Mixed Novel Haha93.59%

254 - 263

Chapter 254: Chapter 254

As soon as the elder finished, Min Sung looked at the elders and nodded.

He then threw his Gungnir S back into his item window.

"We'll just wait and see, but you only have until the end of the day."

Min Sung looked down at the elder who had his leg stabbed and walked off.

In the silence, all dark elves watched as Min Sung disappeared into the distance.

***

"I apologize, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee laid in a dark elf bed and apologized with a pained look on his face.

He was unable to look Min Sung in the eyes, so he looked to the ground.

"Ho Sung."

"Yes, Sir," Ho Sung Lee answered while doing his best to loosen up his grimacing face.

"Why are you acting like that?" Min Sung asked.

"… What do you mean?" Ho Sung Lee asked while glancing up at Min Sung in surprise.

"Why do you look so ashamed?"

"Well…"

"You did a good job and a bad job."

"…"

Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung and gulped.

"What you did well was the fact that you suspected that the dark elves could try to steal the ancient document away and acted upon your rationale."

Ho Sung Lee waited for Min Sung to continue.

"But the problem is that you didn't report to me about it and made your own decisions to act. Why did you do that?"

"Because you were in the middle of eating, and I wasn't entirely sure either."

"Report to me from now on. This is Beatrice, not earth. This isn't a place where I can protect you. Don't let your pride put your life at risk."

Ho Sung Lee dropped his head and nodded.

"… Yes, Sir."

"I'm still impressed. The fact that you found the elder that tried to take the ancient document away and the fact that you brought yourself time until I got there."

Ho Sung Lee smiled bitterly.

"I don't deserve your praise, and I'm embarrassed that all I'm doing is learning and gaining experience without showing any output. It's not like I'm still in school. I'll make sure to improve even more from now on," said Ho Sung Lee with a sigh.

"It took me 100 years."

"…?"

"I'm telling you not to overestimate yourself. Don't overdo it and focus on your recovery."

Min Sung then left the room where Ho Sung Lee was resting.

Ho Sung Lee watched him leave and let out a laugh.

"I really don't know what to expect from that guy."

He sounded cold, but his words were warm.

"100 years…"

Ho Sung Lee stared into space and blinked in thought.

He then laughed.

"How can anyone survive in a place like that for 100 years?"

Ho Sung Lee looked toward where Min Sung left and knitted his brows.

"That doesn't comfort me one bit."

That was what he said, but Ho Sung Lee couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Next time…!"

Ho Sung Lee clenched his fist and dreamt of becoming the perfect supporter.

***

The elders of the dark elves formally began their investigation.

They checked Ho Sung Lee's condition first. They asked exactly what happened and then took a closer look at the basement where the ancient document was stored.

They finished their investigation, but since CCTVs didn't exist in this world, it was difficult to find out the truth.

And the elder who also used to be Ellen's mentor named Tude stressed that he was innocent.

As a result, the other elders had a headache.

The powerful outsider and the elder, Tude, were saying completely different things, and there were no clear evidence to prove who was right.

Tude had no intention of backing down from his stance that he was innocent and that the outsider was the one framing him for the crime.

The elders left Tude in the room and conducted a meeting, but they couldn't come to a joint decision.

They didn't have much time left in the day.

For that reason, the elders were in a rush, but time continued to pass by.

That was when they got to the point.

Since they couldn't secure any

evidence, they couldn't kick out Tude, who was claiming his innocence.

But the other side was claiming that for the sake of history, it was time for him to step back.

"Are you saying we should make Tude stand trial when he could actually be innocent?"

"As long as we stay within the limits…"

"That would mean he would be punished when he didn't commit a crime and accepting the outsider's stance. That man will probably ask for Tude's life."

"What else can we do? Should we dispatch our troops and face off against the outsider then?"

"I'm just saying we should continue this discussion…"

"We don't have time for that. How much time do we have today? If we keep at this and don't come to a decision…"

"Then you should step up, Elder."

"Pardon me?"

"If one person's sacrifice will save the rest of the dark elves, you should just say you did it."

"But I didn't even…"

"Look here. If you don't feel it's fair for you to confess to something you didn't do, why are you pushing Tude to sacrifice his life? What's the difference?"

During their intense discussion, someone appeared behind the curtains.

It was the dark elves' ruler, Ellen.

She still looked pale from her recovery, but she was a lot better than before.

"E-Ellen!"

The elders sprung up.

She smiled and opened her mouth.

"That's enough. I'll take responsibility for what happened."

In response, the elders froze up and soon caught onto why Ellen said that.

They immediately began to dissuade Ellen.

"Please don't."

"You mustn't!"

"I'll take the blame."

"No, I'll take the punishment. Why would you take responsibility? That's ridiculous."

As soon as Ellen raised her hand, the noisy meeting room fell silent.

Once it was completely quiet, Ellen looked at the elders and opened her mouth.

" Someone needs to take responsibility for this. Since I couldn't keep our promise, we're all responsible for this, but all of our responsibility is also mine."

Ellen spoke with an unwavering gaze.

That meant she was determined.

Although the elders knew that she wasn't going to change her mind, they continued to protest.

"How would the dark elves continue after losing their leader?"

"You must change your mind!"

"We can't accept this!"

"We won't be able to give you any kind of punishment!"

The elders were persistent, but Ellen didn't change her mind.

"Someone else will take over in my place. You must accept this decision for the sake of the dark elves."

***

"… What? Ellen said that?"

Tude opened his eyes wide open. He stared at the elders, who explained what happened at the meeting, and dropped his jaw.

To Tude, Ellen was the dark elves' ruler as well as someone he had mentored ever since she was little.

He couldn't let such a ruler take the fall for what he did.

On top of that, Tude knew just how stubborn Ellen was better than anybody.

He couldn't let this happen.

Tude stared at the elders with twinkling eyes.

"Where's Ellen?"

As soon as he was told Ellen was looking for the outsider he pushed them aside and ran toward the outsider's dwelling.

***

"It's probably chaos out there," Ho Sung Lee said with a sad smile.

Min Sung, who was drinking coffee with milk while looking out the window, watched the dark elves gather and then looked up at the sky.

The sun was setting.

After finishing his milk, Min Sung placed the milk bag by the window sill and began walking.

Ho Sung Lee also glanced out the window and saw that the dark elves were gathering.

He realized something big was going to happen and immediately followed Min Sung out.

As soon as Min Sung got out of his dwelling, he saw Ellen surrounded by other dark elves.

She was walking confidently with her shoulders held wide.

She stood right in front of Min Sung.

Ellen was so beautiful that most people felt suffocated when standing so close, but Min Sung stared at her with emotionless eyes.

"We were unable to find any evidence against the elder, Tude."

"So?"

"It's my fault that we weren't able to keep our promise, so I will take responsibility."

Min Sung could tell Ellen wasn't lying.

Her eyes made it clear that she wasn't lying.

Ellen continued,

"According to our law, the ruler can't stand on trial. So the only way is for you to…"

In the middle of Ellen's sentence.

"Ellen! Ellen!"

She heard a familiar voice from afar.

Min Sung and Ellen looked toward the noise.

The man responsible, Tude, was running their way.

The elder fell right before Ellen and Min Sung and at the same time, the elder paid his respects to Ellen and confessed the truth.

"I tried to take the ancient document and give it to the dwarves."

In response, all the dark elves who were watching flinched in surprise.

But they couldn't tell if Tude was saying this because it was true or if he was just trying to protect Ellen.

"I felt like it was unfair to just let an outsider take the ancient document. If I explain any further, it'll just ruin the dark elves' honor. I'm the one responsible for all of this, so please punish me according to the dark elves' law!"

Tude shouted his confession with his head dropped low.

Chapter 255: Chapter 255

Ellen dripped in tears. She looked at the elder, Tude, and gave him a warm smile.

"I understand how you felt," said Ellen.

Tude wiped his tears away and looked back at Ellen.

As soon as he saw Ellen's eyes, he had to actively hold back his tears.

"No, Your Highness. No way. There's no way I can let you take the blame for something that I've done."

"Elder Tude…"

"What do you think you're doing?! I've betrayed Ellen. Go on and punish me according to the dark elves' law…"

"Elder Tude! The law is surely ours, but regarding this incident, the outsider has full control. Please calm down…"

The elder, Tude, was not in his right mind.

The possibility of Ellen being killed for his mistake, or for all of them to go to war because of him and have Ellen get killed broke the elder's heart.

The elder, Tude, crawled on all fours. He grabbed onto Min Sung's pants and looked up at him.

"This is all my fault! Outsider, don't you already know this? You dragged me here yourself, so you know the situation best! Not Ellen. Please. I'll do whatever you ask. If you want me to die, I will. If you want to torture me, I'll endure it."

Ellen, as well as the other elders and dark elves, stared at Tude with troubled eyes.

He had always been wiser than anyone, but all they could see at the moment was not the honorable elder but just an old dark elf.

Min Sung looked down at him and knitted his brows.

"You're not going to follow your own rules?" Min Sung asked Ellen.

At this point, Ellen couldn't be stubborn either.

The outsider had decided how the incident would be handled.

The death of the elder, Tude.

Since the elder, Tude, confessed to his crime himself, the conclusion was obvious.

Ellen called another elder nearby and commanded him to call the troops for punishment.

One of the dark elf soldiers tied Tude's body up with rope, and two other soldiers stood on either side of him with crows in their hands.

"Do you have any last words?" Ellen asked.

The elder, Tude, was unable to lift his head.

"I have no words, Ellen."

Ellen swallowed her tears and said, "Please forgive me… as I have no power here."

Ellen looked at Tude with dark eyes and slowly raised her hand.

It was a signal.

As soon as she lowered her hand, The man who took care of her like a parent ever since she was little would be killed.

Ellen closed her eyes and tears dripped from it.

As soon as she lowered her hand…

Grab!

She felt someone grab her wrist which caused her to flinch and open her eyes.

Ellen looked at the person who was holding her wrist.

It was none other than Min Sung Kang's party, Ho Sung Lee, who was being treated after a major injury.

Ellen looked at Ho Sung Lee in shock, and Ho Sung Lee was glancing over at Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee opened his mouth.

"Sir, I know they tried to set us up with the item that we were promised… But it's not hard to understand them either."

"So?" Min Sung asked.

"Please forgive him."

In response to the unexpected request, Ellen, the elders, and the dark elves stared at Ho Sung Lee with widened eyes.

"If you think about it, it makes sense that they tried to do such a thing. It's not hard to understand. If we were in their shoes, would we have been able to hand it over so easily?"

"…"

"And if you kill him, that could taint your reputation as well."

"…"

Min Sung stared at the elder, Tude, who was ready to die.

"Now that we have the ancient document, I don't think it's necessary to go this far, but this is just my opinion. Please don't get me wrong. You will make the final decision, and I won't go against whatever you decide to do."

Ho Sung Lee watched for Min Sung's response with Ellen's wrist still in his hand.

Min Sung took turns looking at

Ellen, the elder, Tude, the other elders, and the dark elves and took a moment to think.

He took a while, and the dark elves grew anxious at what Min Sung would say next.

And then finally…

Min Sung opened his mouth.

"… Okay, fine. But that's it. If you irritate me one more time, it won't end with just one life lost."

In response, Ho Sung Lee closed his eyes. He let out a sigh of relief and let go of Ellen's wrist.

At the same time, the dark elves also sighed.

***

Ellen looked at Ho Sung Lee as if she couldn't understand him.

The air around them felt awkward.

But the elders and dark elves looked different from Ellen, and it wasn't something that was hard to understand.

Just like he had said, they were nothing but plunderers who trespassed into the dark elves' fortress and took their ancient document.

So they weren't so fond of them.

But Beatrice followed the law of the jungle.

For that reason, the generosity of those with power meant a lot.

Min Sung Kang showed them mercy, and the dark elves realized that.

But behind it was shame and humiliation.

It couldn't be helped.

He had no intention of saying nonsense that wouldn't even comfort them and simply come off as abuse of power.

If no one got hurt, that was all that mattered.

And it was possible that Min Sung also wanted it to end this way.

After all, he didn't like things that were troublesome.

"Thank you. You saved us."

Ho Sung Lee looked at Ellen.

She was expressing her gratitude with genuine sincerity.

Her gratitude made him feel ashamed.

Although they took the ancient document because they won the battle, they were still nothing but trespassers and plunderers.

But just like how carnivores preyed on herbivores, they were under similar circumstances in Beatrice.

They had to succumb to the way things were.

He had many things he wanted to say, but he kept it inside.

***

Once they got back to their dwelling, Min Sung sat under the shade and took a rest.

Since he was a powerful hunter with good-looks, it was quite the sight.

If his personality was a little nicer, he would've been popular with the ladies.

'Too bad.'

Ho Sung Lee approached Min Sung while leading two horses his way.

"Sir, I brought the horses. I just asked for them and they immediately offered."

"As they should."

Min Sung got up. He scanned one of the horses and got on top of it.

"Huh? Are we leaving now?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"Oh, it's not that, but it's almost dinner time."

"Let's get out of here first. I don't like it here," Min Sung replied while scanning his surroundings with a grimace.

Ho Sung Lee dripped in a cold sweat and smiled bitterly.

"Yes, Sir."

The dark elves opened the doors to the fortress so that Min Sung's party could comfortably exit.

While Ellen, the elders, and the dark elf soldiers watched by, Ho Sung Lee was overcome with an uncomfortable feeling.

But unlike him, Min Sung looked to be just fine.

He did always have a poker face, but he looked especially goal-oriented today.

'That's not a bad thing though.'

Ho Sung Lee lit a cigarette and sighed with the smoke.

As someone who went around such a dangerous place with that pain, the fact that he didn't have his own colors hinted that he was incapable.

'… I failed again.'

He failed to prove his abilities as Min Sung's supporter.

He was praised, but that was pretty much a warning telling him to take better care of his own life in a dangerous place like Beatrice.

He knew that fact all so well.

But when considering Min Sung's original personality, he had changed a lot.

"Stop," Min Sung said while pulling on the reigns.

Min Sung stopped his horse not far from the fortress.

Ho Sung Lee assumed Min Sung wanted to stop for a meal since they were out of the fortress, but he was wrong.

Min Sung called Ssol.

"Bring the ancient document."

In response, Ssol immediately took out the ancient document from his golden pouch and handed it over to Min Sung.

Min Sung used his levitation ability to pull the ancient document through the air right into his hands.

***

[Quest Cleared.]

[You've acquired the ancient document.]

[You'll be rewarded greatly.]

[Your honor has gone up.]

[The Dionysus Gods are very interested in you.]

[Your reward has been deposited.]

[You have a total of 237,000 points.]

[You've acquired a divination sign.]

[Congratulations. You've acquired the power certification.]

'Power Certification?'

While Min Sung wondered what that was, the system windows rang like crazy.

[The Dionysus Gods are shocked that you acquired the power certification.]

[Some of the gods are beginning to grow scared of you.]

[Your number of views have skyrocketed.]

[Your reputation has gone up.]

Min Sung knitted his brows at the noisy system messages.

Since they were nothing but the gods overreacting, he ignored them and opened his item window.

Just like the messages described, he saw a divination sign in his item window.

There was a total of 8 divination signs, and it was an item that could stop the growth of the Iris Tree on earth, which connected them to Beatrice.

Since there was no point in saving it, Min Sung immediately touched a divination sign.

As soon as he did, the divination sign disappeared like sand, and he saw a system message confirming that the Iris tree was under restraint.

Chapter 256: Chapter 256

After using his divination sign, Min Sung took a look at his power certification.

It looked like any old book item, and he was able to use it just by touching it.

Seeing how the Dionysus Gods were freaking out about it, it appeared to be a valuable item.

Min Sung was no businessman, so he immediately touched the power certification without making any calculations.

As soon as he did, a system message popped up notifying him that he was using his power certification.

Not much changed.

He simply obtained the chance to acquire power.

It was an impressive ability, but since it couldn't be used right away, there was no need to waste any more time thinking about it.

Min Sung immediately proceeded to the next step.

***

Ho Sung Lee couldn't stop thinking about how much Min Sung had changed.

Min Sung had really changed.

He finally acknowledged his worth, and he could sense him becoming softer from his originally cold personality.

That was a fact.

The old Min Sung wouldn't have let the elder, Tude, live no matter what he said.

He would have killed him without even blinking, so why did he listen to him this time?

He didn't have the right to make such a request.

Since he owed Min Sung his life, he had no right to ask him to spare the elder, Tude, and if he was Min Sung, he would have felt frustrated hearing it.

But Min Sung accepted his opinion without many words.

Why?

He told him it could taint his reputation.

Was that why?

He was curious and wanted to ask why.

Ho Sung Lee hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask him…

… For the reason.

"Sir."

"What?"

While Min Sung rode on his horse and checked the system map to see which way to go, Ho Sung Lee asked from behind, "Why did you let the elder, Tude, live?"

Min Sung laughed.

"Because you told me to."

Ho Sung Lee gulped.

He had changed so much that he felt scared.

Min Sung was the type to kill someone if they got on his nerves, so this transformation made him feel anxious.

It was natural to feel scared when a powerful man became unpredictable.

"Ho Sung."

As soon as his face turned pale, Min Sung called his name.

"Yes, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee immediately lifted his head.

"I didn't like the method, but because of you, we were able to obtain the ancient document which was on its way to the dwarves' fortress. The reason why I accepted your quest was because you were responsible for that, and I thought you deserved it."

"I see."

He finally understood.

He didn't understand it completely, but he realized Min Sung was following a standard of his own.

"But… If you did that when you didn't do anything to deserve it, I would've…"

Min Sung looked up and thought of something, and that alone made Ho Sung Lee's body shiver.

"I would've…"

"… You don't have to say it. I understand."

Min Sung nodded and checked his map again.

Ho Sung Lee sighed.

He hadn't changed that much.

It was just that there was a part of Min Sung he had yet to know.

That was what he concluded.

And just like Min Sung said, if he stepped up without having done anything…

Gulp.

He didn't want to imagine what would've happened next.

***

He currently had 237,000 experience points.

He could either buy another divination sign or another item.

Min Sung checked his item window in contemplation of what to buy, but he spotted some updated information.

Since he obtained the power certification, he was now able to purchase power with his experience points, and he was able to understand why the Dionysus Gods were so scared of him having obtained the power certification.

Power meant the power of God.

That meant he would be able to use the power of God, and that was a level that was hard to dream of for a human being.

But there was no saying that power would be used on Min Sung, and that allowed Min Sung to realize that he was already at a higher level than an average human being.

Even without power, he was already powerful enough, which meant he was in the realm of the gods already.

That was obvious just from the fact that the

ruler of the Demonic Realm ran away from battling him.

But in any case, power meant the power of God, and being able to use it effortlessly gave him a leg up.

From Min Sung's standpoint, the powers that appeared in his item window was a tempting list that he didn't need to turn down.

Now that he was able to buy power instead of skills, he decided it was a good idea to level up in that sense instead, so Min Sung decided to buy one of the items on the power list.

There were different ranks to power, and the one that Min Sung could buy was the lowest rank at the price of 200,000 points.

But he calculated that this purchase was much more cost-effective compared to any skill, so Min Sung decided to purchase it.

Min Sung's purchase was as follows.

[Power]

Resurrection: You can use this once for 300 hours, allowing you to bring a dead person back to life.

Whether it was Ho Sung Lee, Bowl or Ssol.

Considering the fact that the inner continent of Beatrice was home to the most powerful of all the stars, it became more likely for his subordinates to die.

As such, he thought this ability would be useful, so Min Sung bought the resurrection power without any hesitation.

The reason why he didn't think 300 hours wasn't a long cooldown period was because it was able to bring a dead person back to life.

It was definitely a power, and the reason why he bought the resurrection power was because he didn't see the need to purchase a low-level power that was at a similar level of an attack skill.

After all, those were weaker than his thunder magic power.

If any of the medium or high-rank powers happened to be more powerful than his attack skills, he would consider buying them, but this wasn't the right time for it.

After purchasing the power, he had 37,000 points remaining.

Dropping down from 237,000 points made it feel like next to nothing.

But the resurrection ability was worth investing in, and he felt no regret since all he had to do was collect more experience points.

***

"Let's eat first," said Min Sung after stopping his horse.

The location where they stopped for a meal was on the edge of the Dark Elf forest.

Beyond the forest was dry land without any shade to be seen.

Since this world didn't have buildings everywhere like earth, there was a great deal of wasteland.

"We'll eat here and send the horses back," said Min Sung.

That meant that Ho Sung Lee would have to run with all his might again.

"We'd better eat lots for the road."

Ho Sung Lee prepared the meal with a smile.

"Is there anything you'd like in particular?"

Ho Sung Lee asked as he took out the table from his item window.

Min Sung looked out into the endless wasteland and fell deep into thought.

He then opened his mouth.

"A stew," replied Min Sung.

"Sure."

Ho Sung Lee immediately began cooking.

He was able to cook anything.

That was how much recipe data chef Woong Jang gave him.

If he returned to earth and the era of hunters came to an end, Ho Sung Lee could set up a restaurant to make a living.

Chef Woong Jang's recipes were like magic, and his cooking abilities were skyrocketing.

Ho Sung Lee washed his hands and focused all his attention on cooking.

***

A pot full of stew was boiling on top of the burner.

It was pork stew.

It was a stew he had never seen before.

'Not soybean stew or Kimchi stew, but pork stew?'

This was very new to Min Sung.

"It's a stew made with lots of pork and lots of hot pepper flakes to give it a kick. It's different from kimchi stew, but the flavor is similar, so you could say it's in the same category."

Min Sung nodded.

That was because he agreed with what Ho Sung Lee said.

It looked like kimchi stew on the outside, but it was a different dish.

While the main ingredient of Kimchi stew was Kimchi, the main ingredient of pork stew was pork.

That simple difference was very important.

What could be noticed first was the scent of vegetables.

While the pork stew boiled on top of the burner, its visuals proved to be outstanding.

Inside the red stew were mushrooms and large pieces of pork.

In the middle of it were noodles as well as pieces of onions.

The refreshing smell tickled his nose while the deep broth looked to be vibrant and not oily at all.

'Let's try this.'

'I wonder how it tastes.'

First, Min Sung put some of the contents of the stew on a spoonful of rice.

He placed mushrooms, pork, and onions on top of the rice, and put the spoon into his mouth.

As soon as he chewed it inside his mouth, Min Sung jolted his eyes wide open.

It was a completely new flavor.

Since it looked like Kimchi stew, he didn't think it would taste much different.

But when he tasted it, it was completely different.

The refreshing broth scratched against his throat while the pork chewed plentifully between his teeth.

On top of that, the sweet flavor of the onion and the chewy texture of the noodles and mushrooms attacked his tastebuds.

Gulp!

The pleasant feeling of satisfaction filled his tummy.

The flavor of the meat went so well with the stew that Min Sung finally understood why the stew was named the way it was.

It was an intense meal thanks to the pork, but what was surprising was that his stomach didn't feel burdened at all.

Min Sung focused all his energy on the pork stew and fully immersed himself in his meal.

Chapter 257: Chapter 257

***

"That was delicious. It was fresh and intense," said Min Sung while wiping his mouth with a wet wipe, and Ho Sung Lee smiled as he took away his bowl.

"Sir, you haven't checked the ancient document yet, have you?"

"Not yet. Why?"

"I'm just curious. Haha," responded Ho Sung Lee while cleaning the table.

"We'll take a break, check it out, and then head out."

"Sure."

Ho Sung Lee smiled and hurriedly finished cleaning up.

Meanwhile, Min Sung leaned back against a large tree on the edge of the forest.

He felt full, and the breeze blowing underneath the shade made him feel happy.

A filling meal.

That was happiness for Min Sung, and that value was never going to change as long as he lived.

Min Sung looked at the scenery while rubbing his belly.

He felt comfortable, and that comfort was rest that he wouldn't trade for anything.

***

Ho Sung Lee finished the dishes and stood in front of Min Sung with twinkling eyes.

He appeared to have been purely curious and excited about the ancient document.

They worked hard to obtain it, and it was a treasure that the dark elves had kept for a very long time.

It was definitely worth getting excited over.

Min Sung called Ssol over from playtime and received the ancient document.

The ancient document was so worn out that it looked like it was about to crumble.

Min Sung took a look at it in a very careful manner, and Ho Sung Lee stuck out his neck to join him.

Aside from the fact that the pages were a little thicker, it wasn't different from any other document.

There was no title, and the color was typical.

The only thing that differentiated the cover from the rest of the pages was thicker paper.

Min Sung scanned the outer page and then flipped to the first page, and on the white page contained one sentence.

You will find out everything.

What was funny was that the Dionysus Gods gave the players in Beatrice the ability to understand their language.

That ability was power, and as a result, he had no trouble understanding the letters and communicating with others.

That ability was also applied to the ancient document, and as a result, both Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee were able to read through the ancient document.

The first page simply read, 'You will find out everything.'

That allowed them to predict what ability the ancient document held.

"… This must contain secret information about Beatrice," Ho Sung Lee said with wide eyes.

Min Sung ignored him and flipped the page.

But the next page was blank without any letters on it.

"Huh? Why is it blank?" Ho Sung Lee asked with knitted brows.

But the blank page soon began to form letters.

This made Ho Sung Lee jolt his eyes wide open, and a bit of brilliance flashed in Min Sung's eyes as well.

And then a moment later, the page was filled with letters.

The contents of the first page of the ancient document was about a place that wasn't far from where they were.

It was about a volcano, and that volcano was ruled by a ranker player named Refman.

The page also read that if he happened to defeat Refman, he would obtain substantial reputation.

"That's crazy… This ancient document is amazing," Ho Sung Lee said to Min Sung.

Min Sung nodded in agreement.

The biggest headache of Beatrice was the fact that there were no standards.

The fact that the standard of reputation wasn't clearly set was what slowed him down substantially, but that problem was resolved by this ancient document.

That also meant that it was impossible for him to fail now.

"This is so useful. I can see why the elder, Tude, tried so hard to protect this item."

"But the fact that he simply kept it locked up without using it could mean that there's something we don't know."

"I'm not sure about that. Maybe that's just their custom. Their environment was ideal for superstitions."

"Maybe."

"Then I guess we're headed to the volcano," said Ho Sung Lee

with a smile.

Min Sung opened the system window.

As soon as he saw the map, the look in his eyes changed.

Since they didn't have a destination, their route was undecided, but the ancient document caused for his eyes to light up.

He saw the volcano on the system map, and all he had to do was go there and defeat Refman.

Min Sung enjoyed a glass of Americano and then headed over to the volcano with his party.

***

As they approached the volcano, they felt a noticeable difference in temperature.

It started to become hot before it got so hot that it felt like they were in a sauna.

They saw smoke from afar.

It was clear they were approaching the volcano, and Ho Sung Lee shivered from the bad feeling he got.

After their long journey, they arrived at the lava region.

Ho Sung Lee smoked his cigarette with a frown.

"Wow, it's so hot here. Why is he here in this heat? I can't believe people actually live here."

Ho Sung Lee took a look around.

It was a sight.

"But if we go in and fall into the lava…"

Ho Sung Lee's face turned pale, and his lips turned into a frown.

That was how scary the sight looked in front of him.

Just the sight of the black ground covered in volcanic ash caused for his body to freeze up.

Ho Sung Lee cowered from his fear of mother nature, and the same went for Ssol.

Ssol trembled and expressed his anxiousness through his eyes.

Only Min Sung and Bowl stood emotionless in front of the volcano.

"Ho Sung," called Min Sung while looking around.

"Yes, Sir."

"Begin exploring."

"… Sorry?"

"Find where Refman might be. You're my supporter."

Min Sung glared at Ho Sung Lee as if he was asking if that was a serious question.

"Oh… You're right. I am."

Ho Sung Lee breathed in. He smacked his lips and dripped in sweat.

Truthfully speaking, Ho Sung Lee felt overwhelmed as soon as they got to the volcano.

He already felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere, so he felt terrified at the thought of going off to explore all by himself in the midst of lava.

But since this was his job, he didn't think for long.

"Yes, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee began walking with determination.

He stepped on the black ground and used his skill to begin his search.

***

While Ho Sung Lee set out to find the ruler of the volcano, Refman, Min Sung also began to explore the volcano.

He walked for quite some time without spotting a single Beatrice native or player, and there wasn't even a trace of them.

He suspected if someone really lived here, but the ancient document told them that Refman was right here at this volcano.

Min Sung didn't think the ancient document could lie, so he continued to walk further into the volcano.

And then he finally spotted a trace.

It was a mark.

Someone's footstep was left behind, and he was certain it didn't belong to Ho Sung Lee…

… Because it wasn't just a few footsteps.

They appeared to belong to those who lived near the volcano.

Seeing how there were different footprints left behind, not only did the ruler, Refman, lived here, but there were others as well, but he didn't see anyone.

When he walked in further, he began to see lava here and there.

The lava was blindingly bright.

Min Sung took a look at the lava before taking out his Gungnir S from his item window.

At the same time, a large body came out from within the lava.

It was a monster, and it resembled a rock golem that was covered in lava.

He growled as he dripped in lava.

"This is the territory of Refman. You may not enter," said the monster.

Min Sung stared at the monster in surprise that he could speak.

"Where's Refman?"

In response, the monster began to give off a strong will to fight.

It was quite powerful for an average monster, and he was even stronger than the ranker players that he had met so far.

But Min Sung still didn't show a response.

He was just a little stronger than the ranker players he had defeated, but in his standards, he was nothing but a low-ranking type.

"Step aside, or you're dead," said Min Sung.

But as a monster whose purpose was to protect the players, he had no intention of letting Min Sung in.

It was bothersome, but a fight was inevitable.

Min Sung looked at the monster with a straight face and pulled his Gungnir S back.

Since he didn't look like he was going to answer so easily, he had to cut off one of his lips to get him to talk.

Min Sung swung his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

Along with a loud, thunderous and lightning sound, the powerful magic power charged toward the monster made of lava.

The magic power slashed through the monster's body, but it simply made a small wound and not much else.

And that also meant that the monster had a chance to retaliate.

The monster was agile, and in just a blink of an eye, the monster popped up in front of Min Sung and swung his fist.

Min Sung immediately kicked back to create a distance and charged his Gungnir S with magic power.

He came to the conclusion that he had to widen the scope rather than intensity to brow the lava away.

The expanded magic power was launched from his Gungnir S.

A wide array of magic power charged toward the monster.

Chapter 258: Chapter 258

The upper body of the golem made of lava disappeared into thin air.

The bottom part of his body plopped down the ground, causing the lava on his body to spread around him.

Min Sung lowered the Gungnir S in his hand and walked past him with quick footsteps.

The place was hot because of the lava, but the temperature was no problem for Min Sung.

Min Sung walked into the smoke further without any hesitation.

***

The appearance of the player, Refman, was impressive.

On his forehead were two horns, and his entire body was covered in huge muscles as well as lava just like the monster Min Sung killed.

His eyes were also red, and every time he breathed, smoke came out of his mouth.

It was hard to think of him as a human player.

He walked into the lava with no clothes on.

He sat and groaned out of relief as he sat down in the boiling lava, almost as if he was in a hot sauna.

He then looked beside him.

He saw a long stream of lava and inside were Beatrice natives and players screaming.

The underlings of Refman were in the form of monsters, and they were squeezing out life energy from the Beatrice natives and players.

At the location where Refman was located, the lava that flowed was completely different from average lava.

That was one of the dark magic effects Refman possessed.

If he threw Beatrice natives and players into the lava, they would scream at the pain of their body melting, and at the same time, they would partially turn into lava themselves.

At the same time, the life energy that the underlings absorbed was the most preferred food for Refman.

It was cruel, but Refman didn't think so.

He wanted to become more powerful, so Refman laughed as he watched the sight.

"You're not going to use your life anyway. You should be honored to sacrifice it for me. Hehehe."

Refman laid back in the lava and smiled.

***

Ho Sung Lee's entire body was drenched with sweat.

That was because he saw monsters here and there, and they showed off quite the presence.

He was using his shadow skill to explore, but if he happened to expose his location or existence, just the thought of what would happen next made his body numb.

'Monsters made of lava…? That's crazy.'

He felt as though if the lava splashed, it would form a hole in his body.

The monsters walked around while dripping in lava.

He was scared, but Ho Sung Lee gathered up his courage to continue to explore.

While he explored the volcanic area and walked further in, Ho Sung Lee finally spotted a dwelling.

It didn't look like the dwelling of monsters, so he predicted that this was where the ruler, Refman, resided.

After scanning to make sure no threatening opponents were in sight, Ho Sung Lee used his shadow skill to enter the dwelling.

His shadow crept the ground, and from a place that wasn't very far, he heard the sound of footsteps.

Ho Sung Lee hurriedly hid under the shade.

At the same time, something appeared.

It was a monster resembling a wolf, and it was on fire.

"Grrrrrr…"

The monster growled as it grew distant from him again.

Ho Sung Lee stopped himself from fainting and started moving as soon as the monster was far enough.

The good thing about his shadow skill was that he could enter anything as long as there was a small crack.

Ho Sung Lee's flat shadow discovered a small crack in the entrance and used it to enter.

As soon as he entered the dwelling, he was faced with a long hallway.

On the right side were lanterns, making it possible to see.

In order to save his magic energy, Ho Sung Lee transformed back to his original form.

And with his back leaned against the wall, he finally caught his breath.

"I'm going crazy here. Why can't we do this together? If I die here, who's going to take care of his meals?"

Ho Sung Lee grumbled in a quiet voice. He

gulped and then walked carefully down the creepy hallway.

At the end of it was a door.

The door was made of stone, and there was no way to open it with hands.

But since there was a small crack, it was possible for him to get through it using his shadow skill.

After all, the biggest strength to the supporter ability that he chose for himself was the ability to infiltrate all sorts of places.

Ho Sung Lee transformed into a shadow and attempted to get through the crack.

***Read more chapter on NovelFull

"Phew, I did it! This is seriously my best skill, but why is it so dark in here?"

Ho Sung Lee was proud of himself, but he soon grumbled after realizing that he couldn't see anything in front of him.

Right as he was about to take out a light from his item window.

An unexpected phenomenon appeared.

A blue light flashed before it and filled the wall with letters.

Ho Sung Lee dropped his jaw in shock and scanned the area around him with widened eyes.

The walls, ceiling, and the ground were filling up with blue letters.

They were ancient letters that he couldn't read.

And as soon as the mysterious letters disappeared, two torchlights came on.

The two torchlights brightened up the space around him.

Ho Sung Lee gulped and kept his eye on all directions.

On top of a table made of wood floated what looked like a round drop of blood.

"… What's that?"

Ho Sung Lee approached the grotesquely red sphere with a shocked look on his face.

It looked stranger and more tempting the closer he got to it.

When he looked at it from up close, it looked even more mysterious.

Ho Sung Lee stared at the drop of fluid floating 30 centimeters above the table and wondered what it was.

He looked around, but no clues were to be found.

He continued to blankly stare at the sphere, and before he knew it, Ho Sung Lee was putting his face closer and closer to the bright sphere as if he was hypnotized.

It wasn't a spell but just his instinctive attraction.

And right as Ho Sung Lee's nose was so close to the fluid resembling blood that it looked like he was going to touch it…

The red sphere wrapped around Ho Sung Lee's face as it had been waiting all along.

"Ugh!"

Ho Sung Lee wobbled around and stepped back.

He didn't imagine the red sphere would attack his face like that.

Ho Sung Lee wobbled around in shock and landed on his butt.

"Ugh!"

He couldn't breathe.

His shoulders and chest thrust up and down and his face turned so red that it looked like it was about to burst.

The thought of dying in such a pathetic way made him feel scared.

He unleashed all of his magic power to try to get the red fluid off his face, but there was no use.

While he was struggling to breathe, the red fluid entered Ho Sung Lee's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Right before he lost consciousness, he could breathe again.

"Huff! Huff!"

Ho Sung Lee violently caught his breath and rolled on the ground.

It was scary to not be able to breathe.

Ho Sung Lee wobbled back up. He looked around in a panic and then took a look at the table.

The red sphere was no longer floating on top of the table, but he clearly remembered it entering his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

His heart pounded from the horror.

As soon as he decided to get out of that strange place…

The anxiousness surfaced once more.

Grumble…

His stomach felt like he was about to have diarrhea.

While his face stiffened and he felt the symptoms in great tension, the pain exploded from within him.

"Gasp!"

Ho Sung Lee jolted his eyes wide open and dropped his jaw.

Ho Sung Lee stepped backward. He leaned against the wall, and his whole body trembled.

The symptoms began to appear.

His skin began to crack and rip, and he felt the pain of his bones breaking.

The pain was unbearable.

So painful that he wanted to give up on his life.

But Ho Sung Lee remembered what had happened with Min Sung.

He overcame countless near-death experiences.

Those memories were so clear in his head that all he could think about on the brink of death was how he overcame it every time with the help of Min Sung.

He didn't want to die.

It wasn't fair.

"Ugh…!"

Ho Sung Lee screamed on his knees and clenched his teeth in order to bear the intolerable pain.

He felt like his bones were breaking, but he withstood the pain while looking at his body.

He was on the ground, so he could only see his shoulder and arms, but his arms were disfigured, and the bones were sticking out of his skin.

'No…'

'I can't die like this.'

'I have to live.'

The strong will to live could be seen from Ho Sung Lee's bleeding eyes.

It was dangerous if he became the Berserker in this state.

He didn't know what was going to happen, but he had to hang in there for as long as possible.

That was the only way to buy time.

He wasn't going to give up on his life.

No matter how painful.

However…

Crack!

It sounded like his bones were going through a grinder.

At the same time, Ho Sung Lee slowly lost consciousness.

And as soon as he began to fade away into darkness, the blue letters that he saw the first time filled the space around him.

Chapter 259 Chapter 259

Ho Sung Lee was no longer able to endure the damage and lost consciousness. At the same time, Ho Sung Lee transformed into his Berserker state.

But despite the fact that he became Berserker, he was still unconscious.

And in that state, his body continued to change in the cruelest way possible.

His bones shattered, pierced through his skin, and rolled around on the ground.

But Ho Sung Lee's heart was still pounding.

Since he was Berserker, his regeneration ability continued to supply his heart with blood.

Squelch, squelch!

The red fluid flowed out of Ho Sung Lee's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

But it was hard to say it was blood.

The component of the red sphere that pounced on Ho Sung Lee's face was a little different in color, and it poured out of Ho Sung Lee's body and began to absorb back in through his skin.

The red fluid began to absorb into the broken bones and ripped skin.

And a surprising phenomenon occurred.

The broken bones began to regenerate.

They then went back into the ripped skin, finding their original place.

The skin began to heal back in shape, and the rough skin turned into a pale color like that of a baby's bottom.

If anyone saw this transition with their naked eyes, they wouldn't have believed it.

At the same time, a white smoke radiated from Ho Sung Lee's body, and it was in the shape of a demon.

***

"Did you… hear something?"

"Hear what…?"

"That weird noise."

"I'm not sure."

The two monsters that stood guard outside the dwelling glanced back toward the inside.

They checked that the door was locked and nodded.

"No one got in."

"I guess we're just hearing things."

As soon as the two monsters went back into positions, they heard what sounded like screaming.

The two monsters looked at each other and then hurriedly looked for their boss.

***

Ho Sung Lee blinked his eyes slowly.

His hazy eyes found focus.

And as soon as he came back to his senses, Ho Sung Lee lifted his head and glanced from side to side.

He then carefully tried to get back up.

He felt something sticky.

When he looked below him, there was a pool of blood.

The sight made Ho Sung Lee knit his brows.

At the same time, he remembered something.

Ho Sung Lee turned his head back and looked at the table.

Ho Sung Lee stared at it blankly with his jaws dropped.

He was certain it couldn't have been a dream.

The pain still felt so real.

And the pool of blood beneath his feet proved it.

Once he regained consciousness, he grew more and more anxious.

Ho Sung Lee caught his breath and scanned his own body.

He was naked.

On his body was the blood that he predicted to be his, but that wasn't what was important.

His skin ripped apart and his bones crumbled, but for some reason, he couldn't find any trace of the wounds.

No, his skin was so soft that it was as if he was born again.

He later realized that the amount of magic power he possessed was almost at rock bottom.

But for some reason, he felt like he was overflowing with magic energy.

Just to check, he opened the palm of his hand and tried to concentrate his magic energy, but the level of the Aura was exponentially higher than he had ever imagined.

Ho Sung Lee put out the Aura and blinked his eyes.

"What's going on here…?"

He mumbled in a low voice. He swept his hair back and looked to the side.

The red fluid that was floating above the table.

That fluid pounced on his face, and it went into his body.

Ho Sung Lee presumed that that was what provided him with a type of stimulant.

***

The ruler of the volcano, Refman smirked.

It was almost complete.

Once he collected just a little more life energy, he would obtain the power that he had always dreamt of.

Refman was certain that once he obtained that power, it wouldn't be difficult to get rid of gangs all on his own.

Just the thought of

the substantial power he was about to obtain made his face smile.

In order to absorb as much life energy at once, he stayed patient.

After all, patience was what led to a sweet harvest.

Waiting soon led to a big result.

In addition, if he absorbed a large amount of life energy all at once, it was much more effective.

When it came to life energy, the more he waited, the more valuable it became.

Just the thought of being able to swallow all of that life energy made him feel full as if he overate.

Refman fumbled with his own horns at the thought of it all, but he was woken by someone who approached from behind him.

"Hm…?"

When Refman turned around, he saw two of his underlings looking very troubled.

"What is it?"

Refman asked while staring at the underlings with his red eyes.

"Um, the thing is…"

"Well…"

Refman's blood pressure rose at the sight of the two underlings hesitating.

"What are you waiting for? Tell me already," Refman commanded in a low voice.

The two underlings trembled as if they were faced with the Grim Reaper.

"I think something is in your dwelling."

Refman's eyes grew wide.

"What do you mean? What dwelling?"

The underling spoke after preparing for death, "The one in area 4B…"

Refman sprung up from his seat before he could even finish.

His face looked so enraged that he looked like he was ready to rip everything apart.

"What are you talking about?"

Refman shouted.

The underlings lowered their bodies in fear.

"But… there's no trace of a trespasser. We heard something in there though."

Refman stepped out of the lava.

"I'll check for myself. If there's any problem…"

Refman glared at his underlings with enraged eyes.

"You'll have to pay the price."

The two underlings followed Refman from behind in hopes that nothing was wrong.

***

While Ho Sung Lee looked around in shock while still standing naked covered in blood, he sensed something.

Someone was coming near.

They were still far, but he sensed it.

Before, he wouldn't have been able to sense them since they were still far away.

But thanks to his supporter specialty, he was now much more sensitive in that sense.

Furthermore, he could feel that the person that was coming near possessed a great deal of power.

Ho Sung Lee gulped.

He had to get out of there before he arrived.

Ho Sung Lee rushed to leave, but he remembered that he was naked and opened his item window.

After washing himself off with a bottle of water, he put on some clothes and used his shadow skill.

As soon as he activated his shadow skill, Ho Sung Lee immediately realized that the ability had leveled up.

He was now confident that if there was even the smallest hole the size of a needle, he could go through and enter any space he wanted.

Ho Sung Lee got a feel of his advanced skill and left Refman's dwelling in a flash.

***

Refman didn't think it was possible that someone had trespassed into his dwelling.

Even if there was no trace of someone trespassing, the life energy was not something anyone could mess with so easily.

The possibility of an average player taking his life energy was next to nothing.

If one messed with the life energy in the wrong way, they could easily die from shock.

And it was a process that involved great, unbearable pain.

It was impossible even for a ranker player.

Unless it was someone like himself who researched the transformation of life forms, it was almost impossible to utilize.

It was just that Refman felt bothered that someone could have appeared near the place that he cherished most.

Even if it was just a rat, he intended to kill it immediately.

Refman arrived at his most cherished place in no time.

Refman's underlings stepped back.

That was because Refman's most cherished place was only for Refman to enter.

For that reason, when Refman was entering the place, not even his underlings could go anywhere near the entrance.

Refman's underlings prayed that it was their mistake and that no one was inside.

But even if nothing had happened, they would have to pay the price for bothering Refman with a worry.

But being punished was much better than dying or going extinct.

So the underlings hoped that it was nothing but a rat inside.

But that wish was not fulfilled.

"What motherf*cker put their hands on my belonging?"

Rumble, rumble!

Refman's rage made the sky shake.

His voice was so loud that all of the organisms at the volcano would have heard.

Since his voice contained his Aura, the underlings trembled with fear at just the sound of it.

But compared to what was about to happen next, that fear was nothing.

Refman's rage reached the skies, and that meant that something happened to the life energy that he worked so hard to gather.

The underlings knew death was near.

Refman walked out of his dwelling and glared at his underlings with a growl.

The underlings trembled so much that they could barely keep standing still.

"Find whoever took my belonging immediately. If you don't, I'll drag you down to hell myself!"

The underlings ran away in panic.

They didn't know where to go yet, but they simply ran to get as far away from his rage as possible.

Chapter 260: Chapter 260

Refman huffed and puffed and looked through all over the volcano with red eyes in order to find whoever stole his life energy.

Since not much time had passed, it was very likely that he hadn't left the volcano yet.

Since his troops set out to look for him already, there was still hope.

Even if he had stolen his life energy, all he had to do was swallow him whole to gain it back.

He had to do whatever it took to find him and get his beloved life energy back.

While he searched through the volcano at an explosive speed, Refman slowed down at the sight of a trace, and his pupils dilated.

He had just started searching, so he didn't think he would find him so soon.

He sighed because he wasn't sure if he was lucky, or if he was unlucky since he had his life energy stolen in the first place.

The ruler of the volcano, Refman, moved quickly toward where he sensed the movement.

And then he soon discovered a human being that was glancing around.

He was holding quite an impressive-looking sword in his hand, and seeing from his weapon, he appeared to be a player.

As soon as he discovered him, Refman felt a strong sense of pressure.

Was he powerful enough to be able to swallow the life energy?

Refman kricked his teeth and walked toward him, who was standing in the middle of the base scattered with lava.

When he did, he looked back at him.

***

Ho Sung Lee was moving as quickly as possible so that he could find Min Sung before he was detected by any monster.

But the volcano was a large place, and there were many monsters searching here and there, so it was no easy task.

Since it was hard enough to use his skills to find Min Sung, he was afraid that he would be sensed by either Refman or his underlings.

For that reason, he had to be as thoughtful as possible.

Anything rash could lead to the worst-case scenario.

But looking for Min Sung while an entire search team was out looking for him was no easy task.

The skill that he picked and leveled up was a skill that was useful when searching for someone.

When it came to hiding himself, there were limits.

'All I can really do is turn into a shadow, but it's hard to avoid them and find Min Sung with just that…'

While Ho Sung Lee thought to himself, an idea jolted him wide awake.

The shadow skill evolved.

In the beginning, he had to consume a great deal of focus and magic energy in order to enter through small cracks in a short period of time.

But once he was tortured by the strange red sphere and he woke back up, a surprising phenomenon took place.

What felt like an unlimited source of magic energy continuously flowed through him.

There were small cracks even on the ground.

If he moved through those cracks, it was going to be hard for them to locate him and track him down.

With that thought, Ho Sung Lee increased his focus through the shadow skill and used a daring amount of magic energy.

As a result of the skill, the power of the Aura emitted a light.

Ho Sung Lee was not able to utilize a skill that hid him so well that not even his shadow could be seen.

Ho Sung Lee activated the best hiding ability that he had ever used and sped up in order to find Min Sung.

Surprisingly, despite how much magic power was required for this skill, he was able to keep going without running out.

Ho Sung Lee splurged on the skill with his unlimited magic energy and began to look for Min Sung.

***

Min Sung stared back at the ruler of the volcano, Refman, and tilted his head sideways.

"It's you, isn't it? The ruler," asked Min Sung.

As soon as Refman saw the look in Min Sung's eyes, he suppressed his emotions.

The way rationality ruled over his instincts as soon as he looked into his eyes was very surprising.

He had never seen his face before, and his reputation hadn't been known either.

So if he still gave off such a presence, Refman wondered if he was a relatively new ranker player.

"… It's you. The one

who stole my life energy."

"Life energy?"

Min Sung asked while knitting his brows.

"You despicable bastard… Don't play dumb! I worked so hard to gather that much. You motherf*cker. How dare you steal it from me?"

Refman's increasing rage made the ground shake and the magic energy that was launched from his body wrapped around Min Sung.

But Min Sung didn't even blink an eye at Refman's attack.

He just looked annoyed.

"I don't know what you're talking about… I should just kill you," said Min Sung.

He spoke in a leisurely voice, and not a single ounce of nervousness could be sensed in his attitude.

"Hahaha."

Refman squinted his eyes and laughed with his mouth.

His body was covered with such big muscles that it looked like his blood vessels were about to burst."

"Do you really think you can defeat me just because you absorbed that life energy…?"

Boommmm!

Before Refman could finish, Min Sung jumped off the ground and leaped into the air.

Before he could even catch him with his eyes, Min Sung grabbed onto Refman's right horn with his left hand.

He then stared right into Refman's red eyes and lowered his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

Along with the sound of thunder, he dodged the sword that targeted his shoulder and bit onto Min Sung's Gungnir S with his large mouth.

Then a sword covered in lava appeared in Refman's hand.

Refman's eyes smiled while he swung his lava sword.

Swoosh!

The heat capable of melting just about anything splashed with lava as it charged toward Min Sung's chest.

Min Sung let go of his Gungnir S and dodged the attack, but the powerful Aura launched from the lava sword pursued him.

Min Sung kept his eye on the Aura with unwavering eyes and smacked it with the palm of his hand.

Boommmmm!

Refman's Aura and Min Sung's magic energy collided with a loud explosive sound, and the impact prevented them from seeing in front of them.

A mixture of dirt, dust, and lava was flying between Min Sung and Refman.

But at this point, their bodies moved quicker than their eyes.

Min Sung reduced the distance between him and Refman and approached him through the dust, dirt, and lava.

Refman was holding the Gungnir S in his left hand, and his lava sword in his right.

Min Sung didn't let this faze him and immediately grabbed Refman's right horn with his left hand once more.

Refman was so enraged about having his horn grabbed 2 times in a row that he glared at Min Sung and swung his lava sword.

But Min Sung's fist was a step ahead of Refman's lava sword.

Boommmm!

It sounded like a car crash as Refman's large head bounced back.

The impact was so powerful that one of Refman's legs flipped up.

But he didn't fall over, and as soon as Refman tried to attack, Min Sung's fist charged at Refman's face over and over.

"Ugh! Ugh…! Ugh!"

Refman couldn't open his eyes due to the repeated impact.

The striking points were perfect, and the speed was unbelievable.

As a result, Refman had no choice but to swing his lava sword without being able to see in front of him.

Min Sung ducked so that the Aura from the lava sword wouldn't reach him, which led to it simply swinging in the air.

Right as the Aura that Refman launched made an explosive sound, Min Sung punched Refman in the gut.

Powwww!

"Cough!"

Refman coughed up blood and wobbled around.

Min Sung reached out his hand and grabbed Refman by the neck.

Crack!

Refman's eyes jolted wide open as he looked into Min Sung's eyes.

That was because Refman sensed a crazy amount of magic energy from within Min Sung's fist.

For a moment, Min Sung, who pulled his fist back, looked like a giant in Refman's eyes.

Min Sung's fist charged with power proceeded to punch Refman's face repeatedly once more.

His face sunk in, and he dropped Min Sung's Gungnir S and his own lava sword and rolled on the ground like a bowlingball.

Min Sung stared at Refman and grabbed his own shoulder for a nice stretch.

"Stop acting like a baby and get up," Min Sung told Refman.

In response, Refman slowly got himself back up.

There was a wound on his face due to Min Sung's fist, but it was healing at a fast pace.

However, his eyes looked dead.

He almost looked like he was disappointed.

"That's weird… If you absorbed the life energy, your attacks wouldn't be like this. This level of force is much above that of stolen life energy."

"What are you mumbling about, you red son of a b*tch?"

As soon as Min Sung raised his hand, the Gungnir S on the ground flew into his hand.

Refman wasn't surprised by the sight.

He had seen skills like that plenty of times during his time in the inner continent.

What bothered Refman weren't trivial tricks like that.

The battle that took place before he used his fist.

He sensed an unbelievable level of combat power during that battle.

The man standing in front of him wasn't someone who simply got stronger from stealing his life energy.

"If you don't come, I'll walk over to you. I hate wasting time."

Min Sung swung his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

Roarrrrr!

Rumble!

Along with the thundering noise, the magic power that Min Sung launched split the ground into two and charged toward Refman at the speed of light.

In that short period of time, Refman gathered his power.

A red curtain covered the space around Refman's body.

Min Sung's magic power collided with the curtain around Refman.

The impact transformed into a white light that flashed in all directions.

After blocking out Min Sung's attack, Refman took out a new lava sword from his item window and launched his upgraded Aura toward Min Sung.

The red sword was covered in lava, and the Aura covered such a wide area that there was no space to dodge it.

The Aura was more powerful than any that Min Sung had experienced thus far.

Chapter 261: Chapter 261

Min Sung saw the red Aura that charged his way.

The light of the red Aura reflected Min Sung's cold facial expression.

It was a powerful force that he had never experienced before, but Min Sung's face remained unchanged, and his eyes didn't show any change whatsoever.

Min Sung gripped onto his Gungnir S.

Min Sung then launched his special skill at the red Aura that looked like it was about to swallow him whole.

The Gungnir S, which left his hand, flashed with white light. It destroyed the red Aura and continued to soar through.

Refman watched the sight with a blank look on his face

He had seen ones who could summon their weapons back to their hands, but he had never seen one who could launch their weapon with such powerful force.

Refman jolted his eyes wide open and dropped his jaw while watching Min Sung's skill charge toward him.

And then…

A shield instinctively appeared on Refman's hand in order to block out the Gungnir S.

Crash!

It made a loud noise but only for a moment.

Crackkkkkk!

A moment later, a crack formed in the shield.

Min Sung's Gungnir S slowly cracked Refman's shield and continued to penetrate through.

Refman clenched his teeth and tried to layer his shield, but it was impossible to block out the Gungnir S that Min Sung had launched.

In the end, his shield cracked, and the Gungnir S…

Kaboom!

It made a thundering noise and stabbed into Refman's chest.

Slash!

The Gungnir S penetrated Refman's chest, and with the Gungnir S stabbed into his chest, he coughed up blood and took a step back.

Min Sung stared at Refman with his bright eyes and walked toward him.

Refman watched Min Sung walk toward him and laughed.

He still had plenty of magic energy.

Refman used all his force and swung his lava sword, but Min Sung moved swiftly. He dodged the attack and positioned himself to Refman's right side.

He then grabbed onto Refman's horns for the third time and slammed down on it with his hand.

A loud impact could be heard.

Crack!

Refman's horn broke off.

He wobbled around and plopped down on one of his knees.

Min Sung stepped on the neck of Refman, who was looking up at him with his horn bleeding, and took out the Gungnir S that was in his chest.

Refman laid on the ground while spilling blood and laughed.

"If I had absorbed all the life energy I've been gathering, I might've been able to defeat you…"

Min Sung watched Refman, who was staring at him with sadness and longing, and knitted his brows.

"Beatrice seems to be full of people who don't know their place."

Slashhhhhh!

The Gungnir S flashed with gold light.

Slash! Thud!

And it slashed Refman's neck and then stabbed through the ground.

Once it stabbed into the ground, the Gungnir S almost looked like a flag.

Some were watching this horrific sight.

They were Beatrice natives and players that were captured by the ruler of the volcano, Refman, and were turned into monsters.

It appeared to Min Sung that they lost their will to fight after watching Refman's defeat.

Refman's puppets that were turned into monsters by him showed no intent to attack.

They proved it by looking scared and leaving immediately.

Min Sung looked down at Refman, who was losing life in his eyes. He clicked his tongue and wiped one of his hands using his pants.

***

Ho Sung Lee couldn't hide his shock when he saw Refman dead on the ground with the Gungnir S stabbed into him.

It was a horrific sight.

He was the size of an elephant. He had horns that looked like the devil and had red skin all over.

On top of that, he was so muscular that he was certain that if he was still alive, he wouldn't have stood a chance.

Ho Sung Lee was impressed byMin Sung for defeating the ruler of the volcano, Refman.

Despite having defeated a powerful ranker in the inner continent, he didn't seem tired, and no wounds could be spotted on his body.

He wondered if this human had so much power that he could one day reach the level of the Dionysus Gods.

Ho Sung Lee believed that that was actually a plausible scenario.

"Hey."

In response to Min Sung's calling, Ho Sung Lee

lifted his head and glanced over.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Where were you?"

"Oh, the thing is… something unexpected happened."

"What happened? And how are you so powerful all of a sudden?"

In response, Ho Sung Lee's head went blank for a moment.

"… Sorry?"

"You got stronger. Much stronger."

Min Sung immediately recognized it.

He saw that he had become exponentially more powerful than before.

"I think I might've consumed the power that the volcano ruler, Refman, had been collecting for himself," explained Ho Sung Lee with a laugh.

"Who would've thought something so powerful would have been so unprotected?"

Min Sung followed Ho Sung Lee's line of sight and looked at Refman's body as well.

Refman was dead with his eyes opened.

Although he was clearly dead, it could be seen in his eyes that he was still longing for his life energy.

Min Sung clenched his teeth at the sight.

"How long do I have to get rid of these for?" Min Sung asked with an emotional voice.

Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung in surprise.

Min Sung continued to stare at Refman as if he was despicable.

"I'm getting sick and tired of this, both the Devildom and Beatrice."

It was understandable.

He was just a man who wanted a quiet and normal life to himself without having to chase after power and new territory.

He just wanted to enjoy a nice meal.

Ho Sung Lee grew tense.

Whenever Min Sung became stressed, that affected him as well.

Ho Sung Lee decided to make him delicious food that would get his mind off of things.

***

[You've completed the first page of the ancient document.]

[You've acquired 20,000 points as an additional reward.]

[Your rank has increased.]

[Your rank is now in the boundary.]

[You've acquired a high reputation. Your reputation is now rank D.]

It appeared from the stat window and the additional information that once he gained enough reputation, it was measured in different ranks.

And the fact that he was now in a rank within the boundary and that he was rank D meant that other ranker players were now able to recognize his existence.

That was because higher ranking players were able to check the rankings of other players.

He knew quite a few groups that maintained their high level of authority still existed.

Min Sung was sure of it, and they would try to get rid of what seemed threatening to them right off the bat.

Even if this was where the top organisms on land gathered, having intellect lead to ambition.

He had a feeling that the boring battles he had been fighting until now were soon going to become bothersome.

"Sir, would you like to have your next meal once we find a cooler place out of the volcano?" Ho Sung lee asked.

In order to properly eat, they had to be in a place where there would be no resistance.

And there was nothing more uncomfortable than eating near boiling lava.

"Sure."

Min Sung nodded and led the way.

While they left the volcano, Min Sung's party was able to see the monsters that appeared to be the volcano ruler Refman's former puppets.

They also saw the cruel process of those transforming into those puppets.

Refman had caught Beatrice natives and players. He absorbed their life energy and then made them into monsters.

And although he was dead, the process was still ongoing.

They were unable to even look at Min Sung, who had defeated Refman, and trembled.

That was also the force that gave him the D rank in reputation in Beatrice.

The monsters showed a sensitive reaction to the player's rank, and it wasn't simply just fear of someone more powerful.

Min Sung watched the people who were getting robbed of their life energy, dying, and becoming monsters inside the lava.

He thought this place was no different from hell.

That was how horrific it was.

Even the monsters that were doing this to them had become monsters because of Refman, and they were simply following Refman's orders.

Min Sung watched for a moment and then walked away.

Ho Sung Lee also followed from behind and ran away from the screaming.

***

As soon as they got out of the volcanic region, Ho Sung Lee finally sighed out of relief.

Although they had just gotten out of the volcanic region, the wind felt very refreshing.

"Ew, I have volcanic ash all over me."

Ho Sung Lee brushed himself off and looked at Min Sung.

He was looking at the ancient document.

"Did something show up?"

Ho Sung Lee asked as he washed off his blackened hands with water.

Min Sung threw the ancient document into his item window.

"I only see a destination. I guess we have to wait a little longer before we see anything else. Our next destination is Krok."

On the map, they had to travel quite a distance toward the east.

"I'm probably a lot faster now," said Ho Sung Lee while tapping on his thighs.

"You're still slow," Min Sung answered without much anticipation.

"But I'll probably arrive a lot faster than before, haha."

Ho Sung Lee laughed.

"Shut it. Where's dinner?"

"I'll prepare it right away."

"Make something simple."

He was so mentally tired from facing off against Refman and thinking about being in Beatrice that he just wanted a simple meal.

While Ho Sung Lee prepared the food, Min Sung took the ancient document back out of the item window.

On the second page read, 'Krok' and nothing else.

A place located to the east side on the map.

He looked at the page for quite some time, but no more words showed up.

He then smelled something delicious.

Min Sung looked back at Ho Sung Lee with the ancient document still in his hands.

Chapter 262: Chapter 262

He didn't think he had much of an appetite, but the smell of the food brought Min Sung's appetite back to life.

'What is this?'

He was curious, but he held back.

After all, Ho Sung Lee's cooking always exceeded his expectations.

Min Sung held his emotions back. He reclaimed his rationality and calmed himself down.

Suppressing his emotions and nature and controlling his rationality and body first was a habit that he acquired since his Demonic Realm days.

Min Sung breathed in and out with his eyes closed in order to get his blood flowing.

The blood flow that he acquired from the books in Samchunkyo was the flow that promoted magic energy, and that gave him a mysterious power.

He felt his mind and body become clearer, and he could clearly feel the power circulating around his body.

The flow of the magic power had always been stored in his body since his days in the Demonic Realm, but after learning about blood flow, things became much more clear.

And he also acquired the ability to speed up the circulation of his magic power.

He didn't know this at first, but he could later feel more power being gathered as time went on.

As the magic power flowed through the blood, the power gathered gradually.

That also meant that his output was increased, which gave him the hope to leap to a whole new level.

As a result of the proof that he felt on his skin, Min Sung saw much importance in the flow of magic energy, so he put his focus on it whenever he had time.

And whenever he did, his body and mind felt refreshed afterward.

"Sir, your food is ready."

In response, Min Sung opened his eyes.

He felt like it was just a moment, but whenever he focused, time passed by in an instant without him realizing it.

Min Sung got up and walked toward the outdoor table that Ho Sung Lee prepared.

He sat down and checked the menu.

The main ingredient in the meal Ho Sung Lee prepared this time was duck.

"Duck meat?"

Min Sung looked down at the duck placed on a plate and asked.

Ho Sung Lee smiled and nodded in response.

"Duck is a healthy dish that contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, so you can enjoy it without feeling burdened."

He didn't expect meat since he just wanted a simple meal, and it wasn't any regular meat, but it was duck meat.

It was roasted duck, but the oil was squeezed out of it.

And on top of the sliced duck were unseasoned chives.

Min Sung picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of the duck meat and chives into his mouth.

The natural flavor of the chives and the soft and smooth flavors of the duck mixed together, causing his heart to feel like it was being treated.

It was much more delicious than expected.

The chives covered up for the oiliness of the duck meat, and the combination was absolutely perfect.

As soon as he consumed the natural scents of the chives and the protein of the duck meat, it almost made him delude himself into thinking he was suddenly healthier.

And that wasn't the end of it.

Min Sung picked up a piece of lettuce. He placed duck meat, chives, and garlic into it, and then wrapped it up and put it into his mouth.

Om nom-

The duck meat and chives covered in fresh and smooth lettuce filled the inside of his mouth.

Once he finished, he realized the chives were so delicious that he could just eat it on its own.

He was thinking of a very simple meal, so the unexpected duck meat resulted in a fancier meal than expected.

And since the portion was appropriate, it was perfect for one meal.

Min Sung gave Ho Sung Lee a thumbs up and put down his chopsticks.

Ho Sung Lee flashed a smile and bowed.

***

They headed to the next destination.

Min Sung led the way, and Ho Sung Lee followed from behind.

When they first left, Ho Sung Lee was right behind him, and that surprised Min Sung.

But as soon as he realized Ho Sung Lee could keep up, he decided to challenge him by going even faster.

As a result, some distance formed between them, but Ho Sung Lee was still in sight.

This was something that he never would've imagined just a day before.

However…

This wasn't his fastest speed.

Since they had to travel a far distance, he had to control his speed, meaning if he gave it his all, he could travel at twice the speed he was going now.

Ho Sung Lee thought for a moment.

What would've happened if he had met the hearthstone bombing terrorist in his current condition?

There was no need for calculation.

He would have destroyed him.

It was even obvious to Min Sung that he had become much more powerful than before, but he didn't compare to Min Sung.

Regardless, his abilities had advanced in ways that were unbelievable.

Thinking about that made his heart pound, and he couldn't believe this was actually happening.

While they ripped through the wind at a high speed, Ho Sung Lee felt as though he was flying in the air.

Since this was his first time experiencing how satisfying it felt to be on the rise, the shock of it all made him feel like he was in Heaven.

And at that moment…

Something else that was unbelievable appeared.

He began to see messages from Dionysus gods interested

in him for the very first time.

He received a message window explaining that he could start collecting experience points, and for the first time, he was gifted experience points as well.

That meant he was finally acknowledged as a player in Beatrice!

Ho Sung Lee's head went blank because of this unbelievable phenomenon, and as a result of his reduced focus, his speed decreased as well.

When that happened, Min Sung slowed down and grabbed Ho Sung Lee by the throat.

"… Gasp?!"

Ho Sung Lee stared at Min Sung in surprise.

"It doesn't seem like you're out of stamina," commented Min Sung with scary eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just surprised."

"Why?"

"Well…"

Ho Sung Lee explained what had just happened.

He explained that he began to receive interest from the Dionysis Gods, and that he just received experience points as a gift.

Min Sung let go of his throat in understanding.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee, who was waiting for Min Sung to go first, stared at him in confusion when he just stood there watching.

"You go first," said Min Sung.

"Me?"

"You seem to be out of it because you're powerful all of a sudden. You need my help."

In response, Ho Sung Lee gulped.

He understood what he meant by that.

"Go," Min Sung said in a voice resembling the Grim Reaper.

At the same time, Ho Sung Lee clenched his teeth and took off.

Min Sung followed from behind.

He then kept his eyes on him.

Ho Sung Lee could feel it even if he didn't say anything.

That was his way of telling him not to let his guard down.

That was also his way of teaching him to always have his A-game.

Ho Sung Lee had no choice but to speed up as a result.

He no longer felt relaxed.

He soon began to drip in cold sweat, and his heart pounded faster and faster.

His breathing became heavier, and his eyes turned yellow, but he couldn't stop.

He could only stop once Min Sung gave him the sign.

Ho Sung Lee wanted to become powerful, and it was happening.

It was possible that he wasn't going to stop even if he was ordered to.

***

"Let's take a rest."

He was conceited to have thought that he could exceed the limit.

Min Sung only told him to stop once they had far passed the point where he wished he would give him a sign, and he was on the brink of exhaustion.

But Ho Sung Lee widened his shoulder and controlled his breathing so that he wouldn't look weak.

As expected, Min Sung was still breathing normally.

"I see our destination," Ho Sung Lee said while wiping off his sweat with his sleeve.

He could see the territory in front of them.

Village buildings could be seen.

That must have been their destination, Krok.

The weather began to change.

Dark clouds formed in the sky, and it looked like it was about to rain, but even after they had traveled toward the territory for quite some time, it still didn't rain.

Min Sung walked slowly out of consideration for Ho Sung Lee.

Meanwhile, Ho Sung Lee drank a potion from his item window in order to recover his stamina.

As soon as he did, the speed of his recovery doubled.

He felt his body recovering very quickly.

He felt dizzy and he couldn't feel his arms and legs, but he now felt like his stamina was being recharged.

Meanwhile, Min Sung took out the ancient document from his item window.

The ancient document was now red.

That seemed to be an indicator of something new having appeared, and that prediction was correct.

A new mission appeared on the second page of the ancient document.

***

Min Sung knitted his brows at the new mission written in the ancient document.

This mission was just as troublesome as when he had to find the ancient document from the Dark Elf Forest.

The mission was to find a hidden secret document, and the only information given to them was the name of the secret document, 'Golden Code.'

"Golden code… Its name makes it sound like it contains information just as important as that of the ancient document," Ho Sung Lee said with much anticipation.

Min Sung put the ancient document back into the item window and clicked his tongue.

"So many troublesome things."

In response, Ho Sung Lee smiled.

"But at least we get rewarded for it."

Min Sung answered with silence.

At that moment…

They heard a noise from not so far away.

It was the voice of two men, and they knew where it was coming from.

Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee went back to where the noise was coming from.

Two soldiers in armor were chasing a girl, and that girl and soldiers happened to be running toward Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee's direction.

Chapter 263: Chapter 263

***

"Stop right there! You damned rascal!"

"You little bitch…!"

The two soldiers chased the little girl while panting.

The little girl didn't look a day older than 12, but the soldiers were unable to catch her.

The little girl wasn't fast, but the soldiers' legs were trembling.

They looked quite tired.

But the same went for the little girl.

The little girl approached Min Sung's party with a pale face and trembling legs.

She then immediately grabbed onto Min Sung's pants.

"… Please help me," pleaded the little girl with a squeaking voice.

Min Sung stared down at the little girl and then looked back up.

The two soldiers were approaching while grabbing onto their sides.

"We finally caught you, you little bitch…!"

The soldiers glared at her with the look of death in their eyes.

They then looked at Min Sung and his party.

"That bitch deserves to die. Don't waste your time and go on your way," said one of the soldiers.

Min Sung looked at them and then looked down at the girl who was still grabbing onto his pants

At that moment, Ho Sung Lee took a step forward.

"What did she do? Why are you trying to hurt her?"

In response, the soldiers laughed.

"You don't know how evil that little girl is! She's the devil!"

The man with blue eyes screamed, causing his blood vessels to pop out of his neck.

"But what exactly did she do?"

Ho Sung Lee argued back, and the soldier beside him grabbed onto his comrade's shoulder and calmed him down.

He then explained in his stance.

"Do you know what witches are?"

Ho Sung Lee knitted his brows.

"Witch?"

"That's right. That girl is a witch. A witch that brought catastrophe onto us."

Ho Sung Lee looked at the girl before glaring at the soldiers.

"She doesn't seem to be that powerful though. Are you sure?"

The soldier sighed.

"You don't get it, do you? It's a waste of time trying to explain this to you any further."

The soldiers grabbed onto their weapons.

"If you try to stop us, you will die."

Ho Sung Lee looked back at Min Sung.

"What should we do? Should I fight them?"

Min Sung laughed.

"Can you handle it? You're weak."

Ho Sung Lee smiled.

"That's true, but they look even weaker than me."

Ho Sung Lee glared at the soldiers.

They normally would have been angered by this, but this time, their faces looked like they were acknowledging what he had said.

Seeing how they looked nervous, it was possible that they were just Beatrice natives.

"Are you not players?" Ho Sung Lee asked.

The soldiers jolted their eyes wide open.

They had a feeling he was a player accompanying Min Sung, and that he possessed incredible ability.

But ironically, their attitudes didn't change.

"Let me repeat. If you try to stop us, you will die."

Ho Sung Lee smiled at the soldiers.

"How?"

"Because the owner of the territory, Cross, will kill you."

"Aha."

Ho Sung Lee finally understood and nodded before glancing over at Min Sung.

"You don't care, right?"

"Of course not."

"The master I serve has given his permission."

Ho Sung Lee clapped his hands.

"If you don't want to die, you should get lost now."

Ho Sung Lee tried to scare them away, but they didn't step back.

On the contrary, they gripped onto their weapons even harder.

They looked like they were ready to die.

"Sigh… This is frustrating. Why are you being so rash when you're not even players?" Ho Sung Lee asked in frustration.

"It's our duty to bring that witch back with us."

"I don't care. I don't like to see adults blaming a little girl and trying to run away from their responsibilities. I won't kill you."

Ho Sung Lee cracked his knuckles.

At that moment, both soldiers charged toward Ho Sung Lee.

Ho Sung Lee felt tired as he watched them move.

He wanted to test his powers with another player, but they weren't even players.

They were much too weak.

'I'd better control my strength.'

Ho Sung Lee swiftly dodged their attacks and hit them on the back of their necks.

The soldiers' pupils shook, and they plopped down on the ground.

Ho Sung Lee brushed his hands off and looked back at the little girl.

The little girl had her eyes closed while still holding onto Min Sung's pants.

She looked like she had fainted.

Ho Sung Lee approached the little girl. He checked her condition and then looked up at Min Sung.

"What do we do? If we take this little girl into the village, things will get noisy, but that doesn't mean we can abandon her either," Ho Sung Lee said with pitiful eyes.

"We'll take her with us," answered Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung with surprised eyes.

This was unexpected knowing his personality.

In any case, a decision had been made, so Ho Sung Lee carried the little girl in his arms.

There were wounds all over her body, and her body was very light as if she hadn't eaten properly.

Min Sung led the way, and Ho Sung Lee considered giving the little girl a potion but decided to wait until she woke up.

***

The first road they entered in Krok was empty and quiet.

As soon as they began walking for a little while, night fell upon them.

While Min Sung's party walked through the village, some of the people saw Ho Sung Lee carrying the little girl in his arms and expressed their shock.

But they disappeared like homeless kittens.

They looked for accommodation, but all of the houses turned off their lights.

That was a sign that they weren't accepting any outsiders.

Meanwhile, they heard footsteps.

wasn't just one person.

The footsteps sounded heavy as if it was an entire troop.

Min Sung's party looked toward where the noise was coming from, and that was when they saw disguised soldiers.

The sound of their footsteps sounded very threatening, and they were synchronized perfectly as if they had trained extensively.

"Phew, there's a lot of them," Ho Sung Lee said with a sigh.

There were at leaset 30 of them, and they all had Auras that made them assume they were players.

However…

"I'll try to deal with them so that you won't have to, Sir."

Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee and laughed.

"Maybe you're getting a little overexcited at your new strength."

"I guess so, but I really want to get rid of little fries so that you can save your energy," said Ho Sung Lee while staring at the soldiers approaching.

Min Sung crossed his arms and nodded.

"Give it a try."

As soon as Min Sung gave his approval…

Ho Sung Lee looked back at Min Sung with widened eyes.

"Can you let me borrow Bowl? There's a lot of them."

Min Sung woke Bowl up in his pocket and threw him out.

Bowl woke up in mid-air but landed perfectly on his feet like a gymnast.

"Ugh. Why did you have to wake me up, you son of a b*tch?"

"Min Sung gave his approval, so stop complaining."

Ho Sung Lee caught his breath as he watched the players approaching.

After handing over the little girl to Ssol, he walked toward them with confidence.

Bowl followed from behind.

"Huh? Son of a b*tch got stronger while I was asleep," said Bowl while looking up at Ho Sung Lee with his big head.

In response, Ho Sung Lee laughed.

"Did you just notice? I'm not the same Ho Sung Lee anymore."

"You're still a son of a b*tch to me."

"Shut up. They're coming."

Ho Sung Lee stopped in his tracks and stiffened his face while looking at the disguised players.

The players all stopped in front of Ho Sung Lee.

And the man in the middle, who had long silver hair, tied up his hair and walked up to Ho Sung Lee.

The man was very good-looking, and he had quite the presence.

The man with the silver hair looked at the girl that was passed out on the ground and looked back up at Ho Sung Lee.

As soon as the eyes of Ho Sung Lee and the man with the silver hair met, the air around them became sharp.

"If you're protecting that girl out of justice, I suggest you change your mind now."

Ho Sung Lee knitted his brows.

"I heard you think she's a witch, but it sounds to me like it's just a guess with no proof. Is it worth all your soldiers risking their lives?"

The man with the silver hair showed a cold look in his eyes.

His eyes passed to Min Sung and Ssol before returning back to Ho Sung Lee.

And lastly, they even went to Bowl who was standing next to Ho Sung Lee.

The man with the silver hair dropped his head and laughed.

It was out of ridicule.

"Do you think you can do it?"

His eyes were cold as ice.

Ho Sung Lee smiled bitterly in response.

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

In response, the soldiers behind the man with the silver hair showed cold gazes as well.

Ho Sung Lee felt the glares, but he didn't let them shake him up.

He had two lives thanks to Berserker, and more than anything else, he had the strong Min Sung Kang behind him, so he had nothing to be afraid of.

The man with the silver hair stared at Ho Sung Lee and slowly lifted his hand.

And when he did, the cold air disappeared.

Ho Sung Lee was trembling inside.

He wondered if he was being rash like Min Sung said.

'Maybe I should've let Min Sung handle this.'

He felt some regret, but there was no going back now.

This was his responsibility.

"Then let's do this. We don't want to cause a scene with outsiders who are visiting Krok. How about we settle this with a battle?"

The man with the silver hair smiled and made his proposal.

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