92 - 99

Chapter 93: Will to Fight (2)

Kang-jun asked her,

"Does the strengthening of my wings hurt you that much?"

"Bah! My stomach hurts! What are you looking at?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you."

Heksia blew smoke out and looked at Kang-jun.

"Yes. Honestly, it hurts."

"I didn't fail once but twice, so why are you hurting?"

"I failed more than 20 times. It took me precisely 24 times to successfully strengthen it to Stage 4."

Kang-jun thought he heard wrongly. She took 24 tries to successfully reach Stage 4.

"Then that means you failed 23 times?"

"Of course, I am a rare case. Usually, most people successfully reach Stage 4 on the 10th attempt. It is very rare for someone to be as unlucky as me. Yet you said that it only took you three times?"

Heksia made an extremely hateful expression but Kang-jun just shrugged. Heksia stared at Kang-jun.

"Change your position and think about it. What if you had barely succeeded in 24 attempts while I only took three tries?"

"I would burst."

"Yes and I don't have the Wings of Chaos like you. I have the Wings of Enchantment. I can only fill the power of the wings with the Essence of Enchantment. The Essence of Enchantment is difficult to obtain because the dimensional merchants don't deal with large quantities."

Just listening made him feel bleak. Not only did the Essence of Enchantment not appear often, but he would want to rip off his wings if he failed 23 times.

Kang-jun might have really done that if he was in this situation. Heksia seemed to be having a mental breakdown as she held the cigarette.

She then spoke with a sulky expression.

"But Stage 5 is worse. So far, I have tried it 36 times and still failed."

"36 times!"

Kang-jun's mouth dropped open. Heksia laughed bitterly.

"I've virtually given up. I've filled up the power of the wings again but I haven't attempted to upgrade it. That is why I want a heart."

"Why do you want a heart?"

"A heart will strengthen the odds of an upgrade succeeding."

A lord's heart had such a purpose?

"Is that really the case?"

"I've been hearing this for a long time but I didn't actually believe it. However, one of the army commanders I know just recently succeeded in strengthening it to Stage 5. I heard he used one heart and 1,000 moonstones before strengthening."

"The heart and moonstones were used as sacrifices."

"Yes. I've collected the moonstones so I just need a heart."

Heksia seemed to believe it. Kang-jun made a confused sound.

'Does it really work?'

In a game, there would be all sorts of buffs and potions that could be used. It was strengthen the probability of an upgrade succeeding.

However, it might only be a misunderstanding and have nothing to do with the wings upgrade succeeding.

It might just be due to luck.

Still, he decided to keep his eyes open.

If Heksia's words were true, then he would have to collect more moonstones in the future.

Heksia stared at Kang-jun.

"Lucan! Perhaps you are lucky enough to get a heart. If you bring it to me, I will seriously consider your offer."

"Really?"

"It must be a pure heart that has never been mounted to a skill. That is the only way it will work."

Heksia said with a serious voice.

Kang-jun's eyes widened with surprise.

According to Heksia's words, if he brought her a heart, she would join his household members.

However, it needed to be a pure heart that hadn't been mounted on a skill.

Of course, he didn't want to remove a heart that was already attached to his skill.

It was because the power of his enhanced skills would be greatly reduced when the hearts were removed.

It was silly when he needed to go to the bloody Battlefield.

"Heksia, I will get you a heart. Don't forget your promise."

"Of course."

Heksia flicked her hair and laughed. She still had the cigarette in her mouth but her face was brighter than before.

Chuuuot!

Then the magic circle shone and someone appeared.

It was Commander Grania from the 438th Army. She turned to Kang-jun and shook his hands.

"You're here, Lucan."

The last time, she had left after Kang-jun offended her. However, now it seemed like her attitude had returned to normal.

Kang-jun smiled at her.

"I thought you didn't want to see my face for a while but it is good."

"Did you come to see me?"

"Of course. I am interested in you."

Grania scoffed at Kang-jun.

"Bah! What? Are you talking about that again? You still haven't given up."

"I won't give up."

"Okay, then win against me."

"Huh?"

Kang-jun stared at Grania with amazement.

"I don't want a lord weaker than I am." Lucan, if you defeat me, I will consider your offer seriously."

If he won the duel, she would become his household member.

"Okay. Then shall we move to the training room?"

Kang-jun nodded easily.

Of course, he wasn't sure that he could defeat her.

He just had to see the results once.

If he defeated her, she would join him. If he lost, he could see how lacking he was compared to her.

He would raise his level on the bloody Battlefield and keep on challenging until he won.

However, Grania's eyes widened with surprise when Kang-jun wanted to fight immediately. She thought that Kang-jun would avoid a duel.

"Heh, I like that attitude. However, I am a little busy today, so we will duel next time. Heksia, please come help me. I need your help because

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the battle is a little heated."

"Yes."

Heksia nodded.

"So, I will defeat you next time, Lucan!"

"Don't forget the heart."

They entered the magic circle and disappeared.

Kang-jun smiled.

'Good.'

Heksia would join him if he brought her a heart and with Grania, he needed to defeat her in a duel.

He just wasn't sure if he would win in a duel with Grania.

There was no guarantee of victory, so he needed to raise his level as much as possible.

He stopped at the Defense Army's headquarters and headed for the bloody Battlefield.

After a few moments, he arrived on the bloody Battlefield.

When Kang-jun appeared at the magic circle that signified the safety zone, Andras and Agnus approached him. They instantly welcomed Lucan.

"Lucan! You did well. Would you like to move in a party with us?"

Agnus was the one who offered. She had created a party with Andras, Damas and Fade.

Kang-jun shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I'm more comfortable alone."

"Then it can't be helped."

Agnus was disappointed but she didn't offer twice.

"Then we'll be going first."

"Be careful."

"You too."

Agnus and the others spread their wings open and soared up.

'They still haven't given up.'

Kang-jun thought that Agnus and the others wouldn't come back here.

However, they showed up today.

The rewards were too attractive so they couldn't give up.

'Then shall I go as well?'

Kang-jun flew upwards immediately.

The bloody Battlefield was an autonomous battle system.

Sometimes the top 12 army commanders would cooperate if there was an operation, but most times it required facing the enemy alone.

Of course, it might be a good idea to move in a team. However, Kang-jun was more comfortable alone.

Hwiiik!

As he drifted on the winds for a while, he could see Agnus, Andras and the others fighting a group of monsters.

Other army commanders and soldiers were in the area, so it was a fairly safe place.

If the need arose, they could then retreat from the monsters.

However, Kang-jun flew further away from them.

He stopped when there didn't seem to be any allies in the area.

'I will stop here today.'

He couldn't go too deeply into enemy territory just yet.

It was too dangerous.

His greed would be in vain if he was surrounded by enemies and killed.

Kang-jun looked at the forest below him. There was a shining hole between the monsters.

It was one of the Aoks that he saw yesterday.

'That's great. I'll have to get rid of the monsters to open the Aok.'

He was glad that there weren't any lord level monsters nearby, just middle-sized ones.

As soon as Kang-jun descended towards the forest, the monsters headed towards him.

"Kikikiki!"

"Kukukuk!"

Monsters with body armour!

Bones could be seen through the armour!

'They are skeletons.'

The bones were surrounded by a bloody aura.

They weren't the usual undead, but skeleton warriors with a very strong combat power.

However, they fell down helplessly when Kang-jun swung his sword.

Pak! Papak!

One by one, they collapsed. There was no need to use a skill as dozens of skeletons were turned into dust.

His damage had increased significantly due to his wings reaching Stage 4.

In no time at all, he could no longer see any skeletons in the vicinity.

'It was so simple.'

It was the feeling of a high level person massacring low level monsters.

The experience wasn't very good but he was glad when one achievement point was received.

[Will you open the Aok? Yes/No]

'Yes!'

Kang-jun opened the Aok and entered.

Unlike the place where Sud was, this prison was quite large.

It was an open shice. There was a well in the centre and a hut-like house on one side.

However, the well had dried up.

There was also nothing when he looked inside the house.

There were just unknown letters written on the dirty floor.

(Lord, the one in here is dead.)

The demon Sud spoke. He was also searching the Aok from Kang-jun's shadows.

"Dead?"

(Yes, I can tell by looking at the Aok prison. They were unable to stand the loneliness and killed themselves. The remains are so completely destroyed that even the ashes don't remain. It isn't uncommon in Aoks.)

"I see."

Kang-jun nodded.

He had already heard it from Keirun.

There were many cases where an Aok might be empty.

"It can't be helped. We have to go."

It was at that moment...

(Lord, wait a minute. There seems to be something buried under the ground.)

Sud exclaimed hurriedly.

"Then search for it slowly."

It was like when he had found the Essence of Darkness. Kang-jun didn't leave and waited.

Then a message emerged immediately.

[Sud has discovered a Dimensional Piece in the Aok.]

'Dimensional Piece?'

This was what he used to create the Dimensional Shelter.

It was the gem stuck in the ring that Naga Queen Melinad had been wearing.

He didn't think such a rare item would be found here.

(Lord! A Dimensional Piece. It was hidden but it looks like my senses aren't rusty.)

"Well done. Thanks for the trouble."

Kang-jun was in a good mood. Entering this Aok hadn't been a waste.

However, there was a 10-meter tall monster waiting for Kang-jun after he exited the Aok.

"Kukukuku!"

Those blazing eyes. bloody bones were visible through the flashing black armour.

'Skeleton?'

He was clearly the lord of the skeletons from earlier.

"Kukuku! I heard that someone had boldly entered my realm alone."

The skeleton lord's hands were holding a giant shield and sword.

Swiik! Sswik!

The sword was at least four meters long and aimed at him. Kang-jun avoided it lightly and attacked the skeleton lord's body.

'Heavenly Cut!'

Flash - Paak!

Nevertheless, the breastplate of the skeleton lord wasn't even dented.

"Kukuku! It is no use. Nothing can penetrate my magic armour."

The skeleton lord laughed and moved his shield.

Bam!

"Ugh!"

The shield moved at a tremendous speed but Kang-jun blocked it with his sword.

Kang-jun was pushed back.

However, he flew forward like the wind and swung his sword.

'Heavenly Cut!'

Flash!

The skeleton lord blocked it with his shield.

Kakakaang!

Kang-jun aimed the skill at a gap in the skeleton lord's torso.

Paak!

However, it only left a little bit of imperfection in the skeleton lord's breastplate.

'd.a.m.n!'

It was impossible to win against the skeleton lord even if he aimed precisely at the gap.

'Okay. Then I should try it once.'

An intense light shone in Kang-jun's eyes.

'Will to Fight!'

It was the skill that awakened when Wings of Chao reached Stage 4 and it had the effect of ignoring the opponent's defense.

Kang-jun avoided the skeleton lord's sword and once again used a skill.

'Heavenly Cut!'

Flash! Kwaang!

At that moment, a loud sound rang in his eardrums. The skeleton lord was pushed backwards and fell down.

"Kuooooh! You dare!"

The skeleton lord jumped up immediately after falling. He still had a threatening attitude.

However, he was staggering, so he must have suffered serious damage from the previous Heavenly Cut.

'Heavenly Cut! Heavenly Cut!'

Kang-jun immediately followed up with more attacks.

In order to conserve his chaos power, he refrained from using Will to Fight.

The power was strong but he felt bitter because 1,000 essences flew away at once.

Still, he was able to drive back the skeleton lord because to it.

Pak! Paak!

The magic defense of the armour was dissipated and the skeleton lord started receiving damage.

Jjejejeok!

The skull of the skeleton lord cracked.

"Kuooooh! You will see soon."

The skeleton lord started to flee.

'What?'

Kang-jun was dumbfounded. He had never seen a lord level monster fleeing before.

The skeleton lord was also very fast.

'There is no way.'

Meanwhile, Mission 16 floated in front of him. It was ridiculous to fail a mission because the enemy ran away.

"Kikiki!"

"Kukukuk!"

As Kang-jun tried to chase, the skeletons stood in his path and stopped him. When the skeleton lord called, many of his subordinates appeared.

The skeleton lord intended to run far away while Kang-jun faced his men.

However, a flash of light emerged from Kang-jun's sword and spread in every direction.

Flash! Kwajik! Kwajijijik!

It was his wide area skill, Heavenly Unyielding Slash.

The skeleton warriors literally turned to dust.

Kang-jun moved through the wreckage of the skeleton warriors and followed the skeleton lord.

"Stop!"

Kang-jun's sword struck the head of a skeleton lord.

Kwajijijik!

The skull of the skeleton lord caved in. His body shook and he fell down.

Pasususu.

That was the end. His body turned into black smoke and scattered.

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[10,102 nodes have been gained.]

[157 small moonstones have been acquired.]

[60 large moonstones have been acquired.]

[You have earned 600 red moon achievement points.]

[42 Essence of Darkness have been acquired.]

[The skeleton lord's silver box has been acquired.]

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

[Mission 16 has been accomplished.]

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

[17,000 nodes have been given as compensation.]

[120 large moonstones have been given as compensation.]

The messages popped up continuously.

Of course, the most pleasant thing was the level up.

Including the mission reward, he gained three levels and reached Lv.50.

Now, a lord level monster only increased his level by two. It was because more experience was required every time Kang-jun's level increased.

Fortunately, his level could rise further through missions.

That wasn't all. He also earned 600 red moon achievement points, so he would be rewarded with one more level later.

This was the charm of the bloody Battlefield.

It was at that moment...

Kang-jun suddenly felt strange. A strong aura exploded inside his body.

'What is this great energy?'

To his surprise, the energy fell silent after a moment.

At the same time, a message popped up.

[Your war ability has increased to advanced level.]

[Reaching advanced warfare has increased charisma by one.]

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

After reaching Lv50, his war ability advanced from intermediate to advanced.

Lv.50 (Exp 00.00%)

[War] Advanced

Health: 6170/6170.

Black Magic Energy: 5830/5830

Strength: 54 (+5)

Agility: 55 (+5)

Intelligence: 51

Good Luck: 10

Charisma: 18 (+4)

Thanks to that, his charisma and good luck stats both rose by one.

However, that wasn't the end.

[The efficiency of black magic energy has risen.]

[The amount of black magic energy consumed by Heavenly Cut has decreased by 20 points.]

[The amount of black magic energy consumed by Heavenly Unyielding Slash has decreased by 40 points.]

[The efficiency of chaos power has risen.]

[The chaos power consumed when reviving a clone is reduced to 800 points.]

[The chaos power consumed by Will to Fight is reduced to 800 points.]

Consumption of black magic energy had decreased.

That alone was encouraging but chaos power consumption also reduced.

'Amazing!'

Kang-jun was especially welcome to the reduction in consumption of chaos power.

Even so, he still needed 800 chaos power if he wanted to use Will to Fight.

It was burdensome to use it and should only be a last resort.

However, the huge jackpot wasn't over.

As his level rose, Heaven's Blood Sword Style did as well!

This caused him to learn a new skill.

[The energy of the heavens is nestled in the flow of the sword, so there is no need to fear the flow...]

[The skill Heavenly Flow has been learnt.]

[Heavenly Flow]

-A strong sword will scatter the magic attack.

-The higher our intelligence, the greater the power.

-Can be used with a sword.

-Consumes 40 black magic energy.

-Restrictions: Intelligence: 51

It was a magic defense skill.

It was better to avoid magic attacks but sometimes that wasn't possible.

In the meantime, he had endured using the magic defense of the Ghoul Lord's Heavy Armour but he didn't need to do that anymore.

It was possible to scatter magic using Heavenly Flow.

'The first skill that relies on intelligence.'

If

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he had high intelligence, not strength and agility, then he could block more magic attacks.

He currently had 51 intelligence points.

It was fortunate that he could reach the lowest level of Heavenly Flow.

'The skill is the greatest jackpot today. It is better than seeing my level rise.'

He always thought that magic attacks were tough.

In the future, there was no need to be afraid of magic attacks anymore.

'Then shall I open the boxes?'

The skeleton lord had dropped two boxes.

One silver and one gold box.

The happiest moment since destroying the monster had come.

It was at that moment...

[As your war ability reaches advanced level, you are qualified to build a base on the bloody Battlefield.]

[20 charisma]

[Stage 4 wings]

[Advanced war capabilities]

[Only sovereigns who meet all of the requirements above can build a base on the battlefield.]

What was this?

'Build a base?'

When he read the explanation, Kang-jun barely met the requirements.

[This is a suitable place to build a base.]

[If you build a base that can be used as a strategic base for the Defense Army, your achievements will greatly increase.

[Would you like to build a base? Yes/No]

[One Dimensional Piece will be consumed.]

Fortunately, he had one Dimensional Piece.

It was what the demon Sud found in the Aok.

'Yes!'

Although a Dimensional Piece was rare, he shouldn't hesitate when building a base would greatly increase his achievements.

Moreover, allies could use it as a strategic base, so it would be a great help against the Second Demon King.

[Sovereign Lucan is constructing a base. 1%]

[One Dimensional Piece has been consumed.]

The place where Kang-jun was standing shone with a red light.

What would appear?

A gem spread red light in every direction like a wave.

Chu chu chu chu.

A huge magic circle started to form around him.

The radius of the magic circle was 50 metres.

It was similar to the Defense Army's magic circle but smaller.

[Lucan's base has been completed.]

'Is it done?'

The inside of the magic circle was empty except for the portal near the gem.

[You have built an outpost on the bloody Battlefield that will become a strategic base for Earth Hwanmong's Defense Army.]

[3,000 red moon achievement points have been gained.]

A message immediately appeared.

He appreciated that he received 3,000 achievement points, but was creating a magic circle that great?

At the same time, a group of people poured out of the portal in the magic circle.

The 1st commander, Binhaim, and the 2nd commander, Madun.

After that, troops of the Earth Hwanmong Defense Arm poured out.

"Oh! Unbelievable!"

Binhaim's expression was tinged with amazement. He watched Lucan with amazement.

"Commander Lucan! Did you build this base?"

"That's right."

Kang-jun nodded and Binhaim said with a tumultuous expression.

"It is true that a sovereign can build a base on the bloody Battlefield if their power rises. A special ability given only to sovereigns! It is surprising that you have already reached that level."

"Is building a base here that great?"

Binhaim smiled.

"Of course, it is great. Spatial movement isn't possible in the bloody Battlefield but it is possible to move to the base here. That alone is enough to make it a strategic hub."

Kang-jun's base was the only place on the bloody Battlefield that they could move spatially to.

"As time passes, an environment favourable to our allies will be established around the base. The enemy's combat power will decrease while our allies' will increase. Therefore, the enemy can't approach."

"I see."

Kang-jun had a rough understanding of Binhaim's reaction.

It wasn't simply a protective circle. It was an outpost that the Earth Hwanmong Defense Army would be centred around.

Binhaim looked around and said,

"Therefore, it is clear that the Second Demon King will try and destroy this base. A massive engagement is coming."

"Then I will add some strength."

"Lucan! I will be looking forward to your performance. Hrmm! I see that the enemy is already coming."

It was like he said.

A massive number of creatures were flocking towards the base.

Furthermore, there were two demon shaped beings with huge horns in the sky.

'They are?'

Kang-jun's heart sank at the sight of them. It wasn't as strong as the Second Demon King Colladikus, but they gave off a scary atmosphere.

'Are they the supreme commanders under the Second Demon King?'

Kang-jun heard that there were four top commanders under the Second Demon King. One of them died and there were only three demons left. Of those three, two of them had appeared here.

However, there were already such beings at the base.

The 3rd Commander Ligas.

He gave off a bloody atmosphere after the demons appeared. The mysterious 3rd commander appeared through the portal and stared at the demons with a bitter expression.

He didn't forget to turn his head and say some words toward Kang-jun.

"Lucan, you did a great job. If we defend here today, the powers of the Second Demon King will shrink."

At that time, a person that looked to be in his 40s appeared.

The other commanders, including Binhaim, bowed at his appearance.

He was the 12th commander, Rainkar.

Kang-jun felt relieved after seeing him.

Rainkar was the strongest person on Earth Hwanmong. Therefore, they could protect the base even if the Second Demon King appeared.

Rainkar shouted as he looked over them.

"Due to the great thing that happened today, the balance that had been tightly maintained with the Second Demon King has started to change. Of course, it is extremely beneficial to our side. Therefore, today we have to protect Lucan's base no matter what."

"Yes."

All individual missions on the bloody Battlefield were stopped and there was an order to protect Lucan's base.

Agnus and the other sovereigns appeared at the portal and looked around.

At that moment, Rainkar walked toward Kang-jun.

Chapter 95: Base Defense (2)

Everything became quiet.

It wasn't that the people had become silent but that Rainkar was blocking the sound waves using intangible energy.

"I always expected you to do something like this when you grew some more but that day came earlier than I thought. I'm glad that my eyes weren't wrong about you."

Rainkar's voice was heard in Kang-jun's ear. Kang-jun replied,

"I didn't know creating a base was such a good thing. I'm glad I can help the Defense Army."

Rainkar smiled.

"The power of the Second Demon King's army won't suddenly deteriorate just because of the base. It has only become somewhat favourable to us and disadvantageous for the Second Demon King. It is a war that can be reversed at any time."

He continued speaking,

"However, we can continue to take the lead in the war if we are vigilant. If such a status is maintained, the Second Demon King won't be able to do much except resign."

"I hope that day will come soon."

Rainkar gave a strange smile at Kang-jun's words.

"Do you really think so?"

"Huh?"

Rainkar laughed like he knew what Kang-jun was thinking.

"Think about it carefully. Do you really want the Second Demon King to withdraw so early?"

"..."

Kang-jun was silent for a moment and Rainkar opened up again,

"Two mindsets are existing at the same time. One is the hope that the Second Demon King will withdraw while the other is the hope that he will stay. Am I wrong?"

"I admit it."

Kang-jun sighed quietly.

If the Second Demon King hadn't appeared, Kang-jun might be in a very difficult situation due to Yoo Seung-hwan and the other sovereigns.

Maybe he would have already been defeated. Even if he survived, it wouldn't have been possible to become a powerful force like he was now.

It was a lucky chance for Kang-jun but not for the other sovereigns.

If the situation persisted, Kang-jun would keep growing quickly and the gap with the other sovereigns would become endless. After the red moon was over, he would be able to wipe out all enemy sovereigns with his overwhelming combat power.

So, for Kang-jun, he hoped that the Second Demon King would keep this up as long as possible.

Rainkar said,

"However, you don't have to feel sorry. After the Second Demon King is gone, a similar pirata will target this place."

"Pirata?"

"It means predator. Once you become a sovereign, the war with the predators will last forever. You will have to protect yourself against them."

Pirata - this was a new story.

As Kang-jun stared in surprise, Rainkar spoke with an intense expression,

"So, you have to be strong. It isn't simply to survive as a sovereign but to become someone who can chase after the Second Demon King."

"I want to become like that."

Kang-jun was very eager. Rainkar smiled.

"If you become a transcendent, you will be free of all confines."

"Transcendent? What is that?"

"It is literally a transcendent being. I haven't reached that stage yet. Strictly speaking, I am at the stage right before that."

"So, if you are at the stage right before that, then you have almost the same ability as a transcendent."

"Nonsense! The difference between a transcendent being and a non-transcendent being is literally like the gap between heaven and earth. If I was transcendent, the Second Demon King wouldn't even dare go near this Hwanmong."

It was the ultimate place that couldn't even be reached by the strongest person in Hwanmong!

Kang-jun had only hoped to become as strong as Rainkar but he hadn't expected such an amazing place.

He then asked suddenly,

"When you become a transcendent, you are free of all confines. What does that mean?"

"It means you will no longer be caught by the rules of Hwanmong."

"The rules of Hwanmong?"

"For example, you don't have to depend on things like missions. If you are defeated, you don't have to go to h.e.l.l. Additionally, you can strip the other sovereigns of their confines using your strength. It is even possible to pull out sovereigns who are struggling in h.e.l.l. That is what transcendence is."

"I see!"

Rainkar's eyes shone intensely.

"The reason I am telling you this is that I no longer want you to be bound by such narrow constraints. Although your body is bound by the rules of Hwanmong, you can free your mind first."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't be so obsessed with the fight between sovereigns. Right now, you have widened the gap with the sovereigns. Fighting them will be a one-sided massacre, not a war."

His words weren't wrong. Kang-jun had been thinking that recently as well.

He had no thought about

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attacking enemy sovereigns. There were few sovereigns on this planet who would be able to oppose Kang-jun.

He was the first ranked sovereign in Earth Hwanmong.

Furthermore, there were no sovereigns stupid enough to challenge Kang-jun after he became a commander and received wings. Only Andras and the other army commanders had a slight possibility.

"Your purpose can't just be to gain a fortune. Even if you obtain all the wealth on Earth, it is nothing compared to being a transcendent."

Rainkar continued,

"Strength? All the beings on Earth Hwanmong, including me, won't be a match against a transcendent. So, I am telling you to have a larger goal."

"If a transcendent is such an enormous being, how can I reach that point?"

Rainkar smiled.

"It is said that you can become a transcendent through two ways. One is the wings."

"Wings?"

"That is because the wings contain the will of a transcendent. Therefore, strengthening your wings will allow you to realise the will of a transcendent and you can become one."

One could become a transcendent through strengthening the wings? That was unexpected.

"Then you'll be strengthening your wings."

Rainkar laughed bitterly.

"No, raising the stage of the wings is never an easy task. Everyone knows that and has given up."

Rainkar's expression indicated that he had a lot of experience in failing to strengthen his wings.

"So, I tried a different approach. I can reach the level of a transcendent by continuously raising the level of my physical power and magic and exceeding the limits."

"I see."

Due to his endless efforts, Rainkar was on the verge of becoming a transcendent.

Rainkar then continued,

"Additionally, this isn't certain, but it is said that a sovereign who completes all 100 missions can become a transcendent."

Kang-jun's eyes lit up. If that was true, then there was value in completing all 100 missions.

At that moment, Rainkar abruptly turned his head and smiled.

"The Second Demon King seems to be coming, so I have to go out."

"Thank you for tonight's teachings."

"Don't thank me. I just wanted to make it a little easier on my mind."

"What do you mean?"

"After this war, I will leave Earth Hwanmong. I will go out to the wider world to compete with stronger people. That way, I think I can become a transcendent."

"...!"

Kang-jun was surprised. If Rainkar left, who would defend Earth Hwanmong if someone like the Second Demon King appeared again?

"So, I want you to grow quickly. One day, you will fill my vacant seat."

Kang-jun tried to refute this but Rainkar was already heading away.

"I won't say goodbye when I leave. If you don't see me one day, remember my words from today."

At the end of his words, the intangible energy blocking the sound waves disappeared.

Kwarurung! Kwa kw.a.n.g!

"Kuaaaak!"

"Aaack!"

In the meantime, there was an uproar.

There was a large scale battle between the defense forces who wanted to protect Lucan's base and the Second Demon King's forces who wanted to destroy it.

"Kukakakaka! Lucan! This novice sovereign wants to get into an accident. Where are you? I have to kill you."

The Second Demon King Colladikus' voice rang through the sky.

However, Rainkar was blocking Colladikus' path.

"Before that, you should try to kill me first."

Colladikus' eyes were filled with rage.

"Ugh! Rainkar! You again? You infernal b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

"I'm really sick of you, Colladikus."

"Rainkar! I will surely kill you today."

Soon, a battle began to take place between Rainkar and Colladikus in the sky above the base.

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

Around the base, the 1st commander, Binhaim, and the other troops were fighting the enemies.

Both sides were similar but the defenders had the advantage of being able to cure their wounds using the red gem in the middle of the base.

Thus, the Second Demon King's troops started to be pushed to the limit over time.

Kang-jun also fought the enemies without any distractions.

He didn't know how many enemies he had cut down.

He wielded his sword in a trance.

There were many enemies but it wasn't dangerous since he wasn't fighting alone.

Before he knew it, the base defense had come to an end.

In the end, the Second Demon King and his forces retreated.

The defenders pretended to chase for a while before returning to the base.

The light coming from the red gem in the centre of the base became more intense.

Binhaim smiled.

"Everybody went through a lot of trouble. It seems that Lucan's base has become firmly established."

"Hahaha! The day when the Second Demon King will leave will soon come."

There was a joyous atmosphere of victory around the defenders.

It was at that moment...

A blue haired youth appeared at the portal in the centre of the base.

It was none other than his military adviser, Keirun.

"Lord!"

"Oh! Keirun? What is going on?"

It was the first time Keirun had appeared on the battlefield, so Kang-jun was surprised.

Keirun grinned.

"Lord, congratulations on making a base on the bloody Battlefield. This base has become a safe zone for the Defense Army."

He continued speaking,

"However, it is also true that this is Lord's base. So, will you allow me to build a warehouse at this base?"

"A base warehouse?"

"Yes, Lord. If you have a warehouse, you can collect a portion of the node income from all battles in the area around your base as tax."

"Tax? Is that possible?"

Kang-jun thought it was outrageous. However, Binhaim heard those words and nodded.

"His words aren't wrong. Although this base will be used as a base for the Defense Army, it still belongs to Lucan. If you want to collect taxes, everyone will agree."

"Oh! Indeed."

Kang-jun's heart leapt. Keirun grinned and said,

"Considering today's troubles, I am thinking that the tax rate should be 20%."

Binhaim and the other commanders nodded readily.

"That is a moderate tax rate. Any more than that will affect the morale of your allies."

Kang-jun laughed and nodded.

"Then it is decided."

This allowed Kang-jun to gain 20% of all nodes dropped in the area around Lucan's base.

After a while, Keirun and the other commanders disappeared through the portal.

'Shall I open the boxes?'

Kang-jun decided to open the two boxes in his inventory before returning.

If he was lucky, he might get a heart to make Heksia join his household.

First, he opened the silver box that he had obtained from the skeleton lord.

[Return Teleport]

It was a magic skill.

'Oh! Teleportation?'

He finally got another magic skill after Dark Transparency. He immediately opened the book and various bizarre letters entered his head.

[Return Teleport has been learnt.]

[Return Teleport]

-You can move to pre-specified return points.

-20 black magic energy will be consumed.

-Return Point 0/10

-The return point can only be assigned within your territory.

-You can be accompanied by two people and it can't be used in some areas, including the bloody Battlefield. Moving to another dimension is impossible.

'I wonder if this can be used in reality.'

The most important thing when learning a skill was whether it could be applied in reality.

It said that the skill couldn't be used in some areas, including the bloody Battlefield.

He didn't know if reality fell into that area.

'I won't know until I use it myself.'

If this was possible in reality, it would be very convenient if he set Yugang building as a return point.

Of course, he could fly quickly these days.

Still, people always desired things that could make their lives a little more comfortable.

It would be fantastic if the restrictions on shice disappeared.

For example, if he bought a building in Jeju Island or Hawaii and specify it as a return point, he could go for a stroll on the beach every morning.

'Shall I return to reality after opening the golden box?'

He wondered what would be inside it.

Kang-jun opened the golden treasure box with excitement.

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

[Skeleton Lord's Heart]

-Rating: Legend

-Can enhance the defense of an armour

-Increases physical defense significantly when mounted on an armour.

"Yes! Heart!"

Luckily, a heart came out.

But he couldn't help looking at the options.

'It is for enhancing armour, not a skill.'

What would happen if he attached it to the Ghoul Lord's Heavy Armour?

It was a legend ranked armour with powerful physical defense. There would be a tremendous surge in his defense.

Was it the reason behind the skeleton lord's defense earlier?

'This is worrying.'

If he gave it to Heksia, it would surely be broken as part of the sacrifice.

Getting rid of it would be a waste.

However, he couldn't be stingy if he wanted to acquire Commander Heksia. He could get hearts if he kept hunting lord level monsters.

Just when Kang-jun was worried about the heart...

Chu chu chu.

There was a light from the portal and someone appeared.

It was a commander with an enchanting appearance and mysterious pink wings.

He hadn't expected that Heksia would come through the portal.

"Lucan! Congratulations. A base was constructed... Ah, that is?"

She heard about the base and came to the bloody Battlefield to congratulate him. Then she saw the thing Kang-jun was holding in her hand.

"That is a heart right?"

"It is the Skeleton Lord's Heart. I just opened the box and received it."

"Ah! It really is a heart. You have incredibly good luck."

Heksia was shocked and looked at Kang-jun abruptly.

Her eyes shone as brightly as a lantern.

Kang-jun laughed bitterly.

In this situation, he couldn't not give Heksia the heart.

If he didn't, it might be impossible to acquire her as a household member after this.

"Take it."

Kang-jun extended the heart. Heksia was surprised.

"Are you really giving this to me?"

"Of course. Go ahead and take it."

Heksia took the heart and exclaimed.

"Ah! It is a pure heart that has never been mounted."

"It is a new one that I just received from a box."

"This really isn't easy to obtain. You might regret it later."

Kang-jun just smiled.

"No matter how rare a heart is, it isn't as rare as Heksia. For me, you are a million times more important."

It was better to give a pleasant speech than to hand it over begrudgingly.

In fact, his words were quite serious.

Heksis was a presence that couldn't be matched by a mere monster drop.

Of course, his words were slightly exaggerated.

However, the words left a great impression on Heksia.

Her eyes flowed with determination as she watched Kang-jun.

"I didn't know that you cherished me that much. Then I'll keep my promise."

She immediately kneeled down in front of Kang-jun and said,

"Sovereign Lucan! From now on, I will serve you, Lord. Can you please take me into your household?"

She spoke with honorifics and her attitude toward Kang-jun was filled with politeness.

Kang-jun smiled with dignity.

"Of course, Heksia. From now on, you will be part of Lucan's household."

"I will dedicate my entire loyalty to Lord."

With those words, Heksia kissed Kang-jun's right

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hand.

Seuk.

Kang-jun stroked Heksia's head like he did to Queen Melinad.

"I look forward to your work in the future, Heksia."

It was a reflexive behaviour.

Heksia made a strange expression but soon smiled happily.

"I was attracted to something about you from the first moment I saw you. In the end, I will join your household."

[The demon, Heksia, has joined your household.]

[Heksia will become your faithful subordinate in Hwanmong.]

Heksia was a demon.

He had already guessed but it somehow felt new. Following Sud, he had become the lord of another demon.

It was at that time...

[The demon Heksia is the boss of the Delta building.]

[You have acquired the Delta building.]

[Heksia and the wolf tribe lycanthropes will automatically join your camp.]

[5,000 advanced bloody lycanthrope warriors have become your subordinates.]

[300 advanced bloody lycanthrope shamans have become your subordinates.]

[Heksia's seductive succubus species will automatically join your camp.]

[200 advanced succubus healers have become your subordinates.]

Kang-jun's eyes widened with surprise and his mouth dropped open.

What was this?

It didn't make sense for a moment.

The Delta building!

Kang-jun had known that it was a high-rise building with over 40 floors.

Heksia was the boss of a famous building worth close to one trillion won.

Of course, she wasn't the actual owner of the Delta building, just the ruler in Hwanmong.

Thus, she had a huge force under her.

Despite being a commander, she had always appeared alone.

He had never thought she would have a large force of 5,500 troops.

Along with the messages that the subordinates joined, images of their appearance passed in front of Kang-jun like a video.

The advanced bloody lycanthrope warriors.

The advanced bloody lycanthrope shamans.

Blood red fur - they were monsters with the body of a human and the head of a wolf as well as terrible combat power.

Advanced succubus healers. 200 healers with excellent beauty.

If any of them randomly joined a girl group, they would be assigned the idol position of a visual. They had the power to enchant the enemy and steal the enemy's minds. However, they used their magic similar to a healing spell on their allies.

200 advanced healers with exceptional abilities had become Kang-jun's subordinates.

'Amazing!'

No other word could describe it.

There was an old saying about the first vine pumpkin that represented his situation.

She was one of the commanders of Earth Hwanmong, so this type of power might be natural.

"Tell me if you need anything, Heksia."

Seuk seuk.

Kang-jun said while stroking Heksia's head. Her eyes shook and she said,

"If you can afford it, please delegate one good building to me. I feel like my subordinates are stationed in desolate occupied territories."

"Don't worry. If it is a building, it isn't hard for me to buy one."

If he was a transcendent, he might not need a building. However, Kang-jun wasn't a transcendent yet.

Until that time, he would collect money and buy buildings like normal.

If he invested the nodes into his territories, then he would be able to build various facilities and expand the territories.

"I can't keep my precious subordinates stationed in remote territories. Just wait a few days, Heksia."

"Thank you, Lord. Then I will return to my army."

"Good work."

Although she became Kang-jun's subordinate, she had to remain the 439th commander until the war against the Second Demon King ended.

'Then I suppose I should return now.'

Kang-jun then left and was rewarded for today's achievements.

He had a huge 4,102 achievement points.

Killing the skeleton lord had gotten him 600 points while establishing Lucan's base had given him 3,000 points.

The remaining achievements were gained from the skeleton warriors and defending the base.

'Huhu, my level will climb again.'

[You have gained great achievements today on the bloody Battlefield.]

[Building Lucan's base and giving the Defense Army an advantage against the Second Demon King Colladikus deserves a reward.]

[Your level has increased by seven.]

[Charisma has risen by two.]

He gained seven levels and became Lv58 at once.

'Amazing.'

There were many achievements today.

More than 4,000 points!

Maybe it would rise even more. As his level rose, more achievements were required.

The abilities of all his household members, including Hayun, rose.

There was a message that Sud's inventory shices had increased to 200. Heksia had just became a member of his household and her abilities also increased.

The taxes obtained increased and the probability of finding rare items rose.

Then he saw something unusual.

There was something separate at the bottom of the status window.

[Achievements Compensation]

[6,994 cash points are available.]

[The exchange rate per point is ￦9,800,000]

[The exchange rate may rise or fall depending on the performance of other sovereigns.]

That reminded him he had received a cash compensation of 10 million won per achievement point during the first evaluation period.

That was the 4.6 billion won that had been sent to the Skia.

After that, he hadn't received any cash compensation for his achievements.

'If I convert all of it into cash, it is 9,800,000 won per point.'

It was 200,000 won lower than before.

It was proof that the other sovereigns had put in a lot of effort. It meant there were more people who received compensation and less people who were punished.

If so, the exchange rate was likely to fall in the future.

'Switch all!'

Kang-jun turned the 6,994 points into cash.

Then a new message appeared.

[You have switched all your reward points to 68,541,200,000 won.]

[The door to Hwanmong is closed.]

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

"You woke up."

Once again, he was greeted with Hayun's bright smile when he returned to reality.

Due to the fact that her abilities had risen again during the night, she really seemed like an angel instead of a ghost.

When considering her combat power, it was almost at the level of a commander.

Chiing!

Then the Skia rang.

[￦68,541,200,000 has been deposited.]

It was a text message from the Black Dragon Law Firm stating that 68,541,200,000 won had been deposited.

"That is fast."

Combined with the 60 billion won from last time, that was a huge 131.6 billion won.

He also had 2.6 billion won in his Skia, which wasn't his bank account.

He had plenty of money but he didn't have to worry about where to spend it.

This was because he could keep buying nearby buildings.

Then Kang-jun suddenly shook his head.

'Strange. Why aren't there any evil spirits today?'

Recently, Kang-jun had been checking for evil spirit incidents on the Skia as soon as he woke up. However, there weren't any.

He even zoomed the map out to the widest range.

However, today, not only around Sinsa-dong but there were also no dots indicating an evil spirit incident all over Seoul.

'What happened?'

It was the same in China and j.a.pan.

The map of the world was also similar.

'Is there a problem with the app?'

Kang-jun called Lawyer Han Yeon-soo straight away.

-Yes, this is Han Yeon-soo. Are you thinking of trading moonstones?

"Moonstones? Hmm, I will trade 1,000 today."

-Yes, I understand. Then I will deposit 30 billion straight away.

Chiing.

After a moment, the Skia rang as 30 billion won was deposited.

He had increased his wealth by 30 billion.

He called Han Yeon-s...o...b..ck straight away.

-Did you receive the deposit?

"Yes."

-Hoho! Since you've earned a lot of money, treat me to a meal.

Kang-jun just smiled.

"If you want to eat meat, come at any time. Apart from that, I wanted to ask you about the evil spirits detection app. There seems to be a problem with the app.

-Ah, that is because all the evil spirits have withdrawn.

"Withdrawn? Why all of a sudden?"

-The Second Demon King was defeated in yesterday's battle. He can no longer afford to send evil spirits here.

"Ah, that's right. Then I will talk to you later."

It seemed like the Second Demon King had been hit hard by the base defense yesterday.

'Then that means reality is quiet again.'

If so, he would use the time to read books.

Of course, it was more important to buy buildings first.

In the future, the buildings would keep growing, so he had to pay attention to the building management.

"That's right. I should go to the book cafe. I had forgotten about it."

The construction work on the book cafe on the 4th floor of the Dafeng building had finished. It had been Secretary Kim Hye-na who took care of the miscellaneous procedures and the part time workers.

Hayun then said with shining eyes.

"I want to work. Leave the operation of the book club to me. I have a lot of free time since I am always at home."

"Hayun will? Won't that be annoying? You also have to write in the ledger."

"It isn't annoying. I actually did some accounting work before. I majored in accounting in university."

"Really?"

Kang-jun asked with surprise and Hayun nodded.

"And I know some real estate. You can leave the purchasing of buildings to me."

Kang-jun was delighted.

"Then I will relax."

He could believe in Hayun and his household members. Even if Kang-jun's assets increased to hundreds of billions, this mindset wouldn't change.

"Have you remembered something?"

Hayun had lost her memories of the past.

This was because her grudge was completely resolved by Kang-jun and she was separated from her past life.

Yet she remembered what she studied in the past, so it seemed like her memories were coming back.

Hayun nodded.

"More memories come back as my abilities rise but I don't have the grudge anymore. My grudge was resolved thanks to you. No matter how much I remember, I am just happy to be part of your household."

She was just happy as a household member.

Kang-jun's heart filled with tenderness.

He was curious but decided not to ask her anything about her past.

"Okay. Then from now on, move as my agent. Manage the book cafe and buy buildings. I'll tell Kim Hye-na to follow your instructions. Ah, take care of renting the buildings as well. If it is too much, hire additional manpower. Don't take on the burden."

"Yes, leave it to me."

Hayun seemed to be in a good mood at the thought of having something to do.

"And speak to Lawyer Han Yeon-soo to take care of any legal matters. Both you and Colt will be more comfortable if ID cards are made."

"Understood."

It was impossible for ghosts

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to get ID cards. Still, it was possible through the Black Dragon Law Firm.

Kan-jun had breakfast then returned to his bedroom to use a skill.

'Return Teleport!'

He had been curious if this skill could be applied in reality.

[This is your territory, so a return point can be specified.]

[Are you sure you want to specify this area? Yes/No]

It was as he thought. Kang-jun answered with a fast beating heart.

'Yes! Specify.'

Then a new message appeared.

[A return point has been specified.]

[Now, you can return here via Return Teleport from anywhere.]

'Okay. If that is the case?'

Kang-jun immediately used Dark Transparency and flew out the window.

After flying away for a while, he used his skill.

'Return Teleport!'

Kang-jun' body instantly disappeared.

Pak.

At the same time, he appeared in his bedroom on the 5th floor of the Yugang building.

'Okay. The teleportation is done well.'

Kan-jun smiled after successfully completing the skill test.

The following day, Hayun and Kim Hye-na succeeded in buying the 8-storey Geonmulin building for 13 billion won.

Then the next day, he purchased the 7-storey Oh-hyung building for 10 billion won.

These two buildings were now owned by Kang-jun.

One would be delegated to Heksia and the other to Grania when she joined.

[The door to Hwanmong is open.]

That night, he entered Hwanmong and Keirun greeted him. He was very excited.

"Oh! Lord! Commander Heksia has joined your household. The bloody lycanthropes and succubus troops will be a devastating power.

"Soon, Grania will also join the household."

Kang-jun smiled. Keirun's expression filled with emotion.

"Huhu, really great. That reminds me of when I first met Lord. At that time, Lord only possessed a few goshiwon rooms. Now, you are the strongest of all of Earth Hwanmong's sovereigns.

"This is all because you helped me. Please look after me in the future as well."

"Is there any possibility of that not happening? Lord's goal is mine."

Then he suddenly said,

"By the way, Lord! I found one very rare place in one of the occupied territories."

"Where is it?"

"The roof of the Delta building occupied by Commander Heksia. Take a look."

The information about his occupied territories could clearly be seen through the 3D map of the base.

"The Delta building is a skysc.r.a.per-like building, so many barracks and facilities can be made in it. However, having a Lucky Tower on a roof is very rare."

"Lucky Tower?"

[Delta Building's Rooftop]

-Occupied territory

-It is possible to construct a Lucky Tower.

-The Delta building needs to be owned in order to construct it.

It was the first time he had seen the Lucky Tower.

"Does this increase good luck?"

"That's correct, Lord."

At that moment, a related explanation emerged.

[Lucky Tower]

-Rating: Legend

-It is rare to construct a legendary tower on the roof of a very tall building.

-The building must be owned.

-One Dimensional Piece is needed.

-Once constructed, good luck +3.

A legend rated tower.

It didn't have this explanation when he build the Magic Tower.

'Good luck +3?'

Kang-jun thought about it briefly.

It was good luck.

In particular, three points weren't a joke.

Charisma rose quite often due to achievements but good luck rarely rose.

Hayun's food buff raised it but there was a time limit.

Increasing good luck would not only increase the drop rate but also the probability of his wings being successfully strengthened.

"It has to be built."

"As soon as it is possible, Lord. There is no guarantee that a Lucky Tower can be built on other skysc.r.a.pers."

"I see."

Since it was like this, he absolutely couldn't give up.

The problem was that the Delta building must be owned by Kang-jun!

This meant he needed to buy a building worth one trillion won.

'It isn't impossible to earn one trillion won.'

Well, it wasn't urgent right now.

Even if he made money with achievements and moonstones, it wouldn't be easy to earn one trillion won in a short time. As his level rose steadily, he would acc.u.mulate money.

Then Kang-jun laughed suddenly.

He wanted to buy a one trillion won building just to increase good luck by three.

However, it was worth it.

Anyway, it wouldn't end with the Luck Tower. If he bought the Delta building and constructed a base, it would be able to accommodate a great deal of troops.

'If I buy the Delta building, I should move base headquarters there.'

At that time, a scroll arrived for Kang-jun.

He was needed at the Defense Army's headquarters.

As he moved toward the portal, Heksia appeared and welcomed Kang-jun.

"Lord!"

"Ah, you are here. Heksia."

"Do you have something to give me?"

"A newly bought building. I will delegate all authority over to you."

"Ah."

Heksia was impressed that Kang-jun had provided for her and her subordinates so quickly.

"Thank you, Lord."

"There is no need to thank me. It is natural since you are my household member."

Then he asked suddenly,

"Have you strengthened your wings? Did you succeed?"

"I'm still shaking, so I haven't tried yet."

Unlike her bold appearance, Heksia seemed to have a timid nature when it came to things like this.

Kang-jun laughed.

"Be confident. You can't think about failure."

Heksia narrowed her eyes at Kang-jun.

"It isn't as easy as it sounds."

He might have the same expression if he failed 36 times.

She was his household member now, so it was serious.

"Then I hope you will succeed. I should go now."

Kang-jun stroked Heksia's head before walking through the portal.

After arriving at headquarters, Kang-jun saw that the top commanders, including the 1st commander, Binhaim, were waiting for him.

"You've come, Commander Lucan."

"Did you call?"

Kang-jun asked and Binhaim nodded with a solemn expression.

"You set up Lucan's base last time and gave us a great advantage in the war against the Second Demon King. You are strong enough to kill the Second Demon King's lord level subordinates. At the end of the meeting, we have decided to give you the position of the 7th Army Commander which has been vacant."

7th Army Commander. Kang-jun was pleasantly surprised.

They intended to give Kang-jun control over one of the 12th strongest armies in Earth Hwanmong.

Binhaim continued speaking.

"However, many commanders still don't recognize your skills. In order to convince them, you have to show them proof of your abilities."

"A proof of my abilities?"

"You can do one of three things. One method is to take down the centaur lord, one of the advanced lords under the Second Demon King on the bloody Battlefield, and retrieve a token of proof."

A centaur was a monster with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. If it was an advanced lord, it was clear that the centaur's attack power would be tough.

"What is the token specifically?"

"The heart is the most obvious thing. It isn't easy to get, so equipment above the hero rank should be sufficient."

"I see."

A lord was guaranteed to drop hero rank equipment or higher.

Binhaim said,

"In order to do this, you will have to go into enemy lines. We will keep the Second Demon King and his three commanders in check but you will have to survive the advanced lords and the monsters."

Kang-jun nodded. The Second Demon King and his three commanders were still too much for Kang-jun. It was fortunate that Rainkar and the others would take care of them.

"Then the other two ways?"

"Another is to take down the Dark Mage Dekail, also one of the advanced lords under the Second Demon King, and bring a token to prove it. Similarly, if you gain hero rank equipment from Dekail, it will be proof of your abilities."

Dark Mage Dekail.

The other monsters were called lords but he had a unique name.

'Dark mages are also called warlocks.'

An advanced warlock would be quite tricky to deal with.

"The last method is just in case the two things mentioned above are too burdensome for you. No matter what type, bring three lords' hearts and give them to us. Apparently, you are quite lucky, so it shouldn't be hard."

"Give you three lords' hearts?"

Kang-jun was dumbfounded. Giving away hearts... He wondered if there was a reason why he had to prove his skills to become the 7th Army Commander.

Binhaim smiled.

"It doesn't matter if it is the heart of a lower lord. However, it must be a pure heart that has never been installed. Personally, I recommend the last method. Fighting with advanced lords can be very dangerous."

In order to become the 7th Army Commander, he would have to take care of one of two advanced lords or obtain three hearts by killing the intermediate or lower lords.

However, the advanced lords were very strong and it was risky.

In the end, it was like he was being told to bring three hearts from lower lords.

However, it had to be a pure heart that had never been installed.

'Why do they need it? Do they want to use it as a sacrifice for the strengthening?'

He didn't care why.

Kang-jun didn't want to become the 7th Commander if it involved giving up hearts.

What good was becoming the 7th Commander?

It was an honour but it would be fairly c.u.mbersome.

Therefore, Kang-jun was about to respectfully decline the position of 7th Army Commander.

However, at that moment, the 12th Commander, Rainkar, opened his mouth.

"Lucan! It is up to you to select which of the three methods you want to do. If you prove your skills and become the 7th Army Commander, you will qualify for the Guardian Hall."

Guardian Hall? What was that?

Rainkar gave Kang-jun a meaningful smile.

"The Guardian Hall contains various items left behind by the commanders of Earth Hwanmong. If there is a connection, you can gain something quite powerful from there. It could be incomparable to three hearts."

Rainkar had read Kang-jun's mind about not taking the position of the 7th Army Commander.

So, he gave Kang-jun a reason to become the 7th Commander.

Prove his skills to become the 7th Commander and he could enter the Guardian Hall.

Kang-jun's eyes lit up.

'Guardian Hall.'

Rainkar's words meant that it would be incomparable to three hearts.

It was the word of the strongest person in Earth Hwanmong.

'Then that changes things.'

Kang-jun nodded and said,

"I understand. I will come back with proof of my skills."

"Good luck, Lucan."

Binhaim smiled happily.

Kang-jun returned to the base of the Yugang building.

He then headed straight towards the base warehouse.

Before he entered the bloody Battlefield, he filled his chaos power up with the essences received by trading 1,000 moonstones.

'It is necessary to leave some types in order to summon troops.'

Kang-jun left a few hundred of each type of essence. Except for 2,000 essences, he turned everything else into chaos power.

-Chaos power needed to upgrade to Stage 5: 15000/32000

Combined with the previous points, he had 15,000 chaos power.

He needed 17,000 more points

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if he wanted to try and strengthen the wings.

However, he hadn't yet exchanged the essences to chaos power in order to strengthen his wings.

It was more convenient to switch at a later time when he had gathered enough essences for strengthening.

'Survival is the priority, rather than strengthening.'

Kang-jun was going to fight strong enemies.

Therefore, he would use the chaos power in order to live.

If he attempted to strengthen the wings and failed, 32,000 chaos points would be gone.

That much chaos power was enough for him to use Will to Fight 40 times.

Kang-jun decided that it was wiser to level up by using Will to Fight 40 times.

Raising his level meant he would become stronger.

So, he would concentrate on raising his level.

Once he had raised his level enough, he would try strengthening. In the meantime, he would sweep away the enemies using Will to Fight.

There was another reason why he thought he should try strengthening later.

He knew of a method to raise his good luck by three points.

If he managed to build the Lucky Tower on the roof of the Delta building, there would be a higher probability of success.

Kang-jun exited the warehouse and stopped by the shelter located on the roof of the Yugang building.

'I recommend that Lord stops by the Dimensional Shelter every time you come to Hwanmong.'

It was like Keirun had said earlier. The reason for that was he could gain surprisingly good items through the dimensional merchants.

'Today, there are two people.'

The person from last time was sitting down and doing business, but there was one more person today.

'I wonder if it is a rip off.'

The merchant from last time was still selling some essences for moonstones, so he just passed by.

Kang-jun moved in front of the new merchant. He was just sitting down quietly with nothing in front of him.

"What are you selling?"

The merchant smiled and replied,

"I am buying things. I will exchange moonstones for the things I am looking for."

Dimensional Piece- 1,000 Moonstones

Essence of Chaos - 100 Moonstones

He was only looking for two things.

If he brought the merchant a Dimensional Piece, he would get 1,000 moonstones in return. In addition, an Essence of Chaos was worth 100 moonstones.

It was because a Dimensional Piece was very rare.

Then was an Essence of Chaos worth 100 moonstones?

If Kang-jun sold 100 moonstones to the Black Dragon Firm, he could get 3 billion won and 1,500 essences.

That was enough to get 1,500 chaos power.

He wondered if an Essence of Chaos was worth it. He had never seen an Essence of Chaos yet.

Kang-jun exited the Dimensional Shelter and moved to the 438th Army Headquarters.

It was to meet Grania for a duel before going to the bloody Battlefield.

However, she was absent. It seemed like she was fighting with the subordinates of the Second Demon King.

'Then I'll see her next time.'

Kang-jun finally moved to the bloody Battlefield.

After a while, at Lucan's base:

Lucan's base was used by Earth Hwanmong's Defense Army and was located on the forefront of the bloody Battlefield.

Kang-jun was the owner of this place.

As Kang-jun appeared through the portal, hundreds of defenders greeted him politely.

"I greet the Commander."

"I greet Commander Lucan."

They were now looking at him with awe-filled eyes.

Kang-jun nodded towards them with dignity and walked over to one of them.

He was the 103rd Commander Mustel.

He belonged to a strange species with the head of a deer, four arms and a muscular body.

Unlike the mild impression he gave off, a very intense light was shining in his eyes. Mustel shouted as Kang-jun approached.

"103rd Commander Mustel greets Commander Lucan."

His attitude was as though Kang-jun was a high-ranking person. Kang-jun laughed awkwardly.

"I am a commander just like you."

Mustel smiled.

"I heard you will soon be the 7th Army Commander. I support you."

"It gives me strength to hear you say so. I do have one question."

"Ask whatever you want. I will tell you if I know."

"Do you know where the centaur lord or Dark Mage Dekail is often seen?"

Mustel shook his head and replied,

"It is impossible to know the exactly location of the lords. We can just estimate the approximate location of monsters."

Mustel continued speaking,

"Go through five forests after leaving the base in that direction, then you will find the grasslands where the centaurs often pop up. And past the grasslands, the dark mages can sometimes be found in the second forest."

"Thank you. I won't have to go looking for them thanks to you."

There was no guarantee that the centaur lord or dark mage Dekail would appear there. Still, if he continued to observe those places, he would eventually meet the centaur lord or dark mage.

At that time, Mustel said with an anxious expression,

"The advanced lords are very strong, so be careful. Then I wish you luck."

After a while, Kang-jun left Lucan's base and moved in the direction that Mustel had said.

'There aren't many monsters.'

Due to their defeat in the base defense fight, the supporters of the Second Demon King had almost disappeared from around Lucan's base.

After flying for a while...

He finally saw the forest.

If he moved past five forests, the grasslands where centaurs could be seen would appear.

However, Kang-jun had no intention of going there to confront the centaur lord.

There was no rush, so he would take care of the monsters in the area.

'Oh! Skeletons.'

Additionally, there was a skeleton a few times larger than normal skeletons.

'The skeleton lord again?'

He looked closer and saw that the bones were glowing blue.

He didn't know if there were different skeleton species but they were different from the skeletons he saw before.

It was the same for the skeleton lord.

He discovered Kang-jun flying and wielded his staff.

Hwaruruk!

Flames started flying toward Kang-jun.

'He is a magician type skeleton lord.'

Kang-jun avoided the flames and stood in front of the skeleton lord.

Hwaruru! Pa pa pa pa!

Then huge fire spears were created from the skeleton lord's staff and flown toward Kang-jun.

Kang-jun tried to avoid them but they were like guided missiles, so there was a limit to his evasion.

'Heavenly Flow!'

He was forced to use a skill. It was one of the skills of the Heaven's Blood Sword Style that dispersed magic attacks.

Sususu.

It was the first time he had tried it. At that moment, the dozens of flame spears aiming at Kang-jun were extinguished.

Although he had aimed the skill at one spear, the flames in a certain area in front of him disappeared.

A smile formed on Kang-jun's face.

'The skill is more powerful than I thought.'

Heavenly Flow was a type of wide area skill.

As Kang-jun scattered the magic attack and rushed over, the skeleton lord flinched back in surprise.

However, he used another magic spell instantly.

Kwarurung! Pajijik - Kwaaang!

Blue light dropped on the spot where Kang-jun was and the land exploded like there was a bomb.

However, Kang-jun had already neared the skeleton lord.

'Heavenly Cut!'

He didn't need to save his skills because he had enough black magic energy.

If this skill didn't do any damage, he would attack with Will to Fight.

However, unlike the last skeleton lord, this one fell helplessly in front of Kang-jun's skill.

[Experience has been gained.]

[9,902 nodes have been gained.]

[62 small moonstones have been acquired.]

[21 large moonstones have been acquired.]

[35 Essence of Darkness have been acquired.]

[You have earned 300 red moon achievement points.]

[Dark Bone Sword (Hero) has been acquired.]

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

Now, his level didn't rise even if he killed a lord. However, his experience bar was almost full.

Lv.58 (Exp 79.28%)

'A low level lord.'

Furthermore, the number of moonstones were reduced.

'The drop rate is getting worse.'

It was fortunate that a golden treasure box had emerged.

A heart came out when he opened it.

[Skeleton Lord's Heart]

-Rating: Legend

-Can enhance the power of a skill.

-Greatly increases magic damage.

The purpose was to raise the power of his magic attack skills.

Currently, Kang-jun's magic skills consisted of Aura of Earth and Aura of Wind. They weren't attack skills, so it would be hard to see an effect.

'Let's put it in my inventory.'

If he learnt a magic attack skill, he would use it.

Kang-jun looked at the Dark Bone Sword that had been dropped. It was a black sword made of bones and seemed to be quite hard.

[Dark Bone Sword]

-Rating: Hero

-The special ability of the skeleton lord dwells within the sword, giving it a strong durability.

-The probability of a physical critical hit will increase by 2%.

It was a fairly good sword to use. However, Kang-jun already had a legend ranked sword and hadn't used it.

'I'll give it to my clone.'

He immediately summoned the clone and handed him the sword.

As a result, the clone also owned equipment. Along with the Dark Bone Sword, the clone was wearing the hero ranked Guardian's Heavy Armour.

'Shall I examine the fighting power of the clone?'

After the lord was killed by Kang-jun, the skeleton warriors were scattered all over the place.

Still, they didn't leave and were hiding in the forest.

Kang-jun ordered his clone to fight and watched.

Supapak! Papak!

"Kyaaak!"

"Kueeeok!"

Surprisingly, his clone could use Heaven's Blood Sword Style skillfully and could also use even skills like Heavenly Cut and Heavenly Unyielding Slash.

However, the clone's power was weaker than his.

He had approximate one third of Kang-jun's power.

However, that alone was enough to sweep up all the skeleton warriors.

[Experience has been gained.]

[21 nodes have been gained.]

[One small moonstone has been acquired.]

[Experience has been gained.]

[28 nodes have been gained.]

[One Essence of Darkness has been acquired.]

[One intermediate health potion has been acquired.]

He earned some j.a.ptem.

There was also experience.

As the monsters were destroyed, Kang-jun acc.u.mulated experience.

However, it was less experience than Kang-jun would get himself. Still, it was experience that he couldn't ignore.

'Is this okay?'

Previously, he hadn't summoned his clone because he had thought it was weak.

[Lucan's Clone]

Health: 2052/2110

Black Magic Energy: 1720/1930

In particular, its health and black magic energy were good.

'He could be quite helpful in battle.'

While Kang-jun was dealing with the lord, he could have the clones take care of the monsters.

Even if the clone got in trouble, he could be recreated using 800 points of chaos power.

However, he should save as much chaos power as possible, so he gave the clone recovery potions.

The 20 shices in the Guardian's Heavy Armour were filled with the advanced Regeneration Medicine of Darkness.

It was a recipe made by the alchemist Sud that restored 500 health points.

'He won't die easily.'

The Regeneration Medicine of Darkness was made in real time using the health potions and Essence of Darkness.

On the bloody Battlefield, the health potions and Essence of Darkness were the best drops.

Furthermore, one Essence of Darkness created enough powder for 10 potions, allowing Sud to maintain a supply of Regeneration Medicine of Darkness in the inventory.

(20 Regeneration Medicine of Darkness have disappeared, so I will refill it, Lord.)

"Okay."

Then an unknown light gleamed in Kang-jun's shadow. After a while...

[Sud has manufactured an advanced Regeneration Medicine of Darkness.]

In this way, Regeneration Medicine of Darkness kept on being made.

It was the same for black magic energy recovery potions.

Sud used the Essence of Darkness to made more advanced potions.

Thanks to that, Kang-jun didn't need to worry about potions.

'Then shall I go to the next forest?'

There were hundreds of dark lizardmen that exuded a dark energy.

'No lords.'

There were only monsters and no lords. All of them were in groups of three or four with no monsters wandering around alone.

"Go and lure them here."

"I'll do that."

After Kang-jun gave a command, the clone immediately went and provoked the lizardmen.

Kang-jun didn't give specific details, but it was his clone, so the clone already knew what he wanted.

In the meantime, Kang-jun destroyed the lizardmen around him.

After a while...

Worururu!

The ground started shaking as 30 or so dark lizardmen chased after the clone.

"Kukaka! Catch the intruder."

"Kukik! He got away!"

Kang-jun released the clone and ran over.

'Heavenly Unyielding Slash!'

He used a wide area attack skill instantly!

Paaaat!

"Kyaaak!"

"Kuaack!"

The dark lizardmen were destroyed by the power of Heavenly Unyielding

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Slash that spread like a wave.

'This is easy.'

A large amount of experience was immediately received.

Anyway, experience was necessary for growth. Once Kang-jun's level rose, his other abilities increased as well.

Therefore, it was much more efficient to use the method of his clone gathering the mobs.

Kang-jun continued to summon his clone.

While Kang-jun destroyed all the monsters nearby, the clone moved in every direction and brought the mobs to where Kang-jun was.

It was possible to hunt at a very fast rate and his level rose by one.

Level up!

Kang-jun reached level 59. The status window of his clone was also altered.

'As my level goes up, the state of my clone is restored.'

[Lucan's Clone]

Health: 2115/2115

Black Magic Energy: 1933/1933

The maximum health and black magic energy had also increased slightly.

"Okay. It is time for the next forest."

Kang-jun headed to the third forest. There were monsters called lamia that looked similar to the nagas.

The difference was that they used magic rather than physical attacks, but that wasn't difficult for Kang-jun and his clones.

He went all the way to the fifth forest but didn't see any lord level monsters.

Just like Mustel said, the grasslands appeared.

Dududududu! Dududu!

Monsters were running wild in the meadow.

They were centaurs with the lower body of a horse and the upper body of a human.

'Pretty fast.'

Dozens of centaurs were running through the meadow with a speed as fast as the wind.

Their weapons were spears.

Additionally, there was a centaur with a huge body running among the centaurs.

He had black fur and his body was also black.

The centaur lord was holding a spear in both hands.

'The lord that is rarely seen is here.'

Kang-jun became distressed. Originally, he had been planning to sweep up all the monsters here before leaving.

He had been hoping to raise his level by hunting lower ranked lords.

Yet his thoughts changed when he saw the centaur lord.

'There is no guarantee that he will come again next time.'

If so, he should take this chance.

He would fight on the ground, but if he flew then it was only a short flight to Lucan's base.

If he was at a disadvantage, he would be able to escape.

Additionally, there was an Aok.

If he took care of the centaur lord, he could open the Aok.

At that moment, the centaur lord discovered Kang-jun.

"Hmm, you are a soldier of the Earth Hwamong Defense Army. You must be confident in your abilities if you came here alone."

Dudududu!

The ground shook as the centaurs started to run simultaneously towards Kang-jun.

In particular, the centaur lord at the front had a fearsome momentum. Two red eyes shone eerily beneath black hair.

"Clone, take care of the centaurs. I will deal with the lord."

"I'll do that."

Kang-jun gave a battle command to his clone.

The centaurs were stronger than other monsters but they weren't a threat to the clone.

Of course, it wasn't easy for his clone to deal with dozens of centaurs alone.

He just had to buy some time

Meanwhile, Kang-jun was facing the centaur lord.

Kang-jun flew toward the head of the centaur lord and wielded his sword.

'Heavenly Cut!'

Flash! Supaak!

The centaur lord blocked it lightly with his spear.

"Kuk! Moderately strong. I will take care of you myself."

The spear of the centaur lord flew toward Kang-jun.

Swiik!

It flew as fast as a ray of light! Kang-jun moved quickly and avoided it.

'He received Heavenly Cut with his spear, so he is very tough.'

However, he used his chaos power at this very moment.

'Will to Fight!'

Kang-jun's eyes shone mysteriously.

Hwaaack!

A light emerged from his wings and penetrated the sword.

The centaur lord sensed something unusual and stepped back.

However, Kang-jun immediately caught him with the skill.

'Heavenly Cut!'

Flash!

A brilliant flash of light emerged from Kang-jun's sword.

The centaur lord blocked it with a spear.

Kaaaang!

"Kuuuuck!

The centaur lord was pushed backwards. His arms holding the spear shook and blood emerged.

Pak! Pak!

Blood was pouring like a fountain from his hands and arms.

"Kuuack! T-this!"

The centaur lord had a look of astonishment on his face and Kang-jun smiled widely.

It was at that moment...

The two arms of the centaur lord, that had been in danger of being torn off, were restored to their original state in the blink of an eye.

It was a mysterious recovery that was hard to believe.

"Kuhahaha! Go!"

At the same time, he rushed towards Kang-jun with his spear.

Syuk!

It was so quick that Kang-jun couldn't avoid it. Instead, he had to stop it with his sword.

Kwaang!

"Ugh!"

This time, it was Kang-jun who was blown away.

At that moment, the centaur rode away toward Kang-jun's clone who was dealing with the centaurs.

Syuok! Kwaang!

A charging attack that unfolded in the blink of an eye!

Kang-jun's clone couldn't overcome it and was literally broken apart.

'd.a.m.n!'

Kang-jun sighed.

He only received 1,000 damage and was relatively fine. In the meantime, a horrible incident had occurred.

His clone couldn't withstand an attack by the centaur lord!

However, now wasn't the time to be bitter.

Kang-jun was surrounded by centaurs.

The centaur lord flew into the sky and shouted loudly,

"Attack."

Dududu! Dududududu!

The centaurs received the order and rushed instantly.

Kang-jun lifted his head and stared at the centaur lord who had a terrifying atmosphere around him.

'He can fly in the sky.'

Kang-jun thought the centaur lord couldn't fly because he had only been running on the ground.

'He will attack the moment I fly up.'

It was why the centaur lord ordered his subordinates to attack.

In order to avoid an attack from every direction, Kang-jun would have no choice but to escape to the air.

Dududu! Dududududu!

Meanwhile, the distance between Kang-jun and the centaurs was narrowed.

If Kang-jun didn't move then the centaurs would pierce each other and him with the spears.

Nevertheless, the centaurs rushed without hesitation. They didn't care about dying.

"Kukukuk! Foolish fellow! Pay the price."

Additionally, the centaur lord in the air started to descend with a spear aimed at Kang-jun.

At that moment, Kang-jun's sword glowed with a brilliant light.

Flash!

At the same time, a wave of light spread in every direction.

The centaurs rushing at him stopped like time had been paused.

No, it seemed to stop but that was just because their forms were maintained.

Pasususu.

The centaurs rushing towards Kang-jun turned into dust.

That wasn't all.

The centaur lord, who had been descending in the air, also fell and groaned like he had been shocked.

"Kuaaak!"

The power of Heavenly Unyielding Slash combined with Will to Fight.

Of those who entered the radius, only the centaur lord was the survivor.

"Oduduk! You dare!"

The centaur lord jumped up and glared at Kang-jun.

Kang-jun smiled coldly.

"Now, it is fair. A one-on-one match."

"Killing my men! I won't forgive you."

Chukakaang!

A red aura emerged from the spear of the centaur lord.

The spear was covered with a blazing fire-like aura!

As a result, his entire body was covered in red light.

Dudududu!

The gaze of the centaur lord, who was rushing towards Kang-jun, was filled with anger.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa!

Surprisingly, the shice around him split in both directions.

Kang-jun received the strong impression that he was in front of an incoming train.

'This ignorant strength!'

It would be foolish to face such a thing head on.

However, what was this?

Although Kang-jun was fleeing, the centaur lord narrowed the distance.

No matter which way he moved, the centaur lord aimed at Kang-jun in a straight line.

A large amount of magic power had been consumed to keep attacking the designated target. It was the special move of the centaur lord!

There were only two ways to respond.

One method was to take the attack!

The other one was to keep fleeing and die!

'It can't be helped!'

Kang-jun had no thoughts of dying. The result would be determined by who had the stronger attack and defense.

'Will to Fight!'

He used Heavenly Cut that had chaos power contained in it.

Kang-jun flew toward the centaur lord while feeling like he was rushing toward a flying missile.

'Heavenly Cut!'

An intense flash emerged from Kang-jun's sword. The light around the centaur lord's spear became thicker.

Kwaang!

The two of them collided.

"Ugh!"

"Keeeok!"

Both Kang-jun and the centaur lord flew backwards.

"Ohh! shit!"

There was a hole in his armour and blood was pouring out from the hole.

Health: 1720/6350

[Your health has dropped to 30% and Will of Survival has been activated.]

[Your physical and magic defense will increase significantly when Will of Survival is activated.]

'A really ignorant attack.'

If it wasn't for Will of Survival, a skill he received when Wings of Chaos reached Stage 2, Kang-jun would have been a cold body.

Snap!

Kang-jun reflexively took out an advanced Regeneration Medicine of Darkness and looked ahead.

In the meantime, the centaur lord stood up but he also looked terrible.

His chest was split in half from the chaos power and blood gushed from him.

Hwakak! Hwaaah!

However, the body of the centaur lord was then covered with light and the big wound disappeared without a trace.

What type of resilience was this?

'How can I kill him like this?'

Kang-jun was dumbfounded. There was no way to kill the centaur lord unless he did it in one strike.

He needed to become stronger by raising his level.

Or maybe he needed to get more powerful equipment or skills.

'Is it still too hard for me?'

If that was the case, the chaos power was consumed unnecessarily.

He might die first.

It would be wise to escape for the next opportunity.

Of course, Kang-jun's face didn't reveal any of his troubles.

He stared at the centaur lord with a desire to kill.

At that moment, the centaur lord declared wildly.

"Kuk! Yes, I'll admit that you are strong. Today, I will leave it like this but next time will be different."

After that, the centaur lord started running away like the wind.

Dududududu!

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from Kang-jun's view.

'What? Escape?'

Kang-jun looked after him with a bemused expression.

Kang-jun had been planning to escape but the centaur lord did it first.

'What is going on?'

It was obvious that the centaur lord's situation was bad, unlike his seemingly restored appearance.

If not, it didn't make sense for him to escape.

So, it was very disappointing.

'I might have won if I was a little bit stronger.'

However, now wasn't the time for regrets. He decided to open the Aok before there was another enemy.

Snap! Snap!

Kang-jun continued to drink the Regeneration Medicine of Darkness and regained his health.

He could go back to the base and recover using the gem but the Aok might end up moving.

Some Aoks were fixed in one place, but others could move.

[The Aok Key has been used once.]

[The Aok Key has disappeared.]

[The Aok has been opened.]

One of his two Aok Keys disappeared. It was possible to use a key three times, and this was the third time.

'Surely, it won't be empty?'

Kang-jun immediately entered the Aok and looked inside.

It was a large closed room.

There was a feeling of emptiness.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like anything was alive.

The floor and walls were covered with unknown pictures and letters.

(Lord, there is nobody in this Aok.)

Sud spoke. Kang-jun had a dispirited expression on his face as he spoke.

"Did they

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commit suicide again?"

(Maybe they reached the end of their life span.)

"Then it can't be helped. Search to see if there is anything like a Dimensional Piece."

(There is no such thing. There isn't even a common Essence of Darkness.)

Sud also showed some disappointment. Kang-jun slowly walked towards the door of the Aok.

"Then it was a complete waste."

It was at that moment.

(L-Lord! C-can you wait a minute?)

Sud's voice suddenly trembled for some reason.

"What's going on?"

(I think I can decipher these characters. It contains very rare alchemy content.)

It must be something special for the alchemist Sud to say that it was rare.

"I'll wait for you to decipher it."

(Yes, Lord. Thank you.)

Then Kang-jun's shadow started moving over the letters.

Of course, that shadow was Sud. Kang-jun allowed him to move to decipher the text.

It was quite difficult as, sometimes, it felt like Sud was pulling his hair out. The shape of the shadow changed, so it was quite funny to watch.

'It will take some time, so I should rebuild my clone.'

Although it had been smashed by the centaur lord, the attacks of the clones weren't useless.

Even Kang-jun had found it hard to win against the centaur lord. so it was natural that the clone had broken.

The clone would do well against weak or normal monsters.

He consumed 800 points of chaos power and a new clone was instantly summoned.

"Did you call me?"

The clone appeared with a smile. His condition was neat but the equipment was a mess.

'Fortunately, the equipment didn't disappear.'

It was the same for the potions left in the inventory. It didn't matter since equipment was automatically repaired once placed in a warehouse.

In fact, Kang-jun's heavy armour also needed repair, so he decided to stop by the base before leaving Hwanmong.

"Go back until I call you."

"I'll do that."

The clone disappeared into his wings.

It was at that time.

[Your household member Sud has deciphered the letters in the Aok and acquired the synthesis alchemy of the ancient demon, Ios.]

[Synthesis Alchemy of the Demon Ios]

-Rating: Legend

-Synthesizing essences had a certain probability to produce different types of essences.

"What is this?"

Kang-jun asked with an absurd expression. Then Sud replied with an inspired voice.

(Lord! This is great luck. I didn't think that the alchemist, Ios, would leave words behind here.)

"Is the alchemy of the demon, Ios, that great?"

(Lord, Ios' alchemy is also called chaos alchemy.)

"Chaos alchemy?"

(In fact, creating other types of essences isn't that great. In addition to having to consume two or more essences to create another one, the probability of failure is very high.)

"Then why did you say it was lucky?"

(This is due to the Essence of Chaos. Every time you combine essences, there is a random chance to get an Essence of Chaos.)

"Essence of Chaos?"

Kang-jun's eyes widened with surprise.

The Essence of Chaos was so rare that he hadn't seen it before.

None of the lord level monsters had dropped it.

Even the merchants that came to the Dimensional Shelter didn't sell it.

Rather, they offered 100 moonstones to buy the Essence of Chaos.

However, it was obtainable as a by-product through alchemy.

"Then using the synthesis alchemy might give me Essence of Chaos."

Sud scratched his head and said,

(I can't guarantee that it will emerge even if I do it in bulk. I'll need some materials to try it once.)

"Tell me what you need."

(Just save 100 of each type of essences.)

"Won't your inventory be insufficient?"

(If I turn it into powder, it will only occupy one shice, regardless of quantity.)

"Then that isn't a problem."

Kang-jun smiled. It was because he had hundreds of each type of essences in the warehouse.

"Is there anything else that you need?"

(No.)

"Okay. Then I will take the essences out of the warehouse."

Kang-jun laughed happily.

He had thought it was a waste, but Ios' alchemy was legend grade, so it was actually a jackpot.

'If the Essence of Chaos can be manufactured in large quantitie, then I can fill the chaos power quickly.'

It wasn't a skill that Kang-jun acquired but he would still get the benefits.

Sud belonged permanently to Kang-jun's shadow anyway.

Furthermore, honestly, it would be very painful if he had to do it himself.

He was busy, so it would be a burden if he had to split the time with alchemy as well.

However, Sud was a faithful demon that was crazy about alchemy, so Kang-jun could leave it to him comfortably.

Kang-jun just had to give him the command.

Kang-jun was delighted as he stepped out of the Aok. As soon as he left the door, the Aok dimension disappeared.

'I'll have to return the base.'

However, a black energy suddenly entwined around Kang-jun.

Chu chu chu.

Kang-jun was startled.

'What is this?'

There was no room for resistance. As the black aura that covered his eyes disappeared, the scene around him changed completely.

'Where is this place?'

It wasn't the vast grasslands where the centaurs were playing but a huge cave.

Furthermore, there were many undead with bright eyes in front of him.

Death knights, dullahans, ghouls, zombies and skeletons.

At first glance, there were over 100 undead surrounding Kang-jun and in the centre was a woman in black robes.

She had long purple hair and white skin.

It was like looking at a mannequin.

Then she looked at Kang-jun and said bluntly,

"You are Lucan."