53 - 60

"Commander Heksia?"

Keirun shook his head at Kang-jun's question.

"If my prediction is correct, Heksia is probably one of the strongest in Earth Hwanmong. Lord has been a.s.signed to their command."

"That means I will be Heksia's subordinate."

He was a sovereign so it wasn't satisfying to be under someone else. He didn't like taking orders.

Keirun nodded like he knew Kang-jun's heart.

"Even if you feel bad, it can't be helped. If you become a stronger sovereign with a higher level then you can get rid of presences like dragons. Until then, you have to follow the instructions and be focused on getting stronger."

"Don't worry. I don't have interest in anything other than becoming stronger."

No matter whose order Kang-jun was following, he was just going to fight monsters.

Sovereigns who weren't afraid of fighting monsters could rise by leaps and bounds during this red moon.

Sovereign Hardis who had threatened Kang-jun with 500 orcs!

Kang-jun pledged to be strong enough not to be afraid of tyc.o.o.n-cla.s.s sovereigns.

"Then I will be going."

Kang-jun stepped into the portal in front of him.

Chuuuot!

A bright light wrapped around Kang-jun's entire body.

'This place is?'

The light was gone and the surroundings were revealed.

Kang-jun was standing on a circle of bizarre patterns and there was a big palace in front of him.

A golden, sparking palace!

[439th Army Headquarters]

The letters were displayed at the entrance to the palace like a signboard.

'Do I go inside?'

Kang-jun entered the palace.

Something like the emperor's throne was on the far end of the palace and someone was sitting there.

Just before the throne, a pink curtain was placed and only blurred shadows could be seen, making it difficult to recognize the ident.i.ty.

Who would be sitting on the throne?

In addition, 20 people seemed to be lined up on both sides of the throne.

The unusual thing was that he couldn't even see their faces or distinguish their gender!

There were just glittering letters that told their names.

Sovereign Avia, Sovereign Paros, Sovereign Caper...

Kang-jun could see that they were all sovereigns.

In addition, he couldn't see anything other than the names of the sovereigns.

"Speak your sovereign name."

The presence on the throne spoke at that moment.

"Lucan. You are?

"I am the 439th commander, Heksia."

Strangely, the familiar voice of a woman was heard. However, he couldn't remember who it was. Anyway, it wasn't that important.

"Where am I to fight?"

"I will let you know once all the sovereigns belonging to this army are gathered. Go to the place where the light is and wait."

A light flashed on one side of the palace and the word 'Lucan' appeared. Kang-jun moved to his position and stood there. He looked at the glittered word 'Lucan' that appeared on his clothes.

Kang-jun waited for a while until someone else showed up.

However, that person's appearance was also veiled by something and he couldn't grasp their ident.i.ty.

The presence on the throne asked.

"Your sovereign name?"

"Hardis."

Unbelievable! Hardis! Kang-jun was startled.

Hardis was the one who attack Kang-jun today with the orc army.

He had b.u.mped into the enemy here.

'He must have also been a.s.signed to this army.'

Kang-jun's eyes shone coldly as he stared at Hardis.

"Hardis! Go wait at the place where the light is."

The word 'Hardis' appeared next to Kang-jun. Hardis walked forward and stood beside Kang-jun. His clothes and sovereign name became s.h.i.+ny.

Kang-jun inwardly laughed.

A hostile monarch was right next to him.

Yet all he could do was watch.

Thanks to the red moon, there was a ban on fighting between sovereigns, otherwise he would have killed Hardis right now.

He was filled with regret.

'An opportunity will come.'

Kang-jun suppressed his anger.

At that time, Hardis looked at Kang-jun's name with astonishment.

"No, are you Lucan?"

"I didn't expect to see you in such a place, Hardis!"

"You brat! Today you were lucky. If it wasn't for the red moon, you would have met your end today."

"You were the lucky one. If it wasn't for the red moon then your head would have gone flying."

Heksia stared at Kang-jun and Hardis before growling at them.

"Stop being so loud. I don't have a lot of patience. Do you understand?"

Kang-jun and Hardis nodded.

In the meantime, more sovereigns kept appearing. The doors of the palace only closed when 40 people were gathered.

"I will introduce myself once again. I am the commander of the 439th army. My full name is Lotuna Heksia. You would do well to remember my name as I will be your direct superior."

At the end of her words, the curtain around the throne disappeared. The existence that was revealed.

A dream-like woman with mysterious blue hair. On her back were transparent wings that shone with a red light.

"Y-you are?"

Kang-jun's eyes widened with surprise.

Everything was exactly the same except for the glamour on the wings.

She was the succubus that Kang-jun fought with at the entrance to Kw.a.n.gho building a short while ago!

However, Lotuna was the commander of this army!

Lotuna Heksia!

She said that was her name just a moment again.

Kang-jun's chest felt tight.

As Kajel had said, she was a horrifying existence that lived in 15 storey or higher buildings.

Heksia turned and gazed at Kang-jun after he cried out. She sneered.

"Lucan! It seems like you have just noticed. I remember well your bold actions against my

clone. However, I will suspend your punishment until the red moon is over. After that, I will make you pay for it."

"..."

Kang-jun stiffened.

'Then that was just a clone?'

No matter how powerful Heavenly Cut was, it was ridiculous that it would work on an army commander.

It was possible because it was just a clone, not the main body.

Kang-jun's question was answered. He stared straight at Heksia and said.

"If you hadn't done something first then I wouldn't have attacked."

Kang-jun didn't hesitate to tell Heksia that her actions were wrong.

She had tried a strange attack on Kang-jun that obscured his mind.

On the other hand, Heksia was looking at Kang-jun strangely.

At the time, her clone was on patrol when she ran across Kang-jun and felt some curiosity.

It was because Kang-jun gave off a strange charm.

She thought there was no harm in playing for a while.

Yet Kang-jun was powerful enough to injure her clone.

However, the more surprising thing was that Kang-jun resisted her bewitchment!

Most demons couldn't even resist it.

A fledgling sovereign shouldn't have that power.

Of course, if he had a sovereign token that granted resistance to mental magic like bewitchment or deception then it would be a different story.

'Anyway, he is a scandalous guy.'

Everyone else was looking at Heksia with awe while Kang-jun was showing an att.i.tude.

She just laughed and said.

"You don't show any signs of repentance so it is difficult to forgive you. I will act after the red moon. There are more urgent things right now."

She immediately yelled loudly.

"Everybody listen! We are here because the Second Demon King Colladikus invaded this Hwamong. From now on, we will be fighting the Second Demon King and his army. Today will be a simple training exercise before the battles."

Training. What type of training?

Everybody gazed at Heksia.

Heksia gave an unknown smile and waved one hand.

Susususu.

At that moment, the scenery around them changed.

It was an enclosed room instead of the palace.

One corner of the stone chamber contained a gem emitting red light.

Heksia pointed to the gem and explained.

"This is a resurrection gem that is filled with the mysterious aura of the red moon."

She continued.

"While the red moon is up, you will be resurrected to the nearest resurrection gem when you die."

Resurrecting after dying? Then it wasn't the end once they died?

Of course, that was only when the red moon was floating but it was hard to believe. Heksia shrugged.

"Even so, don't be too relieved. The power of the red moon won't be given so freely. Every time you use the power of the red moon for resurrection, your achievement points will be reduced in exchange."

At that moment, achievement points appeared in front of everyone including Kang-jun.

[Red Moon Achievement Points: 100]

"In the world of the red moon, everything is fair. No matter your power in reality, all sovereigns will be given 100 points equally."

Heksia swept her gaze over each sovereign.

"10 points will be lost for every resurrection. Once all the achievement points are gone, you will no longer be protected by the red moon. Do you know what that means? You will really die."

The sovereigns all tensed up. They had been relieved that they couldn't die while the red moon was present. However, it was impossible without any achievement points.

In other words, they could really die!

They had to pay attention.

Suuk.

Heksia spread her arms open and exclaimed.

"Then should we begin the training? Please note that the purpose of this training is to prepare your mind for the war with the Second Demon King's army. At the same time, it will be testing who is the strongest among you."

Her eyes sparkled. At that moment, the red gem on one side of the room started to s.h.i.+ne brightly.

"There is only one winner. The one to survive until the end will be awarded 50 bonus points. Then let's get started."

Starting? Perhaps?

"Regardless of the rules of the red moon, you can attack each other in this training room. If you die and are resurrected, points won't be lost."

As soon as this was said, one sovereign pulled out an axe and struck the person next to them.

Bam!

"Kuaaaak!"

The body of the sovereign disappeared like smoke and reappeared completely fine next to the red gem.

"The losers will have to wait there. Other sovereigns, keep training."

"Ohh! s.h.i.+t!"

The person who just died flopped down at Heksia's words. He glared poisonously at the sovereign with the axe who struck him.

Meanwhile, the other sovereigns had pulled out their weapons.

Bam!

"Ack!"

From then on, people kept dying.

Huhu, don't blame me since your achievement points won't be reduced even if you die."

"Kuaack!"

"Sorry! This is training so please understand."

"Kyaaack!"

In an instant, 10 out of 40 sovereigns were moved to the resurrection gem.

There was a fierce battle between the remaining 30 sovereigns. Among them were several sovereigns who showed outstanding abilities.

Sovereigns Avia, Zenith and unexpectedly Hardis were among them.

"Kuhuh, this training is always welcome."

Hardis wielded a red sword and slaughtered the surrounding sovereigns. He had agile movements and the red line that sometimes extended seemed to be a combat skill. Those targeted by Hardis had their neck slashed and collapsed.

"Ack!"

"Aaack!"

Before they knew it, three, no four people were left.

One sovereign watching the situation from the side was Kang-jun.

Kang-jun stayed in the background and only attacked those who aimed for him. Of course, he wasn't frightened or confused by this situation. He was observing the other sovereigns.

However, there were only a few remaining so he could no longer just watch.

"Bah! Kill!"

The spear wielding Sovereign Avia rushed towards Kang-jun. The voice seemed to belong to a female.

Syuok! Syuook!

The spear aimed at Kang-jun's neck then chest.

Kakang! Kang!

Kang-jun nonchalantly blocked the spear and cut Avia's neck.

Chwack!

"Ugh!"

Sovereign Avia was destroyed without mercy. Her body moved to the resurrection gem and was restored to its original shape.

'T-that is ridiculous! Lucan! Who the h.e.l.l is he?'

Avia couldn't believe she was defeated and stared at Kang-jun with a devastated expression.

Then Hardis rushed towards Kang-jun.

"Huhu, you stupid boy! You are still alive."

The red sword aimed at Kang-jun's neck.

Kaaang!

Kang-jun blocked the sword and stabbed Hardis's neck.

Puok!

"Kkuck!"

Blood spurted out as Hardis's neck was penetrated.

Now there was one left.

Kang-jun didn't hesitate and ran forward.

"Heok! Wait!"

Zenith watched Kang-jun with an expression filled with tension.

Sukeok!

Kang-jun ran to him and cut off his head.

39 out of 40 sovereigns were moved to the resurrection gem, with only one person standing in the centre of the room.

The inside of the room was quiet for a moment.

Not all of them were killed by Kang-jun but the sovereigns waiting at the resurrection gem were afraid of him.

This was training. While the red moon was up, they couldn't kill each other. But someday in the future, they were bound to encounter each other.

The sovereigns' fate!

They feared being defeated by Sovereign Lucan and being dragged to hell

Then Heksia clapped and said.

"Hohoho! Don't be shaken by something like this. It is just the beginning. In the future there will be many unlucky sovereigns among you."

She continued.

"Have you forgotten? You have the ability to become stronger as you fight monsters and win."

The eyes of the sovereigns were revived.

That's right.

They knew they could become stronger through levelling up.

In the meantime, they had avoided direct combat and only moved the troops. Therefore, the thought of fighting started to fascinate them.

In particular, the eyes of Zenith, Hardis and Avia who were killed by Kang-jun were filled with desire.

'Lucan! If I don't defeat him then I will be the one dying.'

'Euh! It is really unbelievable. What type of skill did he get to become so strong?'

'Bah! You were lucky, Lucan. Next time I will win.'

Kang-jun inwardly laughed as he watched the sovereigns' reaction

It was difficult for the other sovereigns because they hadn't been interested in fighting monsters to raise their level.

But thanks to Heksia's words, the sovereigns were filled with fighting spirit.

The people who used money to raise troops were determined to fight the monsters directly.

Of course, it didn't matter.

Kang-jun had no intention of coming second to any of them.

Then Heksia turned towards Kang-jun and smiled.

"Sovereign Lucan, you won. As promised, you will be rewarded."

[You have earned 50 red moon achievement points.]

[Red Moon Achievement Points: 150]

As she said, Kang-jun's official points had increased by 50 to 150 points.

At that moment, a new mission appeared in front of Kang-jun.

[Mission 11] Gain 300 red moon achievement points.

-Compensation: Experience, 4,000 nodes, 30 small moonstones.

The mission this time was to gain a certain amount of points.

300 points.

It was possible if he achieved 150 more points in the future.

Heksia gazed at Kang-jun and declared.

"Sovereign Lucan! Until the next battle, you will be the total sovereign of this army."

"Total sovereign?"

"It means you will be the leader of the sovereigns. Of course, it is just a formality so you don't have to worry about it. Unless I tell you otherwise, most of the battles can be considered individual ones."

"I see."

The expressions of the sovereigns at the resurrection jewel distorted. Despite it being a formality, they found it hard to accept Kang-jun as their leader.

However, they couldn't complain since he won.

It was training but Kang-jun was the winner and they were defeated.

They couldn't grumble outright.

"Now that you have finished the training, shall we go practice? Before that, I have to tell you one thing."

Heksia took something out from her pocket.

It was a small stone that shone red like a ruby.

"Sometimes you will be able to get a moonstone that looks like this when hunting the troops of the Second Demon King. If you bring this to the army headquarters, a small moonstone will give one point. A large one will give three achievement points."

The eyes of the sovereigns shone.

Moonstone!

They could get achievement points by exchanging the stones.

In the world of the red moon, achievement points were equivalent to their lives.

More achievement points would give bigger rewards, making it likely that they would become a foundation in the real world.

They should obtain lots of moonstones!

In order to do that, they had to kill many monsters!

The eyes of the sovereigns were burning.

Heksia nodded at the sovereigns.

"Excellent. If you maintain that att.i.tude until the end then the red moon will be a great opportunity."

Then she chanted a spell.

Chu chu chu.

At that moment, a magic circle appeared in the centre of the room. Heksia's eyes lit up.

"Now we will go and fight directly with the Second Demon King's men. Are you ready?"

Kang-jun simply nodded. The other sovereigns were tense but approached the magic circle that would move them to the battlefield.

The battle wouldn't be a training exercise so their compet.i.tive spirit started burning.

Heksia smiled.

"Then we will now move to the battlefield. Everyone enter the circle."

As soon as her words were over, the 40 sovereigns including Kang-jun entered the circle.

Hwaaak! Hwaaaack!

The magic circle glowed and they were moved somewhere else.

"Kikikiki!"

"Ggeug ggeug ggeug!"

What was this eerie laughter?

After being moved by the magic circle, he saw a red resurrection gem similar to the one at the army headquarters.

The gem was surrounded by a giant s.h.i.+eld that stretched out dozens of metres around it, and the area was crawling with dozens of monsters with tentacles.

Their heights varied from three metres to 10 metres.

Kwang! Kwa kwang!

Dudududu. Kukukukwang!

The tentacles struck the s.h.i.+eld and the s.p.a.ce shook.

There were approximately 100 tentacle monsters.

The sovereigns sensed right away that the monsters were their enemies. Most of the people filled with fighting spirit stiffened.

On the other hand, Kang-jun was detached.

They looked similar to Kajel. He had already dealt

with it once so he knew what to do.

'They look weaker than Kajel.'

Of course, that was their individual attack power. It would be dangerous for Kang-jun to fight 100 tentacle monsters.

However, he wasn't alone. There were 40 sovereigns.

Heksia turned to them and said.

"I will reduce the range of the rear s.h.i.+eld for a while. After that, the battle will begin. Brace yourselves. If you get caught in their tentacles then it will be the end."

Even without her words, the sovereigns were looking at the tentacle monsters with a wary look.

It was like fighting monsters with dozens of arms. Some of them would prefer fighting an ogre or minotaur.

"Take care of yourself in the battle! There is no need to listen to anyone's commands. Each one of you will have to exert your own strength."

Heksia continued.

"If you get injured then run quickly. If you hold your breath then your body will be restored. Of course, it isn't for free. One point will be deducted. However, it is better than losing 10 points when you are killed."

At the end of her speech, the s.h.i.+eld started to shrink at a rapid pace. The monsters gained momentum and neared them. They started to flock from every direction.

"The battle has begun so what are you doing? Of course, those who are afraid of fighting can stay close to the gem. This is a safe zone."

Heksia said with a laugh.

"However, there is a chance that you might face a disaster later on. I won't force anybody to fight. Everything is your own choice. Then I will leave it to you."

Heksia disappeared after that.

If they were afraid of fighting then they could stay there.

But none of the sovereigns stayed near the resurrection gem.

If they stayed in the safe zone, they wouldn't die but they also wouldn't get any achievements.

Kang-jun ran silently in the lead.

Zenith followed right behind him.

"Hahaha! How can I fear such things as a sovereign?"

Next was Hardis. He also wasn't afraid.

"They will be the ones to raise my level."

"Hohoho! If you are afraid of such things then you don't deserve to be a sovereign."

Avia rushed forward with her spear.

The other sovereigns grabbed their weapons and ran out.

They were prepared to use their monsters to raise their levels.

However, fighting the monsters wasn't simply a matter of determination.

Without skills, it was just mere bravado.

Flash! Sukeok!

"Kyaaak!"

Kang-jun use Heavenly Cut against one of the 10 metre tall monsters.

[89 nodes have been gained.]

[One small moonstone has been acquired.]

Next was a three metre tall monster. This time he didn't use the skill as he carefully avoided the tentacles and slashed the body.

Puok!

"Kkack!"

[54 nodes have been gained.]

His black magic energy wasn't unlimited so he couldn't abuse the skill.

The relatively small monsters didn't require a skill so he only used Heavenly Cut against those that were five metres or taller.

But unlike Kang-jun who was hunting in a leisurely manner, most of the sovereigns were struggling with the tentacles.

"Kikikik! The prey has come to me!"

"Ack!"

"Ggeug ggeug ggeug! How ludicrous!"

"Kuaaaak!"

In the meantime, many entered the mouths of the creatures and died by being eaten.

Of course, they were instantly resurrected at the gem. Some of them rushed straight out again while others panicked and stayed in the safe zone.

Chwack! Chwack!

"Aack!"

Another person became a victim. The sovereign screamed as dozens of tentacles wrapped around him and he was dragged into the monster's mouth.

"Wahh! Help me!"

"Ohh! T-this is terrible!"

A sovereign had their eyeballs plucked out, another who had their arms cut off rushed back to the gem and there was even a sovereign with their head torn off...

It was just like hell

Even so, the sovereigns fought fiercely with the monsters.

In the meantime, those who managed to level up had noticeably faster movements.

The unusual thing was that most sovereigns started to move in a team instead of alone!

Three or four sovereigns gathered in a team to deal with the monsters.

Their pride wasn't important right now.

As sovereigns, someday they would have to aim their swords at each other. But for now, they would join forces to try and survive.

However, Kang-jun worked completely alone.

He was the leader but Heksia said that today was an individual battle. It wasn't necessary for him to command the sovereigns.

They chose to form a team but Kang-jun decided to fight alone.

He was sufficient alone and it would be c.u.mbersome to form a team. He would need to waste time taking care of his team members.

Of course, many of the sovereigns fought near Kang-jun and used sly methods. If they couldn't handle a monster then they would lure it to Kang-jun.

Those creatures would then be killed by Kang-jun's sword.

Kang-jun didn't do it to help the sovereigns, but to kill the monsters.

Leaving the sovereigns to die was also a method. The achievement points of rival sovereigns could be shaved away.

However, Kang-jun would rather kill a monster to gain experience to raise his level.

The sovereigns took care of luring the mobs to him so he didn't need to bother.

'By the way, my level hasn't risen.'

After reaching Lv19, his experience seemed to rise less quickly.

Although they weren't as strong as Kajel, he had already killed 20 monsters yet his level hasn't risen.

He obtained 11 moonstones during that time. They were all small. If he brought them to the army headquarters then it would be 11 achievement points.

Lv.19 (Exp 96.32%)

He didn't have much experience left to gain on the gauge. Hunting one or two more would make him level up!

"Aaaah! H-help me!"

"Kikikiki!"

As soon as a sovereign encountered a huge monster, he ran to the place where Kang-jun was. Kang-jun rushed forward without hesitation and used Heavenly Cut.

Flash! Sukeok!

"Kyaaak!"

[81 nodes have been gained.]

[One small moonstone has been acquired.]

At that moment.

[Your level has risen.]

'Haha! Finally level up!'

He broke through Lv19 and reached Lv20.

[Your war ability has increased to intermediate level.]

[From now on, all black magic energy will be restored when you level up.]

'Intermediate war ability?'

After reaching Lv20, his war ability rose to the intermediate level. So far, it had been beginner level.

However, the next message to appear was astonishing.

'Black magic energy recovery?'

In the meantime, his black magic energy had stayed the same even when he levelled up. It was only possible to restore it by absorbing people's energy in reality or through potions.

Now it was also possible through levelling up.

[Reaching intermediate warfare has increased charisma by one.]

[Reaching intermediate warfare has increased good luck by one.]

Then new messages appeared.

What did that mean?

An increase in charisma and good luck!

So far, those two had been fixed stats and didn't increase with every level up.

That wasn't all.

[The efficiency of black magic energy when using Heavenly Cut has risen.]

[The consumption of black magic energy will be reduced to 30 points when casting the skill.]

'Consumption of black magic energy has decreased?'

Those were very pleasant words.

The skill was powerful but taxing since it consumed 40 points of black magic energy every time.

Of course, 30 points was still a burden but at least it had decreased by 10 points.

Lv.20 (Exp 00.00%)

[War] Intermediate

Health: 570/570

Black Magic Energy: 410/410

Strength: 23 (+5)

Agility: 24 (+5)

Intelligence: 21

Good Luck: 7

Charisma: 9 (+4)

[Additional Effects]

-Military Appointment: Combat power increased by 10%

-Stage 2 Combat Studies: Combat power increased by 20%

-Cloak of the Wind: Decreases the black magic consumption of Aura of the Wind by 20%

-Wyvern Ring: Immune to fear and deception

The status window showed that his black magic energy was full.

More than anything, he was proud of his good luck and charisma.

In addition, his agility, strength and intelligence had also increased due to the level up.

When his level went up, the power of Heaven's Blood Sword Style, Aura of the Wind and Aura of Earth also rose.

It meant an increase in his combat power!

The difference was immediately apparent. The speed at which Kang-jun got rid of monsters became noticeably faster.

Now it was possible to get rid of a 10 metre tall tentacle monster without using a skill.

Moreover, the consumption of black magic energy for Heavenly Cut was reduced so the battle became easier.

"Wahh! H-help me."

At that time, a b.l.o.o.d.y sovereign ran up to Kang-jun. A huge tentacle was attached to him.

"Kukukuk! Kukukukak! Where are you fleeing to?"

Kang-jun immediately used a skill.

'Heavenly Cut!'

Flas.h.!.+ Chwack -

"Kuooooh!"

The giant monster was sliced in half.

[90 nodes have been gained.]

[One small moonstone has been acquired.]

In fact, no matter how large the tentacles, he didn't need to waste black magic energy to use Heavenly Cut on them.

Kang-jun was able to deal constant damage.

However, it would take a long time to fight the dozens of tentacles that were flying.

It would be even more hard if he was surrounded by various creatures.

He didn't want to spend too long against a single opponent.

'Aura of the Wind!'

In order to avoid the constant tentacles, it was necessary to move faster.

He ran between the tentacles of a five metre tall monster.

This time he swiftly swung his sword without needing a skill.

Chwack! Chwack! Chwaack!

"Kueeeeoh!"

The tentacles were cut off and a large stab wound occurred on the main body. Black blood and organs poured out. It was the end.

[52 nodes have been gained.]

[A low grade black magic energy potion has been obtained.]

'Huhu, jackpot!'

A potion that recovered 80 points of black magic energy.

Among the items that dropped, these were Kang-jun's favourite.

The black magic energy potions were often consumed so he could refill his depleted black magic energy.

Furthermore, the amount of money acc.u.mulated wasn't a joke.

Perhaps Keirun was currently looking at it with a wide mouth.

On the other hand, the ones fighting in teams had the money divided depending on their damage contribution.

Money was automatically distributed and placed in the sovereigns' bases, but the problem was the items.

If an item dropped then the sovereigns had differing opinions about how to divide it.

Some said the person who picked it up first should keep it, whilst others wanted a rotation system.

However, it was impossible to distribute the items equally.

Most of all, the moonstones that gave achievement points were a source of conflict among the sovereigns. None of them were willing to yield the moonstones to each other.

Therefore, some of the sovereigns who originally teamed up withdrew to fight on their own.

Even if it was dangerous, they would fight alone!

Zenith, Hardia and Avia were already fighting alone like Kang-jun.

They were slower than Kang-jun but they could take down 10 metre tall monsters. Each of them had a powerful combat skill.

In the meantime, they had levelled up and their movements became more agile.

Still, they only managed to take down one in the time it took Kang-jun to kill three or four monsters.

Hardis stared at Kang-jun with a complicated expression as he saw it.

'How is he stronger than me? It is really unbelievable.'

He slowly started to feel fear towards Kang-jun.

Kang-jun ignored him and focused on the battle.

How much time pa.s.sed?

Before he knew it, the tentacles weren't visible anymore.

The sovereigns were all safe. However, many of them had been resurrected, treated for injuries or gained little achievements.

However, there were some people who were well off.

Zenith, Hardis and Avia.

They never died and their injuries were treated with potions.

Each of them obtained a few moonstones.

Of course, it was nothing compared to Kang-jun. Kang-jun smiled with satisfaction when he saw the message in front of him.

[As the sovereign with the highest achievements among the 439th army, 50 achievement points will be acquired.]

[Red Moon Achievement Points: 200]

He currently had 200 achievement points. He had 26 moonstones so he could gain an additional 26 points.

The moonstones were unique in that they could be stored together. It was very convenient that all the moonstones could be stored in one place.

Susususu.

At that moment, Heksia appeared again.

Something had

happened in the meantime as her body was in a miserably condition.

Her red wings were half torn and tattered while her hair was all tangled. Her whole body was a b.l.o.o.d.y mess and her face was bruised.

The sovereigns were astonished by her appearance.

Who was Heksia?

She was a commander with a power that was estimated to be equivalent to a dragon.

Who was she fighting that she ended up in a state like this?

Heksia frowned as she noticed the sovereigns' glances.

"What are you looking at? While you were fighting these inferior things, I was killing their lords! Bah! Do I look that funny?"

The sovereigns flinched and turned their attention away.

"d.a.m.n! Why are the lords of the Second Demon King so strong? I nearly died."

Heksia grumbled as she staggered forward to the resurrection gem.

Hwaaack!

A mysterious red light hit her body and it was restored to its original state.

Her transparent red wings glittered behind her and her blue hair was neatly arranged.

Heksia immediately swept a glance over the sovereigns and said.

"Well done everybody. The first fight has been completed successfully. In the future, the level of the battles will be different so be prepared."

Kang-jun heard her last words as a hallucination. The s.p.a.ce on either side of him was distorted.

[Your time in the world of Hwanmong is over.]

[The door to Hwanmong is closed.]

Hayun smiled at him as Kang-jun opened his eyes.

"You woke up? There is a guest in the living room."

"A guest? Who?"

It was early morning so why would someone come here?

It was Han Yeon-soo from the Black Dragon Law Firm. She smiled brightly at Kang-jun.

"h.e.l.lo, Lee Kang-jun."

"What are you doing here so early?"

The lawyer didn't need to sleep. She might not sleep because she wasn't a human. Kang-jun seemed to be in a bad mood as Han Yeon-soo shrugged.

"I was just pa.s.sing through the area when I remembered Hayun's ramyun. So I decided to come. I'm sorry if it is too early."

Kang-jun was dumbfounded. In the end, she just came to eat ramyun. It was 6.30 a.m. It was also a man's house.

"Hoho! I'm sorry, Hayun. May I have one bowl today?"

Hayun replied with a smile.

"This morning's menu isn't ramyun. I hope you don't mind soybean paste stew."

"Ah, I really like soybean paste stew."

"Then that's great. It will take 30 minutes."

Hayun walked into the kitchen and started cooking with her a.s.sistant Colt.

Kang-jun studied Han Yeon-soo.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on? Surely you didn't come just to eat."

"That's right. I actually have a few things to tell you."

Han Yeon-soo fiddled with her gla.s.ses before continuing.

"Do you want to know about the red moon? The moon is quite significant."

"Of course."

He had been fighting on the battlefield of the red moon but didn't know why.

"The same rules apply in this reality. It is wise to consume your battle power fighting against the forces of the Second Demon King."

Kang-jun nodded.

"The other sovereigns can't hit me during this time."

"Yes. But you don't have to worry about me making a deal with them. In fact, it isn't easy to meet and negotiate with sovereigns during this period."

Usually when sovereigns met, negotiating was impossible since there would be a battle soon.

"Another thing, it is better to obtain more red moon achievement points. Only the moonstones should be used wisely."

"Aren't moonstones used to gain achievement points?"

"Of course. But it is also possible to make deals with the sovereigns. In addition, our law firm will purchase them. In fact, that is what I came for."

"So the bottom line is, don't trade moonstones for achievement points but sell them."

"Yes. Hoho, you noticed very quickly."

"So what do I gain?"

"You will get far more rewards than public achievements. Cash or buildings."

Cash or buildings? Moonstones gained in Hwanmong could be exchanged for real world cash or buildings.

"How is it? Do I have your attention? I'll tell you the conditions at a later date. I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

"I understand."

I didn't know why a neutral force like the Black Dragon Law Firm wanted the moonstones. But there was obviously an important reason.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have used an excuse of a meal to come meet Kang-jun so early.

'I don't know if I should keep the moonstones.'

After a while, Han Yeon-soo entered the kitchen to eat the bowl of soybean paste stew that Hayun created. Kang-jun also finished the meal and prepared to go to work.

After getting dressed and grabbing the car keys, he headed to the library.

The study room contained hundreds of thick books in the shelves. He had been spending the last two days in the library looking for books on management and the economy.

'What books should I read today?'

Kang-jun borrowed four books and placed them in his bag.

Of course, he picked these books to read at the market.

At the moment, Kang-jun didn't do any direct trading.

He periodically used the Draw In Customers skill while his part-time workers sold the merchandise.

He made a minimum of three million profit a day and it could go up to six million.

Thanks to this, Kang-jun already earned more than 30 million even without Jung Kw.a.n.g-hyeon's fortune.

Construction workers were currently building the book cafe on the 4th floor of the Dafeng building so he would quit selling underwear when that finished.

Therefore he went to the market today. He drove the Venta S cla.s.s.

Bururung.

Kang-jun started the car and drove off. Not long ago, he had been riding a bus or subway to work but now a car seemed natural.

It had only been a few days.

Kang-jun drove leisurely and arrived at the market. He parked in the public parking and walked with the bag containing the books.

"Boss-nim! You came?"

"We have put out the underwear."

"Haha! Have you eaten breakfast? Then please work hard today."

Kang-jun greeted his part time workers, sat on a chair to the side and opened the book.

Reading in this noisy market?

It was an absurd sight but Kang-jun focused his attention on the book. He was having fun reading.

'Draw In Customers!'

He used the management skill after he started reading.

How much time pa.s.sed?

Kang-jun ordered lunch at a nearby restaurant and was reading again when he felt something strange.

It was like someone was staring at him.

It lasted for quite a while.

He ignored it and focused on his reading. But as it continued, he finally looked up.

A man in a high-cla.s.s suit was standing 20 metres away and staring at him.

'That person?'

The man's face was somewhat familiar. He had seen the face on the television a few days ago. This was the first time he saw it directly.

'Yoo Seung-hwan?'

It was Yoo Seung-hwan, the wealthy businessman with 100 billion shares in stocks. Yoo Seung-hwan gave a bitter smile and approached Kang-jun.

"Do you have time to talk?"

This was an unexpected situation.

Yoo Seung-hwan had suddenly appeared.

He couldn't be sure yet, but Kang-jun suspected that Yoo Seung-hwan was Hardis who attacked his base a while ago.

Yoo Seung-hwan had 100 billion in stocks so it wasn't difficult for him to mobilize such an army in Hwanmong. Yoo Seung-hwan must have grasped Kang-jun's ident.i.ty.

Of course, that didn't mean that Kang-jun would tolerate it.

He was the one who attacked first!

If the red moon hadn't risen then either Kang-jun or Hardis would have died.

Therefore, if Yoo Seung-hwan was really Hardis then he would be Kang-jun's first target. Once the red moon disappeared, he had to take care of Yoo Seung-hwan first.

Yoo Seung-hwan also knew this fact. Why did he come so suddenly?

He had showed up at the market.

"What is your purpose?"

Yoo Seung-hwan smiled awkwardly when Kang-jun stared at him coldly.

"Ah, it seems like I haven't introduced myself. I am called Yoo Seung-hwan."

"I am Lee Kang-jun. Rather, why are you here?"

"This isn't the place to talk about it. It seems like you've already guessed the reason why I am visiting. Don't you want to know what I have to say?"

Kang-jun laughed.

"As you can see, I am doing business right now."

"So how about seven o'clock tonight? I would like to have a talk with you in the evening."

"Okay. Then the place?"

"There is a quiet and tasty place in Cheondam-dong.

"Then we will meet there."

Kang-jun nodded. Originally he would have been very anxious.

He didn't know Yoo Seung-hwan's ulterior motives.

But now it was the red moon period.

Disputes between sovereigns were forbidden so he couldn't do anything at the moment.

As Lawyer Han Yeon-soo said, this was a period where trading was available.

'Does he mean to negotiate with me?'

Anyway, he would think about it when they met.

Now it was time for reading. Kang-jun turned his attention back to the book.

It contained information about marketing.

It was about the 4P and 7P.

In the end, it was essential to think of a plan to satisfy the consumers, not sellers.

If things didn't sell well then think of new features or low prices. It should be packaged as beautifully as possible.

It should be something that the consumers wanted.

In some ways, a lot of the practices were common sense but many companies became bankrupt. There were many related cases.

'Um. I see. Think about what the consumers want.'

It was enlightening for Kang-jun who had the Draw In Customers skill.

At that moment, a message appeared.

[You have gained enlightenment while reading about marketing.]

[You have got the management skill Eyes of Preference (Inferior).]

[Eyes of Preference (Inferior)]

-Can check the preferences for that product.

-One black magic energy will be consumed.

'Oh! This is?'

Kang-jun was pleasantly surprised. He had received a skill in reality, not Hwanmong.

It was just by reading.

Keirun had said it but it was amazing. Rather than fighting monsters and risking death, he could easily get a skill through reading.

'Eyes of Preference. Shall I use it once?'

It cost one black magic energy to cast but that wasn't a huge burden. It was easy to fill up black magic energy in reality.

'That one will be good.'

Kang-jun looked at one of the women's underwear on the side. It was one of the most popular underwear here.

'Eyes of Preference!'

Then the information about the underwear appeared.

[Mulberry Beige Bra]

-Rating: A

-There is a 20% increase in purchases when Draw In Customers (Inferior) is used.

[This is the current preference information. It might vary depending on the time.]

[As the skill rating increases, you can see more detailed information including gender, age and price preferences.]

'Oh! Amazing!'

The rating was low so only brief information was available. However, if he sold products with an 'A rank preference' then the sales volume would be much higher.

Kang-jun continuously looked at the other underwear.

Draw In Customers wouldn't have an effect on items with a C rank preference or lower.

He also took a walk and looked at the other stores in the market.

It was the same.

Most of the items sold were A rank and there weren't many that were lower than C rank.

Even though some items had E or F rank preferences, the dust that acc.u.mulated showed they had been there for a while without being sold.

'Too good. It would have been nice if I had received this skill sooner.'

But he had obtained it now.

It would be quite useful when doing business in the future.

'It has worked out well. I need to order the underwear for tomorrow.'

Kang-jun excluded anything with a B rank

preference or less, and only ordered A rank underwear.

If the ratings information was true then tomorrow's sales would be much better than today's.

'Huhu, this is what I've obtained from reading.'

Of course, it was impossible for ordinary people to acquire the skill no matter how much they read. This was only possible due to the power of Hwanmong.

Kang-jun became more interested in reading and immersed himself in the book again.

At six in the evening.

After finishing the job at the market, he returned home for a shower before changing into a neat suit.

Yoo Seung-hwan.

He would die if Kang-jun killed him in Hwanmong, but this was reality. He could at least give him the basic courtesy of a face-to-face meeting.

He drove to the promised meeting place.

Yoo Seung-hwan had sent the address to his smartphone so Kang-jun was easily able to reach it with the navigation system.

The restaurant had a spacious parking area and the building was gorgeous. The parking lot was filled with luxury cars so the Venta S class Kang-jun was driving looked ordinary.

It was clearly an expensive restaurant for rich people.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

An employee greeted him with a bright smile and a bow.

"Yes, in the name of Yoo Seung-hwan."

"Ah! Then please come this way."

The employee became even more polite after hearing Yoo Seung-hwan's name. It seemed like he was a regular here.

"This room please."

The employee guided him to a room where Yoo Seung-hwan was waiting.

"Haha. Welcome, Chief. Sit over here."

There was no t.i.tle but Kang-jun was referred to as Chief. Kang-jun was already accustomed to names like this. Kang-jun sat down and said.

"It seems like you come here quite often, Chief Yoo-nim."

Yoo Seung-hwan smiled.

"It is quiet and has delicious food, so I usually use it for important meetings."

Colourful dishes including sas.h.i.+mi were set on the table.

A banquet!

His mouth watered at the sight.

He often saw tycoons and high ranking officials meeting like this in movies and dramas.

It was kind of funny sitting in a place like this. Until recently, he had been living in a 250,000 gos.h.i.+won room and eating ramyun.

He wouldn't have even dared come to a place like this if it wasn't for the power of Hwanmong.

At that time, Yoo Seung-hwan poured a drink for Kang-jun and said.

"Drink this."

Kang-jun received the gla.s.s of wine from Yoo Seung-hwan.

However, he didn't drink from it. He wasn't comfortable enough to drink with Yoo Seung-hwan.

Yoo Seung-hwan was like a sly snake.

It wasn't good to show any gaps in front of such a person.

"Are you ready to speak now?"

Yoo Seung-hwan nodded and said.

"I want you to feel comfortable."

Unlike Kang-jun, he easily spoke while drinking alcohol.

"I will get straight to the point. No, let me apologize first."

"Apologize?"

"Hardis. That is my sovereign name. Your name is Sovereign Lucan."

Kang-jun frowned.

It was as expected.

In the meantime, it had only been speculation. But after hearing the name 'Hardis' come out from his mouth, Kang-jun couldn't help feeling angry. Kang-jun sneered.

"Do you have a reason to apologize? Once the red moon is over, we will have to fight again."

Yoo Seung-hwan laughed.

"That isn't why I am apologizing. To be honest, you received no damage. Only two of my men died."

His words weren't wrong. At that time, the only victims were Yoo Seung-hwan's two berserk minotaurs.

Yoo Seung-hwan continued.

"Of course, I know that isn't an excuse. You didn't have any losses on your side so I want you to accept my apology."

Kang-jun laughed coldly.

"It is meaningless. I will strike as soon as the red moon is over."

Yoo Seung-hwan was shocked. He recalled the scene of Kang-jun fighting the tentacle monsters in last night's battlefield.

The other armies were unknown, but in the 439th army, Kang-jun's strength was absolutely the best. He was an existence that the other sovereigns couldn't overcome.

Zenith and Avia didn't want to admit it, but Hardis or Yoo Seung-hwan was different.

He had started from the ground up in the stock market until he became rich. He was someone who recognized his limits.

His limitations.

No matter how much effort he put in, he wouldn't be able to beat Kang-jun.

He wasn't a genius.

Of course, if he worked hard then he might be able to catch up with a genius.

To Yoo Seung-hwan, Kang-jun belonged in that category.

A genius at killing!

His foundation in reality might be scarce, but his ability to fight and gain strength from monsters in Hwanmong was unrivaled.

Of course, powerful subordinates along with the sovereign were required to win the war.

Yoo Seung-hwan should have taken care of him before the red moon rose.

Now the red moon was shining.

Kang-jun was like a fish that met water, and would continue to grow.

Yoo Seung-hwan realized that he couldn't beat Kang-jun.

The gap between them would keep increasing.

In front of an overwhelming force, having large numbers might not be enough.

Therefore, Yoo Seung-hwan decided to use considerable effort to improve his relations.h.i.+p with Kang-jun.

He put the cup down and smiled at Kang-jun.

"Perhaps you might be able to win if you attack me. However, I won't just obediently allow it. I am different from Jung Kwang-hyeon."

"I recognize that."

Kang-jun nodded as Yoo Seung-hwan kept drinking.

"So I'm saying. Do we need to fight? Even if someone wins, their losses would do more harm than good. The winner will take all of the loser's belongings, but they might be eaten by other sovereigns in the meantime."

"So are you proposing an alliance?"

Yoo Seung-hwan had an smarmy smile on his face at Kang-jun's question.

"An alliance is burdensome. Let's just agree not to catch each other's ankles."

"Don't grab each other's ankles?"

"As long as we aren't hostile to each other, no related missions will be created. As you know, the contents of the mission depends on the sovereign. In other words, we are able to coexist. This isn't my idea, but the words of my subordinate who was a sovereign."

Killing sovereigns wasn't just due to the missions. Killing another sovereign had the advantage of being able to acquire everything they had.

Kang-jun also knew this fact.

However, it wasn't easy to maintain a relations.h.i.+p of trust with other sovereigns in Hwanmong when there was a chance of being killed first.

It was because an alliance could break at any time.

It was better to kill them and get benefits than to receive trouble later on.

Kang-jun's eyes shone coldly.

"No, I'll catch your ankles. You won't get bigger if you beat me, but I can gain 100 billion won for killing you. When thinking about it from my position, the answer is obvious."

"Dammit! Are you really going to try something with me?"

The gla.s.s that Yoo Seung-hwan was holding broke. He turned poisonous eyes towards Kang-jun.

"Kukuk! It won't be easy. There are many variables in a war that you don't know yet. Please note that I have already secured 10 sovereigns. What if I join forces with them to oppose you? Do you really want to go against me?"

He had bent his pride and extended a hand to Kang-jun. If Kang-jun refused then he would use all his strength to smash him.

Kang-jun laughed.

"That's right. I will try it. Then this talk is over."

As soon as Kang-jun was about to get up, Yoo Seung-hwan let out a dramatic sigh.

"Wait! Tell me what the conditions are. If the conditions are good then I don't see why there is a need for bloodshed."

Kang-jun grinned.

"Is that so? But you will have to present me with the conditions."

"Okay. Then money. 50..."

"If I kill you then I can get 100 billion won. Maybe there might be more. Your hidden wealth. If you don't give me an equivalent profit then I'm not interested."

"What? Isn't your greed too excessive?"

"Consider it lowly while the red moon is rising. Once the moon is over, there will be no more negotiations. Then I'm going now."

Kang-jun turned and left the room. Yoo Seung-hwan grinded his teeth together.

"Ugh! Lucan! You are looking at me too lightly. I will make you regret this!"

Thus the negotiations broke down.

Two days later in Hwanmong.

Kang-jun showed up at the base on the 5th floor of the Yugang building where the waiting Keirun handed him a scroll.

"Lord! A summons has arrived from Commander Heksia."

"Am I going to the headquarters?"

"Only Lord can open it."

Kang-jun unrolled the scroll containing the military command.

[A command to Sovereign Lucan.

The Ghoul Corps under the Second Demon King has attacked so come to the battlefield immediately.

-Commander Heksia.]

A portal was generated in front of Kang-jun. He would be taken to the battlefield once he entered.

A battle was happening straight away.

'There is no time to rest.'

Kang-jun laughed. It was what he had been hoping for.

"Are things okay at the base?"

"Yes, Lord. There are sufficient funds to summon the troops. There are also opportunities for studying combat at the research inst.i.tute. Once the study is complete, it will be helpful to Lord in battle."

"Okay. Then I will be going now."

"Please be careful, Lord."

"I will be careful."

"Kuwaaah! Please call me if you ever need my strength, Lord."

Keirun, Germuz and Rodiam all bowed towards Kang-jun.

Kang-jun waved and entered the portal with a smile.

Chuuuot!

The bright light from the portal disappeared and a rough wilderness could be seen.

The sky was tinged blood red by the moon and bizarre flying monsters were fighting fiercely.

There were giant bat shaped creatures and some that looked like devilfish.

"Kuweeeh!"

"Kkaaaaaah!"

The devilfish used their fins as wings to swim in the sky, so their speed was very fast. They were entangled with the bat animals, biting each other and tearing each other apart. It seemed to be a battle of ancient pterosaurs.

However, a woman with red wings standing silently in front of a magic circle showed no interest in the battle.

It was none other than Heksia. She was frowning like she was dissatisfied with something.

"You should come and greet me after arriving. I am your direct supervisor."

In the end, Kang-jun bowed his head slightly to greet her.

"Where is the Ghoul Corps?"

"I will explain once the other sovereigns are here. Speaking too many times is annoying."

"As you wish."

Kang-jun nodded and waited near the magic circle. One or two other sovereigns soon appeared.

Their faces still couldn't be seen. He couldn't even recognize who was who by the appearance.

Only the names on their clothes were familiar.

Zenith, Avia, Caper, Rozia and Hardis.

"Kuhuhum!"

When Hardis saw Kang-jun, he coughed with disgruntlement and turned his head away. He seemed to be angry at Kang-jun for rejecting his offer.

Half the sovereigns sent friendly smiles towards Kang-jun while the other half had looks of hostility.

Maybe some were friendly towards Kang-jun because he helped them in the last battle.

On the other hand, the other sovereigns were wary of Kang-jun monopolizing everything.

Zenith and Avia, who were sovereigns with a strong desire for victory, were especially looking at him with blazing eyes.

's.h.i.+t! Today I must destroy more monsters than him.'

'Bah! Last time I wasn't in a good condition. Today I will win.'

On the other hand, Hardis didn't think he could win over Kang-jun. Still, he had some ideas to keep Kang-jun from performing his best.

'You stupid boy! Let me see how strong

you are by yourself. I am also persistent.'

However, Kang-jun showed no interest in what the other sovereigns were thinking.

He was only interested in today's mission.

Once all the sovereigns were gathered, Heksia explained.

"Today you will fight the ghouls with me. Unlike last time, there is no resurrection gem on the battlefield so you will have to wait at headquarters if you die. Therefore, be careful not to die. If you become injured then don't hold back on using your potions. Understand?"

"Yes."

The sovereigns all tensed up.

Today, they wouldn't be able to enter the battlefield and gain more achievement points if they died once. They would fall behind other sovereigns.

It was the same for Kang-jun.

Earlier it was mentioned that he could die, so he always had to maintain his tension in a war.

Heksia continued speaking.

"The individual strength of the ghouls is weaker than the creatures you dealt with last time. But their numbers are incomparable. While I fight against the ghoul lord, all you have to do is break through and destroy the Jewel of Darkness."

"The Jewel of Darkness?"

After Kang-jun asked, Heksia chanted a spell and created the illusion of a small jewel.

It was a jewel with black smoke coming from it.

"This Jewel of Darkness is the source of power for the ghouls. If you don't destroy it then the ghouls will continue to be resurrected."

It was a jewel with the same abilities as the red gem.

Heksia swept her gaze over the sovereigns.

"In this battle, you can get 30 achievement points if you survive until the end. So try not to die. The one who destroys the Jewel of Darkness will be given 100 achievement points, while the one who kills the most ghouls will receive an additional 80 achievement points.

The eyes of the sovereigns shone.

Just surviving would give them 30 achievement points.

Yet the words afterwards were the ones that rang in their hearts.

The person who destroyed the Jewel of Darkness would be given 100 achievement points!

In addition, there was 80 achievement points for the one who killed the most ghouls!

Zenith gritted his teeth.

'I must destroy the Jewel of Darkness.'

It was the same for Avia.

'Don't pay attention to anything else and destroy the Jewel of Darkness.'

On the other hand, Hardis had different thoughts.

'Huhu. While there is fierce compet.i.tion for the Jewel of Darkness, I will only focus on killing the ghouls.'

If the Jewel of Darkness was so important then the ghouls would thoroughly protect it.

It wouldn't be easy to break through. It was highly likely that he would be surrounded and killed.

Therefore, Hardis intended to only stay on the outskirts to kill the ghouls.

80 points was a lot safer than the dangerous 100 points. Along with the 30 points for survival, it would be a total of 110 points.

'Anyway, the one who will break the Jewel of Darkness is Lucan himself. All the others will just waste their effort.'

There was a meaningful smile on Hardis' face.

Then Heksia explained the plan.

"You will follow me from a distance. Once I start fighting the ghoul lord, storm the ghoul camp on the other side. Don't come to my side unless you want to die. Do you understand?"

"Understood."

"Destroy the Jewel of Darkness as soon as possible. The ghoul lord will become stronger as more time pa.s.ses so I will have no choice but to withdraw without defeating him. If this mission is a failure then all sovereigns will have their achievement points reduced by 20."

The sovereigns became determined after hearing about the consequences of failure. Heksia also showed signs of tension.

"I hope that you will all survive and receive the achievement points."

She immediately ran to one side of the wilderness. Kang-jun and the other sovereigns followed her from a distance.

After a while, a huge mountain peak appeared in front of them.

The mountain was dark from being covered in creatures with sharp teeth. At first glance, there seemed to be thousands of creatures. They were ghouls.

And at the summit of the mountain.

There was a ghoul with alert eyes that was dozens of times larger than the others.

"Ohh! Is that the ghoul lord?"

"Ugh, crazy! What a huge monster!"

The sovereigns were terrified. Kang-jun's heart was also beating wildly in his chest.

It was at that moment.

Heksia changed dramatically. She grew to the size of the ghoul lord and flashed her wings.

"Hohohoho! An enemy! I will go out now."

The ghoul lord discovered Heksia and jumped towards her.

Swish.

He crossed the distance of one kilometre in the blink of an eye.

Heksia was also in the air.

It was a scene that was really hard to process.

Heksia lightly avoided the attack and landed on the ground.

"Bah! Slow. Do you think you can catch me with that speed?"

"Kakakakat! How ludicrous!"

The ghoul lord also landed on the ground and rushed to Heksia.

Hwi hwi! Kwa kw.a.n.g! Woorururu! Kwa kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

The earth and sky shook.

It was truly great.

The sovereigns were only watching the scene. Was this how ants felt when seeing humans fighting?

At that time, they discovered Kang-jun rushed alone towards the ghouls. They pulled out their weapons and headed towards the ghouls.

"Kikiki! H-humans!"

"Hihihi! Delicious food is coming."

The ghouls drooled as they flocked.

The bodies of the ghouls were bigger than the ratians' and they were more agile.

Three or four weren't difficult, but they needed to be careful about being surrounded.

Of course, it didn't matter if they were strong. All the ghouls that approached Kang-jun, Zenith and Avia collapsed.

However, there were a few sovereigns lacking skill that were already surrounded and being eaten by ghouls.

"Ack!"

"Kuaack!"

Ojeok ojeok. Jj.a.p jj.a.p.

"Kikikik! Delicious. Human meat!"

"The heart is mine. Kukukuk!"

There were horrifying screams and the sound of the ghouls chewing on bone.

"Ack! H-help me!"

"Kuaaaak!"

The number of dead sovereigns increased.

However, Kang-jun ran towards the top without looking back.

Lightning fast!

He didn't try to prevent the deaths of the other sovereigns. If he hesitated and Heksia was pushed back by the goblin lord then it would all be over.

Sukeok! Sukeok!

"Kkack!"

"Kuweek!"

All the ghouls in front of him fell down. His pace was almost untouched as he tore through a ghoul.

[2 nodes have been gained.]

[3 nodes have been gained.]

[One small moonstone has been acquired.]

[1 node has been gained.]

Only a small amount of experience and money was received, but occasionally moonstones emerged.

And before he knew it, Kang-jun was near the summit. On the other hand, Zenith and Avia hadn't reached the middle of the slope yet.

'This is the Jewel of Darkness.'

Kang-jun saw a large jewel emitting smoke. It was the same as the image that Heksia showed him before. There were eight giant ghouls around the boundary that were three or four times larger than the normal ghouls.

"Kududuk! How dare you climb up here?"

"Kuaaaah! Catch him!"

The ghouls charged towards Kang-jun.

"Come! I will send you all to hell"

Flash! Flash Flash!

Kang-jun continuously used Heavenly Cut to defeat five ghouls, before killing the other three lightly.

[One small moonstone has been acquired.]

[One large moonstone has been acquired.]

He got three moonstones. In addition, one of them was a large size.

Kang-jun smiled proudly and immediately rushed towards the jewel.

"Be careful, Lucan!"

He suddenly heard Heksia's sharp voice and saw a huge mountain flying towards him.

Kuwuuong!

The ghoul lord. The ghoul lord sensed the crisis of Kang-jun destroying the Jewel of Darkness. Thus, it ignored Heksia and rushed towards him.

"Kukukukuk! Insignificant human sovereign, you did well to get here. But this is it."

The ghoul lord scoffed as it looked at Kang-jun and swung its fist.

Hwing! Hwiing!

The ghoul lord's huge fist! It exploded against the ground.

Kuaang! Kwaang!

It sounded like a building was being blown away. The earth shook and one side of the mountain peak collapsed.

Kuw.a.n.g! Woorururu! Kwaang!

Kang-jun was able to avoid it after using Aura of the Wind. The ghoul lord's attack was a bit of a ha.s.sle, but his actions were so large that it was possible to predict the path in advance.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been safe even if he could move quickly. Despite avoiding the fists or feet, he could be crushed by the shockwaves.

In addition, Heaven's Blood Sword Style was very important. As soon as the direction for escape was noticed, his body reacted spontaneously and moved like the wind.

As Kang-jun kept evading, the ghoul lord became even more heated up.

"Kuaaaah!"

Kwaang! Kwaang!

Kang-jun moved like he was in a trance. Right now he didn't care about anything except avoiding the ghoul lord.

It was like he was walking a tightrope between two cliffs. If his concentration fell even the slightest then he would be destroyed.

If the ghoul lord's huge fist hit then even an armoured tank would collapse. There was no need to mention Kang-jun who had the body of a human.

One hit would be his end. His health would be reduced to zero points. His body would be literally broken down.

Of course, it was possible to revive after dying. However, he would fail today's mission.

'Hang in there.'

He didn't even dare dream of a counterattack. If he kept evading then Heksia would somehow lure the ghoul lord back.

In the meantime, there were other people who met with disaster.

Zenith and Avia who approached the top were caught by the ghoul lord's hands.

"Kukukuku! How dare lowlives like you come up here?"

Kwack! Kwack!

The ghoul lord applied strength to both hands. Zenith and Avia's bodies literally exploded.

"Kuaack!"

"Ack!"

The other sovereigns freaked out at the sight and fled. However, they were surrounded by ghouls.

"Grrrr! Human meat!"

"Chop chop! Delicious."

Jijijik! Ojeok ojeok.

"Ohh! D-don't come!"

"Aack!"

Hardis and the 10 sovereigns who followed hadn't climbed the peak and were steadily hunting on the outskirts. Therefore, they were the only safe ones.

Hardis glanced at Kang-jun avoiding the ghoul lord's attacks.

'Euh! Is he human?'

He was shocked. It really didn't make sense.

'Lucan! What are his limits?'

If it was Hardis then he would never be able to avoid even one of the ghoul lord's strikes. Even a shockwave caused by hitting the ground would be the end of him.

Yet Kang-jun was able to hold on until Heksia arrived behind the ghoul lord.

Bam!

"Kuoooak!"

The ghoul lord roared and immediately sprang up as it was. .h.i.t in the back. Then it tried to eat Heksia.

"Kududuk! You dare! I will chew on your corpse."

"Bah! What are you saying?"

Heksia cried out. But unlike before, she was a mess. Her wings were torn and her face was covered with bruises. In addition, blood was coming from one side of her neck where the ghoul lord had bit it.

Of course, the ghoul lord was also in a similar state. There was black blood flowing everywhere from its wounds. Blood was spurting like a fountain from its head.

Kang-jun became cold with fright after seeing their appearances.

'It is amazing that they are still alive.'

Any other human would have already died. However, Heksia and the ghoul lord had mysterious bodies that couldn't be understood using human common sense.

The problem was that the ghoul lord's injuries were slowly recovering thanks to the Jewel of Darkness. Heksia seemed to be recovering on her own, but the speed was significantly slower.

So Heksia was the one being pushed back.

Kang-jun's eyes sharpened.

'I need to smash the jewel soon.'

The Jewel of Darkness was keeping the ghoul lord from being killed.

Now he had room to move thanks to Heksia's appearance.

"Kudududuk! Really annoying. Why don't you give up and die? I will kill you without any pain."

"Bah! Shut up! I will take pleasure in sending you to hell!"

Kuwang! Kwang Kwang Kwang!

Everywhere was a mess.

"Keek!"

"Kuaack!"

Ghouls caught by the shockwaves turned into a rain of blood and flesh.

Kang-jun calmly avoided the radius of the shockwave and headed towards the place where the Jewel of Darkness was.

If he destroyed the Jewel of Darkness then the ghoul lord would weaken. Then Heksia would be able to win.

"Lucan, hurry up!"

Heksia, who was tangled up with the ghoul lord, realized that Kang-jun was aiming for the Jewel of Darkness. She grabbed onto the ghoul lord and gave Kang-jun a chance to destroy the jewel.

Hwiik!

Kang-jun sprinted towards the Jewel of Darkness.

'That's it! Just a little bit more. A little bit more.'

There was only 20 metres left before he reached the Jewel of Darkness. There was only a little bit more to go.

10 metres.

Now. Kang-jun prepared to jump and use Heavenly Cut.

However, Heksia urgently shouted just as Kang-jun was about to jump.

"Lucan, avoid it!"

Peeeong!

The ghoul lord hit the spot where Kang-jun was with its hand.

Fortunately, Kang-jun was out of its range. This was thanks to Heksia's warning.

However, he lost

his balance and staggered due to it.

"Grrrr!"

"Kikikik!"

Three ghouls pounced and bit Kang-jun.

"Ugh! shit!"

Kang-jun hurriedly swung his sword at the ghouls. Both thighs and one side of his body had become a b.l.o.o.d.y mess. He had injuries from the ghouls' bites.

Snap! Snap!

He quickly drank a health potion.

Meanwhile, the ghoul lord alternated looking between Heksia and Kang-jun.

"Kukukukuk! How ridiculous! You can beat me by destroying that. But that is just your delusion."

The ghoul lord lifted the Jewel of Darkness with one hand.

At that moment, its body was surrounded by darkness.

Chu chu chu chu.

The wounds on the ghoul lord vanished and its eyes started to s.h.i.+ne more intensely.

"Ah, damn!"

Heksia stepped back with a confounded expression. She didn't know that the ghoul lord would pick up the Jewel of Darkness.

Once the Jewel of Darkness left its spot, the power of darkness sustaining the ghouls would disappear.

The ghoul lord had thrown away all the ghouls. As expected from a subordinate of the Second Demon King.

As predicted by Heksia, disaster came to the ghouls.

"Kuweek!"

"Kuooh!"

The ghouls started burning and collapsing. After falling down, they dispersed into smoke.

"Kakakakat! Now it is time to get revenge for the ghouls."

With one hand holding the Jewel of Darkness, the ghoul lord rushed towards Heksia.

Bam! Bam!

"Kuook!"

The ghoul lord used only one hand but Heksia was pushed back. She was wounded while the ghoul lord was completely recovered.

"Hah! It is funny that your body is in such bad shape."

The ghoul lord's pride had been bruised by Heksia. But now his pride was endless.

Bam!

"Ack!"

The ghoul lord's fist hit her face. That was followed by a painful punch to her abdomen.

Bam bam!

Her huge body flew to the bottom of the mountain. The ghoul lord immediately jumped towards where Heksia had fallen.

But there were Hardis and 10 other sovereigns gathered in that area.

"Heeook! That monster has come here."

"Wahh! A-avoid it!"

They fled but the ghoul lord chased after then like a cat chasing a rat.

"Kukukukuk! Little sovereigns! Do you think you can run away from me?"

Bam! Bam bam! Kwaaack! Oduduk!

"Aack!"

"Kuak!"

Hardis was hit by the ghoul lord's fist and was turned into an unrecognizable state. Other sovereigns were cut in its hands or trampled on.

As a result, all the sovereigns except for Kang-jun were resurrected at the army headquarters.

"D-dammit! Why did it come there?"

The resurrected Hardis thought it was unfair. He grabbed his head with both hands and screamed.

'shit! If I hadn't die then I would have received 80 points.'

Instead of destroying the Jewel of Darkness, he had concentrated on killing the ghouls, only to be killed by the ghoul lord.

Avia, who had already been waiting, sent him a look.

"You don't have to be like that. This mission is a failure anyway."

Zenith also agreed.

"We have the same idea. The commander was pushed by the ghoul lord from the beginning. Now there is no chance. It is impossible for Lucan to destroy the Jewel of Darkness alone. Lucan will come here after a while."

Hardis grinned after hearing their words.

"Yes, I see. No matter how great he is, it is impossible for Lucan to overturn this situation."

Lucan would also fail. They were comforting words.

Was there anything else? All of the sovereigns' gazes were fixed on the resurrection gem. They expected Lucan to appear there soon.

But contrary to their expectations, Kang-jun was still fine.

Rather, while the ghoul lord was chasing Hardis and the others, he quickly reached the place where Heksia had fallen.

Heksia's eyes were closed like she was dead.

The places where she was. .h.i.t by the ghoul lord were badly bruised.

She looked extremely pitiful.

Kang-jun urgently pulled out potions and poured them on her.

"Wake up, Commander! Surely you aren't giving up?"

Gurgle gurgle!

Heksia needed to regain consciousness. It was impossible for Kang-jun to fight against the ghoul lord alone.

"Wake up! Heksia! Regain your spirit!"

Gurgle gurgle gurgle!

Then Heksia opened her eyes. She smiled and shook her head.

"It is okay. Don't waste your potions. In this state of transformation, potions are useless. My wounds will recover on their own. It will take a little time."

"Even with such serious injuries?"

"Hoho! Of course. Wounds like these are nothing. By the way, why are you talking to me with that tone?"

Heksia was upset by Kang-jun's impolite speech. Kang-jun shrugged. It was an urgent situation so he hadn't worried about honorifics.

"I'm sorry. It was an accident."

"Bah! Be careful from now on. I am the commander."

"Yes."

In the meantime, she didn't forget to have a haughty expression. Then she stood up and stared at the ghoul lord. She rushed forward like a beam of light.

Sususu! Supaak!

In the blink of an eye, Heksia reached the ghoul lord.

Kwajik!

The ghoul lord had just finished defeating all the sovereigns who ran away so it couldn't escape Heksia's attack.

"Kuaak!"

However, it only slightly staggered. Rather, it used one hand to grab Heksia's head and slammed it against the ground.

Kwatang!

"Ugh!"

Heksia got up immediately but panted for breath. In fact, she hadn't recovered and used most of her strength in that last attack. Now she didn't even have the strength to stand.

"Ah, damn! Why is it so strong?"

"Kukukukuk! As long as I have the Jewel of Darkness, you will never be my opponent."

"How can a lord kill all their subordinates?"

The ghoul lord's face distorted after hearing Heksia's sarcasm heavy tone.

"Kukukuk! They sacrificed themselves for me. In order to comfort them, I will make sure that I kill you. Grrrr!"

The ghoul lord ran forward after shouting. The teeth of the ghoul lord were much faster than its fists or feet.

The bite this time would be the end.

Heksia took a painful step back. But at that moment, the ghoul lord's fist hit Heksia's stomach.

Bam bam!

"Ugh!"

Heksia screamed as she flew away. She lay on the ground like a dying fish and couldn't get up.

The ghoul lord crouched down in front of her with a gentle expression. Then he grabbed Heksia's hair and pulled her head up.

"D-damn..."

Heksia knew she was in trouble. The ghoul lord saw her distress and laughed wildly.

"Kukakakaka! How ludicrous! From the very beginning, you weren't my opponent."

One of the ghoul lord's hands was grasping Heksia's hair while the other one was holding the Jewel of Darkness. It was preparing to eat Heksia.

At that moment.

Flash!

The Jewel of Darkness exploded.

It was Kang-jun. While the ghoul lord was distracted by Heksia, he had quickly run up to it and used Heavenly Cut.

"Kuooh! T-this!"

The ghoul lord was confused by this unexpected situation. Its body was shaking.

Chu chu chu chu.

Black smoke poured from its body. At that moment, cobweb-like cracks developed on its body.

"Kuoooh! T-this rat bastard! I won't let this go."

The ghoul lord dropped Heksia's head and ran towards Kang-jun. Although it had lost the power of the Jewel of Darkness, the ghoul lord didn't disappear.

It was just weakened.

However, it wasn't hard for the ghoul lord to get rid of a small human sovereign.

Kwang! Kwa Kwang!

The ghoul lord rushed towards Kang-jun with its mouth wide open.

'Ohh!'

The ghoul lord was so fast that he had no way to avoid it. Kang-jun was forced to use Heavenly Cut.

Flash

Heavenly Cut rushed out. It slammed against the mouth of the ghoul lord.

Paaack!

Blood emerged from the mouth of the ghoul lord. The ghoul lord flinched back. The ghoul lord frowned as it touched its mouth with its hands.

"Kuooh!"

It was because it was weakened. There were already cracks in its body so its defense was weakened.

However, this wasn't a slight abrasion but a big wound.

Of course, Kang-jun was also upset.

'shit! Wasn't it hit with Heavenly Cut?'

It was the ghoul lord. It was the owner of a combat power that beat Heksia who was supposedly dragon class.

It was impossible for a Lv20 Kang-jun to defeat such an opponent.

It was a miracle that he could even wound him.

'I will eventually fail. I have to give up here.'

Kang-jun was in a bad mood. He had no way to deal a fatal blow to the ghoul lord.

He broke the Jewel of Darkness so he could obtain 100 achievement points. No, if the mission failed then he might not be able to get the achievement points.

Kang-jun's mind was complicated.

"Kuaaaah!"

Kwang! Kwaang! Kwa Kwang!

The ghoul lord was. .h.i.t once so it carefully cornered Kang-jun.

Kang-jun constantly used Aura of the Wind and Heavenly Cut so his black magic energy was extremely low.

Fortunately, he had the advanced black magic potion that could restore 300 points of energy. However, he couldn't afford to drink it due to the attacks of the ghoul lord.

"Kukakakaka! Insignificant human sovereign! Drop dead!"

Kung! Kwaang!

The ghoul lord didn't pay any attention to Heksia as it tried to kill Kang-jun.

But that was his big mistake. He should have attacked Kang-jun after completely killing Heksia.

In the meantime, Heksia had recovered a bit of stamina.

She was aware of the fact that the Jewel of Darkness had been destroyed by Kang-jun. So her expression was lively.

"Hohoho! Ghoul! You will now go to hell."

Heksia struck the ghoul lord's body.

Bam! Bam bam!

Her speed hadn't changed much, but the ghoul lord was weakened and couldn't easily avoid Heksia.

Bam! Bam bam! Kwajijik!

Heksia's eyes were filled with spite and a desire for revenge.

"Kill! I'll kill you!"

Bam bam bam! Kwajik!

The cracks on the ghoul lord's body started expanding as it continued receiving strong damage. Black liquid came pouring out from the cracks.

Yet the ghoul lord was persistent.

It suddenly blocked one of Heksia's strikes and grabbed her arms.

"Grrrr!"

Then it bit Heksia's neck.

"Aaaagh!"

Heksia screamed as she fell backwards. The ghoul lord moved with her as its teeth was still stuck in her neck.

"Kukukuk! The winner will be me."

If it destroyed Heksia then it would somehow be able to recover. Therefore, the ghoul lord's complexion was filled with joy.

Then a flash of light hit its back.

Paak!

Kang-jun had recovered 300 points of black magic energy by drinking the potion and immediately used Heavenly Cut.

Flash Flash Flash flash Flash

Kang-jun poured all his black magic energy into wildly using Heavenly Cut continuously.

The 300 points of black magic energy he just recovered was gone in an instant.

Heavenly Cut was used as many as 10 times.

He only aimed at the ghoul lord's back.

The ghoul lord was already heavily injured due to Heksia.

In such a state, the ghoul lord wouldn't be able to survive against so many Heavenly Cuts.

Jjejejeok!

The ghoul lord collapsed. At the same time, its body started to crumble.

"Kuooooh! T-this is ridiculous..."

The ghoul lord stared at Kang-jun before finally turning into smoke and scattering.

At that moment, something astounding happened.

[Your level has risen.]

What was this? Kang-jun suddenly rose five levels.

Lv.25 (Exp 00.00%)

[War] Intermediate

Health: 670/670.

Black Magic Energy: 460/460

Strength: 28 (+5)

Agility: 29 (+5)

Intelligence: 26

Good Luck: 7

Charisma: 9 (+4)

'Perhaps?'

Kang-jun was pleasantly surprised. He crazily used Heavenly Cut and miraculously succeeded in killing the ghoul lord.

As a result, Kang-jun gained a huge amount of experience that raised his level by five.

Heksia hadn't killed the ghoul lord. Due to that, Kang-jun received a huge amount of experience.

'I am now Lv25?'

It seemed like a dream to Kang-jun. No matter how bizarre

Hwanmong was, it wouldn't be easy to experience something like this again.

Wasn't the ghoul lord equivalent to a dragon?

Was it only five levels?

Of course, that alone was huge. It wasn't everything.

If Kang-jun killed the ghoul lord himself then it would be normal for him to gain a few dozen levels.

That was common sense.

Kang-jun nodded after thinking for a moment.

'That's right. The experience is allocated.'

The ghoul lord was injured by Heksia. Kang-jun had just dealt the final blow.

Therefore, most of the experience was given to the unconscious Heksia while Kang-jun received an amount equivalent to his contribution.

Yet that alone made him gain five levels, so it was really a jackpot.

This wasn't the only surprise.

[3,221 nodes have been gained.]

He received more than 3,000 nodes. He didn't know if it was distributed according to contribution, but it was still a huge amount.

[182 small moonstones have been acquired.]

[45 large moonstones have been acquired.]

The moonstones profit was also large. 182 small ones and 45 large moonstones meant he would get 317 achievement points.

Of course, Kang-jun kept in mind Han Yeon-soo's words and wasn't going to exchange them just yet.

However, that wasn't the end of the jackpot.

[The ghoul lord's golden treasure box has been acquired.]

Two s.h.i.+ny places appeared in the place where the ghoul lord vanished.

Kang-jun immediately opened one of the boxes.

There was something in the shape of a heart that glowed red like blood.

'What is this?'

A message appeared as soon as he picked it up.

[The Ghoul Lord's Heart has been acquired.]

[Ghoul Lord's Heart]

-Rating: Legend

-Can enhance the power of a skill.

-Greatly increases physical attack skills.

The ghoul lord's s.h.i.+ning heart!

Legendary items existed but couldn't be easily obtained.

'This can enhance the power of my skills?'

The explanation was obvious. It also showed that physical attack power would increase.

Was there a reason to hesitate?

Kang-jun's Heavenly Cut was a physical attack skill.

It was good enough to cut a monster in half with one slice, but it didn't have that much power against the ghoul lord.

'Yes. I'm going to strengthen it.'

It was a legend ranked item so maybe he should save it for a better skill in the future. But if he didn't use it now, he might regret it.

It was just a pile of poop if Kang-jun died without using it.

It was wiser to enhance his survival rate by strengthening his most powerful skill.

A new message appeared.

[Do you want to use the Ghoul Lord's Heart? Yes/No]

[Selected the desired skill to mount it on.]

"Heavenly Cut!"

Then the Ghoul Lord's Heart that Kang-jun was holding disappeared without a trace.

[The Ghoul Lord's Heart has been mounted on Heavenly Cut, strengthening its power.]

[The physical damage of Heavenly Cut has increased significantly.]

'Huhuhu, that's it.'

Kang-jun was delighted. He would find out how much the physical damage had increased when he used it later on.

[The Ghoul Lord's Heart can be dismounted at any time.]

[Once dismounted from a skill, the Ghoul Lord's Heart will enter your inventory.]

"Oh! It isn't a one-time disposable item."

Surprisingly, the Ghoul Lord's Heart was a permanent item.

If he received a skill better than Heavenly Cut later on, he could switch and reinforce it.

'Huhu, it is very convenient because it is a legend ranked item.'

He didn't need to worry about saving it.

'Then shall I check the other box?'

He opened the remaining box.

It contained a shiny black armour. It was a whole body armour, including the head.

Messages immediately popped up.

[The Ghoul Lord's Heavy Armour has been acquired.]

[Ghoul Lord's Heavy Armour]

-Rating: Legend

-The Ghoul Lord's Heavy Armour will increase physical and magic defense when equipped.

-Equipped area: Whole body.

-30 inventory spaces.

-Wearer Restriction: Strength 30, Agility 28

'Amazing!'

Another legend ranked item.

Thanks to his increase in level, his strength and agility stats met the wearer restrictions.

Kang-jun's hands automatically stripped off the normal grade armour. At the same time, the black armor was attached to his body.

His inventory increased from 12 to 30 spaces.

Items such as the moonstones and potions were moved automatically.

"I thought it would be heavy, but it is light and comfortable to wear.

It felt more relaxing than wearing the leather armour. Maybe it was due to the legend rating.

Furthermore, the helmet automatically entered the inventory when he removed it.

He normally took off the helmet in battle because it was cramped.

'Huhu, this fight was rewarding.'

He thought about the ghoul lord again.

He was happy due to receiving the skill strengthening and the legendary armour.

Then Kang-jun turned and looked at Heksia.

While the golden boxes disappeared, Heksia's gigantic body had returned to its original size.

However, Heksia's condition wasn't good.

In a situation where she was already badly injured, the ghoul lord's bite to her neck caused her to be on the verge of death.

Kang-jun immediately examined her body.

'Fortunately she didn't die yet.'

If she died then she would have been moved to the resurrection gem. She had only fainted due to the severe injuries.

'Now that she has returned to her original state, potions should work.'

Kang-jun immediately took out health potions and poured them on her body. Health potions couldn't be overlapped in one inventory space and needed to be stored separately.

Therefore he only had a few bottles left.

After he poured all the potions, Heksia's neck injury healed. She opened her eyes.

Chapter 60: Ghoul Lord (4)

"Um..."

"Have you regained consciousness?"

Heksia got up and frowned as she touched her neck.

"Ugh! That hurts! That bastard bit me."

She grumbled.

"I nearly died, damn!"

"But would there be a punishment if you died?"

"No punishment. I have some burdens."

"You don't have to worry about achievements so what is your burden?"

"It is embarrassing."

She would be embarrassed. That was her simple reason.

Heksia saw Kang-jun's dumbfounded expression and said.

"A commander dying and needing to be revived. Do you know how long the sovereigns will make fun of me? Fortunately, I lived thanks to Lucan."

With those words, she waved her hands. At the moment, 10 potions appeared in front of Kang-jun.

"Take these advanced ones. They aren't much use for me."

Kang-jun didn't refuse. He received 10 advanced potions that could restore 300 health points. Of course, he received so much because she was the commander.

Heksia took out some more advanced potions, drank one and poured the rest on her wounds.

Her body was neatly restored. The bruises and scars disappeared, with her wings regaining that mysterious red light.

Of course, her clothing and hair were still a mess.

Yet that was all cleaned up in a flash.

Her matted hair was instantly arranged when she ran her fingers through it. Her dirty clothes were also cleaned as her hands moved over them.

Heksia returned to her original appearance and smirked like nothing had happened.

"I look like myself now. By the way, where is that ghoul lord?"

"Dead."

"Don't tell me that you killed it?"

"Who else is here besides me?"

Kang-jun grinned. Heksia looked amazed.

"No matter how close he was to death, it wouldn't have been easy with your skills."

Then she suddenly nodded. She remembered the skill that Kang-jun had used against her clone in the past.

"Yes. It is possible if you use that skill. I am curious. Can I ask for the name of that skill?"

"The skill is called Heavenly Cut."

Heksia shook her head.

"Heavenly Cut...? This is the first time I've heard of it. The skill name isn't important. Perhaps it is advanced swordsmanship. If not, it wouldn't have been able to damage my clone."

"Are advanced skills that great?"

Kang-jun was suddenly curious. In fact, Heavenly Cut came from the Heaven's Blood Sword Style that was a high class swordsmanship. Heksia nodded.

"Intermediate ranks are many times stronger than low ranks. However, the advanced rank is on another dimension from the intermediate rank. It will be easy for you to reach advanced level as an sovereign."

"It will be easy?"

"You have the skill Heavenly Cut. It has the ability to make far stronger opponents vigilant against you. The power of the skill will become stronger as you level up. So you can easily go up."

She continued.

"And at the very top is the high class rank. In terms of supernatural rankings, it is like going to a foreign language high school."

"Supernatural?"

"Whether it is magic or swordsmanship, a high class rank is the best of the best. Naturally it would be hard enough to obtain. Unless your luck is incredibly good."

He already had a high class skill. Of course, it wasn't necessary to tell her that.

Heksia smiled.

"Anyway, your level must have become quite high after killing the ghoul lord."

"It is thanks to you. I am thankful."

It wasn't flattery. If it wasn't for Heksia then today's jackpot would have been impossible.

Them Heksia grumbled.

"I'm envious. I want to level up. I don't know how long it has been since I've levelled up."

How high was her level? Kang-jun wanted to ask.

It was at that moment. Heksia started to desperately look around.

"Strange. I thought one would come out."

"What are you looking for?"

"The ghoul lord's golden box!"

"That...!"

"Have you seen it? Eh, that armour?"

Kang-jun felt pained. As she said, the black legendary armour he was wearing came from the ghoul lord's golden box.

In fact, Kang-jun hadn't caught the ghoul lord alone.

Strictly speaking, Heksia was the one who did the most so the items in the golden box should be distributed with her.

But he had already used the Ghoul Lord's Heart to strengthen his skill. He could take it off but it would be with a heavy heart.

'It is evident that the skill is strong. I can't give it to her.'

In addition, he had already worn the armour.

Kang-jun said with a somewhat embarrassed look.

"Then I'll give you some moonstones."

Heksia laughed as she patted Kang-jun's shoulder.

"It is okay. This isn't a big deal for me. Moonstones are quite good but you deserve them for your decisive contribution against the ghoul lord. I just want the heart."

H-heart? Kang-jun's eyes

widened. Heksia sighed and flopped to the ground.

"The heart didn't emerge. I've killed hundreds of similar guys so far but it has never dropped. It seems like I'm quite unlucky. Why doesn't the heart come out, dammit!"

She killed hundreds of guys like the ghoul lord?

It was alarming, but the more surprising thing was that no heart had dropped.

'Is it that rare?'

He had expected it to be great due to the legend rating. However, he didn't know it was so rare. He thought all the ghoul lord bosses dropped the heart.

'I shouldn't say anything.'

Kang-jun had no intention of opening his mouth. He couldn't let her know about the heart.

Looking at Heksia's current reaction, there was no way of knowing what she might do.

"Oh! bloody heart! Heart! Why can't I get a heart?"

Heksia kept on complaining about the heart. Kang-jun felt a slight prick to his conscience and asked.

"Do you need the heart for something?"

"Rather than a necessity, it is just a collectible."

"Collectible?"

"It can strengthen skills but I have something better."

"Then why do you want to collect it?"

"It is just a hobby."

"Ah, hobby."

Kang-jun nodded. A hobby. He thought there was a great reason, but it was just a hobby.

A must-have survival item for him was just someone else's hobby.

'I don't mind anymore.'

He hadn't thought about giving it away, but he still wanted to know the reason for Heksia's desire. He had worried about getting a heart from another boss.

But that disappeared after hearing that she wanted to collect it for a hobby.

At that moment, Heksia looked at Kang-jun and suddenly asked.

"Lucan, are you lucky?"

"Lucky?"

Kang-jun laughed bitterly.

In fact, he tried playing the lottery and only ever won the 5th place prize. He never once picked up money from the side of the road.

Was that all? His parents died early and Kang-jun was crippled after a hit-and-run car accident.

He never got good items when playing games. When hunting in a party, he always got a lower number when rolling the dice for a good item.

If he had to grade his luck, he was set it as the lowest grade.

However, that changed a lot after entering Hwanmong and becoming a sovereign.

He didn't know if it was because of his good luck stat.

But the atmosphere around Heksia didn't make it easy to answer. She might suspect that he received the heart.

"I don't know."

"You received the Heavenly Cut skill so I think that you are lucky. But I'm not lucky. Bah! This is really an unfair world! I hate lucky people the most."

Kang-jun just laughed.

"Isn't being born as a demon or dragon equal to having tremendously good luck? How miserable and unlucky do you think those who are born as orcs, ghouls or slimes are?"

"..."

Heksia was bemused by Kang-jun's words. Kang-jun said it casually but she had never thought about it before.

"You have really strange ideas."

"I guess so. Who would want to be born as an orc or slime? They have no luck at all. After they are born, they probably spend a lifetime hoping to be killed."

"It is very rare but there are some orcs that are stronger than dragons. Among the slimes, there are some who will become strong enough to hit a demon."

"How many of those guys are there? One in several million?"

"p.o.o.p! Indeed. I would commit suicide if I was born as an orc or slime."

She sent Kang-jun a stern look and sighed. Someone who was born with a golden spoon couldn't understand a life like his.

"People have to adapt to the life they are born with. I am also like that. Anyway, you were born to a powerful species so that is great luck."

"I have great luck?"

"An orc or slime would have to do everything they could to survive after being born. But you don't. You were lucky from birth."

Heksia was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Thank you. It is a little comforting."

Then she suddenly approached and kissed him.

A soft tongue moved around his mouth.

What the, this? She suddenly kissed him?

After a while, Heksia withdrew and laughed.

"It is a sign of grat.i.tude. You have saved my life and comforted me."

Kang-jun nodded because his face was hot.

"That was the meaning? I understand."

There was no reason to hate being kissed by a beautiful woman like Heksia. It was also a sign of grat.i.tude.

Heksia then whispered.

"I can give you more, but that is for later."

More? What did she mean?

Heksia went back to her original position.

"Sovereign Lucan, you went through a lot of trouble today. Destroying the Jewel of Darkness and surviving to the end, all the achievements in this war belong to you. Now you will be rewarded."

Messages immediately appeared.

[The army's mission has been completed.]

[You have survived until the end.]

[You have earned 30 red moon achievement points.]

[You have destroyed the Jewel of Darkness.]

[You have earned 100 red moon achievement points.]

[You have killed the most ghouls among the survivors.]

[You have earned 80 red moon achievement points.]

This added 210 achievement points, giving Kang-jun a total of 410.

Of course, he could get more achievement points for exchanging moonstones but he kept them in the inventory for now.

[Mission 11 has been accomplished.]

Kang-jun gained more than 300 achievement points so Mission 11 was completed.

[As a reward, enough experience will be given to increase your level.]

[4,000 nodes have been given as compensation.]

[30 small moonstones have been given as compensation.]

Thanks to that, his level once again rose by one to Lv26.

The surrounding s.p.a.ce started to distort.

[Your time in the world of Hwanmong is over.]

[The door to Hwanmong is closed.]

It was time to leave the dream and return to reality.

Kang-jun opened his eyes and woke up.

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