Yu, and Cu Chulainn. However, his legend and achievements were valued in a completely different way from ordinary characters and he eventually became an extraordinary being, the First Vampire. For reference, as the novel progressed, countless races other than humans appeared in [Modern Master Returns]. One of them was the vampire clan, and the god they served was ¡®the Red Fang of the Dark Night¡¯ also known as Dracula. Dracula¡¯s power and abilities were incomparable to other people who rose to Divinity from humans because he gave birth to a powerful race called vampires. ¡®Although, considering his big influence on Earth, he could be a stronger supporter than Loki¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong gulped and sent a rejection to Dracula as well. -The Red Fang of the Dark Night leaves the player Choi Yu-Seong with a cool smile. The Red Fang of the Dark Night did not run wild like the Emperor of Great China. However, it was a much scarier response. As mentioned, Dracula had a stronger influence on Earth than Loki. This was obvious since the vampire race who followed him could not be seen directly, but was still active in the dark. Dracula had even threatened Yu-Seong in the message that he would regret it in the future for rejecting him. He had only sent a message saying that he was smiling, but that most likely suggested a possible retaliation in the future. To be honest, Yu-Seong was scared to the point of slightly trembling, but he couldn¡¯t accept Dracula¡¯s offer no matter how many times he thought about it. It was not because Dracula''s skill did not match him. Rather, the reason for rejecting his offer was very simple. ¡®Because if I learn Dracula¡¯s Skill, I¡¯ll become a vampire too.¡¯ Even if not immediately, Yu-Seong would slowly but eventually become a vampire. It was inevitable. To put it bluntly, considering Dracula¡¯s first Skill to Yu-Seong would likely be ¡®Bloodsucking,¡¯ even if Yu-Seong was wary, by sucking and drinking the opponent¡¯s blood he would naturally turn into a vampire. He could try to be careful, but the transformation couldn¡¯t be helped. This was because Dracula¡¯s ability was that strong. And unless he was in an unavoidable situation, Yu-Seong wanted to remain a human. ¡®Most of all, if I become a vampire, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the sunlight for a while.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t all. The powerful Demon Hunters from the Vatican would chase Yu-Seong for the rest of his life. Now that Yu-Seong was working hard for lifelong safety, there was no reason to put another tag that would threaten his life. ¡®And the third, The Oldest Hunter¡­ It was really hard to find out who this one is.¡¯ The Oldest Hunter, Scathi, was the god whose identity the then-hospitalized Yu-Seong took the longest time to track. ¡®Although I¡¯m actually still half doubted about his identity¡­¡¯ Quite a few parts were also just accepted as facts. And if The Oldest Hunter was Scathi, it was no exaggeration to say that she was the strongest of the four remaining gods excluding Loki. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®The god of hunting who rules the Isle of the Dead.¡¯ Scathi, a rather unfamiliar god to people, was rumored to be the sister of Freya¡ªa goddess of beauty that often appeared in Norse mythology¡ªand there was also a story that she was once Loki¡¯s lover. Whatever it was, her name was not well known but it was highly likely that she had enough powers to form ties with prominent gods in Norse mythology. ¡®Because even Odin offered a deal to control her anger in the mythical story. No more words are needed.¡¯ Such a great figure had shown her interest in Choi Yu-Seong more than anyone else. The reason was unknown, but it was no secret that Scathi liked men a lot. Also, the more handsome a man was, the more she liked him. It was a bit absurd, but it meant that Yu-Seong¡¯s appearance might have led her. Furthermore, it made sense that Loki had approached Yu-Seong faster than other high-ranking gods. ¡®What Loki and Scathi have in common is that they are half-god and half-giant.¡¯ The relationship between the two might go beyond whatever was shown in the mythical story. If there was any close relationship between the two gods, it made sense that Loki had approached Yu-Seong at a high speed. In that sense, Yu-Seong procrastinated giving an answer to Scathi¨Cthe Oldest Hunter. ¡®Scathi isn¡¯t a bad choice if I want a stable and powerful skill.¡¯ Having made a decision, Yu-Seong looked at Guan-Yu and sent a message of rejection. No matter how powerful the skill was, it was meaningless if the natural synergy didn''t go along with him. -The Silky Beard smacks his lips out of shame. He leaves while wishing the good fortune of war for player Choi Yu-Seong. Indeed, since he was called the Chinese God of Martial Arts, Guan Yu¡¯s attitude of leaving was quite polite. Therefore, Yu-Seong felt more sorry, but he could not reverse the decision he had already made. Come to think of it, there were three gods left¡ªa Joke-loving Prankster, the Oldest Hunter, and the Culann¡¯s Hound. ¡®Loki, Scathi, Cu Chulainn.¡¯ Somehow, only the gods of Nordic descent remained. It could be a simple coincidence, but Yu-Seong found this situation interesting. And of course, in terms of god¡¯s status alone, Cu Chulainn was the most lacking. ¡®However, he¡¯ll be a great help to my spearmanship.¡¯ Cu Chulainn would pass on a skill that would be unconditionally related to spearmanship. On the other hand, Scathi, who was also known as the witch¡¯s guardian, was highly likely to pass on a skill that was close to psychic-type, especially magic. ¡®And Loki would¡­¡¯ Honestly, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t make any guesses regarding Loki, who was too versatile and unpredictable. Loki¡¯s abilities were great enough to be called the best talent in Norse mythology, and were more difficult to guess than Odin in a sense. Though, Yu-Seong could make a single guess that Loki wouldn¡¯t pass on the powerful skill that could be enough to be called his signature ability. ¡®He¡¯s not an inferior who just reveals his best skill from the beginning. Also, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle his level.¡¯ The powerful ability beyond Yu-Seong¡¯s level must be sealed and couldn¡¯t be used by him. Wasn¡¯t this the reason why he had first rejected the offer of Odin(though it was surely Loki in disguise)? Anyway, after much consideration, Yu-Seong was sure about Loki¡¯s identity and finished making guesses about his skills. After narrowing down the candidates so far, Yu-Seong carried out the bold decision he had made. ¡®Accepting all three of them.¡¯ Yu-Seong sent a consent message in the order of Scathi, Cu Chulainn, and Loki, and gasped. The skills transferred by the gods were not affected by Fusion¡¯s empty skill slots. In other words, it was possible to be simultaneously given the skills of many gods in this way. However, the above method might feel undesirable only from the standpoint of the gods who wanted to take the lead rather than fighting for the stake of Yu-Seong¡¯s Karma figures with the others. If so, there were two options the gods could choose. ¡®One is to simply withdraw their will to transfer skills and leave.¡¯ The second method was to transfer a skill as they wanted, even if it was a little unpleasant. Since Yu-Seong accepted their messages, the decision-making authority was now given back to the gods. What kind of answer would the three gods give? Perhaps, at this moment, Loki¡¯s message would not be hidden but shown to the other two gods. Once a skill was transferred to a certain person, it could not be given to another person ever again. Therefore, if the gods did not think they would get as much stake as they wanted, they had the right to leave now. That was why the private message had to be disclosed, and this was an unbreakable rule set among the gods. Among the particularly tense silence inside the car, there was a god who answered first. - The Oldest Hunter is delighted to say that it is an excellent choice. She is transferring a skill exclusively for the player Choi Yu-Seong. As always, ¡®The Oldest Hunter¡¯ Scathi reached out first. -A Joke-loving Prankster nods with a look full of dissatisfaction. He is transferring a skill. Then, Loki accepted the offer. Up to this point, Yu-Seong¡¯s plan was clearly successful. ¡®Because it¡¯s no different than saying that two powerful Norse gods have become my supporters.¡¯ However, it seemed like Cu Chulainn had no choice but to give up in this case. ¡®Because he lacks strength and influence compared to the two gods¡­¡¯ ¡®The Culann¡¯s Hound¡¯... Cu Chulainn had too weak a name value to greedily fight for the stake. In fact, the optimal result that Yu-Seong wanted was for Cu Chulainn to transfer his skill first. ¡®He¡¯ll probably give up.¡¯ If it was a rational judgment, it was right for the god to give up. However, Cu Chulainn seemed to have a different thought. -Culann¡¯s Hound snorts and is willing to accept your arrogance. He is transferring a skill. ¡°No way.¡± Yu-Seong unconsciously burst into an exclamation inside the silent car. Do-Yoon, who was holding the steering wheel, tilted his head. ¡°Yes, young master?¡± Do-Yoon had no time to obtain an answer from Yu-Seong. It was because, all of a sudden, three lights of purple, black, and blue began to swirl around Yu-Seong¡¯s chest and brain. Yu-Seong accepted the lights with his eyes closed. There was no way that Do-Yoon could not understand the situation since he himself had experienced it before once. ¡®The gods are transferring their skills to the young master.¡¯ Moreover, the number was as much as three. Do-Yoon held the steering wheel tightly while looking straight ahead in case of a traffic accident, but his mind was filled with joy and thrill. ¡®Oh my goodness. Who learned the skills of three gods during E-rank? Madness Bernard? Timewalker Christian? Who else is there?¡¯ The names of hunters discussed as the world¡¯s strongest passed through Do-Yoon¡¯s mind. The problem was that he didn¡¯t have that great a mental capacity¡­so he decided to send a message to ask Jin Yu-Ri as soon as he got out of the car. CH 61 ¡®I don¡¯t know for sure, but there will only be a few even if I search the whole world. No, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be in the top 10!¡¯ Yu-Seong complained that he seemed stagnant and his level didn¡¯t rise, but it wasn¡¯t like that at all. At least in Do-Yoon¡¯s eyes, he could see that Yu-Seong was growing faster than anyone he knew. Do-Yoon was thrilled and his heart was beating like crazy. His eyes facing straight ahead turned red unconsciously. He muttered to himself, ¡°How careless. Get your mind together, Jin Do-Yoon.¡± Fortunately, Do-Yoon didn¡¯t shed any tears perhaps because he was focused on driving. *** It was 3 am and two days after Yu-Seong had received the skills of the three gods. There were two men wearing thick, long padding jackets and hats. They stood near the entrance of a dungeon square connected to the entrance of 2nd rank dungeon¡ªGoblin Fortress¡ªlocated in Sinwol-dong, Seoul. What was unusual was that both men were clutching large titanium-based black bags with thick fur gloves on their right hands. It was rather reasonable that their somewhat suspicious appearance would draw attention to them, but no one was passing by since it was a time when the floating population was so small. A man on the left, who had a rather small physique and a stubborn mouth, was the Reporter, Park Jin-Hwan. He frowned slightly at the long road with his back against the dungeon square. He asked, ¡°Reporter Kim. Do you know what time it is?¡± The other reporter on the right, Kim Jin-Young, put his hand in his pocket and took out a handphone to check the time. ¡°Do you not have hands or feet, Reporter Park? It¡¯s currently 3:03. Was the appointment time 3:10?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did we come 30 minutes earlier in vain? We were just early since they said he might arrive about 10 minutes earlier¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking forward to it pointlessly. Reporter Kim, did you forget who the opponent is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong.¡± No matter how quiet Yu-Seong was, not causing any accidents recently, his rascal image did not get forgotten easily. ¡°It¡¯ll be fortunate if he comes on time.¡± Jin-Young scratched his cheek at Jin-Hwan¡¯s smirking expression. He didn¡¯t have to spit out whatever was on his mind. ¡®Well, you also look excited. You seem to be looking forward to it in case he comes early too.¡¯ And naturally, they set aside their expectations. At that moment, three human silhouettes appeared blurry in Kim Jin-Young¡¯s glasses, which were foggy from his breath. ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± said Park Jin-Hwan, rejoicing as expected. Then, he took out his cell phone, checked the time, and his lips tugged up into a strange smile. ¡®Arrived five minutes early. Faster than expected.¡¯ Was it because he didn¡¯t have high expectations from the start? Jin-Hwan felt good for no reason, even with this trivial thing. Meanwhile, Yu-Seong approached the two at a fast pace and greeted the two reporters first. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Park Jin-Hwan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kim Jin-Young.¡± ¡°I look forward to your cooperation today,¡± said Yu-Seong politely with a smile. Seeing Yu-Seong, Jin-Hwan felt his reporter¡¯s instinct wriggling. ¡®Ah, I should¡¯ve shot it now.¡¯ He felt a bit regretful not taking out the camera since he had thought the filming process should start a little later. The cold winter air was so severe that even Yu-Seong, who was a player, had a red face. Still, he looked just as amazingly handsome as Jin-Hwan had thought the other day when he had taken Yu-Seong¡¯s pictures. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong, even the dawn cold wind of January melted down with his smile. This smile would go straight to women¡¯s hearts. Ugh, it¡¯s a good title just by imagining it.¡¯ Was it because of his thoughts? Without realizing it, Jin-Hwan blurted out, ¡°Do you have any plans to become a model? Oops, pardon me.¡± For a moment, Jin-Hwan thought Yu-Seong would be offended, so he quickly apologized. However, Yu-Seong just shook his head calmly. He then looked at Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri who followed and addressed them. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, wait for a bit. If it¡¯s cold, go to the car and rest.¡± ¡°It is not cold at all,¡± said Do-Yoon. ¡°Me too. Compared to the snowy dungeon, it¡¯s not cold at all,¡± said Yu-Ri. Yu-Seong smiled at their confident replies and nodded. He then looked at Park Jin-Hwan again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else other than that. That wasn¡¯t a particularly unpleasant expression or action, but Park Jin-Hwan sensed a strange hostility from it. He felt cold sweat running down his back. Wasn¡¯t there a phrase about how one''s relaxation could make people look up to them? That was exactly how Park Jin-Hwan felt right now. Looking at the silent Yu-Seong, awe unconsciously began rising up in his heart. ¡°Reporter Park. Take good pictures. Got it?¡± Yu-Ri quietly said to Park Jin-Hwan from behind. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Jin-Hwan turned back and agonized. Usually, he would offer a common saying as his typical response. ¡®I¡¯ll work as much as I got paid.¡¯ However, today was different. ¡°I will do my best.¡± When he remembered Yu-Seong¡¯s back, it felt like Jin-Hwan had to say that. ¡®Still, it¡¯ll be a pointless effort if the results don¡¯t come out well¡­¡¯ Jin-Hwan grabbed a black bag containing a magic tech drone that could do filming inside the dungeon. The reason why he and Kim Jin Young had come here today was because of Yu-Ri. Of course, no matter how much money they were being paid, if there was no incident to blow up into a big story, the reports wouldn¡¯t try waiting for them from dawn in this chilly weather. ¡®It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s first Boss attack. The target is the most difficult 2nd rank dungeon, the Goblin Fortress.¡¯ As he followed Yu-Seong who first entered the dungeon square after showing his hunter dungeon pass, Jin-Hwan felt his heart pounding for some reason even though the results have yet to come out. ¡®Usually, for Goblin Fortress, a hunter will be recognized as a rookie the moment he succeeds Boss attack by Solo Playing before rank-D, level 50.¡¯ According to the information Jin-Hwan had obtained, Yu-Seong was currently at rank-E level 90. This was no surprise since it had been less than three months since he first obtained the hunter license. Rather, the speed of his leveling up was surprisingly fast. Even so, failure should still be considered first, but it somehow felt like he would definitely succeed. ¡®The important thing is the record, but¡­¡¯ There were only five people in Korea who had officially attacked Goblin Fortress at a similar level, before E-rank max level, as Yu-Seong. ¡®If narrowing them down to the person who made the most recent record¡­ There¡¯s only one person, Kim Do-Jin. Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Jin-Hwan remembered one of his published articles¡ª¡®The rascal who fooled the world raised Kim Do-Jin¡¯s fighting spirit!!¡¯ He clenched his fist as soon as he entered the dungeon square after showing a special access pass. ¡®If this goes well, I might be able to post a decent series of stories.¡¯ It was now impossible for Jin-Hwan¡¯s heart to not race in excitement. *** Upon entering the Goblin Fortress dungeon, Yu-Seong could describe his surroundings with a single sentence. It was green and full of a grassy smell. Everything was green, from unidentified sharp leaves that rose to the height of a person¡¯s waist like a pole, small hills covered with vines popped out all over the field, and even small flying insects passing by at high speed¡­ ¡®Even the Goblins occupying this place are green.¡¯ This was a world of one color unified enough to feel somewhat monotonous. Even if the Goblins did not try to hide their appearance here, they would blend into the surrounding colors and stay naturally hidden. This was the reason why the dungeon was called the ¡®Goblin Fortress¡¯ despite it lacking a building structure to be called an actual fortress. ¡®I can see why this place has the worst difficulty among the 2nd-rank dungeons.¡¯ It was late in the day. The unpreferred high-risk dungeon had the sound of insects hiding among bushes that would have cut the skin if anyone was not wearing suits transformed from Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. Moreover, there was a settled darkness since the world had no sunlight. Due to various factors, Yu-Seong¡¯s muscles tightened in nervousness at the surrounding scenery that had no other presence. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I already looked around once yesterday. It¡¯s quite familiar.¡¯ Yu-Seong entered this dungeon the day before to grasp the environment and difficulty for today. He let out a short breath and tightened his grip on the spear. Goblins, the second rank monster, were actually a rather weak entity to be called ¡®monster¡¯. In fact, it would be enough for an ordinary adult man who was not a player to deal a 1:1 match as long as he had his mind straight. To put it simply, Goblins could be easily overwhelmed by any average man in terms of strength alone. Nevertheless, the reason Goblins were classified as second-rank monsters, which was a rank higher than the first-rank monsters which hunters would meet and hunt for the very first time, was that they had dangerous traits that could compensate for their weak physical abilities. The first trait, needless to say, was aggression and ferocity toward humans. Goblins had a more violent nature than most fierce wild beasts for subjects that were very small and weak in power. In particular, their aggression reflected on humans was exceptionally strong among monsters of similar rank. It would be so rough that a general person could lose his composure if they encountered Goblins for the first time. Then, they would be scared and that could lead to serious injury or death in the short period they froze up without any defense. ¡®I was also surprised to see them for the first time yesterday.¡¯ When Yu-Seong read web novels on Earth of the original world, the description and depiction of Goblin came out pretty funny that he had looked down on them. However, his thoughts completely changed after meeting them in person for the first time yesterday. ¡®If you let your guard down, it will lead to injury straight away.¡¯ Yu-Seong went through the bushes little by little and recalled other dangers Goblins had in his head. ¡®They are secretive and agile.¡¯ And unlike ordinary monsters, Goblins knew how to handle small tools. However, there was something else that made them even more dangerous. ¡®They never move alone.¡¯ Goblins were smart enough to handle tools, so they knew well that it was dangerous to move alone. They were socialized like humans, and they gathered together to hunt humans in their respective roles. As these social factors made humans the top predators in the world even without operating in dungeons, Goblin¡¯s collective action was bound to be quite dangerous. ¡®Goblins are hiding throughout this Dungeon.¡¯ Goblins were hiding in the grass, between the vines of the rising hills, and even beneath ground level. Amid such threats, Yu-Seong entered the dungeon alone to attack the boss monster which was regenerated once a month. He wasn¡¯t very worried about threats within the dungeon, such as the previous kidnapper incident, because he believed in Choi Mi-Na. CH 62 ¡®What happened at that time was something that one of my siblings did.¡¯ There was no doubt whatsoever about it, especially since Choi Woo-Jae confirmed it. In such a situation, Yu-Seong did not have to worry about it happening again at least for a year since Choi Mi-Na had promised to draw and keep their attention to herself so that none of them would pay attention to Yu-Seong. Of course, Yu-Seong was aware that some unexpected threats could suddenly emerge out of nowhere like the Itaewon incident a while ago. But should he keep all those dangers in mind wherever he went? Of course, he should. However, being cautious and hiding like a coward were two completely different things. ¡®Just because I am exposed to danger doesn¡¯t mean I should just hide and crouch down inside the room.¡¯ Anyway, Choi Yu-Seong had to grow. The farther he went and the stronger he became, he naturally would be freer from these threats. ¡®I can¡¯t help it until then.¡¯ Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong''s choice was to gain more and more attention. ¡®Celebrity disease? Attention seeker? I don¡¯t care what they call me. I need such a title anyway, because of the Star Factor skill.¡¯ The more people paid attention to him, the more careful those who wanted to pose a threat to him had to be, since there would be more eyes on him. Conversely, the easier it would be to threaten him if he hid. ¡®Now I¡¯ll completely show myself.¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong was already famous. However, it was the ¡°chaebol Choi Yu-Seong¡± who was famous. From now on, he was going to reveal and show more of the ¡°hunter Choi Yu-Seong¡± in particular. As a result, more people would pay attention and look at him wherever he was and whatever he did. Moreover, their gazes would follow him even to the inside of a dungeon. Undeniably, this would cause certain inconveniences. That was why he had been grappling with this issue for a while¡ªrevealing himself more¡ªbut he concluded that this was still the best choice he could make. Jin Yu-Ri also supported Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s decision. That was why they called the two reporters who were able to shoot pictures with the magic tech drones today, which was the day when the Goblin¡¯s boss monster respawned. Although money was quite tight from personally hiring such expensive manpower, this choice would have a great effect on promoting the hunter Yu-Seong. As mentioned, that was because the Goblin Fortress had a particularly high level of difficulty among the second-rank dungeons. Indeed, it was even called a gateway¡ªa credential for rookies who wanted to raise their ransom or enter a well-known guild. One could not even be called a rookie if he could not attack the Goblin Fortress alone before he reached rank-D level 50. Because of the name value of Goblin Fortress, Yu-Seong planned to target this place alone today. For reference, the time when Kim Do-Jin attacked the Goblin Fortress was when he was rank-E level 85. ¡®His time attack record was 2 hours 28 minutes¡­and how many seconds was it?¡¯ Yu-Seong recalled the world¡¯s record at the time, and smiled strangely. He did not need to be greedy. `In the first place, Kim Do-Jin is the protagonist of the novel. Even if I¡¯m confident in this attack, I shouldn¡¯t compare it to his record.¡¯ Of course, even so, Yu-Seong still had an interest in the record. ¡®Anyway, the faster the running record, the better it would be to attract people¡¯s attention.¡¯ Hunting the monthly respawned boss monster was an important task to prevent the dungeon break, which was treated as a natural disaster on Earth. Accordingly, the hunt would inevitably draw a lot of attention. Of course, firstly, the attention would focus on the security factor. No matter how low rank a dungeon was, the casualties and property damage would inevitably be serious once the monsters poured out after the dungeon break. Therefore, hunting must be successful within a week before the dungeon break occurred after the boss monster respawned. Therefore, countries generally gave the priority of hunting the dungeon to hunters who needed it for their growth, but if the attack period exceeded four days, they would actively intervene and target the boss themselves before the fifth day passed. This was a fairly general idea until the early days of dungeon creation. In modern times, there was one more additional perspective along with this. Commonly referred to as ¡®dungeon racing,¡¯ it was so-called ¡®record-setting¡¯ on the Internet. It was a somewhat bizarre view that arose toward some dungeons which were considered easier to attack and less threatening because the break had not occurred for nearly ten years. The public began to pay attention to how quickly and cleverly the hunters cleared the boss monster and compared them with famous hunters who had already cleared it in the past. It was like enjoying a sports game. Obviously, the elderly who went through the early days of dungeon creation, scholars and politicians, or associations who still considered the dungeon as a threat, terribly hated this dungeon racing. However, as the number of hunters who used those gazes to make their names known increased exponentially and even more fans supporting them emerged, there was no other way to rectify the situation. They also had no other way to deal with the situation at the time, since the number of hunters using the attention to promote their names to the public was increasing exponentially. Moreover, the hunters had their fans cheering for them. ¡®Because they can¡¯t forcibly prevent dungeon racing in a democratic country¡­¡¯ In fact, the culture of dungeon racing itself felt somewhat absurd for Yu-Seong, who knew the future of this world. ¡®Even in the novel, there were several accidents caused by dungeon breaks¡­¡¯ Because of that, the other countries that had first-hand experiences suffered from tremendous damage. They strenuously overcame the crisis by requesting help from the Republic of Korea, to be exact, the protagonist Kim Do-Jin. As a result, it would have been a somewhat inevitable choice for the writer to include such settings to make the readers¨Cmostly Korean¨Cproud in terms of nationalism. However, despite such a crisis, it was also strange that the culture of dungeon racing itself did not disappear until the completion of the original novel¡¯s Chapter 1. ¡®Are the uncomfortable feelings and entertainment different matters?¡¯ Anyway, Yu-Seong decided to fully utilize the dungeon racing culture in such a situation. ¡®This world is different from the original novel.¡¯ As Yu-Seong has already experienced, any insufficient gap must be filled in some form. When he tried to challenge solo play to set a record, he had to go through more procedures than expected. ¡®Although Yu-Ri took care of most of it for me¡­¡¯ In addition to Yu-Ri¡¯s competence, the recommendation of Park Cheol-Ho, the ¡®Iron Wall¡¯¡ªwho was one of the decision-makers of dungeon racing or formally called DBB (Dungeon Brake Block)¡ªhad a significant influence on Yu-Seong getting permission for the exclusive use of the dungeon from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the respawn day of the Goblin Fortress¡¯ boss monster. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. In other words, the country was already aware of the damage that might occur due to overheated interest in dungeon racing and was fully prepared for it. Yu-Seong could promote his name without harming others, while safety was ensured, and he could raise his skill level. If this performance was good enough to even surprise the people overseas, the national prestige or the so-called ¡®jingoism¡¯ would be filled too. ¡®There¡¯s no reason not to do it.¡¯ It was not for nothing that skilled hunters chose dungeon racing as a means of making their names known. Yu-Seong lightly shook away his useless thoughts. At that moment, from under his feet, a sharp dagger flew under his chin where the suit¡¯s thickness was relatively thin. Already feeling the movement, Yu-Seong took a light step back and swung his spear wide. As the silver flash left behind a thin crescent-like shape and cut the sharp bushes, purple blood rose high into the air through the gap. ¡®Two.¡¯ After confirming the number of corpses, Yu-Seong smiled bitterly. ¡®As expected, they are quite quick on their feet.¡¯ There was only one visible dagger that came up to stab under Yu-Seong¡¯s chin, but there were also others who were aiming for his waist and ankles. Three Goblins had attacked Yu-Seong, but only two corpses could be seen. In other words, there was still one left. ¡®No.¡¯ Shaaa-! Beyond the wind that shook the tall bushes roughly, Goblin¡¯s laughter could be heard. Goblin was laughing at him. -Kikig. -Kikikig! -Kigigigigi. ¡®There¡¯s at least ten of them hiding.¡¯ Maybe more than that. Anyway, they were still just Goblins even though they were quick and clever. They were not even elite monsters. ¡®It feels quite bad when these trivial guys see me as a prey to be hunted.¡¯ Yu-Seong had no intention of waiting for the Goblins to seek an opportunity. He decided to use the skill he recently inherited from the three gods, the first of which he liked the most. ¡ºInheritance Skill, Magic Spearmanship E++ ¡ú D- Fusion is not possible. Cu Chulainn, the ¡®Culann¡¯s Hound,¡¯ was a hero who excelled in both spearmanship and magic. The basic Irish Royal Court style is melted into the user¡¯s spearmanship. Due to the low rank, many additional effects are sealed. ¡´¡´The skill exceeds the limit grade due to Special Skill, Spearmanship Prodigy E.¡µ¡µ One of the sealed abilities is unlocked in an unstable form. When using Magic Spearmanship inherited from Cu Chulainn, you can choose one of the four major elemental attributes (fire, water, wind, earth) to make it stay in the spear. The usage time is limited¡ª3 seconds. The number of uses is limited¡ª5 times a day. Other abilities are sealed. Please raise the rank to unlock the sealed ability.¡» The Goblin Fortress was filled with green bushes. As soon as he remembered the dungeon¡¯s peculiarity, Magic Spearmanship was the first skill that Yu-Seong thought of. ¡®Change attribute to fire.¡¯ Kicking off the ground at once and rushing forward, Yu-Seong swung the spear widely and swept away the entire surrounding area. The transparent light that emerged from his fingertips flowed through the spear and soon became a flashy red light that sparked once it reached the blade tip. ¡®Good luck trying to escape to the end, you Goblins.¡¯ The fire spark lasted for three seconds. It was a very short duration, but the spear¡¯s range was hardly narrow. Centered on Yu-Seong, the fire sparks began to dance splendidly on the bushes that were cut down by the half-moon shape. The green world quickly became dyed in red, resembling the sunset. The flaming fire spread widely and acted as a disaster for the Goblins who used these bushes as their best shield. -Kieeee-! Without even glancing at the Goblins who were screaming and running away, Yu-Seong watched the gap in the rising flames and ran forward using Wind Control. ¡®No need to pay attention to each normal monster. There¡¯s only one goal I have to focus on.¡¯ It was the boss monster, Hobgoblin. *** ¡°Reporter Kim! Get your mind straight and raise Unit 3¡¯s altitude!¡± At Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s urgent cry, Kim Jin-Young, who was sitting right next to him and looking at the monitor together, hurriedly launched a drone that was lowering its altitude into the air. The drone, which was almost swallowed and exploded by the flaming fire that covered the surrounding area, rounded halfway through the air as if relieved. It quickly chased after Choi Yu-Seong who ran like the wind. CH 63 ¡°Any guesses about the skill just now? Is it an elemental type?¡± ¡°It looked like a firelight came out of the spear, but¡­¡± Upon the activation of the splendid skill, questions arose for a moment. However, the two reporters had to focus on the drone¡¯s controller which they gripped with both hands. They shut their mouths. ¡®He is faster than I thought!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll miss him if I don¡¯t focus hard.¡¯ Chasing Choi Yu-Seong, who was moving within the splendid large flame in a blur, the talkative reporters found themselves speechless. However, their tense silence did not last for too long. Both Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young were experts even among the reporters who could handle magic tech drones. They were also experienced in chasing hunters who were much more agile than Yu-Seong. Their initial carelessness and fluster gradually went away, their movements becoming calmer. They could organize their thoughts at a rapid pace. ¡°Reporter Park, wasn¡¯t there a rumor saying that Yu-Seong is an Irregular?¡± ¡°He has never admitted it himself though.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s not officially an Irregular.¡± As if they had already come to a conclusion, the two reporters had similar smiles as if they had already made a conclusion. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong is definitely an Irregular.¡¯ ¡®Can this be used as an article?¡¯ Because Choi Yu-Seong looked around the dungeon, seemingly appreciating the scenery for a while when he had first entered, the two reporters initially thought he was not that interested in the previous record. Normally, most hunters would try crazily hard to beat the record, even by a single second. However, the reporters thought differently as soon as Yu-Seong rushed forward and set the fire. ¡°He¡¯ll have no choice but to run fast, because the fire would roast him otherwise,¡± Jin-Young stated. Jin-Hwan¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, he is such a crazy guy.¡± Jin-Hwan didn¡¯t hesitate to talk behind Yu-Seong¡¯s back, as if he had forgotten that they were hired by Yu-Seong. After all, people tend to talk where no one was there to listen, but more importantly, the silent Jin-Young also shared his thoughts. Rough winds blew in the Goblin Fortress dungeon every day. The sound of the strong wind was also a nuisance that prevented previous hunters who had tried to clear the dungeon from reading the Goblin''s movements. And now, the same wind was spreading the fire that Yu-Seong had lit up throughout the dungeon. The flaming fire took no sides. It could even swallow the fire starter himself, Choi Yu-Seong, so he also had no choice but to look ahead and run. This brought about two clear advantages. Firstly, there were only a few Goblins who managed to come his way. Most Goblins who should have jumped out of the bushes and interfered with him were now scattered, fleeing in all directions. Secondly, Yu-Seong still accumulated experience points every time the Goblins died by being burned alive. ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s leveling up by gaining experience points even while running right now.¡¯ Park Jin-Hwan once again thought that Choi Yu-Seong was quite smart. ¡°Reporter Park. There¡¯s an assumption I can think of, want to hear it?¡± ¡°I bet that our thoughts are rather similar, but sure, tell me.¡± ¡°So Choi Yu-Seong is leveling up by killing the Goblins with the fire he had lit, and thanks to that, minor injuries suffered while running are treated quickly. It looks somewhat dangerous, but in fact, he could maintain the best condition until he enters the boss room.¡± ¡°Same thought.¡± ¡°¡­Reporter Park, has Choi Yu-Seong ever been on something like a young talent tv show when he was young perhaps?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be true, silly. Kekek.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m joking.¡± The two reporters shook their heads while exchanging light jokes, but their inner thoughts were similar as well. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡®Rank-E level 90 is the perfect time, since it allows him to try raising his rank and level even with normal monsters. Choi Yu-Seong must have calculated the experience points he could gain from the beginning when he had planned to start the dungeon racing.¡¯ In general, there were three benefits to raising the level. The first benefit was the strengthening of physical ability. This was a simple matter; the player would become faster, stronger, and his eyes would become sharper. Secondly, the amount of mana would increase. The amount of mana was not expressed in exact figures, but it was clear that each player possessed different mana. In addition, this figure steadily increased every time the level was raised. And lastly, the recovery effect occurred immediately after the level was raised. It was similar to how the stamina and mana were filled up whenever the player leveled up in general games. ¡®The difference is that it''s not at the level of becoming completely full immediately after death like how it¡¯s like in the game.¡¯ When the level was raised, most of the small things were healed except for major injuries such as a body part being cut off, bursting internal organs, and bones bending in reverse. ¡°That must be a very expensive battle suit. It¡¯ll probably filter out serious burns.¡± In reality, it was the transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice¡ªthe ancient relic that couldn¡¯t be obtained even with money¡ªbut the two reporters could not know that far. However, one thing was certain. Unlike the other hunters, Choi Yu-Seong could reach the boss room in almost the best condition. ¡°This is a trick that supposedly cannot be done¡­¡± Kim Jin-Young muttered. Park Jin-Hwan nodded. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a trick. Unless you have already applied for a DBB exclusive attack like now, how could you set fire to the entire dungeon when there are a lot of other people in the dungeon?¡° ¡°You¡¯ll be reported right away. If someone gets caught and couldn¡¯t afford the fine, it¡¯ll even be a prison sentence.¡± This was why the dungeons made of forest areas including the Goblin Fortress were one of the most reluctant places for hunters with flame-type psychic abilities. ¡®The most important thing is that even the people who set the fire wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the fire.¡¯ Most psychic-type players were naturally quite poor in physical ability. Therefore, no one in Korea had practiced the idea of setting fire and running away in the Goblin Fortress until now. ¡®By the way, he would sufficiently be able to reach the entrance of the boss room before dungeon restoration at this speed.¡¯ The principle of Dungeon Restoration indicated that all dungeons returned to their original form after an hour no matter what natural disasters occurred. Anyway, considering that Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s movement was incredibly fast, chances were high that he would arrive at the entrance of the boss room before that no matter how wide the Field of Goblin Fortress was. ¡°Insanely clever and daring. Choi Yu-Seong¡­ How did he come up with this idea and put it into action? No matter how much he calculated, he¡¯ll kick the bucket if he makes a mistake. Is he not afraid of death? That can¡¯t be true. A conglomerate is also a person, no, he shouldn¡¯t want to die even more because he has a lot. Damn. But he burnt his bridge like that and ran? Is it possible? Crazy, he¡¯s crazy!¡± Jin-Hwan tended to talk a lot whenever his emotions became greatly agitated. Jin-Young looked sideways and said with a strange smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone write an article around a half year ago about Choi Yu-Seong, the worst idiot in the history of the conglomerate family?¡± ¡°That jerk is dead.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He died just now. Stupid jerk, since he doesn¡¯t have an eye for man of ability.¡± Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s lips twitched as he insulted himself; it was hard to tell whether he was angry or pleased. Of course, Kim Jin-Young¡ªwho had been by Jin-Hwan¡¯s side for a long time¡ªknew exactly what his feelings were. ¡®Reporter Park. He must be so excited he¡¯s going to die.¡¯ When something really interesting and exciting happened, Park Jin-Hwan made that expression so as not to show his feelings. He said, ¡°Leave the dead alone. Hey, Reporter Kim. How long did it take for Kim Do-Jin to reach the boss room?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­The record¡­I think it was close to an hour and 20 minutes¡­¡± The two reporters predicted that Yu-Seong, since he just had to recklessly run forward, would take at most an hour until he reached the boss room. ¡°Won¡¯t Choi Yu-Seong be at least 20 minutes faster than him? Isn¡¯t that the best record in Korea?¡± Kim Do-Jin held the best record in Korea for reaching the entrance of Goblin Fortress boss room. Also, the Goblin Fortress Dungeon also existed abroad in a very slightly different form. Representatively, there were five dungeons in China, three in the entirety of North America, and two in Europe. Come to think of it, there did exist a figure who used a similar strategy to Yu-Seong overseas. It was so long ago that they forgot, but they suddenly remembered at this moment. Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young looked at each other and shouted. ¡°The Flame Emperor!¡± ¡°Exactly an hour!¡± The two reporters recited the name and records of one of the Chinese heroes, who were considered one of the top five psychic-type players. Then, they turned their gaze to Choi Yu-Seong. Lin Xiao Nuo, ¡®the Flame Emperor,¡¯ was a player granted the title of Emperor as a nickname. This was very rare in China. No one could recklessly have titles such as Emperor and King in China without the permission of the President, who was regarded as the country¡¯s absolute power. Naturally, those with the title of Emperor rather than King were treated more highly, commanding more respect and awe. Simply put, Lin Xiao Nuo, ¡®The Flame Emperor,¡¯ had the second highest level of power and benefits. In China, he was right below the President who had absolute authority. Now, Yu-Seong was moving toward a record that could be comparable to that. Perhaps he could even achieve a better record than Flame Emperor in his E-rank period. ¡°In fact, Choi Yu-Seong is an all-rounder type hunter.¡± ¡°He will definitely be faster than the Flame Emperor.¡± Paying attention to the monitor again, the two were convinced. ¡°Although it¡¯s unknown until clearing the boss¡­¡± Park Jin-Hwan wondered aloud. ¡°Well for now, isn¡¯t it definitely breaking the world record before reaching the boss room entrance?¡± Kim Jin-Young replied. The reporters looked at the monitors with anticipation and great interest. The moment Yu-Seong reached the Boss Room¡¯s entrance, which would lead him underground, the two reporters checked the stopwatch. Their jaws dropped. They were left speechless. ¡°Hey, get a grip!¡± Jin-Young was so surprised that he almost dropped the drone controller to the floor. He shook his head at Jin-Hwan¡¯s shout to refocus his thoughts and covered his mouth with one hand. There was nothing else to be said. He gasped, ¡°Holy moly! Choi Yu-Seong, he''s crazy!¡± For reference, Jin-Young studied abroad. *** Yu-Seong took 49 minutes 38 seconds to enter the boss room. Lin Xiao Nuo, the ¡®Flame Emperor,¡¯ had a one-hour record, which was the best record for reaching the Boss Room entrance among the past world records related to Goblin Fortress. It simply crumbled with no comparison to be made. It was no wonder that the two reporters who rushed to capture Yu-Seong, who entered the boss room, on their drones cheered for a moment. It was as if they were watching a goal in a Korea-Japan soccer match. After entering the boss room, Yu-Seong also felt excited. ¡®I don¡¯t know the exact time, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m the fastest so far.¡¯ He set fire throughout the dungeon field and ran without looking back. CH 64 Yu-Seong imitated ¡®Flame Emperor¡¯ Lin Xiao Nuo¡¯s attack strategy, which was briefly mentioned in the original novel. Perhaps, that was why he was sure that this method would succeed even though he had never experimented with it before. And because he was busy running in the dungeon, he could not measure the exact time himself but he was still confident that his record would definitely be faster than Lin Xiao Nuo, who was a psychic-type player. ¡®Because Lin Xiao Nuo didn¡¯t put all his skills into strengthening his physical abilities like how Rachel did.¡¯ On the other hand, Yu-Seong was an all-rounded player and his entire body naturally strengthened whenever he leveled up. This applied even if he did not have related skills. Thus, he was bound to be faster than Lin Xiao Nuo even if he used the same method. However, above all, there was a separate fact that excited Yu-Seong. ¡®At least, at this moment, I¡¯m ahead of Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ In fact, it didn¡¯t matter that the record so far was better than Lin Xiao Nuo. The important thing for Yu-Seong was that even Lin Xiao Nuo would be kneeling down after being overwhelmingly defeated by Do-Jin in the national competition that would be held in about six years. In the end, the one who was originally decided to be this world¡¯s protagonist was Kim Do-Jin. And, at least for this moment, Yu-Seong was ahead of Kim Do-Jin. It wasn¡¯t something big, but Yu-Seong was aware of the origin of this strange feeling. ¡®For some reason, I¡¯m feeling a little competitive¡­¡¯ At first, Yu-Seong thought it would be okay even if he didn¡¯t achieve a good record. However, after having a record that was already this outstanding, he changed his mind, thinking that it would be nice if he did well after all. No, even though he didn''t know what would come next after coming this far, Yu-Seong became eager to set a better record than Kim Do-Jin. At least in a place like the Goblin Fortress, where it was advantageous for him. Perhaps, thanks to the stylish skill that he had activated on the way after burning the entire dungeon, his condition felt exceptionally good. ¡®I want to win against him¡­at least once.¡¯ Thoughts soon led to action. Entering the boss room, the basement of Goblin Fortress, Yu-Seong began to run forward and cut through the green grass that rose above the stone floor for some reason. In this world, the dungeon¡¯s boss rooms were usually divided into two forms. The first was the boss room¡¯s fundamental basic form where the boss appeared in front as soon as the player entered. The second form was a kind of passage that required the player to run to the place where the boss was even after entering. Yu-Seong had to continue running as the Goblin Fortress belonged to the latter. That was another reason why Goblin Fortress¡¯ clear time was usually longer than that of normal second-rank dungeons. ¡®I can¡¯t even set fire here.¡¯ A one-way narrow passage kept going deeper and deeper underground. Of course, if Yu-Seong set fire carelessly, he would have no choice but to die in this dark and narrow place. There was no place to escape. ¡®Did it take an hour for the Flame Emperor to enter the boss room and then more than two and a half hours until the final clear?¡¯ Thus, the Flame Emperor¡¯s final clear time went over 3 hours and 30 minutes. It was because, after entering the boss room, having the flame property as his main attack ability had somewhat hindered him. Of course, this was not a problem for Yu-Seong at all. Yu-Seong was an all-rounder-type hunter. He could demonstrate his ability through skills such as Magic Spearmanship, but fundamentally, his physical abilities were not weak compared to other physical-type players. Well, actually, he was proud of the fact that he had a much better physical ability compared to others in his rank and level, perhaps because of the constant training and the characteristics of an Irregular. ¡®Currently, I¡¯ve reached rank-E level 93.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s level had risen by two so far, and this was right after gaining the experience point from burning the entire field of Goblin Fortress. Overall, the increase he had achieved in a short time was remarkable. Thus, Yu-Seong thought his physical combat ability was not lacking compared to a rank D, level 20 player. After dealing with the elite monsters¡ªthe Goblin Assault Crew and three Goblin archers¡ªalone in less than five minutes on the passage, Yu-Seong continued to run forward without pausing to take a breath. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡®Kim Do-Jin would have taken less than 3 minutes.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just a guess. In the original novel¡¯s narrative, there was a part where Do-Jin casually slaughtered a group of Goblin Fortress¡¯ Elite Monsters in 2 to 3 minutes. This was the first event that showed Do-Jin¡¯s overwhelming fighting ability, which had him recognized by people in South Korea and in the world. Until now, the time difference between Yu-Seong¡¯s and Do-Jin¡¯s arrival at the boss room entrance was about 30 minutes. It was safe to say that if he was delayed 10 times in this situation, than Yu-Seong would be overshadowed by Do-Jin¡¯s record. Yu-Seong¡¯s senses were also sending similar signals. ¡®In general, I encountered the group of elite monsters on the way down the passage around five times. If I meet elite monsters more than six times before even seeing the boss, it would be difficult for me to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.¡¯ No, the time difference may be too great for him to even dream of getting close to the record. In other words, Yu-Seong had enough chances to break the record if he met less elite monsters. ¡®Certainly, this would only be within this Goblin Fortress¡­¡¯ It was an opportunity that may never come again. So far, Yu-Seong was going down the underground passage at high speed. During that, he faced a total of five battles. Then, he felt the rather steep ground flattening out. He was approaching the end of the underground passage, which felt quite long before. There was only a very short distance left, but he had information that there would be no more groups of Elite Goblins encountering him from now on. Although he knew future information, Yu-Seong did not enter this room without any investigation. Like everyone else who challenged dungeon racing, he also conducted a thorough preliminary investigation, which was why he had this knowledge in the first place. ¡®In the end, I¡¯ve done the average number of battles. At least, it comforts me that I¡¯ve leveled up at the end and sped up a little.¡¯ Just a little further and Yu-Seong would be able to meet Goblin Fortress¡¯s boss monster, Hobgoblin. There was only one more hurdle to overcome before that. ¡®The Crossroads of Choice.¡¯ Yu-Seong stopped for a while, then looked at the two forked paths in front of him. ¡®It¡¯ll be okay to say that I¡¯m still about 20 minutes ahead of Kim Do-Jin so far.¡¯ It was an estimated figure, but Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts were rather accurate. He had taken 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the Crossroads of Choice. Kim Do-Jin had taken 1 hour and 36 minutes to reach the same place. ¡®There are two roads, and both sides are bound to reach the boss room.¡¯ Yu-Seong had already found out through preliminary investigation that there were no other pitfalls. However, there was one peculiarity. ¡®The left passage is extremely far away. It is said that it takes at least 50 minutes for a D-rank physical-type hunter to run with all his might.¡¯ It would truly be a long journey around the boss room. It was a path Yu-Seong didn''t really want to choose when he had to set a record doing the dungeon racing. However, there existed an advantage for the left passage. ¡®There would be no elite monsters appearing. All I have to do is to run.¡¯ In other words, there were no variables. ¡®On the other hand, the right passage is short but there are a lot of Elite Monster groups.¡¯ If anyone wanted to set a record and was confident in fighting power, they would usually choose the right path. Yu-Seong was also confident that he would make a pretty good record if he chose the right path. ¡®However, I won¡¯t be able to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.¡¯ If he chose the right passage, Yu-Seong would meet at least ten Elite Goblin groups. In fact, that meant the match against Kim Do-Jin would be considered as a game over. ¡®Which way should I choose?¡¯ Yu-Seong quickly glanced at the two passages. After a short silence of less than ten seconds, he made a decision and took a step forward. *** The two reporters, Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, continued to check the stopwatch without meaning to while filming various angles of Yu-Seong making his way through the boss room. Currently, Yu-Seong¡¯s record had passed over 1 hour and 15 minutes and was heading towards 16 minutes. Observing Yu-Seong, who stopped in front of the Crossroads of Choice, Jin-Young smiled in a somewhat relaxed way. He said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s up to here. Even if he¡¯s definitely superior to the Flame Emperor, it would be hard for him to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But instead of agreeing to his words as Jin-Young expected, Park Jin-Hwan simply kept his mouth shut and kept his eyes on the monitor. ¡°Reporter Park?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± Thinking about Jin-Hwan¡¯s words for a while, Jin-Young smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I admit that Choi Yu-Seong is amazing. If I try to recall the names of the players who can hunt as fast as him who¡¯s an E-rank¡ªnot even D-rank¡ªthere are only about ten people coming to mind. But still, Kim Do-Jin is overwhelming in battle. Whichever path Choi Yu-Seong picks, he¡¯s bound to catch up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jin-Young suddenly felt suspicious of Jin-Hwan, who answered indifferently while watching the monitor video that displayed the inside the dungeon being taken with a drone. ¡®Is there something on the monitor?¡¯ The question only lingered for a while because Yu-Seong took steps forward. At least for that moment, Jin-Young¡ªwho had somewhat lowered his expectations¡ªhad no choice but to draw attention back to the monitor. ¡®Which path are you going to choose, Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯ It was a choice between the left path, which was long but stable, and the right path, which was full of variables but short. Jin-Young inwardly hoped Yu-Seong would choose the right passage. He was certain that Yu-Seong would do just that if he was greedy for the record. ¡®If he still has more hidden abilities, he¡¯ll probably show it this time.¡¯ Jin-Hwan¡¯s expectations were understandable. Yu-Seong was still hiding something. In fact, Jin-Young could also tell that for a fact. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± However, the moment Yu-Seong stepped forward, Jin-Young had no choice but to unconsciously sigh. He felt ashamed after checking the young man¡¯s path. ¡®He¡¯s going toward the left passage.¡¯ It was the long and stable road Yu-Seong had chosen. This meant that he had given up breaking Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record. ¡®Tch, it¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ By the time Jin-Young smacked his lips with regret, Jin-Hwan¡ªwho was still staring through the monitor while controlling the drone¡ªhad a sparkle in his eyes. When something hazy flowed out of Yu-Seong¡¯s hand and began to crawl on the wall, Jin-Hwan asked, ¡°Reporter Kim. Can you see that?¡± ¡°Huh. But what skill is that?¡± It was a form of skill that Jin-Young had never seen before. At first glance, it was not intended for combat. Above all, Yu-Seong was not running even though he had just entered the left passage. Naturally, questions turned into curiosity and then expectations. ¡®What if Choi Yu-Seong hasn¡¯t given up yet?¡¯ What if that action meant something, something that they couldn¡¯t predict until now?! Gripping the drone¡¯s controller tightly, Jin-Young was also looking at Yu-Seong as if falling in love with his appearance. Then, to the amazing scenery that soon unfolded, the two reporters had no choice but to open their eyes very wide for the first time in their lives. Jin-Young, who had declared Yu-Seong¡¯s game over previously, was shouting loudly once again. ¡°Holy, god damn! What the heck, Choi Yu-Seong!¡± Kim Jin-Young was planning to designate today as his most surprising day of the year. CH 65 During the first part of the original novel [Modern Master Returns], Kim Do-Jin was on a roll almost every time as the returnee protagonist. However, he had been defeated before. ¡®There were about three times that he lost. Once to the Demon King, once in the tower, and...'' One last time to a person who could be said to be the final weapon of mankind. That was someone who even the main character Kim Do-Jin couldn¡¯t beat until the end of chapter 1. In fact, the last defeat was a trigger for growth rather than a crisis. ¡®At any rate, she also played the role of Kim Do-Jin''s teacher.¡¯ One day, Choi Yu-Seong might have to meet her as well but that was in the future. Those were things to think about in the very distant future, only after he was more ready. ¡®After all, she¡¯s someone I should not provoke.¡¯ Anyway, except for these few defeats, Kim Do-Jin was rarely upset by any other obstacles. Well, the episode that suddenly went through Choi Yu-Seong''s head while he had been agonizing at the Crossroads of Choice was one of those rare cases. In three years, a super rookie named Arnold would appear in the United States like a comet. In the near future, he would be nicknamed the "Dungeon Master" throughout the United States and considered to have no rival in dungeon racing, thanks to one great skill that only he owned in the world. ''Special skill, Map Master.'' When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. This ability was often described in the form of a map window floating in one corner of the screen when playing simulation games on a computer. The difference was that, generally in simulation games, in order to check the complete form of a map, the player had to move it by himself at least once to grasp the topography. However, Arnold''s Map Master skill did not have that penalty. As soon as he entered and executed his skills, he could immediately open a map of the entire dungeon. That allowed him to know the whole way through a maze at once, and find a secret space or a hidden path. Simply put, Arnold''s Map Master skill was the ability to grasp the entire terrain as soon as he entered the dungeon. It went without saying that it was natural that his speed of clearing the dungeon would increase significantly through this skill. Moreover, if he was lucky enough, Arnold could often find the hidden ancient relics or treasures of the world in the dungeon¡¯s secret room. Unfortunately, the trap or the monsters¡¯ location was unknown. However, everyone still agreed that the Map Master skill was quite unique and it was a great ability to have. At this moment, when Yu-Seong was standing in front of the Crossroads of Choice, it was not just a coincidence that Arnold''s name and his skill passed through Yu-Seong''s mind. ¡®When Arnold was in E-rank, he boarded a plane to Korea to showcase himself.¡¯ And Arnold had even come to Sinwol-dong and had asked for an exclusive use in the boss regeneration season. He did seem very confident that he would be able to break Kim Do-Jin''s record, which had never been officially broken. In the end, however, Arnold had failed to break Kim Do-Jin''s record of 2 hours 28 minutes 33 seconds. ¡°Arnold''s record in the original novel was 2 hours 28 minutes 38 seconds.¡± The difference in records was only five seconds apart but after that, Arnold acknowledged his shortcomings and left Korea, dejected. Although it had been a rather trivial and meaningless episode, Korea had been able to express their pride through Kim Do-Jin. It had been a somewhat boring and unexpected episode for Yu-Seong as well, but at this moment, the contents went through his mind. ¡®I¡¯m glad I habitually thought of the contents of the novel [Modern Master Returns] before going to bed and wrote them down on my cell phone''s notepad every night.¡¯ The contents of the original novel¡ªwhich was originally very clear in his mind¡ªwere definitely getting blurry day by day. ¡®And now, these little episodes are not coming to my mind without any stimulation.¡¯ As expected, Yu-Seong was glad that he had started to record his memories. Thanks to this habit, the speed of forgetfulness had reduced and he could immediately recall such things in the moment. ¡®In the original novel, Arnold said in the interview that he even used a secret weapon at the Crossroads of Choice, but eventually failed.¡¯ Arnold''s secret weapon? Yu-Seong did not even have to think about what it would have been. Truthfully, Arnold was at an overwhelming disadvantage compared to Kim Do-Jin in terms of combat power. And yet, the fact that he had left behind such a high record meant that he had great abilities as a Map Master. ''If it''s not in the left path, it''ll be in the right path.'' Either way, there existed a third path somewhere, which was the shortest way to run into the boss. The only problem was that the original novel did not express its detailed location, since it had been a trivial episode. Nevertheless, the reason why Choi Yu-Seong first came to the left path was simple. ¡®If there was a secret passage, wouldn''t it be more likely to exist in the long one?¡¯ In fact, this wasn¡¯t a big concern for Yu-Seong now. ¡®Or I can quickly go back to the other side and check. Thank you, Scathi. Without your skill, I would have to give up here.¡¯ This was the second skill that Yu-Seong had recently inherited from the three gods. ¡º Inheritance Skill: Twin snakes biting their tails E Fusion is not possible. Scathi, the Oldest Hunter, has never missed a single target. Summon a translucent twin snake that is not easily visible to the eye and track down its opponent. Think of the name and appearance of the goal as accurately as possible in your head. Additional effects are sealed due to low rank. The ability is limited. You cannot pass through walls or obstacles. If the tracking distance is outside the 2 km radius, the twin snake automatically disappears. Reuse latency exists¡ª3 minutes.¡» In fact, it was a skill that Yu-Seong thought would be sealed for a while since it seemed to be useless. ¡®But now it¡¯s a different situation.¡¯ Yu-Seong did not have a skill like Arnold¡¯s Map Master ability. However, the twin snake that he just released would somehow find the Hobgoblin¡ªthe boss monster that Yu-Seong recalled in his head¡ªeven if they had to find a hidden path. ¡®It would be nice if they could find it at once¡­¡¯ With a small hope, Yu-Seong looked at two haze-like snakes that had already left his hand. Then, one of the two pushed his head toward somewhere in the gap in the wall that Yu-Seong had been looking at. "Good," Yu-Seong commented. Afterward, he jumped toward the wall after he saw the snake disappearing like a mollusk was dragging it in. Then, he began to trace the wall recklessly. ¡®If there''s a secret space, it¡¯ll be somewhere around here¡­¡¯ Sure enough, with a rattling ¡®clack,¡¯ the part of the wall that was touched by the tip of Yu-Seong''s right palm created a deep concave. That was when the third road opened with the rumble of an operating engine. It was the secret passage. Yu-Seong ran through a path that no one had ever thought of before. The wide dome-shaped interior was stretched through a secret path without a single monster. Standing at the end of the passageway¡ª-which was like a cliff located somewhat high up¡ªYu-Seong looked down. At the end of the huge crowd of the Elite Goblin group, the Hobgoblin was sitting on a chair and leaning back like a king. He screamed violently when he found Yu-Seong. Goblins with poison needles, or bows, posed a threat by pointing their own weapons. Then, there were threatening attacks aiming right at Yu-Seong. The sounds of the Goblins spread, reflected, and rebounded, causing him to be dizzy. In the turmoil and the overflowing scenery of flesh, Yu-Seong laughed. ''At least the time is reduced by nearly two times!¡¯ The actual consumed time was 25 minutes. Within the total time of 1 hour and 41 minutes, Yu-Seong had finally reached the boss room faster than anyone else. It was simply the best record ever. Yu-Seong grabbed his spear. He arrived on a rather high hill, but there was no need to worry about the time gap of landing. ¡®In fact, it¡¯s better. The record for dungeon racing is set at the moment the boss monster dies.'' Yu-Seong just had to attack the boss''s head from the beginning. He jumped high without hesitation and carried out the Wind Control Execution. Then, he hit the arrow that flew toward him with the spear and opened his palm. The boss monster, Hobgoblin, and the elite group who were raising their heads with angry eyes looked at Yu-Seong while everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. ''Loki, I''ll make sure to use the skill you gave me in a very grumpy way.'' It was the last skill that the three gods had handed over. The skill that was passed down by Loki¡ªwho was one of the strongest gods in Norse mythology¡ªwas executed through Yu-Seong''s palm. *** Yu-Seong felt tremendous excitement, just as Do-Yoon did when the first three gods had simultaneously handed over the skill. After regaining consciousness, he had even felt a thrill when he checked his skills with his own eyes. ¡®The Magic Spearmanship! Cu Chulainn''s been very generous!¡¯ Was it because the god had been aware of his lack of dignity compared to the other two gods? From the beginning, Cu Chulainn had passed down one of his representative skills, that was not even too high in rank, but had the perfect form for Yu-Seong to use. Yu-Seong had expressed his admiration inwardly. ¡®Indeed, you are the Prince of Light in Ireland! You''re a light, just like your nickname.¡¯ When he had seen the second Inheritance Skill, which was the Twin snakes biting their tails, Yu-Seong had tilted his head in confusion. ''It''s also a growing skill, but it''s unclear where to use it for now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t bad, but Yu-Seong initially couldn¡¯t think of some practical usage of the skill. He felt quite pleasant when using this skill quicker and more effectively than he had thought in this process of dungeon racing. And lastly, the third skill had been given by Loki. In a way, Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to click his tongue at the first moment when he had confirmed the skill given by Loki¡ªwhich he had high expectations from the start as it was from the god with the highest name value among the three. ''Wow, is this for real? How petty of him. Is it because I accepted him last or what?¡¯ ¡ºInheritance Skill, Disturbing Dance Moves F (MAX) Fusion is possible. This is a skill that ¡®Joke-loving Prankster¡¯ has given to test you. Spread your palm and emit a flashing light about 100m in front. The light dances and disturbs the opponent''s vision. ¡» It was called ¡®Inheritance Skill¡¯, but it actually had the same effect as a general skill. Moreover, there was no possibility of growth that there was even a sign that the F rank was in Max level. ¡°Loki, you¡¯re as narrow-minded as Odin." - The Joke-loving Prankster finds your abusive words very unpleasant. He is sending a direct message to the player Choi Yu-Seong, saying ¡®You¡¯re the one that has a narrow vision, you idiot!¡¯. Loki''s message was transmitted in a colorful form several times more than usual, coming after Yu-Seong¡¯s unconsciously spoken self-talk. It was the first direct message Yu-Seong ever received. The part of the message that Loki himself had uttered was burning as if they were on fire. CH 66 In fact, Yu-Seong could understand why Loki would feel so upset after being compared to Odin, who he dreadfully hated. He quickly apologized, "I own up to my mistake, it was too harsh. I¡¯m sorry!" Do those on god¡¯s throne always hear the voice of the hunter they kept their eyes on? Yu-Seong sincerely gave a short apology though the answer was unknown. Of course, that apology didn''t just escape his lips without any thought. Through that message, Yu-Seong immediately realized what he had first missed. ¡®It can be fused.¡¯ In general, the inheritance skills were often impossible to fuse. The twin snakes biting their tails was one such example. This was because of the strong characteristics of the god who inherited the skill. However, the Disturbing Dance Moves skill did not seem to be of that kind. ¡®But it looks quite similar to the Fancy Disco that I got rid of in the early days¡­¡¯ The difference was that it was an emission-type skill, which was the most favored skill-type among the psychic skills. ¡®What the heck does he expect me to use it for?¡¯ Unlike back then, Yu-Seong smiled brightly and immediately invoked his Fusion skill. As a result, among the skills he had for now, a skill that could be called the ¡®strongest¡¯ in terms of general attack had been born. * * * Yu-Seong''s dungeon racing was over. After checking the records and reviewing them once more, the two reporters packed their bags and headed out of the dungeon square to their affiliated media. Then, all night long, they scribbled the article, added a video, and pressed the update button early in the morning when the other employees started to head to their work. Park Jin-Hwan, the Min-Guk Newspaper¡¯s reporter, immediately checked the main screen of one of the rival media companies¡ªthe Dae-Guk Newspaper. He then sighed with a fairly relieved look. "It¡¯s not up yet." "What is not up? Sunbae-nim, [1] did you stay up all night to write an article?¡± Seo Yu-Rim, a junior in her third year with the Min-Guk Newspaper, approached Jin-Hwan and asked. She thought that Jin-Hwan looked like hell. "Of course. It feels kind of bad to be pushed to second place when there¡¯s an opportunity to report on big issues such as this,¡± Jin-Hwan said. He smiled like a winner. As if nothing could fluster him, he once again refreshed the Dae-Guk Newspaper¡¯s main website. ¡ù Unbelievable! Goblin''s recent DBB record has been broken! Who''s the man of the hour? - Reporter Kim Jin-Young ¡°I¡¯m sure I was a minute faster. And the title of my article is better. It¡¯s my victory, Kim Jin-Young, haha,¡± Jin-Hwan gloated. "Oh, you competed with reporter Kim from the Dae-Guk Newspaper. By the way, there¡¯s a new record for Goblin dungeon racing? Umm... Who was first place before?" "Kim Do-Jin." "What? Someone broke his record? Who?¡± Seo Yu-Rim grabbed Jin-Hwan''s mouse and tried to head over to the article posted by Jin-Young, since she was simply too curious. Just before she could do so, she cried out, "Ouch!" "Oh, not that way. You¡¯re going to raise the competitor¡¯s number of views." Jin-Hwan slapped the back of Yu-Rim¡¯s hand, naturally took over the mouse, and clicked on the Min-Guk Newspaper¡¯s main website. "I made a mistake. By the way, the article... Oh, my goodness, is this real?¡± Yu-Rim asked after just reading the title. Before even reading the entire article, she widened her eyes and covered her mouth in shock. ¡ùThe fool of the chaebol group? Not anymore! He¡¯s a talented conglomerate! Choi Yu-Seong has beaten Kim Do-Jin and made an ''overwhelming'' new record. "Would I put this on the main page as a joke? We even filmed everything with drones.¡± "Wow, he''s the Choi Yu-Seong I know of, right?¡± "If you''re talking about Choi Yu-Seong, who¡¯s the best incompetent rascal and drunkard in the Korean Financial World¡­ You¡¯re right." Seo Yu-Rim¡¯s jaw fell to the floor in disbelief. She clicked on the video at the top of the article. Then, the first thing she did was check the video¡¯s total duration. ¡®1 hour, 59 minutes, 26 seconds.¡¯ Park Jin-Hwan could guess what Yu-Rim was thinking, so he said with a smile, "For your information, it''s a full version without any editing. I didn''t even have time to do that." "...What was Kim Do-Jin''s record?¡± "2 hours, 28 minutes, and 33 seconds." "Then, there''s about...a 30-minute difference?¡± "It''s crazy, right?¡± Yu-Rim couldn¡¯t have expressed it any better herself. Out of sheer disbelief, she shouted, "You''re lying!¡± As she pressed the video playback button, her shout had attracted the other reporters of Min-Guk Newspaper who were just arriving at work. They began to flock around Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s monitor. "What''s going on?" "Hey, reporter Park, did you catch another big one?¡± "A picture is worth a thousand words. You guys should just watch the video." Park Jin-Hwan comfortably leaned back in his chair and shifted the monitor screen for everyone¡¯s easy viewing. Then, he watched their backs with his arms folded. Those who came a little late and couldn''t get past the crowd to take a look at the monitor quickly turned their computers on. They checked the video by clicking on the article which was on the main banner of their own company¡¯s website. There was a long silence. A long time was passing everyone by, but no one seemed to care. "Wow, awesome!" "Is that really Choi Yu-Seong?" "His entrance level is 91? Should I buy Comet Group stock now?" ¡°Hey, reporter Park. Did you spread this on foreign media?!¡± The Min-Guk Newspaper¡¯s editor-in-chief, who was silently watching the video among the employees, urgently asked Jin-Hwan. "Of course I did," Jin-Hwan answered with a smile. He raised two fingers in the shape of a V. "Good job. That''s amazing. It¡¯s a big hit, a really big hit. Great job, reporter Park!" "Wow... It would be crazy if it¡¯s plastered on foreign media." ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, wouldn¡¯t he get a nickname right away?¡± "Why don¡¯t we give him one ourselves?" Everyone looked extremely excited, just like the time when Kim Do-Jin had first cleared the dungeon. Park Jin-Hwan, who had been trying his best to remain calm until now, stood up and also took part in the reporters¡¯ enthusiastic talk. He chimed in, "The progress itself was quite smart, and it was amazing that he found a hidden secret passageway.¡± "That second skill, right? At first glance, it looked like a tracking system, but doesn¡¯t it look like some kind of sensory skill upon second glance? I don¡¯t think he found the secret passage with that skill.¡± "If he has a super-sensory skill, it''s actually hard to say that he is just a regular hunter." "But what''s slightly strange is that Choi Yu-Seong''s behavior was so natural. It¡¯s as if he knew there was definitely a secret passage." "Did he have any information?" "If the information has not yet been revealed, it should be considered a personal ability." Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. Once they opened their mouths, the reporters¡ªwho often referred to themselves as the hunter experts¡ªactively expressed their opinions. While watching them, Park Jin-Hwan slightly pulled his chair back and smiled. Without realizing that Park Jin-Hwan had backed up, the reporters continued on with their conversations. "After all, it''s one of the two. It was Yu-Seong''s plan from start to finish, or his super-sense instinctively led him toward the optimal path." "It''s crazy either way, but I feel like it¡¯s the former." "Was there a hunter in Korea who could plan and do all that during E-rank?" For a moment, the reporters looked at each other and fell speechless. They shook their heads firmly. "Even for Kim Do-Jin. His power was just overwhelming. He didn¡¯t play strategically.¡± "In fact, Kim Do-Jin is a bit like a beast. He''s instinctive and wild. And yet, his swordsmanship is artistically elegant. That¡¯s why he is popular." "Then, let¡¯s see. In our opinion, Choi Yu-Seong is a scheming-type player who is one of the best. I mean, the best among the domestic rookies. On the other hand, Kim Do-Jin is certainly an outstanding instinct-type player?¡± ¡°Why even bother to distinguish their types? Just by looking at the results right now, Choi Yu-Seong has beaten Kim Do-Jin at least in this Goblin Fortress¡¯ race, right?¡± Yu-Seong¡¯s record was about 1 hour and 59 minutes, which was less than two hours too. Recalling this fact once again, the editor-in-chief who had been listening to the reporter''s words, tapped his chin. He said, "It''s not just about planning. I''m sure there was some kind of bone-cutting effort. If you look at it, the movement using skills was quite natural, and the mana operation was incredibly good. I''m sure he trained himself over and over every day.¡± "Who called him ¡®the lazy guts¡¯...?" "We''ve been completely deceived.¡± Park Jin-Hwan sat back up in his seat and raised his head among the smirking reporters. He asked, "Everyone must be surprised. But you all agree that ¡®that¡¯ is the best part, right?" "Oh, I think I know what you¡¯re talking about, Sunbae-nim. That, you mean?¡± Seo Yu-Rim raised her hand with sparkling eyes and pulled the already finished video scroll bar slightly forward to play it again. It was the point where 1 hour and 41 minutes had just passed. It was when Choi Yu-Seong had encountered a group of Elite Goblins after he had escaped from the secret passage. He had flown into the sky before opening his palm, using a skill that left a strong impression in everyone''s head who watched the video. * * * Rewinding the time back to dawn, this was when Yu-Seong had encountered the Goblins and flew over to them. He opened his palm and released a group of colorful and dazzling lights. A group of Goblins did not even think that such a group of lights would be a disaster for them, but they ended up screaming and swinging their weapons at the group of lights. And at that moment, the group of lights that appeared to be splitting apart from the Goblins¡¯ weapons began to dance like crazy and shook electric shocks in all directions. ¡ºSpecial, Fused Inheritance Skill Dancing Electric Doll E Fusion is possible. Unfold your palm and release the dancing electric doll within 100m of the front. The electric doll emits 12 electric sparks per second to the surrounding area during the dance. The duration is 5 seconds. There is no wait time for reuse. The mana consumption of this skill is quite intense.¡» Spark, which was Yu-Seong''s unique attack skill until now, and Disturbing Dance Moves, the skill Loki had handed over, had combined to become Choi Yu-Seong''s best attack skill in existence. Yu-Seong consecutively used that skill three times in the air. ''This is the limit. If I try to invoke another one, I¡¯ll get a mana overload.¡¯ In the Goblin Fortress¡¯ final core, there were elite monsters clustered in groups. Choi Yu-Seong already knew that from the information he had, so he had saved his most powerful attack skill, the Dancing Electric Doll, until now. This was because it would consume a lot of his mana. Thanks to this, the group of Elite Goblins, who were preparing to attack Yu-Seong at once, burned in agony and twisted their bodies in a morbid dance alongside him. While watching their writhing figures, Yu-Seong drew a smile. He looked somewhat pale. When fighting directly with a spear without the electric doll, he barely caught two or three Goblins in over about five minutes. However, as the Dancing Electric Doll began to run wild, ten of the Elite Goblins simultaneously died in less than three seconds. If it wasn¡¯t Yu-Seong¡ªwho was the rich conglomerate who could afford to drink the mana juice every day¡ªit would be hard to execute this skill even once a day. This was because it had an excessive mana consumption rate. However, he very much liked this skill. At the same time, Yu-Seong was somewhat disappointed. ¡®If the bushes were spread out like other terrains, the Goblins would have been exterminated by this already.¡¯ 1. A Korean word that refers to a far more experienced person within the same school, company, or group ? CH 67 The electric sparks basically had thunder properties, but they also had fire properties since they blew fire flames. If it was a battlefield full of bushes, like the topography so far, all of the Elite Goblins would have instantly died in this attack no matter how strong they were. The Goblin Fortress¡¯ final settlement, where Hobgoblins were located, was like the inside of a cave made of pure stone. It was unfortunate, but in a way, it was a relief for Yu-Seong. ¡®If the place burned down, I would have a hard time trying to escape too.¡¯ Or similarly, Yu-Seong might have had to hide at the end of a secret passage where there were no bushes and wait an hour for the dungeon to naturally recover. In any case, Yu-Seong settled in a somewhat safe spot even before the five seconds of the Dancing Electric Doll finished. ¡®It¡¯s electrifying!¡¯ Despite wearing a battle suit with a fairly high electricity cutoff rate, Yu-Seong could feel the thrilling sensation all over his body. The back of his head tingled. However, that lasted for only a short time. Yu-Seong jumped to the Hobgoblin, who stood up from the throne and aggressively jumped. The Hobgoblin was wondering what to do with the electric doll¡¯s sudden attack. ¡®The Stylistic is at its peak.¡¯ Yu-Seong''s spear once again became glowing red; it was enhanced by the Magic Spearmanship¡¯s fire property. When it penetrated directly through the Hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder, Yu-Seong could feel the cool sensation that ripped through the boss monster¡¯s flesh and broke its bones. The smell of the Goblin''s disgusting flesh and the fishy blood assailed Yu-Seong¡¯s nose as the monster was grilled in various forms. At the same time, Hobgoblin shouted while grabbing Yu-Seong''s spear with one hand despite making an expression of pain and misery. -Keeeek! Being a head larger than the typical Goblins, the Hobgoblin had a thick forearm. With that, the Hobgoblin tore its shoulder and pulled out the spear. Then, it swung its uniquely curved sword toward Yu-Seong and hit his abdomen. Although the sword could not penetrate the battle suit, Yu-Seong was shaken by the blunt weapon¡¯s strong blow. Then, the Hobgoblin''s curved sword did not miss the opportunity and flew toward Yu-Seong''s neck. Yu-Seong escaped the crisis by using Wind Control Execution and wiped the blood flowing from his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡®So you''re a boss monster after all, huh. You''re a pretty tough guy.¡¯ Time slipped away and all the electric dolls were soon gone. There were five Elite monsters, and a somewhat scarred Hobgoblin left. ¡®Not bad. I can do it.¡¯ Yu-Seong took a deep breath and completely immersed himself in battle¡­ As a result, after roughly 20 minutes of the bloody battle, he was about to put the long spear blade in the center of the open-eyed Hobgoblin¡¯s neck. The level has risen. The level has risen. The level has risen. The level has risen. The level has risen¡­ The E-rank MAX level has been reached. Challenge yourself on the promotion evaluation! Yu-Seong read the messages that energized him while sweeping up his sweat-soaked hair. He smiled brightly as he looked at the drone filming himself in the air. ¡®Great.¡¯ If he did this much, it would look amazing to the public from any possible perspective. * * * Korea, no, the whole world was completely overturned after Yu-Seong''s Goblin Fortress dungeon racing video had been released. Kim Jin-Young¡¯s article was a step slower than Park Jin-Hwan, but his video editing process was much faster. The number of views of his uploaded video on NewTube exceeded 50 million views in less than a week. People expected that the video would soon reach 100 million views. Park Jin-Hwan did not only step back and watch Jin-Young''s good performance. He had also received a solo report video from Choi Yu-Seong''s stan, edited the video, reported and posted it on both the website and NewTube in less than half a day. ¡ùChoi Yu-Seong has already won a fight against the second-rank dungeon''s boss Monster? Feat. Sand Officer After half a day passed since Park Jin-Hwan released the second video, the first and second most popular videos on NewTube were all about Choi Yu-Seong. Naturally, the world focused all of its attention on Yu-Seong. There was even news about him in the United States, CNL. ¡ù Who is Choi Yu-Seong who broke the record of top prospect Kim Do-Jin? ¡ù The Millionaire genius hunter! There was also news on the British Broadcast station, BBD. ¡ù The Discovery of the New Talent in the Republic of Korea ¡ù A fearless villain, revered as a genius There was also news on the Japanese Broadcast station, NHN. ¡ù Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, the dragon and the tiger. ¡ù Yamamoto Kyosuke, the King of Patience, said the Korean talents have reached their starting point. But we should not rush to judge as the bubble may burst soon. The world''s leading media reported news and articles about Yu-Seong. There were pouring interview requests. That wasn¡¯t even the end. Choi Woo-Jae went to work and sat in his office to read press releases from each country. He suddenly smiled when he remembered receiving a phone call from Chinese President Wang Kai last night. After that, he picked up the phone straight away and quickly made a call somewhere. He could hear quite a lot of rings as the call remained unanswered for a long time. If there were others nearby, they would have been quite surprised. Choi Woo-Jae, the Comet Group¡¯s chairman, was calling, and he waited for a long time. This was certainly a rare case. Soon, a voice mixed with a loud laugh came from the other end of the phone with a clatter. -Oh, look who¡¯s here! What got the busiest man in Korea to call me? "Haha... Even if I''m busy, I do what I have to do. You''ve been quiet lately. Everything okay?" -Thanks to you, I''m spending my last years very peacefully. ¡°Your grandchild is so cute. When are you going to show him off?¡± -Ah, I¡¯ll show him off for sure, since it¡¯s you who asked. I, Baek Joon-Kyung, have accomplished all that I have because of you. If Choi Yu-Seong heard this name¡ªBaek Joon-Kyung¡ªhe would have understood Choi Woo-Jae''s unfamiliar behavior while looking surprised. Baek Joon-Kyung was the Republic of Korea¡¯s former President, who was once an S-rank hunter. During Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s heyday as a hunter, Joon-Kyung had been the hunter who was the team¡¯s leader. Now, Joon-Kyung had taken a step back from the hunter world and retired from politics but was still called one of the living legends of the country. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. By the way, why don''t we meet and play golf? That way, I can see your grandchild as well. I¡¯ve not seen you in a long time.¡± -Golf? Perhaps it was an unexpected word, because Baek Joon-kyung uttered that word in an unreadable tone from the other end of the line. -Ahhh¡­ Now I see. You called to brag about your son! Yes, Choi Yu-Seong. This clever one caused a serious accident this time, right? Choi Woo-Jae shook his head from side to side at his quick-witted friend''s words. He said, "It¡¯s not a big deal and just a small thing to talk about. Oh, well, there was an annoying call yesterday night just when I was going to sleep. Has it been 10 years? You know, King Kai." -The Chinese President? You mean that old python? Come to think of it, he¡¯s still alive. But what about him? "Oh, well, he said if I send Yu-Seong to China, he will drive sales profits of about 30 trillion won to the Comet Group every year.¡± -That scoundrel¡¯s very generous. He seems to like your son very much. So what did you say? "What do you mean? You think he¡¯s worth only 30 trillion won? It makes no sense.¡± -Of course not. If that rascal had said so, he would have asked you to transfer your ninth child''s nationality. But no way. I''ve heard a rumor, but that child¡ªhe¡¯s our country¡¯s treasure. Don''t even think about giving him away. Otherwise, even I won''t forgive you. Woo-Jae nodded while somehow feeling better at Baek Joon-Kyung¡¯s rigorous words. He replied, ¡°Of course not, even if he said he would give 300 trillon won, I wouldn¡¯t send Yu-Seong to China. Not even if they treat him as a King or something.¡± Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. -Hahaha, now I see that you have a lot to brag about. Yeah, golf¡ªwe should play sometime for sure. When do you have time? "If you''re free, I can go meet you right away." -Right now? We''re in Goseong right now. Wouldn¡¯t it be afternoon when you arrive? "Oh, it doesn''t matter. It¡¯ll be a perfect time to go there by car, have lunch, and play golf." -Hahaha. You are certainly an active hunter¡ª-full of energy. Yeah, I¡¯ll go meet you when you arrive. ¡°Then, hang in there.¡± Woo-Jae hung up the phone with a snap and rose from the warm chair that supported him. Then, he connected the intercom to the secretary''s office. -Yes, chairman. "I''m going to go to Baek Joon-Kyung. Tell them to get ready at once." -Yes, sir. After the intercom was cut off, humming, Choi Woo-Jae dressed in a tracksuit that looked several times lighter than what he wore to the company. He also wore a thick padded jacket on top of it. Then, he suddenly trembled and said, ¡°...If Kim Pil-Doo, that friend, was here, he would be nagging me.¡± Choi Woo-Jae briefly recalled his right-hand man, who was currently in England due to his work. Then, he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Thanks to Yu-Seong, I¡¯m on cloud nine these days. I should think of a gift for him while playing golf today.¡± Woo-Jae decided so, and left the chairman''s office with a light step. *** In a sunless eight-story building located somewhere in Jong-ro, Seoul, there was a new signboard hanging on the fifth floor. There was not even an elevator, so it could only be reached by climbing the high stone stairs on one¡¯s two legs. The writing on the signboard said¡ª ''The Hunter Guild, Eclipse.¡¯ Inside, Kim Do-Jin tilted his head. He had entered a little more than thirty pyeong of space that has not even been organized yet. "Is this all?" Right behind Kim Do-Jin, Baek Ah-Rin replied in a depressed voice while putting her hands together as if she were a sinner. "...Yes." "I think you said you wanted to build a company building." "Well¡­ That¡¯s the goal. But this land in Seoul was more expensive than I thought. The building I originally aimed for was exactly ten times more expensive than this! Wahahaha!" shouted Ah-Rin as she burst into laughter. Then, she scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "So, you only bought one floor of this building?" asked Do-Jin. "No. I only bought this room. At least, I can see my goal building out of the window here," Ah-Rin replied. Kim Do-Jin once again glanced around the inside of the room and nodded lightly. "It''s not bad.¡± "Okay. Sorry for my greed... What?" Ah-Rin blinked in surprise. "If you and I had put our names on the line, there would have been quite a few places to support us. Doesn''t it mean that you rejected everything that started in a small place like this?" ¡°Well, that''s true... But usually, people prefer to start with support," Ah-Rin said. "Well done. Once you start borrowing someone else''s hand, you¡¯ll have to repay them in any form. And I can''t give you such a small sum of money for what I''m doing myself." "But you know, the price of the building I''m going to buy is over 80 billion won." "I''m Kim Do-Jin. From now on, my ransom will be ridiculously over ten times that.¡± "Um... You¡¯re so full of yourself.¡± Whether Baek Ah-Rin cried or not, Kim Do-Jin looked at the city scenery filled with quite a few buildings that looked somewhat suffocating while he was standing in front of the room¡¯s sunny window. ¡®So there¡¯s an area that only the guild can buy¡­¡¯ Do-Jin could roughly predict where it would be. However, that was all, so he didn''t pay much attention. ¡®Baek Ah-Rin is a good colleague. I¡¯m not getting the short end of the deal. ¡® Anyway, now, the two were in the same boat. CH 68 Kim Do-Jin planned to create a kingdom full of supporters to help him, just like he had achieved from a different dimension. He looked around the place, which seemed rather shabby and unattractive, and said, ¡°And soon, we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the money.¡± "What?" Baek Ah-Rin tilted her head at Do-Jin¡¯s sudden comment. "My friend, who will soon join our guild, has quite a lot of money." "Your friend?" asked Ah-Rin. Most people in the world were being deceived by Kim Do-Jin. He appeared to be quite kind, cheerful, and humble on TV and media, but Ah-Rin found him to be a very different person. She had only met him for a short time, but still. ¡®He''s confident, shameless, and narcissistic. He believes he is the center of the world¡­ He¡¯s also a little psychotic, for sure.¡¯ Ah-Rin was surprised that such a person would actually call someone a friend. To be honest, she wondered if she had misheard Do-Jin. ¡°It''s a name you would also know well¡ªChoi Yu-Seong," Do-Jin said. "Choi Yu-Seong? The new star of the Comet group?" Ah-Rin asked. ¡°...Isn¡¯t it the rascal from a Comet group?¡± Kim Do-Jin was the one to express surprise at Baek Ah-Rin¡¯s unexpected reaction this time. "Oh, come to think of it, you''ve been stuck in a dungeon for more than a week until this morning so wouldn¡¯t know about this. Choi Yu-Seong, broke your record from¡­.where was it? Oh, from the Goblin Fortress dungeon racing.¡± "...What?" "It''s still crazy. Why didn¡¯t you watch the news as soon as you came out?" "I didn''t have time to watch it, since I washed up and came straight here to keep my promise.¡± "I see. Anyway, it was amazing. There''s a video on Newtube. You know, he¡¯s nearly half an hour faster than your record¡­¡± "30 minutes?" Kim Do-Jin furrowed his thick black eyebrows and hurriedly took out his cell phone. He quickly opened the NewTube app and searched Choi Yu-Seong''s name. While watching the video, his facial expression changed from minute to minute. ''This is fun. What exactly is the relationship between these two?'' Baek Ah-Rin had never seen Kim Do-Jin¡¯s anxious look before. After watching Do-Jin out of seeming appreciation, she said in a playful voice, "I saw the video and it was no joke. At this rate, wouldn¡¯t Choi Yu-Seong be going to beat you soon?" "...Bullshit," Do-Jin answered lightly while clicking his tongue. He continued watching the video, then said with a bright smile, "Choi Yu-Seong¡­ So that wasn''t everything you''ve shown me.¡± "Huh? Are you angry, Kim Do-Jin?¡± Do-Jin did not answer Ah-Rin''s question and immediately opened the closed window wide. "What are you doing?" "I''m going to the dungeon. Wherever the boss is created." "Suddenly? You just came out from the dungeon, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I have to prove it again.¡± "Prove what?" "That I''m the best." "What... You crazy narcissist¡­ Hey!" Do-Jin lightly warmed-up before Ah-Rin finished her words and jumped to the ground from the five-story building without hesitation. Ah-Rin shouted at him while he was moving away from the window, "You crazy guy, I have to pay my guild creation registration by tomorrow-!" Fortunately, Kim Do-Jin and Baek Ah-Rin''s guild¡ªEclipse¡ªwere able to be established on the scheduled date. * * * In today''s era, the most direct way to gauge one¡¯s popularity was rather simple. It could be shown by the number of followers on social media. Ferguson, the district''s world-famous soccer coach where Choi Yu-Seong had previously lived, called watching social media a "waste of life.¡± In fact, many people made mistakes and wasted their time on it, but social media and the popularity game were not going away anytime. ¡®It¡¯s no different here in this world.¡¯ In the afternoon, after finishing the morning training, Yu-Seong returned to his room for a short break. Then, he suddenly launched the Outstagram app on his cell phone. Its installation was not needed. ''I already have an account.¡¯ Indeed, since the original Choi Yu-Seong himself was a seed of interest, it would be rather strange if he did not have such social media activities. ¡®His number of followers¡­ Only thirty? It''s a lot less than I thought.¡¯ This was Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s first time using the social media app, but he had an idea that thirty followers was considered very few. ¡®There are over tens of thousands of famous people among even some popular ordinary people.¡¯ Although he was a rascal, it was still quite a small number of followers for the well-known Yu-Seong. After a short while, he found out the reason why. ¡°Oh, the account is private." There was only one photo uploaded on Yu-Seong¡¯s Outstagram¡ªwhich was just an ordinary selfie he had taken in front of the mirror. Even his account ID was completely unrecognizable. ¡®Then what did the original Choi Yu-Seong do on social media?¡¯ If Choi Yu-Seong had installed social media, it meant that he wanted to get attention. However, his social media account was too quiet for that. Fortunately, it was not difficult to find answers. There were several direct messages, also known as DMs, that had been sent by the original Yu-Seong. ¡®Kim So-Ra, Min Hye-Rin, Jung So-Young¡­¡¯ They were all beautiful female entertainers or players who had been quite successful in the present or in recent times. In the past, Choi Yu-Seong had one-on-one conversations with such women and had left quite a few messages¡­ But he clearly had no intention of meeting them ever. Yu-Seong''s face immediately turned red, because he didn''t do it himself. Still, it was practically the same as he did. ¡®What the heck has this crazy guy been doing?¡¯ At this moment, Yu-Seong was almost envious of the original world, which had many loopholes in the setting. ¡®Why is there such a detailed setting for the villain who was thrown away by the main character in the beginning?¡¯ Although he had been driven to the point of madness, it was fortunate that there had only been a few replies. ¡®So, about three of them replied.¡¯ Surprisingly, about three out of twenty women had responded. Of course, the replies were not flattering at all. "Crazy, asshole, freak..." There were even cases where dozens of unfinished letters ¡®?¡¯[1] had been attached in the replies. "The only reason he hasn¡¯t been used is thanks to the influence of his family.¡± Yu-Seong felt that the original one had been quite the garbage. ''And now this shame is on me. By the way, this guy even sent a message to Jo Yu-Ri. In a different sense, he''s really fearless.'' Jo Yu-Ri was a famous curse-type hunter of the S-rank, who became a guild master of the Black Magic Society which was one of the top ten guilds in Korea as a woman. She wore quite thick makeup and was famous for having a toxic personality. There were quite a few rumors that some male hunters who flirted with her had become crippled for the rest of their life. ''And one of them was even one of the top ten guild masters.¡¯ Anyway, Choi Yu-Seong had sent a message to Jo Yu-Ri asking if she would like to meet him seriously. There had been no reply, which made the entire experience even scarier. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ''I''m glad at least I know it now. I should run away if I see Jo Yu-Ri from afar.¡¯ For some reason, Yu-Seong felt a part of his lower body going numb for no reason. He closed the message window with a dry cough. It was naturally meaningless to send a message to explain the old story and make an excuse for his past actions. ¡®Now, there¡¯s more reason for me to become strong.¡¯ After giving one more definite motivation toward his goal, Yu-Seong headed for the original purpose of turning on the social media application. "Let''s see. This is the search box and the ID is..." While Yu-Seong was focused on the morning training, Jin Yu-Ri¡ªwho was looking at her cell phone next to him¡ªsuddenly burst into a big laugh. Yu-Seong was curious about her reaction and asked her why. Yu-Ri tried to show her cell phone right away, but then she changed her mind and wrote an ID on a piece of paper. She told him to find out for himself. Yu-Seong opened the white paper that he had folded in his pocket and searched for the Outstagram account "@H_Mohammed." Then, he entered the person¡¯s account and smiled after checking the profile picture. ¡®Huh? He seems like an Arab prince who¡¯s interested in such popularity. But what about this person?¡¯ While he was thinking, Yu-Seong entered the opponent''s account details. Surprisingly, the photo at the top of Muhammad''s account was none other than Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s own. He stuttered, "...Me?" Choi Yu-Seong clicked on the picture out of curiosity, and then coughed at Muhammad''s writing in English. He spat out the water that he was drinking. "Hmmm..." ¡¸@H_Mohammmed He is a favorite hunter. That''s why I''m thinking about it. How much do I have to call to have him? Hmm...¡¹ [2] Fortunately, Muhammad didn¡¯t have the dangerous tastes that Yu-Seong had been worried about. He was just very rich (probably more than Choi Woo-Jae) since he was Saudi Arabia''s prince. He also enjoyed making quite a variety of investments as a hobby. For example, he would buy one of the major league teams in the United States and then spend a lot of money to rebuild the team. ¡®He''s like Mansour on Earth where I lived.¡¯ As he learned about Muhammad little by little, Yu-Seong understood why he wanted him. ¡®He¡¯s setting up a team of hunters for dungeon racing. Well, there are a lot of noblemen who think of this as a sport these days.¡¯ Yu-Seong now knew the intention, but there was no reason for him to panic. ''Not as much as Muhammad, but I already have quite a lot of money.¡¯ By then, a new message was posted on Muhammad''s social media feed. ¡¸@H_Mohammmed About $1,000,000,000?¡¹ One billion dollars was more than 1.1 trillion won. If Choi Yu-Seong could have that much money at his disposal, there would be a considerable increase in what he could do. "I will. I want to join the team, my prince." Stating that aloud, Yu-Seong tried to start a DM conversation with Muhammad. ¡¸@H_Mohammmed Only if he''s an S-rank hunter. :) ¡¹ "...This wicked gentleman is making fun of me.¡± Choi Yu-Seong was somewhat distressed. He closed the Outstagram app and checked the time. It has already been an hour, which meant that his break time had come to an end. "This is certainly a time-consuming ghost. I shouldn''t turn it on unless I really have to." For the first time, Yu-Seong could feel the danger of social media. 1. It is one of the Korean vowels. If you send ''?'' over text to somebody, you are showing the middle finger to him/her. ? 2. The English was left as it was written in the raws ? CH 69 A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. It was already afternoon. If still on schedule, it would have been time to head to the dungeon to hunt. However, Yu-Seong had been focusing all his energy on training until now. In particular, his afternoon training was several times more intense than his morning training, so it was inevitable for him to train in multi-family villas that resembled apartment houses. Thus, the entire hunter-only gym located nearby was rented. The gym which Yu-Seong had visited with Jin Do-Yoon before he first qualified as a hunter was quite expensive. This was because it had a mana barrier that could withstand all the mana below the A-rank. It was also private and quiet, so it was considered the best place to focus on training alone. Yu-Seong had been training his spearmanship and mana skills with extreme concentration for about two hours in the gym. He soon laid down on the floor with thick drops of sweat. "Haa...haa..." He panted roughly, his lungs feeling a stabbing sensation. However, he couldn¡¯t help smiling. It was because he believed that the current pain would eventually pay off during a dangerous moment. ''It''s good, but... If possible, I¡¯d like to build a mansion like my father and build a similar training center in my house...'' Clearly, there was no end to human greed. Once he began to enjoy convenience, Yu-Seong naturally started thinking about the next step. The problem was that if he poured money to that extent, his bank account balance would fall really low right away. At first, he thought he had a lot of money. When he started spending it, however, it ran out in an instant. As expected, it was exactly right to say that it was difficult to make money and easy to use. ¡®It would work if I could go somewhere near Gyeonggi-do with relatively low land prices, but¡­¡¯ In this case, there would be a waste of time. This was especially considering the time traveling to and from Seoul. ¡®I need more plausible sources of income. It would be great if there¡¯s mana rock coming out of the land, but then it would be a matter of luck.'' For mana stone, even the lowest rank¡ªthe gray-colored one¡ªcost at least 10 million won. The next rank was the red-colored stone, which was 100 million won. Fortunately, Yu-Seong had won a red-colored mana stone in the last Hobgoblin hunt, but he wasn¡¯t very happy about that. ''The money I spend in a day is not normal at all.¡¯ While thinking so, Yu-Seong smiled in vain. ¡®Wow, Choi Yu-Seong, you''ve changed a lot.¡¯ When he was an ordinary office worker, Yu-Seong would have felt good for more than a month if he won second place in the lottery and earned 50 million won¡ªnot even 100 million won. However, as the situation changed and his spending naturally increased, 100 million won was not as satisfying for him anymore. It was somewhat inevitable, but he couldn''t help feeling that he had changed. ¡®It¡¯s a natural thing since my position has changed.¡¯ In a way, all the money he spent now was to escape the fate of "death" set in the future. No amount of money could be more valuable than life. If the chances of survival increased with the cost, it was obvious for him to not consider it as a waste. After organizing his thoughts, he could calm down his rough breathing. By then, he opened the system message window in front of his eyes, which he had already postponed for more than a week. ¡¶Player Choi Yu-Seong is currently at the E-rank MAX level. Challenge yourself on the promotion evaluation! The promotion is divided into two categories¡ªnormal difficulty level and an extreme difficulty level. In the normal difficulty level, the number of retries is infinite unless you die. Challenge yourself! In the extreme difficulty level, even if you are lucky enough to survive, you cannot try again. If you''re ready, challenge yourself!¡· Compared to the usual system message, this was a rather friendly one. Choi Yu-Seong had already made his choice. ¡®Obviously, I¡¯ll choose the extreme difficulty level, the hard mode.¡® The system was not stupid, so why would the difficulty levels be divided for no reason? Naturally, if the player passed a higher difficulty level promotion evaluation¡ªharder than the normal difficulty level¡ªthe player would receive a greater reward. There was only one reason why Yu-Seong was concerned. ''Cause there¡¯s only one trial. I''ll go in when I''m ready to clear it for sure.¡¯ In fact, there was nothing special about preparation. No one knew the details of the promotion evaluation¡¯s extreme difficulty level. It was impossible to use any data or future information because the examination given was different for each individual and the method was arbitrary. In other words, Yu-Seong literally had to pass the promotion evaluation only with his own wit and skills. To do so, he had to bring out the best ability from his current standard rank and level. ¡®Maybe during the day after tomorrow? I think I''m finally adjusted to the physical condition of the E-rank Max level, so I¡¯ll try after I take a break tomorrow.¡¯ In other words, until today, the body had to be pushed through extreme training. Yu-Seong made his decision, jumped from his place, raised himself, and grabbed the spear again. He calmly looked at his condition, feeling calm thanks to the Cool-headed E triggered by the Spearmanship Prodigy effect. ¡®I can go a little further.¡¯ Time passed quickly as Yu-Seong continued his training without much effort. And two days later, he finally challenged the promotion evaluation. *** It was 7 a.m. on the day Yu-Seong decided to challenge the promotion evaluation. He woke up early in the morning and loosened up a little, using the spear near the front yard as usual. The spear was quite expensive, since it was made by the world''s best craftsman. However, despite the extreme training, the blade remained sharp with minimal sharpening. The texture and balance also aided a rather good grip too. Usually, Yu-Seong would have focused on the training as if he were drunk on the comfortable sensation of using his spear. However, with important things scheduled for later on, today definitely felt different. ¡®Slowly, lightly, as if warming up my body.¡¯ Yu-Seong spent about an hour and a half in the morning stretching and doing light training. After that, Chae Ye-Ryeong came to work 30 minutes early as usual. "Hello, boss!" Ye-Ryeong called out. Still covering her face with shaggy hair, she greeted Yu-Seong who was catching his breath. It was a typical daily routine, but today felt slightly different. This was because last night¡¯s short conversation with Jin Yu-Ri passed through Yu-Seong''s mind. ¡®She said that all the re-Awakening materials I asked for would be gathered soon.¡¯ Thus, Yu-Seong grabbed Ye-Ryeong who greeted him energetically as she entered the house. He immediately asked, "Ye-Ryeong, can I talk to you for a second?" "Yes." Ye-Ryeong didn¡¯t ask why. She simply tilted her head at him. Actually, the conversation wasn¡¯t going to be a long one. That was because Yu-Seong and Ye-Ryeong already talked about the re-Awakening last year. "Do you remember the story we talked about in the hospital room before?¡± Yu-Seong asked. "Yes." "It¡¯s almost ready. And as I said, it can be quite dangerous." "Yes." "...do you have any other questions or concerns? If you want to quit now, just tell me." As it was based on the original novel, Yu-Seong definitely wanted to play it safe. However, it was inevitable that some risk remained. Therefore, he asked Ye-Ryeong with a serious look, and this time, Ye-Ryeong also remained silent as if hesitating to answer. Uncomfortable with the rather long silence, Yu-Seong urged, "Ye-Ryeong?" "Yes?" "Didn''t you hear me just now?¡± "Yes, I heard you." "Then..." "I don¡¯t actually have any questions or concerns. Well, to be honest, I''m a little embarrassed about this but... " With her hair slightly covering her face, Ye-Ryeong scratched her blushing cheek. "You told me back then that it¡¯s dangerous, but I¡¯ll certainly gain a lot of strength if I do it." "Yes, that''s what I said," Yu-Seong replied. "You said there would be a better life and a lot of rewards waiting for me than now, but I''m not really interested in that. No, it''s not that I''m not interested, but I''m very grateful and satisfied with my current life." Ye-Ryeong looked up at Choi Yu-Seong with sparkling eyes. It wasn''t different from when they first met. Ye-Ryeong didn¡¯t become easily desperate in any situation. ¡®How could such a person become a disaster in the original novel?¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn''t even imagine how terrible Ye-Ryeong¡¯s life would have been in the original novel. "It''s all thanks to you, boss." "Well, to say the least..." Yu-Seong had just invested in Chae Ye-Ryeong''s future value. Before Yu-Seong could say anything out of embarrassment, Ye-Ryeong said with her head down once again, "That''s why I''d rather ask you to do it. Please give it a try! If I wake up again, I can be of greater help to you, right?¡± "It''s going to be a tremendous help.¡± It was because Chae Ye-Ryeong was a talented person who could possibly become a disaster in the future, so her minimum growth potential was about SS+ rank. "That''s all I need. I want to be a person who is more helpful to you and to everyone in this house. I''ll work hard and become a person who earns my keep!" With a strong shout, Ye-Ryeong raised her head. Now even her two fists were clenched. What else could Yu-Seong say? "Okay, then, I''ll tell you again as soon as it''s ready." "Yes sir! I''ll be waiting for that." ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day now. Have a good day." "You too, boss! Have a good day." After waving a lively greeting at Yu-Seong, Ye-Ryeong entered the house. Around that time, she met Jin Yu-Ri who was coming out of the front door. She enthusiastically said hello once more. Yu-Ri smiled, nodded, and she lightly patted Ye-Ryeong''s head. ¡®Come to think of it, the two of them would be the same age... Since Ye-Ryeong calls Yu-Ri "unnie", they kind of look like sisters.¡¯ Yu-Seong looked at them with a rather pleasant and thoughtful expression as Yu-Ri approached him. Before Yu-Ri could say anything, he asked, ¡°When are you going to tell Ye-Ryeong your age?¡± "I think I already told her." "And she still calls you ''unnie''?¡± "She can do whatever she wants. Haha, she¡¯s such a cute kid," Yu-Ri said. In fact, looking at the vibe, Yu-Ri definitely seemed like an older sister. "By the way, you said you were going to challenge the promotion evaluation this afternoon, right?¡± "Yes." "You know, if it''s dangerous, declare your abandonment right away. Someone said that dying in the promotion evaluation is the stupidest thing of all," Yu-Ri said. "I know." Promotion evaluation was not easy to attempt, since it was an examination. However, if the evaluated person decided to give up, he or she may quickly escape with their life still intact. In a way, there seemed to be no death at all, but there had been quite a few people who died in this promotion evaluation. The reason was literally because of their greed. Players felt like they could get promoted after going just a little further, and tried again and again despite consecutive failures. The moment they had a sense of hope and tried to take a step further, they lost their precious lives. As such, if the players died during the promotion evaluation, they would seldom receive sincere condolences. That was because everyone could clearly assume their reason for death. CH 70 ¡®In particular, more players died in the extreme difficulty level than the normal difficulty level. That¡¯s because of the risk¡­ Once they give up, they will never be able to re-enter.¡¯ It wasn''t that Yu-Seong couldn''t understand Jin Yu-Ri''s worries. It was just that he also wanted to enter the extreme difficulty level and obtain the best results. "You really know that, right?¡± asked Yu-Ri. "Trust me. I¡¯m a person who values my life the most.¡± "It doesn¡¯t sound like something that the person repeatedly throwing his life away would say." What happened in the past was just Yu-Seong acting in a show. Just by looking at Yu-Ri¡¯s expression, folded arms, and rigid posture, it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t believe it even if Yu-Seong told her that he never intended to throw his life away. Therefore, Yu-Seong cleared his throat with a dry cough and quietly looked elsewhere. "Hmm..." "Do-Yoon oppa hasn''t been coming home for a few days because he''s reaching his promotion level soon. It''s a shame since if we were together, he would be nagging you with me." "I won¡¯t overdo it, so no need to worry about me," said Yu-Seong. Listening to Yu-Seong¡¯s determined words, Yu-Ri glanced over at him and loosened her arms. She said, "Actually, even if I speak harshly¡­I do believe in you. And I''m rooting for you. There''s nothing else I can do besides this.¡± "Thank you." "Oh, and there¡¯s an important thing. This is about Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who you mentioned at the time." Yu-Seong''s head jerked back toward Yu-Ri. Paying greater attention to her, he asked, "Did you find him?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk, the so-called demonic beast tamer, was a very important figure in Yu-Seong¡¯s future plans along with Chae Ye-Ryeong. In this world, the ability to summon, tame, and handle the demonic beast was rare and had high versatility. Along with such an ability, Yoo Jin-Hyuk even had the ability of the Barrier Master¡ªwhich was very rare. In the original novel, he appeared as a villain and died miserably. However, if he could be a supporter of Yu-Seong, he would truly be a rare and unique talented player. "Yes. As you said, he was reported dead." The news could be discouraging, but Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t seem to be so. He asked, "That''s not all, is it?" "Yes. He was reported dead alongside both his parents. The unusual thing is that his brother Yoo Jin-Hwan is alive,¡± replied Yu-Ri. "That''s Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡± "You seem to be so sure about that." "Yes, you know I have the skill.¡± Actually, Yu-Seong knew it from the original novel. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, the Villain, had used the pseudonym Yoo Jin-Hwan in his early appearances. Yu-Seong didn''t know that it was the name of Jin-Hyuk¡¯s brother, but this was enough for him to piece the puzzle together in his head. "Anyway, please investigate where Yoo Jin-Hyuk, I mean, Yoo Jin-Hwan, is currently at. If possible, find out all about the accident his family had. I''m going to visit you right after the promotion evaluation. So I¡¯m hoping you can find out as soon as possible..." Yu-Seong said. "Don''t worry. It''s already in progress." "You¡¯re the best, thanks Yu-Ri. You are our Ace.." "Don''t just say empty words. I¡¯d rather you reward me with a vacation soon. I feel like I''m the only one who''s falling behind because Do-Yoon oppa is working hard to raise his level." "Isn''t it meaningless when you go on a dungeon hunt as a vacation?" "It depends on how you think. So my morning report and your training is all over now, right?¡± Yu-Ri asked. "Yes, that''s it for today. I''m going to wash up, have a light meal, and start the promotion evaluation right away.¡± "Make sure you eat well. There were people who couldn''t come out for a month once they entered the examination room.¡± ¡°That won''t be my case. I''m lucky in this way," Yu-Seong casually answered. And after exactly three hours, Yu-Seong blamed the standard that he had set. *** ¡¶Choi Yu-Seong, the E-rank MAX level player, is entering the extreme difficulty level D-rank promotion evaluation. Good luck.¡· As soon as he accepted the promotion evaluation, Choi Yu-Seong''s view was covered with darkness after a short message. He felt moisture enveloping his whole body, as if he had been swallowed by a whale. It made him rather anxious. A light flashed in front of his eyes, and a rabbit with longer legs than a decent human adult¡ªthat looked to be about 190cm tall¡ªappeared in a tuxedo. "Ta-da-!" Literally, the rabbit appeared like ¡®ta-da¡¯. "Nice to meet you, player Choi Yu-Seong. I''m your judge, Mr. Nice Guy. You can call me Mr. Guy for short." In fact, the rabbit looked like a clich¨¦ character that Yu-Seong had previously seen a lot of. However, for some reason, the rabbit¡¯s smiley expression and wide open arms felt strange. ¡®Don¡¯t such tuxedo dolls have a rather serious vibe in general?¡¯ Yu-Seong''s eyes momentarily sparkled in anticipation. He hoped that Mr. Nice Guy would show some magic trick with a hat or black cane in his hand. However, the so-called Mr. Guy made the mistake of dropping his hat while returning to an attentive position with open arms. "Oh no! This hat is new. What a waste." Mr. Guy urgently picked up his fallen hat and gave Yu-Seong an embarrassed look. He lightly swept his long mustache into place. For some reason, some of his white fur had been stained red. He commented, "Hong hong! It seems like you are the type of person who doesn''t enjoy talking. Usually, when people come here for the first time, they express a lot of curiosity." "Because I knew about it already." Upon entering the promotion evaluation, the player would meet the judges assigned to them. This assignment of judges was similar to the promotion evaluation, since there were no specific rules or information. It was simply a random assignment. Depending on the judges¡¯ characteristics, the aspects of the promotion evaluations varied. However, Yu-Seong had no idea what Mr. Guy in front of him would be like. "Usually, the players I have met so far always questioned me even if they had some information¡­ By the way, Choi Yu-Seong, you are such an interesting person. For example, don¡¯t you have any questions like where I came from, who created the system, why this happened to the planet?¡± There was no way that Yu-Seong would question such a thing. With a subtle smile, he shook his head. The existence of the judges were conclusive evidence that an absolute being intervened and artificially made the Awakening system. Therefore, those who meet the judges for the first time would ask even the smallest of questions. They all wanted answers, but would in fact get none. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you right now that I don''t know anything. There''s just a very, very, very important man up there, and below him is a slightly less important man. I¡¯m just doing whatever that slightly less important man told me to do a very long time ago. Hong hong hong!" Mr. Guy said. Thanks to this, Choi Yu-Seong could know one thing for sure. ¡®I was wondering what that mushy sound was, and it¡¯s a laugh.¡¯ Yu-Seong encountered a pretty talkative judge after all. After a while, he asked, "What''s my promotion test?" Mr.Guy, who had been giving an excited monologue, had a subtle change in his expression. Having heard Yu-Seong''s first question, he made a clear smile without a flutter of laughter. "That''s a very good and wonderful question, player Choi Yu-Seong. But rather than just listen to what I have to say, why not just see it with your own eyes and experience it?¡± Not noticing how creeped out Yu-Seong was from his answer, Mr. Guy once again stretched out his arms. Then, except for their surroundings, the overwhelming darkness slowly retreated to make way for a colorful light. Yu-Seong felt quite dizzy when he saw the light. As if hypnotized, his mind was getting hazy and everything in front of him was getting very far away. "Choi Yu-Seong. If you fall asleep and wake up, a very bad thief would have stolen your very precious thing. Did you ask what that means? Yes, that''s right. Player Choi Yu-Seong''s first promotion evaluation is... Ta-da! It¡¯s Catch the Thief-!" Mr. Guy''s voice¡ªwhich resonated within the hallucination¡ªechoed in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. As Yu-Seong relaxed, his eyes began to close. "By the way, player Choi Yu-Seong, your promotion evaluation is very special! I put a lot of effort into it, since the Joke-loving Prankster god asked me to pay attention to it. I hope you get good results," said Mr.Guy. He was referring to Loki when he said ¡®the Joke-loving Prankster¡¯. ¡®Loki, all of a sudden?¡¯ In fact, it was not surprising that a god¡ªwho was interested in his sponsoring player¡ªwould intervene in the promotion evaluation. This was mentioned several times in the original novel. However, if that happened, the level of difficulty would rise by a level. Therefore, even Kim Do-Jin, the main character of the original novel, encountered this situation in the promotion evaluation after his D rank. Of course, he would receive better rewards after achieving success. ¡®But still, isn¡¯t this too fast?¡¯ At the same time, complaints could not escape from Yu-Seong, who quickly fell unconscious. *** When Choi Yu-Seong opened his eyes again, he felt rather heavy and weighed down. It was like a heavy bear had landed on his shoulder, or someone had sandbags tied to both his arms and legs. Thanks to this, he took a considerable amount of time to wake up. "Whoa...did I say I¡¯m lucky? Are you kidding me? Damn, Loki." With a deep sigh, Yu-Seong forced himself to lift himself up. He regretted speaking too soon with Yu-Ri earlier on. At the same time, he aired all of the grievances he couldn¡¯t say before falling unconscious just now. -A Joke-loving Prankster laughs mischievously. He wishes you good luck. "You bad-tempered dude." Come to think of it, even in Nordic mythology, the character Loki was unpredictable and could hardly be said to have a good personality. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®There¡¯s no point being frustrated about what has already happened... I should figure out the situation first.¡¯ Yu-Seong was standing alone in a rather bright room. It was just one room, but it was square-shaped and not narrow at all. It seemed to be more than 50 pyeong[1]. The ceiling was also rather high, high enough for several tens of vigorous men to stand upright like an adult long pole and still not reach it. The need for such a high ceiling was because of the huge doors at the front, left, and right of the room, centering on Yu-Seong who was in the center of the room. ''The height of the doors alone would be at least 30 meters.¡¯ The doors¡¯ width could barely be covered even with five or six open-armed adult men stuck together. Anyway, they were huge and probably led elsewhere. If Yu-Seong had to pick something more unusual here, it was an intaglio engraved on each door. ¡®There¡¯s a star on the left, a sun in the center, and a moon on the right.¡¯ Yu-Seong smiled and recited to himself. "Then I could call each room the Star room, the Sun room, and the Moon room.¡± The second thing Yu-Seong had to do after getting up to speed was to understand his health condition. ¡¶Currently, player Choi Yu-Seong is in the process of the extreme difficulty level of the promotion evaluation. As a result, you will receive a penalty for reducing your ability. Mana becomes extremely low. Physical strength and strength become extremely low. The movement gets slower. Player Choi Yu-Seong can declare a ''waiver'' on the promotion evaluation at any time.¡· After Yu-Seong turned on the system message window and checked his current state, he unwittingly gave out rave reviews. 1. 50 pyeong is about 165 square meters ? CH 71 "Wow, what an amazing situation!" Of course, it was a sarcastic response to stop any swear words from bubbling up. If Loki or Mr. Guy from earlier was in front of him right now, Yu-Seong might have punched them without much thought. "There''s no point in monitoring my condition for a week." Yu-Seong thought he was in a situation similar to a patient. He next checked the main message, which had the contents of the promotion evaluation. ¡¶Catch the Thief! Difficulty level ++ version A very bad and nasty thief stole half your soul and hid. Find the thief and retrieve your soul! You only get two chances to choose the door! If you''re lucky, you might find a hint somewhere. Special ¡ï Part of the penalty can be mitigated by defeating the thieves'' minions scattered in each room. Currently, the player Choi Yu-Seong''s condition is 30%.¡· Mr. Guy said that the thief had stolen Choi Yu-Seong''s very precious thing. He certainly didn''t seem to be wrong about that. ¡®Half of my soul? I don''t know how they did such a thing, but wouldn''t I die quickly without it?¡¯ The message from the system answered Yu-Seong¡¯s questions by suddenly turning red. ¡¶Special ¡ï Some of the penalties can be mitigated by defeating the thieves'' minions scattered in each room. Hurry up! With half of your soul gone, your condition deteriorates quickly over time. The current condition of player Choi Yu-Seong is 29%. When the condition reaches 0%, player Choi Yu-Seong dies.¡· ¡°Even better!" Yu-Seong once again magnified his praise. Instead of sighing, he immediately made a move, since he clearly knew what he had to do next. ¡®Let''s clean up the wicked thief''s subordinates first. Raising my condition is undoubtedly my first priority.¡¯ Yu-Seong didn''t have to think about where the minions would be. ''There¡¯s probably gonna be a whole crowd of them if I open the door.¡¯ Yu-Seong first opened the Sun room, which was the center one of the three doors¡ªthe sun, the moon, and the stars. ¡®It said I had two chances to make a choice.¡¯ In other words, out of the three rooms, one had the thief who stole his soul. The probability of finding the right room was about 33.3%. But why would Yu-Seong choose the Sun room as his first choice? "A man should only go forward." The door rattled. Then, the big door opened easily. *** After opening the large door, Yu-Seong encountered a wide plain, damp cave, or harsh natural environment such as a stormy cliff. He muttered, "...It¡¯s just like a mansion¡¯s hallway." Yu-Seong was literally trapped in a large mansion¡¯s room until just now. In the room, he found a couple of special things. There were colorful windows with large paintings that remind him of Catholicism, complete silence, and cleaning tools that had been randomly tossed around. ¡®The cleaning tools became trash too.¡¯ Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t at all curious about who lived in the mansion and what its purpose was. ¡®It¡¯s just a test site anyway. There must be monsters somewhere, and if I¡¯m lucky, I might get a hint.'' Yu-Seong walked out of the hallway without hesitation. He felt depressed from how heavy his body felt, but he swept his sharp gaze across his surroundings. ¡®There must be something¡­¡¯ While he walked around with a thoughtful expression, the thrown-away broom started to shake and slowly rose into the air. Yu-Seong was ignorant of the quiet movement, and before he knew it, the broom approached his back and swung greatly. "Ouch-!" After getting hit in the head, Yu-Seong turned around screaming. He quickly grabbed and broke the broom that attacked once again. He was hit in the head, but he didn¡¯t feel too much pain since it was just an ordinary broom. If anything, he was surprised. ¡®What the?¡¯ Yu-Seong wondered to himself. ¡¶Special ¡ï The player Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s current condition drops to 27% due to the attack. When his condition reaches 0%, the player Choi Yu-Seong dies.¡· After checking the message that flashed in front of him and the cleaning tools that were between the corridors, Yu-Seong quickly changed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a suit and once again spat out an encouraging statement, ¡°Wow, this should certainly be the level of so-called ¡®the Korean difficulty¡¯. Extremely excited!" If his words were translated directly, it would be a string of aggressive swear words. *** The fierce battle, which was short but never easy, had finally ended. The floor was completely littered with cleaning tools that were split in half or broken in vain and scattered in all directions. What was surprising was the mansion¡¯s interior; only a part of the wallpaper was torn from such a battle. However, Yu-Seong focused more on knocking down the many cleaning tools. Despite feeling heavier than usual, he moved fluidly and did not allow himself to receive any more attacks. ¡®As expected, I''m glad that I did my training consistently.¡¯ Even though his mind was blurred and his movement was dull compared to his usual condition, Yu-Seong could rely on his muscle memory and reflexes. If not for that, he would have already died or had to declare abandonment from the cleaning tools¡¯ attacks. ¡¶Special ¡ï Displaying the current state of the player Choi Yu-Seong: 32%¡· ¡®Now my condition has improved for sure. 2% higher compared to the start.'' There were approximately fifty cleaning tools that had been knocked down. ¡®Is it +1% per 10 tools?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem to be very efficient, but anyway, Yu-Seong could recover his condition by simply knocking down the strangely moving cleaning tools like this. Above all, he realized one definite piece of information from the first battle. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t just walk by without thinking.¡¯ Since even the cleaning tools could move and attack, it was highly likely that each item placed in the mansion was a potential threat. Feeling alert and vigilant, Yu-Seong carefully crossed the hallway, and thanks to this, he was able to defeat quite a few cleaning tools, frames, or flying sedentary toilets without repeating the first mistake. ¡®It''s strange. It doesn''t feel like I''m fighting with a monster, but¡­¡¯ Most importantly, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition rose to a surprising 48% by the time he reached the end of the hallway. He recovered close to half of his usual condition. It wasn¡¯t a bad result compared to the first situation, which was considered the worst. ¡®This is the end of the hallway. And do these stairs go downstairs?'' There was no option to go upstairs. Yu-Seong carefully went down the stairs that continued leading him forward like the open hallway from earlier on. Fortunately, the stairs were not that long, and there were no perils¡­ However, by the time he reached the first floor, he felt chills and fear when he saw a huge armored knight that was over three meters tall in the center of the spacious living room. "Would that also move?" The armored knight held onto a shield that was as big as Yu-Seong. The giant sword on its shoulder was also twice Yu-Seong¡¯s size. It was natural that Yu-Seong did not want to fight such a huge armored monster in his current condition. However, as always, he didn¡¯t always get what he wanted. Screeeech-! The huge iron-armored knight turned toward Yu-Seong while throwing up the sound of rusty iron. "Ah... Damn it," Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but curse. With nothing else to say, he flew from the top of the stairs and quickly climbed up the armored knight. He stabbed a spear into the visor, which was the only gap he could see. Yu-Seong did it just in case he might feel anything in his hand, but it was empty. Instead, red flames burst out of the dark black space to form pupils. Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly and greeted it, "Hello?" Booooom! The response was replaced by a huge tremor. Choi Yu-Seong could feel it intuitively. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to beat him in my current state.¡¯ Yu-Seong didn''t even think about trying to fight. Didn''t Yu-Ri say the same thing? ¡®It''s the stupidest thing to die during the promotion evaluation.¡¯ Therefore, when Yu-Seong saw the armored knight letting go of the huge shield, he reached out toward it and jumped up the stairs using the Wind Control without hesitation. Whoo-! A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. The giant armored knight¡¯s hand passed through the place where Yu-Seong was standing just now in vain. ¡®Fortunately, his moves aren''t that fast.¡¯ If so, there was only one way for Choi Yu-Seong to proceed. He said, ¡°I give up on you. I''ll see you later if I can.¡± Without hesitation, Yu-Seong climbed the stairs he had passed. He then passed the hallway, and returned to the large room where he first opened his eyes. The result was not bad. ¡®He doesn''t follow me to the second floor.¡¯ To some extent, things went according to Yu-Seong¡¯s expectations. In addition, he also confirmed that the Sun door was not closed once it was opened. ¡®Maybe that armored knight is the thief or a guy with a hint.¡¯ It would be enough to designate the armored knight as the boss of this promotion evaluation. "Let¡¯s get back to him later. Now my current condition is... 46 percent." Certainly, as time went by, the rate of decline in his condition was accelerating. ¡®There''s no time for hesitation.¡¯ The remaining rooms were the Moon room and the Star room. This time, Yu-Seong opened the Star room¡¯s door and encountered a long hallway again. The only difference this time was that the only thing he could see in the hallway were wooden nutcracker dolls instead of cleaning tools. ¡®Perfect opponent to recover my condition.¡¯ Since it was large, the nutcracker dolls were easier to deal with than the cleaning tools. In a flash, Yu-Seong''s spear cut the wooden dolls. Then, he encountered the stairs to the first floor again. "And downstairs..." There it was. Yu-Seong quickly returned to his original room after spotting the armored knight and checked his condition again. He said, ¡°66%.¡± Of course, it was not the best. Even the rate of decline was getting faster. ¡®I''ve already opened two doors.¡¯ Yu-Seong returned to the first room that had three doors. Then, he sat at the center of the room, rubbed his chin, and pondered. ¡®Let me think objectively. Can I win the armored knight if my condition is at 100%?¡¯ Because Yu-Seong was holding a spear with one hand, the effect of skill Cool-headed E continued naturally. Thanks to this, even in such an urgent situation, he remained calm and wasn¡¯t too shaken. Although somewhat slow, Yu-Seong calmly compared and analyzed his power against the armored knight. He finally could draw a conclusion¡ªthat it was impossible. He believed that the armored knight was not a monster that was here for the player to catch in the first place. ¡®This is why they called it an extreme difficulty level and plus.¡¯ Complaints such as whether it would have been easier without Loki''s intervention or not had long since been forgotten. Rather than crying over spilled milk, Yu-Seong had to produce clear results now. CH 72 ¡®Is there any way to knock it down? In this large living room, would there be a tool that could hurt the armored knight...'' Looking around, Yu-Seong found it hard to come up with a good idea. The empty living room was a perfect environment for a fair 1:1 head-on match. ''Then, next. What would be the weapon for me? If there¡¯s something special that was used at this time in the original novel...'' It was not that Yu-Seong didn¡¯t have options, but he would have to consume a lot of Karma points that had been saved in preparation for the upcoming future. ¡®I need to save the Karma points for future use. Maybe it''s better to backtrack to the general difficulty level promotion.¡¯ His condition fell to 56%, so it was clear that the situation was getting worse. Yu-Seong was taking too much time to think. ¡®Why did they make a monster that no player can catch? It''s just a promotion test.¡¯ Of course, the purpose of this may have been to have Yu-Seong suffer since the difficulty level was high. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether it was better to give up here. He didn¡¯t have to risk his life to clear the extreme difficulty level promotion evaluation. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing to go back and choose the general difficulty level. His condition fell again to 48%. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong mentally shook his head. It was ridiculous, but even Loki, the Joke-loving Prankster had intervened. A great reward was certain if he passed the evaluation test. There may still be a chance of success somewhere. Yu-Seong¡¯s condition dropped to 39%. The figure dropped quickly, and as a reflection of it, his mind began slowing down. Soon, his condition was 30% again. At that moment, Yu-Seong''s eyes momentarily sparkled. He had been thinking over and over again when a thought occurred to him. ''Wait, so it''s not a monster that I¡¯m supposed to capture?¡¯ Yu-Seong also recalled Mr. Guy saying that if he was lucky, he would find a hint. Suddenly, he jumped up after he realized something. He escaped toward the open door and ran down the stairs on the first floor, where there was the huge armored knight in the spacious living room. After checking everything, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition fell to 29%. He thought back to what he remembered about the mansion¡¯s interior structure, returned to his original position, and then checked the structure of the separate room¡¯s first floor. His eyes sparkled. Choi Yu-Seong did not continue to hesitate anymore. ¡®If my condition falls below 20%, I can''t afford to do anything anyway.¡¯ It was the time to make a winning move. On the stairs leading down to the first floor of the Star room, Yu-Seong took a breath and stood in front of the armored knight again. Screeeech As if it had been waiting, the red flames bloomed splendidly in the roaring armored knight¡¯s eyes. "Hello." In fact, they weren¡¯t on good enough terms to greet each other. As if replying to Yu-Seong¡¯s greeting, a huge sword hit the spot where Yu-Seong was standing just now. Looking at the huge explosion, the clouds of dust rising, and the slightly cracked ground, Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. ¡®Even if it''s slow, it''s quite risky to avoid its attack standing this close to it.¡¯ First of all, the armored knight was too big. With a single move, it surpassed the distance that Yu-Seong could only cover in 10 separate moves. Thus, it was not efficient to bump into each other. Yu-Seong believed that even if his condition was 100%, he could not defeat the monster. ¡®Unless I know its weaknesses, I¡¯ll lose all of my stamina by fighting with it.¡¯ Therefore, even at this moment, Yu-Seong''s goal was clear. He didn¡¯t have even the slightest intention of fighting and knocking down the armored knight. He avoided a series of attacks and continued to lead the armored knight on. In the end, Choi Yu-Seong''s back touched the wall. "Huwuu..." The armored knight lifted the sword with both hands, quickly swinging it down at Yu-Seong as if he was merely a mouse in a corner. ¡®Wind Control, shadow.¡¯ Yu-Seong was tired of the armored knight¡¯s enormous pressure. He slid through its legs quickly, then turned back to look at the huge sword¡¯s power. The sword was falling faster with the force of gravity. Subsequently, Yu-Seong smiled when the huge sword stretched over the edge of the wall. ¡®It''s broken.¡¯ Booooom-! A heavy sound was heard. Then, as if lightning had passed, the cracked wall collapsed. ¡®It''s my specialty to break something with other people''s strength.¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t see beyond the dust cloud that was thicker than the fog. However, he clearly saw the armored knight wiggling its shoulders as it struggled to yank out the large sword from under the collapsed brick. ¡®If I¡¯m right, then there would be¡­¡¯ There was going to be another change. Choi Yu-Seong stepped back a little, just in case. He prepared to fly to the side at any time while waiting for something to happen. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. Then, a loud clash of iron rang out throughout the room. From right next to Yu-Seong, another giant armored knight flew in the air and landed within the room of less than 10m in width. Booom! Clang! There were sounds of something breaking and collapsing. Subsequently, a huge doll with red-fire lights in both eyes appeared between the thick clouds of dust as the wall collapsed. It was the second armored knight. In a way, it was a gloomy situation, but Yu-Seong thought otherwise. Rather, he quickly jumped up the stairs on the second floor, paying attention to the movement of the second armored knight. ''According to the mansion¡¯s interior structure, it was the right wall that broke apart. This should be the armored knight in the Sun room.¡¯ Since the right wall of the Star room was broken, it should lead to the center of the Sun room. The following situation was crucial, because Yu-Seong had discovered the rules that applied to the armored knights. ¡®If it doesn''t feel any movement in its area, it returns to its original position and freezes up again.¡¯ The question was, do the armored knights come to life even if the movements were coming from the non-living? This was the main question. If it only reacted to the living thing, since Yu-Seong had to return to the second floor, the armored knight had to return to its original place and stop. ''Because then it wouldn¡¯t detect any more movement.¡¯ What would the result be? Soon, the armored knight of the Sun room, which appeared briefly, turned its back as if it had nothing to do and returned to its original position. "Ah..." Naturally, sighs flowed from Yu-Seong''s mouth. ¡®So it won¡¯t be served up on a plate, nice and easy.¡¯ However, there were still variables left. As if responding to Yu-Seong''s lament, the armored knight of the Star room, which flew in the air first, slowly raised itself up, and soon began to stomp and run. Then, it hit the Sun room armor knight with its shoulder to return to its original place according to the rules. Bang! This time the armored knight from the Sun room flew. "...What¡¯s going on?" While Yu-Seong tilted his head in confusion, the Sun room¡¯s armored knight jumped up after rolling in the middle of the room. It then held its own sword and charged toward the Star room¡¯s armored knight. Clang! The full-scale clash of the two armored knights began, and Yu-Seong clapped like an excited seal from the stairs. ¡®I thought about this on the off-chance, but certainly the armored knights were not made with any specific goal in mind.¡¯ In other words, basically, when someone entered its territory, the armored knights moved to kill its opponent. If it was attacked, it would fight back. Also, it appeared that the entire first floor was its territory to guard. If the armored knight moved only by acknowledging Yu-Seong, he would be exhausted by trying to get the armored knights to fight each other. Fortunately for him, he didn¡¯t have to do that. - The Joke-loving Prankster criticizes the player Choi Yu-Seong. He asks the player to go out and show him his bravery in fighting! At that moment, Loki''s message appeared in the air. Of course, Yu-Seong''s reaction to seeing the message was simple. "Wow-! What a smart idea. But I prefer to sit down and drink honey.¡±[1] This was the so-called catching enemies by using enemies, which was an operation that used the enemy themselves to destroy one another. "Whoever wins! Winning side, my side!" - The Joke-loving Prankster is disappointed and sticks his tongue out at the trickster Choi Yu-Seong. After creating the situation where he could drink honey as he wished, Yu-Seong suddenly smacked his lips with regret. He gave the knight of the separate rooms the nickname "the Star Knight" and "Sun Knight" with excitement. "Oh, that''s good. But Loki, this is like watching a robot cartoon. Do you have something like popcorn?¡± Yu-Seong responded with a joyful expression to Loki¡ªwho made him suffer¡ªbut there was no answer. ¡®Is he upset? Well, it doesn''t matter. Let''s just enjoy it.'' Yu-Seong enjoyed the scene as if he had returned to his childhood after a long time. *** The battle between the two armored knights with similar specifications¡ª-no, actually, with exactly the same specifications¡ªlasted quite a long time. Yu-Seong felt the passion and romance of a man, and admired the appearance of armored knights who exchanged fists at each other even though their teeth were broken and their whole bodies were torn in half. "Wow, this is not easy, not easy." Yu-Seong truly wanted to see who would win, but unfortunately, he couldn''t afford to sit back any longer. ¡®My condition is at 18%.¡¯ It needed to be sorted out. ¡®Above all, I can''t give up on the last hit.¡¯ The armored knights fought among themselves, but the experience points should be Yu-Seong¡¯s. With that goal in mind, Yu-Seong approached the knights that attacked each other and stumbled backward from the last hit. He first went to the "Sun Knight", which struggled to pick itself up. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong could quite comfortably rise above the knight''s head. "Were you the Star Knight?" Yu-Seong asked. To be honest, he couldn''t remember its nickname properly. He had been confused since the midpoint of the battle, since the armored knights looked so identical. "Anyway, this is my full strength now." Yu-Seong spread his palm toward the red pupils blooming in the dark and shouted, "Skill, the Dancing Electric Doll." Yu-Seong was worried that it might not have much effect since the armored knight was just like a lump of metal. However, the moment the dancing electric doll flashed with light after entering its black pupils, the armored knight trembled all over. Soon, the red flame that shone in the pupils completely disappeared. ''...Caught it.'' There was no doubt. Yu-Seong had completely lost his strength due to the use of skills that consumed a lot of mana. However, his physical strength returned in an instant. ¡®In fact, my condition figures are... 53%... Wow.'' Yu-Seong only caught one of them and had recovered about 45 percent. "Yes, I knew that the last hit would be the best!" Yu-Seong''s excited gaze was now trained on the second armored knight, who raised its upper body halfway through. "Hi, Sun Knight? No, are you the Star Knight? Anyway..." Choi Yu-Seong jumped up from his dead¡ªsupposedly Sun Knight¡ªand approached the trembling Star knight on the other side. He opened his palm to the darkness under his helmet. Yu-Seong felt like the armored knight was shaking its head from side to side, but he didn''t intend to stop what he was going to do. ¡°Activate, the Dancing Electric Doll." The second armored knight danced and shook before Yu-Seong had a huge grin on his face. He confirmed the closest figure of 98% of his condition. Whoooog! A gray portal¡ªthat seemed to allow a single person to pass¡ªopened between the two fallen knights. 1. Korean use ¡®honey¡¯ for ¡®delightful or great/ best situations¡¯ so in this case, it would be the best thing for Yu-Seong to sit still, rest easy, and still get the job done. ? CH 73 ¡°Oh, so the real thief isn¡¯t here, right? Wait, then does it mean that these guys were just middle bosses?" Somehow, Loki remained silent. Yu-Seong felt a bit anxious by the silence, but he still wanted to believe that he could encounter the rewards after entering the portal. ¡®There¡¯s no way the Korean difficulty level is beyond this.¡¯ With that thought, Yu-Seong took a step toward the portal with a smile. *** It was a field without any particularly tall reeds or grassy leaves. To be more precise, a very large lawn that was just right for soccer spread out in front of Choi Yu-Seong. ¡®What am I supposed to do here?¡¯ Yu-Seong tilted his head for a moment, looking at the vacant world beyond the portal. "Hong hong hong, player Choi Yu-Seong. You knocked down my toy friends in a really clever way. I was very impressed," shouted Mr. Guy with his arms wide open as he hopped toward Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong looked at the figure with a rather absurd gaze for a while, then asked, "Is the promotion exam over?" "No way. If that¡¯s the case, then wouldn''t the message ¡®Completed¡¯ appear?¡± answered Mr. Guy. "Damn, Korean difficulty." "Please refrain from harsh swear words. I also get hurt, too. But more importantly,, player Choi Yu-Seong, you haven''t been able to catch the thief yet, right?¡± After all, there were no thieves anywhere in the Sun, Star, and the Moon rooms. From the beginning, the three rooms were merely gateways for the player to come to this field. ¡®In the meantime, they placed monsters like the armored knights there.¡¯ If the difficulty level was constructed in this way, there would be so many people who would not be able to pass even the first gate. However, promotion evaluations consisting of step by step levels had one clear advantage. ¡®The promotion evaluation is supposed to reward the player as much as they have suffered.¡¯ Maybe he could hope for a bigger reward than he first expected. With such expectations in mind, Yu-Seong asked Mr. Guy, ¡°Then, do I have to find a needle in a haystack from now on?¡± "Hmm, finding a needle in the haystack? That''s quite an interesting expression. It might be similar, but this is different. Player Choi Yu-Seong, look over to where I¡¯m pointing with your eyes wide open." "Umm..." Yu-Seong hummed. Following Mr. Guy¡¯s index finger, he looked near the horizon of the field. "Can''t you see?¡± Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "What?" "If you look closely, you¡¯ll see a very small and cute..." "Bunny?" "Yes, that''s right. There''s a bunny." Though not visible at first, shadows were gradually blooming across the horizon. "...They keep increasing." "I haven''t counted them, but there''s probably about 5,000 of them," said Mr. Guy. "No way..." ¡°Among them, there''s a cute friend I¡¯ve raised. His name is Tory, and he''s got snow-white fur. I''ll tell you one of his characteristics: he''s got a star on the bottom of his belly. But unfortunately, well, he suddenly ran away a few hours ago and hid among the crowd.¡± Yu-Seong narrowed his eyes at Mr. Guy, who went on to say, "Yes, that''s right. That brat is the thief who ran away after stealing half of the player Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s soul. Hong hong hong.¡± "What nonsense is that¡­ Weren''t you the one who gave it to him?¡± "Whatever. That¡¯s not important. For now, just know that our cute Tory is the thief." "Then, my promotion screening is to find a bunny named Tory before my condition reaches 0%.¡± Choi Yu-Seong immediately started to warm up. ¡®The remaining condition, 98%.¡¯ Perhaps because his condition level was high, the speed it fell was noticeably slower than before. ¡®I have to catch all of the rabbits and turn them upside down one by one.¡¯ Heavy labor could be expected, but it wasn¡¯t an impossible feat. Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t afford to be relaxed though. He had to save time as much as possible. Just when Yu-Seong made up his mind and was about to run forward, Mr. Guy put his index finger up and continued to talk. "Oh, wait. You know the basic rules, but there¡¯s another rule in this second round.¡± "I don''t have time, just get to the point quickly," said Yu-Seong. "You have a quick temper. To explain briefly, this evaluation is a match between me and you, player Choi Yu-Seong," said Mr. Guy. "...What?" "It''s about finding my cute pet Tory, so I can''t just sit and watch, right? We should find him together.¡± "It sounds like a completely disadvantageous match for me. I feel like you already know which one is Tory..." said Yu-Seong. "Hong hong hong, you¡¯re quite right. I can tell where he is just by the smell,¡± said Mr. Guy. He swept his long beard once again, and continued, "So, with the penalty, I¡¯ll start in exactly half an hour. Isn''t this a fair match?" "It still doesn¡¯t seem fair, but you¡¯re not going to give me more time even if I ask you, right?¡± asked Yu-Seong. ¡°That would render the ¡®promotion evaluation¡¯ meaningless, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± "How perfectly reasonable!" Yu-Seong praised sarcastically while looking straight at Mr. Guy who giggled. ¡®The time limit is 30 minutes.¡¯ Within that time, Yu-Seong had to find Mr. Guy''s pet bunny named Tory. ''Among those 5,000 rabbits in front of me.¡¯ No matter how many times he thought about it, there was no way that Yu-Seong could not be stunned. Did someone say ¡®lawn¡¯? ¡®No, it¡¯s a rabbit field.¡¯ Yu-Seong scratched the side of his head as he looked at the large number of rabbits. ¡®Finding it may not be the problem if I check them one by one.¡¯ However, could Yu-Seong be faster than Mr. Guy, who would start in half an hour? What was worse, these rabbits were gathered together when they first appeared, but were scattered everywhere now. ¡®Just by glancing over the white bunnies, I suppose there¡¯s more than 1,000 of them.¡¯ Mr. Guy never even said that Tory had ''only'' white fur. ¡®Thinking about it in this way, I would have to check about 3,000 of them.¡¯ If possible, Yu-Seong wanted to levitate the rabbits at once with some great magic spell and easily check their tummies by passing through them. Of course, it was not something that Yu-Seong¡ªwho was about to become a D-rank player¡ªcould do. "But instead, I can do this¡­ Summon Dimensional Merchant." Ping Pong appeared after opening the dimensional door. He toddled out with his arms folded. Then, he raised his hand toward Yu-Seong and said, "Choi-Hi!" "...What?" asked Yu-Seong. ¡°It means Choi Yu-Seong, hi. Long time no see!" "Where did you learn that?¡± "It''s a popular greeting among the merchants these days," said Ping Pong. The one who started the trend was probably a fellow who was greatly familiar with the Earth¡¯s internet community in Korea. "Anyway, I bet ten lollipops on the next summon, and I have things to ask for quickly,¡± Yu-Seong said. "If it''s ten lollipops, I''ll have to show you everything except for what I don''t have!" Ping Pong exhaled a big breath and opened a bundle from his chest pocket. Then, he found some of the items that Yu-Seong had in mind. After that, Yu-Seong started to get busy. *** 15 minutes later, Mr. Guy had been lying on the field, looking at the blue sky when he was covered by Yu-Seong¡¯s shadow. "Huh? Did you give up already? Just to let you know¡ªif you give up now, I bet you''ll be very disappointed." Mr. Guy turned his head slightly and smiled after seeing Yu-Seong, who looked like a mess from running around and falling over many times. He continued, "The rabbits are pretty quick, aren''t they?¡± "Since I have to catch the one I didn¡¯t catch before," said Yu-Seong with a deep sigh. He spun the pen in his left hand. "Well, I see that you summoned the dimensional merchant earlier to buy a pen! It¡¯s not a bad method to not repeat the mistake of catching the same guy even though it seems to be a rather primitive way. But, aren¡¯t you pressed for time?" "I am pressed for time, but I want to ask you to promise me something,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°What promise?¡± asked Mr.Guy as he tilted his head with curiosity. ¡°This promotion evaluation ends as soon as Tory is found, right? Whether I find him or you find him.¡± "Kind of," said Mr.Guy. "But I think it would be upsetting if Mr. Guy found Tory first while I was searching for him and I got kicked out of the promotion examination,¡± said Yu-Seong. "Well, I understand. But the rules of the examination are inevitable." Mr. Guy brushed his long beard once again and looked at Yu-Seong. He asked, "If you don''t want to be eliminated, why don''t you run around with all your might now?" ¡°I¡¯m going to. Though, as I said before, please promise me one thing." "Oh, I hope you, player Choi Yu-Seong, will pass the promotion evaluation¡­ But what a shame that you are wasting your time like this.¡± Mr. Guy glanced at Yu-Seong''s innocent look and raised his body as if he had no choice and nodded. "Tell me." "If you find Tory first, promise to let me know too. At least I deserve to know what Tory looks like, don¡¯t you think so?¡± said Yu-Seong. "Hmm... Well." "On top of that, your bunny would be very cute, right?¡± People were usually happy to receive compliments of their children and pets, and Mr. Guy was no exception. "Of course. I guarantee you, Tory is the cutest bunny in the world." Mr. Guy soon smiled and responded with a nod and a loud, rough sniff. "I promise. If I find Tory first, I will give you a chance to see its cuteness. But I¡¯m telling you in advance, that doesn''t mean that the results of the evaluation will change.¡± "Of course, then, promise?" Yu-Seong smiled and put out his pinky covered with black dust. Mr. Guy looked at Yu-Seong with a rather strange expression and soon hung his pinkie on Yu-Seong''s dirty finger. He then commented, "You''re quite innocent, player Choi Yu-Seong." "I know, haha. Mr. Guy," responded Yu-Seong. They unlinked their fingers after showing similar smiles toward each other. Yu-Seong then turned his back and said, ¡°Then, see you later." "Keep working hard. For now, I will lie back down to enjoy the rest of my break," said Mr. Guy. There were 13 minutes left. Mr. Guy relaxed on the grass while Yu-Seong ran toward the rabbits with all his might. CH 74 Thirteen minutes could feel long for some people and quite short for others. "Hmm... I should get started.¡± Mr. Guy sighed after he saw Yu-Seong struggling alone in the distance. Looking at the man catching rabbits and numbering them, Mr. Guy muttered, "That''s too bad. This evaluation could be a good opportunity for him since it¡¯s a special test. But well¡­rules are rules.¡± With his long legs, Mr. Guy strode in the opposite direction that Yu-Seong was running in. ''You are barking up the wrong tree, Mr. Choi. Unfortunately, you must have run out of luck.¡¯ When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. In fact, even Mr. Guy thought that this rabbit-hunting¡ªthe actual thief-catching test¡ªhad a harsh level of difficulty. If Loki¡ªa fairly powerful god¡ªwas not involved and there was no support of the Karma points for the other god who had yet to reveal itself, it would have been impossible to create such a difficult test in the E-rank promotion evaluation. ¡®I can see why the Joke-loving Prankster participated, but I didn¡¯t expect even ¡®him¡¯ to be interested in Yu-Seong already.¡¯ In any case, it was natural for the difficulty of the test to significantly increase since compensation would be excessive with the intervention of two deep pockets. Normally, even if it was considered difficult, the promotion evaluation should have already ended once the armored knights were knocked down. "Let''s see. Where are you, my cute Tory?¡± Mr. Guy walked forward with his big ears pricked up and his nostrils flared. He found quite a few small groups of rabbits, but his pet bunny wasn¡¯t there. "It''s roughly this way..." Mr. Guy''s eyes glistened as he followed the trail of a familiar scent. A group of about ten bunnies was gathered together less than 300m to the east. Among them, he could smell a familiar and lovely scent. He cried out, "Hong Hong, my Tory. There you are. Hurry up and come into my arms. And now, I only have to go and keep my "promise" to the player Choi Yu-Seong. The test is now over¡­¡± Mr. Guy got excited and approached the rabbit herd while waving his arms. At that moment, a flash of light appeared to envelop him. Then, Yu-Seong popped out of the gap with a startled expression. "Oh..." Yu-Seong pondered for a bit, then saw a group of rabbits located not far from the changed landscape. He ran forward after checking about five white rabbits. He murmured, "It worked." It was obvious that Yu-Seong had purchased not only a single pen after summoning Ping Pong, the dimensional merchant. ¡®Spell, the promise of a double-sided mirror. I didn¡¯t have enough Karma points to buy something to hunt the armored knights, but this was affordable.'' In fact, the promise of a double-sided mirror was one of the most common spells sold in the dimension store. It was priced at around 500 karma points per use. The method of use was rather simple. After invoking the spell book and hanging the thread that linked the pinky fingers, the user had to set the agreed keyword with the opponent as "Promise." Finally, they had to physically pinky promise as a token of promise. The effect was that, if a promise was made through this process, the two could reverse each other''s position through a single spell. It would be as if they were located on the other side of the mirror only in agreed circumstances. The important thing here was that the opponent had to clearly say the keyword, that is, the word "promise." In a way, the invocation itself was simple, but it was quite tricky to secretly apply it to the opponent. The promise of a double-sided mirror was basically an invisible spell, but once activated, the thread linking the pinky fingers would flash pink and a strange sensation would bubble up. In the meantime, the user had to secretly make a pinky promise with the opponent and have them utter the keyword. Therefore, originally, this double-sided mirror''s promise spell was often used between the allies in the original novel to confuse the enemy by changing their positions. ¡®Of course, such methods were only used after the double-sided mirror''s promise spell was revealed to the world¡­¡¯ The promise of a double-sided mirror was a spell that was yet introduced to the world. ¡®According to the novel, it first came out to the world about a year later¡­¡¯ However, this was a spell book that no one on Earth had ever looked for before then. Thus, after he heard that Mr. Guy was participating in the test, this was the first method that Yu-Seong had thought of. ¡®It''s almost impossible for me to find it myself. I had to use the other person''s ability again this time.¡¯ In fact, it was a strategy that could have failed if the opponent was not a rather talkative judge like Mr. Guy. ¡®And I guessed that Mr. Guy would spit out the word in a fatal situation at least once.¡¯ In other words, Yu-Seong had assumed that Mr. Guy would surely spit out the word, ¡°promise¡± upon finding Tory. His prediction was absolutely correct. Of course, it would have been better if it was just before catching Tory, but the current situation was not bad. "Did you see? It''s my victory. Loki. No matter how hard you create a situation, I have a way to overcome it." Listening to what Yu-Seong had to say, the silent Loki sent a message as if he had been waiting all this time. -The Joke-loving Prankster laughs. It was a bit strange, though. "Did you just laugh?" Yu-Seong wondered if Loki was proud of him or something. Feeling doubtful, he turned the first rabbit over to look at its tummy, which had no star-shaped dot. He marked it with a pen and anxiously ran toward the second one. Feeling suspicious as he ran toward the second bunny, Yu-Seong quickly flipped it over and marked it as well. There was no star-shaped dot. He was starting to feel anxious. ''Maybe I won¡¯t get through, but the distance between the fields is quite wide, so it will take Mr. Guy a while to come here.¡¯ The ability of the judges in charge of the promotion evaluation widely varied. Some were like monsters jerking around with even the Earth''s S-rank hunters, while others couldn¡¯t even deal with D-rank hunters. ¡®But from the look of Mr. Guy¡­¡¯ Just in time, something ran toward Yu-Seong from beyond the horizon. It kicked up a huge cloud of dust like a whirlwind¡­ The ¡®something¡¯ was no surprising guest. ¡®He¡¯s a monster.¡¯ "Hong hong hong! Player Choi Yu-Seong! How dare you deceive me!" cried Mr. Guy with a gravely hardened expression. He seemed to be speaking quietly, but his voice still rang and rattled Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. Naturally, the rabbits around Yu-Seong also freaked out and started running in all directions. Yu-Seong was surprised, freaking out like the bunnies when he saw Mr.Guy. Still, he continued to check the second rabbit''s belly. ¡®Not this guy either!¡¯ Yu-Seong naturally turned to the third bunny. "Where is he?!¡± As if to disprove that he has been somewhat lucky so far, Yu-Seong was definitely struggling. "Hong hong, although I¡¯ve been careless, I admit that you did surprise me! But if you fail the promotion evaluation, you know, everything would be meaningless after all!" Mr. Guy was just around the corner. He jumped up and flew in the air as if he was a fish swimming in water. During that short time, Yu-Seong barely caught the fourth bunny. A bright smile spread across his face when he lifted the rabbit and realized that his last chance worked out for him after all. -A Joke-loving Prankster is suffering from extremely sour grapes due to the player Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s luck. ¡®Did you see that?! This is the luck of the employee of the Korean game company, no, a son of a conglomerate family!¡¯ Yu-Seong quickly stuck out a bunny at Mr. Guy, who was falling toward him. He yelled, "Tory! I found it first!" Boom-! With a stiff expression, Mr. Guy fell down on the ground with a huge cloud of dust. His facial expression began to twist little by little. Then, his eyes drew a bright smile and his pupils drew a heart. "Oh! My love, cute little Tory! There you are!" Mr. Guy took Tory from Yu-Seong''s hand at once, held it in his arms, and began to rub his cheeks against it. "Hong hong hong¡­!" Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief while looking at Mr. Guy smiling happily. He did manage to find Tory at the very last moment, so he didn¡¯t worry too much. ¡¶Catch the Thief! Difficulty level ++ version You¡¯ve recovered half your lost soul from a very bad, nasty bunny thief (Tory)! Congratulations! Player Choi Yu-Seong will be promoted to D-rank! Promotion reward will be given after settlement through the system. The user¡¯s consciousness will now return to Earth.¡· Yu-Seong did it. While Mr. Guy was arrested for losing his pet bunny, Yu-Seong was delighted to see the golden flashing message. Before he knew it, some vague energy from Tory surrounded him and permeated into him. ''By the way, Mr. Guy, he really seems to care about Tory...'' Apart from that, the white bunny Tory was actually really cute. Mr. Guy looked at Yu-Seong, who was gradually losing consciousness, after taking his eyes off of Tory. He commented, "Wow, the promise of a double-sided mirror? How did you know something that no one has used yet? Well, you''re not in a situation to answer. Anyway, I will never make a promise to you ever again, player Choi Yu-Seong. Since I have been upsettingly beaten by your wit. See you again, player Choi Yu-Seong. Hong Hong." The last thing Yu-Seong heard was Mr. Guy''s rather sulky but warm voice echoing from somewhere. - A Joke-loving Prankster offers a reward with a somewhat happy expression. - The gracious blue-eyed god received his proposal. He thinks for a moment and agrees to the reward. - Under the agreement of the two gods, the hidden... - piece occurs. The Special skill is forcibly passed on to the player Choi Yu-Seong. Following that, there were more messages that Yu-Seong would have been surprised to look at. *** As if he were immersed in deep sleep and was completely relaxed, Yu-Seong''s consciousness slowly rose from a very low place into a higher space. He opened his eyes and looked around, then breathed a sigh of relief. ''It¡¯s my bed. I¡¯m back to the exact place where I first entered the promotion.'' When a player entered the promotion evaluation, the body in the earth disappeared without a trace. After the test, it returned to the location where the player originally entered. What was surprising was the fact that there was no manifestation of any abilities or traces of magic in the process. Some scholars fell into research because they became curious about such miraculous effects, but it had yet to be revealed how the player disappeared and appeared. ¡®Even in the original novel, only a few hints were given.¡¯ It was the movement of consciousness through the system maker¡¯s absolute power. There were two things that could be inferred from this. ¡®First, the promotion evaluation itself took place in a different dimension.¡¯ And secondly, perhaps during the promotion evaluation, the player¡¯s body itself may be hidden somewhere on Earth. Of course, the exact answer was not found. ''Also, in the first place, those above reasons were made by Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and decided to leave the difficult problem behind. ¡®It''s not something I can find out for now, anyways.¡¯ CH 75 Truthfully, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t actually want to know about the distant future either. Like the saying ¡®ignorance is bliss,¡¯ wouldn¡¯t he possibly be in danger if he knew too much about such a secret? After securing a stable position, Yu-Seong''s goal was to live a comfortable life and root for Kim Do-Jin from behind when he saved the Earth. Clearly, he did not want to pay attention to those secrets. Therefore, Yu-Seong turned his attention elsewhere. He opened his cell phone to find out the current date and time. "The date is February 3, 2030. It was around January 28th when I entered the promotion evaluation¡­so about five days have passed. Now I understand why they said the flow of time is unpredictable.¡± Yu-Seong thought the promotion evaluation ended shorter than he expected, but in reality, five days had already passed. "It''s 3 a.m. so everyone should be sleeping by now." Of course, in the meantime, if Yu-Seong made a slightly louder sound, the Jin siblings who were waiting in the room nearby would run into this room urgently. ¡®Do I need to call them?¡¯ Having enough rest was also important for his growth. Yu-Seong did not bother to make any noticeable sounds and opened his cell phone notepad to check what he had written down. He had also written down events that have yet to be recorded due to their relatively low importance. ¡®Now, if I don''t look at the memo pad, I can''t think of anything except the important episodes in the original novel.¡¯ At the very least, it was fortunate that the contents of the novel came to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind as if they had been imprinted when he first became possessed by the novel. Otherwise, he could not have even recorded it properly until now. ¡®Let''s not neglect this habit. This is as important as training.¡¯ A good habit was hard to cultivate but easy to forget. Choi Yu-Seong had no intention to stop this process, even if it was a bit annoying and cumbersome. Anyway, this world was now his reality. And in case the cell phone broke, the contents were backed up on the secret hard drive. As he once said, he thought it was foolish not to write it down just because he was afraid that someone would know his secret. ¡®There¡¯s no point if I forget before the others know.¡¯ Like that, Yu-Seong completed his habitual task, sighed briefly, and sat on the bed. He acted leisurely, but he had important work left to do after having completed the promotion evaluation and was back on Earth. ''Confirm compensation.'' Yu-Seong needed to calm himself down so that he wouldn¡¯t scream from happiness. Therefore, even when he spent time doing this and that, his heart would still pound like a five-year-old child distracted by a Christmas present in front of him. It could not be helped. ¡®The heart when opening the gift box is no different from that of a child or an adult.¡¯ Yu-Seong first opened his status window. ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Age: 21 Series: All-Rounder Rank: E Level: 100 Retention History: 1 Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E, Spearmanship Prodigy E General Skills: Stylish E, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Vision Reinforcement E, Protective Shield E (deleted)-> Physical Strength Reinforcement E, Stamina Reinforcement E Special Skills: Wind Control E, Dancing Electric Doll E, Twin snakes biting their tails E, Magic Spearmanship E++ ¡ú D- Current Deactivation Skill space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite general skills except initial skills.¡» ---------------------- ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Age: 21 Series: All-Rounder Rank: E ¡ú D Level: 1 Retention History: 1 Special Skills: Star Factor Quality D, Fusion D, Spearmanship Prodigy D General Skills: Stylish D, Eye of Replication D, Insight E, Vision Reinforcement D, Physical Strength Reinforcement D, Stamina Reinforcement D Special Skills: Wind Control E(¡ü), Dancing Electric Doll E(¡ü), Twin snakes biting their tails E(¡ü), Magic Spearmanship E++ ¡ú D+(¡ü), Three Talent Mind Control E (added) Current Deactivation Skill space: There are currently 2 spaces left for general skills. Learn and add new skills!¡» Just by looking at the interface window, Yu-Seong definitely noticed the letter D rank that was finally achieved. Above all, after using all the Protective Shield he had stolen by the Eye of Replication, the basic maintenance skills such as Physical Strength Reinforcement, Stamina Reinforcement, and Vision Reinforcement had risen to D rank. He could clearly feel the direct growth of his physical ability. ¡®I felt like I could roughly do 300kg of bench press in terms of muscle strength, but now I feel like I can easily do 400kg.¡¯ The same was true of Vision Reinforcement. ''I deleted it once when I was in a hurry, but it''s good to have it.¡¯ As if confirming that it was D rank, Yu-Seong could see his surroundings rather clearly in the dark. Just in case, he checked the raw video of a car running at about 100km/h on his cell phone. It was slow since it was an ordinary punch, like when Yu-Seong was an ordinary game company¡¯s employee. ¡®Before, 100km/h was like a fist wielded by a martial arts fighter.¡¯ Perhaps this effect would be felt more clearly during an urgent battle. There was no way to check Yu-Seong¡¯s Stamina Reinforcement immediately through any media use for now. ¡®Before, I didn''t have a problem staying up all night for two nights... So, if the growth figures are roughly compared, I may be able to stay up for three nights and feel alright?¡¯ In fact, these physical abilities varied greatly as the level rose. The skill only acted as an additional help aside from the level increase. Therefore, Yu-Seong organized his mind about physical-related skills while leaving his speculation aside. He turned his gaze at the initial abilities that helped him improve until now. ¡®Let''s first take a look at them all¡­¡¯ ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level accelerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (50/100) ¡ú (86/100). D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras. (Added) Current acceleration rate +70% ¡ú +90%¡» ---------------------- ¡ºGeneral Skill, Stylish D Cannot be used with Fusion. Additional effects are applied once the user demonstrates acrobatic and cool actions. Receive additional effects of always-on application due to rank-up. E-rank perks ¨C Increased resilience. D-rank perks ¨C Increased pain tolerance (Added) ¡» ---------------------- ¡ºSpecial Skill, Fusion D Except for the user¡¯s initial skills, it fuses two general skills into a new one. The contents of that created skill may alter depending on the user¡¯s luck. The skills used for fusion cannot be reused. D-rank perks ¨C Increase additional disable skill slots to 5 ¡ú 7 (Added) The user can freely delete or overwrite the skills listed in the unactivated skill slots that can be used for fusion. ¡» ---------------------- ¡ºGeneral Skill, Eye of Replication D Cannot be used for Fusion. When used, a skill with a lower rank is copied by the user. The usage count and capacity of the copied skill varies according to its rank. After copying a skill, this skill cannot be used on the same person for three months. Similarly, recopying the same skill also requires three months. D-rank perks ¨C Increases the number of times and ability coefficients of copied skills.¡» In a way, small but necessary growth had been achieved little by little. ''It''s just my first rank up.¡¯ Yu-Seong left behind some regrets, recalling that little drops make the mighty ocean. ¡®The important thing is¡­¡¯ These special skills with arrows, the ones that still remained in the E-rank¡­ ¡®As expected, it''s the same with the original novel.¡¯ Special skills and general skills ranked up immediately. This was based on the premise that the rank was sufficient when the rank rose due to the player¡¯s own unique ability. However, the general special skills were different. ¡®You need to spend Karma points to grow.¡¯ This was why Yu-Seong thought that he should save some of the Karma points he had collected until recently. ¡®I need to have enough skill points after I upgrade my rank, right?¡¯ Yu-Seong immediately pressed the rank-up button for Wind Control, which was one of his most frequently used skills. - Player Choi Yu-Seong''s special skill, Wind Control E ¡ú Wind Control D This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. The required karma point is 2,500. Would you like to rank up? Y/N Choi Yu-Seong stiffened up slightly after he checked the message. ¡®2,500?¡¯ For now, Yu-Seong''s Karma point was exactly 1,850. ¡®There were originally 2,350 points but¡­¡¯ This figure was achieved with the additional 600 Karma points that had been sponsored by the gods during the dungeon racing. However, the problem was that during the promotion evaluation Yu-Seong had spent 500 karma points to deceive Mr. Guy. Thanks to that, his current Karma points were 1,850. "...falls far too short." It was unfortunate, but it still wasn¡¯t a big problem. Considering the ability of Wind Control, Yu-Seong could understand why it required this many Karma points. ¡®Because powerful skills consume more Karma points¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong thought that he could raise other skills, and checked the second skill and other additional skills. He then muttered, "...Is this for real? The cheapest¡ªTwin snakes biting their tails¡ªis 1,900." Yu-Seong¡¯s special skills were very powerful, but he still found this situation unfair. He did try very hard to save Karma points. ¡®Is this not a time to cheer for joy? Instead, I have to go hunting right away and somehow get more sponsorship?¡¯ For a while, Yu-Seong grinned in disappointment. ''Wait a second, what was the reward for the promotion¡­?'' Suddenly, Yu-Seong''s gaze turned to the special skill ¡®Three Talent Mind Control E¡¯. ¡ºSpecial Skill, Three Talent Mind Control E Cannot be used for Fusion. It''s a basic mana breathing technique that anyone in the Murim world has heard. When the skill is invoked in a sitting position, the maximum mana constantly increases. Skill invocation is automatically canceled when moving or speaking. If you use the skill in other postures, you can inject mana into the weapon to increase its strength. Perks are given if the rank is raised. You are the 168th person on Earth to acquire mana breathing skills. Special ¡ï There is a blessing of a special god.¡» "Wow...! This is awesome! Is this really a reward from the promotion evaluation?" After cheering out loud, Yu-Seong''s expression naturally hardened. ¡®You think you can let it slide this easily after putting me through all that hard work, huh?¡¯ CH 76 Of course, Yu-Seong was aware that the mana breathing skill itself was quite rare. It was considered a great ability in the world. The ability seemed to be insignificant right now, but the difference between those who possessed the ability and those who didn¡¯t only grew greater as the rank rose. Thus, it was also true that Yu-Seong considered it as a skill that he had to acquire someday. ¡®Well, it¡¯s true that the sooner I get it, the better it is.¡¯ Anyway, the sooner Yu-Seong obtained it, the better it was. That was because the maximum mana continued to increase without any cost of money or ability. "Honestly, Loki. But isn''t this too much?¡± Yu-Seong talked to himself, but there was no answer. ¡®If I suffered that much, wouldn¡¯t it be reasonable for the skill to be as powerful as the most powerful breathing skills of the Murim gods such as Cheonma-gong, Taeguk Ilgi-gong, Cheon Ji-gong, or at least a skill just below that level? But¡­Three Talent Mind Control? Isn¡¯t this the most basic breathing skill?¡¯ Yu-Seong almost spat out his thoughts out loud, and that would not have been good. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead angrily. ¡®Yeah, well, at least I obtained a breathing skill in my D-rank.¡¯ It was better than nothing. And as previously mentioned, it was unconditionally beneficial to obtain a breathing skill as quickly as possible. ¡®At least the Three Talent Mind Control is the breathing skill that hardly has any side effects when changed to other mana breathing skills in the future. He must have handed out such skill so that I could take time and grow step by step. But if I see Loki in person someday, I¡¯ll grab him by the lapels of his coat and slap him on the cheek.¡¯ Above all, Yu-Seong had considerable expectations for the special message regarding the god''s blessing. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not just an ordinary Three Talent Mind Control method. There might be a great secret hidden within it, which could become incredibly strong¡­ Just like in a martial arts novel, right?¡¯ Yu-Seong had some disappointment due to his initial anticipation. He invoked the Three Talent Mind Control skill. The blue energy moved as if it were drawn from the surroundings, and flew into him through his nose and mouth. ¡®This is how mana breathing feels like¡­¡¯ This ability was often transmitted by the martial arts gods and was often called the inner core method. It was certainly a unique skill. Yu-Seong felt peaceful, refreshed, and relaxed. His tense expression gradually softened¡­before he heard a sudden crack coming from somewhere. ¡®All of a sudden?¡¯ At the same time, the leisurely swimming manas within Yu-Seong began to scarily rush toward somewhere. For a moment, Yu-Seong could see exactly where his mana was headed. ¡®A bracelet?¡¯ The mana ran arbitrarily toward the gray bracelet that Choi Mi-Na had given Yu-Seong, flooding it entirely. The dark bracelet suddenly glowed with a colorful light that was mixed with red and blue. The lights began forming a letter in front of Yu-Seong''s eyes. ¡®What the heck¡­¡¯ For a while, Yu-Seong was surprised by the unexpected changes and the unknown letters. The swirling text rapidly rushed right in between his eyebrows. ¡®Ughhh-!¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to scream, but no sound escaped from his mouth. Feeling confused, he thought he heard the ringing of bells or wooden clapping from somewhere. He followed that sound before his mind became hazy. ¡®Again?¡¯ Even before he questioned whether was going to faint again, a colorful message flashed in front of Yu-Seong with a light. - A Joke-loving Prankster sent a direct message to the player Choi Yu-Seong, saying, "Be grateful, you ignorant fool. I¡¯ve worked vastly hard for a long time to give you this reward." Of course, Yu-Seong had already lost consciousness by then. He couldn¡¯t reply. *** When Yu-Seong opened his eyes again, the bright morning sun blinded him. "Um... it¡¯s about 12:15." Yu-Seong habitually checked the time after waking up. Then, he smiled bitterly after he checked his right arm. He felt very empty, because the bracelet he had worn every day despite its unknown effect had disappeared. ¡®So, I still don¡¯t even know the name of this.¡¯ However, it did seem to have an effect. ¡®Since Loki sent me a message at the end¡­¡¯ The bracelet¡¯s skill wouldn¡¯t be a normal one. Therefore, this time, Yu-Seong opened the system interface window to check the special skill column with an excited face. He was like a child receiving Christmas gifts. No other skills were in sight. ¡®This is it.¡¯ There was a newly added special skill! ¡ºSpecial Skill, The God¡¯s Chakra E Cannot be used for Fusion. The hidden potential in the skill was released by the remnants of a royal god. All the mana¡¯s of the player Choi Yu-Seong are replaced with chakras. The skill is constantly working on the player¡¯s body. This increases the absolute capacity of the chakra. This effect also applies when speaking or moving in an unconscious state. The current chakra 730/730 has been replaced by player Choi Yu-Seong. Daily growth rate + 1. Applying D-rank, the first chakra is released. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. D rank ¨C Muladhara Chakra.[1] With Muladhara Chakra applied, the physical abilities of the player Choi Yu-Seong will increase to the same level as those of the physical-type player. Special ¡ï The application of God''s Chakra further enhances the effect of Muladhara Chakra. If the rank rises, the second chakra wakes up. You are the eighth person on earth to acquire chakra skills.¡» Yu-Seong¡¯s jaw dropped wide open. ¡®What is this, Chakra?¡¯ For a moment, Yu-Seong was confused. It seemed to be an ability different from the martial arts skills that the main character Kim Do-Jin would learn in the near future. ¡®Is it the skill from an Indian god? But I thought Loki was the one who gave me this skill.¡¯ Yu-Seong took a while to calmly organize his thoughts. ¡®I would have seen it in the original novel if it''s a considerably special ability.¡¯ This was a problem of human memory. If he didn¡¯t write it down, Yu-Seong would have forgotten all about it. The feeling of frustration was only temporary, and his eyes sparkled soon enough. "Anyway, this skill is crazy." As its name suggested, the skill would actually suit the main character Kim Do-jin rather than Choi Yu-Seong, who was the villain. No, in a way, Yu-Seong had just acquired a skill that even Kim Do-jin could not obtain in the original novel. "God''s Chakra, huh?" Yu-Seong somehow felt very proud of himself. ''This is amazing.¡¯ The skill was clearly as good as the ShinGongJeolHak, which was considered the best martial arts in the martial arts world¡ªfar above the other clumsy skills. "Wow..." Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help saying words of admiration. - A Joke-loving Prankster became snobby. - The Oldest Hunter looks at the player Choi Yu-Seong with a proud expression. - Culann¡¯s Hound cheers for the player Choi Yu-Seong. - The gracious blue-eyed god nods. He sent a direct message to the player Choi Yu-Seong, ¡®I look forward to the day I return again.¡¯ He gently leaves the player. As always, the gods¡¯ messages poured out. This time, there was one more god along with the three familiar names. "The gracious blue-eyed god?" Yu-Seong did not see the first message that came to mind at the end of the promotion evaluation, so he briefly tilted his head at the new name of the god. ¡®Why did he leave? The gracious blue-eyed god...'' After pondering for a moment, Yu-Seong jumped out of his seat and freaked out. "Oh, my God! God''s chakra! The gracious blue-eyed god!" The shout was so loud that it rang throughout the room. Naturally, Jin Do-Yoon, who was guarding the door of Yu-Seong''s room, rushed in. He called out, "Young master!" The fact that Jin Do-Yoon was here meant that he also passed the promotion evaluation and had reached the A-rank. However, for now, Yu-Seong had no time to care about him. "Wait, let me think for a moment." Yu-Seong sat back in his place and was lost in thought. He could not prevent his heart from pounding. ''Oh, my God. I see. The gray bracelet...it was a piece of the god of Destruction.¡¯ All the pieces of the puzzle came together in Yu-Seong''s head. Choi Mi-Na''s present had been a piece of the god of Destruction. In the original novel, it was an ancient relic used by S-rank villain, Dalsim. The problem was that, in the original [Modern Master Returns], it came out as a simple tool to strengthen the ability of Chakra, and the Villain Dalsim was an insignificant character who died in vain. ¡®Nevertheless, Kim Do-Jin took the pieces of the god of Destruction as if they were very important tools.¡¯ Though, the first chapters did not cover the foreshadowing items until the novel ended. In fact, this part of the story was not very important since it was only a small episode which Yu-Seong had forgotten about. However, its importance and significance would become apparent once the gracious blue-eyed god¡¯s name was revealed. In fact, by just looking at the nickname alone, which may feel quite good and kind, the gracious blue-eyed god was a god reminiscent of an angel. However, there was another exact nickname that referred to him, and that nickname was quite far from a holy and benevolent vibe. ¡®The god of Destruction.¡¯ Therefore, the power with his blessing had been passed on to Yu-Seong by connecting with the god of destruction¡¯s sculpture. What was the meaning behind this? ¡®Chakra is deeply related to Hinduism. And if it¡¯s called the god of Destruction¡­¡¯ In other words, the gracious blue-eyed god was Shiva, one of the three Hindu gods. Shiva had left after he confirmed that his skills had been safely transferred to Yu-Seong. It wasn''t because his interest had disappeared. ¡®He said he was looking forward to the day he¡¯ll return again.¡¯ Shiva would come back. However, he simply thought that Yu-Seong was not important enough for him to devote all of his attention yet. ''He is somehow arrogant, but that''s understandable.¡¯ Although it was said to be one of the three gods, Shiva''s combat power was actually more powerful than Brahma, the creator god in Hinduism. In fact, there was a familiar tale that Shiva could fight against the union of all the Hindu gods and it would still be an equal match. ¡®No matter how much Loki was worshiped highly in Northern Europe, if he and Shiva did a 1:1 battle, he would fly to the other side of the world after Shiva raised one of his fists.¡¯ Of course, it was quite an exaggerated opinion, but for some reason, Yu-Seong imagined that scenario with a certain level of glee. In any case, Shiva gave God''s Chakra skill as a reward for the promotion evaluation and had made sufficient Karma point investment in Yu-Seong. It was not just Shiva who had worked hard to make this skill. Loki had also joined in. ¡®No, would it be more right to say that Loki called Shiva from the beginning, knowing that I had a piece of the god of Destruction?¡¯ Trying to discover the logic behind this entire situation, Yu-Seong¡¯s head spun with many rapid thoughts. ¡®It¡¯s no wonder that the promotion evaluation was too difficult for just an E-rank¡­¡¯ Loki and Shiva¡ªthe collaboration between the two gods was not something Yu-Seong could understand at all, but he could tell that the rewards were exceedingly generous. ¡®So why would he even say that I wouldn¡¯t regret going back to normal difficulty and give up the reward?¡¯ Fortunately, Yu-Seong did not make such a foolish mistake in the past. ¡®Loki, now I definitely know that you¡¯re not honest.¡¯ Loki seemed to enjoy bullying Yu-Seong quite a bit, but he had also prepared such a big gift for Yu-Seong. Obviously, this had to be his way of increasing his stake over Yu-Seong, but if it wasn''t for his willingness to help Choi Yu-Seong, he wouldn''t have come this far. "Thank you, Loki." "Sorry?" Jin Do-yoon replied to Yu-Seong¡¯s mumbling. - A Joke-loving Prankster snorts at the player Choi Yu-Seong. Then, Loki sent a message. 1. It was originally written as Mooladhara Chakra but google research shows muladhara chakra ? CH 77 Jin Do-Yoon still looked suspicious when he saw the message. Yu-Seong simply smiled, shook his hand, and checked his cell phone again. ¡®It¡¯s 12:30, not a bad time to go to the gym.¡¯ Once a new ability was gained, it had to be utilized for it to become completely his. For the first time in a long time, Yu-Seong felt a desire for training, so he was about to open his mouth to tell Do-Yoon. Then, he suddenly froze. ¡®A text message?¡¯ To be exact, it was a message sent to Coconut Talk. Yu-Seong never looked at most of those messages properly, but the name that popped up on the screen could not be ignored. He asked, "Do-Yoon, does my father know how to use Coconut Talk?" "I heard that he uses it from time to time," answered Do-Yoon. "Umm..." At least it was not a spam message. Looking back, Yu-Seong never received it himself, but there was information that Choi Woo-Jae was quite good at handling new technologies. ¡®And Kim Do-Jin sent a coconut talk message a few days ago.¡¯ Before opening Choi Woo-Jae''s message, Yu-Seong checked Do-Jin¡¯s message briefly. The content of the message had a video and some Internet articles. ¡®I''m not interested. I''ll reply later. It''s nice to be quiet these days.'' Yu-Seong casually ignored the message. Do-Jin would have rolled his eyes if he found out. Subsequently, Yu-Seong read Choi Woo-Jae''s message, which was a short and sweet one. -Father: Do you have a gift you want? Choi Yu-Seong briefly agonized over the message that delighted him. ¡®Obviously there''s a lot I want to get as a gift.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong shouldn''t ask for too much nor too little. In a way, Choi Woo-Jae''s question was both easy and difficult to answer. Yu-Seong slightly scratched his cheeks and wrote exactly what he needed. Then, he sent the message to Woo-Jae. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t ignore him after reading his message.¡¯ Yu-Seong confirmed that his reply had been sent to Woo-Jae in the Coconut Talk app. He then rose from bed and asked, "Jin Do-Yoon, you''re an A-rank now, right?" "Yes." "What''s your schedule for today?" "I don¡¯t have much planned," answered Do-Yoon. Perhaps he read Yu-Seong''s thoughts roughly, because he was soon saying with a smile, "I guess you got a good reward from the promotion evaluation." "Yeah, a pretty good one." "Then..." ¡°Don¡¯t do your best against a D-rank beginner, but let¡¯s warm up moderately,¡± said Yu-Seong. "I should be careful not to get too excited,¡± said Do-Yoon. Laughing and chatting, the two men naturally headed for the hunter-only gym. *** Fortunately, the gym was empty for about six hours. Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Do-Yoon rented the entire building and changed into their usual uniforms. They warmed up lightly by exchanging hands and feet. During this moderately-paced process, Do-Yoon smiled and said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re in a good condition.¡± "Do I look so? I think I''m definitely lighter thanks to the promotion effect. Shall we get started?¡± said Yu-Seong. "Yes, sir." After warming up for about an hour, Yu-Seong held a training wooden stick and Jin Do-Yoon raised his body obliquely with two fists. At first glance, one could be reminded of a kickboxing posture after observing Jin Do-Yoon''s fighting style, which had him putting both feet neatly back and forth, but it was actually far from sports with such set rules. ¡®Instead, it''s very instinctive.¡¯ Do-Yoon¡¯s style of fighting was rough and ferocious, with no hesitation. It was essential that the movement of the body was very anomalous. In general, even the areas that were seldom struck would be hit without hesitation. Still, during the confrontation with Yu-Seong, Do-Yoon seemed to be suppressing his movements. Then, in the middle of the battle, he started to clearly strike out with his hands and feet. ¡®There was a time when he tried to bite me with his teeth.¡¯ It felt somewhat threatening, but Yu-Seong really enjoyed the battle with Jin Do-Yoon. ¡®It¡¯s good practice to gain the sense of actual fighting. It''s a bonus that most of the potential monster¡¯s threatening vibe becomes nothing from this practice too.'' If there were skills such as immunity regarding the threatening vibe, Yu-Seong would have naturally become a D-rank by now. Today''s battle was no different. Actually, it was rougher than before. Even though Jin Do-Yoon showed as much restraint as possible after becoming an A-ranked player, he still stabbed Yu-Seong fiercely and sharply during battle. Yu-Seong, when looking into Do-Yoon¡¯s eyes during a practice battle, could already feel his body stiffening up. ¡®It''s not as terrifying as Rachel''s threatening vibe¡­¡¯ Considering that Jin Do-Yoon was not doing his best in the first place, it was clearly proof that he had made great progress due to his promotion. ¡®He''s an unusually strong player amongst those within the same ranking in the first place.¡¯ Do-Yoon was not an Irregular, but by ordinary standards, he was a talented person who could handle two or three hunters of the same rank alone. Likewise, it was because of the efforts he put in and the talent he already had. In that sense, there was something strange about it. ''Jin Do-Yoon is still strong, for sure.¡¯ Despite Do-Yoon using less strength upon considering Yu-Seong''s lower ranking, Yu-Seong still found it difficult to even stop him and find a chance to counterattack. From fighting intensely, there were moments when his vision was blurred from the sweat dripping down his eyebrows. Still, for some reason, he felt less burdened than before the promotion evaluation. ¡®I became a D-ranker, and Jin Do-Yoon became an A-ranker. Our gap would still remain the same¡­¡¯ For some reason, Yu-Seong felt like the gap had become slightly smaller. He was not the only one who felt that way. During the fast-running battle, Jin Do-Yoon stretched his hand, grabbed Yu-Seong''s stick, and jumped into the air as if he were performing a stunt. Few of Yu-Seong¡¯s hairs were pulled out as he bowed his head and swung the stick at Jin Do-Yoon''s ankle. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡®What happened? I''m sure the young master is just D-rank, level 1¡­¡¯ Jin Do-Yoon then remembered that Yu-Seong clearly had a somewhat unique aspect within the same E-rank. In fact, after the E-rank 50 level, Yu-Seong had shown a stronger combat power than other average D-rank players. But even so, D-rank and C-rank were very much different. There was a saying in the hunter''s world that ¡®There''s a thin line between E-rank and D-rank¡­¡¯. But in reality, it was extremely hard to overcome the difference between the D-rank and the C-rank. It was like going beyond one great stage. As if to prove it, there were quite a few hunters up to the D-rank around the world, but the number of C-rank hunters and above were less than half that number. About six out of 10 D-rank Max-level hunters remained in the same rank and level forever. That was because they couldn¡¯t pass the general difficulty level promotion evaluation. This was the gap that existed, causing such a difference in numbers. However, Do-Yoon could feel the gap closing during this battle with Yu-Seong. ¡®He''s gotten this strong after going up by one rank?¡¯ Of course, when discussing the world''s top five strongest hunters, there was a story about a hunter named William Rothschild, who was in the D-rank when he won over the two or three C-rank hunters alone. However, it was just an urban legend that was full of rumors. In fact, there were very few people who confirmed this story, making this an unbelievable myth. ''If the story is true, the young master¡¯s on the same level as such a monster.¡¯ Even if the story remained a mere myth, Yu-Seong¡¯s growth was clearly beyond the level that Jin Do-Yoon could imagine. While Do-Yoon was happier with Yu-Seong''s growth than anyone else, he also felt suspicious about the unbelievable situation. Do-Yoon grabbed Yu-Seong''s wooden stick with one hand, roughly tearing the air, and asked while feeling the pain in his palms, "Did you raise your level after the promotion evaluation?" "No way. I woke up for the first time yesterday morning,¡± answered Yu-Seong. Do-Yoon knew that for a fact. Nevertheless, the reason why he had no choice but to ask was because of Yu-Seong¡¯s unbelievable growth. From the short conversation, Yu-Seong was convinced of one fact. Jin Do-Yoon shared the thoughts that he kept to himself. With a smile, he then asked Do-Yoon, "Jin Do-Yoon. Can you raise your tension a little more?¡± "It''s possible, but it might get a little dangerous." So far, Do-Yoon had refrained from his lycanthropic ability to become a wolf as much as possible. Once he became a werewolf, it would become many times harder to suppress his reflexive battle instincts. "I don''t care, so raise it more," said Yu-Seong. Despite the danger, he wanted to check. He needed confidence in the growth that was happening within him. He also had some clarity regarding why he became so much stronger with only one raise of rank. ¡®God''s Chakra.¡¯ The new skill was always applied to Yu-Seong and made his physical ability no different from an ordinary physical type player. ¡®Actually, the special effects made me stronger than a physical player of the same rank and level as me.¡¯ When he first saw the message, Yu-Seong didn''t think too much. Although he was an all-rounder type player, which was a rather ambiguous type, he had no reason to be dissatisfied with his physical ability. After all, he had become much stronger and agile than when he was a normal person. However, the feeling was completely different when the God''s Chakra was activated with the stylish skill as well. ¡®I mean, talented physical type players like Jin Do-Yoon live in a world like this.¡¯ It was a whole other level. There was a reason that the ordinary all-rounder type players were called ambiguous, with no specialties. While Yu-Seong was organizing his thoughts, Do-Yoon groaned and also fell into agony. "Um..." "Don''t worry too much. How do you feel about me?¡± said Yu-Seong. "In fact, it''s safe to say that you''re above the state of D-rank level 50. This is my estimation from the talent I¡¯ve witnessed when you¡¯re E-rank. But, you know, this is all quite absurd¡­¡± said Do-Yoon. "That''s enough. I don''t have to doubt how good your instincts are," said Yu-Seong. In terms of simple intuition, Do-Yoon''s instinct was as good as Kim Do-Jin''s. That was why Yu-Seong could believe Do-Yoon¡¯s evaluation. "So, don''t worry and try to do it. You have to learn to control that wildness to a certain extent. If I''m the only one trained by this sparring, there''s no point. Most of all, I''m not fully showing my power yet either,¡± said Yu-Seong. As the Dalian was becoming more intense, more and more additional effects were being added to the stylish skill. Actually, Yu-Seong had not even developed skills related to the psychic type yet. ¡®No. If I really want to see it clearly¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong had to use insight, which only had four uses left. He activated the skill¡ªalthough he wanted to save it as much as possible¡ªand his eyes became blue-naturalized. ¡®Now, the number of trials remaining is three.¡¯ It was a shame, but its usage was a necessity. ¡®It is necessary to know my current state clearly.¡¯ As seen from the famous saying of Chungmugong, ¡¯If you know both your enemy and yourself, you will never be defeated.¡¯, Yu-Seong thought it was also important to grasp his limitations. Naturally, rough hairs began to sprout on Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s arms. CH 78 Do-Yoon¡¯s sharp fangs emerged, revealing themselves from his neat rows of teeth. His gaze also turned fierce. The transformation was not yet complete, but certain distinct changes could already be seen. "All right." "I''ll go now," said Do-Yoon. He uttered a low, animal cry as he jumped toward Yu-Seong. Although only a part of him had been transformed into a wolf, he appeared to be at least twice as fast as before. Choi Yu-Seong could still read the movement with Insight, avoiding Do-Yoon¡¯s attack perfectly and only with a single step. ¡®Oh, my goodness.¡¯ Yu-Seong was astonished. His clothes were torn from Do-Yoon¡¯s following kick, but he couldn¡¯t believe that he had avoided the very first attack. No matter how much he thought about it, he was in complete disbelief. ¡®This is certainly a skill of god, the God''s Chakra!¡¯ Indeed, it was no exaggeration to say that Shiva, the strongest combat god of Hinduism, had blessed the skill himself. In fact, the later battles were somewhat one-sided. Do-yoon, who had turned into the wolf, fought fiercely. On the other hand, Yu-Seong poured out all of the skills and power he could, but he only succeeded in slightly touching Do-Yoon¡¯s clothes. Eventually, in less than five minutes, while exchanging quick attacks and defenses, Yu-Seong''s clothes became rags and he had gained quite a few scratches and wounds on his toned body. However, Do-Yoon did not stop and Yu-Seong did not shout to quit. It was only eight minutes later that Yu-Seong stepped back. He had missed the stick that he was struggling to hold with both hands. He yelled, "That''s enough! That''s it!" Jin Do-Yoon came to an immediate stop, no longer running wild like a beast. Noticing this, he realized that his earlier worries had all been for naught. ¡®When I heard the young master''s voice, I could immediately control myself.¡¯ Do-Yoon quickly became human again, and approached Yu-Seong. "Are you all right, young master? I''ll apply medication for you right away.¡± "...huff...huff¡­¡± Yu-Seong couldn''t answer, because he was breathing so hard. He closed his eyes and nodded. Despite being short, the battle did push him to his limits. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong was now certain about how strong he had become. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s already the best among the D-rank players.¡¯ It was ridiculous to think that Yu-Seong, who had just advanced to D-rank, was already the best in that rank from the start. However, it wasn¡¯t impossible. After all, Kim Do-Jin was already a C-rank player at this point. ¡®I was just trying to survive... but I¡¯ve come all the way here.¡¯ It did feel strange, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. In fact, it even felt slightly pleasant. "Huff... huff..." "You may misunderstand because of the gap between our ranks, but the skills you performed were amazing," said Do-Yoon while Yu-Seong tried to breathe easy. He applied disinfectants and lotions to prevent scars all over Yu-Seong. He voiced his thoughts as if worried that Yu-Seong might be disappointed. ¡®No, I''m not disappointed, Do-Yoon. I''m very happy.¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to offer an answer, but he couldn¡¯t even speak. He was really out of breath. "It''s not a joke or a sugar coated statement. I once told you that I think you are the strongest among the E-rank players I know, remember?" said Do-Yoon. Perhaps from excitement or being uncertain of Yu-Seong¡¯s feelings, his face began to turn red. ''Of course I remember.¡¯ Yu-Seong had received that compliment not long after he was possessed, and that had been before he even took the hunter test. His improvement thus far was undeniable. ''It''s been a short time, less than half a year.¡¯ There was still a long way to go, but Yu-Seong was satisfied with his journey so far. The results were pleasing. "At that time, I excluded Kim Do-Jin when I said that. In fact, I didn''t even know him well when he was in E-rank," said Do-Yoon. Then, he went on to mention an unexpected person. "I''ve seen a few videos of Kim Do-Jin fighting when he was in D-rank. Even for me, it was amazing.¡± "That... Whoo¡­¡± As soon as Yu-Seong tried to say¡ª¡®Isn''t that too much?¡¯¡ªhe once again lost his breath. "I think... Maybe you are stronger than Kim Do-Jin when he was in D-rank. You may not understand what this means..." continued Do-Yoon. Actually, Yu-Seong was very well aware of this. "Maybe, within 10 years, you¡¯d be called the world''s best hunter. You''re going to go beyond the chairman, Choi Woo-Jae. Do you understand?¡± Yu-Seong was very well aware of this too. ¡®But he''s saying something very unfavorable.¡¯ The title of ¡®the world''s strongest player¡¯ was not actually a bad thing for Yu-Seong. It meant that he had acquired the necessary ability to protect himself as he desired. However, if he had such a title, how would the people look at Yu-Seong when disasters appeared on this earth someday and the devil came down for a visit? ¡®People would expect me to somehow step up and stop the disasters.¡¯ If Yu-Seong turned a blind eye, people would blame him. Maybe someone would hate him enough to chase him down and assassinate him. Yu-Seong got goosebumps just from imagining the situation. "I''m so proud of you. People in the world should know more about you and your skills, young master." "No... They don''t have to know that much,¡± said Yu-Seong. Jin Do-Yoon looked suspicious for a moment, wondering about Yu-Seong¡¯s true intention. Then, he nodded as if he understood. "Are you choosing to be a hidden dragon again this time? Well, I understand that you need to be careful until you''re fully grown. I''ll be absolutely careful and keep this quiet. Of course, but if something happens to harm you, young master, I am ready to risk my life and..." "You don''t have to¡­ Just be careful," said Yu-Seong with a smile. He didn¡¯t have the strength to speak too much and clear up Do-Yoon¡¯s misunderstanding. Above all, there was one thing that everyone in the world was mistaken about. ¡®They think that they know everything about Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ For reference, Kim Do-Jin usually used a sword and acted as if he were a physical type player. However, in reality, it was completely different. ¡®He''s¡­an extremely gifted all-rounder player.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin was the ruler of the world who mastered both magic and swordsmanship. Therefore, his type shown in the system window was an all-rounder type. And yet, why was he stronger than any other physical type players? The moment Yu-Seong got the god¡¯s Chakra skill, he had a single thought. ¡®It''s called the skill of the main character.¡¯ This particular thought came about in a simple way. Kim Do-Jin had been dealing with the power that Yu-Seong had gained by acquisition of god''s Chakra, without any penalties, due to his specialized skill ¡®being genius¡¯ since the beginning of the novel. In fact, at this point, Kim Do-Jin could use magic. He was just choosing to not use it to hide that fact. ¡®He is hiding his magic skill to use it as a secret weapon.'' Yu-Seong broke Do-Jin''s record at the Goblin Fortress. ¡®But that¡¯s because Kim Do-Jin hadn¡¯t mastered magic back then.¡¯ And even if Do-Jin could use magic, he would not have used it. Perhaps roughly a year from now he would continue to hide the fact that he could use magic. ¡®People would eventually find out, but¡­¡¯ In any case, comparing himself to Kim Do-Jin¡ªthe protagonist of such an extraordinary returnee¡ªwas nonsense. ¡®It¡¯s up to Kim Do-Jin to protect the Earth. For me, I just want to be known as a moderately strong player, root for him behind the scenes, and live a moderate and safe life.¡¯ Yu-Seong hoped that he would just keep improving and growing without attracting too much attention from others. ¡®How much should I adjust to avoid excessive misunderstandings like those of Jin Do-Yoon?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong had his own goal and boundaries. ¡®Having just enough dignity that would be hard for others to look down on, but encounter dangerous situations very rarely.¡¯ In this way, Yu-Seong was just like his father, Choi Woo-Jae. Well, but for now, he had to bust his ass and do more than just adjust. While doing so, he had to occasionally disappoint the people around him to manage their expectations. ¡®That would be best for me.¡¯ In fact, even though it was a difficult goal, Yu-Seong was still in a position to move forward without any hesitation. Of course, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that his goal and desire could be met. Suddenly, a thought flashed within Yu-Seong¡¯s mind like lightning. ''Oh, wait, but isn¡¯t the god¡¯s Chakra skill a branch of the mana breathing technique? If it goes well¡­I might be able to do something quite fun.¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to live in moderation. In other words, he really didn''t have any expectations for this to come true. *** Thanks to technological developments, Choi Woo-Jae had a cell phone that could usually be worn on his wrist like a watch. He switched to a wide screen and checked the messenger called Coconut Talk. He soon burst into laughter. "Hahaha¡­!" "Chairman?" Kim Pil-Doo, who was next to Choi Woo-Jae, asked with a surprised look. "Oh, well. I thought I forgot how to smile brightly, but there are plenty of fun things to smile about, no? I laugh so much these days, too,¡± said Woo-Jae. "It''s a good thing. But may I ask what''s going on?¡± asked Pil-Doo. "You know, I recently played golf with the old man, Baek." "Yes, I heard you went to see him while you were on a business trip." "That''s right. I went and asked old man Baek, ¡®The ninth child is so cute these days. What kind of gift should I give him?¡¯ Then, he answered in anger, ¡®Why are you asking me and not the person who will receive the present?¡¯ It was a silly question but a wise answer," said Woo-Jae. ¡°That sounds like what Mr. Baek would say," said Pil-Doo. "Oh, I agreed with him. I then asked the kid what he wanted in a cell phone message earlier." Kim Pil-Doo''s eyes became sharp. Choi Woo-Jae''s suggestion seemed like a simple matter, but it was by no means easy to please him. If Yu-Seong wished for a disappointingly small reward, or if he wished for more than what he had done, that rigid old man would burst out in anger and give punishment instead of a gift. However, looking at Choi Woo-Jae''s reaction, Pil-Doo guessed that Yu-Seong seemed to have pinpointed the appropriate middle ground. "Do you know what the answer was?" asked Woo-Jae. "Did he ask for a person?" said Pil-Doo. In general, Choi Woo-Jae cared about talented people, so he usually enjoyed the above answer. That was why Pil-Doo had made that guess. However, Woo-Jae laughed and said something unexpected, "He asked for some pocket money." "...what?" "So, it¡¯s true that there''s nothing like pocket money to praise a good kid. That''s why I had to start laughing. Haha...!" chuckled Woo-Jae. "As far as I know, there is quite a lot of money in Master Yu-Seong''s personal bank account," said Pil-Doo. "What a fool! Even if you have a lot of money, you would need more and more. If there¡¯s such a thing as ¡®enough money¡¯, why would we be sitting here and doing such a thing like ¡®thinking¡¯?¡± "This time, for my silly question, you, Chairman, have given me a wise answer,¡± said Pil-Doo. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. "Secretary Kim, you take good care of this. Enough amount for a gift in my name.¡± "Yes, sir." Now, Pil-Doo was also put to the test. Choi Woo-Jae was a person who would easily take Kim Pil-Doo''s authority away if he made a mistake with the amount. Therefore, Kim Pil-Doo''s daily life was close to him walking on the blade¡¯s edge every day, but he still wanted to remain in his position. ¡®Since I wouldn¡¯t learn anything from afar.¡¯ Pil-Doo couldn¡¯t look away, either. "Go on. You can leave now." "Then I''ll see you tomorrow, Chairman." Choi Woo-Jae smiled and waved while Kim Pil-Doo bowed his head, stepped down, and left the office full of books. As soon as he opened the office door, he encountered the person¡ªwho he recently came across often¡ªstanding right in front of his nose. He said, "The second lady, you are here. The chairman is inside." "I know. No need to tell me." Choi Woo-Jae smiled at Choi Mi-Na, who casually stood up and passed by Pil-Doo who was bowing his head. He said, "Oh, you''re here." Mi-Na had recently become one of the few people in the family who made Choi Woo-Jae laugh. It was surprising to think about the small rebellions that she had shown so far and the reactions she got out of her father. CH 79 Choi Woo-Jae''s power in the family was absolute. For this reason, when most of the family members stood in front of him, they had to walk on eggshells. The sharp words he spoke would only cause the family member¡¯s heads to fall low and go numb. In fact, Choi Mi-Na was the only one who deviated from that behavior. That naturally earned her the jealousy and envy of many siblings. Sometimes, they became angry at her due to their inferiority complex. Thanks to this, and her arrogant personality which clearly resembled Choi Woo-Jae, Choi Mi-Na had become a loner in the whole family. ¡®If you are jealous, why don¡¯t you just work hard and do better? They can do nothing but choose to backstab¡­ Just go out to the dungeon, hunt, and train.¡¯ Choi Mi-Na didn''t filter her thoughts, and she also spoke arrogantly. In fact, she had surprised Choi Woo-Jae more than once because of that. ¡®She''s my daughter, but I agree that she''s persistent.¡¯ From a young age, even before she became a player, Choi Mi-Na was the only child who talked back to Woo-Jae and sometimes refused to listen. The biggest incident that had happened was when Choi Woo-Jae had tried to send Choi Mi-Na to the U.S. to study. She had refused to leave Korea just because she didn''t want to go abroad. She had even asked why she had to leave when she was good at studying anyway. Choi Woo-Jae had scolded her at that time, but Mi-Na¡¯s reaction had been very different from his other children. If it were like his other children, she would have dropped her head from the slight scolding. However, she had insisted until the very end and cried that she would not go abroad even if she had to die. Back then, Choi Woo-Jae had been so angry that he took away all of her authority, money, and cards, and had kicked her out of the house. Mi-Na had only been left with clothes, shoes, and the bag that she had at the time. She had also been completely broke. The interesting thing here was that Choi Mi-Na had simply spat at the front door while crying, shouting that she would not live in this disrespectful house. She had then turned her back and left the neighborhood. Choi Mi-Na had gone on to sell the limited-edition sneakers that she usually wore to raise funds to buy new sneakers, which turned out to be another limited-edition pair that she had to stay in line for 12 hours during a cold winter morning. However, the most surprising thing was that she had hired about ten foreigners who had low labor costs with the money she had gotten from selling her original pair of limited-edition sneakers. Then, she had them stand in line with her and had eventually gotten her hands on three pairs of limited-edition sneakers, which she easily resold afterward. ¡®She left without a penny but deposited 800 won in her bank account in three days.¡¯ With that money in her bank account, Mi-Na had gone on to start an illegal street business. She had set up the stall right next to those who had been lining up in the cold to buy the limited-edition shoes. The daughter of a conglomerate group had become the owner of an illegal street stall! So what did she, the princess who never did harsh work in her life, sell? She had sold the fish cake soup that she had learned to make from a Newtube video. Also, despite being a minor back then, she had even secretly bought and sold alcohol. On any ordinary day, a glass of soju with some hot fish cake soup wasn¡¯t anything special. However, due to it being in the middle of winter, the business had turned out to be quite successful. It also did help that Choi Mi-Na was rather beautiful. If her story had finished here, Choi Woo-Jae would have just clicked his tongue and thought that Mi-Na would one day regret upon suffering a big loss. However, with the money she had earned, Mi-Na had gone on to design a few clothes that she had interest in, set up an Internet pop-up shopping mall, and advertised them through one of her acquaintances, a male entertainer. ''Was she 17 years old then? She earned about 160 million won, after five months of leaving the house.¡¯ It was really incredible and hard to believe. In the end, Choi Woo-Jae had called Choi Mi-Na back home. He had learned to respect her opinion and had said he would never talk about studying abroad again. That had been on the condition that she had to end both the street stall illegal business and the clothing brand business. ¡®She¡¯s my daughter, but a crazy one.¡¯ Choi Mi-Na still was like that. The other children would bow their heads as soon as they entered Woo-Jae¡¯s office, but Mi-Na just nodded slightly and casually went around the office with a big step. After saying, ¡°I¡¯m here¡±, she would simply sprawl out on the wide sofa. "Whew, I''m so tired. I''ll take a five minute break, father," Mi-Na said as she closed her eyes. Even when Choi Ji-Ho was in a privileged situation, he didn¡¯t act like Choi Mi-Na. ¡®When it comes to individual talent, she¡¯s definitely the best in the family.¡¯ This part included Choi Woo-Jae himself. At the age of 19, Mi-Na had Awakened on her own and became a hunter, quickly achieving an S-rank which was rare in the family. She was also exceptionally strong even within the same S-rank. ''Honestly, I think it would be hard for me to fight her directly now.¡¯ Mi-Na was a daughter who was good at every single thing. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Woo-Jae did not choose Mi-Na as the heir. ¡°Yes, yes, I like a lot of things about you but this one aspect¡­ You didn''t get any of them this time?¡± asked Woo-Jae. Choi Mi-Na, who was closing her eyes, opened her eyes and looked at Choi Woo-Jae. She said, ¡°What am I to do? I just don¡¯t like working with people.¡± "What''s so hard about sitting back and telling them what to do? And didn''t you do it well when you ran away from home when you were 17?" Choi Woo-Jae clicked his tongue. Mi-Na¡¯s talent as a hunter was equal to Choi Ji-Ho, but her sense of battle was overwhelming. Her business skills were also undeniable. She had left home alone at the mere age of 17 and had started a successful business. Woo-Jae heard that Mi-Na was still running a store in Itaewon very well. The problem was, as he said, she just hated people so much. She didn¡¯t know how to keep people near her. ''What a cock of the walk.¡¯ It was his daughter, but Woo-Jae couldn''t understand Choi Mi-Na. "I only did it then because I thought I was going to die if I didn¡¯t.¡± "What about now? You are running a bar in Itaewon.¡± Choi Mi-Na messed up her hair as if she was annoyed. "I have that place in case you kick me out of the house again." "Don''t you have something else in mind?" "No, I don''t. What are you thinking? Even if I did, I can''t fool you with my abilities.¡± Choi Mi-Na scowled and then closed her eyes again as if she was annoyed. It was a trivial action, but Woo-Jae could infer something different. ¡®There must be something¡­¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae was somewhat instinctively aware of the fact, but he did not bother to ask. ¡®It must be about her mother, tsk.'' Even Woo-Jae thought her mother¡¯s death, who had been his second wife, was really a pity. Where could Choi Mi-Na''s sharp business sense come from? ¡®I would feel very reassured if she took charge of one of my affiliate companies by now¡­ She was a very reliable woman.¡¯ It was a pity in many ways, but it was already in the past. "Forget what you have to forget. If you don''t let it go, it''ll hold you back forever," said Woo-Jae. ¡°...¡± Choi Woo-Jae lightly clicked his tongue and continued to talk. "The guild registration card is out, and the office is ready. There''s a lot of guys to handle the office, and I just need a central member. Since you said you don¡¯t want anyone from the family, I selected some good candidates. But things haven''t been going on here for days.¡± "That''s why I met two of them today. But what should I do if I don''t like any of them?" "Are you picking your husband or something? I''m not asking you to find a guy that suits you." "What do you mean ¡®husband¡¯? Do I look like I''m going to get married? Please give up and tell Choi In-Young to go to a gooood~ place that suits her," said Mi-Na. "Again, you''re going off on a tangent. Aahh..." said Woo-Jae. Once again, he clicked his tongue and hardened his expression. "No more hesitation would be accepted. The Cheon-Ji Group and the Dae-Hyun Group also don''t like us starting our guild business. If you drag it long, they will use whatever means possible to interfere." "Well, that¡¯s because they have their own guild. The reason why our company has not become the No. 1 business in Korea so far was because we didn¡¯t have a guild business." The current position of the Comet group was third in the domestic business world. In fact, it was the result of not being able to carry out the guild business even though they had the upper hand in all other businesses. What was interesting was that everyone thought that Choi Woo-Jae could not carry out his guild business. They weren¡¯t completely wrong. "In the meantime, it was inevitable because the man in the presidency received money from the Cheon-Ji and Daeh-Yeon group,¡± said Woo-Jae. "But you could have done it if you wanted to, right? It''s not like the president didn''t take your money." Choi Woo-Jae smiled and stroked his short beard. "You have to be sure when you put the dagger in. It happened when I was young. Maybe it was because I was still at an age where I had the spirit, so I handled things rather poorly. It could have not gone that far, but a family completely collapsed. One person died, and I also became worried about it." "No way, are you feeling sorry for them?" When Choi Mi-Na asked him, Choi Woo-Jae smiled strangely instead of giving a clear answer. "At that time, I was still short of strength. There was a lot of trouble when a cornered rat came at me to bite. Besides, the opponents this time are the Dae-Hyun and the Cheon-Ji group,¡± said Woo-Jae. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "If you''re going to strike the neck, strike it with certainty," replied Mi-Na. Woo-Jae smiled satisfactorily at Mi-Na''s response and stood up from his seat. "So now is the chance. This year marks the fourth year of his presidency. It''s about time that even the political aristocrats started to make a fuss that they cannot give too much attention here as they had to prepare for the next presidential election. Besides, a whimsical person like you decided to work with me. Is it because of Yu-Seong?¡± Choi Mi-Na''s eyebrows momentarily trembled from Choi Woo-Jae''s sudden sharp words. It was a small change, but Woo-Jae did not miss that reaction. He said, "No need to get surprised. Recently, Yu-Seong has been doing a lot of noticeable things. Normally, the other children would not stay still. But all of them are turning blind, focused on the guild business. Yu-Seong is just coming up, besides, you''re already too big. At least five of them must form an alliance to stop you." "If you know all that, I''d appreciate it if you wouldn''t bother me,¡± Mi-Na said. "I can''t do that now. If I fail the guild business this time, I will have another chance someday, but raising children is not like that." CH 80 For Choi Woo-Jae, the guild business was said to be very important. However, it was still less important than the competition between his children. This was rather unsurprising, since his children would be the ones to lead the Comet group in the next generation. Woo-Jae valued talented people more than anything else, so he would never step back from what he had done so far, which would cause him to lose money and have to start his business from scratch. In other words, even if Woo-Jae¡¯s other children¡ªwho did not want Choi Mi-Na to take full control of the guild business or rise to the position of chairman¡ªinterfered with the company¡¯s plans, Woo-Jae would simply wait and watch them. He would think that he was ¡®sacrificing small things to save great things¡¯ if the plans failed because of his children. ¡®But if they crossed the line too much, they¡¯ll pay for that¡­¡¯ Mi-Na''s siblings were also quite clever, so they would not directly participate and cross the line. "It''s amazing, by the way. What favorable aspect of Yu-Seong made you change your mind?" asked Woo-Jae, who was trying to get a sense of Mi-Na¡¯s opinion. Mi-Na pouted slightly. "You got it wrong. Why would I like such a rascal?" Then, Mi-Na jumped up from her seat and tried to leave the office as if she was running away. Choi Woo-Jae looked at her back with a rather strange gaze, and said, "It''s just three days. Even if you don''t want to, within the next three days, get ready to pick anyone and give them the position. Otherwise..." Mi-Na stopped walking. "Otherwise, because of your complaint, your innocent brother, Yu-Seong, will be troubled for a while." "Do whatever you want." Mi-Na clicked her tongue at Woo-Jae''s words, and left the office with a cold smile. ¡°I know you¡¯re pretending to not care, Mi-Na..." said Woo-Jae with a smile. He sat in place again and tapped his chin. ¡®My second daughter and my ninth son¡­¡¯ They each had noticeable shortcomings. However, when they came together, they seemed to make a good team. Thinking about it, Woo-Jae smiled again with satisfaction. Then, his personal cell phone vibrated shortly. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ There were only very few in Korea, no, the whole world who knew Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s personal number. For him to receive a direct call was even rarer. The funny thing was that not all of those with his number were close and comfortable friends, and one of them had called Choi Woo-Jae this time. "Yoo Chul-Min, this old man called, all of a sudden?" Woo-Jae said the name out loud as if he was calling his neighborhood friend, but the man named Yoo Chul-Min had great influence in Korea. In fact, he was even more well known than Choi Woo-Jae himself. Yoo Chul-Min was the chairman of Cheon-Ji Group, the No. 1 business group in the country. This was what the general public thought of first when they heard the name, Yoo Chul-Min. Choi Woo-Jae received Yoo Chul-Min¡¯s call with a relaxed hand gesture. He spoke first. "It¡¯s been a while, Chairman Yoo. How have you been?¡± - It''s been five years, Chairman Choi. I''m very healthy aside from my worsening back pain. That¡¯s all thanks to you giving me a hard time, haha. Yoo Chul-Min was 15 years older than Choi Woo-Jae. He was joking around during this call, but there were many hidden meanings in his words. ¡®Five years ago... This narrow-minded fellow seems to still have that in mind.¡¯ Although Choi Woo-Jae quietly clicked his tongue, he also clearly remembered the incident that had taken place five years ago. Goblin leather was considered to be tough and too rough for anything, so it used to be seen as useless. However, a new method for processing Goblin leather was first revealed in Denmark and it soon became a new resource to capitalize on. It became much softer and durable than the ordinary cowhide. Also, Goblin leather was easier to obtain and more common than other monster resources. Naturally, the companies began to pay attention to the Danish company that developed the processing method of Goblin leather. The faster they learned the secret technology and dominated the market, the more they could start their business at an advantageous position. How could the companies not like a new business item that was sure to make money? At that time, DRD, a Danish technology research company, drew attention from the world''s leading companies and the rich who had acquired information in advance. Unsurprisingly, the Chun-Ji group and the Comet group also naturally participated in the competition. ¡®It wasn''t easy at the time, since the Rothschild family in England and the Rockefeller family in America also participated.¡¯ The two families that originally became successful through their oil business continued to invest in the world''s leading companies, create guilds, and collect mana stones. That was how they rapidly inflated their wealth. In a way, simply standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those families was already testament to Choi Woo-Jae achieving his lifetime goal. The irony was that the two families participated at the same time, so they could not easily make decisions. They had to keep each other in check. During that time when other companies were walking on eggshells because of the two wealthy families, Choi Woo-Jae took action. It was the time when there were still many voices in the Korean business community saying that they should just wait and see. ''They missed the boat because of those silly thoughts. It''s always better to punch first in terms of fighting.¡¯ While everyone was hesitating, Woo-Jae signed the contract earlier than anyone else, proposing a large amount that was difficult to refuse for the DRD company that developed the Goblin leather processing method. After that, everything happened in a whirlwind. Since the technology was being supplied, the Comet Group could dominate the market by providing raw materials and accelerating production. Every product that was made of leather¡ªsuch as cell phone cases, wallets, watch straps, bags, etc.¡ªtransformed to become a new product made of Goblin leather. The Comet Group announced such products with a massive promotion saying that it was the ¡®world''s first¡¯. For modern people of the present era, the material itself called monster leather was often recognized as a special kind of material. Moreover, the Comet Group brought in processed Goblin leather and turned it into a beautiful emerald-colored form, so someone even called this technology a ¡®modern leather gemology¡¯. The price was also cheap and the functionality was excellent. Thus, products made of Goblin leather were extremely popular at the beginning of their release, had very high sales, and were still having steady sales even until now. But how about the Rothschild and Rockefeller family which everyone was worried about? ¡®Before even writing the contract, they were already buttered up.¡¯ It was interesting to note that the Comet Group was one of Korea¡¯s best companies, but from the perspective of those two families, it was only one of the large companies in a medium-sized country. The suggestion that Woo-Jae offered was that it would be better for them to take the initiative than to let the opponent monopolize the new technology. Of course, quite a lot of money was given to the main figure of each family to persuade them. It was a tug of war with calculated risks, and the eventual profits were close to several tens of times the money they invested at the time. It was reasonable for the Cheon-Ji Group to become nervous after the Comet Group actively moved to pave a new foundation and create a way to grow, instead of staying still and watching the situation together. ¡®Well, I understand that he¡¯s scared of me. Since I might threaten his company anytime.'' Woo-Jae could easily guess why the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s chairman had called him. ¡®He¡¯s anxious about the guild business that my second daughter is doing. Hehe.¡¯ Unlike other businesses, the Comet Group had been quiet and rather conservative in the guild business that was often considered the most important for future investment. However, they had begun to actively move forward with the family¡¯s second daughter, whose face was not even well known. There were hurdles that stopped them here and there, but as they had a lot of money and were very determined, the guild business grew faster than Yoo Chul-Min had thought. As the chairman of Cheon-Ji Group, he felt nervous and anxious. He had a feeling that the Comet Group would soon catch up with them. In fact, everyone who ran a company would feel the same. The more they had, the more anxiety they had, so they were understandably more sensitive about the other companies in similar industries. Therefore, in fact, Yoo Chul-Min wanted to stop further growth before the guild business could even sprout. However, he failed to prune Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s businesses. Perhaps the fact that he had failed to kill Choi Woo-Jae at the only opportunity 13 years ago would still make his heart sting. "Oh, thanks to that incident, I was full even though I didn''t eat rice for a while. It''s all thanks to people like you who supported me from afar.¡± It was useless for Woo-Jae to argue with a narrow-minded person. They would be upset anyways. - Haha... Yoo Chul-Min tried hard to smile and continued to speak. - Anyway, I heard you started a guild business recently. This had been the main point of the call from the beginning. Choi Woo-Jae decided to put out a feeler instead of returning biting words. He asked, "Yes. Well, it may be too late, but shouldn''t I take a step at least now?" - I don''t really like going around the bush, so let me talk directly. Chairman Choi, I''m a little worried that a young fellow is being too greedy. If you eat too much alone, you might get sick, right? Choi Woo-Jae grinned. "I don''t know what you think, but Chairman Yoo, I''m too old to be called young now. I''m trying to be more greedy, that¡¯s all. But¡­are you afraid or something?¡± There was a brief silence over the phone. - Hahaha¡­! There was a loud laugh, one that was twice as loud as the earlier chuckle. In Choi Woo-Jae''s ear, the laughter sounded like a herbivore anxiously raising its voice upon seeing a beast. - It wouldn''t be good to fight each other and get hurt. Let me offer a suggestion, Chairman Choi. "I agree that it''s better to not get hurt. Do you have any insight?" asked Woo-Jae. As mentioned, Choi Woo-Jae''s goal was not just the Cheon-Ji Group. Was he aiming to be the number one in Korea? In fact, if he wanted to achieve it, he could have already achieved it a few years ago. However, the reason why he kept waiting patiently was because¡­ We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®My business should be overwhelmingly powerful. So that no one can dare look over it.¡¯ To expand hastily and clumsily would only be a burden in the end. However, if Woo-Jae hit it hard, the burden wouldn¡¯t keep up with his speed and would eventually fall off on its own. ¡®That¡¯s when the number one place could be discussed.¡¯ It may be said that Woo-Jae was now old, but he was still ambitious and determined. Therefore, it was a welcoming thing to minimize the damage to each other. - War doesn''t necessarily have to be an all-out one. Let''s make a bet so that we don¡¯t have to bother those high-ranking officials. "A bet?" - You could view it as a game of Go. I don''t know if you¡¯re aware, but I have a grandson. Choi Woo-Jae instantly had a thought flashing through his mind. CH 81 ¡®Bernard Yoo. Korean name, Yoo Jae-Yeol.¡¯ Yoo Jae-Yeol was a 20 year old Irregular, currently active in Texas, United States. He became a hunter around the middle of last year, which was a little earlier than Choi Yu-Seong. He was now a D-rank player, and was best known as the hero who saved the city by breaking through the third-rank dungeon break with about ten E-rank hunters, including the Texas Rangers, and killing the boss monster alone in the city of Alpine. Listening to that name, a piece of information automatically popped up in Woo-Jae¡¯s head. He asked, "Ah, I remember. Isn''t he called ¡®the Kim Do-Jin of Texas¡¯?" Yoo Chul-Min burst into laughter at Choi Woo-Jae''s words. - Oh no, Chairman Choi, you are mistaken. Kim Do-Jin, that fellow, is called the ¡®Bernard Yoo of Korea¡¯. As you may not yet know, my grandchild¡¯s name has been included in the list of top ten rookies in the U.S. released by the U.S. Times. I heard that it¡¯s the first time for a Korean to be in the chart, so it¡¯s a great thing. In other words, Kim Do-Jin was known as the best in Korea and had the world¡¯s attention. However, Yoo Chul-Min felt a little unpleasant with the comparison between his grandson and Do-Jin. This was unsurprising, since Kim Do-Jin was a domestic rookie in his eyes. - It''s a sad story as a Korean myself, but isn''t the United States the world''s greatest awakening power? Korea will probably announce the news within the next few days, so the domestic evaluation of Do-Jin would slightly change. "That remains to be seen." - That''s right. We''ll see. In any case, there was no need to deny that Bernard Yoo (Yoo Jae-Yeol) was as popular as Kim Do-Jin in Texas, or possibly even more popular in some ways. Also, he was receiving a good outlook evaluation. Being aware of that fact, Yoo Cheol-Min finally brought up the main point for this call. - That child will come back to Korea in about 15 days. "For dungeon racing?" Yoo Chul-Min immediately responded to Choi Woo-Jae''s question. - As expected, I''m glad that you''re quick-witted. He is returning to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record, the one he achieved when he was a D-rank player. "So?" Choi Woo-Jae narrowed his eyes. Although he wasn¡¯t sure, he was slowly getting the picture. The main point still wasn¡¯t revealed entirely, but he could roughly assume Yoo Chul-Min''s intention. - Recently, there¡¯s a friend in the Comet Group who became a hot topic from a similar incident. As expected, it was about Choi Yu-Seong. He had recently broken Kim Do-Jin''s record at the Goblin Fortress. There were only a few people in the world who didn''t know about that, since Kim Do-Jin''s reputation was one that extended beyond Korea. Of course, there was no point in arguing with Yoo Chul-Min over this anymore. Choi Woo-Jae stated plainly, "You are asking to compete with dungeon racing.¡± - Since they are similar in age, wouldn''t it be an interesting game? I mean, there is a difference of one rank, but since my grandson will be in Seoul for about 2 months, your son should be able to catch up¡­ Although the level difference will slightly widen in the meantime. Oh, unless you¡¯re afraid? "No way," Choi Woo-Jae said with a smile. This conversation was only happening because neither of them knew that Choi Yu-Seong had reached the D-rank. "Let''s notarize it.¡± - Great, Chairman Choi. I like how you make quick decisions. Preparations have already been done. The president of Dae-Hyun Group, the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, and the Chairmans of Chun-Sang, Chang-Jo, Oh-Seong, and Dae-Han¡­ They are among the top 10 guilds. Does this sound like enough witnesses for you? Forget about the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties. It was obvious that Yoo Chul-Min had formed an alliance with six of the top ten guilds, including Cheon-Ji Guild of the Cheon-Ji Group and the Dae-Hyun Guild of the Dae-Hyun Group. "All right." - Then, Chairman Choi, you can decide the time, date, and place. Contact us later. "Okay, I''ll see you soon...at the notary." -Haha, let''s see each other with a smile. Choi Woo-Jae''s expression hardened, looking exceptionally cold, after he hung up the phone. ¡®Six out of the ten top guilds, including Chun-Ji and Dae-Hyun.¡¯ Originally, they would have been scared of Choi Woo-Jae. However, with the big shot named Yoo Chul-Min taking the lead, they had sneakily joined the alliance. Once the Comet Group''s guild business got on track, many things would fluctuate¡ªincluding the guild ranking¡ªso there would be people feeling anxious. Therefore, they decided to work together and set up a game to beat Choi Woo-Jae. In addition to the competition between Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo, there would be a lot of secret tricks being played here and there. However, it didn¡¯t matter much to Woo-Jae. ¡®If they ask for a war, I should accept it.¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae had a particularly good memory. He would never forget their names. ¡®You all will become dead meat.¡¯ They had just turned their backs on the most terrifying person in Korea. *** Inside the hotel suite, a man was entirely covered from head to toe in a white blanket. He was on a bed that was spacious enough for five people. Feeling like someone was around, he slowly opened his eyes and removed the thick blanket that blocked the light coming through the window. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. A long-haired woman walked out of the hotel shower booth. She was dressed in a gown. Looking at the man, she said, "Are you up? Wake up and get ready for work. My father accepted Chairman Yoo''s proposal.¡± The man, Min Young-Hoon, smiled bitterly at the woman with wavy brown hair down to her waist. She was Choi In-Young, the fifth eldest child of the Comet Group. He then said, ¡°Those noblemen, who didn''t even budge at my words, seemed to find Chairman Yoo''s name quite reliable after all.¡± "Of course. No matter what, you''re just a vice president of one of the top ten guilds. However, Chun-Ji Group is the number one conglomerate group in Korea, and Chairman Yoo is the head. Isn¡¯t it ridiculous for your pride to get hurt? As far as I know, about 20% of the Heaven Guild¡¯s stake is also held by Chairman Yoo''s family," said Choi In-Young. She grinned and looked at Min Young-Hoon out of the corner of her eye. Despite sleeping in the same bed last night, Choi In-Young had an infinitely cool attitude. ¡®She would never let me be happy.¡¯ Min Young-Hoon himself was well aware that Yoo Chul-Min''s Cheon-Ji Group and the Heaven Guild were incomparable companies. Nevertheless, Choi In-Young''s attitude may be the biggest reason for why his pride had been hurt. ¡®Why am I in love with a girl like that?¡¯ Min Young-Hoon didn¡¯t understand himself, but when he looked at Choi In-Young, he could feel the emotions within him running wild. It was not something to be angry about, but he got angry. He didn¡¯t have to be frustrated, but he was intelligent and this bugged him. "Oh, so. You know, my brother Yu-Seong." "...didn''t we agree to stop talking about him?" When the kidnapping of Choi Yu-Seong had failed at the end of last year, Choi In-Young did not exchange a single word with Min Young-Hoon for more than a month. In the end, he had to give up all his pride, got down on his knees, and apologized after visiting her house. Back then, the first thing Min Young-Hoon had heard from In-Young was a miserable phrase¡ª¡¯how lame¡¯. He didn¡¯t feel horrible from hearing that. ¡®How funny is this? The vice president of the Heaven Guild chasing after a woman, begging on his knees?¡¯ If the president, Oh Hyun-Woo, had seen Min Young-Hoon, he would have kicked his butt and said that it was pathetic. However, what could Young-Hoon do? It was true that whenever he looked at Choi In-Young, his emotions just never listened to his logic. ¡®Especially those eyes.¡¯ When he looked at Choi In-Young''s arrogant and fascinating brown eyes, Min Young-Hoon could spit out a lot of promises that may be impossible to keep¡­ Was this just a weird sexual fetish of his? ¡®I just want to believe it as love.¡¯ Looking at Young-Hoon being somewhat confused, In-Young approached him and patted his head with a soft smile. At the moment when their moving gazes met naturally, a strange red light poured out of In-Young''s eyes. Curiously, Young-Hoon simply frowned and grumbled as if he had not even recognized that. ¡°You also admitted that it was just an unfortunate mistake.¡± "I''m not trying to say anything more about that. The future is what¡¯s important to us, not the past,¡± In-Young said. "So what?" "I know that Bernard Yoo is a fairly capable hunter. Even with common sense, it''s still far too early for Yu-Seong to fight with him." "Not yet?" Min Young-Hoon found Choi In-Young''s words rather strange. He tilted his head. "I watched the video. My ninth brother¡­was hiding a lot more than I thought. No wonder that you failed.¡± In-Young causally got into bed and held Young-Hoon''s head in her arms. She continued to talk. "Maybe he¡¯ll become an amazingly great guy one day. So it bothers me a lot to just watch him grow, but for now, it''s already too much for me to handle Mi-Na unni." "So you want to cause another incident, similar to the kidnapping? I don''t think we should." Min Young-Hoon was in In-young''s arms like a baby, but he could still think straight. In-Young resembled her father, so she didn¡¯t easily evaluate others highly. If she had to watch out for Choi Yu-Seong¡ªa child who had just come up to the surface¡ªthen it was foolish to think that the same method would work. "No. Anyway, this game was prepared by my father himself. If something happens even before the match begins, it''ll be over for both of us," In-Young said. Her voice was shaking as she unconsciously expressed fear. This was surprising because she had been calm even when she had mentioned Yoo Chul-Min, the Chairman of the number one conglomerate group in Korea. ¡°I need someone to do it quietly and do things at the right time. Do you know someone who can do it?¡± she asked, confident that he knew someone to carry out the task. "I¡¯ll call Bomber," Min Young-Hoon said calmly. Choi In-young smiled at his words. Bomber was an A-rank villain. As his nickname suggested, he was one of the three most dangerous terrorists in the United States. Simply considering the offense, he was a S-rank player. What would happen if the world knew that such a villain and the vice president of one of Korea''s top 10 guilds had a close relationship? There would be an outrage. Perhaps the entire guild market would be overturned. The majority of guilds who were secretly joining hands with the Villain organization for their growth would be targeted. Among the current top 10 guilds, there was no guild that had never borrowed Villain''s hand, to Min Young-Hoon¡¯s knowledge. "Bomber? He won''t be able to enter the dungeon," Choi In-Young pointed out. Above all, if Choi Yu-Seong''s death was broadcasted in real time due to the sudden appearance of a terrorist in the dungeon, her position would be made disadvantageous. "It''s not well known, but Bomber has a skill called Time Bomb. It''s an ability to plant bombs in the opponent¡¯s body and have it detonate within 30 days through simple contact with Bomber''s hands," Min Young-Hoon said. "Oh¡­?" Choi In-Young''s eyes sparkled. "Give me a seat. A restaurant would be nice. It would be enough for Bomber to disguise himself as an employee and put his hand on his shoulder," said Min Young-Hoon as he slightly raised his head that had been on Choi In-Young''s chest. CH 82 Min Young-Hoon thought that arranging an informal dinner with Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be difficult. However, with everyone being quite wary these days, it might draw others¡¯ suspicion for him to directly contact Yu-Seong. In fact, Choi In-Young had secretly been given a warning by Choi Woo-Jae from the time she had made Young-Hoon kidnap Yu-Seong. ''Well, I don''t have to do it myself.¡¯ Fortunately, Choi In-Young was smart. She could already think of a plausible plan. There were quite a few men, such as Min Young-Hoon, around her who would work for her. They acted as if they were bewitched by her. "Okay, let¡¯s do it. So, let''s see. After you set up the Time Bomb through Bomber, you¡¯ll go into dungeon racing and explode the bomb at an appropriate time¡­¡± In-Young said. "The extent of damage is¡­?" "As I said before, please don''t kill him. He''s still my cute little brother. It would be perfect to handicap him to the level of Ji-Ho oppa so that he wouldn¡¯t recover again." Min Young-Hoon nodded at Choi In-Young''s cool smile. "I''ll make that happen.¡± After the serious conversation, Choi In-Young smiled like a flower in full bloom. She lowered herself and kissed Young-Hoon''s mouth and cheek while he was in her arms. She cooed, "Young-Hoon, such a competent man. You¡¯re so lovely. When did you make all those connections? Huhu.¡± Min Young-Hoon was called the crazy dog of the dungeon. Hearing In-Young say that, he sulked and said, "I refuse to be treated like a child.¡± "Huhu who said that that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to do with you?¡± Young-Hoon blushed, looking shy. Others would be surprised if they saw this particular expression of his. Choi In-Young smiled with her eyes, patted Young-Hoon¡¯s cheek softly, and kissed him with her hands holding his face. "Mmm..." Young-Hoon wrapped his arms around Choi In-Young. ¡®Choi In-Young really is a bitch.¡¯ However, could Young-Hoon refuse her? ¡®But what can I do? I like her so much that it drives me crazy.¡¯ Young-Hoon jumped In-Young¡¯s bones like an eager dog. His mind was soon overtaken by a fog of desire. *** The next day, after he had made some progress, Yu-Seong went to the Korea Player Association to receive the D-rank certificate. Then, he was looking at the Han River with a serious expression while sitting at the back of the car which Jin Do-Yoon was driving. Do-Yoon remembered that Yu-Seong¡¯s serious expression had first appeared when he left the room this morning. Curious, he asked with caution, "Hope you don''t mind me asking, but sir, do you have a concern?" ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a serious concern, but I''m just worried that things are getting more and more twisted. This situation gives me a complicated feeling,¡± said Yu-Seong. "Hm¡­?¡± Jin Do-Yoon tilted his head in confusion. "I forgot to tell you, but I received my father''s call as soon as I woke up," said Yu-Seong. "From the Chairman?" asked Do-Yoon. "Yes. He asked me when I would be promoted to D-rank." "Since you''ve already been promoted, he must have been happy to hear the news," said Do-Yoon. "He loved it a lot. He said it was much faster than he thought, and now, he could take Chairman Yoo down a peg or two." "When you say Chairman Yoo, do you mean the Cheon-Ji Group''s¡­?¡± asked Do-Yoon while he continued to drive. Choi Yu-Seong nodded. In fact, he wouldn''t have thought much about it if that was it. In a way, it was ordinary for any father to want to brag about his children. In this case, the father was Choi Woo-Jae, and that made the situation slightly strange. But still, it wasn¡¯t too odd. The problem was the backstory. Choi Yu-Seong briefly explained the situation to Jin-Yoon regarding dungeon racing and Bernard Yoo with a quick summary. He then added, "Oh, I''ll have to call him to say that I''m done reporting my promotion. Haha¡­¡± Choi Yu-Seong gave a humorless laugh, then called Choi Woo-Jae. There wasn''t much to say aside from him having gotten the D-rank certificate. However, Choi Woo-Jae did mention a point after Yu-Seong had thought that they were done talking. -You should already know this, but I hate losing fights very much. Then, he hung up immediately. "Isn''t Bernard Yoo the Korean rookie who is famous in the US?" asked Do-Yoon. "Yes," answered Yu-Seong. "You don''t have to worry too much. He''s a pretty good talent, but I think you''ll definitely win," said Do-Yoon. "Thank you," Choi Yu-Seong answered lightly, but complicated thoughts still filled his mind. The reason was simple. Although Bernard Yoo was currently a player known by this name, according to the original novel, he would globally be known by a different nickname after he completely returned to Korea for two years. ¡®The Fast Star.¡¯ Then, another five years after that, he would be known as ¡®the Starlight Flash¡¯ to the world. However, there was another impression that stood out more intensely in Yu-Seong''s mind. ¡®He is the character who¡¯s Kim Do-Jin''s best friend¡ªhis right arm.¡¯ Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. As could be seen from the nickname ¡®Fast Star¡¯, Bernard Yoo was commonly referred to as a ¡®Cool Guy¡¯ kind of psychic-type player. ¡®In a way, he''s pure and extremely competitive.¡¯ So, after this entire process, Bernard Yoo would reach A-rank two years later. He would return to Korea and bet on a dungeon racing match with Kim Do-Jin. This occurred in the original novel¡¯s Chapter 3, and because Bernard Yoo did not like his nickname as ¡®Kim Do-Jin of the United States¡¯. However, he would lose the match in a close fight, because the main character of a novel would always win and that was Kim Do-Jin. After that, Bernard Yoo would accept Kim Do-Jin and become a member of the Eclipse Guild. He would gradually become a popular character and participate actively in many chapters of the novel. ¡®Of course, he¡¯s a major figure who¡¯s indispensable for Kim Do-Jin and his crew.¡¯ This time was different from the original novel. Bernard Yoo had come to Korea two years earlier and was going to compete with Choi Yu-Seong himself, and not Kim Do-Jin, in dungeon racing. ¡®It could be a useless worry, but what if I win and Bernard Yoo wants to become my party?¡¯ It may be an exaggerated idea, but the original novel¡¯s Bernard Yoo was such a character. He had a simple and cool idea that ¡®no matter who wins the battle, we are friends!¡¯. Also, he had a preference to stay by the person who defeated him due to a strange admiration. That was the character¡¯s traits that the writer had chosen. ¡®Okay, let''s think about it.¡¯ Yu-Seong tried to think of Kim Do-Jin without Bernard Yoo and the Eclipse guild without the ¡®Starlight Flash¡¯. He already had concerns about the changed attitude of Baek Chul, who was currently with Choi Ji-Ho. ''I think there will be a lot of dangerous incidents as the future comes closer.¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to believe that it wouldn¡¯t happen, but another variable had just occurred and this was regarding the planned events coming faster than expected. The upcoming battles in the future showed similar patterns of occurrence as dungeon hunting and the many strong heterogeneous invasions. "It shouldn¡¯t be like that. It''s not even enough just to preserve Kim Do-Jin''s manpower as it is in the original novel..." At a time when variables were increasing, there was no guarantee that even the enemy invasions in the future would happen as planned. Of course, Yu-Seong couldn''t force himself to be defeated. ¡®Then my father wouldn''t sit still. That''s also a problem, but... The threats from the other siblings would start right away.¡¯ Yu-Seong heard that it was the guild business that got them caught up in this game. If he lost, the falling out with Choi Woo-Jae would be a problem. Another concern would be Choi Mi-Na¡¯s plan of attracting the other siblings¡¯ attention and buying Yu-Seong more time being disrupted. If defeated, Yu-Seong would face plenty of immediate risks. On the other hand, Bernard Yoo''s behavior after Yu-Seong beat him was likely to be adjusted to some extent. Actually, Yu-Seong had no other way to step back no matter how hard he thought about it. "So, in the end, I have no choice but to win," said Yu-Seong. "Of course. But don¡¯t worry too much, young master. As I told you, you are by far the best D-rank hunter I know. I am confident that there will be no problems even if your opponent is a C-rank opponent,¡± said Do-Yoon. "Even if Bernard Yoo is C-rank?" asked Yu-Seong. "...of course," answered Do-Yoon. "This time, your answer was a second late," said Yu-Seong. Jin Do-Yoon was speaking without knowing exactly how Yu-Seong felt, but the conversation felt quite comforting. ''Okay, let''s win.¡¯ In fact, this wouldn¡¯t be as easy as Yu-Seong wanted. Bernard Yoo was such a strong opponent that even Do-Yoon, who had blind loyalty toward Yu-Seong, also was concerned for a while. In the original novel, he was even called Kim Do-Jin''s right armed man. In fact, in the distant future, Bernard Yoo''s combat power would rise to the level of the ¡®Judge¡¯, a level that could confront a serious disaster alone. His talent was enough to have him be considered as the main character of certain scenarios. Even at this point when the rank was still relatively low, he was obviously very strong. He would have no clear weakness. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong was still concerned because the increasing variables and the situation that was supposed to occur around Kim Do-Jin were happening to him. ¡®At this rate, one day, I might be the one messing with the devils.¡¯ Yu-Seong really hoped that that wouldn''t be the case. He sincerely hoped and hoped. *** Yu-Seong received the official D-rank certificate and immediately challenged the third-rank dungeon. ¡®Actually, with my condition right now, I think I could also do a level 4 dungeon....¡¯ There were many similarities between the games and the dungeon in the real world, so stronger monsters appeared farther away from the entrance¡­ Simply put, it was the case with an elite monster. Therefore, currently, it might be the most efficient for Yu-Seong to hunt closer to the level 4 dungeon¡¯s entrance. The experience points from the level 4 dungeon¡¯s monsters would probably be higher than the level 3 ones. Unfortunately, it was not possible at the moment. The barrier between the level 3 and level 4 dungeons were like the difference between D-rank and C-rank. There was an exponential difference between the two ranks, so the Player Association had set a manual to prevent the entering of parties with less than five players. However, Kim Do-Jin did enter the level 4 dungeons alone after reaching D-rank level 50. How was this possible? ¡®Well, it''s because he is a main character and became close to the Player Association¡¯s president.¡¯ The Korean Player Association regarded Kim Do-Jin as a national treasure. The potential of Kim Do-Jin, who was still treated as a great super rookie abroad, was already a monster close to completion in the eyes of the Player Association¡¯s quick-witted president. Do-Jin was like a hero who would represent the country if his rank and level were raised. In fact, the Player Association¡¯s president was not wrong because that was also one of Kim Do-Jin''s roles in the novel. ¡®That''s why he helped Kim Do-Jin a lot. He wanted him to grow up.¡¯ The main character, taking up the novel¡¯s key position, was rather cliche most times. And at this point, there was no point of contact between the Player Association¡¯s president and Yu-Seong himself. No, if the story went according to the original novel, the point of contact would never exist in his whole life. ¡®In the end, I have to create a contact point on my own¡­¡¯ CH 83 The only person who had the authority to allow exceptions in the association¡¯s manual set was the Player Association¡¯s president. This was something that could not be solved by money. However, there were still alternative solutions to this problem. ¡®If I ask Mr. Iron Wall, he might help me set up an appointment with the president¡­¡¯ Park Cheol-Ho, the Iron Wall, was an influential director within the association. In addition, he had recently been noticing Choi Yu-Seong''s achievements and viewing them favorably, so he was likely to help Yu-Seong. However, persuading the Player Association¡¯s president was another thing to worry about. ¡®Is the fastest way to get an appointment¡­receiving it as a gift from my father?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong wore a happy smile on his face, thinking that he would definitely ask for a special hunter''s license like Kim Do-Jin the next time Choi Woo-Jae offered to reward him with a gift. ¡®Yeup, father if very generous.¡¯ Earlier this year, Choi Yu-Seong''s overall bank balance was about 128 billion won. This was just the cash assets, and if the buildings and the houses he owned were included then the amount would be doubled. However, property should not be touched carelessly. Yu-Seong spent about 1.4 billion won a month. It could be said to be a huge amount, but this ridiculous amount of money was actually ridiculously easy to spend because of the gym¡¯s rental fee for training, his employees¡¯ salaries, and the purchase and management of hunter equipment. ¡®The biggest expense is the mana drink.¡¯ Mana stone drinks for just two people, Choi Yu-Seong and Chae Ye-Ryeong, were already 1.2 billion won a month. Such luxurious expenses were possible mostly because of his real estate. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡®Since I earn about 1 billion won a month collecting rent.¡¯ Even so, it was also true that there was a steady deficit of about 400 million. In the meantime, Choi Yu-Seong had decided to spend about 20 billion won in assets to help Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s re-Awakening. This amount was not used right away, but as it was an important investment for the future, he didn¡¯t want to cut corners either. Also, there may be many more times to spend such big money in the future as well. ¡®It''s better to build a gym than rent it, so I also have to move¡­¡¯ Earning money was difficult, but spending it was incredibly easy. This was true even though he was a conglomerate¡¯s son. That was why he had asked Choi Woo-Jae to give him pocket money as a gift, and 50 billion won was recently deposited into his account. ¡®If he could give 50 billion won as pocket money, how much money does he have?¡¯ Thanks to this, Yu-Seong was able to set money aside for Chae Ye-Ryeong and still receive additional income. Although he was somewhat surprised, it really wasn¡¯t a problem for Woo-Jae to give out this exorbitant amount of money. The more Yu-Seong got used to the privilege of being a conglomerate, the funnier it became that he had been so surprised at first when he saw his bank balance that he hadn¡¯t been able to count the digits. ¡®My father did know about my balance, he just didn¡¯t care about it.¡¯ Although Yu-Seong''s bank account balance was considerably worrying, it was not enough for Choi Woo-Jae to bother. Yu-Seong had often felt embarrassed by unfamiliar situations since he came from a completely different world. He had been an ordinary game company employee before becoming a conglomerate¡¯s son, but he had to adapt to it after all. After all, this was the world of the novel¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong. All of a sudden, Yu-Seong knew exactly what he was going to spend money on. ¡®I can support Jin Yu-Ri with 20 billion won for now. The more money you have, the better it is for creating and operating an organization. Maybe she could scale it up.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong remembered Yu-Ri, who had left the dungeon with the excuse of a vacation. Around him, there were quite a lot of carcasses of the level 3 monster, the Thorn Cat. The level has risen. If it wasn''t for the message that flashed in front of him, Yu-Seong could have continued hunting in a relaxed manner despite having a lot of thoughts on his mind. ¡®Come to think of it, this message has appeared several times.¡¯ It has been about three hours since Yu-Seong first entered the dungeon. He just had this realization since his many thoughts had distracted him, but he was sure that several level-up messages had popped up. ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Rank: D Level: 1 ¡ú 5¡» Yu-Seong was surprised by the unexpected increase in levels. Even though he did not consume any potions, he was sure that 90% of this experience acceleration effect was due to the Star Factor. Also, because of the level increases, Yu-Seong felt like his condition and movements were becoming better despite having spent quite a bit of time in the dungeon. ¡®The amount of my mana¡­ No, in my case, it would be the amount of Chakra. It¡¯s increased from 732 to 738.¡¯ As a D-rank, the increase of Chakra was about 2 per increase in level. ¡®...certainly, in terms of Chakra, I am way over the average. Oh, come to think of it, the things I ordered are supposed to come tomorrow. I can''t wait to see how God''s Chakra would work.¡¯ Even though quite a few variables might happen, Yu-Seong had no intention to limit his own growth. He went a little deeper into the dungeon with a spear in one hand. *** The leveling up was slower than when he was in the low E-rank level, but Yu-Seong looked very satisfied after achieving the D-rank, level 7. This was a raise of 6 levels in a day. This might be because he had just recently become a D-rank player. Yu-Seong got in the car to head home. On the way, he checked his cell phone and saw about five CoTalk (Coconut Talk) messages that he had been ignoring for a while. ¡®It''s less than I thought.¡¯ Yu-Seong had given a couple of replies in order to maintain a proper distance. If he didn¡¯t reply at all, Do-Jin might have personally visited Yu-Seong¡¯s house again by now. However, the last message from Do-Jin was somewhat incomprehensible. - You saw the video, so why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Yu-Seong belatedly remembered the video article among the messages that Kim Do-Jin had sent. He then clicked the link with a bothersome look. ¡®Why does he need so much attention? Is he a kid or something?¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong was aware of the danger of such thoughts. He should never forget that Kim Do-Jin was not a child but a returnee who had returned to Earth after surviving in a different world for decades. Yu-Seong¡¯s best choice was to pay attention to Do-Jin whenever he was this calm, and make an effort to. ¡°What the¡­ so he did dungeon racing?¡± Of course, Kim Do-Jin did not do it in an ordinary way. He had defeated the Dungeon of the Deads alone, achieving a new world record as a C-rank player. This story was also not in the original novel. ¡®Yeup, I definitely need to check everything, even a single message like this.¡¯ Yu-Seong admitted that he was being complacent. He checked the article¡¯s contents and was once again surprised by the video. ¡®Kim Do-Jin, you even used magic?¡¯ The magic wasn¡¯t very noticeable in the video, but Yu-Seong could clearly hear the uttering of a strange language that others wouldn¡¯t understand in the middle of the video. At that moment, a light appeared and disappeared from Kim Do-Jin, whose movement in the video soon became several times faster and more explosive. Although it seemed like a reinforcement skill of a physical talent, Choi Yu-Seong who had read the original novel could see that Kim Do-Jin had used the Lun language¡ªone of the languages of the other world¡ªto perform magic. ¡®I don¡¯t get it. That¡¯s a power he hadn¡¯t revealed to the world at this point in the novel.¡¯ Of course, the magic was used appropriately enough for others to be mistaken, but Yu-Seong still couldn¡¯t deny that Do-Jin had revealed his magic usage a lot quicker than expected. He couldn''t understand. ¡®Why? Come on, think Yu-Seong¡­ you know Do-Jin very well.¡¯ In fact, there was a speculative answer. ¡®Even if he had to use magic, he wanted to thoroughly appeal to the other person.¡¯ Fascinating the opponent with an overwhelming power was a method that Kim Do-Jin often used to seduce someone, which worked quite well in the original novel. ¡®Or he might have thought that taking some risks didn¡¯t matter, since his pride was hurt.¡¯ In fact, Kim Do-Jin, the main character, often ignored small risks and still won in the end. The problem left was, who messed with Kim Do-Jin¡¯s feelings by that much? ¡®Who would be the one he¡¯s met? Hao Lan? Suarez?¡® After recalling the few characters in the original novel who were strong enough to be called Kim Do-Jin¡¯s rivals, Choi Yu-Seong''s thoughts suddenly stopped. A sudden possibility struck him like a thunderbolt. ¡®...Could it be me?¡¯ It was not an unlikely story, and so Yu-Seong became even more shocked. Choi Yu-Seong was originally a villain who was appropriately used by Kim Do-Jin in the novel before being abandoned. ¡®But now, he is conscious enough of me to even use magic?¡¯ The relationship had changed. Yu-Seong''s gaze trembled when he realized such a fact somewhat belatedly. "Oh, my¡­!" shouted Jin Do-Yoon urgently. He jammed on the brakes, and Yu-Seong fell forward in his shock. "What''s going on?" asked Yu-Seong. He didn¡¯t hit his head because the passenger seat had been pulled forward, but he was still quite surprised. "Someone ran in front of the car..." Someone had jumped in front of their car. Yu-Seong raised his head and confirmed the person¡¯s identity. He said with a frown, ¡°Choi Min-Seok?¡± An unexpected figure was standing in front of the car with a strange expression on his face. Anyway, the house was just around the corner. Jin Do-Yoon got out of the car first, and Yu-Seong followed him. Yu-Seong then asked, "What do you think you are doing?" Choi Min-Seok, who always had a ridiculous look whenever he saw Yu-Seong, slightly shrugged in a somewhat sloppy manner. He frowned as if annoyed, saying, "...I came to talk to you about something.¡± "But why? Did you suddenly jump in front of the car because you wanted to die?¡± ¡°I meant to stop the car. I was just trying to reach out my hand to stop you guys.¡± "Then why didn¡¯t you wait in front of my house¡­? You know what, just go," said Yu-Seong. What was the point of continuing to talk more? Yu-Seong sighed deeply, shook his head, and tried to get back in the car. Just then, Min-Seok cried out, "Hey, wait! I have something to tell you.¡± "Get to the point," said Yu-Seong. "Well, that''s not something that we should talk about here," said Min-Seok. Yu-Seong frowned. "What?" "...let''s go to the restaurant I know. I''ve got a room. I have something to tell you in private..." "You¡¯re crazy. Why should I eat with you? I''m not curious about what you have to say, so let me just go." Yu-Seong grinned and grabbed the car handle again. "Kim Do-Jin!" shouted Min-Seok. ¡°...¡± Yu-Seong paused because Min-Seok had just mentioned an unexpected name. "It''s about Kim Do-Jin. You''re interested in him, aren''t you? Let''s go to the restaurant," said Min-Seok with a smile. Certainly, Yu-Seong had thought of that person many times. He swallowed the words in his throat right away and glared at Choi Min-Seok. He retorted, ¡°Do you think I know less about Kim Do-Jin than you do?¡± "I don''t know more about Kim Do-Jin than you do," Min-Seok said. There was a rumor that Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong were quite close. Choi Min-Seok thought the pairing was quite out of place, but there was too much evidence that brought about the rumor. There were even photographs of the two together. Because of this, Min-Seok quickly became mute at Yu-Seong''s confident voice. He stomped inside when he saw Yu-Seong opening the car door without further hesitation. ¡®What should I do? Byung-Chan hyung-nim told me to take Choi Yu-Seong to the restaurant.¡¯ CH 84 Choi In-Young wanted to plant Bomber''s Time Bomb on Choi Yu-Seong. However, she was concerned about Choi Mi-Na''s reaction and even more concerned about catching Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes, which were already focused on her due to the past kidnapping incident. Thus, instead of carrying out her own plans, she had called on Choi Byung-Chan, her sixth younger brother and the one right below her in the hierarchy. However, Choi Byung-Chan was not a fool either. He did not want to directly bother with Choi Yu-Seong, who had Woo-Jae¡¯s attention at this time, and be exposed to unnecessary threats. Because of that, he had decided to call Choi Min-Seok in turn. It had started as Choi In-Young¡¯s plan, but had been then handed over to Choi Byung-Chan, who in turn had passed the task over to Choi Min-Seok. Truthfully, Choi Min-Seok also did not want to encounter Yu-Seong these days, but since he was the weakest in the family now, he could not refuse Byung-Chan¡¯s order when Byung-Chan was the only one supporting him. Feeling desperate, Min-Seok had thrown out Kim Do-Jin¡¯s name at Yu-Seong, but even that had not worked. Min-Seok¡¯s mind went blank as fear instantly overwhelmed him. ¡®What will happen to me if even Byung-Chan hyung-nim abandons me?¡¯ Min-Seok suddenly remembered the gazes of contempt and disgust Yu-Seong had always gotten from their siblings. He remembered how much he himself had looked down on Yu-Seong, mocking him that he could not even lift his head up in front of his siblings. But, could he be different from Yu-Seong? No, there was no way Choi Byung-Chan would just leave Min-Seok be if he became useless. ¡®I-, I know too much about Byung-Chan hyung-nim''s secrets.¡¯ As someone easily frightened, it never occurred to Choi Min-Seok to use Byung-Chan¡¯s secrets against him. That was why he was running to grab Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder before he could get into the car. Min-Seok shouted urgently, "Oh, come on, come with me!" Practically at the same time, Min-Seok''s view spun around in a blur. It all happened so quickly that only after his back had painfully hit the ground did he realize what happened. "Ahhhhhhhhh-!" "This is your final warning. Do not touch me,¡± Yu-Seong said as Min-Seok rolled on the ground screaming. He lightly dusted his shoulder, then added, "Next time, if you dare even touch my sleeve, I will break your arm.¡± After Yu-Seong got back in the car and sat down, the car drove away from Min-Seok. Only its loud exhaust sound lingered for a while. Looking at the back of the moving car, Min-Seok raised his voice with fear and anger. "Ahh, ahhhhhh!" So many things were falling apart. *** Yu-Seong returned home and had dinner. Then, he took some lollipops and headed into the room. He called Ping Pong and handed the candies over to him for free before sitting on the sofa alone. ¡®Bernard Yoo, Kim Do-Jin, and Choi Min-Seok.¡¯ Things that hadn¡¯t happened in the original story were happening one after another in less than half a year. There was nothing he could do to stop it, but as the number of variables increased, the number of things he had to prepare for also increased. Yu-Seong felt a bit of a headache. Yu-Seong went on to open his cell phone notepad to look over the records of the original novel. After eating the last lollipop, Ping Pong approached Yu-Seong and said, "Choi Yu-Seong, you have a worried face today." "Well, there are a lot of things that bother me these days..." said Yu-Seong. "I''ve heard that most of the worries of humans are useless and random," said Ping Pong. "That¡¯s not wrong," replied Yu-Seong. Those were the kind of words that could appear in any book. Yu-Seong took his eyes off the notepad and looked at Ping Pong. As always, Ping Pong had an arrogant expression on his cute face as he stood with his arms crossed, but for some reason, Yu-Seong could feel his worries fading. ¡°You may find this hard to believe, but I¡¯ve lived a lot longer than the lifespan of a normal human. I may not have any great wisdom, because I¡¯m from a different race and think differently, but I am open to hearing your stories. So, if you have any concerns, speak frankly. I¡¯ll listen to the end, even if some parts of your concerns are completely useless,¡± offered Ping Pong. After that, he stretched both legs and fell down to the ground, crushing his cotton candy like tail. Yu-Seong was in a strange mood when he saw Ping Pong. ''His words were pretty cool, but he is so...'' All Yu-Seong could think of was Ping Pong¡¯s cuteness. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if there were no advantages to that. Before he knew it, a smile was tugging at the ends of his lips. He said, "Thanks to you, I think I''ve already found the answer. Thank you, Mr. Ping Pong." "Huh?" ¡°I shouldn¡¯t cry over spilled milk and worry so much. It''s not something that I can do anything about, anyway.¡± This was the right thing to do. Thinking so much was Yu-Seong¡¯s strength but it was also his flaw. Could there be anything more ridiculous than worrying about something that hadn''t even happened yet? Did he have to worry about it just in case? ''You don¡¯t even know what''s going to happen. Having no idea about what would happen even a second into the future is just¡­ being human.'' Of course, it was possible to make a prediction. But unless Yu-Seong was a true prophet, he couldn¡¯t possibly know which one of the massive range of possibilities would happen until it actually happened. He had pretended to be calm, but after his life had come under control of the novel, he had gone through so many crises that it was possible he had become a bit scared without realizing it. He had to be careful not to be overwhelmed by thoughts of ¡®what-ifs.¡¯ "I just have to do my best to prepare. And if I come across a situation where nothing works then¡­all I can do is try my best to escape. I don''t want to die, you know?¡± said Yu-Seong. Looking at Yu-Seong smiling, Ping Pong, who was sitting on the ground, changed his expression. It was hard to tell whether he was relieved or annoyed. Ping Pong said, ¡°Tsk¡­ How boring.¡± Then, he jumped up from his seat and opened the pink dimensional door back to his planet. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. "Are you going?" asked Yu-Seong. "I ate all the lollipops, so I don''t have anything to do here. Or do you have anything to buy?" "If I had something to buy, I would have bought it already." "Then I will go now. Oh, and that promise, you must keep it. Choi Yu-Seong." "What?" "Don¡¯t ever die. You''re the first and only contractor of this body. If you really think you''re going to die, then I would rather you look for me as soon as possible." "What if I find you?" asked Yu-Seong with a smirk. Placing his small paw on top of his chest, "Even if I may suffer a loss, I will protect you at least once. This is a promise that I, Ping Pong, the Lion Bear Clan¡¯s great prince, make with my honor on the line, so you can believe it." "...Great Prince of the Lion Bear clan?" Wasn¡¯t Ping Pong just a lion-bear-shaped doll? ¡°Ha! You are the first and only human to know this secret of mine. You should be honored. Bye for now." As if unaware of Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts, Ping Pong toddled through the pink door. His tail puffed up as it always did when he was in a good mood. Yu-Seong was now left alone In the room. "Anyway, I really do feel better, thanks to him." Ping Pong¡¯s oath was cool in its own way, but it didn¡¯t give Yu-Seong any big expectations. Still, it had indeed helped ease Yu-Seong¡¯s worries quite a bit, and it made him smile. Who knew that he would have been comforted and helped by a dimensional merchant? This was another thing that had never happened in the original novel. ¡®It¡¯s a variable that happened because of the future that I¡¯ve changed.¡¯ In other words, the butterfly effect did not necessarily lead to a bad conclusion. With many thoughts occupying his mind once more, Yu-Seong got up from his seat to wash up before lying down on his bed. At that moment, his cell phone rang. Choi Yu-Seong frowned as he saw the name on the screen. ¡®Choi Byung-Chan?¡¯ Min-Seok, whom he had encountered on his way home, flashed into Yu-Seong''s mind. ''Aha, I was wondering why Min-Seok was so desperate. So he¡¯s carrying out your orders.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok and Choi Byung-Chan had a long-lasting bond even in the original novel. Yu-Seong was getting a vague idea of what was going on. It was Choi Byung-Chan, not Choi Min-Seok, who wanted to see him. But why? In fact, Yu-Seong wanted to ignore this thought and organize his thoughts more, but this was not an easy feat. ¡®Choi Byung-Chan, A-rank, level 70 Physical type hunter with a specialty in boxing. And his personality is pretty fiery.¡¯ The last part was important. If put positively, Choi Byung-Chan had a fiery personality. If put negatively, he was insane. In fact, there were other words that clearly described his personality. In fact, there was another word that definitely suited him. ¡®Choi Byung-Chan the villain.¡¯ That was what Kim Do-Jin said in the novel as he cut Choi Byung-Chan''s neck when the latter had attacked him without fear. Also, when Choi Mi-Na had said some siblings wouldn¡¯t be fooled by her wild distractions, Choi Byung-Chan had been the first name that had come to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®Yeah. With that personality of his, even if he was concerned about Mi-Na noonim, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sit still and do nothing.¡¯ If Choi Yu-Seong was a rascal with good qualifications but a sense of inferiority, Choi Byung-Chan was a villain¡­ ''And a piece of trash full of pride and excessive confidence in himself.'' Under such circumstances, why was an arrogant person like Byung-Chan bothering with someone like Yu-Seong who was still a D-rank player? There had to be some external pressure. ¡®No way... Did Choi In-Young already start moving?¡¯ When Yu-Seong remembered Choi In-Young, the woman who could be seen as the Comet Group¡¯s true witch in the original novel, his thoughts naturally led to the second-rank dungeon and the kidnapping in the Noll''s cave. At the time, Choi Woo-Jae said that the culprit of the incident was one of Yu-Seong¡¯s siblings. Yu-Seong had wondered who it was, but he hadn¡¯t expected that he would be able to find the answer this way. Was it mere coincidence that In-Young¡¯s name came to mind after Choi Byung-Chan''s unexpected move? ¡®No way.¡¯ Now, he knew with certainty who in his own family were his enemies. He quietly pressed the call button and said, "Yes, Choi Yu-Seong speaking." - Why did you take so long to answer? "I was about to take a shower." - Are you home? One-sided statements and questions. There was no reason for Yu-Seong to lie. "Yes." - I sent a car. Get in. ¡°...¡± Choi Yu-Seong remained silent for a moment. It was obvious that it was a trap and that something would be waiting for him. The fact that he had to enter a tiger¡¯s den knowing that it was dangerous didn¡¯t make him happy. - I think you''re not aware of this, but just because I¡¯m cautious of Mi-Na noonim doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do anything to you. If you don''t want to die, stop playing tricks and get in the car. Choi Byung-Chan instantly read Yu-Seong''s thoughts and threatened him, like the mighty villain that he was. Yu-Seong had no choice. He muttered, "...I''ll see you there." Choi Byung-Chan ended the call. Yu-Seong, who was about to get some rest, had to leave the house with a deep sigh. He was a little worried, but surprisingly, he didn¡¯t feel too heavy-hearted. ''I can think of the possible scenarios and the contingency plan... And if I can''t help it, it''s not something that I can stop from happening.'' Yu-Seong had never imagined that an unpredictable disaster would come from this meeting. CH 85 Traveling by a car sent by Choi Byung-Chan, Yu-Seong arrived at a high-end restaurant famous for Korean beef omakase. It was located at Cheongdam-dong. After getting out of the car, Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Do-Yoon went up to the rooftop of an eleven-story building and entered the reserved room. There, they could see a restless Choi Min-Seok and Choi Byung-Chan, who sat at the head of the table with his arms crossed arrogantly. Choi Yu-Seong''s first impression of Choi Byung-Chan, who he had only read about in the original novel, was surprising. ¡®I heard that he¡¯s the boss of the back alley even before he awakened. No wonder he has a decent physique.¡¯ Byung-Chan had wide shoulders and muscles that filled up a fairly large t-shirt. His palms were bigger than the average human¡¯s head, and his limbs were rather long. It was unsurprising to assume that he would have been a fairly strong person even if he were not a hunter. Looking at him, Yu-Seong felt like he was looking at a natural fighter. "Hmm?" Choi Byung-Chan''s first sound was a question. Looking at Do-Yoon, he said, ¡°You brought someone.¡± "You didn''t say I had to come alone," said Choi Yu-Seong calmly. He took an empty seat opposite of Choi Min-Seok. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Byung-Chan offered a cool smile, looking at Yu-Seong with a strange gaze. "You certainly grew a lot. You look many times better than that imbecile over there." Byung-Chan was looking at Min-Seok, who hunched to make himself look smaller. He then said, "Leave." "...Yes, hyung-nim." Choi Min-Seok, who looked very discouraged, headed out of the door with his eyes lowered. For a moment, his gaze was full of resentment as he passed by Choi Yu-Seong. ¡®He is a fool until the end. If you want to blame someone, shouldn¡¯t he blame Byung-Chan rather than me?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong clicked his tongue inwardly. He knew the reason well. Min-Seok had chosen to resent him because that was the easier choice to make. ¡®It''s probably also because of past memories.¡¯ Anyway, Yu-Seong and Byung-Chan were facing each other. The moment felt rather intense, but it wasn¡¯t too much for Yu-Seong to bear. As they calmly made eye contact, Byung-Chan smiled coldly and scratched his cheek. He said, "I don''t think I look particularly easy or a pushover.¡± "But that doesn''t mean you''re a cannibal, right?" said Yu-Seong. "...Look at that, you know how to joke. Are you really the Choi Yu-Seong that I know?" Instead of answering, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders. Byung-Chan had to directly contact Yu-Seong since things didn¡¯t work out when he had sent out Choi Min-Seok, but he wouldn¡¯t do anything by himself as long as there was a possibility Choi Woo-Jae could become involved. ''How interesting. I was going to simply carry out In-Young''s request, but it¡¯s a waste to just get rid of him.¡¯ Byung-Chan wanted to have Yu-Seong for himself. Therefore, he picked up his cell phone to put off his plan for a while. "Oh, it''s me. Send the food in after a little while." Choi Byung-Chan hung up the phone and uncrossed his arms. He leaned slightly forward as his shiny eyes slowly glance over Yu-Seong. He then asked, "I changed my mind. I want to give you a chance. Choi Yu-Seong, how about coming under me?¡± Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to smile at the fairly flippant recruitment proposal. He asked, "Did you call me to make that suggestion?¡± ¡°No, I originally had other things to discuss, but for now, I''m giving you a chance." ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I refuse,¡± answered Yu-Seong. "You''ll regret it." ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Choi Byung-Chan''s eyes twinkled as he saw Choi Yu-Seong''s calm attitude. ''Ah, I want this guy so much. Is there really no way to have him?¡¯ Byung-Chan thought about it for a while but soon shook his head. ¡®Making the same suggestion twice would hurt my pride.¡¯ Byung-Chan would have broken at least one of Yu-Seong¡¯s arms and legs if their family wasn¡¯t involved. Of course, if he decided to do so, then even if he would get in trouble, he could harm Yu-Seong to some extent. However, for now, he didn¡¯t actually have the intention of doing so. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why In-Young asked me to handle him. There must be some kind of risk.¡¯ Byung-Chan¡¯s effort would be enough to give In-Young some proper help. Therefore, Byung-Chan licked his lips as he decided to give up on Yu-Seong. ¡°Well, if you refuse, there is nothing I can do. At least enjoy your meal before you go." Byung-Chan picked up his cell phone again and ordered someone to bring the food in. Then, he yawned as if he was bored. Even though it was a request with considerable requital, this kind of work did not suit him well. ¡®Bomber, the Villain¡­¡¯ Byung-Chan just had to help the person that Choi In-Young had sent over with the task. Thinking of that, he didn¡¯t have much to say. During the short silence, Yu-Seong looked around to figure out what Choi Byung-Chan was up to. Then, he stood up from his seat. "Huh? Where are you going?" ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom. Or should I pee here instead?¡± ¡°No way, but since I don¡¯t want you to run away, you¡¯ll have to leave that friend here. I still have things to talk to you about.¡± Yu-Seong slightly nodded at Byung-Chan with a light smile. After that, he left the room. *** As soon as Yu-Seong entered the bathroom, he locked the door and checked his cell phone. Just in case, he had sent a message to Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny¡ªwho was known as Yu-Ri¡¯s subordinate¡ªbefore leaving the house. He didn¡¯t receive any reply from Jin Yu-Ri, but there was one from Jenny. -Boss, I''m ready. Where should I go? It was the first conversation they were having, but it was not difficult to guess Jenny¡¯s personality from her short message. ¡®Since Jin Yu-Ri is the one who entrusts work to her, obviously she will be on the ball.¡¯ After sending his current location over to Jenny, Yu-Seong closed his cell phone and began to think while washing his hands. ¡®He offered me to work for him, but Choi Byung-Chan still thinks that I''m a greenhorn.¡¯ Yu-Seong knew that for a fact without much thought. Byung-Chan looked bored and had no interest in doing his work, so it was clear that he hadn¡¯t planned the dinner because he wanted to. ''As expected, this has something to do with Choi In-Young.¡¯ In such a manner, what did Choi In-Young hope to achieve by arranging this dinner for Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Byung-Chan? Yu-Seong realized he might have to pay attention to a trap that was possibly related to the restaurant itself. ¡®Or maybe food?¡¯ If there were an intention to use poison, then Byung-Chan would have come and twisted Choi Yu-Seong''s neck right away instead. What was the trap, then? Yu-Seong thought about it the entire time, but couldn''t find an answer. In the first place, he couldn¡¯t possibly discover the real reason, unless he knew of the Villain Bomber¡¯s existence. Yu-Seong once again opened the message window with shame. ¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ In a way, Do-Jin was the most reliable person in such a dangerous situation. The name flashed briefly in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes, but he soon got rid of that thought. ¡®I''ll have to repay him if I get his help.¡¯ It was better not to owe Do-Jin. In the end, Yu-Seong completed all of the possible preparations that were available to him. Later on, he would have to face the danger head-on. ¡®I can do it.¡¯ Yu-Seong believed that he could do it, as long as he kept his efforts up. ¡®I just have to face the situation directly to find out. I can do this.¡¯ Yu-Seong tried to think positively, and left the bathroom. ''In case of an emergency, there is Do-Yoon supporting me.¡¯ Jin Do-Yoon¡ªwho had become A-rank¡ª would not be easily defeated by the natural fighter, Choi Byung-Chan. Thinking of his reliable colleague, Yu-Seong felt more reassured than before. Yu-Seong walked leisurely through the long corridor leading back to the room. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Beyond the corridor, Yu-Seong spotted burning red hair that vanished like a dancing flame. His heart sank. ¡®Rachel?¡¯ Rachel, The Slaughter Queen, was known to be designated by the World Player Association as a villain and so would not be able to move recklessly. However, she appeared in a restaurant in the middle of Korea¡¯s capital city. Yu-Seong was reminded of Rachel¡¯s terrible penchant for murder and him witnessing her madness just a while ago. Goosebumps sprang up all over his body. His neck became stiff from the indescribable tension, his heart pounded like it was going to explode, and somehow he could smell blood from the tip of his nose. For a moment, Yu-Seong had to stand still. He immediately shook his head with a short sigh. ''No, there¡¯s no way. It has to be just another customer who came to the restaurant.¡¯ Yu-Seong only saw the hair. It would be just a coincidence that Rachel''s face came to his mind for a moment. ''Yes, if it was really Rachel, she would have already followed me.'' Yu-Seong thought his situation was just like that old saying, ¡®Once bitten, twice shy¡¯. ''Damn PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).¡¯ Yu-Seong unwittingly relaxed his tense body and returned to the room again. There was already a simple appetizer on the table, as if the staff had already come and gone once. After noticing his return, Choi Byung-Chan started eating without saying anything. "Mm, it¡¯s good. Help yourself." Yu-Seong returned to his seat and asked while lifting the food. "Is there anything In-Young asked you to tell me?¡± If the opponent did not bring it up, then he had to do so. Yu-Seong was not a person who just sat and waited. Hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s question, Choi Byung-Chan quickly glanced over. He emptied the appetizer bowl at once and put it down. "You mean, I look like the kind of person who does what Choi In-Young tells me to do?" Byung-Chan¡¯s voice was excessively angry. Noticing that, Yu-Seong was even more confident of his deduction. He said with even more confidence, "Well, brothers and sisters can ask for a favor." Choi Byung-Chan''s lips twisted at Yu-Seong¡¯s words. Looking as Yu-Seong finished the appetizer in one bite, he said, "Father has been caring about you a lot lately, right? How long do you think it''ll last? Don''t go too far. You''re not going to live just for today, are you? The glory wouldn''t last long." ¡°We¡¯ll have to stick it out and see.¡± As soon as Yu-Seong answered, the door opened and a skinny Western man in his 30s came in. He was dressed sharply. Naturally holding a plate of food in one hand, he passed right behind Yu-Seong. Jin Do-Yoon was watching the man''s movements very carefully. "Oh, yes, you''re right. But I don''t think¡­that you''ll last that long, you know." Byung-Chan laughed and nodded as he received the raw beef served by the employee. Yu-Seong looked straight at Byung-Chan. ¡®What the hell are you up to?¡¯ Byung-Chan had an elusive confidence, which was made clear in his voice. If he was truly hiding something, then Yu-Seong would have to find out for himself. Choi Yu-Seong wanted to change this situation into an opportunity. He couldn¡¯t do much if he had no clue, after all. It was also true that it would be better to know the opponent¡¯s intentions and prepare beforehand. ¡®What are you thinking, Choi Byung-Chan, Choi In-Young?¡¯ Yu-Seong''s inner thoughts were complicated. He recalled the two names that were considered to be the most wicked in his family. "Beef tartare served with a special sauce, sir.¡± In the meantime, Yu-Seong could hear the employee speaking somewhat clumsy Korean as he came closer. The employee dropped the plate of food quite naturally, and that surprised Yu-Seong, who turned to look at the broken plate and fallen food. ¡®Ah¡­?¡¯ The employee quickly bowed to Yu-Seong apologetically. Yu-Seong was distracted by the spilled food, allowing an unguarded moment. "Oh, I''m sorry. I''m sorry." The employee naturally reached out to wipe the stains on Yu-Seong¡¯s top. There was no reason to be wary or suspicious about his behavior. ¡®Perfect.¡¯ Just as the employee¡¯s sharp eyes reflected the very area of Yu-Seong¡¯s exposed flesh he was reaching for¡­ Tap-! With a slapping sound, Jin Do-Yoon snatched the employee¡¯s wrist at high speed. He growled fiercely. "Who are you?" asked Do-Yoon. However, he did not wait for an answer. He quickly broke the employee''s wrist and overpowered him, then climbed behind his back and twisted his arm the other way. There was no time for defiance. Crush-! ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh-!¡± With the eerie sound of broken bones, the Villain Bomber¡¯s screams resonated throughout the room. CH 86 Bomber, the villain, was quite pleased with this operation. There was only one reason for this¡ªit was thrilling. If the target¡ªa descendant of a conglomerate family¡ªwas eliminated, a fairly dangerous figure would become an enemy, Of course, any villain should move stealthily and go unnoticed. Although Bomber could lose his life if he ws caught, he was a terrorist in the first place. If he were to be afraid of risking his life, he wouldn¡¯t even have become a terrorist. ¡®I won¡¯t be making a loss, if I lend a hand in the fight of this conglomerate family. I can profit from this.¡¯ For Bomber, this was a relaxing start. He was once a U.S. soldier. He had learned Korean while he was stationed in Korea so he could communicate in the language quite easily. For Bomber, this operation was something that would end so easily and pleasantly. However, as soon as Jin Do-Yoon suddenly ran, snatched his wrist, and pulled out his shoulder bone, Bomber recognized that he was in some danger and cursed inside. He couldn¡¯t help but scream, "Ahhhhhh-!" ¡°I asked, who are you?¡± Jin Do-Yoon repeated his question. Choi Byung-Chan frowned as he was sitting down and eating food. He muttered, ¡°How loud¡­ Can¡¯t he see that his masters are eating?¡± Then, with a yawn, Byung-Chan stood up and seemingly disappeared. At that moment, Yu-Seong, who was organizing what had happened in his head, jumped out of his seat somewhat instinctively. He converted the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a weapon. Then, he invoked Insight and followed the invisible movement before pushing the opponent out of range with the Spearmanship skill, balustrade. All of these actions took place during a very short period of time. A quick explosion rang out in the room. Jin Do-Yoon had been kicked by Choi Byung-Chan and had flown beyond the building, breaking several walls. Then, he fell and collapsed even more walls. "Oh, my bad. Not enough energy was applied, so he¡¯s now just blocking the road. I meant to kill him,¡± said Byung-Chan as if he was annoyed. Then, he saw the sudden appearance of Yu-Seong''s spear and his eyes twinkled. He asked, "It''s an ancient artifact, isn''t it? Did Father give it to you?" ¡°...¡± Instead of answering, Yu-Seong widened the distance with Byung-Chan. "Why aren''t you answering me? I asked you a question.¡± Byung-Chan smiled at Yu-Seong. "What was that?" asked Yu-Seong as he looked sideways at Bomber who laid on the floor. Byung-Chan tilted his head at Yu-Seong¡¯s question. He stated, "Hey, I think I asked the question first.¡± "I have no obligation to answer," said Yu-Seong. "Then I''m not obliged to answer your question either. And there''s no reason why I have to humor a brother who''s disrespectful to me." After speaking, Choi Byung-Chan laughed and disappeared once again. Choi Yu-Seong read the movement with Insight and made an illusion by conducting Wind Control. Byung-Chan''s roughly swung fist penetrated his entire illusion and broke the wall with a roar. There was a blast as the cold wind of early February swept from the outside. Choi Byung-Chan wriggled his eyebrows and smiled. "Interesting.¡± Once again, Yu-Seong widened the distance between them by performing Wind Control Execution. Then, he invoked Spearmanship. ¡®The wind property.¡¯ As Yu-Seong quickly pierced the air, a sharp wind swept across Choi Byung-Chan¡¯s limbs from the end of the spear. Then, before Yu-Seong knew it, Choi Byung-Chan had disappeared from the place he was standing at. Immediately after, Choi Byung-Chan''s voice came from behind Yu-Seong. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Choi Yu-Seong, are you sure you''re a D-rank?" Yu-Seong once again tried to widen the distance by invoking an illusion by using Wind Control. However, this time, Choi Byung-Chan was not fooled. Byung-Chan passed through the illusion and smiled right in front of Choi Yu-Seong''s nose. ¡®He¡¯s so fast.¡¯ After all, Choi Byung-Chan was an A-rank player who was even called a natural fighter. No matter how great Choi Yu-Seong''s talent was, the opponent was also an overwhelmingly talented hunter. When Byung-Chan grabbed him at once. Yu-Seong groaned. "Gugh¡­!" There was no place to escape to, and Yu-Seong was not powerful enough to shake off the A-rank hunter who was trying his best to catch him. ''Darn¡­it...'' Choi Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and glanced around. He needed to find a way. Byung-Chan wouldn¡¯t kill him right away, since there was a high possibility that their conversation would go on for a bit longer. It was time for Yu-Seong to seek an opportunity to strike back. Choi Byung-Chan tightened his grip threateningly. "Kahh¡­!" Choking, Choi Yu-Seong''s mind slowly became blank. He couldn¡¯t breathe. "Choi Yu-Seong, you''re more dangerous than I thought. What the heck are you? Your skill just now looks similar to Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s Wind Control." More questions from Choi Byung-Chan followed, but he didn¡¯t ask for an answer. He was a natural fighter, after all, so he had no need to truly understand his opponents. It was only a short battle, but Choi Byung-Chan was sure about one thing. ¡®This guy, he¡¯ll become really dangerous when he gets older.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong may become stronger than Byung-Chan himself if he was also in A-rank, or even just a B-rank. It was unbelievable, but Byung-Chan¡¯s instinct raised Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s risk evaluation to the highest possible level. It was like seeing Choi Ji-Ho, the man who once overshadowed the entire family in a different way from Choi Woo-Jae. If he could do it, Byung-Chan wanted to break Yu-Seong¡¯s neck before Yu-Seong became stronger. However, he couldn¡¯t do it. ''Killing him is too much for me¡­ Father is paying attention to him because he knows that this guy is as strong as this.¡¯ Byung-Chan''s instinctive fear and logical reasoning clashed, preventing him from easily making the final decision. At that moment, he could see the groaning Bomber struggling to stand up. ¡®He was beaten stupidly, but¡­¡¯ Bomber''s ability could quite covertly injure Yu-Seong to a point that was beyond recovery. Above all, Byung-Chan did not have to personally harm Yu-Seong, so it was easy to shrug off the blame. Choi Byung-Chan made his decision, smiled coldly, and approached Bomber while grabbing Yu-Seong. He asked, "Hey, you can speak Korean, right?¡± "Ugh..." groaned Bomber. He raised his head to see Choi Byung-Chan, and nodded. ¡°Good. I don''t like English very much. Speaking of which¡­¡± Before Choi Byung-Chan could complete his sentence, a wolf¡¯s howl rose from the ground. A werewolf with its back against the moonlight flew over from the outside wall. "Damn those beasts. I should have killed him with one shot earlier..." Muttering to himself, Choi Byung-Chan invoked his skill and stretched out his fist. A strong wind soared into the air. As far as he knew, most of the physical players of his rank couldn¡¯t endure this attack. However, Jin Do-Yoon, who had turned into a werewolf, broke through the attack head-on. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. ¡®What?¡¯ It was a somewhat surprising moment, and thanks to this, Byung-Chan¡¯s wrist was caught by Do-Yoon. When Byung-Chan pulled himself together again, Jin Do-Yoon kicked Byung-Chan''s temple. Boom-! This time, Choi Byung-Chan flew in the air. At that moment, Byung-Chan had to let go of Choi Yu-Seong and loosen his grip. Jin Do-Yoon did not miss the opportunity and held Choi Yu-Seong in his arms. "Kaugh-!" Yu-Seong suddenly started breathing, coughing roughly several times. ¡®Fortunately, he¡¯s okay.¡¯ Do-Yoon looked at Choi Yu-Seong with a sense of relief. "Damn you, werewolf. Screw you." Bomber approached them, grabbed Jin Do-Yoon''s ankle, and cursed. Jin Do-Yoon stepped away to shake off Bomber¡¯s hand easily, and Bomber flew in the air just like Choi Byung-Chan. However, Bomber kept smiling even when flying through the air. His lips slightly moved, and Do-Yoon could see and read what he had said. ¡®Bang¡­?¡¯ At the same time, there was a large explosion. As his entire ankle exploded apart, Do-Yoon screamed in anguish, "Khaaaaa-!" The blood, flesh, and fur flew all over the place. Do-Yoon fell to the ground while trying to protect Yu-Seong from the explosion, using his back as a shield. In the tremendous uproar, Yu-Seong began to recover little by little and called out in surprise, "Jin Do-Yoon..." "I''m fine, young master..." Even before Do-Yoon¡¯s bestial cry ended, a rough wind swept across Yu-Seong and struck Do-Yoon on the head. "Woof-!" Jin Do-Yoon cried out and rolled the floor several times. Then, he smashed against the corner of the wall. Kurrrr-! Choi Byung-Chan fell from above Do-Yoon and trampled on his chest. Bang-! Jin Do-Yoon couldn''t even scream, spewing blood. He fell down the stairs. "Jin Do-Yoon!" yelled Choi Yu-Seong and he clenched his fist. He could feel his fury quickly dominating his sense of reason. ¡®Choi Byung-Chan, you punk!¡¯ "How dare the dog of the house bite its owner!" Choi Byung-Chan looked angry while he swept his hair back, wiping the blood away from his forehead. He then smiled at Yu-Seong. "If the dog does something wrong, the owner should punish it accordingly. Too bad, I cannot stand it anymore. At least, father wouldn''t kill me." ¡®Thud-, thud-.¡¯ Byung-Chan approached Yu-Seong with heavy footsteps, twisting his neck left and right. Yu-Seong remained standing, using his spear as a support. He looked at Byung-Chan with a cold gaze. ¡®Just one-off¡­¡¯ If given the chance, Yu-Seong could destroy Choi Byung-Chan''s heart. He himself had the same risk, since his opponent had the intention of killing him. There was no reason for him to hesitate to kill even though Byung-Chan was his brother. "Oh, Choi Yu-Seong. I really don''t like that cheeky look. Well, that''s probably the last one. Now, it¡¯s time for you to die." Byung-Chan clenched his fists. Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Byung-Chan were less than 10 steps away from each other. ¡®Not yet. Just a little closer¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to get the chance at such a distance. Choi Byung-Chan smiled brutally and stretched his arms, as if he could read Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. He sent a punch flying toward Yu-Seong¡¯s heart, and there was no place for escape. ¡®If I block that¡­ Would I be able to stand up again?¡¯ While Choi Yu-Seong was thinking, his vision was blocked by someone''s back. ¡®A waitress?¡¯ Bomber was hit by Choi Byung-Chan''s wind punch. He flew toward Choi Yu-Seong, vomiting blood. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong had to roll on the floor several times with Bomber in his arms. ¡®Why?¡¯ Yu-Seong had no idea why Bomber had shielded him from the attack. However, before his doubts cleared up, he realized that Bomber had already died. ¡®He¡¯s not breathing.¡¯ Someone had killed Bomber and had thrown him out as a shield. "I¡¯m done watching~ That cute kid is mine." Even before Yu-Seong could unravel his thoughts, he heard a woman¡¯s voice ringing out. He trembled somewhat instinctively. ¡®No way!¡¯ An image of madness flashed across Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. As he got rid of the Bomber¡¯s body, Yu-Seong could hear Byung-Chan''s fearless voice. "Who the heck are you?" "Me?" Flaming red hair flew through the air. A woman holding a short ax with her right hand pointed to herself with her left index finger and tilted her head. Then, she smiled and turned to look at Yu-Seong with deep blood-colored eyes. She said in a creepy fashion, "Will you answer that for me, gold nugget?¡± Yu-Seong answered with a shiver, "...Rachel." Rachel was the Slaughter Queen. Above the city center full of darkness, the disaster finally descended. CH 87 At first, Choi Byung-Chan did not seem to be able to get the picture right away. He snapped, "Hey, Rachel or something, what kind of whore are you to interrupt my work? Get out, how dare you barge in here.¡± Perhaps it was because he was pulled in too many directions, such as vigilance against Choi Yu-Seong, anger from getting hit by Do-Yoon, and the prolonged disturbance and escalation of this altercation. However, his anger did not last for very long. Without saying anything, Rachel looked at the cursing Choi Byung-Chan. She was, in fact, expressionless. Around that time, Byung-Chan noticed the change of the vibe. He frowned and questioned, "Wait, Rachel? That villain, the Slaughter Queen?" However, it was too late when Byung-Chan finally realized. ¡®No matter how pissed off he is, he absolutely has an impaired judgment.¡¯ It was not for no reason that Choi Woo-Jae did not delegate much to Choi Byung-Chan and had let him fit in with the back alley organization. Choi Byung-Chan was slow-witted, and had a small mind. His natural sense of battle was not bad, but it was impossible for him to lead a large company such as Comet group with only that quality. It was a rather hopeless situation for Choi Yu-Seong. ''Even though I don¡¯t feel like doing so, there¡¯s no way for us to get away from Rachel together.¡¯ Choi Byung-Chan had long crossed the line. It was only a small consolation that Rachel simply looked at him in silence. He cursed, ¡°...Damn it.¡± He belatedly noticed the madness in Rachel¡¯s eyes and slightly stepped back. "Are you done barking?" Rachel finally asked with a big smile. "What¡­?" "I get so bored when a barking dog gets quiet," Rachel said. At the same time, her ax flew forward. Choi Byung-Chan freaked out, leaned to the side, and folded his waist to avoid the flying ax which cut the tip of his nose. ¡®As expected, he has a good sense of battle.¡¯ However, the opponent was too strong. Rachel was already right in front of Choi Byung-Chan. She grabbed him by the collar with one hand and lifted him. Then, she held her one-handed ax which returned, and struck it vertically¡­ The sound of torn flesh and broken bones echoed eerily. With wide open eyes, Choi Byung-Chan screamed, "Ahhhhhhhh-!" Choi Byung-Chan lost an arm in an instant. He struggled in pain while twisting his body recklessly. However, Rachel was holding onto him so strongly that all of his movements merely shook her slightly. ¡®It''s not the physical force.¡¯ Rachel was easily holding onto Choi Byung-Chan, using his turbulent movement as rebound energy. As if this was all a joke, she played with him like he was a doll, then threw him on the floor. She now looked tired of him. With a belch, Choi Byung-Chan was buried in the ground. He was completely wrecked. The villain, who was too strong for Choi Yu-Seong, had been overpowered in a single moment. ''Damn that monster. I¡¯m sure that Mi-Na noo-nim cut her right wrist off but how did it regenerate back? Is it my turn next?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong felt both curiosity and astonishment. He was also trying to find a way out of the current situation, because he knew that Rachel was a completely unpredictable cannonball. Here, Choi Yu-Seong had misunderstood another thing. It was the thought that Rachel would be satisfied after overpowering her opponent. Without even looking at Yu-Seong, she strongly slapped Choi Byung-Chan''s cheek. "I don''t like it when others touch the things I chose. So I was really angry when I first saw you pick on it, but it was cute seeing that cute gold nugget struggling. Hahaha,¡± Rachel said with a smile, looking at Byung-Chan shivering all over. "Ah...ahhh..." Choi Byung-Chan avoided eye contact with Rachel and groaned, perhaps because he surrendered to the overwhelming power or because he couldn''t withstand the madness rising within her eyes. "But you should have done it moderately. You dare to kill the kid I chose? Whose permission did you get?" Rachel questioned as she slowly raised her hand ax. Choi Byung-Chan saw that and shook his head urgently. He begged, "Please, please don''t..." "Don¡¯t do what?" asked Rachel. "Please don¡¯t kill me. Please..." Choi Byung-Chan''s desperate gaze met Rachel''s red eyes. Rachel smiled brightly at him and said, ¡°Do you take only one bite of your meal?¡± Rachel''s hand ax bisected Choi Byung-Chan''s head at once. Under the moonlight, blood soared like a fountain in the black night sky, covering Rachel''s red hair and white skin in an instant. Rachel closed her eyes as if enjoying it, and raised her head as she commented, "Ah, not a bad taste." Rachel slowly turned toward Choi Yu-Seong. Choi Byung-Chan was dead. Recognizing that fact one step later, Choi Yu-Seong bit his lip and raised himself up. He wasn¡¯t close to this particular brother anyway, and this sibling had tried to kill him. There was no reason to feel sad. "Why are you not happy, my gold nugget? Didn¡¯t you want to kill him?¡± Though, there was no reason to be happy either. "I had to because I didn''t want to die,¡± Yu-Seong said. Now, Choi Yu-Seong clearly knew that there was no justification for murder. But at least, he didn''t want to be a human being who killed people mercilessly like Rachel. Therefore, he answered Rachel''s question firmly once he caught his breath. In fact, he didn''t think defense would be helpful since his current opponent was Rachel, the Slaughter Queen. However, he was still going to do his best to survive. He had no intention to die. Also, Choi Yu-Seong''s life has always been a series of surviving and overcoming such wars. "As expected, you''re funny, you gold nugget. I can¡¯t even tell if you are scared or not¡­" Rachel said with a grin. Then, she instantly vanished. In the blink of an eye, her hot breath mixed with a bloody odor touched the tip of Choi Yu-Seong''s nose. ¡°...?!¡± Yu-Seong wielded his spear as if struggling desperately, but his attempt was easily blocked by Rachel''s left hand. "If you don''t want to die, stay calm." Rachel smiled and placed her right hand on Yu-Seong''s head. She commented, "In the meantime, you''ve gotten a little stronger. You worked hard, didn''t you?" Yu-Seong aimed his fist for a gap, but Rachel simply grabbed it and twisted it in the other direction. He cried out, "Ahhhhhah-!¡± ¡°Shh!" Rachel smiled and blocked Yu-Seong''s screaming lips with her index finger. She went on to ask, "I think you should come into my arms joyfully. Why are you so rebellious? You''re saying he¡¯s still your brother?¡± "I know I¡¯ll die the moment I hug you. Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± Yu-Seong answered defiantly through clenched teeth. ¡®As expected, Rachel killed him even though she knew he was my family.¡¯ In other words, Rachel didn¡¯t even care about Choi Woo-Jae, who everyone in this country was afraid of. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for Rachel to kill Choi Yu-Seong even in such a place without taking much time. It was just like she had cut Choi Byung-Chan''s head in half. "Hahaha! That''s right. If you''re such an easy-going man, it''s not fun to raise and eat you up." "...what? Ugh!" Rachel hit Yu-Seong¡¯s ankle and collapsed him on the floor at once. She lifted Yu-Seong''s chin with her index finger and thumb. She then cooed, "Do you really think I haven''t been able to find you just because I''m being chased by the Player Association or something?¡± Yu-Seong felt breathless when he saw Rachel¡¯s insane gaze just a stone''s throw away. "It''s a misunderstanding, you gold nugget. I¡¯m just keeping you alive. I always wait until the very end to taste the delicious food.¡± Rachel smiled and moved her fingertips slowly down from Yu-Seong''s chin. With eyes gleaming with madness, she said, "Actually, I''m not patient, so I keep wanting to open your head and check to see what¡¯s in your brain..." Rachel used her index finger to swipe up a bit of Yu-Seong''s blood, which lightly flowed down his forehead. "I want to¡­hear that scream right now. But¡­" Rachel slightly licked the tip of her index finger for a taste. Then, she got up and continued, "I''ll endure it until you become more mature and delicious. I am curious how much you can grow. You know, a strong man is my cup of tea¡­" Bang! At that moment, Rachel bent her waist back at the sound of gunfire. The bullet hit the ground, and she immediately turned to look at the roof of the building on the other side. Jenny, the Western woman with scattering blonde hair, had been looking for a chance to shoot. She clicked her tongue. At the same time, a hand ax flew in front of her nose. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. Kwakwang-! Jenny rolled on the floor several times, pulled out her gun again, and shot a bent hand ax. A series of shots hit the night air in Seoul, and the sound of sirens and helicopter propellers began to ring out from all sides. It wasn''t until then that Rachel slowly pulled herself up from Yu-Seong and recovered her hand ax. Yu-Seong could feel the signs of the Player Association¡¯s hunters and the Special Police Force flying through the dawn of Seoul. "Unfortunately, that''s it for today. My gold nugget, you can cheer up for now. If you don''t meet my expectations until the next time we meet...." Rachel licked her lips and smiled. "I don''t think I can show any more patience. Whoo whoo." Shortly afterwards, Rachel disappeared like smoke. "Ha..." Yu-Seong reflexively breathed a big sigh and jumped up from his seat. The air that was dense and heavy enough to almost suffocate him had become light again. He felt like his whole body was torn apart, but he didn''t intend to relax. ¡®Jin Do-Yoon!¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong ran downstairs, rolling on the floor several times before approaching the unconscious Do-Yoon who was back into his human form. Yu-Seong put his ear on Do-Yoon¡¯s left chest. Boom, boom, boom. It was slow, but his heart was still beating. ¡®He¡¯s alive.¡¯ Do-Yoon didn¡¯t look okay, but at least he was alive. As soon as the tension was eased a little, a special police officer who was wearing a familiar rabbit mask appeared in front of Yu-Seong. In a way, this disturbance had been going on for a long time, so it could be said that this was a rather late appearance. ¡®Why are you so late?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong questioned inwardly. "...The damn head of the Special Police Force informed me very late." Surprisingly, the police officer Myo, Choi Mi-Na, spoke as if responding to Yu-Seong''s inner feelings. Then, she turned back and asked, "You can move, right?" "...yes." "It''s going to be a pretty long, tough night. Cheer up." With a deep sigh, Choi Mi-Na left. After that, police flocked over, and Yu-Seong shouted as he raised his arms at them pointing guns in the dark, "I''m Choi Yu-Seong, the ninth child of the Comet group! Please, I''m begging you, I ask for medical staff who can come immediately." The disastrous night was reaching its end. CH 88 As Choi Mi-Na had said, the night lasted longer than expected for Yu-Seong. He looked somewhat fine despite being mentally exhausted, so he had to explain or tell quite a lot of stories to others. Of course, Yu-Seong did not reveal the entire truth in a face-to-face meeting with the detective team or the Special Police Force. For example, he omitted the family circumstances such as the story of Choi Byung-Chan trying to kill him. Naturally, all the nasty deeds were blamed upon the dead villain Bomber and Rachel who ran away. And again, this time, Rachel had gently shaken off the special police officers¡¯ pursuit and had left the city center. And fortunately, Jenny, who used a sniper rifle to support Choi Yu-Seong, did not seem to have been caught by the police either. ¡®She would have a way to sneak out.¡¯ Jenny would not have fired in the middle of downtown Seoul without any further preparations. Although it was from a long distance, considering that she had avoided Rachel''s hand ax, Jenny also had to be a hunter of considerable talent. After the investigation¡ªwhich required Yu-Seong to talk about one thing or another¡ªwas over, a person who identified himself as Soal, a member of the special police force, left. And around that time, the person who was waiting for Choi Yu-Seong to really explain the situation entered the hospital room. It was a very angry Choi Woo-Jae. Choi Woo-Jae walked into the hospital room alone after asking Kim Pil-Doo to stand at the entrance. He glanced at Choi Yu-Seong''s bandaged shoulder and began to speak. "Explain what happened, from beginning to end. Without missing a single thing." Upon hearing that short and concise command, Choi Yu-Seong honestly explained what he had experienced in as much detail as possible and left no details out. He didn¡¯t have to hide something or fake anything. He just calmly tried to convey the situation as objectively as possible. Choi Woo-Jae listened to the story without saying a word. ¡°...I told the truth about everything except the story about Byung-Chan hyung-nim to the police.¡± Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. After the story ended, Choi Woo-Jae smiled coldly. He uttered words that were far beyond Yu-Seong''s expectations, "The sixth crossed the line. He deserved to die." ¡°...¡± "I understand if one is killed or injured while fighting between brothers. But those stories about betrayal¡­ I shouldn¡¯t hear of them.¡± This time, Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t find anything else to say. "That doesn''t mean that a vile foreign girl can kill my child." Choi Woo-Jae got up from his seat with a cold gaze. He said, "I will kill the Slaughter Queen. You do your job." That was the end of the conversation. Choi Woo-Jae left the hospital room, and Yu-Seong was left alone. He felt goosebumps behind his back. ''My father has decided to kill Rachel.¡¯ In fact, the moment Choi Byung-Chan died, this was already an expected outcome. However, Yu-Seong only had that sink in when he heard it in person. ¡®No matter how strong Rachel is... could she get away with it?¡¯ The opponent was Choi Woo-Jae. Rachel was a monster, but Choi Woo-Jae was no less a monstrosity than her. The difference was that Rachel was an individual and Choi Woo-Jae was an organization. At first glance, it was true that Choi Woo-Jae was overwhelmingly advantageous in this situation. ¡®It would be impossible unless she had the Demon King Worshiper¡¯s support.¡¯ Anyway, in the current situation, Rachel belonged to the Demon King Worshipers. She was selfish and uncontrollable, but the founder of the devil worshiper, the so-called godfather, cherished her for her strong abilities. In the end, Choi Woo-Jae''s declaration just now meant that it would be a battle between the Comet Group and the Demon King Worshipers. ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯ Considering the influence of the Comet Group on the Republic of Korea, it could become a battle between the entire country and the Demon King Worshipers¡­ This battle was a tremendous variable that could not be compared to the previous ones. ¡®In fact, the original novel had such a situation too.¡¯ The variable was as big as the battle between the Demon King Worshipers and the Republic of Korea. However, there was clearly a difference from the original novel. ¡®In the original novel, it was actually a fight between Kim Do-Jin and the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯ The confusion about the variable only lingered for a short moment. As he had already experienced before, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t cry over spilled milk. His priority right now was to be prepared against variables, as always. Also, these big events were not the most important thing to him for now. ¡®Jin Do-Yoon¡­ I hope he''s safe.¡¯ Upon arriving at the scene, the rescue team first checked on Jin Do-Yoon''s condition and said that it was a miracle for him to still be alive. The concussed Do-Yoon had an internal rupture, a few ribs broken, and his right ankle was completely broken and had disappeared without a trace. Do-Yoon¡¯s injuries were much more serious than Yu-Seong had seen on the outside and were slowly shortening his life. If it wasn''t for the peculiar constitution of a physical hunter, moreover a werewolf with considerable natural resilience, his injuries would have been serious enough for him to die without hanging on for a long time. Fortunately, Jin Do-Yoon continued to breathe until he arrived at the hospital, and went straight to the operating table. That did not mean that Choi Yu-Seong could relax. Even when explaining the situation to the special police force officer, Soal, and meeting Choi Woo-Jae to tell the story, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t let go of Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s name in his mind. What if Do-Yoon died like this? ¡®What could I tell Jin Yu-Ri?¡¯ In confusion and anxiety, sleepless nights dragged on, dawn went by, and it was soon morning. A rather haggard-looking female nurse rushed in after opening the hospital room door. Choi Yu-Seong looked at her dark circles under his eyes. He had requested this nurse to let him know once Jin Do-Yoon''s surgery was over. The nurse tried catching her breath a couple of times, then opened her mouth to tell the news that Yu-Seong had been waiting for. She said, "The operation...is over." "What does that mean?" asked Yu-Seong. "Jin Do-Yoon, he¡¯s fine. Now, we just have to wait for the recovery." "Ah..." Yu-Seong unconsciously signed with deep relief in his red eyes. He murmured, "What a relief." What else could Yu-Seong say? It was the end of the long and difficult night that haunted him with worries, pains, and earnest prayers. "It¡¯s really¡­a relief." Choi Yu-Seong shed tears and he slowly closed his eyes. *** Choi Yu-Seong slept all day long. In that short period of time, the country was in turmoil. In the middle of downtown Gangnam, Seoul, a terrorist had appeared, died, and the Slaughter Queen, a villain designated as a refugee, had killed the sixth child of the Comet Group. The government was reprimanded for its slow response, and anxiety swept the country. This was unsurprising because the Special Police Force announced that they had not yet caught the Slaughter Queen. In the meantime, Choi Woo-Jae held a press conference and announced his official position on capturing Rachel in the name of the Comet Group. He said ¡®to capture¡¯, but it actually meant he was going to kill her. Everyone knew the implied meaning, and media outlets in each country described the current situation as a fairly unusual case. In fact, currently, in the Republic of Korea, there was a law that allowed the general public to play hardball only in the case of the known villain. Villains could murder so easily, but they could only be stopped by the Special Police Force. This unprecedented special law was passed because the manpower was too insufficient to prevent a large number of individual villains from causing a big accident at any time. However, it was really rare and unusual for a person to make such an announcement as a company representative. Some people said that they should be more careful because they had a large social influence, but the country chose to remain silent, which was the easiest choice, and had called it an act of contemplation. Above all, from the country¡¯s perspective, it was satisfied that the public''s anxiety was somewhat reduced after Choi Woo-Jae''s announcement of his official position on the matter. There were quite a few people who said that the leading Conglomerate group in Korea was more reliable than the national agency which already missed the Slaughter Queen several times. Choi Yu-Seong''s injury was also known in public. The article that he survived after meeting the Slaughter Queen two times became a huge hit, even giving him a new nickname, ¡®the Miracle Man.¡¯ Of course, some doubted Choi Yu-Seong. It was a natural suspicion that Rachel and Choi Yu-Seong were on the same side. As such, rumors spread that Yu-Seong had become a villain to score a high point in a family fight. All this happened in just one day and night. *** Jin Yu-Ri returned to her main job after hearing the news the next afternoon. She was sitting alone in front of Yu-Seong''s hospital room. Then, a Western woman with bright blonde hair, wearing a deep hood, approached her. Jin Yu-Ri gave her a sideways glance and asked, "...what about the Slaughter Queen?" "I can''t find a trace at all. She moves very cleverly for a simple murderer. If we chase her openly, we would be able to approach her to some extent, but we''d get caught." Jin Yu-Ri nodded as if she was convinced of the situation. Unlike others, Jenny''s organization put secrecy first. As such, it was difficult for her to come forward and investigate directly. Moreover, quite a lot of people were involved in this case. "You don''t have to dig too deep, but be careful not to miss the opportunity when you see the movement." "For sure," said Jenny. She nodded her head in a short reply and silently stayed by Jin Yu-Ri''s side. About three minutes passed without any conversation. Suddenly, Jenny opened her mouth again while both of them were looking at the wall. "...are you all right?¡± "What?" "I heard about your brother''s case.¡± "You don''t die from having a missing foot,¡± said Yu-Ri. Jin Do-Yoon was miraculously alive, but his missing ankle by Bomber''s powerful bomb had failed to regenerate. It could be considered that his life as a physical-type hunter was virtually over. "He was a great hunter and a bodyguard,¡± said Jenny. "I know. I appreciate your consolation." "I''m looking for a way. Once some money is spent, it could be replaced with a machine so he could live his daily life." ¡°...¡± Jin Yu-Ri didn¡¯t answer. Her current worry wasn¡¯t regarding Do-Yoon¡¯s physical condition. ¡®He must be very distressed by the fact that he can''t be of much help to Yu-Seong oppa.¡¯ A retired hunter living an ordinary routine wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Do-Yoon. The amount of money he had saved so far was pretty significant, and if he just transplanted a machine on one leg to walk, he would have a much stronger physical condition than the ordinary person. In a way, a kind of retirement that any hunter dreamed of. ¡®But not for him.¡¯ Of course, Jin Do-Yoon, who Yu-Ri knew, would not collapse in agony right away. Rather, he would try to find an opportunity to make a comeback. However, what could he do when he realized that there was no way to overcome this problem even if he put all his energy into it? In the same situation, Yu-Ri could not even guess how she would possibly feel too. CH 89 What made Jin Yu-Ri even angrier was that she couldn¡¯t get revenge since the target, Bomber, the Villain, was already dead. She couldn¡¯t express her resentment through any outlet, and no other methods to destress came up. Just as Jenny patted Yu-Ri¡¯s back lightly with a worried face and tried to comfort her... "Jin Yu-Ri, you''re outside, right? Come in." The voice of Choi Yu-Seong, who was asleep in the room, rang out. Hearing him, Jin Yu-Ri grabbed the door handle while trying to look as bright as possible. "Jenny." Yu-Ri then grabbed Jenny who was about to leave and pointed to the closed hospital room door with her chin. She said, "Let''s go in together and say hello to the boss." "...Okay," said Jenny before entering the hospital room together with Yu-Ri. Yu-Seong was vaguely aware of the fact that there was another person next to Jin Yu-Ri. Looking more calm than surprised, he looked at Jenny who was wearing a hood. Jenny looked at Yu-Seong, took off her hood, and lowered her head lightly with shining blue eyes. "She¡¯s Jenny," said Yu-Ri. At Jin Yu-Ri''s introduction, Choi Yu-Seong nodded. He had already guessed who the other woman was. He said, "Great. It¡¯s a story that would be better for you two to listen to together. It¡¯s a very important one.¡± "Go ahead," replied Jin Yu-Ri. "Jin Do-Yoon''s foot, I¡¯ve thought of a person who can regenerate it again." "...What?" "Boss?" Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny widened their eyes. Their reaction was so alike that one might think they were sisters. ¡°Then you want to let Do-Yoon retire after this?¡± said Yu-Seong. "Certainly not, but who could ever... " It was not that Jin Yu-Ri also didn''t think of a way, either. In particular, she had thought of using the psychic-type player with a strong and powerful healing ability dozens of times all night. However, it was impossible. If the cut was neat or clean, there might be some people who could reattach the limb, but no one could ever regenerate a body part that had completely disappeared. In conclusion, no matter how powerful the healing ability was, it was impossible to save the body parts that have disappeared without a trace. However, was it because Choi Yu-Seong started the story? A name passed through Jin Yu-Ri''s mind. She knew there was a person with such abilities. There was only one person on the planet who could do such a thing. Jenny was listening to the story next to Yu-Ri and muttered in a low voice, as if she thought of the same person. Jenny said, "...The Miraculous Alchemist." "Helen Mirren," said Yu-Ri. Choi Yu-Seong nodded slightly when he heard them. "No way," Jin Yu-Ri then said with a determined refusal. From Jin Yu-Ri''s point of view, this was about her brother. When she heard that Do-Yoon had lost his ankle and it was impossible for him to make a comeback as a hunter, she devised more ways than anyone else. Moreover, Helen Mirren, the Miraculous Alchemist, did pass through her mind at that time. Helen Mirren''s ability was far more powerful than the ordinary alchemist''s ability. She could do anything but save the dead. For example, she could use the dead body to create new life, even if she couldn¡¯t revive the person. Also, she could turn ordinary stones into gold. Since she had such a powerful skill, Helen Mirren would definitely be able to regenerate a missing ankle. However, Jin Yu-Ri had no choice but to erase the name ¡®Helen Mirren¡¯ from her head with a bitter smile. Helen Mirren had another nickname other than ¡®the Miraculous Alchemist¡¯. Her other nickname was ¡®Seductive Demon¡¯. As an S-rank hunter, Helen Mirren had a specialized skill to do great things that could only be expressed by the word ''miracle'' in the world. However, as could be seen from the nickname ¡®alchemist¡¯, the exchange was an unconditional equivalent exchange. To receive something, one would have to give another thing up. In a way, it was an honest exchange, but Helen Mirren always wanted a worse price than the other person wanted. It was like the deal of Mephistopheles, the devil in Goethe''s famous novel, ¡®Faust¡¯. Like the devil''s temptation to take away his soul instead of giving Faust his youth, Helen Mirren''s alchemy required an unimaginable price, so no one was happy with her dealings. After a short enjoyable time, the abyss of despair would surely come after that. That was the general deal with Helen Mirren. "Never. The deal with her will only bring the perdition." Therefore, Jin Yu-Ri firmly expressed her will once again by looking right at Choi Yu-Seong. "You know, money can''t buy her alchemy. Helen Mirren''s alchemy is to sacrifice more lives if you want life. At least one person would have to die if you want a recovery of a body. For a hunter with a strong body like my brother, we might need more than a few dozen people." No one here, even Do-Yoon himself, would want to regenerate his ankle by committing such a massacre. "Of course, there is a way,¡± said Yu-Seong. "If you''re going to sacrifice yourself, I disagree with that, too. I''d rather... " said Yu-Ri. "I know where the Sorcerer''s Stone is." Yu-Ri immediately couldn¡¯t continue speaking. She was so surprised that her eyes widened to the point of falling out of their sockets. Jenny was just watching the situation without saying anything, but she was also surprised. She then asked, "...do you, boss, have the Sorcerer''s Stone?¡± Choi Yu-Seong shook his head at Jenny¡¯s question. He clarified, "I said I knew where it was, I didn''t say I had it." Yu-Ri flinched greatly. It now seemed clear why Yu-Seong had confidently said that there was a way. It was because there was a declaration made by Helen Mirren herself in public. - If you know about the Sorcerer''s Stone, or if you have it, I promise you a single unconditional miracle for you. Even if you are a demon who is trying to destroy the world, I will still want the Sorcerer''s Stone. There was a lot of public anger and outrage after Helen Mirren¡¯s quite provocative declaration. However, it was also true that the rich and powerful hunters all over the world had gone out looking for the Sorcerer''s Stone. ''It was seven years ago that Helen Mirren declared the search for the Sorcerer''s Stone.'' But until now, the Sorcerer''s Stone had not appeared. Of course, there were many people who had tried to deceive Helen Mirren with a fake Sorcerer''s Stone. In the end, all of them had been cursed by her and lived the rest of their lives like hell. "Are you sure about this?" asked Yu-Ri again. It was not because Yu-Ri didn¡¯t trust Choi Yu-Seong, but this was a deal with an S-rank hunter who was pretty much in an absolute position at this point. Helen Mirren was even known to be one of the highest-level figures among the existing S-ranks. If Yu-Seong was mistaken, something he couldn¡¯t handle may happen. "Yes, I''m sure." Even though much has changed from the original novel, it was extremely unlikely that the butterfly effect would change the position of the Sorcerer''s Stone. It was not for no reason that even all of the famous powerful, wealthy, and talented hunters, including Helen Mirren herself, the S-rank hunter, had tried to find it but couldn¡¯t find it so far. In addition, even if the Sorcerer''s Stone was moved to a different place from the original novel, Yu-Seong had a plan B. This was possible because Yu-Seong himself knew the exact reason why Helen Mirren was looking for the Sorcerer''s Stone. Nevertheless, Jin Yu-Ri continued to agonize. If Yu-Seong was the only person who knew the location of the Sorcerer''s Stone, was it right for him to use such privilege to save Do-Yoon''s ankle? Of course, she was extremely eager to do so. However, what bothered her was that there were a lot of things that Helen Mirren could get in exchange for the Sorcerer''s Stone. Choi Yu-Seong fully guessed Yu-Ri¡¯s concerns and said with a smile, "Jin Yu-Ri, you don''t have to worry. There''s only one thing that matters. Do-Yoon sacrificed himself to protect me and got seriously injured. And in the future, Do-Yoon will always be by my side. Isn''t a miracle supposed to be used for my precious person in the first place?" "I also greatly agree with the boss'' words. Yu-Ri, miracles are always used to help people,¡± said Jenny. After Yu-Seong and Jenny¡¯s encouragement, Yu-Ri finally shed tears with red eyes. She said, "Thank you...really¡­ Thank you so much." Yu-Seong scratched his cheek and made an awkward expression while looking at Yu-Ri bursting into tears. Jenny, who was next to Yu-Ri, patted her back without saying a word. ¡®Originally, Kim Do-Jin should have used the Sorcerer''s Stone but¡­¡¯ Before, Choi Yu-Seong resolved not to touch the characters and objects that would play an important role for Kim Do-Jin in the original novel as much as possible, but this was an exception. ¡®I¡¯ll just take that one thing¡ªthe Sorcerer''s Stone, Kim Do-Jin.'' Yu-Seong had already made a decision. *** Even though he knew the location of the Sorcerer''s Stone''s stone, that didn¡¯t mean that Yu-Seong could immediately summon Helen Mirren. She enjoyed being alone quite a bit, and loved the darkness and dungeons. Once in the dungeon, it was quite common for her not to show up on Earth for months, so Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri decided to wait patiently first. A week passed quickly after that. In the meantime, Choi Byung-Chan''s funeral was held with Choi Woo-Jae and other immediate family members. Other siblings also tried to participate in the ceremony, but Choi Byung-Chan''s mother and immediate family refused. Choi Yu-Seong also called Choi Woo-Jae thinking that he should still visit, however he was told to focus on the match against Bernard Yoo immediately after the situation was over. Anyway, after one week passed, Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri completely recovered their best form at a rapid pace like hunters and visited Do-Yoon to explain the situation. "...that''s what happened. If we spread rumors that we know the location of the Sorcerer''s Stone, we could meet Helen Mirren sooner. However, there will be a lot of disturbance." Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. As mentioned, Helen Mirren was not the only one aiming for the Sorcerer''s Stone. Everyone who wanted a miracle of hers was looking for the Sorcerer''s Stone. After hearing all of their explanations, Do-Yoon¡¯s reaction was not much different from that of Jin Yu-Ri. "I''m okay. When you really need a miracle¡­¡± said Do-Yoon. ¡°The moment is now," said Yu-Seong. "But..." "Jin Do-Yoon, I don''t want to listen to your objection. This is already decided, and I don''t want to go back on it." "...Young master." ¡°So don''t despair, and be prepared to return to my side whenever you''re done with treatment. You can enjoy your vacation until then. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve come by my side..." For a moment, Choi Yu-Seong''s head throbbed. He thought of a memory of when he had been six years old before even entering elementary school. Right in front of him had been a dirty boy crying with his sister in his arms. CH 90 A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong came down to earth and simply blurted out, "It''s been about 15 years, so it''s really been very long since you had a vacation.¡± "Thank you, young master," said Jin Do-Yoon. Like Yu-Ri, he shed a tear. With the end of that conversation, Yu-Seong tapped Do-Yoon on the shoulder and immediately left the hospital. He headed to the dungeon, since he didn¡¯t feel like wasting any more time. Just like the two siblings, Choi Yu-Seong also learned a lot after Do-Yoon was injury. He was definitely getting stronger at a fast enough pace, but there were so many threatening enemies in the world. A little carelessness of his could come at a heavy price. There was no need to worry about the unknown future, but there was also no reason to not try hard on things that had to be done. ¡®There''s no time to rest. I need to grow.¡¯ Therefore, even while lying in the hospital room, Yu-Seong constantly made efforts to become stronger. For example, he trained using his most powerful skill at the moment, the God¡¯s Chakra. God''s Chakra increased the absolute amount of his Chakra little by little every day, even when he was unconscious. ¡®It¡¯s increased exactly one unit a day.¡¯ In addition, whenever the level rose by one, two units of Yu-Seong¡¯s mana increased. The skill seemed to increase very slowly at first glance, so Yu-Seong wondered if there was a way to use this skill more efficiently. First, he thought about the singularity of God''s Chakra skill itself. ¡®It¡®s called Chakra, but the way to utilize the ability itself is no different from fantasy''s mana breathing method and the martial arts'' inner core method. Then, consequently...'' Rather than being used unconsciously, it would be possible to see a bigger effect if God¡¯s Chakra was used consciously. This was especially true after the flow was found and the respiration was directly controlled over. It was a strange thing to overlook and miss this fact as a game developer and genre novel reader. Yu-Seong immediately began to search about controlling the respiration, and found out that there were such training methods existing in today''s modern day. ¡®There were also people who did Chakra training.¡¯ And surprisingly, there were many people who practiced the basics through breathing on both sides. Yu-Seong followed the control respiration posture, which was similar to the warriors from a martial arts novel, and focused on breathing¡ªinhalation and exhalation. During his breathing, Yu-Seong tried to feel the Chakra flowing inside his body. It wasn''t easy from the start. However, on the third day, Yu-Seong could feel the flow of Chakra inside his body. On the fifth day, he became aware of the mana, or spirit, that existed outside. Naturally, on the sixth day, a day before discharge, he acknowledged the Chakra¡¯s repetitive flowing path, was able to consciously use it, and even accelerated the flow himself. That alone added acceleration to the Chakra operation training, which was needed to quickly activate the skill. There was more to it too. ¡®The rate of the Chakra¡¯s rise increased¡­¡¯ The amount of Chakra, which had been increasing by one, began to increase by eight a day when Yu-Seong focused on his consciousness and repeatedly did Chakra breathing for two hours every day. Indeed, it was an explosive increase. When he drank a gray-colored mana drink that was 10 million won per cup, he obtained about 5 Chakras. Thus, even with simple calculation, he had the effect of exceeding 10 million won just by concentrating 2 hours a day. Realizing this, Yu-Seong immediately began his second study. ¡®In terms of martial arts novels, the mana drink is a kind of medicine that improves endurance.¡¯ If so, rather than just drinking thoughtlessly, the absorption rate could be better if he directly operated God''s Chakra after ingestion. He had already thought of this when he first got the God¡¯s Chakra and had competed with Jin Do-Yoon. Although by then, he didn''t know the absolute amount of mana he had and his every day increasing rate, so there was no comparison and he couldn''t find any answer. However, this time it was different. It was the 7th day and the last day of discharge. Since it was his first experiment, instead of drinking the dark gray-colored mana drink, Yu-Seong ingested the one rank lower one, the gray-colored mana drink. Then, he tried the Chakra breathing method. As a result, he cheered with joy at the overwhelming increase of nineteen. The slight disappointment was that the amount of mana did not increase by even one degree after he drank another cup straight away. ¡®So there¡¯s a limit of one per day?¡¯ Originally, Yu-Seong was holding back to save some money, but now it literally became useless to have as much as he wanted even if he could spend as much as he wanted. It was a situation where he had no choice but to lick his lips, but in fact, the situation itself was blessed. He had the ability to buy and eat even one cup of expensive mana drink every day. That made Yu-Seong satisfied enough. Then, Yu-Seong began to test one more thing. ¡®And probably like general medicine, it would be more likely to lose its effect if it is absorbed repeatedly.¡¯ If that happened, Yu-Seong could simply just take a higher-rank medicine, the mana drink. With that in mind, when he again measured after drinking the gray-colored mana drink the next day, he saw that the increase was significantly reduced from +19 to +15. So far, Choi Yu-Seong''s expectations were exactly right. The unusual thing happened later, when he tried the 30 million won dark gray-colored mana drink, which was one rank higher than the gray-colored mana drink, the increase of mana did not significantly change. "What?" Surprised, Yu-Seong fell into thought for a moment, and he could soon guess why. ¡®It¡¯s because the dark gray-colored drink is simply the increased concentration version of the gray-colored drink.¡¯ In other words, it was only sold under another label on the market. In actual fact, the drink was no different from the gray one. In fact, the term ¡®dark gray-colored¡¯ was not the existing rank of the mana stone in the first place. After Yu-Seong figured out the reason, he immediately started to drink the red mana drink the next day, since it was higher than the gray-colored one. Although it was only one rank higher, the red-colored mana drinks had a market price of 100 million won. Compared to the 10 million won gray-colored mana drink, it was ten times more expensive, and more than three times more expensive than the 30 million won dark gray-colored mana drink. At this point, it was a huge luxury that could never be done without the background of a conglomerate. However, Yu-Seong didn''t think of it as a waste of money, since it was for his survival and to not easily lose the precious ones around him. In fact, Yu-Seong''s amount of Chakra had increased significantly compared to before the hospitalization. Chakra: 745 ¡ú 803 ¡®It''s a little over 800.¡¯ Currently, Yu-Seong¡¯s priority target was the Chakra''s absolute quantity of 1,000. ''The most mana consuming skill I have now is the Dancing Electric Doll.¡¯ As a result of the experiment, the Dancing Electric Doll consumed about 200 mana per use. Therefore, Yu-Seong could only use up to three Dancing Electric Dolls. He could invoke it the fourth time, but the remaining Chakra, commonly called mana, would become zero. Even if the fourth Dancing Electric Doll was activated using exactly 800 mana points, it would be meaningless if there was not enough left to continue the next battle. Thus, the first goal was to increase Yu-Seong¡¯s Chakra points to 1000. For reference, while searching for his growth, Choi Yu-Seong found an interesting overseas website where an individual posted a comparative analysis of the virtual battle results, mana points, properties, and the rankings of world famous powerful hunters or rookies for fun. The homepage listed data on top rankers or equivalents, such as China''s Lin Xiao Nuo¡ªthe Flame Emperor, Sweden''s Timewalker Christian, and Korea''s Swordmaster Chuck Jun-Hui, as well as names of Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo being classified as super rookies. Surprisingly, Yu-Seong¡¯s name was also in the list with the word ¡®New¡¯, although it was below the others. ¡®I assume that the name was added after clearing the Goblin Fortress Dungeon¡­¡¯ The most surprising thing was that this website¡¯s owner wrote down Yu-Seong''s estimated magic at the time quite accurately. ¡®710...¡¯ At that time, Yu-Seong did not know exactly how much his mana was because he did not have the skill of God''s Chakra at that time. However, estimating it now, it would be about in the low 700s. Though this was only known because he could physically check his system interface window. The website¡¯s owner guessed Choi Yu-Seong''s mana possession quite accurately even without such information. It could be just a coincidence. Still, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but be interested to move forward. Naturally, he looked at the top rankers¡¯ D-rank records written by the website¡¯s owner. There were two hunters who stood out exceptionally in terms of the amount of mana they had: it was the Flame Emperor and the Timewalker. ¡®Both of them are psychic-type players.¡¯ According to the website¡¯s owner, the amount of mana the two had before the 50th level of the D-rank was about 1,600 to 1,800. They were huge numbers, as expected for the top rankers. Even so, the two were actually overwhelming. For the other top rankers, there were few people with more than 1,000 mana in the low-level section of the D-rank. If Choi Yu-Seong, who was an all-rounder type player who had more than 1000 mana points, he might be more overwhelmed among the same ranked players when compared by overall integration capabilities. In fact, in the case of Lin Xiao Nuo, the Flame Emperor, the mana level itself was quite high, but in other physical ability levels, it was extremely low. ¡®So, his standard score of the D-rank given by the website¡¯s owner is 8.3 points out of 10.¡¯ For reference, Choi Yu-Seong''s score at the time of Goblin Fortress Dungeon was tied at 8.3. He was ranked 7th in terms of the current D-rank hunters. ¡®And for Kim Do-Jin¡­ His record when he was D-rank is 8.9 points, ranking first place. And he¡¯s currently third place in the C-rank rankings with 9.2 points. Is this for real?¡¯ Kim Do-Jin¡¯s score was overwhelmingly higher than Yu-Seong¡¯s even without revealing his magic skills to the public. If the website¡¯s owner was correct, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s power could also be regarded as a great outstanding ability of the main character. ¡®Bernard Yoo scored 8.8 points. Is he second place among the active D-rank players?¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong didn''t forget to check the evaluation of the person who he had to compete in the dungeon racing game after a while. It was exactly the same evaluation score as Kim Do-Jin of D-rank. Currently, Bernard Yoo¡¯s score was 0.5 points higher than Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s. Obviously, this score was not absolute. The website¡¯s owner, who recorded it for personal fun in the first place, also said that the results could vary significantly depending on the situation and environment, and that it could change sufficiently depending on the time and rank. ¡®First of all, if my Chakra exceeds 1000, it would change significantly.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong''s potential would become much higher just by using the powerful attack skill, the Dancing Electric Doll, once more. For ordinary hunters, the process of achieving 1000 mana points would be quite rough. However, it was a quite reachable goal for Choi Yu-Seong, who could drink the red-colored mana drinks from tomorrow and even perform the Chakra breathing methods. On the day of his discharge, Choi Yu-Seong went to the dungeon and contacted the two reporters who could drive the magic tech drones, Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, and asked them to sign a three-month-long contract with him. The work of those reporters would not be much different compared to when they worked in the media. However, from now on, whenever Choi Yu-Seong went to the dungeon in the future, they had ro film accordingly. Since then, it had been the job of the two to post the filming to each media company, portal sites, and NewTube. CH 91 Yu-Seong proposed a short-term contract first, which could then be upgraded to a long-term contract depending on the reporters'' performance. He thought they would be a bit reluctant, but they seemed delighted as they rushed back with a response the very next day. That wasn¡¯t all. The media company that the reporters belonged to gladly let them work with Yu-Seong and keep their employment contracts. There was also a rumor that both the editor and CEO were excited when they heard Choi Yu-Seong''s name. The company¡¯s condition was to post the video taken by the two reporters to their media outlets first. Yu-Seong wanted the same outcome, so there was no problem whatsoever. And just like that, he was able to sign a short-term contract with the two reporters quite easily. In addition, he reactivated his social media Outstagram account, which he had been keeping private, because he was dismayed by how quickly time was passing him by. He had already decided to become an attention seeker anyway, and was planning to build his reputation by sharing his useless private life onto social media just like a celebrity would. The goal was more than just to expose himself to the public and reduce the threat. ¡®It¡¯s for the full growth of Star Factor skill.¡¯ As a result, Yu-Seong planned to increase the efficiency of increasing experience points and opening up additional capabilities that were still sealed. After all, the basis of the hunter was high rank and high level. It was no different from the games that Yu-Seong had once worked hard to develop. No matter how powerful the skills he had and how useful they were during battles, no gap in ranks and levels could be easily bridged by them. This was especially true when the rank itself was overwhelmingly different. Eventually, he would have to raise the level. In that sense, the Star Factor skill that benefited the rate of level increase through increasing experience points was the best treasure. For this reason, Yu-Seong began to share his daily life on social media, such as taking pictures while dressed up with people commonly called influencers or celebrities. A week soon passed. Yu-Seong drank red mana drinks every day, went to the dungeon, drank Hunting experience boost potions, and focused on level growth. He also exposed his pictures and videos throughout the media. The result was quite good. ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Age: 21 Type: All-Rounder Rank: D Level: 7 ¡ú 22 Retention History: 1 Chakra: 803 ¡ú 1,023¡» Just looking at the necessary parts, Yu-Seong could confirm his rapid growth. ¡®I passed 1,000 Chakra points.¡¯ The tremendous increase of level in just one week was certainly helpful, but the biggest improvement was because of the Chakra breathing through the mana drink. ¡®It felt great when I first drank the red mana drink and gained 50 points.¡¯ Yu-Seong''s prediction was just right. When he changed the color itself, he noticed a big increase compared to the dark gray drink. Of course, the cost-effectiveness began to decrease exponentially, and the next day, the increased points were 40, then 35, and so on. However, it stopped falling from the moment it hit exactly 15 increased points. ¡®As I expected, I got the best result when I drank it the first time.¡¯ The eventual effect was quite disappointing for 100 million won, but Yu-Seong had already ordered the higher-rank orange and yellow mana drinks already. If possible, it would be best for him to drink at least the first glass of mana drinks in all colors. However, unlike gray and red mana drinks, it was not easy and could take some time to obtain the two higher rank mana drinks. However, the search would not be too long and they would be found after waiting a little while. In addition, Choi Yu-Seong was planning to continue drinking red mana drinks that kept the minimum mana increase of 15. ¡®Actually, the minimum increase of points for the gray mana drinks eventually dropped to 10. If I consider the price and efficiency, I know it''s right to choose a gray drink instead, but¡­¡¯ In fact, the accumulation of losing five points each time would make a considerable difference. Yu-Seong might face a slight lack of money later on, but since he was a conglomerate¡¯s son, he could easily find many ways to obtain money. So, he chose the definite way to grow faster rather than to spend less money. Though, it seemed that these efforts of his were certainly meaningful. On the overseas personal website ¡®Ranker¡¯ ¡ªwhich he had recently discovered¡ªChoi Yu-Seong''s ability stats had changed. ¡®Chakra... I mean, mana, since this homepage is all written in terms of mana¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s absolute amount of mana had been updated to 980 yesterday. ¡®Yesterday, my Chakra was already barely over 1,000. It''s not exactly right, but it''s pretty accurate. It¡¯s likely that the website¡¯s owner has the skill to know the abilities of the player?¡¯ If one had a similar ability to Kim Do-Jin''s insight, it was possible. However, there seemed to be a limit to what could be known. ''There is an evaluation of publicly known skills, but there is no information about skills that are not directly revealed by the player.¡¯ For example, Choi Yu-Seong''s mana was actually Chakra. The basic effect of Chakra was similar to mana, but additional abilities existed separately, such as strengthening the body directly. In addition, there may be hidden abilities that Yu-Seong himself did not know yet. However, there was no such record on the website. The fact that Yu-Seong''s Chakra was marked as mana like other hunters in the first place would mean that not everything could be perfectly known. ¡®Still, that important part is that it''s quite reliable.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t perfectly trustworthy, but quite reliable information about the hunters was given. In fact, there were quite a few similar websites around the world. However, it was rare that the accuracy was as high as this website. Suddenly, Yu-Seong was curious about the face and name of the website¡¯s owner. But unfortunately, the owner did not write down any personal information. ¡®Yeah, it would be a problem if a ranker who¡¯s not satisfied with his score comes after him.¡¯ That would be unsurprising, of course. Choi Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and switched the screen to check his score and ranking, which would clearly have rebounded. A week before the day of discharge, Yu-Seong''s evaluation was ranked 7th with 8.3 points in the D-rank. Since his mana points were noticeably higher compared to by the time after his dungeon video was released, he expected the ranking to rise by at least one or as many as three. However, he tilted his head after looking at the D-rank ranking table. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Among the names listed from top to bottom, from first place to the last, Yu-Seong¡¯s rank was still seventh. That was right after the sixth-place Indian hunter, Ram Mukherji. At first, he was shocked for a while, but he did find a change after looking at it closely. ''The ranking and rating records are all underlined.¡¯ In addition, there was a saying ¡®Measurement hold¡¯ in small letters next to Choi Yu-Seong''s name. ¡®Does that mean there''s not enough data about me? Or is it difficult for the website¡¯s owner to judge?¡¯ Whatever it was, it was a bit disappointing for Yu-Seong, since he was curious about the immediate record. ¡®Well... This wouldn¡¯t change anything.¡¯ Although it was true that he was interested in it, Yu-Seong was more excited than disappointed by this situation. ¡®The results might be better after the measurement hold is over.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong was rapidly becoming stronger than other rankers with the help of various environments, situations, and skills. Perhaps the owner of the website noticed the fact and put his stats on hold. After a short bitterness, he closed the website ¡®Ranker¡¯ and moved on to his next goal¨Cchecking NewTube. The journalists, Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, who had great writing skills themselves, even hired a professional video editor and reached 700,000 subscribers in a week. The two reporters said it was regrettable that they failed to reach their goal of 1 million, but it was satisfactory enough for Choi Yu-Seong. They did something that could take years for someone in just a week. Moreover, the length of the video was not short and the number of views was quite high, so the advertising revenue would be immediately paid. Choi Yu-Seong had a lot of money already, but he thought it would be good to have more. For him, hunting was something he had to do anyway so making income from that was like killing two birds with one stone. "All right, all right." Was it because he never lived a busy week doing various things like this? Yu-Seong was quite tired but was satisfied with the results. He then finally checked his social media Outstagram account. ¡®10,000 followers so far.¡¯ The word ¡®follower¡¯ was interpreted as supporter or believer. In other words, it meant that the number of supporters of Choi Yu-Seong on Outstagram, a social media platform, had already surpassed 10,000. Compared to NewTube, it seemed like a fairly slow speed. However, fundamentally, Outstagram was a space where people gather to see the character named Choi Yu-Seong, not just a specific content. In addition, since it was not possible for him to promote his account much, it was inevitable that the speed of increase of followers was relatively slow as one would have to find the account manually. ¡®Even so, it¡¯s still a bit disappointing considering there are over 1,000 comments in the NewTube video, but¡­¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong briefly checked his followers'' numbers and tilted his head. ¡®What?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just ten thousand. Yu-Seong was momentarily confused because it was written in a mysterious way¡ª¡®100k¡¯¡ªbut when he checked it closely, it was exactly 10 times more than he first thought. It was 100,000. "...Wow." In addition, the number of followers still increased in real-time. Even though, there were only five photos of himself posted on his Outstagram, so-called Outstar. ¡®Wait, isn''t this growth considered super fast?¡¯ All over the world, it was quite common for superstars, or celebrities, to be hunters. The job of ¡®celebrity hunter¡¯ became common since it was a good progression for attention seekers who were originally either a hunter or a celebrity. Of course, there were quite a few such figures in Korea as well. So far, the most influential figure on social media was Kim Hyuk-Joon, an A-rank hunter. He had 98,000 followers more than a week after he started Outstar. As a result, it became a huge headline with various entertainment media making a fuss and reporting. "I have 2,000 more followers than him¡­ And Kim Do-Jin... He doesn''t use social media. That''s a surprise." It was somewhat childish, but Yu-Seong felt good after comparing his follower count with Hyuk-Joon¡¯s. Then, he looked up Kim Do-Jin''s name and scratched his cheek. Needless to say, he thought Kim Do-Jin was also a person who enjoyed public attention and so would have social media. CH 92 ¡®Then again, the original novel doesn¡¯t mention anything about social media.¡¯ Thinking about the story¡¯s basic setting, it made more sense that Kim Do-Jin did not have a social media account. Yu-Seong was just wondering since there were so many plot holes in the novel so far. Anyway, the biggest advantage of revealing himself to various media was something else entirely. ¡®My Star Factor skill has¡­¡¯ ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level accelerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (86/100) ¡ú (93/100). D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to audiovisual media such as cameras. Current acceleration rate +90% ¡ú +100%¡» In a short period of time, Yu-Seong had grown up magnificently. He could now grow at a level about three times faster than others when the hunting experience boost potion was used. Upon that discovery, he felt his NewTube and social media activities were clearly meaningful. ¡®Unlocking the additional ability is just around the corner.¡¯ By then, Yu-Seong''s cell phone rang from receiving a text message. It came from Park Jin-Hwan. -Are you watching TV? If you''re home, turn on KBC channel 2. "What?" Before Choi Yu-Seong tilted his head and could reply back with incoherent words, questioning the message contents, Jin Yu-Ri appeared in front of the door and said somewhat excitedly, "Yu-Seong oppa, are you busy right now?" "Huh?" "If you''re not busy, come out to the living room and watch TV." Yu-Seong erased the reply he was writing to Park Jin-Hwan and stood up. ¡®It¡¯ll be faster to just check it out in person.¡¯ Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders lightly, left the room, and headed to the living room. *** ¡°The Hunter''s Night,¡± KBS channel 2''s TV program, was a popular late-night show with an average viewer rating of around 5%. As the program name suggested, the main content was hunter-related. The program was about various contents, such as inviting and interviewing hunters in-person or investigating the hunters¡¯ illegal behavior and corruption. Sometimes, the content covered lighthearted things, but there were quite provocative parts as well. The two hosts who basically led the program were quite blunt speakers, so it was a bit contentious in the public. However, as seen from the high audience rating, the program had a big fan base. There were two main characters of ¡°The Hunter''s Night¡± today. The first one was Kim Hyuk-Joon, who was a popular entertainer, an A-rank hunter, and an influencer on social media. The second character was Choi Yu-Seong, a rookie who had been rising at a frightening pace recently. In the beginning, it started with an interview with Kim Hyuk-Joon, who came out as a guest. There were conversations about the future direction of his activities, records and somewhat personal questions. "...A while ago, there was a rumor that you were dating a celebrity from a girl band. Do you have anything to say about this?¡± asked the interviewer. ¡°We are just close friends, but word got around after our picture was taken when we went out to eat together once. I gave an explanation as an official announcement before, but that was really just a rumor. If it was real, I would rather show off about it. Haha,¡± said Hyuk-Joon. "Oh, does that mean you do have feelings for her?¡± "To tell the truth, there are no feelings at all. It''s too much for me to think about having a relationship right now since I''m busy working as both a celebrity and hunter.¡± The two hosts, Kim Dong-Sook and Han Jin-Hyo, often asked difficult personal questions that were not written in the script beforehand. However, Kim Hyuk-Joon, who had been a celebrity for 8 years, skillfully responded to those questions. ¡°Then now, let''s move on to the second main character. It''s one of the most popular keywords in the Korean hunter society these days, right?¡± "Furthermore, he may become world-famous soon. We''re going to talk about Choi Yu-Seong. What do you think of him, Hyuk-Joon? As you know, you both are very handsome. Don''t you feel competitive?" asked Kim Dong-Sook. Kim Hyuk-Joon shrugged his shoulders and answered, "To be honest, I can''t compete with Choi Yu-Seong in terms of looks. In fact, aren''t they the top two handsome guys in the domestic hunter industry? I mean Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong. It''s just a matter of taste." "A lot of people say you guys are the top three. You¡¯re being too humble." "Wow, I am honored to hear that.¡± "It could be an honor for Choi Yu-Seong, too. Now, before the next conversation, let''s watch a video.¡± Amid a natural flow, the show revealed the hunting videos that Choi Yu-Seong had posted on NewTube recently. The three people silently watched Choi Yu-Seong, who ran around the dungeon wearing a battle suit holding a spear, fight. The video ended, and Kim Dong-Sook gave a comment first, "How fancy." ¡°He is wearing outstanding equipment, like he is showing off his status as a conglomerate¡¯s son. What do you think, Hyuk-Joon?¡± asked Han Jin-Hyo. Kim Hyuk-Joon, who was watching the hunting video with rather sharp eyes, smiled awkwardly. He looked surprised at that question. "Oh, I''m sorry. It''s my first time watching a video¡­and I was really surprised." "If you don''t mind, can I ask you to explain why you¡¯re surprised?¡± "That dungeon, isn''t it the Bat Cave? I used to go there a lot when I was a D-rank hunter.¡± "Yes, yes. Actually, his hunting speed is pretty fast," said Kim Dong-Sook. Kim Hyuk-Joon looked somewhat upset at Dong-Sook¡¯s words and pointed out, "Do people usually describe that as ¡®pretty fast¡¯? I''d have to say ¡®incredibly fast¡¯. Can I see another video?¡± At Kim Hyuk-Joon''s request, several other videos were played. After the videos ended, it was Dong-Sook again to speak up first. He said, "Wow, I have nothing to say. I also thought I watched tons of dungeon hunting videos while being a host of this show ¡°The Hunter''s Night,¡± but this just catches my eye." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Han Jin-Hyo. "I actually didn''t get it after the first video, but now I get what Kim Hyuk-Joon said. His battle is like a movie. How could he hunt like that?¡± "I half agree with you, Jin-Hyo. But my thoughts are a little different. If it''s simply flashy and ineffective, it¡¯ll really be just like a movie. But if you see that move where he pushes the wall to catch the red bat¡­ That''s a perfectly calculated move. Look at that, can you see that one move leading him into the best position to fight? Let¡¯s see it once again¡­ I don''t think I''ll get sick of watching it over again ten times.¡± Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. Kim Hyuk-Joon raised his voice while pointing at one part of the video. "Wow... Isn''t that like an art? Oh, my goodness. Can I ask him to film a movie with me? Haha...." The two hosts laughed and nodded at Kim Hyuk-Joon¡¯s words. In fact, such a similar pattern of conversation continued afterward. Kim Hyuk-Joon personally asked for the video several times, expressed admiration, and sometimes evaluated Choi Yu-Seong''s battle from the A-rank hunter¡¯s point of view. He said, ¡°He is also good at effectively using his physical strength. He uses it at the exact time when it¡¯s necessary. When there is no need, he smoothly dodges with relaxed motions. Besides, how many leveling effects were there in this video? It seemed to be at a rather fast pace¡­ There''s a possibility that he has some special skill related to the experience points." It was a fact that even ordinary people, not only players, knew that the silver airflow was wrapped around the player from head to toe when leveling up took place. However, it was not easy to notice that the level-up speed was faster than the general standard. Moreover, the video was edited and cut throughout, so it would be even more difficult to recognize. Even Kim Dong-Sook and Han Jin-Hyo, who watched a bunch of hunter videos as hosts of the show "The Hunter''s Night," also didn¡¯t realize such a fact. However, Kim Hyuk-Joon correctly pointed it out. "That''s true. It does seem to occur quite often." "Wow, I guess A-rank hunters have different insights.¡± Kim Hyuk-Joon laughed at the two hosts¡¯ compliments and continued explaining Choi Yu-Seong''s skills and utility. Of course, it was all positive. Amid such admiration, Han Jin-Hyo asked a pretty sharp question, "What do you think of him compared to Kim Do-Jin?¡± "Uh..." For the first time, Kim Hyuk-Joon became speechless. "Come to think of it, there was a news article a while ago about you saying that the best rookie of this era is Kim Do-Jin. Have you changed your mind at all?¡± When Kim Dong-Sook quickly added an additional question, Kim Hyuk-Joon scratched his cheek with an awkward look. He said, ¡°I think they have different charming points, just like their appearance.¡± "Oh, wait a minute. Does that mean that you think the two of them have similar abilities?" ¡°I¡¯d rather not say. But I think Choi Yu-Seong is the best among the active D-rank hunters currently." "Oh, what a clever answer." Han Jin-Hyo smacked her lips as if she was disappointed. "In fact, I think Kim Do-Jin is a little more superior. I can say that his battle is neater. When I saw him clearing the sixth rank dungeon a while ago, wow¡­ I was proud that such a person is Korean," Kim Hyuk-Joon said. ¡°We''ll have to wait and see since Choi Yu-Seong is still growing. Anyway, he¡¯s a super rookie who will lead Korea in the future, right?" said Dong-Sook. At the two hosts¡¯ natural comment, Hyuk-Joon who was deep in thought suddenly applauded. He commented, "If the two grow above the A-rank and work together, it would be really incredible." It was an unexpected point of view for the two hosts, since they only thought of the hunters as rivals. They widened their eyes in surprise. ¡°That''s... Maybe Korea''s first attack team in the world''s top 10?¡± ¡°Maybe they could become the first attack squad globally ranking in the top 10 for the first time in Korea?¡± Guilds and attack parties were slightly different. If the guild focused on developing the size of the business through a dungeon attack because it had a rather private and strong purpose for operating profit, the attack parties did more work that was public and challenging. The attack parties were groups who tried to restore people¡¯s territory after the dungeon breaks appeared, and made it a hellish land where humans could not live. Of course, the guild could make such an attack team. And so far, the most accomplished attack team in Korea was very clear. "The best record in Korea so far is the attack team where Chuck Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster, is the leader, right? The team is ranked 12th in the world.¡± ¡°They were the ones who vanquished the 9th ranked dungeon ¡®The Frozen Land¡¯ in Ulleungdo Island.¡± At that time, the five members of Taegeuk attack team, including Chuck Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster, were the top ten guilds¡¯ presidents. However, just now, the pair of Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin was evaluated a little higher than them. All three secretly thought the same thing, but they didn''t say it out loud. "Anyway, I want to get closer to Choi Yu-Seong. With that momentum, I think he''ll be more famous than me sooner or later," said Hyuk-Joon. "That is something you''ve never said to Kim Do-Jin." "To be honest, strangely, I¡¯m a little scared of Do-Jin. Haha." After Hyuk-Joon¡¯s joke, a short chat continued for a while. Then, the show ¡®The Hunter''s Night¡¯ ended with the two hosts¡¯ closing remarks. They said that they were looking forward to the growth of Kim Hyuk-Joon and Choi Yu-Seong. CH 93 "I''ve seen you appear on TV a few times. You know, when you held onto a vodka bottle and were taken out of the club in the morning, and when you suddenly ran up on top of someone else''s car with a bat, and..." said Yu-Ri. "Stop," said Choi Yu-Seong while watching the TV program with a rather strange expression. He cut Jin Yu-Ri off and tried to cool down his red face by shaking his hand, fanning himself. "I''m not trying to make fun of you. I''ve always heard such bad news, but it feels so new to hear about your good stories too. I should buy a VOD (video on demand) and show it to my brother. I''m sure he¡¯ll love it,¡± Yu-Ri said. "I know what you mean, but... Wow, this is...¡± Even though he fanned himself rigorously, Yu-Seong¡¯s red face did not cool down. ¡®This just raises my reputation by too much.¡¯ It was embarrassing to hear them commenting on his intelligent, calculated movement, excellent combat sense, and the evaluation saying that he would lead South Korea in the future. Most of all, he was compared to the Taegeuk attack team made by the Sword Master Chuck Jun-Hui. They even implicitly evaluated the pairing of him, Yu-Seong, and Kim Do-Jin above that attack team. ¡®I have not a single thought of pairing up with Kim Do-Jin, but¡­¡¯ Anyway, it felt strange to hear such a story. "No way, are you embarrassed?" "Uh..." "Why¡¯re you embarrassed all of a sudden? You''ve been hearing a lot of compliments in newspaper articles and social media comments, right?¡± Jin Yu-Ri asked. "That''s just in writing. It''s my first time hearing people actually talk about me like that on TV,¡± Yu-Seong said. ¡°Ah¡­?" "Oh, I''m really embarrassed. It''s no joke,¡± said Yu-Seong. His face was completely heated. He buried his face into the cushion that was beside the couch in the living room. At this moment, he really couldn¡¯t raise his head. "You''re especially cute today." "Hush, Yu-Ri,¡± Yu-Seong said. Then, there was the sound of cell phone vibrations ringing in quick succession. It sounded somewhat unusual and was similar to the sound when Yu-Seong was receiving a call. Choi Yu-Seong, still red-faced, scoured his pocket, lifted his cell phone, and looked at the screen. It wasn''t a phone call. When he looked at the top of the screen, he could see countless notifications. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Frustrated, Yu-Seong unlocked his cell phone. The first thing he saw was Choi Woo-Jae''s message in the Coconut Talk. - You''re doing great. I''ll send you some more pocket money. I also have set a schedule with Chairman Yoo. Be fully prepared. Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t hide his smile even though his face was still red. He immediately sent a reply saying, ¡®Thank you so much.¡¯ The problem was that the notifications were still continuing. ¡®What the heck?¡¯ - djas2356 started following you. - Shin-999 started following you. - lexkim started following you. - ...started following you. - ...started following you. Perhaps it was because of the TV show, but his phone was suddenly going crazy with notifications of new followers on his social media. ¡®But the show just ended¡­¡¯ A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. Actually, it was not difficult to figure out why there were suddenly so many followers. This was because a person with a profile picture of a fairly familiar face sent Yu-Seong a direct message on social media. ¡®Kim Hyuk-Joon?¡¯ It was Korea¡¯s top celebrity hunter. - Did you watch the show? I posted a link with your ID after I figured out that you are active on social media. I''ll delete it right away if you are uncomfortable with it, so please send me a direct message. I''m rooting for you. Kim Hyuk-Joon had sent quite a cautious message to Choi Yu-Seong. It seemed like he was trying to be careful since Yu-Seong was a member of a conglomerate family. That was the reason that Yu-Seong had a flood of new followers. ¡®The Star Factor skill had¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong''s system interface window suddenly popped up in front of him with the word ¡®*New¡¯ flashing in gold next to the Star Star skill. He easily guessed what that meant. ¡®The additional ability is unlocked!¡¯ Did Kim Hyuk-Joon say that he would delete the link to the account he posted on Outstar if Choi Yu-Seong was uncomfortable? ¡®There¡¯s no way!¡¯ Kim Hyuk-Joon, who was the best celebrity hunter in Korea, had 18 million followers on social media. ¡°I cannot thank you enough,¡± Yu-Seong shouted out loud. He quickly sent a reply to Kim Hyuk-Joon and immediately checked the flashing additional information of the Star Factor skill. He yelled, "Wow, this is awesome¡­!" It was an admiration from the heart. Yu-Seong was extremely happy that he forgot how embarrassed he was by the compliments he got from the show ¡®The Hunter''s Night¡¯. *** The Guild Eclipse''s small office was no longer empty. There were a lot of office supplies and partitions, and a lot of employees hired to work. When Kim Do-Jin came to work late morning in a rather comfortable outfit, the employees with surprised and envious looks stood up and greeted him. "Hello," said one of the employees. "You are late," said another employee. "Don''t worry about it and do your job," said Do-Jin. He waved, then entered the president''s office. It was the first time Do-Jin came to work in the morning since he lived mostly in the dungeon. It was not surprising that he received such attention from the employees, which he found somewhat uncomfortable. Do-Jin did not actually pay too much attention to the employees. He was mostly preoccupied with his annoyance of going to work this afternoon for an interview. ¡®I need to recover my strength as soon as possible and get revenge¡­¡¯ Do-Jin once again recalled the name ¡®Choi Woo-Jae¡¯ that remained deep in his mind. Then, he checked his system interface window. ¡®C-rank, level 60.¡¯ Others who saw it would think this was a surprising increase of the level, but Do-Jin wasn¡¯t satisfied by the result. ¡®I haven''t regained even half of the power that I had when I was in the Aliod continent yet.¡¯ Maybe that was the reason why Choi Yu-Seong''s name had greatly piqued Do-Jin¡¯s interest these days. At first, Yu-Seong was a person to use and throw away. Then, at some point, he became a person that Do-Jin wanted to have on his side. Now, he felt a little different. ¡®It''s... It''s not a pleasant feeling, but¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t something unpleasant. These days, even when Do-Jin thought of the name ¡°Choi Yu-Seong¡±, he was overwhelmed with the desire to go to the dungeon and become even stronger. This was just like how he thought of Choi Woo-Jae as motivation to train. The problem was that Kim Do-Jin did not know exactly what this feeling was. ''I thought I''d mastered a lot of emotions over 50 years, but I really can''t figure it out.¡¯ It was an ¡®unknown¡¯ feeling. The word ¡®unknown¡¯ was one that Do-Jin hadn''t experienced in a long time, and this made him feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡®It''s a feeling that I don''t need.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin lightly shook off that thought and reached out to a few resumes that were on the desk. He checked the faces of the people that he was supposed to interview today. When someone knocked on the closed door of the president''s office, he said with a frown, "Come in." A male employee in his 20s carefully opened the door. With a somewhat red face, the employee rambled some words. "Well, I mean, boss, we''ve got a visitor just now¡­¡± "Speak directly." "...The visitor wants to see how strong you are, boss.¡± In the male employee¡¯s following summary, Kim Do-Jin smiled and stood up from his seat without hesitation. He commented, ¡°Nice to hear it concisely.¡± A perfect guest had come when Do-Jin was already annoyed by the strange unpleasant feeling. *** Kim Do-Jin and Baek Ah-Rin, the current two super rookies who represented each gender in Korea, had set up a guild. It was a plausible story. However, there were quite a few people who didn¡¯t view it in a good way. For example, the top ten guild¡¯s executives who worked hard to recruit the two, or the figures of the conglomerates, were some of the unhappy ones. Therefore, it was expected that there would be a person to come and pick a fight with them at least once. Though, even if they did, Do-Jin thought that they wouldn''t cross certain lines. ¡®Since it¡¯s hard to hear good things if a person who is an S-rank or higher comes and picks a fight at the guild where the president is only a C-rank hunter.¡¯ In other words, they wouldn¡¯t be able to directly take action in a situation like that. They might somehow hurt Do-Jin, but they would quickly turn into a laughing stock for the public. After all, they could be seen as bullying the weak. Therefore, Do-Jin thought those big shots would only send a couple of B-rank hunters to simply threaten him. "But..." said the employee. Kim Do-Jin''s eyebrows wiggled heavily when he saw a group of funny-looking people blocking the office¡¯s entrance as soon as he left the president''s office. ¡°I''m Cha Sun-Wook," said the man who looked like the head of the party. ¡®Cha Sun-Wook¡­¡¯ Kim Do-Jin tried to recall the name several times in his head but smiled subtly. "Never heard of you.¡± "Well, I¡¯m not as famous as you or the vice president here. I may not look like much, but I¡¯m¨E" "You would be about A-rank.¡± Cha Sun-Wook¡¯s words were cut off since his skills were revealed at once. He scratched his cheek and muttered, "How did you know that? Is it a skill?" "I don''t think there''s any reason for me to answer," said Do-Jin. Cha Sun-Wook smirked at Kim Do-Jin''s words, shrugged, and nodded. Do-Jin felt that the vibe of the conversation was strangely different from what he first thought. He tilted his head and pointed out, "You don¡¯t seem to have come here to pick a fight.¡± "Half right, half wrong. Didn''t your staff tell you?" Cha Sun-Wook looked at the young employee who was partially hiding right behind Kim Do-Jin. "I''ve heard that you wanted to see how strong I am," said Do-Jin. "That''s right. Your company is planning to set up a team of hunters these days, right?¡± Cha Sun-Wook wasn¡¯t completely wrong, since the interview that Kim Do-Jin had to do when he came to work today was to find a hunter team member to go to the dungeon with. If it wasn¡¯t about that, he wouldn¡¯t even have come to work in the first place. In fact, the team was not necessary for Kim Do-Jin, who was targeting the sixth-rank dungeon so far. However, it would be a little different from the 7th rank dungeon, since it was said the difficulty increased in an instant. It was as if the difficulty went over a wall. ¡®If I regain a little more strength and do my best, I¡¯ll still be able to clear it, but it would be a little easier with a strong enough team member.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin clearly had a strong maverick character, but that didn''t mean that he completely ignored the positives of having colleagues. He was so sure that it would have taken more than 10 years if he were alone, toppling the demon king on the Aliod continent. In conclusion, in Kim Do-Jin''s opinion, it was not a bad thing to keep a supporter by his side as long as the supporter was capable of chasing him. "So what?" asked Do-Jin. "I''ll be straightforward. My friends and I all want to join the Eclipse Guild." At Cha Sun-Wook''s words, Kim Do-Jin looked closely at the people behind Sun-Wook. They came in groups like some kind of bullies, but their vibes were not normal. ¡®All of them are at least B-rank.'' There were a few more A-rank hunters mixed in, excluding Cha Sun-Wook. No matter the fact that the super rookie made the guild, they were not people to enter these newly-formed small companies. There must be a story. CH 94 "If you want to join the guild, submit your resume and have an interview. It¡¯s for an immediate opening, anyway," said Kim Do-Jin coldly after considering various things for a moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t the ability what matters for a hunter¡¯s resume?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want people who only have ability and have a bad personality," said Do-Jin. ¡°You¡¯re quite different from what I saw on TV. Doesn¡¯t that expectation apply to you too, president?¡± ¡°It means that one person with a bad personality is enough in my company.¡± It was when Kim Do-Jin shook off his hand and tried to enter the president''s office again that Cha Sun-Wook continued. "There are fifteen others besides us." For a moment, Do-Jin stopped walking. "I assume the top ten guild are making things quite annoying for you, but wouldn''t it be quite advantageous for you if nearly thirty talented hunters enter your company?¡± The reason why Kim Do-Jin hesitated after hearing Cha Sun-Wook''s proposal was due to the top ten guilds trying to keep him and his guild in check. ¡®It''s been a long time since I officially posted a job opening, but only five resumes have been received.¡¯ Do-Jin also wasn¡¯t quite satisfied with those five applicants. Nevertheless, he still had expectations, which was why he had come to interview them in person. Although there were no results yet, he might meet talented people with unexpected potential and he could raise them up himself. ¡®It''s a pain in the ass, but I have no choice since Baek Ah-Rin is busy right now.¡¯ Recently, Baek Ah-Rin''s main task was to deal with the constraints of various guild activities due to the top ten guilds¡¯ accusations. Even if just a tiny problem occurred in terms of the law, the other guilds crazily disparaged them. She was extremely busy blocking their attacks one by one. If Kim Do-Jin couldn''t come to work and remained busy clearing the dungeon, it would be hard for Baek Ah-Rin to even keep her position because of the fight with the top ten guilds. Under such circumstances, Cha Sun-Wook''s proposal was definitely pleasant. "I agree that there should be a procedure since this place is also a guild, but you know, beggars can''t be choosers,¡± said Sun-Wook. In the end, Kim Do-Jin looked at Cha Sun-Wook again and said, "...Who the heck are you guys?" Cha Sun-Wook was not a talented person that anyone could recognize by his name, but he was pretty useful even judging by Do-Jin¡¯s expectations. Also, Do-Jin quite liked the guy¡¯s cool impression. "We¡¯re in a similar situation. People who want to do personal activities but can''t do anything because of the top ten guilds¡¯ pressure. We¡¯ve gathered and formed a group,¡± Sun-Wook said. "Why do you want to join our guild, then¡­?" asked Do-Jin. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? It¡¯s because we lack strength. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we want to stick with the top ten guilds,¡± Sun-Wook replied. There were about twenty B-rank hunters and about five to six A-rank hunters. Obviously, they were not a weak group, but their power wasn¡¯t even half of the Gorilla Guild, which was the weakest of the top ten guilds. However, what if they joined Kim Do-Jin and Baek Ah-Rin, who would both grow above an A-rank? ''Not bad.¡¯ In fact, if you only looked at the number of people and their ranks, their company size would grow enough to make an attack team, albeit a small one. In the end, Kim Do-Jin nodded, and Cha Sun-Wook, who seemed somewhat nervous, also smiled peculiarly. Do-Jin then said, "All right." "Of course, there are conditions on this side before that,¡± said Sun-Wook. "Isn''t it about the skills?" "Exactly. I''ve heard rumors about you and have watched your video, but we''re confident in our own way. If we experienced your skills in person and you didn''t meet our expectations, it would be too much of a loss for us.¡± "Who''s the opponent?" "You''re still in the C-rank, right? We have a conscience. I''ll have a man of about B-rank, level 50 ready. If you can beat him, then...." said Sun-Wook. "I don''t like it. Aren''t you the captain?¡± said Do-Jin as he looked directly into Sun-Wook''s eyes. "What?" ¡°The leader should fight against another leader.¡± "...Well, well." Cha Sun-Wook made a crooked smile. It was because his pride was hurt. He pointed out, "I''m an A-rank hunter and my level is over 50." "Do you think I can''t win?" asked Do-Jin. "What a big ego," Sun-Wook sneered. "No, I just have great ability," said Kim Do-Jin. Their eyes met fiercely in the air. "I¡¯m quite offended. If you lose¡­" ¡°Me and Baek Ah-Rin, we¡¯ll both go under you," said Do-Jin. "What?¡± said Sun-Wook. ¡°It means that you can be our company¡¯s president. And I''ll do what you want. Will a minimum of five years be enough for the contract?" "Are you confident that you won''t regret saying that?¡± asked Sun-Wook as his eyes sparkled. He also had pride. No matter how much potential Do-Jin had, he was only a C-rank hunter right now after all. Also, Sun-Wook¡¯s own decision to go under Kim Do-Jin was not easy. "Rather, I hope you understand that if you lose, you won¡¯t be treated as well as your current status,¡± said Do-Jin. ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. In the first place, I didn¡¯t have any expectations in the company that doesn¡¯t even have an attack team yet,¡± said Sun-Wook. "Then do you accept the bet?" asked Do-Jin. "Don''t regret it." ¡°You too.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the date?¡± "Is there a reason to drag it out? Let¡¯s do it right now. Follow me," said Do-Jin as he took the lead, heading toward the hunter-only gym. In the distant future, when Sun-Wook recalled this day again, he had to explain with an absurd-looking smile. - Our boss is an absolutely insidious person, contrary to his appearance. Did anyone know he could use magic until then? Damn it, I was totally swindled back then. I wouldn''t have lost if I had known that magic would be used. You don''t believe me? Hey, or how could an A-rank hunter lose to C-rank? Oh~ You have to believe me, it''s a true story. If I knew, I would have won! Of course, it was already spilled milk. *** After Choi Byung-Chan''s death, Choi Min-Seok''s life began going downhill. He struggled with panic disorder, social phobia, and alcoholism. He was wary of all who approached him, and he could not sleep without being drunk¡­ It all started out from a place of fear. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he''s the one who killed him.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok remembered the last time he had seen Choi Byung-Chan. As always, Byung-Chan had been strong and scary right until the moment¡­he died. The criminal was said to be the Slaughter Queen, but mysteriously, Choi Yu-Seong had survived that entire incident. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®This is not the first time Choi Yu-Seong has survived after meeting the Slaughter Queen.¡¯ Would this just be a coincidence? Choi Min-Seok could not think so. ¡®There must be something between the two¡­¡¯ And sooner or later, the Slaughter Queen would come to visit him. Why? It was because Choi Min-Seok had been the one who bothered Choi Yu-Seong the most when he had been wandering. Not long after Yu-Seong was Awakened, Min-Seok had been the one who hired Lee Jin-Wook as a killer and had tried to kill Yu-Seong. If he put himself in Yu-Seong¡¯s shoes, there was no reason not to kill him. Even if Choi Byung-Chan had been scary and violent, if he was still alive, Min-Seok wouldn¡¯t be this scared. It was because Byung-Chan had been his strong supporter. However, now he was completely alone. Feeling scared, Min-Seok had called Choi Woo-Jae, crying and praying for his life, but he had heard absolutely nothing except the sound of a slight click of a tongue. The call had cut off, and Choi Min-Seok then repeated his days of falling into a deep sleep, struggling in hellish fear, recalling numerous deaths. Swoosh-! The thick blackout curtains that were set swept aside and sunlight suddenly jabbed the sleeping Min-Seok¡¯s eyes. Normally, he would have raised his voice in irritation, but for some reason, he opened his eyes quite calmly. He soon stiffened when he saw the long brown wavy hair of the woman in a tight dress in front of him. "Are you awake? Oh, my. Look at you, what happened?" the woman, Choi In-Young, said in a soft voice. She saw a messy-looking Min-Seok sitting around with a strong alcoholic odor. She dragged a chair that was randomly thrown in the room, sat down, and asked, "Can you hear me?" "In-... In-Young noo-nim," Min-Seok replied. Choi In-Young smiled with her big, thin eyes. Min-Seok didn¡¯t speak irritatedly regarding the sudden sunshine, not because he had changed his mind or had been surprised. It was somewhat more of a survival instinct. He had a feeling that if he had shouted, he would have lost everything even if he was not completely Awakened. ¡®In-Young noo-nim came to me.¡¯ When In-Young asked if he had woken up, Choi Min-Seok was even touched by her words. He was relieved, thinking that he was not completely abandoned. He thought that, if Choi In-Young visited him now, he still might have a chance. The power structure within the Comet Group, especially the Choi family, clearly existed. As of now, the person at the peak was definitely Chairman Choi Woo-Jae. The second person in power was Choi Jin-Woo, the third son. Then, the next person was Choi Seok-Young, the fourth son. Choi In-Young was the fifth child who had the same mother as Choi Seok-Young. Therefore, there was no person who could ignore Choi In-Young in the family, even though she did not have a direct relationship with any executives or figures with power. The reason why Choi Mi-Na''s name was not included in Choi Min-Seok''s mind was simple. She was clearly the most overwhelming individual among the current siblings, but she didn''t have decent supporters to support and share the power with. Unlike other siblings who subtly competed and secretly fought to occupy wealth in the family, she was completely alone. Therefore, in Choi Min-Seok''s mind, Choi Mi-Na was simply a scary and powerful sister rather than a person with authority. Of course, there were signs of change in terms of the power flow after Choi Mi-Na''s participation in the Comet Group¡¯s guild project. However, by Choi Min-Seok''s standards, the situation seemed close to a somewhat volatile variable. It was wishful thinking that Min-Seok wouldn¡¯t face problems since he had been alone all this time. He was foolish, ignorant to the reason why the other siblings with high authority were trying to keep Choi Mi-Na''s guild business in check. Although, in this situation, that fact was not important to both Choi Min-Seok and Choi In-Young. Choi Min-Seok was delighted to find a stronger-than-expected lifeline, and Choi In-Young was satisfied that he was not completely ruined yet when she saw light returning to his eyes. She called out, "Choi Min-Seok." "Yes!" answered Min-Seok in a strong and energetic voice. "Do you want to live?" Choi In-Young asked and twisted her lips. Although it was close to a sneer rather than a smile, and there was a sense of death in her voice, as it was mentioned before, these details were not important to Choi Min-Seok. He just nodded crazily at Choi In-Young''s question. Of course, he wanted to live. He was too scared to die. "I don''t want you to die, either. Nevertheless, you''re my younger brother, right?¡± "That means..." "But helping you for free is not our family¡¯s style, is it?¡± "I''ll do anything. I''ll do exactly what you tell me to do." CH 95 Choi Min-Seok shouted with determination, no longer looking like the alcoholic wanderer from just moments ago. ¡®Yes, after all, he¡¯s still my blood relative from my father''s side.¡¯ Choi In-Young smiled inwardly and slowly crossed her legs. She commented, "It''s not a difficult task. Yu-Seong is so arrogant these days, right?¡± "What? Oh, yes. That''s right¡­but¡­¡° Choi Min-Seok trembled. He hadn¡¯t experienced any good outcome from getting involved with Choi Yu-Seong recently. Although he tried to suppress it, hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s name alone made him feel fear once again. ¡®And he''s even acquainted with the Slaughter Queen!¡¯ Min-Seok wasn¡¯t stupid enough to spit out his inner cry. He simply said, "Th-Then, you want me to kill Yu-Seong¡­?" "What...?! How can you say such a scary thing?¡± In-Young responded with a surprised look. She jumped up from her seat and shook her head, looking at Choi Min-Seok like he was a disgusting bug. Naturally, Choi Min-Seok became impatient. He quickly said, "No, that''s not what I meant! I... I made a ridiculous remark. Noo-nim, please don''t misunderstand." "No matter how much you dislike him, you can''t use such scary threats between siblings. Got it, Min-Seok?" "Yes, yes, got it. Hehe," Min-Seok said. "Okay, then, let''s put it this way. It''s true that Yu-Seong is arrogant these days, so I want to punish him as his sister,¡± Choi In-Young said. "Well..." "I wish I could, but there are actually only a few ways to do so." "...Yes." "But isn''t that all thanks to Father''s attention?¡± "What?" "Father is paying attention to Yu-Seong, so it''s not easy to punish him." Choi Min-Seok was stupid enough to misunderstand Choi In-Young''s words. He asked, "Is there a way I can distract Father?¡± "Yes, but it''s not easy. As you know, Father cares more about Yu-Seong these days. Hmm..." said In-Young. Choi Min-Seok furrowed his brow, but he couldn¡¯t think of any ideas. Choi In-Young watched Min-Seok for about five minutes before saying with a short yawn, "Wouldn''t it be good for Choi Yu-Seong to get into trouble and lose Father¡¯s affection?¡± "But he eagerly takes care of his reputation these days..." Choi Min-Seok blurted out, shutting up only after looking into In-Young¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t get over the creepy smile that reached In-Young¡¯s eyes. "The fall of a popular star is surprisingly easy. A small slip of the tongue, a disappointing action, an unexpected flaw would be enough,¡° In-Young stated. This was the reason why some people who lived a life in the limelight didn¡¯t want their identities to be revealed. "Choi Yu-Seong is a little special. He has always been a troublemaker, right?¡± A small incident couldn¡¯t easily capture people¡¯s attention. Also, Choi Woo-Jae''s interest in Yu-Seong would not easily fade away. But what if Yu-Seong made a really big and unexpected mistake? Or what if he had some kind of weakness? ¡®If he doesn''t have a weakness, we can simply just make one up.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok was too scared to face Yu-Seong directly anymore. However, he could take the risk to harm Yu-Seong¡¯s reputation from behind the scenes and perhaps succeed. Above all, it seemed incredibly fascinating to join In-Young¡¯s side. To be exact, he would then essentially be on Choi Seok-Young¡¯s side. "I''ll do my best. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Yu-Seong himself too. Since he¡¯s used to those displeasures, right?¡± Choi Min-Seok¡¯s eyes twinkled as he spoke. Choi In-Young nodded, then got up from her seat. "Do well. I''ll be looking forward to it." "Yes, noo-nim! Please tell our brother that I¡¯m thankful for him!" Choi In-Young stopped walking for a moment when she heard that. Her eyes glowed coldly, reddening. Then, as if that sudden moment of tension had never existed, she revealed her usual smile, looked back, and waved lightly. "Oppa will root for you, too." "Thank you!" Min-Seok shouted. Leaving her brother behind, Choi In-Young left the room and held her cell phone with a cold look in her eyes. ¡®Choi Seok-Young.¡¯ At that moment, her brother, Choi Seok-Young, coincidentally called. After checking the caller¡¯s name, In-Young accepted the call and said quietly, "Choi Min-Seok asked me to thank you.¡± - ¡­I don''t understand what you''re saying.[1] ¡°Because I gave him a task. I guess he believes you are the one who pulls the strings.¡± Choi In-Young smiled, thinking of Choi Seok-Young''s stumped expression. - He''s just a kid who knows nothing. "But I don''t feel good. What should I do?" In-Young asked. The conversation was absolutely strange, bearing no resemblance to a talk between an older brother and younger sister. During such a conversation, Choi Seok-Young knew what he had to say. - I''ll sort it out. "Not right away, let''s do it after watching how he deals with Yu-Seong. Oh, and don¡¯t do it yourself. Call Director Geum and let him do it for you. I¡¯ll let him know.¡± - Yes, and to the chairman¡­ ¡°Father doesn''t care about Choi Min-Seok at all. Didn¡¯t I say that Yu-Seong is a unique case? So make sure to treat Choi Min-Seok as cruelly as possible. I think it''d be perfect if you threw him as bait,¡± In-Young said. - ...Okay. "Haha! I''m kidding, I''m kidding." Choi In-Young laughed loudly into her cell phone. Then, she left Choi Min-Seok''s house and got in the back seat of the car that was waiting for her. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you get my joke? Do I really look like someone who''s going to kill my younger brother?" - ... "Let''s just scold him a little after seeing how he works. You know my style, right? Driver Kim, start heading out." "Yes, ma''am." Choi Seok-Young and Driver Kim, who was behind the wheel, answered at the same time. Satisfied, Choi In-Young nodded and hung up after hearing Choi Seok-Young''s report. From the car window, she could see the entire city center which she had always found cool-looking. In-Young vividly remembered one night when a thunderstorm raged. Her only blood relative screamed while tied to a wooden chair on a hexagram drawn with red blood. ¡®Oppa, I hated you.¡¯ Choi Seok-Young had said that he loved her and begged for his life, but his soul had been taken by the devil and torn to shreds. Then, a new soul took over his body. Choi In-Young had gone on to teach the innocent soul many things, as if she were his mother. She had taught him how to live a life, the laws of the world, and to have complete loyalty to her. Very few people actually knew this, but there existed terrifying means in the world in which even a person¡¯s soul could be exchanged. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. Therefore, when Yu-Seong had shown a sudden change, Choi In-Young had suspected that someone with the same specialized skill as her, "Witch," had done the trick. Since the person had become completely different after that, she assumed that the soul had been changed. However, she had to stop being suspicious after a while. ''You need blood from at least ten maidens to have a soul-swapping ceremony.¡¯ Since the soul absorbed such a great amount of blood, it would always exude a strong bloody odor. However, from In-Young¡¯s distant observations, Yu-Seong never stank of blood. Above all, the new person born from a spirit exchange ritual was no different from a clean and blank sheet of paper¡ªinnocent¡ªat the beginning. They were almost like a baby who couldn¡¯t speak a word. This was nothing unusual, since what was created using the blood of ten maidens was a brand new soul. In other words, growth in a short period of time like Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s was impossible. In the end, Choi In-Young had to come to the same conclusion as everyone else. ¡®He has been hiding himself so far but has now revealed himself. It means he has something to believe in.¡¯ What would it be? Choi In-Young was cautious and had no intention of directly bothering Choi Yu-Seong until she found out the secret. ''I''ll have to get to the bottom of this.¡¯ Even if he was a disposable card, it would be nice if Choi Min-Seok could carry out the task well. Choi In-Young closed her eyes to take a break. *** Choi Yu-Seong''s growth was on a rapidly-rising curve. ¡®I gained nine levels in just three days.¡¯ Thanks to this, Yu-Seong was now at level 13. If he recalled the time when he had hunted for a week to gain 15 levels, this was certainly considered a rapid growth. ¡®Moreover, my level then was lower than it is now.¡¯ Since his level and rank had increased, Yu-Seong needed more experience points to level up again. This was simply common sense, everyone knew about this fact. Nevertheless, with the tremendous help of the Star Factor skill, which had recently developed rapidly, he could still record a faster growth rate. ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level accelerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number. D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras. Current acceleration rate +100% ¡ú +130% *New: Additional privileges are opened by achieving new interest figures. Experience points required for growth -1% ¡ú -3% ¡» ¡®Oh wow, I still can¡¯t believe this no matter how much I look at it.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong had obtained the best skill for increasing his level. In fact, it was not that there were no hunters with skills related to increasing growth speed. To be more precise, they were quite common among the top rankers. Among them, the most famous skill known to the public was the ¡®Titanic Growth¡¯ skill of Yamamoto Kyosuke, the Nioh of Japan. At the D-rank, that skill had offered Nioh a growth rate of 150%. When the skill had been released to the public, the whole world had been surprised. Nioh had proved the skill¡¯s tremendous effect by reaching the S-rank, level 100, in record time. He hadn¡¯t been able to reach the SS rank because he had failed to pass the promotion evaluation, but¡­ ¡®Even so, he is one of the top five in Japan.¡¯ The record growth boost had been at 130% just before Nioh had revealed his skills. It was the same as the current rate of Yu-Seong¡¯s Star Factor skill. However, unlike Nioh and others with growth acceleration skills, Yu-Seong had an additional effect. ''Reducing the experience points requirements for leveling up.'' Everyone knew that even more experience points were required as the rank and level got higher. However, Choi Yu-Seong could reduce the percentages of such penalties by unlocking the Star Factor skills¡¯ additional privileges. The gains from this were inevitably greater since they increased proportionately with higher ranks and levels. If the experience points required to level up from D-rank, level 79, was 100,000, then a 5 percent decrease could save 5,000 experience points. If the same decrease was maintained for 20 levels, it was no different from gaining one additional level. Of course, it was technically impossible, because the experience required to level up would gradually increase as the level rose. Still, the accumulation of these gains could never be underestimated. 1. It¡¯s worth noting that although Choi Seok-Young is In-Young¡¯s older brother, he speaks very politely and formally to her¡ªalmost as if he¡¯s the younger sibling. ? CH 96 On top of everything else, the percentage level of Choi Yu-Seong''s Star Factor rose every time he received a certain degree of attention. Thus, it could be seen as a skill that was several times greater than the Nioh¡¯s ¡®Titanic Growth¡¯ skill. ¡®I mean, maybe it¡¯s not even comparable to a skill that only accelerates growth?¡¯ Although Nioh¡¯s skill was called the best among the growth acceleration skills that were known to the public, Yu-Seong knew some better skills since he had read the original novel. The best among those skills was Kim Do-Jin''s specialized skill, "Genius." As could be seen from the name, the skill ¡®Genius¡¯ was simply the protagonist¡¯s supernatural ability. It was no different from a collection of all features of a ¡®main character¡¯, such as deleting penalties of All-Rounder, specializing in all weapons, significantly increasing skill growth, significantly increasing the gain of experience points, reducing the required experience points, and transcending the ranks of some skills. It was a single skill which worked beyond the confines of one. ¡®Come to think of it, I shouldn¡¯t be so happy just because I have three specialized skills.¡¯ After all, there was a real imbalanced character. Anyway, among the abilities of the skill ¡®Genius,¡¯ Yu-Seong could at least catch up to the growth-related abilities thanks to his Star Factor skill. ¡®Actually, if I do well, I might be faster than Kim Do-Jin when he was D-rank.¡¯ When he had first obtained the skill ¡®Star Factor,¡¯ Yu-Seong had felt that he could keep up with some aspects of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s growth. Now, Yu-Seong even thought that he could be even a little faster than Do-Jin. On top of that, in a situation where Kim Do-Jin didn¡¯t know the existence of the hunting experience boost potion, Yu-Seong could raise his level considerably faster than Do-Jin too. In conclusion, thanks to the Star Factor skill, Yu-Seong could grow at a faster pace than the returnee who had fought against the devil in another world. Of course, the quality and quantity of combat experience, basic combat sense, and talent would be different, so Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t perform the exact same skills at the same level. However, he at least had an ability that was much more powerful than the original novel¡¯s main character. ¡®Of course, this will also be meaningless if Kim Do-Jin uses the hunting experience boost potion and his rank of the Genius skill becomes far higher.¡¯ At least he had won for now. Knowing this made Yu-Seong feel strangely good. On the other hand, he was worried. ¡®Now that this happened, I''m worried that I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s growing too fast¡­¡¯ This was because Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who were both supposed to grow up with him soon, had come to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean that I have to slow down, right?¡¯ The sooner Yu-Seong became stronger, the better it was for him. He decided not to doubt this part of his plan, since he had already suffered from overthinking once. Above all, Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk were characters who were portrayed as a disaster or a high potential of disaster in the original novel. Maybe he might have to worry about falling behind them even though he was gaining strength so quickly. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a good problem to have, after all.¡¯ Yu-Seong chuckled with enjoyment. At that moment, he received a message. - A Joke-loving Prankster feels strangely discontent while seeing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s smile. - The Oldest Hunter thinks the player Yu-Seong has a beautiful smile. He sponsors 30 Karma points. - Culann¡¯s Hound looks at the growth of the player Choi Yu-Seong with satisfaction. He sponsors 10 Karma points. Looking at the three remaining gods¡¯ messages, Yu-Seong inwardly clicked his tongue. ¡®Loki, what''s wrong with that man, I mean, god¡­?¡¯ Loki was acting up for nothing, but thinking of it, he was also good at subtly taking care of Yu-Seong. With this thought in mind, Yu-Seong assumed that Loki had become crooked because of his disingenuity. - A Joke-loving Prankster snorts at the player Choi Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong ignored the message that followed and went out of the dungeon. Jin Yu-Ri approached him and said, "You did a great job today.¡± "Yeah. Thanks for waiting," Yu-Seong replied. "I¡¯ll have to cheer up more until my brother comes back. It¡¯s true that I got busier since I¡¯m doing it alone, but it¡¯s bearable since Jenny is helping me in between. Oh, by the way. About the money that you supported me with, do you want to know how it''s used?" Yu-Ri asked. Not long ago, Yu-Seong had provided about 30 billion won to the ¡®Hidden Team¡¯, which was created by Jin Yu-Ri and run directly by Jenny, who was another A-rank hunter. Originally, he had planned to provide 20 billion won, but since Choi Woo-Jae had given him about 25 billion more pocket money after watching the "Hunter''s Night" program and being proud of him, Yu-Seong had decided to invest nearly half of it in the Hidden Team without much thought. Thanks to this, a considerable amount of 30 billion won had been spent at once. However, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t consider it as a waste at all, since the Hidden Team was virtually an organization that worked solely for his own purposes. He would benefit from as much as he had invested or even more. He also believed that Jin Yu-Ri would definitely make that happen. "No need to." Aside from believing in Yu-Ri, Yu-Seong simply didn''t bother to pay attention to where his money went. He just wanted to purely focus on his growth rather than pay attention to such things. "...thank you. I won''t let you down,¡± Yu-Ri replied in a clear voice. She seemed to understand Yu-Seong¡¯s current priorities. She opened the car door. Then, she added, "I have something else to report. I have good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?¡± "Hmm..." While Yu-Seong took some time to think, Jin Yu-Ri sat in the driver¡¯s seat. Yu-Seong sat in the back seat. The car started with a single button, and the loud exhaust sound rang out. It was the unique sound of an Italian vehicle. It was the taste of villain Choi Yu-Seong, who had originally been the owner of the body. Yu-Seong had initially found this sound a pain, but he was now quite used to it. ¡®It would be rather disappointing if I couldn¡¯t hear it anymore.¡¯ Did they say that the position changes manners? Yu-Seong felt as if he were becoming accustomed to the tastes of the body¡¯s original owner. "Are you still thinking?" asked Yu-Ri as she headed out. Choi Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly. "Ah, I''m sorry. I thought about something else for a second. If that''s the case, it''s better to face the music. I want to hear the bad news first." "I heard last night that Helen Mirren came out of the dungeon,¡± Yu-Ri said. "And?" "In less than two hours, she went straight back to the dungeon. Because of that, I didn''t have time to contact her.¡± It was a sad story for the two who hoped that Jin Do-Yoon would recover as soon as possible. Moreover, as mentioned, Helen Mirren sometimes disappeared for months once she entered the dungeon. "Ah..." Choi Yu-Seong let out a sad sigh without realizing it, but soon nodded. "It¡¯s sudden, so it can''t be helped. Let''s look forward to the next opportunity." "Jenny is trying to find people who have direct connections with Helen Mirren. There are extremely few, but she should be able to find someone." "Right." A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. "Next is the good news. Do you remember the mana stones you asked us to collect?¡± Yu-Ri asked. "Of course." This was what Yu-Seong had asked for Chae Ye-Ryeong''s Re-Awakening, who would be as greatly helpful to Yu-Seong as both Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri in the future. "I bought it. 48 orange and 7 yellow mana stones. 55 in total. It''s worth about 20 billion if you calculate it at the market price." "That''s insane. We¡¯ll be broke sooner or later.¡± Although Yu-Seong was somewhat flustered, there was no big problem, because he had already expected to spend this much. Also, Choi Woo-Jae had recently given him a lot of pocket money. As he had thought, he was benefiting from being close to Choi Woo-Jae. ¡®Though it¡¯s true that he¡¯s a little scary.¡¯ In many ways, Yu-Seong suddenly thought it was a good thing that he had worked hard to stand out in Choi Woo-Jae''s eyes. ¡®How nice to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth.¡¯ Jin Yu-Ri did not know what he was thinking, but she replied with a smile, "Of course, if I was going to buy it for the original price, I wouldn''t have suffered this long." "You look quite confident," Yu-Seong said. "I bought all the items I just mentioned for 18 billion won," Yu-Ri revealed. "Wow..." Choi Yu-Seong expressed his admiration almost automatically. Mana stones were the most important and precious resource in the world, and they were also mentioned in the original novel. They could produce a significant amount of energy with no risk of radiation, and there were also new technologies created that used mana stones. Of course, their value was bound to be high, and it was quite difficult to buy them at a lower price. However, Jin Yu-Ri had managed to purchase the goods at a discount as high as ten percent. "Are you happy with it? I did my best." "Very happy." Two billion won was more than enough money to buy orange and yellow mana drinks. There was no reason for Yu-Seong to not be happy. He then said, "If you can buy them at a low price like this, please secure as many mana stones as possible within 30 billion won.¡± "Again?" "I was originally planning to do that, but since I have a talented person like you, Jin Yu-Ri, I would like to kick-start the plan a little earlier." Jin Yu-Ri''s eyes sparkled at the word ¡®originally planned¡¯. She asked, "Can I ask what you''re going to use it for?" "It¡¯s a secret." "...That¡¯s a little cheeky." "Haha." Choi Yu-Seong smiled insidiously and shrugged. In fact, the value of mana stones was expected to increase gradually over time. However, if it were for this reason alone, Choi Yu-Seong would not have invested as much as 30 billion won to buy a new mana stone right now. ''The timing is a bit uncertain, but when artifact creators start to appear, the price of mana stones will go through the roof.¡¯ Artifact creators were literally players who made artifacts. Their direct combat power was low as they were production-type players, but because of their appearance in the near future, the hunter world would face another cataclysm. ''Until now, the hunter equipment was all about the ancient relics, the treasures of the world, the iron weapons made by Earth¡¯s craftsmen...'' Of course, many things would change when the new equipment type, the artifact, appeared. Artifacts were considered to be somewhat weak compared to ancient relics and treasures of the world, but they boasted quite good performance with the addition of magical abilities that ordinary iron weapons could not have. Their greatest advantage was the fact that they did not require large amounts of karma points, like ancient relics or exotic treasures did. One could buy an artifact as long as one had enough money. CH 97 The artifact was an object much easier to obtain compared to other magical items such as ancient relics or treasures from the other world, but it could produce similar utility. In addition, Choi Yu-Seong knew about the creators of these artifacts, the so-called Meister, who would be able to create magical objects comparable to other ancient relics and the treasures from the other world. ¡®There are exactly five Meisters by the time Book 1 of the original novel was completed.¡¯ Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. Choi Yu-Seong knew one of the Meisters by name and origin. Obviously, it was one of Kim Do-Jin''s colleagues who Yu-Seong tried not to get in contact with as much as possible. ¡®What I need to find is the other four Meisters.¡¯ There were many questions about them, since in many parts of the original novel, they were mentioned only by nicknames and characteristics. Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong left his thoughts of the Meister behind for now. However, as could be seen from this Meister¡¯s appearance, the number of artifact producers increased exponentially over time. This meant the type ¡®productive¡¯ was added to the player types. Therefore, when the artifact creators appeared, the price of mana stone naturally rose. Before that, Choi Yu-Seong wanted to acquire the mana stone, which was still somewhat cheap. In addition, before the artifact sales market was fully established, he planned to preoccupy the market by investing some capital. ¡®Since I can''t spend the pocket money from my father forever.¡¯ Originally, it would take a lot of human resources, money, and time to enter this market, but Choi Yu-Seong had future information he knew through the original novel. In other words, it was highly possible for him to enter the market while saving on all three aspects considerably. In fact, the best way might be to secretly reveal this future information to Choi Woo-Jae. Just as Yu-Seong had told Jin Yu-Ri that he had a similar skill such as Future Foresight, he could tell Choi Woo-Jae and show him a few actions to prove it. That way, even Woo-Jae would become interested in what Yu-Seong had to say. Moreover, by using the Comet Group¡¯s enormous capital, he might be able to achieve monopoly rather than the market preoccupation. ¡®Since it¡¯s father, he would most likely take a careful look at the opportunity, and as soon as the artifact creator appeared, he would invest in the market with all his might.¡¯ In addition, it would be slightly easier to obtain information about the remaining four Meisters, who Yu-Seong currently only knew about their nicknames and characteristics. Whatever Woo-Jae did, regardless with a huge amount of capital or talented men, none of which Yu-Seong could even be able to imagine, could change according to the circumstances in an instant. ¡®Since it would bring it a huge business profit, I would be able to bring father completely to my side and share the profit somewhat.¡¯ Yu-Seong was confident that, in this way, he could unconditionally gain much more than trying to enter the market alone. However, Choi Yu-Seong decided not to tell Choi Woo-Jae in the end. He already had a lot of dangerous experiences due to the butterfly effect. Such a big action would cause more than just a small change, and he couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of disaster it would bring. ¡®Anyway, artifact makers would only appear after the appearance of a tower. I don''t have to hastily change the future by trying to preoccupy talent or resources for now.¡¯ The plan was to refrain from mentioning information about artificial creators and new technologies that Yu-Seong already knew and snatch profits by taking the bait at exactly the right time. Choi Yu-Seong had chosen a stable path, rather than being overly greedy for a big gain, even if the profit would be less. This was because survival was his top priority, as always. Any gain would be meaningless if it brought about a fatal disaster. ¡°Then, is it also a secret where you¡¯ll use the prepared mana stone?¡± asked Yu-Ri. "Oh, I can tell you that,¡± replied Yu-Seong. For him, preparation for reawakening would be quite difficult without Jin Yu-Ri''s help anyway. "Oh... I''ll listen carefully,¡± Yu-Ri said. "First of all, please prepare an empty warehouse outside Seoul, or Gyeonggi-do, where people don''t go as often. And we need to recruit a hypnotist who¡¯s about D-rank. Also, I have a few more items to prepare..." "Wait. Can I hear the conclusion first?¡± "I''m going to try to Re-Awaken.¡± Jin Yu-Ri''s head spun quickly while driving, because she was momentarily confused. She asked, "...is that possible artificially?¡± "Probably." "For who..." Jin Yu-Ri closed her mouth tightly, no longer asking questions. In fact, even without asking, a person¡¯s face already came to her mind. She remembered just as she asked the earlier question. Also, with the preparations requested by Choi Yu-Seong, she realized the danger of this work. She asked, ¡°Does Ye-Ryeong know?¡± ¡°Do you remember when I was hospitalized after an accident in Mok-dong Dungeon?¡± "Yes, Ye-Ryeong visited the hospital. Come to think of it, it was at that time that you asked me to prepare for mana stone." "Yeah. I''ve talked about it again since then, and she is also quite determined.¡± "...I''ll do my best to prepare, so that no one gets hurt as much as possible," said Yu-Ri. As expected, it was quite comfortable talking to someone as smart as Yu-Ri. Choi Yu-Seong smiled at Jin Yu-Ri. She seemed to clearly recognize what she had to do with just a few short conversations. He said gratefully, "I''m going to try my best for that, too. Thank you as always, Jin Yu-Ri.¡± "Don''t mention it." Jin Yu-Ri smiled. *** Choi Min-Seok spent several days hiring people to keep an eye on Choi Yu-Seong''s every move. He self-justified such actions by thinking that he didn¡¯t need to and didn¡¯t want to take much effort on such work. However, it was also true that he was scared to do it alone, even if it was simply watching Yu-Seong from a distance. There was just no plausible outcome from spending a few days like that. ¡®Does this crazy guy have nowhere else to go besides the house and dungeon? I remember he used to drink a lot during the earlier times.¡¯ It was difficult to find any flaws or weaknesses of a perfect student who only traveled between school and home. While Yu-Seong continued living a perfectly flawless life where it was difficult for Min-Seok to even make up a flaw, an interesting piece of news made its way to him. ¡®What? Choi Yu-Seong''s car suddenly left Seoul?¡¯ What was he up to? After agonizing for a while, Choi Min-Seok made up his mind, jumped up, and made a phone call. It was a little intuitive, but he got a hunch that the opportunity had come. He said, "Continue chasing and tracking him." Choi Min-Seok urgently started preparing before heading outside. Then, he suddenly stopped. ¡®But what can I do alone?¡¯ Those Min-Seok had sent to spy on Choi Yu-Seong were D-rank chase hunters at the most. Could they be helpful in case of an emergency? He shook his head inwardly. Therefore, he stomped on the ground and fell deep into thought. ''If I contact In-Young noo-nim, she''ll be disappointed. Maybe even Seok-Young hyung-nim would hear about it if I called her.¡¯ It was meaningless if Min-Seok couldn¡¯t prove his worth and join their side. If that was the case, should he work alone? He also didn¡¯t have much time. ¡®Dang it, I have no choice but to use the secret fund.¡¯ After some thought, Choi Min-Seok decided to hire mercenaries using the secret funds that he had hidden without anyone knowing. This took place when he had worked with Byung-Chan. Using such money seemed fine to him, since it would be difficult for one to find the source of it and track it down, so even Choi Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t bother as well. Of course, Min-Seok didn''t intend to use a regular mercenary. It would be okay to use them during dungeon hunting or a simple escort mission, but in this case, there might be too many difficulties and issues for them to deal with. Therefore, Choi Min-Seok decided to call some ¡®dangerous¡¯ characters. "I need the black mercenary¡ªGuys at A-rank level who can start right now. About..." Choi Min-Seok ordered one of his subordinates over the phone while biting his nails. Hiring a typical A-rank mercenary for a day would cost about 1 billion won. However, in the case of black mercenaries, who were in charge of these dirty tasks, the unit price was at least two to three times higher. Moreover, if they were called in a hurry like right now, there was a high probability that the premium fee would be added. ¡®I have about 20 billion won in shush funds that I¡¯ve saved up. I might be able to call up to four people¡­¡¯ However, Min-Seok¡¯s reason for wanting to save the fund and the instinct he had to call upon extra help to do his best collided in his mind. He was conflicted. ''If I fail this time, I may not have another chance. But there¡¯s no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, right? Most of all, I might have to fight him in person.'' Choi Min-Seok struggled to speak at the opponent''s careful urging over the phone. He managed to say, "I¡¯ll hire one, no, two of them." Then, Choi Min-Seok hung up the phone and rushed out of the house. ''Dang, my precious shush fund. Yu-Seong, I don''t know what you''re up to, but you better be on your toes. I¡¯ll drop you into hell.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok''s eyes burned with hatred. *** On the edge of Paju, Gyeonggi-do, beyond the river, one could see the 38th parallel between South and North Korea in the distance. A luxury sedan noisily drove into an abandoned rice field. Choi Yu-Seong nodded as he lowered the car window, checking out a fairly large wooden building that stood alone on the rice field. He said, "It''s a perfect place. It''s where I wanted it." There wasn¡¯t even a single person walking around here. There were also no buildings or farm areas that could cause harm in case of emergency. "It wasn''t easy to find. No matter how far out an area is, if there is no dungeon, most of it is used for farming," said Yu-Ri. "Great work." Unlike Choi Yu-Seong, who smiled slightly at Jin Yu-Ri''s proud expression, Ye-Ryeong looked strangely tense while sitting right next to Yu-Ri. Noticing her expression, Yu-Seong said softly, "If you''re worried, you can give up now.¡± Ye-Ryeong shook her head from side to side. She clenched her fist. Then, as if shaking something off, she sighed deeply and looked right into Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes over her long bangs. She said, "The only thing I''m worried about is my possibility of failure and disappointing the boss, Yu-Ri unnie, and the people around me." "I think it''s okay as long as you don''t get hurt even if you fail..." said Yu-Seong. "Me, too. Actually, it''s my first time hearing about this particular method. I''m not looking forward to it anyways. Really," said Yu-Ri. Smiling at what Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri just said, Ye-Ryeong nodded. She started to cheer with her arms up high. "But I want to do well if I can. As I told the boss the other day, I want to be more supportive to you.¡± As always, Chae Ye-Ryeong was confident. She always gave people a reason to feel good, for some reason. CH 98 "Don''t be too burdened by this. Are you done setting up?¡± asked Yu-Seong. "Of course, I came early in the morning to do everything in advance. The hypnotist will be waiting in the warehouse,¡± said Yu-Ri. Choi Yu-Seong nodded before grabbing the closed car door handle. He made a suggestion. "Then, shall we go? Whether it works or not, let¡¯s have a barbeque dinner together with all of Ye-Ryeong''s younger siblings.¡± Chae Ye-Ryeong had been reaching out to open her door, but she stopped to look at Yu-Seong. "My siblings too?¡± Chae Ye-Ryeong had three younger siblings, who were of elementary and middle school age. They were growing up, so they should be eating well. Therefore, Yu-Seong thought that even though Ye-Ryeong''s economic situation was pretty much solved by now, she wouldn¡¯t refuse a dinner invite. However, when he saw her surprised reaction, he asked with slight suspicion, "Are you not comfortable for dinner? Then..." "No way!" Surprised, Ye-Ryeong shouted and quickly got out of the car. She bowed her head toward Choi Yu-Seong. "I''ll definitely eat well." "Great. Let''s go then." The three people, including the relaxed-looking Ye-Ryeong, started to walk into the wooden warehouse. Meanwhile, on a rural road four kilometers away from where Choi Yu-Seong''s car was parked, a man was checking the three people¡¯s movements through binoculars from a van. Watching them, he hit the cell phone¡¯s location transmission button. Then, a message arrived immediately. - I''ll be there in 20 minutes. Stand by. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. It was a message from Choi Min-Seok. *** The inside of the wooden warehouse was as big as it appeared to be from the outside. There was nothing inside, so they quickly found the three people who had been waiting for them. The people inside had been sitting on wooden chairs right next to the black tent, which concealed from view a long rectangular frame, in the center of the warehouse. It was the first time Choi Yu-Seong was seeing the three of them. The first person that caught his eye was a young man in his early- to mid-20s who straightened his back as soon as the group entered the warehouse. The young man quickly said, "Hello. Boss, I''m Kim Doo-Jun. To add to my introduction, I respect Yu-Ri noo-nim." The young man was somewhat of a talkative chap. Yu-Seong could easily tell that he was a member of the Hidden Team led by Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny. It was quite curious, however, that Kim Doo-Jun looked older than the two women. ¡°If they pretty and strong, then I address them as noo-nim,¡± Doo-Jun said with a smile. It was as if he had read Yu-Seong¡¯s questioning gaze. Choi Yu-Seong could roughly understand the situation when he saw Jin Yu-Ri shaking her head as if she thought him pathetic. He said with a nod, "Nice to meet you, Doo-Jun, and the rest of you are..." "Oh, let me introduce them. First of all, this is Kim Hee-Jin. She''s a D-rank hypnotist. She¡¯s pretty, don¡¯t you think so?¡± said Doo-Jun. Kim Hee-Jin, a woman in her mid-30s, looked awkward at Kim Doo-Jun''s introduction. She bowed her head slightly. "I''m Kim Hee-Jin. Nice to meet you." A hypnotist had a very important role because she had to inflict a fairly strong mental shock to Chae Ye-Ryeong. "Don''t be too nervous, and I look forward to your kind cooperation. I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong," said Yu-Seong. He smiled and asked for a handshake with the hypnotist Kim Hee-Jin, who seemed to be somewhat shy. It was a kind gesture on his part to ease the tension, even just by a little bit. "And this is Hwang Ki-Chul. He¡¯s a B-rank hunter who has a Mana-Blocking skill. We had a bit of a struggle bringing him in. For your information, he doesn''t talk much." "...I''m Hwang Ki-Chul." Hwang Ki-Chul reached out with his hand, looking somewhat tired of Kim Doo-Jun''s chatter. He was, in a sense, the most important safety guard in this Re-Awakening work. The two requirements for the original novel¡¯s Re-Awakening were rather intense trauma and exposure to unleashed mana. This process carried relatively high risk, as Jin Yu-Ri predicted. ''If she completes the Re-Awakening safely, she may have stronger power than ordinary players from the start. But¡­¡¯ If Chae Ye-Ryeong was stimulated incorrectly during the Re-Awakening, the mana that resonated between Chae Ye-Ryeong and mana stone would be triggered to try to agglomerate. That would end in a violent collision as a result. It was very easy to explain what would happen because of this. ¡®Boom and bang¡­.¡¯ In other words, like a mana bomb exploding in front of their eyes, it would be an explosion of mana. The predicted range could actually blow the entire wooden warehouse away. If they were caught up, everyone here would be wiped out. Maybe Jin Yu-Ri, who was an A-rank hunter, could lead and avoid sustaining injuries for herself and Choi Yu-Seong upon seeing the signs of an explosion. However, there was no such intention at all. If the mana explosion occurred, Ye-Ryeong would certainly die, since she would be the source of the explosion. No matter how important his life was, Yu-Seong did not want to run away and leave Ye-Ryeong alone. Even though she was aware of the danger, he was the one who had challenged her to Re-Awaken. Therefore, Yu-Seong hired Hwang Ki-Chul, who had the Mana-Blocking specialized skill, as a type of protective measure. Just as its name suggested, the Mana-Blocking skill was the ability to seal mana released to the outside. In a way, it was an ability that could be considered a well-matched skill for the Psychic type hunters, but the mana blockade itself required such high concentration that the player could not move a single step during the skill exercise. Needless to say, the skill was not that useful in practice. ¡®In the beginning, it was said that it could be good to take on one of those attackers with such skills when fighting the dungeon¡¯s boss monster, but¡­¡¯ Those who could not move a single step, in exchange for tying up the mana released externally, were likely to die an instant death from the boss monster¡¯s attack. Above all, the boss monster did not weaken just because its externally released mana was bound. ¡®If one skill is blocked, it could use another.¡¯ Thus, it was a somewhat neglected ability. When controlling situations such as mana explosions, no one would be as safe and well-prepared as players with the Mana-Blocking skill. Therefore, Hwang Ki-Chul''s presence was, above all, a reliable and safe insurance. "I''m Choi Yu-Seong. Even if I don''t say anything, don¡¯t hesitate to block the mana once you judge the situation to be bad,¡± said Yu-Seong. "Yes, sir," said Hwang Ki-Chu. Ki-Chul would also die if there was a mana explosion. Therefore, Yu-Seong believed that he would take the initiative to do his best even without his reminder. After introducing himself to Kim Doo-Jun from the Hidden Team and the two Re-Awakening assistants, Yu-Seong then looked at the two women behind him. He then introduced them, saying, "This is Jin Yu-Ri, who will prevent any possible threats, and this is Chae Ye-Ryeong, the person for this Re-Awakening. I look forward to your kind cooperation, everyone." "I''m Jin Yu-Ri." "I look forward to your kind cooperation. I¡¯m Chae Ye-Ryeong." "You are much smaller than I thought¡­ and you look young. May I ask how old you are?¡± Kim Hee-Jin asked with a surprised look after seeing Ye-Ryeong. The person she had to carry out some shocking hypnosis on was a girl who appeared to be very young. "I''m 20 years old now. But sometimes, people judge me to be younger,¡± answered Ye-Ryeong. In fact, she was treated younger than her age by almost everyone, but she usually showed it off as a good thing in such situations. "I¡¯m not sure if you will be able to endure..." Kim Hee-Jin, on the other hand, looked worried for Ye-Ryeong. It was an understandable feeling. "Small doesn''t necessarily mean weak," said Ye-Ryeong. She ignored the concern and looked at the rectangular frame covered up in the black tent. She then said, "That''s it, right, boss?" "That''s right. Chae Ye-Ryeong, you¡¯ll go in there." "Let¡¯s get the tent off right away. For your information, it''s quite beautiful," said Kim Doo-Jun. He quickly ran to lift the tent, as if he had been waiting for those very words. At first glance, it was like a small room made of glass filled with rather colorful light. The only unique thing was that the center of the room had a chair. However, slightly looking up at the ceiling, one would change their mind. Despite the absence of any lighting, the orange and yellow source filling the glass room was pouring down like an aurora, emitting a mysterious light. "Wow..." Kim Hee-Jin unconsciously expressed a gasp of admiration. "Hmm..." Even Hwang Ki-Chul, who was mostly speechless, sighed in response. The two of them had followed Kim Doo-Jun even after knowing what they would be doing, but they had never actually seen the glass room without the tent. "That''s all mana stone, right?¡± asked Chae Ye-Ryeong. "Yes," answered Yu-Seong. "And I have to go in there and sit in that chair." "That''s right." Choi Yu-Seong nodded. As mentioned, the two requirements of Re-Awakening were the intense trauma and mana exposure. The reason why fifty-five mana stones filled the glass room, which was a pretty narrow space, was to make sure that the mana exposure was clearly pushed to the maximum. ¡°If I fail, will all those mana stones be wasted?¡± "Yes. To be exact, whether you succeed or fail, that will soon become just an ordinary rock." Choi Yu-Seong nodded and answered Ye-Ryeong¡¯s question honestly without hesitation. Ye-Ryeong turned somewhat pale after roughly calculating the price of the mana stones in her head. In fact, Choi Yu-Seong thought that if she succeeded in Re-Awakening, the mana stones worth almost 20 billion won would not be a waste at all. This was because, considering the best possible result, Chae Ye-Ryeong''s body would accept most of the mana as she finished Re-Awakening. In such a case, the money spent would not be a waste at all. Secondly, Yu-Seong also thought about the what could happen if they were unlucky. In the process of resonating with each other''s mana, the mana stone¡¯s energy may be scattered into nature without being absorbed. In this case, the Re-Awakening failed. Either way, mana would disappear, so the mana stones would be no different from an ordinary stone. ''But it''s okay up until this point.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong could simply get new mana stones when he needed them. Rather, the problem was the mental trauma that Chae Ye-Ryeong could receive due to hypnosis. But, this could be clearly alleviated through treatment. The worst-case scenario came down to one thing¡ªmana explosion caused by a variable. Of course, there was Hwang Ki-Chul here, so even that was not a big problem after all. There was no need to doubt the fact that the B-rank¡¯s Mana-Blocking skill would completely prevent mana explosion to a certain extent. ¡®Since the ability itself is quite strong, the penalty is proportionately big.¡¯ No wonder it could even stop the boss monster¡¯s powerful skill. However, Yu-Seong was worried that Ye-Ryeong could be injured, since she would become the source of the mana explosion in this case. Even if he prevented a mana explosion, it would still be the worst case for her to suffer from hypnosis or have physical damage from being the source. CH 99 ¡®At least no one would die.¡¯ No one would be crippled, and there wouldn¡¯t be any major problems either. As this was a high-risk job, Choi Yu-Seong had put in much thought, and now, he was fully prepared for all possibilities. "...Shouldn''t I be treating you to barbeque, boss?" asked Chae Ye-Ryeong. Unlike Choi Yu-Seong, who felt somewhat relieved, she looked at the mana stones on the glass room¡¯s ceiling nervously. Yu-Seong smiled gently at Ye-Ryeong. ¡°You know that I have a lot of money, right? So don¡¯t worry.¡± Of course, Choi Yu-Seong was not rich enough to put on a display of mana stones like this as much as, and as often as, he wanted since it consumed nearly 20 billion won each time. But at this moment, he thought it wouldn''t be bad to bluff a little. "And anyway, you are the one who is taking the biggest risk. So really, don''t worry about money." "But still, I want to treat you to barbeque." Choi Yu-Seong turned and made eye contact with Chae Ye-Ryeong. She looked very gentle, but she was surprisingly stubborn. In the end, Yu-Seong shrugged as if he had lost. "Alright then, do as you please." "Thank you. Then... shall we go in immediately?" Ye-Ryeong asked. ¡°It''s not urgent, so you can take your time," Yu-Seong answered. "Taking more time doesn''t change anything, does it?" With that rather astute remark, Ye-Ryeong exhaled again and looked at Kim Hee-Jin. "Hypnotist unnie, don''t go easy on me. I can bear it! I know I can count on you.¡± "Oh, okay!" Chae Ye-Ryeong then took as wide a step as she could with her short legs and approached the glass room. She grabbed the small handle, then entered without hesitation. "Then, let''s get started,¡± said Yu-Seong. At Choi Yu-Seong''s words, Kim Doo-Jun quickly moved a chair across the glass wall so Yu-Seong could sit and face her. Kim Hee-Jin took a short but deep breath, sat on a chair, and looked at the calm-looking Ye-Ryeong. Then, she reached out with one hand to generate blue energy. The energy soon fell under her palm and formed a watch with a thin line. "Okay then, I''ll start. The hypnosis I''m going to show you is..." For a moment, Kim Hee-Jin looked at Choi Yu-Seong. He had already requested what he wanted Ye-Ryeong to be shown. ''An illusion of being pushed by someone and sinking into the deep sea.'' Last night, Choi Yu-Seong confirmed through his notes on his cell phone on what could be inferred about Chae Ye-Ryeong''s Re-Awakening in the original novel. ¡®The Sorceress of the Flood¡­was kidnapped by gangsters and dumped off the coast of Incheon after all her younger siblings died.¡¯ Such an ordinary girl, who was the head of the household to her younger siblings, became a witch who threatened the world by Re-Awakening in the fear of dying and the sadness of losing everything. It was described in a short sentence, but it was still a very sad story. At that time, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t think about it seriously, since it wasn¡¯t reality but the setting of the novel¡¯s villain. However, it was different now. ¡®Chae Ye-Ryeong is a living person.¡¯ Moreover, she was not a villain either. She was an innocent, confident, and generous young woman. Even if it wasn¡¯t real, it still felt harsh to have her experience something not only sad, but something that was exactly the same as what the Sorceress of the Flood had experienced. That was why Yu-Seong could not ask for the hypnosis to be exactly the same content as the original novel. ¡®If it''s about losing everyone around her¡­¡¯ Even Choi Yu-Seong himself wouldn¡¯t want to go through it, be it a false experience through hypnosis or not. ''Even if Re-Awakening happens, it would be very painful to have such terrible memories.¡¯ So even if his consideration led to failure, Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t regret it. Choi Yu-Seong nodded. He looked calm and firm like Chae Ye-Ryeong. Kim Hee-Jin''s watch, which was waiting for the signal, began to move side to side like a pendulum. And according to plan, Chae Ye-Ryeong closed her eyes. *** Two more cars arrived on the bumpy country road. One was the luxury sedan that Choi Min-Seok had been in, and the other was a sports sedan that made a rather loud exhaust sound. Choi Min-Seok arrived first, and his arrival was reported by the watchers. He frowned when he saw the sports sedan that arrived a little later. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®You crazy guys, what if those over there hear the sound and react?¡¯ As if they didn¡¯t care about his thoughts, a man and woman got out of the car. Their music played loud enough to echo all across the surroundings. "Are you Choi Min-Seok?" The person speaking to Choi Min-Seok was in his mid-40s, with a fairly small stature for a man, an impressively long ponytail, and scars on his cheeks. "Yeah, I am Choi Min-Seok," said Min-Seok. "See, I told you he¡¯s the employer.¡± The man nodded slightly, as if the confirmation process was over, and hugged the waist of the woman in her early 30s who came near him. She also had long pink-dyed hair that came down to her hips and wore pink sunglasses so impressive that she looked like she would stand out wherever she went. "I didn''t recognize him because he looked more like a toad in person than I saw in the picture." "My love, he¡¯s still our employer, so you should watch your words.¡± "Well, as long as he gives us the right money, it doesn''t matter what he looks like, right? Haha.¡± Choi Min-Seok tried to hold back a curse as he listened to the couple¡¯s conversation. His face was heavily distorted. ¡®What kind of guys are they?¡¯ He had already experienced the grumpiness of the black mercenaries and villains a few times, but these two seemed to be worse. Their behavior of cursing him right to his face was also ridiculous, angering him. ¡®I want nothing more than to kill them, but¡­¡¯ There were villainous A-rank black mercenaries. Choi Min-Seok had nothing to gain from offending them, especially when he only had a few D-rank hunters beside him. "Good, I¡¯m glad you came. What''s your name?¡± Choi Min-Seok asked. "You¡¯re curious about that? Isn¡¯t it the ability that is important?" the woman tilted her head as she responded. ¡®I¡¯m asking so I can remember it and kill you later, you crazy bi¡­¡¯ Choi Min-Seok suppressed his true feelings and smiled clumsily. "Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking. I need to know your name in order to know your skills.¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem strong enough to know just by looking at us, I guess we¡¯ll just have to introduce ourselves. I¡¯m Geom-Gui, and this beauty is¡­¡± "I¡¯m Medusa,¡± said the woman with a smile. Medusa''s long hair instantly soared high in the sky. Her pink hair turned dark black, and the ends of her hair began to wriggle in the shape of a snake. ¡®Kyah-!¡¯ As soon as the snake opened its mouth and hissed, Choi Min-Seok and the chasers'' expressions quickly turned to shock when they saw the poison beading on the sharp fangs. It was the first time Min-Seok saw their faces, but he knew exactly who the two were. Obviously, the two didn¡¯t use their real names to introduce themselves either. ¡®The villains, Geom-Gui and Medusa!¡¯ Choi Min-Seok screamed inside. ''Oh, my God, they really are crazy bastards.¡¯ Min-Seok finally saw the two swords on Geom-Gui¡¯s waist. If it were as seen in the news, one would be an ordinary sword that was good for stabbing people, and the other would be in the form of a saw blade that tore through a person''s flesh. Geom-Gui was a villain who wore a horned mask resembling a demon and whenever someone was unfortunate enough to be attacked with his second sword, then no matter how much pain they were in or how much they wailed, he never let them die easily. ''The psycho killer who tears and rips the person for a prolonged period of time.'' Therefore, Geom-Gui¡¯s victims were often torn into pieces as if they were eaten by animals. The only part he didn''t touch was the victim¡¯s face, and he previously said that the reason was that he preferred seeing their suffering. Medusa was a woman no less mad than Geom-Gui. She specialized in the ability to turn her hair into a venomous snake. The snakes¡¯ venom was so powerful that even a single bite could kill large animals such as elephants and hippos. It was known that even A-rank hunters could die within 30 minutes. As such, Medusa''s ability itself was scary and creepy, but the scariest rumor was something different¡­ "There''s a rumor that she eats human flesh¡­." One of the chasers looked at Medusa and said with a pale face. Medusa smiled at him as she stroked a hair snake that had gently winded around her neck. "It''s not that I like it, but my babies enjoy it quite a lot. It''s not bad. My hair feels even better than getting a lot of treatment done." She responded to his comment. The chaser trembled when he made eye contact with Medusa. Nevertheless, Choi Min-Seok became aware of their ability after the villains revealed their names. ¡®Both of them have been working as villains for a year, but they have not been caught by the Special Police Force.¡¯ Korea was said to be quite a safe country as the average period of activity for new villains in Korea was about two months. This was because the Special Police Force, which only had a small number of people but excellent skills, persistently followed and arrested or killed most of the villains. The fact that these two villains had survived for nearly a year alone proved their abilities. ''These crazy guys wouldn¡¯t have any guilt in dealing with things.¡¯ That was a rather good thing. "Picture!" shouted Choi Min-Seok. He extended his hand to the chasers who had arrived first. Geom-Gui checked the picture and tilted his head. He asked, "They''re kids. Well, isn''t this handsome guy quite a celebrity?" "Handsome? Let me see," said Medusa. She saw the picture together with Geom-Gui, who was next to her. She smiled and clapped. "Oh, he''s Choi Yu-Seong!" "Right? The ninth child of the Comet Group," said Geom-Gui. "Yes. Come to think of it, our ugly employer''s name is..." "Does that matter?¡± Choi Min-Seok shouted sharply to the two who were looking down at the picture. "Um, well, it doesn''t matter as long as you pay us. But it¡¯s a bigger case than I thought since it¡¯s the Comet Group¡¯s family fight,¡± said Geom-Gui. "Hey, ugly employer! I think we''ll have to stay abroad for a while after this. Doesn''t it seem like 5 billion won is not enough?¡± asked Medusa. "What?" asked Min-Seok. The corners of his lips began to tremble. "The risk is too high. You¡¯ll have to add 2 billion won each. Or we''ll be out,¡± Geom-Gui said with a shrug. "You crazy¡­!" Naturally, Choi Min-Seok started to curse and swear. If 2 billion won per two were added to the original amount he had promised, the amount per person would be 7 billion won. If he spent about 3 billion more, he would be able to hire low-level S-rank mercenaries. Moreover, the combined cost of the two would be 14 billion won. ¡®Does this make sense?¡¯ Choi Min-Seok wanted to argue about common sense, but these two were villains who were called the Black Mercenary. CH 100 "That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go, my love. There''s no reason for us to risk any danger..." "Wait!" Choi Min-Seok gritted his teeth and raised his voice at the two people who were turning to return to the car without hesitation. "I''m not asking you to do anything to Choi Yu-Seong." From the very beginning, Min-Seok had no intention of touching Choi Yu-Seong. ¡®I¡¯d be happy if I could do that, but if Choi Yu-Seong dies right after Byung-Chan hyung-nim, the whole family will flip out.¡¯ It would become a big incident that would anger Choi Woo-Jae, who would then be determined to find the answer and easily discover where Choi Min-Seok had used his secret funds. Just like it had been previously discussed with Choi In-Young, Min-Seok¡¯s goal was to reduce Woo-Jae¡¯s favorable interest toward Yu-Seong. As a matter of fact, when he first arrived here and saw the picture, he had come up with a decent idea. "There are two women in the picture. Check it out." "Women?" As Geom-Gui asked, the two villains looked back at the picture. "You just have to kill the shorter one,¡± said Choi Min-Seok with his eyes shining. "She looks like a student. What grudge would you have against her?" ¡°Since when did you care about reasons when murdering?¡± commented Min-Seok. "I wondered what''s different about being born lucky, but your thoughts are no different from mine,¡± Geom-Gui revealed a strange smile. Min-Seok had a simple reason for targeting Chae Ye-Ryeong. Unlike Jin Yu-Ri, Ye-Ryeong was not a hunter but an ordinary player. In addition, there was also information that Choi Yu-Seong had hired her somewhat urgently not too long ago. This certainly raised suspicions. ¡®He brought an ordinary E-rank player into his house, employed her, and suddenly dragged her to a quiet place like this?¡¯ Min-Seok could already think of many malicious things he would do in that situation. ¡®Yeah, I wondered how a troublemaker like you endured it until now!¡¯ It would be a good excuse to ruin Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s reputation, especially since Choi Woo-Jae favored him so much these days. "Are you going to do it or not?¡± asked Min-Seok. Just as Medusa was about to nod at Min-Seok¡¯s urging¡­ "But it has to be 7 billion won. After all, we are interfering with the Comet Group. We have to get paid for the extra risk we have to take,¡± Geom-Gui said as he stepped forward. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ At first, Min-Seok thought Medusa, who dealt with snakes, was more cunning, but he could now tell that Geom-Gui was the truly cunning one. It was clear from the look in Geom-Gui¡¯s eyes that he had already accepted the request but it seemed like he had no intention of accepting the request for just 5 billion won. He knew very well who the desperate one was in this scenario. Choi Min-Seok became impatient. ¡®If I miss this opportunity, I don''t know when I''ll get another.¡¯ Eventually, Min-Seok closed his eyes tightly and nodded. "...6 billion." "I should just head on home.¡± "Damn, okay okay! 7 billion!" "So, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s the only one I have to keep alive, right?" said Geom-Gui with a huge grin. "What?" asked Min-Seok. "There could possibly be more people, right? It''s not our cup of tea to choose and kill only one,¡± Medusa said with a cool smile. Choi Min-Seok, who looked worried for a while, nodded. He said, "That would be even better.¡± Every single death would become another black mark against Choi Yu-Seong. *** While making eye contact with Chae Ye-Ryeong, Kim Hee-Jin slowly swung the superwatch, which was made by a skill, for a long time. Then, she suddenly stopped her movement with a surprised look. She looked straight at Choi Yu-Seong who was standing in the back and said, ¡°The hypnosis has worn off." Nevertheless, Chae Ye-Ryeong was staring into the distance with a pretty blank expression. She still looked hypnotized. What could have changed? Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s intuition quickly picked up on something when he looked at Ye-Ryeong, who had stopped struggling. She no longer looked like she was suffering while being hypnotized. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ Around that time, a gushing sound rang out, and the mana stones¡¯ mana rained down from the ceiling and onto Chae Ye-Ryeong. This was the start of the next step¡ªthe mana transition. ¡®The really important part starts from now.¡¯ This was the most sensitive period. If something were incorrectly touched, a mana explosion would occur. "What''s going on?" asked Kim Doo-Jun. He looked at the unexpected turn of events in surprise. His surprise was understandable since, besides Jin Yu-Ri and Chae Ye-Ryeong, no one else here had heard Yu-Seong¡¯s explanation of the Re-Awakening. "We''ll talk about the details later. Ms. Kim Hee-Jin, since there¡¯s nothing for you to do now, you can go ahead and leave. Thank you.¡± "Ah¡­?" Kim Hee-Jin looked at Chae Ye-Ryeong''s change with a somewhat surprised look. She looked around before getting up from her seat with a nod. She didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but she knew that Choi Yu-Seong was a chaebol family¡¯s son and that nothing good could come about from knowing a chaebol family¡¯s secrets. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now¡­¡± When Kim Hee-Jin began making moves to leave, Kim Doo-Jun looked over at Choi Yu-Seong. Choi Yu-Seong nodded at him. Doo-Jun said, "I''ll take you home." After getting permission, Kim Doo-Jun quickly led Kim Hee-Jin out. Despite the conversation happening next to him, Hwang Ki-Chul continued to quietly focus on the flow of mana inside the glass room. If the situation took a turn for the worse, he had to immediately activate his Mana-Blocking skill. A brief period of silence went by. "Ahhhhhhh-!" Kim Hee-Jin suddenly screamed after heading outside, shattering the surrounding silence. Everyone turned their heads in surprise, but Jin Yu-Ri was one step ahead of them. She immediately opened the warehouse door and ran outside. Then, looking toward where the scream had come from, she frowned. On a desolate rice field less than 500m away, Kim Doo-Jun was dead with dozens of snakes burrowing into his back. It was clear that he had died a miserable death. Kim Hee-Jin, who had screamed in terror earlier, had all her limbs torn off, and her face was frozen in pain and fear. "What the..." Jin Yu-Ri cursed upon looking at the terrible scene. She turned to look at the attacking woman, who wore a mask with dozens of snakes drawn on a white background. Looking at the woman¡¯s hair, which had become black snakes, Yu-Ri could easily guess who she was. She called out, "Villain Medusa. Are you the one who killed both of them?¡± "Maybe, huehue," said Medusa with a light shrug. In case of an emergency, Geom-Gui was hiding nearby, but there was no reason for Medusa to reveal that fact. At the same time, Medusa''s hair snakes lengthened and shot toward Jin Yu-Ri. Yu-Ri stretched her arm out. Her quick action brought about a thick, black shroud. She obscured the vision of Medusa¡¯s snakes, which rose higher into the air upon making contact with the black shroud. The snakes had lethal venom, but individually, they didn¡¯t have much strength. Therefore, it was unsurprising that they couldn¡¯t penetrate the magic shroud created by hunters of the same rank, A-rank, like Jin Yu-Ri. However, Medusa had two main thoughts. ¡®Why did she block the view?¡¯ Medusa also wondered what Jin Yu-Ri''s ability could be. Even before the first question was answered, a long sharp sword stretched out from Yu-Ri¡¯s hand, swinging out from below the black shroud. She cut off hundreds of snakes, which all fell to the ground. At that moment, Jin Yu-Ri stepped back and widened the distance. She looked at the bisected snakes, which touched the ground and became fluttering strands of hair again. ¡®Does it lose power after getting cut? Or is it a trap?¡¯ During a fight between the same rank, even similar talents, the most important thing was to clearly grasp the opponent''s ability. Generally, A-rank hunters had at least 15 skills. Among those skills, most of them had Physical Strength, Stamina, and Vision Reinforcement, so it was safe to guess that slightly more than 10 skills would be used in combat. ¡®If she is a psychic type hunter, she is more likely to have mana-enhancing skills.¡¯ In other words, besides the one or two main skills, all the other skills could be guessed and appropriate preparations should be made to counter them. Therefore, even though Jin Yu-Ri took the opportunity to attack, she was quick to take a step back so she could try to figure out Medusa''s ability. "You are pretty strong, but you get frightened easily.¡± "I¡¯m just being cautious," snorted Yu-Ri. Medusa''s eyes flashed when she looked at Jin Yu-Ri. ¡®The skill is black in color and she is a psychic type player like me. It¡¯s possible that she has the same Shapeshift skills as me¡­but I don¡¯t see a medium.¡¯ Soon, Medusa widened her eyes upon remembering something. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®No way¡­! Does she have a Phenomenal skill?¡¯ There were various and diverse skills that hunters dealt with. In general, if it was divided into large categories such as Physical type and Psychic type, as indicated in the system interface, it could also be divided into even more detailed and distinct subcategories. Typically, the Psychic type was divided into five types, not to mention the most common Projection skill. Everything with the ability to shoot something in connection with a particular movement was called Projection skill, such as shooting fire, shooting ice, or blowing wind. Thus, a large number of subcategories was necessary. The next skill type with a large number of subcategories was the Shapeshift skill, like Medusa¡¯s. These Shapeshift skills had several characteristics that differ from the Projection skill. For one, mana that was expressed after the activation of the first skill would mostly be dark-toned. This was the reason why Medusa''s hair would change from pink to black. Second, as it was called a Shapeshift skill, there was a condition that a shape-altering medium had to exist. For example, Medusa¡¯s hair would be a medium. Fingers would also be a possibility. Even if it was not a body part, it could be any tool such as chopsticks or spoons. Those skills could rarely be used by physical type players. These included people such as Jin Do-Yoon, who was classified as a werewolf. The types that followed such a skill were the Restoration skill and the Support skill. In the case of the Restoration skill, it could be said that almost 99 percent of them were combat assistants rather than direct attackers. On the other hand, in the case of Support skill, the people often belonged to direct combat forces according to the skill utilization method, in addition to the role of simple combat assistance. Last but not least, the final skill type that existed with the least number of subcategories was the Phenomenal skill. The biggest feature and disadvantage of Phenomenal skill was¡­ In some ways, it seemed to be a top-level skill of the Shapeshift skill. It was somewhat general-purpose compared to the other types, and it was accompanied by intense mana consumption every time it was used, so as to produce more power. Therefore, the psychic players who had Phenomenal skill did not like to prolong the battle. "You use Phenomenal skills,¡± said Medusa with a knowing smile before shooting a snake toward Yu-Ri. "Maybe?" And once again, the black shroud unfolded. CH 101 "From the bottom again?¡± Since Medusa had correctly guessed her skill type and didn¡¯t let her come near, Jin Yu-Ri tried to approach and close the distance as soon as possible. She tried to agitate Medusa. Medusa''s snakes swung like a whip and shot into the black shroud with wide-open jaws. However, there was no prey for them to swallow. ¡®What?¡¯ Medusa frowned, feeling momentarily surprised. As her hair snakes got into the black shroud, Jin Yu-Ri''s figure started to blur. In fact, most of Medusa''s guesses were correct. Jin Yu-Ri''s Psychic type special skill was Selection Implementation, a Phenomenal skill that could create several items she had chosen with mana at any time. Therefore, every single usage of the skill would have high mana consumption. However, Jin Yu-Ri grew up by Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s side from a young age and had enjoyed unexpected luxury while protecting him. For example, she drank the mana extracts given to her by Choi Woo-Jae for a while after becoming a player. The reason for that was simple: to better protect Choi Yu-Seong. Therefore, she had more, no, considerably more mana than a typical hunter using Phenomenal skill. In other words, she could expand several skills at the same time. ¡®Take the shroud down, camouflage, and accelerate simultaneously.'' In just three seconds, camouflage¡ªa skill that assimilated with the surrounding landscape and allowed her to basically turn invisible¡ªwas activated. In addition, Jin Yu-Ri even used acceleration to shoot at Medusa, who looked around to find her. There was the slight sound of tearing wind. Even though she was confident in winning since had predicted Yu-Ri¡¯s type, Medusa wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the incoming surprise. "Thanks for the hair show Medusa, but I guess you''re not as good as your reputation, huh?" Jin Yu-Ri''s voice caused a chill to go down Medusa¡¯s back and pierced her ears. Medusa gasped and tried to call back her stretched-out hair, but the black dagger in Jin Yu-Ri''s hand was faster. But at that moment, another dagger suddenly shot out of nowhere to strike Jin Yu-Ri''s hand. ¡®There¡¯s another one?¡¯ It was an unexpected situation; Yu-Ri had to choose between giving her hand up and cutting Medusa¡¯s throat or wait for another chance. She clenched her teeth in frustration. However, this was a battle and there was no time to ponder. ¡®One is better than none.¡¯ The flying dagger was deeply embedded into Yu-Ri¡¯s hand and blood splattered. She shook slightly, but her own dagger drew a long scar on Medusa. "Stop. If you continue slashing with that dagger, you won¡¯t die a comfortable death.¡± Before Jin Yu-Ri knew it, a saw-like long sword came right next to her and parked itself there. Then, a short time went by. ¡®If I was a little slow¡­¡¯ Or if the opponent had been just a little slower, either Jin Yu-Ri or Medusa would have died. No one could guarantee which one of them would be dead. Feeling a cold sweat on her forehead, Jin Yu-Ri eventually leaned her head back. She had no choice but to retreat quickly. She avoided an attack by Medusa, whose hair had turned into snakes again and were biting at where Yu-Ri¡¯s head had been. It snapped at empty air. "You¡¯re pretty fast. It''ll be fun to play.¡± A chilly voice rang out right next to Jin Yu-Ri. ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯ Jin Yu-Ri even used the acceleration skill to step back but the opponent still caught up. If the opponent was a Psychic type player, there was a high probability that he had the same acceleration skill. If he was a Physical type player, he was just incredibly fast. ¡®I''d rather prefer the former in this situation.¡¯ Feeling the terrible pain of the attacks, it seemed to be the latter. "Tsk¡­!" Dripping blood, Jin Yu-Ri activated her acceleration skills several times in a row to widen the distance between her and her opponent. It was a burdensome move that consumed quite a lot of mana due to her Phenomenal skills, but she had no choice. Psychic type hunters were generally disadvantageous when fighting Physical type hunters with little distance between them. Thus, it was necessary for Yu-Ri to widen the distance somehow. The opponent did not react according to Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s plan. It was like he had expected such a move. He stopped and licked the blood flowing through the saw-edged sword with his tongue. He then revealed a cool smile. ¡®The demon mask¡­Geom-Gui!¡¯ The villains were Medusa and Geom-Gui. Jin Yu-Ri silently groaned when she recognized both of them. ¡®This time, we are up against these troublesome guys. Why did they follow us here?¡¯ Several questions came to mind, but Yu-Ri couldn''t afford to find the answer. To her, Medusa was a moderate opponent, and Geom-Gui was an unexpectedly strong opponent. In this situation, she couldn''t afford to think about anything else. "Get out of my way! She''s mine!" Medusa stepped right next to Geom-Gui and shouted angrily. "Calm down, my love. The more excited you get when you fight, the worse the outcome.¡± Geom-Gui, who carefully soothed Medusa, never stopped looking at Yu-Ri. He wasn¡¯t going to reveal any blind spots to Yu-Ri. ¡®He¡¯s a pro.¡¯ At least among the A-rank players Yu-Ri knew, Geom-Gui was strong and had an excellent fighting sense. "It''s just that I was off-guard earlier. I''ll do it properly now, so leave her to me," said Medusa. "Hm..." Geom-Gui hummed somewhat worriedly. "You sure you don¡¯t want to fight me together?¡± Jin Yu-Ri smiled at Geom-Gu as she beckoned with her finger. Her thigh hurt and was a burden, but she needed to seem relaxed. She was also trying to get Medusa, who was excited easily, to lose her composure. "I''ll kill you!" shouted Medusa. Jin Yu-Ri''s idea clearly worked. Medusa''s hair shot straight at her, and she once again formed a black shroud to prevent the snakes from attacking. ¡®And Geom-Gui is¡­¡¯ Yu-Ri could at least predict Geom-Gui¡¯s movements. He would probably run forward with the snakes, cut through the black shroud at once, and continue the joint attack. Could she defend herself? To be honest, she suffered a thigh injury, and now that her ability had been revealed to some extent, she was not confident that she would last long against the two. However, there was still some hope. ¡®...Hope she¡¯s not too late¡­¡¯ And, as expected, Geom-Gui¡¯s sword cut Yu-Ri¡¯s black shroud just as hundreds of Medusa¡¯s snakes striked all at once. Jin Yu-Ri created a whip to hold in her left hand and a sword in her right, wielding them at the same time. The whip danced to block Geom-Gui¡¯s attack while the sword cut off the heads of the approaching snakes. Moving quickly to continue widening the distance between her and her opponents, Yu-Ri kept in constant motion. She gradually forgot the pain in her thighs. When her sweat flowed down her forehead, dripping from the end of her eyebrows, Jin Yu-Ri heard a gunshot. Her sense of hope surged at that moment. Bang-! At the same time, Geom-gi, who was chasing Jin Yu-Ri, quickly turned to the side and brought his sword down vertically. The bullet split in half as it fell to the ground. The rumbling sound of a motorcycle could be heard in the fields. ¡°Finally, the numbers match.¡± Jin Yu-Ri breathed a sigh of relief. With her blonde hair tied into a ponytail, Jenny appeared on a motorcycle, holding a rifle in her hands. She quickly tossed it aside to pull out two handguns from around her waist. She pulled the trigger recklessly. Tadadadang-! A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. Geom-Gui blocked the bullets by continuously swinging his long sword, then turned toward Medusa. Unlike before when she had been agitated over being caught off-guard, Medusa seemed to have calmed down. She said, "Go. I told you, she''s my prey." Geom-Gui nodded and rushed toward Jenny, just like Jin Yu-Ri had hoped for. ''That¡¯s because Medusa and Jenny are not compatible opponents.¡¯ Having caught a break, Yu-Ri stopped backing up. She said while catching her breath, "What should you do now that your bodyguard is gone?¡± "Huh, how long do you think a foolish mercenary who only shoots guns can stand against my honey?¡± Medusa scoffed. "What? A mercenary who knows nothing but shooting?" Jin Yu-Ri snorted in response. ¡®That¡¯s better for us if that¡¯s what you think.¡¯ Idiots who didn¡¯t know Jenny¡¯s skill would say such things, since she carried a gun that wouldn¡¯t work on monsters. Yu-Ri acknowledged that Geom-Gui was a strong opponent, but he would not be a problem for Jenny. ¡®Rather, she¡¯ll be a problem for him.¡¯ That was how the two-versus-two fight began. *** Choi Yu-Seong looked back again and again. He trembled at the screams, the uproar, and the subsequent gunfire coming from the outside. Even though Jin Yu-Ri was out there, the situation hadn¡¯t been resolved and the battle continued. Even Jenny seemed to be there since he could hear the gunfire. ¡®In this situation, I would become a burden if I go out since I¡¯m just a D-rank hunter.¡¯ If things were being dragged out when there were two A-rank hunters, then it was safe to say that the battles were evenly matched. If Yu-Seong stepped up and became a burden, it could be a problem. Above all, in a very unexpected situation, his job was to protect Chae Ye-Ryeong from surrounding dangers so nothing would happen to her. ¡®But who the hell is it? Why at a time like this?¡¯ He had assumed it would be difficult for his sibling to keep him in check for a while because of the incident with Choi Byung-Chan and Bomber and so, he was having a hard time figuring otu who was behind this. ¡®Choi Byung-Chan is dead. At this point, if Father knows that the family fight has spread significantly, he won''t stand still...'' Was there an idiot in the family who couldn¡¯t even think of that? As a reader who completed the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong thought of two such characters. ¡®Me or...would it be Choi Min-Seok?¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to shake his head, but it felt strange. Recently, South Korea was in turmoil because of the Comet Group¡¯s guild business. At this point, it was difficult for other guilds or companies to keep Choi Yu-Seong in check. ¡®Or is it just a villain''s attack?¡¯ Logically, Yu-Seong felt that this was probably the likeliest answer. It was rather understandable if the villains, who were after the Comet Group''s money, had come to kidnap him. ¡®Of course, that¡¯s on the premise that they don''t know Father''s personality¡­¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae would rather kill Choi Yu-Seong himself and slit the villain''s throat than give them money. ¡®But why? Why does Choi Min-Seok keep coming to mind?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong''s gaze wavered. He just had so many questions. "Oh, my¡­!" Hwang Ki-Chul, who had been staring at Chae Ye-Ryeong without saying a word, shouted in bewilderment. The mana stones¡¯ mana, which was pouring down like rain, suddenly fluctuate. He thought the Re-Awakening would go smoothly until the end, but a sudden problem had occurred. ''But why? Is it because of the noise?¡¯ Before Choi Yu-Seong could ponder about the reason, Chae Ye-Ryeong suddenly opened her mouth from inside the wall of mana. CH 102 "Ahhhhhhh-!¡± A scream rang out, cracking the glass wall. Surprised, Hwang Ki-Chul began to trigger the Mana-Blocking skill. As he held his hands together in front of him, the fluctuating mana slightly calmed down. ¡®Was there any Re-Awakened person who screamed in the original novel?¡¯ Although taken aback, Choi Yu-Seong calmly organized his thoughts. There wasn¡¯t anybody who came to mind. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no person who reacted the same way as Chae Ye-Ryeong just did. Hwang Ki-Chul frowned. He stretched his hands forward, sweating profusely. "It''s a little...dangerous." "Pardon?" ¡°Even compared to the mana stones¡¯ mana, the lady¡¯s mana is extraordinary.¡± "...Do we have to think of the worst case?" asked Yu-Seong. "We don¡¯t have to, not yet. It''s just¡­¡± At that moment, the mana emanating from Chae Ye-Ryeong began to pour out much more intensely. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!¡± The following scream shook the entire wooden building, which threatened to collapse. ¡®It''s dangerous.¡¯ This situation hadn¡¯t occurred in the original novel so Yu-Seong turned to ask Hwang Ki-Chul. "What can I do to help?¡± "Nothing. Just pray we are lucky enough that things don''t get any worse than this." Before Hwang Ki-Chul finished speaking, a sharp energy of the flickering red light pierced through the warehouse walls and flew through the air as if dancing. Terrified, Yu-Seong turned the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear and struck the red light that flew toward him. Clang! The spear rang loudly as Yu-Seong took several steps back. He confirmed that it was a dagger that shot through the air. He widened his eyes. ¡®Even the dagger is very heavy.¡¯ As expected, the person outside was quite a strong opponent, but the problem was that. three more beams of red light flew in after the first. ¡®Oops¡­!¡¯ Yu-Seong quickly ran forward and tried to use the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, expanding it to the size and length of a spear to swing it. Clang! The shock of the dagger hitting the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was so great that Yu-Seong rolled on the floor as the daggers rebounded into the air. ¡®There¡¯s one, two... Two?¡¯ Just as Choi Yu-Seong confirmed the number of daggers and turned to look at Hwang Ki-Chul in surprise¡­ Thud-! He heard the terrible sound of something piercing through flesh and bone. *** It was ten minutes before Hwang Ki-Chul''s death. Geom-Gui hadn¡¯t thought much differently from Medusa after encountering Jenny, the woman who had just appeared with a gun. He scoffed. ¡°Do you think a foreign mercenary who only shoots guns can deal with me?¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of answering, Jenny pulled the two handguns¡¯ triggers in succession, blocking Geom-Gui from approaching her. In fact, guns were more effective when fighting against humans than monsters. Monsters inside the dungeon were protected by the dungeon¡¯s magic and were not harmed by firearms. In addition, even if a dungeon break occurred and the monsters ran outside the dungeon, bullets would bounce off the fat or leather of the large monsters. It was common knowledge that an ogre, which was a typical large monster, would have to be hit by at least a missile. Thus, it was safe to say that hunters rarely, if ever, used firearms. For this reason, both Geom-Gui and Medusa saw Jenny as an ordinary foreign mercenary, rather than a hunter. Also, it was a fairly common story in the world that specially trained soldiers or mercenaries killed or knocked down hunters. That was why Geom-Gui snorted at Jenny so condescendingly. ¡®Those hunters who die from ordinary mercenaries with special training are just idiots.¡¯ Even globally, there had never been a hunter beyond the rank-A who had been shot by firearms. ¡®She¡¯s thinking of fighting against me with a method that only works for C-rank hunters?¡¯ There was no need to drag out the fight. Geom-Gui pulled out two swords at the same time and began to cut or avoid the flying bullets. In an instant, the distance shortened, and the guns started to smoke. Click, click. Hearing the sound of an empty cartridge every time the trigger was pulled, Geom-Gui no longer wove and ducked but began to run straight ahead. Nevertheless, he did not let his guard down. ¡®It could be a trap.¡¯ The opponent might be trying to trick him with the last bullet. Therefore, Geom-Gui did not relax until he reached Jenny, who was trying to replace the magazine with a flustered expression. When Jenny dropped the magazine to the floor by accident, a demon mask came close and cast a shadow on her face. "It''s over, my foreign friend," said Geom-Gui with a cold smile. His sword extended from the ground to the sky, aiming to cut Jenny¡¯s arm. Of her two pistols, Jenny held the one in her left hand upside down like a tonfa. She blocked the approaching sword. ¡®Did she just block it?¡¯ At this point, Geom-Gui felt a coolness on his skin. When Jenny pointed the pistol in her right hand to his forehead, his eyes naturally turned to the floor. ¡®I''m sure the magazine was on the floor¡­¡¯ In this world, it was possible that a bullet wasn¡¯t necessarily needed to shoot. "I do agree with you that it''s over, Korean friend." When a blue flame burst from the bullet-free pistol, Geom-Gui bent his back more than 90 degrees backward and avoided the fire. His limbs appeared to be dancing in the air. ¡®The skill, the Sword¡¯s Flower.¡¯ Geom-Gui just unexpectedly revealed one of his skills. He wiped off his cold sweat. On the other hand, Jenny widened the distance to avoid Geom-Gui¡¯s skill and smacked her lips. "I could have finished him." Inducing the opponent to be careless and then ending their life was a technique mainly used by Jenny, who had a similar tendency as Jin Yu-Ri. However, in this case, Geom-Gui¡¯s speed, ability, and fighting sense were excessively good. "You have a Projection skill.¡± Even more, Geom-Gui was pretty smart. With just one attack from Jenny, he immediately found out what her specialized skill was. "But how do you use the Projection skill through a gun? I''ve never heard of that type of hunter..." Geom-Gui made an assumption. A typical mana Projection skill usually required one prerequisite, which was a preliminary action or an invoking word. Through this prerequisite, most Physical type hunters could predict and avoid attacks by Psychic type hunters with Projection skill. From this assumption, Jenny''s movement before using Projection skill could be seen as pulling the gun¡¯s trigger. ¡®If my guess is right... Even though I don¡¯t know the power, the speed of her Projection skill is in the world''s top ranks.¡¯ Jin Yu-Ri herself was unexpectedly fast and strong, but this woman was also formidable. ¡®How did the ninth child of the Comet Group gather such talented people? It¡¯s said that he''s improved a little recently, but I¡¯ve been completely fooled. He¡¯s a dragon hiding under the sea.¡¯ Geom-Gui felt that his lips were dry and his saliva was particularly bitter. ¡®The calculation was wrong. I should have refused even if he said he would give us 15 billion won instead of 7 billion won.¡¯ The request Geom-Gui had accepted thoughtlessly proved to be more difficult than he thought. Tense, he fully focused on Jenny''s fingers, which were on the trigger. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "Are you curious?" Jenny had been silent until now, but she spoke as she pointed her pistol at Geom-Gui. The mana¡¯s flame erupted at a high speed. Geom-Gui asked while tilting his head to the side to avoid Jenny¡¯s attack, "Are you going to tell me?" "I''m willing to answer if you give me your life." Geom-Gui placed his saw-edged sword into the scabbard. He said, "You''re a good speaker. From now on, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± "But that won¡¯t change the outcome..." Out of sight, Geom-Gui reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a dagger. It flew across Jenny¡¯s cheek, drawing blood from her fair skin. He then made a comment. "For your information, my specialized skill is Secret Warehouse." The reason why Geom-Gui had confidently revealed his specialized skills was simple. It was difficult to accurately grasp the ability¡¯s capacity just by its name alone. "What¡­?" Because of that, Jenny¡¯s thoughts went elsewhere for a moment. There was no reason to miss such an opportunity. Geom-Gui instantly narrowed the distance, kicking the ground like the Physical type hunter that he was. Jenny, who had lost focus for a moment, frowned. She fired mana one after another through her two pistols. Swinging his sword to cut the bullet, Geom-Gui then used his Secret warehouse skill, one that could bring up stuff that was put in the subspace with a tattoo on the arm. He took out a dagger and retaliated. However, it was a problem for Geom-Gui that Jenny also had more than one skill. Jenny continued to pull the trigger by using Moonwalk, a skill that could widen the distance faster than the Acceleration skill. Geom-Gui tried to close the distance, and Jenny kept trying to move away. The more this battle continued, the more nervous Geom-Gui became. Although there had not yet been a fatal move to determine the battle¡¯s outcome, the battle was going at the perfect pace for Jenny. ¡®This will be no good if I keep getting drawn into her tempo.¡¯ Suddenly the wooden warehouse came into Geom-Gui¡¯s view. ¡®Come to think of it, since earlier¡­¡¯ Both Jin Yu-Ri, who was fighting Medusa, and Jenny tried to secretly widen their distance from the wooden warehouse. ¡®If I think about it, the employer''s target is the woman in the wooden warehouse, right?¡¯ Geom-Gui¡¯s eyes flashed. He turned his back to Jenny and started running toward the wooden warehouse. ¡°...?!¡± Jenny quickly followed with a surprised expression. ¡®As expected!¡¯ Sensing Jenny¡¯s movement, Geom-Gui smiled brightly. Knowing the opponent¡¯s weakness made them much easier to deal with. He taunted Jenny as he threw the dagger he had obtained through his skill Secret Warehouse at the wooden warehouse. "Hey, foreign friend. If you''re late, all your friends in that warehouse will die." "No, Jenny! You must block it!" shouted Yu-Ri urgently after she cut dozens of strands of Medusa''s hair. Jenny and Yu-Ri could no longer pretend to keep calm to hide their inner thoughts. It was too dangerous for a mana explosion to occur during Chae Ye-Ryeong''s Re-Awakening. Geom-Gui chuckled and threw the dagger again, and Jenny''s bullet hurriedly shot it away. He commented, "Wow...! You are indeed good at shooting!" It was getting closer. Geom-Gui¡¯s eyes shone sharply as he sought a chance to kill them at once. Then, his senses clearly felt the mana emanating from inside the wooden warehouse. ¡®What the¡­?¡¯ It was a dangerous sensation that made chills run down Geom-Gui¡¯s back. He didn¡¯t know what was happening inside the wooden warehouse, but he felt it was not a good thing. [Ahhhhhhhh-!] Subsequently, a scream erupted from inside the warehouse. CH 103 Geom-Gui wondered if he should heed his intuition¡¯s warning and back down or eliminate the danger before it approached. In fact, the decision had already been made. As always, his choice was to take the bull by its horns rather than avoid it. Five daggers from Geom-Gui¡¯s Secret Warehouse flew into the air and headed to the warehouse. Jenny''s bullets chased after the daggers but only managed to strike two. That was because Geom-Gui himself jumped into the air and swung his sword to deflect the other bullets. In the end, three daggers flew into the wooden warehouse. "No!" Jin Yu-Ri shouted urgently. She ran toward the warehouse. "Where do you think you¡¯re going!" said Medusa. She brandished her hair to stop Yu-Ri, but Jenny¡¯s bullet blocked her. At the same time, Geom-Gui stiffened at the mana reaction from inside the wooden building. ¡®Mana explosion?¡¯ Geom-Gui had a gut feeling. He yelled, "Stay away, Medusa!" Jenny fired at Medusa again. Confused and unsure of what was happening, Medusa started to defend herself with a rather vague expression. Then, the wooden warehouse was engulfed in light. *** Choi Yu-Seong had one thought when he saw Hwang Ki-Chul, the B-rank Mana-Blocking skill player, fall to the ground helplessly as if he had been pushed. ¡®I¡¯m fucked.¡¯ The mana reaction around Ye-Ryeong had seem to be calming down, but not anymore. The mana reaction around Ye-Ryeong was no longer calming down like before. It began to agglomerate like crazy. ¡®The moment the mana comes together, it¡¯ll explode.¡¯ Yu-Seong had two options. The first option was to run outside the wooden building as soon as possible. He would live, but Chae Ye-Ryeong would die. He had no time, so his instincts were telling him to run away without hesitation. ¡®You want to live, right? Is there any reason to risk your life to protect Chae Ye-Ryeong?¡¯ The issue was his rationale. ¡®If I forsake Chae Ye-Ryeong here¡­¡¯ It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Would he be able to bear the guilt of surviving alone? Faced with such questions, Yu-Seong¡¯s instinct once again cried out. ¡®But you have to survive first to worry about the future.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong fully agreed with his own instinct. He didn''t want to die. How many crises had he gone through to get to this point? It would be very unfortunate to be caught up in a mana explosion that would inevitably take place in front of him. Truthfully, Yu-Seong knew exactly what he wanted to do. ¡®I want to live, but I want to save Chae Ye-Ryeong, too.¡¯ But how? There was not much time left. At that moment, Yu-Seong recalled something and ran madly toward Chae Ye-Ryeong. Her mana was currently resonating with the mana stones. He wrapped her in his arms. ¡®Please¡­say that it''s not too late!¡¯ The collision soon became an explosion. When his vision momentarily turned white, the ring on Yu-Seong¡¯s index finger, the one he never removed, also began emitting light. *** The wooden warehouse was engulfed in a large explosion, and the shock wave shook the ground and spread everywhere. Choi Min-Seok watched the scene through binoculars from afar. His jaw dropped as he stumbled and almost fell in place, but he managed to regain his balance. ¡®Oh, my goodness. Mana explosion?¡¯ If he was not mistaken, Min-Seok had certainly just seen a mana explosion. Moreover, it had a fairly large range and an unusual power, so even a fairly talented hunter would have difficulty surviving if they had been inside the building. He also realized that Choi Yu-Seong had never come out of that wooden warehouse the entire time he had been observing it. ¡®Is Yu-Seong dead?¡¯ Choi Min-Seok smiled brightly for a while, but his expression soon crumpled. ¡®Ugh, Father will hear about this soon!¡¯ The situation had become bigger than Min-Seok thought. Now that this had happened, all traces of his involvement had to be erased. "Damn it!" Choi Min-Seok cursed and looked at the D-rank professional chasers, who were as shocked as he was. ''I have to shut their mouths first.¡¯ However, Choi Min-Seok wasn¡¯t strong enough to do so. In other words, he had to escape with them for now. "Let''s run away." At his words, the two chasers immediately headed toward the car they had driven in. "No, not that one. Get in my car," said Min-Seok. "Pardon?" "What if we get caught running away with that shitty car? I''ll buy you a new car, so just leave that here!" That¡¯s what Min-Seok said, but truthfully, he was afraid the chasers would try to flee. Fortunately, there were only two chasers, so it was not difficult for all of them to ride in a four-seater sedan. "Let''s go back to Seoul right away." "Yes? Yes!" Min-Seok¡¯s driver had also been surprised by the explosion. ¡®I¡¯ll have to kill this guy, too.¡¯ The driver didn¡¯t know the details of what happened and who they were chasing. However, if Min-Seok were careless and left even a single clue behind, then Choi Woo-Jae would find it and come after him. That was why Min-Seok was determined that everyone in the car, besides himself, had to die. ¡®As for Geom-Gui and Medusa¡­¡¯ The ideal scenario would be for the villains to have been caught in the mana explosion and die. But if they survived, he would be able to buy their silence for a while. ¡®If I have a chance, I should also kill those two.¡¯ However, this was something to worry about a little later. The important thing right now was to get rid of the three people who were with him in the car. Min-Seok¡¯s heart pounded as he kept his phone out of sight as he hired another B-rank contract black mercenary via text. ¡®Anyway, Choi Yu-Seong is dead.¡¯ There were too many issues for Min-Seok to be happy with that result. ''Father can never¡­ no, no one can ever know that I¡¯m involved in this.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok was in agony, sweating in his seat. *** Jin Yu-Ri had been directly caught up in the mana explosion. She rolled on the floor with blood all over her body. "Yu-Ri!" With a pale face, Jenny quickly tried to approach Jin Yu-Ri. However, before she could reach her, Yu-Ri kicked off the floor and got back up. Yu-Ri started running toward the warehouse. Unfortunately, her wounds were too severe. She took less than ten steps before dropping to the floor again. Jenny reached out her arms and quickly helped Yu-Ri up. "Are you okay?" Yu-Ri¡¯s usually neat hair was now scattered all over the place. Although she appeared to be bleeding from many areas, she didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain. She simply murmured, "Yu-Seong oppa...Yu-Seong oppa is in there.¡± Jenny had to swallow the words that popped into her head. ¡®He was inside.¡¯ It was highly likely that Choi Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be inside anymore. Even an A-rank Physical hunter would be unable to survive such a powerful mana explosion and would have turned to dust. There was no way a person as smart as Yu-Ri didn¡¯t know that. However, she wanted to believe that Choi Yu-Seong was still alive. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him being dead. "The boss would have escaped safely. Your injury is also serious, so let''s take a break first..." "Ahhhhhh-!" Even before Jenny finished talking, a monstrous howl rang out and shook the surroundings. She turned toward the sound even as she continued to support Yu-Ri when she couldn¡¯t bear her own weight. It was Geom-Gui. He wore his demon mask as he screamed in the middle of the field with a dying woman in his arms. She was covered in blood. Medusa had tried to defend against Jenny¡¯s bullet but had failed to react in time due to the mana explosion. As a result, two mana bullets had struck her, and unfortunately for Medusa, one of the bullets had pierced her temple. Naturally, even an A-rank hunter could not survive if their brain was hit. His white clothes were covered with Medusa''s dark red blood. Geom-Gui shook his head as he wailed, "Ah... No. This is not real. Wake up! Wake up, Kim Hee-Yeon!" Kim Hee-Yeon seemed to be Medusa''s real name. Even after she died, Geom-Gui continued screaming in disbelief. Jin Yu-Ri''s empty gaze slowly turned toward Geom-Gui. Then, she said, "Jenny." "...Yes?" "Gun." "What?" "I''m going to kill him." After giving that simple answer, Jin Yu-Ri pulled out the pistol that Jenny had on her waist and unhesitantly fired at Geom-Gui. Click, click! "There are no bullets. Yu-Ri. Calm down." Click, click, click, click, click, click...! Jin Yu-Ri pulled on the trigger crazily and cried out with tears in her eyes, "Bullets! Give me the bullets, Jenny!" "I used up all the bullets I brought. And if you kill him, we''ll never know who''s behind this attack.¡± After listening to what Jenny had to say, Yu-Ri, who appeared to have lost her reason, regained some light in her eyes. She muttered, "The one behind the attack?¡± "There¡¯s no way that they came here for no reason. There must be someone behind him,¡± said Jenny. ¡°...¡± Jin Yu-Ri put down the gun without saying a word. Then, she said, "You''re right, Jenny. This revenge wouldn¡¯t be enough." "...I agree with that, you bitch," said Geom-Gui coldly. After screaming out his pain and denial one last time, he looked up blankly at the blue sky. He wiped the blood flowing from Medusa¡¯s temple with his fingers and painted a line under the black pupils of his white demon mask. Then, he slowly rose to carefully place Medusa¡¯s dead body on the ground. Jenny grabbed her gun as she pushed Jin Yu-Ri behind her. As the aura of red mana began to fluctuate like crazy around him, Geom-Gui said, "Until now, I have never killed anyone out of resentment.¡± It seemed like bloody tears were flowing down the white demon mask as Geom-Gui muttered, "This is the first time that I am so angry that I just want to kill someone¡­¡± Five daggers suddenly appeared and shot at Jenny, flying through the air. Subsequently, Geom-Gui''s sword stretched long and approached quickly too. Jenny frowned as she fired a pistol and deflected all the daggers. This was a close-distance fight, so it was not advantageous for her. ''But if I back off... Yu-Ri would be in danger.'' Even if she had put her life on the line, Jenny had to defend her position. She had no choice. Noticing that Geom-Gui was just around the corner, she held two pistols upside down, like tonfas, and started her defense. Kagak-gak! The grinding of iron could be heard as a sword emitting red mana and a gun containing blue mana collided. Soon, there was a strong bloody odor. Jenny looked at Geom-Gui¡¯s creepy eyes and pulled the trigger. Fire spouted out from the tip of the gun and tore at Geom-Gui¡¯s ears. When she was eventually overpowered, she was thrown into the air. ¡®Oh, no¡­!¡¯ Jenny gasped once Geom-Gui turned to look at Yu-Ri. From the start, his target was Jin Yu-Ri. But then, both Geom-Gui and Jenny¡¯s eyes turned to look in the direction Yu-Ri was staring at blankly. A figure could be seen right above the wide rice field. CH 104 Artifacts were much easier to obtain compared to other magical items such as ancient relics or treasures from other worlds, yet they were almost equally as useful. In addition, Yu-Seong knew that some of the creators of these artifacts, the so-called Meisters, would be able to create magical objects comparable to ancient relics and otherworldly treasures. ¡®There are exactly five Meisters by the time Part 1 of the original novel was completed.¡¯ Yu-Seong knew one of the Meisters by name and origin. Obviously, it was one of Kim Do-Jin''s colleagues, whom Yu-Seong actively tried to avoid as much as possible. ¡®What I need to find is the other four Meisters.¡¯ There were many questions about them, since, in many parts of the original novel, they were only mentioned by nicknames and characteristics. Therefore, Yu-Seong left his thoughts of the Meisters behind for now. However, following the Meisters¡¯ appearance, the number of artifact producers would increase exponentially over time. In turn, a new player type would be coined¡ªthe Production type¡ªand they would require massive amounts of mana stones. Therefore, when artifact creators appeared, the price of mana stone would naturally rise. With that in mind, Yu-Seong wanted to acquire mana stones while they were still comparatively cheap. In addition, before the artifact sales market was fully established, he planned to grab a share of the market by investing some capital early on. ¡®Since I can''t just keep spending the pocket money from my father forever.¡¯ Originally, it would have taken a lot of human resources, money, and time to enter this market, but Yu-Seong had future information that he knew from the original novel. In other words, it was highly possible for him to enter the market while saving on all three aspects considerably. In fact, the best way to go about this could be to secretly reveal this future information to Choi Woo-Jae. Just as Yu-Seong had told Jin Yu-Ri that he had a skill similar to Foresight, he could tell Choi Woo-Jae the same thing and show him a few things in order to prove it. That way, even Woo-Jae would become interested in what Yu-Seong had to say. Moreover, by using the Comet Group¡¯s enormous capital, he would be able to achieve a plain old monopoly rather than merely taking a share of the market. ¡®Father is Father after all, he would most likely take a careful look at the opportunity, and as soon as artifact creators appeared, he would invest in the market with all his might.¡¯ In addition, it would be slightly easier to obtain information about the remaining four Meisters, who Yu-Seong currently only knew by nickname. Whatever Woo-Jae did, he would be able to instantly move such a huge amount of capital or talented men that it would be difficult for Yu-Seong to even imagine. ¡®Since it would bring it a huge business profit, I would be able to bring father completely to my side and share the profit somewhat.¡¯ Yu-Seong was confident that, in this way, he could unconditionally gain much more than trying to enter the market alone. But in the end, Yu-Seong decided not to tell Choi Woo-Jae. He had already experienced a lot of dangers due to the butterfly effect. Such a big action would cause more than just a small change, and he couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of disaster it would bring. ¡®Anyway, artifact makers would only appear after the appearance of a tower. I don''t have to hastily change the future by trying to take over talent or resources for now.¡¯ The plan was to refrain from mentioning information about artifact creators and new technologies that Yu-Seong already knew and snatch profits by throwing in some bait and pulling the line at exactly the right time. Yu-Seong thus chose a stable path rather than being overly greedy for major gains, even if the end profit would not be as high. This was because survival was his top priority, as always. Any gains would be meaningless if they brought about a fatal disaster. ¡°Then, is it also a secret where you¡¯ll use the mana stones I prepared?¡± asked Yu-Ri. "Oh, I can tell you that,¡± replied Yu-Seong. For him, preparation for Re-Awakening would be quite difficult without Jin Yu-Ri''s help anyway. "Oh... I''ll listen carefully,¡± Yu-Ri said. "First of all, please prepare an empty warehouse outside Seoul, Gyeonggi-do maybe, where people don''t go as often. We also need to recruit a hypnotist who¡¯s about D-rank. Also, I have a few more items to prepare..." "Wait¡­where are you going with all this?¡± "I''m going to try to Re-Awaken.¡± Jin Yu-Ri paused for a moment and her eyes lost focus, even though she was driving. She asked, "...What? Is it even possible to induce artificial Re-Awakening?¡± "Probably." "For whom..." Jin Yu-Ri closed her mouth tightly, no longer asking questions. In fact, even without asking, a person¡¯s face already came to her mind. She remembered just as she asked the earlier question. Also, with the preparations requested by Yu-Seong, she realized the danger of this work. She asked, ¡°Does Ye-Ryeong know?¡± ¡°Do you remember when I was hospitalized after an accident in Mok-dong Dungeon?¡± "Yes, Ye-Ryeong visited the hospital. Come to think of it, it was at that time that you asked me to prepare the mana stones." "Yeah. I''ve talked about it again since then, and she is also quite determined.¡± "...I''ll do my best to prepare so that we can do everything safely, as much as possible," said Yu-Ri. As expected, it was quite comfortable talking to someone as smart as Yu-Ri. Yu-Seong smiled at her. She seemed to clearly recognize what she had to do with just a few short conversations. "I''m going to try my best for that, too. Thank you, as always, Jin Yu-Ri.¡± "Don''t mention it." Jin Yu-Ri smiled. *** Choi Min-Seok spent several days hiring people to keep an eye on Yu-Seong''s every move. He self-justified such actions by thinking that he didn¡¯t need to and didn¡¯t want to make much of an effort for such trivial work. However, it was also true that he was scared to do it alone, even if it was simply watching Yu-Seong from a distance. Unfortunately, even after wasting a few days like that, he had nothing to show for it. ¡®Does this crazy guy have nowhere else to go besides the house and dungeon? I remember he used to drink a lot during the earlier times.¡¯ It was difficult to find any flaws or weaknesses of a perfect student who only traveled between school and home. While Yu-Seong continued living a perfectly flawless life where it was difficult for Min-Seok to even make up a flaw if he wanted to, an interesting piece of news made its way to him. ¡®What? Yu-Seong''s car suddenly left Seoul?¡¯ What was he up to? After agonizing for a while, Min-Seok made up his mind, jumped up, and made a phone call. It was nothing more than his intuition speaking, but he got a hunch that the opportunity had come. "Continue chasing and tracking him." Min-Seok prepared in a rush and hurried outside. Then, he suddenly stopped. ¡®But what can I do alone?¡¯ Those Min-Seok had sent to spy on Yu-Seong were D-rank scout hunters at the most. Could they be helpful in case of an emergency? He shook his head inwardly, then stomped on the ground and fell deep into thought. ''If I contact In-Young noo-nim, she''ll be disappointed. Maybe even Seok-Young hyung-nim would hear about it if I called her.¡¯ It was meaningless if Min-Seok couldn¡¯t prove his worth and join their side. If that was the case, should he work alone? He also didn¡¯t have much time. ¡®Dang it, I have no choice but to use the secret fund.¡¯ After some thought, Min-Seok decided to hire mercenaries using the secret funds that he had hidden without anyone knowing. This had taken place while he had been working with Byung-Chan. Using this money seemed fine to him, since it was difficult for anyone to find the source of it and track it down, so even Choi Woo-Jae was unlikely to bother. Of course, Min-Seok didn''t intend to use a regular mercenary. It would have been fine to hire normal ones for dungeon hunting or a simple escort mission, but in this case, there were bound to be too many difficulties and issues for them to deal with. Therefore, Choi Min-Seok decided to call some¡­dangerous characters. "I need the black mercenaries¡ªA-rank guys who can start right now. I need..." Min-Seok ordered one of his subordinates over the phone while biting his nails. Hiring a typical A-rank mercenary for a day would cost about a billion won. However, in the case of black mercenaries, who normally dealt with dirty tasks, the price per unit was at least two or three times higher. Moreover, if they were called in a hurry, like right now, there was a high probability that they would demand a premium fee. ¡®I have about 20 billion won in slush funds that I¡¯ve saved up. I might be able to call up to four people¡­¡¯ Min-Seok¡¯s reason for wanting to save the fund and the instinct he had to call for extra help in order to achieve the best results clashed in his mind. He was conflicted. ''If I fail this time, I may not have another chance. But there¡¯s no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, right? Most of all, I might have to fight him in person.'' When the person on the other side of the phone urged him to continue, he managed to say with difficulty, "I¡¯ll take one¡ªno, send two people." Then, Min-Seok hung up the phone and rushed out of the house. ''Dang, my precious slush fund. Yu-Seong, I don''t know what you''re up to, but you better be on your toes. I¡¯ll drop you into hell.¡¯ Min-Seok''s eyes burned with hatred. *** On the edge of Paju, Gyeonggi-do, beyond the river, one could see the 38th parallel between South and North Korea in the distance. A luxury sedan noisily drove into an abandoned rice field. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Yu-Seong nodded as he lowered the car window, checking out a fairly large wooden building that stood alone on the rice field. He said, "It''s a perfect place. It''s where I wanted it." There wasn¡¯t even a single person walking around here. There were also no buildings or farm areas that could be damaged in case something went wrong. "It wasn''t easy to find. No matter how far out an area is, if there is no dungeon around, most of the land is used for farming," said Yu-Ri. "Great work." Unlike Yu-Seong, who smiled slightly at Jin Yu-Ri''s proud expression, Ye-Ryeong looked strangely tense while sitting right next to Yu-Ri. Noticing her expression, Yu-Seong said softly, "If you''re worried, you can give up now.¡± Ye-Ryeong shook her head from side to side. She clenched her fists. Then, as if shaking something off, she sighed deeply and looked Yu-Seong right in the eye. She said, "The only thing I''m worried about is the possibility of failure and disappointing you, boss, Yu-Ri unnie, and the people around me." "It¡¯s okay even if you fail, as long as you don''t get hurt..." said Yu-Seong. "I think so too. Actually, it''s my first time hearing about this particular method. I''m not looking forward to it anyways. Really," said Yu-Ri. Smiling at Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s words, Ye-Ryeong nodded and threw a fist in the air in a self-encouraging gesture. "But I want to do well if I can. As I told you the other day, I want to be more helpful to you.¡± As always, Chae Ye-Ryeong was confident. The aura she gave off always made people feel good for some reason. CH 105 Jenny¡¯s agile movements and excellent shooting skills did not seem like an ordinary person¡¯s. "They¡¯re from my family, so they won¡¯t be easy opponents,¡± said Yu-Seong. "If I start investigating everyone, I may lose some detail." ¡°Since I gave you more capital, you should have more than enough, but I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re lacking manpower. That¡¯s fine, though. There are only two, no¡­ three people I want you to look into anyway." "Then I¡¯ll have enough," said Jenny. "The three are Choi Min-Seok, In-Young, and Seok-Young." "We''ll start the investigation right away." "Thanks, Jenny." At first, Yu-Seong thought it was somewhat unreasonable to suspect his family had anything to do with the recent villain attack. However, Choi Min-Seok kept coming to mind when he had been inside the wooden warehouse. Instead of changing his mind, he felt even more certain now. ¡®I¡¯m 90% sure that Choi Min-Seok is the culprit.¡¯ The reason was simple. After bringing Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri to the hospital, Jenny had called several members of the Hidden Team to investigate the surrounding area. They found an abandoned van along with traces that someone had been there. The van¡¯s owner was unknown since it was an unregistered car, but there were still many things that could be guessed from what they had found. People from a detective agency had followed him before reporting it to someone else. Then, that someone had called the villains in order to harm him, but upon witnessing their failure, they ran away. This last part was very important. ¡®Why would the guy who''s trying to harm me run away? He must be afraid to be involved with my death.¡¯ Why would the person be afraid of it? The reason for that was also simple. ¡®He¡¯s scared of Father. Choi Byung-Chan has just died, and now, if even I die, then Father would definitely be really angry.'' If that really happened, Choi Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t stop with just a scolding. He would try to find the culprit, and even if that culprit was family, he would still take everything away from them. ¡®Maybe even his life.¡¯ Given all these circumstances, Yu-Seong could tell that the opponent was quite timid, but more importantly, that they didn¡¯t want to appear directly in front of him. To expand upon that last detail further, the culprit either didn¡¯t want to personally confront him or was afraid of him. That was why Yu-Seong only had a ten percent uncertainty that Choi Min-Seok might not be the culprit. To come to a final conclusion, only one thing had to be investigated. Choi Yu-Seong picked up his cell phone and called Choi Woo-Jae. After a few rings, Choi Woo-Jae''s voice was heard. - What''s going on? It seemed like Choi Woo-Jae knew that Yu-Seong didn¡¯t call him just to say hello. For some reason, Yu-Seong suddenly felt embarrassed at the moment, but he understood Woo-Jae¡¯s reaction. It was true that he had called his father for a reason. "...I was attacked and almost killed by someone. The thing is, the culprit appears to be a member of the family," said Yu-Seong. Since he called his father for a reason, he decided to be as honest as possible. - Someone picked a fight¡­at a time like this? Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s voice immediately turned cold. Choi Yu-Seong gulped at the anger but continued to speak. ¡°Did any of my hyung-nims or noo-mins visit you yesterday or today?¡± Choi Yu-Seong was the ninth child out of ten. In other words, he had a younger sibling. But the youngest was still just a high school student, and Yu-Seong knew that his youngest sibling didn¡¯t have the temperament for something like this. That was why he did not ask about the youngest. - No one came to see me. But why do you ask that? At this point, Choi Yu-Seong was convinced that Choi Min-Seok was the culprit. ¡®Stupid, he has no idea that his timid personality would reveal him as the culprit.¡¯ His other siblings might have initially run away in fear after killing him, but they would have soon visited Choi Woo-Jae. Then, they would have knelt down and begged him for forgiveness. ¡®That way, there''s a much higher chance they would survive.¡¯ Yu-Seong wondered whether Min-Seok really thought he could consider this over after killing him and then killing another couple of people. Of course, an ordinary person could probably escape a situation like that. However, as Choi Yu-Seong had once said to Choi Mi-Na, it was impossible for his family to deceive Choi Woo-Jae. Getting caught was inevitable, and at that time, no matter how much they begged for forgiveness, Choi Woo-Jae would forgive them. Rather, he would punish them even more severely since they had deceived him. ''Maybe they would go through something much more terrible than a peaceful death.¡¯ The only idiots or cowards in the family who wouldn¡¯t even think of this were the past Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Min-Seok. ¡®That bastard!¡¯ A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. As soon as the culprit was confirmed to be Choi Min-Seok, Yu-Seong endlessly cursed inwardly. Chae Ye-Ryeong had successfully Re-Awakened, but too many people had been killed and injured by the incident. He would never forgive Choi Min-Seok. Outraged, Choi Yu-Seong suddenly thought that this was also an opportunity. ¡®Choi Min-Seok¡­ If it''s Choi Min-Seok... It''s worth a try. Actually, it''ll be pretty easy for me to do that right now.¡¯ If Yu-Seong planned on attacking, then he had to seize all the advantages that he could right now. Therefore, he chose to take a rather aggressive stance. He revealed to Woo-Jae, "Five people were killed in this incident, and my bodyguard and I were injured. I want to make the person responsible pay for this.¡± There was a short silence over the phone before Choi Woo-Jae gave a pretty sweet suggestion. -...If you want, I can personally deal with it for you. ¡®If I say yes here, everything would work out quite comfortably.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong had to refuse this offer. Intuitively, he could tell that this was both a test and an opportunity. Until now, he had never shown any aggression toward his siblings in front of Choi Woo-Jae. ¡®Rather, I was always in a losing position.¡¯ The reason was simple. From a long time ago, the weakest in the family had always been Yu-Seong himself. He had been in a position where he had not dared to attract anyone¡¯s attention, let alone stare at them. He lived a life avoiding eye contact and shrinking into himself whenever he saw his family members. These behaviors had surprisingly created a habit of ¡®servility¡¯. He had forgotten how to fight and only could think of obeying. This was also why Choi Woo-Jae had mostly considered Choi Mi-Na his next successor. ¡®Mi-Na noo-nim is not afraid of fighting. She can even argue with Father.¡¯ However, Choi Mi-Na also lacked one trait that Choi Woo-Jae valued. ¡®She won''t fight and then conquer.¡¯ The head of a company had to have the desire to conquer. Everyone else in the family, even the good-natured Choi Ji-Ho, had that disposition, but Mi-Na did not. That was why Choi Yu-Seong refused Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s offer. "It''s my enemy. I just wanted to tell you that since I suffered first, I won¡¯t easily let them go." First, Choi Yu-Seong expressed his willingness to fight and his courage. He wanted to show that he was unafraid. - Are you going to kill them? Listening to Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s cold voice, Choi Yu-Seong gulped down once and said sincerely, "Yes." - Not now. Wait until I catch that girl, the Slaughter Queen. ¡°It¡¯s not my way to not take revenge,¡± said Yu-Seong. - Does that mean you are not going to listen to me? Again, Choi Woo-Jae''s voice contained subtle anger. However, his voice was still quite pleasant to listen to. "I don''t mean to kill them right away. But I¡¯ll need to at least cut their limbs off to calm down.¡± - Without killing? ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to. Not yet.¡± - Then go for it. Yu-Seong got Choi Woo-Jae''s permission, but he did not intend to end the conversation yet. He then said, "I have a favor to ask of you." -Tell me. If it was compared to the Middle Ages, Choi Woo-Jae was a country¡¯s king¡ªthe Comet Group. Yu-Seong had gained permission from the king to eliminate another prince. That would certainly present another kind of opportunity. "After I succeed in my revenge, I will take all the authority and property that my brother or sister originally had.¡± - ...!! As previously mentioned, it was still a kind of revenge and an expression of his anger, but Yu-Seong did not intend to fight for free. After Choi Yu-Seong''s words, Choi Woo-Jae remained silent for a long time over the phone before bursting into a loud laugh. - Khakha-! Yeah, do whatever you want. However, will your other brothers and sisters stay still when a decent prey appears? After Choi Woo-Jae left behind a strange question, the call was cut off. Woo-Jae¡¯s words meant that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Yu-Seong to take the following privileges after he finished dealing with Choi Min-Seok. ¡®But if I can take it, it will be entirely mine.¡¯ It was no different from Choi Woo-Jae giving him a gift, but it was a thorny gift that would make it difficult to enjoy. ''I''ll enjoy it all at once before the other siblings can even notice it.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong did not know, but this idea was originally Choi Woo-Jae''s favorite way of fighting. *** Choi Woo-Jae had been reading the report brought by the group''s president for a while with a serious expression. However, after he hung up the phone, he burst into laughter. ¡®Has he ever laughed like this before?¡¯ Kim Pil-Doo could not hide his surprise. Although Pil-Doo had been by Woo-Jae¡¯s side for quite a long time, he had never seen Woo-Jae laughing so heartily until today. Nevertheless, the laugh did not look awkward or uncomfortable. It was simply an expression of the man feeling good. "Khakhaha, khahahahaha-! '''' After bursting into laughter for a long time, Woo-Jae turned to Kim Pil-Doo. "Secretary Kim-, no, Pil-Doo." It had been a while since Choi Woo-Jae had called Pil-Doo by his name instead of his position, so it made him feel pretty nervous. One might feel it was an expression of friendliness, but it felt different for Kim Pil-Doo. Choi Woo-Jae used to call his name only when he was about to say something very important. And whenever that happened, in most cases, it became a turning point in Pil-Doo''s life. "Later on, if I ask you to serve Yu-Seong instead of serving me, will you listen to me?" ¡°...¡± At first glance, there was no change in Kim Pil-Doo''s expression. However, Choi Woo-Jae did not miss the tremble in his gaze. "I understand. Your pride won¡¯t allow it yet. After all, you''re also aiming for my position.¡± "...I''m sorry, Mr. Chairman." "You don''t have to be sorry. Let me ask you openly. On the premise that I am not involved, if you do your best, how high of a position are you confident in reaching?" Woo-Jae asked, wondering how much skill Pil-Doo could show off among the Choi''s siblings. "I''m confident that I could reach at least the top 5," replied Pil-Doo. "Let''s see... Then, you are after the second, third, and fourth?" Kim Pil-Doo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be after Lady Mi-Na and In-Young.¡± At the answer, Choi Woo-Jae made a strange smile. ¡°So you are saying that the third is below you?¡± ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± "Why are you sorry after putting down all the other guys already? I''m fine. Let me make a suggestion instead, Pil-Doo." "Yes, sir." "What if the ninth goes above the third¡­?" "Mr. Chairman," Pil-Doo interrupted before Choi Woo-Jae finished speaking "Hm?" "What you are saying is not a suggestion, it''s an order." "What..." Choi Woo-Jae furrowed his thick eyebrows. "Young Master Yu-Seong will definitely surpass Young Master Jin-Woo." At this point, Kim Pil-Doo said something that no one would think of. He just said that the ninth, who had just barely stretched his arms, would exceed the third who had been constantly establishing his foundation. CH 106 "What? Khahaha!" Choi Woo-Jae burst into laughter again. Kim Pil-Doo smiled bitterly. He hadn¡¯t said it simply to make Choi Woo-Jae feel good. Even though it was only the beginning, Choi Yu-Seong''s growth was exponential. ¡®He is also lucky and fearless.¡¯ Pil-Doo thought that of Yu-Seong for a very good reason. He was certain that no one else in the Comet Group had caught Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s attention in such a short time. Seeing how Yu-Seong¡¯s actions were always what Woo-Jae wanted and liked, it was only natural that Woo-Jae favored him. The thing was, Woo-Jae could not be understood through logic or common sense. Kim Pil-Doo thought that Choi Woo-Jae''s interest was not much different from a poisoned chalice. However, the fact that Choi Yu-Seong had not been poisoned after drinking from the poisoned chalice made Pil-Doo highly appreciative of Yu-Seong''s luck. Of course, he had no clue what was going to happen in the future, since certain poisons gnawed at the body and mind silently and without knowledge. ¡®And Choi Yu-Seong clearly knows that the chalice he is drinking from is poisoned.¡¯ What if Yu-Seong fearlessly gulped down from the poisoned chalice and was lucky enough to absorb it all? ''Then a monster would be born.¡¯ As mentioned before, there were no guarantees that Choi Yu-Seong could reach the finish line. However, there was no doubt that if the young man moved at this pace, he would be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his other siblings in a somewhat even competition. "Okay, then, how about a bet instead of a suggestion?" asked Woo-Jae. "Sir, isn''t that six of one and half a dozen of the other?" said Pil-Doo. ¡°Hey, do you really think I just want to make fun of you? Let''s make the opponent the fifth, not the third.¡± Kim Pil-Doo recalled Choi In-Young, the fifth child of Choi''s Comet Group. Then, he realized that Choi Woo-Jae had had this conversation in mind from the beginning. ¡®It''s only a matter of time before Choi Yu-Seong gets ahead of Choi Jin-Woo. But it¡¯ll be different with Choi In-Young.¡¯ Choi In-Young was one of the family¡¯s monsters that Kim Pil-Doo could think of. She was a terrible hybrid who once drank from the poisoned chalice just like Choi Yu-Seong was doing, but she had abandoned the chalice and embraced only the poison. There was no way that Choi Woo-Jae had not thought of something that Kim Pil-Doo had thought of. From the beginning, Choi Woo-Jae had brought up Choi Jin-Woo just to drag out the conversation to this point in order to stack the deck. "What do you think? Since I suggested this bet, I''m going to bet on Yu-Seong. Do you still consider this as an order?¡± asked Woo-Jae. Kim Pil-Doo looked up at Choi Woo-Jae, whose deep gaze did not reveal his inner thoughts. In fact, knowing that he essentially had no choice, Pil-Doo said, "How could I say no to you? It''s just that¡­¡± He had to make sure he received everything that he should. "What do I get if I win?¡± Choi Woo-Jae grinned. This was a common trait between Choi Yu-Seong, Choi In-Young, and Kim Pil-Doo. ¡®They are greedy.¡¯ Aside from their ability, Choi Woo-Jae very much favored their attitude. He also clearly knew what Kim Pil-Doo wanted. He offered, "I''ll give you the authority to officially seek this position.¡± "Does that mean...?" asked Pil-Doo. ¡°Your name will become Choi Pil-Doo. What do you think?" Choi Woo-Jae''s eyes shone as brightly as the scales of a snake. ¡®You clever old man.¡¯ Pil-Doo knew that Choi Woo-Jae never intended to give Pil-Doo his last name. The man had absolute faith in his blood relatives. Nevertheless, the reason for the above conditions actually suggested one thing. ¡®You think I''m going to lose, don¡¯t you?¡¯ Even if Kim Pil-Doo won the bet, he wouldn¡¯t be able to win the chairmanship in the end. There was no way that Woo-Jae¡¯s blood relatives would leave Kim Pil-Doo alone once he threw himself right into Choi''s Comet Group. ''We''ll see who wins.¡¯ Pill-Doo swallowed the bitter taste and looked at Woo-Jae. He wondered if Woo-Jae knew that the look in their eyes was the same. "I''m honored, sir." "There are a lot of interesting bets these days that I can enjoy. By the way, Secretary Kim. You have a meeting with Chairman Yoo tomorrow, right?¡± As such, the big event which would change the whole future of Kim Pil-Doo passed so casually. *** Three days passed, and Choi Min-Seok spent that time feeling nervous. He trembled in fear when he saw the guest who had come to visit him. "What''s wrong? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost or something." "You, you..." Choi Min-Seok stuttered at Choi Yu-Seong, who entered the house with a smile. Hardening his expression, he asked, "Why did you come to my house?" We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. Min-Seok was still a member of the Choi family, so his emotional turmoil did not last long. However, Yu-Seong did not seem to care about his reaction. "Is it a problem for brothers to visit each other? Anyway¡­ should we talk here or somewhere else?¡± asked Yu-Seong. Choi Min-Seok frowned, trying to read in between the lines. Being cautious, he had hired three security hunters above B-rank, and around them were also some housemaids who helped with the housework. There were too many eyes around them. He wanted to believe that it was not a big deal, but what if Choi Yu-Seong had come after uncovering everything? ¡®It would be better if there is no one listening.¡¯ But what if that wasn¡¯t the case? If Choi Yu-Seong had come to harm him, Min-Seok had to have the security hunters near him. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Looking at the worried Choi Min-Seok, Yu-Seong approached the living room sofa. "Well, if you''re worried, let''s just talk here." "No! Let''s go to my room!" Min-Seok shouted. He quickly blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s way. His heart was pounding as he trembled. He had blocked the way hurriedly without much thought because the uncertainty was worrying him greatly. Choi Yu-Seong smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Lead the way." Choi Min-Seok led the way, and the security hunters looked at Yu-Seong with wary eyes before following them. Min-Seok spoke about 100 meters away from his room. "You guys wait here. I need to talk to my brother." He had the security hunters on standby in a position where they could come to save him at any time and lead Yu-Seong into his room. Choi Yu-Seong then sat close to the sofa in the room like he was the homeowner. He asked, "What are you doing? Why don''t you sit down?" Choi Min-Seok could feel it intuitively this time. ¡®Ah, this guy knows everything!¡¯ His every step to the sofa felt heavy. His mind was full of complicated thoughts, so each step forward wasn¡¯t easy at all. "Are you that scared?¡± Choi Min-Seok paused at Choi Yu-Seong''s question. "Then why did you do that?" asked Yu-Seong. Choi Min-Seok decided to stop overthinking. he asked, "...What do you want?" "What?" "Damn, I''m asking you what you want!¡± "Oh, I guess you haven''t figured it out yet.¡± Yu-Seong took out the file from his briefcase and threw it to Choi Min-Seok, who hurriedly caught it. Min-Seok read through the file and turned pale. The file was thick with a pile of papers, all of which contained details of his criminal activities, his overseas bank accounts, traces of alliances with government and business, voice messages he had sent to threaten Yu-Seong¡¯s life, photos of him making a deal for the mana stone bomb at the time of Lee Jin-Wook''s incident, and even some minor things that were unknown to him. The information had all been collected by Jenny. "How, how could you..." asked Min-Seok in a shaky voice. Choi Yu-Seong continued to talk after yawning. ¡°Let me get straight to the point. I don''t intend to hand the file over to the police because there are a lot of problems that could embarrass our whole family. But I''m certainly going to show it to Father.¡± Choi Min-Seok immediately fell to his knees and began to beg Choi Yu-Seong for forgiveness. "Yu, Yu-Seong, you can''t hand this over to Father. You know what will happen, right? If I get caught with all of this, I¡¯ll be done for." He would be driven out of the family immediately, and all his power and wealth would be taken away. In that case, the only thing left in Choi Min-Seok''s life would be to fall into hell. "Then you should have lived a good life. Too many people died because of you.¡± "Yu-Seong, no, Yu-Seong-nim. Please¡­!" begged Min-Seok. He crawled toward Choi Yu-Seong, who was sitting on the sofa. Then, he continued to rub his hands and bow his head. He couldn¡¯t afford to be abandoned by the family. He was desperate to be forgiven because knew better than anyone else that his suffering would be worse than death. Yu-Seong looked at Choi Min-Seok indifferently. "Please, I''ll do whatever you tell me to do. Anything. I''ll tell you who told me to slander you. I''ll tell you, sir! I mean it, please¡­¡± ¡°It was Choi In-Young, wasn''t it?¡± Choi Min-Seok could not hide his surprised expression. He was hoping to use that name as a bargaining chip, so he didn¡¯t expect it to be revealed so quickly. Moreover, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes seemed to look into him so thoroughly that he felt naked. The look in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes reminded Choi Min-Seok of someone. ¡®Father¡­¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong reminded Min-Seok of Choi Woo-Jae, the absolute king of their family who always sat high above and looked down at them. "I''ll give you one chance, Choi Min-Seok. I won''t let you get kicked out of this family. Instead, you''ll have to give me the majority of what you''ve been enjoying so far," said Yu-Seong. "Bu-, but this is¡­¡± "I¡¯ve already got permission from Father. Let''s start with this house. How many buildings and cars do you have? Oh, and I''m sure you manage a team with your influential power.¡± "Yu-Seong-nim, if you take all that away from me..." "But at least your last name ¡®Choi¡¯ will remain, right?¡± Choi Yu-Seong was right. If Min-Seok gave up his last name, there wouldn¡¯t ever be an opportunity for him to climb back up again. This was especially true if Choi Woo-Jae found out about what he had done. Choi Yu-Seong continued to talk to Min-Seok, who had his back against the wall with no escape. "And you know who was managing the slush funds created by the dead Choi Byung-Chan, right?" "Not up to that point...." "You don¡¯t? If you don''t know, go and find out. I''ll give you two days." "What?" ¡°Also, investigate and collect all the external forces created by Choi Byung-Chan. I¡¯ll give you two days to find this out as well." "Now, wait, there''s so much work to be done..." Choi Min-Seok answered anxiously. However, Choi Yu-Seong did not stop talking. ¡°The important thing is that you should not be caught by anyone while doing this. If other siblings find out about this and I''m in trouble, then¡­ I''ll leave the next thing to your imagination.¡± "I''ll do it, I will. But I''m saying it¡¯s a race against the clock!" "Is it a race against the clock?" "Yes, I mean, yes, sir." Choi Yu-Seong smiled and looked at the watch on his wrist. "But you¡¯re still here." "What?" "What are you doing? Go out and run!" Choi Min-Seok became frightened at those words and quickly ran out of his room. Having reaffirmed the fact that Choi Yu-Seong did not intend to give him any more time, he wrecked his brains to figure out how to handle things as secretly and quickly as possible. ¡®So there¡¯s a lot of work to be done... Damn it, it''s too much.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok became desperate for the first time in his life and had to think and run with all his might. CH 107 During the three days that Choi Yu-Seong had been in the hospital, there had been one thing he contemplated as he looked over the various data and reports Jenny brought him ¡®What should I do to take as much as possible from Choi Min-Seok?¡¯ The easiest way was to share the information with his siblings. If they knew that Yu-Seong had gotten Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s permission, they would target Choi Min-Seok to take everything he had since he had been living above the familial social standing. Min-Seok would soon lose the shirt on his back and be kicked out of the house even before he could react. But that was the problem. ¡®Then all I could get would be a piece of meat.¡¯ The only benefit from that would be completing the work easily and being allied with one of his siblings. However, the latter''s gains weren''t important to Yu-Seong. ¡®It''s an alliance that can break at any time.¡¯ There was definitely a limit to how much he could grow if he borrowed help from others. But more importantly, there was a higher chance Choi Woo-Jae would be disappointed. He also thought about revealing Choi Min-Seok¡¯s faults to the media. ¡®It''ll be the stupidest decision, but¡­.¡¯ Since Min-Seok would then be judged by the law and considering the crimes he had committed until now, it would be the neatest way to deal with the whole situation. However, that plan could damage the entire Comet Group. Choi Min-Seok was also part of the Choi family, so it could not be helped. It was the most desirable situation for Choi Yu-Seong himself, but Choi Woo-Jae would be shouldering a loss. Similar to the first method, there were not many benefits for Choi Yu-Seong, who stood more to lose than gain since he would only be able to nibble on the scraps. ¡®I can put this off a little longer.¡¯ Thus, Yu-Seong chose the third method. ¡®If I want it all for myself, then the best thing to do would be to give Choi Min-Seok some breathing room and use him as much as I can.¡® After all, it didn¡¯t matter what one ate. Everything could cause indigestion if eaten too quickly, and Yu-Seong considered Choi Min-Seok''s wealth and power to be no different. ¡®I¡¯ll need to chew it slowly and digest it well.¡¯ Having made his decision, Yu-Seong went to visit Choi Min-Seok with the information, and the results were pretty good. Exactly two days later, Choi Yu-Seong looked at the data Choi Min-Seok brought to his house in Hannam-dong with satisfaction. ¡®As expected, Choi Byung-Chan was managing the slush fund separately.¡¯ Having specialized in illegal operations in Korea, Byung-Chan had quite a lot of money tucked away secretly. About 100 billion won was hidden in accounts in countries like Europe and the United States under other people¡¯s names. Fortunately, there was only one person who managed his money. Yu-Seong liked how the manager was timid and had not touched any of this money even after Choi Byung-Chan''s death. He confirmed this fact and focused on what was next on the agenda. ¡®The board of directors and outside forces that supported Byung-Chan have already been split between the third, fourth, and fifth brothers and sisters.¡¯ This was already expected, and Choi Yu-Seong had no intention of reaching out to them even if they remained. ¡®This is still too big a portion for me to take.¡¯ To make an analogy, it would be like starting a fire on the oil of rising vigilance. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong had been requesting data from Choi Min-Seok so he could identify the exact opponent if an attack targeted him. ¡®It''s not 100% reliable information, but¡­.¡¯ It was better than nothing. Min-Seok was still a member of Choi''s family, so he wasn¡¯t completely useless. ¡°It¡¯s not completely useless,¡± said Choi Yu-Seong to Min-Seok. At Yu-Seong¡¯s final evaluation, Choi Min-Seok¡¯s face lit up. His tense expression gradually fell away as he said, "I-I''m glad.¡± "I''ll give you the next mission. Take all these slush funds out so that I can use them anytime." Even if that money was ill-gotten gains, it would eventually be used for another illegal and immoral business or be hidden forever if it was kept hidden. Choi Yu-Seong decided to take it for himself. He said, "I''ll give you a month for this.¡± It would take time to persuade the manager, integrate money from all over the world, and launder it. When Choi Min-Seok looked somewhat relieved at his words, Choi Yu-Seong smiled insidiously and put aside the document Min-Seok had brought. He said, "I won''t take your house, car, and property right away.¡± "Then you mean...?" asked Min-Seok. "Do a good job and behave yourself. If the other siblings make suspicious moves or approach you, report it immediately." Choi Yu-Seong''s remarks sounded almost like forgiveness. It made Choi Min-Seok''s eyes widen as they moistened with tears. Unable to control his overwhelming emotions, Min-Seok shouted, "Yu¡­Yu-Seong¡­ Cough!" Choi Yu-Seonghad immediately kicked Choi Min-Seok in the face with a frown. He barked, "How dare you address me like that? Do you want to die?" "I, I didn¡¯t mean..." "Listen, you said you''d do everything you were told, right? Choi Min-Seok, you are just like my slave from now on." Choi Min-Seok gulped as he trembled. His pride was hurt. ¡®Well, even that wouldn¡¯t last long¡­.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok was very proud, but he was not mentally strong enough to protect that much pride. If he continued to be used and ignored, then he would eventually adapt. It was just like how he had so far surrendered to his other siblings. ¡®I know exactly what people like you are like. Strong against the weak, weak against the strong. You''ll never be able to climb up above me.¡¯ To be honest, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t care about getting caught by the other siblings while using Min-Seok like this. ¡®Who would like a guy who used to be a spy?¡¯ At that time, the person who would be abandoned would be Choi Min-Seok himself. Thus, Yu-Seong could use him as much as he wanted before abandoning him, just like the original Choi Yu-Seong did. ¡®Choi Min-Seok, I will give you a break to make you suffer more than the number of people you killed.¡¯ After Choi Yu-Seong sent Choi Min-Seok off with a new job, he checked his cell phone. He had a message from Chae Ye-Ryeong. - Boss! I''m over level 50. After she had Re-Awakened, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s growth rate was surprisingly fast. Considering that she couldn''t go to a dungeon for about two days since she had to wait for the hunter''s test, only about six days had passed. However, she still exceeded 50 levels. Even if Choi Yu-Seong had provided her with the Hunting Experience Boost potion, the growth was faster than he thought. In fact, it was also hard for Choi Yu-Seong to get used to this ridiculous speed at first, so he had asked Kim Jin-Young to film Ye-Ryeong with magic tech drones. It was because he wondered how she hunted to have such an exponential growth rate. ¡®It¡¯s much faster than when I was in E-rank.¡¯ This was not just a matter of gaining a lot of experience points. Through the video, Yu-Seong could figure out the secret of Chae Ye-Ryeong''s level growth rate. ¡®How could all monsters die with a single shot of an E-rank level 1 hunter?¡¯ Moreover, Chae Ye-Ryeong was the player who used the Projection skill, so all she had to do was to shoot her skills wherever she wanted without having to move. Of course, she didn''t need the help of a party member. As a result, the monster was not taken away by anyone else and was hers entirely. By the time she reached level 20 in the E-rank, Chae Ye-Ryeong had moved to a rank 2 dungeon, where she also exhibited a one-shot one-kill show. In other words, the hunting efficiency itself was overwhelmingly better than Choi Yu-Seong when he had been in E-rank. It wasn''t that Yu-Seong didn''t understand this. ¡®This is the power of the villain who even Kim Do-Jin, the original novel¡¯s main character, struggled to strike down with his supporters!¡¯ This was a real villain¡¯s growth potential. It was different from Choi Yu-Seong, who, in the original novel, was the villain with a supporting role who was abandoned after being used in the beginning and eventually died. There was a saying that the real power of the main character¡¯s group was ganging up and teamwork. Although it would not be possible due to the novel''s balance, Yu-Seong suddenly thought that Kim Do-Jin might have lost if Chae Ye-Ryeong was not alone but had a colleague. ¡®On top of that, I supported Chae Ye-Ryeong even before she Re-Awakened, so¡­¡¯ Ye-Ryeong was already spending her days drinking a lot of gray mana extracts. In addition, there was also the mana received from the yellow and orange mana stones during the Re-Awakening incident. In other words, the Chae Ye-Ryeong was currently full of mana. She was also using the powerful skill, which in the original novel, even the main character and his group struggled with. At the time of the hunter''s test, Chae Ye-Ryeong had said that she got the top passing grade even though she was gentle in case her opponent got hurt. Her words seemed almost unbelievable. ¡®In fact, at that time, she could also avoid them with a single shot¡­¡¯ It was not difficult to shake off the countless guild scouts who chased after her with a single-minded focus. This was because Ye-Ryeong immediately declared it with a big smile to the reporter who came to the interview. ¡¸I''ve already signed a contract with president Choi Yu-Seong!¡¹ With that declaration, the Republic of Korea was once again in chaos. It started with the phrase "The Comet Group''s monopolization of talent" to the story of ¡°Choi Yu-Seong''s individual competence¡±. In conclusion, the rumor spread and evolved. It was thanks to Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, both of whom were hired by Choi Yu-Seong. ¡®I can''t share what is mine, not even with Father.'' Choi Yu-Seong thought that Choi Woo-Jae would also be pleased with his actions. Based on the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong gradually came to understand the world of the rich. *** For more than a week, Choi Yu-Seong had not gone on a dungeon hunt. There were two reasons. The first reason was the absence of both Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon. ¡®It''s dangerous to walk around without them.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong valued his life more than his greed for growth in recent years. He did not want to be in trouble from walking around alone. Jenny was a reliable person, but she had a lot of other work to do. He couldn''t spend 24 hours together with her like he used to with the Jin siblings. However, that did not mean he had just lazed around. He drank mana extracts every day and trained in the morning and evening. In particular, he spent more time than usual on spear training. There was one clear reason for this. ¡®How Geom-Gui moved back then.¡¯ Apart from being an A-rank villain, Geom-Gui had boasted quite excellent swordsmanship. ¡®Something different from Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. It looked rough and straight, but it was flexible. For some reason, Choi Yu-Seong felt that Geom-Gui¡¯s sword technique was not unfamiliar. To be exact, it seemed to be just out of his grasp and out of his sight. Maybe it was something he could feel because he had watched Geom-Gui¡¯s swordsmanship through the Insight skill, which he had only two trials left. Or, it might be due to extreme concentration forced by the worst situation where his neck was on the line. In any case, Choi Yu-Seong found a certain flow in Geom-Gui''s swordsmanship, which could be combined with his own spear skills. Yu-Seong pursued that and focused on training, with results showing exactly on Day 8. As always, Choi Yu-Seong went out early in the morning with a clear mind. He wielded a spear in the front garden. He felt that the feel of the spear wrapping around his hand today was different from usual. ¡®The spear¡¯s blade feels especially sharp today.¡¯ His movements could be clearly seen, as if he were observing them from a third person''s point of view. What kind of harmony would this be? Even before questioning deeply, Yu-Seong fell into a trance. CH 108 Choi Yu-Seong mainly used the basic spear techniques¡ªspinning(Lan), pushing(Na), and stabbing(Chal) techniques. However, his spear skills started to change. The basic techniques remained, but the steps from Wind Control were naturally combined with them. That was all that changed, but his attack moves became different from before. His spear was light as a feather. Ecstatic, Choi Yu-Seong began to perform the spear skill by mixing the steps of Wind Control toward invisible opponents only visible in his imagination. Then, the spear¡¯s blade splendidly decorated the empty space as if it were blooming buds. Without knowing how much time had passed, Choi Yu-Seong swung the spear until he felt exhausted. Soaked with sweat, he collapsed and exhaled a rough breath. "Hhhhhhhh¡­!" He was out of breath and felt dizzy, but he also felt refreshed. ¡®I somehow got past a wall¡­!¡¯ Not only did his rank get higher, but Yu-Seong¡¯s skill in using his spear increased. It was as if the system wanted him to clearly recognize the fact because there were many messages popping up in front of his eyes. - A Joke-loving Prankster looks at the growth of player Choi Yu-Seong with an interested eye. 500 karma points are sponsored. - The Oldest Hunter values the player Choi Yu-Seong beautifully. 500 karma points are sponsored. - Culann¡¯s Hound is happier than anyone else with the improvement of the player Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s spear skills. 1,500 karma points are sponsored! - Special Skill, Spear Prodigy D ¡ú Spear Practioner D Three gods supporting Choi Yu-Seong sent congratulatory gifts. Not only that, but the name of the Special skill had changed. In addition, a silver whirlwind wrapped around Choi Yu-Seong. - The level has risen. Without much thought, Choi Yu-Seong yelled out joyfully. It had been a while since his level had risen from training. He felt great satisfaction energizing his entire being. "YESSSSSSS-!" Choi Yu-Seong, who was originally a nugatory villain who would originally be used and abandoned, was growing steadily and continuously. *** Yu-Seong wanted to look up his upgraded skills in a comfortable state after he returned home, finished showering, and laid in bed. That way, he could freely express his joyfulness in bed. Like that, Choi Yu-Seong got comfortable and first checked his Spear Practioner skill. ¡ºSpear Practioner D Has a very good understanding and proficiency in pole weapons and spears. Get the effect of the general skill ¨C Cool-headed D ¨C when using the spear. Get the effect of the general skill ¨C Stamina Reinforcement D ¨C when using the spear. Duplicate is possible. Get the effect of the general skill ¨C Physical Strength Reinforcement D ¨C when using the spear. Duplicate is possible. Attack power increases when using the spear. When learning techniques related to spear, the learning rate will be faster. When acquiring skills related to spear, the starting point will be set at a rank one higher.¡» Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. There wasn¡¯t a single aspect it was lacking; everything was just perfect. ¡°This one skill plays the role of at least three skills.¡± In particular, in the case of Stamina Reinforcement and Physical Strength Reinforcement, Yu-Seong liked it even more since duplications were possible. ¡®If this happens, my Stamina Reinforcement skill could actually be about D+ rank?¡¯ An individual''s overall ability sometimes made one perform better than the rank, but generally, there were limitations to a skill¡¯s rank. Even if he had a duplicate effect, it was natural to think it would be impossible to go beyond C-rank. ¡®Since I used to bench press 400kg...it''s safe to say that I can do 500kg now.¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to try it right away, but unfortunately, he had no realistic way to experiment with it. ''That¡¯s because I can''t bench press with a spear in one hand.¡¯ Of course, he did not want to accidentally be mortally wounded after bench pressing with a spear attached to his hand. Above all, he had his own evidence that his guess would be quite right. ¡®In the original novel, it was mentioned that if there¡¯s a ¡®+¡¯ added to the rank, the efficiency increases by an additional 50 percent.¡¯ The Stamina Reinforcement effect was also excellent. The longer the battle lasted, the more a player¡¯s stamina levels would impact even their concentration. Choi Yu-Seong was certain that his stamina would definitely be very helpful in long-term combat. In fact, it was extremely pleasant that all of his skills¡¯ growth was somewhat incidental. ¡®The important thing is that, even though it doesn¡¯t show up in the system skill window¡­ My spear skills have improved.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s basic spear skill had combined with his Wind Control skill. As a result, he was able to overcome a wall and exceed the limit. Thanks to that, he shook off the anxiety he had been feeling because of his stalled growth after being unable to train in the dungeons these days. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t raise my level, I¡¯m in the process of growing, so let¡¯s cheer up.¡¯ For now, it looked a little slow, but all of these things would stack up and eventually form a castle. The strong people of this era must have also walked a similar path. Above all, the gods seemed to like Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s growth quite a lot. ¡®I got a figure of karma points that I''ve never received before.¡¯ The sum of karma points from the three gods was 2,500. This was more than the amount of 2,200 he had saved up, not to mention this amount would be a lot less if he hadn¡¯t received karma points from the cheering gods as he fought against Geom-Gui during Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s Re-Awakening. ¡®Anyway, my new total is 4,700 karma points.¡¯ The first thing that came to mind from this fairly large figure was the growth of special skills that had stagnated in the E-rank. ¡®With this amount, I can improve two of my skills¡­ But which skill should I choose?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong didn''t contemplate for a long time. ¡®I''ve already decided on one.¡¯ First, he chose to improve the Wind Control skill. It consumed about 2,500 karma points, but it was the best survival or escape skill among his skills. Moreover, since it was combined with his spear skills, it would now also be quite efficient for attacking. ¡®So¡­I¡¯ll consume the karma points for the Wind Control.¡¯ When Yu-Seong made the decision, the writing of ¡®Wind Control¡¯ glowed golden as it floated on the window in front of him. Since then, the flames started at the bottom of the letter E and swallowed it up quickly. It soon turned into ashes and changed into a golden D. ¡®Oh, the system interface cared about the visual effects.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s exclamation about the unexpected flamboyance did not last long. He immediately checked the updated Wind Control skill¡¯s stats and performance. ¡ºSpecial Skills, Wind Control (D) Fusion not possible. Inheritance not possible. At the end of 18 steps that flow like water, a dragon that catches the wind travels through the clouds. This is a skill that has been completely inherited. You can only use seven out of eighteen steps due to the current low grade. It is easier to dodge the opponent¡¯s attacks. You can kill some of your presence. For seven steps after skill activation, you can instantly accelerate your movement. Immediately after skill activation, you can instantly create a short illusion using five steps. If you use an illusion 3 or more times in a row, re-use waiting time (30 minutes) will occur. ¡» "Fu..." Choi Yu-Seong covered his mouth after he unknowingly cursed out loud. His Wind Control, which had been limited to five steps, increased to seven steps. There were three advantages to this. ¡®First of all, the danger due to the cut off of Wind Control when avoiding attacks could be held off a bit.¡¯ In addition, the connection performance had improved when it came to attacking with the spear. Finally, the most important part was that Choi Yu-Seong could now use the five steps to make the illusion and still have two steps remaining. All skills had a very short delay before they were reactivated. However, since there was no such delay, both attacking and avoiding could be done flawlessly. ¡®I think I can now catch rank 3 dungeon boss monsters by myself.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong''s subjective judgment was that he could hunt rank 3 elite monsters alone if the conditions were stable. If it was a rank 4 dungeon, he could handle the weak monsters near the entrance. However, the situation was different now. ¡®If it¡¯s rank 3 elite monster, I may handle up to five of them. Also, I can now hunt the dungeon boss monster alone.¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong could do more than this if he took a risk. ¡®If it¡¯s rank 4 elite monsters¡­.I may handle up to three of them. If I risk my life and am lucky enough, I might be able to hunt the raid rank boss monster.¡¯ Generally, it was known that raid monsters, which were also known to be special within the rank 4 monsters, could be hunted by at least ten D-rank high-level hunters gathered with all different types of skills. That would be the only reasonable attempt. Suddenly, Choi Yu-Seong thought that he would be able to hunt it alone. This was something that even Kim Do-Jin could only do if he risked his life and was lucky, but now, Yu-Seong thought it would be possible for him as well. Thinking about it in this way, he couldn¡¯t help but realize again how great his improvement was. ¡®Wait, no matter how many preconditions there are, did I just think that I could fight at a similar level as Kim Do-Jin?¡¯ Did that even make sense? In the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong was supposed to die after being used incompetently in this world. How could he be compared to Kim Do-Jin, the returnee of another world? If he thought about it differently, that meant with the premise of being lucky, there was a possibility of him beating Kim Do-Jin when he was D-rank. ¡®I could beat the main character of the novel?¡¯ Of course, he could be conceited. In addition, as his level went up, it would be harder to climb up the stairs, so someday, it might become difficult to even reach Kim Do-Jin¡¯s toes in the end with how high he might rise. However, in the comparative analysis that was drawn in his head right now, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin in the D-rank era were clearly at the same level. It was a sense that Yu-Seong had felt the other day, but this time it was clearly different. ¡®If Kim Do-Jin was still a D-rank... then I would have wanted to give it a shot.¡¯ Of course, there was a way for Yu-Seong to compare with Do-Jin right away. For example, he could challenge the Orc War Chief Raid alone, which Kim Do-Jin hunted when he was D-rank. ¡®If I break his record as I did in the Goblin Fortress¡­¡¯ Wouldn''t Kim Do-Jin be shocked silly? Clearing the simple dungeon and also hunting raid monsters were different. Choi Yu-Seong contemplated for a moment but soon shook his head. ¡®Still, survival is the most important thing, not the desire to win.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong was also a human being, so he felt his heart burning with passion. However, he gave up his thoughts immediately because he valued his life more than such feelings. Instead, he continued thinking about where to spend the remaining 2,200 karma points. ''I kept putting it off, but now I¡¯ll have to decide.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong jumped up from his seat and held a stick candy he had prepared in the room. "Summon Dimensional Merchant." "Did you call me?!" said Ping Pong. Choi Yu-Seong first handed a lollipop to Ping Pong, who appeared as if he had been waiting. He then said, "Mr. Ping Pong, it''s finally time." "What?" Ping Pong was holding the peeled stick candy with both hands and licking it with his pink tongue. He tilted his head and asked. "I''ll ask for a level-up of the dimensional bundle.¡± Pingpong¡¯s eyes glistened at Yu-Seong¡¯s words, and jumped up from his seat. He shouted, "Oh-! That''s a wise choice. But in a little while!" He then licked the remaining lollipops and spoke in a dignified voice. "Let''s put it off after eating all this great invention, lollipops. Choi Yu-Seong.¡± CH 109 Exactly 2,000 karma points were needed to upgrade the level 1 dimension bundle to level 2. However, before that, there was something he had to do. ''First of all, I need to purchase 1,000 karma points.¡¯ One might wonder what kind of mile achievement work this was,[1] but there was no other choice for Choi Yu-Seong but to follow the rules. Anyway, because of that, Choi Yu-Seong steadily consumed karma points to purchase goods and achieved 1,000 purchased karma points without difficulty. After that, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind after he exceeded 2,000 purchased points. ¡®Should I collect a bit more for the Wind Control skill¡¯s upgrade? Or should I use it for the dimension store first?¡¯ First of all, Yu-Seong thought it was a good move to upgrade his Wind Control skill first, but upgrading the dimensional package was considerably useful, too, so he couldn¡¯t stop contemplating his options. However, after his recent growth, he received 2,500 karma points which were enough for him to do both. ¡®I can raise both the Wind Control skill and the dimensional bundle¡¯s level.¡¯ Since he had collected enough karma points to literally do whatever he wanted, Yu-Seong could consume it without any hesitation. After that, the pink bundle that Ping Pong took out of his front pocket was enveloped in white light. The light disappeared before pink letters flashed in front of Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes. - Bambapaba-! The dimensional bundle has leveled up! Congratulations! In the future, you will be able to purchase rare-class dimensional items. The Lion Bear Clan¡¯s characteristics have activated! As a level-up bonus, you will be given a free lottery ticket for rare-class items. The letter then turned into a piece of paper that fell onto Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s palm. ¡®A free lottery ticket!¡¯ This special item could only be received when the dimensional bundle¡¯s level was raised. It was a special gift that could only be received when signing a contract with the Lion Bear Clan among dimensional merchants. "Whoa... You must be surprised. To explain the lottery ticket..." said Ping Pong. He looked excited since it was a bonus effect of his clan¡¯s. "It''s randomly changes of one of the rare-class items in the dimensional bundle,¡± said Yu-Seong even before Ping Pong could start to explain. "What? How did you ...?" "Well, because I have a bigger secret than that. Of course, it''s a secret to Mr. Ping Pong,¡± said Yu-Seong. "This is not fair¡­?!" Choi Yu-Seong slightly teased Ping Pong and looked at the lottery ticket with a faraway look. As a person who once worked as a game company employee, how could he not know the lottery system? ¡®It¡¯s the flower¡­ No, it¡¯s the poop of the game.¡¯ Many people pointed their fingers or cursed in severe cases at the highly unlikely probability of the lottery system. However, from the perspective of a company that distributed games for free, the lottery was the only way to earn money. ¡®Games should be fun and drawing the lottery should be just as enjoyable.¡¯ It was not fun to just pick. The company had to make the act of drawing itself enjoyable or make one feel the item was worthy. Since Yu-Seong had had to think about this problem more than anyone else, it would be silly if he could not remember those details. Therefore, he wanted to use this lottery ticket right away and get more immersed in the nostalgia of his past, but it was not the right time yet. After getting rid of his disappointment, Yu-Seong first handed the lottery ticket to Ping Pong. "Don''t you want to try it right away?" asked Ping Pong. "No, since this lottery ticket is upgradeable," said Yu-Seong. Of course, it wasn¡¯t free. It took as many as 2,000 karma points to upgrade the rare-class lottery ticket. However, looking beyond, it was a choice that held much more benefits. ¡°I need to work hard to collect more karma points," said Yu-Seong. Ping Pong big eyes grew even bigger at Yu-Seong¡¯s words. He murmured, "Oh-ho¡­ Only a few people know about that..." "If I were to just rip it, wouldn''t you have told me?" asked Yu-Seong. Ping Pong smiled at Choi Yu-Seong''s question and asked, "What if I was going to keep my mouth shut because I had annoyed about your secret?¡± "Sure enough, so that¡¯s why you watched until the end. Then, unfortunately, I guess I can never tell Mr. Ping Pong my secret," said Yu-Seong. "Ah-! That''s too much. Choi Yu-Seong!" shouted Ping Pong. As someone who couldn''t even break after trying to attack Yu-Seong, he puffed up his cheeks. Of course, it was simple to soothe Ping Pong from being upset. "I''ll give you this, so don''t be too upset," said Yu-Seong. "I don''t need it!" said Ping Pong. "Even if you say so, your body language says otherwise.¡± Ping Pong received a stick candy from Choi Yu-Seong by sticking out his short arms. His cheeks were red as he sat in place and stuck out his tongue again. As always, when he felt better, his round tail began to puff up like a bubble. ¡®Cute guy.¡¯ Yu-Seong thought to himself and smiled while he looked at Ping Pong. At that moment, he got a call. ¡®Huh? Father?¡¯ It was a phone call that he had no choice but to answer immediately. "Yes, Father?" We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. - The date of the match is set. The topic had come out of nowhere, but Yu-Seong could understand what Choi Woo-Jae was talking about. ¡®The dungeon racing with Bernard Yoo!¡¯ In fact, if it wasn''t for Choi Byung-Chan''s death, it would have been a match that would have occurred immediately. The match had been pushed back due to that incident. Yu-Seong remained silent and waited for Choi Woo-Jae''s next words. - The match is a week later, in the Orc Village, the rank 4 dungeon. "Pardon?" Taken aback, Yu-Seong unconsciously expressed an objection. - The government and the association seem to have already taken measures. As I always say, I do not like losing. Choi Woo-Jae understood Yu-Seong''s question as an objection asking how he could enter the rank 4 dungeon alone, so he hung up after a short explanation. However, that wasn¡¯t exactly why Choi Yu-Seong was flustered. ¡®It''s in the Orc Village?¡¯ Even within the rank 4 dungeon, the Orc Village''s was more infamous than the rank 2 dungeon, the Goblin Fortress. ¡®Well¡­ It makes sense since¡­¡¯ The Orc Village¡¯s boss monster was the Orc War Chief¡ªa monster meant for a group raid. It was said to be impossible to hunt unless five C-rank hunters gathered to fight it, so it was practically unheard of for a D-rank hunter to hunt the raid-class boss monster alone. Actually, under similar conditions, there was one person who had hunted alone in Korea. ¡®Kim Do-Jin was the only one.¡¯ Thinking about it, Yu-Seong could see why the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s Chairman Yoo chose the Orc Village as the battlefield. ¡®At the beginning of the original novel, Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo were described as rivals to some extent¡­¡¯ In fact, there must have been quite a bit of competition. Needless to say, this was especially true for the rich chairman, who hated losing to others. ¡®In fact, it¡¯s the same for our family and Cheon-Ji Group.¡¯ The rich were human nature itself; they were greed and desire in a human form. This was why the rich continued to fight with each other, even though it seemed enough to the other people to be in the business world¡¯s top 100. Choi Yu-Seong was clearly aware now that the desire should not be underestimated. There was only one problem. Only 10 minutes ago, he had thought that if he risked his life, and if he was lucky, he might be able to hunt Orc War Chief, which was the rank 4 raid monster. ''And I gave up on that thought.¡¯ He thought there was no reason to challenge the solo play to the raid monster while risking his life. A smile automatically tugged at his lips. ''Should I tell my father that it¡¯s impossible?¡¯ He wanted to be honest and tell his father he couldn¡¯t, but that was a ridiculous thing to do since Choi Woo-Jae clearly said that he hated losing. So if Yu-Seong gave up before they even fought, then¡­ ¡®I might live a life that would be worse than death.¡¯ Since Yu-Seong thought that it was better to be a live coward than a dead hero, this choice didn¡¯t seem bad. But, there was a clear reason for not saying he would give up to Choi Woo-Jae. ¡®Anyway, I did think that I could catch it, right?¡¯ Two preconditions did apply¡ªat the risk of his life and if he was lucky. However, risking his life didn¡¯t mean he would die. ¡®It means that it¡¯ll be deathly difficult.¡¯ However, if he was lucky enough, Yu-Seong would definitely succeed in hunting. But if he was unlucky, then he would die. ¡®Above all else, if I think I can¡¯t do it, I can just run away.¡¯ In fact, running away from a fight was not that difficult for Yu-Seong, since he had acquired the Wind Control skill. If so, there was actually only one thing he had to think about. ''I''m going to think about how to hunt the Orc War Chief as best as possible.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled as he opened his cell phone and began to look through the original novel¡¯s notes again. Since this was going to happen, he was going to do his best. ¡®Also, it would be fun to surprise Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ Before he knew it, Choi Yu-Seong was burning with a desire to win against Kim Do-Jin. Less than half a day later, Yu-Seong heard some good news. Yu-Ri had fully recovered, so she could make a comeback. It was a day for Yu-Seong which he had many incidents he had to go through. *** Choi Min-Seok¡¯s daily life became extremely busy compared to the days when he spent most of the day relaxing in school. The hardest thing was to persuade the timid manager who originally handled Choi Byung-Chan''s money. The manager was too scared to even touch the money that had become ownerless and so was excessively wary and suspected Min-Seok¡¯s approach. However, Choi Min-Seok could not give up. If he could not persuade the manager, Choi Yu-Seong would reveal all his secrets to Choi Woo-Jae and push him off a cliff. Did the manager feel his desperation? After five days, Choi Min-Seok was finally able to persuade the manager. Next, he had to carefully launder the money that had been in the overseas accounts and then bring it back to Korea. It wasn''t easy either. If this was unfortunately caught by the National Tax Service, the entire Comet Group could be overturned. Because of that, there were many things to be careful of. As a result, Choi Min-Seok became more sensitive day by day. This was only expected since he had never lived such a busy life until now. ¡®Damn you, Choi Yu-Seong. Maybe I should just say fuck it and just give up on everything.¡¯ Sometimes, Min-Seok had such thoughts in his mind. However, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes suddenly came to his mind. When he remembered Yu-Seong¡¯s momentum, which resembled Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s, he automatically trembled, and his rebellious thoughts immediately subsided. ¡®Terrifying bastard!¡¯ Since when did Choi Yu-Seong become so different? Too much had changed in such a short time. Choi Min-Seok shook as he thought of Yu-Seong. Then, he suddenly saw the TV news and the recent report on the bizarre murder of the Villains Geom-Gui and Medusa near Paju. The news said that Soal, the investigative expert of the Special Police Force, had been dispatched, and the traces of the battles and the mana explosion were found. Soal speculated that the outline of the case was due to a certain enemy relationship related to the two villains. Listening to that, Min-Seok felt relieved. ''But who reported that countryside event?¡¯ Just in case, Min-Seok looked into the reporter and found a name he had never heard of before, Hwang Ji-Woo. Choi Min-Seok would never know that he was an agent for the Hidden Team who was put forward by Choi Yu-Seong to not create bad rumors by coming forward himself. Anyway, Choi Min-Seok was wary once again after watching the TV report. ''Let''s behave. There''s nothing good about being hated by Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok became pale when he received a phone call less than two hours after thinking about it. 1. We believe this is referring to the Nook Miles on Animal Crossing where you can earn Miles by completing challenges. ? CH 110 It was a call from Choi In-Young. ¡®Why now¡­ What should I do?¡¯ Choi Min-Seok contemplated until the cell phone stopped ringing. He only hit the answer button in surprise when the cell phone rang again. "Noo-nim, sorry I couldn''t answer the phone. I was a bit busy," Choi Min-Seok said as carefully and politely as possible. - It''s okay. So, how''s the Yu-Seong thing going? Choi Min-Seok stiffened when In-Young got to the main subject right away. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. Knowing the point of this conversation, he felt thankful to do it over a phone call. ''If I had faced her in person, I would have been caught.¡¯ Choi Min-Seok had many reasons to be afraid of getting caught. If Choi In-Young started to doubt him, and if the consequence of that caused harm to Choi Yu-Seong, he would be completely doomed. "...It''s going well," said Min-Seok. It was a little late, but he pretended to be as calm as possible. After that, there was a short silence over the phone. - My dear Min-Seok, are you hiding anything from me? Min-Seok trembled, but he shook his head immediately. He quickly denied it. "How could I? What do I have to gain by deceiving you?" -Haha... But why do I feel like you are lying? You know that my intuition is pretty sharp. "Maybe you''ve gotten sensitive because you''ve been paying attention to many things lately. I''m also pretty sensitive these days,¡± said Min-Seok. He wasn¡¯t exactly lying, so he could speak more smoothly. - Hmmm... Nevertheless, Choi In-Young''s suspicion over the phone did not go away easily. - Does Yu-Seong have something on you? At that moment, Choi Min-Seok almost screamed. ¡®She said that she has a good intuition, but she can actually open a fortune-telling shop.¡¯ Min-Seok broke into a cold sweat, his back getting wet. - If that''s the case, feel free to tell me. I¡¯m your sister, and I can easily solve that. We are siblings, aren''t we? Choi Min-Seok''s gaze shook at Choi In-Young''s seductive voice. ¡®Yeah, wouldn''t In-Young noo-nim¡­be reliable?¡¯ He thought that sharing the burden might be better than continuing to be dragged by Choi Yu-Seong. He agonized over it for a while. - Min-Seok, you can be honest with me. "That..." Choi Min-Seok''s dry lips slightly moved upon hearing Choi In-Young''s voice. In-Young immediately spoke again as if she couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. - Yes, go ahead. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. It was like the devil was tempting Choi Min-Seok, but he still answered, "There is no such thing.¡± Choi Min-Seok had a hard time answering while hiding his nervousness. He made a clumsy smile. - Really? "There''s no way Yu-Seong would have something on me, right? There¡¯s no problem at all. I will contact you with good news soon, nu-nim." - Okay then, since you¡¯re saying that, I¡¯ll believe you. Let''s talk face-to-face when we have time. "Of course, noo-nim. Please feel free to contact me any time," Min-Seok said. With that, he ended the call and unknowingly breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Any time, my..." Of course, Min-Seok certainly didn¡¯t want to see In-Young in person. In fact, he didn¡¯t even want to talk on the phone with her again. Not too long ago, Choi In-Young''s voice had sounded pleasing, but it had become creepy now. ¡®Damn, it¡¯s all because Choi Yu-Seong has something on me¡­¡¯ Even now, Min-Seok thought about calling Choi In-Young again and honestly telling her the truth. However, he knew instinctively and logically that¡­ ¡®It''s already too late.¡¯ If he turned to her now, he would be like the dog got killed after the hunt was over. Now, he had no choice but to follow Choi Yu-Seong to the best of his abilities. *** Yoo Chul-Min, the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s Chairman, opened his arms and hugged his beloved grandson. With a bright smile, he said, "My dear Bernard, you''re here. I heard it''s been a while since you came to Korea but only now do I get to see your face.¡± "I''m sorry. I was also busy wandering around as soon as I came to Korea,¡± said Jae-Yeol. "But you should have run to see me, your grandfather, first!" Yoo Chul-Min spoke harshly but still with a smile on his face. He held the hands of Jae-Yeol¡ªBernard Yoo¡ªand led him to the sofa in the living room. Then, he asked, "Ah Jae-Yeol, my dear grandson. I''ve kept up with the news. Wasn''t it hard to live abroad?" "There''s nothing hard about it. I just had to do everything according to plan, just like you¡¯ve prepared, grandfather,¡± Bernard Yoo said with a shrug. Bernard Yoo had short hair and strong facial features. His pale skin, gentle eyes, and soft smile gave an impression of a beautifully grown greenhouse flower. However, in terms of his true nature, he was quite the fighter. He hated to lose and was a very possessive person. To some extent, he delayed visiting Chairman Yoo at the house after returning to Korea because he had gone to trace Kim Do-Jin¡¯s footsteps. He had wanted to visit, experience, and evaluate his opponent''s skills in person, not just watch videos or hear rumors. Even his cautious personality was very much favored by Chairman Yoo. They inquired about each other''s health as they talked about what each had been up to. To Chairman Yoo, Bernard Yoo was just a cute grandson who always listened to him well and achieved everything he wanted. There was no reason to nag him. Naturally, the conversation continued in a friendly way. "Oh, and you''re well prepared for next week''s race, right?¡± asked Chairman Yoo. "You mean the Orc Village, right? I''ve sent a couple of people to take a quick look at it...but can I be honest with you?¡± said Bernard Yoo. "Tell me." Bernard Yoo shrugged his shoulders with a slightly bitter smile. "Other monsters are not a problem. But the Boss Monster might be a little difficult to defeat alone.¡± "Ah, I see¡­ you said that you''re at level 80 of D-rank?" asked Chairman Yoo. "I''ll be at level 90 soon." "You are fast." Nevertheless, it was difficult to hunt Raid Boss alone in the Orc Village. Chairman Yoo was not just a proud man. It had not yet been revealed to Bernard Yoo, but Chairman Yoo had made all sorts of preparations. Only when he began talking was the secret revealed. "It''s hard, but I think I can handle it. I just felt slightly unsure... Kim Do-Jin, that friend, he¡¯s such a monster," said Bernard Yoo. "So you think you can handle it?" asked Chairman Yoo. What caught his attention was Bernard Yoo¡¯s earlier words. "It''s going to take a while. Also, it''ll be dangerous...but I still want to give it a shot. After looking around, I want to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record in this dungeon once. It''s my first time being a challenger since I started hunting, so I''m even more excited," said Bernard Yoo. Chairman Yoo smiled. He was proud of every word Bernard Yoo had uttered so far. Then, a question arose in his mind for a moment. He asked, "Do you want to break his record?" "Yes, I heard that Choi Yu-Seong, my opponent, has already broken Kim Do-Jin''s record once." "Ah¡­ That..." Chairman Yoo nodded as he recalled the news that riled up Korea not long ago. He added, "It was a bit of luck to find a secret passage, but the result was pretty good." "Grandpa. Luck is a skill to have in the dungeon," said Bernard Yoo. Chairman Yoo eyes widened at those unexpected words. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a particularly bad feeling. Rather, it made him curious. "When I looked into Choi Yu-Seong, he didn''t have a great reputation. There were still quite a few people who ignored him. I might lose if I get fooled by this reputation of his,¡± said Bernard Yoo. "You mean that Choi Yu-Seong has pretty useful skills, too.¡± "No, Grandpa." Bernard Yoo shook his head firmly. "It''s not just useful, it''s excellent." "Hahaha-!" Chairman Yoo couldn¡¯t help laughing. He then asked, "But you''re going to win, right?¡± "Because I don''t intend to lose," said Bernard Yoo. "Okay, then let this old man help you," said Chairman Yoo. "What?" Bernard Yoo¡¯s eyes were full of questions at his grandfather¡¯s unexpected words. Chairman Yoo took out a jewelry box from a drawer next to the sofa and pushed it toward Bernard Yoo. He urged, "Open it." Still questioning, Bernard Yoo opened the jewelry box, which had a gold ring inside. At first glance, the ring looked normal. However, it was not difficult to figure out that the ring was not an ordinary object. It had a unique form of text written on its sides. "It''s an ancient relic," said Bernard Yoo. "It''s a hard-earned item for this match. It''s called ¡®Orc Hunt¡¯." "Uh... Then its ability is¡­?" "You are right. Wearing this ring can make you infinitely powerful against the Orc species. If the target is an Orc, even a small injury could fatally poison it with this ancient artifact¡¯s ability." "How did you get this quickly?¡± "What do you mean quickly?" Chairman Yoo snorted. "I¡¯ve been looking for this for two months. I began looking the moment you came from the U.S. and said you wanted to try to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record. I spent a lot of money trying to get this, so use it well and make sure you win this game and achieve the record you want." "Wait, Grandpa. You mean that next week''s game is...." "Right. I chose the Orc Village so that you can use this.¡± "Grandpa, I don''t want to win the game like this." When Bernard carefully rejected it, Chairman Yoo looked at Bernard Yoo''s surprised face indifferently. Bernard Yoo looked stubborn and full of pride. Although Chairman Yoo felt proud as Bernard Yoo looked exactly like him in his early days, he did not reveal his inner feelings and continued to talk with a hard expression. "All right, let''s say you don''t use it. Can you confidently say that you can beat Choi Yu-Seong?¡± "It''s... it''s not something I can be sure of..." answered Bernard Yoo after some thought. Choi Yu-Seong''s videos already showed how extraordinary he was, and Bernard Yoo was not very generous with praise. There was a reason he valued Yu-Seong¡¯s ability as excellent. ¡®Right, until recently, Kim Do-Jin was the only hunter in Korea who he praised.¡¯ In addition, Bernard Yoo also praised Choi Yu-Seong as excellent. From the first time Chairman Yoo had heard Bernard Yoo praising Choi Yu-Seong, he had already expected this conversation to happen. ¡°As you said, luck is also a valued skill in dungeons. And that guy in the Comet Group has been pretty lucky lately. You could lose. But what if you use this ring?¡± asked Chairman Yoo. "...I''m sure I can win," said Bernard Yoo. His confident words made Chairman Yoo smile gently. "Bernard, no, Jae-Yeol. From now on, keep in mind what I tell you." "Yes, Grandpa." ¡°It''s not a bad idea to win a fair game. Though for people like us, I¡¯m talking about Chairman Choi, Chairman Kim, myself, and perhaps even the future you, we need to put aside the idea of fairness.¡± "But Grandpa, I..." "Tsk¡­! Listen to me.¡± Chairman Yoo raised his voice and looked at Bernard Yoo with a hardened face. "If what we do is a game, we definitely need to be fair. That''s justice. But Jae-Yeol. It''s not a game we''re playing. It''s a war. If you lose, Comet Group will go into the guild business and take away our jobs, and a considerable number of employees will have to leave their jobs behind and be kicked out of the company. When one person is kicked out, the whole family stumbles. If ten people are kicked out, ten families are in danger at once. Jae-Yeol." "Yes¡­ Grandpa." "This is the responsibility of the monarch, which you should know. The position where I am now, everything you enjoy is made up of the blood and sweat of the employers¡ªwho is our nation. What you have to do is to protect your position and take away your opponent''s. That is why it''s a war. We have to win by any means. Only then would it benefit everyone. Do you understand?" "...Yes." Chairman Yoo looked kind once again. Looking at his grandson, he laughed heartily. Bernard Yoo dropped his head somewhat weakly. "Hahaha¡­ You don''t have to accept everything right away. But, Jae-Yeol, keep this in mind. The word cowardice does not exist in a war. Now, put on your ring. I have to see how well it suits you," said Chairman Yoo. In the end, Bernard Yoo could not refuse the ancient relics offered by Chairman Yoo. He wore them on his right index finger. "It suits you very well. Haha...!" Chairman Yoo''s big laugh seemed to shake the entire house. CH 111 Early next morning, Choi Yu-Seong received a call from Choi Woo-Jae and then headed immediately toward the family home in Yeonhui-dong. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. As always, Choi Woo-Jae was sitting in the office with his back to the window. When Woo-Jae looked at Yu-Seong, Yu-Seong could feel the suffocatingly cold vibe but it was not as bad as before. ¡®Is it because of this unique smell of wood? Or is it because this place is where Father has stayed for a long time?¡¯ It was a question of whether places could start to take after people or people could take after places. While Choi Yu-Seong was questioning such a vibe, Choi Woo-Jae gestured to the sofa with his chin as he said, "Have a seat.¡± "Yes, sir." "It is no exaggeration to say that the fate of the guild business is on next week¡¯s match.¡± "...I am aware of it." Choi Yu-Seong nodded slowly at the abrupt conversation starter. "Chairman Yoo, that sly old man is not an easy one. There must be a reason why he chose Orc Village as the place for the match," said Woo-Jae. "I see.¡± "He will do everything he can. He may have prepared a special Ancient Relic or dug a trap that only applies to you.¡± While Choi Woo-Jae continued speaking, Choi Yu-Seong contemplated even further. ¡®Why¡¯s he telling me all this?¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae was not a person who would invite people over to chat about nonsense, so Yu-Seong was trying to uncover the real intention behind this conversation. Woo-Jae smiled at Yu-Seong¡¯s worried expression and leaned forward slightly. ¡°Again, I won¡¯t accept any defeat. It¡¯s not just because of my greed. If you lose, the guild business that the second oldest had been dragged into managing would be completely overthrown.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°From the third to the fifth, all of your siblings are secretly paying attention to you, Yu-Seong. Also, the second oldest would never look back on something that has once failed.¡± Speaking in such a way, it was obvious that Choi Woo-Jae had already sensed the relationship between Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Mi-Na. Rather than trying to deny it, Yu-Seong admitted to the truth and nodded. He said, "So I must win at all costs.¡± "Finally, you''re agreeing with me." Choi Woo-Jae smiled as if satisfied. Then, he lifted two fingers and said, "There are two options." Choi Yu-Seong intuitively felt that this was the point of the whole conversation. He met Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s gaze. ¡®Look at this guy.¡¯ Woo-Jae thought Yu-Seong making direct eye contact was a great improvement. He recalled that his son hadn¡¯t been able to do so when he first came here. Choi Woo-Jae smiled inwardly, but he continued to speak with a stiff face. "Ask me for help. I''ll give you all the information, equipment, and support you need. If that side does anything by any means, then we can do the same thing. I''ll make it so that you cannot lose." "If you say that, then I can predict the second option without having to hear it," said Yu-Seong. The second option would be for him to solve the situation alone without any help from Woo-Jae. "That¡¯s only if you are confident in winning. Whatever you choose, it''s up to you,¡± said Woo-Jae while folding his arms. Looking at Woo-Jae, who was waiting for his decision, Choi Yu-Seong had a rather strange smile on his face. Then, he scratched his cheek. Had he adapted to the human named Choi Woo-Jae? Without further thought, he could tell that both options weren¡¯t the answer that Woo-Jae wanted. He asked, "If I win this game alone, what do I get?" Looking at Choi Yu-Seong, who naturally showed his greed, Choi Woo-Jae smiled. That was the answer he wanted. If Yu-Seong had chosen the first option, Woo-Jae would have laughed and called him a coward. If he had chosen the second option, Woo-Jae would have cursed him as a prideful fool. Anyone who would lead a company should think about the profit they could earn first, no matter what they eventually chose. Choi Woo-Jae found Choi Yu-Seong more and more favorable. "What do you want?" asked Woo-Jae. "There are two things that I want to have," answered Yu-Seong. "I''ll give them to you," said Woo-Jae without overthinking it. Perhaps his response would have been the same if Yu-Seong wanted three, not two, things. ¡®This is the first local battle against Cheon-Ji Group.¡¯ Yu-Seong immediately thought of ¡®war¡¯ once he heard that Cheon-Ji Group Chairman Yoo would do anything to win. The declaration of war had already been announced, and the winner of the first local battle would increase morale and invade the opponent''s territory at once. In other words, it was not just the guild business that was at stake. It was a big war where the fate of the two groups may be at stake. Clearly, upon winning the battle, Choi Woo-Jae intended to overturn the Korean business hierarchy itself. ¡®If I had chosen the first suggestion, he might have to wait even longer to do so, but¡­¡¯ By choosing the second option, Choi Woo-Jae was able to save his strength and seek the opportunity to completely neutralize the Cheon-Ji Group with one critical hit. Yu-Seong had announced that he would make such a contribution, so what would it matter how many rewards he wanted? Nevertheless, the reason why Choi Yu-Seong only asked for two rewards was simple. ¡®He¡¯ll have at least one gift in mind to reward me with himself.¡¯ No beloved child would unconditionally ask for everything he or she could possibly ask for. Choi Woo-Jae enjoyed witnessing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s greed, but he wouldn¡¯t want his children to covet his things carelessly. In fact, that was the true nature of a greedy human being. Even if he could pass everything down someday, Woo-Jae would clutch it in his hands while he was alive. However, if Yu-Seong tried to carelessly take things away from Choi Woo-Jae, even if it was a favorable action to take, it would still make Woo-Jae uncomfortable. Therefore, Yu-Seong thought it was better to be moderately greedy when receiving things from Choi Woo-Jae. ¡®Since he would take care of his lovely child himself.¡¯ Whether Choi Yu-Seong''s thoughts had got it exactly right or whether he had guessed Yu-Seong¡¯s inner thoughts, Woo-Jae revealed an unexpected smile. He asked, "You are aware of the risk you might have to take on, right?" ¡°¡®You''re not going to kill me, are you?¡± asked Yu-Seong. ¡°I can make you penniless and kick you out of Korea.¡± That was good enough. If he could live, Choi Yu-Seong was confident of starting over wherever he went. He had been an orphan before getting possessed by the novel. Thus, now that he had the ability as a hunter, his position would be more advantageous than before if he had to start over. "I wouldn¡¯t say that if I wasn¡¯t determined." The punishment really didn¡¯t matter to Yu-Seong as long as he could stay alive. Looking at how calm he was, Choi Woo-Jae finally nodded. He said, "I¡¯ll trust you. You may leave." *** Choi Yu-Seong''s day was a busy one. He had to go see Choi Woo-Jae after he received a sudden morning call from him. He also had an appointment that had been arranged in advance the other day. At 2 p.m. on a quiet weekday, Choi Yu-Seong sat on the second floor of the cafe located in Itaewon''s commercial district. He waved at his opponent, Kim Do-Jin, who arrived a little later than him. "Here." Kim Do-Jin approached with a rather cold face as always and sat across from Yu-Seong. He commented, "Well, this is surprising.¡± "What?" "Since you contacted me and asked to see me first.¡± "Umm..." Come to think of it, Yu-Seong had a tendency to somewhat ignore Do-Jin¡¯s contact. Anyway, this was unsurprising, since he thought there was no good reason to be close to Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Come to think of it, this guy has been pretty patient with me regardless of that.'' Kim Do-Jin was the original novel¡¯s main character with an extreme personality. He always overturned the game whenever it became unfavorable to him. Thinking of that, he had been pretty patient regarding this situation. There were two possible reasons. ''Whether he has found an alternative answer, or he hasn¡¯t found a reason to discard me¡­¡¯ This was the most desirable situation for Yu-Seong since it was closer to the best possible conclusion. He could avoid his fate of death naturally. ¡®Or he has rated me high enough to take this much time.¡¯ Among the original novels, this was the only case when Kim Do-Jin did not give up and was trying to befriend Yu-Seong with extreme patience. ¡®This is obviously not the case.¡¯ After some thought, Yu-Seong laughed without realizing it. "Why are you laughing?" asked Do-Jin. "Oh, I just had a lot on my mind for a moment," responded Yu-Seong. "Hmm... How did you feel after watching the video?" "What video? Oh, that dungeon of the dead..." As his voice trailed off, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled when he briefly recalled the video. He asked, "Oh, right. Why did you suddenly use magic¡­!" Yu-Seong never completed his sentence, but whatever Kim Do-Jin heard was enough for his gaze to change. The vibe around him also fluctuated. ''...I made a mistake.'' Yu-Seong did well most of the time but made a mistake once in a while. Unfortunately, most of these mistakes were made in front of Kim Do-Jin, of all men. For this particular situation, it might have been due to Yu-Seong zoning out momentarily. "...Magical movement, you fought like a wizard," continued Yu-Seong. "...Since when did you know?" asked Do-Jin. Yu-Seong tried to correct himself as quickly as possible, but he knew that he was too clumsy to have Do-Jin not doubt him at all. Yet, surprisingly, Kim Do-Jin simply said, "I¡¯ve always known that you are hiding many things. Yet, you continue to exceed my expectations. You even know how to distinguish magic?" "...What?" "You can stop pretending to be a fool in front of me now. I already know that you have very good insight, a deep mind, and plenty of wisdom,¡± said Do-Jin. Yu-Seong never thought that he was competent enough for Kim Do-Jin, the returnee, to praise him. Listening to what Do-Jin had to say, he naturally shook his head from side to side. "You can''t fool me even if you choose to be modest. Aren¡¯t you getting close to me because you want my help when you settle down in the Comet Group someday?" asked Do-Jin. ¡®Not at all.¡¯ At that time, Choi Yu-Seong, the villain, had simply wanted to make use of the privilege from Do-Jin¡¯s reputation and name. But now, the Choi Yu-Seong today thought it best to have a civil and friendly relationship with Do-Jin. As Yu-Seong continued to contemplate, he became speechless at the unexpected situation. "I¡¯m thinking that, aside from myself, you would spend time making careful preparations. However, do not think that you can use me easily," said Do-Jin. "No, that''s...." "However, you can change my mind. It depends on how you act," said Do-Jin before Yu-Seong could clarify anything. Then, there was silence in the cafe where a few people were dining inside. ¡®What kind of an enormous misunderstanding is this guy having?¡¯ For some reason, Kim Do-Jin seemed to see Choi Yu-Seong as a great person. ¡®I recognized your magic only because I was a reader of the novel¡­¡¯ It was not because of something incredible, or any insight and wisdom. Choi Yu-Seong thought that Do-Jin was naive, not smart. ¡®That''s why I made such a mistake just now.¡¯ Though, Yu-Seong was only confused for a moment. ''No way, this guy. Is he feeling me out?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong had many thoughts regarding Kim Do-Jin''s sudden excessive praise. Having read the original novel, he knew that Do-Jin was stingier at giving praises than anyone else. ¡®Is he trying to see if I noticed his revenge?¡¯ After thinking that much, Choi Yu-Seong became cool as a cucumber. CH 112 After some thought, Choi Yu-Seong made a decision. He said, "You''re right.¡± If Kim Do-Jin approached him with a certain thought, it was better for Yu-Seong to accept Do-Jin¡¯s impression rather than deny it. What was important here was Kim Do-Jin praising him, after all. ''Excessively praising me.¡¯ It didn¡¯t have to be sincere. Choi Yu-Seong thought it was more important not to make Kim Do-Jin suspicious of the situation. If he simply agreed now, Do-Jin would have nothing else to say. "As expected..." replied Kim Do-Jin with a light nod. Yu-Seong expected this exact reaction. He simply found it strange that Kim Do-Jin accepted the situation rather calmly and was not uncomfortable at all. "Am I the first one? To know your secret?" asked Do-Jin. Choi Yu-Seong quickly tried to understand the meaning of the question. ¡®My secret?¡¯ The situation was slightly confusing, but it was a slight relief that Kim Do-Jin didn¡¯t ask Yu-Seong whether he knew his secret. ¡®And I don''t think he noticed that I¡¯m possessed.¡¯ Making up his mind, Yu-Seong nodded in agreement once again. "Yeah." "I like that,¡± said Do-Jin. "Yeah... What?" asked Yu-Seong. "The more thoroughly you hide such secrets, the better. You''re doing well," said Do-Jin with a slightly happy expression. Why would he say that? Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to feel strange as he looked at Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Is he serious?¡¯ Yu-Seong was doubtful about Do-Jin¡¯s words, feeling uncertain about this entire situation. If this was the acting skill of a returnee who had been working for 30 years in another world, such a performance would make sense. "Well, that''s enough about me. I asked you to meet me today because I wanted to ask you something,¡± said Yu-Seong. He shouldn''t and didn¡¯t want to be lured into following the beat of Do-Jin¡¯s drum. Kim Do-Jin nodded lightly and accepted the change in conversation. He repeated, "To ask me something?" "Yeah. You''ve done the Orc War Chief Raid by yourself before, right?¡± asked Yu-Seong. "Are you trying to challenge it?" Choi Yu-Seong scratched his cheek at the direct question. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to. This has something to do with my family.¡± "It must be related to the Comet Group¡¯s guild business,¡± said Do-Jin. "Exactly," responded Yu-Seong. He did not deny Kim Do-Jin''s speculation. Do-Jin sounded certain. Even if he didn¡¯t, he would eventually find out the truth. Above all, he had no power to stop the Comet Group''s guild business. Kim Do-Jin was not ready enough to stop the process that was already well underway. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "Let me ask you one thing. If the Comet Group''s guild is created, will you also be actively involved with them?" asked Do-Jin. "Probably." This was to be expected. From the moment it was created, the Comet Group''s guild was going to grow at a rapid pace, an unprecedented speed in the history of Korea. For Choi Yu-Seong, who was already receiving a lot of attention from Choi Woo-Jae, it would be the best choice for him to enter the guild while receiving many benefits. ¡®Although there will be some responsibility following¡­¡¯ Considering his continuous effort in building a relationship with Choi Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong found that even accepting some responsibility could be rather advantageous. "...Then there is nothing I can tell you," said Do-Jin. "What?" ¡°Did you forget that I asked you to join my guild?¡± "I didn''t forget, but isn''t this inevitable? For me, I¡¯m..." Before Yu-Seong was done speaking, Kim Do-Jin jumped up from his seat and snorted. With a cold smile, he said, "Solve your problems on your own." There was no time for further conversation since Kim Do-Jin hardened his face and immediately left the cafe. Choi Yu-Seong did not bother to catch up with him. "Is he bipolar or something? I thought he was in a good mood, but he got angry all of a sudden¡­ What a strange guy.¡± In the end, Choi Yu-Seong gained no benefits at all from the meeting. *** Kim Do-Jin left his meeting with Choi Yu-Seong and headed straight to the dungeon. He had a stiff expression, looking annoyed. ''It¡¯s always been my intention to use Choi Yu-Seong to get closer to and eventually kill Choi Woo-Jae. That¡¯s clear.¡¯ However, recently, Do-Jin had changed his mind. ¡®There''s no need to use Choi Yu-Seong to kill Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯ It was true that using Choi Yu-Seong was the fastest way for Do-Jin to achieve his revenge. However, looking at Choi Yu-Seong in recent years, it seemed clear that this would not be easy. ''He''s pretty smart. It''ll seem suspicious if I suddenly try to approach Choi Woo-Jae¡¯ Of course, if Choi Yu-Seong positively accepted Kim Do-Jin''s thoughts at this stage, the results would be decent. But what if he became wary, or if he rejected him? ¡®Then it''ll become harder for me to kill Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯ In other words, Do-Jin should not reveal his goal of revenge. As soon as he came to this conclusion, Kim Do-Jin felt slightly confused about one particular decision he had made. ¡®Why do I have to hang on to my relationship with Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯ This was Do-Jin¡¯s first time feeling like that, so his thoughts were complicated. Though, he was skillful at understanding his inner thoughts. ¡®I guess I just like him.¡¯ Do-Jin had quite a lot of reasons for liking Choi Yu-Seong. Quite high growth potential, excellent insight, and quite good bases were several external reasons why he liked Yu-Seong. However, there was a much more fundamental reason than that. ¡®When I look at him, I feel a strange sense of kinship.¡¯ It was a mysterious feeling, like they had been together for a long time. In a way, the word "just" was the right reason. It was incomprehensible, but on the other hand, it was also understandable. ¡®If it''s Choi Yu-Seong, he can stand next to me someday.¡¯ By the time Kim Do-Jin had fought against the Demon King, there were countless people, including his colleagues who supported him, but no one had stood by him. Everyone had simply pushed Kim Do-Jin from behind. They were together with him but Kim Do-Jin''s speed had been too fast for them to follow. However, Do-Jin felt that Choi Yu-Seong would be different. Someday, there would definitely be a day when they could fight together. Kim Do-Jin did not have much doubt about this fact. After all, his sixth sense was quite right. Even if he didn¡¯t try hard, he could quickly grasp the majority of the situation¡ªjust like now. ¡®Someone''s chasing me.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin just entered a deserted dark alley somewhat intentionally. He tilted his head and asked with both hands in his pockets. "How long are you going to follow me like such a sneaky rat?" "...Kim Do-Jin." As if responding to a call, two foreigners appeared between alleys. ¡®Two B-rank hunters.¡¯ Do-Jin made a fishy smile and immediately used his Insight and confirmed his opponent''s ability. He asked, "Another Demon King Worshiper?" "Godfather just wants to give you a chance." "Godfather..." Do-Jin had heard of the ¡®godfather¡¯, the head of the Demon King Worshipers. He was one of the top three hunters in the world. "By all means, he has a nice name on the subject of being the Demon King¡¯s servant." Kim Do-Jin had already once knocked down the Demon King before. In that sense, he was not being arrogant at all. Of course, it was only for those who belonged to the worshipers of the Demon King that his words sounded pretty distasteful. "How rude! We''ll see if you can say that even after you''re captured," said one of the worshipers. "I admit you''re pretty good... but I don''t know how far you can go without a sword," said the other. Looking at them angrily, Kim Do-Jin jutted his chin. Then, he pulled out his hands from his pocket. ¡°Bring it on. I can beat you with my bare hands." In the first place, the sword was only a relatively easy-to-use weapon for Kim Do-Jin. There was nothing he was bad at including spears, sticks, bows, axes, irons, or bear fighting skills. ¡®But at this point, I''ll also have to use magic to deal with them¡­¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be long. ¡®Two more years.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin grabbed the wrist of one of the approaching Devil King Worshippers, recalling the time when he had completely regained his power. ¡®How much longer can you keep up with me, Choi Yu-Seong.'' A cruel smile came over his face. *** Time went by quickly and soon it was the day of the match. Before that date had arrived, Choi Yu-Seong had focused on raising his level by going hunting in dungeons. ¡®I heard that Bernard Yoo is over level 90 in D-rank.¡¯ On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong was over level 30 in D-rank. Considering that Bernard Yoo was also a considerable talent, it was inevitably difficult for Yu-Seong to overcome this excessive level difference simply with skills alone. Therefore, he had spent more time training than usual and had focused on hunting in the dungeons, which allowed him to achieve more level growth than he expected. ¡®D-rank, level 53.¡¯ In less than a week, Yu-Seong had grown by nearly 20 levels. In fact, his growth rate was faster than anyone else in the D-rank. It was fast even considering his Star Factor skill and the help of experience boost potions. ¡®If I am given enough time to focus on hunting like now, I¡¯ll be able to get to C-rank quickly. And if I can monopolize the experience after hunting Orc War Chief in this state, I could possibly reach the max level in less than a month.¡¯ It was not far off from Yu-Seong¡¯s expectation of promotion to the C-rank, which clearly implied one thing. ¡®Maybe I can stay in the same rank as Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be instantaneous, but Yu-Seong could catch up with Kim Do-Jin''s growth. That was rather pleasant news for him. ¡®Kim Do-Jin suspects me. I should never overlook the fact that we might fight directly with each other someday.¡¯ When that moment came, the narrower the power gap between the two, the better it would be for Yu-Seong. ¡®It¡¯s really not easy. I can''t believe I have to get to the same level as the main character after being possessed by a villain who originally dies at the beginning of the novel¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong smiled bitterly. Though, on the other hand, the fact itself was exciting. ''Unless I don''t have to fight the demons directly, it''s best to have that much power.¡¯ Yu-Seong also felt assured when he thought of confronting the party of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s supporters. Chae Ye-Ryeong, the disaster-level villain who drove Kim Do-Jin into some crisis in the original novel, was growing at a really crazy pace. ¡®On top of that, there¡¯s Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯ His new teammate, who would be recruited immediately after the match, was also a person with as much potential as Ye-Ryeong. In addition, after Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s recovery, Yu-Seong was planning to accelerate the growth speed of the Jin sibling. ¡®Anyway, starting with S Rank, it''ll be incredibly difficult to raise even one level.¡¯ Thus, first of all, Yu-Seong would focus on his goal for everyone to reach S-rank. For matters after that point, he found it safer to think about them afterward. ¡®In fact, based on the original novel, a party of villains would be created.¡¯ Except for Choi Yu-Seong himself, all of his supporters were characters who put the main character Kim Do-Jin in danger. ¡®After it''s completed, my party might be stronger than Kim Do-Jin''s party.¡¯ It was not bad. Actually, it was a rather good thing. ¡®As long as I don''t have to fight with the demons.¡¯ As mentioned before, Choi Yu-Seong wanted to be in the position to secretly support Kim Do-Jin, who would fight against the demons with strong power. Fortunately, as a result of considering not wanting to fight dangerous demons, there was a good chance that he would achieve what he wanted. ¡®If I could just get my father''s trust and use the family¡¯s power appropriately¡­¡¯ The power of the conglomerate and the power of money shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Nevertheless, it was capitalism which this world used as the basic economic system. CH 113 In order to gain the most benefits, Choi Yu-Seong had to win the upcoming match. Of course, raising his level was not the only preparation he had to make for the match. ¡®I thought it would be helpful to get some information about the fight with the Orc War Chief from Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, the original novel did not have details of the fight between Kim Do-Jin and the Orc War Chief. There was just a short explanation of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s success in the Orc War Chief Raid. That was the reason why Yu-Seong had tried to get information by directly meeting up with Do-Jin. Unfortunately, he had failed to get answers. This was an unfortunate situation, but it wasn¡¯t a big problem. ¡®It would be helpful if I could get some information, but it¡¯s fine if I can¡¯t get any.¡¯ Besides Kim Do-Jin, there were quite a few other hunters who had hunted the Orc War Chief. ''They just hunted in parties or groups, not individually.¡¯ It was best if Yu-Seong could acquire key knowledge from an individual player, but getting general information about the Orc War Chief would be helpful too. Above all, there was an ace in the hole which Yu-Seong had prepared for this match. Yu-Seong didn¡¯t hastily choose to fight alone when Choi Woo-Jae had offered him the two options. ¡®They would have their own strategies, but I also have some information from the original novel¡­and this is the time for me to use it.¡¯ Yu-Seong was aware that clumsy methods would not work here in the real world. Before heading to Bangbae-dong, Seoul, where Orc Village, the dungeon match¡¯s chosen destination was located, Yu-Seong woke up early and was doing his usual morning training. Yu-Ri passed Yu-Seong with a smile. She asked, "Jenny said she got the item you asked for. She¡¯s at the airport. What should I do?¡± This was the news Yu-Seong had been waiting for. Wiping off his sweat with a smile, he said, "Tell her to come to Bangbae-dong right away. Let''s get ready and start.¡± *** Originally, the dungeon racing match between Bernard Yoo and Choi Yu-Seong should have drawn great attention from the media, since both of them were rookies in the global limelight. However, the fight was essentially between the two giant groups, Cheon-Ji Group and Comet Group, so they prevented the contents of the match from being leaked to the public. The reason was simple. Since it was a dungeon race between the son and the grandson of two conglomerate families, there would be reporters who would use drones to record what was happening inside the dungeon. However, it would be difficult to control if a large crowd gathered, not to mention, there wouldn¡¯t be any guarantee that there weren¡¯t any dangerous villains amongst the crowd. In any case, both groups did not want a threat from these villains to occur amid a confrontation between their beloved grandchild and son. Naturally, the match was not known to the public and had to be carried out in secret. A woman in her early 30s looked at Bernard Yoo, who had arrived in Bangbae-dong before her. He sat across from her on the second floor of a building overlooking Dungeon Square and was drinking coffee through a straw. She asked, "Are you nervous?" With big and sharp eyes, the woman was a cat-like beauty with fair skin. She was like family, having helped Bernard Yoo adapt to a rather lonely life abroad. "Nervous? No way... That word doesn''t fit me, Meghan.¡± Bernard Yoo stopped sipping on his coffee and revealed his teeth with a bright smile. "Bernard, do you know that the ends of your eyes are trembling? This is just like the time you took the first hunter test," she said. "...How do you even remember that?" he said. "Don''t be too nervous. Bernard, I have no doubt that you will win. I guarantee you as an S-rank hunter," she said calmly, her facial expression showing no change at all. Looking at her, Bernard Yoo knew better than anyone that Meghan was expressing her true feelings. To him, she was an excellent hunter, a warm sister, and a great teacher. "Thank you, Meghan, but...what should I do with this?" Bernard asked. He took out a golden ring from his jacket pocket and placed it on the cafe table. He had deep conflict in his eyes as he twirled the ring on the cafe table. "Whatever choice you make, I will respect it, Bernard, " she said. "I think I''d feel more comfortable if you forced me to do something..." he said. "Like the chairman?" ¡°Oh, I¡¯d refuse if that were the case. I would get scared if you forced me like grandfather did,¡± said Bernard Yoo with a smile. He held the straw in his mouth again and looked at the ring with thoughtful eyes. ¡®As Meghan said, I am pretty strong now.¡¯ Bernard was probably the strongest out of all the existing D-ranks. He wasn''t just confident of his own ability. Bernard Yoo once had an unofficial match with Geras, who had been the top D-ranked player on the hunter¡¯s ranking website, ¡®Ranker¡¯. Geras was quite a well-known hunter overseas. The very close match had ended with Bernard Yoo''s victory. Geras had clearly admitted his defeat, affirming that the result would not change even if they fought again. In fact, Bernard Yoo''s thoughts had been no different from his. ¡®Rather, if we fought again, my victory would come a lot easier.¡¯ Even Geras, a strong enough player to have been officially listed as the top D-rank player on the Ranker¡¯s website, hadn¡¯t been able to follow Bernard¡¯s sense of battle. This simply proved that simple figures on a website could not capture and express all of a hunter¡¯s abilities. The problem was that Bernard Yoo thought that Choi Yu-Seong, who was not even at the D-rank Max level, was as strong and threatening as Geras. Thinking about this a bit more, Bernard then asked Meghan, "Meghan, don''t just cheer for me, but tell me honestly. If Choi Yu-Seong and I had a simple 1:1 match, what are my chances of winning?¡± "Fifty-fifty," responded Meghan without any hesitation. "But you said that I¡¯d win just a moment ago?" "You asked for an honest answer. And apart from that, I think you will win this game." "Why?" "Because you are nervous. Your weakness is that you tend to look down on your opponent, and that stops you from doing your best. You being nervous can be seen as a good sign.¡± ¡°Am I that full of myself?¡± "It can be seen as a compliment. Depends on your perspective.¡± When he thought about it, Bernard Yoo had never won an argument with Meghan. "Dang it, everything is my fault. Anyway, those odds... What if I lose to Choi Yu-Seong?¡± ¡°Are you going to lose?" "Do I lose because I want to? It can''t be helped if the opponent is too strong. Dang it, this game is too burdensome," he grumbled. With a smile, he carefully put the ring on the table, no longer spinning it around with the tip of his index finger. At that moment, his cell phone rang. Bernard Yoo answered the phone immediately after confirming that it was from Chairman Yoo. "Yes, Grandpa?¡± - The Comet Group said they are ready. Choi Yu-Seong has arrived. Bernard Yoo''s expression changed immediately. Apart from the tension, he felt a strong competitive spirit surging inside him. He quickly said, "I''m ready as soon as I wear the battle suit. When¡¯s the leaving time?" - We''re entering in an hour. More than that, Bernard, you haven¡¯t forgotten this old man''s words, have you? There¡¯s a lot of responsibility resting on your shoulders. "...Of course, Grandpa." -Try not to think foolishly. You''ll have to remember that you are Cheon-Ji Group itself during the match. Bernard Yoo sighed deeply after the call ended. He picked up the ring from the table and put it inside his pocket. Getting up from his seat, he said, "Let''s go, Meghan." "Yes, sir." Meghan, who was struggling to think about what she could say to cheer for Bernard Yoo, stood up and followed him. She walked by his side. Bernard Yoo¡¯s previously tense and anxious expression was no longer there. He tried to appear calm, but his eyes revealed his overwhelming desire to win. The tension, the pressure, and all the emotions that could hold him back had disappeared. ¡®Did he say that he can¡¯t help it if his opponent is strong? I don¡¯t think he has the slightest intention of losing.¡¯ Meghan smiled at the change and looked out of the cafe window. In the distance, an Italian luxury car was heading to the parking lot. ¡®It¡¯s a shame, Choi Yu-Seong.'' The ninth child in the Comet Group¡¯s complex family was just starting to get attention from the family, but he would have to experience a bitter defeat this time. Of course, the risks that Yu-Seong had to face after his defeat was not anything Meghan had to think about. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. *** Before entering Dungeon Square and heading to Orc Village, Choi Yu-Seong met Jenny, who was waiting at the entrance. He received a heavy bag from her. "It cost about 10 billion won to get both items. I spent a little more money because I was in a hurry to get it," said Jenny. "It''s okay. At least I got them in time. Good work, Jenny," thanked Yu-Seong. When Choi Yu-Seong patted her shoulder lightly, Jenny slightly bowed her head. It wasn''t just a habitual nod. To be exact, her body reacted reflexively. ¡®Is this what Yu-Ri said about the boss¡¯ real worth?¡¯ In order to fill the vacant position of Jin Do-Yoon, who was away for a while, Jenny had been meeting Yu-Seong face to face often recently. She felt like she was getting to know more about Choi Yu-Seong little by little. He had a threatening vibe even though he was still a D-rank player. Jenny could now completely understand Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s words about Yu-Seong, that while he might occasionally act like a rascal, he would someday come to his senses. ¡®He is a person of high caliber.¡¯ Yu-Seong was a late bloomer, and his ability was steadily developing day by day. Jenny wasn''t the only one who felt that way. Park Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young Kim, who were waiting for the filming, hurriedly followed behind Choi Yu-Seong and exchanged looks. ¡®What''s this vibe?¡¯ ¡®It''s no joke.¡¯ It could not be expressed in words, but Yu-Seong¡¯s dignified presence naturally made them bow their heads. Was it because of how relaxed Yu-Seong was even though a pretty tense match was coming up? The two reporters thought that this vibe was not bad, although it was ambiguous. After all, one¡¯s vibe would also be reflected in photos and videos. Starting from today''s filming, they had a hunch that Choi Yu-Seong''s popularity would soar even further. Park Jin-Hwan demonstrated his good journalism instincts and took out his camera and filmed Choi Yu-Seong''s back view. When they reached the Dungeon Square¡¯s entrance, the peak structure was fully framed in his shot too. One person, among those who were usually called a "robot" because they only silently identified people without expressing any emotion, greeted Choi Yu-Seong with a light bow. "It''s an honor to meet you. Choi Yu-Seong." "Don''t mention it. Thank you always for your hard work." The two shook hands lightly, and Park Jin-Hwan naturally pressed the shutter and licked his lips with his tongue. ¡®It''s a scoop.¡¯ Even before the match began, articles were already starting to burst. CH 114 An orc was a monster with green skin, blue blood like a demon, and a curved back. Adult men could look down at the orcs when the orcs were hunched over but when they were upright, they were over two meters in height. There were three main features of the orcs: humongous strength, ferocity to handle all opponents, and massive numbers due to a great breeding rate! It was such a well-known story that, as soon as hunters entered the Orc Village, they became obsessed with hunting. They lost their minds. As a result, opinions regarding the Orc Village dungeon were naturally divided into two sides. One side thought it was the ideal dungeon to raise one¡¯s level, thanks to the influx of orcs. The others said that it was a perfect dungeon to die of exhaustion fighting with the orcs. In fact, the Orc Village was famous for the highest number of deaths per year out of all dungeons. Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo naturally showed off their skills as soon as they entered the dungeon. As Choi Yu-Seong''s spear cut through the air, sweeping the surroundings, the four orcs running from all directions were beheaded at the same time. As Bernard Yoo punched forward, his fast movement left an afterimage behind. He easily penetrated the two or three orcs standing in front of him at the same time. Then, to not be defeated, Choi Yu-Seong passed through the gaps between the orcs that flocked after Bernard Yoo with impressive footwork, thrust his spear into the back of their necks, quickly retrieved it, and moved forward to the next targets. There was a sense of wonder and admiration in the eyes of the reporters who were filming them through dozens of drones scattered in the dungeon. "Wow, they''re both incredible," said Kim Jin-Young. Park Jin-Hwan nodded in admiration. He said, "They¡¯ve long since gone beyond the D rank in terms of ability. They''re monsters.¡± Previously, there had been clear limitations to the Korean hunter industry, with reaching the top 10 in the world being the best possible scenario. Korea would not have been able to hold a candle to the world ranking without Cheok Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster. Kim Do-Jin, the super rookie that had appeared recently, was expected to enter the top five if he got lucky. However, the gap between Korea and the U.S., which was the world''s top ranker, was too wide. In fact, it was confirmed that Korea was within the top 5 countries in the World Player Association. ¡®If those two are added to the list with Kim Do-Jin and the Swordmaster Cheok Jun-Hui in the lead¡­¡¯ Next to Park Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young Kim, who were both there as they had been hired by Choi Yu-Seong, all the reporters sponsored by the Comet Group and the Cheon-Ji Group had a common thought. ¡®Maybe we could even beat China¡­¡¯ China was the overwhelming second place in the world rankings. Reporters even imagined going beyond China, which was regarded as the only country comparable to the United States in the hunter industry. The reporters soon approached this particular job from a different angle. They had been asked to be here by their sponsors in order to make bad comments about their opponents. The problem was that, just by looking at the two people rushing back and forth from each other in the Orc Village, they felt guilty for gossiping about the opponent. No matter how much reporters valued their incomes, they had a conscience. ¡°If we blast them on our media channels, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot,¡± said one of the reporters from the Cheon-Ji Group carefully. "Doesn¡¯t matter that it¡¯s our job to badmouth them, this is crossing the line,¡± responded a reporter from the Comet Group while nodding. Until now, the reporters had not even been looking at each other, even though they were in the same space and so close to each other. Park Jin-Hwan, who was stuck in the center of it, smiled. "You guys know the answer anyway, don''t you? Rather than denigrating them, we should compliment the hunter who belongs to the group we are getting paid by.¡± ¡°If someone crosses the line and stabs the rest of us in the back, that person should quit their job. What do you think?" said Kim Jin-Young with a smile, pushing Park Jin-Hwan''s proposal even further. Fortunately, neither side had any major complaints. "Seriously, we¡¯re going to catch the backstabber and force him to quit.¡± ¡°That''s what I''m saying.¡± Park Jin-Hwan shrugged as he listened to the conversation between the reporters representing the Comet Group and the Cheon-Ji Group. ¡®We¡¯ve got a good sponsor for sure.¡¯ Everything he did was a scoop. Now Park Jin-Hwan admitted that Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t just look amazing, but also extremely lovely. *** After running hectically around and killing the orcs coming at them from the entrance of the dungeon, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s level had risen twice. He clicked his tongue as he watched Bernard Yoo, who was secretly getting ahead little by little. ¡®As expected, Bernard Yoo is strong. After all, he was Kim Do-Jin''s closest colleague in the original novel.¡¯ Bernard Yoo was a Physical-type hunter who specialized in reinforcement. It was said that the most common Physical type was the Reinforcement type, but there were two special things about Bernard Yoo. First of all, as expected from the main supporting character, he had tremendous combat instinct. As it could be seen from the case of Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, even if they had the same skills, their ability to use them and achieve great results was extremely different. In addition to that, Bernard Yoo¡¯s skill palette consisted of skills that far surpassed general reinforcement ones. ¡®He has overwhelming power, great stamina, and the skill Eye of the Beast¡­¡¯ It was unusual to have such skills, which were the advanced versions of Strength Reinforcement, Stamina Reinforcement, and Vision Reinforcement. Moreover, he even had the special skill ¡®Descent of the Great Power King.¡¯ On top of that, this special skill, which was strong just by itself, also explosively increased all of the physical abilities. In addition, there was one more cheat-like skill that earned Bernard Yoo the title ¡®Fast Star¡¯. Explosion Shot, as its name suggested, was the ability to fire off explosions. Bernard Yoo was a Physical-type hunter, so he could not use them to blast apart things in the distance. Instead, he trained to make the explosions to cover the surface of his body, and this allowed him to do something simple. ''Gaining acceleration the moment he uses the explosion.¡¯ A typical hunter¡¯s body would be ruined, as it couldn''t withstand the explosions, but Bernard Yoo had a powerful physical buff that allowed him to easily endure it and he could even absorb the force for later use. Among these skills of Bernard Yoo, Choi Yu-Seong naturally stole the Eye of the Beast by using his Eye of Replication. ¡ºCopied Skill, Eye of the Beast D-. Can be used for Fusion. When used, the user can easily look at the world wider and farther. Copy penalty is applied, changing Persistent skill -> Activation skill. Copy penalty limits the number of uses to ten times. Copy penalty reduces the effect of the skill to 70%.¡» ''Now I only have two more uses of Insight left.'' When he was left with one last trial, Yu-Seong was planning to merge it with the Eye of the Beast. After several experiments with Fusion, he had already confirmed that the better the base, the higher the probability of excellent skills coming up after the merging. There was no reason to reject a good base, the Eye of the Beast, in a situation where it could not be delayed any longer. In the meantime, Bernard Yoo broke through. He shot forward using his Explosion Shot skill, punching the air and showing extreme coolness. ¡®Yet, he can only do it once.¡¯ In the near future, Bernard Yoo would be able to use the Explosion Shot skill two or three times in a row, leaving behind only a silvery stream like a meteor. In fact, if he did his best now, he was able to break a big rock in a single blow. Thus, after using Explosion Shot, he could punch a big hole through a giant monster that even a missile could not pierce through. Choi Yu-Seong was hunting the fiercely attacking orcs using his Wind Control skill while chasing after Bernard but he didn¡¯t think the gap that was increasing between them could be narrowed. ''In the first place, my movements are too simple.¡¯ As Stylish was activated, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition was getting better and better. However, no matter how hard he tried, the distance was somehow maintained. However, it was not a big concern at the moment. ¡®Once we reach the elite monster section, there will be a chance to turn the tables.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong''s prediction was not wrong. About an hour after the start of the dungeon race, Bernard Yoo''s fist was blocked for the first time when he reached deep inside the Orc Village dungeon and met the elite monster. Kreeeaaa-! The Orc elite monster, the Orc Warrior, howled, shaking the entire area. Hearing the distant cry, about a minute away from him, Choi Yu-Seong shook off the group of Orcs rushing toward him and exhaled loudly. At the same time, he remembered the skill he had copied from the person he had recruited during the last preparation period. ¡ºCopied Skill, Acceleration D-. Can be used for Fusion. The user¡¯s movement speeds up momentarily. Copy penalty limits the number of uses to ten times. Copy penalty reduces effect to 70%. ¡» This skill, which sped up instantaneous movement, was quite valuable. Even the common acceleration skill could be achieved after some training. Although possibly limited by his rank, Choi Yu-Seong liked this acceleration skill enough to fill one of his skill spaces. ¡®If I can read how Bernard Yoo uses his Explosion Shot skill, I might also use it.¡¯ When Choi Yu-Seong shook the spear and spun it around, the rushing Orcs faltered and made an opening for him to strike. ¡®Execute Eye of the Beast.¡¯ With a single glance, Choi Yu-Seong found the small opening with his overlapping Vision Reinforcement skill. Then, he spun and thrust his spear straight ahead. At the same time, he activated two more skills. ''Acceleration, Wind Control.'' Those two skills maximized movement speed. As he kicked the ground, Yu-Seong became like a ray of light shooting forward, only leaving behind a flash. This was a combat formation used in the Middle Ages, by knights on horseback, to collapse the opponent''s shield formation in one blow. Thus, of course, its power was also great. ¡®Lance charging!¡¯ As Choi Yu-Seong used his skills to fire himself off like a cannonball, about twenty massive Orcs pushed themselves into the gap he was aiming for. They ended up being torn like paper, falling dead without even a single scream. In that way, Choi Yu-Seong quickly caught up to Bernard Yoo. At the moment, Bernard Yoo was fighting with the Orc Warrior. Yu-Seong screamed and complained inwardly because of the extreme physical pain that he was experiencing. ¡®Goodness, the Orcs. Why are they so tough?!¡¯ Lance charging itself was a powerful lance formation that originally used horses, spears, and the weight of armor. Of course, Yu-Seong was partially prepared for the rebound effect when going up against the Orcs, which had tough physiques. However, the rebound he felt was more than he expected. ¡®I can''t do this twice in a row.¡¯ It could be possible if a Support-type player or a Psychic-type player supported him from the back, but Yu-Seong could not dare to try it again by himself. Yu-Seong smiled as he instinctively tripped the Orcs and pierced his spear through their heads one by one. - Your level has risen. With the following message, Yu-Seong¡¯s physical pain disappeared due to the healing effect of the level-up. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®As expected, leveling up is the best.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong looked back at Bernard Yoo, who looked surprised. CH 115 "Wow¡­ Choi Yu-Seong!¡± ¡°Did you get the scene?¡± ¡°Someone check the filmed video!¡± There was a huge commotion among the filming reporters, who were all exclaiming at Yu-Seong. Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, who believed they were quite used to Choi Yu-Seong''s amazing talents and tricks, were also astonished by Yu-Seong. His short-lived Lance Charging scene just now was extremely shocking to them. "Holy Moly! Reporter Park, that one just now....¡± "He didn''t just invoke one skill. The timing of the launch was a little slow for that," commented Park Jin-Hwan. Usually, the effect would be immediate if the most common skills were used. However, Choi Yu-Seong''s Lance Charging needed a short preparation time for the launch itself. "Maybe it wasn¡¯t an instant occurring skill in the first place?¡± One of the reporters who was listening to Park Jin-Hwan''s soft voice asked while looking somewhat bewildered. ¡°That doesn''t look like the power of a D-rank skill. Maybe it¡¯s rank C¡­ No, is it a special move? No way," speculated another reporter. Soon, the buzz and uproar between the reporters grew much bigger. "Hey! Get a hold of yourself!" "Oh, sorry." To add to the chaos, some reporters hadn¡¯t been paying attention to flying the drones and caused a collision in the air. Their surprise could only be described as natural. Anyone could simply use skills to achieve something. In addition, invoking several skills at once was a rare but often used battle method by hunters with plenty of mana. However, creating special moves through skill coordination was truly otherworldly in its difficulty. The only known hunter in Korea who had developed the special move to this day was Cheok Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster. In fact, there were exactly twelve hunters who could do it in the entire world. For this reason, the World Player Association even gave the title of ¡®Death Star¡¯ to the twelve people who had created and used such special skills. The greatest advantage of these special moves was simple; they were not very much affected by rank. The base ability was indeed a registered skill, but it was the hunter himself who developed it. In other words, the special move¡¯s power could be infinitely increased through repetitive training, practice, and the attachment of new skills. The development of such special moves was desired by all hunters. However, there was a simple reason why the people who could develop this move were rare. As stated above, the difficulty level was too high. Not only did the hunter need to have a skill structure for his special move, but he also needed to come up with the idea of weaving the skills together. On top of that, there was the burden of mana when activating various skills at the same time, using the powerful force that could conquer even powerful boss monsters with a single blow, and finally, a physical ability that could withstand the repercussions. Only when all of these were achieved would a move be recognized and called a special move. However, Choi Yu-Seong, who was still only D-rank, had developed a special move. ¡°If it¡¯s really the special move which Choi Yu-Seong developed... Wouldn¡¯t this be the first time in Korea since Korea''s Swordmaster?" asked Kim Jin-Young. "We won''t know for sure until we see the precision video and our skill analysis experts confirm it, but I have a feeling that Choi Yu-Seong was activating the skills by overlapping them right before the dash,¡± answered Park Jin-Hwan. At that moment, a careful voice came from the Cheon-Ji Group reporters group. ¡°I don¡¯t think even Kim Do-Jin has been able to make a special move yet¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s true that Yu-Seong Choi developed a special move¡­" Noticing the brief silence, Park Jin-Hwan smiled as he stood in the center of them. He then asked, ¡°Now, who is the best super rookie in Korea?¡± If the question had been asked just an hour ago, the reporters would have shouted the name of ¡®Kim Do-Jin¡¯ without hesitation. However, there was nothing but a heavy silence across the entire press corps now. *** Bernard Yoo had no choice but to gulp as soon as he felt Choi Yu-Seong catching up with an explosive sound. He could feel the man coming up right behind his back. ¡®What was that just now?¡¯ Bernard Yoo did not see Choi Yu-Seong doing the Lance Charging, because he was concentrating on the battle against Orc Warrior. Even before he could become more curious about it, Choi Yu-Seong wove his way through the battlefield where he and Orc Warrior were fighting and started running ahead. ¡®Jeez!¡¯ Realizing that he had been overtaken, Bernard Yoo clenched his teeth and grabbed the thick ax blade wielded by the Orc Warrior with his bare hands. Then, he turned his waist to gain momentum, and with his outstretched fist, he punched a large hole in the left chest where the Orc¡¯s heart was located. As Bernard Yoo had hurriedly grabbed the ax with his bare hands, part of his battle suit was torn and blood flowed out. However, he couldn''t afford to pay attention to it. This was because Choi Yu-Seong continued to run using the Wind Control and widening the distance with him while waving into the opening of the Orc Warrior who was attacking him. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he''s also a monster. How can a D-rank player avoid all of the elite Orcs¡¯ attacks?¡¯ Bernard Yoo had no choice but to smile bitterly. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t even dare to copy his movement.¡¯ Bernard Yoo¡¯s favorite skill, Explosion Shot, could instantaneously accelerate, but it still wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to squeeze between the opening like how Choi Yu-Seong had done. For this reason, Bernard Yoo had to inevitably fight when two or more Orc Warriors rushed in. If this situation continued, it was clear that their distance would widen by more than ten minutes until they reached the boss room. ¡®Though, I still have a chance.¡¯ In the end, Choi Yu-Seong would not keep avoiding the Orcs forever. The dungeon racing¡¯s final goal was to knock down the Orc War Chief, the powerful boss monster. Thus, there would surely be a moment of battle with the Orc War Chief. ¡®The Orc War Chief won''t fall so easily and¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was advantageous for Bernard Yoo to follow Yu-Seong at such a rather slow pace. By the time Choi Yu-Seong and the Orc War Chief were exhausted from each other, it would be possible for Bernard Yoo himself to become the final winner with a coup de grace. It was the same with sports, such as soccer. No matter how well the advantageous team played the game, if they didn''t score in the end, they would lose the game. Then, even the disadvantaged team could win if they score a goal. Bernard Yoo''s current situation was similar to that. There was only one problem. ¡®Ahh¡­ But I don''t want to win like that.¡¯ It was Bernard Yoo¡¯s competitive spirit. Taking the last hit of the monster that his opponent had been fighting against wasn¡¯t something he would do. However, if the distance continued to widen like this, he would definitely lose the match. Choi Yu-Seong was as strong as he expected and smarter than he thought. ¡°Did you really have to choose such a sneaky way¡ªnot directly fighting the elite monsters?¡± Without realizing it, complaints he would not normally say escaped from Bernard Yoo¡¯s mouth. However, his feelings were not toward Choi Yu-Seong but toward himself. A great conflict lingered in his eyes as he grabbed the approaching Orc Warrior''s throat and threw it on the ground. ¡®If I wear the ancient relics that my grandfather gave me now¡­¡¯ Bernard Yoo could catch up with Yu-Seong. This was because, while using the ancient relics¡ª¡®Orc Hunt¡¯, even the elite monster, the Orc Warrior, could be defeated and passed by as easily as an ordinary Orc. However, his pride did not allow him to use it so easily. ¡®I''d rather lose like this¡­¡¯ By the time Bernard Yoo thought he would rather feel comfortable losing this way, Chairman Yoo¡¯s face, the man who had scolded him with a stern face, seemed to appear in front of him. - Jae-Yeol, don''t forget that you have the whole Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s employees and their families on your shoulders. Due to the conflict between pride and responsibility, Bernard Yoo was struck by the Orc Warrior on the side. He flew into the air, swearing, "Dang it!" In fact, the answer had already been decided. If he really did not want to use it, Bernard Yoo shouldn''t have brought it. His eyes became hard as his hands squeezed the Oak Hunt that was in his battlesuit¡¯s storage box. After this match, he might hate himself and wander for a while. He was even starting to hate seeing his grandfather¡¯s face already. ¡®But how could I not?¡¯ With a responsibility to save countless families, Bernard Yoo took off the battlesuit¡¯s gloves at a high speed and wore the Orc Hunt on his right index finger. He began to run at a breakneck speed. *** Bernard Yoo, who seemed to be getting farther away, began to follow Yu-Seong closely. ¡®I thought I had at least three minutes to spare¡­¡¯ Before he knew it, the difference was reduced to about two minutes. There was nothing Yu-Seong could do about it. He was quick-footed, but he also had to sneak through the openings quickly to be ignored by the Orc Warrior. On the other hand, Bernard Yoo was chasing after him at some point, slaughtering Orc Warriors as if he was only dealing with a stronger general Orc. Unlike Choi Yu-Seong, Bernard Yoo was pushing the Orcs hard without having to find the gaps. Thus, his speed was bound to be fast. ¡®The Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s secret weapon is an ancient relic.¡¯ Seeing the sudden change in Bernard Yoo, Choi Yu-Seong easily guessed the reason. At the same time, confusion arose. ¡®But why did he start using it now? Is it not an ancient relic, but a kind of secret weapon that¡¯s similar to what I prepared?¡¯ Of course, Choi Yu-Seong had also prepared a trump card. The first of them was the Lightning Burst, a medicine that had been hidden in a statue of a small shrine located somewhere in the northern tip of Hokkaido, Japan. It allowed the user''s physical and mental abilities to significantly surpass the rank as soon as it was taken. Of course, as great as the temporary effect was, the risk was also equally great. ¡®It lasts five minutes at the most.¡¯ Also, when the medicine¡¯s short effect was over, all system stats were locked, and the user would become incapable of combat for about five days. In the original novel, after the Japanese S-rank hunter Nioh was defeated in a fight with Kim Do-Jin, he discovered the Lightning Burst and dreamed of revenge. However, he ended up with the conclusion that he could not surpass the main character. ¡®But the effect itself was described in a great way.¡¯ In the original novel, the medicine was powerful that Nioh, who had stagnated in the S-rank, was able to cut off the arm of the SS-rank Kim Do-Jin. Kim Do-Jin had been able to survive because he had an S-ranked alchemist as well as Baek Ah-Rin, who would later be the only SS-ranked restoration-type and support-type in the world, by his side. Thus, it was clear that there was no doubt about the medicine¡¯s strong effect. Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong shortly suspected that Bernard Yoo had prepared a means to increase the firepower at the same moment as the Lightning Burst, but he soon shook his head. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®Such a medicinal item is not common in this world.¡¯ It was said to be quite common in China, where it was no different from the divergence point of the Martial Arts¡¯ world. However, it was not commonly used elsewhere since the risks were tremendously terrible. It ruined people to the extent that they would not be able to recover as a hunter forever. They couldn¡¯t even recover after lying down for a few days. Then, could there be two of the Lightning Burst? That was also impossible. ¡®The original novel said that the alchemist who made the Lightning Burst hid it in a statue and died.¡¯ Of course, there were so many errors in the novel¡¯s setting that there might be a possibility. However, Choi Yu-Seong was also convinced that it could never happen. ¡®The alchemist who developed the Lightning Burst was Kaito Sang, the shrine¡¯s owner.¡¯ And when Jenny''s hidden team had visited the shrine, Kaito Sang was found dead. CH 116 There was only one thing to note. In the original novel, the cause of Kaito, the alchemist¡¯s death, was suicide. However, according to the Hidden Team¡¯s research, murder was a possibility. Choi Yu-Seong had asked for an investigation just in case, but nothing unusual was found. Needless to say, there was only one existing Lightning Burst. If Bernard had it in his possession, then he certainly wouldn¡¯t have used it so hastily. The race was about ten minutes long. After ignoring dozens of Orc Warriors, Choi Yu-Seong found the entrance to the boss room. He was once again convinced of one fact. ¡®That''s an ancient relic.¡¯ Just then, Bernard Yoo pierced the heart of the Orc Warrior that was blocking Choi Yu-Seong. He successfully overtook Yu-Seong. For a moment, they made eye contact. ¡°...I''m sorry,¡± Bernard Yoo said. Choi Yu-Seong tilted his head in surprise. "What?" However, Bernard Yoo offered no answer to that question. He simply continued to move forward. ¡®Does he feel guilty about using an ancient artifact?¡¯ In the original novel, Bernard Yoo was described as a pretty loyal man. If that was still the case, he might be feeling guilty about it. Of course, Choi Yu-Seong didn''t think it was a problem at all. ¡®Being able to use proper items at the right time can also be seen as a proper ability. Anyway, if I get overtaken right here¡­ Should I try to steal the Orc War Chief?¡¯ Naturally, Choi Yu-Seong also thought of what Bernard Yoo had been thinking. He shouldn¡¯t have a problem with stealing the Orc War Chief since victory was all that mattered. However, for some strange reason, the word "steal" felt heavy and pricked his conscience. ¡®No matter what methods I use, I just have to win. I have to win¡­¡¯ This particular race had a lot at stake. By losing, Yu-Seong¡¯s safety would also be at risk. In fact, Yu-Seong¡¯s greatest consideration was his personal safety. Therefore, he would choose whichever method that could help him win easily. That was a logical consideration, but Yu-Seong¡¯s heart told him something different. After all, this was a competition where they were supposed to show off their skills. He did not want to end the competition and seize victory through what he considered to be ¡°stealing¡±. Eventually, Yu-Seong came to a conclusion. ¡®I don¡¯t want to win by using such a cheap method.¡¯ Yu-Seong obviously did not want to lose the competition and expose himself to danger. He still had to win. Fortunately, there was a way for him to do so. ¡®I wanted to save both of my tools, including the Lightning Burst, but¡­¡¯ Beggars could not be choosers. Choi Yu-Seong had asked for more than just one Lightning Burst from the Hidden Team over the past week. He had prepared a second secret weapon. ¡®I have the battle suit that has excellent flexibility and it has small holes that allows for attachments on top.¡¯ ¡¯Of course, excellent defense was essential here. To help Yu-Seong achieve this, some of the Hidden Team members had gone to Germany, the kingdom of mass production, to hire five battle suit craftsmen. They had requested for the battle suit to be produced quickly. In the end, they had custom-made a battle suit just for Choi Yu-Seong. ¡®And its price alone is 10 billion won!¡¯ There was a simple reason why Yu-Seong could sell the first, and very expensive, battlesuit and buy a new armor that could be considered a secret weapon. ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice.¡¯ Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s incredible ancient artifact had many great factors. Under current circumstances, its ability to transform into a vast number of forms was very useful. ¡®In other words, it can transform into a rubber garment that wraps around the body.¡¯ With a luxury spear made by a French craftsman in one hand, Choi Yu-Seong wore a battle suit made by a German craftsman. He quickly transformed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a rubber material and attached it to his suit, so it wrapped around his entire body. Even his head was protected. Even with the additional protection, Yu-Seong retained his clear vision. ¡®It¡¯s made of rubber, but I made it transparent around the eye area to facilitate vision. Wow, I know I already experimented with it before, but I¡¯m still surprised that my vision is clear as day.¡¯ The more he used the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, the more Yu-Seong realized the incredible flexibility of the transformation of the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. It could help him greatly increase the range of his battle abilities. "Invoke, Dancing Electric Doll." The Dancing Electric Doll was invoked right before Yu-Seong. It was the most powerful skill among the wide range of skills he had. Orc Warriors were being electrocuted by the attack. They screamed and twisted their bodies like they were dancing wildly. However, not even the Dancing Electric Doll¡¯s powerful force could affect Yu-Seong much. He had the protection of the rubber battle suit. ¡®My skin tingles a bit, but I can endure this much!¡¯ Hunters who mainly utilized lightning power had an advantage, because lightning was the strongest out of all the attributes. As for their weakness, lightning was so powerful that it would become dangerous even for the hunters themselves. The hunters would also become powerless in the face of an opponent with the discharge ability. Yu-Seong constantly checked the stats of his own abilities to survive, so he was aware of their weaknesses and even thought of ways to overcome them. That was why he thought that the Dancing Electric Doll and his custom-made battle suit were the best for this competition. This competition helped Yu-Seong to confirm those speculations as facts. When he used his Magic Spear skill and delivered an even stronger electric shock to the stumped Orc Warrior that was caught by the Dancing Electric Doll, he instantly killed the Orc Warrior in one hit. It was similar to how Chae Ye-Ryeong had hunted the monsters in a first-class dungeon. ¡®I can do it, too. One shot, one kill!¡¯ Of course, due to the nature of the Dancing Electric Doll, Choi Yu-Seong''s mana and chakra consumption was quite high. He couldn¡¯t use it too frequently. To be exact, he thought he would not be able to use it again. Your level has risen. A level-up message appeared once Yu-Seong defeated five Orc Warriors. Through the system interface, he confirmed the amount of chakra that he had quickly consumed was restored. His physical condition recovered as well. Beneath the rather stuffy rubber helmet, Yu-Seong wore a disappointed expression. ¡®Oh, if I knew about this, I would have just come here without leveling up.¡¯ Day by day, Yu-Seong¡¯s greed increased. *** Choi Yu-Seong had succeeded in overtaking Bernard Yoo, but Bernard had come back to overtake him. Throughout the entire competition, the reporters paid close attention and filmed with the drones. They sighed, cheered, and groaned with tense feelings. Boom-! With a loud explosion, the dungeon square shook violently. "What''s going on?!¡± "Is it terrorism?" The surprised reporters jumped up from their seats and shouted. The Hunter Association¡¯s hunters who guarded the inside of Dungeon Square received a radio transmission, so they quickly regrouped and had a discussion. ¡°There¡¯s an external attack from a villain. Everyone, evacuate to a safe place! If you leave now, you will die!¡± The reporters looked at each other and their expressions naturally hardened. The competition had strict security measures in place, just in case the villains attacked. Due to that reason, most of the reporters themselves did not even know why they had been called to Bangbae-dong until they had arrived here. However, villains still attacked. "Someone tipped the villains off!" The reporters wanted to believe one another, but¡­ They couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious of one another. "Don''t be preposterous! I was called here without any prior knowledge.¡± "You could have been contacted while already here.¡± "How could I? You know that they took our cell phones and searched our belongings...!" BOOOM-! As the fierce and intense accusations began flying around, another explosion could be heard. Dungeon Square couldn¡¯t withstand the villain¡¯s consecutive attacks. Its magic barrier was starting to collapse. ¡°Run-!¡± ¡°The villains are coming!¡± The reporters began running to find a safe zone. "What are you doing? Aren''t you going?!" Kim Jin-Young shouted. Park Jin-Hwan, who was watching the monitor from his seat, bit his lower lip. "Ah¡­ This is a scoop...¡± Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°You madman, is that more important than your life right now?!" Park Jin-Hwan was already aware that it would be dangerous for him not to escape now. Beyond the perforated mana barrier, a huge commotion and loud screams could be heard. From the distant cloud of dust, a black huddle could be seen coming closer and closer. ¡°Reporter Park!¡± "I''m going. I''m going. Damn it, what a waste!" Kim Jin-Young forcibly grabbed Park Jin-Hwan by the collar and pulled him along, at which point Park Jin-Hwan finally got up from his seat and started to run. - Five S-rank villains, twelve A-rank villains, and thirty or more B-rank villains! All of them were Demon King Worshipers! The Player Association¡¯s hunters protecting Dungeon Square all had stiff expressions. ¡®We only have about ten people even when combining internal and external forces¡­¡¯ The situation was made worse by the fact that not a single S-rank hunter was guarding the rank 4 dungeon. There were only two A-rank hunters here. At best, the rest were B-rank or C-rank hunters. However, the enemies who attacked were the Demon King Worshipers, a terrorist group with villains all over the world. Among them were S-rank hunters too. The hunters couldn''t help but feel tense. - The supporting hunters from the Comet Group and Cheon-Ji Group are on their way. Stop the enemy from entering the dungeon no matter what! Once they heard that radio transmission, everyone inside the Dungeon Square felt a slight sense of relief. Of course, that did not mean they were letting their guard down. "Everyone stay focused. We don''t know when the villains will come...¡± Before the chief hunter inside Dungeon Square could finish speaking, a round and small object flew across the dust cloud. Looking at the object, the chief hunter shouted, ¡°It¡¯s a stun grenade. Everyone close your eyes...!¡± At the same time, the stun grenade exploded, and villains began to rush into Dungeon Square. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t too many of them. Perhaps it was due to the deployment of outside forces and the two Groups working together, but the villains seemed like a number that could be dealt with. ¡®Ten?¡¯ After counting the number of villains, the chief hunter took out two batons, which were his main weapons, and stood in front of the dungeon entrance. He commanded, "Do not let them enter the dungeon by any means!" A black-masked villain attacked the chief hunter with a baseball bat. Bang-! The chief hunter was slightly pushed back along with the explosion. ¡®This guy is also an A-ranker!¡¯ The opponent also paused with a slightly surprised expression upon grasping the chief hunter¡¯s rank and the fact that the others were also B- or C-rank hunters. ¡®There¡¯s a total of five internal hunter troops.¡¯ Soldiers who had just been waiting there rushed out and began to fire warning shots. Of course, it was impossible for them to fire direct bullets because of the narrow interior space. ¡®The villains¡­are cleverly using us as a shield.¡¯ The location restricted their movements. Although they were at a disadvantage in terms of the number of hunters, they could still prevent the villains from entering the dungeon. The chief hunter focused on the fight against the nearest villain who used a baseball bat. Well, he tried to do so. Perhaps nervous about the first large-scale villain''s attack, a hunter belonging to the Hunter Association got struck. His legs were twisted before he collapsed in vain and died. ¡°Kuagh-!¡± Hearing the scream, the chief hunter turned slightly toward the noise. The A-rank villain, who was looking for an opening, approached and swung his bat widely. He yelled, "Stupid¡­ Where are you looking?¡± Kwang-! A loud noise rang out once again before the chief hunter concentrated all of his power on the enemy. ¡°Hey-! It''s an entry!" "Get in there-!" Two B-rank villains stepped over a Hunter Association¡¯s dead hunter to enter Dungeon Square. CH 117 After he started using the Dancing Electric Doll, the speed difference between Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo became smaller. Noticing how close Yu-Seong was getting, even without using ancient relics, Bernard smiled bitterly. ¡®I¡¯m using Orc Hunt, but his speed is still similar to mine?¡¯ Many people were mistaken about Yu-Seong¡¯s ability. To Bernard, Yu-Seong was probably the best among the D-rank players right now. ¡°Not to mention, he¡¯s overwhelming.¡± Still, Bernard Yoo was considered a genius. He had a bitter smile, but his expression soon hardened. ''I mean, I didn''t have a choice from the beginning. I had to put my own conscience aside and use the ancient relic.¡¯ Others used to say that Bernard Yoo''s greatest advantage was his family or natural talent. However, Meghan, who was his teacher and had been watching him the closest and longest, used to tell him that his unique strengths were actually quick understanding and ready acceptance of himself and his circumstances. ''I have to accept it. Choi Yu-Seong is stronger than me right now.¡¯ Ironically, it was only at this point that Bernard Yoo''s real talent began to emerge. It was sparked by a simple reason. Bernard Yoo had trouble concentrating for a long time. Perhaps it was due to overconfidence or his relaxed personality. Therefore, the longer the battle, the more minor mistakes or useless movements he made. However, all these shortcomings disappeared when his concentration increased to an extreme. That was why the S-rank hunter Meghan used to say this. - Bernard, if you can keep your concentration for more than two hours, you will be called the strongest D-rank player ever. Of course, Bernard Yoo didn''t really care about that. As Meghan said, he was quick to acknowledge his own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, he knew very well that he could never concentrate for more than an hour. ''Choi Yu-Seong, I''m sorry, but I''m not in a position where I can lose you.¡¯ Bernard Yoo''s concentration began rising to the limit. Soon, he fell into a trance. He smashed and moved past the Orc Warriors without looking back and quickly reached the entrance of the boss room. Bernard appeared to be unstoppable. Even until the moment he reached the entrance to the boss room and grabbed the giant doorknob, Bernard Yoo was excited about the battle and his victory. Distracted by his own thoughts, Bernard did not hesitate to turn around and send a punch flying when he felt Yu-Seong urgently grabbing his shoulder. His fist was strengthened by his will to break the head of anyone who interfered. He delivered a powerful punch that tore Yu-Seong¡¯s ear in the process. Bang-! Choi Yu-Seong swayed side to side as an explosive sound rang out. "Are you deaf? Why aren''t you listening to me?¡± shouted Yu-Seong, who turned around with a groan. It wasn''t until then that Bernard Yoo realized that he had done something quite dangerous. His gaze softened, returning to its normal state. He then asked, "What do you mean...?¡± Choi Yu-Seong was lying on the floor and wiping the blood flowing down his ear. He said with a sigh, "Dang it. I''m so dizzy. I''ll try to recover so you stop the Orcs from rushing in.¡± "I don''t understand. We''re still competing, and there seems to be no reason for me to help you make up for your mistake." "Look at the sky, you idiot." Bernard Yoo raised his head while frowning at Choi Yu-Seong''s words. He tilted his head in confusion. ¡°A gray sky is nothing special.¡± "That''s not what I meant... The drone¡­" Choi Yu-Seong''s words came out slow and heavy because his head hurt too much for him to continue speaking. He sat down in place cross-legged while clutching his head. The God¡¯s Chakra was activated, and red and blue energy soon enveloped his body. After watching Yu-Seong for a while, Bernard Yoo widened his eyes as he blocked the fist of the rushing Orc Warrior. ''There isn¡¯t a single drone?¡¯ Since it was a competition between the two big groups, the match¡¯s process and conclusion had to have clear evidence. As soon as Bernard Yoo first entered the dungeon, he had plenty of reporters following him and many drones that filmed his every action. It made him feel quite strange. But now, there wasn''t even a single one when drones had been swarming him like bees everywhere. At that moment, Bernard Yoo snapped back into reality. After struggling with an Orc Warrior who blocked his punch, Bernard lifted the monster and threw it at the others. Then, he looked around. ¡®There are pieces of a broken drone lying there. Seems like the drones all collided with one another.¡¯ Bernard Yoo quickly got the picture. He muttered, "Someone attacked from the outside.¡± He was soon boiling with anger. "How dare they... Bastards!" It was a competition between the two biggest groups in Korea. It was a game that thrilled Bernard Yoo so much that he even gave up on his pride and chose to cheat. However, the game was now messed up by outside interference. ''Who the heck did this? Grandpa and Chairman Choi wouldn''t have made a mistake.'' If it was not a mistake, it would be a conspiracy. Someone must have betrayed the two chairmen. The traitor would certainly be caught once this situation was over, but Bernard himself wouldn¡¯t be able to vent his anger over the situation. It seemed like Choi Yu-Seong had figured out the situation quite early on. In fact, the drone had suddenly exploded overhead, so he would be a fool to still not understand the situation. However, Bernard Yoo had become a fool while in a trance and had hurt Yu-Seong, who had tried to stop him. It was certainly his fault. Once he began adopting that perspective, Bernard Yoo¡¯s anger soared to the highest point. He went ballistic. But thankfully, he managed to calm himself after a moment. He caught his breath and remembered what he had to do. ''It''s definitely the villains. I don''t know how many of them can get inside the dungeon, but¡­I have to stop them.¡¯ If possible, it would be best if the villains did not enter the dungeon. Forces from the Cheon-Ji Group, Comet Group, and the Player Association located outside would do their best to achieve that. However, as it was an unexpected attack, there would definitely be a window allowing the villains to enter the dungeon. In fact, the attacking Orc Warriors that prevented Bernard Yoo and Choi Yu-Seong from entering the boss room gradually decreased. This was because the monsters that unconditionally rushed towards them were now running in the opposite direction. ¡®The villains came in.¡¯ After noticing the situation, Bernard Yoo clenched his fist and readied his body for battle. ''I''m protecting Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong was injured because Bernard Yoo had run wild without even looking around. If Yu-Seong were to get seriously injured or killed by a villain, Bernard Yoo would feel unbearably remorseful. Moments later, two villains wearing black masks that resembled demon faces appeared in the distance. Bernard Yoo immediately recognized who they were. ¡®Demon King Worshipers!¡¯ They were the only villains who wore black masks that resembled demons. It was not difficult to understand why such a global terrorist group had entered this dungeon. ''Crazy bastards! They are trying to make money by kidnapping the two of us...!¡¯ Smiling through the gaps in the masks, the villains quickly approached Bernad Yoo who ground his teeth in anger. The villains easily slaughtered the approaching Orc Warriors around them, so they were most likely above D-rank. ¡®They are C-rank or higher. For the weapons: one has two daggers, and the other one¡­ Is he a Projection skill type?¡¯ Looking at the villains who might be B-rank, Bernard Yoo bit his lower lip and stood in front of Choi Yu-Seong. "You''re not going to run away? You''re fearless, young man!" ¡°Kyahaha-!¡± The two villains talked leisurely with loud voices. However, they got it all wrong. Bernard Yoo wasn¡¯t fearless; he was very much afraid. ¡®They are definitely stronger than me.¡¯ We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. And since he was up against more than one villain, Bernard Yoo believed that he was going to die. ''No, I won¡¯t die. They''re gonna have to take me alive somehow.¡¯ The experience wouldn¡¯t be a great one, but Bernard Yoo thought it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to keep in mind the fact that they could not kill him. ''If I use that to my advantage, I''ll get a chance to get out of this.¡¯ At that moment, Bernard Yoo''s mind was filled with determination to risk his life. Again, he felt someone urgently grabbing his collar. He turned around in surprise and saw Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s urgent expression. Noticing how tense Bernard was, Yu-Seong shouted, ¡°Are you crazy? What are you doing?! We have to go inside.¡± "What¡­?¡± "They are obviously B-ranks. If we fight here, we will definitely lose." Would entering the boss room offer them a different and better situation? Bernard Yoo thought back to what he knew, remembering that the boss room with the Orc War Chief inside was a huge cave. Bernard Yoo could only think it over for a second, because he didn¡¯t have too much time. Before he knew it, the villains were going to reach them in about 30 seconds. He quickly made a decision, turning around and following Yu-Seong. He ran toward the boss room. ¡°But how come you don''t budge when I pull you?¡± Bernard Yoo contemplated for a moment at Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s question. Then, he suggested, ¡°Maybe you are weak?¡± "No way." With a chuckle, Bernard Yoo leaped in front of Choi Yu-Seong and yanked hard on the boss room¡¯s doorknob. Once the huge door opened wide, Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo looked at each other and nodded lightly. They quickly threw themselves inside. Ten seconds later, the two villains followed them through the entrance to the boss room. *** If a normal Orc was about two meters tall, an Orc Warrior was about three meters tall. Then, what about the Orc War Chief, who was the raid-level boss monster? ¡®At least five meters. No wonder people said it looks quite like an Ogre¡­¡¯ They were right. As soon as Yu-Seong entered the boss room, he looked at the giant monster that had bloodshot eyes and gulped. In fact, looking at that huge monster in front of his eyes, he seemed to understand why it was given the special title, ¡®the Raid Boss¡¯. ¡®Keuooo-!¡¯ The giant Orc War Chief started running towards Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo with a roar. "Don''t attack for now and spread out! We need to make things difficult for the villains.¡± Before he could even finish speaking, Bernard Yoo was already running deep into the huge cave. Choi Yu-Seong also ran quickly. Following them, the two villains entered the boss room and frowned when they saw the Orc War Chief in front of them. A huge ax then fell overhead, and the villain armed with two daggers leaped up on the jumping Orc War Chief¡¯s thick arms. The villains looked for Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo, who were scattered in both directions. ''You think we don¡¯t know your ulterior motives?¡¯ Just as the dagger villain laughed and contemplated who to prey on first, Choi Yu-Seong activated Magic Spear and quickly struck forward with his spear in succession. Three blades of wind cut through the air and flew across space. ¡®He has Projection skill?¡¯ The dagger villain was shocked by Choi Yu-Seong''s unexpected ability, but he soon hardened his expression. He stared at the Wind Blade that was approaching him. For the Projection skill types, especially those with the natural element attributes, they had considerable power. However, since Yu-Seong was only at the level of D-rank, his skill could simply be defeated with the physical force of a B-rank hunter. As if to prove such a fact, the villain ripped the Wind Blade apart with his daggers. The Wind Blade that brushed past the dagger villain scratched the Orc War Chief¡¯s face, since the monster was standing right behind the villain. Pit-! Naturally, sticky blue blood dripped down the dagger villain¡¯s back. Keuleuleu-! The Orc War Chief¡¯s angry roar could be heard from behind. ¡®Why am I caught in the crossfire?¡¯ The dagger villain slowly raised his head and met the huge eyes that stared at him. He had no choice but to moan bitterly. CH 118 ¡®Keuwaaa-!¡¯ The dagger villain stumbled, feeling dazed by the Orc War Chief¡¯s roar. As the Orc War Chief swung violently, the dagger villain lost his balance and fell to the floor. Seeing his comrade lying on the floor awkwardly, the villain who fired a blue Mana Orb toward Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo burst into laughter. "Kyahaha-! What are you doing? Jackie!" "Shut up, Marlon!" "Do you have time to talk? You are going to become a flattened pizza!" "What?" Sure enough, the villain with the dagger, Jackie, acted swiftly when he saw a huge shadow of the Orc War Chief¡¯s foot over his head. He tumbled on the floor several times, avoiding the Orc War Chief''s feet, and swallowed the clouds of dust that had arisen in his place. "Cough, Cough. Damn it!" "Oh, it¡¯s coming again, Jackie!" Choi Yu-Seong had been listening to the conversation between the two and was quite disappointed. ''It would be nice if I could guess their abilities from their names.'' In direct battles in the player¡¯s world, victory or defeat often depended on how well they knew each other''s abilities. And in the case of most villains, it was possible to guess to a certain extent because they usually picked nicknames based on their main abilities. However, the two villains in front of Choi Yu-Seong seemed to use their real names with each other. Choi Yu-Seong quickly fired the Wind Blade made by the Magic Spear at the villain called Marlon, who was the Mana Orb Projection skill type player. He wanted to check the opponent''s ability from a distance. "Is this a joke? Are you trying to disturb me with these kids'' games? Do I look easy, you damn silver spooner!" screamed Marlon. Marlon easily blocked Choi Yu-Seong''s attack by sticking one of the Magic Balls forward and using it as a shield. At the same time, he sent five Mana Orbs in all the directions of Yu-Seong''s movements and they flew a synchronized attack. In order to avoid all those attacks, Yu-Seong began to invoke Wind Control. However, there was a violent explosion that swept behind him. He felt a shock traveling up his back, but thanks to the enhanced physical abilities of the God''s Chakra, he didn''t lose his balance or tip over. ¡°Die, die, die!" At Marlon''s cry, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes gleamed as he narrowly avoided a series of attacks through the Wind Control. ''The number of Mana Orbs that he can fire at once is limited to three to five, and he is definitely not a Physical-type.'' The dagger villain called Jackie did not seem to be able to afford to take care of Yu-Seong and Bernard because he had to deal with the Orc War Chief, who was pursuing him. To be precise, he seemed even angrier with the Orc War Chief. "This insolent mass of muscle¡­!" At this point, Choi Yu-Seong felt fortunate that the group of Demon King Worshipers themselves were a group of crazy villains. ''If he doesn''t have anger management issues¡­then he''s probably thinking that Marlon alone can handle both me and Bernard Yoo by himself.¡¯ An ordinary B-rank hunter could handle up to ten or 20 D-rank hunters on his own, so Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t entirely mistaken. ¡®But...it''s making me feel unpleasant.¡¯ From Yu-Seong''s perspective, he had to seize this opportunity and make the most of it. Bernard Yoo thought the same and his eyes shone as their gazes met. ¡®Who''s going first?¡¯ ¡®I''ll lead the way.¡¯ Bernard Yoo flashed a cool smile in response to Choi Yu-Seong''s unspoken question and activated his Explosion Shot. Bang-! With a loud explosion, Bernard Yoo lunged toward Marlon. "You''re rushing to your death!" Marlon''s Mana Orb immediately enveloped Bernard Yoo. Despite being a rare physical D-rank hunter, Bernard Yoo was more of an attacker than a defensive tank. If he were hit by a Magic Ball of B-rank or higher, he would inevitably be knocked down in an instant. Marlon, Jackie, and even Choi Yu-Seong stared at the scene in astonishment. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®That idiot! What the hell were you thinking, rushing in like that?¡¯ Before Yu-Seong could let out a sigh of absurdity, another explosion rocked the air. Bernard Yoo''s voice resounded loud and clear. "Wake up, Choi Yu-Seong!" Bernard Yoo hadn''t fallen. Convinced by the strong voice, Yu-Seong didn''t hesitate any longer. ¡®I can''t afford to hold back now.¡¯ Yu-Seong chomped down on the Lightning Burst that was tucked between his teeth, ready to swallow it at a moment''s notice. The bitter taste was worse than any cold medicine, and a heat radiated from within his body. It felt like he was in a boiling furnace. His face reddened briefly from the slightly painful sensation. Choi Yu-Seong shivered. He was hyper-aware of his body, which increased in temperature. The heat quickly got to his head. ¡®This is more than I thought¡­'' It pushed Yu-Seong beyond his limits. However, the duration of this transcendent power was by no means long. Also, Yu-Seong felt the lingering effects of the wind pressure he had encountered while dodging Bernard Yoo''s attack. ''I¡¯m acting like I am okay, but my focus isn''t very good now.'' The direction of the attack would be affected if Yu-Seong¡¯s concentration was even slightly disturbed. Needless to say, he couldn¡¯t prolong the battle time. He had to act as quickly as possible. ''There are only three opponents to overpower.'' The three were Marlon, who used Mana Orbs, Jackie, who used daggers, and the Orc War Chief. Yu-Seong captured the opponents in one glance and used the only two remaining skills first. ¡®Activate Insight.¡¯ Flames of ghost fire burned in Yu-Seong''s eyes. ¡®Chakra is overflowing.¡¯ It exploded with an unpredictable intensity. ¡®Invocate Magic Spear, Wind Control, and Acceleration.¡¯ Even though he used four or more skills at the same time, there was still a lot of Chakra left to spare. Yu-Seong launched himself forward in this state. With Magic Spear, he twisted the thunderbolt. With Wind Control, he flew through the wind, soaring through the high dome. Marlon, who had been focusing all his attention on the wildly charging Bernard Yoo, turned his gaze to the sky. He exclaimed, "Are you telling me that''s a leap of a D-rank hunter?!" Marlon momentarily panicked before regaining his composure. He fired one of his Mana Orbs toward Bernard Yoo, like a seasoned villain. He then turned his gaze back towards the front. Despite being surprised by Choi Yu-Seong''s leap, Marlon remembered that Yu-Seong was only an All-Rounder. ¡®He¡¯s not a monster like the Orc War Chief, and so he would never be able to stand my Mana Orb!¡¯ Bernard Yoo raised his arms and covered his head as he charged forward like a rhinoceros though he was not in good shape. Even if his ultra-expensive battle suit had a defense ability as good as Yu-Seong''s, it was torn to shreds and his whole body was covered in bloody wounds. He was so wounded that even in the darkest and most chaotic of battlefields, the smell of his blood seemed to burrow into Marlon''s nose. However, Bernard Yoo''s gaze did not waver. Despite not using any special skills, his eyes were so bright that they seemed to be glowing with sparks. That alone gave Marlon goosebumps because Bernard Yoo was just a D-rank. When Marlon thought back to that moment, he realized just how stubborn and ridiculously strong this monster, Bernard Yoo, was. As a chill ran down his back, his bloodshot eyes filled with anger. ¡®I''ll make this guy cower in fear¡­¡¯ Marlon felt he had to do this or else he would have to worry about retribution later. But a part of him began to feel afraid. He noticed a change in Bernard Yoo''s expression. "...Are you laughing?" With a curious expression, Choi Yu-Seong tore through the dust clouds high up in the sky and thrust his spear. Kuang-! ¡°Ack-?!¡± Marlon, who couldn''t predict the explosion that shattered the stone floor, let out a scream and stumbled. He tried to find Choi Yu-Seong when something hard hit his back. "Hey..." Surprised by the small voice, Marlon widened his eyes and quickly turned around, backing away. There was Choi Yu-Seong, with a bewildered face, holding onto the spear he had thrown. He said, "I was trying to finish you off with this, but the aim was a bit off." With an angry face, Marlon expressed his doubt. ¡°What¡­?¡± There was a loud explosion as Bernard appeared from behind Marlon. "Forget it. I have to finish this guy off to let off some steam." Bernard swung his waist around like a gymnast. "...?!¡± Marlon quickly split his Mana Orb into two and shot them out to both targets. "You shall feel the full force of my wrath, you damn villain!" Bernard Yoo gave a rough shout. The loudest explosion that Marlon had ever heard took place. Then, Bernard Yoo''s fist slammed into the corner of Marlon''s jaw. "Keuack-!" Marlon sputtered blood and his Mana Orb hit the ground in vain. Bernard Yoo did not miss his chance and chased after Marlon with a raised fist again. He growled, ¡°This is punishment for you ruining the match.¡± "How could just...a D-rank...!" Boom-! With another loud explosion, Marlon''s eyes rolled back and he fell backward. After Marlon fell down, Bernard Yoo climbed on top of him and began repeatedly punching him. Even if the difference in rank was significant, there was still a big difference in Physical and Psychic typed players. Above all, Marlon did not have the mental fortitude to endure pain and continue fighting like Bernard Yoo. Completely overpowered, Marlon was unable to say anything more. He became completely battered and lost consciousness. "Marlon. That bastard..." Having inflicted numerous wounds on the startled Orc War Chief¡¯s arm, Jackie threw a dagger toward Bernard Yoo. However, his weapon was easily blocked by Choi Yu-Seong''s spear. "Your opponent is me." Breathing heavily, Choi Yu-Seung swung his spear tip so that it faced Jackie and the Orc War Chief. He then added, "Or should I claim that both you and the Orc War Chief are mine to defeat?" "Ha¡­ This All-Rounder brat condescending me like this.." Jackie, wielding two daggers, created an illusion to deceive the Orc War Chief and aimed straight for Choi Yu-Seong''s back. Without missing a single beat, Yu-Seong turned slowly. He said with a smile, "It looks like your specialty is the Illusion skill.¡± The villain Jackie¡¯s dagger cut Yu-Seong in half. No, it seemed like he had. ''An Illusion...?'' Just when Jackie was surprised by such a similar ability and was about to turn his gaze, he felt Yu-Seong¡¯s light tap on his shoulder. ¡°Kyaaak-!¡± Jackie screamed in pain. It was as if his shoulder was being crushed by an enormous force. "Unfortunately, even someone you deem as inferior, like myself, possesses the same skill as you." Choi Yu-Seong acted somewhat arrogantly, sneering at Jackie who had ignored him with ease. "Actually, I thought I was really short on time...?" He was mistaken. "But it looks like we have time to spare." Despite seeing enough description in the original novel, he did not properly understand the difference between S-rank and SS-rank, and the difference between the protagonist of a returning hero and a natural-born hero. Now that he had the Lightning Burst, Yu-Seong was confident he could win even if an A-rank villain appeared as an enemy. With his bare hands, Choi Yu-Seong lightly caught the dagger which Jackie swung. ¡°What¡­?¡± Afterward, Yu-Seong smiled and activated a gift toward the flustered villain. He said, ¡°Invoke, Dancing Electric Doll.¡± CH 119 ¡°...?!¡± Jackie shook once he was wrapped in a thunderbolt. His eyes rolled back. Yu-Seong swung the spear outward and lightly bounced it off the ax wielded by the Orc War Chief, who had followed him. The Orc War Chief fell back. Then, a loud roar rang in the cave¡¯s surroundings. Thud-! There was a cloud of dust. ¡®He''s more than a monster! I''m going to die, I''m definitely going to die! How is this a D-rank?¡¯ After having a lucky escape from the Dancing Electric Doll¡¯s attack, Jackie ran toward the entrance of the boss room. As he made his escape, he left a vision behind. Despite his speed, it was not difficult for Choi Yu-Seong to follow. "Lance Charging." Once that command was uttered, the villain Jackie fell forward with a large hole from his left side of his chest to his right shoulder. He struggled. "Cough¡­!" Jackie watched the trembling tip of Choi Yu-Seong''s spear pass him at a velocity that he could not even attempt to keep up with. As Yu-Seong¡¯s spear smashed through a part of the massive cave, Jackie couldn''t help but utter a curse internally. ¡®The information we received was way¡­off.¡¯ Jackie was losing consciousness. He thought he should risk his life since this was a big operation, but he didn''t know he was going to die against a D-rank opponent. His end was very quiet. Keoow! Meanwhile, the Orc War Chief, who had fallen from Choi Yu-Seong''s attack, raised itself up with a scream. With a last blow, Bernard Yoo broke Marlon''s neck bone and fell forward from his position. Bernard Yoo looked at Choi Yu-Seong, meeting each other¡¯s gaze. ¡®I don''t know what you''ve done, but¡­¡¯ As Jackie thought, the current Choi Yu-Seong was not a D-rank hunter. Bernard Yoo didn''t think it was a cheap shot. ¡®At least one hidden weapon... Everyone has prepared for the worst.¡¯ Bernard Yoo knew that cheap tricks weren¡¯t to be looked down upon. Starting from the middle of the competition, even Bernard Yoo himself had used an ancient relic, the Orc Hunt, to win. Nevertheless, he couldn''t help feeling angry and upset. There wasn¡¯t a particular reason. ¡®I lost.¡¯ The feeling of defeat shook Bernard Yoo''s heart. Fortunately, he managed to shake off the dark feeling quickly. It was a shame, but the competition was already over. And most of all, the fact that he lost to Choi Yu-Seong, who was the same D-rank and a lower level than him, made him feel relieved rather than feeling empty. ¡®And I wasn''t necessarily bad, right?¡¯ It was just that Choi Yu-Seong was incredibly strong. Bernard Yoo organized his feelings in a short period of time. Then, without a word, he gave his trademark sophisticated smile to Choi Yu-Seong who had been waiting for him. Bernard Yoo strained to tense the index finger of his clenched fist. ''You win. I only have the strength to hold up a finger.'' As Bernard wondered if he received the message, Yu-Seong lightly nodded and showed respect toward Bernard Yoo. Then, he suddenly faced the fierce, red eyes of the Orc War Chief that had come to him. ''Originally...I thought I would have to struggle a lot to catch it...'' Yu-Seong had prepared many strategies to catch this stupid raid monster, but now they were all meaningless. Even the unique rough energy of the giant raid boss monster now seemed insignificant to Yu-Seong. ''This is why people are addicted to power.'' As he looked at the ax slowly falling towards his head, Yu-Seong quickly thrust the end of his spear forward. His weapon traveled approximately 500 meters in an instant using his Wind Control. ¡®Activate Magic Spear, attribute: thunderbolt.¡¯ Thunderbolt shot up from the end of the spear, releasing a shallow noise. Preparations were completed in an instant. ¡®Lance Charging.¡¯ As if the air was being compressed and then exploded, Yu-Seong leaped forward at the moment of his attack. KABOOM-! Across the short 500 meters gap, a single bolt of lightning tore through the air like it was tearing through paper. When the giant raid boss monster, Orc War Chief, was roaring and trying to swing its ax down, a massive hole had already been created from its chest to below its belly. The Orc War Chief couldn''t even keep up with its movements. Just by lifting its ax high, it breathed heavily and stumbled forward. Thud. Slightly shaking off the effects of the earlier concussion, Yu-Seong looked up at the cave¡¯s expansive ceiling. - Your level has risen. - Your level has risen. - Your level has ri¡­. Like rain pouring down, the never-ending stream of level-up messages appeared first. Choi Yu-Seong didn''t even try to count how many there were. ''I can just check the system interface to see how many there are anyway...'' Instead, he focused on the other messages that followed. - The Friend of Thunder and Hammer is paying attention to the player Choi Yu-Seong. 200 karma points are donated. - The Green Spring of the East is paying attention to the player Choi Yu-Seong. 200 karma points are donated. - Sparkling God Who Loves to Love is interested in player Choi Yu-Seong. 100 karma points are donated. - The Father of Magical Hymns has discovered player Choi Yu-Seong. 100 karma points are donated. - The Oldest Hunter happily smiles at player Choi Yu-Seong. 500 karma points are donated. - Culann¡¯s Hound sends a message saying ''May your life be filled with only glory...''. 500 karma points are donated. - A Joke-loving Prankster sends a message saying ''Stop eyeing my friend, you trashbags.'' 3000 karma points are donated! - Many gods with mythologies related to thunder and lightning are paying attention to the player Choi Yu-Seong. A history of "receiving the protection of the thunder god" is formed. There were pouring messages of the gods and the acquisition of a new history after so long. If Bernard Yoo, who had lost consciousness, were able to see, he would have let out a scream of astonishment at the sight of the compensation. Yu-Seong smiled contentedly and slowly slumped back in his seat. He was relieved that the tension was gone and his body was starting to lose strength due to the after-effects of the Lightning Burst. He wouldn¡¯t be able to go on a proper dungeon hunt for at least five days, but he wasn''t particularly unhappy about it. ''Anyway, I did well.'' He just won the match with one of the protagonist¡¯s companions in the novel and he even defeated the villain who had suddenly attacked them. Choi Yu-Seong closed his eyes with a joyful smile on his face. He felt a satisfaction that he hadn¡¯t felt in a while. ''Since it¡¯ll take more than a month for the boss monster to be regenerated...'' Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. He wanted to rest a little. *** When Yu-Seong opened his eyes again, he was in a hospital room. He looked at the familiar white ceiling before smiling bitterly. ''Now it''s as familiar as home.'' As if responding to the small movement, Jin Yu-Ri, who had been looking somewhere else, turned her gaze to Yu-Seong. She asked, "Are you awake?" "Yeah." As Choi Yu-Seong naturally tried to sit up, Jin Yu-Ri shook her head and said, "Lie down. Don''t overdo it." "I''m not overdoing it. Don''t worry." "Please... Yu-Seong oppa," Yu-Ri said. Yu-Seong looked puzzled because Yu-Ri wasn¡¯t saying much. Come to think of it, he found it strange just how serious Yu-Ri¡¯s expression was. He was momentarily lost in thought when he saw Yu-Ri had tears in her eyes. ''Why is she like this?'' Just in case, Yu-Seong checked if any of his body parts that he couldn''t feel were missing, but there was still no problem. He tried to sit up again when he said, ¡°I¡¯m okay, Yu-Ri.¡± Yu-Ri held onto Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder tightly as she shook her head from side to side. She exclaimed, "There''s no way you''re okay!" Yu-Seong raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Why are you saying that?" "Have you tried using your mana?" asked Yu-Ri. ¡°Huh?¡± Only then did Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widen in understanding. ¡®Oh... Does that mean¡­¡¯ One side effect of using the Lightning Burst was the inability to use mana for a while. One would then become no different from a normal person. After being rescued by someone from the Player Association and taken to the hospital, Yu-Seong and Bernard''s conditions were checked. If they had paid attention, they would have realized that Yu-Seong was unable to use mana for the time being. ¡®Come to think of it, I can¡¯t even feel the Chakra¡¯s effects¡­¡¯ It was like he had completely returned to a normal person. Yu-Seong knew that this condition would recover in a few days, but Yu-Ri had no idea. After all, it was Yu-Seong''s own fault for not properly explaining the situation to anyone around him when requesting to use the Lightning Burst. He couldn''t help but laugh at himself. He started to explain in detail the effects and side effects of the Lightning Burst. He had thought that Yu-Ri might have trouble understanding since it was a type of medicine still unknown in this world. It was fortunate that Yu-Ri seemed to easily grasp the concept. "So you''ll be okay in a few days, right?" Yu-Ri asked. "Yeah. Trust me and, you know, my hidden ability." "Is it...the future foresight?" ¡°Similar,¡± replied Yu-Seong with a mischievous smile. With a shrug, he continued, "I can still do regular things except go on dungeon hunts or do intense training. Just think of me as a normal person.¡± In the first place, Yu-Seong had spent most of his life living as a normal person rather than as a person with supernatural abilities. He had become strong and accustomed to this way of life, so while he did find his current condition somewhat uncomfortable, it wasn''t unbearable. ¡®In fact, I''m not feeling that powerless. Maybe It¡¯s because I''ve been trained to some extent.¡¯ That might be the reason Yu-Seong was able to smile comfortably. "The doctor said that if you''re not careful, you could become a person incapable of using mana," Yu-Ri warned. "That''s just the usual side effect of using the skill," Yu-Seong replied while looking at Yu-Ri. He then said reassuringly, "So let''s just move on. I''ll be fine in a few days. Rather than that, I¡¯d like to hear about what happened." Yu-Ri no longer doubted Yu-Seong. She explained, "You probably already know, but there was a villain attack. They were the Demon King Worshipers, and there were quite a lot of them. I think that there were five S-rank villains deployed. The commotion was quite intense, but with the combined efforts of the Cheon-Ji Group and us, it was quickly suppressed. The strange part was that the S-rank villains retreated too easily. If it weren''t for that, the damage to the city would have been much worse.¡± Upon hearing the name of the worst terrorist group in the world, the Demon King Worshipers, and the situation, Yu-Seong tried to think of the reason for their strange behavior. He then looked at Yu-Ri in surprise and asked, "Was the Slaughter Queen also there?" "No, why are you..." Yu-Ri¡¯s voice trailed off as she too looked at Yu-Seong with wide eyes. She then asked, "Was the plan from the beginning to take her out?" It was clear that the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, the head of the clan, had taken in the Slaughter Queen, Rachel. However, it would not have been an easy task to quietly take out Rachel, who was being pursued by the entire Korean government and the Comet Group. ¡®So they caused confusion...and took the opportunity to send Rachel out of the country.¡¯ In this operation, it was likely that the Demon King Worshipers had judged that it was worth the risk to simply feel them out since they could capture either Choi Yu-Seong or Bernard Yoo. "Since they treat all the hunters ranked lower than S-rank as expendables, so..." By now, Rachel must have safely left Korea behind. For the South Korean government and for Choi Woo-Jae, it was like they had been punched in the face by the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ leader. CH 120 The next day, Choi Yu-Seong was discharged from the hospital. There wasn''t really a need for him to stay in the hospital, and he thought it would be better for him to move around a little. It was only under the doctor¡¯s extreme insistence that Yu-Seong reluctantly underwent additional treatments from the Recovery player¡¯s skills. Although the treatments were somewhat cumbersome, he was somewhat addicted after receiving them. ¡®I felt powerless when the Chakra disappeared¡­but this feels quite refreshing.¡¯ The treatments infused energy into Yu-Seong, who was more revitalized than when he had gotten a glucose IV after his corporate days had tired him out. ¡®I wish the Recovery skill could also heal Jin Do-Yoon''s injury.¡¯ Unfortunately, to be able to fix broken body parts with the Recovery skill in this world, one had to achieve at least the minimum rank of SS. And so far, there were no SS-ranked Recovery hunters who could possibly help. ¡®Recovery hunters probably have a hard time passing the promotion exam.¡¯ That was why recovery hunters of B-rank or higher were often promised significantly higher pay than the other type of players. It was also the reason why the vice chairman of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s guild¡ªEclipse, Baek Ah-Rin, had become a companion of the protagonist. ¡®She is a future SS-rank Recovery hunter, and also has Support-type abilities as well.¡¯ Although she hasn''t particularly encountered Yu-Seong yet, Baek Ah-Rin was also a character as reliable as the protagonist Kim Do-Jin''s companion. ¡®And there¡¯s Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s incident... Ultimately, my party also needs someone with great recovery abilities like Baek Ah-Rin." However, among hunters, there was no one other than Baek Ah-Rin with such outstanding recovery abilities. That was why Choi Yu-Seong was looking more toward the future. ¡®If the tower opens, I''ll definitely get my hands on it no matter what other things happen.¡¯ ¡®Pet¡¯ was considered the strongest title among those of simple recovery. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®The Cyanic Wind Spirit Cat.¡¯ If Yu-Seong could only get this mythical creature, he knew that it would surely be more reliable than any other Recovery hunter. ¡®And...what kind of incident or object will there be around spring? Oh right, there¡¯s the ancient artifact, the Book of Faust. I''ll have to give that to Chae Ye-Ryeong. Maybe not the ones Kim Do-Jin will obtain, but I¡¯ll monopolize all the objects that the villains used, as long as their source is certain.¡¯ During the remaining time until his mana recovered, Choi Yu-Seong spent his days organizing his thoughts and checking the original novel''s contents. He did some light exercises to loosen up his body, but he didn''t push himself too hard or exert himself too much during his training. It was a short period of rest until his abilities returned. While he was doing that, Choi Yu-Seong called Choi Woo-Jae, who would be the most curious about the match. However, for some reason, he didn''t pick up the phone. Not only that, but he didn''t call Yu-Seong back. ¡®I wonder if something happened to him?¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong was momentarily worried. He couldn''t help but be surprised at his own emotions. ¡®Is it because I''m so used to calling him father, father¡­¡¯ Suddenly, the thought that he considered the chairman, who used to only seem scary and intimidating to him, as a family member crossed his mind. The strange thing was that the thought didn''t feel bad. - I am too busy to contact you for a while. Fortunately, Choi Woo-Jae responded before another day passed by. It was a short message, but since it was written in his characteristic manner, there was nothing to be suspicious about. And around the time when Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s mana fully returned, which was five days later, Bernard Yoo regained consciousness in the hospital room. *** Bernard Yoo opened his eyes in the hospital room. The first thing that came to his mind, as expected, was the match. He muttered, ¡°I lost." Despite the certain words, Meghan, who was silently standing by Bernard¡¯s side, nodded in agreement. "It''s a disappointing result." "Are you not surprised?" Bernard asked. Meghan smirked and sat down next to Bernard Yoo. She said, "Bernard. You did your best but still couldn''t defeat Choi Yu-Seong. Doesn¡¯t that mean he was that amazing?" "Yes." "Then that''s enough. It was an amazing competition. How can you always win? It''s possible to lose, too. You will win next time." "...Thanks, Meghan," said Bernard Yoo, smiling wryly. He then nodded firmly. ''Next time...'' Bernard Yoo could win and he would make sure that happened. His gaze became determined again. Then, he asked Meghan for his cell phone and called his grandfather, Chairman Yoo, right away. - Oh, my dear grandson, Bernard. Are you alright? As if he had checked the caller id, Chairman Yoo answered the phone with a friendly voice and asked about Bernard¡¯s well-being first. "Yes, grandfather. My body is rather strong... I think I will be fine in a few days." - The doctor said that your injuries are on the more serious side, but you will recover soon. On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong... Bernard Yoo thought that Chairman Yoo was dragging out the sentence on purpose. Feeling too curious when Chairman Yoo''s voice trailed off, Bernard couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What happened to Choi Yu-Seong?" - It seems that he might become Mana-deficient. He may have over-exerted himself during the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ sudden assault. "...Mana-deficient?" Bernard Yoo looked at Meghan in surprise. He noticed that she looked equally surprised by the news, shaking her head in disbelief. - This is information obtained in secrecy. It hasn''t been told to anyone yet. Anyway, it became a fierce game because of the mages¡ªthe Demon King Worshipers. But since the outcome caused the boy to be Mana-deficient, it''s okay to consider it your victory. ¡°No, no. Wait a moment, grandfather,¡± said Bernard Yoo as he quickly lowered his head. He was quickly overwhelmed by a complicated mix of thoughts in his head. ''Now that I think about it... Choi Yu-Seong was somewhat strange.'' The villains¡¯ sudden attack and the fierce battle that followed had happened so quickly that he hadn¡¯t had the time to think about it. However, looking back, there were definitely many strange things that had occurred during that time. ''Choi Yu-Seong single-handedly took down a B-rank villain, and even an Orc War Chief?'' Yu-Seong was just a D-rank player, and even a lower level than Bernard himself. Without Yu-Seong trapping Marlon in a corner, Bernard would not have been able to get close enough to defeat him. In fact, it was likely that Bernard would have been the one to fall in the battle. No matter how much the mind surpassed the limits of the body and pushed it, there was still only so much that could do. ''Choi Yu-Seong''s movements...definitely weren''t D-rank.'' Bernard Yoo felt like he had a headache. Sometimes, there were players who possessed the ability to temporarily gain immense strength by compromising their own lives or futures. Bernard had the impression that Choi Yu-Seong possessed such a skill, so he also wondered why Yu-Seong had used it. ¡®It''s my fault.¡¯ Bernard was somewhat closer to a power type, while Yu-Seong was a little closer to a speed type. If Yu-Seong had used Bernard as bait for the two B-rank villains, then he could have escaped once a window of opportunity had shown up. ¡®But because of the injury I inflicted on him¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong might have chosen to sacrifice himself and not abandon Bernard Yoo because he couldn''t bring himself to do such a selfish thing. With that thought, Bernard''s head pounded. "I lost," Bernard Yoo said with difficulty. - What? Chairman Yoo asked, expressing surprise. "Grandfather, Choi Yu-Seong is really strong," Bernard said. - ¡­ There was a brief silence. It only broke when the chairman spoke in a low, heavy voice over the phone. - Anyway, that guy is Mana-deficient. The video didn¡¯t even capture you guys entering the boss room. If it¡¯s announced that he failed because he lost control and went berserk, we can change the record for it to be your win. " "...What?" Bernard was surprised by the chairman¡¯s unexpected suggestion. - We will announce that you won. It''s fine, Bernard. Trust this old man. I will make sure that no one ruins your career... "Grandfather!" Bernard shouted in opposition. - Listen to this old man! If it becomes known that we lost in this state, do you think that venomous Chairman Choi will stay quiet? Like I said, on your shoulders... The chairman raised his voice as if to drown Bernard out. However, before he could finish speaking, Bernard interrupted him. "Grandfather, please listen to me!" Bernard yelled. His face was flushed from the anger he felt. He had already accepted the outcome of the match. Even amidst all this, he had come to realize the sacrifices that Choi Yu-Seong had made. But now, his grandfather was suggesting to manipulate the official record of the match. That was outrageous. At least in regards to the result of this match, he couldn''t compromise. This was the first time Bernard had raised his voice in front of Chairman Yoo. He was driven by his refusal to accept this decision. - Yoo Jae-Yeol. The chairman''s voice was laced with both anger and confusion. "I did my best because of the burden on my shoulders. I gave it my all because I didn''t want to disappoint those who rely on me. But is this just about me? Am I the only one being affected here?" - Being selfish isn''t always a bad thing, Jae-Yeol. You just don''t understand the world yet. "No, your world is a bad one, grandfather." - Yoo Jae-Yeol¡­ "Make the announcement as you see fit. But if you lie, then...I won''t stay quiet either." - Are you really going to bully this old man? Do you dare? Do you think you can get away with it? "It doesn''t matter if it''s not okay! Money, honor, whatever you have given me¡­ Take it all back. I am Bernard Yoo. I am not a toy for you to brag about," said Bernard Yoo, cutting off the call gruffly. If the call was prolonged, it would only be Chairman Yoo trying to convince Bernard to change his mind. Bernard didn''t want to listen to that anymore. It was the first time the once beloved and kind voice of his grandfather had sounded so unpleasant to him. ¡®Buzzzzz, uz-!¡¯ The phone that had been thrown on the hospital bed continued to buzz, scolding Bernard Yoo. He buried his face in the blankets and blocked his ears as if to ignore it. Meghan, who had been watching Bernard from the side, slowly moved. She picked up the phone from the hospital bed and looked at Bernard. Then, without hesitation, she opened the hospital window and extended her hand with the phone in her grip. She slowly strengthened her grip¡­ Smash-! The small phone was crushed by the merciless strength of an S-rank hunter and scattered into the air. Bernard Yoo raised his head at the sudden cold wind and confirmed the scene. He then widened his eyes. "Well done, Bernard. As your teacher, it feels good to see a worthy disciple," said Meghan with a satisfied smile. "...Thank you, Meghan," said Bernard Yoo. "What do you want to do?" asked Meghan. "Let''s run away. Grandfather will come looking for me soon," suggested Bernard Yoo. "Understood. I will protect you to the best of my abilities, Bernard," said Meghan as she silently lifted Bernard¡¯s rigid body. In that short time, Bernard Yoo''s eyes shone as he wondered where they should run to. He quickly said, "There is a place, Meghan. A place where Grandfather can''t easily approach. That¡¯s also where you need to be.¡± It was easy for Meghan to figure out the location that Bernard was suggesting. With a nod, she asked, "Are you going to protect him from now on?" "Yes¡­ If he doesn''t refuse," replied Bernard Yoo with a smile. He looked up at Meghan. "If that''s your will, then I will follow it to the end," said Meghan. With a smile that mirrored Bernard¡¯s, she held onto him tight and flew out of the hospital window. ''Wait for me, Choi Yu-Seong. I''m coming.'' Bernard¡¯s destination was Choi Yu-Seong''s house. CH 121 "I will protect you." Yu-Seong was taken aback by the unexpected guest¡¯s first words. Looking at Bernard Yoo, Yu-Seong said, "I don''t understand what you''re saying..." "I heard that you''ve become Mana-deficient..." Bernard Yoo explained. "What?" Bernard then stood up from his seat and knelt down. Before Yu-Seong could say anything, he let out a deep sigh and bowed his head. "I know that you didn''t sacrifice yourself for me and it was a choice you made to protect yourself. But I can''t deny the fact that the outcome might have been different if it wasn''t for the injury I had inflicted on you." "Wait, Bernard¡­?" "Mana-deficient hunters live miserable lives. It is natural to feel helpless after losing the power they initially had. I even heard that some of them chose to end their own lives because it was easier that way. I just¡­ I just want to show you that..." "Stop. I bet it¡¯s easier to just show you rather than say it." Choi Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh. He activated Wind Control and created an illusion. Bernard Yoo, surprised at the illusion of Choi Yu-Seong splitting into two, widened his eyes. Meghan, who stood near him, also shook her head. "I''ve never become Mana-deficient. I don''t know how the rumor started, but as you can see, I''m in perfect health," said Yu-Seong. "But, but surely during the villain¡¯s attacks, you became stronger by explosively releasing your mana..." said Bernard Yoo. "It was a medicine¡¯s effects. It was for a single use only. And fortunately, it doesn''t have serious side effects," replied Yu-Seong. "A medicine¡¯s effects?" "Overgeared, medicine-buffs, skill-buffs, what¡­ Isn''t that a common thing?" asked Yu-Seong. It was indeed a common thing. However, Bernard Yoo had not anticipated this situation at all. He couldn''t hide his trembling gaze. "...Seems like the Chairman was about to make a huge mistake, and Bernard stopped him," Meghan said, having grasped the situation faster than Bernard Yoo. At first, Bernard Yoo was confused, so he simply shook his head. Then, finally understanding the situation, he laughed loudly and nodded. "I see. Because Grandfather Yoo thought that Choi Yu-Seong had become Mana-deficient, he was about to make a false announcement¡­ If he had been careless, he would have made a big mistake." Through the conversation between the two, Choi Yu-Seong was also able to guess the reason why Bernard Yoo had come to find him. ''Seems like Chairman Yoo heard that I had become Mana-deficient and tried to manipulate the outcome of the competition.'' And Bernard Yoo, who was not pleased with the conversation, had come to find Choi Yu-Seong. If this were the original novel''s righteous Bernard Yoo, it would not have been a strange thing at all. ''He''s a cool guy as expected.'' Bernard was one of the original novel¡¯s characters that he liked while reading, so when Yu-Seong met Bernard¡¯s gaze, he felt a strange sense of gratification. Then, he said, "Anyway, there¡¯s no reason you have to protect me like that.¡± "Agreed," Bernard replied. He stood up from where he had been kneeling. Yu-Seong waved his hand lightly, watching Bernard''s relieved expression. "Now if you are done here, you should go. I''m sure the reporters will be swarming you soon enough, now that they know you''re awake." The competition between the two men had been kept secret, but it had become known to the entire country due to the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ attack. Needless to say, many people were now curious about the competition¡¯s result. Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young also asked Yu-Seong if they could be the first to know the result, but Yu-Seong had told them that he would announce it only after Bernard had woken up. It was finally time to do so. However, Bernard, who Yu-Seong had thought would leave right away, remained in his seat. He sat across Yu-Seong and asked seriously, "Yu-Seong, we are friends, right?" Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at the sudden question. ''I mean, it''s not like we''ve even seen each other that much¡­ We¡¯ve only seen each other twice.'' Even their first meeting had been a fight. However, it had been a fair fight and Yu-Seong had a good impression of Bernard. If there was anything to worry about, it was whether Bernard would want to become Kim Do-Jin''s colleague or not. Although, those worries didn''t last long. Yu-Seong didn''t want to live in constant anxiety that he couldn''t even become friends with the person he liked. " Mm, I don''t dislike you," replied Yu-Seong. "Can I take that to mean we''re friends?" "We''ve been speaking informally to each other since you came to my house." In fact, that wasn''t awkward. When he thought about it, was there anything special about being friends? Bernard smiled brightly at Yu-Seong¡¯s acceptance and said confidently, "Then help me hide." Bernard showed a cool smile that was no different from a trademark. Then, he nodded vigorously at Yu-Seong. "What...?" "My grandfather is really angry at me right now. I''ll be in trouble if I get caught. I''ll book a flight to the U.S. tomorrow, so please hide me until then. I can announce the competition results there, right? Please, friend?" Yu-Seong looked as if he had been hit by something. Meanwhile, Bernard leaned forward as if to kneel in front of Yu-Seong again. "Please, don''t do that. We''re friends, there''s no need to kneel." "So are you going to let me stay for the night? You have plenty of empty rooms anyway. Meghan and I would need one each," said Bernard. "Dude, you truly have thick skin,¡± said Yu-Seong to Bernard. Choi Yu-Seong was surprised by the request, so he shifted his gaze to Meghan, who was standing behind Bernard. She was a cat-like beauty. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "Please," said Meghan. She also bowed her head toward Choi Yu-Seong. The two of them were so similar, it was almost as if they were a ridiculous pair of teacher and student. Choi Yu-Seong eventually had no choice but to lean his head back on the sofa and accept. He said, "Fine. But you guys are leaving right away tomorrow. I¡¯ll feel pressured by your grandfather otherwise." "Of course. Then tonight is a beer party to celebrate our friendship!" "...Weren''t you just discharged from the hospital? Your condition..." "There''s no problem at all." Even if Yu-Seong had tried to stop him, Bernard wouldn''t listen. Yu-Seong sighed again and nodded as if to say ¡®do as you please.¡¯ Jin Yu-Ri, who was standing behind Choi Yu-Seong with a similar expression, took out Choi Yu-Seong''s cell phone that she had been keeping. The phone rang again with a short vibration. After checking the caller id, she said to Choi Yu-Seong, "It''s the chairman.¡± It was a call from Choi Woo-Jae. *** The party was pushed back. Choi Yu-Seong received the call from Choi Woo-Jae and immediately left the house. He headed towards the grand mansion in Yeonhui-dong. "You''ve become much more handsome lately, young master. You look good.¡± "Thank you, nanny. How are you doing?" "I¡¯m doing well. Thank you for caring about me... Hehe, please come in. The chairman is waiting for you." As always, when Yu-Seong came to the main house, his nanny welcomed him with a warm smile. As soon as he entered the house, he felt a heavy atmosphere. The mood was naturally heavy due to Choi Woo-Jae''s preference for dark wallpaper and heavy materials, but from Choi Yu-Seong''s perspective, this atmosphere didn''t seem particularly out of place. ''It''s kind of cool... If I think about it, wearing a coat over my battle suit might even be helpful with my Stylish skill. Like a main character in a game.'' If he had the new custom-made battle suit that was just produced, it wouldn''t be impossible for him to use Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice to form a somewhat special coat material. ''Spear, coat, and if there¡¯s even a gun... It might look cool. '' The Stylish skills¡¯ effects would be greatly enhanced, and it would also likely be a great help in increasing the number of views on Yu-Seong¡¯s new NewTube videos. In reality, the videos had higher views when the fights were more spectacular rather than an efficient battle with minimal moves. Since the number of subscribers steadily increased and the income from NewTube was expected to be promising, it would be good for Yu-Seong to equip himself with skills that would allow him to use a gun. With these thoughts in mind, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled. ''Should I ask Jenny?'' Jenny was one of the hunters who used guns. Maybe her gun might be able to deal damage to monsters, since it used mana. ''I''ll ask her tomorrow.'' While distracted by the many thoughts in his head, Choi Yu-Seong entered Choi Woo-Jae''s study. He walked down the dark hallway. As always, the study was full of a woody scent. Choi Woo-Jae was sitting by the window. He glanced at Choi Yu-Seong and gestured toward the empty sofa. "Sit down.¡± Yu-Seong moved quietly to sit on the sofa. Only then did Choi Woo-Jae toss a stack of documents toward him. Despite the documents being thrown from a distance, the papers landed perfectly in front of Choi Yu-Seong without a single crease. Yu-Seong was not too surprised by that move. Choi Woo-Jae, an S-ranked hunter and the leader of the Comet Group, was capable of such accuracy. It was only after looking at the documents that Choi Yu-Seong expressed surprise. He said, "The M&A report for Cheon-Ji Ironworks?" Cheon-Ji Ironworks was a subsidiary of the Cheon-Ji Group. It was known for its high profits and sales. If the automobile industry was the heart of a person, then ironworks was at least a person¡¯s legs. Choi Woo-Jae and the Comet Group were planning to easily acquire and merge with Cheon-Ji Ironworks. "Take a look at that," said Woo-Jae. Yu-Seong quickly flipped through the documents and swallowed hard. The contents of the documents included the faces of people affiliated with the Cheon-Ji Group Board of Directors. ''Geez, it''s hard to find someone who doesn''t have some dirt on them, but why are there so many of them here?'' Tax evasion, embezzlement, and illegal gambling were the norm. It was difficult to find someone who didn''t engage in these activities, and there were also many people who had committed horrible acts such as extortion and murder. In reality, it was as if these corporate individuals were no different from gangsters. ''But why is this report on a merger and acquisition?'' As Yu-Seong quickly flipped through the documents, a question arose in his mind. "The best way to fight war is through surprise attacks, not head-on battles. You have to strike your opponent when they least expect it and secure your victory. It''s a very useful surprise attack to shake up the enemy''s generals." Choi Yu-Seong jerked his head up. He muttered, "Then this list of crimes is...?" "We''ll have to blow off steam. When the announcement of your match with Bernard Yoo is made, and Chairman Yoo is distracted trying to cover it up, we''ll strike. I¡¯ve already had talks with the media and government." It was like sharpening a blade to chop off the Cheon-Ji Group''s leg. Choi Woo-Jae had finished preparing money and forging connections to cut it off with a single stroke. His calm, quiet eyes seemed to burn with hot flames. ''He''s excited.'' Feeling a chill run down his spine, Cho Yu-Seong realized something else. Although Choi Woo-Jae didn''t yet know the outcome of the match between him and Bernard Yoo, he had already prepared a definite outcome. It was hard to predict how much money, time, and people Woo-Jae had manipulated and spent since he had even persuaded the media and political circles. "Father, then if I lost...?" "Then the responsibility would be all yours," said Woo-Jae. Thud. The burning in Choi Woo-Jae''s eyes was frightening. It was a surprise attack, but he had truly bet everything on this match. If he were to fail, he had even planned to use his own son, Choi Yu-Seong, whom he held dear, as a sacrifice. "You''re surprised. But at least I wouldn''t have killed you like the other guys. You just wouldn''t have been able to set foot in Korea again." Choi Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly at Woo-Jae¡¯s dismal words. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead. It was the first time he realized how scary those words could be, even though Woo-Jae had said he wouldn¡¯t kill him. ¡°So, did you win?¡± ¡°...Of course, I won.¡± Yu-Seong smiled bitterly. ¡°Of course you won. You burnt yourself out so much that you became Mana-deficient... It''s a pity, really. That''s why I showed you the strategy plan,¡± said Woo-Jae. ¡°What...?¡± Choi Woo-Jae must be having the same misunderstanding that Bernard Yoo had. CH 122 Choi Yu-Seong chose to give Choi Woo-Jae a demonstration to clear his misunderstanding. He showed the illusion made by Wind Control and walked over to sit on the sofa on the other side. The two versions of Yu-Seong sat across from each other on separate sofas and their gazes met for a fleeting moment. Then, it was all gone like a mirage. ¡°...¡± Choi Woo-Jae watched silently. After that, he let out a loud laugh. "Haha!" Yu-Seong had never heard such loud laughter; it rang throughout the entire office and seemed to rattle the whole building like an earthquake. When he heard that laugh, Choi Yu-Seong felt a chill run down his spine. There was only one thing on his mind. ''S-rank hunter?'' It was known that Choi Woo-Jae was an S-rank hunter. Moreover, when Choi Woo-Jae was killed by Kim Do-Jin in the original novel, he had been described as an S-rank. Even so, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s uneasiness could be easily explained. The feeling of energy that suddenly came out of Choi Woo-Jae was heavier and more suffocating than he had imagined. Although Choi Yu-Seong was currently just a D-rank hunter, he had faced quite a few S-rank hunters. That was why he could be sure. ''I¡¯ve faced Park Cheol-Ho, Baek Chul, and Rachel before...but he''s stronger than anyone else.'' It was said that after achieving S-rank, Choi Woo-Jae had been focused on work and had not ventured into dungeons. But was that speculation really true? When Choi Yu-Seong gulped, Choi Woo-Jae stopped laughing and released a blade of black light from his fingers. The black light instantly burned the strategy plan that Choi Yu-Seong had been looking at just a moment ago. Despite the fierce flames, there was no damage to either Choi Yu-Seong, the sofa he was sitting on, or the wooden table. ¡®He has complete control over the flame¡¯s power.¡¯ It was the first time Choi Yu-Seong had seen this ability of Choi Woo-Jae This situation made it easy to realize Woo-Jae¡¯s extraordinary abilities. "Anyway, I''ve memorized all the content. In fact, I''m not going to do the job myself, so it would be foolish to leave it as a document," Woo-Jae explained why he had personally burned the strategy plan. Then, he asked, ¡°How did you pull off the deception?" In fact, there was nothing deceptive about it; Choi Yu-Seong had used a drug that did not exist yet. Thus, everyone had been mistaken about it, including his doctor. Since the doctor was a trustworthy doctor Choi Woo-Jae employed, it resulted in a series of misconceptions, causing Choi Yu-Seong to hoodwink the public. At this point, Choi Yu-Seong was deep in thought. ''How can I use this to my advantage?'' Just as he had told done with Jin Yu-Ri, he could completely reveal everything. However, since the opponent was Choi Woo-Jae, it was necessary to think a little differently. In the end, Choi Yu-Seong said, "...If everyone knows the secret, it won''t be a secret anymore, right?" Choi Woo-Jae furrowed his gray eyebrows and said, "So you won¡¯t even tell me, your father?" "You never know. If the fight at home becomes too one-sided, you might become bored and start supporting the opposing side, Father.¡± Choi Woo-Jae''s lips tugged up into a cold smile. ¡®I am still underestimating my ninth child.¡¯ This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Although Yu-Seong¡¯s somewhat rebellious behavior was not pleasing, Woo-Jae also didn''t dislike it. From start to finish, holding suspicions and not trusting the opponent¡ªwas exactly what Woo-Jae himself would do. Perhaps that was why, instead of finding Choi Yu-Seong''s rebellion annoying, it seemed somewhat endearing for Woo-Jae. Most of all, this was a time for Choi Yu-Seong to receive a gift¡ªnot punishment. ¡°Well, you should also keep a trick or two left up your sleeves,¡± said Woo-Jae, nodding in agreement. He then continued, "I originally intended to entrust you with the task of managing Cheon-Ji Ironworks. If you had lost your abilities as a hunter, I have hoped you would grow as a company manager.¡± In fact, it would also be a test of sorts. If Yu-Seong had taken on the task of managing Cheon-Ji Ironworks, but failed to fulfill his responsibilities, Woo-Jae would have soon replaced him with someone else as the new CEO. That would be the reason Woo-Jae didn''t mention it as a gift. "But I see it was a needless concern. You''ve done well. You''ve accomplished more than I had asked for. Since Chairman Yoo knows about your condition, you''ll be able to do something quite interesting soon." Through these words, Choi Yu-Seong was able to understand one more thing. ''Father must have been the one to reveal to Chairman Yoo that I had become Mana-deficient!¡¯ When Chairman Yoo had spoken of using this as a tool in this victory, Choi Woo-Jae had thought of undermining his and Cheon-Ji Group''s morality and scraping it off. Then, utilizing the company''s money, in other words, capital, he would drive the stock prices down during a bad business climate and smoothly carry out a merger and acquisition. Upon realizing the plan that Choi Woo-Jae had come up with, the back of Choi Yu-Seong''s neck felt icy cold. ''Frightening person.'' Choi Yu-Seong lowered his head and looked at his father, whose eyes were glacier cold. " ...There''s one thing that''s going to be disappointing for you, Father." "Hm?" "Chairman Yoo will not be able to write a false article about the contents of the match as you desire." "Why do you think that?" "Because Bernard Yoo, the one who had the match with me, will probably reject that proposal," said Yu-Seong. "What are you saying? That doesn''t make sense. That man, Chairman Yoo, is a manipulator. He''ll try to use anyone, even his own grandson, if he believes it will benefit him." ¡®Like you, father?¡¯ Yu-Seong held back a comment that almost escaped him, gave a wry chuckle, and shook his head. He simply replied, "It¡¯s impossible.¡± "Why do you say that?" his father asked. "Because Bernard Yoo has left.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He''s at my home right now, planning to depart for the US tomorrow. He plans to personally announce the competition¡¯s outcome from there." Woo-Jae narrowed his eyes before a sly grin appeared on his face. Fully understanding the situation now, he said, "Looks like his dear grandson has helped ease the tension around that old man¡¯s neck.¡± Woo-Jae clicked his tongue in disappointment before making a phone call. "Secretary Kim, have them revise the plan. Chairman Yoo will announce the result of the competition, that''s right, it''ll happen. At the latest, tomorrow morning, we''ll make the official announcement... Within 24 hours. If anyone says they can''t make it, fire them. I don''t want any good-for-nothing cowards on my team. And you should move too. We need to reel in the old politicians again. I''ll also be ready in 30 minutes. Alright, do it." As the conversation proceeded in front of him, it became clear to Choi Yu-Seong how the Korean business world moved. After a succinct phone call, Choi Woo-Jae put down the phone. His eyes burned with greed, like a volcano on the verge of eruption. It was a look that Yu-Seong certainly noticed. Then, Woo-Jae said, "As you''ve heard, the time is short. Tell me what you want as a gift. I''ll give you anything.¡± Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes also revealed a similar emotion when he replied, "...That certainly sounds tempting.¡± *** Choi Yu-Seong stepped out of Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s mansion with a somewhat exhausted expression on his face. He climbed into his car. Dealing with Choi Woo-Jae was never easy, but the hardest part about this encounter was choosing a gift. When Yu-Seong picked a gift, he had to be careful about one thing: he couldn''t just express his true intentions to Choi Woo-Jae and ask for anything, even though Woo-Jae had offered to give him anything he desired. ¡®After all, I can¡¯t just directly ask for control of the Comet Group.¡¯ If interpreted correctly, Choi Woo-Jae''s words meant that he would give Yu-Seong anything he desired, as long as it was within reason and proportional to the favor he had done. Thus, he had to tread carefully. If he asked for too little, he would regret it later, and if he asked for too much, he would be in trouble. Choi Yu-Seong had already roughly thought of an appropriate gift that fell within the acceptable range, but during his conversation with Choi Woo-Jae, he began to think that he could push for a bit more. The reason for this was simple. ¡®Since I told him where Bernard Yoo will be in the future.¡¯ Because of that, Choi Woo-Jae could quickly make adjustments to his original plan and make even more out of the information provided. Thus, Choi Yu-Seong made his request for two gifts after much deliberation. Choi Yu-Seong first requested for a special access pass similar to that of Kim Do-Jin. This was because being in a party of ten or even twenty people for every dungeon raid was not convenient for him. ¡®Soon, Chae Ye-Ryeong would be ascending to D-rank.¡¯ Also, his next colleague, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, was also set to be recruited soon. ¡®Three of us would be sufficient.¡¯ Originally, each one of them was a powerful villain enough to fight against Kim Do-Jin. Recently, Choi Yu-Seong had also been showing great progress, so he believed he would be able to exert better combat power than the same rank party members with ten people. ¡®And once I rise to rank A or higher, Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon will be able to join¡­¡¯ Moreover, Jenny would be there. On the other hand, the party members¡ªthat even their faces were unknown¡ªcould become a burden that would drag down the whole party. Due to this consideration, Choi Yu-Seong had a deep longing for a special access pass. Regarding this, Choi Woo-Jae said that he could easily solve that problem. The second thing was about a new house. The apartment where Choi Yu-Seong currently lived in Hannam-dong was certainly nice, but as previously mentioned, he wanted a house with a mana barrier installed in the backyard. In truth, in this aspect, Choi Yu-Seong became more greedy. ¡®Originally, I had only intended to request for a level of training ground that could be used up to A-rank, but¡­¡¯ However, Yu-Seong thought he could show a bit more greed and requested for a house with training grounds that could be used even up to S-rank. Obtaining a good-sized plot of land within the city of Seoul was not easy. Also, to make a training ground with a mana barrier that one could use even after reaching S-rank required an enormous amount of money. Considering the number of mana stones that would be used, as well as the cost of hiring experts to operate them, Yu-Seong roughly estimated it to be at least 300 billion won. As it was a time when a lot of money needed to be moved due to the merger and acquisition of Cheon-Ji Construction, Choi Yu-Seong made the request like he was walking on eggshells. However, Choi Woo-Jae nodded, indicating that this would also not be a problem. The fulfillment of his requests would have been enough to make him feel good, but Choi Yu-Seong was able to get another unexpected gift in addition to what he wanted. ¡®Ancient relic, the Sun God''s Protection.¡¯ This gift that Choi Woo-Jae¡ªwho thought Yu-Seong had become Mana-deficient¡ª had obtained for Choi Yu-Seong was a tremendous object that also appeared in the original novel. The effects were simple. ¡®Enhancement of natural healing ability, maintenance of the best condition, and even being able to block the abilities of S-rank hunters by summoning a shield, limited to three times.¡¯ The value of this object, which didn''t even have a wearing limit, was so high that it didn''t even need to be said. ¡®Maybe it''s worth even more than 500 billion won?¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae had certainly prepared a big present for Choi Yu-Seong. Despite being tired, Yu-Seong was able to smile at the unexpected additional rewards. ¡®He said there''s still a present left.¡¯ The problem was, Yu-Seong didn''t know what the present was yet. All Woo-Jae gave was a hint that Yu-Seong would soon find out. Yu-Seong felt anticipation and worry. For some reason, as he arrived home, he had the intuition that the last present would be mind-blowing. CH 123 As mentioned once, Meghan was a Western beauty with a cat-like appearance. To further describe her physical characteristics: her skin was exceptionally fair, her hair was a light shade of brown, and even though she was an S-rank hunter, she always wore her frameless glasses. She liked dark-toned sleek suits and wore them often with matching shoes. Therefore, when Meghan dressed in a suit and sat silently in the backseat of Bernard Yoo''s car, she seemed to exemplify the definition of professionalism through her appearance alone. Contrary to her usual appearance, currently, Meghan¡¯s hair was tied back comfortably and she was wearing round and slightly foolish-looking glasses as well as gray pants and a hoodie, the source of which was unknown, with the hood covering her face. As she entered Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s house, she stopped in her tracks and looked back with her hood still covering her face. "You¡¯re back, Mr. Choi," Meghan said, tilting her head with a smile in greeting. She and Yu-Seong had arrived at the house at the same time. Her outfit was completely gray that Meghan would blend in with the background as if she were a cement statue. She tossed aside the three-striped slippers that Choi Yu-Seong normally wore when he went out to the nearby market and held up a white plastic bag filled to the brim with the logo of a nearby mart. "I went grocery shopping. Bernard wants to have a party.¡± Yu-Seong had been quite satisfied to see her in real life, as she embodied the cold and resolute character of "Meghan" as depicted in the original novel. So he was speechless when he saw her like this, with a completely different appearance from her usual cold self. Touching his forehead, Yu-Seong asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Bernard?¡± ¡°He is sitting quietly on the sofa and watching TV,¡± Meghan replied. "At least¡­he seems to know his own situation well," Yu-Seong commented. "Oh, I''m fine. There are fewer people who recognize me than Bernard, and most of all... If I walk around like this, even my acquaintances wouldn''t recognize me." "I understand," said Yu-Seong. Meghan¡¯s current appearance was a big enough change that even Choi Yu-Seong would have unknowingly passed by her on the street. "If you don''t mind, I would like to cook the party food myself," said Meghan. "Isn''t that a question you should ask before going grocery shopping?" "...You¡¯re right." "Something is strange, but anyway..." Choi Yu-Seong let out a short sigh and walked past Meghan toward the living room. Meghan and Jin Yu-Ri followed him. He then continued, "So you are a good cook?" "According to Bernard, my cooking is second best after his mother''s," Meghan replied. "Oh, that''s great. I don''t have any talent for cooking..." said Yu-Ri. "It''s actually easier than you think once you start¡­ My cooking skills have improved as I have been taking care of Bernard..." While listening to their comfortable conversation, Yu-Seong took a few steps and looked in the living room. He saw Bernard sitting with a stiff posture, like a soldier in his military days. He casually asked, "What are you doing?" Bernard got up from his seat and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, for some reason, I felt embarrassed when the owner of the house wasn¡¯t in. I can¡¯t seem¡­to relax.¡± "You feel that way all of a sudden? You even changed Meghan¡¯s clothes¡­¡± said Yu-Seong. "That¡¯s a necessary step for a perfect disguise. In any case, did your mission go well? You know, your father is quite infamous for being scary," replied Bernard Yoo as he raised his right hand, making a gesture like a horn. "He''s not as scary as his reputation, and furthermore, isn¡¯t it impolite to talk about someone else''s father that way?" "Yeah, I guess. Sorry, if the joke was too harsh, Yu-Seong," said Bernard Yoo. In truth, even Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t understand why he himself was reacting so sensitively to this matter. Since he had received a quick apology, Yu-Seong didn''t dwell on it. Instead, he turned his attention back to Meghan and said, "Anyway, Ms¡­. Meghan? Sorry for not knowing your surname and addressing you that way.¡± "It''s okay. Just call me Meghan. Anyway, you¡¯re also a friend of Bernard''s," replied Meghan. "Thank you for saying that. Oh, and I''ll leave the food to you. Actually, I really like to eat good food," said Yu-Seong. "That''s good to hear. I won''t disappoint you," Meghan said with a nod. She then headed to the kitchen. Even though the housekeepers also offered to help her, it seemed like she wanted to be alone to focus on cooking. "Don''t worry too much. Meghan really is a good cook," said Bernard Yoo. "It seems like you prefer western food," commented Yu-Seong. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "No, Meghan is actually an expert in Korean cuisine. Since the beginning, she learned to cook because of me," said Bernard Yoo. "Oh... I''m definitely starting to look forward to it." Bernard Yoo nodded in response to Yu-Seong''s words, conveying that it would be worth Yu-Seong''s anticipation. ¡°Now that the homeowner has arrived, I can relax a bit. May I also request some clothing to change into?" Bernard Yoo asked. Yu-Seong turned to Yu-Ri and said, "Just any comfortable workout clothes will do. As for the size... I think just something large will suffice.¡± "I''ll go grab some," Yu-Ri said. With a quick glance at Bernard Yoo¡¯s muscular physique, she headed towards the room where the clothes were kept. With just the two of them left, Bernard Yoo scratched his head and spoke with a somewhat awkward expression. "To be honest, my grandfather is quite scary. He pretends he¡¯s not, but there are moments when he''s quite tough. I just thought that maybe you might be in a similar situation.¡± "Don''t worry about what was said earlier. You¡¯ve already apologized for it," said Yu-Seong. "But it¡¯s still on my mind. In any case, from my perspective, this is a situation where I''m in debt to you... " Just then, the doorbell of Yu-Seong¡¯s house suddenly rang. The maid, who had moved hastily, looked at the visitor''s face through the intercom and was surprised. " ...Young master?" At the maid''s cautious words, Yu-Seong looked at the intercom screen and saw the visitor¡¯s face. "Kim Do-Jin?" - Hey, Choi Yu-Seong, are you home? It was the visit of a third unexpected guest. *** The living room was now occupied by three men. In the center of the sofa sat Yu-Seong, on the left was Bernard Yoo, and on the right was Kim Do-Jin. An eerie silence filled the room as they sat there staring at one another. Except Meghan who was cooking, even Jin Yu-Ri only watched from a distance. The entire atmosphere was strangely tense. Kim Do-Jin eventually broke the silence, asking, "Bernard Yoo, why are you here?¡± "Where I am is none of your business. But why are you calling me informally like that?" "Choi Yu-Seong. Explain this," said Do-Jin. "I don''t see why he should answer when I refuse to," said Bernard Yoo. When Choi Yu-Seong looked uncomfortable and scratched the back of his head, Kim Do-Jin gave him a confused look. He cried out, "Choi Yu-Seong, don''t you feel wronged? I heard that you became Mana-deficient because of your fight with this foolish guy. How could you..." "Hey, wait a minute. How do you even know about that?" said Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong¡¯s ¡°Mana-deficiency¡± was no longer a secret. It was now a rumor that had spread throughout the neighborhood. In the case of the Cheon-Ji Group, it seemed that Choi Woo-Jae had spread the rumor intentionally, but it raised the question of how Kim Do-Jin had also heard the rumor. "The association chairman told me," Do-Jin replied. "The association chairman? The chairman of the Player Association?" asked Yu-Seong. "Yes. He heard it from the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s chairman. He was saddened by the loss of such a great talent in South Korea.¡± As expected, rumors spread quickly once someone started talking about it. "That information will be updated soon," said Bernard Yoo. "What do you mean?" "Choi Yu-Seong is not Mana-deficient." "I didn¡¯t ask you, did I?" said Do-Jin. "You''ve got an attitude. Were you like this before? On TV, you seemed to be quite witty and gentle," pointed out Bernard Yoo. "Perhaps he would have won all the awards at the Cannes Film Festival, if he was an actor," replied Yu-Seong with a grin as he shook his shoulders. For some reason, the atmosphere had become strange, but the feeling of the three men being together was not uncomfortable. Kim Do-Jin seemed a bit more sharp-tongued than usual, but that was a minor thing. ''After all, the two of them did become colleagues in the original novel.'' In fact, it wouldn''t be bad for them to become acquainted with each other at this point. "Wait, by the way, why did you come looking for me after you heard that I became Mana-deficient?" "The reason should be obvious. I was worried," said Do-Jin. "...Are you crazy?" "I need to use your ability someday. If you lose your power in a negligible victory or defeat like this... Well, if that were the case, I would have been disappointed." Kim Do-Jin wore a cold expression and stood up from his seat. He said, "Anyway, I''m glad to know that you''re fine. I''ll leave now. It was a pointless errand.¡± "See ya, brat," Bernard Yoo said, waving Do-Jin off as if he were chasing him away. Kim Do-Jin looked at Choi Yu-Seong with an unreadable smile before leaving. ''What? What''s going on?'' Choi Yu-Seong wondered as he looked back at Do-Jin with a questioning look. ''Come to think of it, in the original novel, these two also had a similarly rough start.¡¯ The rough start wouldn¡¯t last long and the two of them, while clearing difficult dungeons and repelling demon invasions, would develop a deep camaraderie with each other. Although the current sensitive atmosphere was strange, Yu-Seong decided not to worry about it too much. ¡®After all, it''s a future event that the two of them will become colleagues.¡¯ Eventually, they would meet each other when the right time came. While Yu-Seong had that thought in mind, Kim Do-Jin, who was leaving the house, suddenly halted his steps. He looked towards the kitchen where Meghan was cooking. He tilted his head and let out a sigh, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bernard Yoo paid no attention to Kim Do-Jin''s behavior and spoke to Yu-Seong. "Ah, isn¡¯t this smell amazing? Meghan is making Budae Jjigae[ref]Budae Jjigae is a Korean stew dish that originated during the post-Korean War era, when food was scarce. It is made by combining various meats and vegetables with a spicy broth, and is commonly known as "Army Stew". [\ref]. It''s one of my favorite dishes. It pairs perfectly with alcohol.¡± As Yu-Seong sniffed the air, he realized the smell that came from the kitchen was fascinating. "The quality of this Budae Jjigae relies on the ham being used. We don''t skimp on the cost and use good quality ham. But if it''s too salty, it ruins the taste. Meghan has a good handle on that," explained Bernard Yoo. "I fully agree," said Kim Do-Jin, who, for some reason, had returned to the sofa. He appeared to have changed his mind about leaving the house. "You...?" Bernard Yoo looked at Do-Jin with a baffled expression. Kim Do-Jin did not look at Bernard Yoo. He simply looked straight at Yu-Seong and asked, ¡°Don''t tell me you''re not going to offer me a meal as a guest?¡± When Choi Yu-Seong thought about it, Do-Jin was an extreme fan of Budae Jjigae. Yu-Seong smiled wryly at the sudden realization. He said, "It''s not a meal, it''s a party..." "It doesn''t matter. I can just eat and go." Yu-Seong wore a strange smile and looked at Kim Do-Jin, who gave a threatening glare. It was as if Do-Jin would kill him if he refused. Yu-Seong nodded. ¡®I''m growing increasingly fond of him¡­.¡¯ Yu-Seong was aware that Kim Do-Jin was a dangerous person, but he didn''t think of refusing him as a guest at this point. ''Well, it''s true that he has some kind of positive interest for me at the moment...'' Rather than being scared, it was better to use the relationship properly. Yu-Seong thought as he nodded. Just then, someone opened the closed door and entered the living room in a hurry. They shouted, "Choi Yu-Seong!" ¡°Noo-nim?¡± It was Choi Mi-Na. Without paying attention to the people around Yu-Seong, including Bernard Yoo and Kim Do-Jin, she grabbed Yu-Seong''s shoulder with a trembling gaze. She exclaimed, "I heard that you became Mana-deficient. Who the hell...?" "No, that¡¯s not it!" Choi Yu-Seong now let out a shout. He sounded like he was being driven close to tears. CH 124 Choi Mi-Na ran so fast that she might as well have flown over to see Yu-Seong when she heard the news. She blushed after realizing that he was fine and that she had caused a ruckus for nothing. After saying she felt flustered and guilty because she failed to keep her promise to help Yu-Seong to some extent. Then, as if running away, she quickly left her seat. It was understandable. She had always been uncomfortable in crowded spaces, and today, she had shown an embarrassing side of her so it was only natural for her to run away. Not long after, the party started and quickly became much more chaotic than Yu-Seong had anticipated. Bernard Yoo enthusiastically showed off his skills, and surprisingly, Jin Yu-Ri and Meghan had a lot of common ground and were constantly chatting. They even exchanged numbers. The strange thing was that Kim Do-Jin, who had seemed like he would leave as soon as he finished eating, stayed in his seat and drank. His face turned slightly red as he said that he didn¡¯t hate getting drunk and laughed more openly than usual. However, from Choi Yu-Seong''s perspective, it was a situation where his own heart was getting colder. Though, such feelings didn¡¯t last for long. He gradually got drunk and got into a good mood. He was gradually letting go of his inhibitions and was truly taking a leisurely break for the first time in a long time. He truly let loose without a care in the world. "...I drank a lot," said Yu-Seong as he looked at Jin Yu-Ri sitting next to him. It seemed like he had fallen asleep on the couch in a somewhat disheveled state and was woken up by the morning sun. "Yes, it was no joke. It''s been a while since you drank as much as you wanted. Haha¡­" Jin Yu-Ri chuckled and nodded. It must be because Jin Yu-Ri and Meghan had been by Yu-Seong¡¯s side in the comfort of his own home, but he had felt a sense of ease and relaxation wash over him. ''Or maybe I just really wanted to get drunk.'' The problem was that Yu-Seong had some memory loss because of it. "What about Bernard Yoo and Meghan?¡± asked Yu-Seong. "They left early in the morning. They''re on a plane right now.¡± "They probably went straight to America. I wonder if Chairman Yoo of Cheon-Ji Group Yoon stayed calm...¡± "Meghan also mentioned that. I was worried that he might have imposed restrictions on their departure, but it seems that he simply suspended their card. I think Chairman Yoo of Cheon-Ji Group is so angry that he¡¯s throwing Bernard Yoo out to get a taste of life living on his own.¡± "I don''t think the older man will be able to bear it for long, considering how much he cares for Bernard," said Yu-Seong. ¡°Yes, it is a well-known rumor,¡± replied Yu-Ri. Furthermore, in the original novel, Bernard would often act against his grandfather¡¯s intentions, and ultimately, Chairman Yoo always ended up on the losing side. Yu-Seong believed this time would be no different. ¡°What about Kim Do-Jin?" Yu-Seong asked. The memory of Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo fighting suddenly came to his mind. He then asked, "Didn''t he fight with Bernard Yoo?" "They did. But you truly don¡¯t remember it at all?" "Sorry. I truly don''t remember," said Yu-Seong. Jin Yu-Ri smiled mysteriously before saying, "Well then, it is a secret. You can hear it from the two yourself.¡± "You mean, to meet the two of them together again?" Choi Yu-Seong looked at Jin Yu-Ri with a surprised expression. It was understandable to include Bernard Yoo in the story, but the sudden mention of Kim Do-Jin was too unexpected. After all, Yu-Seong knew that Jin Yu-Ri held a certain level of disdain for him. ¡°It¡¯s because I have some newfound certainty from the previous day''s events. At least I am now convinced that Kim Do-Jin holds no ill will towards you, young master¡­ And most of all, the three of you seem to look better together than I had imagined." "You talking like that only makes me even more curious. What exactly happened yesterday?" "Hmm... Why don''t you ask Kim Do-Jin directly?" Yu-Ri said. "Is he still at our house?" "No, he left for a dungeon when Bernard Yoo was leaving.¡± "I guess I''m the only lazy one." "You must be the weakest drinker." "Dang..." Choi Yu-Seong chuckled and jumped up from his seat. The spinning sensation of being hungover made Yu-Seong feel like he couldn''t do anything if he didn¡¯t stay on the couch. However, he couldn''t let that happen. He had to move forward just as much as, if not more than, Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo. After all, both of them were working diligently. Choi Yu-Seong picked up the iron rod on the wall and said to Jin Yu-Ri, "Ahh, the smell of alcohol is still strong in my mouth. I''m going to exercise and freshen up, so tell Jenny to give me a call and come over. I have something to ask her. Also, I''ll be leaving for somewhere quite far in the afternoon." "Where are you going?" asked Yu-Ri. "Goseong in Gangwon-do." "Ah¡­ You are finally going to meet him." Jin Yu-Ri''s eyes sparkled. As she was the one who had investigated, Yu-Ri knew very well just who was in Goseong, Gangwon-do. "Since I shouldn¡¯t leave too late. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Yu-Ri." It was time for Choi Yu-Seong to meet his last colleague, Yoo Jin-Hyuk. *** After sweating out in morning training and getting rid of all the alcohol in his body, Choi Yu-Seong took a shower and dressed neatly before leaving his house. "Oh, boss! Hello!" A cute girl with a plump appearance and bright eyes greeted Choi Yu-Seong by bowing her head. At first, Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t recognize the girl for a moment. He finally realized who she was a moment later. "Oh... Chae Ye-Ryeong? You changed your hair." Every day, Ye-Ryeong would walk around with her bangs covering more than half of her face. Only when she flipped her long bangs to the side would her childish-looking face be revealed. With slightly squinted eyes, a round face, small dimples, and a delicate body, it was hard to believe that she was the "The Sorceress of the Flood" who had sent many to their deaths in her original story. ¡®She still has baby fat on her face. She is certainly still a child. Haha¡­¡¯ Even though Choi Yu-Seong and Ye-Ryeong were only a year apart, because of Yu-Seong¡¯s memories of his past life, he felt that Ye-Ryeong was way younger. Choi Yu-Seong smiled like an old uncle. "Well, it¡¯s quite cumbersome when hunting, and I don¡¯t feel the need to cover it, so... What do you think? Is it strange?¡± asked Ye-Ryeong. "Not at all. You look good. By the way, what''s going on? I thought you were focusing on hunting for your promotion examination?" "Oh, that''s why I came to see you." Ye-Ryeong laughed and made a peace sign. "I am D-rank, sir." "...What?" "I got promoted yesterday! So, I cut my hair to celebrate my achievement," Ye-Ryeong said. That was fast. He had expected it, but Yu-Seong was still surprised by Ye-Ryeong''s rapid growth. ¡®Maybe it''s because it''s not my own progress. It feels even faster.¡¯ Before Yu-Seong knew it, the cold weather was getting warmer and spring was approaching. If he thought about it, Ye-Ryeong''s rate of growth was enough for her to have been promoted. However, something still felt quite strange for Yu-Seong. Anyways, apart from that, Yu-Seong felt good about the news. A natural smile soon appeared on his face. Jin Yu-Ri, who also looked surprised, was the first to speak. "Congratulations, Ye-Ryeong. You''re growing really fast." "Thank you, unni. I still can¡¯t believe it yet...but everyone says it''s a big thing. I even got my new D-rank certification. Hehe." "That''s good news." "Yeah! So now I can go to the same dungeon as the boss.¡± "Hmm... That''s also good news. But I regret to inform you that I have to go somewhere else today," said Yu-Seong. "Oh, if you''re busy, then it can''t be helped. I''ll just do some personal hunting then. Anyway, since the boss is on a higher level than me, I''ll try my best to catch up." Ye-Ryeong clenched her fists and looked determined. Yu-Seong watched the girl and smiled. Then, he looked at her as if something had suddenly occurred to him. He asked, "Or how about you consider today a day off and come with us?" "A day off?" "We''re planning to go to Goseong in Gangwon-do. It''s right next to Sokcho, so we can see the beach too. It''ll be nice." "If the boss says so, then I''ll do that," said Ye-Ryeong. "No, I''m not forcing you... " said Yu-Seong as he scratched his head. "I''m just joking. I was excited about taking the day off. I also want to see the sea! But can I really follow along?" With her tongue sticking out, Ye-Ryeong grinned and looked back and forth between Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri. "Of course," replied Yu-Seong. "If Yu-Seong oppa is okay with it, then I''m good with it too," said Yu-Ri. And so, the three of them became a group and got into the car. *** Since Yu-Seong had requested to visit Jin Do-Yoon at the hospital first, Jin Yu-Ri''s car did not head directly towards Gangwon-do, Goseong. Despite losing one foot, Do-Yoon was undergoing consistent rehabilitation treatment and was expected to be able to be discharged soon. There would be inconveniences such as using a wheelchair and living with crutches, but if there was no need to stay in the hospital, it was better for Do-Yoon to be discharged. Choi Yu-Seong eagerly awaited the day Jin Do-Yoon would return home as he left the hospital. Only after the hospital visit did the car head toward Goseong. As it would take about three hours from Seoul, it was not a short journey. During that time, Choi Yu-Seong sat in the back seat and checked his social media and NewTube channel. When a popular video appeared on his feed, his attention was soon drawn to it. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. - Promising D-rank tanker, Park Hyuk-Jin, leads the charge in challenging the Goblin Fortress dungeon racing as a tanker. In fact, since records were important in dungeon racing, it was not something that a tanker, who mainly focused on defensive abilities, would often challenge. As Choi Yu-Seong had experienced, even the Goblin Fortress dungeon was a dungeon with many challenges. ¡®Even if he is D-rank, it won''t be easy as a tanker¡­¡¯ Since Park Hyuk-Jin was described as a promising player, he was a pretty well-known player. Based on the fact that he had made this difficult decision, it was an event that would raise his reputation. It was not just a simple challenge announcement that made the video popular. ¡®Anyway, Park Hyuk-Jin...looks familiar. I wonder who he is.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong scratched his cheek and opened the notepad to check the contents of the original novel. He had a thought that Hyuk-Jin might be an important character. He checked to see if there was anyone with the same name, but soon turned off his phone when he found no matching name. The brief encounter during his E-rank days, when he had first entered the dungeon, had made a small impression on Choi Yu-Seong. However, it had been forgotten. Afterward, Choi Yu-Seong looked at his own system interface. ¡®Wow, I have over 5,000 karma points.¡¯ Due to his great performance in the battle with Bernard Yoo, Yu-Seong had received more attention from the gods than he thought. Many of the gods'' names were related to thunder, including Odin and Thor. Because of this, Loki, who seemed somehow jealous, had suddenly given away 3,000 karma points. This resulted in the current huge numbers being recorded on the interface window. It was a source of satisfaction for Choi Yu-Seong to see the number, but it was time to put it to use instead of saving it all up. Yu-Seong thought about which skill to raise. He also thought about the fusion of Insight and Eye of the Beast, which only had one use left. It would take about three hours to go to Goseong, so the journey wouldn¡¯t be as long as he thought. ¡®It''s skill enhancement time.¡¯ In that way, Choi Yu-Seong began the work he had been putting off for several days. CH 125 Karma points were used to enhance skills. For Choi Yu-Seong, who had already raised his Wind Control skill to D-rank, there were three choices left. ¡®Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails, Dancing Electric Doll, and Magic Spear.¡¯ With the karma points Yu-Seong had now, he could enhance two of these. The first priority for upgrading was obvious. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s going to be the Magic Spear.¡¯ The spell may have seemed somewhat disappointing, as it only granted a short period of powering up in E-rank, but the Magic Spear was so much more than that. ¡®In the end, it''s a skill that combines magic and spear techniques to reach the ultimate level.¡¯ The best thing about Magic Spear was that the user could choose their own direction of growth. ¡®Shall I start right away?¡¯ This was the moment Choi Yu-Seong requested the upgrade of his Magic Spear skill on his system interface. - The Magic Spear skill at E-rank is upgraded to D-rank by consuming 2,500 karma points. Instead of a message indicating that he had risen through the ranks as a Spear Expert, Choi Yu-Seong''s system interface brightened with a golden light. Afterward, messages appeared one after another in front of Choi Yu-Seong. - The Magic Spear at D rank is a Special Skill and has improved to C- due to the influence of Spear Practioner D. - Overpower is expressed due to the Special Skill. - From C rank, the direction of development for Magic Spear skill can be chosen: 1. Specialization. 2. Diversity. Choi Yu-Seong looked at the messages and grinned. ¡®I''m really reaping great benefits thanks to the Spear Practioner.¡¯ The full potential of Magic Spear could be fully realized from C-rank, which was also known as a turning point. Therefore, the skill that originally had no significant effect was forcibly elevated, presenting the user with choices. It was as expected, but the results unfolding before him made Choi Yu-Seong feel excited. ¡®Wait a minute. If this continues to progress in over-grade, wouldn''t I reach the same level as the Spear King¡­with pure spear skills?¡¯ In the original novel, the Spear King, Bencliffe, had been inundated with offers of sponsorship from gods associated with spears. He had ultimately become one of only ten judges in the world. Such a player had disregarded the offers of countless gods who used spears and had chosen the Magic Spear of Cu Chulainn. ¡®Bencliffe said that as long as he had the Magic Spear, he did not fear the Demon King.¡¯ In fact, in the latter half of the original novel, he had fought the Demon King with just one spear, using his innate talent and the Magic Spear. ¡®Ultimately, he couldn''t win, but.....¡¯ He had fought the Demon King alone, inflicted a great wound that destroyed half of the Demon King''s physical body, and had managed to escape alive. Bencliffe had said that two things made up the essence of the Magic Spear. ¡®First is the talent for the spear, and second is the special skill that provides over-power only for spear-related skills.¡¯ Coincidentally, Yu-Seong had both. Thus, simply following in Bencliffe''s footsteps, he could become a much more powerful person in a world where many strong people were fighting just with spear techniques alone. ¡®Bencliffe said he had chosen ¡®Diversity¡¯ in this Choice.¡¯ As a result, Bencliffe had gained two benefits. The first was the record of countless spear techniques inherent in the Magic Spear skill. The original foundation of the Magic Spear skill was the spear technique used by Cu Chulainn, the king of Ireland. As it was mentioned earlier, the Magic Spear that had changed to a skill was created with the ultimate spear skills in mind. So, Cu Chulainn had recorded all the Spear skills that he had experienced during his lifetime in this Magic Spear skill. In terms of the direction of skill development, if Choi Yu-Seong chose Diversity, he would be able to store all of these techniques in his mind and could watch those techniques be played out like a video at any time. And if he had a high understanding of spear skills, through this, he could constantly reach new levels continuously. ¡®The second is the expression of various attributes.¡¯ The attribute that Choi Yu-Seong could only use for a short time now would gradually become easier to use as the rank of the Magic Spear skill increased. Later on, it would eventually change into a permanent form. Even the number of attributes increased greatly so that various attacks could be made like magic. Bencliffe was famous for making use of this as a trick by linking and combining the attributes to make the Demon King''s gap. ¡®Certainly, if I think about the versatility brought about by Diversity, option 2 is the right choice.¡¯ However, at this point, Choi Yu-Seong thought that he would choose the opposite of Diversity which was option 1¡ªSpecialization. Although it was not mentioned in the original novel, it was likely that Specialization had some kind of advantage. ¡®If I follow the original novel, choosing Diversity like Bencliffe would be better, but in my case, Specialization has a higher probability of being helpful.¡¯ Therefore, there was no hesitation in Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s choice. - The choice made by player Choi Yu-Seong leads to an upgrade in the C-rank Magic Spear skill, Specialization. - The Irish style Spear skill of Cu Chulainn is passed on to player Choi Yu-Seong. - From now on, player Choi Yu-Seong can only express one attribute through magic. Please select one. 1. Fire. 2. Water 3. Wind 4. Earth 5. Thunder 6. Wood¡­ As the rank of Magic Spear skill rose, more options of attributes became available. In fact, even though Yu-Seong was currently only at C-rank, there were almost ten options to choose from. However, the skill that he ultimately chose had already been determined. ''Thunder.'' The moment Choi Yu-Seong chose that attribute, a blue light flickered in front of his eyes. Then, the blue light turned into a doll-like figure that held onto a spear and began to wildly unleash thunderbolts as if it were going to tear the world apart. Surely, the figure¡¯s movements with the spear were not clean. It was intense and flashy, but also surprisingly practical. Choi Yu-Seong knew that this was the true vision of Cu Chulainn. It was the spear technique he had chosen, which was the spear god¡¯s method after experiencing countless forms. Choi Yu-Seong stared blankly at the doll-like figure¡¯s movements and was suddenly enveloped by a powerful light that burst out as if the world was exploding. In its place, a new, evolved Magic Spear skill appeared in front of Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes. ¡ºInheritance Skill, Magic Spear C-. Fusion is not possible. Cu Chulainn, the ¡®Culann¡¯s Hound,¡¯ was a hero who excelled in both Spear and magic. ¡´¡´The skill exceeds the limit grade due to Special Skill, Spear Practioner D.¡µ¡µ The basic Irish Royal Court style is merged with the user¡¯s Spear. The attribute ability is fixed to ¡®thunder¡¯ through Specialization selection. When using a spear, you can continuously consume mana to display the fixed attribute. A powerful ability is sealed. Please raise your rank to release the sealed ability.¡» The skill information window had become cleaner compared to before, but the effectiveness presented was difficult to compare to the previous one. Now, Choi Yu-Seong could freely use the attribute that he was most familiar with and best at handling¡ªthunder. Of course, he would have to keep in mind the mana consumption, but the fact that there was no time limit like before meant the removal of penalties. Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Above all, Choi Yu-Seong now had a master of the spear. ''I wonder if that blue light is the remnants of Cu Chulainn?'' When he tried to think about it, Choi Yu-Seong felt his fingertips tingle as he mentally saw Cu Chulainn''s spear technique like a video playing in his mind. He wanted to immediately run outside and experiment to see how well he could mimic the spear technique he saw. - Culann¡¯s Hound looks at the player Choi Yu-Seong with a captivated gaze. Choi Yu-Seong forced down the feeling of excitement that was rising within him as he read the message. ¡®This is only the beginning.¡¯ Despite the fact that the original novel had shown a definite direction and answer in selecting Diversity, there was a reason why Choi Yu-Seong had chosen Specialization. ¡®If I can control the wind by Wind Control and the thunder through the Magic Spear to perfection¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong would be able to use the ¡®Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡¯ that was only mentioned by name in the original novel and was impossible for anyone to learn. ¡®Although I can''t be sure of its power since it wasn¡¯t described in the novel.¡¯ He clearly remembered one phrase from the description. It was the ultimate skill that could threaten even Kim Do-Jin, who had reached the EX-rank, if someone with a wicked heart were to master this. ¡®Let¡¯s trust this.¡¯ This was a phrase said by someone who Kim Do-Jin, the arrogant returnee who was known as the strongest among others, would call his teacher. Choi Yu-Seong once believed that mastering the technique ¡®Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡¯ was unattainable and therefore had excluded it from his personal growth guide. However, his perspective has since changed. ¡®If I continue in this phase, it will be possible.¡¯ The more power Choi Yu-Seong had to protect himself, the better it was¡ªeven if that power was not used to fight. In that sense, his determination fired up again, and he looked at the skill interface. ¡®There is still time, and there are still karma points left.¡¯ Now the remaining choices were the Dancing Electric Doll and the Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails. Originally, Choi Yu-Seong was deeply worried about which one to promote, but as soon as he promoted the Magic Spear skill, he was clear about his next choice. ¡®I have enough attack skills currently.¡¯ Thus, his choice was Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails. ¡®After raising it¡­¡¯ He was planning to combine the final Insight and the Eye of the Beast. Since these two skills did not have a separate choice for him to make like the Magic Spear skill, Yu-Seong did not hesitate to simultaneously cast fusion and promotion. Then, he closed his eyes tightly and prayed inside his heart without checking the expected results. ¡®Not worried about the promotion, but for fusion since I am giving up Insight. I really need a good one. Please give me something good... something really good!¡¯ Fusion often brought good results when used strategically, but this time, as it was based on such a powerful skill as Insight, Yu-Seong could not help but feel tense. That was why he had waited a long time for a skill that could be combined with Insight. "...right, really?" "Yes. His concentration is also good, so..." The soft music and conversation between Jin Yu-Ri and Chae Ye-Ryeong had not been heard until now since Choi Yu-Seong was focusing on skill promotion. Yu-Seong, who had been praying with both hands tightly clasped near his heart, slowly opened his eyes after a short sigh. ¡®Is it up? Is it?¡¯ At first, Choi Yu-Seong raised one eye heavily and looked at the blurry view between them. Then, he looked at the message that was not easily readable. He once again tried to calm down and opened both eyes wide. ¡°...¡± After checking the results, Choi Yu-Seong let out a stifled sound. With one hand covering half of his face, he fell into a short silence. "Hm?" "Boss? Are you crying?" The two girls sitting in front looked at Choi Yu-Seong with a flustered look and asked. They did find the sound a bit too strange to be crying. "Kuek-kuek... Kuek-kuek... " "Yu-Seong oppa?" "Is this...crying?" Choi Yu-Seong showed a big smile as he uncovered his face once again. With a slightly flushed expression, he said, "Guys, life is way too sweet. Sweeter than chocolate. Cough cough.¡± After that, Choi Yu-Seong turned away from the girls¡¯ slightly bewildered looks, pulled out his cell phone, and began searching. ''Goseong 3rd rank dungeon in Gangwon-do.'' He was itching for action. It felt as if he could no longer hold himself back. CH 126 The only rank 3 dungeon located near Goseong, Gangwon-do, was ¡®The Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep¡¯. Its name made it sound like a rather peaceful place, but in reality, the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep wasn¡¯t a dungeon to be looked down upon. ¡®A party of minimum five adventurers with an average rank of D and level 50 is recommended¡¯. Sheep generally had gentle appearances, but their true nature was a violent one, so it wasn¡¯t particularly difficult to predict how ferocious they became once they turned into monsters. Moreover, these green sheep were easily twice as large as regular sheep, and they even possessed sharp horns. It was only natural for the dungeon to be difficult since one had to fend off such ferocious creatures, all the while climbing the ridge. However, proceeding through the dungeon was a breeze for Choi Yu-Seong, even though he was accompanied only by Chae Ye-Ryeong. They hunted the green sheep without any difficulties, and there was a rather simple explanation for it. The most troublesome and ferocious aspects of the green sheep were their brashness, mobility, and tenacity. However, the green sheep were rather dull in their movements when they descended the slanted ridge. They weren¡¯t slow, but considering that they were charging downhill, they weren¡¯t fast either. If a comparison had to be made, it could be compared to a disciplined cyclist cycling while warming up for a competition. ¡®I can¡¯t say for sure, but it must be close to about 30 kilometers per hour.¡¯ The sheep were clearly fast by human standards, but slow considering that they were speedy monsters specialized in traversing rugged terrain. Originally, the monsters would have been as fast as speeding cars, but the reason for their sluggishness was simple. ¡ºInheritance Skill ¨C Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails D. Fusion impossible. The oldest hunter, Scathi, has never lost their target. Summon a translucent form of twin snakes that are not easily visible to the naked eye and track your opponents. Recall the name and appearance of your opponents as accurately as possible in your mind. *New D-rank perk ¨C those being tracked by the twin tail-biting snakes will be slowed dramatically. Unlock new perks by increasing the rank. The snakes cannot pass through walls or obstacles. The snakes will automatically disappear if the distance to the opponents exceeds a radius of 2 kilometers. Cooldown ¨C two minutes. ¡» Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Choi Yu-Seong had promoted Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails to D-rank, which granted an additional effect of slowing down the opponents it tracked. He had targeted the green sheep with the twin snakes; that was why the vicious monsters that should have been charging at nearly 200 kilometers per hour were so slow compared to their usual selves. ¡®The only disappointing thing is that there¡¯s a cooldown of two minutes.¡¯ Even so, two minutes was better than three minutes, the previous waiting time. No matter how many times Yu-Seong thought about it, the added effect of limiting his opponents¡¯ movements was simply too powerful. If he utilized the twin snake to slow the movements of a hunter of similar rank and level to himself, his opponent would be forced to show a gap in their defense. Choi Yu-Seong could easily take advantage of that to overpower the enemy at once. In fact, the green sheep failed to even come close to Ye-Ryeong, who continued to bombard the monsters with water from her hands. The monsters continued to fall one after another with gaping wounds in their bodies. ¡°Yes, level up!¡± Chae Ye-Ryeong shouted excitedly while being enveloped by a silver light once again. About one hour had passed since the two of them first entered the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep and in that time, Ye-Ryeong had leveled up three times. Her elation at her unbelievable rate of progress wasn¡¯t strange at all. ¡®Come to think of it, Chae Ye-Ryeong said she has Titanic Growth.¡¯ Titanic Growth was the greatest skill that Nioh, the pride of Japan, possessed. However, Chae Ye-Reyong had started off with Titanic Growth at E-rank. In addition, Choi Yu-Seong was providing her with an experience boost potion. It was only natural for her to be growing stronger at such an explosive pace. Yu-Seong was somewhat envious, but he felt reassured that he had such a reliable comrade. In fact, Ye-Ryeong was the reason why Choi Yu-Seong could leisurely walk up the ridge with his hands behind his back. ¡®Even if I didn¡¯t use the twin snakes, she would have blown up the monsters before they could even reach me.¡¯ There was nothing for Yu-Seong to do. At first, he rather felt useless, but not anymore. ¡®It would be better to test how much I¡¯ve grown against an elite monster.¡¯ Even though the twin snakes proved to be tremendously useful, it was nothing in comparison to the new skill Yu-Seong had obtained from Fusion. ¡®Come on out, elite monster.¡¯ About five minutes had passed since Choi Yu-Seong started hoping for an encounter with an elite monster to experiment with. ¡°Ah, boss. That monster¡­¡± Ye-Ryeong called out. It was definitely a green sheep, but it was about 1.3 times bigger than the others. Moreover, its twin horns were thicker and taller than those belonging to its peers. Even its eyes looked sharper than the other green sheep. It was obvious even at a glance that this was an elite monster. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this one,¡± Choi Yu-Seong replied while taking out his spear. Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice took on its coat form as his eyes glimmered with light. He ran forward before Chae Ye-Ryeong could say anything. Three regular monsters and the elite monster cried out when they spotted Yu-Seong. He did not contemplate for long at all. ¡®First, I¡¯ll undo the snakes.¡¯ He then had both snakes target the elite monster since it would prove to be the most burdensome opponent. Choi Yu-Seong briefly looked away after confirming the slowing of the monster¡¯s movement. Then, he activated the skill he had gained from combining Insight and Eye of the Beast ¡ª his lucky break. ¡ºSpecial Skill, Third Eye D. Fusion impossible. See the opponent using the Third Eye and display their information data as messages. You can only see the data of opponents on the same rank or lower rank than yourself. It can be blocked by the opponent¡¯s mental barrier skills. Predict the opponent¡¯s movements with the Third Eye. A mental barrier capable of defending against attacks up to C rank will automatically be applied. You can use psychokinesis through the Third Eye. Maximum force available to be used against D-rank objects ¨C 10 kilograms. There is a cooldown ¨C 30 seconds. ¡ù Special : The Third Eye skill is only applied and activated through the use of special energy, ¡®Chakra¡¯. If the Chakra user develops Azna Chakra, they can unlock their transcendental capabilities! ¡» On his way to Goseong, Yu-Seong could not help but be truly astonished when he saw the description of his new skill, Third Eye. In fact, he had burst out laughing. The skill bestowed him the abilities of Insight, as well as special abilities like psychokinesis and the automatic application of a mental barrier. Furthermore, there was only one penalty accompanying the incredible ability ¨C it could only be activated by Chakra rather than mana. Fortunately, Choi Yu-Seong had already replaced all of his mana with Chakra via God¡¯s Chakra. In other words, he had already met the basic conditions for activating the Third Eye. ¡®Moreover, I could develop it further by developing God¡¯s Chakra. It has a synergistic effect.¡¯ It was the best thing he could have hoped for. If Yu-Seong could develop his skills as such, it was reasonable to say that the God¡¯s Chakra skill was the equivalent of, or even better than, the inner cultivation methods of the martial arts world, what was commonly known as Divine Arts. Flames did not appear in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes when he activated the Third Eye; instead, a faint eye-shaped tattoo appeared on his forehead. He utilized the Third Eye to exert the maximum force he could apply with psychokinesis toward the charging monster. ¡®Max force. 10 kilograms.¡¯ At first glance, it appeared to be rather lacking to be used against powerful monsters. However, with sufficient acceleration, the force behind 10 kilograms could become an outrageous. ¡®Just like this.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong gulped when he saw the green sheep¡¯s large head explode right in front of his eyes. It was as if the sheep had been hit by a large truck. His psychokinetic force did not travel very fast, but when faced with the green sheep¡¯s momentum, it made for an incredible result. ¡®This could be amazing if I practiced the applications for real battles.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong was still faced with the two remaining green sheep. He wound a thunderbolt around the tip of his spear, then let his coat flutter in the wind while triggering Stylish. ¡®Small fries like these aren¡¯t important.¡¯ Yu-Seong kicked off the ground and opened his palm to activate the Dancing Electric Doll. The two green sheep charged toward Yu-Seong after jumping over the corpse of their kin but cried out in pain as their wool burnt to a crisp due to the powerful electric shock. It was an obvious outcome. There was no way they could withstand the attack. Choi Yu-Seong knew the power of his attacks better than anyone else, so he stepped over a tree located on the ridge without hesitation and quickly arrived in front of the elite monster. It was preparing to charge while huffing. As if desperate, the elite monster charged toward Yu-Seong. ¡®Slowed movements.¡¯ Combined with the perception that Third Eye granted him, the movements of an elite monster of a rank 3 dungeon felt as if they were playing out in slow motion. Choi Yu-Seong waited until the monster was right in front of his eyes before using Wind Control to take a single step to the side. He dodged the monster¡¯s attack and used Cu Chulainn¡¯s secret spear technique. The essence of the newly acquired spear skill was quite clear. ¡®Variability and Speed.¡¯ It was the culmination of elegance. Choi Yu-Seong attempted to replicate the first of Cu Chulainn¡¯s secret spear techniques ¨C Raging Snake. It was an imitation. ¡®I¡¯m not capable of completely replicating it right now.¡¯ But even a mere imitation brought a display of sharp curving lines. It was as if a giant snake was gliding above the giant elite monster. As Yu-Seong retrieved his spear, blood started to gush out from the five chunks of what once was the elite green sheep. Choi Yu-Seong sighed while using his coat to guard himself against the splashing blood. He was satisfied in many ways. He had killed an elite monster with only one strike. It was a strike he had gained from his skills, but it was useless unless he could digest it on his own. ¡®I truly am getting stronger.¡¯ He was getting stronger and stronger while surviving and facing various crises. However, he wasn¡¯t without regrets either. If Choi Yu-Seong had executed the Raging Snake as he intended, the monster would have been split into more than ten pieces rather than five. ¡®I lacked both speed and variability.¡¯ It was disappointing, but he could not help it. After all, it was his first time executing it. ¡®Let¡¯s practice.¡¯ And when he mastered it¡­ ¡®It will be my second after Lance Charging.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong would gain yet another ace up his sleeve. He was getting stronger at a rapid pace, and the path to even greater strength was clearly visible. Naturally, he had no plans to put a brake on his growth. ¡°Uh, boss. That¡¯s¡­¡± Chae-Ryeong said with a surprised look while looking at the end of the ridge. A large black pillar had disappeared with a flash, and both of them knew what the pillar represented. ¡®It¡¯s time for the boss monster to regenerate. Any other party of two D-rank hunters would have retreated. However, the two of them were more than capable of hunting it down. Rather, it was safe to say that this was a golden opportunity for them to gain many levels. This was no time to be putting on the brakes. ¡°Let¡¯s go get it,¡± Yu-Seong said. Chae Ye-Ryeong nodded. Although it wasn¡¯t recorded officially, on that day, Yu-Seong and Ye-Ryeong achieved a new record of 1 hour 39 minutes for clearing the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep as a duo. It overwhelmingly exceeded the previous record of 2 hours and 20 minutes. CH 127 Choi Yu-Seong reached the max level of D-rank after hunting the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep¡¯s boss monster. ¡®That was faster than I expected.¡¯ But there was a simple explanation. Boss monsters were difficult to hunt in various ways and presented different types of challenges to hunters, but they gave proportionate rewards. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. Not only did the max level give him the chance to challenge the promotion test to the next rank, but he also felt that his physical ability and mana had grown much stronger than before. He felt reassured and confident as he glanced at Chae Ye-Ryeong, who stood by his side. ¡®Without Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s help, I would have had a much harder time dealing with the boss, the three-headed green sheep.¡¯ Even though there were only two of them, this was the easiest time Yu-Seong had against a boss monster, except for the time he had taken the Lightning Burst.[1] So what if a third person, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, joined their group? ¡®¡­We could form a three-man attack squad.¡¯ Originally, an attack party at this point in time referred to a large group that was capable of hunting a raid boss monster. However, Choi Yu-Seong had a different outlook regarding the term. He wanted something more future-oriented. ¡®The numbers don¡¯t matter. Rather, we should prioritize the quality.¡¯ Of course, it was necessary to allow Chae Ye-Ryeong to grow as fast as possible in order to do so, and fortunately, her pace of growth was very satisfying. ¡°Are you at level thirty now?¡± Yu-Seong asked. ¡°Yes. At this rate, I should be able to reach max level within the month,¡± Ye-Ryeong replied. Choi Yu-Seong closed his eyes and fell into thought. ¡®Since it¡¯s mid-April right now¡­¡¯ It was already spring, so Chae Ye-Ryeong could probably achieve C rank before the passage into summer. Choi Yu-Seong was quite knowledgeable when it came to such a trend. ¡®She¡¯s gained momentum.¡¯ There was a saying ¨C man proposes, but gods dispose. Even if a man diligently performed his duties, what he reaped was the will of heaven. Until now, Choi Yu-Seong had faced numerous challenges and difficulties regardless of how hard he tried, but there was a good chance that things would be different from now on. ¡®It¡¯s hard to regain momentum once it¡¯s been lost, but¡­¡¯ On the other hand, once you started riding and climbing, it would push you forward like a tailwind. Choi Yu-Seong had been contemplating. In the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong had performed the role assigned to him ¨C a proper rascal ¨C without any problems or difficulties until his death, so why was his life so difficult now? The answer was yet another simple one. ¡®I¡¯ve been running into one problem after another because I¡¯ve continued to defy Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s death, which was destined to happen.¡¯ Such was destiny. Even if one tried to escape, fate would never loosen its grip on their ankle. It would hold on for dear life. But the momentum Yu-Seong felt now was clearly something new. ¡®Fate may still be holding onto my ankle, but¡­¡¯ Everything was set in place for him to begin his journey upward. Just in time, Choi Yu-Seong arrived in front of Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s house. This was the last card he needed to set the foundation for his climb. He looked at the rather old building, a five-story apartment complex with no lift. ¡®On the top floor¡­¡¯ 18-year-old Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had feigned even his own death, was living there. *** The apartment was quite small, just a 10-pyeong space[ref]About 35 square feet] which consisted of only a bedroom and living room. In it was a young man curled up on a computer chair, messing around with a mouse and keyboard while staring at his monitor. Inside the monitor, a character was moving under his command and it swept the battlefield to eventually occupy the enemy base and take the victory. Yoo Jin-Hyuk was always at the center of the victorious battles, and his teammates always praised his plays. It was to the point where he was referred to as a monster by some of the opposing players. But from Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s point of view, it was a rather curious phenomenon. Most of his strategies and plays had been made without much consideration. ¡®Is this supposed to be difficult?¡¯ Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been left without anything to do after his parents¡¯ death and began to play as a hobby. He didn¡¯t know what others thought of it, but he didn¡¯t want to die, so he played games to quiet his mind. Yoo Jin-Hyuk dismissed the notification on his screen, which screamed ¡°Promoted to Challenger!¡±. His monitor was constantly being bombarded with messages. There was a flood of friend requests from coaches, managers, and players of professional teams. He stared at the messages indifferently before closing the game. It wasn¡¯t that he hated attention from others, but he found it scary. ¡®They don¡¯t know me.¡¯ After leaving behind the monitor, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rolled onto the narrow bed before stretching out his hand toward the ceiling. A red hexagram appeared, and something started to push its head through it when¡­ Ding-dong-! Someone rang the doorbell. Yoo Jin-Hyuk hesitated for a moment, then disregarded it. It was probably a delivery for daily necessities anyways. Thanks to the insurance money from the death of his parents and brother, he was able to live isolated from everyone else, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to die. As such, he purchased various goods for daily living off the internet, so he has learned to ignore such small disturbances. Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong-! However, the intruder appeared to be quite obsessive this time around. They continued ringing the doorbell, then proceeded to knock on the door as if they were impatient. Bang! Bang! Bang! Yoo Jin-Hyuk felt quite annoyed by the loud disturbance. He turned his gaze towards the front door. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ His curiosity was quickly satisfied. ¡°Yoo Jin-Hwan! I know you¡¯re in there. Open the door!¡± The intruder called out. The intruder was calling out his alias, the name of his dead brother, to be exact. Yoo Jin-Hyuk felt slightly curious about the intruder, so he slowly rose from his bed and approached the door with staggering steps. He peeked through the small peephole and confirmed the intruder¡¯s identity. ¡®Who is this?¡¯ The unfamiliar face felt strangely familiar for some reason¡­ Yoo Jin-Hyuk quickly realized why. ¡°It¡¯s your uncle. Open the door.¡± The intruder was a man who resembled his dead father. *** After much consideration, Yoo Jin-Hyuk carefully pushed the door handle, which was shaped like a long horizontal stick. Although it only gave way for a small slit, the sunlight stung his pale skin for the first time in a long while. A moment later, the middle-aged man said, ¡°And you finally open the door. It¡¯s been a long time. You remember your uncle, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk shook his head instead of answering. ¡°Well, you were only five years old the last time we met, so you may not remember me. By the way, you¡­¡± A strange look glimmered in the eyes of the middle-aged man, Yoo Choong-Ryeol, as he scanned Jin-Hyuk from head to toe. With an awkward smile and an oddly sharp gaze, he commented, ¡°My, you¡¯re barely skin and bones. You must be having a difficult time going through this alone, right?¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk stared at the man with an indifferent gaze while asking, ¡°¡­Why did you come?¡± Had he noticed that Jin-Hyuk was living a life using his brother¡¯s name? It couldn¡¯t be, since Yoo Jin-Hyuk had taken care of everything as secretly as possible. He thought he would never be found out, but he was understandably worried now that a relative was visiting him out of the blue. ¡°What do you mean why? I heard the news. I heard that my brother, sister-in-law, and even Jin-Hyuk have died in a dungeon break. My heart broke to think that you¡¯re suffering alone. I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± the middle-aged man answered. Yoo Jin-Hyuk was a cautious person, and he had lived a life while being wary of others. It was easy for him to see straight through Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s lie. However, Jin-Hyuk had no intention of calling him out. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ Yoo Jin-Hyuk was quick-witted, and he was quite capable when it came to seeing through people¡¯s true intentions. He knew well that the goodwill offered to him by Yoo Choong-Ryeol was something that could change at any moment, depending on the situation. Perhaps it was impossible for an ordinary person to harm Yoo Jin-Hyuk since he was a player, but the same might not hold true for Yoo Choong-Ryeol. Jin-Hyuk instantly noticed the brown sheathe hanging from Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s waist. He asked, ¡°¡­Are you a hunter?¡± ¡°Hmm? Huh¡­? Haha, I guess my brother told you. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m currently working as a hunter. Despite how I may look, I¡¯m actually a B-rank.¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol flashed his hunter license, then lightly tapped his waist. He then said, ¡°Of course, I have a certificate of possession for the sword, and it¡¯s officially registered with the government. I carry it around just in case something unexpected happens. You never know when and where you might need to fight as a hunter. By the way, are you just going to keep me out here?¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering, ¡°¡­The house is dirty right now.¡± ¡°What does that matter? We¡¯re family. Let¡¯s just go in and have a good chat. I just want to know how you¡¯ve been living until now and¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can you come back tomorrow?¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk asked after interrupting. Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Jin-Hwan. If there happens to be a misunderstanding¡­¡± Just then¡­ ¡°Ah, excuse me. Is this Mister Yoo Jin-Hwan¡¯s place?¡± Choi Yu-Seong approached and called out to Choong-Ryeol, who was still speaking to Jin-Hyuk through the gap in the door. ¡°Hmm? And who might you be?¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol asked. It was clear from his tone that he was raising his guard. Yoo Jin-Hyuk was rather surprised when he saw Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s face through the small opening. ¡®He¡¯s good-looking.¡¯ Indeed, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s appearance was quite stunning, enough to startle even Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was normally indifferent. However, that was all. ¡°Ah, I am¡­¡± ¡°Both of you, please go back. I don¡¯t really want to meet with anyone today,¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk said before Choi Yu-Seong could finish, then slammed the door. ¡°Jin-Hwan! Again, don¡¯t get me wrong. I only came here because I was worried about you. I will come back tomorrow. Please believe me, okay?¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol shouted towards the door, then sighed before turning his gaze towards Choi Yu-Seong. His stare was cold and filled with greed. He looked completely different from just moments ago when he had been speaking to Yoo Jin-Hyuk. Glaring at Choi Yu-Seong with annoyance, Choong-Ryeol muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what rumors have brought you to this place, pretty boy, but¡­you better back off when you have the chance. That is, unless you want to waste your life.¡± Then, he attempted to shove Choi Yu-Seong on the shoulder. However, his eyes were filled with disbelief when Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s hand came out of nowhere and grabbed a hold of his wrist. ¡°You should watch what you say if you want to keep that glib tongue of yours,¡± Jin Yu-Ri said with a grin. She made her index and middle finger into the shape of scissors, then placed them together while muttering, ¡°That is¡­if you don¡¯t want it to be snipped. Hoho¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol was shocked as cold sweat dripped down his back. He had been caught completely unaware; he hadn¡¯t even noticed Yu-Ri¡¯s presence. When Jin Yu-Ri released him from her grip, Choong-Ryeol turned back and bolted down the stairs as if he were being chased. He didn¡¯t even dare to glance in Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s direction as he fled. Choi Yu-Seong stared indifferently as Choong-Ryeol ran, then said to Jin Yu-Ri, ¡°Please find out who he is and what he does. One day should be enough, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Yu-Ri answered. Choi Yu-Seong then stepped forward and glanced at the tightly shut door. For a moment, a sad glimmer appeared in his eyes. ¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯ Yoo-Jin Hyuk had been known as the Demonic Beast Tamer, then the Demonic Beast King in the original novel. He had lived an extremely harsh childhood too. Even so, he had chosen to live an isolated life instead of resenting the world. How much pain and suffering had he experienced before finally transforming into a terrible disaster? Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryeong were similar in some ways. ¡®An artificial evil created by the twisted world.¡¯ The difference was that Choi Yu-Seong had managed to meet Chae Ye-Ryeong before she experienced her suffering. As such, it had been easy to convince and win her over. However, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had already been hurt because of his parents and brother. How could it be easy to persuade him in such a situation? ¡®It¡¯s obviously going to be difficult.¡¯ Even so, it needed to be done. It was obvious that Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s presence would greatly assist Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s plans. Moreover, Choi Yu-Seong had felt the greatest sympathy for Yoo Jin-Hyuk when he read the novel. As such, he sincerely hoped for Yoo Jin-Hyuk to avoid a tragic ending. 1. Previously, translated as Lightning Bolt ? CH 128 As if running away, Yoo Choong-Ryeol hastily left the apartment complex and then got into a sedan that was parked between the alleys. He took a moment to catch his breath. ¡°Those little punks. They look pretty young but don¡¯t even know to respect their elders¡­!¡± After muttering under his breath, Choong-Ryeol fell into contemplation with a frown. ¡°But I feel like I¡¯ve seen that pretty boy around somewhere¡­¡± He searched deep within his memories, and just as he was on the verge of remembering¡­ he was interrupted by his cell phone¡¯s loud ringing. Yoo Choong-Ryeol jumped, then quickly checked who the caller was. He hesitated while chewing on his bottom lip, then finally answered the phone. What greeted him was unrestrained profanity, such as a female dog and donkey, to put it nicely. -¡­So where are you? Yoo Choong-Ryeol slowly brought the phone closer to his ear. He had been holding it at a distance with a frown while receiving harsh abuse from the caller. He said carefully, ¡°I am in Goseong, Gangwon-do for a bit.¡± -Goseong? Why? Don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s a lot of work to be done? To be honest, Yoo Choong-Ryeol was desperate for money. He was a B-rank hunter, and he boasted a fairly good income thanks to his activities as a black mercenary. However, he was always struggling financially due to his extravagant spending and serious gambling addiction. Even so, with his capabilities, he could usually fill his pockets to his satisfaction if he took on jobs that were offered by this particular caller. However, that wasn¡¯t currently an option for him. ¡®The reason there¡¯s a lot of work is because no one wants to take them on.¡¯ There was always work to be done in the mercenary industry, especially for the villains known as the black mercenaries. Even so, it was quite rare for so much work to be left untouched¡­ There was a simple explanation for the current situation. ¡°How could I possibly go back and work now? The Cheon-Ji Group, Comet Group, not to mention the Special Police Force are running amok and pummeling all the villains¡­¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol retorted. -Hey, you little punk. We still need someone to take care of the jobs. And you owe me, don¡¯t you? Three billion won. Are you not going to pay it back? If you don¡¯t return right this second, you¡¯re going to need to pay me back by tomorrow. Otherwise, I¡¯ll find you and kill you. You know me, right? I¡¯m a man of my word. ¡°Ah, hyung-nim. Come on, is this all that we are? Why are you acting like that when it¡¯s just pocket change?¡± -Pocket change? You call three billion pocket change? You little bastard, you really need to¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be back real soon. I just need to take care of something here. Don¡¯t you know me? I¡¯m Choong-Ryeol, bro. How many years have we been working together? Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± -Oi. I don¡¯t trust villains, and I especially don¡¯t trust debtors. As for you, Yoo Choong-Ryeol, I wouldn¡¯t even trust you to look after my pet goldfish. Get to the point. When are you going to return? ¡°Not today,¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol answered as he looked back at the apartment complex. Strangely enough, it appeared as if the apartment complex was seeped in an unusually black shadow. -What about tomorrow? ¡°That will be difficult. I¡¯ll make sure to return within the week.¡± -Within the week? Hey, it¡¯s only Tuesday. Stop spewing nonsense. Come back tomorrow, no matter what. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. ¡°Ah, hyung¡­¡± -If I don¡¯t see you tomorrow, I''m going to send in the pursuers. Your life''s on the line here, so think before you act. ¡°Hyung-nim, that¡¯s too harsh¡­¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol was not given a chance to finish before the call abruptly ended. ¡°Motherfu¡­!¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol swore loudly in a fit of rage while throwing his phone to the passenger seat. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡®From the looks of it, he didn¡¯t spend much of the insurance money. He¡¯s been living quietly¡­¡¯ In truth, Yoo Choong-Ryeol didn¡¯t know much about Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s family. In fact, he hadn¡¯t been close to that family at all. However, he was familiar with Yoo Choong-Ho, his brother and Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s father. ¡®He must have left behind a lot of money. That little punk must be hiding it somewhere. Yoo Jin-Hwan¡­¡¯ Yoo Choong-Ryeol licked his lips, then impatiently grabbed his car handle with his shaky hands. Rumble-! The sound of thunder suddenly resonated from the sky, which appeared rather darker than usual. Yoo Choong-Ryeol let out a sigh after looking up at the sky. He muttered, ¡°Damn it. Even the weather¡¯s crappy.¡± Choong-Ryeol wanted to talk Yoo Jin-Hyuk out of all the hidden assets, but he didn¡¯t have much time. He was given only a single day, so he came to a decision after much thought. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have hidden it anywhere besides the house. And knowing my brother, the insurance money won¡¯t be small either,¡± he said before licking his lips once more. He reached for a bag located on the back seats, then took out a small bag containing white powder. ¡®Glocaine poison.¡¯ The medication bag looked nothing out of ordinary, but the white powder contained inside was a lethal poison. The moment someone ingested it, their organs would melt, and they would die painfully. If Yoo Jin-Hyuk had acted even slightly more friendly towards him or if he had some more time, Choong-Ryeol would not have resorted to this option. However, since the teenage was clearly wary and suspicious, he couldn¡¯t see any good reason in keeping Yoo Jin-Hyuk alive any longer. ¡®I can¡¯t let him hide away the money while I¡¯m not here. I¡¯ll have to kill him tomorrow.¡¯ When Yoo Choong-Ryeol came to a decision, a distant flash of lightning struck outside his sedan. Rumble-! Soon, heavy rain began to pour down in turn with a deep growl of the sky. *** Choi Yu-Seong was staying in a small place located near Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s house. It was rather small and modest to be called a hotel. Choi Yu-Seong called Jin Yu-Ri to his room and the two continued their conversation. ¡°So, what you are saying is that Yoo Jin-Hwan is actually Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who is supposed to be dead, right?¡± Yu-Ri asked. ¡°Yeah. He probably faked his identity because of the insurance money. After all, Yoo Jin-Hyuk is still 18 years old, a minor,¡± Yu-Seong answered. ¡°How?¡± Yu-Ri asked. ¡°Yoo Choong-Ho, his father, was an expert in forging identification cards. It wouldn¡¯t have been a difficult task for him, since he learned from his father and actually took on a couple jobs as well,¡± Yu-Seong said. ¡°¡­Wait, so what about the deaths of the three people?¡± Yu-Ri asked with a surprised expression. Choi Yu-Seong shook his head with a bitter smile before answering, ¡°No, that was really an accident. You know about it too, right? The dungeon break in Gyeongju from a year ago.¡± ¡°It was a big deal. There were a lot of casualties. Right, I guess you couldn¡¯t really fake or manipulate something like a dungeon break,¡± Yu-Ri said. ¡°Yeah, more importantly, there¡¯s no way Yoo Jin-Hyuk could have hurt his family,¡± Yu-Seong said. ¡°Right¡­ His mother was a player. Her ability was¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri quickly skimmed over the documents she had received from Choi Yu-Seong. She continued, ¡°D-rank hypnosis. I had forgotten because it¡¯s been some time, but now I remember. Their family¡¯s records were unusual as well. His father had a history of murder, and his brother, as a student, had been at a juvenile detention center.¡± ¡°But Yoo Jin-Hyuk is clean, right?¡± Yu-Seong asked. ¡°It¡¯s not just clean. It¡¯s strange, it¡¯s like¡­there¡¯s no record of him. In the first place, there¡¯s no record of him at any schools either,¡± Yu-Ri answered. ¡°It¡¯s because he would have rarely left the house,¡± Yu-Seong said while looking out the window with a bitter smile. The rain accompanying the thunder was getting quite dense. ¡°It would be safe to say that he was abused as a child,¡± Yu-Ri commented. ¡°Yes.¡± To be exact, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been abused as a child and into his teenage years. There was a reason why he was the only one treated like this in the family of four. Although his name was Yoo Jin-Hyuk and he was officially registered as Yoo Choong-Ho¡¯s son, he was actually an orphan who had been picked up from the streets. ¡®An abandoned child.¡¯ Yoo Jin-Hyuk, a child no one cared about, had been picked up from the streets and made their possession. By brainwashing and training him, he had been controlled and used completely and thoroughly. Jin-Hyuk had also been abused. To be exact, it was the wife and Yoo Jin-Hwan, not Yoo Choong-Ho, who had wielded violence against him to relieve their stress while Yoo Choong-Ho had watched. In the first place, Yoo Choong-Ho had only decided to bring in Yoo Jin-Hyuk and raise him because he had seen the child quietly using a barrier skill in a dark alleyway. ¡°Yoo Jin-Hyuk was born Awakened. He could use his abilities from birth, and one of them was the barrier he erected,¡± Choi Yu-Seong explained. ¡°Then, the reason Yoo Choong-Ho took him in was¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri said. ¡°He had hopes that the small child would bring them money,¡± Yu-Seong said. ¡°But why¡­?¡± ¡°The first thing Yoo Choong-Ho did after bringing him home was to have his wife brainwash the child using her skill. Jin-Hyuk was made to consider the three people as his family, people he had to show absolute, unconditional love toward to repay their kindness. It wouldn¡¯t have been easy since the skill rank was low, but¡­ Yoo Jin-Hyuk was a child. Soon, they succeeded in brainwashing him. However, that¡¯s when the problem arose,¡± Yu-Seong explained. Although Yoo Jin-Hyuk was born with abilities, he could not use them any more after being brainwashed. Yu-Seong continued, ¡°How angry do you think that made Yoo Choong-Ho? He went through the trouble of picking up the kid and adopting him, but the kid suddenly became unable to use his abilities. So he tossed the kid outside, but the hypnosis kept its grip on Yoo Jin-Hyuk, so¡­¡± ¡°He returned. Back home. For him, his family must have been more precious than anything else in the world,¡± Yu-Ri said. ¡°Yeah. That was always the outcome, no matter how far he was abandoned.¡± Like a dog abandoned by its owners, Yoo Jin-Hyuk always returned home, and Yoo Choong-Ho had chosen to take him in in the end. Then he had taught Yoo Jin-Hyuk how to forge identification cards and had made him work, sometimes letting him become a punching bag for his family to relieve their stress. ¡°Bastards¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri growled angrily after hearing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s explanation. She balled her hands into fists and her eyes reddened. ¡°I¡¯m glad they died. No, rather, that¡¯s too bad. Dogs like them should have had their limbs ripped one by one after experiencing hell¡­¡± Her hands even dug into the wooden table that she had been touching. She added softly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It just made me so angry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m not in a good mood either,¡± Yu-Seong answered. Rumbleee-! Choi Yu-Seong looked out at the thundering scenery while recalling Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s face. The hypnosis had been undone after the deaths of Yoo Choong-Ho and his wife. However, Jin-Hyuk had loved Yoo Choong-Ho¡¯s family for a long time and had craved their love. Although he was freed from the brainwashing, it did not mean that the remnants of his emotions had disappeared as well. Currently, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was struggling, stuck between resentment, anger, and a craving for affection. ¡®I don¡¯t dare to think I can cure that wound.¡¯ However, according to the original novel, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would continue to experience countless betrayals. His resentment against the world for abandoning and hurting him would continue to grow. In the end, he would become a disaster with hatred and anger toward humans, a creature with more malice against humans than even the devil. He would become the worst disaster, the Demonic Beast King. ¡°Ah, the man you asked about earlier. I got the data.¡± Jin Yu-Ri checked her phone after receiving a notification, then frowned. She proceeded to read the information, ¡°He¡¯s the brother of the deceased Yoo Choong-Ho. His age is¡­¡± Rumble-! At that moment, an unusually large flash of lightning descended along with a roar causing the whole room to tremble. CH 129 "Wait¡­" At the same time, Choi Yu-Seong remembered the content of the original novel he had recorded on his cellphone''s notepad, particularly the story about Yoo Jin-Hyuk, whom he had read quite attentively. ¡ºThe Demonic Beast King committed his first murder on a day when thunder was roaring, and rain was pouring down. It was when his lying uncle had come to see him. Yoo Jin-Hyuk indifferently watched his victim die and began to question whether taking someone¡¯s life was wrong. It had been much easier than he had thought. Eventually, evil began to sprout from such a small starting point.¡» The content of the original novel was rather vague, so Yu-Seong did not know the exact circumstances nor did know how Yoo Jin-Hyuk had killed his uncle, who was a B-rank hunter. However, one thing was certain¡ªsoon Yoo Jin-Hyuk would commit murder, and this would be the first step leading him deeper into the dark. Thus, Choi Yu-Seong no longer had time to hesitate. He jumped up from his seat and looked outside the window where the spring rain was pouring down. He asked, "Would running or riding a car be faster?¡± "On a day like this, it''s definitely faster to run. Are you going straight to Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s house?" asked Jin Yu-Ri. Yu-Ri was quick-witted as usual as she sensed the seriousness of the situation. Without any further words, she put on her coat quickly. "What''s the shortest time?" Yu-Seong asked. "10 minutes," she said. "I''ll leave it to you." When Choi Yu-Seong opened the window and stood in front of the pouring rain, Yu-Ri grabbed him and said, "Hold on tight.¡± "I already am¡­" At that moment, Yu-Ri leaped out of the window like a bird. Unfortunately, there was no romantic mood under the current circumstances. The pouring rain pelted their faces relentlessly. *** Yoo Jin-Hyuk was hunched on a narrow chair while moving his mouse about. His eyes shone. "Choi Yu-Seong." The face of the handsome man who had briefly visited him during the day had suddenly came to his mind, so Jin-Hyuk searched the internet. The man was quite a celebrity, so a lot of information came up. ¡ù Comet Group''s troublemaker, progressively transforming his image in a good direction. ¡ù Choi Yu-Seong once again breaks new records! ¡ù From the rascal son of a chaebol to Korea''s top Super Rookie ¡ù How much is Choi Yu-Seong''s NewTube revenue? ¡ù Choi Yu-Seong''s social network photos are a sensation! Reading the articles one by one out of idle curiosity, Yoo Jin-Hyuk furrowed his brows. ''Why did this person come to see me?'' To be honest, Yoo Jin-Hyuk thought that Choi Yu-Seong was much more suspicious than Yoo Choong-Ryeol. ''Come to think of it, I did claim a considerable amount of death insurance from Comet Insurance...'' Even if there were a problem, the insurance company employee would come instead of the son of a chaebol. "...I haven¡¯t a clue." Yoo Jin-Hyuk light licked his lips and suddenly looked outside the window where lightning flashed. He really liked rainy weather. He found the dark scenery comfortable, and the sound of rain pouring down made his ears buzz. He looked at the raindrops hitting the window with a somewhat complicated expression. ¡®Uncle¡­¡¯ Although there were slight differences, Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s face resembled Yoo Choong-Ho, and their body shape, body size, and the vibe were also quite similar. Was that the reason? Yoo Jin-Hyuk intuitively thought that Yoo Choong-Ryeol was scheming something, yet the influence of the brainwashing on his mind made him have good feelings toward Yoo Choong-Ryeol. To be more precise, it made him crave the man¡¯s love. ¡®Maybe he came looking for the money that father hid?¡¯ If he gave his uncle the money, could he be loved? ¡®Stupid thought.¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t avoid the thought that it may not be a bad idea to fill the hollow feeling in his heart in such a way. Feeling the sudden pain that gripped his heart, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rolled around on the chair while letting out a rough breath. "Huff...huff..." The familiar yet harsh smell of cigarettes from under his nose brought up memories of the dead rose, reminding him of the faces of his loved ones. He remembered his mother who had laughed while covering him with a blanket and stepping on him, all the while saying she that loved him. He remembered his older brother calling his small and delicate hands adorable and then suddenly breaking his finger. And he remembered his father smoking a cigarette while watching with a viciously delighted yet indifferent expression. Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been told to love them. In fact, he had lived with feelings that he would do anything for them. "But why¡­?!" Bang! As thunder roared and shook the entire house, someone pounded on the front door. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. "Jin-Hwan, it''s your uncle. Did something happen? Open the door, please." The firmly closed front door was blurry. Still groaning in pain, he slowly stood up and took a deep breath. He opened the front door with great effort, once again seeing the middle-aged man whose shoulders were slightly wet from the rain. Yoo Choong-Ryeol looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk with a bright expression while holding a black plastic bag in one hand. He said, "You finally open the door. How are you, kiddo? Are you even eating properly?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk did nothing to stop Yoo Choong-Ryeol when he naturally entered the house as if it was his own. Instead, Jin-Hyuk moved aside and let him pass. Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s gaze quickly scanned the surroundings. He then commented, "Nothing seems special.¡± "...Because I live alone," replied Jin-Hyuk. "The things that were in the original house... You didn¡¯t leave them behind, did you?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s eyebrows twitched at Choong-Reyol¡¯s question. He quietly closed the open front door and locked it. Clank. ¡°I brought everything I need. I just left everything else in the warehouse.¡± ¡°Warehouse? You have a separate warehouse?¡± asked Choong-Ryeol. ¡°What did you bring with you?¡± replied Jin-Hyuk with a question. Finally, Yoo Choong-Ryeol turned around and smiled brightly. "I assume you couldn''t eat properly living alone. I asked for a take-out from a nearby haejangguk[1]restaurant. You don¡¯t dislike it, don¡¯t you?" Without waiting for Jin-Hyuk¡¯s response, Yoo Choong-Ryeol started reheating the haejangguk in the kitchen. Yoo Jin-Hyuk sat in the corner of the living room, silently staring at him cooking. ¡®Damn punk, did he already hide the money somewhere else?¡¯ Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s eyes flickered. He had been planning to search the house after killing Yoo Jin-Hyuk with the poison hidden in the haejangguk. ¡®Should I try a little persuasion before feeding him the poison?¡¯ Yoo Choong-Ryeol originally planned to wait for one more day but decided to move up his plan. The reason for this was simple. ¡®That sissy-looking guy I saw earlier.¡¯ For some reason, that guy was stuck in his mind. Yoo Choong-Ryeol felt like something big would happen if he delayed the plan even a little. That was why he acted urgently and came to Jin-Hyuk at dawn. Fortunately, Yoo Jin-Hyuk did not defy him this time. ¡®Let''s talk slowly. He''s still young. He doesn''t know anything yet¡­ If I just coax him a little, he''ll spill everything.¡¯ Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s eyes were filled with desire as he watched the haejangguk simmering, and the flame of the gas stove burning underneath. "Isn¡¯t it hard living alone? I have a house in Seoul. If you want, you can come and live there anytime. It¡¯s not something to brag about, but since I''m not married and don''t have any other family, nobody else would be there. I would be happy if you came." Taking advantage of the conversation, Yoo Choong-Ryeol opened a drawer, took out a few serving dishes, and slowly ladled out the hot haejangguk. "The house is big too. All of your stuff from the storage should fit, and there should still be room left, but I won¡¯t'' be sure until I see it for myself¡­ Where is the dining table?" As Choong-Ryeol asked Yoo Jin-Hyuk while slowly turning his head, Jin-Hyuk gestured towards the side of the fridge. There was a small and neatly folded dining table. "Even though things may be tough, it''s good to see that you''re taking care of yourself and have all the essentials you need for eating." "...Because I am scared of dying." "Did you ever think of suicide?" asked Choong-Ryeol. Yoo Jin-Hyuk smiled slightly at Choon-Ryeol, who pretended to be surprised. He muttered, "I was considering it¡­when I had the courage to die. I just thought about it." "You kiddo," said Yoo Choong-Ryeol. He spoke calmly, but at that moment, he felt his heart pounding when he saw Jun-Hyuk¡¯s gaze. ¡®Now that I think about it, this guy''s eyes look...similar to mine.¡¯ To be more specific, the expression on Jun-Hyuk¡¯s face seemed to suggest that he was quite familiar with death. It was unlike his words about being scared to die. ¡®It seems like he killed someone before...but there''s no smell of blood.¡¯ Choong-Ryeol awkwardly laughed and tilted his head, then brought the unfolded table with a bowl of haejangguk to Jun-Hyuk. Afterward, he looked for cutleries and asked, "Where''s the warehouse? While you eat, I''ll go and look around by myself. At the very least, I need to know the approximate size so it will be easier when we move." Yoo Choong-Ryeol continued speaking, assuming that Yoo Jin-Hyuk would follow him. Though his method was somewhat clumsy, Jin-Hyuk didn''t seem to have any objections and obediently received the spoon that Choong-Ryeol had handed him. ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. Since I¡¯ll have to take items out and use them whenever I need them¡­¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol smiled brightly. ¡®I¡¯m sure there''s money in the warehouse.¡¯ He felt a slight tinge of nervousness. However, he didn''t show it on his face. Instead, he slowly looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was stirring the soup with his spoon. He asked in a friendly manner, "That''s fortunate. I¡¯ll be back soon. So, where was it located...?" "Want to know?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his head and smiled, holding his spoon filled with soup. "What?" "I''ll tell you, but you have to eat with me." "Ah... I¡¯m okay. I had it before I came¡­¡± "Eat with me." Jin-Hyuk emphasized again, and then he pushed the spoon toward Choong-Ryeol. He added, "I get lonely by myself." Choong-Ryeol looked at the soup and held his spoon with a trembling hand. He couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine. ''Did this kid notice something?'' Yoo Choong-Ryeol wondered while trying to read Jin-Hyuk¡¯s expression. However, Jin-Hyuk had a calm look on his face, like a seasoned gambler, not showing any hint of emotion. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®I can''t read his thoughts.¡¯ Yoo Choong-Ryeol sighed, eventually settling into his seat. He urged, "I understand. I¡¯ll stay by your side, but I need you to eat first. After all, I brought it here for you¡­" "Our country has been known as the land of Eastern manners since ancient times," said Jin-Hyuk. "What?" "Father always hated it when I started eating before him. Sometimes he would get so angry that he would splash boiling water on me." "What does that have to do with¡­?" Yoo Choong-Ryeol couldn''t understand Jin-Hyuk¡¯s words. Behind him, a figure with dark red eyes slowly rose from the floor. 1. It refers to hangover soup that relieves the stomach after drinking alcohol. ? CH 130 Booom-! There was a loud thunderclap along with the sound of pouring rain. Yoo Choong-Ryeol was so busy paying attention to Yoo Jin-Hyuk who was staring at him indifferently that he didn¡¯t notice a presence behind him at all. "Please, go ahead. Here," said Jin-Hyuk. "As I said, I am quite full..." replied Choong-Ryeol. When something suddenly covered his back, he cried out in surprise, "Whoa¡­?!" Yoo Choong-Ryeol quickly turned around, noticing the monster that covered his body. Looking at the monster that was like a sticky liquid, he muttered, "What, what is this...? A monster?" A monster had suddenly appeared in the house. Even in this incomprehensible situation, Yoo Choong-Ryeol began gathering mana without any hesitation, as he had plenty of experience as a villain. Just then, Yoo Jin-Hyuk flipped the table and threw the haejangguk bowl toward Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s face. Choong-Ryeol gasped and covered his face with his arms as he knew very well that the soup had a deadly poison that would kill him in seconds once it entered his body. At that moment, the pile of swamp slime that had appeared around him began to engulf his entire body. "...?! Are you the one who is¡­?" Yoo Choong-Ryeol finally understood the situation and looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk in shock. Jin-Hyuk moved somewhat leisurely without any emotion in his eyes. He asked, "Are you afraid to eat first? Why?" "Yoo Jin-Hwan¡­! Even if you are my older brother''s son, I am not going to put up with such behavior,¡± warned Yoo Choong-Ryeol furiously. At Jin-Hyuk¡¯s question, Choong-Ryeol started to use mana. His muscles bulged all over his body. He planned on defeating Jin-Hyuk with physical force. ¡®I have no idea how this brat became a player, but¡­¡¯ Yoo Choong-Ryeol was a Physical-type B-rank hunter. He didn¡¯t know what kind of experience Jin-Hyuk had, but he didn''t remember hearing anything about Jin-Hyuk having any hunting experience. Thus, he thought that it shouldn''t be difficult for him to block whatever skill Yoo Jin-Hyuk was using. "...?!" But even though Choong-Ryeol thought that the slime sticking to his body could not be easily shaken off. Instead, the more he used his strength, the more the slime pressed down on him. "Give up. Those guys are leech slimes." "...What?" With a surprised expression, Yoo Choong-Ryeol suddenly looked up at Yoo Jin-Hyuk who had approached him and was slowly crouching down. Normally, leech slimes appeared in rank 1 or 2 dungeons, and were not considered to be threatening monsters. They had slow, easily startled by small movements, and were not strong enough to kill a human. That was why there were many hunters who didn''t know the characteristics of leech slimes. "How could a dungeon monster be here¡­? You, you''re not a summoner, are you? Even if you are, it''s impossible for a rank 1 monster to block my power¡­?¡± "Hm, you don''t seem to know much, uncle. You should probably study more." Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s pale face showed a cool smile. He continued, ¡°Leech slimes cannot kill a person, but once they latch on, it is hard to shake them off. They especially love those who use their mana recklessly, like you did just now. Do you know why?¡± "How the hell should I know? Jin-Hyuk, stop messing around and stop this now." "Really. Listen to the end of the story, uncle. These little guys live by eating mana. The more they get, the more they like. Don''t you understand?" "Ugh..." In reality, Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s bulging muscles were quickly shrinking. As he watched Yoo Choong-Ryeol slowly weaken, Jin-Hyuk picked up a rag lying on the floor with a look of disgust on his face. He picked up a cabbage leaf from the spilled haejangguk with his bare hands. Then, with a sly smile, Jin-Hyuk brought the food to Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s face and shook it left and right. "Don''t be so scared. As I said earlier, let¡¯s eat together. Once you finish, I''ll let you go." "You¡­ You...!" "Open your mouth." "You are crazy, do you even know what you''re doing now?!" "You''re making it so difficult till the end." With a smirk, Jin-Hyuk forcibly twisted the jaw of Yoo Choong-Ryeol whose hands and feet were now tied. The middle-aged man¡¯s face crumpled. Seeing the fearful expression that somewhat resembled his father¡¯s, Jin-Hyuk showed a bright smile and said, "Haha, it seems like you also like to eat with me." Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "No...stop...!" With the majority of his mana taken away by the leech slimes and his limbs bound, Choong-Ryeol could only resist by shaking his head left and right with great effort. Yoo Jin-Hyuk took his uncle¡¯s face in both hands and slowly pushed food that was stuck on the man¡¯s cheek to his dry lips. He said, "Please enjoy, uncle." A bright lightning bolt flashed in the back as Yoo Jin-Hyuk laughed brightly, shedding tears. Boom-! Along with another roar, the firmly closed front door shattered onto the floor. Choi Yu-Seong appeared and quickly overpowered Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who hadn¡¯t even flinched at the noise. "Let go! Let me go!" shouted Yoo Jin-Hyuk. He struggled and attacked Choi Yu-Seong who had overpowered him. His actions were quite fierce, but he still failed to shake Yu-Seong off. ¡®He''s quite clever and might be a future Demonic Beast King, but for now, he''s just an E-rank.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong, a D-rank max level, and Yoo Jin-Hyuk had a significant gap in their physical abilities and strength. At that moment, Jin Yu-Ri, who had slowly entered the house to check on the situation, saw Yoo Choong-Ryeol lying on the floor. Her eyes brightened. She said, "Yoo Choong-Ryeol." "Please, please help me. These leeches..." "Villain name, Jang-Gi." "You... How do you know¡­?" questioned Choong-Ryeol in surprise. Yu-Ri was now wringing out her wet hair. She smiled faintly as she spoke. "You have an impressive criminal record, murder, arson, rape, and so on..." "Oh... Damn it..." Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s eyes widened. In fact, he wasn''t a complete idiot. It didn''t take long for him to realize that this sudden rescue-like situation was not a good situation for him. "What should I do with him?" Jin Yu-Ri asked Choi Yu-Seong. By that time, Yu-Seong had completely overpowered Yoo Jin-Hyuk who was panting on the ground. Without even a glance, he instructed, "Hand that man over to the Special Police Force." After surviving a dangerous situation where he was about to be killed, Yoo Choong-Ryeol had a somewhat relieved but complicated expression. However, he soon realized something and his face turned pale. ¡®No, if I get handed over to the police now, the guild will abandon me.¡¯ Then, eventually, the debt collectors would come chasing after Choong-Ryeol to collect their money. He would end up dead, or even worse, be forced to endure endless suffering. Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s face turned pale as he shook his head. Just like Yoo Jin-Hyuk earlier, Jin Yu-Ri approached the middle-aged man with a sly smile. She cooed, "Hm, you''re a sharp one. Of course, I¡¯m not just going to hand you over easily." "No, that''s not it... Please, don¡¯t." "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. Hehe... Remember what I said earlier?" Jin Yu-Ri once again made a scissors shape with her fingers, and whispered, "Snip.¡± In a swift move, Yu-Ri struck Choong-Ryeol''s neck, rendering him unconscious. Then, she looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was breathing heavily and crying, with a sidelong glance and took a short breath. ¡®As expected, Yu-Seong oppa hasn''t changed.¡¯ Yu-Ri smiled gently as she dragged away the unconscious man. *** Only the sound of pouring rain could be heard in the dark room. Choi Yu-Seong slowly let go of the exhausted-looking Yoo Jin-Hyuk. Then, Yu-Seong sat down next to him and leaned back. A deep silence descended upon them. After Yoo Choong-Ryeol disappeared, Jin-Hyuk quickly regained his composure and showed no further signs of agitation. In this situation, there was nothing that Choi Yu-Seong could say. ''But at least I managed to prevent him from committing his first murder.'' Yu-Seong already knew, from experience, that this life as a hunter was not easy. One day, whether intentional or not, he himself would inevitably commit murder. ¡®If I come across a predicament where failing to take action could ultimately lead to my own demise, I will do whatever it takes to ensure my survival.¡¯ In fact, the earlier situation might have ended up not much different. However, Yu-Seong didn''t want to let Jin-Hyuk be swept away by dark emotions. He didn¡¯t want the teenager to commit murder without even knowing what he was doing and leaving his prey to die carelessly. That was why Choi Yu-Seong had rushed here, wildly running through the rain to successfully prevent Jin-Hyuk''s first murder at the last moment. Yu-Seong had been tense because it had been a rather urgent situation but the tension that had deeply seized hold of his body began to slowly dissipate as he began to relax. At that moment, Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡ªwho Yu-Seong thought would yell upon opening his mouth to speak¡ªspoke with a surprisingly calm voice. "...Why did you come?" "Can''t you tell by looking?" Since Yoo Jin-Hyuk dropped the formalities first, Yu-Seong replied equally casually. "You mean it¡¯s because you knew that I was going to kill that man?" Instead of going around in circles, Choi Yu-Seong activated his Third Eye skill. With some degree of audacity, he then said, "I can see a little bit of the future.¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk easily nodded in understanding. "So that was why...those videos were¡­" "Oh, you watched my videos?" asked Yu-Seong. "A few of them. I was surprised at how you were moving as if you already predicted the situation," said Jin-Hyuk. "Well, yes, it''s roughly like that." "But... Even so, the fact that you came here to stop me is still hard to believe." "Hmm?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk slowly lifted his head that was hanging low. His eyes were emotionless. It seemed as if there were no expectations or desires, but a deep sadness within them. Meeting the teenager¡¯s gaze, Choi Yu-Seong briefly trembled. "This is Goseong in Gangwon-do. And you live in Seoul." "Oh, that..." "And to you, I am a stranger who has never even met you before. But you came all the way here to stop my murder? Because of some convenient justice or compassion?" "Yoo Jin-Hyuk." "As I thought, you know my name exactly." It seemed like a mistake, but actually, it was a deliberate statement. Choi Yu-Seong looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk and slowly said, "Right. I feel sorry for you. One could call that convenient compassion." Of course, to some, it may appear as if Yu-Seong was indulging in a luxurious sense of compassion or looking down on Jin-Hyuk. However, as Choi Yu-Seong said, Yu-Seong was a reader who, more than anyone, had felt heartache over Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s story when reading the original novel. It was true that he didn''t know Jin-Hyuk¡¯s face. ¡®Because I just read the novel.¡¯ Still, he didn''t think of Jin-Hyuk as a complete stranger. ¡®In fact, I really liked the novel, [Modern Master Returns].¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong sometimes cursed inwardly or had written comments of anger and frustration while reading the novel alone. But fundamentally, he enjoyed reading the [Modern Master Returns] quite a bit. The platform on which [Modern Master Returns] was serialized was quite difficult to read on a computer, and almost always had to be read and commented on through a mobile phone. Needless to say, it was quite difficult to write such a long criticism. For Yu-Seong, the effort itself was a demonstration of his love for the series. And during the time he was reading that novel, Yu-Seong had been most immersed and invested in Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s origin story among all the villains. Now, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was standing in front of him in reality. ¡®Convenient compassion?¡¯ Yu-Seong didn¡¯t care about the labels or how his actions could be deemed at all. "I am sincere." Yu-Seong truly did not want the boy in front of him to get caught in the same deep darkness as the original novel. CH 131 When Choi Yu-Seong mentioned the word ''sincere'', it was not spoken easily. Out of all the villains, the Demonic Beast King played a big role in the original novel. Was it because Choi Yu-Seong himself was an orphan? While reading the story, Yu-Seong had also wondered several times if he could have made a different choice if he were in Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s situation. ¡®If I were in your situation...¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t have mattered who was in Jin-Hyuk¡¯s situation, they would all have had a difficult time. It would not be strange to curse such a cruel world to disappear. ¡°You¡­have no idea.¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his head and looked at Choi Yu-Seong with sharp eyes. Emotions surged in his eyes, which only showed an indifferent gaze before. His distorted face made him look like a twisted demon. "I can''t say I know everything, but... I understand you,¡± said Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong deeply empathized with what he had read about Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s feelings in the novel. "Bullshit. Where are you coming from with such hypocrisy?" Filled with anger, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rose from his seat. He then stalked into the kitchen and picked up a sharp knife. He pointed the handle of the knife toward Choi Yu-Seong. He spat, "If you''re sincere, then go ahead and die. Don''t tremble like a scaredy-cat and show me that you can do anything for me." "Yoo Jin-Hyuk." "You sympathize with me?" A cunning smile appeared on Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s face as he said, "Don''t talk nonsense. What would a spoiled rich kid who''s been eating well and living well all his life know about sympathy? And sincerity? Ha." Jin-Hyuk spat on Yu-Seong''s face and brought the knife close to his own fair neck. He said, "I would have died for those people. But it was all a lie.¡± Choi Yu-Seong, watching Yoo Jin-Hyuk cry, quickly grabbed the teenager¡¯s wrist, snatched the knife, and threw it into the air. He said, "You don''t have to prove your beliefs by making extreme choices like death.¡± ¡°For me, that was my only choice. So, you try to die. Didn¡¯t you say that you sincerely sympathized with me? That¡¯s what you can do for me. You can''t do it, can you?" "Of course, I can''t. Even if I sympathized with you, my life is not something that I would put above you, you fool," Choi Yu-Seong said coldly. He wanted to stop Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s pitiful life from falling into a bad place, but he had no thought of sacrificing his own life for him. Why would he throw his life away just to save someone else when all this time, he had been working harder than anyone else to survive? Choi Yu-Seong sighed deeply and furrowed his eyebrows. "It doesn''t seem like a good time to talk right now. I''ll come back tomorrow. Think about it until then. No matter what you think, I¡¯m not a bad person, and I won¡¯t do anything to harm you.¡± Already agitated by the incident with Choong-Ryeol, Yoo Jin-Hyuk gave a loud shout just as Choi Yu-Seong was about to leave. "Don''t go!" Blazing red energy began to swirl around Yoo Jin-Hyuk. The energy then formed a passageway that was larger than Jin-Hyuk himself, leading somewhere beyond. Choi Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he witnessed the entire process unfold in a mere instant. ¡®This is...a Mana Overload?¡¯ Mana Overload was a rare phenomenon that occurred when the player experienced a drastic change in emotional state. It had two main characteristics. Firstly, as its name suggested, the target would suddenly use a massive amount of mana. Secondly, the cost was the consumption of one''s own life force, commonly known as innate energy in the martial world. "Don''t leave me alone," said Yoo Jin-Hyuk. With tears streaming down his face, his eyes were already out of focus. Not only had he lost his composure, but he had also lost control of himself and his rationality. "Oh my..." In a state of panic, Yu-Seong forcibly grabbed onto Jin-Hyuk¡¯s shoulders. The mana that was pouring out of the teenager pushed him back by about ten steps. When he met Jin-Hyuk¡¯s eyes with a desperate gaze, he realized that it was already too late. Crrrrrrrr-! A beast-like screech echoed as the terrifyingly sharp front legs of a creature resembling a mantis enveloped Yoo Jin-Hyuk. It was glaring at Yu-Seong. ''This is insane... That thing... It''s the raid boss monster, Clark, the Mantis Hunter...!'' Clark was the rank 4 dungeon¡¯s raid boss monster. As a named monster, it was obviously the strongest among those of the same rank. In fact, its strength was evaluated to be higher than Krutak, the Orc War Chief that Choi Yu-Seong had defeated after eating the Lightning Burst. Of course, even if Yoo Jin-Hyuk was a natural-born talent, Clark wasn¡¯t a monster that an E-rank player could easily summon. ¡®It was summoned by the Mana Overload.¡¯ In other words, in order to control that demon, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would have to continuously use his own life force. ¡®He can somehow handle it for a short period of time...but¡­¡¯ As time passed, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would inevitably die. He wouldn¡¯t be able to endure this consumption of life force for long. Additionally, the suddenly released Mantis Hunter, Clark, would also create many victims. ¡®A sudden Mana Overload¡­¡¯ This was a development that had not occurred in the original novel. The reason for this situation was obvious. ¡®Is it because I prevented Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s death?¡¯ It might be that the butterfly effect had come more quickly than expected. Perhaps it was a fate predetermined by the original novel that someone must succumb to death tonight. "Yu-Seong oppa!" shouted Jin Yu-Ri. After feeling the sudden burst of immense energy, Yu-Ri had quickly overpowered Yoo Choong-Ryeol and rushed to Yu-Seong. At that moment, Clark flung its body and swung its sickle towards Jin Yu-Ri. It was a surprise attack, but Yu-Ri, who was an A-rank hunter, calmly made a black barrier and blocked the attack. She then created a black blade in both hands while standing beside Choi Yu-Seong. "I''ll handle this. Yu-Seong oppa, you..." said Yu-Ri. "Wait, hold on," interrupted Yu-Seong as he looked into Jin-Hyuk''s eyes. Jin-Hyuk¡¯s eyes were unfocused as if he had lost his rationality. In that state, he said, "Sincere? That¡¯s a joke. You''re just trying to deceive me as a wealthy individual.¡± Did Jin-Hyuk truly lose his senses? Or perhaps he was fully aware of the entire situation, but he was unable to control himself due to his overwhelming emotions. ¡®Then...¡¯ The responsibility was on Choi Yu-Seong. He had to do this. To save Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had been greatly disappointed by the world, Yu-Seong had no choice but to step forward and try to gain some of Jin-Hyuk¡¯s trust. Yu-Seong looked at Clark, which was tearing the black barrier and coming at them. He said, "I''ll do it.¡± "Yu-Seong oppa?" "I can do it." This was not simply a boast or a gamble with his life. ¡®I was going to fight with the Orc War Chief anyway.¡¯ Clark was a raid boss monster that was considered slightly stronger than the Orc War Chief. And now, Yu-Seong believed that he was much stronger than he had been. Perhaps this situation could offer a relatively ideal outcome in the end. ¡®I might be able to teach that damn brat a valuable lesson.¡¯ To stop his Mana Overload, Jin-Hyuk¡¯s unconscious mind also had to be completely turned off. There was just one problem. ¡®I have to suppress him before it''s too late.¡¯ Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. The Mantis Hunter, Clark, was a relatively strong boss monster. Despite Yoo Jin-Hyuk being a naturally born Awakened player, and even if he had exhausted his powers through a Mana Overload, it was still impossible for him, as an E-rank hunter, to summon a powerful creature such as Clark. ''As expected... Yoo Jin-Hyeok''s talent is truly immense.'' If he came to realize his own worth through this incident, could Yoo Jin-Hyuk learn to live on self-love rather than love from others? Yu-Seong contemplated only for a moment. ''Activate the Third Eye.'' Yu-Seong activated the Third Eye skill that he had temporarily deactivated, turned Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear, and ran forward. He swung his spear as he met the sharp front legs of the approaching Clark. Without any hesitation, the spear''s sharp edge broke and shattered everything in its trajectory. The surroundings became a sea of debris. Yu-Seong read every move with his Third Eye at an extremely fast pace, not missing a single thing. However, there was a problem. He found that it was getting harder to keep up with Clark¡¯s movement. ''This monster...is getting even faster?'' Clark¡¯s energy source was the dark red energy that was flowing from Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s body. Since Choi Yu-Seong''s abilities were much better than Jin-Hyuk had expected, the teenager must have begun to pull and use more of his life force. ''Are you serious?'' Yu-Seong sighed inwardly, but he couldn''t keep his eyes closed for long. ''I don¡¯t have the battlesuit. I''ll be defeated upon getting hit.¡¯ Yu-Seong had to overpower Clark without any major injuries. ''I''m definitely being pushed back in this state.'' However, an opportunity soon came about. Amidst the exchange of attacks, Choi Yu-Seong unleashed the Raging Snake skill of Cu Chulainn. Clark''s front legs swept through the air at that sudden attack, and Yu-Seong didn''t miss the opportunity. He quickly activated another skill. ''Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails. Target: Clark.'' Upon seeing the two twin snakes chasing after it, Clark widened its eyes. It swung its front claws once again. Thanks to that, Yu-Seong was able to pierce through its shoulder with his spear. However, Clark was successful in cutting the twin snakes. Clark rolled its big eyes and roared. Screeeech-! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± When Choi Yu-Seong covered his ear in surprise, Clark stood up and spread its large wings. ''What the...?'' Then, Clark broke through the ceiling and flew into the sky. Thuu-uuu-uud-! Choi Yu-Seong stepped back to avoid the collapsing ceiling and looked up. He made eye contact with Clark, which was flying in the rainy sky. Clark''s protruding mouth seemed to show a smile. Since Clark possessed a large body and wings, a long battle in the narrow room would be disadvantageous for it. Breaking through the ceiling was a wise decision on its part. ''Look at that one...'' Choi Yu-Seong was surprised, but soon had a bitter smile on his face. ¡®So you want a piece of me.¡¯ In fact, the cramped space inside the house was a source of discomfort for Choi Yu-Seong as well. ¡®I couldn¡¯t do any big attacks, because I was worried that the damage would spread to other houses and people might get hurt.¡¯ In the pouring rain, Yu-Seong jumped up to the rooftop and looked up at Clark wandering through the sky. Then, he gripped his spear tightly. Perhaps it was due to the power of the Third Eye, but he could clearly read Clark¡¯s intention. Clark was seeking an opportunity to strike. Once tension reached its peak, and Yu-Seong¡¯s concentration was compromised, it wanted to swiftly sever Yu-Seong¡¯s neck and kill him. Having read Clark¡¯s intention, Yu-Seong kept his distance from the monster. As expected, Clark did not let Yu-Seong out of its sight and made a sharp sound as it tore through the air. With a strong swipe of its sharp front legs, it cut Yu-Seong in half. Deep emotions rose in Clark¡¯s eyes as it experienced a sense of victory. Yu-Seong retreated while utilizing the remaining Wind Control skill, which had created the hazy illusion of being split in half by Clark. He then met Clark''s gaze and smiled, having finally revealed that it was an illusion. ¡®Why would I risk my life in a battle like this?¡¯ No matter how he thought about it, Yu-Seong found it foolish to take on the boss monster''s strike with his bare body in mid-air. Thus, he had set a trap and had caught Clark. He had taken the wide rooftop, the bright outdoors, and the proper distance all into consideration. After all, just as Clark was feeling suffocated in the narrow house, Yu-Seong himself was also not pleased with the previous situation. ¡®I was actually waiting for this moment.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong could see Clark trying to escape while desperately flying back into the sky. However, it was already too late for it to run away. ¡®Lance Charging.¡¯ Choi Yu-Seong''s finishing move ripped through the dark night and became a beam of light. CH 132 After leaving a long trail like a falling comet, the ray of light that shone through the pouring rain and the dark night sky finally completely disappeared. Choi Yu-Seong felt that the big incident had come to an end, and Jin Yu-Ri let out a deep sigh of relief with him. At that moment, Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s eyes regained their initial light. He also looked at the trail of light in the sky and muttered in admiration, ¡°Oh..." Jumping back down to the apartment through the hole in the ceiling, Yu-Seong stood right in front of Yoo Jin-Hyuk. He asked, ¡°Have you regained your senses?¡± "..." Yoo Jin-Hyuk looked at Yu-Seong in surprise. Jin-Hyuk hadn¡¯t been fully conscious, but he also recognized that the situation had been urgent and dangerous. If it weren''t for Choi Yu-Seong''s assistance, Jin-Hyuk would have likely met a tragic end, whether by committing murder or losing his own life. He had believed that as long as he didn¡¯t have any significant regrets, he wouldn¡¯t care whichever end would claim him. However, when the critical situation was finally over, and when he thought of the tragic end he could have had, Jin-Hyuk began to shake uncontrollably. He couldn''t withstand the short trembling and collapsed on the spot. "Ah..." Yoo Jin-Hyuk let out a sigh and struggled to look up at Choi Yu-Seong. His gaze was blurry. "You¡¯re going to feel weak for a while since you used up your mana completely and even tapped on your life force. Actually, it¡¯s strange that you regained consciousness so quickly.¡± "Ah... That..." Jin-Hyuk''s mind was like a blank sheet of paper, completely empty. However, he had things that he wanted to say. He just couldn¡¯t think of a way to express them right now. "I know. You fool," said Choi Yu-Seong as he changed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a warm blanket and covered the trembling Yoo Jin-Hyuk with it. He added, "How could I leave you alone? You¡¯re about to collapse. Don''t worry and rest. I won''t leave you alone, ever.¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk looked at Yu-Seong with wide eyes. "I told you. Even if you can''t see it, I sincerely care for you," said Yu-Seong with a bright smile. He began stroking Jin-Hyuk''s wet hair with a warm hand. Then, he added, "And remember, who cares if the foundation of goodness is only sympathy? All good intentions start from sympathy, you kid." Yoo Jin-Hyuk began to make a face like an abandoned pet on the streets. He started to whimper. "Ahh..." His tears flowed alongside the rain falling on his face. Then, unable to maintain consciousness any longer, he collapsed with his eyes closed. Naturally, Choi Yu-Seong held Jin-Hyuk in his arms and slowly stood up from his seat. ¡®What boy is this light.¡¯ Inwardly clicking his tongue, Yu-Seong smiled when he saw Jin Yu-Ri. He said, "Apologies, but would you mind fetching the car? He¡¯s a patient, after all, so I can¡¯t carry him through this rain." "Yes," replied Yu-Ri with a nod. She turned towards the window and threw her body out. *** Just as Jin Yu-Ri brought the car through the pouring rain, the rain gradually lightened up. Looking at the sudden change in weather, Yu-Seong felt rather annoyed that he had asked Yu-Ri to put in pointless effort. Then, Yu-Seong suddenly remembered and asked Jin Yu-Ri, "What about Yoo Choong-Ryeol?" "Oh, that bastard. I tied him up in the hallway earlier. I utilized my skills so he shouldn¡¯t have escaped." Yu-Ri laughed while tightly grasping the black rope made by her Shapeshift skill. Then, she flew into the sky again. However, when Jin Yu-Ri returned, her expression was not good. She also came back empty-handed. "He didn''t run away, did he?" Yu-Seong asked in surprise. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t escape.¡± Yu-Ri shook her head and shrugged. She frowned to express her frustration. "But when I went to find him, he was already dead.¡± "What?" "He died from shock and excessive bleeding under his tongue. It¡¯s suicide," Yu-Ri said. "...But why?" asked Yu-Seong. Yoo Choong-Ryeol thought that being dragged to prison with unpaid debts was a far more bitter fate than death. The guild''s chasers being sent to collect his debt would strip him of everything he had, so perhaps it was better for him to die now. The two had no idea about Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s entire situation, so they found the middle-aged man¡¯s suicide rather shocking. Meanwhile, from Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s point of view, another thought came to mind. ''Is this ultimately his fate to die...?'' If Yoo Choong-Ryeol had followed the original plot of the novel, he should have been killed by Yoo Jin-Hyuk today. But thanks to Yu-Seong¡¯s involvement in the incident, his life was saved. And as a result, Yoo Jin-Hyuk caused a Mana Overload and summoned a raid monster, which was eventually defeated by Choi Yu-Seong. What if Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s death had led to a return to the original plot? After all, a single change in fate could cause all other variables to deviate. ''...Doesn¡¯t that mean that I am in danger too?'' Choi Yu-Seong had this sudden thought. He had improved his relationship with Kim Do-Jin to a certain extent, and it seemed that it would take a while for Do-Jin to approach Choi Woo-Jae. However, Kim Do-Jin would inevitably try to kill Choi Woo-Jae in some way. This would not change no matter how the plot changed. ''Because Kim Do-Jin is now obsessed with revenge.'' Choi Woo-Jae might ultimately face the death that had been predetermined for him. Following his death would be, as planned, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s. ''A predetermined death...'' Choi Yu-Seong got into his car and suddenly checked the date on his phone. ''April 9, 2030.'' The original novel had stated that Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s death was scheduled for around 2032. For a moment, a cold feeling gripped Yu-Seong¡¯s chest. However, he knew that he should not be swayed by it. ''I''m doing well enough.'' He was walking a completely different path from the original Choi Yu-Seong, so he had to trust himself. ''I''m doing great.'' And he just needed to keep doing well in the future. Yu-Seong calmed himself down and slowly closed his eyes. He also needed to get some rest. *** When he returned to his lodging, Yu-Seong walked into his room in a daze and immediately lay down on the bed. He also remembered to request Jin Yu-Ri to take care of Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s room separately. As asked, Jin Yu-Ri found Jin-Hyuk a room and put him to bed. When she walked out of the room, she saw that Chae Ye-Ryeong had been waiting for her by the door. She asked with a smile, "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?" "I heard you two suddenly going out." A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. "Don''t worry about it. I''m quite strong, unlike my appearance," said Yu-Ri. She raised her thin arm and revealed the muscles hidden beneath her fair skin, bulging to the surface as if showcasing her strength. Chae Ye-Ryeong looked at Yu-Ri with an amazed expression. "Wow¡­ If I become an A-rank, would I also have muscles like you, unni?" "For those who are Psychic-type players, the body does become stronger as the rank increases. However, to reach this point, you must also directly train the body." "Ah¡­ Just as I expected!" said Ye-Ryeong. "Hahaha, you¡¯re adorable. As you already know, even if you are a hunter, training is still important. There are only two reasons why there is a big difference in skill even within the same rank¡ªInborn talent, and constant training. Those who are commonly referred to as Super Rookies possess both of these qualities," said Yu-Ri. "That¡¯s why Yu-Seong oppa also trains every morning." "Yeah. When I wake up every morning, the first thing I do is invoke my Shapeshift skill in various forms." "Ah¡­ You can train that way too?" "Of course. Training isn''t just about moving your body. See, for example¡­ This is easy for me." Jin Yu-Ri spread her hand wide and made a long black whip. "If I apply it a bit more..." After that, Yu-Ri threw the whip up into the air. The shape of the whip immediately changed into a black curtain, blocking all vision. "You use your ability like an Alteration skill," asked Ye-Ryeong with shining eyes. ¡°Yeah, basically we divide Psychic-type abilities into various categories. In fact, if you put in the effort, you can mimic abilities that you weren''t born with to some extent. Just like how I''m mimicking Alteration skill." "Wait, something''s coming to mind." Ye-Ryeong immediately raised a large water droplet in the air with shining eyes. The water droplet looked harmless, but it had significant pressure. Upon bursting, its power could knock out most monsters of the same level. ''That''s the realm of a natural talent.'' Ye-Ryeong naturally had skills that were already far beyond those of a typical player. However, as always, talent was not limited to just one area. "If I¡­change it like this..." After gaining inspiration from Jin Yu-Ri''s ability usage, Ye-Ryeong concentrated and reached out her hand. Sweat began to bead on her forehead. In the end, the results were considerable. The shape of the droplet, which used to be round, had transformed into a sharp spike. "Got it! This is how it''s done, right, unni?" Ye-Ryeong shouted with excitement. Yu-Ri, after she witnessed the amazing transformation with her own eyes, couldn''t help but laugh. "Exactly." "But...it took too long. To use this in a real battle, I would need to practice a lot like you said, unni," said Ye-Ryeong. She let out a deep sigh and lowered her hand. The spike of water disappeared into the vast sky. Jin Yu-Ri shook her head. "Don''t be too disappointed. It''s normal that you can''t succeed right away." "Really?" "Of course. Originally, your skill type is Projection skill, but you just used the Alteration skill. Even for me, it took... " Jin Yu-Ri closed her mouth and made a bitter face. ''It took a week.'' Yu-Ri came to realize that talent that had risen from the depths of oneself was truly formidable. She even thought that it would be dangerous if she didn''t exert more effort. In fact, Jin Yu-Ri was also a well-known genius in the entire hunting industry. She said that it could be ¡®done by effort¡¯, but most hunters actually found it almost impossible to imitate other skill types. And looking at Ye-Ryeong, who had proved her talent by invoking it as soon as she saw an example¡­ ''I have to really put in effort if I don''t want to be left behind.'' Jin Yu-Ri was consumed by a burning desire to compete. At that moment, her thoughts turned to Yoo Jin-Hyuk, whom she had just put to sleep. ''No way¡­ Is that person also a preeminent genius like Ye-Ryeong?'' At first, Choi Yu-Seong was convinced that Ye-Ryeong had incredible talent, so he showed no hesitation in hiring her. That proved to be true, and Yu-Ri had seen great examples several times with her own eyes. And when Choi Yu-Seong had asked for an investigation on Yoo Jin-Hyuk, he had expressed similar intentions. ¡®He said that he¡¯s a supporter who must be kept close.¡¯ Looking at today''s incident, it might simply be due to Yu-Seong¡¯s sympathy. However, Yu-Ri was somehow convinced that he would not make such a decision out of sympathy alone. ''...Even if there was a Mana Overload, how could an unlicensed hunter summon a raid monster?'' Jin-Hyuk would undoubtedly be a genius, perhaps even surpassing Ye-Ryeong in brilliance. ''Maybe an Irregular or Inborn Awakened...'' Yu-Ri pondered. Her initial plan of retiring to bed after thoroughly cleaning her sticky body completely fell through. ¡®If I don''t do well, I''ll be replaced by my juniors. I don''t have time to sleep.¡¯ Jin Yu-Ri swiftly returned to her room, leaving behind Yu-Ryeong who was absorbed in her newly acquired skill. It was as if a passion that had been dormant in Yu-Ri¡¯s heart for a long time had been reignited. CH 133 Choi Yu-Seong woke up in the morning, promptly arising from bed and making his way to the bathroom. He filled the tub with warm water. He was still feeling drained from the previous night''s battle and getting caught in the rain. As he soaked in the warm water, the exhaustion from the previous day seemed to melt away swiftly. The only downside was that the tub in his lodging was quite small. ¡®No, I should be thankful for this¡­¡¯ In fact, it was just that the bathtub in his own house was abnormally big. ¡®Human beings are animals of adaptation.¡¯ Since he adapted so easily to the large bathtub before, Yu-Seong would easily adjust to the small tub as well. As if to prove this, he began to organize his thoughts right after he sat in the bathtub. ¡®Anyhow, it seems like Yoo Jin-Hyuk will join us...¡¯ The aftermath of the various events that had occurred last night seemed to have been resolved by Jin Yu-Ri in the early morning. She must have been exhausted from working all night, since she had even sent Yu-Seong a message saying that she would oversleep this morning. Thanks to that, Yu-Seong was also able to enjoy such a relaxed morning in another province. ¡®Come to think of it, Bernard Yoo must have arrived in the United States by now.¡¯ Perhaps the results of the match had already been announced and the news had reached Korea. While thinking such thoughts, Choi Yu-Seong finished his comfortable bath and stood in front of the mirror. His body was covered in long and short wounds that had not existed when he first possessed this body, in fact at that time, there hadn¡¯t even been a single blemish. Even though he was a hunter with a strong recovery rate, it was unrealistic to expect his body to remain unharmed after being battered like that. "Mm¡­ not bad," Yu-Seong said to himself as he smiled slightly. He looked for a hairdryer. In fact, he considered these wounds as badges of honor, since the number of wounds was not the only thing that had increased in his body. His body had improved also in terms of muscle mass. ¡®My shoulders have become wider and I can now do things that I never thought possible when I was just a game company employee¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong suddenly felt disconnected from reality. Before he knew it, he was in a state of admiration. ¡®And also, my hair has grown quite long. Would it be easier to move if I cut a bit?¡¯ Yu-Seong dried his hair, put on the robe provided by the lodging, and picked up his phone that he had plugged into the charger. He couldn''t help but make a strange expression when he looked at his phone screen. ¡®Why do I have so many notifications from social media...?¡¯ His phone screen was filled with an endless stream of new notifications. He was momentarily flustered, but quickly understood the current situation. He blocked the notifications before checking the news screen on a portal site. ~ ¡ù Choi Yu-Seong, the ninth child of Comet Group, shakes the world! ~ The headline was not an exaggeration or a simple metaphor, because the world was truly captivated by the name ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯. *** Upon returning to his home in the United States, Bernard Yoo contacted all major domestic and foreign media companies through Meghan. The journalists who were waiting for the competition results felt both surprise and admiration. Up to this point, they only knew that there had been a match between the two groups. They immediately began writing their articles after they received the news. After being contacted by Meghan, the journalists who were eager to break the story took less than an hour to write their articles. They disseminated the news that the winner of the dungeon racing among the descendants of South Korea''s conglomerate groups was Choi Yu-Seong. They had no videos, unfortunately. If the lack of video evidence were the only factor, it would not have resulted in such a widespread upheaval in the world. However, there was only one reason why the name ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯ shook the world. A journalist sent by CNL, one of the largest media companies in the United States, had directly gone to meet Bernard Yoo and attempted an interview. They were to broadcast the video on the news screen and upload it onto NewTube. Within a day, the video had recorded a world mega hit with one billion views. In fact, the video''s content was not that spectacular. It started with Bernard Yoo, who was sitting on a sofa, showing off his trademark smile. The journalist was the first to speak. "I heard about your defeat at the rank 4 dungeon, the Orc Village, in Korea, Bernard Yoo. I imagine you must be feeling quite conflicted¡­but you seem surprisingly at ease." "It¡¯s because I''ve already settled my mind," replied Bernard Yoo. "Should I take it that you have some regrets about the outcome?" asked the journalist. "Of course, the outcome is disappointing. Is there any way not to be disappointed? Anyway, I fought the battle and lost, so I can''t be feeling great, can I? Haha," said Bernard Yoo with a laugh. The journalist smiled and continued the interview. "Then, if you were given the opportunity to go back again, do you think you would win this time?" Bernard Yoo was fiercely competitive. He was not a man who would easily admit defeat after losing once. Above all, he was a hunter who was being supported by the United States despite being Korean. There were even rumors that the government was secretly preparing a bill to accept him as an American. Therefore, the journalist¡¯s question was to boost his self-esteem. However, Bernard¡¯s answer was beyond the journalist''s expectations. "No, how could I? Choi Yu-Seong is a monster. It''s disappointing to lose, but I don''t have the confidence to fight and win if I go back," said Bernard Yoo. "You just described Choi Yu-Seong as a monster. But didn''t you also hear the same from many people, Bernard?" In the video, Bernard Yoo shrugged his shoulders, and the journalist was unable to hide the slight surprise. "There are differences in levels among monsters as well. Goblins, orcs, and ogres are all referred to as monsters, but we do not see them as being of the same level." "I understand. You respect Choi Yu-Seong as a fellow Korean." "Let me be clear, I, Bernard Yoo, a hunter who is well-respected by many, do not want this to be viewed as an act of patriotism. I would be disappointed if that were the case." "I heard that, before you came back to America, you stayed at Choi Yu-Seong''s house. Is there any special relationship between the two of you?" "How did you already find out? Yes, I am friends with Choi Yu-Seong. But that doesn''t mean I evaluate him and his strength based on personal feelings. I evaluate him purely as a rival. Don''t doubt me. Well, let me put it this way. Choi Yu-Seong is the best Super Rookie that I know of in South Korea." "I see. Wait, what? Isn''t there already one in South Korea?" "Are you talking about Kim Do-Jin, right?" ¡°Yes, Kim Do-Jin, the Super Rookie of South Korea. The man who will be the hero of the future." ¡°I agree that he''s also a monster. But..." "But...?" "In my personal opinion, he''s below Choi Yu-Seong. Above all, he lacks character." "Pardon...?" the journalist stammered, feeling surprised by Bernard¡¯s unexpected fiery statement. Bernard Yoo smiled comfortably and leaned back on the sofa. "Everything that Kim Do-Jin does on TV is all fake. I have a lot more to say, but it''s not something that can be said in this short interview, so let''s move on. You keep bringing up doubts about Choi Yu-Seong, and I know that I''m not ordinary. Fortunately, I have enough ability to be loved by many people. Is it too simple to call me the orc among monsters? Let''s just say that I''m an ogre.¡± He then showed a sly smile. "And let''s talk about Kim Do-Jin. To be honest, I haven''t had direct experience with this friend, so I can''t say for sure¡­ But let''s say he¡¯s a drake.¡± Drake was a monster that only appeared in dungeons with a minimum rank of nine and was considered to be one of the higher ranked monsters within the dragon-type subspecies. "But isn''t it true that there are cases where drake is hunted by an ogre if they fight on land?" asked the journalist. Bernard Yoo grinned and gestured to himself with his index finger at the question. He said, "That''s what I mean¡ªto watch out for me.¡± "Haha... Does that mean Choi Yu-Seong is slightly stronger?" "A little stronger? No, not at all. Can you believe me? Choi Yu-Seong, he is just a D-rank. And even in a state where he was not at the max level, he has hunted one B-rank villain alone and a rank 4 named monster, the Orc War Chief." "What¡­?" the journalist asked in disbelief, once again feeling surprised. ¡°In history, who were the hunters who had accomplished such a feat? James Rochchild? Bernard Leos? Steve Lindberg, America''s hero?¡± These were all names of the world¡¯s greatest hunters. But even they would not have been able to survive the deathly situation of simultaneously hunting a B-rank villain and a 4th-rank dungeon-named monster during their D-rank days. Yet, Choi Yu-Seong had managed to accomplish such an incredible task alone. "Unbelievable..." the journalist exclaimed, unable to hide his emotions any longer. "What''s more surprising is that, while I may have been hallucinating, Choi Yu-Seong single-handedly killed the Orc War Chief," said Bernard Yoo. ¡°What did you just say¡­?" We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡°You are asking me to repeat myself a lot today.¡± As if the achievement was his own personal story, Bernard Yoo had a wide smile on his face. He said, "He killed an Orc War Chief in one blow as a D-rank player. This is something that no one could have done before until now.¡± This time, Bernard Yoo did not bring up anyone else''s name as a comparison. This was because Choi Yu-Seong had accomplished something that no one had ever attempted before and something that had always been thought to be impossible. Even bringing up a comparison would be an insult to Choi Yu-Seong. "...This is a joke, right? Bernard Yoo?" "Then let me put it this way. On my honor, name, and everything, I swear that all I said in this interview is true.¡± "You said you were delirious, so it could have been a mistake..." "I absolutely don''t think so." Bernard Yoo, who had a smile on his face a moment ago, stiffened his expression and slightly leaned forward. He said, "If Kim Do-Jin is the drake, Choi Yu-Seong is the dragon. Just watch and see. Someday, he might stand at the top of the world, which is yet to be determined. Haha." The video ended with Bernard Yoo¡¯s distinct laughter. *** Kim Do-Jin woke up early one morning and checked out a video interview of Bernard Yoo that had been posted on NewTube. As he watched, he couldn''t help but distort his handsome face. "Me as drake, and Choi Yu-Seong as dragon...?" Of course, Kim Do-Jin admitted that Choi Yu-Seong was indeed an impressive individual. In fact, Yu-Seong was the first person in modern times who fired up his competitive spirit. Also, he didn¡¯t doubt Bernard Yoo''s words saying that Choi Yu-Seong had defeated the Orc War Chief with a single blow. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he must have used a hidden skill.¡¯ Thinking calmly, Do-Jin remembered the image of the Orc War Chief which he had once knocked down before. He remembered how he had used his full mana and had combined magic to unleash his secret weapon. ¡®...It''s enough.¡¯ Do-Jin could also do it. It may not be absurd to bisect the giant body with one blow, so it was definitely within the realm of possibility. However, what if another B-rank villain were to intervene? ¡®Since it¡¯s after a battle, his condition would be at 60%.¡¯ Even in this state, could he cut the Orc War Chief in half with one blow? "...I don''t know." Kim Do-Jin was flabbergasted at the words he himself had spoken. It was something that even he, who had returned from another dimension with the experience and knowledge of taking the life of the Demon King, felt unsure about. It was strange. He felt an eerie feeling. He was expecting that Choi Yu-Seong had a hidden skill, but would the skill be this powerful? Suddenly, Kim Do-Jin looked towards a corner of the room where a picture and the information of the Comet Group''s Choi family was hanging. He focused on the face of Choi Yu-Seong, who stood out among his family members with his remarkable appearance. Then, widening his eyes, Do-Jin shouted, ¡°No way¡­ Could it be that he is too?¡± Kim Do-Jin¡¯s gaze hardened. He realized that there was something he needed to check. CH 134 Having become a world star in just one day, the very first thing that Choi Yu-Seong had to do was to explain the situation to the people around him. In fact, he only had to talk to a select few. ¡®Just father, Mi-Na noo-nim, Jin Yu-Ri, and Jin Do-Yoon¡­¡¯ Of course, Yu-Seong most urgently had to speak to his father, Choi Woo-Jae. Choi Woo-Jae had left a message for Yu-Seong, telling him to call back as soon as he woke up. Yu-Seong made the call, and Choi Woo-Jae answered within 10 seconds. - Is it all true? "It''s not a lie, but the thing is¡­ if you tell me to do it again, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it," said Yu-Seong. The events during the dungeon racing had been possible because he had used the power of the Lightning Burst. Unless there was another pill of the same level or he tried something so life-threatening that it would cause a Mana Overload, it was impossible for him to even attempt such a performance again. - It must be related to the fact that you were temporarily declared as mana-deficient. Fortunately, there was no need for Choi Yu-Seong to explain the situation in detail to Choi Woo-Jae. Choi Woo-Jae easily understood the current situation and, after a short silence, burst out laughing. - It''s interesting. Your brothers and sisters will think that this news is true. Choi Woo-Jae had a simple reason for saying that. Up until now, Yu-Seong had been somewhat of a minor concern to his brothers and sisters, since he was too young and insignificant to be considered a real threat. However, it was certain that this incident would completely change their thinking. ''They will consider me as a dangerous threat that should be caught right away.¡¯ Some of them would prioritize eliminating Yu-Seong despite the potential consequences from Mi-Na. What would be the best thing Yu-Seong could do in this situation? ¡°Please help me.¡± Choi Yu-Seong didn''t hesitate for long, because this wasn¡¯t a difficult decision for him to make. All he needed was a word from Choi Woo-Jae. No matter how much his brothers and sisters fought, no one had enough strength to ignore Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s directive. - Why should I? The problem was Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s response, as mentioned above. He had been indifferent to the competition between Yu-Seong¡¯s brothers and sisters for a while. But what would be the outcome if he were to suddenly intervene in their dispute? - Someone would certainly raise the issue of fairness. Even if you¡¯re performing well, they will claim you are not doing well. In other words, there was no real justification for it. Choi Yu-Seong had a small smile on his face as he replied, "I''m not certain if I should say this... but you¡¯re not someone who worries about justification, are you, Father?" Somewhat taken aback by Yu-Seong''s words, Woo-Jae stayed momentarily silent over the phone. Yu-Seong didn''t let the opportunity slip away. He continued speaking. Of course, the words he had spoken were not said without any confidence. ¡°Not to mention, I am more important to you, or rather, to the Comet Group, than my siblings¡¯ objections, doubts, or anger.¡± - Are you saying that your value is higher than that of all of your brothers and sisters combined? Right in front of me? ¡°Yes,¡± Choi Yu-Seong confidently replied. It was inevitable for his heart to pound from the tension of having Woo-Jae as his opponent. However, he had no need to doubt the outcome. Until now, there had been many direct descendants of the Choi family in the Comet Group who had made a name for themselves domestically. However, there were only a few who had made a name for themselves globally. ¡®Ji-Ho hyung-nim, Mi-Na noo-nim, and finally, myself.¡¯ However, Choi Yu-Seong was making a name for himself with the ambition of surpassing the world''s top-ranked player. This was a title that the previous two did not hold. Of course, there were many who had doubts about this. There were also quite a few people who criticized it as being overrated. ¡®It''s actually true that it¡¯s overrated due to my use of the Lightning Burst.¡¯ However, what could this name bring to the Comet Group? The answer was obvious just by looking at the stock prices of the Comet Group''s affiliated companies¡ªthey were currently hitting new highs. ¡®There¡¯s an increase of 12% on average compared to yesterday.¡¯ In a giant group like Comet Group, a stock price increase of 12% in one day was not a common occurrence, but more importantly, this figure was not at its limitation yet. As long as Choi Yu-Seong continued to grow and consistently perform, this figure would continue to rise within the company. How could this be possible? ¡°You¡¯ve finished preparing to take down the guilds related to the Cheon-Ji Group, right? And Comet Guild will officially launch within this month as well. You would certainly have left a place for me at this point, Father... " - Hmm¡­ Choi Woo-Jae let out a short sigh. The tone of his voice alone revealed that he felt both curiosity and appreciation. "If I continue to progress like this, you can completely swallow the Cheon-Ji Group within two years. You might even be able to do it without any bloodshed." Humans fought wars because of their own desires. The fight between companies was no different. In such a situation, the idea of not shedding a single drop of blood would be too tempting to resist. Winning without fighting¡ªwouldn¡¯t it be the ultimate strategy? - You''re becoming more and more ruthless as the days go by. "I learned from you, Father," said Yu-Seong. Like father, like son. As the father and son exchanged compliments, Choi Woo-Jae chuckled softly. - Since you''re pleading with me like that, I''ll comply with your request. But if you can''t take responsibility for the consequences¡­ you know what''s going to happen, correct? "Father." - Hmm? "Have I ever disappointed you?" - No, never. Haha! Choi Woo-Jae ended the call with a big laugh. Yu-Seong put down his phone, which continued ringing with new calls. He took a deep breath. ''Everyone could make mistakes at some point.'' However, Yu-Seong was planning to minimize those mistakes as much as possible. ''Because I am desperate.¡¯ As he had said upon first meeting Choi Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong was putting his life on the line in this war called life. Yu-Seong turned his attention to the sparkling system message. Although the interview with Bernard Yoo had led him to a state of confusion, there was no doubt that he had made a large profit. ¡®Star Factor!¡¯ With anticipation for its progress, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled as he opened the system interface window. He exclaimed, "Wow..." He quickly picked up his phone and sent a message to Bernard Yoo. - I''m so grateful to you, do you want a kiss? The reply that came back was as sharp as a knife. - ...? Are you crazy? - I feel crazily good. - Blocking you. Even though he had been called crazy, Yu-Seong kept smiling. With a happy tune, he said, "Life has become sweeter recently.¡± *** Choi Yu-Seong explained the situation and requested help from Woo-Jae early in the morning. After that, time passed by quickly, and it was soon evening. And at that time, Yoo Jin-Hyuk slowly opened his eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar ceiling and surroundings with a dazed expression. He slowly sat up. He mumbled, "Nobody...is here.¡± Just as Jin-Hyuk tilted his head, the closed door opened, and a small, delicate-faced girl entered. Surprised by the appearance of an unexpected person, he revealed his full astonishment as he quickly clung to the edge of the bed and summoned his powers. "Oh... You''re awake?" The girl who looked at Jin-Hyuk with a calm gaze was the first to speak. "Who are you?" "I''m Chae Ye-Ryeong." "..." "Don''t be on guard. I heard from the boss a moment ago that we will be together from now on as a family." "Boss? Family? Where''s Choi Yu-Seong?" "The boss I''m talking about is the one you''re looking for. And as for family... don''t you know the meaning of that word?" asked Ye-Ryeong. Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s face twisted in confusion at Ye-Ryeong''s strange provocation. He yelled, "Do you think I¡¯m stupid¡­?!" "Then why did you ask?" "Choi Yu-Seong is..." "He just left to have a meal after checking on your condition." "How am I supposed to believe that?" "You''re a suspicious one," said Ye-Ryeong, letting out a sigh and slowly shaking her head. "Believe it or not, this doesn''t matter to me. I''m not here because I have any special feelings for you; I''m just here because the boss asked me to check on you." ¡°...¡± Did his suspicions ease a little? As Jin-Hyuk slowly lowered his guard, Ye-Ryeong looked at him with a hint of a smirk on her face and walked toward the chair on the other side of the room. When Jin-Hyuk flinched, Ye-Ryeong said calmly, "Don''t be scared. I won¡¯t hit you." "You... " "And no matter how I look at it, I think I¡¯m older than you. Be polite. Or do you want to die?" "...What?" Surprised by Ye-Ryeong''s sudden fierce words, which belied her innocent and cute appearance, Jin-Hyuk flinched again slightly. "You''re not in middle school? You look like my second younger brother or something." "I''m 19." This time, Ye-Ryeong was surprised. She said, "You''re older than I thought. But you''re still a kid." Jin-Hyuk trembled as he asked, "How old are you...?" Ye-Ryeong, sitting comfortably in her chair, shot Jin-Hyuk a sharp gaze. "20 years old. Call me noona." "...Just a one-year difference." "So what? What¡¯s the problem?" Jin-Hyuk could not help but feel perplexed as he forced out the words he wanted to say. ''What''s going on? Why am I getting so flustered by this girl?'' Jin-Hyuk had grown up surrounded by violence and vulgarities, and he had always thought that he would not be easily pushed around by anyone. In fact, even when faced with the subtle pressure emitted by his uncle, a B-rank villain named Yoo Choong-Ryeol, Jin-Hyuk hadn¡¯t been pushed around. But now, strangely, he couldn''t face the small girl who looked about his height. ¡®Where does this kiddo think he''s going to beat me, his noona¡­ Hmph.¡¯ This was a skill that Ye-Ryeong had acquired from long years of training and raising her three younger brothers as the eldest sister. In front of Choi Yu-Seong and Jin-Yu-Ri, Ye-Ryeong appeared as a gentle lamb. However, how could it be easy for her to raise her three younger brothers alone? Ye-Ryeong had never been pushed around, not even in the fierce fights with the notorious mothers in the neighborhood. Jin-Hyuk felt a certain instinctual fear towards her, and Ye-Ryeong, who sensed the opportunity, pounced. She urged, "Come on, call me noona." "..." It should be impossible for a kid like him to endure this. Contrary to Ye-Ryeong''s confident thoughts, Jin-Hyuk''s words of resistance came out. "....I don''t want to." "What?" "Stupid." "...What?" While looking at Ye-Ryeong flustered, Jin-Hyuk laid on the bed and pulled the blanket over himself. Ye-Ryeong was not an easy person, but Jin-Hyuk also hated to lose. "You, you...?" When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "I''m going to sleep, when your boss Choi Yu-Seong¡­ No, Yu-Seong hyung comes, wake me up.¡± "What?" Jin-Hyuk groaned from under the blanket. He raised his voice towards Ye-Ryeong, who was flustered. He moaned, "Ugh¡­ My head hurts¡­ Thanks to someone¡¯s voice, my head hurts even more. Oww..." Ye-Ryeong couldn''t come up with a response to Jin-Hyuk''s harsh words. She held her aching head and shook it back and forth, trying to stay determined. ¡®What''s with this brat¡­ Just you wait, I''ll make you call me ''noona'' somehow.¡¯ Meanwhile, Jin-Hyuk, hidden under the blanket, also made a promise to himself. ¡®I will never call her ''noona,'' no matter what. In fact, that girl looks close to my age.¡¯ From Choi Yu-Seong''s perspective, it was the moment when the two kids'' childish battle of pride began. CH 135 ¡°Boss, you¡¯re here!¡± said Chae Ye-Ryeong. "Yu-Seong hyung, you''re here!" said Yoo Jin-Hyuk. Yu-Seong, who had just returned from dinner, could only nod in a slightly flustered manner to the eager greetings from Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk. ''What''s with these guys?'' Before Yu-Seong could settle in, Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk began bickering with each other. "Boss, do we have to hang out with that brat from now on?" "Yu-Seong hyung, I don''t think I can be friends with that shortie." "What? Shortie!? Hey, how tall are you?" "I think I''m taller than you. And you were the one who called me a brat first!" Yu-Seong was confused by the intense conversation between the two. He pulled them away from each other to stop them. He said, "Just a moment. I have two things that I haven''t adjusted to yet.¡± Yu-Seong then asked, "First, why are you suddenly calling me hyung, Jin-Hyuk?" "Well... You are older than me." Jin-Hyuk¡¯s response made sense in some way. However, the difference between the Yoo Jin-Hyuk who Yu-Seong had just met and the one he had known before was so great that it was hard for him to adjust. Yu-Seong gave Jin-Hyuk a doubtful look. Jin-Hyuk, with an embarrassed expression, scratched his red cheek lightly. "Can I¡­?" "It''s not that it won''t work out, it''s just that I wish it had been like this from the beginning." Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "I''m sorry..." "It''s fine. At least you know now." Yu-Seong smiled and patted Jin-Hyuk¡¯s head lightly. Jin-Hyuk looked even more embarrassed now. ''Maybe because of his small build and fair skin, I''ve never felt that a guy could be this cute.¡¯ It felt like looking at a wounded cat. Yu-Seong did not dislike this change in Yoo Jin-Hyuk. ¡®It''s better to be hopeful.¡¯ It was a change because Jin-Hyuk had made up his mind to rely on Yu-Seong. ''As long as I don''t disappoint him.'' Yu-Seong didn''t need to pour excessive affection on the teenager either. Once, he had heard the words of a famous South Korean escaped prisoner¡ªif someone had just given him a warm word or a safe touch in his childhood, the devil wouldn''t have grown in his heart. It was a way to free one person from the fate of a terrible disaster. Thus, there was no reason why Yu-Seong couldn''t make this much effort. ''To be honest, compared to father''s conditions, it''s easy.'' Yu-Seong looked at Jin-Hyuk with a somewhat pleased gaze. Ye-Ryeong stared at Jin-Hyuk with a sharp gaze. "But I''m older than you too.¡± "But you''re shorter than me," said Jin-Hyuk. "I''m not short! You seriously..." "Stop. I haven''t finished my question yet," said Yu-Seong "Hyung thinks you are noisy, you stupid," said Jin-Hyuk. "Ugh..." Chae Ye-Ryeong balled up her fists and trembled in anger when she lost to Jin-Hyuk. Yu-Seong, who had not seen Ye-Ryeong like this before, felt a strange feeling. He made a peace sign and asked with a playful expression, "Second question. When did the two of you become so close?" "Hyung, that''s a bit ..." ¡°Boss, I have never expressed any disagreement with your words before, but the words spoken just now were not pleasant. I ask for you to take them back.¡± "Both of you, stop. If you are not close to each other yet, start being closer now. We''re all going to be together for the rest of our lives." "For the rest of our lives...?" Ye-Ryeong asked in surprise, her eyes widening. Yoo Jin-Hyuk looked at Yu-Seong with a slightly moved expression. "Yes, from now on, we''re friends for life. Anyway, it seems you''ve both calmed down, so go and have fun spending time together. I still have something to do. We''ll be going back to Seoul tomorrow, so Jin-Hyuk, you should make preparations too." "Hyung, me too?" asked Jin-Hyuk. "You don''t want to go?" Jin-Hyuk shook his head briskly. "Okay, let''s be together." Yu-Seong gave Jin-Hyuk a slightly gentle smile. Then, he looked at Cha Ye-Ryeong, who had a look full of dissatisfaction. He said, "Ye-Ryeong, you too, be reasonable. When you''re in society, everyone becomes friends despite a year or two of age difference.¡± ¡°Boomer Boss.¡± "Ugh... Your words are too harsh." "I dislike you." Yu-Seong made a somewhat pained expression, shrugged his shoulders, and left the room. In the end, they were the only two left. Yoo Jin-Hyuk made a smile of victory as he raised his chin and looked at Ye-Ryeong, who lowered her head, clenched her fist, and furrowed her brows in anger. ¡°The boss might have told us to be friends, but if you really think we are equal, you''ll die.¡± "...hic." Without realizing it, Jin-Hyuk hiccupped. Still, he kept shaking his head. *** The next day, early in the morning, the three of them returned to their home in Seoul. Choi Yu-Seong spent the next few days happily humming due to his crazy growth in NewTube subscribers and Instagram followers. He wondered, "My NewTube channel has 3 million subscribers... Is that within the top 5 hunters in the country?" Also, the average number of views per video was over 5 million. Popular videos like Goblin Fortress also surpassed 50 million views. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong had received a call from Park Jin-Hwan that his NewTube revenue was rapidly increasing. ¡®It is always better to have more and more money.¡¯ Although hunters had become a desirable profession for many people around the world, the foundation of it was still money and honor. Even someone like Choi Yu-Seong, the descendant of a chaebol family, couldn''t completely say that he was entirely free from those shackles. ¡®Anyway, I am gradually breaking away from being dependent on my father''s allowance, right?¡¯ If he could start accumulating some wealth at this point, Yu-Seong could make enough money in the next five years to surprise even Choi Woo-Jae. He began making big plans for his assets, then contacted Jenny and relayed the material of the ancient artifacts that he had decided to use. He had written these down in excitement, and the artifacts were those that had appeared in the original novel. ¡®She said it would take about three months to get everything.¡¯ The wait wasn¡¯t that bad. At this point, Yu-Seong also thought that Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong would be able to steadily rise up to C-rank. ¡®I bet that Yoo Jin-Hyuk would need a lot of support.¡¯ The fortunate thing was that, as befitting of his fate as a former disaster-class villain, Yoo Jin-Hyuk also had a skill called ¡®Titanic Growth.¡¯ ¡®It''s a skill that Nioh of Japan was so proud of¡­¡¯ Looking around him, Yu-Seong found growth to be very common. In fact, his Star Factor had also grown significantly in recent days. That was because people''s interest in him had continued to increase. ¡®It''s quite a big deal.¡¯ Had it been ridiculous to say that he would have kissed Bernard Yoo¡¯s cheek for this? Yu-Seong checked his Star Factor, which had grown even more in the last day, with a satisfied gaze. ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D+ The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level accelerates. In a short amount of time, the interest towards skill holders has drastically increased to the point of absurdity, and a rank adjustment effect has occurred. Hidden Piece is opened. D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras. Current acceleration rate +130% ¡ú 180% Additional privileges are opened by achieving new interest figures. Experience points required for growth -3% ¡ú -5% The Hidden Piece skill ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ can now be used in addition. The skill ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ does not have a rank. When using the skill, it allows the user to check the fame of the target. If the target''s fame is lower than the user''s, it can randomly trigger a curse. The current fame of player Choi Yu-Seong: 560. Note: If fame drops below 100, the ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ skill will disappear. ¡» The acceleration rate and decrease in necessary experience points had both been explosively raised. ¡®Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong''s acceleration effect of Titanic Growth skill is 300% during E rank.¡¯ If Nioh of Japan knew this, he would absolutely lose his mind. His Titanic Growth skill had only 150% acceleration effect during E rank. This led to the simple fact that¡­ ¡®Two people with the same skill can have different effects depending on their talents.¡¯ Thinking about it in this way, Yu-Seong could not help but wonder how much of a cheat the Titanic Growth skill that the two had was and how they could quickly follow Yu-Seong¡¯s footsteps. ¡®Don''t be too surprised. Those two were destined to fight even with Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ Most of all, Yu-Seong''s Star Factor skill was not simply a possession of acceleration, but also had an experience decrease effect. Most of all, thanks to Bernard Yoo, a hidden piece had also been unlocked. Even after looking several times, his Star Factor skill was several times better than the Titanic Growth. ¡®And the Prestige Show Off skill is really good.¡¯ Prestige Show Off skill could randomly curse people who were less famous than Yu-Seong. Mana was consumed, but there was no reuse cooldown. Most of all, there were no ranks. The only thing that would be affected was the opponent¡¯s fame. To understand this exactly, Yu-Seong first used his Prestige Show Off skill to find out about the fame of the people around him. ¡®Jin Yu-Ri is 120, Chae Ye-Ryeong is 60, and Yoo Jin-Hyuk is 3.¡¯ Jin Yu-Ri was known to be a fairly successful A-rank hunter and had a considerable amount of fame due to the fans who followed her because of her beauty. After all, she had been seen by Yu-Seong¡¯s side. ¡®Chae Ye-Ryeong is known as the top domestic prospect following me, so her fame is reasonable.¡¯ Yoo Jin-Hyuk had almost no external activities, so his fame was at a very low level. Maybe his score would rise considerably after taking the hunter exam, just like Chae Ye-Ryeong. In comparison, Yu-Seong''s current fame was 560. At first, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders at the score that was below expectations. However, when he saw the score of Kim Hyuk-Joon, the most popular hunter in South Korea, Yu-Seong could easily understand the situation. ¡®His fame is 430.¡¯ Kim Hyuk-Joon was well-known in South Korea and also had many fans worldwide due to his celebrity status. However, there was only one reason for his score being lower than expected. ¡®It¡¯s the same as the level. The higher the score, the harder it is to raise.¡¯ Anyway, Yu-Seong''s fame score of 560 was by no means low. Even now, any person of average ability could not avoid this Prestige Show off skill. Someday, no one would be able to avoid his skill. To put it simply, it was a curse skill with 100% accuracy. ¡®Even though it''s randomly applied¡­¡¯ No curse-caster in the world would be able to curse someone else as easily as this. In fact, cursing someone of a higher rank was considered almost impossible. Although, Yu-Seong could now do it through the hidden ability in his Star Factor. ¡®I am not a real jack-of-all-trades... I''m becoming a master-of-all, ¡®the All-Rounder¡¯!¡¯ Being a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-all was just like a piece of paper. ¡®The difference is whether there¡¯s something special or not.¡¯ And currently, Yu-Seong was clearly someone special for anyone to look up to. As he became more famous, he might have to face an invasion of demons in the future, but at this point, he could not escape from such a fate. ¡®And Bernand Yoo has already caused a big scene¡­¡¯ In exchange, Yu-Seong had gotten an enormous reward. In fact, he thought it possible for there to be even more hidden abilities in his Star Factor skill. ¡®Above all... fame is not something that continues forever.¡¯ When popularity decreased, the Prestige Show off skill would disappear. If he had known that from the start, Yu-Seong wouldn''t have gone after it. Now, he would just try his best to not lose it. ¡®I''ll have to give it my all, even if it means I have to bite the bullet.¡¯ Yu-Seong decided to stop thinking about the demon invasion. With that decision, he began preparing for another challenge, the C-rank promotion evaluation. ''Skills and training are enough.'' He was definitely strong enough to transcend rank. However, since he was thinking of taking an extremely difficult test and aimed to clear it, he was going to try his best to make all sorts of preparations. So what was left to prepare? Of course, it was the equipment. "Summon Dimensional Merchant." In response to Yu-Seong¡¯s call, a cute little creature appeared in the room with a ¡®pop!¡¯ sound. CH 136 Opening a small pink-colored door, Ping Pong confidently and majestically strode in, or so he thought. To the eyes of a third party, though, the way he walked was adorable. He toddled and wagged his tail, only raising his hand when he saw Choi Yu-Seong. He greeted with a lively voice, "Choi-Hi! It means Choi Yu-Seong, hi!¡± Ping Pong¡¯s round black eyes sparkled when Yu-Seong quickly peeled off the wrapper and handed over a lollipop that he had prepared in advance. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "Ping-Hi! It means Mr. Ping Pong, hi." "Woo hoo hoo... Choi Yu-Seong, you''re quite the playful one. Just wait a moment. I''ll finish this and start with business," said Ping Pong. Perhaps he liked that Yu-Seong had used a similar greeting because Ping Pong¡¯s tail was wagging so much. This was a rare sight. He eagerly munched on the lollipop. Watching Ping Pong incessantly licking the candy, Yu-Seong suddenly muttered to himself, "Isn''t just watching you eat candy itself part of starting business...?" "Huh? What do you mean?" asked Ping Pong. "It means you are cute." "What! How dare you, Choi Yu-Seong! Using such an expression for a powerful and dignified Lion Bear Clan member like myself! It¡¯s very disrespectful!" "...Is it really that disrespectful?" asked Yu-Seong. "Of course." With that, Ping Pong swallowed part of the candy whole and stood up, puffing out his chest. He added, "Especially for one who has figured out my exact taste..." "Alright, fine. Just finish eating your candy first, Mr. Ping Pong. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have a cut on the roof of your mouth.¡± Not able to properly enunciate while eating candy, Ping Pong rolled his eyes and nodded. He continued to chew on the rest of the lollipop. ¡®Even so, he must like the taste of the candy.¡¯ As Yu-Seong gazed at Ping Pong''s tail that puffed up, Ping Pong said, "Hm, well¡­ In any case, since you, Choi Yu-Seong, understand my taste, I''ll let you off the hook. But from now on, be more careful with your words!" "Yeah, yeah. By the way, is the candy enough?" asked Yu-Seong. "How can you think that I would be addicted to mere candy..." When Yu-Seong pulled out five more lollipops from his pocket, Ping Pong¡¯s eyes widened. He trembled, and his cheeks turned red. In no time, his tail that only just stopped wagging started moving from side to side again. It also became even more puffed up. ¡®That''s why the Lion Bear Clan cannot lie. What a cute creature.¡¯ Not voicing his true thoughts, Yu-Seong handed over the five more lollipops to Ping Pong. Then, he finally got to the main point of Ping Pong¡¯s visit. He said, "By the way, I was thinking about trying that thing out.¡± "Hmm? What thing?" Ping Pong asked. Then, realizing what Yu-Seong was talking about, he said with a smile, "You''re thinking about using the free lottery ticket!" "Correct." Choi Yu-Seong hadn''t used the free lottery ticket he had obtained from leveling up before dungeon racing with Bernard Yoo only because of one reason. ¡®If I spend 2000 karma points to upgrade the free lottery ticket, I can get a Treasure-Class item.¡¯ The free lottery ticket Yu-Seong had originally obtained would only give him a chance to get a Rare-Class item at best. However, by upgrading it with 2000 karma points, he could increase his chances of obtaining a Treasure-Class item. ¡®In other words, if I am unlucky, I could still get a Rare-Class item.¡¯ This was why, despite having accumulated over 2000 karma points, Yu-Seong prioritized investing in skill rank upgrades. As a result, he currently held all skills at D-rank or higher, excluding the special skill ''Dancing Electric Doll.¡¯ There were two reasons why Yu-Seong did not rank up the remaining skill, ''Dancing Electric Doll''. First, he believed that the attack power of ''Dancing Electric Doll'' was still sufficient. Yu-Seong judged that ''Dancing Electric Doll'' was a more effective skill in large-scale battles than in one-on-one battles. It was more useful for dealing with a large number of small monsters than with a single powerful monster. Therefore, there was no need to seek a higher power from ''Dancing Electric Doll'' in his current situation. ¡®Since I can use Lance Charging when I need a big offensive power.¡¯ The second reason was that Yu-Seong did not lack offensive power. ¡®If possible, I should try to enhance my defensive capabilities by getting abilities or items that would boost my defenses.¡¯ For that reason, Yu-Seong had utilized the empty skill slot to learn D-rank Protective Shield skill, Natural Healing skill, and Bleeding Resistance skill for emergency situations. However, these were not enough to block all threats. ''There are countless resistance skills, such as Poison Resistance, Fracture Resistance, Curse Resistance, Burn Resistance, and so on¡­¡¯ The fact that there were so many resistance skills meant that there were many situations that could prove to be dangerous. ''To some extent, it could be solved with basic physical abilities as a hunter, but having resistance skills is much better.'' Even so, there was a simple reason why Yu-Seong did not fill most of the empty slots with resistance skills. ''It''s due to the limitations of the Eye of Replication skill.'' Most resistance skills were passive skills, but they would become active skills upon being brought over with Eye of Replication skill. This was due to the penalties. For example, burns or frostbite could be dealt with an active type skill by recognizing one¡¯s surroundings or the opponent''s abilities. However, in cases of poison or curses, those were often not easily recognizable as they came with little warning. Therefore, resistance skills were always better as passive skills. ¡®The problem is, I was born without any resistance skills.¡¯ In this case, there were two solutions. First, to gain support from the gods for resistance skills. Second, to overcome it by wearing items, and this was what Yu-Seong was trying to do right now. ¡®In the original novel, there was an Insignia of Protection among the Treasure-Class items¡­¡¯ For Yu-Seong, the Insignia of Protection could be considered the best for a resistance ability type. With a clear goal in mind, Yu-Seong licked his lips and looked at Ping Pong while stretching out his hand. ¡°Upgrade, please.¡± Ping Pong put his small round front foot on Yu-Seong¡¯s hand. After trembling briefly, he absorbed a bright purple gas that flowed through Yu-Seong¡¯s palm into his paw. He shouted, ¡°2000 karma points, received well!¡± Then, Ping Pong pulled out a free lottery ticket from his pocket, which originally shone in blue, and the room was suddenly filled with a scarlet light. Yu-Seong blinked from the brief glare of light. Ping Pong smiled and handed over the ticket that now shone in scarlet. "Alright, now all you have to do is tear this, Choi Yu-Seong.¡± Looking at the random lottery ticket, Yu-Seong¡¯s heart raced. He held the edges of the ticket, which looked like an old movie ticket, with slightly trembling hands and tugged. Rip-! As the Treasure-Class free lottery ticket was being torn, something enormous suddenly burst forth. A huge commotion took place with a popping sound. Charrrrrrrrrr-! Pampaba-! As if baby angels were playing trumpets atop a roulette machine at some casino, the loud melody echoed throughout the room. Time seemed to slow down as Yu-Seong was completely distracted by the spectacle. In fact, Yu-Seong had a great deal of knowledge about lotteries as a game developer. ''The cause of all lotteries is nothing but to bring revenue to the company!'' It was a ruthless business model created by corporations and chairmen of great companies to make money. Needless to say, the lottery had no rules or regulations. Instead, it relied on percentages and probability based on a system. Occasionally, some unscrupulous companies would manipulate the odds of the lottery, but it was unlikely for the roulette machine operated by the Dimensional Merchants to do the same. ''In other words, the result of the lottery is based on luck!'' Boldly grasping the roulette machine¡¯s lever, Yu-Seong looked at Ping Pong. He said, "I''ll spend an additional 100 karma points to buy the Luck Potion!" "Hmm? I don''t recommend it, Choi Yu-Seong. The Luck Potion is like a city legend among Dimensional Merchants. There¡¯s a saying that almost nobody has actually seen its effects..." "Mr. Ping Pong, trust me," said Yu-Seong with gleaming eyes. Ping Pong pulled out a small vial of red liquid and handed it over to Choi Yu-Seong with a somewhat suspicious look. He said, "This is for free.¡± As expected, the Lion Bear Clan had good business skills. Yu-Seong laughed and grasped the roulette handle tighter, then stared straight ahead. He was taking a long time to prepare, but he only had this one chance! ¡®Kim Do-Jin never truly benefited from this lottery.¡¯ However, that was not a big deal for Yu-Seong. ¡®I have a feeling that I''ll be different.¡¯ With the same unfounded confidence as most people who failed at lotteries, Yu-Seong grasped the roulette handle without hesitation. As he pulled the lever with a thud, the numbers on the roulette wheel began to spin wildly. The numbers that came up were predetermined to be 777. However, that did not mean that good items always came up. ¡®Please, please, please. Give me the Insignia of Protection. Please.¡¯ Yu-Seong prayed desperately with his eyes closed and hands clasped together. His heart pounded with anxiety. He unintentionally frowned. - A Joke-loving Prankster looks at the agitated Choi Yu-Seong with a disdainful eye. Even though it had been a while since Loki''s message had come, Yu-Seong didn''t even notice it as he had been focused on his prayer with his eyes closed. After a moment, the numbers stopped at 777, and the bottom of the roulette machine opened. With a thud, the machine spat out one item before making a loud bang noise and disappearing. Even though he already knew it was over, Yu-Seong found it difficult to bring himself to look at the results. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ping Pong''s expression. "Wow..." Ping Pong had a look of slight awe as he smiled at Yu-Seong. "Congratulations, Choi Yu-Seong. You seem to have better luck than I had anticipated." Yu-Seong knew then that the outcome was at least not unfavorable. ''Just because it''s a Treasure-Class item doesn''t mean it is always going to be a good one, but at least the item is above average.'' Would it be the long-awaited item¡ªInsignia of Protection¡ª that he had been hoping for? Yu-Seong quickly looked at the object that had rolled across the floor and held it in his hands. He then widened his eyes. The object was a small bead that emitted light as if it was burning. There were so many colors being mixed together, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. "At first glance, you wouldn¡¯t know what it is, Choi Yu-Seong. That is a treasure called the Insignia of Protection. The usage is..." Choi Yu-Seong clearly knew the usage of the item. "Jackpot!" Convinced that this was the item he had been waiting for, Yu-Seong quickly put the bead in his mouth and swallowed it. "Really? You already knew about it?" asked Ping Pong. "Of course. I''ve been wanting it," said Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong¡¯s left clavicle began to heat up as he answered. He moaned slightly from the intense pain, but he knew that it was worth it. An angel-winged shield with a cross was now tattooed across his left clavicle. He looked at it with a wide smile. ¡®The engraving item, the Insignia of Protection.'' The Insignia of Protection could be considered the best among all Treasure-Class items, granting the effect of obtaining all resistance skills that matched the Player¡¯s rank. ''It costs 30,000 karma points to officially purchase it!'' It truly was a sweet deal. ''No, it''s like a gorgonzola pizza with honey poured all over it, it tastes fantastic...'' Yu-Seong was caught in a fantasy of happiness as his mouth curled into a contented smile. CH 137 In this world, items such as ancient relics or treasures of the otherworld had ranks. They functioned almost like they would in games. ¡®In the original novel, the ranks were revealed to be Common, Rare, Treasure, Unique, Legendary, and Mythic.¡¯ Among these, items of the Unique rank or above were said to be the only ones in existence throughout the entire universe. ¡®Ultimately, the best that one could normally obtain were items of the Treasure-Class.¡¯ Even so, there was a simple reason why the Insignia of Protection was particularly special. It was an engraving item. Treasures of the otherworld were somehow visible to others because the items often had peculiarities that stood out, and they could be acquired by killing the owner. However, the engraving item was different. ¡®In any case, it is engraved on the body like a tattoo, so it cannot be easily taken away.¡¯ Even though it was visible as a tattoo, it was something that essentially engraved itself on the soul, so it was impossible to take it away from the owner. Death was no exception. Due to this reason, even though they were also Treasure-Class items, the engraving item''s value was much higher. ¡®And among these engraving items, the Insignia of Protection has the highest level of defensive performance within the Treasure-Class.¡¯ Needless to say, the Insignia of Protection was a popular item and was difficult to find in the dimension bundle, even though it was not a Unique-Class. ¡®This is unsurprising since there are only a few hundred Treasure-Class items in the entire universe¡­¡¯ In fact, Yu-Seong had obtained the treasure through the lottery. This was an item that would have been difficult to obtain even if he had 30,000 karma points to purchase it. Ping Pong observed how naturally Yu-Seong was engraving the Insignia of Protection on himself and wondered how Yu-Seong had obtained knowledge about the item. However, after accepting the celebratory treat, a single stick of candy, that Yu-Seong had offered him, he happily went back to his own dimension with all his doubts dispelled. After that, Yu-Seong met with Yu-Ri and asked her to do several things, including watching over Yoo Jin-Hyuk, before challenging the promotion examination. In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t have to think long about the difficulty level for the promotion examination. ¡®Extreme difficulty level.¡¯ Even from the start, one would only pick the normal difficulty level if they couldn¡¯t clear the extreme difficulty one. However, some people were entirely opposed to choosing the extreme difficulty level. ¡®If you''re not careful, you could die before you even announce to give up.¡¯ Yu-Seong believed that his accumulated experience and skill were decent enough that he wouldn¡¯t fail to clear it. Of course, this challenge wouldn¡¯t be an easy one. However, the harder the challenge, the greater the reward. With such considerations in his mind, Yu-Seong entered the C-rank promotion examination. *** ¡¶Choi Yu-Seong, the D-rank MAX level player, is entering the extreme difficulty level C-rank promotion evaluation. Good luck.¡· Yu-Seong heard the same message that he had heard during the D-rank promotion exam. Then, as if he were swallowed whole, he suddenly entered a whole new place. When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar face of Mr. Guy, a rabbit wearing a tuxedo. Mr. Guy smiled and waved at Yu-Seong. "Choi-Hi! It means Choi Yu-Seong, hi!¡± "Yeah, that must be a popular catchphrase now," Yu-Seong replied. "Oh, I see. So there''s someone else besides me who used this cool catchphrase. I''m sure they must have great character and charm too, hong hong." Mr. Guy smiled. If Ping Pong had heard Mr. Guy¡¯s compliment, his tail would have certainly fluffed up with pride. "You''ve grown quite a lot. It''s hard to see it as just a rank difference. Just how many near-death experiences have you been through?" asked Mr. Guy. "I''ve encountered countless near-death experiences since being in E-rank," said Yu-Seong. For some reason, death always seemed to loom over an Irregular. Whether it was due to the tendency of Irregulars to become stronger simply by surviving or because Yu-Seong had grown strong from surviving in such an environment, Yu-Seong, who had been chosen as an Irregular, certainly experienced many perilous situations. And those experiences had now made even the promotion exam supervisor, Mr. Guy, take notice. "Well, that¡¯s all good. Seeing a player like you challenge the extreme difficulty level is quite an enjoyable thing for me. Most of all, thanks to the support of the gods again, we were able to make a great test field," said Mr. Guy. Yu-Seong heard Mr. Guy mention "the support of the gods" and felt a sense of frustration. He had suspected that the mischievous Loki may have had something to do with it, but the thought that the other gods may have intervened as well caused his anger to rise. However, he managed to suppress his emotions and replied with an awkward smile, "Wow, I¡¯m already hearing such happy news.¡± "Hong hong, that''s right. I''ve heard that, in your world, there''s even a saying, ¡®make hay while the sun shines,'' so shall we start right away?" asked Mr. Guy. "Sure. You''re going to make me lose consciousness again?" "No, this time, you can just watch with open eyes." As Mr. Guy spread his arms wide, the space that had previously been empty began to fill with a rainbow light. The light was so intense that Yu-Seong couldn''t even open his eyes to look at it. Naturally, he closed his eyes. He could hear Mr. Guy''s playful laughter behind him. "If you can," said Mr. Guy. "...What a delightful comment," Yu-Seong replied. The intense light momentarily blinded him, even with his eyes closed, and the ringing in his ears grew louder as it enveloped him. He was still conscious, but his body felt limp, and his senses were dull. His head was spinning so much that it felt like the world was upside down. ¡®I can even smell something¡­¡¯ Was it the smell of oil? Or was it a slightly acrid smell like sulfur? Just as Yu-Seong was starting to feel that way, the light, noise, and sensation that had been making him feel uneasy all disappeared, and he quickly returned to normal. Naturally, Yu-Seong slowly opened his eyes and easily identified the source of the sulfurous smell that was heating him up. "Is this...lava?" In front of him was an empty space with nothing but a small patch of land where he and Mr. Guy were barely able to stand on it. The land was surrounded by bubbling, boiling lava. In fact, Yu-Seong did not need Mr. Guy¡¯s further explanation. ?Player Choi Yu-Seong is currently undergoing a promotion examination of extreme difficulty level ++ The format of the exam has been altered from a snake''s path to a Hot Flames Board of the Five-Colored Hells. To successfully pass the promotion, you must navigate through all five hells. Good luck!? This promotion examination didn''t have any harsh penalties like the time Yu-Seong had to catch a thief. Nor was there any elaborate explanation. ¡®In fact, there''s no need for that.¡¯ Yu-Seong looked out at the vast expanse of lava in front of him. There were small rocks that he could step on scattered throughout the landscape, but he couldn''t see an exit beyond the horizon of boiling lava. "Hahaha... How do you like it? I picked out a great test site for you," Mr. Guy said. "It''s very impressive. Is it even possible to clear this?" asked Yu-Seong while tilting his head skeptically. "Of course. Promotion examinations are designed so that even if the difficulty level is high, players can still clear it within their own rank. There''s no such thing as impossible. That''s why the Five-Colored Hells has appeared in Hot Flames Board form. Hong hong," Mr. Guy said. "So it''s designed to be cleared..." said Yu-Seong. "Yes, typically, the passing rate for an exam of this extreme difficulty level is around 2%," Mr. Guy replied. "How about the exam I am taking right now?" asked Yu-Seong. "If I calculate it roughly, it has a passing rate of about 0.001%," Mr. Guy replied. "Wow, this isn¡¯t a completely impossible area. It''s amazing!" Yu-Seong exclaimed sarcastically. "Hong hong. Yes, our examiners work hard to prepare fair test sites. Cheer up, Yu-Seong. I''ll go ahead and wait for you at the next location," Mr. Guy said with a satisfied smile. Once Mr. Guy leaped over the lava and disappeared quickly, Yu-Seong was left alone. He took a deep breath, looked at the lava, and said to himself, "Lava..." He then sat down on the central island and fell into deep contemplation. How was he going to cross this sea of boiling lava? Feeling doubtful, he muttered, "Wait... Shouldn''t I be feeling incredibly hot while standing here in the middle of a sea of lava?" Yu-Seong was standing in the center of a sea of lava. Normally, by now, he would be drenched in sweat, and his body would have turned red, but a few beads of sweat were only starting to form on his forehead now. ¡®Could it be...?¡¯ Suddenly, Yu-Seong realized something and carefully lifted his toes up to the lava. In an instant, his shoes melted away without a trace. As the tips of his toes touched the lava and heated up, he cried out, "It¡¯s hot!" It was like being in a cold place and then suddenly stepping into a hot spring. His skin instantly prickled. In other words, it was incredibly hot. ¡°...It¡¯s incredibly hot, and that''s it?¡± Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he realized something. - A Joke-loving Prankster expresses his frustration at the fairness of the test. Then, Loki''s message popped up in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. ¡®Aha...?¡¯ Normally, in such a dangerous situation, Loki would have been excited and would have sent a message to express that. Only now did Yu-Seong understand why he had been so quiet. ¡®So this is what Hot Flames Board means!¡¯ It looked like lava, but in reality, the temperature was not that extreme. ¡®If one has the ability to resist heat, one can handle the scorching temperatures of this level with ease.¡¯ And before the promotion examination, Yu-Seong had acquired an engraving item called the Insignia of Protection, which granted him overall resistance. After assessing the situation, Yu-Seong took off all of his clothes without hesitation. There was no point in keeping clothes made of thin cloth or linen because they would just melt away in the heat. - A Joke-loving Prankster mockingly criticizes player Choi Yu-Seong for his shameless action. Yu-Seong looked up at the sky and smiled. Then, he leaped into the sea of lava without hesitation. "Uaaah-!" As he expected, the heat was so intense that a cry of pain escaped his lips. Although, it was not an unbearable level of heat. Thanks to that, he could occasionally rest on the rocks that jutted out of the lava as he went on his way. ¡®If I stay here for more than five minutes, I''ll get burns, or my body will start to burn anyway.¡¯ Despite the fact that he took a bit of time, Yu-Seong made steady progress. By choosing this method, he was able to successfully pass through the first stage of the Five-Colored Hells, the red hell, in approximately half a day. He proceeded to the next gate that was emitting a black light. *** Mr. Guy, who had said he would wait in the next location, widened his eyes as he saw Yu-Seong, who looked extremely miserable. He commented, "You...came much faster than I thought?" "Is that important?" Yu-Seong asked. Mr. Guy nodded firmly. "To be honest, I thought the probability of you passing the first level was 0.00001%..." "The numbers are even lower than before; how pleasant." "Oh, hong hong...!" With an awkward smile, Mr. Guy''s gaze turned to a faraway place. Then, as if reading something, Mr. Guy looked at Yu-Seong in surprise and asked, "Eh? Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, have you obtained the Insignia of Protection?" "Yes." Choi Yu-Seong nodded, his tousled and burnt hair swaying along. Mr. Guy widened his eyes. "I''m hearing this for the first time... Are you telling me to change the exam''s contents?" Then, as Mr. Guy started a conversation with someone, Choi Yu-Seong ignored him and looked around. The black hell, where purple poison fumes were spreading, opened up after he had passed through the red hell of lava. ''This promotion examination...'' A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. If one had the ability to resist, one could clear the test with relative ease. However, the conditions of the test were somewhat harsh. "Excuse me... Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, or rather, Mr. Yu-Seong, there is a suggestion to change the content of the test..." said Mr. Guy. "The die has been cast." "What?" "Why change the content of the promotion examination once it has been decided?" asked Yu-Seong. Mr. Guy dropped his head in frustration. It was clear that Yu-Seong intended to pass the exam easily. - A Joke-loving Prankster scorns the player Choi Yu-Seong. He sends a direct message. ''Do you want to be handed a pass on a silver platter like that?! You lazy bastard!'' With a happy smile, Yu-Seong immediately replied, ¡°What can you do with it? I''m just lucky." CH 138 The extreme difficulty level promotion exam had the following: the red hell of molten lava, the black hell of venom, the blue hell of ice, the white hell of hallucinations, and finally, the yellow hell of gravity. For Yu-Seong, the only difficult place among these hells was the yellow hell of gravity. ¡®To be honest, the sudden appearance of hallucinations in the white hell was also a bit disconcerting.¡¯ In general, any form of attack would be threatening. However, the most dangerous of all would be a mental-type attack. ¡®After all, if my mental state collapses, then my physical body would also become vulnerable.¡¯ That was why, when he had first drawn the map of growth, Yu-Seong thought that he should first acquire the ability of a mental-type defense. Coincidentally, the white hell was exactly focused on mental-type attacks, so it was inevitable for Yu-Seong to feel flustered upon entering. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong was able to pass through the white hell more easily than he had thought due to two reasons. The new item, Insignia of Protection, that he had recently obtained was the first reason. This amazing item even increased resistance against mental-type attacks. However, since his mental state was not as trained as his physical body, Yu-Seong certainly had vulnerable gaps. Thankfully, this problem was overcome by his other secret ability. ''The Third Eye.'' Although the Third Eye skill was only activated by his Chakra, it was a unique and unparalleled secret skill that could be compared to Kim Do-Jin''s Insight skill. The combination of both skills allowed Yu-Seong to immediately dispel all illusions created by the Hot Flames Board¡¯s white hell. At this point, Mr. Guy, who was watching from the side, sighed and lowered his head. He was close to simply giving up. The final hell, the yellow hell of gravity that gave Yu-Seong the most difficulties, was not difficult in the usual sense. ''It took too long.'' The yellow hell of gravity was different from the other hells, and Yu-Seong¡¯s Insignia of Protection and the Third Eye were also ineffective here. As the name suggested, it was a land where the entire body was crushed by gravity. To pass through the yellow hell, there were only two things that were required. ¡®Firstly, a strong physical ability to move in any way, even in the face of intense gravity.¡¯ According to Mr. Guy, the gravity being applied was about 10 times more than Earth¡¯s. Yu-Seong found it difficult to walk even an hour in the yellow hell in the very beginning. At least it was possible due to his regular training and the improvement of his physical abilities due to the Chakra breathing technique. If he was a Psychic-type player or a normal All-Rounder, it was certain that he would not have been able to pass through the yellow hell of gravity. ¡®And secondly... provision of food and water to sustain me during the passage through the yellow hell.¡¯ Fortunately, there was food in the yellow hell. ¡®Just that it''s all hanging on the trees.¡¯ Yu-Seong did not know how many times he had waited while biting his lips, looking at the fruits that did not fall off the branches. Eventually, he realized that even if the gravity was 10 times more than Earth¡¯s, the fruit hanging on the trees was not affected by it. In the end, Yu-Seong had to overcome the over-gravity and climb the trees. It was during those moments that he could understand why the place had been referred to as hell. But being able to finally eat the fruit after all of that effort was indescribable. ¡®It wasn''t a joke.¡¯ The fruit was a great source of energy as it replenished both calories and hydration. It had offered Yu-Seong much-needed strength and motivation to take another step forward. As a result, he had finally reached the end of the yellow hell of gravity with great difficulty. ¡®In fact, the yellow hell itself can even be seen as a rewarding experience.¡¯ At first, the yellow hell¡¯s intense gravity did make walking a huge struggle for Yu-Seong. However, after a while, he could take quick strides and eventually run with relative ease. It was as if the yellow hell had become his personal training ground. When he finally reached the empty space where Mr. Guy had been waiting, Yu-Seong was surprised by the feeling of freedom and ease in his body. ¡®Even among the same D-rank, I think I have grown at least 1.5 times stronger than before the promotion¡­¡¯ He had thought that he had reached the peak of growth within his D-rank, but there was actually still more growth to look forward to. ¡®Yes, training never truly ends.¡¯ It was true that awakening as a player had allowed Yu-Seong to acquire abilities a lot more easily. However, if that was all there was to it, the world of the player would be ruled solely by rank. ¡®Even someone like her, a real Irregular, wouldn''t have appeared.¡¯ There existed a person in this world who possessed absolute strength that was unrelated to rank. At this moment, Yu-Seong clenched his fist as he thought of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s master in the original novel. ¡®I must not stop researching, developing, and training.¡¯ Yu-Seong had understood this before, but now he felt it even more strongly, thanks to the yellow hell. Mr. Guy, who quietly mumbled something toward the sky, was glaring at Yu-Seong as if he were in pain. Massaging his temples with his fingers, he said, "Well... Due to the complaints of the higher-ups, the settlement of rewards has been delayed. I apologize for this.¡± "Don¡¯t mention it. Now that we''re done talking, can I ask a question?" "Please do." "Um, how long was I in the yellow hell? Time seems to have lost its meaning there." "Oh, about six months, according to this place''s flow of time." Choi Yu-Seong widened his eyes at how much time had passed unexpectedly. He was surprised since growth was important to him, and so every day counted. He then asked, "...By Earth''s standard?" "Let me see. About two months, I believe." "What a waste..." Even though the promotion examination could usually last for quite some time, two months was still a lot longer than Yu-Seong had expected. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. "It¡¯s thanks to the many gods who have put in effort on the Five-Colored Hells. But anyways, the prepared reward is not too bad, so you don''t have to feel too upset," said Mr. Guy. "Of course," said Yu-Seong. He thought that the yellow hell was already no different from a reward, but it was still a trial nonetheless. If the yellow hell itself was truly a reward, it would be hard to imagine how much praise he could say right now. "By the way, Lok... I mean, A Joke-loving Prankster seems to have lots of complaints?" asked Yu-Seong. He quickly closed his mouth before unintentionally mentioning the name of Loki. For some reason, gods didn''t seem to like it when their true identities were revealed. This was completely unrelated to whether the player was aware of it or not. "No, the god A Joke-loving Prankster only expressed regret. Complaints came from elsewhere," said Mr. Guy. "From elsewhere?" "It has something to do with business secrets..." Choi Yu-Seong had thought that Loki would be the most likely one to be grumpy, so he widened his eyes in surprise. ''Then who could it be?'' In fact, the truth was hard to find. As Yu-Seong began to handle the power of thunder, many gods related to lightning began to pay attention to him. Other gods also began to realize that he was growing explosively. If he simply thought that they were all looking at him favorably, it would be a naive assumption. After all, there were most likely gods who were just watching him without sending him any messages or support. ¡®Although, there would be those who support me and yet still seek to critique me.¡¯ For example, while Yu-Seong may not have wanted to admit it, the relationship between Choi Yu-Seong and Loki was quite deep. This was inevitable because Loki was one of the three gods who supported Yu-Seong the most firmly. Of course, this meant that other Northern European gods, such as Odin and Thor, who did not have a good relationship with Loki, may not view Yu-Seong favorably. Even though they supported Yu-Seong and showed interest, they might actually have tried to criticize and torment him through scrutiny if it seemed that he would be of great help to Loki. ''Come to think of it, recently, Loki''s message has decreased significantly.¡¯ Also, most of the messages were strangely aggressive in content. ¡®Is this guy being careful in his own way¡¯ Yu-Seong did not say this question out loud. If it was true that Loki was purposely choosing to be harsh in order to support Yu-Seong, then there was a need for Yu-Seong himself to meet that new expectation to some extent. "Personally, I thought the complaints would come from A Joke-loving Prankster. You know, his personality is really bad," said Yu-Seong. ¡°Hong hong¡­¡± Mr. Guy scratched his cheek with an awkward smile. - A Joke-loving Prankster sends an angry look at the player Choi Yu-Seong. - The Oldest Hunter supports the player Choi Yu-Seong. - The Culann¡¯s Hound nods while looking at the player Choi Yu-Seong. - The Friend of Thunder and Hammer laughs heartily towards the player Choi Yu-Seong. - The Father of Magical Hymns looks at the player Choi Yu-Seong with an ambiguous expression. The reaction of the Northern European gods followed shortly after. ¡®Regardless of his sincerity¡­¡¯ It was clear that there weren¡¯t any gods who thought that Loki had a good personality. "Alright, alright, let''s move past the parts that I cannot talk about. I have something to say about the reward settlement," said Mr. Guy. "What?" "It may not have been particularly difficult for you, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, but the fact that the Five-Colored Hells appeared during the C-rank promotion examination is an unprecedented event. So, there are two options." "Oh, wow...?" "First option is a very large and good reward. The second option is several small and quite good rewards. Although it''s bold of me to say whichever one would be better for you, none of them would be disappointing. I also took care of the rewards in my own way," said Mr. Guy. From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective as an ordinary player, the second choice could be considered a pretty good deal. He made a decision without any hesitation. When such a fork in the road came, Yu-Seong''s choice was always the same. He knew that minor details could be overcome through the future information he had gotten through reading the original novel and through the Eye of Replication skill. However, the chance of a very large reward being a difficult-to-obtain kind of ability was high. "I¡¯ll go for a very large and good reward." "Alright. Please close your eyes and count to three." Mr. Guy nodded cheerfully. Choi Yu-Seong, with his eyes closed, began counting as instructed. ''Three, two, one...'' As he finished counting the last number, his consciousness slowly started to fade away. "I''m not sure if you trust me, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, but I always support you. Hong hong." As always, Mr. Guy''s gentle voice followed Yu-Seong. *** Yu-Seong regained consciousness, opening his eyes in shock upon hearing a loud roar that filled the entire house. He hadn''t had the chance to read the messages congratulating him on his promotion yet. ¡®What was that bomb-like noise just now?¡¯ With wide eyes of surprise, Yu-Seong rushed toward the living room. He saw Jin Yu-Ri, who had made a weapon using her Shapeshift skill with a serious expression, and Jennie, who was guarding the path to Yu-Seong''s room with a gun in her hand. The next person he saw was a white-haired woman wearing a black robe. Yu-Seong could only make a surprised expression while looking at the woman who appeared to be in her 20s. He had never seen her in person before, but he had seen her through photos and videos several times. ¡®Helen Mirren?¡¯ She was Helen Mirren, the Miraculous Alchemist looking for the Philosopher''s Stone. She was the one who Yu-Seong had also hoped to meet for Jin Do-Yoon''s treatment. Yu-Seong had been away from Earth for about two months due to his promotion examination, so it was not strange that she had already returned to Earth after wandering in dungeons. However, it was strange that Helen Mirren was already at his house and staring at Yu-Ri and Jenny. Yu-Seong couldn''t understand why. A brief moment of contemplation passed before Yu-Seong noticed that Helen Mirren was now looking right at him. With a smile, she said, "I was counting the minutes until I saw you, Choi Yu-Seong.¡± At the same time, the sharp energy that filled the entire house dissipated rapidly. CH 139 Helen Mirren was emitting an unusually fierce energy before Yu-Seong appeared, and the reason for that was nothing special. "So you got angry from waiting?" asked Yu-Seong. "I am not known for my patience, and I am not a pleasant person, sweetie," said Helen. Helen Mirren had the appearance of a young woman in her early to mid-20s, but she was actually over the age of 80. It was not strange for her to call Yu-Seong ¡®sweetie¡¯ in such a condescending manner. "Why did you take the promotion examination after calling me to Korea?" Helen asked irritatedly. Yu-Seong was briefly lost in contemplation. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take him long to come up with an answer. ¡®Helen Mirren is hard to meet once she enters the dungeon, where she¡¯ll stay for at least a few months or even up to a year.¡¯ Without contacting Helen Mirren immediately, Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s treatment would have been too delayed. Therefore, even though Yu-Seong had been undergoing the promotion evaluation, Jin Yu-Ri had decided to contact Helen urgently and had luckily been able to reach her. "That¡¯s inevitable. If seonbae-nim[1] suddenly goes into the dungeon and doesn''t come out for a few months, there''s nothing we can do about it, right?" said Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong felt that Yu-Ri had made the right decision, so he expressed that opinion confidently. Lifting an eyebrow, Helen said, "Alright, sure, let¡¯s say that¡¯s inevitable. But why make me wait for more than a month?" "Did you really wait for a month?" asked Yu-Seong in surprise. Helen Mirren was known as an impatient person. It was rather unexpected that she would wait around for Yu-Seong for more than a month. ¡®I never would have thought that the promotion examination would take two months. but¡­¡¯ Helen furrowed her eyebrows and nodded fiercely. She yelled, ¡°Now you finally realize how much of a mistake you''ve made!¡± ¡°Not really,¡± said Yu-Seong ¡°What?¡± scoffed Helen incredulously. ¡°I don¡¯t have the ability to set the duration of the promotion examination, and I wouldn¡¯t know how much time has passed here upon entering it. How can this be my fault? Seonbae-nim''s words are just empty talk,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°Wow, this brat is talking back to an adult, look at him¡­¡± ¡°By the way, it''s interesting that you, seonbae-nim, can speak Korean so well.¡± ¡°Curious? If you''re curious, ask your daddy Choi! Hmph!¡± Helen gnawed on her lip as she glared at Yu-Seong. She was struggling to keep her anger in. ¡®Come to think of it¡­ She¡¯s not putting up with me just because I know the location of the Philosopher''s Stone, is she¡­?¡¯ Yu-Seong, feeling surprised, looked at Helen closely. He noticed her disdainful expression. "You really thought I came all the way to Korea and waited this long just because I believed what you said? You¡¯re just some kid!¡± Helen Mirren looked young, but she was in fact an old fox of over 80 years old. As if able to read Yu-Seong¡¯s mind from his expression alone, Helen gave him a contemptuous look. ''Father''s third gift is Helen Mirren.'' Choi Woo-Jae must have known that Yu-Seong was searching for the Miraculous Alchemist. It would have been strange for him to remain oblivious since Yu-Seong was looking for her quite openly. ¡°I am indeed looking for the Philosopher''s Stone, but after so many years of dealing with various guys, I''ve developed some sense of judgment. If your name was the only thing written in the message that led me here, I wouldn''t have waited a day, let alone a month," said Helen. "I see," Yu-Seong replied. "Good. I can be nice and say that everything you¡¯ve done so far, like making me wait, is okay and let you off the hook. But if you''re lying about the Philosopher''s Stone..." Helen spoke as she suddenly began emanating dark energy. She added, "I won¡¯t consider your father¡¯s reputation, and you''ll experience the worst suffering you can imagine.¡± A chill ran down Yu-Seong¡¯s spine. Wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, he forced a smile and disguised his real feelings. ¡®Father''s gifts never come without a catch.¡¯ If he was not careful, the gift could turn into poison. Yu-Seong had to handle the situation with care. "Hey, kid, I''ll give you one last chance if you¡¯re lying to me. Do you really know where the Philosopher''s Stone is? If you tell me honestly now, I''ll let you off by only cutting off one of your legs.¡± Helen displayed a cold smile. Yu-Seong gave a slight nod. He did have a fair amount of confidence in the location of the Philosopher''s Stone. "Where is it?" "Do you know Pyongyang?" Helen¡¯s eyes widened because she certainly knew the place. She asked, "Isn''t that the only remaining area of humanity in North Korea?" "That''s right. In Pyongyang, that''s where the Philosopher''s Stone is at," said Yu-Seong. The Philosopher''s Stone was hidden underground in Pyongyang. Thus, Yu-Seong knew the location but thought it would be difficult to access. Despite losing most of its territory, the Kim family, who ruled North Korea, still held unchallenged power in Pyongyang and received god-like worship. However, from the perspective of other countries, North Korea was now little more than a city-state. ¡®The military was desperately trying to defend Pyongyang from monster breaks originating from the outside, but this was all they could urgently defend. Although rumors said that there are many skilled hunters thanks to their harsh living conditions¡­¡¯ Even compared to the dire state of the planet Earth¡¯s North Korea, it was the worst-case scenario. ¡®It''s not strange that North Korea continues to survive even as it approaches its demise.¡¯ It was because of the Philosopher''s Stone. To be precise, a group seeking the power of the Philosopher''s Stone was ruling Pyongyang. ¡®The Demon King Worshipers.¡¯ They believed that, by using the Philosopher''s Stone, they could have support in summoning the Demon King. They were currently conducting various cruel experiments using the lives of Kim Un-Jeong and the citizens of Pyongyang as collateral. ¡®After all, the person who first obtained the Philosopher''s Stone was the Godfather¡­¡¯ Godfather, the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, had realized the great power and dangers of the Philosopher''s Stone before handing it over to Kim Un-Jeong. He chose not to use the power recklessly until it could be completely controlled. It was a cruel but prudent choice of the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ Godfather, and thanks to that, the Kim family were able to maintain the city of Pyongyang. Helen''s lips twisted peculiarly as she fell into a momentary silence. She tried to organize her thoughts before saying, "For sure, I''ve never been to Pyongyang, but I''ve heard rumors about Kim Un-Jeong being an alchemist. But...the Philosopher''s Stone is quite a powerful object for him to deal with¡­¡± "Kim Un-Jeong is a follower of the Demon King Worshipers," said Yu-Seong. "Well¡­ I guess that''s how that small city has managed to survive until now." That was the reason why Helen Mirren hadn¡¯t been able to find any clues or obtain the Philosopher''s Stone itself. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Those damn Demon King Worshipers..." Helen glared at the distant horizon as a malicious energy flowed through her. ''Good.'' In truth, Helen Mirren was not a good person. Why else would even Yu-Ri firmly stop Yu-Seong when he had mentioned the Miraculous Alchemist? Helen Mirren¡¯s personality was unpredictable and wild, and nobody could tell just where she would end up. It was also understandable for Yu-Ri to feel resentful toward Helen, whose help always came at an unreasonably high cost. The most important point was that, at this moment, Helen held a grudge against the Demon King Worshipers. ¡®After all, Demon King Worshipers have used and taken advantage of Helen Mirren several times.¡¯ The Demon King Worshipers were aware of the location of the Philosopher''s Stone, but had kept it a secret and had provided Helen Mirren with false information. They also took advantage of her. Even if Helen Mirren was a skilled and powerful hunter, she had no way of getting the information if the worst criminal organization¡ªthe Demon King Worshipers, particularly the Godfather¡ªwas using their full power to cover it up. Now that she had just found out this truth, how could she not hold a grudge? From now on, the Demon King Worshipers had created a formidable enemy, Helen Mirren. ¡°Just a moment ago, the weight of your words grew even heavier, sweetie. Do you know the meaning of the phrase ¡®equivalent exchange¡¯?¡± "It''s the exchange of two goods of equal value," replied Yu-Seong. "If the Philosopher''s Stone is in Pyongyang, and if I were to acquire it, I will pay you a fitting reward under my name, the Miraculous Alchemist. But if all of this is just a scam..." Looking at the woman who was threatening him, Yu-Seong awkwardly laughed and nodded. He said, "I am ready to take responsibility, so please don''t worry too much." Yu-Seong had his own insurance. "Alright. Let''s go together," Helen Mirren simply said. Choi Yu-Seong was surprised. "Pardon?" "This is your responsibility. Surely you weren''t going to send this old woman alone to that dangerous place?" asked Helen Mirren. Despite her advanced age, Helen Mirren was a renowned expert recognized all over the world. On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong had recently advanced to C-rank, and was finally gaining enough experience to no longer be a greenhorn. "Don''t worry. I''ll also make sure to repay you for following me..." "No, wait. What if I get hurt following you, seonbae-nim?" "I''ll heal you." "Alchemy is all about equivalent exchange! You¡¯re asking me for more than you¡¯re giving!" "But what if I get lost and can''t find my way back?" asked Helen. "I''ll make you a detailed map." "I can''t read maps." Helen Mirren was pretending to be nonchalant about it, but her thoughts were easy for Yu-Seong to read. ¡®If she suspects that I¡¯m lying, she wants to deal with me right away.¡¯ In any case, as long as Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s influence was present within Korea, Helen Mirren would have more incentive and pressure to harm Yu-Seong. "I can''t go. Pyongyang is too dangerous for me," said Yu-Seong. "Sweetie, does my proposal sound like a casual suggestion to you?" Helen Mirren''s attitude changed once again. At the same time, Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny, who had both been guarding Yu-Seong, pulled out their weapons again. The sharp and confrontational air that had been present before Yu-Seong''s appearance had returned to the room. Yu-Seong frowned as he slowly transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into the spear. ''I can''t keep being treated like a fool anymore.¡¯ The opponent was an S-rank hunter and an Irregular, so she was particularly powerful. However, Choi Yu-Seong did not spend all his time training and improving himself in vain. ''If there is a commotion, the people around will hear and report it.'' Yu-Seong just had to hold out until that moment. If there was an accident at his house, Choi Woo-Jae would not stand idly since he had already lost Yu-Seong once. ¡°Sweetie, it¡¯s not late to follow me. Listen to me calmly and come with me. Otherwise, your precious two people could get hurt," Helen cooed, trying to persuade Yu-Seong. However, this situation was like spilled milk. Yu-Seong firmly shook his head. At the same time, he tensed his shoulders and activated his Third Eye skill. "Who do you think you are¡­to take Choi Yu-Seong away?" a low male voice echoed coldly. A silver sword light split Helen¡¯s dark energy wide open. Then, it spread out and completely destroyed the tension between Helen and Yu-Seong. It was an overwhelming presence. Pure power itself might be pushed back, but this pressure was enough to overwhelm the S-rank hunter Helen Mirren. The cold tip of the man¡¯s sword was pointed at Helen''s neck. "If you want to take someone with you, at least get the person''s consent, old woman." It was the arrival of the returnee, Kim Do-Jin. 1. This term is used in South Korea to address or refer to an older person who is in a position of seniority, such as a mentor, a teacher, or a senior colleague ? CH 140 Kim Do-Jin''s sudden appearance was unexpected. He had simply flown into the house. ¡®How...did you¡­?¡¯ Yu-Seong asked with his eyes. Kim Do-Jin continued to release sword energy while keeping his gaze and sword tip on Helen Mirren. At first glance, it appeared as though he was the only one exerting pressure on Helen Mirren. In reality, however, even the slightest mistake on his part could result in a perilous outcome for himself. "...You''re Kim Do-Jin," said Helen with a frown. After a brief contemplation, she clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Hah... the best among the rookies? Looks like everyone''s eyes are no different from a blind man''s. You are already close to being a perfectionist, huh.¡± With her sharp gaze on the tip of Kim Do-Jin''s sword, Helen added, "But sweetie, that sword still cannot reach me. I don''t know why you got involved in this, but wouldn''t it be better to back off now?" "As long as there is a will, the sword will reach its place," said Do-Jin. Yu-Seong was surprised by those words. ¡®The peak of martial arts mastery!¡¯ The peak of martial arts mastery was too high a level to be achieved in this world. It wouldn¡¯t be possible even if he returned to modern times and had overcome numerous crises. Yu-Seong lowered his head. ''If he has already reached the peak of martial arts mastery, then he already would have killed my father.'' If Do-Jin was already at the peak of martial arts mastery, his sudden appearance would have killed Helen Mirren already. However, it did seem like Do-Jin was getting accidental glimpses of the peak of martial arts mastery. ¡®He is just catching a glimpse of it... Wait, but what''s his rank and level now?¡¯ Regardless of Kim Do-Jin''s current rank and level, he was still progressing at a rapid pace. His growth was clearly surpassing the character in the original novel that Choi Yu-Seong had read about. ¡°...That¡¯s an interesting statement,¡± said Helen Mirren, who also felt something from Do-Jin¡¯s statement. Feeling slightly surprised, she widened her eyes and stared at Do-Jin. ¡°Since when did the Seductive Demon become so loose-lipped?" said Do-Jin. Helen''s face twisted into a sneer, because that was a nickname she hated the most. She said, "Most alchemists are like that. They have a lot of thoughts all of the time. When we think too much, our thoughts become disorganized, so we have to spit some out to help with that process. Well, let''s cut the nonsense for now." The first one to ease off was Helen. She held up her arms in a gesture of surrender and plopped down on the couch. She then said, "To be honest, no matter how much I boast, I can''t guarantee a win against four people. If I decide to kill, there might be a difference, but..." Helen shrugged with a bitter smile, feeling resigned and helpless. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend Choi Woo-Jae. Once again, the brewing storm went away. The tension in the room dissipated. Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny, who had been holding their breath for a while, breathed a sigh of relief. "That¡¯s just impossible.¡± Kim Do-Jin snorted. He slowly sheathed his sword since Helen no longer showed any intention to attack. "Are you two friends? You two look alike. You both always stand your ground and never back down easily too," said Helen. "We''re not friends," replied Yu-Seong immediately. "I''ve also never thought of you as a friend." Kim Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong sharply. "Haha... So you two are in love?" said Helen. "Old woman, do you want to get beat up?" shouted Do-Jin as he unsheathed his sword again. Yu-Seong quickly shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have no interest in men.¡± "Yeah, yeah. Let''s move on to the main topic. Young Choi," said Helen. Looking right at Yu-Seong, she said, "If I can''t bring you with me by force, I guess we''ll have to negotiate. I need you under any circumstances.¡± "Just in case?" asked Yu-Seong. "Yeah, just in case. You said it easily, but if there are really Demon King Worshiper bastards in Pyongyang, it would be impossible for me to steal the Philosopher¡¯s Stone alone," said Helen. "Hmm..." Yu-Seong sighed. They both had thought of a ¡®just in case¡¯ scenario, but their criteria for what that meant were slightly different. "So, I was thinking of taking you with me and taking the girls behind you as hostages to get the job done. Hahaha," Helen Mirren candidly confessed all of her plans and shrugged. She continued, "Let''s do this, sweetie. I''ve never made this kind of proposal before. I assume you were trying to help me find the Philosopher''s Stone since you also have something you wish for, right? Whatever that wish may be, I''ll fulfill it in advance.¡± Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t hide his surprise because he knew that Helen Mirren''s alchemy was based on the principle of equivalent exchange. For her to fulfill a distant wish without receiving anything in return, she was showing that she would sacrifice something too. ¡®Since there are no miracles without a price.¡¯ Helen Mirren''s proposal was certainly attractive. However, this would be more of a breakeven scenario than one raking in a profit. Hiding his surprise, Yu-Seong said, "It''s not enough. I have to stake my life.¡± "Most of the people who ask me for a wish do end up staking their lives. Are you scared now?" asked Helen Mirren. "Yes. I want to live," answered Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong always lived life on the edge, but he had never lived with the resolve to die. "Let''s do this, Helen Mirren. I have two conditions. First, as you said, please treat the patient I want in advance, and second, give me five Return Stones," said Yu-Seong. "What...? How do you know about Return Stones?" Choi Yu-Seong had originally thought of demanding both Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s treatment and the Return Stones after handing over the Philosopher''s Stone. ¡®The Philosopher''s Stone is worth enough for it to be an equal exchange.¡¯ Return Stones were one of Helen''s inventions, and Yu-Seong needed them for himself. ¡®The owner of the Return Stone and one accompanying person can use it to be transported to a designated location.¡¯ This might not sound special, but the Return Stone had one remarkable aspect. ¡®There are no restrictions on distance or space.¡¯ If the designated points were set in advance, one could activate the Return Stone and travel between the United States and Korea in a single minute. Of course, such a fantastic item naturally had penalties. ¡®Limited to one use.¡¯ After being used, the Return Stone would turn into sand and disappear. The original novel had mentioned that the raw materials needed to make one Return Stone exceeded several hundred billion won. It could only be made by Helen Mirren too, so its value could actually be said to be incalculable. "Is that important?" Yu-Seong asked calmly. The Return Stone was not commonly known, but it also was not a secret. For example, it could be assumed that most of Helen Mirren''s wealthy clients knew about the Return Stones. ¡°It is indeed important. I make sure to enforce a confidentiality agreement with those to whom I sell Return Stones. If they break the confidentiality agreement, they will no longer be human.¡± Choi Yu-Seong didn''t know about such a confidentiality agreement, so he let out an awkward laugh. "Hmm." Helen clicked her tongue and nodded. She said, "At least your father, Choi, is not the one. As I can see that he is still alive.¡± "Everyone has secrets. What do you think, seonbae-nim? I am listening to your request and offering to take it up,¡± said Yu-Seong. With the five Return Stones, Yu-Seong could go to Pyongyang together with Helen Mirren and escape when it got dangerous. He could also make this trip with a good safety net for himself. In truth, Helen Mirren was not the true danger here. ¡®The danger lies in the land of Pyongyang itself.¡¯ Anyway, Yu-Seong knew one more secret that Helen Mirren needed to know about. Keeping that as a hidden card up his sleeve, he had less to worry about regarding Helen. He was more worried about the other aspects. "Five Return Stones... You are quite greedy. Let''s settle for three," Helen said. "Five or nothing." "Three." "Let''s pretend it never happened." "Ah, you little thing...!" Helen stood up from her seat in anger, glanced at Jin Yu-Ri, Jenny, and Kim Do-Jin, who all surrounded Yu-Seong, and breathed a sigh. She nodded. "Fine, five, but for now, I only have three. It¡¯s not the easiest thing to make in the world.¡± Yu-Seong lightly nodded and smiled. ¡°We will draw up a contract that states you will no longer be a human upon breaking the contract. And I have one last proposal." "Another one¡­?!" "You are the current representative of the Researchers of Miracles, right?¡± "You damn brat. How many secrets do you have?" cried Helen. The Researchers of Miracles, based in San Francisco, USA, was the world''s largest alchemist organization. They produced most of the alchemical products being supplied worldwide. Unfortunately, there were not many alchemical products yet, and they had not been able to exert much influence. But in the future, they would become a giant company that controlled the world economy in partnership with artifact creators. The only problem was that the leader¡¯s identity would not be fully revealed until the end. ¡®In the original novel, only Kim Do-Jin learns the leader¡¯s identity through the Philosopher''s Stone.¡¯ In the original novel, Kim Do-Jin, through a contract with Helen Mirren, had received about 5% of the shares of the Researchers of Miracles and accumulated quite a large fortune. However, what Yu-Seong wanted was something much more than that. ¡°Give me half of your shares in the Researchers of Miracles,¡± said Yu-Seong. "What...?" In fact, the Researchers of Miracles did not receive much investment. Helen Mirren, the founder of the organization, already had a lot of money, so she held onto a significant 60% of the company¡¯s shares. This was one of the reasons why Helen Mirren could be confident when she had the conflict with the Rochchild family, who was known as the center of the global economy in the original novel. In fact, giving half of her shares to Yu-Seong meant that he could become a co-owner of the Researchers of Miracles. ¡®With this, I can become a tycoon, maybe even a billionaire.¡¯ Anyways, if he had to go to Pyongyang, Yu-Seong might as well go all in. Furthermore, The Researchers of Miracles didn¡¯t have much value yet, so it would be easier for him to acquire it now. ¡®She wouldn¡¯t even contemplate it if she knew what¡¯s going to happen in the future, but¡­¡¯ Helen Mirren deeply contemplated as she furrowed her brow and bit her lip. Choi Yu-Seong had decided to take the plunge. In fact, the outcome of this negotiation was already predetermined. ¡°If you don''t like it, then quit. I also don''t like doing things that require me to risk my life¡­¡± "Who said I wouldn''t be interested? I was simply calculating the value of half a share. What a cunning little demon!" Helen Mirren shouted. ¡°Does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°Okay, I''ll do it! Dang it! What a demon. Even worse than the big Choi guy!¡± Helen Mirren, also known as the Seductive Demon, was defeated by another demon who tempted her with the use of ruthless business methods for the first time. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. CH 141 After the deal was made, Helen Mirren immediately headed to the hospital with Jin Yu-Ri to treat Jin Do-Yoon. She returned less than an hour later because she hated procrastinating. "I kept my first promise." Yu-Seong looked at Jin Yu-Ri, who gave a subtle nod. The slight hint of excitement on her face and the redness in her cheeks clearly expressed how she was feeling. ''Impressive. As expected of the Miraculous Alchemist.'' Helen Mirren''s skills were far more effective than Heal-type players when it came to regeneration. ¡°It costs a lot to recover a lost foot. To heal him, I actually lost 50 of my personally crafted Homunculus.¡± Helen Mirren approached the creation of miracles in a somewhat alchemical way. ''Miracles from sacrificing artificial life forms and achieving equivalent exchanges...'' Generally, an extremely talented alchemist could create around 1000 Homunculus in their lifetime. That was the average for creating low-grade artificial life forms that had no ego or self. In fact, a properly made Homunculus that appeared to be alive¡­ Not even the world''s most respected alchemist Helen Mirren could create more than ten in a lifetime. "Thank you," said Yu-Seong sincerely. He slowly stood up. Now that Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s problem was solved, it was time for him to head to Pyongyang together with Helen Mirren. Of course, he wanted to receive something else before starting the journey. "Can I ask for three Return Stones first?" Yu-Seong asked. Helen Mirren had her own plan for infiltrating Pyongyang. However, coming back was a separate matter. It was wise to come up with a rough plan for returning to Seoul first. Helen Mirren looked a bit dissatisfied, but she knew there was no point in arguing anymore. She handed over the three Return Stones to Yu-Seong. As Yu-Seong used mana and Chakra on the Return Stones, a message appeared alongside a burst of blue light. The return point had been set. ''Is this how the Return Stone works? It¡¯s pretty interesting.'' In that short time, Helen Mirren also copied Yu-Seong and set the same return point. When Yu-Seong looked at her in surprise, she simply said, "What? Is there a reason I can''t return to this house too?" "Not really, but..." "Hmph." Helen snorted before looking around the room. She asked, "So, who will be joining us?" Before going to treat Jin Do-Yoon, Helen Mirren had specified that one more person should join them on their trip to Pyongyang. Even if Yu-Seong was a hunter in C-rank with overwhelming abilities, he needed a reliable companion in hostile territory. There had been a small commotion earlier on, but the decision was made now. "I''ll be coming along," said Kim Do-Jin with a slightly raised hand. Jin Yu-Ri furrowed her brows. ¡°You¡¯re the one joining them in the end?¡± Helen nodded as if she had expected this decision. ¡®Jenny has many responsibilities as the Hidden Team¡¯s leader, and she''s also making great progress in the retrieval of ancient relics. It would be a shame if she left with us.¡¯ As for Jin Yu-Ri, she managed the affairs of the house when Choi Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t around. ¡®She also should stay behind since Jin Do-Yoon will be returning soon too, and we have to take care of Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk as well.¡¯ From a report that Jenny had given, Chae Ye-Ryeong was supporting Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s growth in various ways, such as going on hunts together. Thanks to that, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was growing quickly, already entering the D-rank promotion examination. ¡®The Titanic Growth skill is giving him great help¡­ By the time I finish my work in Pyongyang, he may have entered the C-rank like me.¡¯ If his colleagues could match his level of power, Choi Yu-Seong only stood to benefit even more. However, for now, he believed it best that Yu-Ri remained at home. ¡®Since Jin Yu-Ri has the authority to operate my property.¡¯ Jenny could take over Yu-Ri¡¯s responsibilities, but that wouldn¡¯t be ideal at all. Yu-Ri could never be overlooked within the household. Most importantly, Kim Do-Jin had risen to B-rank. This meant that his power would be closer to the level of A-rank. ''Based on the fact that he also uses magic¡­¡¯ Even compared to S-rank players and hunters, who were known as superhuman, Do-Jin would have impressive abilities. ¡®He¡¯s not a returnee for nothing.¡¯ Ultimately, as long as he did not change his mind, Kim Do-Jin was a reliable insurance for Choi Yu-Seong. That was why Yu-Seong had made the suggestion for Do-Jin to come along, and Do-Jin did agree after some thought. Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny also had some concerns, but they trusted Yu-Seong. They did not express any major dissatisfaction. *** Helen''s infiltration plan for Pyongyang was somewhat simple. ¡®I didn''t even imagine directly contacting the President of Russia.¡¯ Currently, the only countries that shared a somewhat friendly relationship with Pyongyang were China and Russia. ¡®But, unofficially, there are more countries involved with the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯ In any case, Russia and Pyongyang had a pretty alright relationship. Helen had been active for a long time and had performed many miracles through alchemy. Not only was she called the Miraculous Alchemist, but she also had a connection with the President of Russia, Smirnova Valentina, who was also known as the Iron Blood Empress. ¡®The original novel didn¡¯t mention much about it, so I am not too sure¡­ But if she can directly contact the Iron Blood Empress, it''s not a casual relationship, I suppose.¡¯ Anyway, Yu-Seong, Do-Jin, and Helen took a plane and crossed to Vladivostok. Then, with the Iron Blood Empress¡¯ help, they were able to be transported directly to Pyongyang. Upon safely arriving at Pyongyang, Choi Yu-Seong wiped the sweat from the mask that Helen Mirren had given him. He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Why are there so many monsters in the sky? I am tired to death.¡¯ This was not a joke. During the flight to Pyongyang, they had been attacked more than ten times. Fortunately, with Russia¡¯s special hunter squad composed of at least A-rank hunters guarding their transports, none of the attacks had resulted in casualties. However, whenever giant monsters appeared in the sky, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel his heart pounding and his body trembling. The trio had only managed to reach Pyongyang¡¯s only lodging, the Pyongyang Hotel, safely because of the protection of the Russian special forces. "Whoa..." Once he entered the room, Yu-Seong attempted to remove his skinsuit, the mask that was made of animal hide covering him. However, Helen Mirren stopped him by grabbing his wrist. Helen said, ¡°The skinsuit will look weird if you take it off now and attempt to wear it again later. It may be uncomfortable, but you must endure it. Given that both of you are well-known figures, this was an unavoidable decision.¡± Yu-Seong put his hand down. He wanted to cry. Meanwhile, Kim Do-Jin walked towards the hotel window with a relaxed expression and gazed out at the city of Pyongyang. "The kid over there appears to be quite apprehensive, but you seem to be quite composed," commented Helen. Flying monsters constantly attacked from the sky. At the same time, there were hordes of ground monsters on the blackened ground. This area was certainly called a death ground. Since he had infiltrated the dangerous city of Pyongyang, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel tense. Kim Do-Jin looked back at Yu-Seong and Helen calmly. He said, "It¡¯s familiar to me.¡± "Oh... I thought you¡¯re just another rookie from South Korea, but it seems like you have quite a bit of outside experience. Were you originally a soldier or a mercenary?" asked Helen. Kim Do-Jin turned to give Helen Mirren a cold smile. "I''ve certainly done a lot of killing." "That''s what I thought. I can smell the blood on you, just as I can on myself. It''s very strong and pungent... Haha," Helen laughed. She then slicked her hair back and looked at Yu-Seong again. She said, "Tomorrow, we need to go out and confirm the exact location at lunchtime. We can start prepping tonight. Make sure to rest and conserve your energy as much as possible today.¡± "...Thank you," replied Yu-Seong. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Normally, Helen''s impulsive nature would have prompted her to immediately start running an investigation with Yu-Seong. This meant that she was trying to be considerate by offering both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin a day of rest. "It''s nothing. I¡¯m giving you a break because I don¡¯t want you messing things up,¡± Helen said. With a snort, she left the room. The hotel room fell silent, with only Yu-Seong and Do-Jin still hanging around. Finally able to relax, Yu-Seong lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes and was lost in thought. ¡®I''m really in Pyongyang.¡¯ Just three days ago, Yu-Seong had made the deal with Helen Mirren. Then, today, he was already in Pyongyang. In terms of distance alone, he could have arrived in just a day if he had traveled alone. However, as a South Korean, he couldn''t have imagined that reaching Pyongyang would be so easy. ¡®Whether in a past life or present life¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong had thought that Pyongyang had no relationship to him, but he found the place familiar. He didn¡¯t think it was strange at all. ¡®In fact, I never even imagined I would end up in a novel.¡¯ While Yu-Seong slowly regulated his breathing, Kim Do-Jin looked out the hotel window and said, "You sure seem comfortable. Are you really planning on sleeping like that?¡± "Why? Is there a problem?" Yu-Seong asked as he opened his eyes. He was surprisingly at ease with the dangerous returnee nearby. "That woman is a dangerous person," said Do-Jin. "I know." "She has a strong smell of blood." "It''s the same as yours." "I had no choice in the matter." "Everyone has their reasons. You didn''t come chasing after me for pointless talk, did you?" Yu-Seong asked. Feeling curious, he continued, ¡°Anyways, why did you say you were following me? And why did you come to my house?¡± Despite the fact that Kim Do-Jin''s assistance had greatly facilitated things for him, Yu-Seong was bound to have some questions. "Do I have to answer?" asked Do-Jin. "You''re just a brat," Yu-Seong said. He then closed his eyes. Kim Do-Jin sneered. He turned to look out of the window again, thinking that he only had one reason for going to Yu-Seong¡¯s house. ''Because I am now a B-rank hunter.'' Do-Jin had also received a pretty good reward after passing the promotion examination. Thanks to that, he was now at a level where he wouldn¡¯t be afraid to battle a moderate S-rank hunter. ''Is the guy a returnee like me or...does he have another secret?'' Also, Do-Jin had to know what Yu-Seong was hiding. He thought that might be the reason why Yu-Seong was constantly on his mind and bothering him. Earlier on, Do-Jin had gone to Yu-Seong¡¯s house only to find out that some kind of commotion was going on. He had spotted Helen Mirren, who spoke in a manner that he didn¡¯t like. The woman gave off a similarly dangerous vibe as himself, and that made him dislike her. And due to that sense of dislike, Do-Jin had decided to tag along on this trip. ¡®It doesn''t feel good in many ways.¡¯ Do-Jin had Sixth Sense skill. It was almost like his intuition, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore it. The problem was, he couldn¡¯t tell who would be encountering this upcoming crisis. ¡®Me? Or Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯ Truly, Do-Jin didn''t know why he felt that sending Yu-Seong alone to North Korea was a bad idea. CH 142 Kim Do-Jin was determined, so he refused to allow any potential variables to stand in his way. ¡®Yu-Seong already has a lot to hide.¡¯ Do-Jin had to watch Yu-Seong as closely as possible. ¡®He seems to have been well rewarded for his promotion evaluation to C-rank¡­¡¯ While traveling to Pyongyang, Do-Jin had attempted to gauge Yu-Seong¡¯s strength. However, he still hadn¡¯t been able to uncover any of the man¡¯s secrets. It felt a little frustrating, but he didn¡¯t think it was strange. ¡®I already knew that Yu-Seong is a sly one.¡¯ This trip to Pyongyang was a tough one. Their surveillance team alone had more than ten people, and that had only been for their ride to the hotel. Even now that they were in the hotel room, the surveillance team still kept tabs on their every move. The team just wasn¡¯t approaching them. ''Would Choi Yu-Seong know about this?'' Kim Do-Jin glanced at Yu-Seong, whom he found difficult to evaluate. He thought it was possible that Yu-Seong''s current nervousness was merely an act. There was a long silence. Helen did not look for the two men, and the conversation between Yu-Seong and Do-Jin had died. The two of them also felt the watchful eyes on them slowly turning away. Only then did Do-Jin look away from the window. He turned to Yu-Seong and had an odd expression on his face. ''Is he really asleep?'' Yu-Seong was breathing deeply and calmly. He could be pretending, but Do-Jin felt that he was truly asleep. ¡®So, his nervousness was just a pretense.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin quickly took off his clothes and headed for the shower. As it was Pyongyang''s only hotel, the water warmed quickly when he turned on the tap. As the water washed over him and got rid of the sweat, he looked at his handsome face in the mirror. ¡®Maybe I felt anxious because I thought this was my last chance.¡¯ With only him and Yu-Seong on this journey¡ªexcluding Helen, who was a neutral party, Do-Jin saw this as a chance to gain clarity on the enigmatic Yu-Seong, who was keeping secrets. Do-Jin was plagued by the fear that if he missed this chance, he would remain at the mercy of Yu-Seong''s manipulation. ¡®I am sure about this.¡¯ Believing that this was his last chance, Kim Do-Jin made a firm resolution. ¡®During this journey, I will find out all of your secrets, Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ In the mirror, Kim Do-Jin''s eyes sparkled with confidence. *** In a spacious room with white stone walls, two people were playing chess in the center. The man looked irritated and dissatisfied with his clearly disadvantageous white horse. As for the woman, she was about to give the final blow with her black queen and had a joyful smile on her face. "Checkmate. There''s no way out, Vincent. Hoho¡­" said the woman with a laugh. Vincent, a white man in his mid-30s with blonde hair and a fair complexion, had a crumpled expression on his face. "Dammit. Is this one win and 499 losses out of 500 matches?" "In fact, except when you first taught me chess, I''ve always beaten you, Vincent!" "Ha, Emilia. You''re such a wild kid. I played it cool at first and lost on purpose, but imagine if I hadn''t. The outcome would have been quite different, don''t you think?" "Who¡¯s that man, Vincent, looking at me with sweat on his face and gritted teeth?" said Emilia mockingly. Emilia, a white teenager with brown hair and a face full of freckles, playfully twisted a lock of hair. "Wait and see. Next time, I''ll win," said Vincent. "Please do, Vincent. Don''t just talk, show me~" said Emilia. Vincent snorted. With a slightly bitter smile, he rearranged the chess pieces on the board. Thud-! "Vi-Vincent!" The tightly shut door suddenly flew open. A middle-aged Asian man with a potbelly rushed into the room. He called out for both Vincent and Emilia. "What? We were about to start the next game, why interrupt us?" "Th-That... Helen Mirren is in Pyongyang right now!" "What?! The Seductive Demon, that old witch, has come?" Vincent glared at the Asian man¡ªKim Un-Jeong, the ruler of Pyongyang. Kim Un-Jeong froze. "Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t call her here. Vincent, you misunderstand." "Of course not. I don''t think you''re bold enough to call her here," said Vincent, clicking his tongue. He then looked over at Emilia. While Kim Un-Jeong was raging and mentioning Helen Mirren''s name, Emilia had a disinterested expression. Her blue eyes were fixed on the chess board, seemingly eager to see how the next game would unfold. Still, she wasn¡¯t ignoring the conversation entirely. "Has Helen noticed something about the Philosopher''s Stone?" Vincent cautiously asked Emilia. "I suppose that she has," Emilia replied. "But how?" "Maybe someone told her?" "It seems like there may be traitors among us,¡± Vincent said, then looked back at Kim Un-Jeong. Kim Un-Jeong slammed his thick jaw shut and shook his head fiercely from side to side. "I''m not a traitor. And among the people under me, only two know about the Philosopher''s Stone!" "There are two~" Emilya said mockingly. Vincent nodded. ¡°Those guys are definitely not traitors either. Do you know how much I''ve clipped their wings? Why would they risk their families'' lives by talking about the Philosopher''s Stone?¡± said Kim Un-Jeong. "You never know," said Vincent coldly. Kim Un-Jeong''s face turned red. He blurted out, "Things that I don''t know about can happen among the Demon King Worshipers too. Aren''t there more people who know about the Philosopher''s Stone there?!" "What? Kim Un-Jeong, you little brat. Are you suspecting the Godfather now?" Vincent rose from his seat, trying to intimidate Kim Un-Jeong. Emilia picked up a chess piece and said, "No, it does make sense. Quite a lot of people from the Demon King Worshipers know about the Philosopher''s Stone. Even if you exclude Godfather, the leaders of the Hexagram and the Twelve Dark Kings all know about it, right? This already makes twenty who are aware of the Philosopher''s Stone.¡± Emilia moved the chess piece forward by two spaces and looked up at Vincent. She saw his predatory gaze. Vincent was a skilled hunter, ranked in the top 100 among the Demon King Worshipers. His reputation as an S-rank hunter was also impressive. However, the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ situation was different from what was known in the world. Aside from Pride, linked with the Godfather, the leaders of the Hexagrams followed the Demon Kings of the Seven Deadly Sins. They were all highly skilled hunters of at least SS-rank. As for the Twelve Dark Kings following closely behind them, they lacked separate powers like the Hexagram leaders, but they were still known to be formidable in their own unique way. ¡®Those groups have a significant number of individuals who are Irregular or non-human.¡¯ The Demon King Worshipers had been around for several decades now. Like any group that sought power, there had been internal changes in ranking, but the leaders of the Hexagrams and the Twelve Black Kings had never lost their positions. ¡®Well, I suppose there was one recent case.¡¯ Recently, it was said that the Black Stain King, the least powerful of the Twelve Black Kings, had lost to an opponent and had to cede his position. ¡®Who could it be? Who could defeat one of the Twelve Black Kings?¡¯ Vincent quickly thought up the names of people who could possibly achieve that, but he was also quick to dismiss them all. This was not the time for such pointless thoughts. The important thing was that the woman in front of him, Emilia, was said to be the Black Gauze King, ranked tenth among the Twelve Black Kings. Emilia was even more powerful than Vincent, who was not among the leaders of the Hexagrams or the Twelve Black Kings. She was a hunter of exceptional skill and talent, with her abilities estimated to be at least S-rank. However, her true strength was believed to surpass even that, reaching SS-rank or higher, and that made her an Irregular. Information about the Godfather, members of the Hexagrams, and the Twelve Black Kings was seen as confidential even among the Demon King Worshippers. This meant that Vincent could not know the exact facts either. Emilia, one of the Twelve Black Kings, was now looking at Vincent with a hint of suspicion. She often appeared as a playful, boisterous young woman, but when she displayed a look like this, Vincent was struck with fear. ¡®We''ve been together for 2 years, but I still can''t get used to it.¡¯ Vincent shook his head sharply, just like Kim Un-Jeong did a moment ago. He said, "Not me either. This is for sure, Emilia." "I know, Vincent. If you were a traitor, we couldn¡¯t play the next round of chess together," said Emilia. She smirked and twirled a strand of hair, then asked, "Is that grandma Mirren alone?" Vincent shivered and gestured towards Kim Un-Jeong, who quickly lowered his head. Un-Jeong said, "M-Ms. Emilia. It¡¯s an honor to speak to you. Um... I heard that two assistants are accompanying Helen Mirren. They seem to be Oriental.¡± "Chinese?" "They came on a transport plane sent from Russia, and we were told they only spoke English during the trip¡­ We aren¡¯t sure of their identities. They also had no distinct accent," said Un-Jeong as he wiped the sweat from his face. Emilia lightly tapped the chess board, then looked at Vincent. She said, "Vincent, investigate those two bodyguards. It might be difficult to deal with Helen Mirren, but the assistants should be easy, right?" ¡°Me, personally?" Currently, there were many Demon King Worshipers in Pyongyang who were lower-ranked than Vincent. Quite a few of them were even Pyongyang hunters and military forces that followed Kim Un-Jeong. So, why did he have to do it himself? "Yeah. It''s better to be certain. Or...should I go?" asked Emilia. The Black Gauze King, Emilia, had a reputation of leaving a trail of corpses and a river of blood behind her when she personally took action. Although he had not yet seen it for himself, Vincent knew that he could be among the corpses if he wasn¡¯t careful too. Vincent shook his head again firmly and said with determination, "No, I''ll go. Kim Un-Jeong, Where are those guys now?" "They''re staying at the Pyongyang Koryo Hotel." "Let''s go right away." The two of them left as if running away from danger. Emilia, who was left alone in the room, fell deep into thought. She moved the chess pieces absentmindedly and said to herself, "Helen Mirren. How did that grandma get wind of this? There doesn''t seem to be any way for information to have leaked from our group. Is there really a traitor? But that can''t be. There can''t be any stupid guys in the organization who would ignore what the Godfather said. It''s strange." The phone with a cute cat face case on Emilia¡¯s desk started to vibrate. "Hmm? The new Black Stain King is coming to Pyongyang to meet me?" Emilia had a slightly annoyed look on her face. She said, "All because of a fool who was caught by a human girl. How bothersome. I''ll just send the new Black Stain King back after discovering their identity." Emilia yawned and flipped over the chessboard with her toes. She muttered, "I''m already bored. I have to send a message to Vincent." - If you come too late, you''ll die. ^_^** Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Emilia sent the message with a cute emoticon, got up from her seat, and walked toward her bed. ¡®When I wake up from my nap, Vincent will have returned.¡¯ She gave no consideration to how Vincent might feel after receiving her message. CH 143 If he tarried too long, Vincent would risk succumbing to peril. Whatever Emilia''s intention was, Vincent now had no choice but to risk his life and try to handle things as quickly as possible. "Clear the road!" Vincent left his personal driver behind and quickly snatched Kim Un-Jeong''s cherished luxury sports car to head straight for the center of Pyongyang. He used all of his public authority to open up the road leading to the Pyongyang Goryeo Hotel. After pushing the car''s accelerator to its limits, Vincent raced down the city streets with lightning speed. It went even faster than he himself could have traveled as a highly-skilled S-rank Psych hunter operating at peak performance. Vincent arrived at Goryeo Hotel in less than five minutes from where he had been staying. He then carelessly parked the car and handed over the keys to the valet staff. He immediately headed towards the conference room, where he confirmed the room numbers of the three people he was looking for: Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, as well as Helen Mirren. ''The two assistants are in room 3021, and Helen Mirren is in 3215.'' The rooms were on the 30th and 32nd floors, but for an S-rank hunter like Vincent, the difference in floor numbers didn''t matter much. After a brief thought, Vincent picked up his phone and called Kim Un-Jeong. "Summon Helen Mirren. There is something to talk about." - What? What should I say? "Just say something. Offer to have a meal together." - Do you really think I can eat when they might be here for the Philosopher''s Stone? "It''s not a mere possibility that they''re here for the Philosopher''s Stone; it''s a confirmed fact. I''m requesting you to buy me some time," Vincent instructed. Through his earlier conversation with Emilia, Vincent also became convinced that Helen Mirren already knew about the location of the Philosopher''s Stone and had come over to find it. "But don''t admit it like a fool. You absolutely have to say you don''t know. Got it?" - Do you think I am stupid? But really, are you going to make me fight that witch alone? It''s scary¡­ "Idiot, you just achieved an S-rank a while ago," said Vincent to Kim Un-Jeong. - But...that witch was able to survive even after battling the Black Mist King in the past. Doesn''t that signify her immense strength? The Black Mist King was ranked 8th among the Twelve Dark Kings, so the battle between Helen Mirren and the Black Mist King was bound to create quite a few rumors among the Demon King Worshipers. For example, there was a story that Helen Mirren had actually surpassed S-rank to reach SS-rank. ¡®Or anyway, rumors that she is no less a monster than the Twelve Dark Kings.¡¯ The most important thing was that the Black Mist King had no reaction to this rumor. Despite that lack of a reaction, those who had suffered from Helen''s dirty nature within the Demon King Worshipers became even more cautious of her. ¡®I, too, am of the same sentiment.¡¯ Vincent also had a history of conflicts with Helen. She was uncontrollable even to him, who was also a member of Demon King Worshipers. Needless to say, there had been times when Vincent had bet on his strength that he would win, only to end up defeated. ''What a fierce witch.'' It was beyond the capacity of Kim Un-Jeong, who ranked lower than Vincent himself, to control the situation that involved Helen Mirren. "It''ll be okay. She''s not as strong as you think," lied Vincent. As time elapsed, Kim Un-Jeong, being overly cautious, continued to make unneeded statements. - Huh? Have you ever fought that witch? "Sort of." - If you can, maybe I¡¯ll be fine too¡­ At that moment, Vincent disregarded the sudden surge of annoyance he felt toward Kim Un-Jeong. He nodded and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®You are ranked 113th, and I am ranked 100th.¡¯ He tried hard to not spit out such thoughts. - Okay then. I''ll give it a try. After hanging up the phone, Vincent procured a low-brimmed hat from the hotel concierge and made his way to a nearby coffee shop. There, he chose a seat that was near the window to take in the view. About twenty minutes later, a rather unfamiliar figure¡ªHelen Mirren wearing a black robe¡ªgot into the sedan sent by Kim Un-Jeong and left the hotel. ''She¡¯s gone.'' Vincent confirmed Helen¡¯s departure with his own eyes, took off his hat, and immediately entered the elevator. ''30th floor.'' He pressed the button and held his breath. Being short on time, he couldn¡¯t take his own sweet time. ''As soon as I open the door and enter, I will throw my body forward, twist one of their wrists in the opposite direction, and subdue them in a single glance. And once their body stiffens, I will release the paralysis toxin. Hahaha¡­¡¯ Satisfied with his own plan, Vincent walked down the hotel corridor and adjusted his clothes. ¡®Although those witches'' assistants may prove to be formidable opponents, I am an S-ranked hunter, after all.¡¯ Vincent, standing in front of Room 3021, thought that the opponents had bad luck. He knocked on the door. Knock Knock. Room 3021 was quiet inside. Since nobody responded to the knock, Vincent calmly knocked on the door again. Knock Knock Knock. Again, there was only silence. However, Vincent was a skilled hunter, and he could clearly sense the presence of someone within the room. Hmph. Vincent snorted impatiently. He took thirty seconds to slowly kill his own presence in front of the door. ¡®By the time you guys let your guard down¡­¡¯ A heavy silence was quickly weighing down on the entire hotel. ¡®...Thirty.¡¯ Vincent immediately kicked the door open without any hesitation and jumped into the room. Kudang-! With that loud slam, dust clouds rose from the ground. Vincent immediately saw that a handsome man hidden near the bathroom wall was looking at him with a cold gaze. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®What? Not flustered? Another person who thinks I''m an easy touch, huh?¡¯ Vincent sent a punch flying forward in anger. He intended to tackle the first person he encountered by the neck, as per his plan. However, his attack completely missed the mark. ¡®He avoided it?'' Momentarily bewildered by the situation, Vincent tilted his head. "Why are you so surprised?" his opponent asked. ¡®Because my plan is going wrong from the start.¡¯ Vincent had no time to even try replying. He missed his first target, Kim Do-Jin, and could already feel the volatile energy gathering beside him. ¡®What is this? Is it at least an A-rank? Perhaps it''s even higher.¡¯ Feeling a fairly threatening presence, Vincent forgot his goal of suppressing the enemy and turned to look at the right. He widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Lance Charging." With a small voice, a flash of light flew toward Vincent and hit him in the ribs. Kwakwagwagwang-! Goryeo Hotel¡¯s walls shook from the loud roar. Turning skilfully and sticking close to the ceiling to avoid the blow, Vincent looked at the deep wound on his side and laughed bitterly. ¡®Ha¡­ Fuck.¡¯ Having been caught off guard, Vincent nearly died. He spewed a mouthful of blood before swinging himself to different parts of the room a few times to dodge Kim Do-Jin''s sword. After a while, he barely managed to find a stable and wide place to catch his breath. ¡®It''s fortunate that I rank around 100th.¡¯ If it weren''t for his rank, Vincent would have flown into the room suddenly, been penetrated by the first flash of light, and instantly died. With a furious expression, Vincent glared at Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, both of whom surrounded him in the narrow room. "Who are you? Why did you attack us?" Yu-Seong asked. "Are you asking who I am?" shouted Vincent angrily. He clenched his fist tightly, then continued, "That''s what I want to ask. I thought you guys were just assistants?" "So you did come after us,¡± Kim Do-Jin said as he twirled his sword. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ Vincent felt the sweat running down his face. ''The injuries I¡¯ve sustained when I let my guard down are too deep.'' Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were both equipped with a sword and a spear, and they seemed formidable and not to be underestimated. Contrary to the plan, Vincent was the one who was overpowered in this situation. ¡®Calm down. By just observing their movements, I can tell they''re merely at the A-rank level... Wait, why do the assistants have the skill level of an A-rank?¡¯ Vincent cursed Yu-Seong inwardly. He watched Yu-Seong swing his spear and shuddered, thinking that the Spear Skills looked like the movements of a snake. After observing a few attacks, however, Vincent¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled. ''Is this guy only at B-rank level? Maybe even just C-rank. Only the guy with a sword is threatening and too strong.¡¯ Unfortunately, that thought only lasted for a mere moment. Upon realizing that the strike that had ripped open his side had come from Yu-Seong, he quickly became vigilant. ''No, this guy also has hidden techniques. I shouldn''t let my guard down.'' Fortunately, Kim Do-Jin was not joining in and was only watching the fight. ''Is this my chance?'' Vincent''s eyes sparkled as he began to generate a green poison at his fingertips. t was a Poison Projection skill. ''I originally planned to use paralysis poison, but...'' Now, Vincent realized that he needed to eliminate one of them. ''I''ll take out the weaker one first, just in case...'' As Vincent attempted to spread the poison to incapacitate his opponent, Choi Yu-Seong quickly pulled back his spear and backed away to a safer distance. Then, Yu-Seong asked the observing Do-Jin, "Hey? Aren''t you going to help me?" "It seems like you''re doing well enough on your own," replied Do-Jin. "What...?" Kim Do-Jin smirked and slowly stepped forward. "But more importantly... I don''t enjoy executing joint attacks.¡± Only then did Do-Jin start attacking. In that short time, Vincent had created a stronger poison than expected, and poured the poison toward the end of Kim Do-Jin''s sword. ''Iron-rusting poison.'' In fact, Vincent didn¡¯t care who his opponent was. The only thing that mattered to him was that one of them had to die. If the sword and Kim Do-Jin touched the poison that could even melt iron, Do-Jin would face certain death. However, strangely, the sword that touched the iron-rusting poison didn''t melt away and only vibrated for a little while. ''What on earth is that sword made of?'' Moreover, Kim Do-Jin felt something in that moment and twisted his body to the side, escaping from the range of the iron-rusting poison. After that, he attacked quickly again. ''I''m ready now too! Do you think it''s over once you avoid my poison?'' Vincent clicked his tongue. He generated a full load of iron-rusting poison in his bare hands and tried to grab Do-Jin¡¯s sword. "Dancing Electric Doll." Something shot out of Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, hit Vincent in the back, and suddenly began to release thunder. For Vincent, who was an S-rank hunter, he only felt a mere sting. However, he became slightly paralyzed from that attack, and his mobility was momentarily reduced. Also, his vision was temporarily blurred, and his judgment was scattered for a short time. In that moment, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword moved in a graceful crescent shape and caught Vincent¡¯s wrist. "...!!" Blood splattered into the air. "Uaaak-!" Along with the screams that followed, Vincent¡¯s two eyes became red and swollen. "These damn kids! I¡¯ll kill you all!" shouted Vincent furiously. He then swung his severed arm, sending blood flying in all directions. The problem was that the objects coming into contact with the corrosive blood began to corrode and dissolve at a rapid pace. In fact, it was no different for Kim Do-Jin, whose hair was rotting at the tips and falling off. Even some of the skin mask on his face was melting and flowing down. Chi-iik-! "Blood poison?" Surprised, Yu-Seong also quickly backed away from the blood that was flying toward him. Kim Do-Jin could no longer think of continuing the battle and retreated as well. With red eyes, Vincent reached for his wounded right side with his left hand. Kwa-deung! "Kaaaa-!" Vincent screamed as the blood in his hand bubbled and boiled. "I''ll kill you, I''ll kill you!" Like a madman, Vincent''s face twisted like a demon as he ran toward the two men. CH 144 Vincent''s Blood Poison skill was the secret weapon that had elevated him to the distinguished title of S-ranked Demon King Worshiper. It helped him secure his place as a Top 100 hunter. ¡®The only drawback is that its usage requires self-inflicted harm, and it has a limited duration.¡¯ Vincent boasted that even S rank hunters, who were at least one level above him in ability, could be turned into blood marrow if they were directly hit by his Blood Poison skill. Helen Mirren''s assistants, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, quickly chose to dodge as soon as Vincent activated his Blood Poison Technique. ¡®Did they know about my skill or are they just quick-witted?¡¯ Vincent believed that it wouldn''t be challenging to eliminate either of them if he pursued with full force, so he didn''t concern himself with who would be the first to go. However, he soon faced a problem. ¡®My injury is getting too big.¡¯ In order to effectively activate the Blood Poison skill, Vincent had deepened the wound. He was starting to lose a bit of focus. He really wanted to make them both suffer horribly until they begged to die, but that now seemed impossible. ¡®How humiliating... They''re just mere A or B rank kids!¡¯ Vincent clenched his teeth. ¡®There¡¯s enough blood.¡¯ Vincent¡¯s wounds were now gushing out a torrent of blood. At this rate, he would succumb to excessive bleeding in just ten more minutes of fighting. ''I never thought I''d hit rock bottom in front of these kids, but...'' Left with no other choice, Vincent extended his blood-stained arms toward Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, both of whom were carefully avoiding the drops of blood in a confined space. He shouted, "Let''s see if you two can dodge this!" The blood droplets on Vincent¡¯s arms vibrated and twisted, changing into the shape of sharp needles. The number of needles rapidly increased. There were soon hundreds of them. With hundreds of needles at his disposal, Vincent scattered them all around himself. He swung his arms wildly in the air. Woosh-! Powerful Blood Poison burned through the ceiling of the only five-star hotel in Pyongyang and penetrated the sky. Vincent looked at Choi Yu-Seong, who had a horrified expression, and Kim Do-Jin, whose expression had hardened. With a slight smile, he lowered his hand and shouted, "Blood Rain!" Papabapak-! ¡®Exactly one thousand shots!¡¯ The Blood Rain pouring down from the sky pierced through the entire Goryeo Hotel. In the rooms where innocent people were residing, echoes of screams and cries could be heard. Needless to say, dead bodies and blood were accumulating rapidly. ''These Demon King Worshipers are crazy bastards!'' In the midst of the massive carnage, Yu-Seong ground his teeth. He was aware that the villains would sacrifice human lives for their goals and means, but the current massacre caused by Vincent''s Blood Rain exceeded his imagination. The issue was that he couldn¡¯t protect the innocent people from this attack. ''How¡­'' With the Blood Rain pouring down on him, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t find a way to evade it himself. He looked over at Kim Do-Jin with a heavy heart, wondering what decision would the experienced returnee make in this predicament. However, Do-Jin, who had been running alongside Yu-Seong just a moment ago, was nowhere in sight. ''What''s going on?'' In a moment of disorientation, Yu-Seong felt a firm grasp on his back. He tried pulling away, but couldn¡¯t resist the formidable strength in the end. Then, before he knew it, he was sent smashing through the glass window and hurtled through the air. As he plummeted from the 30th floor, Yu-Seong gazed at the person who was holding onto him. He knew that he couldn¡¯t survive the fall from such a height. ''Kim Do-Jin?'' With a cold, rigid expression, Do-Jin lifted Yu-Seong with one hand and attempted a freefall toward the ground. ''What is he planning?'' Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he rapidly approached the ground. He could feel the pull of gravity. Just before impact, Do-Jin raised his index finger and sliced through the air. He then muttered under his breath, "Fly." Once the magic was activated, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin started to fall at a much slower speed. They were less affected by the laws of gravity. After escaping from that moment of danger, Kim Do-Jin tossed Yu-Seong towards the roadside, which was beyond the reach of the Blood Rain, and turned to look back at the sky. He swung his sword, and high flames began to erupt in the sky to evaporate the falling Blood Rain. In a mere moment, Kim Do-Jin had miraculously avoided the crisis. Do-Jin fell to the ground afterward. Boom-! However, some droplets of Blood Rain remained in the air. They fell onto Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder and between his hair. "Keeeuuuu¡­!" Do-Jin screamed out in pain for the first time. A part of his shoulder and his scalp were burning, with his flesh scorched. The stench of burning flesh lingered in the air. Despite his injuries, Do-Jin managed to roll on the ground several times and rise to his feet again. Still with his sword in hand, he slowly turned to look at the collapsing Goryeo Hotel. ¡®We''re still in the danger zone.¡¯ If the hotel were to collapse, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin would be buried and face certain death. However, Do-Jin struggled to move as his vision spun, and he could no longer balance himself well. He was dizzy. In fact, the Blood Poison that Vincent had spread through the Blood Rain was not just a simple poison. Once it seeped into a person¡¯s body, it would cause paralysis and magic depletion, as well as affect the nervous system through its poison and acid. ''I don¡¯t have enough resistance to B-rank poison.'' Do-Jin needed to use detoxification magic, but his magic had been scattered by the Blood Poison. ''I need to find another way.'' When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Kim Do-Jin slowly raised his head and looked at the blue sky, which was now overwhelmed by black shadows. ''I might die.'' Do-Jin smiled weakly. Just then, Yu-Seong rushed over and steadied Do-Jin by holding onto his waist. He began to run while supporting the injured Do-Jin. "Dangerous¡­now that I am poisoned¡­¡± ¡°So don''t talk; just endure.¡± At that moment, the soldiers and police in Pyongyang began to shoot. ¡°Suspicious movement!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± Bang-! The sound of bullets firing echoed through the air, but that only lasted for a moment. Banggg-! The magnificent and historic Goryeo Hotel suddenly collapsed, casting a shroud of darkness over the downtown area. "Ahhhhh-!" Amidst the chaos of the collapsing building and crumbling city, Do-Jin had no other choice but to lean against Yu-Seong¡¯s back as he was carried. He swallowed the blood that was filling up his mouth. If he spat out the blood in this state, he could potentially endanger Yu-Seong¡¯s life. ¡®...I never imagined I''d find myself in the position of owing someone my life.¡¯ Feeling a strange emotion in this unexpected situation, Kim Do-Jin struggled to cling to consciousness. Unfortunately, his vision continued to fade away. ¡®Damn...¡¯ Eventually, Kim Do-Jin completely lost consciousness. He bowed his head and was limp on Yu-Seong¡¯s back. At that moment, a beast-like shadow with wounds across his whole body stomped against the collapsing Goryeo Hotel and fell in front of Choi Yu-Seong with a thud. He growled. ¡°Where¡­do you think you''re going?¡± It was Vincent, glaring at Yu-Seong with his bloodshot eyes. "Are you sure you¡¯re okay? You don¡¯t look very well.." Vincent knew that his condition had reached its worst. However, that could also mean that the power of his Blood poison was at its best. ''Above all, if I can just aim for one of them¡­ I don¡¯t have to target them both.¡¯ In Vincent¡¯s eyes, Yu-Seong was a weakling relative to the unconscious Do-Jin. ¡°Fear not. It is just you now, and I have the ability to dispatch you with ease.¡± Vincent grinned and flung himself forward. He scattered the boiling Blood Poison toward Yu-Seong. When the Blood Poison covered Yu-Seong at once, Vincent began expecting to hear screams and witness the terrible death in front of him. He wanted to see Yu-Seong''s corpse melting into the floor. Vincent quickly scanned his surroundings. Only then did he realize that Yu-Seong was fading away from right in front of his eyes. ¡®An illusion?! I thought he was a Physical type, but he is a Psychic type player?¡¯ At that moment, Yu-Seong jumped into a three-story building by the roadside. "There''s no use running away," said Vincent. Yu-Seong was proving to be more nimble than Vincent had anticipated, but the building could hardly serve as his defense. Vincent forged ahead, melting through the walls in pursuit of his target. The building was entirely silent on the inside. Those within had either fled in terror, taken refuge, or held their breaths in fear of the sudden assault. At that moment, Vincent spotted Yu-Seong leaping up the stairs of the building. ¡®Rat bastard!¡¯ Vincent could have used Blood Rain again, but he didn¡¯t have enough energy left. Clenching his teeth, he chased Yu-Seong up the stairs. ¡®The injury¡­¡¯ Vincent grabbed his ankle. His pride had been hurt for a long time because of this one unexpected injury. Soon, Vincent was at the end of the building''s hallway. Only then did Yu-Seong emerge alone with a spear aimed at him. It appeared that Yu-Seong had left Kim Do-Jin in a safe location. ¡®Did he give up on running away?¡¯ Vincent considered this to be a blessing. He started to approach Yu-Seong with some leisure and ease, seizing the moment to recover his energy. He narrowed the distance, intent on finally capturing Yu-Seong with a single blow. "What bravery. What''s your name?" asked Vincent. When Yu-Seong didn''t answer the question, he asked another question. "Have you suddenly become mute?" "No. I don''t have a name to give to a villain like you," said Yu-Seong. "Cheeky bastard..." "Seriously, I just cannot forgive you,¡± said Yu-Seong. A change was suddenly occurring within Yu-Seong. The first sign was the unexpected appearance of a Third Eye in the center of his forehead. Then, his neatly flattened hair started to rise up, and lightning flared throughout his body. That wasn''t even the end of it. Wind began to blow into the hallway, even though the windows and doors were all closed. ¡®This bastard... Did he still have a hidden power?¡¯ Vincent, who had already suffered a great defeat due to his carelessness, felt a sudden jolt of caution in his brain. The wind continued to blow, rising from beneath Yu-Seong¡¯s feet and shining with a yellow light. At that moment, Yu-Seong pulled the spear backward. ¡®The same technique from before?¡¯ Vincent guessed that Yu-Seong was using Lance Charging once again. The attack had great power, but it required a long preparation time. It also did not strike very quickly. If one could predict the attack, then one had a chance of avoiding the attack altogether. ¡®But why do I feel anxious? No. After all, he¡¯s still a young hunter who hasn¡¯t made A-rank yet.¡¯ Vincent shook his head inwardly and opened his eyes wide. The moment Yu-Seong rushed towards him, Vincent swung himself to the side and used his Blood Poison skill. He thought that Yu-Seong should have hidden this ¡°special move¡± like the very first blow he had struck him with quietly. "Come on," said Vincent. Vincent was trying to speed up the battle¡¯s momentum. He was indeed an S-rank hunter who ranked 100th among the Demon King Worshipers. His pride kept him from stepping away from the lower rank hunter who did not back up. "To be honest, I am just curious," said Yu-Seong. "...?" "I am unsure about the technique¡¯s speed, so I want to give it a try.¡± "Don''t just talk, come at me. I need to hurry and get back." Time was running out for Vincent. "Wind Thunder Dragon God Art ¡ª Lance Charging," commanded Yu-Seong. Blue electric shocks and the yellow wind swirled around Yu-Seong. Then, he vanished with a blurred smile. Kwagwagwang-! The thunderous sound struck Vincent''s eardrum harshly. ¡®It''s coming...!¡¯ If he concentrated, he could catch it. That was what Vincent thought as he turned his body¡­ He became entirely wounded. He could see his own body scattering into dust right before his eyes. Upon the sight of the thunderbolt burning him up and shooting out flames, he struggled to understand what was going on. In the end, he could only laugh out bitterly. ''Did it just...move at the speed of sound?'' ¡®Mach¡¯ was a common term used to measure the speed of sound. Even among the S-rank hunters, who were known as supermen, only a few were capable of matching this level of speed. The skill to do so was indeed rare, even among this powerful group. ''An assistant¡­? From the beginning, he was not someone who I could beat. What a damn monster.'' Upon realizing this, Vincent finally understood the dire situation he was in. He felt both despair and a sense of satisfaction. He felt relieved that he wasn''t defeated by someone of a lower rank and believed that this would spare him from being teased in the afterlife. With this misconception, Vincent''s life was suddenly cut short. CH 145 As his consciousness slowly returned, Yu-Seong realized he was lying on a stiff and hard bed. While he strained to lift his heavy lids, his nostrils were assaulted by the pungent odor of earth and briny water. "You''re awake, troublemaker," said Helen Mirren as she rubbed her eyes. She was sitting in a wooden chair beside Yu-Seong. "Where...are we?" asked Yu-Seong. "We''re in my own underground bunker around the Juseok Palace. Up above, there are soldiers armed with guns and hunters with bloodshot eyes," answered Helen. With a bitter laugh, she pointed at the low ceiling with her index finger. Helen Mirren was an S-ranked hunter known as The Miraculous Alchemist. Her being able to create an underground bunker was unsurprising. "You had a quite remarkable incident while I was away. The two of you managed to defeat Vincent, an S-ranked hunter, in his weakened condition." As his consciousness slowly returned, Yu-Seong finally realized the situation that he was in. He exclaimed, "Vincent... Oh!" The unexpected attack by an outsider at Goryeo Hotel had made Yu-Seong angry at the western man, Vincent, who had been mercilessly slaughtering innocent people. In a bold move, Yu-Seong had rescued the wounded Kim Do-Jin and had escaped. He had also seized that opportunity to unleash the full power of his Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, which had been his reward for reaching C-rank. Upon activating the technique, he had executed Lance Charging and had ultimately defeated his adversary. "Was that villain an...S-rank?" asked Yu-Seong. "Yes, he was an S-rank. He wasn''t particularly skilled in basic combat, but if he fought with his life on the line¡­ His Blood Poison made him a formidable opponent even against someone two levels higher." "...Blood Poison would certainly be frightening if he were to commit suicide." Vincent¡¯s self-destruction could have certainly been frightening, but Yu-Seong would never have to experience it. Helen''s eyes crinkled with delight as she broke into a smile. She asked, "What on earth have you done, kiddo?" "That''s a business secret. A hunter who reveals their own foundation is only awaiting death. Where''s Kim Do-Jin? Ugh!" Yu-Seong yelped after trying to get up with a smile. Although he only applied some force to his arm, he felt a sharp pain shooting up his spine. It was as if all his bones were already broken. "Don''t even consider moving around. When I found you, I thought you''d already died. Your right shoulder and left calf bones are fractured, and your internal organs are slightly damaged. Furthermore, your mana is completely out of control, which even I struggled to manage. To be honest, if it wasn''t for the treasure symbol on your shoulder, my healing abilities would not have been sufficient," Helen stated. "Ugh..." Yu-Seong moaned as he hurt all over. He bit his bottom lip and tightly shut his eyes. ¡®I must have survived thanks to the Insignia of Protection.¡¯ Helen was right. Without the wide-ranging protection of the Insignia of Protection that shielded him from both external and internal injuries, Yu-Seong might already be dead. In that kind of situation, without the protection against attacks and the resistance to pain, he would have perished from the agony. ¡®The skill, Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡­ I thought it was difficult to handle¡­but¡­¡¯ Although Yu-Seong had kept it a secret, Wind Thunder Dragon God Art was a reward he had acquired upon advancing to C-rank in the promotion evaluation. In the original novel, the skill was portrayed as highly dangerous. However, after witnessing its devastating consequences from a single use, Yu-Seong could truly grasp the skill¡¯s overwhelming power. ¡®From now on, I¡¯ll need to be careful when I use it.¡¯ Of course, if the situation arose again, Yu-Seong would certainly unleash the Lance Charging blast with Wind Thunder Dragon God Art. ¡®If it weren''t for that skill, I would have died at the hands of that villain.¡¯ Yu-Seong had just found out, but his opponent had been an S-rank hunter, a monster who could have entered the territory of being a superhuman. He had never thought it possible for him to defeat such an opponent for a very long time. Just being able to survive against such an opponent made him feel incredibly lucky. ¡®If I had been alone, I would have absolutely died.¡¯ Although he had acted somewhat uncooperative, Kim Do-Jin''s help did turn out to be invaluable in many ways. With that thought in mind, Yu-Seong suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "Kim Do-Jin, what happened to him?" Kim Do-Jin had been injured by a direct hit from the Blood Rain, so he had lost consciousness before Yu-Seong did. Due to the horrible poison, nobody could guarantee his survival. Furthermore, for some reason, Helen Mirren did not answer the questions about Kim Do-Jin''s whereabouts. "That guy..." Helen furrowed her brow. ¡®No way¡­ Is he dead? Can the original novel¡¯s protagonist actually die?¡¯ Without Kim Do-Jin, who could stop the Demon King Worshipers as an entire group? Above all, Do-Jin had gone out of his way to save Yu-Seong. When Vincent had unleashed the Blood Rain at the Goryeo Hotel, Yu-Seong would have fallen or died from the attack without Do-Jin¡¯s timely intervention. And by saving Yu-Seong, Do-Jin had gotten himself injured by the Blood Rain. ¡®He could avoid the attack by himself. He shouldn¡¯t have cared about me¡­!¡¯ Yu-Seong was surprised by how Do-Jin had pushed him out of harm¡¯s way at the last moment and had shielded him from the Blood Rain. The man had ultimately sacrificed his own safety, so he had instinctively done the same in return. What if Kim Do-Jin, who had ultimately been poisoned, had failed to endure the poisonous effects and had died? That would be understandable since his poison resistance had only been at B-rank and was incapable of resisting an S-rank hunter¡¯s poison attack. ¡®Please¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong gazed at Helen''s face intently. "Why are you looking at me with such a serious expression? Do you think that he¡¯s dead?¡± "Isn''t he?" "Ha..." Helen sighed, then offered a bleak smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯d personally be better off if that unresponsive bastard is already dead¡­ I last saw him alive a few days ago.¡± "A few days ago?" "He expelled the poison on his own just three days ago. Then, he left this place upon waking up.¡± "Three days¡­ Wait, how much time has passed since I lost consciousness?" After confirming that Kim Do-Jin was alive, Yu-Seong started to focus on something else. "You¡¯ve been unconscious for exactly seven days,¡± answered Helen. "...Oh my." The aftereffect of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art had been longer than expected. This trip to Pyongyang had originally been planned to last for only three days, but it had now been prolonged by twice that length of time. ''Jin Yu-Ri and everyone will be very worried.'' Whether she knew about Yu-Seong''s thoughts or not, Helen clicked her tongue and slowly rose from her seat. She said, "I am keeping you alive because you¡¯re the only one who knows the location of the Philosopher''s Stone, but things have gotten more complicated." "It was an unavoidable situation." "I understand. And your opponent was Vincent, so you¡¯re lucky to have survived.¡± "Then, what about Kim Do-Jin¡­?" "I don''t know! As soon as I woke up, he checked on your condition, mumbled to himself, and ran away. Whether he¡¯s outside causing an incident or already dead..." Helen said with a cold smile. Without finishing her sentence, she slowly walked towards the closed door. Confused, Yu-Seong wondered what he should do about this situation. Helen, who was about to leave Yu-Seong alone, suddenly called out without turning back. "Hey, kiddo." "Yes?" "No matter how weak an S-rank hunter is, an S-rank hunter has never been killed by a C-rank hunter. I¡¯ve never heard of it happening it before.¡± "It was a complicated situation¡­" "How did it happen?¡± "...it would not have been possible alone." "Nonsense. When I discovered you two, Kim Do-Jin was already in a state where he couldn''t even move his fingers from the poison. You must have delivered the fatal blow to Vincent by yourself. Despite the fact that there were many unfavorable elements..." Finally, Helen turned to look at Yu-Seong with a curious look. She added, "Your shining talent and character are at a level that no one I know can compare to.¡± Yu-Seong widened his eyes and looked at Helen, whose face was not visible from her hood. "Yes, even if Kim Do-Jin has more power and talent than you, he is still different from you. He emits such a strong bloody odor at B-rank¡­ I''ve never seen anyone like that in my lifetime. So, it''s best to keep him as far away as possible. He is a type of demon that does not match your character.¡± Then, with a cold smile, Helen said, "It''s funny that I should say such a thing, especially since other people call me a demon.¡± Helen turned away and said, "Rest, you little Choi.¡± Yu-Seong could read between the lines. Understanding what Helen was trying to say, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am someone who treasures his own life.¡± Helen thought that Yu-Seong would want to leave and find Kim Do-Jin immediately. Of course, that would be inadvisable with him being in his current state. "Hmph." Helen snorted, pushed open the door, and left the room. ''Hmm. If he had seen his own expression just now, could he have blamed me for thinking so?'' With a chuckle, Helen walked through the narrow hallway and entered the room she had made next to Yu-Seong¡¯s. Once she sat at her desk, she took out paper and a pen and began writing. ¡®It may be nothing, but¡­¡¯ Surprisingly, the words Helen wrote on the paper began to float up and scatter away like dust in the wind. They were heading somewhere. Thinking that the strange sight was not a big deal, Helen continued to write. ¡®It can''t be bad to prepare for what-ifs.¡¯ The motion of her pen got faster and faster. A quick look at bit.ly/3iBfjkV will leave you more fulfilled. *** It was a dark night with thick clouds, which prevented moonlight from shining down on a dark alley. The murderer, who was wielding a silver blade, splattered red blood on the wall. They passed a dead body, then remarked, "...how weak." After mumbling a bit more, the murderer turned to leave. Only then did another person slowly emerge from the alley¡¯s entrance. He looked at the corpse who had its throat slit, and the murderer with a surprised expression. He murmured, "Comrade, Lee In-Hyeok?" Just as the murderer stomped on the floor, a silver flash swung toward the surprised man. However, he managed to escape from suffering any serious injuries. "This bastard! I dare you to say who...!" "A-rank, Lee Jeong-Cheol." The murderer, Kim Do-Jin, had his eyes burning with blue flames. He once again twirled his sword in the air. Lee Jeong-Cheol attempted to demonstrate his skills while evading Do-Jin, but he failed to react quickly to the sudden flash of Do-Jin¡¯s sword. His throat was slit and he could no longer breathe. The moment lasted for less than a minute. Kim Do-Jin, having killed a hunter of a higher rank than himself, wiped the blood from his sword once more and bit his lower lip. CH 146 Kim Do-Jin felt deep cynicism and skepticism after his battle against Vincent. ¡®To be defeated by someone like that¡­¡¯ He had been distracted by Yu-Seong during the battle and had chosen to save the man, so he had been at a disadvantage against Vincent. He had almost died. In fact, if Yu-Seong had failed to defeat Vincent, Do-Jin would already be dead right now. Thinking about it, Do-Jin could not help but feel angry at himself. He was a proud man, and he had always felt great glory from being the number one in the world. Aside from revenge, Do-Jin didn¡¯t care about anything else or thought anything else could be a priority. He thought that wealth, honor, and strength would naturally come to him over time. Of course, that wasn''t a false belief. Do-Jin, as a warrior of another world, was pursuing growth through his current abilities. He was confident of becoming an existence who would overshadow everyone else. However, he just had one problem. ¡®It''s only a legend if I can survive until then.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin had an incredible rate of growth, but there already were stronger individuals in the world who had surpassed him. This was not a fairy tale where the Demon King would help the hero to grow by selecting and sending suitable opponents to increase his experience points. ¡®So I have to go to the extreme.¡¯ Do-Jin knew himself well. The faster he pushed himself beyond his limits, the stronger he would become. Most people improved their abilities by breaking through certain limits, but Do-Jin had much more potential than an average person. That was why he could overcome numerous obstacles and defeat even the Demon King. And now, in the present day, the skill he had acquired as a B-rank promotion reward was no different. ¡ºSpecial skill: Hero who returns from death. This skill does not have a rank. Death is a danger that always accompanies the hero. And when they overcome that danger, they will grow explosively. Currently, player Kim Do-Jin has experienced death once. Cause of death: Poison. He gained the characteristic of "Thousand Poisons Invulnerability." All physical abilities and mana have increased slightly. All skills have additional + rank effects applied. Skills become stronger every time he experiences the danger of death.¡» These benefits had already taken Kim Do-Jin''s own talent and skills into consideration. Of course, he could still die by misusing this particular skill. However, from the beginning, he already knew that he couldn¡¯t get stronger without any resolve or ample preparation. ''Even Choi Yu-Seong must have become stronger by risking his life.'' Choi Yu-Seong, the rascal and the neglected son of the Choi family, had been useless aside from looking pretty. However, the previously worthless Yu-Seong had become an active hunter one day, and he had now single-handedly hunted down an S-rank hunter. Do-Jin knew something for a fact. ¡®He¡¯s stronger than I was during my C-rank days.¡¯ Do-Jin¡¯s determination was reflected in his clenched jaw and blazing eyes. He did not yet know if Choi Yu-Seong was also a returnee, but he was aware that it was not easy to grow so strong even if one was a returnee. He knew that for a fact because he himself was going down this very path. In other words, Choi Yu-Seong''s strength was the result of his tremendous effort, sweat, and blood. ¡®Never again¡­¡¯ Kim Do-Jin was determined not to fall behind Yu-Seong again. From now on, Do-Jin would pour all his strength into growing stronger, even if it meant shedding his blood and sweat like rain. With this resolve in mind, Do-Jin leisurely walked around in search of a stronger opponent. At that moment, a small gust of wind sprang up from the rooftop of a five-story building behind him. He instinctively drew his sword and cautiously looked around with his eyes wide open. He could not see his opponent, but he felt a cold, heavy, and sharp weapon brushing past his face. He reflexively dodged that attack, then squinted at the weapon. ¡®A hand ax?¡¯ The hand ax that had just cut his cheek was returning to the darkness of the alleyway, barely missing Do-Jin¡¯s back. A pale hand reached out of the alleyway and caught the ax. Kim Do-Jin saw a pair of red eyes glaring at him. "Wow, you dodged it. Not bad, you." "...who are you?" Kim Do-Jin asked as he crouched in a defensive stance. The opponent was emanating an extraordinary force. Looking at them, Do-Jin felt shivers running down his spine. He felt a sense of danger. With a head of blazing red hair that fluttered like fire, a woman casually emerged from the darkness wearing a bright smile. She pointed at herself and said, "Me?" Do-Jin suddenly gasped and swung his sword to the side. He was pushed back as he deflected another hand ax that had appeared from the darkness. Smoke began rising up from the ground; he trembled and held onto his arm. "Who am I?" When the opponent disappeared once again, Do-Jin summoned a spell. He wanted to pursue the red-haired woman. A blue flame flashed in his eyes. ¡®Flame!¡¯ There was a sudden burst of flames from a pentagram upon Do-Jin¡¯s command. However, the woman simply rushed towards him without fear. She dove into the flames with a maniacal smile and said, "Try to hit me. If you do, I''ll spare your life, okay?" Bang-! Kim Do-Jin blocked the incoming attack with reinforced magic power from the spell he had cast. With a cold smile, he said, "If you can, sure." "Oh, you are confident." The conversation did not slow down the fast-moving hand ax, which continued to injure Do-Jin in quick attacks. Kim Do-Jin knew that he couldn¡¯t underestimate this strong opponent. It was accurate to say that he had never encountered such a potent blood odor and intimidating aura before. This woman was truly a figure of evil. As someone who had directly fought against the Demon King, Do-Jin knew that better than anyone. ''This woman is more dangerous than anyone I know on this earth.'' Do-Jin thought it would be easier for him to confront Choi Woo-Jae, who was a rational hunter. However, he found this situation to be favorable for him. He shook off the hand ax with all his might and laughed even as he felt the hot sensation of his opponent''s sword slicing past his jaw. ''She¡¯s not weak.¡¯ This woman would be the stepping stone to the growth that Do-Jin had been seeking. ¡°Let''s dance.¡± Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡°Hahaha. Sure. I love to dance!¡± As Kim Do-Jin''s sword clashed against Rachel¡¯s hand ax, a burst of fire ignited in the air. *** ¡ºSpecial Skill: Wind Thunder Dragon God Art This skill does not have a rank. It is a power wielded by the Dragon God of Wind and Thunder. ¡ù Warning. This is a high-risk skill.¡» The Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill had a rather brief and simple description, so the true depth of this ability was difficult to grasp. Even Yu-Seong was at a loss after reading the description. ¡®There''s no rank and no explanation of exactly what kind of ability this is.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong did know how to use the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill. ¡®It did appear in the original novel, after all.¡¯ Yu-Seong could clearly recognize the method and the skill itself because of a flashback scene that had showcased the legendary combination of his techniques with the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill. ¡®I just need to chant its name to activate it.¡¯ It was a disadvantage that Yu-Seong had to chant its name to activate the skill, but successful activation would help him gain immense power and lightning speed in an instant. For skills related to Wind or Thunderbolt, their power would also increase to an unbelievable extent. The skill¡¯s effects looked simple, but its power was almost immeasurable. Just look at what had happened to Vincent. However, the skill had a specific criteria to be activated. The user had to have at least one skill that was related to Wind and Thunderbolt. Fortunately, Yu-Seong was able to satisfy the skill¡¯s essential conditions thanks to his skills Dancing Electric Doll and Wind Control. Also, there were a few penalties to take note of. ¡®From now on, I cannot use any attribute skills other than Wind and Thunderbolt.¡¯ In other words, even though Yu-Seong was an All-Rounder, he would not be able to use any gained skill such as Flame or Freezing in the future. The usage of the skill also brought about a strong rebound effect, as Yu-Seong had personally experienced. The rebound effect would only lessen if he had a strong physical ability and trained the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill even further. ''However, that''s too far-fetched for me now.¡¯ The Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill was not ranked like other skills, but the original novel had described it to be similar to an EX rank. This was no exaggeration because it could increase the C-rank Yu-Seong''s speed to one that rivaled sound. ¡®No matter. Two attribute skills are enough for me anyway.¡¯ Yu-Seong could end up being labeled as a miscellaneous player if he trained haphazardly with no plan in mind, despite being an All-Rounder. ¡®Spear, Thunderbolt, Wind.¡¯ Three skills were enough. It was important for Yu-Seong to commit to a choice, and he did not doubt his own judgment. Suddenly, Yu-Seong looked at the low stone ceiling. ¡®What was that just now?¡¯ For some reason, he felt a chill running up his spine and over his head. That feeling of unease suddenly made him think about Kim Do-Jin, whose face popped up in his mind. However, he was quick to shake his head from side to side. "...it will probably be nothing." According to the original novel, Kim Do-Jin, the protagonist, would never die. No matter how much of a butterfly effect there was, someone like him wouldn¡¯t get easily killed off. And clearly, the earlier incident with Vincent had proved this for a fact. Vincent''s Blood Poison was a very dangerous and powerful skill, but even it had failed to kill Kim Do-Jin. ¡®If there is such a thing as fate¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong believed that Kim Do-Jin''s death would never occur within that loop. He slowly closed his eyes. Even if Kim Do-Jin was in danger, he could only be of help once he was fully recovered. He could do nothing but wait. If Yu-Seong pursued Do-Jin now, he would only be good for dying by Do-Jin¡¯s side. ¡®Unlike that guy, I already have to face death as my destiny.¡¯ Yu-Seong had to be as careful as possible since he wanted to meet his fate in the best condition possible. Three days later, Yu-Seong finally recovered. As if she had known that Yu-Seong was fully recovered, Helen finally showed up. She had a sinister look on her face, but she appeared to be satisfied. She said, "Your body seems to be in pretty good shape, huh?" Yu-Seong nodded, stretching his body on the bed. He commented, "It''s the best. I also feel stronger than before.¡± "Yes, iron gets stronger the more it gets hammered," Helen said. "I''m not iron; I''m a person," Yu-Seong said. "Sometimes, humans can be as strong as iron," Helen replied. Shocked, Yu-Seong shook his head. He said, ¡°If you continue showing me such hospitality¡­ I am not going to accept any of your kindness and immediately escape using the Return Stone.¡± "Ke ke..." Helen chuckled briefly and shook her head with an unreadable expression, then looked up at the ceiling. CH 147 "The external boundary is much weaker compared to just a few days ago. It''s possible that they may already be thinking that we have left Pyongyang," said Helen. Yu-Seong was surprised but soon shook his head and hardened his expression. He said, "It''s intentional. They would have a general idea of what your intentions are.¡± Since it was Helen Mirren who was searching for the Philosopher''s Stone, they would not assume that she would give up so easily since it had been her quest for such a long time. "It''s just a suspicion, not a certainty. Besides, they may believe that I''ve taken a step toward making a more bold move,¡± said Helen Mirren. "It is not suspicion but certainty. They would not have sent that villain, Vincent, to us if it were just simple suspicion. And if they were capable of thinking in such a way, it''s likely that they would also know about seonbae-nim¡¯s hasty nature," said Yu-Seong. Helen broke into a meaningful smile. ''Look at this kid. Even though he was tense when he first arrived in Pyongyang...'' Despite facing significant danger, Yu-Seong was more calm and collected than anyone else. ''Definitely. This kid is the real deal.'' Once again, Helen Mirren was confident that she had made the right choice. "Honestly, I have the same thought. They let down their guard simply because they are angrier now," said Helen. "What¡¯s certain is that the fearsome figure inside Juseok Palace is superior to the villain, Vincent,¡° said Yu-Seong. There was no way Vincent would have taken action if he was the leader. It was important to remember that there was a formidable enemy hiding inside Juseok Palace. ¡°I agree. After all, Vincent was an S-rank hunter. He was also known among the Demon King worshipers for his formidable reputation and ranked in the Top 100. If there were someone capable of commanding him like a lackey¡­¡± said Helen. "It would be the Twelve Dark Kings or the Hexagram Master," said Yu-Seong with a cynical smile. Regardless of who it may have been, Yu-Seong did not wish to meet them as an enemy. ¡®The Twelve Dark Kings and the Hexagram Master are indeed strong enough to be compared with the Demons.¡¯ That went without saying. Rachel, who single-handedly killed a Demon King in the original novel, was introduced as one of the Twelve Dark Kings. She was, of course, a formidable presence among them. From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective, this was the problem. ¡®If someone who ranks between 1st to 3rd among the Twelve Dark Kings is inside Juseok Palace, this operation would be absolutely impossible from the outset.¡¯ The reason the Demon King Worshipers could commit crimes with impunity around the world was their immense strength. In particular, the Godfather, boss of the Demon King Worshipers, two of the Hexagram Masters, and the top three ranks of the Twelve Dark Kings were already beyond human at this point. It would be impossible for Yu-Seong to escape from such an opponent with the Philosopher''s Stone in hand, even with Helen Mirren by his side. "Besides the Hexagram Master, there are only a few who know the existence of the Twelve Dark Kings¡­ I guess Choi told you," said Helen. "If those in the higher ranks are in Pyongyang, then you must give up on obtaining the Philosopher''s Stone immediately," Yu-Seong said. "You can probably do that, but that¡¯s impossible for me,¡± stated Helen. "Seonbae-nim." "So you must also take a risk and help me. If you are really scared of dying, you can run away. But by the time we reach that point¡­¡± Helen wrapped her robe around herself and clicked her tongue. She said, "Enough useless talk. There''s no reason not to take advantage of any weaknesses they have shown, even if they were intentional.¡± ¡°...the Philosopher''s Stone is beneath Juseok Palace,¡± said Yu-Seong. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "That''s what I expected. It is a precious treasure that has to be kept close. What¡¯s important is the exact location,¡± said Helen. Yu-Seong tried to recall the original novel¡¯s description as best he could about the Philosopher''s Stone and Helen Mirren. "In the underground bunker, inside the room with a hexagram drawn on the entrance..." "Is that all the information you have?" asked Helen. "Yes," replied Yu-Seong. "It''s surprisingly vague," said Helen. As she raised her hand to the ceiling, she added, "Even so, it shouldn''t be too difficult to find. You can follow me, right?" "Of course. But wasn''t my job originally to draw attention?" "Do you think you can manage it on your own?" "Honestly, I don''t think it is possible." If Kim Do-Jin was with Yu-Seong, they could handle even the appearance of another S-rank hunter in just a few hours. However, if Yu-Seong was alone, the task would be absolutely impossible. It seemed inevitable that they would have to use a Return Stone. "So there''s a change in plans. Your new task is to assist me. You can do that much, right?" "Understood." Even if he couldn¡¯t, Yu-Seong had to do it. Since he had come this far, he wanted to help Helen Mirren in any way he could. "Let''s go then," said Helen with a firm nod. A bright energy flowed out of Helen''s hand and rose to the ceiling like haze. It melted the ceiling before another form took shape below Helen¡¯s palm. Looking on, Yu-Seong found the sight rather familiar. ¡®A submachine gun?¡¯ It was a K2. Before having been possessed by the original novel, Yu-Seong had served in the military, so he was well aware of the rifles that were commonly used by the Korean army. In fact, there was more. Every time Helen Mirren moved her hands, new objects appeared. ¡®Magazines, bullets, grenades.¡¯ Weapons that could only be used in the military were appearing out of thin air. The secret space that had served as Yu-Seong¡¯s place of rest was now becoming an enormous arsenal. Despite all of this happening, Yu-Seong could sense no additional presence around him. As Helen had said, the enemies had chosen to become less vigilant and more complacent. Just then, Helen loosened her robe to release steam into the darkness. The steam clouds slowly took on the shape of a human. ¡®Homunculus!¡¯ Yu-Seong widened his eyes. This was his first time seeing artificial life forms being created by alchemy. As if they had a will of their own, the artificial life forms began to arm themselves. They had no eyes, nose, or mouth. All of their movements were under Helen¡¯s control. Helen skillfully controlled hundreds of Homunculus without a care in the world. Then, she put on her own protective gear and turned toward Yu-Seong. She asked, "Hey, do you know how to use a gun?" "I can handle a submachine gun..." replied Yu-Seong. "So it is true that almost all adult men in South Korea are required to complete military service, and so can handle guns. Get equipped, then," said Helen. In fact, Choi Yu-Seong had not yet gone to the military in this world. He should not have been able to handle a gun. ¡®Come to think of it, since I became a hunter, I have always been exempted from military service.¡¯ Regardless of that, the original Yu-Seong had served in the military. Therefore, he knew how to handle basic weapons such as submachine guns and grenades. Yu-Seong picked up the submachine gun by its strap and loaded the magazine. Then, he equipped himself with hand grenades. ''Going into the Juseok Palace dressed like this...'' Yu-Seong felt strange. Wasn¡¯t this similar to the North Korean guerilla assassins he had heard of in the old days? Helen looked at Yu-Seong wearing the military uniform with a satisfied expression. She said, "The opponent is not a monster but a human, so it is much more efficient to use weapons and not abilities. It would be good to learn how to handle them properly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to learn this,¡± said Yu-Seong. "Good. Then, we should go. Don''t miss me. I don¡¯t go easy even on kids." Once Yu-Seong nodded at her, Helen vanished into the darkness. The Homunculus that surrounded her protectively also had great speed, following her closely. Yu-Seong was shocked. He tried to follow Helen by taking bigger steps, but the distance between them kept widening. There was a great difference between S-rank and C-rank. No matter how narrow the gaps between each rank were, the gaps themselves could never be eliminated. Moreover, Helen was known to be a skilled performer within the S-rank. In the end, Yu-Seong had no choice but to watch from a distance as Helen and her troops clashed with the military of Pyongyang. Not once did Helen look back. She fully expected Yu-Seong to take care of himself. After activating the skill, Yu-Seong could instantly accelerate his movement for nine steps. ¡®I can¡¯t chase her as a D-rank.¡¯ In that short time, Yu-Seong invested 5000 Karma points that he had gathered from the battle with Vincent and immediately pulled up the Wind Control to C-rank. ¡ºSpecial Skill: Wind Control D ¡ú C. Fusion not possible. Inheritance not possible. At the end of 18 steps that flow like a wave, a dragon that catches the wind travels through the clouds. This is a skill that has been completely inherited. You can only use seven ¡ú nine out of eighteen steps due to the current low grade. It is easier to dodge opponent¡¯s attacks. You can kill some of your presence. For nine steps after skill activation, you can instantly accelerate your movement. Immediately after skill activation, you can create a short illusion using all five steps. If you use an illusion 3 ¡ú 5 or more times in a row, a cooldown time of 20 minutes (30 ¡ú 20) will be needed for reuse. *New C-rank perk ¨C You can transform the stepping method ¡°Wind Control¡± to ¡°Wind Flow¡±. In this case, most of the functions of the Wind Control will be sealed. The restriction on walking will disappear. Mana will be continuously consumed. The movement speed will increase dramatically. In case of entering battle, it will automatically change to Wind Control.¡» Yu-Seong did not hesitate after checking the newly evolved skill. ¡®Transform to Wind Flow.¡¯ The wind immediately enveloped Yu-Seong from behind, carrying him away with a breeze. Yu-Seong felt like he was flying, passing by his surroundings at a speed several times quicker than before. He followed Helen, who was running ahead after collapsing dozens of soldiers in Pyongyang alone. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was indeed a movement skill. Although its efficiency would decrease during combat due to its predictable pattern, Yu-Seong could automatically switch it back to Wind Control. In other words, Wind Flow was most suitable for chasing and fleeing. In a way, it was a skill that Yu-Seong had been wishing for. ''From now on, I can use Wind Flow to escape whenever I¡¯m in danger!'' Most importantly, Yu-Seong no longer had to struggle to catch up to Helen. Helen noticed that Yu-Seong was following her. Her eyes twinkled and she revealed an enigmatic smile. "Amazing. I wanted to see your limits, but you actually managed to show up when I told you to. How many things are you hiding?" Yu-Seong was at a loss for words. In fact, he was unable to respond. ''This...'' As he tried to speak while manipulating the Wind Flow, Yu-Seong could feel a sense of burden. He struggled to move, much less speak. It seemed that the nature of his ability required him to balance both his physical and mana abilities in respect to his speed. "Yeah, you wouldn''t want to admit that you deliberately kept it hidden, would you? You cunning kid. Now I understand why Choi treats you so nicely," Helen said. Once again, Yu-Seong was left speechless. CH 148 Racing recklessly, Helen Mirren and Choi Yu-Seong continued to fire their guns and throw the occasional grenade as soon as the enemy appeared. Although there were only two of them, they were not outnumbered by the troops; Helen still had her Homunculus army. The situation stayed the same even as the battle raged on. The reason was simple. ¡®They come back to life after getting shot and having their limbs blown off.¡¯ The Homunculus army was an unstoppable force, charging forward like an army of the undead and shrugging off bullets. They proved to be a reliable and unflappable ally for Yu-Seong, cementing their reputation as the legendary immortal troop. They even had modern firearms this time. For the Pyongyang Army, this was a sick and horrific situation. They were being chased by an invincible enemy that they couldn''t defeat no matter how hard they tried. Despite bragging about having encountered various types of monsters while trapped in their isolated hell, they were encountering the Homunculus army for the first time. "Shoot! Shoot, and take them down!" Upon that command, a shot was fired, and accompanying screams could be heard. A grenade thrown by a Pyongyang soldier also detonated, causing the targeted Homunculus to momentarily crumple or drop bits of flesh before regaining its form, picking up its weapon, and rejoining the fight. The undead soldiers were comparable to Pyongyang¡¯s monster hunters, who focused on monster hunting but lacked significant experience with firearms. The Homunculus created by Helen Mirren may be inferior to Helen in their movements, but they possessed individual combat strength that was equivalent to hers with firearms. Yu-Seong kept a close eye on the situation while running alongside Helen. When he had a sudden realization, he felt a chill running up his spine. ''Helen is actually controlling all these Homunculus.'' Helen was running leisurely with her arms by her side, but her fingertips had threads of black energy connecting to the heads of the Homunculus. And when the Homunculus attacked or defended, she would rapidly move her fingers beneath her robe as if she was playing a piano. ¡®So that''s why she wears a robe!¡¯ If it wasn''t for the fact that Yu-Seong was able to watch Helen¡¯s movements for a long time from the side, he wouldn''t have noticed her concealed abilities. Helen turned to make eye contact with Yu-Seong and smiled. "You''re very quick-witted. But having that knowledge alone cannot stop me, kiddo." "..." Yu-Seong remained silent. He was about to nod in agreement when¡­ Just ahead of where Helen was running, a blue energy spread across the ground like paint with a threatening aura. Yu-Seong naturally thought Helen would stop upon seeing that, but she continued to run straight ahead. It was as if she hadn¡¯t seen what was in front of her. In the end, Yu-Seong had to disengage his Wind Control skill. "Danger...!" Yu-Seong¡¯s urgent voice definitely reached Helen, but her footsteps reached the blue energy faster than his voice. At the same time, a net sprang from the blue energy and captured Helen Mirren. Finally, the Pyongyang hunters who were hiding their presence revealed themselves from all sides. ''How many of them are there?'' Quickly activating his Third Eye skill and looking around, Yu-Seong bit his lips as his expression hardened. ''Over ten... They''re at least A-rank, too.'' Even an S-rank hunter appeared to be here. This was not strange since they could have been waiting to trap both Helen and Yu-Seong from the beginning. Helen was tied up in the blue net. She was so still that it was strange¡­ Despite seeing the approaching aura, she calmly lowered her head and did not show a hint of movement. In an instant, Yu-Seong stepped on Wind Control, blocked Helen¡¯s path, and transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear. Then, he blocked the fireball that was shot by a hunter affiliated with the Pyongyang military with his spear. He also threw himself toward the incoming barrage. "Wake up, seonbae-nim!¡± yelled Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong thought that Helen had suddenly fallen into a trap and was in some kind of shock. Otherwise, she would be taking action during such a critical situation. During the barrage, Yu-Seong suddenly heard a strange sound in his ear. This was after he deflected the strike of a sword. "Kekeke¡­¡± It was a loud laughter that could not be contained. "Keughhh-!" Yu-Seong felt a sense of doubt when a loud scream echoed in the sky, but he had no time to focus on it. The enemies¡¯ attacks were already upon him. He couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate against opponents who were higher-ranked hunters than he was. ¡°Raging Snake!" After activating Cu Chulainn''s Secret Spear Skills, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear swung like a whip to deflect the incoming attacks from all sides. Yu-Seong was protecting Helen behind him, so he alone deflected the attacks of more than three A-rank hunters. He was drenched in sweat. His back and shoulders had thin wounds, but his overall defense was relatively satisfying. ¡®But will I be able to block it again next time?¡¯ In fact, it was not an impossibility. However, Yu-Seong would have to use all the skills that would reveal that he was ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯. Fighting while hiding one''s identity was a different matter from using the Raging Snake, which was not easily noticeable. It was not easy. Yu-Seong gripped his spear as he gathered his thoughts. Just then, black dots or lines attacked the A-rank hunters and disappeared from their throats and hearts. ¡®What was that?¡¯ Yu-Seong wondered, witnessing the scene of nine or so A-rank hunters dying from their necks being cut and their hearts getting pierced. He widened his eyes in surprise. Behind the A-rank hunters stood the black-robed Helen, who had a sword in one hand. Surprisingly, her other hand had the emblem of the S-rank hunter who was commanding them. The scream from before had indeed come from that S-rank hunter. "Seonbae?" Surprised, Yu-Seong looked back at the blue net trap he had been guarding until now. The deep-pressed black robe slowly raised its body to reveal a person who also had Helen¡¯s face, but¡­the face gradually fell apart and changed into another Homunculus. Yu-Seong just realized that Helen had never fallen for the trap from the start. ¡®She just pretended to fall for the trap and then switched with Homunculus.¡¯ Although the skill was difficult to determine exactly, Helen¡¯s skill had allowed her to easily catch the S-rank hunter by having them let their guard down. Yu-Seong thought about it some more, and then realized that this was a simple task. If Helen had really fallen for the shock, the Homunculus still fighting the approaching Pyongyang troops would have also stopped. However, the Homunculus had continued to move and fight against the Pyongyang troops this entire time. ¡®I completely fell for it.¡¯ Helen passed by the surprised Yu-Seong and patted his shoulder. She said, "Well done, decoy. It was a great role-playing performance.¡± "Is that so...?" Yu-Seong had a slightly angry expression, but Helen did not look at him. Instead, she laughed as she changed into a military uniform that could camouflage her in the darkness. Then, she put on an Integrated Ballistic Helmet. "Keke... Well, I was touched by your sincerity. Ah, it was very impressive, kiddo." Helen took a rifle, made a long pole with it, and handed it over to Homunculus, who dressed just like her. At the end of the pole was the badge of an S-rank hunter belonging to the recently killed Pyongyang Army. "This guy was a decent player, so he would be pretty recognizable in Pyongyang. He would be perfectly suitable for discouraging the rest." "Perfect for scamming as well." "Don''t make a fuss just because you got teased by an adult, kiddo. It''s always been like that in life. Keke. Well, let''s run again," said Helen. And with that, Helen raced forward, and Yu-Seong followed with his Wind Flow skill. *** In the dark room where a chessboard was in the center, a girl was sitting on a white bed sheet that had been stained dark red. She crossed her legs and said, "So you mean the guys who killed Vincent are coming to Juseok Palace, and you haven''t captured them yet?" Kim Un-Jeong was shivering with his knees bent and head bowed. He gulped nervously, then replied loudly, "Yes, yes! But we''re currently doing our best with a siege operation, so I believe that we can capture everyone soon." "How incompetent~ You''re doing your best and still haven''t caught them? If you''re this incompetent, wouldn''t it be better to die?" The girl then turned to look at the man standing next to Kim Un-Jeong with bent knees. She asked, "Hey, old man, what¡¯s your name again?" Surprised by the question, the old man replied hastily, "Choi, I¡¯m Choi Ki-Nam, mam!" "Do you want to be the Pyongyang general? That pig seems too incompetent to me." "Th-That is..." The elderly man, Choi Ki-Nam, had unwittingly ended up in the restricted area with Kim Un-Jeong. He glanced to the side and saw Kim Un-Jeong quivering, kneeling on the ground in fear. "Don''t want to? Then die," said Emilia. When Emilia¡¯s fingertips had a dark red energy forming into a pointed needle¡­ "I will! I will work harder than this foolish pig and drag them all here in no time!" In truth, Choi Ki-Nam had no other choice. The red energy suddenly burrowed into Ki-Nam¡¯s wrinkled forehead, and veins started to bulge on his face. With wide eyes, he asked in surprise, "Why, why¡­?" Emilia smiled brightly. "Well~ I hate traitors the most.¡± The bulging veins on Choi Ki-Nam''s face burst open, covering the room with a spray of crimson blood. "Kaaak-!" Kim Un-Jeong cringed at Ki-Nam¡¯s dying scream. He could feel the warm blood staining his clothes. ¡®I can''t stop this crazy monster from going wild,¡¯ Un-Jeong thought. The situation had been better when Vincent had been around. No matter how angry Emilia got, she would rarely kill more than one person when he was around. However, Vincent had been dead for about ten days now. At first, Emilia had been satisfied with killing only two or three people. Now, she was actually killing more than ten people a day. Even worse, the people getting killed were all members of the council, which could be considered the center of Pyongyang. This was because Emilia wanted to punish these incompetent pigs. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. Of course, Kim Un-Jeong couldn''t replace the dead with ordinary people. ¡®If I do that, I''ll certainly meet my demise.¡¯ Kim Un-Jeong held back his tears. He felt like he wanted to cry. ¡®What a foolish man, going out alone and getting killed...!¡¯ Surprisingly, Kim Un-Jeong found himself feeling a sense of loss for Vincent, who had no redeeming qualities as a person. Emilia gazed down at Kim Un-Jeong. Her cheeks had the splattered blood of Choi Ki-Nam. She exuded a chilly and haughty aura. CH 149 As Emilia''s intimidating presence filled the room, Kim Un-Jeong felt his breath being choked out of him. Bang-! With a loud noise, the entire castle shook. Pieces of stone fell from the tall walls above. "Oh, did they come here on their own?" Emilia looked far away, her eyes bent into crescent moons. After that, her figure disappeared from the bed without a trace. "Uh, uhm... Emilia, wait!" Kim Un-Jeong quickly tried to grab Emilia, but it was already too late. The path to Juseok Palace and its interiors had all been made into a trap to capture Yu-Seong and Helen Mirren. As part of the trap, there were a large number of hunter forces that made up most of Pyongyang¡¯s entire force. The problem was that Emilia, who was angry, had no way of identifying the hunter forces. With Helen attacking from the front and Emilia striking from behind, no matter how strong the Pyongyang elites were, they would not be able to withstand the two hunters who were regarded as top-ranking monsters in the world. ¡®What¡­ What should I do?¡¯ Kim Un-Jeong paced back and forth in the room. His gaze was full of worry. ¡®With things as they are, I guess I have to abandon my plans for Pyongyang.¡¯ Even if it was just himself, Un-Jeong had to survive. It was unfortunate that the power he had enjoyed until now would disappear in an instant, but there was still some hope for him. Through gritted teeth, he muttered to himself, "The Philosopher''s Stone..." With that magnificent stone, Un-Jeong could rebuild a city like Pyongyang at any time. Kim Un-Jeong glanced around the room that was full of a bloody odor, then he turned and ran out. Inside the spacious room that Un-Jeong had just left, one figure who had been concealed in the darkness slowly emerged. "The Philosopher''s Stone? I thought there might be something when I heard that one of the Twelve Dark Kings has been dispatched to this small city, but this is bigger than I thought!" Rachel licked her red lips. Rachel¡¯s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Kim Un-Jeong¡¯s disappearing figure. The sight of him fleeing further stimulated her curiosity. ¡®This city has more fun things than I thought.¡¯ In fact, Rachel had just arrived in Pyongyang a few days ago. She initially had been meant to depart for another location after meeting the Black Gauze King, Emilia, and establishing a casual relationship with her. This had been the Godfather¡¯s instructions. However, after coincidentally meeting Kim Do-Jin, Rachel had become completely distracted and had forgotten everything else. ¡®It was an exciting hide-and-seek.¡¯ Tonight, the city of Pyongyang was filled with the smell of gunpowder and death, both of which Rachel relished. The odors were particularly strong this time, much more than any other instance before. Unable to hold back her curiosity, Rachel stopped playing hide-and-seek and headed for Juseok Palace, where the smell of death was strongest. She had heard Kim Un-Jeong mentioning ¡®the Philosopher''s Stone¡¯ through a simple coincidence, and there was no way she could just ignore it. ¡®I have a feeling that more exciting things are going to happen.¡¯ Rachel was the type of person whose instincts were usually accurate. Trusting her instincts, she began to tremble with excitement. In fact, blood, death, and a place overflowing with madness were the things that Rachel loved the most. However, the moments when she couldn''t fully control herself due to excitement and agitation were short. Rachel, with her gaze once again cold and aloof, sighed disappointingly as she smacked her lips. "Ah, if only we had my gold nugget here, that would be perfect. Hm, am I being too greedy? Whoo-hoo..." After that, Rachel started to follow the trail of Kim Un-Jeong who was getting further and further away into the darkness. *** As they roamed the streets of Pyongyang together, Yu-Seong realized once again how terrifying Helen was. ¡®As expected, not everyone at the S-rank is equal.¡¯ Some examples would be Choi Woo-Jae and Choi Mi-Na, and even Rachel. One could also compare Kim Do-Jin and Yu-Seong¡¯s own experiences. It was clear that having the same rank did not guarantee similar abilities. Levels, one''s own skill composition, proficiency, everyday training, and even talent all combined to create actual ability. Also, even if someone¡¯s ability was great, they shouldn¡¯t let their guard down. ¡®And a third one bites the dust.¡¯ Helen had already claimed the lives of three proud S-rank hunters of Pyongyang. In fact, two of them had been lured by her fake emblem and had fallen for her trap without putting up much of a fight. ¡®It all ends with one mistake.¡¯ Human life was indeed petty and fleeting, where everything could come to an end in a split second. Without a prepared defense skill, most humans would simply die from a single bullet wound. ¡®The same applies to hunters.¡¯ Yu-Seong felt proud of himself, having experienced quite a few dangerous situations up to this point. In reality, his experiences were already beyond what normal player individuals could experience. However, running and fighting alongside Helen in this large-scale war was on another level altogether. It was a completely new experience. ¡®And in this situation, we are outnumbered.¡¯ Helen, having ample battle experience, utilized her mobility to effortlessly overcome numerous traps. She had also asked for Yu-Seong¡¯s assistance, but there was not really much that he had to do. It felt as if she was intentionally keeping Yu-Seong close to educate him. Finding the path to the basement was not too difficult since the scattered hordes of Homunculus that Helen had spread around thoroughly searched the complex interior of Juseok Palace. Not even the most complicated roads could be a problem. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®Really, I have nothing to do.¡¯ Just a moment ago, Yu-Seong had been afraid of losing his way, but now he could leisurely watch Helen''s battle tactics from up close. Just then, Yu-Seong froze. In the dark hallway, a glimmering red object was suddenly flying toward them at a frightening speed. "Duck!" yelled Helen. Yu-Seong instinctively threw himself to the side. The red object flew towards them with a loud explosion; then a massive crater could be seen right where Yu-Seong had been a second before. If Yu-Seong had reacted just a moment slower, he would have exploded into pieces or reduced to a grotesque corpse. Yu-Seong felt a chill running up his spine. Sweating profusely, he switched Wind Flow into Wind Control and looked into the darkness beyond. Tap, tap. ¡®Footsteps?¡¯ Contrary to the swift flight of the red object, the footsteps sounded slow and leisurely. It went on for a considerable amount of time. ¡°It is still early, but it seems the end boss has already appeared,¡± Helen commented with a smirk. Before Yu-Seong could even spot the figure beyond the darkness, Helen already identified the enemy. She groaned as she looked at the Western girl who was no taller than 160 centimeters in high heels. The Western girl stopped in front of Helen and Yu-Seong, then greeted, "Hello, friends." In an instant, Helen stepped forward and blocked the dark red energy that shot out toward them. Thump-! With a loud boom, the ceiling crumbled and sent dust flying all over the place. Only then did Yu-Seong regain his senses, drawing a deep breath. He had shown no reaction to the brief skirmish before. Emilia leaped over the debris of the fallen ceiling and laughed. "Your skills are still the same, grandma. Good reaction. The boss here has set up a trap, but I know it¡¯s too easy to keep you away.¡± ¡°This is a trap? And¡­who are you calling grandma? You¡¯ve lived a hundred years longer than I have, old hag," said Helen with a snort. ¡®Lived a hundred years longer than Helen?¡¯ It was rumored that Helen had lived for over 70 years. If her opponent had lived for 100 years longer and still appeared to be a young girl, there could only be one explanation. ¡®Non-human races!¡¯ The strong odor of blood and her red-black energy indicated that Emilia was likely a vampire. As if confirming Yu-Seong''s suspicion, a message appeared in the air. - The Red Fang of the Dark Night gazes at the player Choi Yu-Seong through an incarnation with a cold smile. At that moment, Helen and Emilia no longer stared at each other. They simultaneously turned to look at Yu-Seong. ¡®Dang it¡­¡¯ Although he was using a skinsuit, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t fool the gods. Emilia gazed at Yu-Seong indifferently. Then, her pupils thinned like a snake¡¯s. ¡®Oh, you are the stubborn human who rejected my god''s offer. ¡¯ "You have done a very good deed." Helen immediately blocked Yu-Seong, who was now surrounded by Emilia¡¯s fierce red-black energy. It was fortunate that Helen was here. However, if they stuck to their original mission, her being held up for this long was not ideal. ¡®We need to steal the Philosopher''s Stone as soon as possible and return to Seoul. But to do that, I may need to struggle and fight with the non-human race woman, who may be one of the Twelve Dark Kings¡­¡¯ Could Yu-Seong do that? The answer to the question came easily. As the moonlight vanished from beyond the collapsed ceiling and darkness descended upon them, a sudden silver light cut through the darkness and fell upon Emilia''s head. Craaack-! Something collapsed before a faint red barrier appeared above Emilia. It had small flames dancing all over it. The situation proved to be difficult, but the sword did not move away. It stayed right where it was with its silver light. "Who the hell are you?" Taken aback by the sudden attack, Emilia shot a beam of light from her hand in a split second. The attacker, a man, raised both hands and unleashed a pentagram magic circle. He vanished. The sword that was about to fall to the ground also disappeared from the air, returning to the man¡¯s grasp. Both Helen and Emilia were unable to react in time. The man was now behind Emilia. He was inside the protective barrier that Emilia had activated. Emilia, realizing this, swung her arm in surprise. Before her attack could land, a silver curve cut through the darkness, and the sword pierced right through her chest. "Huh?" One of the Twelve Dark Kings, considered to be the strongest among the Demon King Worshipers, was falling to the ground in a pool of blood. Yu-Seong, while watching this scene in real-time, felt immense horror. ¡®Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash!¡¯ Only one person could wield such unparalleled technique, which was capable of transcending a segment of space to deliver a decisive blow straight to the opponent''s heart. ¡®Kim Do-Jin!¡¯ If the novel¡¯s protagonist was incapable of handling the miraculous ability to jump through space, then who could possibly do it? No matter where he came from, how torn his clothes were, and how bad he looked, only one thing was for certain. ¡®Originally, he only uses that technique upon reaching S-rank!¡¯ Kim Do-Jin had exceeded the bounds of the original novel. After feeling momentary shock, Yu-Seong snapped back to reality and began running toward Kim Do-Jin. ¡®A vampire will not die even if its heart is pierced.¡¯ In other words, Emilia was still alive. "Watch out!" As always, being careless led to one''s demise. CH 150 A blood-red beam cut the tip of Kim Do-Jin''s nose. Upon hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s voice, Do-Jin instinctively flinched. He furrowed his brow, then addressed Yu-Seong who was running towards him. "Don''t make a fuss. I already knew that she wouldn''t die from this." This was a somewhat awkward situation. Yu-Seong stopped running. With an incredulous look on his face, he clicked his tongue and mumbled, "I was worried for nothing..." "Who was worried about whom?" Kim Do-Jin laughed mockingly. "Ahaha-! What''s this? It¡¯s getting more fun!" Emilia, with a hole in her heart, floated in the sky and laughed loudly. - The Red Fang of the Dark Night keeps an eye on the players Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong through the incarnation. Laughs happily. "Wait, did that pervert try getting his fangs into you too?¡± "Just wasn¡¯t my type. I rejected him.¡± "Same here." As Do-Jin and Yu-Seong conversed briefly, Emilia suddenly stopped laughing. She said, "Do you know that I feel bad whenever you insult my god like that?¡± Emilia shot out even more red-black energy, but her attack was blocked by the thick walls that Helen had erected. Helen, who was standing beside Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, asked, "Do you think you guys can handle her?" "Are you going to be understanding if we say that we can¡¯t?¡± asked Yu-Seong. Helen gave a cold smile. "I doubt it. I trust you both." "Go ahead. I''ll try my best. It''ll be difficult on my own, but..." Yu-Seong¡¯s voice trailed off as he looked at Do-Jin, who was watching them with a relaxed expression. "Who said we¡¯re fighting together?" asked Do-Jin. Yu-Seong inwardly thought that Do-Jin¡¯s remark was unnecessary, but he still managed to show a smile. As he always said, he knew Kim Do-Jin very well. "Help me," Yu-Seong said. "What?" "I''ve helped you before, too." Kim Do-Jin had a strong sense of pride. "What do you mean¡­?" "If it weren''t for my help, you would have died just now." "I already knew the vampire wasn¡¯t going to die!" "Anyway, debts need to be paid." "Who owes who...?" For some reason, it seemed that Do-Jin liked Yu-Seong quite a bit. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. "Please, Kim Do-Jin. Right now, there''s no one else but you," Yu-Seong requested sincerely. Yu-Seong found this decision to be an easy one, since he couldn¡¯t possibly stand up against Emilia without Do-Jin¡¯s help. At that moment, the thick walls that Helen had erected began to crumble. The gaps between the fragments allowed three red beams of light to come through. Two beams of light were targeting both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin. Kim Do-Jin gave Yu-Seong no reply. He simply raised his sword, unleashing silver sword energy to slice the two red beams of light apart. ¡®Did he just deflect the red lights away?¡¯ Once again, Yu-Seong had to admit that Kim Do-Jin was a monster. Helen, who had blocked the remaining attack with her palm, frowned. ¡®With the use of sword energy, he could have blocked all three red beams of light.¡¯ But for some reason, Do-Jin¡¯s sword energy did not block the light beam that had been targeting Helen Mirren. The reason for that was rather obvious. ¡®His intentions are not to assist me, but rather to solely aid Yu-Seong.¡¯ It was ridiculous, but the situation wasn¡¯t completely awful. "Well, then. I¡¯ll trust you, kiddos." And with that, Helen turned around and started running towards the basement. She did not even bother to look back. Despite their superior abilities compared to their peers in the same rank, Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong had yet to reach the A-rank level. In other words, them trying to defeat Emilia was no different from wishing for a miracle. ¡®Helen has to get the Philosopher''s Stone as soon as possible and come back.¡¯ If she had the power of the Philosopher''s Stone, Emilia would no longer be a challenge for Helen. "Where are you running off to?!" Emilia saw Helen running ahead of her, so she spread her wings wide. At that moment, Yu-Seong swept past the end of Emilia¡¯s wings like a ray of light. He laughed while stretching out his spear. ¡®As expected, using it in midair greatly weakens its speed and power.¡¯ He had unleashed his Lance Charging, but it was slower and weaker than expected. He had planned to completely bend one wing, but his efforts had only allowed him to brush against Emilia¡¯s wing and pass by. Still, Yu-Seong¡¯s sneak attack was enough to unnerve Emilia. She missed her intended target, which was Helen¡¯s back, as her blood-red ray slightly veered off course and obliterated a large wall instead. Emilia said with a frown, "You''re faster than I thought.¡± She quickly tried to catch Yu-Seong by the neck, but Do-Jin had used magic to create a strong vacuum between them. Bang-! Along with the explosion, two people were pushed away from each other. The immediate impact was not strong, but it was still strong enough to get them out of the sky. Do-Jin caught the falling Yu-Seong with one arm. Then, he said, ¡°We have agreed to work together in this fight, so we should complement each other like bread and butter.¡± "What?" "She¡¯s not a woman that you can handle. And now, I owe you nothing." Do-Jin was being somewhat cheeky, but his intention was clear as day. ¡®Does that mean he¡¯s going to help me properly?¡¯ The battle with Vincent had been very different from this one. At that time, Kim Do-Jin had been somewhat uncooperative. To be fair, they had also been in great danger unexpectedly. ¡®Of course, it might be because I hid the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill.¡¯ This time, Yu-Seong had no such thoughts. This current situation and opponent were not easy to deal with, so he intended to do his very best. ¡®If the opportunity arises, I will immediately activate the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill.¡¯ Emilia looked at the two men with a strange gaze, then said with a surprised look, "Come to think of it, Helen¡¯s two assistants¡­" Vincent had died because he had gone to investigate Helen¡¯s two assistants. At that time, Helen had been in Juseok Palace. After coming to a conclusion, Emilia had an incredulous expression on her face. She said, "Do you mean Vincent was caught by kids like you?" She burst out laughing. "Oh my-! What a fool you were, Vincent! But still...¡± Soon, she began releasing a suffocating aura that made the air much heavier than before. It was like a storm was brewing¡­ ¡®It¡¯s heavy.¡¯ Yu-Seong gripped his spear, which felt unusually heavy. Its weight became almost unbearable. He trembled and remembered Emilia¡¯s title of being ¡®one of the Twelve Dark Kings¡¯. Then, while trying to steady his erratic heartbeat, he looked at Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Is that guy...fearless, or does he think he¡¯s invincible as the protagonist?¡¯ Looking at Do-Jin¡¯s always nonchalant expression, Yu-Seong felt a sense of relief for some reason. He could not look at Emilia''s twisted face with a lighter heart. ¡°That guy was my only companion in this boring town, and you killed him. Do you know how angry that makes me?¡± Emilia said. ¡°I don''t care,¡± Kim Do-Jin answered briefly before flying forward. His silver sword energy seemingly tore Emilia apart, but she had already disappeared from that spot. Reappearing behind Yu-Seong, Emilia said with a cold voice, "It seems that you two are quite close, but I''ll make you feel the same way as I did!" Yu-Seong turned around and spread his arms as he invoked Wind Control. Suddenly, Emilia''s fingernail, which was as sharp and long as a beast¡¯s, tore into his illusion. Despite that close call, Yu-Seong stepped forward and extended his hand. "Dancing Electric Doll." Yu-Seong no longer needed to conceal his identity. He revealed the battle suit he had kept hidden beneath his clothes. At the same time, Kim Do-Jin''s sword collided with Emilia''s claws. When Do-Jin swayed slightly, Yu-Seong leapt forward to attack Emilia¡¯s head. ¡®The weakness of the vampire is not the heart, but the brain¡­ Raging Snake!¡¯ When a sharp spear wrapped around her arm and reached for her neck, Emilia tried to avoid the attack by bending over in a 90-degree angle. However, her forehead was kicked by Kim Do-Jin. Boom-! Emilia spread her bloody red defense shield and blocked Do-Jin''s attack, then unsheathed her claws without hesitation. Do-Jin and Yu-Seong backed away, widening the distance between them and Emilia. At their original spot from mere seconds ago, there was now a bloody red line passing through. ¡®If we weren''t quick enough, both of us would have ended up as corpses in that very spot.¡¯ However, Emilia¡¯s attack was not over. She spread her wings wide and tried to cover them from behind. ¡®This is...?¡¯ If he got caught, his life would come to a miserable end. Yu-Seong immediately unleashed all of his strength and sliced through the wings with his lance. Then, he escaped alongside Do-Jin. Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong and said, "That powerful technique is pretty useful." "Is that a compliment?" Do-Jin nodded in response just as Emilia''s claws came close to swiping at them. Looking at Emilia¡¯s angry glare, Yu-Seong quickly blocked her with his spear. However, he was sent flying up into the sky. ¡®What kind of strength is this¡­?!¡¯ Thankfully, Yu-Seong''s spear was an ancient relic. If it had not been created by Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, the spear would have been torn apart by Emilia¡¯s fingernails. The most surprising thing was that Kim Do-Jin was facing Emilia''s attack head-on. "It looks like the battle is getting more and more dangerous, but..." Yu-Seong¡¯s voice trailed off. It was his turn to attack. Once his feet touched the ground, Yu-Seong activated his Third Eye to the maximum and watched Emilia''s movements for a short time. Then, he realized one thing. ¡®The trajectory of her movement is almost fixed.¡¯ Emilia had strong power and ability, but she had a fixed pattern of battling. ¡®She¡¯s not in the air, but on the ground. This is an opportunity.¡¯ Did Do-Jin read Yu-Seong¡¯s mind? Do-Jin nodded without even looking at Yu-Seong. He never stepped back from battling Emilia, even though he was getting increasingly wounded. ¡®I¡¯m going.¡¯ Yu-Seong had read nearly all of Emilia''s movements, so he no longer had to hesitate. This time, with a clear goal in mind, he attacked. ¡®Lance Charging.¡¯ An extended light pierced through Emilia''s small body. *** Down in the underground bunker, there was a spacious room that had the pungent odor of blood. The atmosphere was humid and sticky. Blood dripped from the ceiling like rain. In the room were dozens of black-robed figures who stood on a dark pentagram, which had been drawn on the floor. They were chanting ominously. It was as if they were praying. Bang-! Kim Un-Jeong entered through an iron gate. He frowned at the unexpectedly loud noise. "Ugh..." After a momentary wave of nausea, Un-Jeong turned to look at the green-lit box that was at the center of the pentagram. He could also feel the overflowing blood-colored energy that swept away the darkness of the night. The energy came from the blood dripping from the ceiling and the black-robed figures¡¯ chanting. Kim Un-Jeong wanted to jump forward to seize the treasure, but he didn''t have the courage to ignore the blood-colored energy coming from the pentagram. ¡®I can''t be their living sacrifice¡­ If it is to protect the Philosopher''s Stone, then the Demon King Worshipers would also admit that this is an inevitable choice.¡¯ Kim Un-Jeong unhesitantly summoned his Homunculus and cut off the black-robed figures, who became lifeless corpses instantly. The dark energy disappeared, and the blood stopped falling from the ceiling. After killing all the black-robed figures, Kim Un-Jeong reached out toward the Philosopher''s Stone, which began to emit an eerie green light. He muttered deliriously, ¡°With this¡­ With this¡­¡± First, Un-Jeong would be able to survive. Then, he would be able to reclaim his wealth and power once again. Kim Un-Jeong''s eyes turned red as his hand reached for the stone. Thud-! Suddenly, a hand ax buried itself into Un-Jeong¡¯s left shoulder from behind. He fell to the ground without a sound. A woman stepped out of the darkness with soft laughter. With a smile of madness, she said, ¡°Hm... The trap has been successfully cleared.¡± CH 151 Rachel moved her hand slowly. She was reaching through the hexagram filled with corpses in an attempt to grasp the Philosopher''s Stone. Zzzzt-! A loud spark echoed through the area. Rachel''s once pristine hand was now blackened and charred from the intense spark. After lifting her hand from the Philosopher''s Stone, Rachel frowned. She smacked the head of the fallen Kim Un-Jeong, who was lying beside her, and asked, "Hey, pig. What¡¯s wrong with this? It was fine when you did it earlier." Of course, Kim Un-Jeong couldn''t answer. He was dazed and bleeding profusely. With a threatening gaze, Rachel lifted her hand ax without further delay. She demanded, "I''ll only count to one. If you don''t answer, I''ll just kill you right away. One." Kim Un-Jeong flinched and trembled, quickly turning his head to the side. He groaned. "Keugh¡­" "Even though you are in pain, you hold on quite well. What a good patient.¡± "Sa-Save me...¡± At those words, Rachel''s eyes sparkled. She asked, "Save you? Do you even know who I am?" Kim Un-Jeong managed to swallow down the curses that he wanted to say. He muttered, "The Slaughter¡­Queen." "Wrong. Normally, this would already earn you your death. However, I will give you one more chance today.¡± Rachel smiled slyly, slowly knelt down, and sat facing the bleeding Kim Un-Jeong. "What¡¯s wrong with that?" Looking at Rachel¡¯s red eyes of sheer madness, Kim Un-Jeong looked away. He said, "Blood..." "What?" "There should be blood." "There''s a lot of blood here, right?" Rachel said with her eyes sparkling. Then, with a sudden realization, she yelled, "Oh, your blood!" In the blink of an eye, Rachel cut off Kim Un-Jeong''s right wrist. She attacked without giving Un-Jeong a moment to express any sense of injustice. "Kyaaaa-!" Kim Un-Jeong screamed in pain. He rolled on the floor and spilled blood everywhere. Rachel smiled brightly as she raised Un-Jeong¡¯s bloodied hand. She attempted to touch the Philosopher''s Stone, but was once again surprised by the strong spark. She tilted her head in confusion. "Hey, pig. This isn''t working?" "Augh, augh!" "Shut up. Stop shouting and answer," said Rachel in annoyance. When Rachel impatiently kicked him in the mouth, Kim Un-Jeong''s teeth shattered and fell to the ground. His face felt even more painful than before. He looked up at Rachel with blood and tears pouring down his face. "Ugh¡­ Ugh..." "Why isn''t this working?" "Ugh..." "Oh, right. You can''t answer." Rachel quickly removed her feet from Un-Jeong¡¯s face. "Keheck!" Kim Un-Jeong coughed and threw up. Looking at the man with an insane gaze, Rachel slowly raised her hand and said one word, "One." "Not my blood... Your blood!" "Ah...? You should have said that earlier," Rachel said. Kim Un-Jeong was quick-witted, so he immediately replied with poor pronunciation. After listening to his reply, Rachel blinked, giggled, and brandished her hand ax. Kim Un-Jeong rolled on the floor with a frightened expression. After barely avoiding having his neck sliced open, he widened his eyes in horror and asked, ¡°Why, why¡­?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that you were noisy?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rachel smiled brightly towards Kim Un-Jeong, who was surprised by the absurd reason. She said cheekily, ¡°You¡¯ve also killed many people just for your own desires.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Kim Un-Jeong replied, feeling flustered. Rachel¡¯s hand ax flew into the air again. However, she was no longer targeting Kim Un-Jeong. A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled. From beyond the hallway, a powerful roar echoed loudly. Only when the underground basement stopped vibrating did Rachel reach out her hand. ¡°Hmm?¡± When her hand ax did not return, Rachel tilted her head in confusion. Moments later, the hand ax returned and cut Rachel¡¯s red hair. Then, it clattered against the wall of the basement. "Wow?" Next, gunshots started to echo from beyond the hallway. "Oh, what the¡­!¡± "Wow-!" With a curse, Kim Un-Jeong continued to roll on the floor. Meanwhile, Rachel recovered her hand ax and stood still while shooting bullets wildly. The attack from beyond the hallway was not over. Then, something that looked like a baseball flew towards them. Upon seeing it, Kim Un-Jeong yelled in surprise, "Grenade! Did you forget?!" "Oh?" The explosion quickly spread a sea of fire in the basement, destroying everything. When the fire finally died down, Rachel could be seen crossing her arms and blocking the fire. With a blink, she then threw both hand axes that were at her waist simultaneously. Whoosh-! Along with an explosion, their opponent stopped rushing forward. As if he were crazy, Kim Un-Jeong crawled behind Rachel. He barely survived even from having used her as a shield. He moaned inwardly. ¡®Monster! She¡¯s still standing even after taking a grenade head-on?¡¯ The Slaughter Queen was officially ranked 30th within the Demon King Worshiper, which was pretty remarkable. For her to take a grenade head-on in this narrow space, using only her body, this was an unexpected show of power that went beyond her ranking. She indeed was a monster even among S-ranks. She had power that could only be thought of in the realm of SS ranks, which had completely surpassed humanity. When thinking such thoughts, Kim Un-Jeong realized one thing. ¡®No way... Could this woman be the one who just defeated the Black Stain King to become the new Twelve Dark King¡­?¡¯ Now, Un-Jeong knew why his earlier answer of ¡®The Slaughter Queen¡¯ was wrong. ¡°Black Stain King!¡± "You pig. You are more persistent than I thought," said Rachel with a smile. Then, she started firing off another barrage of bullets at their opponent with a shout. "Hey grandma! Keep shooting at me like this and I''ll smash this green rock to pieces!" The Philosopher''s Stone was not damaged in any way by the barrage of bullets or the grenades, but the outcome might be different if Rachel chose to strike it with all her might. "Ah, no¡­No!" Kim Un-Jeong shook his head quickly, as if trying to appeal to Rachel. "I don''t like waiting for a long time. I''ll just count to one. One!" yelled Rachel. When the relentless hail of bullets suddenly came to a halt, Rachel raised her hand ax high with a smile. She asked, "Will you continue to hide?" "Of course not," said the opponent from the other side of the hallway. Rachel''s hand ax shot toward the black shadow that flew over like an arrow. Bam-! Black fragments scattered around like blood before regenerating once again. Then, the Homunculus that followed were like a herd of zombies. Rachel threw and retrieved her hand ax repeatedly, defeating the Homunculus with ease. As if she was not tired of defeating the continuously resuscitating Homunculus, she cackled loudly. "Ahahaha-!" Just when Rachel¡¯s hand ax swung abruptly to the left, Helen appeared with a loud explosion. Her robe fluttered and slid backwards as if she was slipping. Rachel saw the slightly pale Helen. With one hand wielding the hand ax and the other hand raised in greeting, she asked, "Long time no see. How have you been?" "You seem to have become even more of a monster," replied Helen. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s a compliment, right?¡± Helen smiled bitterly. She pursed her lips without saying a word. ¡®For the Slaughter Queen to be here, of all people?¡¯ Although she was not as formidable as the Black Gauze King, who was 10th-ranked among the Twelve Dark Kings, Rachel was still a formidable opponent in Helen''s memory. Additionally, Rachel''s movements with her hand ax appeared to have improved. ¡®I may need to approach the Slaughter Queen as if I were battling the Twelve Dark Kings.¡¯ Helen furrowed her brow and tightened her fists. ¡®And I don''t know how much longer those two above can endure.¡¯ Despite their surpassing skills and cohesive teamwork, there was a high likelihood that Emilia would emerge victorious if the battle were to go on for too long. Helen was aware of this. Helen looked at the green Philosopher''s Stone behind Rachel. ¡®Kid, I get that you were not lying.¡¯ The goal was clear. Helen inhaled deeply and pulled up her mana to its maximum. ¡®I¡¯ll deal with this job at once. Ultimate skill- Only one.¡¯ Once Helen activated her skill, the Homunculus rushing towards Rachel suddenly changed directions and surrounded Helen. They clung onto her like they were trying to swallow her, swarming her like a liquid monster. Then, they transformed into armor and a sword that looked rather medieval. Thanks to this, Helen¡¯s petite build could now rival that of a decent adult male. The huge sword swung around, seemingly capable of tearing air apart. Rachel widened her eyes and faced Helen directly. She flew high across the sky. With an awful cry, she spurted out blood upon being slammed into the wall. In pursuit, Helen transformed her sword into a fist and delivered a punch that struck Rachel. The impact sent Rachel flying out of the underground room and up to the ground level. From the cracked ceiling, a deluge of grotesque and horrifying corpses began to pour out. ¡®What the hell were these crazy guys doing here?¡¯ Helen was shocked by the sight, but she didn''t have time to think about anything else. Rachel was hanging on the wall from her thick fist. Smiling and bleeding, Rachel was still alive. She cooed, "Oh, this is really...too painful." At the same time, Rachel¡¯s aura disappeared. ¡®Illusion?¡¯ This appeared to be different from an illusion. It also felt a lot quicker than a mere illusion. ¡®But she would have lacked the strength to get out of that.¡¯ Although Rachel boasted great physical power, she was also relatively strong as a Psychic player. It should be impossible for her to bear the weight and power of Helen¡¯s full armor, which was intensely combined with the power of hundreds of Homunculus. In other words, Rachel must have activated some kind of skill. ¡®But where?¡¯ At the moment of her musing, Helen did not notice Rachel¡¯s hand ax materializing behind her. Her Homunculus armor soon had dozens of deep red gashes. Kwagagagak-! The Homunculus armor shattered, then started to regenerate. Helen swiftly turned around, attempting to counterattack, but Rachel hid herself and only revealed her red eyes. "Helen Mirren. I know your mana is quite a lot, but it¡¯s not unlimited, right?" "It''s enough to last until I catch you, young brat." Feeling her entire right arm of the Homunculus armor rip apart, Helen spun around and opened her eyes widely. Kwagh-! With the massive movement of Helen¡¯s body, the basement interior crumbled at an even faster pace. The destruction began. "Ahaha-!" Helen frowned at the sound of Rachel¡¯s laughter echoing from all around. Then, she suddenly saw Kim Un-Jeong touching the Philosopher''s Stone. She screamed, "You, what are you doing¡­?!" Rachel, who was laughing, looked at Kim Un-Jeong. She sent a hand ax flying through the air, plunging it deep into Un-Jeong''s left chest. Despite his heart stopping and his face stained with blood, Kim Un-Jeong still wore a cheerful smile as he passed away. ¡®Truly¡­You dog-like bastards¡­ Die, all of you.¡¯ When Kim Un-Jeong closed his eyes after thinking of his final will, countless corpses and blood-stained hexagrams spewed black light to engulf the Philosopher''s Stone. CH 152 "Oh, dammit!" Helen cursed as she ran towards the blackened Philosopher''s Stone. Rachel chased after Helen, swinging her hand axes recklessly. However, Helen paid no attention to Rachel after seeing the blackened Philosopher''s Stone. "Huh?" Confused, Rachel stopped swinging her hand axes. Her steady hands stopped effortlessly wielding the axes and came to a sudden halt. Helen reached out her finger and left some blood on the blackened Philosopher''s Stone. Hugging it with both arms, she cried out earnestly, "Please, please¡­!" "Can someone explain what¡¯s going on?" asked Rachel, tilting her head in confusion. "The idiot that you didn¡¯t kill has caused the worst disaster!" Helen broke into a cold sweat. Her Homunculus armor began to fall apart. ¡®Does this mean her mana is being drained just from cradling the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?¡¯ In other words, Rachel could kill Helen right away if she wanted to. Her reason for not doing so was simple. ''There''s no way this grandma wouldn''t know about it, and she''s risking her life to stop something...'' Rachel had shivers running down her spine, feeling a great sense of peril. She forced a cold grin and said, ¡°Do you think you can stop it if you try hard?¡± "Please shut up...! The situation is already tough enough," said Helen. "Grandma, isn''t this a situation where you should be begging me to stay patient?" Rachel asked, then sliced Helen¡¯s wrist with her hand ax. "...?!¡± Helen widened her eyes in shock as her hand fell from the Philosopher''s Stone and blood spurted. She screamed at Rachel, "You crazy...!" "Did you just find out that I''m crazy?" Just then, a black hand burst forth from the Philosopher''s Stone. It grabbed Rachel''s sinisterly smiling face. ''Huh?'' Before she could even react, Rachel lost consciousness, spilled blood, and flew into several walls. Then, she completely disappeared from sight. "Oh, my, damn it!" yelled Helen. Looking at the trail of Rachel, who had vanished from the basement to go above ground, Helen expressed great despair in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t too concerned about her missing hand, since she could roughly mold a replacement hand by using Homunculus. It wouldn''t be as comfortable as her original hand, but she could bear the inconvenience. The real problem was that there was no way to prevent the immediate situation. The Philosopher''s Stone, after absorbing a bunch of black aura, now had two black arms covered in fur emerging from it. Soon, two legs would appear. Then, a creature complete with a head and horns would come into existence. Only one being on this earth had such an appearance. ¡®Demon!¡¯ Of course, not all demons were equally powerful. A relatively weak one might be able to be hunted by an S-rank hunter. Unfortunately, this demon could easily fling Rachel with a single arm, so it was not a weak entity at all. ¡®Given that the Philosopher''s Stone was used to summon it, and such a large amount of blood and flesh has been sacrificed, then¡­¡¯ The only glimmer of hope was that Helen had managed to slightly interrupt the flow of energy. Without her intervention, it was possible that the Demon King might have been summoned with the sacrifices that Pyongyang had made. The second problem was retrieving and collecting the Philosopher''s stone. ¡®At least a Catastrophe-grade demon will be unleashed.¡¯ According to the World Player Association (WPA), a Catastrophe-grade demon could only be stopped if a nation within the top ten hunter powers deployed all of its resources. In other words, everyone here couldn''t stop the summoned demon even if they were to use all of their strength. ¡®Pyongyang is over.¡¯ Maintaining even a semblance of a city-state was now over for Pyongyang. ¡®I¡¯ll have to tell the kids about this!¡¯ If they could manage to escape with a little bit of luck and quick thinking, that would be a great outcome. However, if they were even slightly careless and tardy, they would be swept away by the demon''s invasion and ultimately die. ¡®Maybe... If there''s still a chance¡­¡¯ Helen looked at the Philosopher''s Stone, which was now the heart of the emerging demon. She shook her head. ¡®I''ll have to give up the Philosopher''s Stone that is right in front of me!¡¯ Although it would be challenging, the situation had already come to this point. The only way for Helen to retrieve the Philosopher''s Stone that was used in the summoning ceremony was to defeat the demon and remove its heart. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®I''ll save the two kids, then escape.¡¯ Helen urgently headed above ground. *** Lance Charging, with precision and power, undoubtedly penetrated Emilia''s entire physical form. Emilia''s small body was torn apart and scattered in all directions. If she was a normal person, she would surely die. However, neither Choi Yu-Seong nor Kim Do-Jin considered Emilia to have died. ¡®I should¡¯ve broken her head!¡¯ A vampire¡¯s only weakness was their head. Although Lance Charging had been aimed at Emilia¡¯s head, it had missed its intended target due to one simple reason. ¡®The barrier twisted its direction.¡¯ The attack had been weakened by the sudden appearance of Emilia¡¯s blood-red barrier, so it ended up being a failed strike. "What was that just now? That was really dangerous! Great, I admit it. You two aren''t ordinary. From now on, I''ll attack with all my might. Haha!" Emilia laughed out loud. She floated in mid-air with her head spinning around. Then, another body emerged from below her neck. This time, it was not the same small body of a girl as before. ¡®That''s...a spider?"¡¯ Yu-Seong had heard that, among the vampires in this world, there were those who absorbed the blood of powerful monsters and used it on their own body. That was exactly what Emilia was doing. Her head was human in appearance, but her body was that of a strange monster. It resembled a spider as she now clung to the wall. Emilia opened her mouth and a giant spider web wrapped around the heads of Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Even Kim Do-Jin won¡¯t be able to cut through this.¡¯ Yu-Seong instinctively felt danger, so he transformed Wind Control into Wind Flow. He threw himself backward. When the red spider web fell to the ground, Do-Jin looked at it with a frown. He said, "This is dangerous.¡± Do-Jin had also sensed great danger earlier on and had escaped that one attack. Yu-Seong nodded in agreement. Unlike in normal cases, Emilia¡¯s red spider web continued to maintain its form and viscosity even after falling to the floor. It could now prevent their mobility when fighting against Emilia on the ground. ¡®Black Gauze King, Emilia.¡¯ In the original novel, Emilia should have already been dead due to some kind of event. Therefore, there was no description of the battle, but seeing it firsthand, it was easy to understand why she had earned the nickname ¡®Black Gauze King.¡¯ Emilia spewed her webs several times. Soon, a gigantic spider web was made, forming between the floor and the walls. "We can''t win in such a narrow space. Let''s run away," said Do-Jin unexpectedly. When Do-Jin started darting toward the outside, Yu-Seong widened his eyes and looked around. He followed Do-Jin using Wind Flow and chased after him. "Where are you running off to?!" Emilia screamed. Emilia¡¯s spider webs flew toward Yu-Seong''s ankles, trying to ensnare him. Fortunately, he had more agility and speed with each step. ''If it wasn¡¯t for Wind Flow, I would be dead.¡¯ As Yu-Seong gradually disappeared from view, Emilia snorted and shot her spider webs toward the outside building. She pursued the two men through the darkness of the night. Yu-Seong and Do-Jin turned to look at her massive form in surprise, but Emilia only laughed mockingly and shouted from a wall of the outside building. "Did you think I would be slow in this form?" Emilia was going to attack again. She generated blood-red energy from her back and emitted spider webs from her mouth, relentlessly striking the two men. Thump-! With a loud explosion, screams and chaos filled the entire Pyongyang. "What the...!" At that moment, Yu-Seong stopped in surprise. A dark-red energy flew and hit his right cheek. To be honest, Yu-Seong¡¯s entire face would have been penetrated by the attack if Kim Do-Jin hadn¡¯t come close to slashing the energy strike with his sword. "Stupid! Get your senses together!" Do-Jin shouted at Yu-Seong. ''The city... The people...!'' Yu-Seong swallowed the words that he wanted to say. He avoided the next attack, then stared at Emilia. He clenched his jaw. He had already experienced such emotional turmoil during his battle against Vincent. He was also aware that his insufficient power kept him from preventing such a disaster. ''Don''t get arrogant. I am too busy trying to survive now.¡¯ As the screams of innocent people echoed in the background, Yu-Seong forced himself to ignore the pain-filled cries. He could see Kim Do-Jin approaching Emilia with his sword. The flow of Emilia¡¯s bloody energy was so intense that Do-Jin could not make a proper approach. ¡®Kim Do-Jin is right.¡¯ To minimize the damage here as much as possible, they had no choice but to stop Emilia together. Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze became even more serious. He was no longer intent on just capturing Emilia''s attention and restraining her. ¡®How can we kill her?¡¯ The safest way was for them to survive until Helen arrived. Having experienced Emilia¡¯s attacks, Yu-Seong thought that he could distract Emilia for a longer time than before with Do-Jin¡¯s help. This was assuming that they only had to survive. Also, he had no clue just how many innocent lives would be sacrificed along the way. Even now, Yu-Seong could hear the cries of help all around him. Yu-Seong was aware that this was not his fault. Even if it wasn¡¯t the immediate battle, the citizens of Pyongyang would eventually face a terrible death from being used by Emilia and Kim Un-Jeong. However, Yu-Seong could not help but be angry at being too weak and having to ignore their deaths. Ever since his battle against Vincent, Yu-Seong¡¯s hatred for the villains grew increasingly. The reason why he wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by his emotions was the skill Cool-headed, which was transmitted to him through his grip on the spear. ¡®Let''s think of a possible hunting method before Helen arrives.¡¯ Of course, it wasn''t going to be easy. The opponent was one of the Twelve Dark Kings of the Demon King Worshiper. Under regular circumstances, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin had no way of beating Emilia even if they fought with all of their might. In a way, the answer was simple: they had to exploit their opponent¡¯s weakness and strike the head, a vampire¡¯s true weak spot, with a single blow. ¡®The problem is that the head is not even accessible.¡¯ Emilia''s spider web was certainly dangerous. If Yu-Seong got caught up in it, he would surely die. That was why Do-Jin and Yu-Seong tried very hard to maintain a safe distance. However, even that was different. When he tried to run away to widen the distance, Emilia would chase him fiercely and not let him get away so easily. ¡®And even if I reach a safe distance, there''s still a problem.¡¯ Emilia had a strange blood barrier surrounding her that easily defended against mediocre skills. Even if Yu-Seong could penetrate it, Emilia¡¯s head was much smaller compared to her body. That would make it almost impossible for him to strike it with precision. The more he thought about it, the more Yu-Seong realized the immense strength of his opponent. ¡®She is so much stronger than Vincent.¡¯ Emilia couldn¡¯t be defeated through a regular strategy or luck. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong still desired her death. He didn''t want the battle to end with him trying to buy some time. ¡®But how? There''s no way¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong, filled with anger, suddenly looked toward Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Maybe there is a way.¡¯ His eyes suddenly flashed with light. CH 153 After he found a way, Yu-Seong approached Kim Do-Jin while avoiding Emilia¡¯s non-stop attacks. ¡®To avoid getting caught in the spider web, we''ve been forced to stay separate until now. But if I want to succeed with this skill, I have no choice but to come together with him.¡¯ Kim Do-Jin had been avoiding Yu-Seong this entire time, so he furrowed his brows when Yu-Seong started to approach him. He had a questioning gaze. ¡®Why?¡¯ In response to Do-Jin¡¯s questioning gaze, Yu-Seong gave a light nod. He thought that Do-Jin should be able to understand the meaning of his nod. However, Do-Jin continued to distance himself even after seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s gesture. ¡®No way, can¡¯t he read the meaning of my nod?¡¯ Yu-Seong read Kim Do-Jin''s gaze. ¡®It''s dangerous if you get too close. Keep your distance as much as possible.¡¯ Yu-Seong was on the verge of exploding inside. ¡®No, that''s not what I meant¡­!¡¯ At that moment, a flash of red light swept by Yu-Seong and destroyed half of a three-story building in an instant. If it had been a direct hit, he would have been killed. Yu-Seong felt sweat running down his back. He tried to avoid the spider web while clicking his tongue in frustration. ¡®For how long can I keep running away?¡¯ Emilia looked relaxed while in the offensive position. This was understandable since the two men had no way of approaching her or escaping from her attacks. The two men also had lower ranks compared to her, so their physical strength would clearly be limited. As time went by, this fight was not in the men¡¯s interest at all. ¡®The original goal was just to drag out time and so it didn''t matter, but¡­¡¯ The situation was different now. Yu-Seong wanted to defeat Emilia. Even if he couldn''t kill her, he wanted to inflict serious damage that would at least temporarily disable her. After thinking about it, Yu-Seong realized why Kim Do-Jin was avoiding him. ¡®That brat¡­ He¡¯s just hoping to drag out the battle!¡¯ Would the sacrifice of countless people in the city matter to him? For Do-Jin, who had fought countless wars in the other world, the deaths of many people were a common experience. In other words, the novel¡¯s crazy main character was not even feeling sadness, let alone anger, in this situation. For Do-Jin, people dying in battle was just an expected outcome. After all, he only had a few victories where sacrifice hadn¡¯t been necessary. In fact, Yu-Seong was aware of this fact when he had first been possessed by the novel. But he had forgotten all about it after meeting Kim Do-Jin a few times and having shared some emotional conversations with the man. ¡®Like a fool¡­¡¯ Kim Do-Jin had come from another world to defeat the Demon King, but his motivation was not that of a hero. The reason he wanted to kill the Demon King was simply to return to Earth and take revenge. Sadly, he lacked a sense of justice and passion. Perhaps he only had such motivations when his journey to this world had just begun. ¡®Since the original novel did not describe the story of his ambition to defeat the Demon King in detail.¡¯ Only a simple description had been given to set up the premise that Kim Do-Jin would invade this world, defeat the Demon King, and then return to earth. The entire journey would not be an easy one, even though that was an easy assumption to make. Kim Do-Jin, a somewhat intelligent young man from South Korea, suddenly found himself living in a completely different world. It was a tough and savage place where civilization was far behind modern times. ¡®I must have what I desire, no matter what.¡¯ The world was ready for Kim Do-Jin to become a hero. ''Dying is better than losing.'' If he lost, Kim Do-Jin would lose everything. He couldn''t even return to his original world for revenge, and he would face complete annihilation without even leaving his name behind. That was why Kim Do-Jin couldn''t afford to consider his own defeat even once. ''The death of others...wouldn''t matter as long as he could win.'' Suddenly, this realization scorched the side of Yu-Seong''s heart. He had no idea why, but he immediately invoked Wind Flow and followed Kim Do-Jin. Do-Jin widened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at Yu-Seong, whose left thigh had been punctured and was bleeding profusely. Yu-Seong was greatly shocked by his latest injury, but he didn¡¯t even care. "You..." said Do-Jin as he looked at Yu-Seong with burning eyes. He reached out to grab Yu-Seong by his collar. In a flash, Yu-Seong turned to dodge Do-Jin''s hand and the red beam that came from behind. Then, he pressed his lips against Kim Do-Jin¡¯s ear. While slicing through the red beams with his sword head-on, Do-Jin suddenly said, "I understand." "What?" Yu-Seong, assuming that Kim Do-Jin would dismiss any unnecessary emotions, blurted out in surprise. "But is there a way?" Fortunately, Kim Do-Jin understood Yu-Seong¡¯s intentions accurately. If so, there was no need for a long-winded conversation. Yu-Seong no longer had any doubts. He simply said whatever popped up in his head. He said to Do-Jin, "Just open the path somehow. I''ll be right next to you." "And then?" "Use the spell Isolation and Blink on me. Can you do that?" ¡°You¡­?¡± Do-Jin trailed off as his eyes twitched. The simultaneous use of Isolation and Blink, which could be considered as close-range spatial movement, was almost impossible. In fact, if you only looked at the amount of mana needed, a B-rank hunter could easily do it, but the problem was the calculation process for unleashing that magic. ¡®The arrangement of the Runic alphabet, the accumulation of formulas, and the release of that magic as a magic circle¡­¡¯ Regardless of the amount of magic, in reality, a hunter had to be an S-rank to use the magic. In the world of [Modern Master Returns], even the few magicians there had given the nickname of ''transcendent spells'' to the two spells. Although the two skills were possible to learn at B-rank, they were practically impossible to use. If both spells, Isolation and Blink, failed, the target of the magic could go missing in space and never return. That was how dangerous the magic was, which explained why even S-rank magicians had to do their best to maintain their composure in battle. Of course, the use of magic was incredibly taxing, and even the simultaneous casting of two spells was considered to be an immensely difficult task. However, Kim Do-Jin was able to do it. ''He did it after reaching S-rank in the [Modern Master Returns].'' This alone made many magicians in the original novel tremble with fear. Casting two spells at the same time was considered impossible even for an S-rank magician. However, the current Kim Do-Jin had already shown the ultimate finishing move, including swordsmanship, by using both two skills in only B-rank. "How do you know the formula for the Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash?" The answer couldn''t be heard because Emilia''s spider webs covered both of their heads. Yu-Seong and Do-Jin exchanged looks instead of words and moved away from each other in opposite directions. ''Right now.'' Kim Do-Jin shook his head with a slight frown. "Impossible. Those two spells can only be cast on the caster himself¡­¡± Yu-Seong nodded without speaking. ¡®You can do it.¡¯ There was a way. Yu-Seong already knew the secret formula of Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash, so he wouldn¡¯t have suggested it without thinking. ¡®I''ll definitely hear the answer later.¡¯ When Do-Jin snorted and started running forward, Emilia watched him from a high-up wall. She laughed. "How foolish!" Emilia had difficulty catching Yu-Seong and Do-Jin because their movements were flashy and chaotic. But now that Do-Jin was moving towards her from straight ahead¡­ She could focus all of the scattered red beams into a narrow range. Thud-thud-thud-! The red beam fell like a bomb over Do-Jin''s head as he ran straight ahead. Emilia also blocked the path ahead of Do-Jin by skillfully deploying spider webs to cover the surrounding area. ¡®I got caught!¡¯ Kim Do-Jin, who was recklessly running ahead, no longer had an escape route. There were also too many red beams for him to deflect with his sword. Emilia thought that she was about to witness the defeat of Do-Jin, but¡­ The blue energy emanating from Kim Do-Jin''s body surged uncontrollably and enveloped his silver blade. When Emilia saw the pentagram magic circle soaring high up in the air, she was left with no choice but to look on with bated breath. ¡®Did he just draw that giant magic circle as a mere B-rank hunter?¡¯ The huge flames that burst out of Do-Jin¡¯s magic circle completely engulfed Emilia''s red beams, spider webs, and even blocked her vision. Emilia jumped into the sky while clicking her tongue. She had predicted that the power above the magic circle would be enormous from its size alone, but the heat she felt throughout her body was beyond her imagination. In fact, even the tough spider webs were melting away from that power alone. ¡®It¡¯s possible to take it head-on if I need to, but... ¡® There was no reason to get hurt so recklessly. After all, even the massive flames couldn''t block the bombardment of blood-red beams. Thud-thud-thud-! One explosion after another erupted from the spot where Kim Do-Jin had been standing just moments ago, and a thick cloud of dust rose up. Emilia, who was jumping into the air and trying to move to another building with her spiderweb, searched for Do-Jin through the cloud of dust. Then, she spotted a dark figure. ¡®That monster-like guy, he''s still alive.¡¯ Emilia''s heart felt a chill as if she had just realized something. She thought Do-Jin was just an average B-rank hunter. However, if he could cast the same massive magic consecutively, even Emilia herself would not be able to withstand the attacks. It wouldn¡¯t even matter that she was the Black Gauze King. ¡®Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡¯ There had to be a recoil. Proving Emilia¡¯s point, Do-Jin looked as solid as a rock in the dirt and dust. He also did not move. ¡®This is my chance.¡¯ Using her mana, Emilia stopped her massive body in mid-air and generated ten blood-red beams. It was difficult for her to release more beams while floating, but she was determined to end the fight. ¡®This time, it''s truly the end!¡¯ As Emilia prepared to unleash her red beams, Yu-Seong suddenly rose into the sky and shone a beam of light at Emilia. "How dare you!" Emilia screamed. As her face twisted in annoyance, she fired a counterattack beam at Yu-Seong and poured all her remaining energy to directly attack Kim Do-Jin. At that moment, the two pentagonal magic circles generated in the sky trapped Yu-Seong and made him disappear. ¡®That guy is much more dangerous!¡¯ Emilia no longer paid attention to Yu-Seong, because she instinctively felt danger when Do-Jin momentarily emptied his energy. She shivered. Do-Jin tried to avoid the first red beam by stumbling and rolling on the ground. ¡®He can still manage to dodge that?¡¯ Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Now, Emilia felt a chill crawling up her spine. She quickly tried to create another red beam. "Wait,¡± Emilia said. She realized that it wasn¡¯t just a sudden change in emotion that made her shiver. Upon the massive spider''s body, the pale Yu-Seong with his neck bitten was grabbing the spear with his right arm. He pulled it back before aiming for Emilia¡¯s head. He yelled, "Lance Charging!" It was truly a decisive blow, exploding at close range. CH 154 Kim Do-Jin''s magic special move, Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash, was particularly fearsome because it could instantly and precisely exploit an opponent''s weakness. Coupled with his impeccable swordsmanship, his opponents often failed to realize what had happened before they were lying on the ground or dying from a pierced heart. In a one-on-one situation, the Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash could surpass that of someone, who was two or even three times more skilled, as long as Do-Jin had a chance to strike. This was on the premise that the opponent was not some kind of monster who could survive even if their neck or heart had been severed. However, there was certainly a downside to Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash. ¡®The disorientation after spatial teleportation.¡¯ This downside made it difficult to perform the next technique, but Do-Jin had overcome it with his swordsmanship and beast-like Instinct. ¡®Regardless of the disorientation, he could will his body to move.¡¯ There was no need for many goals when there was only one opponent. All they had to do was use the skill to strike the opponent¡¯s heart or neck. The Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash skill required more than just the ability to recite a difficult incantation. It was an exclusive technique that only Kim Do-Jin was able to fully assimilate right now. In this moment, however, Yu-Seong had clearly aimed for Emilia¡¯s head with Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash skill and had unleashed his special move, Lance Charging. He was feeling disoriented but had done so anyway. In terms of power and range, there was no way around it: Yu-Seong''s Lance Charging was several times greater than Do-Jin''s swordsmanship that was based on simple instincts. The reason why Yu-Seong could do such a thing was simple, but it shocked Do-Jin all the same. ¡ºSpecial Skill, The God¡¯s Chakra E Cannot be used for Fusion. The hidden potential in the skill was released by the remnants of a royal god. All the mana of the player Choi Yu-Seong are replaced with chakras. The skill is constantly working on the player¡¯s body. This increases the absolute capacity of the chakra. This effect also applies when speaking or moving in an unconscious state. Daily growth rate + 1. Applying D-rank, the first chakra is released. D rank ¨C Muladhara Chakra. With Muladhara Chakra applied, the physical abilities of the player Choi Yu-Seong will increase to the same level as those of the Physical-type player. *new C-rank applied, the second chakra is released. C rank ¨C Svadhisthana Chakra.[1] ¡î Special application of God''s Chakra. Svadhisthana Chakra enables players to absorb and release abilities outside of rank. Player Choi Yu-Seong can absorb and activate any, up to two, Psychic abilities applied to himself. Cooldown Time ¨C 720 hours. Special ¡ï The application of God''s Chakra further enhances the effect of Muladhara Chakra. The application of God''s Chakra further enhances the enlightenment effect of the Svadhisthana Chakra. If the rank rises, the second chakra wakes up. You are the eighth person on earth to acquire chakra skills.¡» While resting at Helen¡¯s personal underground bunker, Yu-Seong had confirmed that an overwhelming number of gods had donated more than 15,000 karma points to him. He had pondered over which special skills¡¯ rank to raise first. As the first priority, he had chosen the divine God''s Chakra skill, which monopolized 10,000 karma points. ''I was originally going to save the remaining 5,000 points...'' Unfortunately, he had no choice but to upgrade the Wind Control in order to pursue Helen. Before upgrading the God''s Chakra for the first time, Yu-Seong had deeply contemplated it. After all, it required more than double the points compared to other powerful skills. However, after directly witnessing the results of the upgrade, he couldn''t help but be satisfied. Yu-Seong didn''t know what abilities he would gain by enlightening his Svadhisthana Chakra, which was originally reserved for normal Chakra users. However, he was confident that he wouldn¡¯t be disappointed by the absorption and activation obtained from the special ability of the God¡¯s Chakra. ¡®Rankless. Regardless of what kind of ability it is, it can absorb up to two at a time and activate them.¡¯ The penalty of a 720-hour cooldown time, equivalent to a month-long waiting time for it to be reused, posed no problem for Yu-Seong. It was an ability to absorb and activate not just simple skills but all Psychic skills. This meant that the power of absorption and activation could be used not only by self-empowering players like Kim Do-Jin but also by non-human races such as Emilia and even demons. Moreover, there was no rank for the two skills. In other words, even if the opponent was overwhelmingly stronger than Yu-Seong, the skill could serve as a counter punch at least once. Using this skill, Yu-Seong could simply absorb and activate spells like Isolation and Blink, both of which were originally impossible to apply to others. There was no need for him to calculate complex formulas like Kim Do-Jin and deploy mana in a difficult way to unfold the magic circle. ¡®Simply absorb and activate¡­ These two actions suffice. Despite my hope to conserve karma points, I depleted them more quickly than I thought¡­¡¯ Thanks to this, Yu-Seong had successfully moved a short distance beyond the opponent''s defense wall with considerable mental composure. He had been able to focus solely on Emilia''s head and accurately execute his lethal move during that short window of opportunity. After Yu-Seong accurately hit Emilia with his finishing blow, the headless giant spider plummeted to the ground. Thud-! The ground shook and dust clouds rose. Meanwhile, Yu-Seong trembled in excitement. ¡®We have defeated one of the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ Twelve Dark Kings.¡¯ Despite being ranked 10th, which was considerably low among the twelve ranks, the notorious Black Gauze King had been defeated by B-rank Do-Jin and C-rank Yu-Seong. Of course, her long-accumulated Karma was nothing to be taken lightly. Consequently, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin found themselves confronted by an overwhelming number of messages from the gods. This surpassed anything they had ever encountered. ~ -A Joke-loving Prankster couldn''t hide his smile while looking at the player Cho Yu-Seong and sponsored 5000 karma points. - Culann¡¯s Hound was amazed by player Choi Yu-Seong''s achievement and donated 3500 karma points. - Oldest Hunter roared in support of the player Choi Yu-Seong. He sponsored 4000 karma points! Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. - The Green Spring of the East was greatly fond of player Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s performance and pledged 10,000 karma points. - The Cold Wind of the West claims to be the sponsor god of player Choi Yu-Seong and desires to pass on skills. Y/N - The Father of Magical Hymns smiles kindly at player Choi Yu-Seong and desires to impart a very powerful skill. Y/N - The Red Fang of the Dark Night is filled with rage. ~ Despite having been previously rejected by Yu-Seong, Odin, the Father of Magical Hymn, was reaching out his hand once again. The reason for this was simple. ''As expected, the previous Odin was just a fake that Loki played.¡¯ This time, it was a proposal from the real Odin. Furthermore, the Cold Wind of the West and the Green Spring of the East had come together to strongly support Yu-Seong as well. In other words, there were six gods, including the existing three, who claimed to be the supporters of Yu-Seong. ¡®Out of them, I can only choose a maximum of five.¡¯ Yu-Seong had already chosen three, so there were only two spots left. This was not an urgent matter, so Yu-Seong decided to set this matter aside for now. He wanted to bask in the glory of having defeated Emilia. Despite limping from his severe thigh injury, Yu-Seong pushed through the thick dust clouds to reach Do-Jin, who was casually walking towards him from the other side. When he finally met Do-Jin, he looked into his eyes and smiled. "How on earth¡­?" "Thank you," said Yu-Seong. Kim Do-Jin hardened his expression before Yu-Seong could even finish his sentence. "Because of you, we were able to defeat her," said Yu-Seong. Of course, he could not have done this on his own. It would also have been impossible if his comrade had not been Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Who else could face off against the top-tier S-Rank Black Gauze King, who attacked us head-on, in B-rank?¡¯ They hadn¡¯t ended this battle with a single counterattack and one dodge. They had ended the battle with Do-Jin invoking two kinds of magic, using the magic through his Magic Swordsmanship technique, all while under great physical and mental strain. "It¡¯s all thanks to you. I also know that you have a lot of questions, but can we leave them for now? We can talk after returning to Seoul?" asked Yu-Seong. "I think I''ve already given enough." "Anyway, our job here is done." Yu-Seong smiled. Kim Do-Jin nodded with a short sigh. Come to think of it, the entire mission had come to an end. They had originally been appointed as bait to attract attention away from Helen as she went to obtain the Philosopher''s Stone. But instead of simply being a bait, they had knocked down Black Gauze King. ¡®Helen is a little late¡­ But who''s going to stop Helen in a place where there''s not even the Black Gauze King?¡¯ Helen would probably escape to Pyongyang with the Philosopher''s Stone on her own. ¡®I don''t need to worry about useless things.¡¯ Despite having defeated Emilia, Yu-Seong could feel a strange sense of discomfort that enveloped Pyongyang. However, he decided to not be burdened by unnecessary worries. In fact, he had kept his promise and he had done a good job. "When we arrive in Seoul, I won''t put it off any longer," said Do-JIn. "I don''t have any plans to put it off either. Gosh, I''m tired," replied Yu-Seong with a chuckle. He was just about to take out the Return Stone from his pocket when¡­ Crash-! With a loud explosion, a strange figure shot up from beneath the ground and rolled on the floor. Startled by the sudden turn of events, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin froze. They reluctantly looked at the figure who was just regaining their balance. ¡®Red hair?¡¯ Yu-Seong tilted his head at the familiar silhouette and hair color. ¡°Of all people¡­¡± mumbled Do-Jin. Do-Jin was quick to realize who the figure was as he drew his sword. Yu-Seong, having figured out the figure¡¯s identity a moment later, also quickly grabbed his weapon. He muttered in disbelief, "Really...?" After regaining their balance, the figure glared at their surroundings with wild eyes and exploded with intense energy. Then, they smirked in a haughty and dangerous way. Yu-Seong did not hesitate and launched into action. ¡®This is too much. I am certainly pushing my very limits.¡¯ Yu-Seong grabbed the Return Stone he had prepared in one hand and gestured for Kim Do-Jin to come closer. He wanted to leave right now, and he knew that they had to run away. The figure was a bad opponent to encounter right now, especially since Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were both exhausted from their battle with Emilia. And so, in an instant, Yu-Seong activated the Return Stone. He also raised his Chakra. Just as he held onto the Return Stone, Yu-Seong felt a cold hand clasping his wrist. He quickly turned to meet his opponent¡¯s red eyes. At that moment, he almost let out a startled scream. "...?!" "Who''s this?" Rachel, with a sudden change from her previously ominous vibe, laughed brightly and asked, "Our pretty gold nugget. Did you come all the way here to Pyongyang just because you missed me?" 1. The raws have it written as Swadhistana but as Google tells us the spelling is Svadhisthana, that is what we went with ? CH 155 In the worst of places, Yu-Seong had met the worst of opponents. He smiled bitterly as Rachel appeared with a radiant smile. It was as if she had been waiting for him. "Do I really look like that?" "Are you not?" Rachel smiled before glancing at Yu-Seong¡¯s neck with her red eyes. Then, she swung her hand ax to block Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword attack that had come closer. "If I say no, you just might break my neck¡­¡± said Yu-Seong. "Seriously? Do you think I''ll kill my beloved gold nugget? Don''t worry. There are still debts to be paid between us," said Rachel. Do-Jin¡¯s attacks went on as Rachel spoke, but none of his attacks landed. Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. He could see Rachel easily blocking Do-Jin¡¯s sword attacks by swirling her hand ax around. ''Even if Kim Do-Jin is here, in such a state¡­ This is going to be difficult.¡¯ The speed and sharpness of Do-Jin¡¯s sword were clearly not as great as his usual performance. Yu-Seong was in no better position to attack too. His wrist had been caught by Rachel. ¡®Even if I use a Return Stone¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong would certainly be forced to travel with Rachel due to their close proximity. This was truly a difficult situation. Despite Yu-Seong''s contemplative look, Rachel turned to look at Kim Do-Jin. She said, "Are the two of you close? It makes me jealous." "Shut up," said Do-Jin. "Ahaha! You''ve consistently lacked manners since the very beginning, haven''t you?" replied Rachel. If Helen were here, she would have snorted at Rachel and told her how ironic that comment was. Rachel swung her hand ax to strike Kim Do-Jin''s sword. Clang-! With a loud noise, Kim Do-Jin was sent flying into the air with blood pouring from his mouth. He was weaker than before, clearly. He had used too much power to defeat Emilia. Observing the situation, Yu-Seong thought calmly. ¡®I shouldn''t judge with common sense when it comes to Rachel.¡¯ Rachel didn¡¯t take action for any certain purpose. Moreover, since Yu-Seong had already suffered a defeat from a previous battle against her, he knew that rash negotiation was unlikely to work. ¡®What can I say to disorient Rachel¡­?¡¯ Yu-Seong suddenly recalled a piece of information that had been constantly bugging him at the back of his mind. ''But if I¡¯m not careful, this might make Rachel even more frenzied.'' However, Yu-Seong did not have much of a choice. Aside from that one piece of information, the original novel did not have any more information about Rachel left. Yu-Seong was aware that it was a double-edged sword, but he had to wield a sharp blade when there was imminent danger to his life. ¡®Go big or go home.¡¯ Yu-Seong clenched his fists. Before he could say anything, however, there was a loud sound. BOOM-! When the sound echoed from the basement, Rachel suddenly stopped wanting to throw her hand ax at the fallen Do-Jin. With a grin, she slid the hand ax back to the holder along her waist. "That''s it," Rachel said. Looking at the Return Stone that was still in Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, she asked, "What''s that stone?" It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Rachel didn''t know about the Return Stone, but she could tell that it was a valuable item. She could feel the mana that flowed from the stone and see how Yu-Seong was gripping it so tightly. "Well...?" Of course, there was no reason for Yu-Seong to explain the purpose of the Return Stone. Although he thought it was a dangerous gamble, based on the vibe so far, he thought that Rachel was being rather relaxed with him. ''Is it because I am worth a lot of money? No way...'' Yu-Seong decided to not overthink this part. For now, instead of finding out the reason, he had to think of a way to solve this situation. "Well, that can be discussed later," said Rachel with a smile. After releasing Yu-Seong¡¯s wrist obediently, she did notice that Kim Do-Jin was struggling to lift his body with a limp leg. However, she did not attack again. "Why?" asked Yu-Seong, surprised. Rachel looked down at the ground with red eyes, then said, ¡°Very soon, I am guessing that something amazing is about to happen. It¡¯s surely going to be fun, but some damn grandma was trying to stop it. So¡­I instinctively interfered with it.¡± "Grandma? Do you mean...Helen?" "What? Did you come with her?" After asking that question, Rachel grinned and nodded as if she finally understood the situation. She said cheekily, "It¡¯s an interesting combination. Anyway, the important thing is that I seem to have caused quite a big accident?" "What do you mean...?" Thud-! Once again, the ground shook. This time, Yu-Seong felt the unpleasant energy flowing through his entire body and widened his eyes in surprise. "This is...?" The unpleasant energy was completely different from Rachel¡¯s aura and type of madness. The entire surroundings felt sticky and suffocating, like they were sinking into a swamp. Unlike Yu-Seong, who was flustered by the unpleasant feeling that he was experiencing for the first time, Do-Jin breathed heavily and glared at Rachel in annoyance. He said, "It''s the mana of demons. You pest, what on earth did you do?" "Oh my gosh, was that the demon earlier? I wondered, since the power was so intense that it blew my whole body away!" "You must be insane." "Ahaha-!" Yu-Seong had to forcibly suppress his shock at the conversation between the blushing Rachel and Do-Jin. He thought to himself. ''Demons?¡¯ Even in the original novel, the demons eventually appeared in Pyongyang. ¡®The Marquess of the Demons, Aphelios!¡¯ Aphelios, who had appeared from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone after the sacrifice of the citizens of Pyongyang, was a powerful existence that ranked highly among the Demons. Fortunately, in the original novel, the people who came to Pyongyang were Helen, Kim Do-Jin who held the SS-rank, and Bernard Yoo. ¡®After all, the two of them also came to find the Philosopher''s Stone.¡¯ Of course, the mighty Aphelios that had descended to Earth was killed by Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo. However, this was a story of the far future. The event was supposed to take place at least three years after the present. ¡®It¡¯s too fast.¡¯ This event was happening three years in advance, so there was a higher probability that a lower-level demon had been summoned than the Marquess of the Demons, Aphelios. This was because there had not been enough time to gather sufficient sacrifices and mana. Even so, since the demon had enough power to easily blow Rachel away, it was likely at least a Count-level demon. Yu-Seong thought quickly about the tired Kim Do-Jin and himself, Rachel, Helen, the army of Pyongyang, and the players who still survived. Despite having a strong potential of beating the demon, there was no hope for victory. Although Yu-Seong wanted to show courage in the face of the countless sacrifices that had been made by so many people, this was different from the battle with Emilia. "Choi Yu-Seong. I believe you know that courage and tenacity should be distinguished." Do-Jin interrupted Yu-Seong¡¯s private thoughts upon seeing his wavering gaze. "....yes I do know that." "What? Gold nugget, you don''t seriously think you can beat that, do you? It would be fun, but..." At that moment, Helen flew out from Juseok Palace like a bullet and punched Rachel. Thud-! Was it because she had been caught off guard? Rachel failed to react in time and couldn¡¯t throw her hand ax. "Kim Do-Jin, Choi Yu-Seong! Hurry up and return to Seoul! Pyongyang is over now," Helen shouted as she blocked Rachel¡¯s attack with her Homunculus armor. "Helen, your hand..." Yu-Seong was surprised by Helen¡¯s trembling fist suddenly transforming back into a hand. He thought the form was odd, because it did not look like an unharmed hand being covered by Homunculus armor. "Is that important now, kiddo?" Helen asked as she pushed Rachel¡¯s attack away with a massive palm. She was absolutely right. "I trust that you will come back safely," said Yu-Seong. "Of course, kiddo. Do I really seem that weak to you?" Yu-Seong no longer hesitated. ¡®Now, I''ll think of the best I can do in this situation.¡¯ Yu-Seong could only think about playing the hero once he had the necessary qualifications. There was no need for him to risk further sacrifices through unnecessary recklessness. Right now, his priority was to escape with Kim Do-Jin and return to Seoul to request support. This was the best that he could do right now. Being injured, Yu-Seong could not move too quickly. Of course, he thought that Rachel¡¯s interference would be a hindrance, but Rachel was actually focused on the battle with Helen. Because of this, Yu-Seong was able to get close to Kim Do-Jin quite easily. He wrapped his arm around Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder, then said, ¡°Both of us don¡¯t look very good.¡± Kim Do-Jin nodded silently at Yu-Seong. He was gazing at Rachel intently. In his eyes was a fierce determination, a burning hunger to beat Rachel the next time they met. Meanwhile, Yu-Seong held the Return Stone tightly in his hand before releasing Chakra. Woooong-! With a powerful noise that was low and continuous, the Return Stone erupted with a blue light. It enveloped Yu-Seong and Do-Jin. Rachel, who had been focused on her intense battle with Helen, glanced over at Yu-Seong with disinterest. She suddenly said, "Don''t forget. You owe me again for today. Pay up, gold nugget. See you again soon.¡± As the blue light entirely consumed Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, they could see a towering pillar of darkness right in front of them. *** Back in Seoul, Yu-Seong gazed at Do-Jin while receiving emergency treatment from a surprised Jin Yu-Ri. He had wanted Do-Jin to be treated since the man was also in bad shape. ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± Do-Jin said coldly before leaving the house. Yu-Seong could understand his feelings. By receiving treatment here, Do-Jin would be using the Choi family¡¯s money in a way. Yu-Seong thought that, with Do-Jin''s egomaniacal personality, he would be unwilling to accept treatment that was paid for by the very target of his revenge. ¡®What a stubborn guy.¡¯ Yu-Seong didn''t try to stop Do-Jin as he left. Instead, he called Choi Woo-Jae as he received treatment. In fact, among the people around Yu-Seong now, Woo-Jae was the most trustworthy person in such a big incident. - Hm, a demon in Pyongyang¡­ I see. Choi Woo-Jae ended the call after muttering that short phrase. ¡®He is certainly going to try to use this incident politically in any way.¡¯ The Comet group had already officially declared that they would soon be establishing a guild after the publication of Bernard Yoo¡¯s article. They were threatening the Cheon-Ji Group. At this point, no one else had received news that the devil had appeared in Pyongyang before Choi Woo-Jae had. Certainly, Woo-Jae would never give this information to others for free. ¡®At least he''ll have some kind of countermeasure.¡¯ Pyongyang and Seoul were too close. In order to prevent great unnecessary damage, it was necessary for them to respond quickly and efficiently. It was also obvious, from South Korea''s point of view, that the battlefield should be confined to Pyongyang. ¡®They would want to hunt the demon before creating an army by conquering North Korean land.¡¯ In other words, at that moment, the problem of the demon in Pyongyang was out of Yu-Seong''s hands. ¡®At first, I thought it wouldn''t matter even if I became a player. As time passed, however, I am longing for more power.¡¯ Perhaps if it had been impossible, he would have given up completely. However, Yu-Seong knew that he had unprecedented growth in his power even within the original novel. ¡®I still don''t understand why such power has been given to a villainous character who was originally meant to die miserably.¡¯ If he could develop further, it was natural for him to try hard to become stronger and stronger. ¡®There are too many variables.¡¯ While thinking that perhaps the appearance of the tower might come faster than expected, Yu-Seong noticed that his emergency treatment had come to an end. "How about seonbae-nim? Is she not back yet?" It was then that Yu-Seong realized that Helen had not yet returned from Pyongyang. If the Return Stone was used after roughly pushing Rachel away, Helen would have had enough time to return to Seoul. ''The dark light I saw last time¡­'' Yu-Seong remembered the mana pillar, which he had initially thought to be a simple blackout effect of the space transportation. He shook his head. ''No, even if that''s the case, those two wouldn''t easily fall.'' Both Helen and Rachel would be safe. In fact, he would have preferred if the latter was in an unsafe position, but the possibility of that was low. ¡®If Rachel were to fall, then it¡¯s likely that Helen would also be in danger¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong chose to close his eyes and rest. He still believed that Helen would return. He had many thoughts, and he was struggling to keep his mind focused after that confrontation with Emilia in Pyongyang. ''By the time I open my eyes again, she must have returned. The demons of Pyongyang will also have been resolved by then.'' And, without Helen''s return, six months went by like a flash of light. CH 156 Six months could feel either long or short, depending on one¡¯s perspective. For Yu-Seong, it was not a short period of time at all. After being possessed by the novel, he believed that he was working a lot harder than when he had been working overtime at the game company. There were many contributing reasons. Firstly, Helen was still missing even though she was expected to return soon. Additionally, the demon in Pyongyang was still alive despite being hunted by the punitive force. The demon was alive because of one simple reason. As Yu-Seong expected, it was a Count of the Demons belonging to the upper class among demons who had been summoned in Pyongyang. The problem started with the fact that Clarius, a Count of the Demons, had different characteristics from other noble demons. Clarius was also known as the Megalith. This powerful demon boasted a size that covered half of Pyongyang city, and was well described in the original novel, [Modern Master Returns], with a simple title. ¡®A Guardian Demon.¡¯ The combination of ¡®Demon¡¯ and ¡®Guardian¡¯ was truly incongruous, but there was no better way to describe the twin demons¡ªClarius and Elarius. Generally, demons only thought about attacking. However, Clarius and Elarius were among the few demons dedicated to defending against the invasion of enemies. The original novel did mention that, after Kim Do-Jin had defeated the Demon King that invaded Earth, he prepared for an invasion of the Demon Realm. Clarius and Elarius had the characteristics of a Guardian Demon even though they were only Counts in rank. However, their actual combat capability was on par with that of a Marquis. Thus, they had strength that went above its noble rank. But of course, such great power also came with a penalty. This was why they had been given the nickname ¡®Megalith.¡¯ In other words, Clarius couldn''t move until an enemy invaded its territory. Only then would it shed its stony exterior to become a living being. Otherwise, it was usually solid like a massive stone statue. Due to this characteristic, South Korea was cautious. Clarius was a demon that posed no major threat unless it was provoked first. If they unnecessarily stimulated it, then the national power could be consumed. Before realizing this fact, South Korea had gathered hunters of A-rank or higher who could be mobilized. They had even declared that this was the country''s greatest emergency situation. However, Clarius had already taken over the land and turned the area around Pyongyang into a wasteland. It then transformed into its usual form of a statue, only moving once again when battle aircrafts were dispatched reconnaissance. Otherwise, it usually stayed silent. In this situation, was it necessary to consume national power against such a powerful evil? Of course, it was somewhat threatening to have a demon in the North that might become a threat at any time. However, South Korea had always been able to maintain the country despite similar threats all year-round. After all, even before this era of monsters appearing, South Korea had lived with the threat of North Korea''s nuclear weapons. Eventually, the South Korean government came to the conclusion that Clarius was a kind of immovable dungeon and ordered an intervention. From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective, this was a disconcerting event especially since he did not know whether Helen was alive or dead. However, even Choi Woo-Jae positioned himself to take the government¡¯s opinion regarding this situation. If national power fell, business would inevitably be disrupted. Ultimately, for a corporation that had roots in South Korea, there was no reason to stir up unnecessary conflict. Of course, that didn''t mean Woo-Jae had given up the opportunity to profit from being the first to know about the demon¡¯s appearance in Pyongyang. For the past six months, the Comet Group had shaken the business of the Cheon-Ji Group, which had firmly maintained its position as the number one in South Korea. Also, the group had recorded a stock price ceiling and quickly achieved the highest amount in domestic corporate value evaluation. This rapid growth might seem excessive, considering that it had been achieved in six mere months. However, there was no sign of stopping the Comet Group¡¯s organized upward movement. Naturally, both domestic and foreign evaluation had gone on to announce that the Comet Group was now slightly ahead of the Cheon-Ji Group, but also admitted that the Comet Group¡¯s president had made significant preparations for the present. Aside from taking action to check if Helen, who had not yet returned, was safe or not, Yu-Seong had also become busier for another reason. The Comet Guild had been established, rapidly becoming the top guild in the country. Of course, Choi Mi-Na was the guild master. The positions of vice-master and the board of directors were occupied by hunters who were highly regarded S-rank hunters and above in South Korea. Among them were those who had originally been guild masters of the top 10 guilds but had failed to resist Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s persuasion to take up positions with the Comer Guild. In the early stages of the Comet Guild''s establishment, there had been many evaluations of it being unstable and uncertain. However, with Choi Mi-Na''s overwhelming charisma and Choi Woo-Jae''s mercenary skills, its future shone brightly. Before three months had gone by, all the guild members were already wholeheartedly devoting themselves to the name of Comet. Of course, Yu-Seong had been given a position of team leader for Hunting Team 8. Although he did not have as much authority as Mi-Na, he was occupying a rather significant position. But in reality, only six people including Yu-Seong himself were a part of Hunting Team 8. ¡®The Jin siblings, Chae Ye-Ryeong, and Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯ Originally, Choi Woo-Jae had intended to bring in a few more characters, but Yu-Seong had not agreed to it. His decision was quite wise, since including someone who was not trustworthy could potentially cause problems in the team or harm the other members. Additionally, Choi Woo-Jae had also given Yu-Seog a challenge to raise the entire team to at least A-rank by the end of March next year. ¡®It would have been more difficult if there were randoms like Tom, Dick, and Harry.¡¯ However, with team members who he had personally selected and the assistance of Support Team 8, Yu-Seong thought the challenge would be quite manageable. In fact, if Hunting Team 8 had solely pursued growth, they would have all surpassed A-rank by now. But for now, aside from the Jin siblings who had already reached A-rank, Yu-Seong had held back his own growth, as well as that of Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk until now. This was due to a realization that he had after thinking about the case of himself and Kim Do-Jin. ¡®Just blindly raising the rank is not the answer.¡¯ Yu-Seong had initially believed that ranking up was the only answer to becoming more powerful. But after having experienced it for himself, he realized that he had thought wrong. ¡®B-rank can also display the fighting power of S-rank.¡¯ This meant that, if Kim Do-Jin of B-rank could achieve S-rank, he could even overpower the hunters of SS-rank easily. The higher the rank, the slower the growth would become. And it was a fact that some people who failed to pass the promotion test would become frustrated and give up. However, what if the foundation of training and general enlightenment would be added through the accumulation of basic training? ¡®This is the secret of the real strong people in this world.¡¯ Yu-Seong was further convinced of this after looking at Emilia, who was non-human. When he thought about it even further, the majority of the admirers of the Demon King, including the Master of Hexagrams and the Twelve Dark Kings, were those who had lived for a very long time and had honed their own strength in various forms. Their powerful force easily surpassed those of the same rank. They might have been talented, but the merit of training should never be underestimated. In fact, there was no point in rushing the process of ranking up. Yu-Seong himself had slowed down his growth in rank due to various crises. That in turn had helped him stabilize his growth in rank even further through building a stronger foundation. Although luck and knowledge of future information had possibly played a significant role, it was worth considering whether Yu-Seong could have defeated Emilia, a formidable S-rank player, as a C-rank player if he had only focused on raising his rank. ¡®Come to think about it, Kim Do-Jin is already a returnee, so his foundation is already solid from the very beginning.¡¯ That was the reason why Yu-Seong had placed some limitations on the growth rate of all four of them. With the remaining time he had, Yu-Seong focused on training. He hired a suitable master for each of their abilities. After all, there was nothing to lose by trying. Anyway, if their only intention was to increase their rank, then the only obstacle for the four of them was time. Starting at a high rank with the already strengthened abilities that have adapted to the higher rank would be easier than having to train from the basics all over again to rebuild a stronger foundation. The outcome was remarkable: not only did the Jin siblings who had previously hit a wall in their ranking progress, emerge victorious over their former S-rank instructor, but Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk had also gone head-to-head for the first and second spots on the C-rankings board. How about Yu-Seong himself? ¡®I''ve gone up to B-rank.¡¯ Even though hunting was a slow and tedious process, all of the experience would accumulate. Yu-Seong had reached C-rank before naturally achieving B-rank not too long ago. This time, since there was no disturbance from Loki or the other gods, Yu-Seong could clear the extreme difficulty level with ease to pass the promotion exam. In fact, the reward was still rather satisfying too. ¡ºSpecial skill, Imagery Training B. Fusion not possible. With the activation of the skill, player Choi Yu-Seong can set a virtual opponent as his target. Mock imagery battles are possible. During imagery training, the flow of time was slowed down to one-third of reality. The duration is three hours. Cooldown Time ¨C 24 hours. ¡» Among all forms of training, real-life experience was the most effective. However, real-life experience was not always easy to come by, especially in dangerous situations where one''s life was at risk. Such experiences were not necessarily ones that Yu-Seong enjoyed. ¡®I¡¯ve already gone through many such experiences.¡¯ However, Imagery Training offered him a way to experience dangerous situations without the actual threat to his life. Although he couldn''t physically move his body, the mock battles that took place within his mind were surprisingly realistic, providing him with a great sense of excitement and stimulation. The most helpful aspect of Imagery Training for Yu-Seong was the fact that the flow of time would be slowed down by three times compared to reality. ¡®Since I have a lot to train, the more time that I have the better.¡¯ Yu-Seong also needed to become familiar with handling Cu Chulainn''s Secret Spear Skills, the gunfire technique that Jenny had started to teach him, as well as controlling the Chakra of Thunder and Wind. No matter how much time Yu-Seong could organize and prioritize, even if he devoted all of his time, he simply could not complete all of his training due to the lack of time and physical energy. In this situation, the Imagery Training skill was a great help. Yu-Seong had risen to the B-rank through his training, so he had some level of confidence. ¡®If it were me now, I could have competed with Kim Do-Jin back in Pyongyang.¡¯ Yu-Seong had the potential to display the same level of skill as the original novel''s strongest character, Kim Do-Jin. What if the results of Deep Training were added to his ability? His potential for future growth would only increase. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong couldn''t shake the feeling that something was missing. At a time when changes were already burdened by the butterfly effect, Emilia and Helen, who had a great impact in the original novel, had disappeared. Moreover, he was hearing absolutely no news regarding Rachel. And in such a situation, powerful demons had even appeared in Pyongyang. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. He was not aware of when some new variable would appear, so he should keep everything in check. Fortunately, not all the news was disturbing. In addition to his growth alongside his colleagues, the ancient relics that he had sought to obtain by supporting additional funds for the Hidden Team he had sent to various parts of the world were steadily entering South Korea. There were already eight of them now. Of course, they were all his property. CH 157 It was most certainly his own property, but Yu-Seong had no intention of using all the equipment alone. ¡®I¡¯m only going to use about three of the eight.¡¯ He had always intended the remaining five to be used by his supporters, since those were not equipment that he himself could use. He felt no regret about it at all. For example, the ancient relic¡ªSoul of the Sea King¡ªwas a highly rated ring that had a simple effect of amplifying all water-related abilities. It was useless to Yu-Seong, who had to focus on developing his Thunder and Wind attributes. On the other hand, it would have the best use for Chae Ye-Ryeong, who could handle almost all water-related abilities. The second ancient relic Yu-Seong had prepared was a book. ¡®Faust, the Magic Book.¡¯ In this world, Faust, the protagonist of Goethe¡¯s famous novel, was known as a real person. This magic book contained some of Faust¡¯s original concepts and had been elevated to the status of an ancient relic. It had the power to possess a strong force that could only be used by demons and demonic beasts. Of course, it was the ultimate treasure for Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was both a Barrier Master and Demonic Beast Tamer. As for an earring called Moonlight, Yu-Seong had given it to Jin Do-Yoon. It was a well-known fact in this world that werewolves had even greater power under the moonlight, their power naturally increasing as the full moon approached. When wearing Moonlight, werewolves could always use the same level of power as when they transformed under the full moon. In other words, Do-Yoon, wearing Moonlight, could always maintain his best condition. Had it been a full moon day, Do-Yoon might have avoided sustaining serious injuries during the incident with Choi Min-Seok. The earring was also a meaningless item for Yu-Seong. The fourth ancient relic, the Sphinx''s Wisdom, was for Jin Yu-Ri. This item, in the form of a ring, had the ability to accelerate mana circuits. Yu-Seong could actually use this item, but he was convinced that Yu-Ri was the only suitable candidate for this ancient relic. ¡®The Phenomenal skill has a downside in that it necessitates a rather intricate mana system prior to activation, resulting in a delay in spellcasting.¡¯ Despite consistent mana acceleration training, Jin Yu-Ri had to work hard to overcome the shortcomings of her somewhat flawed ability. Even with her efforts, however, she still faced some limitations. Fortunately, Sphinx''s Wisdom proved to be a great help to her, allowing her to quickly deploy various skills through overlapping use. ¡®Maybe she can obtain a finishing move through the skill.¡¯ Since Yu-Seong had already experienced a finishing move¡¯s power through Lance Charging, he could believe that Yu-Ri¡¯s finishing move would be very powerful too. The last ancient relic was for Jenny, and it was a Pharaoh¡¯s Impulse. From its name alone, one could assume that it was similar to Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, and its actual ability was truly similar to that. ¡®Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s just say that it''s a scaled-down version of Pharaoh''s Caprice.¡¯ If Pharaoh''s Caprice could transform anything into the desired form, Pharaoh''s Impulse would only allow the user to set and move between five predetermined forms. Jenny seemed quite happy with the ability to handle a variety of firearms, expressing that she felt lighter than before. In any case, for various reasons and with the hope that his supporters would become stronger, Yu-Seong didn''t have big ambitions for these five items. However, he did acquire three necessary ancient relics for himself. ¡®The fury of the Lightning Punisher, the breath of the Wind Watcher, and the vitality of the Giant Hunter.¡¯ Among them, the fury of the Lightning Punisher and the breath of the Wind Watcher were ancient relics that amplified the power of skills related to their respective attributes with earrings and had set effects. ¡®Reduction of penalties for lightning-related and wind-related skills.¡¯ This set effect, which seemed somewhat meaningless, could serve as a foundation for enabling Yu-Seong to digest the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill, which he had not yet been able to properly handle. ¡®If I also use the vitality of the Giant Hunter here¡­¡¯ The vitality of the Giant Hunter had a somewhat negative effect of sealing 50% of the player''s mana. However, Yu-Seong had acquired it for a simple reason. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®It strengthens my health as much as the absorbed mana.¡¯ Health, which referred to the strengthening effect of one¡¯s state, could typically be found in ancient relics or treasures of other worlds. It only had two effects. ¡®It means the increase of defensive and mana defenses.¡¯ Thanks to the power of these three treasures, even a scaled-down version of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Arts skill could be unleashed with relative ease. In the past, Yu-Seong could sustain his mana strength by drinking mana stone extract daily. Also, the God''s Chakra was another source of his confidence. That was why he didn''t consider the penalty from the vitality of the Giant Hunter to be too severe. ''Even if I can''t maintain it constantly due to a lack of mana, as long as I can use it in important moments, I¡¯ll be okay. And if things really go wrong, I can always remove the vitality of the Giant Hunter.'' Most of the ancient relics were designed as accessories, so removing them wasn''t a problem. In addition, by using his guild network, Yu-Seong had managed to acquire the Eye of Replication and Fusion. That was why he had been so busy for the past six months. Now, a few days after arriving in Korea with the vitality of the Giant Hunter, Yu-Seong was ready for another growth spurt. The unfortunate thing was that it was still impossible for him to take down the Count of Demon who had appeared in Pyongyang. ''Helen, I''m sorry that I can''t go save you right away.'' Yu-Seong couldn''t forget the sight of Helen, who had stayed alone in Pyongyang to send them off. *** Recently, Choi Woo-Jae had been most concerned about the guild business. Although the Comet Guild had achieved the accomplishment of being the top guild in South Korea in just six months, it was still far from being within the top 15 in the world rankings. The current achievement was impressive, but it was still a far cry from Woo-Jae¡¯s ultimate goal. ¡®We need to at least carve our name within the top 5 so we can proceed with the next plan.¡¯ Of course, if roughly five more years went by with the guild performing so well, the Comet Guild would naturally be ready to enter the guilds within the global top 5. In fact, Choi Woo-Jae had paved the way for it. But lately, he had been feeling like he didn¡¯t have much time left¡­ It was a nagging feeling, but it felt uncomfortable enough for him to not ignore it completely. As a result, he frequently had ambitious desires that were somewhat unrealistic, but he still wasn¡¯t weak enough to simply be swayed by such emotions. ¡®There are plenty of my children who can replace me even after I die.¡¯ Woo-Jae did not have the desire to have his name be prominently displayed, but he certainly wanted the name Comet to stand at the forefront of the world. ¡®Second, fifth, and the ninth.¡¯ Although she currently held the position of guild president, Choi Mi-Na was not involved in the business. The big picture had been drawn by Choi Woo-Jae himself, while Kim Pil-Doo and Kim Yong-Ho, the current vice president of Comet Guild and the former president of the Republic of Korea''s top guild Yong Sang respectively, worked together to handle the small tasks. Mi-Na had only been entrusted with the improvement of her own skills. In truth, Choi Woo-Jae had instructed her to do so. ¡®Because the talent of the second child is clearly surpassing me¡­¡¯ As there was a desire for growth, Mi-Na had to do many things for the Comet Group to prevent them from getting caught up in various storms. Then, there was also Choi In-Young. ¡®The fifth one is pretty good too. It''s not without its dark side, but...it wouldn''t be bad if it could be developed.¡¯ Unlike the maverick Choi Mi-Na, Choi In-Young was trying to assert her authority over other executives in the group by persuasion or coercion. Recently, it was reported that even Woo-Jae¡¯s egocentric third son had surrendered to Choi In-Young, whose influence within the household had grown accordingly. Lastly, there was Choi Yu-Seong. To be honest, from Woo-Jae''s perspective, watching Yu-Seong was the most fun. ¡®It''s a late start, and there''s still a lot of danger.¡¯ The two reasons for Choi In-Young''s rapid growth were Choi Mi-Na''s appointment to lead the guild''s business and Choi Yu-Seong''s surprisingly rapid rise to the top. Even if it wasn''t visible to the eye, there was a sense of momentum that could be felt. From Choi In-Young''s perspective, who was caught in the middle, that aspect would have resonated more deeply with her. "Yu-Seong''s not bad. He''s even better than I thought he''d be. The children around him are amazing too. Don''t you regret betting against me?" asked Choi Woo-Jae. In response to his question, Kim Pil-Doo shook his head with a bitter smile. In the past, he had made a bet with Choi Woo-Jae about whether or not Choi Yu-Seong would surpass Choi In-Young. At the time, he had felt quite confident about the outcome. However, as he looked at the people surrounding Choi Yu-Seong, who were becoming like solid fortress walls, a part of his heart was filled with anxiety. " ...We''ll have to wait and see. The fifth lady is also exerting a lot of effort." "Hoho... That''s not wrong," said Woo-Jae. However, for some inexplicable reason, even after Choi In-Young had been expanding her power, Choi Woo-Jae couldn¡¯t shake off one conviction. After all, he had been stealing records of Choi Yu-Seong''s growth for nearly six months. ¡®No matter how I look at it, it seems that the ninth will devour the fifth before long.¡¯ From this perspective, Choi Yu-Seong''s growth was even more interesting than the others. ¡®If he surpasses the fifth, there is no way he won''t be able to do as well as the second.¡¯ No, with the current rate of growth, if only one more year was given, even Choi Mi-Na''s position would be in danger. She herself might not care, but from Choi Woo-Jae''s perspective, he was bound to have a change of heart. Choi Woo-Jae''s original plan was to have Choi Yu-Seong grow and support Choi Mi-Na. ¡®If the ninth guy does well... Changing the front row seat isn''t a bad idea either.¡¯ Just over a year ago, Choi Yu-Seong had suddenly come to say that he wanted to take over Choi Woo-Jae''s seat. At the time, it was surprising that someone like Choi Yu-Seong, a mere hoodlum, would say such a thing. Until then, Choi Woo-Jae''s stance had been to wait and see how far Choi Yu-Seong could go. However as time passed, his expectations for Choi Yu-Seong increased, and now Choi Woo-Jae deeply felt the words that had been told to him back then. ¡®The ninth guy didn''t just say those words to show off.¡¯ Of course, it wouldn''t be easy for Yu-Seong to do so. Before reaching Mi-Na, Choi In-Young would step in and try to suppress him. Also, Mi-Na too was undoubtedly a monster of the family. That was why Choi Woo-Jae was trying to watch over the monsters within the Comet Group in a somewhat relaxed manner. ¡®Even if I die, the future of Comet Group is bright¡­¡¯ He had no fear. CH 158 After finishing up a busy day as usual, Yu-Seong returned home late at night. He finally picked up his phone, which he hadn''t seen all day long. ¡®Outstagram messages would explode again today.¡¯ Yu-Seong had turned off the notifications sound because of the messages flooding in, but whenever he opened the app to upload photos, he would inadvertently notice the number of unopened messages with his own eyes. He used to read and reply to those messages one by one. Only when he realized that doing that would take up a good one to two hours of his time that he began skimming through them and only paying attention to the important ones. While doing so, Yu-Seong suddenly scoffed at a long direct message that had caught his eye. ¡®Do they want me to be a shampoo model? Me, a guy?¡¯ Even though Yu-Seong was the wealthy son of a conglomerate family who didn''t need to do advertisements, him being a social media star brought about such proposals quite often. Of course, Yu-Seong, who believed that having more money was always a good thing, thought that it wouldn''t be a bad idea to do the advertisement shoot even if he didn''t have to. As his TV exposure increased, his Star Factor skill would steadily grow as well. ¡®But I shouldn¡¯t overdo it now.¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s day was already completely packed. And no matter how much stamina he had, there was definitely a limit to his time. ¡®It¡¯s true that time is more valuable than gold.¡¯ As he became busier and wealthier, Yu-Seong came to deeply feel this fact. Most things, and even people, could be bought with money, but time was something that could not be acquired. Therefore, he reluctantly declined the advertising model offer. Then, he turned his attention to his own NewTube channel, which had been named after him. The channel had surpassed 7 million subscribers and had an average of 5 million video views in no time, making it one of Yu-Seong''s biggest revenue sources. ¡®Let¡¯s see, the top NewTube channel has 50 million subscribers... It''s almost equivalent to the entire population of Korea? That''s incredible.¡¯ Although still meager compared to the top channels, no other channel had grown as much as his had in just one year. Above all, the dinosaur channel with 50 million subscribers was not a fair comparison since it had been created for a company¡¯s promotional purposes. In addition, since the average views per subscriber on Yu-Seong''s channel were quite high, the revenue rate was good. He had no reason to be dissatisfied. Moreover, the two journalists in charge of his channel predicted that if it was revealed that Yu-Seong had achieved an S-rank, the number of subscribers and views would skyrocket due to the significant gap in public perception between S-rank and non-S-rank hunters. ¡®There''s no rush to get there, though.¡¯ After closing his NewTube channel tab, Yu-Seong checked his Coconut Talk messages. Since he did not reveal his numbers to the public, unlike his Outstagram account, Yu-Seong did not receive many messages. However, he still maintained regular conversations with those who contacted him every day. For example, there was Kim Do-Jin. - I watched your video last night. It wasn''t bad, but personally, I think you should hide your skills more than you do now. I don''t know what you''re thinking when you shoot your videos, but in a real fight, this information can be a disadvantage... Was it because of the camaraderie between them during the Pyongyang incident? Compared to before, Kim Do-Jin had become more talkative. The two were exchanging messages more smoothly and consistently now. ¡®The downside is that most of the messages are nagging.¡¯ Or the majority were TMI (Too Much Information), which Yu-Seong wasn''t particularly interested in. - Don''t worry, I''ll do it on my own. After all, it''s TMT. - I''m not conveying excessive unnecessary information. From my experience¡­ - I¡¯ll ignore you. Perhaps he was looking at his phone at that time, because Do-Jin immediately replied to Yu-Seong''s first reply. And after Yu-Seong replied with ''I''ll ignore you,'' Do-Jin sent across more than ten other messages. "Ugh, this guy is really giving me a headache." Still, this was much better than six months ago when Do-Jin had been trying to heal his injury and had been prying into Yu-Seong''s secrets, including how Yu-Seong had known about the skill ''Heart Strike: Beyond the Space Slash'' that Do-Jin himself had kept hidden. At the time, Yu-Seong had promised to tell Do-Jin everything when they returned to Seoul, so he had to make up some plausible lies. To be precise, he had initially told the truth as he had made that promise. ¡®I have been possessed by the novel I was reading, and so I know many secrets. You are the protagonist in the novel.¡¯ However, Kim Do-Jin had ignored that explanation, snorted, and told Yu-Seong not to talk nonsense. Due to Do-Jin¡¯s demand for a reasonable story, Yu-Seong had no choice but to make up a life with an awkward laugh. ¡®He did believe me when I said I have Future Foresight and skill analysis abilities using the Third Eye¡­¡¯ Maybe it was because Kim Do-Jin himself had so many fraudulent skills¡­ He easily believed Yu-Seong''s lie that Yu-Seong could pry out his opponent''s skills with the Third Eye skill. ¡®Actually, I thought my lie, claiming that I had to act like a rascal when I was young because I would have died if I didn¡¯t, wouldn''t work. But it did¡­ Or did he just pretend to believe it?¡¯ Yu-Seong suddenly remembered Kim Do-Jin¡¯s somewhat confused expression at the time. But he ultimately shrugged that thought off. By all means, it was already in the past. In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t even want to bother thinking about it, considering how tired he was at the time. ¡®For now, let''s ignore that guy until tomorrow¡­¡¯ Next was Bernard Yoo, who Yu-Seong contacted almost every day. - Hey, are you asleep? - Sleeping? - Asleep? - I''m bored. - Hey, Choi Yu-Seong. - (Photo) Since he was living in the United States, Bernard Yoo had sent five messages during the time difference alone. Most of the messages were useless complaints. ¡®What the heck is (Photo)?¡¯ Bernard had written ¡®(Photo)¡¯ in words without even sending an actual picture file. ¡®This dude and that dude¡­ I wonder why the novel¡¯s main characters are all so weird?¡¯ Feeling pathetic, Yu-Seong shook his head and gave Bernard Yoo a brief reply. - Oh, I slept. I''ll probably sleep soon too. And perhaps Bernard Yoo would reply to that message when Yu-Seong was asleep. The next message that Yu-Seong received was from Yoo Jin-Hyuk. - (Photo) Unlike Bernard Yoo''s trick, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had sent a real picture. In the picture, a small-bodied Jin-Hyuk was standing next to a beast that looked over ten times larger than himself. The monster resembled a rhinoceros with a menacing gaze. - Hyung, hyung, I succeeded in taming the Corridon today. With this guy, I can do everything from front-lining to tanking, so I think I¡¯ll hunt much easier than Chae Ye-Ryeong. It''s all thanks to the Book of Faust you gave me! Moreover, there was not just one photo. ¡®The next photo is from after he installed the barrier technique.¡¯ The content was not much different from the previous message. - Hyung, I made the barrier in six hours today. It''s a remarkable improvement, considering that it took me more than a week when I first started. I did my best, putting in more effort than Chae Ye-Ryeong! It''s all thanks to you, hyung. Reading the message, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but laugh wryly. ¡®He¡¯s like a little puppy.¡¯ It would be a lie if Yu-Seong didn''t think Jin-Hyuk was cute in how he tried to get his praise somehow. Above all, he thought Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s growth was remarkably fast compared to the time that had passed. ¡®I suppose it''s because he trained diligently, just as I had asked him to do.¡¯ Although it was reasonable to expect him to climb the ranks slowly, Yoo Jin-Hyuk poured his effort into the training without any doubt and, despite being only a C-rank, he now possessed enough ability to outperform even an A-rank. ¡®Now, there shouldn''t be any major problems being trapped in the barrier like in the past. I did a good job of persuading him, even though it was difficult.¡¯ Yu-Seong also found it amusing to witness the argument between Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryeong, so he sent a sincere message to the boy. He sounded so different from the messages he had sent Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo. - You''re doing well. I''m proud of you and how you are working hard. So glad. - Hyung. Have you finished work for today? You must be exhausted. Would you like me to come over and give you a massage or something?" The reply came back promptly. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had come up to Seoul, was living near Yu-Seong''s house. Jin-Hyuk had said that it was because he wanted to respond to Yu-Seong¡¯s call at any time. - It''s okay. I have a strong body, so don''t worry. Thanks for caring. - You''re welcome. But hyung, am I doing better than that vicious woman, Chae Ye-Ryeong? - ^^. Sleep well. - You have good dreams too, hyung! Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. This marked the end of Yu-Seong¡¯s daily message checks with the people he regularly kept in touch with. The only thing left was checking the reporting emails from Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny. ¡®After checking these, I''ll read the original novel once again and go to bed right away.¡¯ There were always two ends to a busy day. And just as Yu-Seong was about to open an internet window to check his work email, someone he didn''t usually contact sent him a message. - Boss. Yoo Jin-Hyuk bragged childishly that you praised him and said he was better than me. Is this true? After seeing the message from Chae Ye-Ryeong, Yu-Seong suppressed the thought that they were both childish and cute, and captured part of the conversation with Yoo Jin-Hyuk to send back to Ye-Ryeong. - I knew he was lying. If I see him at the office tomorrow, he''s a dead man. - You two, that''s enough. Or else you guys would get attached eventually. - What?! Boss, you''re joking too much now! How can you put me and that brat on the same level...! - You never know. - Boss-! (Angry rabbit emoticon) Yu-Seong laughed before closing Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s message. After checking his email for the report he had originally planned to read, he closed his eyes and read the novel slowly. ¡®After all the dangerous things are over¡­¡¯ He would be able to live his current happy life without worrying about the future. Until then, even if it was difficult, Yu-Seong was determined to persevere. *** After the deep dawn fell, Yu-Seong had a dream. In the dream, an intensely brilliant light that made it difficult to open his eyes slowly fell from the sky to the ground. At first glance, it seemed like the world was approaching its end, but luckily the flaming light settled down on the ground quietly like dandelion fluff blowing in the wind. Then, Yu-Seong woke up to the entire house shaking. He quickly grabbed the glass he had left beside the bed. A massive earthquake was striking South Korea. ¡®No way, this is...obvious...¡¯ After the dream that all players had¡ªa dream about a light settling on the ground¡ªa massive earthquake shook the entire world. There was only one scene in the original novel that described such an event. ¡®Finally... The Tower is appearing. It''s faster than the original, as expected!¡¯ Yu-Seong hurriedly ran towards the window and clenched his fist tightly while looking at the towering column of light that could be seen even from a distance. CH 159 The mysterious Tower of unknown height appeared in cities such as Seoul, Beijing, Milan, London, Aslamas, Washington, and Moscow. It was as if a cascade of light was pouring down. The Tower suddenly emerged from the earth, stretching upward with such force that it pierced through the clouds. The name of the Tower was delivered by messages from the gods, not by anyone else. - A Joke-loving Prankster gazes at the Tower of Heaven, hoping that player Choi Yu-Seong will climb it. - Culann''s Hound recommends that player Choi Yu-Seong climb the Tower of Heaven. - The Oldest Hunter eagerly anticipates seeing player Choi Yu-Seong ascend the Tower of Heaven. - The Green Spring of the East guides player Choi Yu-Seong to the Tower of Heaven. - The Cold Wind of the West¡­ The supportive messages from the gods were pouring down one after another. ¡°A prankster who enjoys playing tricks is heading towards the Tower in the sky." "Coolran''s fierce dog is heading towards the Tower in the sky." The news of the Tower''s appearance quickly spread across the world, and people from all walks of life were intrigued by it. They talked about it and wondered what it could mean. However, no one could have predicted what would happen next. That was not all. The received messages indicated that all the gods, including Loki, Cu Chulainn, and Scathi, were headed to the Tower of Heaven. Only after that did the messages cease. In a way, the meaningless chatter that had been received every day disappeared completely. This phenomenon was not unique to Yu-Seong. In fact, there was a description written in the original novel. ''After the appearance of the Tower of Heaven, all the gods disappeared into the Tower.'' However, it remained unclear whether the gods had truly vanished. ¡®To be exact, they had entered somewhere in the Tower.¡¯ Yu-Seong remembered the scene where Kim Do-Jin met with one of the gods supporting him inside the Tower of Heaven. This meant that if Yu-Seong himself climbed that tower, he would eventually be able to face the gods directly someday. ¡®In fact, the Tower''s appearance is the most significant event for the gods.¡¯ It was a unique opportunity for the gods to personally witness the actions of those they sponsored rather than merely watching from afar. Then, would the karma points disappear completely? Many players were worried about this, but since Yu-Seong had read the original novel, he didn''t feel particularly anxious. He knew that the players could now accumulate karma points by climbing the Tower and completing various missions within. Although the gods'' sponsorship would be cut off for now, once they occupied the lower part of the Tower, they would be able to transmit messages again within the Tower, albeit in a limited space. Thus, short-lived confusion would ensue, but there would be no actual problem at all. Yu-Seong''s task was to act faster than anyone else before such confusion went away. ¡®The rest of the preparations are done. I just need the vitality of the Giant Hunter.¡¯ Several more days passed by after that. *** Of course, the chaos following the appearance of the Tower of Heaven was still unresolved. What was this Tower that had suddenly appeared in major cities around the world? Some people had the courage to venture inside the Tower, following the messages of the gods, but no one had returned yet. This caused the tension to heighten to the extreme. ¡®It''s inevitable. Since they won''t be able to return to Earth until we conquer the first ten floors of the Tower.¡¯ It was a matter of time. According to the original novel, it took three months before this fact was revealed. ¡®If they had the data, it wouldn''t even take a month¡­ But it''ll be difficult if they enter blindly without knowing anything.¡¯ Although he knew that spreading his knowledge would quickly resolve this situation, Yu-Seong decided to keep his mouth shut. He did not even share the information with Choi Woo-Jae. ¡®These facts will be revealed within a few months anyways.¡¯ Not knowing much would not pose a threat to Earth. It was information that was beneficial only if known in advance. Thus, there was no reason to reveal this information to others. With this thought, Yu-Seong kept his mouth shut for a few days. He went about his daily life until he finally obtained the vitality of the Giant Hunter, the ancient relic bracelet he had been waiting for. Yu-Seong then gathered all eight members of his hunting team. As they sat in a circle, looking at each other with round eyes, Yu-Seong said calmly, "We''re heading to the Tower." There was a brief silence before Jin Yu-Ri asked, "When?" Yu-Ri seemed a little taken aback by Yu-Seong''s sudden declaration, but she had a feeling that he had a reason for saying that. "Today." "Does the support team know about this?" "No. They don''t." "So it''s something they shouldn''t know." "..." Yu-Seong smiled lightly at Jin Yu-Ri''s words. Unlike Yu-Seong''s hunting team, the support team consisted of Choi Woo-Jae''s people. If his hunting team wanted to keep it a secret, they had to keep it from everyone. Aside from Yu-Ri, no one was opening their mouths to speak up. This situation made Yu-Seong feel uneasy. "Is there anything you guys are curious about or something?" The Tower, currently unknown to the public, was a highly dangerous area. As a result, the country and the Player Association had requested that people refrain from entering. Although their true intentions were to completely block access, it was impossible for them to do so. Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original. ¡®Anyway, the message from the gods would be on their mind.¡¯ Not only the gods supporting Yu-Seong persuaded him to the Tower, but countless other gods also sent messages to their followers to come to the Tower. Needless to say, it was difficult for the country and the association to ignore this. Regardless, up until now, the gods had been quite benevolent towards the players of Earth. Nonetheless, the Tower was still a dangerous place, the unknown territory that the players may not yet be able to return from. Currently, Yu-Seong was suggesting that his hunting team go to such a place. He himself thought that there would be someone who would express their dissatisfaction or displeasure at his words, since he had raised the issue without any warning. ¡®But why is everyone so quiet?¡¯ Aside from Jin Yu-Ri, who had asked the first question, no one else was opening their mouths. It didn''t seem like they had any thoughts on the matter. "Jin Do-Yoon?" Yu-Seong turned toward Do-Yoon and asked. Do-Yoon nodded as if his answer was obvious. He said, "If the young master is going, I''m going to follow you anyway." At the same time, Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his hand and shouted, "Me too! Why do we need a reason when hyung is going?" "I''m grateful that both of your reasons are concise," said Yu-Seong with a smile and a nod. The words of the two could easily be interpreted as them trusting Yu-Seong. For some reason, just that fact alone made Yu-Seong feel more secure. "As for me..." Meanwhile, Chae Ye-Ryeong, who seemed to be deep in thought, spoke cautiously. "I''m worried about my younger siblings." In response to the reply of the young head of the household, Yu-Seong smiled and replied, "If you are worried about your siblings, it''s okay for them to stay at our house. I''ll make sure to tell the housekeeper aunts." "Oh¡­ Then I''m okay too." "There''s no need to pack anything," Yu-Seong said. Whatever they took from Earth, except for ancient relics or treasures from other worlds, would disappear. Therefore, food, bedding, and so on were all meaningless. ¡®I guess we are lucky to get to keep the clothes that we¡¯re wearing.¡¯ In fact, for this day, Yu-Seong had forced his team to undergo mandatory survival training. ¡®Since they¡¯ll have to fend for themselves in the Tower. That includes finding and fighting for food.¡¯ With that in mind, there was no need for any special preparations. Yu-Seong was about to suggest they leave immediately. "Are only the five of us going?" asked Yu-Ri as she raised her hand. Yu-Seong tilted his head in response. He asked, "Who else do we have to go besides us?" Jenny came to mind at first, but she had to take care of external affairs while both Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri were absent. In reality, someone had to stay outside of the Tower just in case. " Kim Do-Jin¡­" said Yu-Ri- carefully. Yu-Seong was taken aback by the unexpected name. He never thought that Jin Yu-Ri, who despised Kim Do-Jin more than anyone else, would be the first to mention him. "Anyway, he''s skilled enough to be trusted," Jin Yu-Ri said with a bitter smile. Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded. "That''s true. But we can''t go with him." "I see. Something must have happened..." ¡°Since Kim Do-Jin already entered the tower yesterday." "Ah..." "So, in that sense, we have to leave now. Does anyone have anything else to say?" This time, everyone shook their heads. *** The Tower of Heaven soared to a height that surpassed even the clouds. Seen from the outside, it was basically round in shape with a dynamic structure that widened in size as it rose to the upper floors. Therefore, some referred to it as the upside-down horn, but it was nothing short of a mystery that the Tower remained intact and standing. This was all thanks to the mystical power that was at play. The Tower of Heaven did not have an official entrance, but the way in was simple. Just like using ancient relics, all one had to do was place their hand anywhere on the Tower and use mana. It was something that any player could do. However, there was one thing to be cautious of. "Once we enter the Tower, we will be separated from each other." Although the Tower of Heaven appeared to have very thin roots, its interior was incredibly vast from the first floor onwards. Being scattered randomly in such a place, it was practically impossible to explore the Tower with companions. "What should we do then?" "You can find a door as you wander around. Do not enter unless it''s a red door. And when you pass through it, the next floor will take you to where the person who arrived earlier is waiting. You will be able to meet them on the second floor." Upon hearing this, Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s face turned pale first. He quickly said, "So, I can''t be together with you hyung?" "Most likely. Unless you''re lucky enough to land nearby." "That''s inconvenient," said Jin Do-Yoon as he hardened his expression. The fact that he would not be able to protect Yu-Seong, who usually stayed by his side, did not sit well with him. "Don''t worry. You don''t need to be overly cautious on the Tower¡¯s first floor. If I had to say... Well, don''t step on the blue-lit area of the ground. And don''t follow anything strange. Only respond when you think you''re being attacked." "There are so many rules." "If you haven''t memorized them, should I say them again?" Yu-Seong said. Everyone laughed and shook their heads. "That''s enough." With that, Yu-Seong was the first to place his hand on the Tower of Heaven. Then, he expressed his gratitude for everyone''s difficult decision. He said sincerely, ¡°Thank you all for making a difficult decision.¡± At least, for now, the dominant viewpoint was that once they entered the Tower, they might not be able to return. Nonetheless, they could not forget to show their appreciation for each other. They were coming along without any military command. "I think I''ll be able to come back, of course. Since you''re a prophet, Yu-Seong, you must know what''s inside in detail..." ¡°I decided to follow, thinking that I can come back. Yu-Seong oppa, you are the prophet. Do you know in detail what''s inside?" Yu-Ri put her hand on Yu-Seong''s shoulder and smiled, saying, "There''s no reason to doubt him." "Of course not, since you said it," Yu-Seong replied. "By the way, are you a prophet or something similar?" Yu-Ri asked. With that, mana spewed from Yu-Seong''s hand and flowed into the Tower of Heaven. When the rest of the group also infused their mana into the Tower, Yu-Seong said, "Well then, let''s meet on the second floor, everyone.¡± As he spoke, the light flowing from the Tower of Heaven engulfed the five people. It was pulling them in. CH 160 The Tower of Heaven¡¯s first floor was a maze filled with bush-covered high walls. However, as mentioned before, its scale was enormous. Even if one looked down from the peak of Everest, he would not see the entire maze. Still, if one were extremely lucky, someone from the group could fall into a similar area. ¡°It seems that luck wasn''t on my side this time.¡± Yu-Seong looked around with a smile. Then, he said, "No, maybe I was lucky.¡± The ground level of the Tower of Heaven, an unending labyrinth, sprawled out in all directions. Its vastness was matched only by the abundance of exits. So, if one only had the intention of getting out, he could inevitably make it to the next floor within a week even if he wandered around for a while. In addition, there surprisingly were many trees that grew edible fruits and other plants. This made survival relatively easy. In fact, for Yu-Seong, who had some understanding of the Tower''s rules, he was confident that he could find the red exit that he and the group agreed to meet within three days if he intended to. However, Yu-Seong didn''t plan on moving too hastily. ¡®People usually think the first floor is just an area for them to learn how to adapt to the Tower.¡¯ It was because of the special rules that applied to the Tower of Heaven. Yu-Seong opened his system window to check the situation with his own eyes. ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong Age: 21 Series: All-Rounder Level: 1 Retention History: 2 Special Skills: Star Factor Quality, Fusion, Spear Practitioner ¡ù Special: Entered the Tower of Heaven. All skills except for Special Skills are inactive. By raising the level, sealed skills can be activated. As an initial entry bonus, two of the pre-existing skills could be activated. ¡» ¡®The Reset.¡¯ This part had been explained to all of the party on the way to the Tower of Heaven. It was a situation that confused most players upon their first entry into the Tower, because it sealed off their ability to use all skills except the Special Skills. ¡®Also, in the original novel, the rankings have been removed.¡¯ The only remaining data was the level. There were three ways to raise the level: climbing the Tower, hunting monsters, or solving quests. However, the final way did not apply to the first floor. Overall, the progression of the Tower was not as complicated as they had thought. This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®I can think of it like a real game.¡¯ The main objectives were to level up and acquire skills. As for the first notable difference, it was that they already possessed Special Skills. ¡®It''s rather like having a job in a video game, since Special Skills reflect each individual''s basic tendencies.¡¯ The second difference was the ability to increase the level of skills obtained outside of the Tower, and then unseal them again. As soon as they entered the Tower, everyone became level one. It seemed like they were all starting at the same point. However, in reality, this was slightly different. ¡®Since high-ranking hunters are likely to have a lot of good skills.¡¯ The power would certainly be adjusted to match their low level, but it was also important that the required amount of mana would decrease as well. Generally, good skills had strong effects even beyond direct power. In that sense, the Tower of Heaven was truly a land of opportunity for Yu-Seong. ¡®Because I have three Special Skills.¡¯ While others had a maximum of three starting skills, including two initial skills, Yu-Seong had three Special Skills. Although Fusion had the disadvantage of being difficult to use without Eye of Replication, Star Factor and Spear Practitioner were definitely helpful. Moreover, in this situation, most skills were sealed. Naturally, those who possessed ancient relics and had developed their abilities through hard work rather than relying solely on skills had a significant advantage. ¡®And that''s why I worked so hard for this day.¡¯ Yu-Seong grinned as he chose the first of the two skills he could activate. In fact, there was no need for him to think too deeply about it. ¡®Obviously, it has to be the God''s Chakra.¡¯ The God''s Chakra had the unique ability to convert mana into chakra and increase its overall amount each day, providing an unparalleled advantage in the Tower where abilities were best utilized when acquired early. ¡®Besides, the additional effects are also great.¡¯ As mentioned, real good skills were important not only for their basic strong power but also for their additional effects. In that sense, the skill of God''s Chakra, which could enhance physical abilities, absorb energy, and emit energy was an absolute top priority. ¡®And then...should I take a little more time to choose the next one depending on the situation?¡¯ As it was mentioned earlier, Yu-Seong intended to pass through the Tower¡¯s first floor as slowly as possible to adapt to the system. The reason was simple. ¡®There is a considerable amount of treasure hidden on the first floor.¡¯ The Tower of Heaven was sometimes called the Tower of Despair due to the initial Reset. Ironically, despite its name containing the word ''Heaven,'' there were more fatalities inside the Tower than in dungeons. Even players who were not affected by the Reset and were in an adapted state found it challenging to obtain key hidden rewards on the first floor due to its high difficulty level. There were, however, some major things that would be still suitable for use in the Tower¡¯s upper floors, provided that they could be obtained. In fact, Yu-Seong¡¯s goal was these precious hidden rewards. "Okay, let''s get started." It was a maze with all three sides closed, not just a path forward. Yu-Seong felt a strange sense of relief in the space where no one could see him. He immediately got down to the ground and lifted up his legs. ¡®PT number 8, the Hellish Full Body Twist.¡¯ Before he had been sucked into the novel, Yu-Seong¡¯s memories of the military came to mind. He didn¡¯t want to do it, but he couldn¡¯t think of a better way. As mentioned, skills could also be acquired within the Tower. If you took the skills outside, and it happened to be a duplicate, you would gain additional effects. And if it wasn''t, it would be registered in the skill window immediately. Therefore, it was always a good thing to acquire skills within the Tower. There were various ways to acquire skills, but the only immediate option was through repetitive training. In other words, Yu-Seong had no choice. ¡®I never thought that I would end up doing PT number 8.¡¯ And so, in a place where no one could see Yu-Seong, the lonely full body twist began. *** Six hours later, Yu-Seong was still doing the full body twist. ¡®Is it really working? It does say so in the original novel, but¡­¡¯ Wouldn''t it be better to acquire skills in a different way? Yu-Seong was flipping his legs in the air and twisting his entire body. He was at the point of thinking about giving up when messages began to appear one after another. - Acquired skill, Physical Strength Reinforcement. - Acquired skill, Flexibility Reinforcement. - Acquired skill, Stamina Reinforcement. - Acquired skill, Pain Tolerance. Yu-Seong now had a wide smile on his flushed and sweaty face. ¡®Nice.¡¯ Yu-Seong chose PT number 8 because, unlike other exercises, this torture-like full body workout could only be trained in various ways. Therefore, if it had been another typical exercise, he would have acquired only one or two at best, but by doing PT number 8, he was able to obtain as many as four skills. ¡®The power of the skills follows my level, and that''s the Tower''s law.¡¯ In other words, all the skills Yu-Seong had acquired were at level one. Nevertheless, there was a significant difference between those who had the skills and those who didn''t. As a typical example, Yu-Seong was able to erase the word ¡®give up¡¯ that he had in mind by acquiring a Pain Tolerance skill. "But this is as far as I can go..." Yu-Seong remained on the ground with his arms and legs spread wide. He gasped for breath, then frowned at how all of his muscles were screaming at him. ¡®Wow... If I try to get up right now, I''ll die, won''t I?¡¯ Having developed a Pain Tolerance skill did not mean that he completely felt the pain. No matter how enhanced his physical abilities as a player were, he couldn''t avoid the muscle pain that followed after quietly completing PT number 8 for six hours. "Ugh..." Yu-Seong moaned and slowly closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. ¡®I¡¯ll feel better after a good nap.¡¯ Fortunately, this was still the starting area of the Tower''s first floor, so there was no need to worry about enemy attacks. After sleeping like a log for about six hours, Yu-Seong suddenly opened his eyes. He slowly raised his body up and noticed that he was feeling much better than before. ¡®As expected... I recover fast.¡¯ It was the kind of pain that a normal person might not recover from even after lying down for three days and nights, but he had recovered in just six hours thanks to his physical abilities at the level of a Physical type player and the Stamina Reinforcement he had obtained through PT number 8 training. Undoubtedly, the process of acquiring new skills was challenging, but it was worth the challenge. ¡®To be honest, it is worth investing in the attainment of four skills in just six hours as it pays for itself.¡¯ Yu-Seong quickly pushed the pain from PT number 8 exercises out of his mind and rose to his feet. His gaze was fixed straight ahead. As he ventured deeper into the maze, the darkness grew more intense, but he remained unafraid. Yu-Seong now possessed three Special Skills, four Tower Skills, and even the unique Special Skill - God¡¯s Chakra. As a matter of fact, he could be considered the strongest on the first floor of the Tower of Heaven. ¡®I''m starving. Let¡¯s find something to eat first.¡¯ After walking around for about ten minutes, Yu-Seong felt a gaze following him. ¡®Finally, it¡¯s here.¡¯ It was really uncomfortable and irritating to be followed by a gaze that wouldn''t let up, especially since he had taken multiple turns at crossroads while wandering through the maze. However, as he had already advised the party, it was better to refrain from reacting hastily. Intending to follow his own advice, Yu-Seong ignored the discomfort and kept walking until he reached a tree bearing edible fruit that only grew in the Tower. ¡®Oh, it''s honey fruit.¡¯ The honey fruit was only found within the Tower. It was named after its reputedly intense sweetness. Upon tasting it, Yu-Seong discovered its texture was as soft as a perfectly ripe mango. ¡®Oh, this is pretty good.¡¯ In the original novel, it was written that anyone who ate something inside the Tower would always be satisfied. Now, Yu-Seong could finally agree with that description. Then, he consumed the third honey fruit with a look of pure delight on his face. Grrrrrrk-! Suddenly, a strange and eerie sound filled the air and a black liquid began to flow from beneath the thick walls of the maze. Very slowly, the form of a ferocious wolf-like creature was taking shape. It emanated a menacing aura directed towards Yu-Seong, and this was only the beginning. The black liquid continued to flow from various parts of the maze, transforming into monsters that resembled beasts and humans. Yu-Seong found himself completely surrounded by them. Although it was a somewhat threatening situation, Yu-Seong remained calm. He even smiled as he converted Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear. He looked at the monsters emitting the threatening momentum and said, ¡°I''ve been waiting for this. Bring it on, my experience points.¡± It was time to level up. CH 161 On the Tower of Heaven¡¯s first floor, the monster called Shadow Slime didn''t have particularly high combat abilities. Although it appeared as a beast or monster with threateningly sharp teeth and claws, it was actually a liquid-like creature whose attacks felt more like a dull shock rather than getting painfully injured. ¡®Of course, it''s only the first floor.¡¯ The first floor was truly a space for adapting to the Tower. If powerful monsters were placed here, the number of casualties would rise exponentially. However, there was one thing not to be underestimated about this monster, Shadow Slime. ¡®They are cunning.¡¯ The Tower¡¯s first floor had a trap. ¡®The blue-lit floor.¡¯ This area, which Yu-Seong had warned the party, was the trap. When the Shadow Slimes thought they were being chased, they naturally led people to the trap while running away. Although people tended to be cautious when they saw floors with different colors, Shadow Slimes were aware of this fact and covered the blue light with their dark slimes to make it difficult for people to see the trap. In a way, this was one of the tutorials for adapting to the Tower. ¡®The trap is simply a typical example of the many dangers one can face in this Tower.¡¯ The most important thing was that traps were more dangerous than the Shadow Slime''s attacks. ¡®There have been cases in the original novel where people suffered injuries or broken bones on the first floor of the Tower and struggled for a long time¡­¡¯ Although rare, there had been cases of people losing their lives to Shadow Slimes. Therefore, it was why it was a bad idea to engage in combat with them by deliberately chasing them, especially since they knew all the landmarks of the maze. ¡®The strategy from the original novel was to always let them attack first.¡¯ There would only be one case where Shadow Slimes did not keep watch and attacked first. ''They probably thought it was worth a try since there were many cognitions following them, and I appeared slow-witted.'' In fact, this was why people said Shadow Slimes were cunning. However, it wasn''t necessarily true that they were intelligent. ¡®Considering that they are just brainless liquid-like monsters, I wonder how they can think so well, but¡­¡¯ Ultimately, their intelligence was greatly limited. Therefore, the group of Shadow Slimes, who had underestimated Yu-Seong''s abilities, had approached him fearlessly and threatened him. Eventually, they had all come to a regrettable end. ¡®You''ve become an excellent experience point.¡¯ ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong. Level: 1 -> 3 ¡» Yu-Seong checked the level section of the system window and smiled. He muttered to himself, ¡°I was worried since they were weak monsters, but I still went up two levels.¡± Above all, he hadn¡¯t even hunted half of the Shadow Slime group that had appeared. Perhaps being cunning also meant that they were cowards. Thus, when Yu-Seong had torn apart some of the Shadow Slime group in an instant, they had scattered in all directions in a frenzy. ¡®It wasn¡¯t even a proper battle in the first place.¡¯ However, the result was a two-level increase by only killing the ones that had been hunted quickly and closely. After chasing the Shadow Slimes for a while, Yu-Seong realized that he might accidentally step on a trap. Only then did he decide to stop pursuing them. "I guess these Shadow Slimes won''t come near me anymore. Hm, it''s kind of a shame." Yu-Seong licked his lips and continued walking through the maze. After all, there were two hidden rewards that he needed to find on the first floor of the Tower. Moreover, the exact location of the hidden rewards was not clearly described in the original novel, so Yu-Seong was in a situation where he had to wander through the maze for a while. ¡®If I wander around enough, those Shadow Slimes who don''t know me will probably attack me again.¡¯ There would be more opportunities to level up in the future. Ultimately, all he needed was time. ¡®Let¡¯s take it easy.¡¯ With rather quick steps, he continued to wander through the maze. *** ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong. Level: 3 -> 6. ¡» After a day had passed, Yu-Seong¡¯s level had increased by three due to the attack of the sneaky but naive Shadow Slimes. ¡®I can definitely feel the difference now that I''m around level 6.¡¯ In fact, after the Reset, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t been as great as when he had been outside the Tower. It felt like he had been moving with a heavy sandbag strapped to his back. However, he began to feel lighter and lighter after gradually getting used to it and continuing to grow. ¡®At this level, I might be able to handle stepping on a trap to some extent.¡¯ As curiosity struck him, a blue-lit floor appeared in front of his eyes. He had seen the same floor several times before and had always either avoided it or turned back, but this time was different. ¡®Let me try¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong cautiously approached and stepped on the floor emitting the blue light. As he did, a trap was triggered, and something rapidly flew out from the left side. He quickly turned his body to avoid it, but the attack that barely grazed his arm still left a burning sensation on his flesh. Then, a ¡®thunk¡¯ sound came from the wall right next to him. Although he felt pain similar to having been stabbed, he had not directly been hit by the trap. Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. ¡®I was a little too hasty.¡¯ He then looked at the wall where the trap had been lodged. Something round was embedded deep into the thick wall overgrown with bushes. ¡®Wow, if I had been directly hit by that, my bones would have shattered.¡¯ As expected, traps were incomparably more dangerous than Shadow Slimes. With that thought in mind, Yu-Seong exerted strength in his legs and stood up to approach the object that had attacked him. It was a circular and white object with red stitches embroidered on it. He could easily identify what it was. "A baseball?" Yu-Seong said in shock. The item could be used on Earth, but it appeared to be out of place in the Tower. However, he quickly became convinced of one thing. ¡®At least it''s only the first floor, so it wasn''t a steel ball that was hurled at me.¡¯ Of course, at this point, even a baseball could be perceived as a threat. Yu-Seong nodded in understanding before inserting his fingers into the baseball lodged in the wall. ¡®Maybe¡­ If I do it well, I could take it out.¡¯ It took a considerable amount of effort. After sweating profusely, he managed to pull the baseball out of the wall with a grunt. "Anyway, I got some loot." Although it seemed useless at the moment, one never knew what might come in handy in the future. Yu-Seong put the baseball obtained through the trap in his pocket and continued to navigate through the maze. *** A few days in Earth''s time had passed. Despite reaching level 10, Yu-Seong was starting to feel increasingly disheartened by the Shadow Slimes. ¡®Yesterday, I was level 10. And today, I am still level 10.¡¯ Considering the number of Shadow Slimes he had hunted during the day, it seemed reasonable to conclude that the limit of level advancement through hunting Shadow Slimes had been reached. Despite this, every time he moved to a new area, the Shadow Slimes would fearlessly attack him. That certainly annoyed him. ¡®I also haven''t even found a single hidden reward yet.¡¯ Yu-Seong began to feel uneasy, thinking that he might fail to keep the promise he had made to meet his group within a week. Now, the Shadow Slimes that quietly wasted his time had become an unpleasant sight to behold. ¡®What if I pass the week-long deadline that we all agreed upon?¡¯ During a moment of strange anxiety, Yu-Seong spotted a narrow one-way path filled with blue light at a sudden intersection. His eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Oh, there are many traps today. How exceptional." If an ordinary person adapted to the Tower, there would be no reason to choose a path full of traps. ¡®Although there are some safe areas in between, generally speaking, it''s a situation where one has no choice but to step on traps.¡¯ Passing through such a place would be fatal. It was a narrow one-way road that seemed perilous, but it was also the path that Yu-Seong had to take. We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. ¡®I¡¯m sure this is the area with hidden rewards that the original novel mentioned.¡¯ It was a crossroad. There were three wide roads with no significant threat, and there was one road with exceptionally long traps. Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled with excitement as he had finally discovered the area with the hidden reward. ¡®There are two options: run very fast or jump precisely and always land in the safe area.¡¯ Then, Yu-Seong chose Wind Control as his second active skill with sparkling eyes. ¡®Wind Control is faster and more reliable than just jumping.¡¯ After taking a few deep breaths, he pounded the ground and then jumped into the narrow path full of traps. He yelled to himself, "Transition to Wind Flow!" The biggest advantage of activating a skill in the Tower was that special effects which had been learned from outside could be immediately applied. Yu-Seong had no reason not to use this advantage. ¡®It may not be that fast due to my low level, but...¡¯ Indeed, it was still much faster than just running. ¡®Here I go.¡¯ Yu-Seong leaped between the blue lights the moment he pulled himself together and jumped from the ground. He could feel strange items flying from all over the place with the sound of trap buttons being pressed. Yu-Seong ran as if he were a crazy man. It would be great if he could get items like the baseball he had obtained earlier, though he was too afraid in this situation to even look back. Suddenly, one of the floor tiles he stepped on collapsed and fell away. ¡®Danger...!¡¯ Yu-Seong felt a warning ringing in his head. He gave all his strength to his legs, jumping as high as he could into the air and moving forward. Thuuuud-! With a crash and the sound of the floor crumbling, Yu-Seong couldn''t keep his balance. He had no choice but to step on the trap. ¡®Oh my...!¡¯ At the same time, a dull piece of wood flew towards him and hit him hard on the back. "Ugh...!" Yu-Seong let out a scream of pain as he nearly lost his balance and collapsed, but he forced himself to keep moving forward. He knew that if he fell down here, he would surely die. ¡®I¡¯d die if I fell here!¡¯ It was only possible because of the most dangerous threat he had ever encountered. A few steps later, Yu-Seong reached the safety zone and stopped moving immediately. Or, in reality, he couldn''t move any further. Even though his Pain Tolerance skill and Insignia of Protection were both active, the pain was overwhelming and dizzying. Additionally, his insides twisted in an uncomfortable way. "Ugh...!" Yu-Seong collapsed on the ground, sweating profusely and feeling like he was about to vomit. He had to concentrate as hard as possible to regain his consciousness, because passing out and falling down could lead him to step on the trap again. He had to at least maintain his consciousness. About ten minutes, or perhaps several hours, passed in this state. "Whoo¡­ Whoo..." Yu-Seong, covered in sweat and drool, gasped for breath and slowly raised his head. - The skill Strong Willpower has been created. "Damn, how grateful." Yu-Seong didn''t know when it had been created, but it was definitely helpful in regaining his consciousness. CH 162 Yu-Seong struggled to cling to his consciousness as he gazed at the countless blue floors still spread out in front of him. ¡®I can''t see the end.¡¯ Although it felt like he had come a long way, the reality was that there was still much farther to go than he had already traveled. ¡®Looks like my plan to easily obtain hidden rewards has failed.¡¯ Even if he were to recover and start running again from here, he could still encounter unforeseen danger somewhere along the way. As it was mentioned before, in a very unlucky case, there had been people who had died in a trap. In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t want to be one of those unlucky people. That was why he turned his head and smiled bitterly as he looked back at the mess he had already gone through. He muttered in good humor, "All the miscellaneous things have flown by. Is that a tissue box? It would have been okay if I was hit by that one." Since it was the Tower of Heaven¡¯s first floor, it didn''t necessarily mean that only threatening items were coming at Yu-Seong through the traps. Of course, it would be great if he could recognize that in the situation of breaking through traps recklessly. However, to do that was practically impossible. ¡®At least for now.¡¯ Yu-Seong had not yet reached the level of ability to obtain hidden rewards. Understanding this for himself very well, he looked back at the path he had come from. ¡®The traps haven''t been regenerated yet.¡¯ However, if a little more time passed, the floor would soon be filled with blue light once again. The important thing was that the regenerated traps would not change in form. That was, even if traps that caused the ground to collapse were regenerated, the ground would still remain collapsed. ¡®I can''t remember everything perfectly, but I can remember it to some extent. And¡­ Yes, yes, there is a reason to do something foolish like retracing my steps through the path I''ve already broken through.¡¯ The Reset was both a blessing and a curse. Regardless of how strong one was outside of the Tower, the starting point was still the same. In other words, if one could grow well within the Tower, they could also take down threatening opponents on Earth. ¡®For example, the Demon King Worshipers or my siblings who threaten me.¡¯ Naturally, there was no reason for Yu-Seong not to use this aspect of the Tower. And in order to do that, it was obvious that he had to become the strongest within the Tower. It was possible. He could walk the path of Adam Smith, the Demon King of the Tower who had been an equal match against Kim Do-Jin, the protagonist in the original novel. ¡®Adam Smith was a somewhat ordinary D-rank villain before entering the Tower.¡¯ However, how many hidden rewards did he monopolize to gain the title of the Tower''s Demon King? ¡®I don''t have Adam Smith''s Special Skill, Secret Exploration, but... I have information from the original novel. I can do this.¡¯ Naturally, Yu-Seong would have to endure suffering. One of the statements attributed to Adam Smith, the Demon King of the Tower, was, "At times, I''ve contemplated that it would be easier to die." But he eventually survived and became stronger. There was no reason why Yu-Seong couldn''t do what Adam Smith did. Yu-Seong steeled his heart, leaving behind his regrets. He quickly walked back to the entrance of the crossroads where the trap had started. ¡®My injuries are slowly recovering.¡¯ It was all thanks to his skill¡ªStamina Reinforcement. However, it was still not enough. ¡®In a way, the real hidden rewards that the first floor of the Tower has is that acquiring all the skills is several times faster than in other areas.¡¯ That was why Yu-Seong had advised his companions even in the car heading towards the Tower of Heaven to train as much as possible on the first floor. ¡®I did tell them to avoid traps just in case, but¡­¡¯ In the situation where Yu-Seong had already made up his mind and entered the Tower, the outer road was full of traps. In fact, except for the reward at the end, the road itself could play the role of a hidden reward. It wasn''t just a passing thought that acquiring four different skills with only PT number 8 in six hours was a great deal. ¡®If not now, I won''t be able to acquire skills at this speed.¡¯ As he was thinking about this and that, the cluttered items in front of Yu-Seong suddenly lit up and turned into traps once again. ¡®Come to think of it, I should have picked up some things that looked useful on the way here.¡¯ While looking at the disappearing traps in contemplation,Yu-Seong then shook his head. ¡®No, the more baggage I have, the heavier I become.¡¯ A baseball that he had carelessly stuffed in his pocket was enough for now. ¡®I have a feeling that this will come in handy someday.¡¯ Yu-Seong might be mistaken, but there was no reason to ignore his intuition. As the traps regenerated, Yu-Seong noticed that he had recovered about half of his physical condition. ¡®It''s better to wait a little longer for recovery than to immediately take on the challenge.¡¯ Although his slow recovery speed was irritating, he knew that moderate rest during training was also important. ¡®I''m not sure how much time is left, but it''s better to climb as slowly as possible to gain the most benefits.¡¯ In the beginning, Yu-Seong had some sense of time, but as time passed, even that began to fade away. Without a clock to reference or any knowledge of the outside environment, his sense gradually became dull. Such a situation was a little frustrating, but Yu-Seong decided to let go of his impatient mind. ¡®This is inside the Tower so there aren''t many immediate threats. I¡¯ll just have to move forward slowly and steadily. Oh, come to think of it¡­!¡¯ Suddenly, something came to Yu-Seong''s mind, and he immediately took a cross-legged posture. ¡®If I use the skill¡ªGod''s Chakra, my recovery speed may increase.¡¯ The effect of God''s Chakra also included strengthening Physical Reinforcement through the imposition. Instead of simply accepting the skill, it seemed like a good idea to expect a recovery effect when performing deep breathing. ¡®I haven''t used the direct breathing method of God¡¯s Chakra much since its effects are already great, but in this case, it''s worth a try.¡¯ Yu-Seong immediately performed the direct breathing method using God¡¯s Chakra and felt his condition quickly improving. He stood up from his seat with his eyes wide open. ¡®My condition is at its best.¡¯ He laughed at his rapid recovery. Then, he looked over at the single path of the trap with a blue-covered floor. ¡®This time, I should focus on sensing my surroundings rather than blindly running ahead.¡¯ It wasn''t necessary to look at everything. In fact, relying on his senses might be more effective. To do this, Wind Control was more effective than Wind Flow. ¡®Now I know that it is impossible to break the boulder in one go with the Wind Flow.¡¯ Yu-Seong breathed deeply, took slow steps, and stepped on the first trap. He then took another step and examined the object that had flown towards him. ¡®A pencil?¡¯ It was an item that could cause fatal injuries if hit in an unfortunate place at a high speed, despite its weak durability. The baseball that had attacked Yu-Seong earlier was the second thing that came at him. Dodging the baseball with the Wind Control and converting Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear, Yu-Seong parried the wooden fragment that flew at him from the next trap and continued to move forward without rest. ¡®I have about¡­500 meters left to reach the safe zone where I arrived earlier.¡¯ His first goal was to reach the place where he had first arrived, recognizing and getting rid of each trap one by one. With that in mind, when he saw the round steel plate flying towards his left shoulder, he quickly swung his spear. ¡®A frying pan?¡¯ As he had blocked the melee weapon that had absolute influence in many games, even deflecting bullets, the shock that was transmitted to his entire body through the spear was not light. The shock ringing in his mind almost made him collapse, but thanks to his newly acquired skill¡ªStrong Willpower¡ª it was not difficult for Yu-Seong to regain his composure and take a step forward. ¡®I did it!¡¯ Feeling excited, Yu-Seong let the flying tissue box hit him and confidently went forward. ¡®Check carefully, don''t miss anything¡­¡¯ It was important to capture as much as possible in his field of vision. ¡®A baseball from the left, a cushion from the right¡ªwhich I can ignore¡ªand wait, there is something else behind the cushion¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong confirmed three of the pencils flying towards his left chest after piercing the thick cushion with his spear. Thus, he had no choice but to rotate his spear to block the flying pencils. What he gained in return was the impact of a baseball hitting his back. "Argh-!" Yu-Seong let out a scream and managed to avoid falling flat on his face. He quickly took a few steps back. Thud. With a somewhat lumpy posture, a bitter laugh escaped from his mouth as he rubbed his sore buttocks. ¡®I assume that there''s still about 300 meters left.¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn''t even make it to the safe zone he had challenged with just the Wind Flow before. No, he hadn''t even yet encountered a trap where the ground collapsed. Although he felt disappointed, he had reached his limit for now. While smacking his lips, Yu-Seong slowly got up and started heading back to the entrance of the trap-filled road. ¡®But if I keep trying, I''ll definitely get better results. Let''s try again after I recover.¡¯ His willpower was on fire. Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. *** Three more days had passed. Yu-Seong couldn''t keep track of time, but he remembered exactly how many times he had challenged the narrow road that was filled with traps. ¡®This is the 132nd trial.¡¯ His clothes were torn apart and his hair was a big mess, but Yu-Seong was brimming with confidence. ¡®I''m going all the way this time.¡¯ It wasn''t excessive confidence. In his previous 131st challenge, he had confirmed the far end of the trap-filled road filled with blue light from afar before returning to this spot. ¡®With my recovery ability now, I could have rested there for a bit and challenged it again to get the hidden reward, but¡­¡¯ In fact, Yu-Seong¡¯s goal was clear. ¡®I have to break through from the entrance in one go.¡¯ With that in mind, he returned to the entrance with the summit in sight. This was when the blue light of the traps had not yet even regenerated. Catching his breath, Yu-Seong checked the skill window that had been enriched by his previous 131 challenges, and a smile of satisfaction spread across his lips. Skills: Stamina Reinforcement, Physical Strength Reinforcement, Flexibility Reinforcement, Pain Tolerance, Bleeding Resistance skill, Physical Strike Tolerance, Vision Reinforcement, Intuition Reinforcement, Resilience Reinforcement, Concentration Reinforcement, Leap, Balance Reinforcement, Nimble Hand Movements, Quick Footwork, Basic Weapon Skills, Strong Willpower. The once-empty skill window was now full. ¡®In fact, it¡¯s safe to say that I¡¯ve acquired all the skills that can be obtained on the first floor.¡¯ If it weren''t for this situation, Yu-Seong wouldn''t have even considered attempting the path filled with traps in the first place. Nevertheless, there was a reason for him to challenge it. ¡®Now I can obtain both hidden rewards.¡¯ When the blue light began to glow brightly in front of him, Yu-Seong began to run without any hesitation. ¡®From start to the end¡­¡¯ He had to run without hesitation. He deflected threatening objects flying towards him, and even took a few hits that his body could handle. He didn''t need to memorize everything as his Vision Reinforcement allowed him to read most of the threats. Even if he missed something, it didn''t matter. Thanks to his Intuition Reinforcement, his body reacted naturally, and he was able to deflect the threatening objects from the traps. If the ground collapsed, he could use Leap skill to jump to a higher location. Although his landing had been somewhat unsteady before, with the help of his Balance Reinforcement skill and Concentration Reinforcement skill, it was no longer a problem for him. Unlike three days ago, Yu-Seong could easily navigate the traps now. He continued forward with a twinkle in his eye using Wind Control. ¡®Now I¡¯ve reached the trap upgrade zone.¡¯ After passing about half of the path, the difficulty of the traps rose significantly beyond what the Tower¡¯s first floor could offer. It was also common for ten pencils to fly at a time, or for the floor to rise where there was nothing. It was not an exaggeration to say that Yu-Seong had continued to challenge the traps 132 times as a result of the unexpected increase in difficulty. ¡®And thanks to that, I''ve gained a lot of skills.¡¯ The rising scaffoldings were used as pedals. Pencils, wood fragments, baseballs, and sometimes threatening daggers or basketballs flew at Yu-Seong, but he recognized and deflected or dodged them all. ¡®I''m almost there.¡¯ With natural movements, Yu-Seong had overcome an enormous number of traps. He blinked at the green floor that was visible only from a far distance. Previously, he had become too excited upon seeing the floor, which had led him to losing his composure, making a mistake, and having to go back to the beginning. However, it was different now. ¡®100m!¡¯ As Yu-Seong carefully and surely avoided the traps and continued forward, a huge stone pillar suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡®What the hell? I can''t jump over this with even Leap.¡¯ Surprised, Yu-Seong quickly looked at his surroundings.Then, he could see something red flashing around the center of the tall stone wall. ¡®That is quite suspicious¡­¡¯ In fact, there was no time to hesitate. Instinctively, Yu-Seong took out the baseball that he had put in his pocket and aimed it at the red light. The moment the red light was hit, the tall stone pillar began to collapse. ¡®That was the right answer as expected. Now all I have to do is avoid it¡­¡¯ No, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid all of it. The attacks from the other traps continued to pour out through the falling rocks too. At that moment, Yu-Seong made a clear choice. In fact, going back from here wouldn¡¯t guarantee him a better answer. ¡®Forced breakthrough!¡¯ Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and activated Wind Control skill while enduring the shock that pounded his whole body. Thump-ump-! The painful ache spread throughout his body once again. However, as a result, Yu-Seong could arrive at his destination, the green footboard. He couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly. - You have passed the trial''s single path for the first time! Rewards are being calculated. - From the entrance to the exit! You have achieved an amazing record. Additional rewards are being calculated. With the message, the injuries throughout his entire body began to recover at a much faster rate than before. It was thanks to the activation of the hidden reward. CH 163 On the Tower of Heaven''s second floor, Chae Ye-Ryeong and Jin Do-Yoon crossed through the red door that Choi Yu-Seong had pointed out. Their eyes widened at the sight of the spacious room that revealed itself before them. "The maze was impressive, but this is fascinating too," Ye-Ryeong remarked. "A square... We should call it a cube," Do-Yoon said as he instinctively scanned his surroundings. Upon noticing something, his eyes lit up. ¡®There are people here.¡¯ In the large cube-like room of over 100 pyong [1], there were ten unfamiliar faces gathered in a corner as if they were a group. When Jin Do-Yoon and Chae Ye-Ryeong suddenly appeared, the group quickly turned over to look. Their eyes shone. To be precise, they only took a mere glance at Do-Yoon. ¡®They''re looking at Ye-Ryeong.¡¯ There was only one woman among the ten gathered, and the rest were men. These guys were casting a sticky and uncomfortable gaze at Chae Ye-Ryeong. Just as Do-Yoon felt their gazes and tried to block Ye-Ryeong, the youngest man in the group said, "Stop. Let''s not do anything that will make us feel bad." Only then did the group slowly look away from Ye-Ryeong. Despite their disappointment, they refrained from complaining and simply smacked their lips. ¡®He looks young. Is he the leader of that group?¡¯ Do-Yoon looked at the young man who appeared to be in his early twenties with a twinkle in his eyes. When their gazes met, the young guy smiled lightly at Do-Yoon. He said, "You don''t have to be too wary. We just met here too. We were considering whether to move forward or not.¡± ¡°...¡± Jin Do-Yoon silently nodded in response. "Hi, I''m Kim Woo-Gon. If you''re finding it hard to navigate this mysterious tower, why not join me? Whether it''s waiting for a rescue team or exploring other solutions, it''s going to take time...and it would be much less lonely to have more people around, wouldn''t it?" ¡°...¡± Do-Yoon nodded his head again without answering. ¡®Kim Woo-Gon. It''s a name I''ve never heard before.¡¯ The young man didn''t seem to be a famous player, but Do-Yoon felt uncomfortable for some odd reason. He even thought that the young man could have been a villain from outside. "You seem to be the quiet type. That''s okay. Come find me whenever you need me.¡± Jin Do-Yoon ignored Kim Woo-Gon. He led Chae Ye-Ryeong to a corner of the room that was as far away from the group as possible. "They are suspicious, aren''t they?" Chae Ye-Ryeong commented. Do-Yoon nodded his head in agreement. While Jin Do-Yoon and Kim Woo-Gon faced off, Ye-Ryeong had been trying to gather information by sensing the vibe. "We''re surviving here, but how do we get food? There doesn''t seem to be any place to relieve our physiological needs," Ye-Ryeong pointed out. Just as Do-Yoon was lost in thought, a bright white light flashed around the area where Kim Woo-Gon''s group had gathered on the outer edge of the room. All of a sudden, a pile of honey fruits that could be found on the first floor appeared. "Huh...?" Chae Ye-Ryeong exclaimed with widened eyes. Having witnessed that from afar, she murmured, "Food appeared like magic?" ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Do-Yoon nodded, finally understanding the situation now. Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s crew was sat in strategic positions that could monopolize food. It was now understandable why Woo-Gon had been so arrogant a moment ago. "Would you like to have some?" Kim Woo-gon asked as he approached Jin Do-Yoon and Chae Ye-Ryeong with some of the honey fruits in both hands. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Jin Do-Yoon was lost in thought for a moment. "We''re fine," Chae Ye-Ryeong said, boldly stepping forward. Kim Woo-Gon flashed a strange smile. "That seems possible for now. Alright then. As I mentioned earlier, just let me know whenever you need something." "We appreciate it." Ye-Ryeong smiled brightly in response. With a casual shrug of his shoulders, Kim Woo-Gon returned to his group to share the honey fruits and started to eat. After another half an hour had gone by, Chae Ye-Ryeong found an answer to the second question that she had. One of the ten members who had been gathered by Woo-Gon suddenly stood up and disappeared beyond a stone gate in the direction they were heading. ¡®There are five doors.¡¯ Ye-Ryeong had no idea what role each door played, but it seemed that the group was dealing with most of their physiological needs inside of them. Another interesting observation was that the location where the group had gathered food was quite close to the stone gate. In addition, shockingly, the one young woman in the group occasionally went beyond the stone gate with the other eight men¡ªaside from Kim Woo-Gon. Unless one was a fool, anyone would know what was going on beyond the stone gate when that happened. ¡®No wonder they were giving me those uncomfortable looks.¡¯ Chae Ye-Ryeong frowned as she realized that fact. ¡®There''s plenty of food, the issue with physiological needs has been resolved...and now he''s playing king of the hill.¡¯ Clearly, Kim Woo-Gon was the one who had set this game. Among the gathered men, he was the only one who didn''t lay a hand on the woman. However, in exchange, he seemed to have gained the upper hand over the group. In reality, it was a rather comical situation. The cube''s interior was indeed large and enclosed, but there was still a way forward. The group had come up to the second floor from the first, so it was natural that there would be a way to the third floor. Thus, if the woman who was being manipulated by Kim Woo-Gon and his group could muster the courage to move forward, she wouldn''t have to endure their insults. On the other hand, those who lacked the courage to move forward would remain trapped and vulnerable as prey to Kim Woo-Gon''s group. Watching the two of them from afar, Kim Woo-Gon appeared to believe that Do-Yoon and Ye-Ryeong were the latter case. ¡®We''re simply waiting for other people, but¡­¡¯ Woo-Gon was probably unaware of that fact. Only a day had passed, but it felt slightly longer to Do-Yoon and Ye-Ryeong. Kim Woo-Gon, who was sitting in the corner, approached Ye-Ryeong and Do-Yoon again. He asked, "Aren''t you curious about what''s beyond that cliff?" "We are," Chae Ye-Ryeong replied. Kim Woo-Gon revealed a sly smile. He said, "I''ve explored all five doors with my group, but they are quite dangerous unlike the first floor. There weren''t any major issues up until the entrance, but beyond that, there were many corpses that looked like they had been ripped apart by beasts. There must be a rather threatening monster there... As you know, in our weakened state, it could be a significant threat to us.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± "I''m sharing this information because I''m concerned that your curiosity might cost you your lives. Of course, I cannot interfere with whatever decision you two make..." Kim Woo-Gon finished speaking, casually shrugged his shoulders, and turned around to return to his spot. ¡®He''s a really bad person.¡¯ Chae Ye-Ryeong now fully understood how Kim Woo-Gon had created this group. ¡®Even if I go, I still want to scold them badly¡­¡¯ As Ye-Ryeong pondered over various thoughts, light suddenly burst out from the center of the room. Everyone, including Kim Woo-Gon''s group, Jin Do-Yoon, and Chae Ye-Ryeong, naturally turned their attention towards the light. Looking at the person who had appeared through the light, Ye-Ryeong quickly raised her hand and shouted, "Hey, kiddo! Over here!" While scanning the surroundings to assess the situation, Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s gaze suddenly landed on Chae Ye-Ryeong. He yelled back, "I told you not to call me a kiddo!" "Forget it, come here quickly," Ye-Ryeong said. Was it due to the bad situation? Chae Ye-Ryeong felt much more relieved to see Yoo Jin-Hyuk than usual. Ye-Ryeong went over to Jin-Hyuk and put her arms around his shoulders, then whispered, "Don''t make eye contact with those guys. They''re really bad people. Kids shouldn¡¯t grow up seeing those things.¡± "Bad people?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had seen and lived through a lot of bad things since he was young, was inwardly scoffing. "You made it. Great job," said Do-Yoon. Jin Do-Yoon greeted Do-Yoon with a delighted face. Then, he said, "Yes, hyung. Is Yu-Seong hyung not yet¡­?" "The young master hasn''t come yet." "Oh, come to think of it, there''s no noona either." "Yeah, we have to wait a bit more." Kim Woo-Gon''s gaze grew icy as he watched the trio huddled together and whispering in low tones. *** As time passed, Chae Ye-Ryeong realized she was getting quite hungry. Once more, light burst forth from the center of the room, revealing the arrival of yet another person. And to their surprise, it was none other than Jin Yu-Ri. "Unni!" Chae Ye-Ryeong greeted Yu-Ri with a bright expression as she jumped up from her spot. "Oh, Ye-Ryeong? Am I the last one... No, I guess I¡¯m not," Yu-Ri said while scanning the area out of habit and giving a suspicious glance towards Kim Woo-Gon and his group. She quickly approached her own group. "Did I appear like that too? It¡¯s quite cool," Yoo Jin-Hyuk asked Ye-Ryeong after adapting well to the situation inside the cube. "The vibe is odd. Who are these guys?" asked Yu-Ri in a hushed tone. She was still scanning the room with her sharp eyes. ¡°Those are the people who arrived first. They have a monopoly on food and¡­¡± Ye-Ryeong then explained everything she had found out to Jin Yu-Ri in a low voice. After hearing the whole story, Yu-Ri naturally furrowed her eyebrows. She said, "They''re really unbearable people. We should leave as soon as Yu-Seong oppa arrives.¡± "We can¡¯t punish them, right¡­?" Ye-Ryeong asked. "Well..." Yu-Ri looked over at Kim Woo-Gon, who was staring at her group. ¡®They''ll probably make their move soon though.¡¯ Despite the small number on her side compared to the ten on Woo-Gon¡¯s side, Yu-Ri was unafraid. ¡®Thanks to the things Yu-Seong oppa has taught us, we''ve become a little stronger in various ways and have come here¡­¡¯ The problem was that the Kim Woo-Gon crew did not know this fact. Also, their crew was close to double the number of people in Yu-Ri¡¯s group. This meant that Yu-Ri¡¯s group could get hurt or be in danger if conflict arose. "For now, let''s pretend we don''t know anything," Jin Yu-Ri suggested. Chae Ye-Ryeong nodded in agreement. A little later, about five more people appeared. Two of them felt uneasy about the atmosphere and went towards the next room, while three others decided to stay in the room due to Kim Woo-Gon''s persuasion and threats. With the arrival of three more people, Kim Woo-Gon''s previously uneasy expression due to Yu-Seong''s growing group size had transformed into a relaxed smile. Then, in the midst of their situation, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had been watching Kim Woo-Gon''s group constantly monopolizing the food, frowned and asked, "Should we ask for some food?" Although they could use the entrance to the other room beyond the stone gate to resolve their physiological needs like those guys, hunger was different. This was especially true for Jin Do-Yoon and Chae Ye-Ryeong, who had arrived first; they were almost all skin and bones. "It won¡¯t be free," Yu-Ri commented. "How annoying," said Jin-Hyuk while pursing his lips. Just then, light erupted from the center of the room once again. The person they had all been waiting for appeared. "Yu-Seong hyung!" "Young master!" "Boss!" "Oppa." This novel is available on "pawread dot com". Yu-Seong appeared somewhat embarrassed as his group approached him with a welcoming shout. Raising his hand lightly, he said, "Oh, everyone¡­ It looks like you all arrived first, but..." Yu-Seong was no fool. Despite his happy emotions, he could sense that something was wrong with the atmosphere. ¡®What''s going on? Food will be automatically supplied on the second floor, won''t it?¡¯ As he surveyed the group''s condition, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel concerned. It was clear that the group was in a bad state. Sensing a change, Kim Woo-Gon approached Yu-Seong, who was still scanning the area to assess the situation after the unexpected realization, and spoke to him. 1. about 3558 square feet ? CH 164 "Nice to meet you. I''m Kim Woo-Gon. And you are...?" Before Yu-Seong could even respond, Kim Woo-Gon quickly recognized him and exclaimed, "Choi Yu-Seong? From the Comet Group?" Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise. He answered, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± His popularity, which had spread through social media and even landed him in newspaper articles, made it inevitable for him to be easily recognized. Then, he tried to recall where he had heard of Kim Woo-Gon before. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. ¡®Kim Woo-Gon, Kim Woo-Gon in the Tower of Heaven¡­ It¡¯s not unfamiliar¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t come up with anything. As Yu-Seong pondered, Kim Woo-Gon suddenly bowed his head and greeted him again. "Oh my, it''s a pleasure! I''m a big fan of yours, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong. I had no idea we would meet here." Before Yu-Seong could respond, Chae Ye-Ryeong made a puzzled expression and said in a strange voice, ¡°What?¡± "Did something happen?" asked Yu-Seong. ¡°Oh, so¡­¡± "Are you part of the group? I''m sorry. I think I made a few mistakes along the way." Kim Woo-Gon, with a somewhat flustered expression, quickly bowed deeply to Chae Ye-Ryeong, Jin Do-Yoon, and the others. He went on to say, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to share food with unfamiliar people in such an enclosed space. I somehow ended up representing the group and making mistakes due to my cautiousness. I hope you can forgive me with an open mind.¡± Ye-Ryeong frowned and looked at Yu-Seong. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she hesitated to speak up. After all, Yu-Seong was standing right in front of her. "I¡¯ll ask my party about the situation. Could my party talk in private for a moment, Mr. Kim Woo-Gon?" Yu-Seong asked. "Oh, of course, it''s an honor to see you again. Sincerely," Kim Woo-Gon said with a bright smile and moved away from the group. "Boss, that guy is really a bad guy. Don''t trust him!" Ye-Ryeong blurted out, finally giving voice to what she wanted to say. "Slow down, tell me what happened after you came here," Yu-Seong said. Chae Ye-Ryeong then tried her best to convey what she had seen, heard, and experienced as objectively as possible, despite her excitement. She used rather emotional language at the beginning, but quickly focused on talking about Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s behavior towards the end. As Chae Ye-Ryeong''s story drew to a close, Yu-Seong suddenly remembered something. ¡®Oh, right. I remember now.¡¯ Unlike the Tower''s Demon King, Adam Smith, who had become famous after entering the Tower, Kim Woo-Gon was already a well-known figure outside of the Tower. ¡®Villain name: Trickster.¡¯ Kim Woo-Gon was an S-rank villain, one of the three Demon King Worshipers¡¯ leaders hiding within South Korea. ¡®So, at this point, this guy is acting as a king here.¡¯ In the original novel, Kim Woo-Gon''s appearance came only after the Tower had been conquered halfway. He was known for his persuasiveness and ability to lead people astray, acting as a preacher who propagated new Demon King Worshipers inside the tower. Ultimately, he became a well-known supporting character in the original novel who would be exposed for his true nature and killed by Kim Do-Jin. Realizing this fact, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡®Did he say he¡¯s a fan of mine?¡¯ That statement itself might not be entirely incorrect. By now, the Demon King Worshipers within the Tower might have started to pay attention to Choi Yu-Seong. This wouldn¡¯t be a strange thing at all. ¡®They would want to recruit me, but my father''s gaze would be too intimidating.¡¯ In other words, Kim Woo-Gon''s shift in attitude towards Yu-Seong''s group stemmed from their desire to exploit the current situation to their advantage. It was an opportunity for them as the Tower was a place beyond Choi Woo-Jae''s gaze. How amazing would it be if they could recruit a talented and promising person from a great family as a Demon King Worshiper? ¡®For Demon King Worshipers, they would be able to easily shake the entire South Korea.¡¯ In fact, there were quite a few people in the Demon King Worshipers who were at the center of wealth or power. However, in South Korea, there were few cases where such influential people were affiliated with the Demon King Worshipers. Considering the fact that about 30% of famous people in Europe, the United States, China, and other countries were somehow associated with the Demon King Worshipers, the situation in South Korea was surprisingly good. ¡®It''s probably because they thought there was nothing to gain from this small country¡­ Especially after already occupying Pyongyang.¡¯ Now that Pyongyang had fallen, it was time for the Demon King Worshipers to reconsider South Korea, which they had somewhat disregarded in the past. Therefore, Yu-Seong had become an increasingly alluring prospect for them. After organizing his thoughts, Yu-Seong turned his gaze towards Kim Woo-Gon, who was leading a group of more than ten people. Kim Woo-Gon noticed Yu-Seong''s gaze and smiled widely. When he waved his hand, Yu-Seong responded with a smile and a wave of his own. "Boss?" Chae Ye-Ryeong asked Yu-Seong with a surprised expression. "I originally planned to leave directly for the third floor, but it seems like we have something to do. Please wait for a little longer, and trust me." The saying that a crisis was an opportunity rang true, and Kim Woo-Gon''s notion of seizing an opportunity certainly applied to Yu-Seong as well. *** ¡°Can we talk for a moment?¡± Since Yu-Seong approached him first, Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s face brightened up with an even wider smile. ¡®This kiddo has taken the bait.¡¯ Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders at the obvious ploy. He commented, ¡°It¡¯s a little risky here¡­ It¡¯d be nice if we could be alone.¡± ¡°Come inside. It''s dangerous deeper in, but it''s fairly safe near the entrance.¡± Kim Woo-Gon stood up. As if he had been waiting, he was ready to lead the way. Yu-Seong noticed that Woo-Gon had signaled some of his men before getting up, but he pretended not to know. He thought to himself. ¡®He¡¯s definitely up to something.¡¯ Kim Woo-Gon entered the far left of the five stone doors, and Yu-Seong quietly followed him. It was a narrow hallway with walls on either side, not a maze. Aside from being dimly lit, an inexplicable sense of discomfort wrapped around Yu-Seong, and the stale air that smelled like a basement pricked his nose. ¡°You may or may not know, but most physiological needs are taken care of here. At first, I was a little concerned about the buildup, but... After a certain amount of time, anything done near the entrance disappears without a trace. It''s like a miracle. There''s got to be a reason the gods called us to the Tower.¡± Although Yu-Seong didn''t respond, Woo-Gon continued speaking to himself as he walked a little further away from the entrance. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around, facing Yu-Seong with a smile. His crescent-shaped eyes slowly came into focus in the darkness. ¡°This should be far enough. I actually wanted to say something to you too, Choi Yu-Seong. This is great timing.¡± ¡°You can go first.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± Once he saw Yu-Seong nodding lightly, Woo-Gon did not refuse it. He said, "Originally, it should be kept a secret, but truth be told, I have been entrusted with a certain secret mission. Ah, don''t worry, it''s not some suspicious organization with an unknown name." Yu-Seong almost burst out laughing involuntarily. ¡®If you''re on a secret mission, how can your organization not be suspicious?¡¯ It was indeed a paradoxical remark. Even in the midst of it, Kim Woo-Gon was mixing in the truth strangely. After all, there were few people in the world who did not know the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ name. ¡°I see,¡± Yu-Seong replied shortly. As Yu-Seong patiently waited for his elaboration, Woo-Gon went on to say, "While our organization is not entirely without suspicion, we believe that this tower is undoubtedly an opportunity that the gods have given us to help humanity. It''s a joyful thing. And going a step further, we believe that humans'' greedy nature often causes them to miss opportunities and cause problems." "That¡¯s why you''re gathering people," said Yu-Seong, thinking that it wouldn''t hurt to chime in with his own thoughts. Yu-Seong had a vague and rough idea of Kim Woo-Gon''s and the Demon King Worshipers'' plan, but he didn''t know the exact details. ¡®Many guys besides Kim Woo-Gon have come into the Tower to act as preachers for the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯ And they would continuously cause incidents and accidents within the Tower. Some of those incidents would cause an incredible number of deaths, and if possible, Yu-Seong wanted to prevent those incidents from occurring. The problem was that he didn''t know when they would start their activities. ¡®Because, in the original novel, the problems are often resolved after the incidents have occurred.¡¯ Yu-Seong continued to wonder if there was a way to extract information from Kim Woo-Gon. ¡°Yes, that''s correct. We want peace, and we believe we need a security force to maintain it. In this situation, we think that with someone like you, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, who has a fairly well-known name outside, the job could be made easier. That''s why we''re sharing this secret and asking for your help,¡± explained Kim Woo-Gon. ¡°I see. I understand.¡± ¡°Oh, so you''ve decided to help?¡± After Yu-Seong nodded, Kim Woo-Gon quickly followed up with persuasive words. He wanted to persuade Yu-Seong to become a Demon King Worshiper. For him, this first step had to be taken cautiously. ¡°Why wouldn''t I help you when you''re doing a good thing?¡± answered Yu-Seong carefully. ¡°It''s nice that the conversation is going better than I thought,¡± Woo-Gon said. By then, other people¡¯s presence could be felt from the other side of the hallway. As Yu-Seong looked across the darkness with a wary gaze, Kim Woo-Gon shook his head and said, ¡°No need to be too careful. They''re my people.¡± Sure enough, the men looked familiar. ¡®They are the guys who received eye contact from Kim Woo-Gon earlier on.¡¯ There were three of them. ¡®These guys are also Demon King Worshipers.¡¯ Either they had followed Kim Woo-Gon into this Tower from the beginning, or they had discovered each other''s identities and began to cooperate within the Tower. "But how did they come from the other side?" "As a matter of fact, the left and right doors are somewhat connected. We just found out recently." "I see. One more question¡­ Why are they¡­?" "Well, actually, there''s one more thing we want to ask of you, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong." "One more thing?" "As you know, the plan is so confidential that it needs to be carried out secretly. Maintaining security is the most important thing,¡± said Woo-Gon. Yu-Seong sensed that the air around him was growing colder. ¡®No wonder, he seemed too docile for a Demon King Worshiper.¡¯ When Yu-Seong stepped back after thinking so, Kim Woo-Gon pulled out a small, black, and round pill from his pocket. He explained, "No need to be afraid. It''s just a small token to ensure security.¡± ¡°What''s that?¡± asked Yu-Seong. "As I said, it¡¯s a small token to ensure security and to mark the promise between us. If you consume this, you''ll be able to keep secrets with no problems," said Woo-Gon. "Keep secrets with no problems?" From different directions, the three men were approaching Yu-Seong as if they were trying to catch him. "Yes, I''d appreciate it if you could think of it in the sense that¡­you''d be with us forever." When he heard those words, Yu-Seong had a twinkle in his eyes. He commented, "So that¡¯s the famous Magic Total Pill." The four men''s eyes widened in surprise. The Magic Total Pill was only carried by the Demon King Worshipers. In other words, Yu-Seong was revealing the fact that he had figured out their true identity. "If you take the Magic Total Pill and fail to keep the promise you¡¯ve made, you will be killed without exception. It''s actually a highly sought-after item. I was wondering whether you brought it, and it looks like you did," Yu-Seong said. With such a drug, there was no need to use any trickery. Noticing Yu-Seong¡¯s change in attitude, Kim Woo-Gon and the other men had interesting shifts in their expressions. Their initially bewildered and clueless expressions soon became cold and sharp. "Choi Yu-Seong... It doesn''t matter how you¡¯ve figured out our true identity. What''s important is that this is a narrow passage where no one comes...and there are four of us." Due to the Reset, all the players had gone back to the same starting line. Adding the one-versus-four situation, anybody would have thought that Yu-Seong was at a serious disadvantage. CH 165 However, that was just on the surface. Yu-Seong''s current stats were not what a typical player would have expected. ¡®One should be wary of... It could be inferred that, at most, they brought along some ancient relics as a precaution.¡¯ Yu-Seong took a slow step back, baiting Woo-Gon''s three men into approaching him. Thinking that Yu-Seong was retreating in fear, Woo-Gon let out a sinister laugh and shook his head. "Why didn¡¯t you pretend to be clueless until the end? Then we could at least have had a good relationship..." Instead of answering, Yu-Seong checked the distance between him and the others. ¡®Swinging a spear that''s too long can be uncomfortable. Maybe if we move a little closer¡­¡¯ At that moment, the three men were only a few steps away from Yu-Seong. When Yu-Seong¡¯s Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice turned into a short spear, emitting light, Woo-Gon shouted in shock, "He has a weapon! Everyone, be careful...!" Before Woo-Gon could finish speaking, Yu-Seong twisted his hips. His spear arced sharply, flashing beneath the heads of the three men before they could even react. Clatter-! In an instant, the three men turned lifeless. Their blood spewed out as they collapsed to the ground. "...?!" Woo-Gon was shocked speechless. Then, he darted toward the opposite side of the corridor. Although Woo-Gon made a fairly quick decision and ran as fast as he could, Yu-Seong simply threw the short spear in his hand with a light snort. Shwoosh-! With a sharp sound tearing through the air, the spear¡¯s sharp blade tore through Woo-Gon''s ear and pierced into the ground. "Agh-!" Woo-Gon screamed and jumped up. At the same time, Yu-Seong quickly ran and grabbed Woo-Gon¡¯s back. He said in a low voice, "If you don''t want to die, shut your mouth.¡± "Kill him!" Woo-Gon shouted. Refusing to give up, he twisted his whole body to try and get away. ¡®The ancient relics!¡¯ Yu-Seong quickly released his grip and stepped to the side after confirming that a strange energy was gathering from the necklace that Woo-Gon held in his hand. The black energy flowed out of the necklace, coiled around Woo-Gon''s hand, and wriggled like a venomous snake. Then, it shot towards Yu-Seong and pierced through his shoulder. "¡­?!" Seeing the large hole in Yu-Seong''s shoulder and the blood flowing out, Woo-Gon had a somewhat ecstatic expression on his face. He yelled, "You dumbass! Did you really think that only you could hide your abilities?" When Yu-Seong had swiftly cut the throats of his three colleagues, fear had been the first emotion to rise in Woo-Gon''s heart. ¡®I couldn''t even see him swing his spear.¡¯ Even though Woo-Gon was unaware of Yu-Seong''s chosen ability in the Tower, he had realized the danger of approaching him. With such a thought, he had chosen to run away immediately. When Yu-Seong grabbed his neck, Woo-Gon had quickly activated his ancient relic, the Insignia of Black Mana, and had simultaneously used his skill, the Snake''s Trap. Although he had been worried that his attack might miss, he finally relaxed when he saw Yu-Seong unexpectedly get injured. "Now you don''t have a spear, and you''re injured. I don''t know how you can use such powerful abilities, but you shouldn''t let your guard down until the end," warned Woo-Gon. As Woo-Gon extended his hand, the black energy flowing from his necklace gradually drew closer to the injured Yu-Seong. He then said threateningly, "As long as you''re caught in the Snake''s Trap, you will become paralyzed. If you get hit once more, you''ll definitely die. What do you say? If you surrender now, I can give you a chance to save your life." "A chance?" Yu-Seong''s lips curved into a smile as he lowered his head. At the same time, he extended his right hand. "What...?" Woo-Gon took a step back in surprise, but just then, something hit him from behind. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the floor, unconscious. In a swift motion, Yu-Seong retrieved the spear he had thrown earlier back into his hand. ¡®The hidden skill String of Union.¡¯ This skill had a similar effect to Rachel''s Thread of Destiny, which could pull designated objects or people within fifty meters. The only difference was that it could only target one thing, which was somewhat of a disadvantage, but it was useful for luring the opponent into a false sense of security. Above all, it had an advantage that made it even better than Rachel''s Thread of Destiny. ¡®As my level increases, the skill range will continue to expand, and there is no mana consumption at all.¡¯ Above all, nothing could possibly interfere with the skill effect. Once a person or object was designated, it would inevitably be pulled towards Yu-Seong as long as it was within range. ¡®For now¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong shifted his focus on the String of Union from Pharaoh''s Caprice to Woo-Gon. He then used his skill to grab Woo-Gon''s neck and take his necklace. ¡®Hm, this is something I cannot use.¡¯ The black mana provided immense power, but it came at the cost of destroying the user''s personality and character. Despite this, Yu-Seong took the necklace away. He thought that Woo-Gon, who had regained consciousness, could pose a threat. ¡®Huh, my vision seems to be gradually getting blurry due to the paralysis effect.¡¯ Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. He extended his left hand, where green energy emerged and took on the form of a small cat. ¡®As expected, it''s cute.¡¯ It was the Green Wind Spirit Cat, the hidden treasure that Yu-Seong had been seeking since entering the Tower of Heaven. If obtaining the String of Union was considered a reward for passing the Path of Trial''s Trap, obtaining the Green Wind Spirit Cat was an additional achievement from breaking through the entrance and the exit in one go. In fact, the reason why Yu-Seong had continued to return to the entrance and retry, even though it had been overwhelming, was the desire to obtain the Green Wind Spirit Cat. ¡®I ask for treatment.¡¯ At his humble request, the Green Wind Spirit Cat, which was affectionately rubbing its cheek against Yu-Seong''s palm, gently leaped onto his injured shoulder. With both paws, it began to massage the hole-ridden shoulder in a peculiar manner. Gradually, the energy emanating from the Green Wind Spirit Cat¡¯s feet began to rapidly regenerate the holes on Yu-Seong''s shoulders. *** In the midst of the serene silence, Woo-Gon opened his eyes and was surprised to see Yu-Seong sitting against the wall in front of him. He asked, "How... How did you¡­?" There were too many parts that Woo-Gon couldn''t understand. He had definitely experienced the same Reset, but Yu-Seong¡¯s swift movements, the mysterious skill that had hit Woo-Gon from behind, and the sudden healing of Yu-Seong''s injured shoulder were all astonishing. These were effects that definitely could not be produced by just one Special Skill and two General Skills. "That''s not the point," Yu-Seong answered curtly and approached his opponent. Woo-Gon purposely made a surprised expression, even though he could still feel that his body was relaxed. ¡®Looks like he didn''t tie me up. And he seems to have taken the Insignia of Black Mana¡­¡¯ It would be difficult to fight again without the ancient relics, but Woo-Gon was at least relieved that there was no physical restraint. In fact, he could make an attempt to escape. Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded when he saw Woo-Gon trying to stand up. As the man wobbled on his buttocks, he urged, "Try to run away." "...What?" "If you can, give it a try." In fact, Woo-Gon was grateful to be allowed to do that. He quickly got up and dashed forward. At that moment, he felt like someone grabbed his nape and pulled him, and his body simply flew backward in spite of his will. "Whoa!" Woo-Gon let out a startled scream. Yu-Seong tightened his grip on Woo-Gon''s neck and smiled. He said again, "Come on, try to run away." "Is it even possible¡­? Haven''t you been Reset?" Realizing that he had been hit with a skill, Woo-Gon felt his heart skip a beat. ¡®At least four or five skills... It''s unbelievable. Every single person who has appeared until now has been affected by the Reset phenomenon¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong didn''t bother to correct Woo-Gon''s misunderstanding. ¡®Rather, it''s better to be excessively tense than to relax.¡¯ With that in mind, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and kicked Woo-Gon in the back of the knee. "Argh-! My leg!" Woo-Gon wobbled before falling to the ground. "Don''t overreact. It''s not like your bone''s broken." Yu-Seong then sat in front of the fallen Woo-Gon and took out the Magic Total Pill, which he had been holding in his hand. "This, this is...?" "I found it when you passed out. You had three of them." "You''re going to make me eat that?!?!" Yu-Seong smiled. He said, "Seems like you¡¯re not the type to pledge your loyalty to the Demon King Worshipers by consuming the Magic Total Pill. That''s great." "You''re insane! Just kill me instead!" Woo-Gon shouted. Instead of answering, Yu-Seong slapped him in the face. Slap-! A crisp sound echoed through the air, and blood trickled from the corner of Woo-Gon''s mouth. "You idiot, think before you speak. Do you honestly believe that I would listen to someone who just tried to kill me?" Yu-Seong grabbed Woo-Gon''s cheeks and forced his mouth open. ¡°You¡­ You¡­ What are you trying to do¡­?¡± "I didn''t want to be this ruthless, but after going through this kind of shit a few times, I realized that there''s no use showing mercy to demons like you." The memories of the Demon King Worshipers he had previously encountered suddenly flooded Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. In particular, the massive sacrifice in Pyongyang still made him shake with anger. This prompted Yu-Seong to push the Magic Total Pill into Woo-Gon''s mouth. Despite Woo-Gon''s frantic attempts to spit the pill out, Yu-Seong used his fingers to forcefully push the Magic Total Pill into the back of the man¡¯s throat. "If you don''t make the contract within five minutes of eating the Magic Total Pill, your entire body will feel like it''s being eaten alive by insects. And then you die. Right?¡± Yu-Seong said calmly. ¡°Uh, uhhh¡­uhhhhhh¡­!¡± "Why... Why are you doing this to me?!" cried Woo-Gon. With bloodshot eyes, he shook his head from side to side. Tears streamed down his face. "Huh? Why are you saying stuff like that? When others asked you this question, you did the exact same thing I''m doing now," Yu-Seong said. "Ughhh..." "You only need to make one simple promise, nothing much. Repeat after me: ''I, Kim Woo-Gon, will be Choi Yu-Seong''s slave for the rest of my life,''" Yu-Seong said, unfazed. "But¡­ But if the contract has excessive terms, it may lead to side effects!" Woo-Gon exclaimed. "Oh, you mean the slow process of mental breakdown? Well, still, isn¡¯t it better than dying in agony right now?" Yu-Seong asked. "You, you. How¡­ How do you know so much information? Is the Comet Group trying to take action against the Demon King Worshipers?" Woo-Gon asked. "Shhh, no more comments. You can get other opportunities if you''re alive, but once you''re dead, it''s over. Make your choice. What are you going to do, Woo-Gon?" Yu-Seong asked with a sardonic smile on his face. Looking right at Yu-Seong, Woo-Gon could not say anything. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to refuse. In fact, he had already seen the pitiful state of those who had refused the contract of the Magic Total Pill and died. Having seen their fate firsthand, Woo-Gon did not want to die the same way. "Argh..." In the end, Woo-Gon dropped his head in defeat and repeated Yu-Seong''s words, swearing to become his lifelong slave. Search "pawread dot com" for the original. CH 166 When Yu-Seong and Kim Woo-Gon returned to the lounge on the Tower¡¯s second floor peacefully, Jin Yu-Ri quickly approached and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± "We just decided to be friendly," replied Yu-Seong. "Uh, what?" Yu-Ri was surprised by the unexpected answer, but Yu-Seong walked away to join the rest of the group. He then announced, "When the next meal arrives, we''ll fill our stomachs and head to the third floor.¡± "Did they agree to give us food?" asked Yoo Jin-Hyuk. "I made them an offer they couldn''t refuse," Yu-Seong said, quoting a famous line from the classic movie ''The Godfather.'' Yu-Ri rolled her eyes, but there was nothing else that Yu-Seong could say. ¡®Well, I suppose I could elaborate further if necessary.¡¯ There was no doubt that Yu-Seong would get an earful since it had been a dangerous situation in a way. However, he couldn''t completely ignore his companions'' glances. "I''ll tell you later when we have a chance." "You know that there are already so many things piled up to talk about, right? You have to keep your promise," Yu-Ri said with a strangely scary smile. Yu-Seong nodded with a smile. "Oh, three people from that group over there entered a different passage earlier. It seemed odd, but did you¡­?" ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see them. Maybe they just went up to the next floor.¡± Yu-Seong had already coordinated the story with Kim Woo-Gon on this matter since it would be easier to just say that the three missing individuals had gone on ahead. While there may be some doubts, there was little to gain from pressing the issue right now. As expected, everyone fell for Yu-Seong¡¯s rather shameless lie, and soon it was time for the next food distribution. Kim Woo-Gon quickly grabbed a lot of food and approached the group. While doing so, he exchanged glances with Yu-Seong. ''Well done. Don''t forget what you have to do and keep it going smoothly.'' Kim Woo-Gon, who appeared to be grinding his teeth in frustration, forced a nod and returned to his place. ¡®I suppose there''s not much else he can do, especially since death is the only way to avoid the pledge made by the Magic Total Pill.¡¯ In fact, villains were known for sparing nothing but their own lives, which they preserved remarkably well. Yu-Seong thought of Kim Woo-Gon as such a villain, and he was not mistaken. ¡®The moment I escape from the Magic Total Pill¡¯s curse, Choi Yu-Seong will die at my hand.¡¯ But how? Despite inwardly devising plans, Kim Woo-Gon couldn''t shake the feeling that his future was grim. Putting those thoughts aside, Woo-Gon saw Yu-Seong and his companions rise from the table after a short mealtime. "Let''s head straight to the third floor," said Yu-Seong. Soon, the entire Tower of Heaven would be bustling with numerous players. There was too much to be done before that. At Yu-Seong¡¯s call, the group moved. Soon, Kim Woo-Gon was left alone. He rolled his eyes while waiting in the lounge. Suddenly, light flowed into the center of the waiting room before the appearance of another figure. "Huh?" Startled by the sudden change in the situation, the figure reflexively smiled when he met Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s gaze. In fact, Kim Woo-Gon also welcomed the figure. He was looking at an A-rank villain, one of the executives of the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ local branch. Recognizing the man, he gave a smile. However, he was definitely cursing inwardly due to a promise he had made Yu-Seong. ¡®...I was told to eliminate any Demon King Worshipers I know if I encounter them in the Tower of Heaven.¡¯ Indeed, Yu-Seong had no mercy for villains. Moreover, if Woo-Gon violated the order, the curse of the Magic Total Pill would devour him. Therefore, despite knowing that his actions would be shackles around his ankles, Kim Woo-Gon had no choice but to obey Yu-Seong''s orders. Soon, Woo-Gon left his group and approached his colleague from the Demon King Worshipers, Tae-Sik. He whispered into the man¡¯s ear, ¡°Mr. Park Tae-Sik, long time no see. Can we talk alone for a moment?" "You seem to have a plan? Hoho. Since it¡¯s the Trickster asking, then I¡¯ll be sure to follow it.¡± Without knowing the situation, Park Tae-Sik followed Kim Woo-Gon into a dark passage. He was unaware that it would become his tomb. *** As he entered the passageway to the Tower''s second floor, Yu-Seong suddenly turned back with a strange feeling. ¡®Something feels pretty good...?¡¯ Kim Woo-Gon, who was left alone, seemed to have done something good. With that in mind, Yu-Seong quickly put aside his interest in the path behind him and walked ahead. "There are fewer monsters than I expected," Chae Ye-Ryeong said. Yu-Seong simply smiled. During their journey here, Yu-Seong had given them a brief explanation of the Tower of Heaven¡¯s second floor. ¡®The primary feature of the second floor is the breakthrough.¡¯ If the first floor was a combination of traps, mazes, and battles for adapting to the Tower, then the second floor was relatively simple. It was about breaking through relatively narrow passages guarded by monsters. Therefore, for hunters who were used to battles, it would be a relatively easy process in a way. However, the distance was quite long. "It hasn''t even started yet. I bet you''ll soon get sick of the monsters,¡± said Yu-Seong. "That many?" "Yeah, that''s why I decided for all five of us to go together as a group for the second floor." Of course, there was also a hidden reward here. ¡®We¡¯ll have to break through within three hours.¡¯ Among the doors that could be chosen on the first floor, the most difficult and time-consuming path was the red door. Knowing this, Yu-Seong had everyone choose the red door. However, he didn''t mention the hidden reward that could be obtained by breaking through within three hours. ¡®Whether it works out or not, it''s all good.¡¯ If one chose the red door in the original novel, the average time to break through the second floor was eight hours. No matter how many people were grouped together, the narrow paths ultimately limited the number of people who could participate in battle. That made it difficult to reduce the time spent. Therefore, the ideal number of people to obtain a hidden reward in the Tower of Heaven''s second floor was determined to be a minimum of three and a maximum of eight. ¡®Our team consists of five members, including myself.¡¯ They were all reliable companions who had trained since the first floor and had earned recognition for their abilities in the original novel. However, the world was full of uncertainties. It was wiser to ascend safely, without jeopardizing the team because of needless greed, even if it meant forfeiting the hidden reward. That was why Yu-Seong didn''t tell the team about it. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯ve already obtained the most important one, the Green Wind Spirit Cat.¡¯ Whether they knew about Yu-Seong''s thought or whether it was their desire to become stronger in the Tower, the team''s footsteps quickened little by little. "Oh¡­ Finally..." Chae Ye-Ryeong''s eyes twinkled as she saw the group of skeletons that soon appeared. "They¡¯re undead¡ªskeletons?" "As you know, they''re not that strong..." However, the number of skeletons was incredibly large. It also felt somewhat grotesque to see the road filled with white skeletons with clattering bones gazing at the party with empty eyes. Moreover, they held at least one weapon each that could cause fatal wounds. They were distinctly different from the Shadow Slimes, which only looked threatening on the outside. "Those can really kill you if they hit you. You know that, right?" Yu-Seong said. "I''ll take the vanguard, young master," said Do-Yoon. If judged solely by physical abilities, Jin Do-Yoon was the most outstanding among the group. There was no reason for Yu-Seong to oppose him taking the lead. "As I mentioned before, there are just too many of them. Trying to defeat them all will be pointless. That''s why our goal is just to get past them. However, we also need to allocate our stamina properly and..." "Right, we need to keep an eye on the others so that they don''t fall behind. You''ve already reminded us of that five times, Yu-Seong oppa," Yu-Ri said. "Am I that naggy?" asked Yu-Seong. "I used to be in charge of nagging, but lately, you¡¯ve been doing it more often," Jin Yu-Ri said with a giggle from his right. "Don''t worry too much and trust us. We''re all professionals.¡± Professionals¡­ Were there any other words that suited the hunters, who were more accustomed to battle than anyone else? This was especially true for Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon, both of whom had even participated in battles up to the A-rank that had exhausted their mental energy to the extreme. "That''s right. I said something unnecessary." ¡°Now, shall we start smashing these skull heads?¡± When Jin Yu-Ri reached her arm out with a serious expression on her face, the black energy shapeshifted into the shape of a mace. "I''ll go first!" shouted Chae Ye-Ryeong. She conjured numerous thick water droplets that resembled a mace, similar to what Yu-Ri had formed earlier. The skeleton soldiers were observing Yu-Seong¡¯s party, but they did not make the first move. They were only meant to guard the passage. In this situation, Chae Ye-Ryeong''s long-distance attack would serve as a good start to the battle. Just as Yu-Seong thought that all preparations were complete, Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his hand carefully and stepped forward. He asked, "Um¡­ If you don¡¯t mind, may I take the vanguard position?" "Huh?" At that moment, Yu-Seong questioned Jin-Hyuk¡¯s request. He thought that a middle or rear position might be more suitable for Jin-Hyuk, who was a Demonic Beast Tamer. Yoo Jin-Hyuk took out his grimoire, the Book of Faust, and chanted a short incantation to summon the demonic beast, which resembled a giant gorilla. The chosen beast let out a deafening roar as it appeared in front of the party. "Krrrr..." The gorilla-like demonic beast seemed annoyed as it bent its massive body to fit in the narrow passage. Itlooked straight ahead with a fierce gaze and let out a short cry but as soon as it made eye contact with Yoo Jin-Hyuk, it flashed an awkward smile. Seeing the surprising sight, Yu-Seong stifled a hollow laugh. ¡®I¡¯m sure that¡¯s a monster from a rank 5 dungeon¡­¡¯ Within the Tower of Heaven, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was only at level 10 at best, should not be capable of summoning such a strong demonic beast. "Relax, Kong. You can walk, right?" As Yoo Jin-Hyuk approached and gently stroked Kong''s thick hands, the overwhelming ferocity of the creature began to subside. Kong started to reveal a gentler side. Clearly, Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s mana was completely controlling Kong. We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. ¡®Even though he¡¯s only level 10.¡¯ Thinking that Yoo Jin-Hyuk was indeed a genius Demonic Beast Tamer, Yu-Seong felt a chill run down his back. He was witnessing Jin-Hyuk''s potential firsthand. "What the..." Yu-Ri also gasped in amazement. "I guess there''s no need for me to step up," Jin Do-Yoon said as he willingly stepped back. Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s demonic beast, Kong, had a thick hide and incredible strength. "Just running through this narrow passage would destroy all those skeletons in front of us, wouldn''t it?" said Yu-Ri. Indeed, her statement was indisputable. "And we''ll just have to follow behind," remarked Yu-Seong. With his eyes sparkling with renewed determination to obtain the hidden reward that he had nearly given up on, he then exclaimed, "Incredible, Jin-Hyuk. You''re truly amazing!" Jin-Hyuk merely shrugged in response. With a broad smile on his face, he replied humbly, "No need to thank me. I''m just glad I could be of help, hyung!" As he spoke, Jin-Hyuk glanced over at Chae Ye-Ryeong, whose expression was now somewhat angry. He then commented casually, "I just operate on a different level than some short kid. Haha..." ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡± Ye-Ryeong responded with a vengeful glare. She was now strongly determined to get revenge on Yoo Jin-Hyuk. CH 167 Although it was only the Tower of Heaven¡¯s second floor, the group charged forward with unparalleled vigor. Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s summoned demonic beast, Kong, was acting as a sturdy tank that cleared the path before them. ¡®This is like an ass wearing a lion''s skin.¡¯ Yu-Seong and his companions ran out with such excitement that they felt like foxes riding on a lion''s back.[1] It was so satisfying to watch the skeletons bounce off of Kong in all directions, like bowling pins struck by a perfect strike, that they didn''t even have time to feel the tedium of the journey. Of course, there were still obstacles to overcome. Midway through the path, three or four forks in the path appeared. Skeletons also appeared from all sides, adding to the confusion of the path. Moreover, there were instances where they had to engage in direct combat. However, during such times, they didn''t ponder deeply about their path choice. "Straight ahead! Go straight ahead no matter what!" When uncertain, choosing to advance straight ahead was a decision that held true for both men and women alike. Following Yu-Seong''s lead, the group charged ahead to pursue Kong, the demonic beast that resembled a tank. As they progressed, the weakest link in their party became apparent as Yoo Jin-Hyuk gasped for breath due to his lack of stamina. But even this problem was quickly resolved with a simple command. "Jin Do-Yoon, carry him!" "Yes, young master!" Do-Yoon replied. It was not a big problem, since there was certainly an individual within the group who had plenty of energy to spare. The group had little time to rest, taking only brief breaks at occasional resting spots. They sprinted through the Tower of Heaven¡¯s second floor at breakneck speed, only to encounter another cube-shaped room that resembled the entrance. "We''ve arrived!" Yu-Seong shouted. The group halted in surprise upon hearing that shout. Even Kong, who was at the forefront, was bewildered by the sudden appearance of the spacious room. Shortly after, a sparkling message appeared before them. - You have successfully passed the second floor''s trial, defeating the monsters in just one hour and thirty minutes. You have achieved the fastest completion record! A hidden reward will now be calculated. Apart from Yu-Seong, everyone was astonished at the unexpected reward. "It must be a hidden quest," exclaimed Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had a fondness for games. Soon after, the next message appeared. - Please select your method of reward distribution: 1. Differential calculation based on contribution. 2. Even distribution. Naturally, everyone turned to look at Yu-Seong. If they were to select the differential calculation based on contribution, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would undoubtedly take first place. This would result in the other members of the group receiving no reward. "Let''s choose option 1," Yu-Seong calmly suggested, providing a solution to the situation at hand. Yu-Seong had read the original novel. He had expected this situation ever since the beginning when he had allowed Yoo Jin-Hyuk to take the lead. "What? I was definitely thinking of choosing option 2..." said Jin-Hyuk. "If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have achieved the record. None of us have any complaints," Yu-Seong said as he turned to look at the group. "Yu-Seong oppa is right. To be honest, even if we only get a small reward through differential distribution, it would still feel like being served on a silver platter," Jin Yu-Ri commented. "I also agree with the young master¡¯s opinion," Do-Yoon said. "But¡­it was possible because we all worked hard together to achieve this..." said Jin-Hyuk. "You would have been able to do it alone." Yu-Seong placed his hand on Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s head, he still seemed like a little boy. Yu-Seong continued, "Well done. Thanks to your hard training, you were able to summon a demonic beast like Kong in the Tower of Heaven. It''s the result of your efforts.¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk, unable to withstand the emotion of the moment, slightly teared up. Then, he looked at Chae Ye-Ryeong. "Why are you looking at me? Of course, I thought you did¡­we-well, you kiddo," said Ye-Ryeong. "That''s why I''m looking at you. I want to brag," Jin-Hyuk teased. ¡°You-!¡± Jin-Hyuk stuck out his tongue and hid behind Yu-Seong with shining eyes. He quickly said, "Then let''s choose option 1.¡± The message appeared even before Yu-Seong could nod his head. - Differential calculation based on contribution had been selected. The rankings are as follows: 1. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, 2. Jin Do-Yoon, 3. Choi Yu-Seong, 4. Jin Yu-Ri, 5. Chae Ye-Ryeong. Aside from Yoo Jin-Hyuk being ranked first, the other rankings were also acceptable. ''Jin Do-Yoon carried Yoo Jin-Hyuk on his back¡­and I was in command.'' As they nodded in satisfaction at the ranking table, an individualized message about rewards appeared in front of their eyes. - Third place reward: An additional random skill. Yu-Seong could only look at the reward in front of him with a satisfied expression. He said, ¡°Third place reward is good enough.¡± "Even fourth place isn''t bad. It¡¯s a random piece of equipment," Jin Yu-Ri said. "Fifth place is a honey fruit bundle. Haha.¡± Chae Ye-Ryeong laughed emptily and held up the honey fruit bundle that had appeared in her hand. "How¡¯s the reward for second place?" ¡°I can select an additional skill," said Do-Yoon. "Ah¡­ It''s definitely better than mine," said Yu-Seong. Clearly, the rewards for second and third place were considerably better than those for fourth and fifth place. Therefore, it was only natural to have high expectations for the top reward. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who felt the weight of his companions'' gazes, hesitated as he looked at the message that had appeared before him. He asked, ¡°It says ¡®evolution of a selected skill¡¯¡­ Is this a good thing?¡± Just then, the other members¡¯ expressions turned strange. Perhaps the additional skill awarded to the second and third place seemed more appealing. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He grabbed Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s shoulders tightly and exclaimed, "Oh my god, you hit the jackpot." A conglomerate family¡¯s son talking about a jackpot seemed odd, but who cared? "What?" "It''s a huge deal. Really well done, Jin-Hyuk." The more Yu-Seong messed up the already messy clump of hair on the pretty bundle''s head, the more Yoo Jin-Hyuk blushed. He soon burst into a childish smile, expressing his joy. *** The evolution of a selected skill meant exactly that: upgrading a skill to a higher level. So why was this reward better than simply getting another skill? The reason was simple. This reward could upgrade any skill brought from outside the Tower. In other words, this included Special Skills. In Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s case, he possessed a summoner Special Skill, the Demonic Beast Tamer. Although it was a single Special Skill, its effects were tremendous, like Kim Do-jin''s Genius Skill. The Demonic Beast Tamer had additional effects, including enhancing affinity with all demonic beasts, strengthening control, increasing mana, understanding Barrier, creating Barrier, releasing Barrier, and improving cognition, among others. What if this already awe-inspiring Demonic Beast Tamer Skill was evolved? "Uh... My Special Skill changed to ¡®Magic Trainer.¡¯ Basic abilities have been enhanced, and it seems that I can use Curse-type magic as an additional ability?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s eyes twinkled as he looked at Yu-Seong. "It feels like I''ve become much stronger!" Although he acted like an innocent boy, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was quite cunning and intelligent. He probably knew better than anyone else just how much more he could do now that his Special Skill had changed. "That is really great," said Yu-Seong, nodding with a satisfied expression. Thus, within the Tower of Heaven, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had become the group¡¯s strongest member. ¡®No, he might be stronger than anyone else in the Tower of Heaven now. In this situation, Kim Do-Jin won''t be able to compete with Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯ At the moment, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was on another level. In spite of that, he still had his bright and kind personality. ¡®I feel like all the effort I put into trying to reform the future villains has paid off¡­¡¯ Feeling impressed by Jin-Hyuk, Yu-Seong then turned to Do-Yoon and asked, "What skill did you choose?" "I chose Mana Reinforcement. This skill is not something that can be easily obtained based on my combat style..." "Excellent choice." As expected, Jin Do-Yoon was not talkative but very intelligent. Skills such as Regeneration Reinforcement and Stamina Reinforcement would have been automatically acquired as Do-Jin continued to fight. On the other hand, skills such as Mana Reinforcement were difficult to acquire typically for someone like Jin Do-Yoon, who was a typical Physical-type player. "I got this¡­ Too bad that I¡¯m not Jenny,¡± said Jin Yu-Ri, looking somewhat disappointed. When Yu-Ri showed the item that had appeared in her hand, Yu-Seong asked, "Huh? That''s...a gun?" Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at "pawread dot com" "Yes. To me, it''s pretty much useless." If it had come with bullets, it could have served as a means of intimidation. However, in the current situation, it was basically a useless item. "Can I use it?" Yu-Seong asked, his eyes glittering. "What? You? I know that Jenny taught you how to shoot, but... Well, I assume you''re asking because you have a plan," said Jin Yu-Ri, promptly handing the gun to Yu-Seong. "Great," replied Yu-Seong. "You do know that you have to pay me back later, right? Since I gave it to you for free." "Of course." Yu-Seong nodded. Then, after tucking the gun into his pockets, he looked at the group and said, "From here on out, we have to split up again." "What? Again?" "There''s no other way." Yu-Seong pointed to the only exit, then asked, "Do you see the number above the door?" The group turned to look at the closed solid stone door. An angry eagle''s face was carved above the door, with the Roman numeral II inscribed on its forehead. "Can we assume that the number indicates how many people can go in?" "Correct. And I''m sorry, but I can¡¯t provide any information about the inside. I don¡¯t know either." Starting from the third floor, the maps were assigned randomly. ¡®I might know the maps depicted in the original novel, but... For the rest, even I don''t know what''s going to come out.¡¯ It was rather dangerous to carelessly give out information in such a situation. Jin Yu-Ri shrugged and cast a sympathetic glance at Yu-Seong, who wore an apologetic expression. She said, "Do you think we are fools who are unable to do anything without information?" ¡°That¡¯s not true... I trust you, of course," Yu-Seong said with a smile. He nodded and clapped once. "Let''s stop worrying about useless things. In any case, we have to split up. If more than two of us get close, that guy won''t open the door." "Then one person is going to be left?¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk asked with his hand raised up high. "Yes. I''ll be the one staying behind." "You?" exclaimed Jin-Hyuk. "Then how will you get there, young master?" asked Do-Jin. "I have promised to meet with someone here," answered Yu-Seong. He was lying, but this was one way to get out of this situation. Although the group gave him suspicious looks, Yu-Seong had developed a thick skin and could brush it off. He said, "Just as I''m not worried, I hope you guys can trust me as well. And, I''ll be the one deciding the teams. Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon will be in one team, and the other two will be in another.¡± "Do I have to go with this shortie? I''d rather stay here with you, hyung!" exclaimed Jin-Hyuk in terror. "Hey, dummy, it says only two of us can go," Chae Ye-Ryeong responded with an absurd look. "Come on guys, I don¡¯t take complaints. There''s no other way. Jin-Hyuk, you are the strongest for now, so you have to protect her until she levels up a bit more. You can do it, right?" "As expected... Hyung, I knew you had a deeper meaning behind it! I''ll do my best to protect this shortie even if it means sacrificing myself!" "Ugh¡­ You know you¡¯re so full of yourself, right?" said Ye-Ryeong. Yu-Seong clapped his hands, lightening the mood once again. As he left the two who were quarreling behind, he said urgently, "Alright, now that it''s settled, let''s get into position and enter. Jin Yu-Ri''s team goes first. Hurry, hurry.¡± As he pushed the group forward and sent them up to the third floor, Yu-Seong quickly looked back. ¡®We''re almost there.¡¯ Although he had lied about having an appointment, in truth, he had predicted who would show up at this location. 1. ???? is a Korean saying where someone is borrowing someone else¡¯s power to threaten others. ? CH 168 Choi Yu-Seong stood silently as he looked at the long corridor, which was engulfed in darkness, and a horde of skeleton monsters that had been resurrected. ¡®Finally.¡¯ The sword emitted a bright flash of light as it swiftly cleaved through a section of the corridor, causing the remaining skeleton horde to scatter in all directions. It was like a gust of wind blowing away fallen leaves. Amidst the chaos, a man in a somewhat long leather jacket walked towards Yu-Seong with his sword emitting a sharp silver light. He had black hair and black eyes that seemed to be swallowed by darkness. Those traits made his exceptionally fair skin stand out. ¡®He definitely is the main character¡­¡¯ Despite his reservations, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but acknowledge that Kim Do-Jin was handsome. It was probably because Do-Jin was the original protagonist of the novel, after all. Although feeling rather dissatisfied internally, he was still relieved to meet this friend of his. Yu-Seong raised his hand towards the newcomer and said, "Kim Do-Jin.¡± Yu-Seong had been worried that Do-Jin would be late. Fortunately, Do-Jin had arrived right on time. ¡°...Choi Yu-Seong?¡± Do-Jin said in surprise as he entered the Safe Zone. At the same time, a message popped up in front of him. - You cleared the 2nd floor trial, breaking through the monster horde in 1 hour and 45 minutes. "Why are you here?¡± "Well, because I also entered the Tower," replied Yu-Seong. "But I was the first one to enter¡­ Oh well, I did spend too much time on the 1st floor," said Do-Jin as he stroked his chin. He gave off a sense of calmness that was reminiscent of the outside world, appearing to be unfazed by the dangers that lurked within the Tower. In a way, his demeanor could be affected by more than that. ¡®He¡¯s a returnee, after all.¡¯ Within the Tower, all the capabilities acquired on Earth had been reset. However, what about skills honed through training and magic that had been imprinted on the soul? ¡®You can use them all.¡¯ Of course, it would take some time to embody those skills. Therefore, Do-Jin had spent as much time as possible on the 1st floor, which had no resemblance to the tutorial, to train himself. Needless to say, he had arrived here only after having recovered quite a bit of his previous strength as a returnee. ¡®It is fortunate that there is a level cap.¡¯ Nevertheless, even if both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin at level 13 like Yu-Seong, Do-Jin was at least three times stronger. ¡®Perhaps he might even be more than five times stronger than me.¡¯ It was evident from the speed at which Do-Jin had cleared the 2nd floor on his own. Currently, the only one capable of contending with Do-Jin within the Tower was Yoo Jin-Hyuk. That was why Yu-Seong had chosen to remain here. ¡®I''ll be able to handle a lot of things more easily if I work with this guy in the future.¡¯ Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. In his mind, Yu-Seong had several things to do with Do-Jin while inside the Tower. Looking at Yu-Seong, whose eyes were sparkling, Do-Jin asked with a strange expression, "Have you seen any members from Eclipse Guild¡­?" "I haven''t seen them. They probably went in before you did," replied Yu-Seong. "Well, I did tell them not to worry and to just proceed," said Do-Jin. He slightly tilted his head as he gazed at Yu-Seong with a somewhat doubtful expression. "I really am Choi Yu-Seong. I told you before, I have future foresight. Don''t you remember that I was the one who advised you to enter the Tower as soon as it opened before anyone else?" "...you are definitely Choi Yu-Seong." Do-Jin''s gaze softened as he loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Then, he asked, "By the way, why did you wait for me?" "I wasn''t waiting for you specifically. I was trying to move forward, but the door only allows exactly two people to enter and not one alone." Only then did Do-Jin shift his gaze towards the stone gate that led to the next floor. He then said, "I see¡­ Number 2. What about your teammates?" "They went ahead. The numbers didn''t add up." "As expected, you were waiting for me." "That¡¯s nonsense." Yu-Seong snorted lightly as he approached the stone gate. "Anyway, since there are two of us, let''s move on to the next floor. We don''t need to waste any more time here." Do-Jin, who had received his rewards from the second floor after a short time, nodded and followed Yu-Seong''s lead. Anyways, he seemed to have no complaints about journeying together. Before the two of them crossed the stone gate side by side, Yu-Seong glanced back at the path they had just taken. A strange feeling came over him. ¡®Now, at least I blocked one of them.¡¯ According to the original novel''s storyline, Do-Jin would have had to wait alone at this point, unable to cross the gate until he encountered the worst possible opponent and formed a temporary alliance. While that encounter would have benefited him in some way, Yu-Seong was sure it wouldn''t have been a pleasant experience for himself. ¡®I may have altered a significant future, but¡­¡¯ It would be best for him to stop thinking such thoughts, considering the dark events that Do-Jin would face. ¡®Still, it''s strange how I ended up worrying about the novel¡¯s protagonist.¡¯ Yu-Seong clicked his tongue inwardly. Do-Jin asked, "Aren''t you going?" "I''m going." Yu-Seong smirked, following Do-Jin towards the gate leading to the third floor. *** In the second floor¡¯s Safe Zone, Kim Woo-Gon rose from his seat. He was aware of the passage of time. As the leader of the group, everyone turned to look at him as he began to move. Woo-Gon briefly met everyone¡¯s gaze before shaking his head in disappointment and walking towards the gate. Everyone probably thought he was going to the bathroom to deal with his physical needs. However, he was actually thinking about how he would have a more challenging obstacle to overcome from now on. ¡®Freaking Choi Yu-Seong. Alright, I''ll do as you wish and chase after you until the end.¡¯ The framework of Yu-Seong''s orders to Kim Woo-Gon was straightforward: Climb the Tower. Make contact with the Demon King Worshipers, gather information, and assassinate them. In fact, Woo-Gon was now in a very unfavorable situation. Unfortunately, he couldn''t go against the control of the Magic Total Pill without losing his life. ¡®Goodbye, my kingdom.¡¯ Woo-Gon turned away with a sense of regret and took a step towards the stairs leading to the next floor. Only when a new figure suddenly entered the room with the ceiling¡¯s light illuminating the area did he look back at the new guest. ¡®If he belongs to the Demon King Worshipers¡­¡¯ It would mean that there were more tasks for him to complete. The new guest, however, was a complete stranger to Woo-Gon. He also completely captured Woo-Gon¡¯s attention because he was not even Korean. Perhaps because the Tower of Heaven was located in Seoul, all the people Woo-Gon had seen so far inside the Tower were Korean. Additionally, there was something peculiar about the man that made Woo-Gon feel strange. ¡®Is he a man...?¡¯ Judging from the shape of his chest and bones, the newcomer was certainly a man. Despite being a man himself and having no interest in the same sex, Woo-Gon couldn''t help but gulp unconsciously at the newcomer¡¯s strange allure. With his long black hair, slender physique, and dark, decadent eyes, the man had a uniquely captivating charm that caught everyone''s attention. Nevertheless, the newcomer walked calmly and silently. He approached the door that Woo-Gon stood in front of. He seemingly paid no attention to everyone else. "What, what...?" Woo-Gon raised his voice sharply and tensed his body, possibly due to the man''s strange aura. "You''re blocking the door. Could you kindly step aside, if you don¡¯t mind?" said the foreigner in surprisingly fluent Korean. He also spoke quite politely, but his words carried a noticeable degree of pressure, dignity, and intimidation. Woo-Gon quietly stepped aside, obeying without much thought. "Thank you." The pale man offered Woo-Gon a smile. As he walked past, he lightly tapped Woo-Gon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°...¡± Suddenly, the man came to a halt. He fixed his dark eyes on Woo-Gon before saying unexpectedly, "You...have consumed the Magic Total Pill.¡± Kim Woo-Gon was wide-eyed in shock. ''What did this person just say?'' Such a comment should never be said in a public place with so many people around. Above all, how did the man know that Woo-Gon had consumed the Magic Total Pill? "I had advised not to use such drastic means, wanting people to try to talk things out¡­ But people who prefer easy solutions use it too boldly. I''m sorry. Let me apologize instead." "Ah..." Kim Woo-Gon blinked as he had just thought of something. He quickly asked, "Is there a way to get rid of this horrible thing inside me...?" "There is a way, but it''s impossible here. Even if it is me, my abilities are limited inside this place and there¡¯s nothing I can do," the man replied. "Then, if you regain your powers¡­" "Oh dear, I¡¯m afraid I gave you useless hope. Hmm...but I still can¡¯t. I¡¯m sure you hold a grudge against the friend who implanted the Magic Total Pill in you, right? Since they are my comrades, after all, I would have to prioritize them first..." Kim Woo-Gon wanted to speak up. ¡®No, I belong to the same comrades, Demon King Worshipers. This is all because of Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ Woo-Gon wanted to express his innermost thoughts, but he couldn''t. ¡®Darn enslavement contract...!¡¯ Woo-Gon was under the Magic Total Pill¡¯s curse, so any harmful words or expressions towards Yu-Seong would lead him to experience excruciating pain and possibly even death. In the end, he could only tremble and bow his head in submission. "Cheer up, I''m sorry I couldn''t be of any help," said the man. The man lightly patted Woo-Gon''s shoulder again. He flashed a seductive smile before leaving. As he watched the man¡¯s back, Woo-Gon¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®Wait... He said comrades?¡¯ "Perhaps you are¡­!" Woo-Gon exclaimed urgently towards the man. The man stopped in his tracks. As he turned back to look at Woo-Gon, he brought his index finger to his dry lips. ¡®Shh¡­¡¯ With that, the man disappeared behind the stone gate. As his legs turned to jelly, Woo-Gon collapsed to the ground. His heart pounded in his chest as if it was going to burst. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. He realized that the man had refused to reveal his name to save everyone''s life in this place. ¡®If he had revealed his identity, he would have had to kill everyone.¡¯ No one who had ever seen the man¡¯s face and knew his name lived to tell the tale. Only those who belonged to the Demon King Worshipers would survive in such scenarios. Woo-Gon lifted a trembling hand to cover his face. He thought of the man¡¯s title rather than his name. ¡®Godfather... Why is he in Korea?¡¯ The question lingered in his mind for a moment before Woo-Gon remembered what he needed to do to survive from the Magic Total Pill¡¯s curse. ¡®If I don''t report this to him... I''ll die. Damn it!¡¯ Woo-Gon stood up with a new sense of urgency. He realized that he had to chase after Yu-Seong. CH 169 Choi Yu-Seong thought to himself. ¡®The Godfather must have reached the entrance of the second floor by now.¡¯ The Godfather was a man destined to climb the Tower of Heaven alongside Kim Do-Jin. He was also the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, and one of the oldest non-human races in this world known as the ¡®Ancient One¡¯. In the original novel, he and Kim Do-Jin had climbed up the Tower of Heaven together, showing great camaraderie. However, as soon as they discovered each other''s true identity and realized they held irreconcilable beliefs, they had chosen different paths. The problem was that, because of this, Kim Do-Jin had missed his chance to take the Godfather''s life during their fight in the Tower. As a result, three Demon Kings would descend upon this world at once. ¡®Kim Do-Jin''s growth was certainly accelerated during his climb with the Godfather.¡¯ In other words, their relationship had been a catalyst for Do-Jin¡¯s growth, but their connection had also brought bad luck. This was why Yu-Seong had made such a clear choice in the Tower of Heaven. ¡®I can serve as the catalyst for his growth myself.¡¯ It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com". In fact, Yu-Seong possessed just as many secrets and knowledge through the original novel as the Godfather did. However, it was also true that he didn''t know all of the Godfather¡¯s true secrets. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong certainly knew enough to be of help in Do-Jin''s growth. ¡®In the first place, it was because of his desire to compete against the Godfather that Kim Do-Jin was able to grow through him.¡¯ If that was the role he had to play, then Yu-Seong was confident that he could fulfill it. After all, Kim Do-Jin, the returnee and protagonist of the original novel, had the most potential to succeed in climbing the Tower of Heaven. It would never be easy to walk shoulder to shoulder with Kim Do-Jin in a place like this. ¡®No. I''ve already done things that I thought were impossible back in the outside world.¡¯ In fact, recalling the fate of Choi Yu-Seong in the original novel, his current worries were rather insignificant. Above all, Yu-Seong was now convinced by one thing. ¡®For some reason, Kim Do-Jin is greatly fond of me.¡¯ This was not a lighthearted comment to make. In fact, it was safe to say that Do-Jin had developed a deep friendship with Yu-Seong, enough to choose to be with him despite his preference for acting alone. Yu-Seong began thinking of using Do-Jin¡¯s fondness to his advantage. ¡®If possible...that can possibly erase all the grudges against the Choi family.¡¯ Perhaps getting Do-Jin to give up on revenge would be several times more difficult than keeping up with his growth. In the original novel, he was a character fueled by his deep anger toward the Choi family. However, this world was no longer a novel. ¡®Since so much has already changed, maybe it''s possible to achieve this.¡¯ Therefore, Yu-Seong did not believe that his current situation was entirely negative. Just like the relationship between the Godfather and Do-Jin in the original novel, he and Do-Jin could become close friends who could kindle a competitive spirit between them. ¡®Although I feel a bit scared and anxious, I''m confident that I can handle this challenge. This is especially true when I consider the potential rewards.¡¯ Yu-Seong suddenly remembered Kim Woo-Gon, who he had left behind on the second floor of the Tower. ¡®Come to think of it, the Godfather will definitely recognize the Magic Total Pill since it''s his own creation. Although, he wouldn¡¯t be able to know the details of the contract.¡¯ The Demon King Worshipers were a massive trans-dimensional organization. As the leader of this organization, would the Godfather recognize Kim Woo-Gon who was one of the executives of the Korean branch? If he did, he might investigate why Kim Woo-Gon was being cursed by the Magic Total Pill and may even end up killing him. Yu-Seong had no real need to concern himself with this matter. ¡®But if Kim Woo-Gon survives¡­¡¯ Woo-Gon would relentlessly pursue the traces of the Godfather and the Demon King Worshipers, and follow Yu-Seong at all costs. This would be the most ideal situation for Yu-Seong. ¡®As Kim Woo-Gon becomes more active, the scope of the Demon King Worshipers'' activities will narrow.¡¯ Woo-Gon''s abilities were quite formidable, especially with the return of his ancient relics. This was assuming that an absolute being like the Godfather, members of the Hexagram, or the Twelve Dark Kings would not appear. Anyways, he was one of the S-rank hunters in the outside world. ¡®I don''t need to worry too much about Kim Woo-Gon. If things go well, it''ll be a gain, and if not, I won''t lose anything.¡¯ "Are you sure we''re heading in the right direction?" Do-Jin asked as he led the way through a dense forest path with no sunlight. "Yes, I''m sure. Just trust me." Starting from the Tower of Heaven''s third floor, which could be considered the true beginning of the Tower, each person was assigned a task according to their entry space and they had to solve it accordingly. For reference, the mission that Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were currently assigned to was as follows: Purpose of the mission: 1. Find the forest girl. 2. Escort the forest girl to her hometown. Mission failure conditions: 1. The death of the forest girl. If the mission is successful, proceed to the next floor and receive rewards based on the outcome. If the mission fails, all abilities will be reset, and you will be returned to the 1st floor. Its description was long, but the mission could be simplified into one sentence. ¡®The mission is to search for the girl and escort her, and failure will result in the entire Tower collapsing.¡¯ Although the mission was in its early stages, it carried a high risk with a potentially substantial reward. Luckily, the first stage of the mission, finding the forest girl, was relatively straightforward. Additionally, Yu-Seong had been fortunate enough to receive a useful random skill reward from the second floor. ¡®The Pursuit Skill.¡¯ As its name suggested, this skill had the ability to read the traces of the opponent left on the ground or on the object. Yu-Seong did not have a lot of information about the forest girl, but if he thought of her as a young girl, pursuing her with the Pursuit Skill would not be too difficult. Therefore, Yu-Seong was confident in taking charge of the first stage of the mission himself. ¡®As expected, I¡¯m lucky in drawing lots.¡¯ After all, Yu-Seong had obtained a useful skill from the random draw on the second floor that could be used on the third floor right away. Soon, in the dark forest, Yu-Seong was able to find a brown-haired girl lying unconscious in a clearing. Looking at the girl, who appeared to be around seven years old, he told Do-Jin, "See? I told you to trust me." As Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin proudly, a message appeared. Progress 1: Find the forest girl. Completed! "Hmm..." Oddly enough, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t tell whether Do-Jin was satisfied or not. After breathing out slowly, Do-Jin stopped walking towards the girl. Instead, his sword flew through the gap in the trees beside the clearing. Clang-! Something stirred and leaped away, quickly disappearing into the dense forest darkness. Although the movement was too indistinct to identify, it resembled that of a wild animal. "I missed it," said Do-Jin. "Wow, you make mistakes too," said Yu-Seong. "It was just bad luck. It happens sometimes," snorted Do-Jin. Ignoring him, Yu-Seong approached the girl first. The brown-haired girl was dressed in ancient Western clothes. Despite her unkempt appearance and runny nose, her chubby cheeks and round nose made her look fairly cute. "She¡¯s not already hurt anywhere, is she?" Yu-Seong cautiously said as he took out the Green Wind Spirit Cat. Suddenly, the girl opened her emerald eyes to look directly at Yu-Seong. She exclaimed, "Dad¡­?!" "...What?" Yu-Seong was confused and taken aback by the girl¡¯s unexpected words. The girl slowly turned her gaze to Do-Jin, who had returned after retrieving the sword he had thrown between the trees. With a puzzled look, she said, ¡°...M¡­Mom?¡± "What nonsense. This mission has failed, Choi Yu-Seong," Do-Jin commented. ¡°Stop, you¡­ You crazy!" If it wasn''t for Yu-Seong''s quick intervention to prevent Do-Jin''s sword from falling on the girl''s neck, it would have been a dangerous moment for the mission. *** The girl''s name was Emma. It didn''t have any special meaning, and her memories were a bit hazy. Nevertheless, Emma seemed to recognize Yu-Seong as her father for some reason. ¡®It''s like how animals instantly imprint on the first being it lays eyes on.¡¯ It was quite an interesting thing. After all, this space was a temporary zone created for the mission in the Tower. In other words, Emma, who existed here, was not a real living being. ¡®She''s rather like an NPC character in a game.¡¯ Was it because the novel had become reality? Or was it because the Tower of Heaven was a space created by the power of the gods? Aside from recognizing Yu-Seong as her father at first sight, Emma was somewhat cute and playful like a little girl. At times, she would hold Yu-Seong''s hand as they walked towards her hometown. Other times, she would throw tantrums and demand to be carried. Meanwhile, she always made a somewhat peculiar expression towards Do-Jin. Whenever she saw him, Emma would purse her lips and look glum for some reason. Even when Yu-Seong carried her on his back, she would ask unexpected questions that left him at a loss for words. "Do I not have a mom?" Emma questioned. Do-Jin, who was walking next to them, said in a low voice, "Your mother is waiting for you at home." "So only dad came?" "Well, yes, that''s how it turned out. ¡° ¡°Then, what about mom?" "She''s preparing warm food and waiting for you at home, Emma. Don''t worry too much," said Yu-Seong. In fact, he quickly came up with some excuse after hearing Do-Jin¡¯s words. "Oh...!" Thanks to that, Emma''s emerald eyes sparkled and a bright smile appeared on her face. "Mom makes very delicious strawberry pie. Oh, I''m hungry. I''m hungry and sleepy." "Then take a nap. I''ll wake you up when we arrive." "Dad, do you know the way?" "You told me earlier." Although Yu-Seong didn''t fully understand Emma¡¯s childlike way of explaining, it was not a big problem for him. He could occasionally take a long time at a clearing that appeared if he was lost or got tired. "Then I''ll take a nap for a little while. Wake me up later¡­dad." After uttering those words, Emma fell asleep with a soft snore. Do-Jin swiftly moved his body and slashed the neck of the monster hiding in the forest. The blue blood splattered onto the tree as he quickly sheathed his sword. Turning to Yu-Seong, Do-Jin said, "It''s been following us since earlier on. It must be the one we missed at the beginning." "And you managed to endure for such a long time?" "There''s no need to expose a young child to bloodshed," replied Do-Jin. When Yu-Seong looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, he said, "I hope you don''t perceive me as a callous individual devoid of emotions, incapable of shedding blood or tears.¡± In fact, Yu-Seong already knew that Do-Jin would bleed if he got hurt. ¡®But in the original novel, he never cried.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong had initially thought that this person who had returned from another world might have had a damaged emotional state akin to that of a psychopath. That appeared to not be the case. Come to think of it, it wasn''t really strange. ¡®His fondness towards me is one example¡­¡¯ Although he was a bit crooked, if Do-Jin was really a psychopath with no emotions, it would be impossible for him to display such emotions. ¡®Perhaps¡­ That might be the reason why his anger runs even deeper.¡¯ If he had truly been a cold-blooded individual without emotions, Do-Jin could have utilized reason to overcome any emotional impulses. However, Yu-Seong now realized that he might not have known as much about Kim Do-Jin as he previously thought. CH 170 ¡®I thought I knew more about Kim Do-Jin than anyone else.¡¯ Could one truly have claimed to know almost everything about a person simply by having read the original novel and peeked into the character''s inner thoughts? ¡®I was arrogant.¡¯ As he watched Do-Jin walking beside him, Choi Yu-Seong saw Do-Jin''s appearance with fresh eyes. - Skill activated: Character Understanding Surprised, Yu-Seong checked the message that had suddenly appeared in the skill window. ¡ºCharacter Understanding. You can read the emotions and mental changes of the subject you are immersed in.¡» Once he checked the results, Yu-Seong focused more on the result itself rather than how to use the skill. ¡®Is it really possible for a skill to be created in such a manner?¡¯ This was something that hadn''t been mentioned in the novel, but it wasn''t completely inexplicable. A change in perception or thinking was, in a way, enlightenment. The fact that enlightenment was connected to one''s skills and abilities was already proven¡ªthat was how people became stronger by training. ¡®For now, I should feel content that my potential for growth within the Tower of Heaven has expanded.¡¯ Inwardly nodding to himself, Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin and attempted to delve deeper into his thoughts about Do-Jin. However, he couldn''t feel any emotional or mental changes through the skill of ¡®Character Understanding.'' ¡®I wonder if the skill is now activated or not.¡¯ Yu-Seong was somewhat perplexed as to whether Do-Jin was indifferent or if the skill had not been utilized, since it wasn''t through direct activation using mana like other skills. As they walked along, Do-Jin suddenly looked up at the sky. He said, "Looks like it''s going to rain. We should take a break around there.¡± Yu-Seong looked in the direction Do-Jin had indicated and appeared slightly surprised. He commented, "Oh, that looks like the perfect place to take shelter from the rain. You''re definitely sharp.¡± "It''s not a big deal," Do-Jin said nonchalantly as he passed by Yu-Seong. "A bit sharp-tongued," Yu-Seong said with a smirk as he watched Do-Jin''s back. For some reason, a strange feeling welled up inside him. ¡®A mixture of slight embarrassment...and pride? Why am I suddenly feeling this way?¡¯ Yu-Seong wondered, shaking his head in confusion at first. However, he soon nodded with a dumbfounded expression on his face. ¡®Character Understanding!¡¯ It seemed like the skill was working properly, after all. *** In fact, both of them had assumed that the thick foliage would provide enough cover from the rain. After all, it was difficult to even glimpse at the sky from beneath the foliage. Splatter-! However, when they stood in front of the small cave entrance and were suddenly bombarded by the pouring rain, they changed their minds completely. "What kind of rain can penetrate through such thick foliage?¡± Not only that, but the thick leaves were also falling to the ground along with the raindrops. The slightly frightening thing was that the raindrops were falling so hard that they made dents in the ground. The leaves simply remained on the ground. "It''s quite impressive. If it weren''t for your Pursuit Skill, it could have been slightly dangerous," said Do-Jin. Yu-Seong''s Pursuit Skill proved to be invaluable once again. Initially taking respite in a nearby clearing, Yu-Seong noticed the rain was intensifying and suggested a change of location. Sharing similar thoughts, Do-Jin nodded silently in agreement. With the Pursuit Skill, they deftly navigated their way to a nearby cave, which seemed to be a refuge for wild animals. And within just five minutes, a terrifying downpour began to fall. ¡®In fact, the situation wasn''t just intense; it was undeniably perilous.¡¯ The heavy rain was pouring down violently. It may have been difficult, but in truth, for Do-Jin and Yu-Seong who were both players with exceptional stamina and skills, they could have managed to overcome the difficulty and reach their destination somehow. ¡®But we would have fainted from exhaustion after that¡­¡¯ However, what about Emma, the little girl who was sound asleep in one corner of the cave amidst the pouring rain? At the very least, she might have suffered from a slight fever, and in the worst-case scenario, she might have been in danger of dying. Concerned, Yu-Seong placed his hand on Emma''s forehead and was surprised to find that her fever was even higher than his own. He quickly summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat and placed it above Emma''s head. While glowing green, the Green Wind Spirit Cat vigorously tapped its two front paws on Emma''s forehead. ¡®I¡¯m glad I got the Green Wind Spirit Cat.¡¯ The skill to summon this mystical cat not only had excellent healing effects on simple wounds and injuries, but it also had some usefulness in treating diseases and poisonings. It would probably be able to heal the fever that had afflicted the little girl. Perhaps reading Yu-Seong''s thoughts, Do-Jin looked at the Green Wind Spirit Cat with a glint in his eyes. He said, ¡°I thought it was a straightforward mission, but your abilities have been of great help.¡± Yu-Seong looked surprised. ¡°What?¡± This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Do-Jin''s words came as a surprise to Yu-Seong, as they seemed out of character for someone with such strong pride. "That doesn''t mean I couldn''t have cleared it alone," Do-Jin added. With a smirk on his face, Do-Jin unleashed two magic spells by drawing two pentagrams. Then, surprisingly, a warm fire rose in the center of the chilly cave. And when the green aura of the spells from the pentagrams wrapped around the Green Wind Spirit Cat, its size doubled, and the movements of its paws became much faster. Along with that, Emma''s complexion, which had been somewhat pale, started to return to its original color. "Magic is really convenient," exclaimed Yu-Seong. Even when reading the original novel, the real scary thing was that Do-Jin''s true strength seemed to lie in magic rather than swordsmanship. While swordsmanship excelled only in the realm of killing, his magic showed endless possibilities. "It only seems that way because I''m the one using it. Actually, it boasts a considerable level of difficulty." Yu-Seong nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true.¡± Of course, it was true. Even in the world of the original novel, the maximum number of attributes that one could learn to master in magic was limited to two. And that was only for those who were truly talented in magic. However, Do-Jin had the ability to unleash all magic without any restriction. Considering that the attributes of magic were numerous and complex, it was astonishing. ¡®Thanks to that, he''s practically an All-Rounder.¡¯ There was a reason why the returnee main character had been called a fraud in the novel. While Yu-Seong was thinking that, Do-Jin raised his eyebrows and said, "You don¡¯t believe me." "I believe you," replied Yu-Seong. "You¡¯re lying." "Really." "Sure." Just as Yu-Seong was wondering if Do-Jin was really nodding his head in agreement, Do-Jin continued to speak. "You''ll know if you learn it yourself. From tomorrow, I''ll personally teach you magic." "Yeah¡­ What...?" Surprised, Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin with round eyes. "If you learn it yourself, you''ll realize how complex and difficult magic really is. You¡¯d better be prepared for it," Do-Jin said with a snort. Looking at Do-Jin, Yu-Seong''s expression was inevitably complex. ¡®Am I supposed to like this idea of learning magic?¡¯ Yu-Seong knew that he had to journey with Do-Jin for a while longer anyway. Although it would be an unquestionable advantage to learn magic while on the journey, he still had a vague feeling of unease. "It seems like the rain will continue for a while. You should take a break too. From tomorrow on, the journey will be far from easy," said Do-Jin with a grunt as he leaned against the warm wall of the cave with his arms crossed. After looking at Do-Jin with a complex expression, Yu-Seong nodded. He also took a rest. ¡®Oh well, somehow it''ll work out.¡¯ Life, in fact, was inherently unpredictable. *** The next day, Do-Jin began to teach Yu-Seong magic as he had promised. "Magic is about using the flow of mana to harmonize with the flow of the world. Think of a magic circle as a message sent to the world, one that the world can understand. That''s why you need to understand the Runic alphabet that makes up the magic circle first. Haha..." Do-Jin chuckled insidiously as he wrote incomprehensible characters with twigs on the muddy ground, which had become somewhat sticky due to the rain. Underneath, the meaning of the characters was written in Korean. It was not difficult for Yu-Seong to memorize them. ¡®I''ve been thinking about it since I can remember the contents of the original novel but¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong¡¯s original body had a relatively good memory. The problem was that memorizing such Runic alphabets did not necessarily mean that one could use magic. "If you write the two characters here, for light and desire, and draw Pentagram with mana¡­ Light magic will be released like this. Such simple magic can be expressed with simple language like this, but the more powerful the magic, the more explanation is needed to explain to the world why that power is needed. More and more necessary Runic alphabets will appear," Kim Do-Jin said while making a small ball of light in one hand. "Hmm¡­ Like this?" Yu-Seong tried to draw Pentagram using Chakra instead of mana as Do-Jin had don. He also tried to carve Runic alphabets on the edges, but the result was clearly different. "Nothing is showing up." "You should not just memorize the Runic alphabets. Didn''t I say you have to understand them? Also, Pentagram is like a contract that allows you to use magic in the world. Are you trying to make a contract with another company so easily and comfortably?" said Do-Jin. It was not easy to even externalize the mana and shape it into the form of the Pentagram in the first place. However, Do-Jin was saying that it even required some effort and care while doing so. ''And I have to understand the Runic alphabets too?'' It appeared that Yu-Seong needed to do more than just memorize the Runic alphabets, but he found Do-Jin¡¯s order to be vague and confusing. "It¡¯s difficult." As Yu-Seong candidly confessed, Do-Jin put on an air of superiority as he flashed a grin. Yu-Seong¡¯s Character Understanding skill revealed that Do-Jin was currently feeling quite pleased. "Didn''t I say? It only looks easy because I''m the one doing it. If it''s too hard, you can give up now." "I can''t do that. After all, you''re teaching me for free." Yu-Seong smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Although it was certainly difficult to understand magic right away, it was only Yu-Seong¡¯s first day. There was a saying that you couldn''t expect to learn everything from the first try, and there was no need to give up right away. ''Besides, magic isn''t a skill.'' Perhaps magic could solve one of the fatal weaknesses of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art Skill, which had the inability to learn skills other than those related to Thunder and Wind. ¡®In fact, I¡¯d still be happy even if I could only learn magic related to Thunder and Wind.¡¯ With this thought in mind, Yu-Seong held Emma''s hand or held her in his arms as they continued to walk. During the walk, he put in effort to understand the Runic alphabets and draw the Pentagram with care. After another half day had passed, Yu-Seong finally succeeded in performing the Light Magic that Do-Jin had shown him before. Feeling delighted by his achievement, he exclaimed, "I did it. Look, Kim Do-Jin. I did it!" Do-Jin, who had been watching Yu-Seong with a sidelong glance, slightly nodded his head. He said, ¡°You''re getting too excited over something trivial. You''ve just taken your first step in magic.¡± Despite Do-Jin''s nonchalant tone, Yu-Seong was surprised by the man¡¯s emotions conveyed through his Character Understanding skill. CH 171 Another day had passed. Emma, who had been holding onto Choi Yu-Seong''s hand as they walked, suddenly shouted, "Dad, over there! There!" Yu-Seong nodded before walking towards the village that could be seen in the distance. The end of the journey was near. It hadn¡¯t been very long, but it had certainly been eventful. ¡®For some reason, it¡¯s a bit disappointing for it to end.¡¯ Emma was too lively to be considered an NPC made by the Tower. She was still a young girl, but she was bold and didn''t throw tantrums very often. ¡®It might be because I''ve been traveling with such a girl for a few days now¡­¡¯ No matter how hard he tried not to, Yu-Seong couldn''t help feeling attached to Emma. "Soon, we''ll be able to see Mom! Aren''t you happy, Dad?" Emma even thought of Yu-Seong as her dad. It wasn''t just a simple misunderstanding or joke that could be dismissed, as the emotions conveyed through the Character Understanding skill couldn''t be mistaken. ¡®Affection¡­¡¯ Through the Character Understanding skill, Yu-Seong could feel the emotions that Emma was conveying. Yu-Seong couldn''t help but gently stroke Emma¡¯s head with a soft smile. "Of course, I am." Anyway, this journey would come to an end as soon as they arrived in the village. Yu-Seong pushed aside his regrets and continued walking towards the village. It was rather unexpected that the young men standing at the entrance of the village could spot the trio from a long distance away. Their eyes widened in surprise. Then, without even looking back, they sprinted into the village as if running away. ¡®To be more precise¡­ Are they scared?¡¯ As Yu-Seong, Emma, and Kim Do-Jin attempted to enter the village, there was another commotion. Villagers armed with farming tools and other weapons appeared from all the houses in the medieval countryside village. They were threatening the group, but their faces had the same scared expressions as the young men from before. ¡®What''s going on?¡¯ Something was strange. The trio had clearly reached the village entrance, but their mission was not over yet, and the surrounding situation was pretty ominous. Yu-Seong looked around in confusion while Do-Jin became somewhat edgy in response to the tense atmosphere. Emma, who was holding Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, stood trembling behind him. ¡®Fear... Damn Character Understanding skill.¡¯ Perhaps the emotions felt particularly heavy because it was that of a child. Naturally, Yu-Seong¡¯s expression shifted from shock to unexplainable anger. "Everyone, move aside." Four people, including the two young men who had fled before, appeared as they walked out from the crowd of villagers. Unlike the ordinary-looking young men, there were two people who stood out. ¡®An old man, and...one of them is wearing a robe. Is he a wizard?¡¯ The first person to speak among them was an old man with long white hair and beard. ¡®Judging by the way he''s dressed, he''s probably the village chief.¡¯ "I am the village chief of this village, Max. Nice to meet you, foreigner." As Yu-Seong thought, the old man was indeed the chief. "My name is Choi Yu-Seong." ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, you have a unique name,¡± Max, the village chief, commented on Yu-Seong''s name. Unlike people from Western cultures who often found it difficult to pronounce Korean names, Max easily recognized and pronounced Yu-Seong''s name. "The current situation feels quite hostile, unlike your welcoming." ¡°I hope you understand. While the village does not dislike strangers, the witch is a different story,¡± Max explained. ¡°Witch?¡± Do-Jin questioned the use of such an unexpected word. "Do you happen to know about witches, foreigner?" Max asked Do-Jin. "I don''t know much, but it seems like there are no witches among us," replied Do-Jin. "Why do you think that?" Max asked as his strange, pitying gaze shifted to Emma, who was holding tightly onto Yu-Seong''s hand. "Are you suggesting that this little girl is a witch, Chief?" asked Yu-Seong sharply. Max''s gaze shook slightly. His emotion conveyed through Yu-Seong¡¯s Character Understanding skill was ¡®confusion¡¯. However, the emotion soon changed to ''conviction.'' "How long has it been since you met the child? Have there been any instances of fever in between?" "There was a fever, but it was within the range that young children could easily get." "That''s not just a simple fever. It''s the process of the demon¡¯s seed taking root,¡± answered the black-robed man who stood next to the village chief. "And who are you?" At Yu-Seong''s question, the villagers murmured loudly. Even the village chief, Max, who had been talking with them, couldn''t hide his astonishment. "I''m a wizard." "Respect the wizard, foreigner, or you could fall under a curse." Ignoring Max''s warning, Yu-Seong gazed at the wizard as if to see through him. He asked in a dignified manner, "Who asked about that? Can''t you tell me your name or where you''re from?" Sensing Yu-Seong¡¯s air of dignity, the wizard¡¯s gaze beneath the robe became animated. He asked, "Foreigner, are you a noble?¡± In fact, Yu-Seong was a chaebol. He tried not to show off, but whenever he made up his mind and took action, even his slightest gestures and expressions were imbued with an old-fashioned elegance. However, he was certainly showing it off now. "Noble? Not a completely wrong word." "Your phrasing is pretty ambiguous." "You haven''t answered my question yet." Max had hinted at rules in this world that forbade treating wizards carelessly, but for Yu-Seong, it was a story that didn''t even elicit a snort. ''There''s even a crazy genius who can freely use that great magic by my side.'' What was the fuss about a wizard who wore his robe inside out and posed like that? ''Did that guy ever catch a Demon King?'' Yu-Seong was not even afraid of any curses that the wizard might unleash. After all, Do-Jin would not just stand by and watch it all happen from beside him. "My name is Kalstein. I am a follower of the ruler of the Hexagram," said the wizard. Yu-Seong''s gaze flickered at those words. ''Ruler of the Hexagram? Is he talking about the Hexagram Master?'' In earthly terms, it would have meant that the wizard belonged to the Demon King Worshipers faction. However, Kalstein was an NPC created in the Tower of Heaven, which meant that his affiliation had a different meaning than that of the Demon King Worshipers. Naturally, thoughts of the original novel flooded Yu-Seong''s mind as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Foreigners, we know why you are passing through this road through the revelation of god. Abandon the witch and enter the village. If you do, we will open the way for you," Village Chief Max said urgently as he stepped forward. At the same time, a new message appeared in front of Yu-Seong and Do-Jin: A mission selection crossroad has been encountered. 1. Abandon the girl and enter the village as instructed by the Village Chief. Upon completing the mission, you will be able to proceed to the next floor safely. 2. Help the girl gain the approval of the villagers and return to her hometown. If you fail, the game will reset and you will return to the 1st floor. They were facing an easy road and a difficult road. The obvious choice made Yu-Seong furrow his brow. "This is..." Of course, choosing option 1 would be the easiest since they were simply NPC characters after all. Regardless of the choice made, the game would reset when the next person entered, so it was best to choose the option that would progress to the next floor with rewards. However, Yu-Seong was not inclined to take the easy way out. It might be because, in a short amount of time, he had developed some feelings for the brave and cute girl, Emma. ¡®This Tower¡¯s damn test.¡¯ It was time for Yu-Seong to make a decision that was completely different from the original novel, inviting an unexpected turn of events. "The old man is just spouting nonsense," Do-Jin criticized in a calm, cold tone as he stepped forward. "Where''s the proof that this little girl is a witch?" "That''s what the wizard..." "Hey wizard, geezer, how much do you really know about magic?" "Uh, well..." Max looked embarrassed. If he said he knew a lot about magic, he could be cursed by the wizard, Kalstein. But if he said he didn''t know anything, he would completely lose the argument to Do-Jin. Above all, he didn''t really know much about magic. "Magic is the path of the demons," said Do-Jin. ¡°What¡­?¡± Kalstein wanted to speak up angrily. "Even if it''s not a kind that borrows the power of demons, since magic creates laws that can''t exist in this world, it can''t be said to be completely righteous." "Who do you think you are, thoughtlessly blabbering about magic like that?" "Blabbering about magic? Thoughtlessly?" Do-Jin grinned as two Pentagrams, one on each hand, appeared. One hand was engulfed in flames while the other was drenched in a stream of water. "Wizard!" ¡°Oh¡­my God!¡± The voices of the village people, who had been quietly murmuring amongst themselves, suddenly rose in a loud commotion. At the same time, the eyes of Village Chief Max and Kalstein widened in shock. "I can''t believe they''re making such a fuss over this kind of trivial magic. And you, aren¡¯t you the real witch here?" Do-Jin said with a sneer. "Do not insult the wizard." Kalstein emanated a cold aura that caused his robe to flutter. At that moment, a bright light flashed through Yu-Seong''s mind. ¡®Ah...! The Ruler of the Hexagram!¡¯ Indeed, they were undoubtedly different from the Hexagram Masters. Rather, they were the true followers that were even higher in rank than the Hexagram Masters themselves. In other words, they followed the Demon King. And the term used to describe the wizards who followed the Demon King in this world was clear. "He¡¯s a dark wizard," Yu-Seong said. Then, a message appeared in front of him once again. Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com" The first option at the crossroad has disappeared. You must help the girl gain the approval of the villagers and return to her hometown. If you fail, the game will reset and you will return to the 1st floor. Yu-Seong smiled contentedly, not even sparing a glance at the disappearing first option. ¡®Kim Do-Jin, I was worried that you might choose to go simply out of laziness.¡¯ However, Do-Jin had chosen the same path that Yu-Seong had decided on internally. Also, there was no turning back now. "A dark wizard?" Max said in surprise as he turned to Kalstein. "I''ve been to places with many people like you before, so I can see right through you. This girl has the qualities of both a wizard and a spiritualist, and quite exceptional ones at that." "So...?" "Dark wizards corrupt those with pure magical and spiritual abilities, absorbing their energy to reach higher levels of magic. Do you think I didn¡¯t know that you were trying to wreck this child¡¯s emotions and leave an irreparable wound in her heart?¡± Do-Jin said. As a flow of mana began to emanate around him, Kalstein muttered, "Of all people¡­ To meet a wizard like you here. How unlucky." Kalstein seemingly confessed to his crime. The frightened village chief, Max, quickly distanced himself from Kalstein. Meanwhile, Kalstein began muttering to himself, paying no attention to Max. Perhaps he thought it would be easy to deal with an ordinary person like Max. "But what will you do about it? As you said, your magic is pure, and mine is demonic. If we unleash them together, your magic will undoubtedly be slower." "Who said we''re going to fight with magic?" "What?" With those words, a flashing silver light shot out from Do-Jin''s waist and sliced through the neck of Kalstein, the middle-aged wizard hiding under his robes. CH 172 Before even the dark wizard finished the magic spell, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword had already sliced through his neck. Snorting, Do-Jin walked forward and coldly glared down at Kalstein¡¯s beheaded body. Then, he pulled out his sword from the ground and returned it to its sheath. Max, the village chief, heavily dropped down next to the corpse of Kalstein. He looked back and forth between the corpse and Do-Jin. The sight of the dark wizard and Do-Jin, who stood arrogantly in front of the villagers, caught the attention of Choi Yu-Seong, who had been observing from a distance. Yu-Seong nodded in admiration. ¡®He completely toyed with his opponent. I should learn from him.¡¯ After planting the idea that he was a wizard to the opponent, Kalstein, Do-Jin had quickly ended the wizard''s life with a swift strike of his sword. Although uncommon, there were wizards who carried swords as a backup weapon. Kalstein must have thought that Do-Jin was one of them, so he had failed to suspect anything until his death. ¡®But he was the only monster - boss monster on the 3rd floor, so it would have taken some time to deal with at our current level¡­¡¯ Thanks to Do-Jin, they were able to handle the situation easily. While holding Emma, who had instinctively covered her eyes when Do-Jin attacked the wizard, Yu-Seong comforted her, "Hang in there a little longer. It''ll be over soon." "...Okay." Emma, with her small, trembling hands, grabbed Yu-Seong''s clothes tightly and nodded with her eyes tightly closed. As he gently stroked the girl''s hair, Yu-Seong slowly approached Max and asked, "Where are the child''s parents... I mean, where¡¯s her mother?" Originally, Yu-Seong was planning to ask about both of Emma¡¯s parents. After all, if Emma was born in this village, her parents would be the people in the village. However, remembering Emma''s behavior of calling him ¡®father¡¯ since the first time she had seen him, Yu-Seong decided to inquire only about the whereabouts of her mother. There was a strangely cold feeling that he couldn¡¯t shake off. "Ah, the child''s mother...? I-If you''re talking about Camilla, she was punished and exiled for giving birth to a witch..." "Exiled?" asked Yu-Seong as he furrowed his brows. The village chief, sensing the urgency of the situation, quickly said, "S-She''s locked up. Nothing has happened yet." "...that''s a relief,¡± Yu-Seong said with a sigh. ¡®It''s probably better to not ask about her father.¡¯ If Emma¡¯s father had been caught, he would have been imprisoned with Camilla. However, Max, the village chief, did not mention anything about Emma¡¯s father. Needless to say, it was highly possible that Emma didn''t have a father in the first place. "The child is not a witch. There''s no reason to suspect her anymore, right?" said Do-Jin. Max quickly nodded, "Oh, of course. We¡¯ve fallen for the lies of the evil dark wizard! Please have mercy." Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. "Mercy is a virtue that you all should ask from her from now on," Yu-Seong said with a wry smile on his face as he gently brushed Emma''s back. Meanwhile, magic flowed out of Do-Jin''s body and enveloped Emma. "This is a magic to calm her mind and put her to sleep. When she wakes up, she''ll feel a bit better," said Do-Jin. Looking at Do-Jin, Yu-Seong nodded. Then, he turned to Max and said, "Guide us to the child''s mother." "Yes, yes. Thank you for your mercy, foreigners!" Max hurriedly led the two into the village with a look of relief that he had not lost his life. From then on, everything happened quickly. Yu-Seong, with the sleeping girl in his arms, and Do-Jin moved along with Max. They were enveloped in a dazzling display of lights as they witnessed the tearful embrace of Emma and Camilla, the middle-aged woman with fiery red hair. ¡°Thank you, two foreigners!¡± The last thing Yu-Seong and Do-Jin saw was Camillia¡¯s fervent expression as she bowed with Emma in her arms. They didn¡¯t have the chance to respond as they were soon engulfed in a bright light. Instead of a mystical world full of vivid colors, the two returned to a square cube filled with drab ochre-colored bricks. "Uh..." Yu-Seong rubbed his eyes, still not quite adjusted to the sudden change. ¡®Right, that''s how it is.¡¯ The unique experience they had just gone through was like a virtual reality created by the Tower. Therefore, they had to accept the sudden disappearance of everything. ¡®It¡¯s just like logging out in a game.¡¯ Of course, it wasn''t easy to just accept this fact. If it were that simple, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin wouldn''t have faced such a difficult decision at the crossroads on the Tower¡¯s third floor. In fact, Do-Jin probably had similar thoughts as Yu-Seong. "But you don''t regret it, do you?" Yu-Seong asked proudly as he looked at Do-Jin. Just when Do-Jin was about to reply¡­ Congratulations. You have rescued the girl, Emma, who received the blessing of the forest, from corruption. On this journey, you have also executed the evil dark wizard, Kalstein. You have achieved great results by choosing the more difficult path! Additional points are included in the reward list. The contribution rankings are as follows: Choi Yu-Seong. Kim Do-Jin. When the message appeared in front of them, a subtle expression of anger appeared on Do-Jin''s handsome face. He said, "The contribution ranking is strange. I request a re-evaluation.¡± Yu-Seong also felt suspicious and tilted his head in confusion, but he didn''t expect a response from the system message. ¡®Since it was also quiet in the original novel.¡¯ However, as he was thinking that, the message disappeared. - Choi Yu-Seong''s contribution points history: Discovery of the forest girl: 3P Assisted the forest girl as a reliable ally: 15P Cured the forest girl of the deadly plague: 10P Successfully led the forest girl to her parents: 10P Total: 38P - Kim Do-Jin''s contribution points history: Cured the forest girl of the deadly plague together: 10P Defeated the boss monster Kalstein: 25P Total: 35P After that, a new message appeared. As his face contorted in anger, Do-Jin erupted in anger and cried out, "So, defeating the boss monster is only worth 25 points? But delivering the child safely to her mother is worth 10 points? This damn system...! I demand a reassessment. The point distribution is unjust, isn''t it?" Do-Jin appeared quite upset from losing to Yu-Seong. He was stomping his feet and shouting, but there was no response from the system message. When a message appeared about the reward settlement system, similar to their experience on the second floor of the Tower, Yu-Seong simply asked, "How about an equal distribution...?" "No need. Do you think I''ll receive such sympathy?" Do-Jin snorted and turned his head with an annoyed expression. "Truthfully, I don¡¯t want to distribute equally. I was just asking." Come to think of it, since it was a mission to escort Emma and protect her until the end, it was obvious that the score for that task would be higher. ¡®Well, it¡¯s true that it was divided into smaller details.¡¯ In fact, Do-Jin had looked somewhat annoyed and had left Emma in Yu-Seong''s care, which made it inevitable that the scores would mostly be given to Yu-Seong. However, during the mission, neither of them had thought much about it. ¡®That''s why I thought that Kim Do-Jin, who defeated the boss monster, would receive more rewards than me just before the settlement.¡¯ Do-Jin probably had the same thought. That was why, when the message about contribution rankings had appeared, he had naturally straightened his shoulders and looked so confident. ¡®Anyway, the important thing is that I can''t be sure when I''ll be able to beat Kim Do-Jin again.¡¯ Now that luck was on his side, Yu-Seong thought it was better to take advantage of the differential distribution and get good rewards. He said, ¡°I''ll choose the differential distribution.¡± "You seem very pleased." "Huh?" ¡°You are even humming now.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Yu-Seong chuckled and checked the reward message that had just appeared before his eyes. - First place reward: External skill activation, and an additional random skill. 1000 karma points. ¡°Wow..." There were a total of three rewards, and none of them were bad. ¡®No, the first one is amazingly good.¡¯ The external skill activation as a player from Earth was only granted after clearing at least the 10th floor of the Tower. But what if Yu-Seong could already get rewards on the third floor? ¡®This is like rolling a snowball.¡¯ It was common knowledge that if he continued to progress through the Tower with someone, it would be advantageous to have more external skills. In addition, Yu-Seong had received another additional random skill. ¡®As always, I have good luck in the lottery.¡¯ Just as he had earned ten points with the Pursuit Skill, Yu-Seong could expect something similar on the next floor. And finally, he had also received karma points. ¡®As expected, I can earn karma points even within the Tower of Heaven.¡¯ The points were a result of the karma created by Yu-Seong and Do-Jin¡¯s choices. ¡®It''s only the third floor though, so it¡¯s not a huge number yet.¡¯ Although, in a way, it was a huge number that could be obtained from just the third floor. After all, karma points were not easy to earn even on Earth as they were only obtained through the sponsorship of the gods. "I earned a selected additional skill and karma point reward. How about you?" asked Do-Jin. "I got a random additional skill, karma points, and an external skill activation," replied Yu-Seong. "I shouldn¡¯t have come forward. I chose the difficult path for the additional rewards," said Do-Jin. "Was that really the only reason?" asked Yu-Seong teasingly. Do-Jin nodded and snorted. He said, ¡°Of course. By the way, you asked me if I regretted it earlier, right? Well, I''m regretting it a lot now.¡± "Don''t be so pessimistic. You might contribute more than me from the fourth floor onwards," Yu-Seong said. "Of course, I won''t lose to you," Do-Jin declared. Obviously, Yu-Seong''s thoughts had also changed a bit from before. ¡®I chose to open an external skill activation for my Third Eye Skill. And I''ll save the random additional skill for later¡­¡¯ With this, Yu-Seong was certainly ahead of Do-Jin. Perhaps he could continue to beat Do-Jin, the protagonist of this novel. ''Somehow, I don''t want to lose to this guy when I''m with him.'' The two men stood in front of the fourth floor¡¯s entrance, igniting their competitive spirits. Once again, they had to enter as a team of two at the same time. They didn''t know what mission awaited them, but they were both confident. "Don''t cry if you lose, Choi Yu-Seong," provoked Do-Jin. "I just want to say that I won''t be giving you any sympathy just because you lost once, Kim Do-Jin," Yu-Seong replied with a snort as they stepped through the door together. ¡°Hmph!¡± Their snorts echoed as they entered the next level. *** The competition could be seen as absolutely ridiculous. ¡®After that, I didn¡¯t expect to lose on the 4th and 5th floors in a row.¡¯ Despite having one more powerful external skill, Yu-Seong had been defeated by Do-Jin for two consecutive times. Even considering the fact that both floors had monster extermination missions that favored Do-Jin, Yu-Seong still felt that it was unfair. ¡®Darn it, I should have chosen the Dancing Electric Doll!¡¯ Remembering that the contribution points were higher for the player who defeated more monsters, Yu-Seong entered the sixth floor with a sense of regret and a strong desire to win. The mission on the sixth floor was to find the hidden treasure in the basement. Yu-Seong achieved an overwhelming victory by using his Pursuit Skill and Third Eye Skill to successfully complete the mission. "Let¡¯s go!" Yu-Seong exclaimed with clenched fists as he confirmed the results of their contribution points during the announcement. "Now it''s just a tie," Do-Jin muttered with a sour expression. The two men immediately headed to the seventh floor after checking their rewards. ¡®Come to think of it, wasn''t the situation between Kim Do-Jin and the Godfather similar?¡¯ In the original novel, the Godfather and Do-Jin had respected and admired each other, playing catalytic roles in each other''s growth as they climbed the tower together. Compared to them, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin''s quarrel was somewhat childish and unimpressive. ¡®Oh well, it doesn''t matter. As long as we get to the goal in the end.¡¯ Yu-Seong thought to himself. In fact, he was satisfied enough with achieving his first goal on this journey with Do-Jin. CH 173 On the Tower of Heaven¡¯s sixth floor, the mission objective was to defeat the Great Goblin King, a giant green-skinned monster. The boy shouted confidently in front of the Great Goblin King, "I''m going to win again. Let''s go, Kong! Body slam¡­ No, that might infringe on copyright, so just slam!" Despite his appearance as a young boy, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was actually a teenager, commanded Kong, the powerful demonic beast that resembled a gorilla, to charge forward and take on the Great Goblin King''s attack head-on. Roar-! The Great Goblin King stumbled backward and instinctively swung its fist, hitting Kong''s chin and causing it to stagger. Seizing the opportunity, the Great Goblin King quickly grabbed the longsword that it had placed by its side and attempted to slit Kong''s throat in a single stroke. If it weren''t for the two water orbs that came flying through the air, striking the Great Goblin King at that moment, the situation could have become very dangerous. "You idiot! I told you to do a joint attack. Why did you rush in alone and cause danger?" scolded Chae Ye-Ryeong, who had thrown the water droplets. "Hmph, stupid. A real man doesn''t rely on cheap tactics like that!" argued Jin-Hyuk. "Are you always this macho¡­ Wait, did you just call me stupid? You want this noona to hit you?" "Go ahead, hit me if you can." In that moment, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s fist flew toward Jin-Hyuk''s stomach without hesitation. "Ugh...!" "Did you actually think I wouldn''t hit you? Call me stupid again, you little brat. Try it one more time," challenged Ye-Ryeong. "You¡­ You cheater! How could you actually hit me?" As the two bickered loudly, the Great Goblin King, which had flown far away after being hit by the water droplets, let out a scream and rushed back towards Kong to resume their fierce battle. Kong''s skin and muscles were thick and tough, but it was fighting bare-handed. Meanwhile, the giant Great Goblin King had a longsword and a shield that it had probably picked up somewhere. Naturally, Kong was being pushed back in the fight. "Oops... Ah-ah... Kong!" Jin-Hyuk panicked and quickly opened his grimoire. He then shouted a skill, "Kong, Berserk!" Engulfed in black energy, Kong''s eyes turned red, and his attacks became even more ferocious. It blocked the sharp longsword with one shoulder and charged toward the Great Goblin King, ignoring his wounds. He instantly pushed down his enemy.. The Great Goblin King tried to push Kong away with force, as it didn''t want to be defeated easily, but it couldn''t withstand two more huge water orbs that came flying toward it. Thud-! In the end, the Great Goblin King couldn''t endure it anymore and fell down defeated. Kong climbed on top of it with red eyes and raised his fists. ¡ªKe... Kieeehk-?! The Great Goblin King screamed in horror, but it was too late. The berserk Kong started pounding its face while it lay helpless on the ground. Even its helmet was of no help. Although the Great Goblin King thrashed about, scratching and bruising Kong all over, Kong continued to wildly swing his fists as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. In the end, the Great Goblin King could no longer endure and succumbed to the onslaught. 1. Defeat the boss monster! Completed. Returning to the rest area. After confirming the mission¡¯s success message, Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong were forcibly returned to the cubic room that led to the seventh floor. Jin-Hyuk ran to Kong, whose red eyes had returned to their original state, and began petting his fur while he opened the book of Faust. He said gently, "You did well, Kong. It must have been really painful, right?" Then, the black energy flowing out of Jin-Hyuk slowly covered Kong to heal his injuries. Seeing Kong¡¯s fairly quick recovery speed, Ye-Ryeong expressed disappointment. "Why can''t you use that healing skill on people? It looks so nice." "I don''t know. But at least I can use it on demonic beasts," Jin-Hyuk roughly answered while focusing on the healing. As Ye-Ryeong sat down against the wall of the cube and let out a small laugh. "¡¯Kong''s injuries will take some time to heal due to his large size.¡¯ Even so, Ye-Ryeong was impressed with Jin-Hyuk, who had been using his mana nonstop for a long time. ¡®How much mana does that guy have?¡¯ Despite being a genius herself, Ye-Ryeong couldn''t help but feel that Jin-Hyuk was on another level. In fact, after the Tower of Heaven¡¯s third floor, Jin-Hyuk had consistently ranked higher in contribution on all missions. However, Ye-Ryeong did not let this discourage her. Announcement of contribution ranking: 1. Yoo Jin-Hyuk 2. Chae Ye-Ryeong Even when the mission contribution rankings were announced and Jin-Hyuk was in first place, Ye-Ryeong remained unfazed. ¡®Boss said I could do well too.¡¯ It was still early. Yu-Seong had often told Ye-Ryeong that her potential was just as great as Jin-Hyuk''s, and Ye-Ryeong never doubted his words. ¡®You¡¯ll see, kiddo.¡¯ Ye-Ryeong believed that someday she would surpass Jin-Hyuk and showcase the true dignity of a noona. *** Before they knew it, they had reached the Tower of Heaven¡¯s ninth floor. After clearing this floor, they would reach the tenth floor, the first checkpoint where they could return to Earth. ¡®We''ve climbed much faster than I thought.¡¯ They were progressing a lot quicker than Yu-Seong had expected due to the somewhat intense competitiveness. Under normal circumstances, even passing through the fifth floor in this amount of time would have been difficult. ¡®I assume that Jin-Hyuk''s team might have reached the 6th floor by now.¡¯ Actually, reaching the ninth floor while Jin-Hyuk cleared the sixth floor was an impressive achievement, especially considering that Jin-Hyuk had Kong, the almighty demonic beast, with him. With that thought, Yu-Seong remembered another fact and felt a sense of disappointment. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Kim Do-Jin furrowed his brow as he said, "Eventually, we''ve come this far in a tie." Thanks to each of them winning one victory on the seventh and eighth floors, their match was now tied 3:3. They were back at square one. Meanwhile, Do-Jin was unaware that the tenth floor was the checkpoint where they could return to Earth, but Yu-Seong knew this fact. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com". ¡®In other words, the ninth floor is the final crossroads for our match.¡¯ So, Yu-Seong did not want to lose anymore. ¡®The problem is, what is the mission on the ninth floor?¡¯ Due to their skill set and experience in combat, Do-Jin would have the advantage if the mission was related to combat. On the other hand, Yu-Seong was superior in tracking, exploration, and special missions. So far, the outcome of their matches had depended on the nature of the mission. However, that didn''t mean they lacked the desire to win even in disadvantageous positions. In fact, Yu-Seong was not lacking in combat ability. Similarly, Do-Jin was skilled in magic, and could not be considered weak in special missions. Even though both of them had a slight advantage over the other in different missions, he thought he could win sufficiently even in the opposite situation. ''We are both level 23, so either side could win.'' These were the thoughts in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind as he arrived at the ninth floor of the Tower of Heaven. As he looked at the scenery that lay before him, his eyes widened. He exclaimed, "What is this¡­!" It was a vast plain, with two armies facing each other. One side held a blue flag while the other held a red flag. It was not difficult to recognize where they were right now. "It''s a battlefield," Do-Jin said in a subdued voice as he found the word ¡®battle¡¯ very familiar. ¡®That blurry thing over there... Is it a castle?¡¯ Even when he focused his vision far beyond the two opposing sides, Yu-Seong could not easily discern the hazy gray wall. ¡®It seems like the mission is a siege.¡¯ A siege required not only fighting skills, but also strategic and tactical expertise. In fact, they were on a battlefield where they could fully compare each other''s capabilities. "But which side should we join?" As Yu-Seong wondered, one knight on horseback from each army came running out at a fast pace. They didn''t seem to have any hostile intentions towards each other. The two knights raised their reins and positioned themselves so that Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were between them. The knights shouted out loud, ¡°Foreigners! Welcome to the battlefield.¡± The NPCs in the Tower of Heaven were programmed to recognize individuals from Earth, like Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, as "foreigners". The term was, in fact, being used correctly. ¡®After all, from their perspective, we are from a completely different world.¡¯ However, the reason for the knights from opposing sides to run forward together remained unclear. Nonetheless, the answer to that question was easily dismissed when the knights announced their purpose. "The merciful Count Chris offers you the authority to fight together against the evil Count Monte''s crowd. Will you walk the path of justice and faith with us?" the first knight declared. "The strong and brave Count Monte desires to fight against the hypocritical and wicked Count Chris'' army. Will you join us to walk the path of courage and glory together?" the second knight proclaimed. At the same time, a message appeared in front of the two. Mission Objective Setting: 1. Choose your side. 2. You will win the match by either killing the enemy lord or receiving their surrender. You have the opportunity to choose your side. ¡®So, this is what it''s all about.¡¯ One glance was all it took to perceive the contrasting aura emanating from the two knights. The knight leading the blue banner for Count Chris exuded a noble demeanor commonly associated with medieval nobility, while the knight on Count Monte''s side appeared more feral. ¡®Also, the knights under the red banner, Count Monte¡¯s men¡­ Their physique is much bigger.¡¯ Although, there was probably no significant difference in military strength between the two sides. ¡®They should be kind of balanced, since this is a mission.¡¯ Therefore, the chosen side was expected to have some advantage. Similar to the menacing dark wizard Kalstein, the two knights, despite their intimidating appearance, most likely had their skills adjusted according to the floor of the tower they were on. ¡®I have a feeling that the battle for contribution points in this mission will be just as intense.¡¯ "Where should we go? It doesn''t matter to me which side we choose," Yu-Seong asked Do-Jin. "Same here. Hmm..." Do-Jin groaned before turning to Yu-Seong. "I''ll give you the opportunity to decide." "Well, it''s not that big of a deal. Okay then..." After glancing back and forth between the two sides, Yu-Seong said nonchalantly, "I''ll choose Count Monte''s side.¡± As it was previously mentioned, both sides had clearly different vibes. In fact, they resembled the Appliance and Cord factions from a popular RPG game that Yu-Seong used to play. As for Yu-Seong, he had a history of choosing the Cord, even though they were not human. Thus, it was only natural for Yu-Seong to choose Count Monte¡¯s faction, which felt similar to the Cord. "Excellent choice, magnificent warrior!" said the knight of Count Monte, with a red flag. He showed a broad smile at Yu-Seong''s choice and pounded his thick armor with pride. ¡®As expected, they look just like the orcs of the Cord.¡¯ Yu-Seong chuckled inwardly as he walked toward Count Monte''s knight, but he suddenly turned back to see that Do-Jin was standing still. "Why are you there? Oh, hey, wait a minute¡­" Yu-Seong realized something and looked at Do-Jin with wide eyes. "System, can the two of us choose different sides?" asked Do-Jin. "Are you crazy? What¡¯s up with you all of a sudden?!" Before Yu-Seong could finish his sentence, the system gave them a message. - The faction choice is up to the individual''s freedom. Yu-Seong quickly shook his head after reading the message. He said, "Hey, we don''t even know what the penalty for mission failure is. Do we have any reason to fight each other at this point?" In fact, Yu-Seong could clearly think of a reason why they would fight each other. ¡®It''s clear that we each have our own advantages, so it would be better for us to split and fight separately rather than ambiguously fighting on one side to determine the outcome of the match.¡¯ Yu-Seong was aware of that fact, but the risk was too great. "Hey, think carefully, Kim Do-Jin. You know we should consider the penalty for failing the mission, right?" said Yu-Seong anxiously. Do-Jin nodded in response, looking at Yu-Seong with a strange smile on his face. CH 174 "I choose to join the camp of Count Chris," said Do-Jin. "God''s grace will be with you, a person of good faith," replied the smiling knight who held a blue flag. "You crazy..." ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the battlefield," said Do-Jin. Do-Jin didn''t even bother listening to Yu-Seong''s entire reply before following Count Chris'' knights. Yu-Seong found himself alone, watching as the knights of Count Monte moved on. "Your friend has chosen a different path. I suppose he made such a foolish decision since he knows nothing about how dishonorable those hypocrites are," said the knight of Count Monte, shaking his head from side to side. He soon continued, "We should hurry too. The Count is waiting for us.¡± After brief contemplation, Yu-Seong replied with a nod, "...Okay.¡± In fact, he could not go back on his decision. Even if he could, he had no intention of doing so. ¡®That''s how you''re coming out, huh?¡¯ Yu-Seong recalled the protagonist of the original novel, Kim Do-Jin, the returnee from another world. Do-Jin was the last person Yu-Seong wanted to fight, but if it came down to it, Yu-Seong had his own way of doing things. As Do-Jin''s figure grew more distant, Yu-Seong turned to follow Count Monte¡¯s knights. *** Count Monte was not an ordinary person; he boasted a massive physique that could be mistaken for that of a giant. ¡®How can he look so tall even when sitting¡­? He appears to be over two meters at least?¡¯ Yu-Seong observed that the Count had broad shoulders, which were more than twice the size of an average adult man''s, and thick thighs that were even thicker than Yu-Seong''s waist. Sitting in a chair with his long and wild black hair, as well as black eyes full of savagery, Count Monte was an undoubtedly powerful figure, someone who would be called a warrior at first sight. He also had an overwhelming aura that dominated the surrounding area. It was to the point that the other knights standing around Count Monte were almost invisible as he overshadowed them all. Shortly after entering the barracks, the knight who was in charge of guiding Yu-Seong frowned. He said, "Show some respect, foreigner.¡± Yu-Seong pondered how to respond to the knight¡¯s words. "No worries. These foreigners have their own laws. There''s no need to hurt each other''s feelings over trivial matters," said Count Monte as he looked at Yu-Seong while mediating the knights. Indeed, his cheerful personality matched his appearance, and his piercing eyes shone even as he squinted them. He also gave off an odd sense of intimidation. ¡®It would be impossible to assassinate him.¡¯ Currently, both Do-Jin and Yu-Seong were level 23 in the Tower of Heaven. However, Count Monte looked like he had surpassed at least level 50. Yu-Seong had thought about assassination as a way to win the war, but he decided to abandon the idea when he saw Count Monte. ¡®Count Monte wouldn''t be the only one who''s this strong according to the setting.¡¯ Even if Count Chris had a different personality from Count Monte, their level of strength wouldn''t be much different. Surely, it was nearly impossible for Yu-Seong to defeat Count Monte and even the surrounding knights with his current power. This would also be impossible even for Do-Jin. With this realization, Yu-Seong lowered his head and said lightly, "Nice to meet you, Count Monte. I''m Choi Yu-Seong." "Foreigner Choi Yu-Seong, you don''t seem like an excellent warrior at first glance," said Count Monte, pronouncing Yu-Seong''s name with as much ease as the people Yu-Seong had met on the third floor. Count Monte¡¯s personality wasn''t just cheerful but also straightforward. "You don''t seem to have any weapons, and can you even fight properly with those skinny arms?" Although his words were blunt, Count Monte did not appear to be trying to insult Yu-Seong. He was stroking his rough beard with the hand that was laid on the armrest, and his gaze was filled with pure curiosity. Fortunately, Yu-Seong knew how to act in this situation. "I can just simply prove my skills. How about showing you here and now?" Yu-Seong said calmly. He was not intimidated by Count Monte¡¯s forceful demeanor. In fact, he had met even more formidable opponents than Count Monte before. "Well, good. I was curious about the skills of the foreigner chosen by the gods," Count Monte shouted loudly as he looked up. "Let¡¯s see, who will step forward to honor this foreigner on this stage?" As if they had been waiting for that shout, the knights raised their voices without hesitation. "If you give me a chance, I, Kyron, will..." ¡°I, Oor, will personally honor the stranger¡­¡± "Your Excellency, if you allow it, I, Zerus, will honor you!¡± The chaotic atmosphere continued until Count Monte, satisfied with the responses, burst into a loud laugh. "Hahaha! There are so many knights who value honor, so how could I fear Count Chris¡¯ hypocritical group? However, there are too many eager ones. If I personally call someone, someone may be disappointed..." Turning to look at Yu-Seong again, Count Monte asked, "Foreigner, will you choose your opponent?" The objective of the mission has changed. Success the mission by proving your qualifications to the chosen Count. If you fail, you will return to the 5th floor of the Tower. And with that, a new mission message was delivered. "Understood." Yu-Seong nodded lightly as he looked around at his surroundings. There was no need to distinguish who had stepped forward and who hadn''t. In fact, all the knights present were burning with a desire to win, looking at Yu-Seong with a competitive glint in their eyes. ¡®If I choose someone who seems easy to defeat, winning will be easier, but¡­¡¯ Would that be really necessary? As he slowly turned his head, Yu-Seong met the gaze of a red-haired knight who was close to Count Monte. "I choose you," said Yu-Seong. Upon hearing those words, the surrounding knights immediately began to stir. "He chose Kyron¡­¡± ¡°He does have an eye for people¡­¡± "Kyron is one of my top three knights. Foreigner, are you sure about your choice?" Count Monte asked as he laughed heartily. If he backed down now, Yu-Seong would likely receive a mission failure message right away. "Of course," Yu-Seong replied confidently. "Then, let¡¯s go out. This place is unsuitable for an honorable battle," Count Monte replied. Yu-Seong smiled inwardly as he nodded with a calm look on his face. *** Outside the barracks, Count Monte''s knights and Yu-Seong created a large open space by splitting up the soldiers and mercenaries who had gathered around. It wasn''t particularly difficult to do so. Upon hearing that the knights were going to have a duel, the soldiers and mercenaries had quickly moved to create a space for them to fight. Yu-Seong stood in the large, circular area and looked at the expressions of the people around him. ¡®They all seem quite interested.¡¯ Not only Count Monte and his knights but also the mercenaries and soldiers, who would normally avoid eye contact with the knights, were showing interest and excitement in their expressions and eyes. Also, no one had imposed sanctions regarding the current situation. "Are you sure it''s okay not to wear armor?" asked Kyron, a knight wearing battle armor and an iron helmet, as he faced Yu-Seong. "I don''t have armor, but I have something similar," replied Yu-Seong with a nod. When Yu-Seong used the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, the familiar battle suit covered his whole body. Looking at him in surprise, Count Monte exclaimed, "You have an artifact!" The knights also expressed their admiration briefly. Artifacts were very valuable items in the Tower of Heaven. ¡®Although, with the arrival of players from Earth, artifacts are likely to become more common¡­¡¯ Above all, ancient relics were also a type of artifact. Needless to say, Count Monte''s words held some truth. "If using artifacts is dishonorable, I won''t use it," said Yu-Seong. "No need to do so. Having an artifact is also a part of a knight''s ability," replied Kyron, who was standing in front of Yu-Seong. Kyron then quickly drew his sword from his waist and held it up. A strange bluish-green light flashed on the edge of his shining silver sword before disappearing. "Is that...?" "Yes, it is also an artifact. It doesn''t have amazing abilities like yours, but it''s designed to receive mana better than a regular sword." "I see," said Yu-Seong with a nod. After exchanging a few more words with Kyron, Yu-Seong asked for a spear. After all, he couldn¡¯t fight barehanded. "I, knight Kyron, vow to fight with honor and without shame in a fair duel." "I, Choi Yu-Seong, will also fight honorably." With their preparations complete, Yu-Seong and Kyron exchanged formal greetings and faced each other with their respective weapons. As a foreigner, Yu-Seong worried he might be ignored, but Kyron remained courteous throughout the encounter, earning Yu-Seong''s respect in return. And so, the duel began. Kyron made the first move. It appeared that he had decided to dig close into Yu-Seong, who was using a spear as his weapon. His movements, like that of a lithe leopard, were so swift that Yu-Seong missed a beat while concentrating on him for a moment. It was hard to believe, considering that Kyron had a rather large physique as a knight of Count Monte. ¡®Being a skilled knight was not just an empty boast. His judgment is good.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong had a skill. Using his Third Eye, he read Kyron''s movements and easily deflected Kyron''s sword with his spear. ¡®He also has good strength!¡¯ Even though his level of Physical Strength Reinforcement was quite high, Yu-Seong''s arm still trembled. Kyron, who had clashed weapons with Yu-Seong, also looked surprised at his opponent''s strength. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. ¡®His skills are also worthy of a knight, but¡­¡¯ In Yu-Seong''s mind, the spear skill of Ireland''s prince, Cu Chulainn, still remained. Cu Chulainn''s spear skill was not just a good technique, but also an extraordinary one that could be called a Magic Spear even without the power of magic. ¡®If I were to compare it to martial arts, it would be Divine Arts!¡¯ Yu-Seong was confident. He knew that his Cu Chulainn''s spear skill, which he trained relentlessly every single day, were superior to Kyron''s swordsmanship. He read the trajectory of Kyron''s sword with his Third Eye and quickly evaded all his attacks. Then, he began his counterattack, widening the gap between him and the bewildered Kyron. ¡®Raging Snake!¡¯ Yu-Seong relentlessly attacked without giving Kyron any breathing space. He left Kyron gasping for breath. And not missing his chance, he executed Cu Chulainn''s second skill of the Secret Spear Skills. "Double-Headed Serpent!" Kyron, bewildered by the sight of the spear tip extending outwards as if splitting into two, instinctively blocked the attack on the left. Clang-! The heavy sound of impact echoed as Kyron''s balance was disrupted. His eyes widened in shock. He thought that one of the spear tips was an illusion, but actually the spear that had flown in from the right was also real. ¡®I''ve lost!¡¯ Kyron felt his defeat, but he didn''t give up. He quickly raised his sword to defend himself. However, he couldn''t withstand another strong impact, and loosened his hand that was holding the sword. "Ugh-!" With a groan, Kyron dropped his sword. He almost fell to his knees, but Yu-Seong quickly caught the spear and stopped him. The sudden turn of events caused a brief silence between the onlookers. "If you kneel before someone who is not your lord, it''s not honorable, is it?" Yu-Seong remarked. Kyron¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, while Count Monte burst into laughter. CH 175 "Hahaha! I thought my eye for people was impeccable, but I suppose I was wrong. My eyes are no different than a rotten pollock''s eye!" Yu-Seong wasn''t quite sure if Count Monte was joking or not, but the knights, soldiers, and mercenaries around them burst into uproarious laughter. "Thank you, sir. You saved me from falling down in shame,¡± said Kyron. Kyron gave Yu-Seong a light greeting while firmly standing on the ground with his own feet. It was only natural, since he was not broken or injured anywhere. He had only almost lost his balance due to a strong shock. Afterwards, Count Monte approached Yu-Seong with quick steps. With a gleam in his eyes he asked, "Foreigner, where did you come from?" "Pardon?" "I mean the country or tribe. Or are you a nomad?" "Oh, no. I came from a country called the Republic of Korea." "The Republic of Korea! I may not know much about your people, but if someone like you was born there, I can say that it is a land of courageous and honorable warriors who know combat and honor. I¡¯ll never forget that. I¡¯ll always remember that!" Upon hearing Count Monte''s words, Yu-Seong made a contemplating look for a moment. ¡®Truely, the Republic of Korea is probably worthy of being called a country of warriors¡ªkeyboard warriors.¡¯ Yu-Seong then recalled the battles of warriors commonly seen in the online world. "Thank you for your kind words, Count Monte. However, not all citizens of our country possess the same sense of honor. Nonetheless, if you show kindness to our people, the majority of them will never forget and will be grateful for your generosity," Yu-Seong replied. "It''s only natural to show generosity and respect to the country that produces such decent warriors like yourself. By the way, do you have any interest in receiving an official knight title?" Along with Count Monte¡¯s unexpected words, a message suddenly popped up. Count Fernando Monte wishes to grant you an official knight title. Receiving a knight title would elevate your status and reputation throughout the Continent of Pandemonium. Yu-Seong''s eyes widened as he asked, "You mean the title of¡­a knight?" "If it''s too burdensome, you can refuse. After all, to receive a knight title, you must also have some achievements. Think about it leisurely until this battle is over," replied Count Monte. Then, he lightly tapped Yu-Seong''s shoulder and raised Yu-Seong¡¯s right arm and shouted, "The duel is over! The winner is Choi Yu-Seong of the Republic of Korea!" "Choi Yu-Seong! Choi Yu-Seong!" "Choi Yu-Seong of the Republic of Korea!" "Spear Ghost Choi Yu-Seong!" "The Spear Ghost has won!" The cheers of the soldiers and knights echoed in all directions. "From now on, Spear Ghost Choi Yu-Seong will be at the forefront of the battlefield, crushing that hypocritical Chris. Aren''t you all excited to see that, brave warriors?!" "Yeaaahh-!" "Let''s defeat Count Chris-!" Count Monte''s words had fired up the soldiers, whose faces were red with excitement. ¡®This yangban[1] is quite different from his appearance. Should I play along?¡¯ Yu-Seong smiled inwardly as he watched Count Monte effortlessly boost the soldiers¡¯ morale. Then, he clenched his fist and looked around. "Yeaaahh-!" The sound of cheers grew louder and louder. *** After the short cheer ended, Count Monte walked ahead and asked Yu-Seong to follow him. As they headed towards a place with fewer people around, he said, "You''re quick-witted and more skilled than I thought.¡± Yu-Seong briefly wondered if the leader of the army could walk alone like this, but seeing the man¡¯s sturdy back, he quickly shook that thought away. ''It feels like this yangban can handle anything on his own...'' Count Monte continued to walk through the military camp before turning toward Yu-Seong all of a sudden. He asked, "Are you going to keep following behind me?" ¡°Oh, I thought you were guiding me¡­ Shall I walk by your side?¡± Yu-Seong shrugged and took light steps to stand by Count Monte''s side. The corner of Count Monte''s mouth lifted slightly as he looked at Yu-Seong''s natural stance. He commented, "Your demeanor is so natural. Do you know what it means to stand by an unfamiliar nobleman?" "I''m not entirely sure, but I assume that if we''re not equals, then you wouldn''t have me standing here." Yu-Seong''s response caused Count Monte''s eyes to sparkle. The Count said with a laugh, "Hahaha! My, this foreigner who has come here is truly remarkable. You are right. But standing by someone who doesn''t share the same noble rank can also mean becoming friends." Count Monte, who still had a smile on his face, looked at Yu-Seong with a strange glint in his eyes. He asked, "Do you think your friend who went to Count Chris is of a similar level to you?" Yu-Seong, who had momentarily forgotten about Do-Jin due to the excitement of the situation and the duel, remembered his companion and revealed a bitter smile. He said honestly, "In my personal opinion, I believe he''s even more frightening than I am." "That''s a shame. If two foreigners like yourselves had come to our side, we wouldn''t be afraid of an all-out battle," Count Monte replied unexpectedly. Yu-Seong widened his eyes and asked, "You get afraid too?" "Why, do I appear as someone who has nothing to fear?" Count Monte inquired. "To be honest, you do give off that impression," Yu-Seong admitted. Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Count Monte burst into laughter once again. "So, it''s a compliment that I seem brave. But I also have many fears. For example, a dishonorable death, a loss of courage, a useless sacrifice, and so on." Yu-Seong immediately grasped Count Monte''s intention. He commented, "Count wishes to minimize the damage in this battle." "Of course." "What is the actual difference in military power between you and Count Chris?" ¡°It is difficult to distinguish between superiority and inferiority.¡± Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled at Count Monte''s clear response. Indeed, if the mission was given by the Tower of Heaven, it would have no choice but to treat both parties equally. "Then, even if my friend and I came here together, we would have to bear some losses in the battle." "You never know. I believe one excellent knight can do the job of a hundred soldiers," Count Monte said. As he continued his conversation with Count Monte, Yu-Seong could sense a feeling of ¡°expectation and curiosity" from the Count through his Character Understanding. ¡®Hmm, expectation and curiosity... This skill is more useful than I thought.¡¯ Why would Count Monte wanted to talk to Yu-Seong alone, apart from other knights? It wasn''t just about his confidence or consideration for Yu-Seong. "I understand, Count. Now, let''s get to the point," Yu-Seong said. Just then, Count Monte stopped walking and looked at Yu-Seong. The Character Understanding skill conveyed that the Count¡¯s emotion had shifted to excitement. "My apologies. I''ve been underestimating you all this time. I don''t like beating around the bush," said Count Monte. "Despite that, it seems like you''ve been avoiding the main topic for a reason," Yu-Seong replied. Count Monte smiled and nodded in agreement. "I''m telling you this story because you mentioned that you and your friend are separated. But wouldn''t it be better if you could find a way to resolve the situation without fighting?" This time, Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at the unexpected words. ¡®Does that mean I can pass the ninth floor without fighting Kim Do-Jin?¡¯ Instinctively feeling that this was a chance, Yu-Seong wanted more information from Count Monte. "Of course, it would be different if you want to fight bravely." "I''m more interested in hearing your story, Count," said Yu-Seong. "Hehe, you''re quite candid with me. To be frank, there''s a mine about 10 kilometers east of here, and it''s the reason why Chris and I are in conflict." "Is it a property dispute?" In fact, it was a common story. Yu-Seong nodded easily. "That''s the superficial reason." ¡°Huh?¡± "The precious treasure that both Chris and I seek is located in the deepest part of the mine." "So, I just need to find the treasure inside the mine?" This was a task that Yu-Seong was confident in. "That''s basically it, but there are still monsters inside the mine. We''ve sent five knights in secret, but none of them have returned." "I see..." "By the way, we didn''t send them one by one. We sent all five knights together. Among them were knights no less formidable than Kyron, who just fought you." ¡°Looks like it''s quite dangerous. Maybe even more than a war,¡± Yu-Seong said honestly. Count Monte nodded. ¡°What do you say? If you bring me the treasure from the mine, I''ll open the way for the foreigners. It''s a one-time opportunity, but it¡¯ll be done by the power that¡¯s like a blessing from God.¡± "There are a few things that need to be made clear before I accept the mission." "Tell me." "Am I going alone?" ¡°I''ll send a special operations team with you, which will include two knights.¡± In fact, Count Monte had already sent five knights who had seemingly failed the mission. But right now, he intended to send even fewer knights. Easily guessing the reason for that, Yu-Seong commented, "The treasure in the mine needs to be kept secret." "Right." Count Monte did not deny it. Otherwise, there would be no need for the two of them to go to this secret place alone. Why did Count Monte bring up this secret mission? It was simple. ¡®Because I''m a foreigner, someone who is only passing by anyway.¡¯ For Count Monte, there would be no better person to keep the secret than Yu-Seong. "The second thing is, you need to tell me what kind of treasure it is." "Hmm..." Count Monte, who had been answering quickly and clearly so far, hesitated at this point. "If I don''t know, I can''t take on this mission. If I attempt to steal it without any knowledge, I will not be able to complete the mission successfully. Moreover, if the treasure turns out to be larger than anticipated, the mission may not be possible to accomplish in the first place...." Although, if it was that kind of treasure, Count Monte would not even have given the mission in the first place. "Or do I have to kill all the knights and members of the special operations team after stealing the treasure?" A cold chill passed through Yu-Seong''s eyes. If Count Monte nodded, Yu-Seong knew his feelings would also change. "That''s ridiculous! How could I betray those who follow me with honor?" Fortunately, Count Monte avoided the worst-case scenario that Yu-Seong was thinking of. "I simply want to prevent unnecessary greed from causing harm." Count Monte shook his head vigorously and looked into Yu-Seong''s black eyes. Did his calm gaze instill trust in him, even in such an unstable situation? Or perhaps he believed it was an inevitable decision. "Whew... Alright." Count Monte let out a deep sigh. With a quavering voice, he continued calmly, "The treasure in the mine... Don''t be surprised. It''s a dragon egg." "...What?" Yu-Seong couldn''t help but blurt out in shock. 1. Basically ¡®yangban¡¯ refers to the status of the ruling class during the Joseon Dynasty, but it is also used as a term to refer to a person who is decent and polite. It is also used as a term to refer to a man commonly or rudely. ? CH 176 As the darkness settled late in the night, Yu-Seong left the army camp with two knights assigned to him by Count Monte and a special operations team of 30 members. In order to move secretly, they did not ride horses and walked quickly without a single word of conversation. They also kept themselves far away from the open field where both sides of the army were watching. Find the original at "pawread dot com". The Hidden-piece Mission has changed. This special mission only opens when two people who have a similar contribution score in the Tower of Heaven and have a pre-existing friendship with each other on Earth choose different formations. Through the confession of Count Monte, it was revealed that a Dragon Egg was abandoned in the deepest part of the Renton Mine. You can obtain the Dragon Egg and deliver it to Count Monte. During the journey, Yu-Seong glanced at the message once again. His expression became subtle. ¡®Hidden-piece, and a Dragon Egg...¡¯ The original novel had given no information about how to acquire this hidden-piece. The most interesting part was the last phrase in the mission message. ¡®You can deliver the Dragon Egg.¡¯ Contrary to Count Monte''s intentions, the system message appeared to imply that delivering the Dragon Egg might not be necessary. With this in mind, Yu-Seong could recall someone who had made themselves known through this Hidden-piece in the original novel. ¡®The villain, the Black Dragon Emperor, must have gotten the Dragon Egg here.¡¯ He had appeared in Chicago, America, with a giant black dragon, causing a disaster and slaughtering people. After the incident, he had suddenly disappeared without a trace. In other words, there was not much mention of the Black Dragon Emperor in the original novel. ¡®Since he appeared after the Tower of Heaven scenario had progressed considerably, the timing seems right. I initially thought he might be a major character in the second part of the scenario, but... Anyway, Yu-Seong had gotten possessed by the novel before getting to see the second part. It was safe to say that he would never know the story of the Black Dragon Emperor in the original novel. ¡®I may not know much, but if I can prevent the Black Dragon Emperor from committing mass slaughter, then the situation isn''t too bad.¡¯ Seeing how things turned out, Do-Jin''s choice had worked out quite well. ¡®It should be the luck of the protagonist that I¡¯ve only heard about.¡¯ As Yu-Seong chuckled to himself, someone walking beside him cautiously said, "Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, it seems that we have moved away enough from the camp." It was Kyron, the knight who had competed against Yu-Seong. Although he had a large build, his long red hair and fair skin reminded Yu-Seong of the blonde protagonist from a classic comic book about the French Revolution that he had read a long time ago. ¡®He must be what they call a pretty boy.¡¯ Yu-Seong heard that, unlike other knights, Kyron had volunteered for this mission. Perhaps it was out of gratitude for Yu-Seong''s fair fight in their previous duel. ¡®Are we about 4 km away?¡¯ As they tried to walk without leaving a trace, they had taken two hours to cover a distance that an average person walking at a fast pace could have covered in just one hour. If Yu-Seong were alone, he could have been a little faster, but with the two knights and soldiers following him, it was an inevitably time-consuming process. "I think so too," Yu-Seong said. Yu-Seong thought that they could now have a conversation. With such a distance between them, their voices would barely reach the others, and they were in a dark, open field without even a single streetlight. Breaking through the four-kilometer distance and determining their location in this world, where moonlight was the only source of light, seemed almost impossible. ¡®There may be superhumans who can handle such things with ease, but¡­¡¯ Still, it was only on the 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven. It was too early for such beings to appear. Despite the short sighs coming from all around, Yu-Seong, who had been somewhat tense while checking his messages, also showed a relieved smile. A moment later, Yu-Seong turned to his companions. "We can''t let our guard down just yet." "Of course not. The night fields are dangerous.¡± "It''s not just about that. It''s highly likely that Count Chris has also dispatched a special operations team like ours," Yu-Seong said. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Kyron, with a surprised look on his face, seemed to understand. He nodded. Yu-Seong thought again about the mission on the 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven through the message window he had checked earlier. In fact, treasure hunting and monster hunting was a familiar task. However, there was one aspect that he needed to keep in mind. ¡®Given the conditions of the Hidden-piece, I can assume that the person who received this mission is not just me alone.¡¯ As Count Monte had said, Count Chris also knew about the existence of the Dragon Egg. Yu-Seong thought that Do-Jin might have been offered a similar mission, though in a slightly different way. ¡®In this situation, Kim Do-Jin''s choice is obvious.¡¯ Just as Yu-Seong had done, Do-Jin must have taken Yu-Seong into consideration while listening to Count Chris'' words. ¡®He would have guessed that my choice would definitely lean toward this side.¡¯ It wouldn''t be particularly interesting for Do-Jin to receive Count Monte''s surrender simply by performing well on the battlefield. When Do-Jin had chosen to side with someone other than Yu-Seong, the emotions conveyed by the Character Understanding were intense feelings of competitiveness. ¡®He will definitely come after me.¡¯ Also, Do-Jin would probably have headed toward the mine around the same time as Yu-Seong. Do-Jin had two choices here. Would he simply take the treasure of the mine, the Dragon Egg, and declare the mission a success, or would he obstruct Yu-Seong? This answer was somewhat clear as well. ¡®He will definitely choose the latter.¡¯ Based on previous experience, it was clear that Yu-Seong was more skilled than Do-Jin in searching, exploring, and hunting for treasure. ¡®It''s thanks to the skill ''Third Eye,'' which is one step ahead of Insight.¡¯ Additionally, among the randomly rewarded skills that Yu-Seong had acquired, many of them resembled the abilities of a thief-type character in an RPG game. This included pursuit, perception, trap evasion, and lock picking. On the other hand, the random skills that Do-Jin had obtained included many types that were suitable for a warrior-type character, such as a charge, ground shock, and wall of protection. Furthermore, Do-Jin was boiling with intense competitiveness. Therefore, he would definitely choose to fight Yu-Seong no matter what. However, Yu-Seong was also uncertain about where this battle would take place. ¡®Inside the mine? Or somewhere in this plain?¡¯ In fact, it was now the most cautious situation, as they were far away from both sides'' military bases. Yu-Seong explained the situation to the knights and special operations team, including Kyron, and asked them to move as discreetly as possible. As for himself, he headed toward the rear of the formation. In other words, Yu-Seong chose to move with the hunters in the special operations team or mercenaries with various experiences. He was going to erase their tracks as they moved. ¡®Kim Do-Jin is an offensive type. He will definitely chase our tracks.¡¯ Naturally, Yu-Seong had no intention of merely defending. In the book ¡®The Art of War¡¯, there was a saying that the best strategy was to win without fighting. ¡®I''ll erase my tracks while tracking Kim Do-Jin''s trail. Then, I''ll utilize the boss monster in the mine to secure victory.¡¯ There were only two enemies: the monsters and the soldiers led by Count Chris. In this situation, there was no better way than to use the tactic of ¡®play somebody off against somebody.¡¯ Yu-Seong believed that his decision was not completely wrong. *** Yu-Seong had traveled approximately 8 kilometers away from the Renton Mine where the Dragon Egg was located, and about 10 kilometers east of their base. ¡®What kind of bushes¡­? It looks like the Goblin Fortress.¡¯ The bushes that had suddenly appeared seemed to be getting longer and now stood tall enough to obstruct their view like tall reeds. Fortunately, the object was not sharp or pointed, so there was no need to worry about injury. However, they would leave a trace more easily and have a harder time understanding the surrounding situation in such a place. ¡®If we meet here, it will be the worst-case scenario.¡¯ Thus, Yu-Seong made a simple choice. "Let''s split up here. You two intentionally leave excessive traces as you move, then return to the unit when the sun rises." "Yes sir." "Understood." When Yu-Seong chose the two young men who were former hunters, they nodded lightly and dispersed in different directions. After confirming that they were moving away, Yu-Seong intentionally made the traces larger and gave instructions to move. How long had they been moving like this? Kyron, who was walking at the forefront and responsible for the side, gave his position to another knight and approached Yu-Seong. He said, "We should be arriving at the mine soon." Yu-Seong wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked around. Since entering the bushes, their pace had slowed down, and he felt that the surroundings were becoming slightly brighter. ¡°Fortunately, there was no ambush. Perhaps, we have been moving faster than we realized?¡± "No, we might be almost caught up." ¡°You mentioned being friends with him, so it seems like you know quite a lot about him,¡° Kyron surmised, guessing the origin of Yu-Seong''s thoughts. "Yes, I''m pretty confident knowing him," replied Yu-Seong. In fact, if it was before, Yu-Seong would have claimed to know almost everything about Do-Jin. However, the more Yu-Seong got to know Do-Jin, the harder it became for him to understand Do-Jin¡¯s thoughts. "Thanks to the knights and soldiers who followed my orders well, we should be able to reach the mine entrance relatively smoothly. Have you been to the mine before? It would be even better if we had someone who knows the way¡­" said Yu-Seong. When Kyron gave a strange smile in response to his question and shook his head, Yu-Seong, who had no high expectations to begin with, simply nodded calmly. Come to think of it, it made sense since the war had broken out over a mine that was located in an area where neither territory could enter easily. "Everyone is following your orders so well because they all respect you." "Ah...?" "Not just the knights, but even the soldiers dislike following the commands of someone who is not brave or doesn''t understand honor.¡± ¡°I assume the first duel we had together, Kyron, was helpful." "I can''t deny that, but... More than that, it''s a gesture of respect toward your experience and skill. To be honest, none of us here have ever seen a skilled warrior like yourself sweating and doing menial tasks at the back like a regular soldier. I didn''t mean anything negative by my comment, so I hope you don''t misunderstand," said Kyron as he quickly waved his hands, his face turning slightly red. "I won''t misunderstand, but after hearing your words, I can''t help but wonder... Wouldn''t it make you, as a knight, uncomfortable to see me doing so?" The world within the Tower of Heaven during the mission had a resemblance to the medieval era on Earth. In other words, although knights were not necessarily nobles, they were almost akin to that of nobility. Possibly from their perspective, Yu-Seong''s actions could be seen as undermining the honor of a knight. "I think that depends on the person. Maybe the knights of Count Chris might have been more uncomfortable, but I don''t think there would be anyone among the knights who follow Count Monte who would misunderstand your behavior. Rather, taking on a difficult task alone will increase their respect for you." Yu-Seong waved his hand at Kyron''s unexpected excessive praise. He said, "I am flattered, I just did what I could do." "Not everyone does what they can. Rather, most of them pretend not to know and do nothing. Maybe you will leave us after this mission, but..." "Shh. Everyone, crouch down." Yu-Seong interrupted Kyron''s words of admiration and lowered his body. The knights and soldiers who had been attentively listening to their conversation also followed suit, their expressions tense. The atmosphere around them shifted. CH 177 Yu-Seong''s instincts kicked in. ¡®We¡¯ve caught up. Do-Jin is close by.¡¯ Given the circumstances, a fight was unavoidable. Although it could be considered the worst-case scenario, Yu-Seong was not flustered. Instead, he focused more on what he could feel from his surroundings. ¡®If multiple people move, someone''s presence is likely to be detected.¡¯ In that case, the side lying in ambush would naturally have the advantage in the fight. It was the moment when Yu-Seong, the knights, and the soldiers held their breath¡­ Pashh-! Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the tall reeds to sway wildly. Beyond the bushes, a man¡ªDo-Jin, with a Pentagram drawn on his left hand and a sword in his right hand¡ªbriefly emerged before quickly disappearing. ¡®He¡¯s alone?¡¯ Yu-Seong was surprised for a moment. "Keughhh-!" A scream erupted from the front. "The opponent is alone! Everyone, gather together and back each other up!" Yu-Seong quickly shouted as he pursued Do-Jin, who he could catch glimpses of through the bushes. ¡®Stupid...!¡¯ Why hadn¡¯t he considered the possibility that Do-Jin would move alone? The reason was simple. Even if it were Do-Jin, it would be challenging to venture into the mine alone without any knowledge of the monsters inside, even more so if they assumed a boss monster was inside. ¡®He caught me off guard because I assumed. This crazy man must not even care whether the mission succeeds or fails.¡¯ Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original. From the beginning, Do-Jin had been seeking a fight with Yu-Seong, and this certainly forced him to fight. ¡®Right, because I won''t fight Kim Do-Jin without a reason¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong was now certain that if he knew Do-Jin, then it was highly likely that Do-Jin also knew him. ¡®Huh, so you¡¯re also saying you know what I¡¯m thinking.¡¯ Do-Jin had deduced Yu-Seong''s intentions and understood that he would not move alone but would proceed with caution and at a slower pace. It meant that Do-Jin had not been chasing after him from the start. ¡®He got here first and has been waiting for me. Damn it, he saw right through me.¡¯ After that, Do-Jin must have realized that no matter how strong he was, fighting against Yu-Seong, along with two knights and thirty pretty fast and skilled soldiers at the same time, would be virtually impossible. However, if the battlefield was an area like this dense reed zone or inside a mine, the situation would be different. Where would be the best place for a battle? Yu-Seong could clearly sense Do-Jin¡¯s intention. ¡®There are unpredictable variables in the mine¡ªthe monsters.¡¯ However, there were no such variables in this dense reed zone. That was why Do-Jin had chosen this place as the battlefield. And now, he was provoking Yu-Seong. "Keughhh-!" Another soldier screamed and writhed on the ground. Yu-Seong quickly went after Do-Jin, but he had already fled the scene. He was seemingly daring Yu-Seong to pursue him. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t fall for that.¡¯ Yu-Seong tried to stay calm and predict Do-Jin''s movements. If he waited to see Do-Jin before reacting, he would always be too slow. This was because, without using Wind Flow, their speeds were similar. ¡®If it were Kim Do-Jin¡­.¡¯ In fact, the answer was obvious. Amid the confusion, Yu-Seong noticed Kyron drawing his sword with a sense of tension. Yu-Seong moved quickly toward Kyron¡¯s side, and then he lowered his body and threw his spear toward Do-Jin''s sword. "Mr. Kyron!" Clang-! Simultaneously with Yu-Seong''s shout, there was a metallic clash as Do-Jin¡¯s sword struck the spear. Do-Jin clicked his tongue as he tried to retreat. Kyron''s eyes flashed as he advanced toward Do-Jin, swinging his sword. Do-Jin was momentarily thrown off by the unexpected speed of the knight''s reaction, but it didn''t last long. Still, it wasn¡¯t disappointing. Yu-Seong had already pulled his spear out of the ground and was chasing after Do-Jin, launching his attack. "Kim Do-Jin...!" Yu-Seong shouted. "Choi Yu-Seong," responded Do-Jin with a cold smile. "Sir, I''ll attack from the side!" Kyron shouted as he moved to Do-Jin¡¯s side. Whenever Do-Jin tried to obstruct Kyron¡¯s attack, Yu-Seong''s spear danced to block Do-Jin¡¯s movement. Yu-Seong could feel his fingertips buzzing with sensation. Though, even amidst the trembling feeling, Yu-Seong felt a strange exhilaration. ¡®I was expecting it, but really¡­ I can do this.¡¯ Yu-Seong was fighting on a level comparable to Do-Jin, who was the protagonist of the novel. On top of that, Kyron, a rather agile knight, intervened, and the bewildered soldiers regained their composure and began to surround him. Do-Jin''s eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he found himself on the defensive. ¡®If I can seize this opportunity, being alone would rather put you at a disadvantage!¡¯ Yu-Seong thought gleefully. Here, Do-Jin¡¯s choice was obvious. He conjured an ice arrow with his magic and hurled it at Yu-Seong while simultaneously swinging his sword. Having been prepared for magic, Yu-Seong was able to evade both of Do-Jin''s attacks. However, Kyron was caught off guard when Do-Jin suddenly turned his body and was unable to withstand his attack. Keugh-! When Kyron groaned in pain and stepped back, Do-Jin slipped away through the soldiers forming the encirclement and vanished into the bushes. "He''s getting away!" "Catch him!" The soldiers desperately shot arrows and chased after Do-Jin. "Don¡¯t pursue him! We could possibly get ambushed!" Yu-Seong urgently shouted. Upon hearing Yu-Seong''s shout, the excited soldiers quickly regained their senses. Indeed it was true that if Do-Jin launched a counter-attack from within the bushes, the number of casualties would increase exponentially. After Do-Jin escaped, a blanket of silence fell upon the bushes. Kyron slumped over helplessly, his fists pounding the ground. He yelled, expressing his intense anger, "Damn it¡­ It''s my fault...!" ''I was stupid¡­ I''ve completely lost this time.'' Yu-Seong also shared similar feelings of disappointment with Kyron. *** After losing Do-Jin, Yu-Seong kept an eye on the special operations team¡¯s morale. He approached Kyron, who had calmed down quite fast, and asked, "Kyron, can we talk for a moment?" "I''m sorry, sir. It''s because of my weakness that we missed the attacker,¡± said Kyron. Perhaps misunderstanding the intention behind Yu-Seong''s words, Kyron''s face turned red from shame as he bowed deeply. "No, that''s not what I meant. In fact, if you hadn''t reacted, Mr. Kyron, there could have been even greater damage," Yu-Seong said. "But..." "Kyron, you did everything you could do," Yu-Seong said. While this might have been an obvious statement for Yu-Seong, it could have been a significant cultural shock to Kyron. Kyron looked at Yu-Seong with eyes full of gratitude. He said, "I don''t know much about foreigners, but I''ve heard a lot of stories. I¡¯ve heard that most of them are selfish and self-centered, but Mr. Yu-Seong, you are really different. You''re brave, merciful, and intelligent. If I were a free knight, I might have sworn to follow you.¡± "In the first place, it¡¯s impossible since I¡¯m a foreigner," said Yu-Seong. "Still, you never know what might happen in this world, do you?" Kyron managed to smile somewhat, and Yu-Seong patted his shoulder in relief. Yu-Seong then said, "You''re right; you never know. Speaking of which, Kyron, could you lead the soldiers back to base?" "What? Is it because I¡¯m slowing you down¡­?" Yu-Seong shook his head slightly in response to Kyron''s wide-eyed question. "That''s not what I mean. I''m actually asking you for a favor." "A favor?" Kyron asked. Yu-Seong nodded. "I have an important message to deliver to Count Monte. The sooner, the better. So, from the middle point onwards, it would be best for Kyron to move alone." No matter how strong and enduring the soldiers may be, they would not be able to do better than Kyron, who could use magic even to a small extent. "I understand; you are asking me to take on the role of the messenger," said Kyron. Yu-Seong hesitated for a moment as he looked into Kyron''s eyes. ¡®Normally, it''s better to keep this kind of thing a secret, but¡­.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong was confident that this was the best approach. "The message is..." As he listened to Yu-Seong''s story, Kyron nodded quietly at first, but soon, his eyes widened in surprise. And then, as if he were becoming serious, he looked at Yu-Seong with a gaze full of trust. He said firmly, "Please trust me. I will definitely accomplish it.¡± "I appreciate it." As soon as Yu-Seong finished speaking, Kyron started to lead and order the soldiers to retreat. As mentioned, the sooner, the better. ¡®Now it''s my turn.¡¯ Yu-Seong was in a position where he had already been attacked by Do-Jin once. He prepared for a counterattack. *** Hiding in the bushes, Do-Jin watched as Kyron and the soldiers left. ¡®What''s your plan, Yu-Seong?¡¯ He had a hunch. That was why Do-Jin initially considered attacking the knights and soldiers to block their escape route. However, a flash of light burst out of the nearby bushes and rapidly moved forward. ¡®Light magic?¡¯ As far as Do-Jin knew, it was the only magic that Yu-Seong, who had just started learning the basics of magic, could use. Yu-Seong was clearly showing off his movements, provoking Do-Jin. ¡®So, he''s indicating his presence there, which means there is likely a trap set up over there.¡¯ Do-Jin''s eyes scanned the light back and forth. In fact, it was an obvious trap and a provocation. In fact, in this situation, Do-Jin''s choice was almost certain. "Choi Yu-Seong, I''ll play along with you." It didn''t matter what kind of trap Yu-Seong was planning to set up. From the start, what Do-Jin wanted was a match with Yu-Seong. And even more than that, Do-Jin wanted Yu-Seong¡¯s real secret. ¡®Did he say he¡¯s a prophet? Did he really think I¡¯d believe that?¡¯ Do-Jin was going to take this chance to expose Yu-Seong¡¯s underlying reality. *** It was obvious that Do-Jin would follow him. Yu-Seong was sure about this after he had sent Kyron and the soldiers away. ¡®In fact, the provocation would only make him more eager to catch up, considering his strong self-esteem.¡¯ Sometimes, the more visible the opponent was, the more it provoked. With one hand, Yu-Seong lifted the light magic while moving and continued to create the Pentagram magic circle. ¡®Please, just once¡­.¡¯ The principle of the magic that Do-Jin had taught Yu-Seong was simple. It was a matter of making a pact with this world through the language of the runic alphabet. In other words, it meant that, by expressing language, one could unfold a form of magic that did not originally exist in this world. ¡®Also, Kim Do-Jin showed me that several times before¡­.¡¯ Generally, the magics that were commonly used and unfolded were called Formal Magic by the magicians. Formal Magic had been created for a simple reason. Runic alphabets were different from common languages, and therefore, there were many words that were difficult to express through them. Formal Magic was officially designated as a way to convey intent through runic alphabets because it was easier to use. Therefore, beginners were educated to learn Formal Magic according to their own level of magic expertise. However, what Yu-Seong wanted right now was not such Formal Magic. CH 178 ¡®Applied magic.¡¯ The basic requirement for using applied magic was to be at least a 3rd class wizard who was capable of unraveling complex runic sentences. Do-Jin had previously remarked that Yu-Seong was just an entry-level magician who struggled even to unravel a simple sentence, indicating he was only a 1st class novice magician. ¡®If mana was the only consideration, he said I could even perform 3rd class magic.¡¯ However, since Do-Jin had never witnessed Yu-Seong''s full mana potential, it was possible that Yu-Seong could surpass even that level. ¡®The language combination I want to use is¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong quickly moved the clusters of light. In fact, just looking at his combination of words, it was safe to say that it was not 2nd but 3rd class magic. If Do-Jin had known what Yu-Seong was thinking, he would have snorted and said that he was being naive. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong continued to run and create the magic circle while earnestly carving his desired message with the Runic alphabet. It wasn''t just a matter of thinking, ''if it worked out, great, and if not, oh well''. ¡®The most effective way to persuade through the Runic alphabet is by demonstrating both a sincere heart and a sense of urgency.¡¯ After the realization of this fact when first learning Light magic, Yu-Seong had never inscribed a single Runic alphabet with a careless heart. Although he could feel it quickly, Yu-Seong cautiously and carefully released his mana as he focused on conveying his desired message to the world. As a result, the light clusters floating above his hand wriggled, trying to shoot forward at a rapid pace. Yu-Seong quickly canceled the spell before anyone could catch him. He couldn''t help but smile brightly. He had reached the 2nd class level in magic. ¡®I did it!¡¯ If other magicians, including Do-Jin, had witnessed what Yu-Seong had just accomplished, they might have screamed in shock. Yu-Seong, who had accomplished it with such ease, clenched his fists tightly and suppressed the urge to cheer. The benefits of reaching this level were too numerous to count, but if he had to pick one, the biggest was that it was something that only Yu-Seong knew, and Do-Jin remained unaware of it. Now, they could see the entrance to the mine in front of them. Sensing Do-Jin''s pursuit, Yu-Seong dashed into the entrance with him close behind. *** Inside the mine was complete darkness. There wasn¡¯t even a speck of light. When he first chased Yu-Seong into the mine, Do-Jin furrowed his eyebrows slightly at the realization. ¡®I can¡¯t see¡­¡¯ Maybe it was because he had been chasing the light clusters for so long, but it took some time to adjust to the darkness. ¡®This is uncomfortable. If I had regained all my strength, I wouldn''t have to do something as useless as this.¡¯ He clicked his tongue inwardly, then immediately activated his Insight skill. Finally, he saw the footprints of Yu-Seong''s movements. ¡®He turned off the Light magic.¡¯ After all, attempting to use Light magic in such darkness would only attract monsters, making them easy targets. Do-Jin nodded in understanding and kept moving forward, but suddenly heard a shrill monster''s scream and quickly stopped in his tracks. When he arrived at the source of the noise, he recognized the sight of a monster lying on the ground. ¡®Orc. He¡¯s being chased.¡¯ The number of monsters also seemed to be quite high. Apart from Yu-Seong''s footsteps, there were many footprints of monsters overlapping each other. Do-Jin had one more thought upon observing that sight. ¡®Did he intend for this to happen, or...?¡¯ Lost in thought, Do-Jin stopped walking. From ahead, he saw Orcs slowly emerged from the darkness with low growls and a menacing aura. Despite being surrounded by the corpses of their comrades, they showed no fear. Do-Jin unintentionally snorted at the Orcs¡¯ appearance. It was because he suddenly realized that getting lost in thought itself could be a trap. In fact, it had been a while since he had found himself in such a situation. He couldn''t be sure what the other person was thinking. He thought he knew Yu-Seong quite well, but he realized that he needed to watch every move with caution. The reason for this cautiousness was simple. ¡®It''s because...I''m feeling afraid.¡¯ It was a precarious fight where one wrong step could lead to a thorny path. Could he keep winning after his initial victory? Do-Jin quickly slit the throat of an Orc swinging its ax and started running toward the monsters like a madman. ¡®Let''s not overthink it. I''ll just have to chase after him and win.¡¯ The most important rule in this fight was to follow the basic principle of ¡®hide and seek.¡¯ Do-Jin wanted to catch Yu-Seong, who clearly wanted to evade him. As time passed, Yu-Seong''s strategy of sending the soldiers back would ultimately serve to benefit Do-Jin. In this fight, there was no time for hesitation or second-guessing if he planned to win. In fact, such hesitation was a trap set by Yu-Seong in the first place. In situations like this, it had always been his sixth sense, or instinctive intuition, that led him to victory. Certain of this, Do-Jin quickly followed the path and cut through the darkness and the monsters. ¡®The number of footprints is increasing.¡¯ The footprint sizes of humans and Orcs differed, so finding Yu-Seong shouldn''t be too difficult. However, there were so many footprints that even the traces of Yu-Seong had been buried. ¡®As expected, if I had fallen for his tricks, it would have been a disaster.¡¯ At a sudden crossroad, Do-Jin found himself becoming more confident in his thoughts. If he had not followed quickly, there was a high chance he would have missed Yu-Seong at another fork. ¡®Left or right?¡¯ There were countless footprints leading to the left, while the right path was suspiciously clean. ¡®My instinct tells me it¡¯s the right path¡­¡¯ Find the original at "pawread dot com". Do-Jin quickly followed that path. There initially were no traces of footprints, but they began to appear from the middle point. ¡®I don''t know how he managed to drive and push the monsters, but¡­¡¯ The same method was used at the second and third forks. The traces of Yu-Seong, which had disappeared, reappeared in the middle of the path. There was no confusion. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯ According to his intuition, Do-Jin was sure that he was almost catching up to Yu-Seong. At that moment, he approached a crossroad, and saw three paths in front of him. The middle path was still chaotic with footprints scattered everywhere, while the left and right paths appeared to be quite neat. ¡®Which one of those three paths¡­?¡¯ Do-Jin wondered which path to take, feeling confused for the first time since he started following his intuition. ¡®What is this?¡¯ His intuition was spinning around in place as if it had lost its direction. He couldn''t hide his bewilderment since he had never experienced such a thing before. ¡®What kind of trick did you pull, Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯ Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the central path, followed by the eerie voice of a monster. Do-Jin, who was grinding his teeth, ran toward the sound as he panted heavily. From the darkness, the silver blade of a spear shot toward his waist. Although he reacted a bit late, his sword managed to block the tip of the blade accurately. Once again, it was Do-Jin''s intuition that saved him from the crisis at the last minute. However, Do-Jin couldn''t react in time to the bright light that suddenly exploded in front of him. The explosion occurred just as he blocked the blade of the spear. ¡°...?!¡± His eyes were momentarily blinded so that he couldn''t see anything in front of him. ¡®Choi Yu-Seong...!¡¯ It was natural for Do-Jin to rely on his other senses after that, but it was inevitably slower to ¡®see¡¯ movements using his other senses than directly using his eyes. And in a fight between two similarly skilled individuals, the slightest bit of slowness made a big difference. Thud-! As the thick spear struck his knee with great force, Do-Jin wavered unsteadily before he crumpled to the ground. *** In fact, Do-Jin was right; this competition was like a hide and seek. In this case, Do-Jin was the tagger, and Yu-Seong was in a position to run away from him. Furthermore, Do-Jin was resolute in his conviction, and Yu-Seong was sure that Do-Jin could never change his mindset on the matter. ¡®That is because he¡¯ll think that I won''t ever fight him.¡¯ Just as Yu-Seong had been overconfident in his understanding of Do-Jin, Do-Jin had made the same mistake. It was a foolish mistake that could happen when both individuals thought they knew each other well. In fact, Yu-Seong wanted to take advantage of this gap. However, he also had to consider the possibility that Do-Jin might be able to read his mind. Therefore, as soon as Yu-Seong encountered the first monster in the mine, he immediately conducted a few experiments. He led the group of monsters, the Orc horde, while using his newly invented Free Light magic to divert their attention whenever he encountered a fork in the road. Then, he moved as much as possible along the walls, without leaving any traces at the beginning, and used the opposite path. If Do-Jin perceived this to be a complete game of hide and seek, he would pursue Yu-Seong at a rapid pace. In the first place, Yu-Seong didn''t expect to deceive Do-Jin with small tricks. As expected, Do-Jin was now chasing after him. Now, Yu-Seong had to make sure that this game was perceived as a hide and seek. Yu-Seong then repeated the same action several times before seeing the sudden appearance of three crossroads. ¡®This is where the showdown takes place.¡¯ Although it wasn¡¯t as good as Do-Jin¡¯s yet, Yu-Seong also had a good instinct. He applied Delayed Explosion, a 2nd class magic that was the same class as Free Light magic, to one of the following monster¡¯s necks. This skill¡ªDelayed Explosion¡ªhad a clear advantage and disadvantage. ¡®Although it¡¯s similar in power to a 3rd class magic fireball, it didn''t explode immediately even when used. ¡®It takes 3 to 5 minutes to be executed.¡¯ Yu-Seong thought that this disadvantage could be an advantage in the current situation. He cast Delayed Explosion on the body of the Orc rushing into him. Immediately after, he used the same Free Light Magic as before to lure the monsters. ¡®The duration that the light leaves my hand should be at least 10 seconds.¡¯ This short duration greatly helped to further deceive Do-Jin. All the skill¡¯s disadvantages were used as advantages, and Yu-Seong attached himself to the ceiling of the left path of the three crossroads, killed his breath, and waited for the opportunity. It was because he strongly felt that he had to gamble here, even though it was somewhat dangerous. Soon, he detected Do-Jin''s movement as the man passed by while he remained in hiding. When he felt the sound of the Delayed Explosion magic exploding, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t hesitate. He had no idea how Do-Jin would move, but he knew that if he hesitated here, he would surely miss the opportunity. Yu-Seong¡¯s swift action gave him a chance to take advantage of Do-Jin''s gap. Yu-Seong quickly extended his spear and used the Light magic, which he could easily and familiarly spread as much as he wanted, in front of Do-Jin''s eyes. Although it had no practical lethality, the Light magic could momentarily take away Do-Jin¡¯s vision. At that moment, Yu-Seong''s choice was to swing his spear and smash Do-Jin''s kneecap, and his strategy paid off brilliantly. "Huh¡­ Huh..." Yu-Seong took a deep breath and looked down at Do-Jin, who had collapsed in vain. When their eyes met, Yu-Seong couldn''t help feeling strange. ¡®Did I really knock down the protagonist of the original novel?¡¯ Of course, he didn''t kill the man or strike him unconscious. However, Do-Jin¡¯s current condition could be expressed in one word¡ªincapacitated. Yu-Seong was sure that Do-Jin was unable to fight as he aimed the tip of his spear at Do-Jin''s chin. "I won." With a short declaration, an exciting thrill rose within him. CH 179 The declaration of victory against the protagonist of the original novel was something Yu-Seong had always wanted to do at least once. It felt so sweet that it gave him goosebumps all over his body, but Yu-Seong didn''t let that emotion take over him. "This¡­was quite a shot. You got me, Choi Yu-Seong." "So...you''re going to give up now?" "Do I look like a quitter to you?" Do-Jin asked calmly. In fact, the answer could be seen as somewhat obvious. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew in the quiet mine, pushing Yu-Seong back. In one of Do-Jin''s hands, a large Pentagram had been drawn. ''Of course, this isn¡¯t going to end easily like this!'' Yu-Seong spun on the ground a few times before rushing toward Do-Jin, who tried to stand up and was using healing magic on his own injured leg. Do-Jin furrowed his brow and stood up, swinging his sword. We are "pawread dot com", find us on google. Bang-! As a loud sound shook the mine, Do-Jin stepped back. ''Healing magic is usually more effective on visible injuries.'' However, it was somewhat weaker for internal injuries such as fractures. Despite being a magic genius, Do-Jin wouldn''t be able to recover properly by using magic twice in such a desperate situation. ''But this is enough for my desired outcome.'' If both were in perfect condition, Do-Jin would have a higher chance of winning in a fight. But what if one leg was uncomfortable? ¡®Well, it''s worth a try.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter whether Do-Jin¡¯s attention was distracted by healing or fighting in discomfort; Yu-Seong attacked unhesitantly as if he had no intention of wasting a single moment. He pushed away the thought that his opponent was Do-Jin. Once the battle had begun, nothing was more important than winning. Yu-Seong''s mind was filled with the word ¡®victory,¡¯ and he swung his spear with great focus on the situation. Cu Chulainn''s Secret Spear Skills, such as Raging Snake and Double-Headed Serpent, danced beautifully after they were executed, aiming for Kim Do-Jin''s whole body. Having made up his mind, Yu-Seong was determined not to get sidetracked and to see the battle through to the end. After all, he wasn''t facing an opponent he could easily defeat with such a mindset. Yu-Seong''s mouth was filled with a bitter taste, and his heart began to beat wildly. Sweat was trickling down his forehead, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Then, suddenly regaining his composure, Yu-Seong could only feel a sense of astonishment as he looked at Do-Jin, whose face was equally drenched in sweat. ¡®He''s really insane¡­¡¯ Do-Jin was laughing brightly. There were only two occasions when he laughed like this. ¡®He''s either really angry or really enjoying it.¡¯ What would Do-Jin''s current mood be? Even if Yu-Seong didn''t want to know, he couldn''t help but find out. His Character Understanding Skill clearly indicated that, despite being at a disadvantage due to his injury, the increasingly intense fight, and growing injuries, Do-Jin was enjoying the current battle. ¡®How could he feel enjoyment from this?¡¯ Actually, Yu-Seong didn''t want to understand. However, perhaps it was because their gazes met, Do-Jin spoke to him while they were exchanging blows. ¡°You look like you''re quite enjoying this.¡± "Who is..." Yu-Seong gave a short answer. He couldn''t help but feel confused. ¡®Was I also laughing?¡¯ His eyes and mouth were twisted uncontrollably. His whole body was filled with even more excitement than when he had declared victory against Do-Jin earlier on. He was soaring. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and he felt like a rocket rushing right up into the skies. ¡®Indeed, Kim Do-Jin must be insane to enjoy such battles. And perhaps, I am too.¡¯ Yu-Seong could not deny that. At this moment of the intense battle with Do-Jin, which made his very blood seem to boil, Yu-Seong found it just too enjoyable to resist. Despite losing much of his strength, Do-Jin''s swordsmanship was like art, and his magic was constantly threatening Yu-Seong. In fact, this was an emotion Yu-Seong didn''t want to understand. Having originally been an ordinary employee of a game company in South Korea, Yu-Seong had never even imagined fighting for his life against someone. ¡®He is not even an enemy threatening me, nor a villain.¡¯ However, this time, Yu-Seong¡¯s opponent was a person whom he undoubtedly had a favorable impression of, even though it may have been due to the unavoidable influence of the original novel. The fight against Do-Jin was not like a duel with an agreement not to use more than a certain amount of force against each other. Yu-Seong was aware that he could either kill his opponent or be killed himself. Yu-Seong successfully pierced Do-Jin''s thigh with his spear as the man was struggling to maintain his balance due to the injury. And at that moment, Do-Jin, who braced himself for injury, thrust his sword into Yu-Seong''s shoulder. As the two men pulled out their weapons simultaneously, their faces twisted in pain, and their blood sprayed on each other''s faces, staining them red. "Haak...!" "Kryuk...!" The two men groaned and cried out, then exchanged glances. Although their expressions were distorted by pain, they still continued to smile. ¡°You weirdo,¡± said Yu-Seong. ¡°Pot calling the kettle black,¡± Do-Jin responded, licking the blood off his lips with his tongue as he raised his sword again. He then asked, "You can still continue, right?" "Of course. I''m not dead yet," Yu-Seong replied, his lips twitching. His eyes trailed down from Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder to the tip of his sword. ¡®I¡¯m sure he must have a hidden move.¡¯ They had fought fiercely for a long time, but there was something important missing. It was because Yu-Seong suspected that Do-Jin might have a hidden move. ¡®Because I also have one hiding.¡¯ If they clashed again, one of them would have to reveal their hidden move first, and their opponent would counterattack as if they had been waiting for it. ¡®Who is going to reveal their move first?¡¯ The side that first revealed the hidden move was usually at a disadvantage. The two men, thinking the same thing, had their eyes fixed on each other as they prepared to make a move. Their gazes were intense. Suddenly, as if by some unspoken agreement, both of their movements came to a halt at the same time. They peered through the familiar darkness toward the long path ahead, listening to a cacophony of monster screams and urgent footsteps mixing in the air. Someone was coming. Naturally, the thoughts of the knight, Kyron, leaving the reed forest, along with the soldiers, flashed through Do-Jin''s mind. Along with that, anger flared up in his eyes. He barked, "You...!" In response to the intense shout, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and lowered the spear he was aiming at Do-Jin. He asked, "Then, did you really plan to fight until we both died?" In fact, Yu-Seong also felt a sense of disappointment and frustration. As reason began to return to him, he first came up with an idea of self-restraint. "Let''s stop here. We''ll have another chance." "What if I don''t want to stop?" asked Do-Jin through gritted teeth. Yu-Seong pointed to the darkness beyond the light; the monsters'' screams could be heard. He commented, "Are you sure? If we continue on, the only ones who¡¯d be excited will be them. And we''ll both die." Do-Jin¡¯s gaze momentarily trembled with contemplation at Yu-Seong¡¯s affirmation. Then, he finally sighed. In fact, Do-Jin had also known the answer all along. ¡®For him, it¡¯d just be hard to calm down.¡¯ Yu-Seong could easily understand Do-Jin, since he also had difficulty controlling his emotions. This could be seen from his trembling fingertips. "...You¡¯d better not think about such pointless actions next time." In the end, Do-Jin finally put down his sword. *** Count Monte and Count Chris, the two lords with neighboring territories, had known each other since childhood but had never expressed any goodwill toward each other. However, they did not hold any malicious intentions toward each other either. Rather, the two were like competitors who would need to step over each other to get ahead someday. It was an inevitable thing since their family values and behaviors were vastly different. However, for the first time, the two men had the same idea. "We need to obtain the Dragon Egg before the outsiders do." "We can''t let the Dragon Egg fall into their hands." Although these two lords were always in small battles with each other except during winter, this time, the scale of the battle was different. It involved the egg of a dragon that had not yet been born. Obviously, neither of them had directly encountered a dragon before. However, the legends said that Dragons were stronger, wise, and more beautiful than all the other creatures. Most importantly, what these two lords needed was the symbolic power that came with the Dragon. In all the legends, it was said that those chosen by Dragons became great beings. For these two lords who dreamed of stepping over each other and surpassing their limits, the Dragon Egg was a thing that could ignite their ambition. As a result, the two lords, under an agreement, waged a massive war that was unlike any other. It was a battle in an open field so that the civilians were not harmed. The winner would get the Dragon Egg. However, during this battle, the foreigners appeared. These foreigners, who claimed to have received a revelation from a god and descended upon this world, possessed various abilities and strengths. Still, they all shared one peculiarity. ¡®After completing their mission, they disappear.¡¯ Although the two lords wanted the Dragon Egg, they wanted to keep it secret externally. Thus, they welcomed the sudden appearance of the foreigners. The foreigners even chose different camps. So, the lords asked each other, and found out that their strength was evenly matched. Here, the two lords had the same idea. Even if two territories with similar strength fought a war and one of them won, it could take time for both to recover from the war. However, what if they fought a proxy war through the foreigners who were destined to disappear from this world? In fact, there would be no reason to shed blood. Count Monte believed that Count Chris would not choose differently from him. Although their values and behavior patterns were different, their goals were the same. They also knew that they shared many similarities in their judgment, which they had realized a long time ago. In other words, the side that obtained the Dragon Egg first through a proxy would be the winner, and the defeated had to follow the victor. Clearly, the two lords shared the same thought. However, the game that began under this unspoken rule was ruined by the report of Kyron, the knight of Monte Count. ¡®I had no idea that the foreigners could complete the god''s mission without needing to bring the Dragon Egg to us!¡¯ As a consequence, many things were bound to change. The existence to be born from the Dragon Egg was crucial to the future of both lords. To have such a Dragon Egg stolen right in front of their eyes was an intolerable matter. Monte Count immediately prepared his equipment and left the camp without having time to lead his soldiers or knights. After all, he was the best knight in his camp. Above all, he was in a hurry. He didn''t know when the foreigners would run away with the Dragon Egg to another world. Count Chris, who had placed his spy in Monte Count''s camp, also had the same thought. Thus, the two lords faced each other on the wide field but did not draw their swords. They ran madly towards the Renton Mine without hesitation. CH 180 Yu-Seong and Do-Jin ceased their battle and dashed towards the deepest part of the mine. Since both of them were injured, they moved somewhat slower than before, but eventually passed through a dark tunnel to reach a huge cave where bright light illuminated the space. Their gaze naturally turned to the Dragon Egg, which shone brightly on a polished stone at the center of the cave. The egg was seemingly sitting on a throne. However, they noticed one peculiarity. ¡®There''s¡­more than one Dragon Egg?¡¯ Yu-Seong and Do-Jin observed two eggs of contrasting colors¡ªblack and white¡ªthat were neatly arranged like twin brothers. They then exchanged looks. ¡®How interesting.¡¯ Do-Jin¡¯s lips twisted into a smile upon noticing Yu-Seong¡¯s bewildered expression. In fact, there was nothing Yu-Seong could do about this situation. ¡®In the original novel, only one black Dragon Egg was mentioned. But if there are actually two Dragon Eggs¡­¡¯ There were only two options in this case. First, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, who were both called ¡®foreigners,¡¯ could each take one Dragon Egg and proceed to the next floor. This was the very situation that Count Monte and Count Chris had feared the most. ¡®The second option is¡­¡¯ The plan was to negotiate with the two Counts for one of the eggs while keeping the other one for himself. In fact, the Counts only needed the justification for them to be the ultimate ruler in the first place. In order to obtain that outcome, giving them one Dragon Egg was better than having two. Additionally, there was also the possibility that one of the Counts may not want to share the Dragon Egg. Of course, there were mountains to cross before making such a decision. Suddenly, the gray-eyed monster, frozen like a statue beneath the throne where the Dragon Eggs were placed, lit up its eyes with a red glow and spread its wings. "Gargoyle...!" The monsters, resembling bats, primarily attacked with powerful sonic waves as they flew through the air. However, they were also physically strong due to being made of stone. Furthermore, there wasn''t just one of them. ¡®There are at least ten of them...¡¯ Yu-Seong realized why the knights who came before them had failed and returned. The Gargoyles were on a whole different level with the Orc crowd. Watching the monsters spread their wings, Yu-Seong turned to Do-Jin. Even if they were in their best condition, it wouldn''t be easy to pass through the crowd of Gargoyles. Meanwhile, the monsters'' screams coming from behind were getting closer and closer. Yu-Seong looked at the flapping Gargoyles with his eyes wide open. They were quite threatening, but they didn''t seem to have any intention of attacking first as long as he didn''t get closer than a certain distance. After all, the Gargoyles were guard monsters. Their purpose would be to protect the Dragon Eggs. "Can you hold your breath for a while?" asked Yu-Seong. "If it''s in such a chaotic situation..." Do-Jin lightly nodded his head. Indeed, They were inside a spacious cave, but there was a way to get through. "Then, trust me and wait for a moment. I''ll take care of the rest." "You want me to trust you and wait?" When Yu-Seong nodded, Do-Jin had an incredulous look on his face. "Why? Is there something on my handsome face?" "Yes, it¡¯s covered in your blood." "Damn... No wonder it feels sticky." After exchanging a light joke, Yu-Seong stared at Do-Jin, whose eyes were full of suspicion. However, Do-Jin''s emotion conveyed through Yu-Seong¡¯s Character Understanding skill was ''confusion.'' In fact, Yu-Seong could understand why Do-Jin felt such a feeling. ¡®Since Kim Do-Jin always had to solve his own problems.¡¯ That was just the destiny of any protagonist of a fantasy novel. Difficult and challenging situations always had to be resolved by the protagonist himself. No matter how much the supporting characters played significant roles, in the end, it was inevitable for the protagonist to muster up the strength to push forward. That was Do-Jin''s life, the life of the original novel¡¯s protagonist. However, the situation had arisen where Do-Jin could rely on someone else and take a step back. Although he had faced similar situations in the past, this was the first time he was fully conscious of stepping back and directly relying on someone else. Because of this, Do-Jin felt confused and complicated emotions. "But if I think I''m in danger, you have to save me. You know you can''t let your guard down, right? If I die, it''s your fault,¡± said Yu-Seong as he reassured Do-Jin. "I had that in mind from the beginning,¡± said Do-Jin. As if he finally understood the situation, Do-Jin''s expression relaxed into a casual one. He stepped back while conjuring magic in both hands. Now, although Do-Jin was clearly right next to Yu-Seong, Yu-Seong couldn''t feel his presence at all. "Now, shall I get ready too?" Yu-Seong muttered to himself. In this strange situation, he used one hand to melt and wipe away the dried blood on his face. The acrid scent of blood filled his nostrils, penetrating deep into his lungs. *** The two Counts rushed through Renton Mine like madmen until they finally arrived at a large cavern, where they were met with a pouring light that almost blinded them. At the same time, the first thing that caught the attention of the two Counts was Yu-Seong, who stood in place with numerous injuries. "Choi Yu-Seong!" Count Monte exclaimed as he recognized the injured man. Meanwhile, Count Chris scowled. ¡®I don''t see Kim Do-Jin.¡¯ Naturally, the idea came down to a single one. "So, it seems that you have knocked down Count Chris'' mercenary," said Count Monte with a chuckle. As his pace relaxed, he felt a sense of victory rising up within him. He thought about the alternate scenario where if things had gone differently, he would have been the winner. "But you don''t look too good yourself," Count Chris muttered as he halted his steps, then looked at Count Monte¡¯s relaxed figure. "At least he¡¯s still alive," Count Monte replied while shrugging his shoulders as if he didn¡¯t care about anything else. Currently, two Counts confirmed the situation where one of your foreigners was gone while one was seriously injured. ¡®It seems we¡¯ve caused quite a fuss,¡¯ thought Count Monte. Despite his serious injury, Count Monte knew that Yu-Seong was still quite useful. Moreover, in the cavern, there were only him, Count Chris, and Yu-Seong. ¡®It''s difficult to say who is superior or inferior between Count Chris and me.¡¯ Rather, it was highly likely that they would both knock each other out simultaneously. However, what if Yu-Seong supported him here? ¡®I could use him as a shield and take down Count Chris,¡¯ thought Count Monte. The thought of using Yu-Seong to his advantage and easily solving the problem made Count Monte''s eyes glint with desire. "Count Monte, now is not the time for other thoughts," said Yu-Seong all of a sudden. For Count Monte, Yu-Seong¡¯s words were somewhat incomprehensible. Feeling confused, he muttered, "Huh?" "Look over there." Yu-Seong didn''t say much, but instead pointed at the throne where the Dragon Eggs were located. The wings of the Gargoyles had obscured their view, making it difficult to see the Dragon Eggs clearly. Both Count Monte and Count Chris¡¯s eyes soon widened in surprise. "There is more than one Dragon Egg," said Count Chris. "There are two eggs..." Both Counts had the same reaction as when they saw Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin before. The knowledge that there were Dragon Eggs in Renton Mine had been received by the bishop¡¯s oracles of their respective churches at the same time. The god''s words in this world were beyond doubt. Of course, it had already been established that there would be a Dragon Egg, but no one knew that there would be two of them. Thinking back, even the oracle given to them by the bishops in their respective territories did not mention the number of eggs. Naturally, the two lords stared at each other. Under the iron helmet worn to protect his head, Count Monte with his red eyes contemplated. ¡®The wisest decision here would be to kill this foreigner, and for Count Chris and me to each take one Dragon Egg.¡¯ Was there a need to end the fight between the two here? ¡®It''s better to kill this foreigner¡­¡¯ Through a pact with each other, the two Counts had already made a relatively certain decision on the path they would take. Naturally, a desire to kill Yu-Seong had surfaced in Count Monte''s eyes as he looked at Yu-Seong. Sensing the Count¡¯s gaze, Yu-Seong took a step back with a surprised expression. "Count Monte?" "...I''m sorry, but I''m not certain that you would be able to resist your greed once you have one of those eggs in your hands," said Count Monte. "The Dragon Egg is necessary for both of us," said Count Chris before he stepped forward with his sword drawn. Aiming the sword that dripped with the blue blood of a monster at Yu-Seong, he said, "Your death would be the most beautiful conclusion.¡± "Why would it come to that?" asked Yu-Seong. "Because we would have to spill too much blood to face each other," replied Count Monte. Count Chris slowly approached Yu-Seong with his sword still pointed at the man. Now in this suffocating situation, Yu-Seong was not going to stand still and be killed. He pulled out his own weapon and asked, ¡°You mean, even if you guys eventually have to shed blood?¡¯" At that moment, Count Chris paused slightly. ¡°In my world, there is a saying: two suns cannot rise in the same sky. I assume you both understand the meaning behind this,¡± Yu-Seong said. Actually, Yu-Seong knew why the two Counts were hesitating and moving slowly even though they could have easily closed the distance to prevent Yu-Seong from speaking. He was clearly reading their emotions though Character Understanding. Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled. ¡®Just as I expected. These selfish humans, their thoughts are crystal clear.¡¯ Perhaps because the two Counts were so alike, Yu-Seong was able to take control of the situation with ease while acting as if he were in a desperate situation. He then said, "Think carefully. The Dragon is known for its strength. Isn''t that symbolism what both of you need the most? What if it was divided in half?¡± "Shut up!" Count Chris shouted urgently, speeding up his steps. This novel is available on "pawread dot com". In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t take any more steps backward. He stood in place and looked at Count Monte, who was hesitating. Then, he said calmly, "Attempting to achieve it alone, something that is difficult to accomplish even for two people... There is a high probability of encountering an insurmountable obstacle." "You foreigner! If you don''t shut up right now...!" Count Chris raised his voice, glaring at Yu-Seong. "Are you going to kill me? But if you do, both of your positions will go back to a stalemate.¡± At the same time, Yu-Seong moved forward towards Count Chris'' sword. This time, it was Count Chris who took a step back. "Ugh...!" Count Chris groaned, unable to hide his wavering gaze. Count Monte was no different. ¡°Think carefully, Count Monte. Why do you think I told you about the oracle''s specific details? I already knew from the beginning that there are two Dragon Eggs! And I thought that sharing one with Count Monte would be the most ideal resolution,¡± said Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong''s lie once again caused a shift in the two Counts¡¯ expressions, since it was something that they had never considered before. ''He knew about the two Dragon Eggs from the beginning? Then... did Yu-Seong do this for me all along?'' After collecting his thoughts, Count Monte quickly moved to stand by Yu-Seong''s side. CH 181 Count Chris was taken aback by the sudden change. Clenching his fists and swaying a little, he yelled, "Count Monte!" "Choi Yu-Seong, you''re right. Two suns rising in the same sky would only burn each other out," said Count Monte as he pointed his sword toward Count Chris. He added, "I was shortsighted. Will you accept my request for reconciliation now?" Hearing those words, Count Chris became anxious. He nervously bit his lower lip as his gaze shifted from the resolute Count Monte to Yu-Seong. He quickly said, "Foreigner, I mean, Choi Yu-Seong, right? I''m sorry for my mistake. My greed got the best of me, and I made an error in judgment. But think carefully. Count Monte has already turned his back on you once. Is there any reason to believe he won''t do it again?" "But, Count Chris, it wasn''t me but you who drew the sword,¡± said Count Monte. "If I really intended to kill you, would I have needed to prolong the time like this?" asked Count Christ. "Enough, Count Chris. The more you mock me, the more foolish you appear," said Count Monte. Listening to the Counts¡¯ conversation, Yu-Seong snorted and said, "You both are aware that, from my perspective, neither of you possess any trustworthy qualities, right?" "I swear on my honor..." started Count Chris. "I swear on my position and faith..." added Count Monte. "Alright, let''s settle it this way," suggested Yu-Seong. He interrupted the two Counts and gestured toward the Dragon Egg that was lodged between the rocks. He said, "I''ll side with whoever retrieves the Dragon Egg first." After listening to Yu-Seong''s suggestion, Count Monte and Count Chris immediately responded in their own way. "What...?" exclaimed Count Monte. "Are you commanding us now?" asked Count Chris. "As you both are aware, a Dragon can only choose one person as its owner. Moreover, it''s widely known that a Dragon Egg is indestructible. That means, if left unclaimed, a new owner might be born in an unforeseen location. So, who do you think can handle the remaining Dragon Egg the most cleanly?" Yu-Seong pointed to his own face with his index finger. "I think it''s just me, the foreigner, in this situation..." Then, Yu-Seong smiled and tilted his head slightly. "If you''re still confused about who has the right to choose..." Before Yu-Seong could even finish his sentence, Count Chris, who had made up his mind about something, ran out first. He said, "Promise to keep your word.¡± Count Monte, with an anxious expression on his face, ran after Count Chris toward the group of Gargoyles. As they were knight lords who personally went out to the battlefield, their swordsmanship was excellent. Moreover, they could swing their swords with mana, allowing them to end the fight against the stone-bodied Gargoyles quickly and with minimal physical exertion. This was as long as they were determined. ¡®As long as they work together.¡¯ Yu-Seong smiled inwardly. When Count Chris, who had run ahead, tried to bisect a Gargoyle¡¯s head with his sword, Count Monte, who had desperately followed him, suddenly kicked him in the back. "Keugh!" Count Chris, caught off guard by the sudden attack, let out a groan of pain as he hit the ground. He quickly crouched down and prepared to defend himself against the approaching Gargoyles, but the dangerous situation he had anticipated did not come to pass. Instead, all the Gargoyles charged towards Count Monte, who was running toward the Dragon Egg in his place. Thanks to this, Count Monte was stuck in a bad situation. He swung his sword around in a panic while Count Chris, who had regained his senses, stood up and shouted with a red face, "You coward¡­!" As anger burned in his blue eyes, Count Chris swung his sword toward Count Monte. "Keugh-!" Surrounded by the pack of Gargoyles and unable to defend himself against Count Chris¡¯ surprise attack, Count Monte was hit in the chest. He fell backward with a loud thud, blood spurting through his helmet. Count Chris kicked Count Monte''s chin lightly and stopped for a moment before rushing toward the Dragon Egg. ¡®It¡¯s a competition that we ended up doing because of the foreigner, but¡­¡¯ The Gargoyles, who had the role to protect the Dragon Egg, completely altered the course of the battle between the two knights of similar skill. ¡®If the Gargoyles had come to me when Monte first cowardly attacked me, the story would have been different.¡¯ Since the Gargoyles were dedicated to protecting the Dragon Egg, they had all selected Count Monte as their next target, indicating that Count Chris was at risk of ending up like Count Monte if he advanced any further. Therefore, Count Chris smiled as he stood in place, watching half of the Gargoyles rush toward him. While it might be a bit challenging to fight with ten of them alone, he could easily handle five of them in an instant. ¡®Monte is seriously injured, so he is busy defending. I am confident that I will win this battle.¡¯ Count Chris ran toward the Gargoyles and smashed the heads of two of them. Suddenly, one of the Gargoyles attacking Count Monte was hit by Yu-Seong''s spear from behind and fell to the ground. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Count Monte stepped on the head of another Gargoyle attacking him and shattered it. Then, Yu-Seong quickly finished off another Gargoyle with his spear. Count Chris also managed to take down one more Gargoyle, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling that the situation was unfair. He exclaimed, "Why are you helping Count Monte, foreigner? Are you intending to stay with the side you originally chose...?" "Well, isn''t it boring when the battle is too one-sided?" replied Yu-Seong casually. Then, he teamed up with Count Monte to defeat another Gargoyle. Now, there were only three Gargoyles left, two of which were close to Count Chris. "Anyway, thanks," said Count Monte with a low growl as if gritting his teeth. He rushed toward Count Chris. The last remaining Gargoyle fired a shockwave attack behind him, but Count Monte did not stop his movements despite the blood streaming down his ear. And soon enough, he charged toward Count Chris with a reckless rush and slammed into the man¡¯s chest. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. Bang-! ¡°Kraaagh-!¡± With a loud, piercing scream that echoed throughout the battlefield, Count Chris rolled on the ground. When the other Count let out a deafening cry, Count Monte saw his chance. With bloodshot eyes, he seized the opportunity and rushed toward Count Chris again. He knocked the man down and stepped on his face. ¡°Chris, you bastard!¡± The pack of Gargoyles pursued the Counts, attacking with sonic waves and physical blows, but Count Monte, undeterred and covered in blood, raised his sword high. Count Chris saw the gleaming blade approaching the gap in his armor and shook his head from side to side. He shouted desperately, ¡°Wait, wait a minute! Something''s wrong...!¡± Before Count Chris could finish his sentence, Count Monte''s sword pierced his throat. ¡°Krugkk...!¡± As Count Chris spewed out a mouthful of blood and his head twisted to the side, Count Monte swung his arm and grabbed one of the Gargoyles behind him, throwing it to the ground and crushing its head under his foot. Then, he hurled his sword into the air, and it pierced the chest of a Gargoyle firing a shockwave attack in the sky. Finally, Count Monte jumped high in the air and landed on the head of a Gargoyle that was crossing his path. He wrapped his thick arms around its neck. ¡°Kraaaa-!¡± With his face covered in blood, Count Monte let out a bloodcurdling scream that echoed along with the crunching of the stone. With that, it was over. Count Monte, who had taken down three Gargoyles in one breath, didn''t hesitate for a moment even as he fell to the ground with them. Once he got up on his knees, he yelled, "Foreigner, I won!" Watching from a distance, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but click his tongue inwardly. ¡®If I had faced him head-on, it would have been really difficult.¡¯ Despite being covered in blood and looking like he had no strength left, there was still a sense of determination shining in Count Monte''s eyes. Even at this point, it was clear that he could continue the battle. ¡®Heh, so Count Monte becomes stronger the more he''s in danger.¡¯ After all, there were many types of strength. And it seemed that Count Monte''s power was even greater in dangerous situations. If Yu-Seong were to encounter Count Monte as a boss monster, Count Monte would undoubtedly be one of the worst opponents to face. "Hurry up and bring me the Dragon Egg. Give one to me and take one for yourself, whichever you choose..." Count Monte began to speak, but Yu-Seong urgently shouted, "Behind you, Count Monte!" "What...?" Count Monte exclaimed in surprise as he turned his head. At that moment, a blue-tinged mana surged forth from a sword and sliced through Count Monte¡¯s neck in an instant. With eyes wide open, Count Monte''s headless body sprayed blood and collapsed to the ground. Standing behind Count Monte was seemingly dead Count Chris, who had become the knight of death. "Undead...!" exclaimed Yu-Seong, his eyes widening in surprise. - Monte... That arrogant bastard! Count Chris, standing in front of the corpse of the dead Count Monte, released a macabre voice from his twisted neck and burst out into loud laughter. - Hahaha-! Then, slowly turning his head, Count Chris fixed his gaze on Yu-Seong. - Foreigner...! Count Chris¡¯ anger was not only directed toward Count Monte. ¡®Honestly, there''s no way I can handle this alone¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong pulled out his spear with a tense expression. He shouted, "Kim Do-Jin, help me!" Do-Jin appeared behind Count Chris, who was charging toward them, and said in a cold voice, "I''ve been waiting for this, Choi Yu-Seong." And the fierce battle began. *** The battle lasted for over an hour. Count Chris, who had turned into an undead, was powerful. Although Yu-Seong and Do-Jin managed to heal their injuries to some extent, their bodies were not in perfect condition, making the battle inevitably long. But in the end, with Yu-Seong''s spear piercing his chest and Do-Jin''s sword stabbing his head, Count Chris, unable to satisfy his grudge, became a pile of dust and disappeared from the world completely. ¡°Gasp¡­ Huh¡­¡± ¡°Gasp¡­¡± Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, who both fell to the ground at the same time, looked at each other. ¡°Damn the second phase,¡± said Yu-Seong. Do-Jin smirked at Yu-Seong and replied, "You said to trust you, and your art of persuasion was quite impressive." "I actually thought it would be a little dangerous..." In any case, they had succeeded. Yu-Seong let out a satisfied smile and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. If they had to face both Count Monte and Count Chris at once, the situation would have been even more terrible, considering how difficult it was to handle just one of them. After all, the two Counts were not figures designed to be fought on the 9th floor of the Tower. However, Yu-Seong had managed to bend the rules, and the result was superb. CH 182 In the original novel, Black Dragon Emperor would have had to leave this world with only one Dragon Egg that the Count had chosen for him and abandon his friend. However, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin survived. They were even able to choose one Dragon Egg each. "I''ll take the black one," said Do-Jin. "What...?" Yu-Seong asked. "I''ve always liked black," added Do-Jin. "You have a dark taste," Yu-Seong commented. Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded. In truth, it didn''t matter to him which one he got. "Then, I''ll go first," Do-Jin said, asking for permission before quickly getting up from his seat and approaching the throne on which the Dragon Eggs were placed. ¡®Dude, he seems more excited than I thought.¡¯ It was small, but it was still a Dragon Egg¡ªa reward that was difficult to obtain even if they climbed up to the higher floors of the Tower. ¡®I mean, could we even just call it a reward?¡¯ In fact, when considering the existence of the Dragon race in the original novel, it wasn''t a kind that could be limited to just the word ''reward'' alone. ¡®Since a Dragon tribe that has grown to a certain extent almost certainly possesses the same power as the Demon King, or even surpasses it¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong had thought that the best reward they could obtain from the Tower of Heaven was the Green Wind Spirit Cat, but the Dragon Egg easily surpassed that level. Just as Yu-Seong was happy, Do-Jin couldn''t help but be happy too. Placing his hand on one of the Dragon Eggs on the throne, Do-Jin muttered to himself. However, all of a sudden, he looked displeased and glared at Yu-Seong. "Why?" Yu-Seong asked. Do-Jin gave no answer. He turned his head before disappearing with the black Dragon Egg into a burst of light. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him now?" Feeling baffled, Yu-Seong approached the throne and placed his hand on the remaining white Dragon Egg. ¡®Huh?¡¯ He had expected the Dragon Egg to feel cold, but was surprised to find that it was actually warm to the touch. It felt much like the temperature of a human body. As he marveled at the white Dragon Egg''s warmth, a message appeared in front of Yu-Seong. Congratulations. You have defeated the wise lords by being more clever and achieved victory with your colleague through cunning methods. The contribution rank is as follows: Choi Yu-Seong Kim Do-Jin Finally, Yu-Seong understood why Do-Jin had been displeased earlier on. ¡®He must have been angry because he thought he lost.¡¯ Yu-Seong thought with a wry smile. A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled. This is a clearing method that was not included in the system. In addition to the basic reward of the Dragon Egg, there will be an additional reward for the 1st ranked contributor. A god wishes to directly deliver the additional reward. The god is about to arrive. "What...?" exclaimed Yu-Seong in astonishment as his eyes widened. Thump-! The entire cave shook heavily with a sound as if something heavy had fallen. Then, Yu-Seong''s consciousness sank into deep sleep. *** What on earth happened? When Yu-Seong regained consciousness, everything he could see had changed. The cave, which had been shining with light, had transformed into a room that reminded him of a classical Western noble mansion. Moonlight shone in the room instead of warm sunlight. Yu-Seong himself was lying on the bed, covered with a luxurious embroidered blanket. ¡®What is this...?¡¯ Yu-Seong was still bewildered when a woman spoke to him from the windowsill of a large window. She asked, "So, how do you like the atmosphere?" Hearing the voice, Yu-Seong quickly turned toward the woman. The first impression that came to his mind upon seeing her was the color purple. Her long flowing hair, large pupils, silk gloves, velvet Chelsea boots, and quite fancy dress attire were all in shades of purple. Even the indigo shadows seemed to envelop her. As the woman smiled at him, Yu-Seong asked cautiously, "And you are¡­?" Although she had a showy appearance, her face gave the impression of simplicity and youth, resembling that of a 20-year-old. However, she was undoubtedly a god; she had appeared along with the message that a god was arriving. It was impossible for Yu-Seong not to be nervous. "Try to guess. Can you guess who I am?" asked the woman while laughing playfully. Yu-Seong''s gaze suddenly shifted to the deep red liquid inside the transparent wine glass that was surrounded by purple gloves. He then asked, "Surely¡­ You''re not the Red Fang of the Dark Night, are you?" She was a god who seemed too dangerous to have simply descended for the purpose of giving him a reward, especially considering the extremely bad relationship between Yu-Seong and Vlad ?epe?. However, the woman''s face visibly wrinkled upon hearing what Yu-Seong had said. In fact, she didn¡¯t seem happy. "Do I seem like such a minor god like that to you?" asked the woman. "...I was just joking since the wine color resembled blood. I actually thought you were a completely different god. You are one from Northern Europe, right?" In response to Yu-Seong''s follow-up, the woman raised her chin, nodded in a haughty manner, and smiled. "You''re smart as always, Choi Yu-Seong. That''s right, I am¡­¡± "You are Scathi, the Oldest Hunter. Your beauty certainly matches up to the rumors.¡± Yu-Seong sat up on the bed with a warm smile, but as he did so, the woman''s expression turned sour once again. She glared at him with her piercing purple eyes. "What...?¡± Once again, the woman glared angrily at Yu-Seong with an offended look. ¡°...Am I wrong? Scathi?¡± "Scathi may not be considered a minor god, but don''t you know who I am, Choi Yu-Seong? Is our relationship really this distant?" asked the woman. ¡°...¡± Yu-Seong''s gaze shook greatly for a moment as he remained silent. He had only thought of the woman in front of him as Scathi, also known as the goddess of witches, because she was a woman. However, as he listened to her story, something seemed odd. ¡®Cu Chulainn is a prince of Ireland.¡¯ In other words, Cu Chulainn could not possibly be a woman. Furthermore, the woman had claimed to be one of the Nordic gods, and she appeared to be quite disappointed that Yu-Seong did not recognize her. Putting all the pieces together, Yu-Seong began to suspect the woman¡¯s true identity. Reluctantly, he shook his head as if he didn¡¯t want to believe it. He asked, "A Joke-loving Prankster¡­You mean you¡¯re Loki?" "Correct! You finally got it!" ¡°Just like your nickname¡­ You really do seem to love jokes," replied Yu-Seong, feeling like he wanted to faint once again. No matter how many times Yu-Seong blinked, the image of Loki leaning against the window frame remained unchanged. "You look quite displeased about something," said Loki. "Well¡­ I mean, I thought¡­of course that Loki would be a man¡­¡± said Yu-Seong. "Gender is not important to a god, and you can talk to me casually. This is unlike you and it seems weird," said Loki. ¡°Well, then.¡± Yu-Seong seemed to find it easier to speak now; perhaps it was because he now knew that the woman was truly Loki. In fact, he also felt the want to speak more comfortably. ¡®If I think about how much trouble I''ve gone through because of him¡­¡¯ In fact, Yu-Seong still couldn¡¯t help gritting his teeth. "But anyway, it seems like it doesn''t matter to mention the gods¡¯ real name in this space." "Of course, because it''s a secret space I created, and I''m using the excuse of a reward. If not, that annoying old man would not have stayed still," replied Loki. ¡°Annoying old man¡­ You are talking about Odin, I assume.¡± Loki smirked and nodded as she stroked her fair cheek. ¡°I''ll have to get rid of that damned old man someday, but it''s not that easy. By the way, I heard Thor has been showing interest in you lately. Just so you know, you should stay away from both of them. Odin, that old man is very wicked and evil, and Thor is ignorant and will surely lead you to destruction..." As Loki rambled on with her speech filled with anger and curses, any doubts Yu-Seong had about her true identity vanished. The person in front of him was undoubtedly Loki. ¡®Come to think of it, it''s not a strange thing¡­¡¯ Yu-Seong''s assumption that Loki would be male was perhaps influenced by the cultural content that was widely known in modern times. However, when he thought about Norse mythology, Yu-Seong remembered that Loki had actually given birth to three children by herself. ¡®Hel, Jormungand, and Fenrir.¡¯ In fact, Loki¡¯s children were the monster gods that had led to Ragnarok¡ªthe downfall of Norse mythology, so it wasn''t strange for Loki to be a woman. Yu-Seong nodded, trying to convince himself. It wasn''t easy to break the image he had established in his mind. "Anyway, I can understand why you didn''t recognize me instantly. News about me being Thor''s brother and whatnot is known on Earth. You could have been mistaken. But still, I thought you, Choi Yu-Seong, would recognize me soon enough." Loki''s overall dissatisfaction with the Nordic gods, starting with Odin and Thor, turned into a complaint about Yu-Seong not recognizing her immediately. As Yu-Seong listened to her, he tilted his head and asked, "But aren''t you here to give out the reward?" "Yes, so I don''t have much time allowed." "But is it okay to keep complaining like this?" ¡°I have nothing else to say." "Well, that''s true, but..." Actually, come to think of it, there was a lot of information that could be obtained from a god. Yu-Seong just happened to be caught up in Loki''s prank. Suddenly realizing this fact, Yu-Seong looked at Loki in surprise. Only then did he see the deep smile on Loki''s face. In her dark purple eyes, there seemed to be a sly energy rippling. Yu-Seong finally realized that he had been tricked. He tried to scream at Loki, but his voice wouldn''t come out. It was as if his throat was submerged in water. ¡®What the...?¡¯ Everything around him suddenly felt distant and unreal, even though he was clearly still in the same place. Neither space nor time had changed. "Choi Yu-Seong, anyway, there''s nothing I can tell you right now. Don''t be mad that you were tricked. And you know that there''s something more important,¡± said Loki. As she gestured, the pure white Dragon Egg that had been right beside Yu-Seong was pulled toward her by some force. ¡®Loki? What is she trying to do?¡¯ As she lifted the white Dragon Egg into the air, Loki looked quite satisfied and gently stroked it with one hand. "It''s warm. Yeah, this level of physical form should be sufficient." Then, as she muttered something incomprehensible, a purple energy flowed from her hand and began to erode the Dragon Egg. The previously white Dragon Egg began to be dyed in the same purple color as Loki''s. Yu-Seong had no right to stop Loki or question her actions, and could only watch helplessly. Gradually, his consciousness began to fade away, just like when he first entered this place. The scenery in front of him became increasingly distant. ¡®You¡­ What are you...up to again?¡¯ As Yu-Seong closed his eyes, leaving his last question lingering in his mind, Loki chuckled and waved her hand. She said, "See you again, my friend." CH 183 When he regained consciousness, Yu-Seong found himself standing in the middle of a square with a high white fountain in the center. He was holding the Dragon Egg that had turned into a violet color in his arms. ¡®Where am I...?¡¯ Yu-Seong momentarily wondered before his senses, which had been somewhat scattered, quickly returned. He heard the mixed sounds of his surroundings. The clear water gushing out from the fountain hitting the stone pavement, the flapping of birds flying over the square, and the hum of people''s conversations all blended together to create a peaceful soundscape that flowed clearly into Yu-Seong''s ears. "Is that guy a newcomer?" "An egg? It looks strange." "But wait, I think I have seen that guy before." The conversation wasn''t solely in Korean. The air was filled with a medley of languages, including English, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and many more. Yu-Seong felt all his senses return and he let out a short breath. He quickly left the square, still holding the Dragon Egg tightly in his arms. ¡®Come to think of it, the 10th floor is a rest area... It''s the first place where everyone gathers, regardless of which country¡¯s Tower they have entered.¡¯ If people formed a party and started activities on this 10th floor, it would allow people from different countries to move up together to the 11th floor. It was indeed a square for a meeting. One puzzling thing was that there were more people than Yu-Seong had expected. ¡®Even if there are people from other countries... In Korea, I thought Kim Do-Jin and I were the fastest¡­¡¯ Something was strange. Yu-Seong thought to himself that perhaps his conversation with Loki wasn''t as short as it seemed. He quickly looked around. ¡®But it doesn''t seem like a lot of time has passed. At least the gate to return to Earth hasn''t opened yet¡­¡¯ Even as he hurriedly left the square, Yu-Seong was aware of the number of people and the situation around him. He quickly came to one conclusion. ¡®Opening the gate to return to Earth isn''t that difficult anyway, so I can take my time to solve that. What''s more important is finding someone who can tell me what happened... Should I look for Kim Do-Jin? No, if people have come up this far, maybe the Jin siblings or Yoo Jin-Hyuk are already here.¡¯ Then, at that moment, another question arose in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®Come to think of it, has Kim Do-Jin been away from me for a long time?¡¯ Did Do-Jin wait for him or did he start acting alone? Typically, one would choose to wait for their colleague. ¡®But Kim Do-Jin is not your average guy.¡¯ In fact, Do-Jin was more likely to wander around alone, and from the start, he had gone along with Yu-Seong somewhat reluctantly. Perhaps Do-Jin would have likely continued on without waiting by the time he felt that Yu-Seong was running a bit late. ¡®Seeing that the gate to return to Earth is not open¡­ Maybe he went straight to the 11th floor.¡¯ While this could alter the future slightly, Yu-Seong wasn''t too worried. After all, they had ascended the Tower together to the 10th floor and he had experienced Do-Jin''s ways more than anyone else. ¡®He is not the kind of person who would fall into a dangerous situation.¡¯ On the contrary, Do-Jin might put someone else in danger. Yu-Seong thought calmly and left the square where people had gathered. *** The 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven was essentially referred to as the Rest Village, with many buildings resembling the architecture of medieval Europe just like during the time of missions. It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡®In fact, even the NPCs here give off a medieval Western vibe.¡¯ The dress, behavior, and lifestyle had some differences, but many aspects resembled the Western culture of the past. However, there were distinct differences, including magic tech and alchemy. ¡®That¡¯s why the productive type players from Earth are reaping so many benefits.¡¯ Since the Tower of Heaven had been activated, it wouldn''t be long before many artifact creators who learned technology from the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven would appear on Earth. Of course, there were also shops and lodging in this Rest Village. Even strangers from Earth could buy a house using this world¡¯s currency. And there were two ways to earn the currency of this world. ¡®The first is to complete the missions or work inside the Rest Village and earn money through labor.¡¯ This was the usual and common way, while the second method was somewhat twisted. ¡®After all, crime always exists in the world.¡¯ Everyone was still quietly watching each other, but it wouldn''t be long before there were also robberies and frauds happening within this place. The reason why they didn''t act aggressively and only exchanged cautious glances was that there were security forces called guards also present in this village. ¡®And that public authority is quite powerful.¡¯ Having gotten up to the 10th floor of the Tower, there might be some people who might try to confront the soldiers. However, the important thing was that, even among these soldiers, there were individuals with exceptional skills mixed in. ¡®Moreover, there are knights¡­¡¯ Up ahead, there were also elite troops and guards tasked with protecting the city, along with wizards and a market. With a significant number of NPC residents, the city''s public security was quite robust. ¡®Well, for now, I don''t know much about those upper echelons.¡¯ Actually, it wouldn''t have been difficult to create the current atmosphere just by showing a few soldiers being dispatched and taking their carelessly acting colleagues to prison. ¡®Of course, even in such situations, there are always some quick-witted individuals who can find their way around things.¡¯ With such thoughts in mind, Yu-Seong walked on with the purple Dragon Egg in his arms. Then, suddenly, he caught sight of three burly men standing in a dark alleyway with a figure between them. ¡®After all, the public authority can''t do much about things that happen out of sight. They would think it¡¯ll be even neater if they erase the evidence.¡¯ Yu-Seong could easily read between the lines regarding this situation. He also noticed a small-bodied woman with long black hair being surrounded by the men. ¡®It''s hard to pretend that I didn''t see it, I guess.¡¯ Clicking his tongue, Yu-Seong stepped into the dark alleyway. He had little interest in the dialogue of third-class villains or the conversation of the men spewing nonsense. "Enough," he said shortly but firmly. The three men, who had been spitting while cornering someone, turned to look at Yu-Seong. Their faces turned red as they directed angry glares at him and spoke in an unknown language. ¡®Based on my feelings, perhaps it''s some sort of Russian language?¡¯ In fact, it didn''t matter where they were from. Yu-Seong spoke in English, which could be easily understood by anyone. ¡°Get the hell out, jelly muscle.¡± Perhaps he had used a provocative phrase, the men''s faces turned red in anger. Approaching Yu-Seong with threatening gestures, they exhaled rough breaths. ¡®There are three of them, but it''s a narrow alley. The only thing I have that could be considered a burden is...the Dragon Egg.¡¯ Actually, Yu-Seong wouldn''t feel burdened even in a wide-open space, but a narrow space was a better situation to be in. And although the Dragon Egg was seemingly cumbersome, it could never be broken, so he considered it to be a very useful tool if he looked at it from a different perspective. ¡®Shall I try to do a strength test?¡¯ Yu-Seong easily dodged a punch from one of the charging men and swung the large Dragon Egg with one hand. Crack-! Instead of the egg creaking, there was a sound of a person''s head breaking before the massive man fell back. He was bleeding. "What an amazing weapon." Yu-Seong examined the Dragon Egg just in case, but nodded with a satisfied expression. He couldn¡¯t find a single scratch on it. "...# [email protected] !^&!...?!" The second big man was taken aback by the unexpected situation. He appeared angry as he repeatedly spat out what sounded like curses in Russian. Yu-Seong swung the Dragon Egg and hit him on the head. Finally, he showed the remaining man the red blood flowing on the surface of the purple Dragon Egg and asked, "Do you want more, or do you want to run away with your friends?" Even though Yu-Seong spoke in Korean, perhaps because of the gesture he made with his chin, the third man seemed to understand the common body language used worldwide and carried his two colleagues on each of his shoulders. Then, he quickly disappeared from the alleyway. The man might be seeking revenge against Yu-Seong, but it wasn''t a major concern for Yu-Seong. "Hmm..." After confirming the men¡¯s backs, Yu-Seong naturally turned to the small figure who was previously surrounded by the men alone. ¡®Wait, it¡¯s not a woman?¡¯ At first glance, with the long flowing hair and slender figure, Yu-Seong had thought the person was a woman. However, upon closer inspection, it was clearly a man. Looking at the slightly seductive eyes and the debauched smile that exuded a certain decadence, Yu-Seong couldn''t shake off his feeling of doubt. ¡®In his eyes¡­¡¯ There was no feeling of tension or fear at all. Instead, the other man looked at Yu-Seong and the Dragon Egg in his hand with curiosity. It was as if nothing had happened just moments ago. ¡®This is somewhat¡­¡¯ When Yu-Seong felt a sense of unease, the man who had been leaning halfway against the wall slowly bowed at his waist. He said, "I am grateful for your kindness. If it''s not too much trouble, may I ask for your name?" The man had a western appearance, except for his dark hair and black eyes. He also spoke Korean fluently. Perhaps it was because of the language, or maybe it was due to the seductive aura that the man exuded, Yu-Seong casually told him his name despite the strange tension. "¡­Choi Yu-Seong." "Choi Yu-Seong. Nice to meet you. My name is Eveheim Uriel. You can call me Eveheim for short." "Eveheim..." The name seemed familiar but also unfamiliar at the same time. Yu-Seong tried to search his memory for the character''s name in the original novel he had read, but he couldn¡¯t recall anyone. ¡®Could he not be from the novel?¡¯ Eveheim had an enigmatic and powerful aura, something that was hard to call it ordinary. To put it bluntly, he had a magnetic vibe that made it difficult to look away from him, and Yu-Seong found himself observing the man excessively. Realizing what he was doing, Yu-Seong felt embarrassed. He said, "Oh, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to stare at you like that." Eveheim merely smiled in response. "It''s alright. It''s common for me." "Well..." Yu-Seong nodded before groaning softly. To be honest, it was difficult not to be captivated by someone like Eveheim. His magnetic presence drew anyone toward him. Thus, Yu-Seong was easily convinced by the man¡¯s simple comment. "Well then, I shall take my leave now. We shall meet again when fate permits, my life saver. I shall not forget your name, Choi Yu-Seong," said Eveheim with a smile. Then, he slowly walked away from Yu-Seong. It was at that moment when a sweet yet profound vanilla scent reached Yu-Seong''s nostrils. ¡®Sweet vanilla scent... I''m sure I''ve read that description before¡­¡¯ The problem was, that description could fit anyone or anything. As Yu-Seong contemplated this, Eveheim disappeared from his sight. Left alone, Yu-Seong scratched his head and shook his head. "Ah, forget it. Maybe I''ll remember him later." It was possible that Eveheim wasn''t a character from the original novel, after all. He might simply be a different and unique person. "Let''s get back to what I was doing." With a shrug, Yu-Seong left the alley and began searching for his party. CH 184 Yu-Seong thought that most of his companions, or perhaps all of them, had reached the Tower of Heaven¡¯s 10th floor before him. Thus, as he wandered around, he thought that he might come across some familiar faces. In fact, he was not mistaken. "...Huh? Choi Yu-Seong?" At a bar that had the atmosphere of becoming quite lively after sunset, a man was drinking on the terrace. He recognized Yu-Seong and his eyes widened in surprise. "Bernard Yoo?" In response, Bernard stood up from his seat with his distinctive bright smile, walked toward Yu-Seong, and hugged him with his arms outstretched. He said, "Wow, how long has it been since we last met?" Yu-Seong nodded with a smile as Bernard patted his back quite roughly. He replied, "Yeah, it feels like it''s been a while." "It''s been almost six months. By the way, are you alone?" Next to Bernard was Meghan, who was relaxing together with him. She greeted Yu-Seong with a nod and raised her beer glass. "What do you think? How about a drink before you go?" "I''m actually looking for my companions right now but..." "But?" Bernard, who was sitting slightly apart from Yu-Seong, asked him, "Well, you don''t really have to keep wandering around, do you? You can easily see people passing by from this terrace seat.¡± In fact, Yu-Seong also needed a break. He knew that he would likely become busy again once he returned to Earth, so he decided to take the opportunity to enjoy this leisure time. *** ¡°You¡¯ve made a good choice,¡± said Benard Yoo. Yu-Seong ended up joining Bernard and Meghan. He sat on the terrace outside the bar and started to drink beer. Putting down his glass with a bright expression, he exclaimed, "Ah, it''s so refreshing!¡± He had been running non-stop since entering the Tower of Heaven, and this one glass of refreshing drink was something he had missed. "They say they preserve the temperature with magic, but I think it tastes even better than Earth beer," Bernard said. "I agree," Meghan chimed in. "Agreed, agreed. By the way, when did you two arrive on the 10th floor?" asked Yu-Seong. "It''s only been three days since we got here. At that time, there weren''t that many people, but there were suddenly so many more the next day,¡± said Bernard. Yu-Seong''s eyes twinkled from the unexpected information that Bernard had given. ''I guess that time didn''t seem to pass that much.'' Beside Bernard, Meghan tilted her head at the Dragon Egg in Yu-Seong¡¯s hand. She asked, "May I ask what that is?" "Oh, this... Um..." After thinking for a moment, Yu-Seong nodded lightly and replied, "I believe it is a Dragon Egg." "Phew-!" Bernard''s eyes grew wide with surprise as he spewed beer into the air. "What? What did you say? A Dragon Egg? That winged creature?" "Yes. Actually, I''m pretty certain," Yu-Seong replied. "My goodness, where did you even get it?" "On the 9th floor. There was a bit of a story behind it." "There''s something like a Dragon Egg coming out of the 9th floor? Well, we have also experienced something similar to a hidden-piece a few times, but..." said Bernard. After hearing that, Bernard and Meghan couldn''t hide their surprised reactions. No other emotions but curiosity could be found in their gaze as they continued to look at the egg. ''If I had to say, it''s curiosity.'' Despite knowing the truth, there was no sign of greed or any negative emotions. Yu-Seong couldn''t help but smile as he realized that Bernard and Meghan were also good people. ''...And that''s why I decided to stay with them.'' In truth, carrying the Dragon Egg alone was burdensome for Yu-Seong. The egg was unusually large, attracting unwanted attention. Therefore, it was difficult for him to protect it alone. ''It''s better to have trustworthy people around.'' As Yu-Seong looked to the side with that thought in mind, Bernard asked with widened eyes and a disgusted face, "Why are you smiling at me suddenly?" "Just because. Do I need a reason?¡± asked Yu-Seong. When you''re just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Maybe it''s because he likes you, Bernard?" suggested Meghan. "Between men? Don''t make me shiver, Meghan." "Same-sex relationships are possible too. It''s surprisingly common. Bernard, you don¡¯t seem to know, but..." "Stop. I''m not part of that. Let''s just pretend I didn''t hear anything,¡± said Bernard. "I don''t dislike him, but I''m not interested in that either, Meghan," said Yu-Seong. At the intense denial of the two, a strange look of disappointment crossed Meghan''s gaze. She said, "It''s not as bad as you think.¡± "It doesn''t matter if people love each other, but don¡¯t get me involved," said Bernard. ¡°Hm¡­¡± After making a strange nasal sound and stroking her chin, Meghan turned to Yu-Seong as if she suddenly remembered something. She asked, "How about with Kim Do-Jin?¡± "Well, he''s still the same. We came up here together, but I arrived a little late." "But didn''t he wait for you?" Bernard asked. "He''s never been the type to wait," Yu-Seong replied with a smirk as he tipped his beer glass. "Come to think of it, he has a pretty selfish personality," Bernard commented. "Yes, very mean. I still curse his name when I remember how much trouble he had caused us on the 9th floor," Yu-Seong said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Why do you keep hanging out with someone like him? Just cut him off," Bernard suggested. "I''m thinking about cutting him off already," Yu-Seong replied with a smirk. As they lightly clinked their beer glasses, they suddenly felt a heavy presence behind them and heard a voice. "...look who''s enjoying themselves by bad mouthing someone behind their back." Turning around, Yu-Seong and Bernard spewed their beer into the air. ¡°Phew-!¡± ¡°Pheww-! Kim Do-Jin?" "Disgusting." Do-Jin sat down at an empty table nearby, crossed his legs, and stared outside as if he had no connection to the three of them. "How did you get here¡­?" Yu-Seong asked urgently. Without even glancing at Yu-Seong, Do-Jin called for the owner and ordered a beer. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go up to the 11th floor first?" asked Yu-Seong again. Do-Jin, however, still gave no response. Bernard watched Do-Jin and raised his eyebrows with his eyes narrowed. Then, he said, "Seems like he''s sulking.¡± "Sulking? Really?" Yu-Seong asked. "True, it''s not like he would sulk over something as small as talking about him," Bernard explained. "Wasn''t it not just talking abotu me, but also talking behind my back?" Do-Jin burst out as he glared at Bernard, then he emptied the glass of beer at once. Yu-Seong noticed something strange in Do-Jin¡¯s behavior before his eyes widened in surprise. He asked, "Hey, what about your egg...?" "My egg hatched. I didn''t expect you to still be carrying the egg. And...the color has changed too," said Do-Jin, glancing at Yu-Seong''s purple egg. Tilting his head in curiosity, he asked, "What exactly happened?" "If I answer, you should also tell me why you are here," said Yu-Seong. "I¡¯ll think about it if you apologize first." "Sorry." "..." Yu-Seong''s calm apology filled Do-Jin''s eyes with a strange emotion. It was anger, according to the Character Understanding skill. "Why? I apologized as you told me to.¡± "The sincerity... Never mind," said Do-Jin. He sighed deeply, rubbed his forehead, and lowered his head. He muttered, "Since when did I become so childish?" "You''ve always been childish," Bernard responded. "Shut up, Bernard." "See? Even a little teasing makes you sensitive." Yu-Seong quickly intervened and sat between the two who looked like they were about to explode at any moment. He warned, "If you two really start fighting here, the security guards will catch you. And considering you¡¯re here before me, shouldn''t you know that already?" "Hmph, who¡¯s fighting with who?" Do-Jin replied. "I never bother fighting with such a childish guy," added Bernard. While the two exchanged a few more light arguments as they glared at each other, Yu-Seong suddenly thought that the scene was quite familiar to him. ¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryung.¡¯ Perhaps the phrase ¡®lovers'' quarrel¡¯ would be more fitting for them. Although, what exactly should he call these two in front of him? As Yu-Seong pondered, Meghan snapped him out of his thoughts. She commented, "Wow, what a hot friendship.¡± "Quiet, Meghan!" scolded Bernard. "What a noisy woman," muttered Do-Jin. Meghan shrugged her shoulders at their intense gazes. *** It took more than thirty minutes for the two men to cool down. In the meantime, as Yu-Seong silently watched the people passing by on the terrace, other customers started to come into the bar. This was because there were many people who were interested in seeing the group drinking outside. "So, why did your egg turn out like that?" Do-Jin asked. ¡°Oh, this¡­¡± Yu-Seong pondered for a moment before explaining calmly. "A god appeared and gave me some sort of blessing, so the color changed into this.¡± "A god appeared in front of you directly?" asked Do-Jin. "Yeah," responded Yu-Seong. Do-Jin smirked and shook his head side by side. "You''re lying again. Well, I''ll let it slide this time." "You never believe me whenever I tell you the truth.¡± ¡°I''d rather believe you if you said you made a contract with a demon," said Do-Jin. "Don''t demons suit you more than me?" said Yu-Seong. "Wait, can I ask a question?" Bernard, who had inserted himself between Yu-Seong and Kim, raised his hand. "Say it," said Do-Jin. "Did a real Dragon hatch from your egg?" asked Bernard. Do-Jin nodded slightly as he tilted his beer glass. ¡°Then, where is it?¡± "Here," Do-Jin replied briefly as he pointed to his own shoulder. "Can¡¯t see anything." In response, something black and shiny about the size of a human head briefly appeared on Do-Jin''s shoulder. Then, it disappeared again. "J-Just now..." "Antareus, that''s what I named it. Since you guys don''t believe me, I thought I''d show you its appearance for a moment." Do-Jin smirked and scratched the air above his shoulder with his index finger. Kiiuuuung-! Then, a strange sound came from the empty air. "A-Are you saying it''s really a Dragon?" exclaimed Bernard. "It is indeed a Dragon, and it''s impressive that it can use magic despite being born recently,¡± said Yu-Seong. Do-Jin raised his head with pride at the reactions of Bernard and Yu-Seong, clearly showing how proud he was of the dragon he had obtained. ¡®But, when will my Dragon be born?¡¯ Just as he looked at Do-Jin with an envious gaze and placed his hand on the purple Dragon Egg, Yu-Seong felt a sensation of something wriggling and moving from within the egg. The movements were transmitted to the surface. CH 185 ¡°Huh? I felt something moving inside just now.¡± "Really? Is it about to hatch?" Bernard asked with a surprised gaze as he put his hand on the purple Dragon Egg. Then, he looked at Yu-Seong with the same surprised expression. He asked, "Hey, I feel it too. Is it just breaking out of its shell right now?" "Kim Do-Jin, how was your egg?" Do-Jin smirked at Yu-Seong¡¯s urgent expression. Looking at the Dragon Egg, he said, "I also had that feeling, and it did hatch a few days after. But...not immediately. Just before hatching, the surface of the egg will start to crack.¡± "Right now, perhaps it''s just responding to our voices?" "Probably," Do-Jin lightly answered as he tilted his beer glass once again. Yu-Seong and Bernard looked disappointed, displaying similar expressions. Meghan, who had been watching them with a strange gaze, suddenly asked Do-Jin, "By the way, Mr. Kim Do-Jin, why are you still here?" "Oh, that''s right. It¡¯s your turn to answer now." Yu-Seong remembered the question he had earlier, which he had forgotten about due to the Dragon Egg. When Yu-Seong asked the question, Do-Jin froze for a moment. Only after a short and natural silence did Do-Jin speak while looking out at the terrace and slowly placing his beer glass down on the table. "I had some unfinished business.¡± "I don¡¯t believe that," replied Yu-Seong. "It''s true. Even if you don¡¯t believe it, believe it. I trusted your lies earlier." "I never lied in the first place." With a smirk, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and asked, "Wait, were you really waiting for me...?" "..." Silence once again filled the air. It was at that moment when Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin with narrowed eyes, amid the strange vibe. Naturally, his Character Understanding skill allowed him to sense Do-Jin¡¯s feelings. ¡®Bewilderment and¡­anger? Why would he be angry now?¡¯ While Yu-Seng tilted his head in confusion, Bernard, who was watching from beside them, chuckled and tilted his beer glass. "You can tell at a glance that he was waiting for you, though I have no idea why.¡± "Even if I say I wasn¡¯t..." Do-Jin said with a deep sigh After glancing at Bernard, Do-Jin shook his head. He showed no interest in continuing the conversation. For Yu-Seong, it was better that way. He didn''t want to deal with any unnecessary arguments between the two. Speaking of which, why was Meghan sitting back and staying out of the situation? When Yu-Seong met her eyes for a moment, Meghan gave him a playful wink with a strange expression of joy on her face. ¡®...Why is she so excited?¡¯ Indeed, the world was full of inexplicable things. Entirely lost in thought, they all naturally fell into a deep silence. As they didn''t continue talking, each of them stared outside at the view from the terrace. Suddenly, Yu-Seong remembered Eveheim, whom he had encountered on the alley. At that time, he had given up trying to recall the man as his vague memories made it difficult to trace. However, Yu-Seong was sure that Eveheim was definitely not an ordinary person. ¡®He must be a character from the original novel, who would it be?¡¯ If he had such a unique aura, he would have been described vividly in the original novel. ¡®Come to think of it, even though he¡¯s a man, he is very pretty looking.¡¯ Yu-Seong remembered Eveheim¡¯s long hair and the decadent darkness he exuded. As he sorted through a few keywords, his gaze began to tremble rapidly. ¡®Wait, wait a minute. I think...I might know who he is.¡¯ There was a character, a character that had such a description, in the original novel now coming to his mind. ¡®The leader of the Demon King Worshipers¡­ Godfather.¡¯ As he laughed bitterly, Yu-Seong unknowingly tilted his beer glass to take a big gulp. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. ¡®Come to think of it, I looked past that situation too easily. However, he did leave quite a strong impression.¡¯ This was not like Yu-Seong, who had become more sensitive after going through several crises. The reason was simple. ¡®It was the Godfather¡¯s Perception Distortion skill.¡¯ Perception Distortion was one of the Godfather''s signature skills in the original novel, capable of scattering the target''s senses and mind to leave them vulnerable. ¡®It''s practically a fraud skill, fitting for the ultimate villain of this world.¡¯ Depending on the skill level, the Perception Distortion skill could destroy the target in various ways. It could range from making them unrecognizable even when passing by, to clouding their judgment like with Yu-Seong earlier, and even disrupting their senses and mana flow. In fact, the Godfather was already considered to be one of the most powerful figures in the world. ¡®Even though he¡¯s a member of the Demon King Worshipers, the original novel depicted him as possibly being even stronger than the Demon King himself... ¡¯ With such a fraudulent skill, it was no exaggeration to say that the Godfather was a force to be reckoned with. He was beyond anyone except the main character, Do-Jin. ¡®Also, the Godfather used Korea''s Tower of Heaven in the original novel.¡¯ There was only one reason for this¡ªhis interest in Kim Do-Jin. Perhaps there was some sort of connection between extremely powerful individuals who transcended normal boundaries. Despite not having fully regained his power as a returnee, Godfather''s interest in Do-Jin was enormous. ¡®According to the original novel, they were supposed to climb the tower together, but it all fell apart because of me.¡¯ Yu-Seong had twisted one plan, but it seemed like there were no immediate effects to this. ¡®Perhaps the encounter between the Godfather and I might be one?¡¯ In the original novel, it was inconceivable for a third-class villain like Yu-Seong to even have a chance meeting with the Godfather, the King of Evil. However, it was only a small butterfly effect, so it didn¡¯t seem that bad considering the significantly changed history. ¡®Of course, I should keep a close eye on those...¡¯ Despite everything that had happened, the Godfather had mentioned repaying Yu-Seong to some extent for his kindness. Needless to say, there was a possibility that it could lead to a positive outcome. As Yu-Seong harbored such hopeful thoughts, a familiar and friendly face appeared outside the terrace. He called out urgently, "Yoo Jin-Hyuk, Chae Ye-Ryeong!" Hearing the urgent call, the two walking side by side turned their heads to look at Yu-Seong. They beamed with a bright smile. "Boss!" "Yu-Seong hyung!" It was a moment when Yu-Seong¡¯s colleagues naturally started to join him. *** Eveheim, the Godfather, could use his Perception Distortion skill to hide himself, making him nearly imperceptible to most people. However, he did not necessarily use the skill continuously while walking around. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, this place was not on Earth, but inside the Tower of Heaven. ¡®I guess it''s still a bit clumsy to operate the skill for now.¡¯ In order to continuously use powerful skills like Perception Distortion, the Godfather had to constantly consume his mental energy due to the reset phenomenon. The resulting fatigue and stress were not something to be taken lightly. After all, viewed from a broader perspective, if annoyance was the first reason, the second reason was confidence. ¡®Anyway, it doesn''t matter if they recognize me or not.¡¯ Eveheim¡¯s appearance definitely attracted attention. Moreover, his small stature and sensuous charm naturally drew people toward him. Therefore, he inevitably got into various situations, but in reality, he believed that he could handle the majority of them alone. Even if he had experienced the reset phenomenon, his power was at a level that could not be compared to that of ordinary players. If they bothered him first just because they thought he was easy to handle, there was only one option¡­ "Ugh... Just...kill me." It was just a few hours ago. After escaping with the help of Yu-Seong, one of the giant men had stumbled into an alley. He coughed up blood and begged for help as he was clutching onto the Godfather''s robe with reddened eyes. His lower half had disappeared, and he was soaked in blood as he lay on the ground in agony. Grabbing onto the end of the Godfather¡¯s trousers, he pleaded, "Please... Just let me die..." "If you were lucky enough to survive, shouldn''t you have taken the opportunity to run away?" Eveheim said, casually brushing the man''s hand away. The reason behind their deaths was straightforward. Once Yu-Seong had left, those who remained had stumbled upon Eveheim alone, and in a fit of rage, they dragged him into the alley with the intent of resorting to violence. From Eveheim''s perspective, it was a legitimate act of self-defense. The unexpected factor was that Eveheim knew exactly how to make a person suffer before they died. Eveheim exited the dark alley, leaving behind the man who would have died if left alone. Although he paused for a moment when he heard curses, resentment, and anger-filled voices from behind, they soon faded away. Already, there was a greater weight of hatred on his shoulders. ¡®There''s nothing to be afraid of.¡¯ The Godfather smiled coldly as he completely left the alley. Then, a massive man, even bigger than the group of men seen before, blocked Eveheim¡¯s path. His enormous body was possibly bigger than two normal men combined. He also had sharp features all around his face, exuding a stronger, more ominous aura than Eveheim. In fact, he attracted more attention than even Eveheim himself. Naturally, some of those who watched the situation smiled somewhat fiercely at Eveheim. Then, they couldn''t help but flinch. "How did it go? Were you successful?" asked the man in a surprisingly cautious manner. "No. Unfortunately, things didn''t go as planned," replied Eveheim arrogantly. Eveheim, who looked way weaker than the man, walked along the street naturally. The man who had just joined Eveheim naturally followed beside him. "That would be a shame. You have gone all the way to Korea just for that guy, Kim Do-Jin..." "Well, I did gain something, Jackson.¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± ¡°I met Choi Yu-Seong," Eveheim said, mentioning the name that caused Jackson''s large eyes to sparkle. "Is he the next candidate after Kim Do-Jin? He seems to have some useful talent," Jackson asked curiously. "We''ll have to watch him a little longer, but he seems rather intriguing," replied Eveheim. "Usually, when you call someone intriguing, it¡¯s meant as a compliment," Jackson remarked. ¡°And you seem to have more wounds than before.¡± "Hahaha-! This reset phenomenon isn''t so bad. It feels like I''m really using my body again." As Jackson laughed heartily, Eveheim smiled wryly. Then, a blond woman leaning against a building on the other side of the village caught Eveheim''s eye. She seemed somewhat provocative in her red dress, but when her gaze met Eveheim''s, she naturally approached them and greeted them with a raised hand. "Oh my, Godfather. We met sooner than I thought. Hello, Jackson," said the woman. "Talia." The two people were only the start; soon, others began to gather around them. Before they knew it, six people had formed a hexagonal shape around Eveheim as if they were escorting him. If anyone who knew their faces had seen them, they would have recoiled in horror. The six Hexagram Masters, the true rulers of the Demon King Worshipers, had entered the Tower of Heaven. As they all walked together, along with Eveheim, Talia, the second woman to join them, suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Godfather, I heard an interesting rumor. They say there''s a Dragon Egg on the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven.¡± Naturally, at the mention of such a keyword, everyone, including Eveheim and the other five Hexagram Masters, turned their heads to look at Talia. They were unable to hide their interest. CH 186 "Dragon Egg?" His eyes widening in surprise, Jackson, who had a massive build, raised his voice. "Shh, what if someone hears us¡­?" said a young man with a small stature and a frail body who quickly scanned his surroundings. "So what if they do hear us? Do you think they''ll compete with me?" said Jackson, snorting arrogantly and looking around with pride. Sure enough, no one dared to meet Jackson¡¯s gaze. Even though they had all experienced the reset phenomenon and were limited in their abilities within the Tower, Jackson''s powerful aura remained unchanged. In fact, he seemed even more wild and untamed than he did outside the Tower. It was only natural that most people wouldn''t even dare to meet his gaze. "What should we do, Godfather? If you give the order, I''ll go and take it right away," Jackson asked. With a hint of hesitation on his face for a moment, Eveheim smiled and shook his head. "A Dragon Egg... I''m not saying that I''m not interested, but let''s give up on that for now.¡± All six Hexagram Masters had their eyes wide in surprise. They knew that their boss was someone who always had a strong desire to obtain anything he wanted. In the past, there was nothing that Eveheim had expressed a desire for and not been able to obtain. Therefore, the fact that he was willing to give up on something was highly unusual and unexpected. "I know who has the Dragon Egg, or at least I have an idea regarding that," said Eveheim. "Is it...Choi Yu-Seong?" Jackson asked. Eveheim smiled strangely and nodded to Jackson¡¯s question. "Do you mean Choi Yu-Seong has the Dragon Egg? Is he someone we should be wary of?" Talia asked in surprise. Jackson smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "He''s someone we need to be cautious of and someone we''re considering recruiting. Anyway, we need to start preparing for the next Black King soon¡­" "Is it already time to replace the Black King?¡± "There have been a lot of rumors lately." "Come to think of it, that woman, Rachel..." "That''s enough." All of a sudden, the six Hexagram Masters who had been causing the earlier commotion fell silent with their mouths tightly shut. Despite everything, Eveheim was the absolute ruler within the Demon King Worshipers. Thus, no one wanted to deny Eveheim. "It''s not a topic that we need to keep secret, but perhaps we''ve already said too much. So, Godfather, are you really planning to give up on the Dragon Egg?" After all, the Dragon Egg was something beyond ordinary. Talia, who was quite disappointed that they were giving up, asked the question again. However, Eveheim never wavered from his decision. "Sometimes, it''s important to repay your debts to those who have helped you, and that requires knowing how to control your own desires," Eveheim said. Eveheim then turned his gaze toward a small tavern in the distance. People were gathered there. As he examined their faces, a smile formed on his lips. ¡®Hm, Korea¡­¡¯ It seemed like there were more and more reasons for him to stay and not leave Korea for a while. *** Yu-Seong''s group, including Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong, was soon joined by Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon within an hour. As more people gathered, Do-Jin, who had already seemed somewhat distant, got up from his seat with a cold expression and quickly disappeared. ¡®But perhaps he''ll still be nearby after all¡­¡¯ In any case, neither Yu-Seong nor anyone else bothered to catch Do-Jin since his face clearly showed his discomfort and unease. ¡®That''s the nature of individualism in a main character.¡¯ Yu-Seong laughed inwardly as he spent the night drinking with his companions, Bernard and Meghan, before bustling around busily from early morning. ¡®We need to open the gate to return to Earth.¡¯ In the first place, opening the Dimensional Gate to return from the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven to Earth was not difficult. It was not opened simply because no one had tried. All they had to do was press a hidden button on the fountain in the center of the city. With such a simple act, Yu-Seong opened the huge blue Dimensional Gate. His companions watched him with twinkling eyes. "Wow..." "As expected, Yu-Seong hyung is amazing." Yu-Seong simply shrugged at the admiration from Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk. 1. You are the first one to open the Dimensional Gate to return to Earth. 2. Special reward is given: Emergency Return will now be available to you immediately. A new hidden-piece that Yu-Seong was not aware of had been opened. ¡®Huh? Emergency Return?¡¯ In fact, the ability was simple. ¡®At any time, I can open a Dimensional Gate to return to Earth from anywhere. The reuse waiting time is one year¡­¡¯ It could be used only once a year, but he could return to Earth from any point, not just from a return point. This was clearly an unexpected benefit. ¡®This is indeed a surprising gain.¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn''t help but smile as he looked at his companions¡¯ happy faces. When he had told them that they could return to Earth from the 10th floor, they had all been excited. It was easy to understand why. Growing within the Tower of Heaven was mysteriously satisfying, but staying there without being able to go home could be tiring. It was like constantly staying inside a dungeon, but finally, the gate to return had opened. "Then, shall we go back home now?" Yu-Seong asked. Then, the group turned their heads toward him and then threw themselves toward the gate to return to Earth with Yu-Seong in the lead. ¡®This is just the beginning.¡¯ Many people would return to Earth, and a lot would change. At this point, curiosity began to take hold of Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. ¡®How will my father deal with this?¡¯ The original novel¡¯s Choi Woo-Jae did not get to experience this situation. ''Since he died before the Tower of Heaven opened.'' The Tower of Heaven had opened earlier than originally planned, so it would indeed bring many changes. At this point, Yu-Seong had no choice but to make one decision. ¡®I would have thought it wasn''t the right time, but...I have to meet her.¡¯ Making up his mind, Yu-Seong closed his eyes and opened them again to find himself in the middle of a street in Myeongdong, Seoul. *** The stories of the returnees from the Tower of Heaven to Earth had recently become the hottest issue. Many people felt curious about the sudden appearance of the Tower and the vanished gods, wondering what had happened inside and what could be gained or lost. At this point, most of the information had been given by Yu-Seong himself. ¡®The contents up to the 10th floor of the Tower will be revealed soon anyway.¡¯ In addition, he had slowly uncovered some hidden-pieces that he considered to have little use. Naturally, the price of information increased significantly when it was rare. Therefore, unbeknownst to Choi Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong had earned a considerable amount of money. ¡®The more money, the better.¡¯ The more money he had, the more he could do at once. For example, Yu-Seong had started investing more money in Yu-Ri''s Hidden Team to expand its scale. ¡®Simply gathering information and engaging in small-scale combat won''t be enough.¡¯ There might be bigger fights in the future. That was why Yu-Seong decided to invest a lot of money in the Hidden Team, who were working solely for him and not for Choi Woo-Jae. They definitely returned the money he poured in, and obviously the more money he put in, the higher the returns would be. Yu-Seong didn''t doubt it. In the meantime, he made an effort to combine the power he had gained in the Tower of Heaven with his abilities on Earth. Sometimes, he paid attention to the Dragon Egg, hoping that it would hatch soon. However, unlike Do-Jin''s prediction that it wouldn''t take long, the egg remained quiet and unresponsive. Also, at this point, Do-Jin''s guild, Eclipse, declared full-scale activity. Similar to Yu-Seong, it seemed that Do-Jin had also gathered quite a bit of funds. After about a week had passed, Woo-Jae called for Yu-Seong, as always, to the same quiet and dimly lit office. Although, Yu-Seong felt a different feeling from usual as he entered the office. ¡®It''s a space that remains associated with a really scary memory, but¡­¡¯ Somehow, he couldn''t help but feel cozy in this space. ¡®Come to think of it, is it because Father isn''t here?¡¯ Woo-Jae hadn''t arrived yet. Yu-Seong had permission to come in first, but the feeling of an office without Woo-Jae was quite awkward and strange. ¡®Also, surprisingly, the light is quite good here¡­¡¯ Sunlight poured into the room through the window, which had been partially blocked by Woo-Jae''s small yet broad back before. Was that the reason? Yu-Seong picked up books from the bookshelf in the office, reading them quite naturally. Soon, the office door opened and Woo-Jae walked in. Startled, Yu-Seong quickly put the books back on the shelf, and Woo-Jae asked with a smile, "What were you reading?" "Ah, the title of the book is... The Devil''s Deal..." "It''s a pretty good book. It''ll be helpful in running the company. Take it." "What?" "I''ve memorized everything anyway, so I don''t need it." Woo-Jae sat in his usual spot, smiling wryly as he turned his back to the sun. At that moment, Yu-Seong felt a darkness settling into what had previously seemed quite bright. ¡®As expected¡­ Does this place have its own unique vibe only when Father is here?¡¯ Yu-Seong couldn''t help but smile slightly, but he also unconsciously tensed up and lowered his head shortly. "Thank you, I''ll read it well," Yu-Seong replied. Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot com ]. "If you have any other books you want to read in the future, feel free to take them. I''ll allow you to come in here even when I''m not around." "...Pardon?" "Why, don''t you like my gift?" ¡°Of¡­Of course I like it.¡± Rather, Yu-Seong was very happy with the gift. It was because of what had been written in the original novel. ¡®Choi Woo-Jae hides some really important things in this office...'' While there were some ordinary management books among the books on the bookshelf that Yu-Seong had picked up, there were many more extraordinary things, such as the bribery list of politicians, the scandals and secrets of entertainers, and even the weaknesses of the company''s executives! It could be said that there were more precious things in this office than any other ancient relics. ¡®These are truly treasures that can be called the power of a Comet Group...¡¯ Yu-Seong''s eyes brightened as he unknowingly looked around the office. Woo-Jae flipped through a report on his desk and asked casually with a smirk, "Still, you got quite a lot by going to the Tower of Heaven, didn''t you?" "Oh, yes. I think it was a pretty good experience." "It seems like it. Just looking at your momentum, it seems like you¡¯re at the same level as a decent A-rank hunter. You''re a B-rank hunter now, right?" "...yes." "It¡¯s interesting. Many studies have been conducted on how to break the limits of a player, but there has never been an exact result. Although, it is quite common in exceptional individuals known as Irregulars..." Woo-Jae quickly flipped the report he was looking at and smirked as he met Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze. "I''ve never seen anyone with your ability grow so quickly, Yu-Seong..." "You flatter me," responded Yu-Seong. "Don''t try to be too humble. Your abilities continue to exceed my expectations¡­and the information you obtained from the Tower of Heaven has certainly earned you a lot of money," said Woo-Jae. Perhaps the report that Woo-Jae had been reading was related to Yu-Seong. "Oh, yes. I thought that if information could be turned into money, it would be best to sell anything I didn''t need as soon as possible." Yu-Seong nodded slightly, as he knew that he couldn''t hide this piece of information from the beginning. "And that money is now flowing out to a place where I can''t track it through a Swiss bank account..." "...¡± Woo-Jae was talking about the funds going to the Hidden Team. In fact, it was a considerable amount of money moving around. There was no way to avoid getting caught at this point, no matter how careful Yu-Seong was. ''But I thought I could hold out a little longer...'' Woo-Jae had found out faster than Yu-Seong expected. It was at this point that Yu-Seong was quietly worrying about Woo-Jae''s reaction to the unexpected situation. "Excellent. You truly are my son. The Choi family should at least be capable of this, shouldn''t they?" Woo-Jae looked at Yu-Seong with a pleased smile. CH 187 Yu-Seong''s expression momentarily froze at Woo-Jae''s unexpected reaction. He had only shown that expression for a mere moment, but he knew that Woo-Jae had caught his changed reaction. "Why? Did you think I would scold you or something?" Woo-Jae asked. "...no," Yu-Seong replied. "Well, I can tell just by looking at your expression. Even though you''re all different in your own ways, my children all have similar traits. Haha¡­¡± Would that be a compliment or an insult? Yu-Seong couldn''t tell what Woo-Jae meant by his words. "Can you drink?" Woo-Jae suddenly asked. Yu-Seong was surprised by the sudden question. ¡®Drinking, all of a sudden?¡¯ One after another, Woo-Jae made unexpected offers that left Yu-Seong feeling astonished. However, Yu-Seong managed to keep his calm. "I''ve been living quietly these days, but I used to be the troublemaker of the family, no?" "So...?" Woo-Jae asked. "...I''ve had my fair share of days where I drank too much and ended up causing trouble," Yu-Seong admitted. Even if that memory wasn''t truly his own, Yu-Seong had undoubtedly participated in many company dinners during his time as a game company employee. During those situations, excessive drinking of soju was the norm. Therefore, he had no reason to worry about being weak at drinking in any place. "That was just a result of getting drunk. What I meant by my question was whether you know how to enjoy it," Woo-Jae asked again. "Oh¡­ Roughly I do," Yu-Seong said. "You should learn a little. You''ll need it in the future. Wine, whiskey, cognac¡­ It would be good to know about tea as well. You''ll have to meet a lot of people who enjoy these things when you become Vice President next year. You should start preparing for that now." "I understand," Yu-Seong said. Woo-Jae was already thinking that Yu-Seong would achieve the goal he had set for him by next year. Yu-Seong tensed up at the realization. He knew that he couldn''t afford to make a mistake while Woo-Jae trusted him so much. "You are the third child who succeeded by earning money behind my back without being caught. I know that you are all using it for your own secret organizations or to increase your funds. And I''ve never scolded any of the others. I''ve only praised them, but remember this," Woo-Jae said, leaning forward with a sly smile. "Make sure you never get caught. Even if it''s my child''s, I have a habit of getting greedy for delicious food¡­¡± "...I''ll remember that," Yu-Seong replied with a quavering voice. Woo-Jae smirked and flashed a subtle smile, then said, "That aside, there''s something you need to do.¡± "Something I need to do?" Yu-Seong asked. "Take this first," Woo-Jae said as he handed Yu-Seong a document. Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise as he read the title. ¡°Dungeon special access pass¡­¡± Yu-Seong''s restrictions on entering dungeons, which were imposed on all players in Korea except for Kim Do-Jin, had been lifted. "Unlike the temporary pass you received before, this is permanent. You can also include two more colleagues. It''s what you''ve been hoping for," Woo-Jae said. "Thank you!" Yu-Seong immediately bowed his head in gratitude. Although the access pass could be immediately taken away if Yu-Seong caused an accident in a low-grade dungeon, it was a type that could be used permanently. With this, Yu-Seong''s range of activities had expanded. As Yu-Seong''s face was filled with excitement, Woo-Jae let out a sinister chuckle. He said, "Recently, two new dungeons have appeared in Incheon Songdo and Busan Port. Both are ranked 6th and 7th, respectively.¡± Yu-Seong''s gaze instinctively shifted toward Woo-Jae''s face, unable to discern his intentions. However, one thing was clear: ¡°So, clearing one of those dungeons would significantly boost the Comet Guild¡¯s reputation, given that I am a B-rank member,¡± stated Yu-Seong. ¡°Yes, that essentially means accomplishing the mission I had tasked you to complete by next year,¡± said Woo-Jae. Woo-Jae''s task for Yu-Seong was to achieve A-rank by next year. Officially, the 6th grade dungeon was practically impossible to clear unless one was an A-rank hunter, so it was not wrong to state such a claim. Yu-Seong thought for a moment. There were two ways to approach this. ¡®The 6th ranked dungeon could be cleared relatively easily, even with only Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk.¡¯ In fact, Yu-Seong thought it would be quite straightforward. It was because he believed that the power of the three people who had just come out of the Tower of Heaven was on a much higher level than an average A-rank hunter. Ultimately, there was only one way to leave a strong impression in a Rank 6 dungeon. ¡®To clear it solo, alone.¡¯ Yu-Seong would have to solo clear the dungeon like the dungeon racing event. It would also be at a new dungeon with no information available, so a solo clear would attract even more attention. ¡®It''s a dungeon that appeared in Pyeongtaek and Busan. At this point... I''ll have to go in and see, but I can roughly predict it.¡¯ In fact, Yu-Seong was quite confident in clearing the Rank 6 dungeon by himself. However, the important thing here was that clearing the Rank 7 dungeon with three people would attract more attention. ¡®Since the difficulty level increases significantly every three ranks of the dungeons.¡¯ In other words, up to the Rank 6, skilled A-rank hunters could clear the dungeons somehow. However, the Rank 7 dungeon was completely different. Based on the criteria of a new dungeon that had no information, it was considered necessary to have at least two S-rank hunters in order to clear it reliably. Moreover, even if they managed to clear it cleanly, any casualties in this circumstance would be a loss for the nation. Ultimately, Woo-Jae was bringing this up as a test. ¡®It¡¯s a choice between the easy path or the difficult path.¡¯ With those choices given, Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae looked directly at each other. "The second child will take the path that you do not choose," said Woo-Jae. If it were Mi-Na, she could easily clear even a Rank 7 dungeon. After all, she ranked at the very top among S-rank hunters. Ultimately, the most stable choice was for Yu-Seong to choose the Rank 6 dungeon, and for Mi-Na to enter the Rank 7 dungeon. Therefore, Yu-Seong made a choice. "I''ll choose the Rank 7 dungeon." "Why?" "Because I lack confidence," Yu-Seong replied. "Huh...?" Woo-Jae was taken aback by Yu-Seong''s response, which echoed a statement that he had read in an interview during Yu-Seong''s early player''s examination. "I lack confidence in failing either choice, so I have decided to challenge the Rank 7 dungeon to make an even greater impact." "What? Hahaha-!" "Isn''t this better for you too, Father? Rather than a powerful S-rank hunter showing overwhelming strength, it''s more exciting for the B-ranked rascal to turn the tables in a magnificent way. It will be a hot topic." "Of course!" Woo-Jae shouted loudly as he looked at Yu-Seong with glittering eyes. "Now, I''m starting to look forward to how far you can go, my son." For Yu-Seong, it was the first time he had heard the words ¡®my son¡¯ from Woo-Jae. *** After Yu-Seong left the office, Pil-Doo strolled out slowly from the tightly packed bookshelves. Looking at the man who just appeared, Woo-Jae asked, ¡°What do you think? He seems to be making me prouder and prouder, doesn''t he?¡± In front of Yu-Seong, Woo-Jae would try to come across as strict, serious, and intimidating¡ªa typical grown-up. However, when Pil-Doo appeared in the room, Woo-Jae dropped his facade and revealed his true colors. While Pil-Doo watched him, Woo-Jae tried hard to be careful not to speak thoughtlessly. ¡®The Chairman''s character is clearly not consistent with this behavior.¡¯ Woo-Jae had always been a strict and imposing figure, even when his children were performing well. However, he seemed to treat Yu-Seong with a slightly softer approach. Of course, Pil-Doo could easily guess the reason. Yu-Seong''s mother had died, and Yu-Seong was in a more difficult situation than his other siblings. However, he was still achieving great things while growing rapidly. In fact, even Pil-Doo found it difficult to deny Yu-Seong¡¯s true potential. "...It''s not good to focus too much on one side," said Pil-Doo. He offered this advice with difficulty, causing Woo-Jae to stare at him with surprise. ¡°Secretary Kim, you''re also considering Yu-Seong as the potential next Chairman, aren''t you?" asked Woo-Jae. Initially, Pil-Doo had regarded Yu-Seong as just a child, and even though he had tried to change his perception recently, the gap between Yu-Seong and his older siblings was already too significant. How could he possibly wake up and continue down the same path, just like a dragon who was once lying down and hiding its strength before? ¡®During his early years, Zhuge Liang[1] was just learning to spread his wings and take flight in the world.¡¯ However, Yu-Seong was different. He had shown too many mistakes to be considered a hiding dragon, and he had lost too much from his mistakes. Pil-Doo believed that, no matter how things turned out good, Yu-Seong would only be exhausting himself by attempting to imitate those who were superior to him. But the more Pil-Doo watched Yu-Seong, the more he seemed to be doing quite well, and now he was slowly soaring toward the sky. In other words, Yu-Seong had begun to enter the line of the next Chairman candidate, as perceived by Woo-Jae. And even Pil-Doo was finding it hard to deny this fact. "That''s why I''m worried. It seems like I¡¯ve already lost in the bet with you," said Pil-Doo. How should he say this? As he pondered, Woo-Jae slammed his desk again and burst out laughing. He said, "You''re not admitting defeat so easily, are you? Looks like there''s no way out this time?" ¡°...¡± Pil-Doo sighed without saying a word. At first, he couldn''t have imagined that simply betting with Woo-Jae on whether or not he would follow Yu-Seong would lead to this outcome. However, before long, Pil-Doo would find himself assisting both Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae. It was like giving new wings to a tiger that had already started to fly. Perhaps then even Mi-Na would be threatened by Yu-Seong. Actually, to be exact, Mi-Na would surely be surpassed by him. The reason was simple: ¡®Since the Second Miss has no interest in taking over the Chairman position.¡¯ Yet, despite this, Mi-Na''s involvement in company affairs was driven by a combination of Woo-Jae''s stubbornness and the fault of In-Young, to some extent. Strangely, Mi-Na was opposed to even considering In-Young for the Chairman position. However, it was different if it was Yu-Seong. Therefore, the ultimate opponent that Yu-Seong had to overcome would be In-Young. In-Young''s strength was different from Mi-Na''s. Despite seeming like she was fighting alone, she actually had access to powerful support from her maternal side of the family, which was not widely known. Additionally, she possessed a strong and tenacious personality. Even Pil-Doo felt distinctly fearful of fighting against In-Young. "Don''t think I''m too biased. Unlike his siblings, Yu-Seong doesn''t have any maternal relatives," said Woo-Jae. ¡°But you said his innate ability is the best among all," said Pil-Doo. "That is what''s interesting. Hehe..." Woo-Jae stroked his short beard and looked out the window. "I always wondered when that ability would bloom, but it seems like it''s finally starting to bloom properly now. Yes, other children have secretly embezzled money from me before, but that was only possible because they relied on the power of their maternal relatives. But Choi Yu-Seong did it all by himself,¡± said Woo-Jae. "It must be thanks to the capable people who helped him," said Pil-Doo. "But isn''t it important who gathered those capable individuals?" "You''re right." Pil-Doo no longer denied Yu-Seong. He had worried before, but if Yu-Seong were to become the Chairman in such a situation, wouldn''t that also be fate? ¡®It also means it''s time for me to give up my ambitions.¡¯ As Pil-Doo''s gaze turned to Woo-Jae with a sense of shame, he suddenly looked out the window, mirroring Woo-Jae''s gaze. Then, he looked at Woo-Jae with a surprised expression. In front of Yu-Seong, who had just opened the front door, stood In-Young. It was as if fate had brought them together. "Did you call her?" asked Pil-Doo. Woo-Jae nodded calmly. "Haven''t they not seen each other''s faces in a long time? As they are rivals who must compete for this position in the future, it''s time to recognize each other." Find the original at "pawread dot com". As Woo-Jae smirked, a cold chill flashed across his eyes. Although he cared for Yu-Seong deeply, he was not willing to relinquish his position as the representative of the Comet Group easily. ¡®Father Woo-Jae and the Chairman of the Comet Group are entirely different individuals.¡¯ Pil-Doo thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold, feeling a mixture of fresh emotions. 1. Zhuge Liang was a famous figure in Chinese history who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. He was a renowned military strategist, statesman, and inventor known for his intelligence, wisdom, and resourcefulness. People often use his name as a reference or comparison to describe someone who has similar traits or accomplishments. ? CH 188 After leaving Woo-Jae''s office, Yu-Seong descended the stairs and was shocked by the woman he saw in front of him. ¡®Choi In-Young?¡¯ He initially wondered what the woman¡¯s intentions were. Given In-Young''s notorious and malevolent personality in the original novel, Yu-Seong felt tense for a moment just from remembering it. ¡®But...I don''t think she expected to meet me here either.¡¯ In-Young''s gaze was equally guarded and suspicious as she looked at Yu-Seong. If she had no ulterior motives for showing up here, it was clear why the situation had arisen. ¡®Father must have planned this.¡¯ The two exchanged a cautious glance, taking in each other''s presence amidst the palpable tension. In-Young slowly ascended the stairs. She was smiling as she extended her hand toward Yu-Seong, who was standing in front of her. "It''s been a while, Yu-Seong.¡± "Yes, I haven''t seen you in a long time, In-Young noo-nim," Yu-Seong replied as he shook her hand lightly. In-Young¡¯s smile seemingly reached her eyes. "It seems like you''ve grown a lot since then. You used to look up to me, but now you seem taller than me." "Really? I always thought I was taller than you..." said Yu-Seong with a slight smile, his gaze trailing down to In-Young''s high heels. He then joked, "Maybe it''s because you often wear high heels that you made that mistake.¡± "Oh, is that so?" In-Young replied indifferently as her eyes flashed with a red energy. When In-Young let go of his hand, Yu-Seong suddenly felt a slight dizziness. He quickly shook his head to dispel the strange discomfort he was feeling. When he looked back up, In-Young had already walked past him and was waving her hand casually as if nothing had happened. "Take care, let''s have a meal next time. After all, we''re still family." As the woman opened the large door and disappeared further into the house, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel a sense of wariness toward her. Looking at her walking away, he nodded lightly and replied, "Good, let''s schedule a time soon." He had no intention of backing down. *** As In-Young walked into the house, leaving Yu-Seong behind, one of the household staff, Park Na-Rae, immediately followed her. Na-Rae was the only one supporting In-Young in Woo-Jae¡¯s house. "The Chairman is in his study. Should I contact him right away?" Na-Rae asked. "It''s fine. He probably already knows. By the way, when did he call Yu-Seong?" said In-Young. "It was just over an hour ago." "So they talked the whole time?" "No, ma''am. The Chairman had some business to attend to and left the study for a while, so Young Master Yu-Seong was alone there for about thirty minutes." "Yu-Seong was alone in the study? Did Father just leave him there?" Na-Rae flinched at In-Young''s sharp gaze and lowered her head. She said softly, "I apologize. It was hard to get access to all the information¡­ But I didn''t hear any commotion from inside." "If that''s the case, then it must have been intentional. And also, the timing of this meeting¡­¡± In-Young slowed her pace deliberately as she walked further into the house, her expression becoming more stern. She muttered, "Yu-Seong is climbing up faster than expected... It is to the point where I''m starting to worry about him more than Mi-Na unni...?" Yu-Seong''s sudden rise in power and confidence was surprising, as it was very different from before. However, it was also understandable. He had undergone significant changes recently and was even receiving the full attention and favor of Chairman Choi Woo-Jae. It was like witnessing the unstoppable momentum of a person, and the timing couldn''t have been more perfect. However, there was one thing that bothered In-Young. ¡®I¡¯m sure I applied my Charm skill to him.¡¯ Her Charm skill was one of her representative abilities, with infinite uses ranging from seduction to obedience. It could even cause someone to lose their senses. She had wanted Yu-Seong to be obedient, which was why he had almost lost his balance on the stairs. ¡®But he didn''t kneel in the end.¡¯ In-Young had expected to snort at the sight of Yu-Seong collapsing on the stairs as she left. However, he had only staggered a bit before quickly regaining his composure and calmly meeting her gaze. It was as if he knew that the Charm skill had been applied to him. "If you''re worried, it''s best to do whatever it takes to get rid of him..." said Na-Rae. "It''s easier said than done. He''s under too much scrutiny right now. Father and Mi-Na unni are constantly watching him. Whatever we do now will not end well. But we still have to get things done. After I enter Father¡¯s study, call this number and find out in detail what Yu-Seong obtained in the Tower of Heaven.¡± In-Young thought that the reason her Charm skill had been discovered was because Yu-Seong had gained some kind of special ability from the Tower of Heaven. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am." We are bit.ly/3iBfjkV, find us on google. "Oh, and one more thing. I''m planning to enter the Tower of Heaven too. Clear a good day for me," In-Young said. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll make that happen,¡± responded Na-Rae. ¡°Thank you,¡± said In-Young, smiling mischievously and use her Charm skill on Na-Rae. Na-Rae trembled and blushed as soon as In-Young''s eyes flashed red. She unconsciously twisted her body, unsure of which way to turn. Meanwhile, In-Young turned her head toward Na-Rae. She looked at her with a cold gaze, just like a venomous snake. ¡®As expected, there''s no problem with my skill. That means it must have been Yu-Seong who did something. It''s ridiculous. I thought he was just a small fish, but he''s a shark, after all.¡¯ The image of Woo-Jae, the terrifying master of the household, came to In-Young''s mind, but she forced herself to smile and hide her true emotions. ¡®I''ll be the one to sit in that seat, Father.¡¯ She had no intention of backing down, for she had already passed the point of no return. *** The morning after visiting Woo-Jae''s house, Yu-Seong finished his morning training and looked at Yu-Ri, who was always waiting for him in front of his house. He said, "You don''t have to come out here to wait for me every time. It''s not necessary.¡± "I enjoy it,¡± replied Yu-Ri as she handed him a towel. Yu-Seong chuckled as he used the towel to wipe away his sweat. "By the way, regarding what you asked me to find out yesterday,¡± she said. ¡°About In-Young noo-nim?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± "Have you found something already?¡± "No, they couldn''t find anything. There¡¯s no trace of the Fifth Young Miss'' blood anywhere, not even in the dungeon. It''s said that not a single drop of blood was spilled." "...I see." Yu-Seong frowned briefly and sighed. When he met In-Young the day before, he had smelled a familiar odor of blood from her. Feeling suspicious, he had then immediately contacted Yu-Ri to investigate it. ¡®This smell of blood. I think I previously smelled it in Pyongyang.¡¯ The smell had reminded him of Emilia, one of the Twelve Dark Kings who had turned out to be a vampire, one of the non-human races. But why did he smell a scent similar to Emilia''s blood on In-Young? It could have been a simple mistake, but there were too many suspicious points to overlook, so he had requested an investigation. However, the result stated that there was no trace of blood at all. For upper-level vampires, it was easiest to distinguish their bloodline by analyzing their DNA. ¡®But lower-level vampires can''t hide when they are exposed to sunlight¡­¡¯ On the contrary, upper-level vampires were not afraid of sunlight or religion. Thus, the easiest way to distinguish them from humans was through their blood structure. ¡®It''s a shame that the original novel only covered Choi In-Young''s story briefly.¡¯ The original novel mainly focused on Do-Jin''s story. As a reader, Yu-Seong hadn''t really cared about the stories of other supporting characters. However, now that he was inside the novel, he found it very inconvenient. There weren''t many stories in the novel that were directly related to the Choi family, except for Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae. That was why there wasn''t much interest in In-Young''s true identity from Do-Jin''s perspective. ¡®Furthermore, Choi In-Young was killed by Choi Mi-Na in the middle of the story.¡¯ In the original novel, In-Young had been a character who didn''t play a big role. However, the fact that In-Young was on the same level as Mi-Na and almost became the head of the company was something that needed to be taken into consideration. "Okay, let''s put that aside for now... By the way, could you please bring me some water and my phone?" Yu-Seong asked Yu-Ri. "Here you go," said Yu-Ri, handing him the items. Yu-Seong drank the water before sending a message to Mi-Na, asking her to contact him when she had time. ¡®If In-Young is really a vampire...then I can¡¯t resolve the situation alone.¡¯ It could turn into an incident that could overturn the country''s fate, considering the fact that a vampire, a blood-sucking race, was living at the center of a powerful conglomerate that played a certain role in the country''s rise and fall. ¡®I wonder if Father knows about this... If she is really a vampire.¡¯ With a small doubt in his mind, Yu-Seong left a message for Ji-Ho, his eldest brother. Then, he went into the shower room without expecting a reply as it was early in the morning. ¡®And I better start looking for a way to save Ji-Ho hyung-nim.¡¯ In fact, Ji-Ho was too valuable a character to simply let him die in vain. In many ways, there was nothing lacking in his talent, ability, or character. Originally, Yu-Seong thought there was no way to save Ji-Ho¡¯s life. However, with the opening of the Tower of Heaven, the situation had changed slightly. ¡®I can get that Elixir on the 20th floor of the Tower of Heaven.¡¯ The Elixir was a legendary potion that could cure any incurable disease, something that would only appear in fantasy novels. However, it had also appeared in the original novel, [Modern Master Returns]. ¡®Originally, it was used to save Baek Ah-Rin, a colleague who was dying from overuse of energy by Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯ In fact, there was no need to use a whole bottle of Elixir to treat injuries. The original novel had even described Kim Do-Jin using it excessively. ¡®We can share it.¡¯ It would be okay even if Ji-Ho didn''t fully recover. If he could prolong his predetermined lifespan, that alone was satisfactory. ¡®And Helen in Pyongyang¡­¡¯ By next year, Yu-Seong would be able to reach A-rank like Woo-Jae had said. He was already stronger than most A-rank hunters. Thus, if he actually became an A-rank player, he would have power comparable to S-rank. ¡®But to be stable, I¡¯ll still have to become S-rank.¡¯ He had to go and rescue Helen. After all, she had sacrificed herself in the land of death to save Yu-Seong and Do-Jin. How could he forget that? ¡®I have a lot of homework to do¡­¡¯ As he washed and tidied up, Yu-Seong realized that there was so much to do in this world that he had thought was just a novel. It was clear evidence that he was gradually becoming more and more integrated into this world.